One of the good things about animation is that creators can show anything they can dream up, and it’s fun to analyze the unique “anime physics” that exist in the 2D world because of this. From the way light bends around a character’s glasses so we can see their eyes even from the side to the ability to pull a bento box out of “boob hyperspace,” there’s no end to the liberties animators can take. One of my favorite examples of anime physics is “Schrödinger’s panties,” the way “fan-servicey” shows like Konosuba show females with ambiguous pantsu, which might either be there or not — there are infinite possibilities until the skirt is lifted. Another stand-by in anime is the tendency for characters to fall in a certain way, grabbing boobs or panties as they go down. Of course that never really happens in real life…or does it?
I get a lot of questions from people planning visits to Japan, and I always do my best to offer what advice I can. When looking for lodgings, you’ve got lots of options, including Western style hotels,traditional ryokan inns, capsule hotels that let you sleep in the heart of a bustling city for under $40 and the recent introduction of Airbnb style room options, which I have no direct experience with. If you want to get off the beaten path a bit, consider a stay at one of the many Buddhist temples which offer austere rooms at low rates, or a 民宿 minshuku, a kind of inexpensive local youth hostel not usually frequented by foreigners, which might make for a more authentic experience. There’s another option, depending on who you’re traveling with: stay in a love hotel, where you can have a really unique experience and maybe sleep in a vibrating heart-shaped bed. They’re sometimes located in out-of-the-way places so you might need a car to reach them, but they’re quite inexpensive, usually costing around $95 for an overnight stay, and can be fun to experience.
We’ve got great news for fans of yuri stories today: Flowers, one of the most beautiful games exploring lesbian relationship by girls, is now available for download from J-List and JAST USA. (The Steam version will be online very soon too.) If you preordered the gorgeous Limited Edition, which comes with acrylic figures of the characters in the game along with art cards and more, we’re duplicating them now! The translation has been totally reworked and updated and the game is great!
