The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to Haruhi Suzumiya

by dm00

 

The cover of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, a novel

 

Don’t panic, Kyon.

I haven’t had so much fun since friends started babbling about this thing they’d seen called “The adventures of Asahina Mikuru”.

Zetsubou-sensei GN v1 review

by dm00

 

Cover of Del Rey's translation of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

 

The first volume of Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei from Del Rey has been on the bookshelves of American bookstores for several weeks now.

I’d pre-ordered it as soon as it was available for pre-order, and I’m generally happy with my (discounted) purchase.  When I first heard about this series, it struck me as one that would be nearly untranslatable.  Joyce Aurino, the translator, has taken on a thankless job and done perhaps as well as anyone could.

Missing The Point on Marimite S4 Episode 12

By TheBigN

I had too much fun doing this.

καλλίστῃ — for the most beautiful

by dm00

With that headline, it should be a golden apple, I suppose

With apologies to SHAFT and Ume Aoki.

Another contribution to the campaigning in the Megatokyo Anime Grand Prix, where Horo is currently a candidate.

Ginkurya-chan

by dm00

This is so wrong.

Undine Nakiami

by dm00

Watch Xam'd now.

Late update: memes from the Megatokyo Anime Grand Prix, where Nakiami was (sadly) defeated, due to too little familiarity with her series (and the rallying cry became “Watch Xam’d now!”), and where Akari was in a match-up at the time of this posting.

Ueno: “Uncool Japan” talk at MIT 17 March

by dm00

This guy has the Omo seal of approval and the Hinano seal of douchebaggery, a combination that surely can’t be beat.

UNCOOL JAPAN: Otaku, Nationalism, and
the “Never Be Cool!” Politics of Tsurumi Shunsuke

Prof. Toshiya Ueno
Wako University (Japan)

Tuesday, March 17
12:30 – 2:00 pm

MIT, Room 14E-310
Map: http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=14&mapsearch=go

pizza will be served
(RSVP requested, but not required: condry@mit.edu )

Topic: What’s wrong with the talk about “soft power” and the narcisstic nationalism of “cool Japan”? What can the resolutely uncool “otaku” (obsessive fans) teach us about popular culture and political protest? What does the life of philosopher Tsurumi Shunsuke tell us about the changing meaning of politics in the postwar period and the new millennium?

Come join in a dialogue with one of Japan’s leading cultural studies scholars. Prof. Toshiya Ueno of Wako University (Tokyo) and McGill University (Montreal) is the author of many books in Japanese including “Red Metal Suits: Anime as War Zone” (1998) and “Urban Tribal Studies: A Sociology of Party Club Culture” (2005).

I hope someone can make it to this talk and report back.

Purple hair and books — two detourned images

by dm00

Asthmatic, anemic hikkikomori librarian, hah!

As usual, these are photoshop collages of the work of real artists (to whom I apologize for abusing their work without being able to give them credit for the originals).