This time we’re taking a deep deep dive into the history of Japanese animation with Dr. Jonathan Clements. An expert on Asia and anime, Jonathan Clements is the author of many books, including Anime: A History, The Anime Encyclopedia (co-authored with Helen McCarthy), and Sacred Sailors: The Life and Work of Seo Mitsuyo. In this episode we discuss the origins …

Atsuko, you’re the best! Around! Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down. There’s a lot of stereotypes about Japanese people but perhaps one of the more infamous ones is that they all know martial arts. Plenty of Japanese people have little to no training in martial arts and would be pretty lost in a dojo. As proof of this, one need …

The beauty of acoustic anison. Harudori is a talented Japanese singer/songwriter/guitarist from Yamaguchi Prefecture. Born in 1984, Harudori took up playing the guitar while in junior high due to his love of the Japanese band Mr. Children and ever since then he’s been creating and performing music. That’s basically the kind of information that his official website will tell you. …

Unleash your dance killer technique. Among the many games that the Japanese game developer Konami has produced over the course of its long history, it’s possible to find an ample amount of music games. These include offerings like Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania, and Para Para Paradise. However, it looks like Konami is looking to attract a whole new type of …

Doraemon gets a butt makeover. With his simple circular features, the popular blue robot cat from the future Doraemon is a relatively easy character to to draw – with your hands that is. Try to draw him using your butt though, and suddenly it becomes a whole different story. That’s exactly what Japanese adult film (JAV) actress and YouTuber Minami …

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! The Japanese YouTuber Sushi Ramen Riku is a master of doing things one should never do. And well, he’s done it again. This time he’s playing with fire in an effort to recreate the trademark move of a character from the popular manga & anime One Piece. In the world of One Piece pretty …

Who knew a cajon could be so metal? Given the way Japanese media seems to be overrun by pop idol groups, at times you can’t help but wonder if there’s any other kind of music in Japan. Perhaps something with a bit more edge to it? Something with more “power” to it. Thankfully, if you look beyond mainstream media, you’ll …

These guys have some mighty fine mouth skills. The five member acappella group Yokaroumon has released an impressive 18 song medley of some of the most popular anime songs in recent history. Check out the Yokaroumon guys doing their thing in the video below (check the list below to see a full track list of all the songs they cover). …

Who knew wookies were such talented musicians? Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you almost certainly know Chewbacca. This famous and lovable creature is incredibly strong, loyal, and, of course, very hairy. Judging by a new video though, it would appear that he’s also an expert xylophone player. Released late last month to coincide with the June 29 …

Oh no… somebody turned Luna into a shamisen. The opening song to an anime can really set the tone of the show. Take Sailor Moon for example. From the first time you hear the show’s classic theme song, you instantly know you’re in for something fun, filled with adventure, and maybe even a bit magical. However, if you were to …

Vegeta and Piccolo spend a magical day together. R Fujimoto is a Japanese comedian who has made a career for himself by imitating one of the Dragon Ball franchise’s most popular characters, Vegeta. Over the course of his career, he has done a whole lot of Vegeta-inspired silly comedy routines and videos. However, perhaps one of the weirdest and even …

Have you ever wondered what the actual name of the can-can song is? In 1858 an opera called Orpheus in the Underworld premiered in France. Composed by Jacques Offenbach, this is not a work that is all that well-known outside of certain very specific circles. And yet, you almost certainly know the song that is used in Act 2, Scene …