It’s been a while. And in that time I’ve gone to two conventions on opposite sides of the country. I’ve also done a lot of grieving and private journaling. Now though, I think it’s time to bring my writing back in public, right here on the blog.

But first: old habits die hard and I never did quit collecting Otaku Links every week. Here’s what I read over the past… month.

• I love it when normie film critics are made to review anime films, like with this review of the JoJo’s movie: “Enter a dude who looks like he drives a sketchy ice cream truck that parents keep their kids away from. This is Jotaro Kujo.”
• Why does Welcome to the Ballroom look so weird? Maybe because its director passed away mid-production, Sakugabooru observes.
• Streaming Stumbles: How each major anime service can improve. Everyone has room for improvement. Great suggestions for Netflix, Crunchyroll, Anime Strike and more.
• Been looking at a lot of old memes lately, because nostalgia. I always wondered why this one gamer had been duct-taped to the ceiling. Now I know.
• Honestly, $124 and shipping does sound like a fair price for custom cat samurai armor. (HT @Dormouse42)
• Why the heck isn’t Macross legal in the United States? It’s a long story that involves corporate greed at the expense of anime fans, mostly.
• My pal Serdar, author of possibly the only novel set at Otakon ever, just published his latest book, Welcome to the Fold. It’s about a LARP game that gets dangerous!
• Spent some time scratching my head over Geek Girl Con, which experienced an internal schism due to accusations of discrimination against white men. Couldn’t happen to a less-deserving con. This is the most level-headed explainer I’ve seen for it.
• I watched JAM Project and TM Revolution at Otakon and it was incredible. No photos or recording allowed, but this Medium post does a great job capturing it all.
• If blog ads, digital products, or affiliate links don’t feel good to you, here’s a great primer on funding your creative pursuits with a Patreon page.
• What does the color purple mean in anime? I love Otaku She Wrote’s discussion of what lavender, violet, and mauve mean in My Hero Academia and more.
• Sayo Yamamoto will save anime (for me). Me too, Caitlin.

Illustration by Rideth Mochi, who I met at CRX. I bought this print on a shirt!