Are Electric Rodent Pokemon Actually Rodents?

I love rodents. While many people find them disconcerting or even disgusting, I think they are adorable, at least most of the time. I have a very strong connection to them; they’d be my Patronus if I had one. This is partially why Raichu is my favorite Pokemon. It’s also because Electric is my favorite …

Japanese Horror Film Violence Voyager Is Really Out There: A Reflection

Just in time for Halloween, I watched a horror movie that's not quite like anything I've ever seen before. The film is Violence Voyager, an animated Japanese film directed by Ujicha. And oh boy. Where do I even begin? I'll start out by saying... Violence Voyager was weird. Downright bizarre. But that's okay because I like …

Sarazanmai: Desire, Love, Circles, and Buddhism. My Analysis and Personal Interpretation

Since Yurikuma Arashi is one of my favorite yuri anime and Kunihiko Ikuhara is one of my favorite directors, I had to watch Sarazanmai when I heard about it. Needless to say, I loved all of its surrealism, quirkiness, and... gayness. Ambiguous and metaphor-laced anime series always inspire me to write, forcing me to stretch …

Rai’s Guide To Being An Environmentally Friendly Anime Fan

This is going to sound really strange, but I've been thinking a lot about plastic recently. About how it's literally everywhere and at the same time terrible for the environment. Then, while still contemplating this, I looked around my room and made a discovery: it's overflowing with plastic. There's the regular everyday items like water bottles, …

The Importance of Lily Hoshikawa Being a Trans Girl (Zombie Land Saga)

It's pretty obvious if you anything about know me: I really like idols and cute girls. But I also love darkness, with series like Black Butler or Elfen Lied being some of my personal favorites. So naturally, I was drawn to Zombie Land Saga and its undead idols. Besides its hilarity, I was very impressed …

Why Are Anime Girls Always Dieting? Female Body Image and Weight in Japan

As someone who has watched many anime with all-girls casts, there’s a trend I've noticed over time. Anime girls are always going on diets - it happens in Sailor Moon, Love Live, Uma Musume, and even in Lucky Star. And loads more. I began to ask myself, “Why are all these girls so obsessed with …

Music Girls (Ongaku Shoujo) Anime Review

If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE idols. So, when I heard about the anime Music Girls (Ongaku Shoujo), I needed to check it out. Right away, I could tell this anime was going to be... different. The series is about a girl named Hanako and an unpopular idol group called …

Self Care in My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (OWLS September Blog Tour)

Hi everyone - it's time for my monthly OWLS post! For September, our theme was self-care, and I immediately thought of Nagata Kabi's manga My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. This compelling biographical manga tells the real-life story of Nagata, a Japanese women who dealt with depression, anxiety, and mental illness for years before accepting her …

The Use Of Symbolism And Metaphor In Your Lie In April Part 2 – Other Symbols

Hey, everyone~ This piece was originally part of a longer piece called Analysis: The Use Of Symbolism And Metaphor In Your Lie In April. However, that blog post was super long, so I decided to break it into two parts. Part 2 will look at symbols and metaphors in Your Lie in April that serve …

The Journey and History of Yuri Part 1 (OWLS 2018 “Journey” Blog Tour)

Hey everyone, it's time for my monthly OWLS post! If you aren't aware, OWLS is a group of otaku bloggers whose goal is to use anime to spread acceptance to everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Our theme this month was "Journey." The prompt was: We have all heard this saying in some …