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Welcome to the Financial District
Read More →: Welcome to the Financial DistrictThe Japanese economy is currently in the middle of a huge transformation. A generation ago, a Japanese person could finish school and seamlessly transition into a company job. The job might have grueling hours, but in return it offered lifetime employment at a good wage. Japanese men sacrificed their time with their families so that…
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Middle-aged men drinking tea
Read More →: Middle-aged men drinking teaAs any right thinking English gentlemen will tell you, tea is what our great British Empire was built upon and, well, most of what I knew about Hyouge Mono before it aired was that it somehow involved tea.
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Puella Magi Madoka Abstract Subversion Nyanyan Death
Read More →: Puella Magi Madoka Abstract Subversion Nyanyan DeathJust be brave, everyone, but especially you, Japan.
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This isn't how I imagined it; Hanasaku Iroha
Read More →: This isn't how I imagined it; Hanasaku IrohaTeenage girls are a tricky thing to do well in anime. Anime about (and often aimed at) teenage girls is a continually saturated market, making it hard to improve upon. That said, I liked Hanasaku Iroha. In particular, the portrayal of Ohana was intriguing.
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Yankee-kun to Megane-chan and the world of shounen manga apprentices
Read More →: Yankee-kun to Megane-chan and the world of shounen manga apprenticesI’ve always found the idea of an apprentice palatable. The idea of learning directly from a ‘master’ on real-world projects is, to me, a better way of doing things. Over my years in university I can’t count how many lazy students (including the lazy student in the mirror) I’ve met who slack off simply because…
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Anime after Madoka
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Read More →: Anime after MadokaLike most everyone else, I’ve enjoyed watching Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. I haven’t seen many other series directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, but I’m well aware he’s earned a reputation for weirdness. Even still, I’m sometimes taken aback by how abstract and artsy Madoka can get, and yet, in contrast to fellow auteurs like Masaaki Yuasa…
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Much Ado About Blu-Ray
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Read More →: Much Ado About Blu-RayThe holidays are long over and I bet some of you are enjoying brand new anime you received as gifts. For me, this year meant a leap from watching anime on my tiny computer screen to watching it on a beautiful LCD TV. Along with my new TV, I was also excited to pick up…
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Still a Sigure Virgin?
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/ MusicRead More →: Still a Sigure Virgin?Ling Tosite Sigure (凛として時雨) just seemed to creep up on me in January. Now one of my favourite bands, they are, I’m convinced, Japan’s best rock group since Supercar. Their music is fast-paced and aggressive; songs that may sound like a wall of noise at first, but that make sense (melodically) on subsequent loops through.…
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Winter Impressions Part II
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Read More →: Winter Impressions Part IISlowly but surely I am getting around to previewing the rest of this season’s shows. For this post I tried to preview some series that people seemed excited about in the comments to my first winter impressions post. That entry is available here.