If there’s one thing that I knew I had to do while in Japan, it was visit a real onsen, or hot spring. Luckily for me, there were actually quite a few in the region of Akita where I was staying, and the particular one that I visited was apparently one of the best. For a first impression, I’ll definitely say that it’ll be very hard to beat, and it was one of the most relaxing and revitalizing experiences I had in Japan.
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One Week Friends is a bittersweet shoujo story of friendship and understanding that follows Yuki Hase as he attempts to befriend his classmate, the quiet and withdrawn Kaori Fujimiya. Fujimiya, however, isn’t so keen on entertaining friendships because she suffers from a memory problem that resets her memory every Monday, forcing her to start over each week.
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Nike, the fourth princess of the Principality of Rain, has the ability to summon rain whenever she pleases. After losing a bet with her sisters, Nike must travel to the Sun Kingdom against her wishes. In order for her country to continue being autonomous, she is promised to wed the King of the Sun Kingdom, Livius I. When she arrives at the Sun Kingdom, Nike bids farewell to her escorts and enters the country alone. Soon realizing how different the Sun Kingdom is from her home, Nike passes out due to hunger, and is rescued from thieves by a pair of sisters.
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Paradise Kiss could easily have been a standard “Girl meets boy, girl’s life is changed forever” narrative. Luckily, in the capable hands of Ai Yazawa, it instead becomes a beautifully drawn, thoughtful meditation on adulthood, ambition, and the ways we hurt the ones we care about. With the issues of agency, identity, and non-conformism front and center, Paradise Kiss has the potential to be a powerfully feminist narrative, and while not an unqualified success, it certainly succeeds on some levels.
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In Japanese, “sakura” means cherry blossom. Each year, thousands of sakura trees become awash in white and pink as their little flowers bloom. The trees are planted everywhere: often in parks, but along roads, near shrines, and even along the entire perimeter of a military base in Ibaraki, as well. The resulting explosion of flowers creates an atmosphere of wonder and enchantment across Japan.
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This first episode has left me with so many questions, and I have only a few answers. Brynhildr in the Darkness, judging from the opening credits, is obviously aiming for a mystery with some misery generously sprinkled on for good measure.
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Eiichiro Maruo is a first-year high school student, and he’s at the top of his class. In fact, he’s known as “Ei-chan” (A-chan) for his grades and his painstaking meticulous notes. After deciding to join a sports club to balance his otherwise sedentary academic lifestyle, he settles on taking advantage of a free trial at the local tennis club. Little does he know that one year from now, he’ll be competing in the Kanagawa Junior Tennis Circuit!
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This year marked the start of the 38th Super Sentai Season in Japan, called Ressha Sentai ToQger. The story starts off with Bag Shadow, a minion of the Shadow Line, abducting children with imagination and taking them aboard one of the evil Kuliner trains.
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I’m Kitnichi, I’m from Florida. I grew up wanting to become a singer but ended up going to school for Medical Records and Billing. Now I just like to make costumes and play dress up. I started cosplaying in 2012.
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You’re here because you want to know the same thing I have for what may be half my life: What’s it like inside Japan? For many fans of anime and manga in the Western world, Japan is a sacred dream, a known source of wonder and delight, yet very much shrouded in mystery.
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