I treat this website as one of my hobbies. I am far from being and having the sense of a humanist, nevertheless I try to write according to the rules of the languages in which I write. In advance, I ask you to refrain from nitpicking regarding minor text styles, I do not force anyone to read, if you do not like my style, I simply recommend you to stop reading my posts. Of course, constructive criticism or pointing out errors are always welcome. English is not my native language, so please keep that in mind.
I am passionate about Japanese pop culture. I love my hobby and on my site I share my insights as best I can. Like any enthusiast, I take my hobby seriously. I don’t like the overuse of sarcasm, so my posts will never be kept in that tone. I focus on specifics.
Table of Content
Site Content
The site was created out of pure passion for Japanese pop culture. Therefore, the overwhelming amount of material is about this subject.
Anime & Manga – I am not a fan of the mainstream. Especially what is becoming popular in the West. Usually the most popular series are completely outside my spectrum of interest. However, this does not mean that I deliberately avoid them. It’s just that in the selection of series to watch I am guided only by what piques my interest. I’m mostly attuned to the genres of slice of life, drama, comedy, romance and sometimes sci-fi (preferably when it’s an element of the previously mentioned genres). I will get full reviews of mostly older series. Those premiering in new seasons have corresponding collective entries dedicated to the seasons with mini reviews of each. The list is available in the menu as Seasonal Highlights. However, the outstanding series described in each season’s recommendations often get full reviews.
Figures – figure reviews. In 99% of cases, these will be figures from anime or Japanese games. I only review original ones, so you won’t find bootleg entries here. Unless I have a good reason to do so.
Artbooks – In 99% of cases, these will be artbooks by Japanese artists from games, anime or the general work of a particular illustrator. They will be original Japanese editions, with a few exceptions of English publishers.
Games and Collector’s Editions – I play almost exclusively Japanese games these days, so reviews will be almost exclusively about JRPGs, Japanese SRPGs and visual novels.
Explanations
Transcription of first names and proper names
In all of my reviews, I use the original order in which first and last names are written. Therefore, all Japanese ones will be written in the order of LastName FirstName, while Western ones will be written in the order of Name LastName.
As for how Japanese proper names and first names are phonetically written (i.e., in the Latin alphabet), a standardized method will always be used – a variation of the Hepburn transcription in the waapuro romaji (word-precessor romaji) form. This means that each syllable will always be transcribed the same way, regardless of whether or not another transcription is more popular for a given name (including log vowels). Therefore, 遠坂凛 (とおさか りん) will always be written Toosaka Rin, not Tohsaka Rin.
Technical Aspects
- From the beginning of 2016, all the names of characters, as well as the people responsible for the creation of a series, will be written in the original order, that is: LastName FirstName. In addition, each entry will also include information about which translation (the name of a particular group) is best to watch a series with. Over time, I will try to supplement older entries as well.
- In June 2023, I completely changed the rating system. Older entries will still have point ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 for a while, but I am trying to gradually correct earlier reviews. The new system is significantly simplified, more pleasing to the eye and much more complementary to the overall review. In the next paragraph I will explain the different types of ratings.
- Each anime and manga review includes information on the translation with which I recommend watching/reading the title. I recommend almost exclusively English translations for two simple reasons. They are translations from the source language and there are often several to choose from. I recommend those I feel are most faithful to the original dialogues, without localizing everything by force, and preserving elements of the source culture (such as suffixes, known untranslatable words like moe or tsundere or proper names and nicknames).
Ratings
Everyone evaluates TV series or movies in some way, but so that there is no ambiguity, below is how I do it, since it is a rather non-standard system.
Introduction
I consume any work that is the product of a foreign culture and country only with the original voice track and possibly (English) subtitles, so when I write about voice acting in reviews, I ALWAYS mean the original. Whether I’m reviewing a game, anime or live-action film. Dubbing is one of the worst things that could happen to the cinema market in general. If I watch a German film – I watch it in the original, the same goes for French, Russian or any other films. In the case of anime, the original voice actors are ALWAYS impossible to top. Especially since voice acting in the Land of the Cherry Blossom stands light years above the rest of the world – don’t hurt yourself, watch in the original. Character voices are not just about emotions and what the original directors and character creators wanted to show. They were the ones who worked on every detail, they were the ones who selected people who would suit the roles appropriately. After all, they themselves are most familiar with their culture. In the voice and style of role-playing, all the cultural richness of the source country developed over hundreds and sometimes thousands of years is also conveyed. By using dubbing, we completely strip away everything the original creators worked on and all the cultural richness behind the medium. Dubbing is something that changes the original completely.
Why am I writing about it? Because my evaluations are always about the original. My experience with the characters and the material presented is the result of the original creators.
Clarification of the rating system
I’ve taken anime as a reference point in the following paragraphs because anime reviews are simply the most numerous here. However, these ratings apply to every medium I review and assign ratings, including games. It is worth keeping in mind that all ratings are subjective. The only objective things in this world are facts and math. Facts, by their very nature, are not affected by emotions. It is only how a person interprets the facts that imparts emotion. This is why every review and evaluation is heavily subjective. For some, a particular character’s behavior may have positive overtones, for another it may have negative overtones.
1. The highest possible rating is marked in gold. I award it only to outstanding series that will forever remain in my mind. I consider the series that received this badge to be the absolute essence of anime.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
2. The rating granted to anime that I think should not be missed. They tend to present everything I’m personally looking for, but they fall a tad short of what I would consider essential.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
3. The badge below is the most common rating I give. It signifies an anime that I thoroughly enjoyed watching and find it worth spending time with. It is most often stood up by its characters and atmosphere.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
4. A rating with two filled bars means that I have a fairly neutral attitude to a particular work or find it difficult to balance the negative qualities with positive ones. It means nothing more than you can watch, although you won’t lose much by skipping a given title.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
5. The following badge is given to very few anime. The reason for this is quite simple – it is rare for me to watch something that annoys me and bores me to the end. By virtue of the fact that I only review things that I have completed – you will only see it in two cases. In the season summary, when something flies into the abandoned list, or when I simply feel the need to complain about something strongly.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
