Category Archives: Japan

No Spoiler Anime Review, Ore no Imouto

Highly Recommended. Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai OK, the basics: this is not Yosuga no Sora. This is not porn. The relationship at the heart of the show usually translated as “My Little Sister Isn’t … Continue reading

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Nova Scotia and Japan

ノバスコシア This is “Nova Scotia” in katakana. This is the province of Canada (カナダ) in which I live. While largely the same latitude as Japan, it is a world away, with a 13 hour difference between Atlantic Standard Time and … Continue reading

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Gundam 00 Movie Review, Spoilers Under Tags

Gundam 00 Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer Spoilers Under Tags Below Non-spoiler review HERE. Now, the point of this review is not to spoil the plot. It is to write in detail about various things of interest to the Gundam … Continue reading

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Gundam 00 Movie, Non-Spoiler Review

No Spoilers Here Spoilers, under appropriate tags, will be included in a separate post. This post is spoiler-free so that I can link back to it for people who don’t want to know any of the plot.

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Traditional Dishes of Japan

Edible Culture You may have noticed from the last couple of posts, but I am not feeling well so I am not doing intensive writing. Rather, I’m trying to point people to other good content on the Web. Why is … Continue reading

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1up.com’s Editor’s Picks of 2010

One-Stop Interesting Story Shopping Since 1up.com was kind enough to put a link to a list of its Editor’s Picks for interesting stories in 2010, and more than a few touch on Japanese culture in general and gaming culture specifically … Continue reading

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“Catherine” and Mixed Bag Marketing

Just To Get This Out I don’t know how many of you have actually paid attention to this Catherine game coming from Atlus. To me, it’s something I want because it has that Persona look and feel. Here’s the thing, … Continue reading

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Japanese Cultural Principles: Gaman

Gaman (我慢、がまん) I saw this word being used as a cultural principle over at the Japan Times in an article about a modern production of the Tale of the Forty-Seven Ronin (known natively as the Chuushingura – “chuushin” (中心) means … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: Duties, Roles and Parts to Play

Yakuwari (役割、やくわり) A yakuwari can be a duty, a role, or a part to play. The first kanji can be read as “of use,” which is a concept used in service (for if you are of use to the Emperor, … Continue reading

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Anime Review: Iron Man

Better Than I Expected Before diving into the spoiler space, here’s a general impression. Themes: Sacrifice, Bonds (See spoiler space.) Visuals: 8/10 (More than adequate, but not top) Characters: 9/10 (Better than expected, -1 for annoying reporter) Sounds/ Music: 7/10 … Continue reading

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