Hot Take: Why Anime Streamer Ratings Can’t Be Trusted

Promotional Still of Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble: Raising My Baby Brother With Memories From My Past Life, abbreviated as SHIROHIYO © Original Creator: Yashiro. Production Studio: Studio Comet. Publisher: TO Books. North American License Holder: Crunchyroll. Used for editorial purposes. Anime streamer ratings have become a joke. Take Crunchyroll’s handling of SHIROHIYO. At first, … Read more

Why Isekai Anime Is Still So Popular—Even When It’s Bad

Image from The Eminence in Shadow, episode 1: “The Hated Classmate” © Original Creator: Daisuke Aizawa. Production Studio: Nexus. Publisher: Kadokawa. North American License Holder: Sentai Filmworks. Used for editorial purposes. The most formulaic genre in anime continues to dominate—and there’s a reason why Isekai has become anime’s junk food: predictable, creatively bankrupt, and somehow … Read more

Teru Teru Bōzu, Umbrellas, and the Cultural Magic of Rain: A Journey Through Japanese Weather Folklore

Image from Non Non Biyori Repeat, episode 4: “I Made a Teru-teru Bouzu” © Original Creator: Atto. Production Studio: Silver Link. Publisher: Kodansha. North American License Holder: Sentai Filmworks. Used for editorial purposes. Sometimes the most profound cultural discoveries come from the simplest observations—like wondering why your poncho seems to make the rain stop. When … Read more

A Gateway Discovered: How Voltron Opened the Door to Anime in 1984

A reflection on childhood wonder, cultural discovery, and the power of a single show to change everything The Ritual of After-School Television When I got home from elementary school, I always looked forward to one thing: homework. I’m kidding. I couldn’t wait to get home and watch cartoons. Those precious hours between arriving home and … Read more