The anime industry reached its artistic high point in the 1980’s, but the good times wouldn’t last. The Japanese stock market crashed in 1991, thanks to (what else?) corporate corruption and an incompetent banking system. Millions of people lost everything, and businesses were forced to close or restructure to survive. In this “Lost Decade”, people... Continue Reading →
Character Arcs: Izuku Midoriya and Redefining the Shonen Underdog
"I'm no longer the useless Deku who can't do anything right... I'm the Deku who gives it his all!!" So there's this show called My Hero Academia. You might have heard of it. It's been one of the most consistently awesome shonen battle anime since it's debut in 2016, and helped redefine the genre for... Continue Reading →
Trope Overload: The Appeal of the Antihero
The lovable antiheroes of Cowboy Bebop, who do the right thing for the wrong reasons Hi, everyone, this is a new series I'm tentatively calling Trope Overload. I am fascinated by the narrative devices we use to shape the stories we tell, and wanted to talk about some of my favorites here. It's a bit... Continue Reading →