They’re All Grown Ups, It’s Okay: Lupin III–The Mystery of Mamo
Mystery of Mamo is Lupin boiled down to its core. It’s big, stupid, confusing, crazy, cool, sexist, bold, and… kind of smart. It’s probably the closest the animated side of the franchise has come to original creator Monkey Punch’s fucked-up vision of Lupin III, with considerations for a wider,...
Confessions of a Junior High School English Teacher Part I: Fearsome Job Hunt
In the summer of 2010 I was an anxious college grad, and like most anxious college grads, the reason for my anxiety lied in my uncertain future. I knew I wanted to live in Japan, but my JET application was already met with nary a phone call, and all...
Kill la Kill Won’t Kill You Yet, But it Might by The End (In Four Weeks, This Post is Late)
Kill la Kill is something I like. At face value, it’s kinetic, brash, and big. But beyond that, it also has moments of levity interwove perfectly with moments of gravity. The show has versatility, and it’s this versatility that makes Kill la Kill the compelling thing that it is, and...