Category: Other

Two Surprisingly Popular Works of English-Language Literature in Japan

Published January 18, 2021

I was recently watching an anime called “Nerima Daikon Brothers”. I didn’t particularly care for this anime series but something that stood out to me was an episode where two of the main cast members reenacted the ending to a novel called “A Dog of Flanders”. This reenactment led to the villain breaking down into tears due to their childhood memories of reading the book. This stood out to me and I decided to do some research which would lead me to discover some surprisingly popular works of English-language literature in Japan.

Starting with the work that piqued my interest, A Dog of Flanders was written by English novelist Marie Louise de la Ramée who worked under the pseudonym Ouida and was originally released in 1872. The book is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world but has proven incredibly popular in Japan, the Philippines and Korea. The story behind its popularity can be traced to a Japanese diplomat who discovered the book in 1908 and sent some copies back to Japan.

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What Happened To Manga Entertainment’s Cartoon Network Releases?

Published January 14, 2021

Those of you familiar with my story of how I got into anime will know that I’m not just a fan of anime but animation as a whole. However, I’ve found it surprisingly difficult to collect Western animated series over here in Ireland and that difficulty was part of the reason why I celebrated the news that Manga Entertainment was going to be releasing some Cartoon Network series. However, as of 2021, I have to ask the question “What happened to Manga Entertainment’s Cartoon Network Releases?”

I should begin by explaining why the release of Cartoon Network series was so significant. Cartoon Network has been at the forefront of the rise in quality in Western Animated TV series with many of their shows such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Regular Show and many others garnering critical acclaim and loyal fanbases. Several attempts have been made to release these shows in the UK and Ireland in the past with a particularly notable example being the original Adventure Time releases which saw entire episodes missing.

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Japanese Mythological Creatures in Anime, Manga and Video Games

Published December 10, 2020

I’ve spoken about Japanese Mythology before but my focus was primarily on the folktales and stories and how that has impacted Japanese storytelling. However, I believe it’s also important to take a look at the various mythological creatures found in Japanese folklore as you’ll find them frequently referred to in the worlds of anime, manga and video games.

Japanese folklore is surprisingly diverse and it’s worth noting that there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of mythological creatures scattered throughout these myths. However, I’m going to be focusing on a few that are commonly found in anime and manga and even some other mediums.

As far as I’m concerned, kitsune are easily the most famous of all Japan’s mythological creatures. Kitsune, often referred to as fox spirits, resemble a red fox but can possess up to nine tails. Beyond their supernatural powers (the ability to shapeshift is commonly associated with them) and their fierce intellect, they’re surprisingly varied with many kitsune considered tricksters who deceive humans while others are considered to be messengers of the kami Inari who help and assist humans.

A statue of a kitsune that serves the kami Inari.

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Did You Know that there’s Censorship on Disney+!

Published November 26, 2020

I don’t think there can be any doubt that Disney+ has been a massive success with an estimated 73.7 million subscribers as of the 20th of September 2020. I can still remember the massive hype surrounding the service as it approached its 12th of November 2019 release and it seems that many people are pleased with the content. However, it’s important to know that several of Disney+’s releases feature censorship in strange and unusual ways.

The confusion surrounding censorship on Disney+ began with a statement that plays before several of their programs/films. Basically, it states that the program/film is presented in its original form but contains outdated depictions. This may seem to be acceptable (a similar statement appears in a lot of Osamu Tezuka’s manga) but the problem lies in the fact that the programs/films ARE censored with films such as the 1992 Aladdin, Toy Story 2 and Lilo & Stitch featuring censorship despite possessing this message. The statement was altered recently and now features a message that I find surprisingly similar to Whoopi Goldberg’s message at the beginning of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection. Even so, the fact that censorship is occurring while Disney continue to claim that the programs/films are presented in their original form is, as you might imagine, something that I’m fundamentally opposed to.

The new message that plays before certain Disney programs/films.

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How I Rediscovered My Love For Horror Movies in 2020

Published November 2, 2020

I typically discuss the topics of anime, manga and video games on this blog but, considering the time of year (as well as the precedents set last year), I thought that now might be an appropriate time to share the story of how I rediscovered my love for horror movies in 2020.

For a long time, I had not been watching many films, instead focusing on watching anime, reading manga and playing video games. Near the end of 2019 however, I decided to pickup and watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and I eventually set up a schedule where I would watch a movie every Monday and Thursday. After I had finished watching the MCU films, I decided to continue this practise.

Around February of this year (which feels so long ago now!), I decided to rewatch a film called “Cabin in the Woods”. I had seen the film in cinema back in 2012 but had picked up the Blu-ray for cheap at a retail store. Upon rewatching the film I was immediately entranced at the style, humour and the clever references to horror tropes and clichés and to other horror films and franchises.

Watched The Cabin in the Woods last week and am feeling a sudden insatiable desire to watch horror.
— Eoghan O'Connell (@Immortallium_) February 11, 2020

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What is Anime-Influenced Animation and Why it is Different

Published October 26, 2020

Whenever the topic of defining what anime is comes up, it is inevitable that the many non-Japanese animated series influenced by anime will be brought up and debated. Many so-called anime purists will quickly dismiss these shows while others will incorrectly refer to these series as anime. Instead, I view this form of anime-influenced animation as something that exists between anime and Western animation.

While there are plenty of examples of Western animated shows that were animated by Japanese animation companies such as Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Ulysses 31 etc. (often animated by either Toei Animation or TMS Entertainment), my focus is going to be primarily on shows animated by Western or Western-affiliated companies with an anime-influenced art style.

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The Importance of the Element of Wonder in Storytelling

Published October 22, 2020

Whenever I’m writing these articles, I typically pick a YouTube video to play in the background on loop. I was recently recommended the first opening of Naruto (R★O★C★K★S) and I decided to take YouTube up on their offer. Upon watching it though, I was immediately filled with an unusual feeling. I knew it wasn’t nostalgia as I’m quite familiar with that feeling and, upon a few days reflection, I eventually realised that what I was remembering was a faint memory of the wonder I felt when I first began watching Naruto. That realisation made me consider the importance of the element of wonder in storytelling and inspired me to discuss the topic.

There are many wonderful pieces of media featuring children discovering the world and their sense of wonder for relatively banal aspects of everyday life. However, my focus is going to be on stories of adventure throughout anime, manga and video games and how the element of wonder enhances the storytelling.

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Voice Actor Spotlight: Kiyoshi Kobayashi

Published October 1, 2020

I don’t often choose to shine the spotlight on a voice actor but I have decided to make an exception and discuss the legendary Kiyoshi Kobayashi. I feel that his long career covering a wide range of media such as anime, live-action dubbing, video games etc. is well worth highlighting.

Easily his most famous role is Daisuke Jigen from the Lupin the Third franchise. An expert gunslinger and best friend to Lupin the Third, Jigen might possibly be my favourite character in the series with many of the episodes focusing on him among my favourites (I often joke that Jigen might be one of the few anime characters I could cosplay). This is helped with an outstanding performance from Kiyoshi Kobayashi who portrays Jigen with a very layered performance, managing to balance stoicism, humour and emotion all at once.

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Why I Don’t Watch the Disney Live-Action Remakes

Published September 28, 2020

It’s been very interesting to watch the recent controversy erupt around the new live-action Mulan film. With all of the calls to boycott the new film, I’m thinking that now might be a good time to share my thoughts on the push from Disney to produce live-action remakes of their classic animated films and the reasons why I have chosen not to watch them.

I should start off by saying that I am a big fan of Disney animated films with my DVD/Blu-Ray collection proudly containing over 50 of their movies. I and many others consider many of them to be amongst the greatest animated films of all time and I believe that the majority of these films take full advantage of the medium to tell unique stories in stylistic ways that would (at least theoretically) not be possible in a live-action setting.

Mulan has now become one of the most controversial films of 2020.

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The Use of Animation for Propaganda

Published September 3, 2020

I recently decided to review the first feature length anime film “Momotaro: Sacred Sailors” which was originally released in 1945 and was funded by the Japanese Naval Ministry. The content of the film sought to portray Japanese imperialism as necessary in the face of Western nations and a good thing for the local populations under occupation (something which is easily disproven). Reviewing this film made me think of the use of other animation for propaganda purposes.

I should start off by defining what propaganda is. Propaganda is defined as “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause” and, while commonly associated with government, can refer to any group who wish to spread their own ideology or discredit their opponents. Designating certain films as “propaganda” can be controversial and I will be trying to stick with examples that are universally recognized as propaganda.

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