Don’t worry, I’m still alive, but I am taking the first proper ‘break’ from blogging in almost seven years! Without boring you with the details – I’m taking a short hiatus as life outside of blogging is getting very busy and I want to focus on my book writing. I’m hoping to be back later … Continue reading
The European premiere of One Green Bottle, an absurd comedy from Hideki Noda, is coming to London soon! Between 27 April and 19 May, One Green Bottle will be running at the Soho Theatre. Directed by and starring acclaimed Japanese writer Hideki Noda himself, this satirical comedy about a disconneted family, consumerism and technology is … Continue reading
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a rare find. It’s an epic family saga, enlightening historical novel, tragic love story, exploration of identity and so much more. Not to mention, how beautiful is the cover? Pachinko traces the life, joys, struggles and misfortunes of an immigrant Korean family in Japan. It begins in a rural Korean … Continue reading
OH MY GODDDD! It’s time for a giveaway, and not just any giveaway – Manga UK is releasing the iconic JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 1 on Blu-ray on 2 April. Whether or not you’ve watched the series before or simply just want to know what all the fuss is about, here’s your chance to win … Continue reading
Good news for fans of the Japanese murder mystery or ‘court drama’ genre – Kore-eda Hirokazu’s latest film, The Third Murder, is hitting UK cinema screens on 23rd March. Attorney Shigemori Tomoaki (Fukuyama Masaharu) takes on the defence case of Misumi Takashi (Yakusho Koji), who has been accused of murdering, robbing and setting fire to … Continue reading
I grew up obsessed with fantasy novels but, in my twenties, I’ve struggled to be enamored with fantasy anime. The plots generally feel re-hashed, characters carbon copies of each other and there’s generally not much to surprise. Depending on your view, the number of ‘isekai’ (transported to a fantasy world)-type anime series around today could … Continue reading
This Saturday (3 March) is Girls’ Day or Dolls’ Festival (Hinamatsuri) in Japan. As you might expect, this day is an occasion to pray for the health and happiness of girls in Japan. Like a lot of Japanese festivals, Hinamatsuri has an interesting history and practices, so let’s take a look… Traditionally, people display dolls … Continue reading
Like a lot of people in their twenties, I grew up fairly obsessed with the Pokemon series. I played Pokemon Blue on the Gameboy, watched the original series on SMTV Live and collected the cards without ever learning how to play them. I moved on from the TV series long ago but I did keep … Continue reading
It’s competition time again, and it doesn’t get much more exciting than ATTACK ON TITAN! Here’s your chance to win ATTACK ON TITAN SEASON 2 DVD & Blu-ray Limited Edition boxset. Read on to find out how to enter… The battle for humanity’s survival continues as the epic anime adventure ATTACK ON TITAN SEASON 2 … Continue reading
If you follow me on Twitter you’ll probably know I’m a big fan of matcha – whether it’s a proper frothy cup at a tea ceremony, matcha latte or matcha cake. You can guess I’d be pleased to receive a box of matcha goodies in the post! I recently received a small box from Tokyo … Continue reading
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