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The List - 6 Examples of Futuristic Space Travel
Common space travel isn't here yet, but anime has come up with a wildly creative bunch of ways to hop around the universe with ease. Here are six of 'em!
― Modern space travel is largely dictated by complicated math equations. Scientists have to carefully plot the trajectories of its satellite probes to utilize gravitational forces of other heavenly bodies. How else would we get the New Horizons to ...
The List - The 6 Most In-Demand Japanese Voice Actresses of 2015
We tallied up the six busiest, most in-demand voice actresses working in Japan right now, the ladies you heard most often during the anime of 2015. The results may surprise you!
― Last year we counted the most in demand English voice actors and actresses after Nikkei Entertainment published a similar list for the Japanese voice acting industry. We're keeping up the tradition by stepping into Nikkei ...
The List - 6 Idols that Fandom Forgot
Anime idols have sung and danced their way into the hearts of otaku everywhere for years now, but here are six examples where the phenomenon failed to ignite.
― The popularity and success of the idol genre is undeniable; Love Live continues its almost unbelievable hold on Japanese otaku, and shows like Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls burn up the bluray sales charts. Unfortunately, not every idol anime ...
The List - 6 Times Evolution Went Horribly Wrong
Anime is overflowing with villains playing God, trying to determine the next stage of human evolution. Here are six times where mankind was the endangered species.
― They say people never change. Humanity, as a whole, seems to have reached its physical limit. We're taller and faster. We climb higher and jump further. In fact, much of the next stages seem tied to possible biotech and enhancing existi...
The List - 6 Anime Based on Eastern Legends
We've been over anime based on fairytales, but what about all those anime based on Eastern myths and famous bedtime stories? Here are a bunch of 'em!
― In 2013, I wrote up a list focusing on reimagined fairy tales. A few focused on Eastern fairy tails (Fruits Basket, Saiyuki, Ceres, Celestial Legend) the other five pulled from Western staples like Cinderella, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid. Enou...
The List - 6 Times It Was All Just A Dream
It's one of the most predictable and unpopular endings in storytelling history: the hero wakes up and everything you just saw was a dream. Here are six times anime went to that well!
― Considered one of the cheapest writing tactics in the book, "it was all dream" is so notoriously denounced that it occurs more often as a punchline nowadays than as an actual plot device. Classic examples include The ...
The List - 6 Times Anime Went Full Halloween
Halloween episodes are commonplace in American television, but you don't see it quite as often in anime. Here are six spooktacular instances of anime getting into the spirit.
― Christmas and Halloween are easy themed go-tos for Western television programming. The former is also common in anime where Christmas is synonymous with "romantic date." Halloween, on the other hand, has only recently caught ...
The List - 6 Ridiculous School Uniform Designs
When you're trying to come up with ways to make your school uniforms pop in a medium with stiff competition, sometimes you come up with some... less than practical outfits.
― School uniforms are an anime staple. Plot settings regularly take place in middle school or high school and the sheer number of anime, manga, and light novel series released each year means character designers and artists have ...
The List - 7 Vampires That Don't Suck
Okay, so, they do, technically - they ARE still blood-drinking children of the night - but we mean 'suck' in the pejorative sense.
― Bram Stoker's Dracula and F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu immortalized vampires in the public consciousness as dangerous, shape-shifting monsters living off the lifeblood of virginal humans. Sexually-charged metaphors aside, some theories have argued that the legends are mere...
The List - 7 Beauty & The Beast Couples
If you don't read this list of mismatched couples before the last petal falls on your 21st birthday, you'll be cursed forever. On the plus side, maybe all your anime figures came to life.
― One character is capable of immense, sometimes even supernatural strength while their partner is an example of grace and elegance. The two work as a balancing act for one another, with the "beauty" often calming ...
The List - 7 Adventures on the High Seas
If nautical nonsense is something you wish, these 7 anime feature deck-swabbin', treasure-hunting, ocean monster-fighting thrills on the open ocean. Just try not to get sea sick.
― Before man ventured into space, he wondered about what lay out beyond the horizon in the vast open sea. Maps were adorned with monsters; sea serpents and boat-wrecking squid. Mermaids (or were they manatees?) flicked thei...
The List - 6 Smarties with Blue Hair
Anime characters with blue hair are often portrayed as smarter than the rest. Here are six of 'em, all up in your grill with their smarts and their blue hair.
― One of the first things new fans notice that sets anime apart visually from western animation is the non-standard hair colors. Western animation might dabble in this, especially if the character is supposed to be rebellious, but most charact...
The List - 7 of Evangelion's Strangest Tie-In Goods
When it comes to merchandise exploitation, Evangelion is the Star Wars of Japan - and here are seven of the outright oddest knick-knacks the franchise has spawned.
― This year's the 20th anniversary of Hideaki Anno's genre-defining giant robot anime. The series has cultivated a large fan following dedicated to its immersive lore. Viewers still argue for Rei or Asuka and its iconic characters have, f...
The List - 7 Dessert-Obsessed Manga
These seven dangerously sweet manga insist you eat dessert before your dinner.
― Elegant tea houses, delicately decorated cakes, and equally gorgeous chefs populate this week's sister list to "7 Manga To Improve Your Cooking." These manga focus on finding sweet love or using a little magic to become the next great patissier. Life is short, eat dessert first. 7. Yumeiro Pâtissière A children's manga,...
The List - 7 Anime Beach Episodes Worth Watching
Beach episodes are a time-honored cliche, but most of the time, they're only fanservice-infused filler. Here are seven that manage to do a little more than that.
― Hi readers! I'm writing to you from the from the future for this Labor Day-inspired column this week. I've been writing this column for three years now, with a total of 142 installments. Also, by the time you're reading this, I'm getting ...
The List - 7 Plucky Kid Detectives
These pint-sized sleuths will solve the murder, unravel the international conspiracy and catch the bad guys, all before it's time for Lunchables.
― Kid detectives are a staple of children's fiction. They're the Robin to Batman, the Scooby Doo gang unraveling the schemes of adults, or the hard-nosed Nancy Drew who can't get away from a good mystery plot. Sometimes they're pint-sized versions of adult...
The List - 7 Anime for Grown-Up Romantics
The endless parade of anime about teenagers figuring out love for the first time is heartwarming but sometimes, if you're a little older, you want a show about adults who have been around the block a few times already.
― Romance anime, or the medium in general, is dominated by adolescent stories. Characters between the ages of 14-18 getting in trouble, saving the world, or enjoying club activities m...
The List - 7 Righteously Confident Protagonists
A new breed of hypercompetent badasses who know full well they're awesome are the headline attraction in a lot of new anime series these days. Here are seven of 'em. Try not to fall in love.
― The milquetoast protagonist is a well-known one. He's the guy in an anime where every girl wants him, for no discernible reason. His primary goal is to be a self-insert but this usually means he's generic in e...
The List - 6 Misplaced Ninja
Anime features a lot of ninjas, even in shows with a premise where you really wouldn't expect a ninja to show up. Nobody expected THESE ninjas, though.
― At the top of the list of Japanese things people are familiar with, there are samurai and their shadowy ninja counterparts. Shrouded in mystery, the ninja's reputation as covert assassins that poisoned dignitaries while they slept, disappeared into...
The List - 7 Eras of Japanese History via Anime
Travel back in time (and maybe have your gender swapped) to seven different periods of Japanese history, all from the comfort of your couch.
― The history of Japanese civilization is expansive, predating the Common Era by 10,000 years (the Jomon period). There's much more ground to cover compared to what kids get in U.S. history classes in high school, which rarely cover anything before the Boston T...
The List - 6 Deadly Maids
These six maids will wait on you hand and foot, but are also quite capable of wasting some fools. PLUS: results from last week's Love Live poll and a new Pokemon poll!
― Maids, like catgirls, are an anime staple. Heck, some characters are even both. There's something alluring about the frilly dresses and sworn dedication to their "Master," even if that dedication involves killing a tavern full of gr...
The List - 7 of Anime's Friendliest Ghosts
Not all of the wailing spirits of the dead are here to cause trouble - some of them just want to lend a spectral hand. PLUS: the user poll to end all user polls!
― They haunt our homes, slam our doors, and break our best china. Poltergeists, vengeful spirits, and the residual energy of the wrongfully killed wreck all kinds of havoc. But what if all ghosts aren't creeping out of abandoned wells or hi...
The List - 7 1990s OVAs to Revive After Ushio & Tora
Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon - everything old is new again. Here are seven OVAs from the 90s that deserve another shot.
― The gritty aesthetic of late 80s and early 90s anime is experiencing a small renaissance right now. Companies are reaching back into the vault and dusting off the action and sci-fi series, dated character designs and all, and giving them the anime treatment they missed out on during ...
The List - 7 of the Worst Sore Losers
Some people just don't take defeat very well. These seven folks could use a lesson in being a good sport.
― Losing gracefully and admitting defeat is a skill and some characters, especially villains, aren't particularly good at it. It's never the losers fault that they didn't succeed. Blame is either passed around to the nearest person, or worse, the loser seeks revenge against whomever bested them....
The List - 7 Government Organizations That Would Make the CIA Blush
This rundown of shadowy cabals that perform their insidious machinations behind the scenes, secretly controlling everything, will get your SEELE of approval.
― America's Central Intelligence Agency has fueled numerous conspiracy theories and espionage plots in films, books, and real life. Anime is no exception, with many protagonists uncovering all the dirt their utopian governments swept under the ...
The List - 7 of Hello Kitty's Most Expensive Accessories
Almost no other mascot in the world gets merchandise as expensive as Hello Kitty. Here's a collection of some of the most outrageously-priced luxury Kitty items.
― Hello Kitty is a cat, or a girl, or both that wants for nothing. She has her own pet cat and friends of all shapes and sizes. She's been to outer space and to countries all over the world. Collectors of Sanrio's popular mascot will quickl...
The List - 7 Useless Magic Attacks
These seven magic users have decidedly un-phenomenal, less-than-cosmic supernatural abilities.
― In a creative medium where more shows than average are full of magic users, it's hard to come up with unique abilities that haven't been done before. The classic elements and standard psychic abilities like telekinesis are done to death. The alternatives become super-specialized magic that has little to ...
The List - 7 Pieces of Anime Technology We Wish We Had Right Now
From persocoms to capsule corps, anime features a wealth of technological advances that would come in very handy in real life.
― Technology is constantly moving in directions only thought possible in the likes of our favorite sci-fi shows. The launch of Google Glass brought comparisons to Vegeta's power visor or the glasses used in Denno Coil. Sharon Apple now enthralls sold out shows in the form of...
The List - 7 Characters That Can't Resist Cats
These seven folks just can't get enough feline companionship; meow might be the time for an intervention.
― Dogs may be man's best friend, but it's cats that rule the internet. Scientists have gone so far as trying to classifying the key qualities that make up "cat people" and "dog people." Male cat owners are perceived as "nicer" than those who don't own a cat, but also lean more "neurotic." Regard...
The List - 7 Deadly Games of Survival
An evil organization, a crowd of unwilling contestants, a bloody battle to see who will survive; it's a familiar setup, but these stories find new ways to keep it fresh.
― When Resident Evil was released for PlayStation in 1996, many video game fans caught their first taste of survival horror. The game, and the many that would follow, places players in deadly situations where they have to be fast on...
The List - 7 Mad Re-Imaginings of Alice in Wonderland
Almost no other classic story has been twisted by manga and anime as much as Alice in Wonderland. We're through the looking glass, people.
― There might be no other example of Western literature whose themes, plot line, and characters appear in more anime than Lewis Carroll's The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. Quin Rose's PC game is one example that has inspired an ever growing series of manga b...
The List - 6 Real-Life Japanese Robots Moving into the Marketplace
Hold on to your job for dear life: these automatons are coming for you, and they're impossible to resist.
― Technology is a constant presence in modern lives. Most of us carry a "phone" that contains more capabilities than what we used to land man on the moon. What once was a technological dream is slowly becoming reality as developers introduce more intricate, accurate, and personable robots. Each ...
The List - 7 Manga Banned Around the Globe
Seven manga that were just too hot or otherwise objectionable for a variety of countries all over the world.
― Censorship of anime and manga is often met with derision by fans for its alteration of the source material. Anime targeted towards children or racy manga series have gotten their share of script changes, painted on bathing suits, and Christian imagery cut. It takes another level of parental...
The List - 7 Thief Characters That Could Steal the Shirt Off Your Back
These anime thieves steal whatever isn't nailed down: cash, artwork, priceless artifacts, and your heart.
― Fiction has always had a love affair for charming rogues. They steal from the rich and elude bumbling detectives who are always two steps behind. In many cases the story is written around their crime; the victims are corrupt or the items in question are fakes. This way the burglars are anti-he...
The List - 7 Anime About the Performing Arts
Those who tread beneath the proscenium arch take the spotlight this week as The List highlights anime all about the performing arts.
― Last week's column was all about women flexing their athletic muscles, so this week we're looking at the other side the coin: performing arts. The traditional Western performing arts include music, theatre, dance, comedy, and opera. In the East, performing arts expan...
The List - 7 Anime About Women in Sports
Anime about female athletes are a time-honored tradition. Here are seven examples of women who bring it hard on the court and also, you know, solve murders and stuff.
― Sports fans got exciting news this weekend with Yen Press picking up competitive biking manga Yowamushi Pedal. Sentai Filmworks also plans to bring the hit volleyball anime Haikyu!! our way. Both these announcements are important, be...
The List - 7 Bits of Sailor Moon Merchandise No One Really Needs
In the name of the moon, she'll punish your wallet, your eyes, your tissue boxes and maybe your gastrointestinal system.
― Ever since the Sailor Moon remake was announced way back in 2012 (and subsequently delayed for a year), the series' license holders have dished out more merchandise than you can shake a wand at. Tie-ins like new figures, clothing lines, and even lingerie were brought out for nos...
The List - 7 Manga for Monster Girl Lovers
First there were catgirls, then maids, then robot girls; presently, we live in the age of the monster girl. Here are seven shining examples of the genre.
― Supernatural romantic comedies have a strong, dedicated fanbase among both male and female readers. Commentary on its quality aside, Twilight was immensely popular and shone a light on a new sub-section of young adult novels. Vampire stories, inc...
The List - 7 Things You Might Not Know About Hideaki Anno
A few things you might not have known about the man who told Shinji to get in the robot.
― There are few "household" anime names in the English speaking anime community: Hayao Miyazaki, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Osamu Tezuka, Shoji Kawamori, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Riyoko Ikeda, and Shotaro Ishinomori to name a few. Hideaki Anno is easily one of those names fans recognize as the creator of the Neon Genesis Evange...
The List - 7 Tragically Unlicensed Shojo Anime
Everyone has a list of shows they'd love to see get licensed, and on most of those lists there are at least a few shojo series. Here are 7 of the most wanted.
― Next to sports anime, shojo are routinely left on the wayside during licensing pick ups. There are plenty of theories why. Older shojo series, including magical girl shows, have high episode numbers that cost more to produce. Things have got...
The List - 6 Greatest School Teachers
Sometimes you need to learn a lesson, and there's no one better than these 6 teachers to dish one out to you.
― Teachers are asked to go above and beyond just feeding students information and handing out tests. They're counselors, trusted advisers, and can foster a safe place for troubled kids. These week's list looks at teachers who really care for their students despite being adult delinquents the...
The List - 7 Reasons Gentlemen Prefer Elves
Every good fantasy series has a few incredible elf ladies on display. Today, Lynzee decides to finally share the elf.
― The term "bombshell" was coined, very appropriately, during World War II to refer to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and other sex symbols of the era. There aren't any elves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but there are plenty of wild, voluptuous fantasy women wielding swor...
The List - 7 Trips to the Anime Underworld
Take a tour through the wildly imaginative ways anime has depicted the dark side of the afterlife.
― Cultures have pondered about life after death about as long as humanity has been capable of doing so. This includes differentiating between "good" humans and "bad" ones and sometimes further into "good," "mediocre," "bad," and "really, really bad." Some souls are denied reincarnation, others tasked w...
The List - 7 Anime Kisses Heard 'Round the World
It's Valentine's Day, so the List is hard at work counting down seven of the best kisses in anime.
― February 14 is a lot of different things to people, whether it's a celebration of romance or day to spend Netflix-binging while eating fistfuls of chocolate. Let's live vicariously through our anime counterparts who eventually managed to plant a kiss on their beloved. The kisses are passionate, or cu...
The List - 7 Frightening Student Councils
Only the best, brightest, most glamorous, potentially lethal and unbelievably intimidating can get elected to these student councils.
― Student councils are a subject of fascination in Japanese drama. The members are regarded as the best, brightest, most popular, or all of the above. They're idealized as student role models while their U.S. equivalents hold nowhere near the prestige and glamour of t...
The List - Long Lost Anime Twins
Were these anime characters separated at birth? Not quite.
― Were these anime characters separated at birth? Not quite. We're used to seeing certain style characteristics to easily signify which character is the tsundere, the quiet bookworm, the gung-ho fighter, or the sneaky villain. With the huge number of anime, light novels, and manga produced each year, there are bound to be some design overlap...
The List - 7 Strange Alien Species
Anime is chock-a-block with aliens of all shapes, sizes, colors, personalities and sex appeal. Here are seven of the weirdest ones out there.
― Ever since Georges Méliès put extra-terrestrials on the silver screen with his 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune) protagonists have battled, been abducted, and questioned if something else was out there on television and in film. Th...
The List - 7 Battling Brothers
It's throws before bros with these sibling pairs who can't set their differences aside and wind up locked in familial combat.
― This week's List focuses on a theme that's downright Biblical; the classic story of two brothers raised together but find themselves on opposite ends of an issue. Cain and Abel was the result of jealousy of one brother towards the other; the siblings in this list have griev...
The List - 7 Anime Cameos
Directors, personalities, voice actors and even characters from the world of anime often make cheeky appearances in other series. Here are a few of 'em!
― Cameos by well-known celebrities or creators are common across all visual mediums, whether it's Stan Lee appearing in most every Marvel film, or Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock in many of their works. In anime, characters from other series ...
The List - 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sailor Moon
Although fans have picked the Sailor Moon franchise apart bit by bit to feast on the meaty fun facts inside, there may still be a few less widely-known morsels left.
― Naoko Takeuchi's magical girl series had a profound effect on anime fandom, whether you caught its first run in North America, or later on Cartoon Network's Toonami. The online fandom was undeniably huge when I was a kid. So much so t...
The List - 7 Times Anime Danced Its Butt Off
There are dozens of times in anime where our heroes break out into a dance number; here are seven of the booty-shaking best.
― There is an undeniable crossover between voice actors, J-Pop, and otaku culture. If a voice actress can be marketed as an anisong singer, she can supplement her income outside of the sound booth with concerts, CD sales, and more merchandise. Sometimes all of this gets mashed...
The List - 7 Manga To Improve Your Cooking
Food manga isn't all just mouth-watering illustrations of food and heroic journeys through the world of chefdom - turns out you can actually learn to cook from some of them!
― If I'm being honest, cooking wasn't a major part of my upbringing, and now I'm an adult with zero experience outside of boiling pasta and putting Prego on it. If you've already got some cooking chops, or have zero experience w...
The List - 7 Most In Demand English Voice Actors of 2014
The men get their turn as we count down the male voice actors you heard most in 2014.
― This week we're counting down the most in demand voice actors in English dubs for the year. I sat down with ANN's Encyclopedia, went through every new North American release that included English dubs, and tallied the roles to get a comprehensive list of who starred in what, and overall which actors got the most ...
The List - 8 Most In Demand English Voice Actresses of 2014
The most in-demand English voice actresses in anime get their own countdown!
― This week we're counting down the most in demand voice actresses in English dubs for the year. I sat down with ANN's Encyclopedia, went through every new North American release that included English dubs, and tallied the roles to get a comprehensive list of who starred in what, and overall which actresses got the most maj...
The List - 6 Awesome People of Color in Anime
Anime doesn't always get diversity right, but when it does, the results can be pretty awesome.
― It took three waves of live-action films, but Marvel finally announced its much anticipated Black Panther film adaptation starring Chadwick Boseman. Boseman will be the live-action film franchise's first proper super hero of color, after secondary characters Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine and...
The List - 7 Couples Who Make Love and War
Duos who start out as simply war buddies sometimes grow into inseparable fighting pairs. Hurt one and you're sure to feel the wrath of the other!
― Relying on one another in life or death situations can bring a whole new element of closeness. Duos who start out as simply war buddies grow into inseparable fighting pairs. Hurt one and you're sure to feel the wrath of the other. Lovers who fight togeth...
The List - 7 Slasher Characters Perfect for Halloween
From the supernaturally powered to perfectly engineered killers, anime has featured some scary villains over the years that would put Jason Voorhees' body count to shame.
― Just in time for your post-candy Halloween hangover, today's list takes a look at some of anime's most gruesome villains. From the supernaturally powered to perfectly engineered killers, anime has featured some scary villains ove...
The List - 6 Times Mother Nature Unleashed Her Fury
Where do you run to when your very environment is trying to kill you?
― Nature has an unlimited arsenal of weapons at its disposal. There are the Biblical classics like swarms of insects and disease, followed by tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, snow storms, the list goes on. Mother Nature can wipe you out with extreme heat or cold, invasions that are microscopic and storms that ...
The List - 7 Anime Characters With Killer Hair
Terrifying tresses! Maniacal manes! Fiendish follicles! Rampaging ringlets! Just try not to wig out.
― Hair has a long (pun intended) history in cultures around the world, and Japan is no exception. Only women in the upper echelons for society were allowed to wear their hair long while poor classes were required to tie up their hair. Boys were given a specific hairstyle to acknowledge their entry in...
The List - 7 Times Hatsune Miku Jumped the Shark
Miku straps in to a pair of waterskis and heads for the ramp.
― The sensational freeware popstar Hatsune Miku is enjoying a stellar career. She's got fashion make overs from big name fashion designers, she sells out convention concerts in front of huge audiences not to mention opening for flesh-and-blood popstar Lady Gaga. She has her own racing team and a bevy of fellow idols to pal around with in ...
The List - 6 Inseparable Sisters
Neither crowbar nor blowtorch nor misbegotten romantic feelings for the same guy can sap these siblings of their steadfast solidarity.
― Sisters are best friends that never leave. You either have a little sister that wears your clothes without permission and follows you around everywhere, or an older one who can do no wrong (or both, if there's three of you). Childhood with a sister can be rough in ...
The List - 6 Relaxing Anime About Life on the Farm
Whether your chickens are coming home to roost or you didn't buy the cow because the milk was free, these 6 farm anime will have you more relaxed than a conbine during an unseasonable drought.
― There was a short string of shows focusing on rural farm life and agriculture recently. The shows worked as a natural step from "healing" anime, where the primary function is to provide a tranquil environmen...
The List - 7 Powered-Up Forms That Are More Weird Than Awesome
Sometimes maybe it's better to stay in your second-to-last form.
― It's right about when all hope is lost that a character finally powers up just in time, usually with some blinding magical lights, gasps from bystanders, and plenty of fanfare. On the other side of the coin, a villain might let out a mighty roar, grow 10 times in height, and release that ultimate, last-ditch attack. One invokes cheer...
The List - 6 Directors' Humble Beginnings
These 6 legendary directors started from the bottom, now they're here.
― Goro Miyazaki recently stated that he has no intention, nor the creative ability, to be the successor to his father, and it's easy to sympathize with him on it. The entertainment industry was thrust upon him because of his pedigree. Some might consider it lucky to have that kind easy-in though, especially given what some of Hay...
The List - 6 Series Starring Aspiring Mangaka
Every once and awhile, an anime series will set its focus on the manga industry and offer a few hints of what it's really like.
― The dream of being a manga artist is a common one in the anime fandom. Semi-active publisher Tokyopop once launched its "Rising Star of Manga" program purely to entice that set of fans wanting to make that dream become a reality. Results varied, with the extra lucky, like...
The List - 7 "Gateway" Anime Sure to Get Newbies Hooked
Seven series to get your friends watching anime, no matter what their tastes!
― There are several hurdles when you want to introduce the average American viewer, be they a family member or friend, to the world of anime. Like jumping into any foreign art medium, there's a learning curve. Assuming your cousin Ted has had zero exposure to Japanese culture or animated films outside of dubbed Ghibli film...
The List - 7 TV Anime Affected by Japanese Censorship
Sometimes your episode is pulled because the series' creator really doesn't like you.
― Over in the states, we're used to television censorship of our favorite anime. It was par for the course, whether cigarettes were replaced with lollipops, swimsuits painted on bathing scenes, or Japanese characters were suddenly in America. Japanese broadcasts get their share of censorship to, with a main focus o...
The List - 7 Things You Didn't Know About Studio Ghibli
The studio that's captured hearts over its long career has its own fun secrets
― If you were paying any attention to the news this week, you might have noticed an anime community-wide panic about Studio Ghibli. One of the company's co-founder's, director Toshio Suzuki, stated in a television interview that the studio is "restructuring." What that means for animation production post-Goro Miyazaki's R...
The List - Anime's 7 Most Dangerous Jobs
The rewards are small and the risks are plentiful, but somebody's got to do it.
― The most dangerous jobs within the United States vary greatly, with many being subject to History Channel drama programming. We have loggers, fisherman, truckers, and pilots putting themselves in physical danger. Other jobs like doctors, dentists, and vets are very emotionally taxing. Anime has its own share of messy, ...
The List - 7 Shuttered American Anime Companies
Here's a salute to bygone American anime companies, we knew ye well.
― The face of the anime industry looks a lot different than when I started buying DVDs in 2001. Funimation's reach was growing, but was still known mostly as the "Dragon Ball Z" company, while Viz Media was pretty well established. Bandai could be relied on to bring over everything Sunrise-related, Media Blasters picked up the ligh...
The List - 7 Series Set in France
If a European vacation isn't in the cards, these anime might work as a nice alternative.
― If a European vacation isn't in the cards this year, these anime might work as a nice alternative to visiting The City of Lights in person. A few will give you a glimpse of modern day hustle-and-bustle while others look back over a hundred years ago. 7. Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris The three-part OVA (and its...
The List - 7 Muscle-Bound Heroes
These characters would be right at home on California's Muscle Beach.
― Plenty of shows feature skilled and nimble characters besting their opponents in hand to hand combat. This week's list is looking at the extreme version, where characters are not only adept fighters but are also pumping a lot of iron to keep their intimidating physique in peak condition. The top seven entries would be right at h...
The List - 7 Incredible Geniuses
This week's list is all about brains over brawn.
― In a world full of characters with super powers and brawny muscles, it's easy to forget about the quiet, smart ones. Despite what they may lack in physical prowess, these brainy heroes are still indispensable. Who else can figure out a cunning escape plan and help you study for the next big test at the same time? 7. Naoki Irie (Itazura na Kiss) Is t...
The List - 7 Not-So-Ditzy Blondes
Let's put the stereotype to rest!
― Somewhere down the line, storytellers, comedians, and scriptwriters decided to make blondes the catch-all for giggly, dumb, airheaded characters. Everyone's favorite magical girl Usagi Tsukino, and her close friend Minako Aino embody the trope with poor grades, lack of basic knowledge (Usagi doesn't know how gravity works), and over-the-top silly personalities. Bu...
The List - 6 Obscure Anime Series Lost in Time
These series are really cool, but time has passed them by...
― The current anime streaming market-to-home-video format means North American audiences have quick and easy access to almost every show, every season. In days of yore, this was far from standard and many series went under the radar, never to resurface. This week's list looks at one series from each staple genre with a few qualifying point...
The List - 7 Frustrating Anime Cliffhangers
Is there anything as frustrating as watching a story only for it to never tie up at the end?
― You've heard it before over and over: "Anime is just an advertising tool for the manga." That's all well and good but is there anything as frustrating as watching 26+ episodes of plot only for it to never tie up at the end? Some series keep you hooked until the very last moment before taking a huge break (...
The List - 7 Useless Animal Sidekicks
Just because they're cute and fuzzy doesn't mean they aren't annoying
― Let's be frank, some characters are really annoying. If we got a step further, some characters are really annoying and useless to a show's plot as a whole. Creators try to get the audience to overlook this by making the character fuzzy and cute, but the point still stands. This week's List looks at seven animal companions that a...
The List - 7 Most Elegant Princes
This week's list is a perfect blend of good looks, battle prowess, and royal checkbooks.
― If one is going to earn the title of "elegant anime prince," there are a few major prerequisites to be met first. An elegant anime prince must have long, flowing hair accentuated by equally flowing robes or a cape. An elegant anime prince is always adept in combat, either with a sword or magic. He possesses a ...
The List - 6 Strange Faces of Dracula's Descendents
Whether it's Hollywood films like Van Helsing or a lab-creation in the year 12,090, Dracula and his brethren are here to stay.
― Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula is 117 years old this year and his titular vampire's lineage is still showing up in fiction across the world. Whether it's Hollywood films like Van Helsing or a lab-creation in 12,090, Dracula and his brethren are here to stay. Some are ...
The List - 7 Best Vacation Spots
If you can't travel in real life this summer, check out these fictional vacation spots instead!
― For those in school, the work year is drawing to a close before the much coveted summer vacation. It's unfortunate that a lot of vacation destinations require a hefty budget. If you're planning to stay in cause finances have got you down, why not check out these series with some awesome vacation spots? ...
The List - 7 Best Dressed Male Anime Characters
Whose style came in first? What about the best suit? It's all in here!
― After writing last week's Best Dressed Female Anime Characters, I realized I wasn't quite clear enough about the "qualifications" considered for the entries. So, to elaborate, both lists are restricted to a character's own clothes. That means military and school uniforms are not considered or costumes. Entries are further slimm...
The List - 7 Best Dressed Female Anime Characters
This week's list looks at some of the most stylish ladies in anime.
― Every year, fashion bloggers and television programs weigh in on the best and worst dressed on the red carpet. Audiences wonder whether Sandra Bullock will get it together this year, if Lady Gaga is going to go full Godiva, and if Anne Hathaway will complete her transformation into Audrey Hepburn 2.0. Anime plays into fashion tren...
The List - 7 Famous Movie Characters Voiced by Japanese VAs
This week's list looks at some of American culture's most popular characters and the Japanese voice actors who dubbed them.
― It's a given that many of our favorite anime shows will get an English dub on the home video release. The same can be said for when our own popular Hollywood films make the hop over to Japan. Plenty of anime voice actors also receive work dubbing over American films, with reg...
The List - 6 Up-And-Coming Female Voice Actors
These rising stars stand out from the rest of the crowd.
― A few voice actresses have achieved the coveted "household name" status among fans. Maaya Sakamoto, Kana Hanazawa, Kikuko Inoue, Megumi Hayashibara, Aya Hisakawa, and Rie Kugimiya have established fan bases in Japan and abroad for their iconic roles throughout the years. Agencies continue to introduce new talent into the industry, but while ...
The List - 7 "Unholy" Priests
This week's list takes a look at seven priests with less than holy personalities.
― Christian symbolism is a common go-to to add "mystic" flavor in anime, similar to how Hollywood draws from Pagan themes. Catholicism and the Vatican are especially popular and often blended with magic, demons, possession, vampires. This week's list takes a look at seven priests with less than holy personalities. 7. F...
The List - 7 Horrible Girlfriends
They'll love you forever, whether you want them to or not.
― The long-anticipated companion piece to 8 Horrible Boyfriends! Let's be fair, some of these women are downright nuts. The term yandere was coined for the sweet on the outside but possibly murderous on the inside girl. They'll love you forever, whether you want them to or not. Since crazy girls rarely reveal their craziness right away, this...
The List - 7 Unstoppable Thelma & Louise Duos
Girls wanna have fun, where "fun" involves guns, crime, and general destruction.
― Girls wanna have fun, where "fun" involves guns, crime, and general destruction. Whether it's in service of crime or justice, these pairs will always stick together. 7. Kei and Yuri (Dirty Pair) The original girls-with-guns pair, Kei and Yuri take care of intergalactic troubles while wrecking plenty of havoc in the pr...
The List - 7 Love-Crazed Characters
The chase is much more satisfying than relationship for these characters.
― Just in time for Valentine's Day weekend, this week we're counting down characters who are more in love with the thrill of the chase than an actual relationship. 7. Makoto Kino (Sailor Moon) Makoto is always eyeing the next cute boy. Ever since an upperclassman broke her 14-year-old heart, she's been oggling (with pal Minako...
The List - 7 Strangest Harem Set Ups
Not all set ups work out smoothly & some fall into strange, convoluted, or downright ridiculous territory.
― The harem genre isn't going anywhere anytime soon. As long as customers are interested in one protagonist surrounded by adoring romantic interests, we'll continue to see at least two or three shows every season. The hard part is creating new and interesting ways to set up each harem scenario....
The List - 7 Characters With Insatiable Appetites
Taking down alien threats, bsaving local ecosystems, and being a pirate can really work up an appetite.
― Taking down alien threats, saving local ecosystems, and being a pirate can really work up an appetite. This is especially true if you're a strong, burly shonen anime hero fighting to save the world. A guy like that needs more than your wimpy 2,000 calorie diet. 7. Hei (Darker Than Black) The oth...
The List - 7 Japan-International Co-Productions
When two countries love each other very much, they sit down and decide to make an anime.
― International success of anime comes and goes. "Animation for adults" doesn't translate in every culture and many of the shows coming out of Japan are extremely niche. Some series are luckier than others and gain enough international fans to garner overseas producers while other companies look to Japanese stud...
The List - 7 Most Dangerous Alien Planets
Skip these spots on your next intergalactic vacation.
― With the holiday season out of the way, it's back to your regularly-scheduled lists of all things anime and manga. We'll kick off this year with some of the most dangerous locales found out in intergalactic anime space. These places are home to killer plants, fugitives, disease, the human slave-trade, and all manner of things that could kill yo...
The List - 7 Expert Anime Hackers
Alien mainframes and evil European organizations researching time travel all pose threats to the modern anime hacker.
― Computers have come a long way since Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie "hacked" into U.S. government in 1995. Alien mainframes, gods of the internet, and evil European organizations researching time travel all pose threats to the modern anime hacker. Load up your DOS screens whil...
The List - 7 Restaurant Spots Worth The Visit
Put these amazing eateries on your fictional food bucket list, because there's nowhere else like them.
― There are plenty of four-star restaurants in the world, but how many places can you get served by bears, witness amazing martial arts battles, be seated by a ghost, or flirt with a mermaid? This week's list counts down seven eateries worth visiting, so put them on your fictional food bucket list....
The List - 7 Anime Set in America
America's big cities get an anime face-lift.
― The settings for anime are, understandably, usually in Japan. Those that aren't, like this season's Outbreak Company, I couldn't become a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job, and Magi opt for fictional fantasy settings. Even less common is a series that takes place entirely overseas whether in Europe, or in this week's list case, The United Stat...
The List - 7 Christmas Anime To Ring In The Season
Seven anime Christmas favorites to watch with a cup of hot cocoa.
― Even a mostly secular country like Japan can't escape Christmas holiday cheer. Christmas is celebrated as a couples' holiday with an inexplicable focus on cake, with the usual decorated trees and Santa Claus cameos. Anime series will throw in a Christmas episode the same way there is a "beach" episode and cooking episode. Here are s...
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