This is certainly turning out to be one of those anime seasons that overflows with worthwhile offerings, from the new Kyoani fanservice anime to that show that brings us all closer to traditional candy and snacks from Japan’s Showa period. Another show I started watching recently is Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED), a dramatic series filled with time travel and murder. It’s the story of Satoru, a 29-year-old manga artist and pizza deliveryman who has the odd ability he calls “Revival” which allows him to sense when some sad event is about to happen then “timeslip” into the past to prevent it. When a tragic event from his past causes him to be framed for murder, he finds himself transported into the past 18 years ago, a month before three of his schoolmates are destined to be kidnapped and murdered. It’s an extremely well-made series, and right up my alley as a big fan of “timey wimey” stories like Steins;Gate.
Congratulations to the nation of Taiwan for electing the Kongo-class cruiser Kirishima as their first “shipwaifu” president! Actually they elected Tsai Ing-wen as the their first female president, but her resemblance to the KanColle meganekko caused fans to take the ball and run with it, which probably brought a lot of interest to her campaign by young Taiwanese netizens. One of the things I love about anime and related pop culture is its ability to unite countries that might otherwise not feel so positively about each other. As I write often, anime isn’t a “Japanese” phenomenon but a pan-Asian one, as it’s produced in a half-dozen countries in addition to Japan. The sight of amazingly talented KanColle cosplayers from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea and Taiwan, despite the fact that KanColle is ostensibly related to Japan’s imperial past, warms me at night. Let’s all have world peace through shared popular culture!
J-List’s fuku-bukuro grab bags are always a popular item on our site, and customers love to pick up our anime & toy, kawaii & fashion, snack and “naughty” random grab bags. We’re announcing that we’re in the final week for our grab bags, so if you want to grab one, do it now!
