What our fascination with weird tales from Japan says about us
May 30, 2023 • Subscribe
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Tools of the Trade
Today I want to discuss the way I get ready to review an anime.
Arte – 06 [Trade Guild]
Hello and welcome to the review of another episode of Arte, the Soccer Ace. The halfway point in the story of Arte has finally arrived and this…
Summertime Render – 07 – Tools of the Trade
Deciding to tentatively trust Shinpe, Hizuru and Nezu fill him in on some details about the Shadows. For one thing, if you destroy a Shadow, like Hizuru just…
The Lion's Smile
detective fiction, 推理小説、games, mystery, murder, locked room, Japanese, translations,
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, Case Closed, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (TV)
Movie Review: Skin Trade (2014)
As a law school student, Sundays have become a day to unwind and escape the relentless grind of legal studies. It’s a time I eagerly anticipate a cinematic…
The Princess' Smile Novel
Seeing our leads blossom and thrive in each other's company is the major draw of this light novel, but it holds our attention by also having an especially…
Beyond the Mirror’s Smile
These aren’t just stories. They’re spells in motion. Cossette no Shouzou A haunting love story unfolds when art student Eiri encounters the spirit of Cossette trapped within an…
Advocacy group proposes fair trade anime label
Plus: Manga sales contract in North America but remain strong; A lesson in copyright law on moral rights; Manga publishers develop extended reality content; and more
U.S. trade war jeopardizes key anime market
Plus: Video production bankruptcies hit 15-year high; Isekai light novels outsold by manga versions; ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ arrives in Indian theaters; and more
Ergo Proxy Episode 19: The Girl with A Smile (Eternal Smile)
Welcome, readers one and all. We are nearing the final stages of Ergo Proxy. Things are about to get serious indeed. But before that comes episode 19, a…
Him, the Smile & bloom Review
Him, the Smile & bloom is an otome game that follows the lives of four couples – centered around a local flower shop. ‘Him, the Smile & bloom’…
Review: Him, the Smile & Bloom
Alongside its strong flower motif and four unique female leads, Him, the Smile & Bloom offers a pleasant and polished gameplay experience. The post Review: Him, the Smile &…
Spawn Universe: Bloodletter Trade Paperback Arrives May 2026
Preorder the Bloodletter trade paperback! Todd McFarlane’s supernatural espionage thriller from the Spawn Universe arrives May 6, 2026, from Image Comics. The post Spawn Universe: Bloodletter Trade Paperback Arrives…
Forza Horizon 5 Season Trade: Useless Like Me
Forza Horizon 5’s month-long celebration of the spooky season rolls into its second week, as Series 26 — “Dia de Muertos” — continues.
Smile Down the Runway – Episode 1
What’s it about? From a young age, Chiyuki looked to have a promising future as a model: she was tall, beautiful, and had plenty of connections with her…
Him, the Smile & Bloom Game Review
Release Date: 2/27/25 Developer: MintLip Developer: PQube/Edi Genre: Otome Visual Novel, Romance Platform: Steam & Nintendo Switch Thank you to PQube for providing me a copy of the…
First Impression: Smile Down the Runway
Chiyuki Fujito is a teenage model who dreams of walking down the runway of Paris Fashion Week one day. However, her short stature prevents her from even getting…
Smile for Me Review: Smile Puns Don’t Bring Happiness
Developed by Gabe Lane and Yugo Limbo, the two people behind publisher LimboLane, Smile For Me is a 2019 point-and-click adventure game. After visiting Dr. Habit’s GeoCities website…
First Look: Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation
Five girls in a magic academy sit down for tea and scones.
Episode 17: The Smile of the Mountain Witch
“Yamamba” from Bakemono no e, circa 1700 (via Wikimedia Commons) Check out Episode 17 of the Read Literature podcast. In this episode… Is she a man-eating crone? Is…
Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation – Episode 1
A magical girl slice of life that seems to be potentially positioning itself to step into the mary jane's of many a dark magical girl series before it...…
First Impression: Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation
Two girls are on watch in a city of towers high up in the mountains. That is, one is faithfully scanning the horizon (and scenting the air), while…
Hamigaki: The Art Of A Beautiful Smile
Beautiful smiles speak the same language — proper dental care.
Him, the Smile & Bloom Reviews and Walkthroughs
Happy Release Day! Him, the Smile & bloom is now available in English via PQube, since I’ve already covered the game here on Blerdy Otome, here are all…
Him, the Smile, & Bloom Visual Novel Review
Although Him, the Smile, & Bloom wouldn't be the first otome game I'd recommend, it's still a good time.
OtakuGeneration.net :: (Show #777) Smile Down the Runway
Shownotes :: (show 777) :: (website) :: (podcast feed) :: (direct download) :: (direct iTunes link) With Smile Down the Runway, recorded live April 26th, 2020. This…
Runway de Waratte (Smile Down the Runway)
This anime is themed around fashion and modelling, but that’s really just the backdrop. Before I started this anime I knew essentially nothing about fashion and modelling, and…
The Darkest Anime Hiding Behind a Smile
Takopi's Original Sin is one of the most popular and highest rated anime of this season. It tackles some really heavy themes, so just be aware of that…
Episode 619, "Robin's Smile"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach , Alex , Steve , & Ed with special guests Sam Leach …
Episode 619, "Robin's Smile"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach, Alex, Steve, & Ed with special guests Sam Leach (our Anime Recap host), Jo (our Discord moderator) and David Bednar…
Episode 619, "Robin's Smile"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach, Alex, Steve, & Ed with special guests Sam Leach (our Anime Recap host), Jo (our Discord moderator) and David Bednar…
Episode 619, "Robin's Smile"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach, Alex, Steve, & Ed with special guests Sam Leach (our Anime Recap host), Jo (our Discord moderator) and David Bednar…
Examining Animation: Marin’s Smile
In this article, I’ll attempt to show you an exercise I used to do when I was working on my animation undergraduate degree. The exercise has you take…
Him, the Smile & Bloom (Hanakare) Tenya Minami Walkthrough
Route Tips & Notes Tenya Minami Bloom End Walkthrough Ending Notes Chapter 1. The “Someday” I Dreamed of TENYA CG UNLOCKED Chapter 2. One and Only Chapter 3.…
Summer 2022 First Impressions – Smile of the Arsnotoria
Streaming: Crunchyroll Episodes: 12 Source: Game Episode Summary: At Ashram Magic Academy, the “Pentragrams” are a group of five girls who, in addition to their magical studies, also…
Runway de Waratte – 3 [Smile Down the Runway]
Welcome to another week of Runway de Waratte! This week is pretty straight forward, finishing up the fashion show and letting our leads get a win. The question…
Him, the Smile & Bloom (Hanakare) Hokuto Ichige Walkthrough
A guide/walkthrough to help you full clear all endings for Hokuto Ichige's route in the otome Him, the Smile, & Bloom on the Nintendo Switch.
Him, the Smile & Bloom (Hanakare) Wataru Tori Walkthrough
A guide/walkthrough to help you full clear all endings for Wataru Tori's route in the otome Him, the Smile, & Bloom on the Nintendo Switch.
Him, the Smile & Bloom (Hanakare) Ginnosuke Sugawa Walkthrough
A guide/walkthrough to help you full clear all endings for Ginnosuke Sugawa's route in the otome Him, the Smile, & Bloom on the Nintendo Switch.
Fire Force (Episode 23) – Smile
Shinra wouldn’t give up on Sho, no matter what the costs. Using the Adolla Link and his newfound speed, he is able to flood Sho’s mind with his…
Aria the Animation Episode 3: The Secret of Akari’s Smile
Episode three of Aria the Animation introduces Alice, a talented young gondolier from Orange Company; Alicia explains that Orange Company scouted Alice, since she’s apparently rather accompli…
Smile of the Ars Notoria #02 — Not Combat Ready
This place is creepily empty. Impressions: My patience with this show is rapidly running thin. The main difference from last week is that the incomprehensible bloody sequence in…
Smile of the Ars Notoria #01 — Tea Party Purgatory
Are we really doing this? Impressions: Man, I thought things couldn't get more excrutiating than the previous show, and here comes this one. I haven't even yet…
Sendai Shirō: The Silent Man Who Made Everyone Smile
How Sendai Shiro, a man in Japan's city of Sendai, became regarded as a "god of good fortune" whose reputation still persists today.
Smile Down the Runway Volumes 1 and 2 Review
Title: Smile Down the Runway (Runway de Waratte)Genre: DramaPublisher: Kodansha (JP), Kodansha USA (US)Creator: Kotoba InoyaSerialized in: Weekly Shonen MagazineLocalization Staff: amimaru (production)Release Date: September 3, 2019, October…
Smile Down the Runway Volumes 3 and 4 Review
Too many baffling decisions and choices on fashion designs and themes hurt Volumes 3 and 4 of Smile Down the Runway.
My Dress-Up Darling ep4 – Smile
My Dress-Up Darling has been quite the darling of the anime season so far. Let me tell you all about the latest episode.
Treasure tropes – Closed eyes Big Smile
I’m sure you’ve all come across a character that almost never seems to open his or her eyes (although in my experience it’s more commonly “his”). Although this…
Episode 87 – We Lost Our Smile
We are getting worse at this. Now things have gotten way more depressing. On this episode of the podcast, we go over episodes 276-279 of the anime and…
PQube Announces the Localization of Him, the Smile & bloom for 2025
Earlier this year, Him, the Smile & bloom was released by MintLip and Edia in Japan with English language support, check out the full review here on Blerdy…