It’s easy to learn to depend on objects at the cost of ourselves, leaning on the things we own to weather the times alone. Smartphones are an apt metaphor for each of these problems. Social media and so many options for instant messaging encourage over-exposure to people, dependency, anxiety over the worth of one’s own voice. It can be hard to find a way back … Continue reading Smartphones and social media positivity in anime
Like all art, anime is a reflection of the society that bore it, a means to echo its beliefs, traditions and behaviours. But in isolation, art alone is not enough to decode an entire coutry and can instead present a skewed image of a nation. There seems to be this shared assumption that Japan doesn’t have a drug problem, that its cultural conformity is a … Continue reading The high life: drug use in anime
The welcome return of Kino’s Journey got us mulling over our favourite bikers in anime, of which there are a fair few. But certain characters who burn the rubber exude the real thrill of the ride, bringing an extra dimension of excitement to watching them on screen. My dad being a biker, I’ve known the terror and then the exhilaration of running headlong into the … Continue reading High riders: our favourite anime bikers
Of all the character types we meet in anime, we here at this little blog feel a special affinity for the shy, withdrawn and quiet. They often feel the most like us, except maybe a bit cooler. Okay, so some are a lot cooler. But they all inspire us to step out of our comfort zones, to be brave and take a chance. And more … Continue reading In a quiet moment: our top five quiet types in anime
