Anime master Mamoru Hosoda makes movies that, even at their most elaborate, can reach such staggeringly emotional heights that they seem to break free of anything you’re prepared for in an animated movie — or in most kinds of movies, for that matter. Any talented Japanese filmmaker working in fantastical animation inevitably draws comparisons to […]
Getting to know Japan’s weird side
July 16, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Tokyo Geek’s Guide: Manga, Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, Toys, Idols & More By Gianni Simone (North Clarendon, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing, 2017, 144 pp., $16.95, paperback) In the past two decades Japanese anime, manga, and gaming has gained worldwide popularity. This otaku culture has seeped into the mainstream and can be glimpsed all around Japan. “Tokyo Geek’s […]
Whirlwind tour through history
January 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
THE DISCOVERY OF ANIME & MANGA: The Asian Hall of Fame By Phil Amara and Oliver Chin, Illustrated by Juan Calle (San Francisco: Immedium, 2019, 40 pp., $16.95, hardcover) Phil Amara, Oliver Chin and Juan Calle’s third children’s book focuses on the history of Japanese anime and manga. Having previously done a bilingual history of […]
Academy Awards honors Asians
March 5, 2015 by 1 Comment
Tom Cross, who is Vietnamese American, received an Oscar for his film editing on “Whiplash,†the story of a young drummer at a cut-throat music conservatory. HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The 2015 Academy Awards, held Feb. 22 at Hollywood, Calif.’s Dolby Theater, included a few wins for Asians in film and animation. Disney’s “Big Hero 6†[…]
Backlash as Scarlett Johansson cast in ‘Ghost in the Shell’ role
January 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES — Scarlett Johansson has signed as the lead role in DreamWorks’ live action adaptation of “Ghost in the Shell,†Variety reported Jan. 5. Johansson, who is most recently known for her role starring in “Lucy†and as the Black Widow in Disney’s Marvel Studios films, will play the lead role in the film, […]
‘Kids on the Slope,’ New Series by Director of ‘Cowboy Bebop,’ Now Streaming Online (legally)
April 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The highly anticipated “Kids on the Slope,” the new anime series by Shinichiro Watanabe, is now available online through Crunchyroll. I caught the first episode last night, and I highly recommend it for just about all audiences, whether they’re into animation or not. The show takes place in 1966 in rural Kyushu and centers on […]
Lou Dobbs vs. Miyazaki
February 24, 2012 by 1 Comment
So the time comes again when I have to (half) defend Fox News. The network has a surprisingly lengthy recent history of taking issue with the subtext of children’s entertainment. Lou Dobbs similarly criticizes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” the new to the U.S. Miyazaki-scripted Ghibli film, which I’m reviewing in the next issue of Nichi Bei […]
Anpanman theme park opens in quake-hit Sendai
July 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
SENDAI (Kyodo) — A theme park featuring Anpanman, one of the most popular Japanese anime series for young children, opened July 22 in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, after the March 11 earthquake delayed its opening for three months. The “Sendai Anpanman Children’s Museum and Mall,†a two-story facility on 7,000-square-meter premises, was initially set […]
Hatsune Miku drives a Corolla
May 6, 2011 by 2 Comments
There’s something magical about American marketing strategies. It might have something to do with its strong culture that emphasizes might (wealth) makes right, and a general lack of doujinshi culture, but when you see something that’s typically driven by fans for fans in Japan, you can bet it’ll never grow to see the light of […]
Book Reviews of Inconsequence: Doctor and Daughter
April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
All I have time to do these days are book reviews. Well, the quake also put a damper on the anime industry, and I’m not so up for writing about stuff, anyway. And thus I come to #3 of Book Reviews of Inconsequence. Today, I’ll write about something with a Nikkei angle. 猟奇åšå£«ã¨ç”Ÿè´„娘ドクター＆ドーター (Bizarre Scientist […]
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