If you have never been to an anime convention before and you’ve decided that you want to see what it’s all about, here are some helpful hints about how to make the most of your con-going experience. If you want to cosplay, start on your costume as early as possible. A good costume is the best way to meet people at a convention, as everyone … Continue reading Convention Coverage: Con-going Hints
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Powerful women, or women in power, have long been a taboo fetish in mildly repressive societies—particularly societies where women are traditionally viewed as meek or timid. Considering the Yamato Nadesico (the ideal Japanese woman) fits this description to a T, it shouldn’t be a surprise that anime starring or revolving around girls who, implicitly or explicitly, challenge gender norms are so popular.
Such anime, however, generally falls into one of two categories: the service-driven, and the story-driven. Although both challenge gendered constructions of power, the service-driven show gives the impression that the main reason for female preeminence is to provide plenty of opportunity for fanservice. The story-driven shows tend not to challenge the gender power structure as much, but also create more believable circumstances for an inversion of gender norms (without turning their female cast into purely sexual objects). Continue reading “Red Garden: Gantz Dresses Down”
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Paradise Kiss is one of the many examples of the quick turnaround time between the original Japanese airing of an anime and its US release, which has become common for the anime industry of late. Originally airing in October 2005, Paradise Kiss—or ParaKiss, as it is frequently shortened to—is a comedic look at the fashion industry in Japan from the perspective of four fashion school students who form the label from which this anime takes its name.
None of those students are the point-of-view character for the show, however, with that part being taken by Yukari Hayasaka, a student from a high-ranking high school, who is preparing for her college exams. Yukari, who is very beautiful yet very unfriendly, is approached by the members of ParaKiss, who want to use her as the model for the clothing they design. While ambivalent at first, Yukari is drawn into the lives of those four designers, which are much different than her own. Continue reading “Paradise Kiss: A Look into the World of Fashion”
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So the premise sounds like somebody got tired of all those “anime-watching drinking games” that people came up with, and decided to make a show that’s actually designed to work with them.
Or a liquor company funded the project.
Or both.
Presented in a series of vignettes, Bartender follows the various people who end up coming to a very esoteric bar in an urban district of Japan famous for its clubs and bars. It’s hidden away in a dark alley and has only a single proprietor/bartender. Continue reading “Bartender:. . . Take a Shot!”
