Everybody loves Madarame
I’ve always believed Madarame was a sex symbol. The first time I heard the word moe, it was in a Genshiken fan sketch of Madarame. “I’ve always thought Madarame was…
On watching Free! with straight men
I think I may have made some of my readers uncomfortable while Free! aired this summer. It certainly compelled me to share a very fujoshi side of myself, culminating in…
How The Devil is a Part-Timer got me back to work
Shows have always defined eras in my life. It’s no coincidence that I latched on to Welcome to the NHK after I got my master’s degree, only to become underemployed…
My boyfriend has a fandom!
Fans often feel a special connection with the people we’re fans of. But Viga, an artist, comic reviewer, and cartoonist from the DC area, actually has a romantic one. She’s…
Otaku Links: Meanwhile, in Japan…
I am enthralled by these vintage photos from an ’80s sci-fi convention. While we’re all laughing at Doge, featuring a Japanese Shiba Inu, people in Japan are sharing image macros…
Help, I want to be a journalist, but I don’t want to generalize!
Every now and then, students and aspiring journalists write to me for advice about entering the field. Here’s an email I sent recently, published with permission. Dear Lauren, I have…
The ultimate otaku Black Friday deal
I am not a Black Friday shopper. If you’re a savvy Internet shopper, you can get deals all year round. With one exception, at least in my experience. Each year…
Otaku Links: Playing catch-up
The Cart Driver just posted his call to arms for the 12 Days of Anime project, where anibloggers post about significant moments in anime watching over the past year. If…
I passed the geek test and it sucked
I’ve written a lot about the “Geek Test.” I’ve even written about the time I failed it. But I don’t think I shared the time I actually passed. It was…
The Otaku Holiday Shopping Guide
The otaku in your life already knows where to buy anime. S/he probably already has that Attack on Titan hoodie that every otaku shop is selling right now. Otaku are…