There's a sort of gag reflex when one hears mention of a fan-film. Who can blame you? While there have been some diamonds in the rough, there have also been some utterly terrible productions. Those in themselves aren't exactly the turn-off for me; that's reserved …Read more »
It’s cheap, it’s delicious and it fuels college dorms. It cooks in three minutes and if you put tabasco sauce and lime in it, it becomes down right holy. Yes, we’re talking about Instant Ramen, that import so ubiquitous that many often forget it’s Japanese. …Read more »
It's one in the morning on Sunday when the last match of the first major tournament for Super Street Fighter IV goes down. Only a small anxious portion of the knocked-out players remain, staving off sleep long enough to witness this last stand between West …Read more »
Mecha Anime doesn't exactly sell here in the States. Gundam 's never really taken off, GaoGaiGar 's release was an uphill battle, Gurren Lagann seems to have been the slight exception to this (arguably) due to its association with Gainax. Surprising then was the news …Read more »
The first day the Gundam Café opened up on the side of the (in)famous Electric Town Exit of Akihabara Station, there was a true carnivale spirit in the air. Fans lined up out the door, couples in full cosplay gear from all eras, and there …Read more »
“A hapless, average guy finds himself surrounded by beautiful women, all of whom love him inexplicably for simply existing and have one or two defining personality traits. The guy lacks the backbone to pick just one girl, so he’s content to keep things as they …Read more »
The name Nintendo has been associated with the lighter side of gaming for as long as most people can remember, and that's not gonna change any time soon. Many will recall the disappointment of owning a "superior" version of Mortal Kombat on Super Nintendo, only …Read more »
Winter is a depressing time to be in Japan. Most of the trees are brown, leafless skeletons and the weather is bitterly cold. As someone from San Diego, home of the everlasting summer, this is double-plus ungood. For those living in Japan, the only thing …Read more »
If you’ve picked up the most recent issue of OUSA, you’ve likely read a review of the shoujo drama Glass Mask . In doing a bit of research for that review, we came to learn about previous incarnations of the story and found one of …Read more »
If people in America know Space Adventure Cobra at all, it tends to be because clips from the movie were used in the music video “Girlfriend” by Matthew Sweet. But that was nearly 20 years ago at this point, and most people who can even …Read more »
When I first got a whiff of Capcom's Monster Hunter series and its cooperative dispatching of wild creatures, a tinge of that old Phantasy Star Online feeling came back. I can't possibly overstate what a dangerous power that is, considering I invested over 200 hours …Read more »
The 2010 New York International Children’s Film Festival offered U.S. premieres of three Japanese animated features from 2009— Summer Wars , Oblivion Island , and Mai Mai Miracle —all shown in subtitled 35mm prints to sold-out houses of parents and enthusiastic children of all ages. …Read more »
I’m really not convinced of the efficacy of the “digest version” movie adaptations of so many popular anime shows. Decades ago, they made sense; 24-hour cable TV wasn’t around, so they were used to fire interest in the stuff on TV ( Heidi ), fill …Read more »
Kazuo Koike may be the most respected living manga author of all, but read enough of his manga and you’ll realize that respect comes from the fact that he’s certifiably insane. But he won’t be around forever, so in order to ensure that his manga-fu …Read more »
Hayao Miyazaki is his own fiercest competition. Even though his films have captured the hearts and minds of audiences both in Japan and abroad, even though Miyazaki's career as a film-maker spans decades, even though his influence in the world of Japanese animation is second …Read more »
Mike Dent
Fernando Ramos
Daryl Surat
Joseph Luster
Darius Washington
Brian Camp
Mike Toole
Paul Thomas Chapman