Anime, the Japanese art form that has captivated global audiences for decades, is often celebrated for its compelling characters, intricate plots, and vibrant animation styles. Yet, one of the most underappreciated elements in anime is the background art. These meticulously crafted scenes provide not just a setting but also enrich the storytelling, offering subtle cues …
One of the big distinguishing points between “light novels” and “regular novels” is that light novels are born into a multimedia ecosystem. They aren’t made up of text alone—they have insert illustrations and distinct anime-esque character designs, making it easy for them to make the leap from book to screen. Kadokawa’s business strategy revolves around …
I’ve been quiet on this blog for a while, and by the end of this post you will understand why. (It’s all good news, don’t worry!) I Translated a Mushoku Tensei Book! So… After I left ANN, I got into the manga and light novel translation sphere. Translation was always something I dabbled in, like …
When light novel titles swap the same couple dozen keywords between them, I wouldn’t blame you for getting them mixed up. Last season, there was an anime called Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, and this season there’s one called The Banished Former Hero Lives as …
Over the years, these year-end wrap-up posts have taken a variety of shapes and forms. In the past, I’ve enjoyed making list of my top shows of the year. But in a year where few airing television anime really moved me, I thought I’d forgo that formality by telling you all 28 (more or less) …
The first arc of The Apothecary Diaries begins and ends with a mystery that relatively few people in modern Japan have to reckon with: why would a baby die before their first year of life? It’s a stark window into a time when high infant mortality rates were seen as an unavoidable fact of life. …
