Category Archives: Art

Free Ebook: The Allure of Japanese Swords

Here. Take it. I tried pushing this thing in preview form a while back. I’d rather give it away for free than have no one look through the whole thing. It’s about Japan, swords, samurai, art, culture… and more swords. … Continue reading

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Gundam Unicorn, Episodes 1 and 2

It Started With A Conversation This post is as spoiler-free as humanly possible. – J I was talking to my friend Andrius (readers of my long interview with him about Final Fantasy 14 may recall him) about Gundam Unicorn and … Continue reading

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The Impact of Japanese Fashion

Quick Post This Time. I just wanted to bring this article to everyone’s attention. It’s from the Japan Times, which is in English here, about the impact of Japan’s fashion input on the wider global fashion industry. The part that … Continue reading

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Why We Watch Anime, Part One: Creativity

So Why Do People Watch Anime? This is a question posed to me by Andre Klein, the guy who owns the server this blog runs on and the man behind Learn Out Live. A German national, he has a family … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: Anime Review, “Asobi Ni Iku Yo”

So, It Was Interesting Asobi ni Iku Yo (“We’re Coming Over To Have Fun”) has finished its run of 12 episodes. I have finally had a chance to see the end of the series and have some thoughts on it … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: A Monster Hunter’s Life, Pt. 1

Since I’m in-between projects, and I wanted an excuse to blog about this, I have started a new game of Monster Hunter 2 “Dos” . This game never reached American shores on the PS2, but portable (PSP) spin-offs have long … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: GothLoli (Gothic Lolita) Fashion

Not Quite Goth Or Lolita, Per Se This requires a little explanation. While the term “Lolita” must necessarily hail from the famous novel, the gist is reversed in this context. Rather than little girls dressing like adults, this far more … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: Geisha, A Term Of Art

芸者 (げいしゃ、geisha) Let’s start with a bang: Geisha is a gender-neutral term in the original Japanese. This word is actually quite simple, combining 芸 (“gei,” lit. performance) with 者 (“sha,” lit. “person who does ___”). Thus, the word itself suggests a … Continue reading

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Conversations: Monster Hunter (Video Game Series)

A Monster Franchise For our second “conversation,” here is IceBurner, an acquaintance of mine from the western half of the United States. IceBurner is a fan without peer of the Monster Hunter video game series, a smash hit in Japan … Continue reading

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Conversations: Gundam 00, Part 1

So Let’s Communicate Blogging is about communication. It’s essentially a conversation. But, it’s hard to have a one-sided conversation. I’ve decided to start a different kind: blogging interviews with people interested in different aspects of Japanese culture. In this case, … Continue reading

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