Is ‘Onii-chan ha Oshimai’ a piece of Transgender Fiction?

In anime fandom today, there are no two things more guaranteed to stoke controversy than the inclusion of lolis and transgender characters. Or rather, characters who may or may not be trans depending on your interpretation. As such, it was a given that Onii-chan ha Oshimai! (お兄ちゃんはおしまい!, abbr. as Onimai) would be one of the most controversial shows of the year, especially given the high-quality of the adaptation.

BELLE: Are Kei and Justin the same person?

The other day my partner brought me to a movie theater to watch a surprise film, which ended up being BELLE–not knowing that I had already seen the movie. I was glad to have a chance to re-watch the film in theaters though, so I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The movie holds up well on a second viewing, and I noticed a lot of little details that I hadn’t before. Something really stuck out to me in particular though that I hadn’t noticed before: Justin and Kei are the same person. Kei being the abusive father to Tomo and Chi. Or at least, the film certainly seems to hint at this being the case.

Lanes and Outdoor Scenes in BELLE

In an urban environment, we spend most of our time outdoors in some kind of lane. Sidewalks, roads, bridges, pathways through a park, the walkway besides a river, and so on. These lanes restrict our movement by nature. You can only move in two directions: back and forth. They don’t feel restrictive though, because these lanes are all part of an interconnected system that (theoretically) can take us anywhere we want. But what if we actually could move in any direction we wanted outside? Not just on the ground, but mid-air as well for true three-dimensional movement?

FLCL Progressive, Ep 2: Never mind.

This was painful to watch.

FLCL Progressive, Ep 1: Slowly rotting away

In comparing the first episode of FLCL Progressive to the original series, the words “similar but different” keep appearing in my mind. For me, this first episode perfectly captures the feel of the original series, from the visuals, writing, and even the color design. Yet at the same time, it is also markedly different. It captures the essence of FLCL while also doing something fresh, new, and exciting. I believe this is worth dwelling a bit on, because leading up to its premiere, there has been plenty of concerns for whether FLCL Progressive and Alternative would be too different or too similar to the original series. Concerns which which have been especially amplified due to fears that the new series was produced only as a cold, calculated ploy to capitalize on fan nostalgia.

Space Patrol Luluco: Normalcy and First Love

Luluco is your average middle school girl, and like many middle schoolers, there are two things which she most desires: to fit in and to be viewed as normal, and to experience love. At its heart Space Patrol Luluco is a coming of a age story like any other, albeit seen through the lens of Hiroyuki Imaishi and Trigger shenanigans, but it says some interesting things about what it means to be “normal” and to fall in love as middle schooler.

Koe no Katachi and Nails That Stick Out

 

I recently re-read the first volume of 聲の形 (Koe no Katachi,) a comic by 大今良時 (Ooima Yoshitoki) which depicts the bullying of Nishimiya, a deaf elementary schooler. When I first read the comic I was merely struck by the cruelty of Nishimiya’s classmates and their harassment towards her, but this time something else caught my attention: the burden which Nishimiya herself brings upon the class.

Backlog: そにアニ、Super Sonico The Animation

When Super Sonico: The Animation first aired, I challenged myself to write a blog post about the first episode.

Animal Farm: The Film to Out-Disney Disney

“The British out-Disney Disney,”  was what one newspaper said of Animal Farm when it was first released in 1954 as the first animated feature film to come out of Great Britain.

12 Days of Anime, #11: An obsessive onii-chan

 

So I’m in the back seat of a car in the middle of my two brothers, as the family is driving to our Grandmas’ to celebrate Thanksgiving.