Search results for “otaku links”

I’ve been writing these Otaku Links roundups since 2009. The oldest one you can still read is from December 23, 2010. (I made a lot of my older work private because I am not sure if I still stand behind it and frankly haven’t checked.) The question is, are you still reading them?

Now that I’ve quit Twitter, I’m finding it harder than ever to find links for Otaku Links. I tend to find my links from better link roundups, like Anime Feminist and The Rec Center. Chances are that’s where you’re most likely to get your links as well. Because there sure weren’t more than 50 people reading each Otaku Links post I’ve put up in 2017. (That is, with the rare and hilarious exception of Otaku Links: If I say “Devilman” will you click on this?)

Otaku Links isn’t hard to write, which is probably why I never questioned it until now. That said, it requires a little bit of my mental energy every day that I could be using to do other things, and the benefits to me or my readers are few and far between. (One possible benefit: I am the first Google result for “otaku links,” not that anyone has ever Googled that phrase before now.)

The question is, what happens next?

Blogging has changed so much in nine years and sometimes—for years, even—I’m just on autopilot doing the same things I have always done without stopping to wonder why I’m doing them. Even blogging is one of those things I need to think about.

I rarely even read blogs anymore, but I jump at the chance to subscribe to a new newsletter. Maybe you’re the same way. So I’m veering toward using the energy I use to blog here into putting out my newsletter more often, or at least more than once a quarter. But pretty soon I’ll be putting out a reader survey (if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you already know that) to figure it out.

With all that said, here’s one last hurrah for Otaku Links:

• Darling in the FranXX is so resolute in depicting a rigid heteronormative society that it’s practically screaming that a twist is in the works. @TomAznable designed a bingo card full of possibilities.
• Hello, I’m Queer and I Like Darling in the FranXX. Even if the show has only shown us heterosexual monogamy so far, Jakiba points out how queer viewers can find value in the discussion.
• At Anime Feminist, Vrai interviewed Makoto Kageyama, a former volunteer at the “suicide forest” Aokigahara, about how to discuss mental illness respectfully in the anime community.
• I’m really enjoying their Patreon which shares behind-the-scenes reporting stories from the team. I think it’s a great model for running a news site Patreon in general.
• At Ganriki, Serdar reviews Devilman Crybaby from a seasoned film critic’s perspective.
• Also, this is most unique Devilman no Uta cover yet—a big, brassy jazz version from Platina Jazz. The translation isn’t exact, but it’s neat to hear it in English.
• There’s a Japanese movie theater with kotatsu seating. I bought my kotatsu at a Japanese furniture store in 2010 and it’s one of my favorite purchases of all time.

That’s all for now. And whether you’ve been following Otaku Links for the past nine years or this is your first one, thank you for reading.

Photo of my laptop in 2014 when I started using this photo format. (A photo of that same laptop now, on the left.) 

• This Newsweek article is a great example of how to take a niche anime topic and expand on it for a broader audience. It’s fantastic until one funny misstep at the end: “If you like Devilman Crybaby then you’ll love… /scans Netflix/ Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?”
• For way more detail, Sakugablog translated Buzzfeed Japan’s interview with Devilman Crybaby director Masaaki Yuasa. I loved Yuasa’s Ping Pong the Animation and remembering how good it was is why I took a chance on Crybaby at all.
• “Parasites” in Darling in the Franxx. This installment of Emily’s flower language blog series clarified a lot of the stuff I was wondering about with this episode.
• All the winter 2018 anime have premiered, and it’s time to decide which ones are worth watching so you’re not trying to follow 10 at a time (I’ve been there). If you’re wondering which ones to stick with I’d recommend checking out Anime Feminist’s premiere digest.
• If you want to watch the same shows as I’m reviewing, those would be How to keep a mummy and Record of Grancrest War. The second is a real blast from the past—I watched Record of Lodoss War on VHS tapes in elementary school. Unfortunately, Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line didn’t make the cut—though I’ll still be keeping up with it.
• It’s almost time to vote in the Anime Awards, and the nominees just went live this week. You can start voting for Anime of the Year and 16 other categories on Monday.

Screenshot from Darling in the Franxx, Crunchyroll. 

This is the week I was finally cool on Twitter because I had two different popular Devilman Crybaby tweets. Between watching that show and most of the other anime season premieres, I’m hoping you spent the week more productively than I did. Either way, you deserve a link break:

• Media Do International launched in November 2017 as a company attempting to bring never-before-seen manga to English speakers. Justin investigates just how much manga they have and how soon we are likely to see it.
• Japanese 7-11s are now a manga, and Devilman is now a scotch. Do with this information, reported by Kara for Crunchyroll, what you will.
• The flower language of Devilman Crybaby. As Emily illustrates, it’s anything but subtle.
• 4 Reasons Anime Fans Have It WAY Better Nowadays. As an anime fan in the ’90s and a mom now, Loryn has a great perspective on how much better her kids have it.
• How much does anime contribute to Japan’s economy? Richardson Killis of MyAnimeList provides sources and does the math.
• Korean Media Hits The Big Time In North America. I haven’t written a multi-interview piece for Forbes like this in a while.
• Some tricky Gunpla 101 questions answered in Ask Gunpla 101: Don’t touch that dial! In case you were wondering what that weird dial on Gunpla runners is for.
• Anime Matsuri Moves to Silence Vlogger with Cease & Desist. I contacted everyone in this story, which was tough. I’m hoping this reporting for Anime Feminist shows people that we’re able to report on difficult stories accurately and fairly.

Screenshot via Devilman Crybaby via Emily’s blog post.

• Atlas Obscura asks and tries to answer: what’s up with anime’s obsession with power lines? They’re a symbol of everyday life, but that’s only half of it. (HT Joe)
• Amelia reflects on the last 12 months of Anime Feminist and what’s in store for 2018.
• 3, 2, 1, let’s jam: Mike, my co-blogger at the Anime Boston Tumblr, reports on the upcoming Toonami Cowboy Bebop marathon.
• Is there a manga you really wish would get a North American license? Let Seven Seas Entertainment know in their annual reader survey.
• The original Gundam, the RX-78-2, will appear in Ready Player One. But as Tom pointed out, the Gundam has already made its (unlicensed) Hollywood debut in the movie Big.
• It’s already that time again: which new anime will you be watching for Winter 2018? Head on over to Anichart to get some ideas.
• Unsure if I’ve already shared this, but this blog about sampling onsen and delicious meals around Japan is my escape from the cold this season.
• Not related to anything in particular, but this Harry Potter chapter written by a predictive text bot is a masterpiece.

Lead screenshot via One Punch Man via the Atlas Obscura link.