Watamote and the awkward stage I don’t remember
The irony of anime fandom is we’re all a little awkward. Before you write me an angry comment think about how awkward it is to be fighting about cartoons over…
Psycho Pass is a Dickian dystopia
As author Cory Doctorow has said time and again, science fiction can only predict the present. That’s exactly what makes Psycho Pass so great. Psycho Pass ostensibly takes place one…
My little Kuroneko can’t pander like this!
Today is John’s birthday! This is one of the reasons I married him. With a birthday just four days before mine, he’ll always understand what it’s like to be overshadowed…
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…