If you’ve watched enough anime (or pretty much any historical anime), you’ve most likely encountered the name Shinsengumi. They were a pivotal group in Japanese history and as such remain a popular subject of fiction and cultural fascination. But do you actually know who the Shinsengumi were?
I’m not sure when I started having this fascination with colours. It’s not like I wear any. But at some point, I started to really notice them in all things and particularly in cinema and anime. I do know that I’ve been fascinated with tropes since I was small. I would see archetypes come up...
Man, I’m slow sometimes. (No comments, thank you!) I have been watching anime for years, multiple years, and only recently did I notice the windchimes. I saw them a lot in Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, then more recently in Yotsurio Biyori. When there was a quick scene of one in Cinderella 9, I...
It’s not really Tanabata, technically it’s on August 7th this year (“the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the Japanese lunisolar calendar”). But there are celebrations between July 7th and August 7th so we’re in the range. I guess my title was clickbait…sorry! In my defence, I didn’t want to miss it. I...
Hello everyone! We’re going back to some basics here. I know that for long time anime fans, Japanese honorifics have become something of a second nature. However, I remember that when I started watching anime, I was pretty confused with all the sans and chans and bokus… Ok so that last one isn’t an honorific, but you...
It’s no coincidence that one of the very first Japanese words I picked up by watching anime was: Sakura. Cherry trees are so ubiquitous and important to Japanese culture and identity that they even name girls after them! The breathtaking sight of cherry trees in full bloom, raining down soft petals on passersby is so...
Genre : Slice of Life, Comedy, Supernatural Episodes: 26 Studio: If you think your job is tough, imagine having to make sure Hell runs smoothly. It’s not exactly a place full of the most dependable people, after all. Keeping everything smooth and on schedule is an impressive feat and you don’t have the courtesy...
I like to think of myself as not entirely uncultured but there is always going to be a bit of a culture clash when I watch anime. I think that’s true for a lot of western viewers. The social reality we live in as well as the history, traditions and beliefs we grew up with...
Genre: Slice of Death, Supernatural, Yokai, comedy, folklore Episodes: 13 Studio: Wit Studio Hell is nothing if not… efficient! Judging all those souls, dealing out appropriate punishment, making time for diplomatic relations with all the other hells, it can really be… Well you get the idea. It takes a lot of work to keep a...
This is the second blogmas I’m spending with you all. The second time we get to sit down together and just chat over the holidays about nothing and everything. I really appreciate it. It makes the snowy season just a tad bit warmer. It really is a comforting exercise for me to just sit down...
