Genshiken Afterparty

Fujoshis for a new generation

First published in 2002 and finishing its initial run in 2006, Genshiken is (for those not acquainted) a manga that follows the activities and lives of a group of college otaku, who are members of the Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai or the "society for the study of modern visual culture" their fancy way of saying that they're all obsessed with games, manga, and anime (along with various other related meta-hobbies like cosplay). I remember first picking up the manga when it began its run in the U.S. in 2005 and being instantly taken in by it. Genshiken had appeal to me because unlike many other 'slice-of-life' style manga and anime, it wasn't abstract or surreal in its style. As a person moving from high school into college (and deeper into the deep dark cave of otaku-dom) I could really relate to the disaffected weirdos in the Genshiken, and how their lives were centered around their hobbies. At the time I was getting really involved in the anime club at my school, and so I could see my own life paralleling the lives of the Genshiken goons. (I'd like to imagine I was like Sasahara, but I think in the end we're all probably Madarame).

America a Frontier Too Far

Space fighter jets and singing magic that saves the world with love.

Hi everyone! I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind a lot lately (and I guess in general for a long time) and that's Macross Frontier. First though, a little history lesson. The original SDF Macross was created and released in late 1982 in Japan by Big West and Tatsunoko. This show would eventually find its way to the U.S. in 1985 as the first part of the 3-series Frankenstein that would become Robotech. Robotech for those who don't know, was an American syndicated cartoon, made up of 3 different mecha-animes with similar styles. Harmony Gold, the company that held (and still does hold) the rights to SDF Macross, wanted to air Robotech on weekday syndicated TV, but the minimum number of episodes required at the time to do that was 65, so to make it work, they mashed three shows together, and spun a tenuous common thread between them.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Fire Emblem: Awakening: Review, Thoughts, Etc.

My intense, obsessive affair with Fire Emblem began when I was a junior in high school, more or less by accident. My friend had received two copies of Fire Emblem (in Japan Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, which was Fire Emblem 7) for his birthday, and so gave the second to me. This would prove to be a very generous gift indeed, and I can remember staying up way too late when I had school the next day, telling myself "just a few more turns..." I am not entirely sure how many times I've cleared Rekka no Ken, but I am sure its probably around the high 20s. I have played to death every American released Fire Emblem since then (and actually a fan translated version of the game before it) and more or less purchased a 3DS JUST so I could play Awakening (I won't even get into how mad I was when they announced the limited edition 3DS ONE WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT MINE) I was pleased to see once I started playing, that I had not made a grievous mistake (Of course I had to digitally download the damn thing because every physical copy in the US was mysteriously lost in the aether, and I wasn't about to wait for an extra week or two oh no siree)

I Want This Blog to Live

Hi Everyone! (by which I mean no one)

I HAVE TO HURRY I'M 6 MONTHS LATE.

So clearly, this blog never happened. I made a post, then got caught up in other pursuits (not the least of which being the maintenance of my OTHER blog) and in the end, while I was always thinking of poor ITIMBAO in the back of my mind, it never emerged in the forefront. Well NO MORE I SAY. I can't speak for Ms. Caro-chan, but I will strive to make a post every Sunday on this blog, about SOME DAMN THING, at the very least, every week. This post isn't that! I'm going to write another post, right now, about something else, what a deal. Also, while I'm at it, let me link you to a post I made on The Tagline last week, which is relevant to this blog as much as  it was relevant to that one, if not more so: Redline.

So there you have it imaginary readers! My pledge to you, to actually exist, and write things here, in the hopes that some day you'll exist too. -J