A few announcements
The Aniblog Tourney is well into its first round now, and our turn has just started. At first, I didn’t think much of the idea, but now that I’ve seen it in action, I actually think it’s a fairly good way of bringing exposure to underloved anime blogs, and encouraging bloggers to try to improve their craft through a bit of friendly competition. Just to make sure there’s no ambiguity, it’s the Behind The Nihon Review blog which is up for voting, not the main site. If you like the work that we do on the blog, feel free to support us and take a few seconds to vote. If you’re unfamiliar with our blog, here’s a few examples of our articles to give you a taste of what we do.
By the NHRV staff:
The 2000-2009 Anime Decade in Review series – Several of our reviewers look back on the decade and highlight their favourite anime of the past ten years, as well as discussing a few trends which have run throughout the decade.
By Akira:
Otaku Soul: An Interview with Yamamoto Yutaka – Akira translates an interview of outspoken director and former KyoAni staffer, Yamamoto Yutaka (Kannagi) published in Kaiyu Magazine, and adds his own thoughts.
Post-Moe? – Speculations on the future of anime, and the stagnating relationship between innovation and moe.
The Rise of the New Guard? – A breakdown of the financial states of prominent anime companies KyoAni, Sunrise and Gonzo, and a few comparisons between them.
By Kylaran:
The Structure of Yuri: the Shift from Female to Male Audiences – A close look at a few trends in the yuri genre.
Suicide, Otaku, and Bullshit – A discussion of cynicism and ontology among otaku, and their behaviour as a response to the postmodern world.
By Shadowmage:
The future of streaming for FUNimation – A proposed approach for FUNimation towards the success of online streaming in its formative days.
By royal crown:
Concerning Superflat – A criticism of the superflat movement which concludes that moe is distinctly Japanese.
By myself:
A (weak) Attempt to Justify the Ending of Clannad After Story – An in-depth look at one possible interpretation of the ending of Clannad After Story.
Is Higurashi moé’s Greatest Triumph? – An analysis of how the moe aesthetic enhances the atmosphere and horror of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.
Bakemonogatari and Other Anime With Great Dialogue – A list of examples of anime with powerful and/or quirky dialogue, and a few thoughts on the difficultly of translating good dialogue.
Final Thoughts on Toradorable! – A look at J.C. Staff‘s recent track record with romance series, as well as a reflection of a few of Toradora!‘s important themes.
By sure to support zzeroparticle‘s site, Anime Instrumentality Blog, as well. If you wish to vote, you may do so here.
Another announcement: we’re reopening staff applications. If you’re interested in joining The Nihon Review‘s reviewing team, we encourage you to submit an application. I want to stress the point, this is not a staff contest. There is no set deadline for applicants, and we’ll leave applications open until we are satisfied with our staff list. Ideally, we’re looking to top up our current list with two or three new writers. Given the flexible timespan of this particularly recruitment drive, the quicker you submit your application, the better your chances will be. There will be another staff contest in the future, most likely in January next year, but not right now.
At the moment, we’re specifically looking for people who are able to commit to the site long term (ie, at least until the end of next year, and preferably longer). If you’re entering a period of stability and are reasonably settled in life, we will give you more consideration (for example, you might be in your first or second year of university, and have a fair idea that you know where you’ll be for the next couple of years). Be sure to apply if you’re interested, and good luck.
In all seriousness, we still haven’t won the first round. If/when we win that, then we’ll worry about opponents for the next round. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of watching AFL football, it’s that the only opponent that matters is the one you’re up against right now.