The Swamp By Yoshiharu Tsuge (Montreal: Drawn and Quarterly, 2020, 256 pp., $24.95, hard cover) I first got an inkling that Montreal, Quebec publisher Drawn and Quarterly was releasing exciting new work by Asian Americans with the 2018 release of Rina Ayuyang’s “Blame This on the Boogie,” building on a list that included English translations/reprints […]
Buying American, Japan bashing in the post-industrial
January 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
UPDATE: It appears I was mistaken, and this was all just a clever ruse. I rescind my offer and reactionary knee jerk reaction. What? Something wrong happened on the Internet? Well LOOK OUT BLOGOSPHERE BECAUSE I’M A SHARK AND I JUST CAUGHT THE SCENT OF BLOOD. No, I’m not talking about SOPA or PIPA, which are […]
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. 猟奇博士と生贄娘ドクター＆ドーター (Bizarre Scientist […]
TokyoPop’s closure a tale of destiny
April 15, 2011 by 2 Comments
I’m not a fan of TokyoPop, and this entry may be read as just one blogger’s loud-mouthed harangues on the grave, but this end is a lesson to be learned and the closing act of a tragedy. I will not deny where credit is due. TokyoPop is one of the most influential presences in the […]
Book reviews of inconsequence: Kaira
March 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
In light of the recent events in Japan and other personal reasons, my blog will be a bit late on updating. Just letting all you eager readers know. I was meaning to write about racial injustice or something and link it up to Nazi Uniform wearing Japanese pop-bands, British nuclear fallout on press and anti-muslim […]
Book reviews of inconsequence: Thermae Romae
March 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Welcome to the first installment of book reviews of inconsequence. The inaugural book shall be: Thermæ Romæ by Mari Yamazaki “Thermae Romae” has to be one of the most unconventional manga I have ever seen. The author, Yamazaki, is a Japanese woman married to an Italian grandson of a potter. They currently live in Chicago. […]
Hot Gimmicky Schemes: Calculators
February 23, 2011 by 4 Comments
According to a release from Bandai and Sharp, a new calculator will be hitting Japan’s shelves in March. It won’t support trigonometric equations; it won’t computate cubic roots; but it does have President Shima Kosaku (and a cellphone strap). Stop right there. Sharp is making a calculator, where the only saving grace is that it […]
Book Reviews of Inconsequence
February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I would like to take a moment to tell you about something I aim to do. This is to save me from having to say, over and over, what this little segment is about. This will be a series of book reviews you will most likely not care about. Okay, you might care about it, […]
Anime pirates really aren’t very conducive to social order afterall
February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Last month, Japan’s Research Institute of Economy (RIETI) released a startling paper. It argued that Internet piracy in Japan boosted sales rather than hampered them. So for a moment everyone who ever defended Internet piracy, that’s basically half the Internet, felt vindicated – especially yours truly. I was pretty much dancing the Charleston like I […]
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