From the category archives:

Anime Connection

Japanese Festivals: From Anime to the Real World

March 9, 2010

Festivals are a very important part of both secular and religious culture in Japan and are frequent settings for the varied plotlines of anime and manga series. As many festivals are connected to religious observances, a local Shinto Shrine or Buddhist Temple sponsors many of them.
Often times, the sacred festivities are crowned with a procession [...]

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Mecha Anime Attacks!

December 21, 2009

Enormous metallic feet pound the ground beneath them as warriors clad in the armor of a future age march into technologically advanced combat. Young souls thrust into war using machines that have yet to be invented. Giant men made of steel aid dark factions vying to grab power over millions of hapless civilians. Sound interesting? [...]

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Moe: The Cute Side of Anime or the Dark Side

December 9, 2009

Most people would probably never imagine that a great controversy would grow over a few cute schoolgirls. However, this is exactly what has happened within the anime community in regards to the concept of Moe. Different individuals within the anime subculture have given the term different meanings, and the ensuing argument over the whole concept [...]

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Fanservice: The Art of Pleasing the Anime Connoisseur

November 30, 2009

Ask ten anime fans what fanservice is, and you will probably get eleven answers. Fanservice is basically whenever a series inserts a reference that is unnecessary, and therefore done simply to please the fans. This can come in the form of an in-joke, a technical explanation in a science fiction anime, a cameo, or a [...]

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Heroes, Scoundrels, and Sailor Suits: High Schools in Japan and What They Mean For Anime

November 9, 2009

Just how many anime series have to do with a modern high school setting? Whether it’s the girls from Lucky Star or the soul reapers trying to masquerade as students in Bleach, it seems that high schools are everywhere, even when they shouldn’t be. After all, it’s a bit unnerving to think that a high [...]

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Sliding Doors Gliding Through Anime

October 9, 2009

Since many anime and manga series take place in their native Japan, the designs of internal structures and architecture probably appear quite foreign to many North American fans. At one point, in fact, dubbing and translation companies actually attempted to edit out any references that were considered to be “too Japanese.” Granted, things are quite [...]

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Shinto Spiritual Practices in Anime

September 24, 2009

In its most textbook, academic explanation, Shinto defines the spiritual practices of the Japanese people outside of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. However, it did not arrive at a conscious title until the arrival of these other faiths. Shinto is a religion that also has been adapted towards many Buddhist philosophies through the process of religious [...]

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The Ties That Bind: Anime and Kokka Shugi (Japanese Nationalism)

September 15, 2009

The Japanese are very proud of their nation, and this fact is seen on nearly ever level of society. The way that anime and manga characters behave is no different. In Japanese, nationalism of the Japanese people is often called Kokka Shugi. While this may sound complicated, it means little more than being proud of [...]

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