How can we encourage new anime and manga fans?

Chatty AF 44: Kill la Kill Watchalong – Episodes 7-12 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)

Part two of the four-part watchalong of Kill la Kill with Amelia, Vrai, and special guest Miranda Sanchez! Fashion gets an unfair shake. The StuCo is Good, but Satsuki is Best. As for Nui… maybe you don’t want to hear out thoughts on Nui.

Hyouka’s Poetic Depictions of Normalizing Otherness

Hyouka’s “normalcy” helped it present a very grounded take on high school life, carefully depicting the flaws and struggles of its main characters without reducing them to archetypes.

Catherine, Trans Identities, and Representation in Japan

The inherent transphobia written into Erica’s character is reflective of Japanese society, as conformity is part of the social constructs within the country itself. Erica is the product of misinformation about lifestyles that were not visible, and still remain somewhat invisible, in a conservative society.

[Links] 21-27 February: Banana Fish, Internment Camp History, and Celebrating Black Cosplayers

This week: Banana Fish, the final days of this year’s #28DaysofBlackCosplay, and first-hand accounts from Japanese-American internment camps.

What’s your favorite josei series?

Chatty AF 43: Kill la Kill Watchalong – Episodes 1-6 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)

Part 1 of the four-part watchalong of Kill la Kill with Amelia, Vrai, and special guest Miranda Sanchez! In this first episode, the team talks about the polarizing fandom reactions to the series—and has some polarizing reactions of their own. TRIGGER slaps the audience with a bucketful of aesthetic. Ryuko is Good Actually. Too bad the series keeps embarrassing her for titillation.

Gender Inequity in My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is one of my favorite series in recent years. Regrettably, though, it’s not entirely free of some of the most frustrating (and typical) shounen stereotypes that frequently undermine its strong female cast.

Shonen JUMP and the Cycle of Letting it Slide

In November 2017, Nobuhiro Watsuki was arrested for the possession of child pornography. Shueisha responded by suspending publication of his Rurouni Kenshin sequel. But this isn’t the first time a Shonen JUMP author has been arrested for crimes involving underage girls.

[Links] 14-20 February 2018: Laid-Back Camp, Academic Feminism, and Japanese Feminist Vloggers

This week: the charms of Laid-Back Camp, academic feminism, and Japanese feminist vloggers to follow.

What’s your favorite shoujo series?

Chatty AF 42: Winter 2018 Mid-Season Check-in (WITH TRANSCRIPT)

Amelia, Dee, and Peter check in on the Winter 2018 season.

The Diversification of Otaku in Japanese Media

While as a westerner it’s difficult to have a truly nuanced understanding of the cultural norms surrounding the term “otaku,” we can get an idea of how stereotypes and expectations have changed by looking at how otaku are portrayed in anime and manga, and how those portrayals have evolved over the years.

Yamamoto Sayo, director and storyboard artist, chats about Yuri on Ice and creating “raw” female characters

AniFem staffer Caitlin sat down with Yamamoto Sayo at AnimeFest 2017 to talk about Yuri on Ice, her themes, and her career.

[Links] 7-13 February 2018: Colorism, Yami Kawaii, and Olympic Yuri!!! on ICE Fans

This week: Colorism, Yami Kawaii, and Olympic Yuri!!! on ICE Fans.

What anime and manga licenses would you like to see rescued?

Chatty AF 41: Miss Hokusai Retrospective (WITH TRANSCRIPT)

Caitlin, Amelia, and Dee discuss Miss Hokusai, the 2015 feature film from Production I.G. Set in the early 1800s, this historical fiction follows real-life artist O-Ei as she navigates her relationships with her famous father, her young sister, and her own developing art in a society and profession dominated by men.

My Fave is Problematic: Fushigi Yugi

Full of big adventure and bigger emotions, Fushigi Yugi scratched an itch I hadn’t even known I had: for fantastical, adventure-driven comics and TV shows that placed as much focus on character relationships and emotional turmoil as they did on action and intrigue, and treated those feelings not only with respect, but as powerful forces essential to the plot.

The Problem with Problematic Creators

How do you react when you find out one of the main creative forces behind something you love is, to not mince words, a completely shit person?

[Links] 31 January – 6 February 2018: NHK and LGBTQ+ representation, Netflix and piracy, and #BlackGirlMagic

This week: NHK and LGBTQ+ representation, Netflix and piracy, and #BlackGirlMagic…