historyhermann

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A Nazi-supporting librarian, Allison Davis, Elizabeth Stubbs Davis, and mass book burning in "Origin" film

Allison Davis (on left) and Elizabeth Stubbs Davis (on right)  search for books by xxx, in a flashback scene (of sorts) narrated by Isabel Wilkerson. This is the beginning of the scene, but it goes further than this, as I’ll explain in this post Allison says the library is “beautiful” even though it doesn’t have this book. A pivotal scene of Origin, a 2023 biographical drama film by Ava DuVernay,…

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Constantine the detective-of-sorts, Zatanna the magician, Jack the Ripper, and the Whitechapel Public Library

Part of Volume 1, p. 140, which I took on my phone (hence why it isn’t the whole page). I originally called the person who helped Constantine (the man with glasses who is holding a few books) a librarian, but I think this person may have been the scholar he referred to in volume 2. Back in October 2022 I was avidly reading the webcomic series Zatanna & the Ripper, which focuses on magician…

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Recently added titles (July 2025)

Yamada in the library as shown at the 42 second mark of the teaser PV for The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie (more about that later in this post) Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October,  November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April,…

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Five years of reviewing libraries and librarians: "Pop Culture Library Review" turns 6

Last year, I celebrated my fourth anniversary of this blog, noting that four years ago, on July 26, 2020, I wrote my first post, entitled “Introductions” on this blog. I introduced myself, my background, and the difference from Wading Through the Cultural Stacks, noting how libraries and archives are different. In that post, I declared that “most of the blogposts will focus on animation and…

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Reviewing "R.O.D.: Official Archive" and its connection to library themes in "Read or Die" franchise

An excerpt from Yomiko’s profile on page 40 of this book. Note how it says she cares about women such as Nancy and Nenene, who it calls “friends” (she clearly say Nancy as much more than a friend) Previously on this blog, I mentioned this book, describing it as containing “art, character information, and other materials about the three-episode Read or Die OVA and the twenty-six episode R.O.D the…

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Recently added titles (June 2025)

On the left, the plastic cover of the collector’s edition of The Dangers in My Heart, and on the right, the cover the steelbook inside. It’s interesting how the two images are reversed, showing the two protagonists, Anna Yamada and Kyotaro Ichikawa. I mean that in the on the left, Anna is looking at Kyotaro and on the right Anna is standing and holding a lolipop, while Kyotaro gives her the…

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Ark: The Animated Series Part 1 Review

Burkely Hermann is a writer, researcher, and former metadata librarian. His reviews can be read on Pop Culture Maniacs or his personal WordPress blog. He can be followed on Instagram, Bluesky, or on Mastadon communities such as library.love, glammr.us, genealysis.social, and historians.social. Reprinted from Okazu. This article was originally published there on May 28, 2025. Some slight changes…

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Anne Shirley Review

Burkely Hermann is a writer, researcher, and former metadata librarian. His reviews can be read on Pop Culture Maniacs or his personal WordPress blog. He can be followed on Instagram, Bluesky, or on Mastadon communities such as library.love, glammr.us, genealysis.social, and historians.social. Reprinted from Okazu. This article was originally published there on April 30, 2025. Anne Shirley is an…

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It's time for... some piracy!: Examining fictional pirates in animation

From left to right, top row: Marika Kato, Amsaja in Cleopatra in Space episode “Pirates”], Lars Barriga in the Steven Universe episode “Lars of the Stars”, and Phee Genoa in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Bottom row, left to right: Kitty Boon in Mysticons, D’Erika in Star Trek: Lower Decks; Hondo Ohnaka in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels; Fena Houtman in Fena: Pirate Princess; and…

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More than a place to study: Yuu, Touko, and romance in the school library

p. 11 of episode 8 (in Vol. 2 of the Bloom Into You manga), showing Koito Yuu’s school friends, Koyomi Kanou and Akari Hyuuga turning her down when she asks if they would like to study in the library with her. I have moved it the photograph of these panels slightly so its not as slanted. Koito Yuu asks Seiji Maki about going to the library on p. 12 of the same episode, and Nanami Touko accepts on…

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Reading, cats, Nagisa Yasaka the school librarian, and giving book recommendations

Subaru Mikazuki happily reading a book in a library in the first episode of the My Roommate Is a Cat anime adaptation Some time ago, I wrote about one of my favorite anime series, an Iyashikei entitled My Roommate Is a Cat, which is also known as Dōkyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue or translated literally as ““My Housemate Is on My Lap, But Sometimes, on My Head.” The anime is based on…

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Recently added titles (May 2025)

Fumi Manjōme and Yasuko Sugimoto kissing in the library in the fourth episode of Sweet Blue Flowers (the build up to this scene is in episode 3) Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October,  November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May,…

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Mystery, murder, intrigue, Trent the librarian in the series "Paradise", and the importance of representation

The librarian, “Trent” (played by Ian Merrigan), at the information desk, in the second episode of Paradise, with Aliyah Mastin (played by Presley Collins) coming up to the desk to ask him a question Earlier this week I came across a posting on the ALA member message board by Bill Trzeciak, who has written novels on Substack about a librarian with disability (Oddbody) and has a current librarian…

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Sisters of the Kokoro library and the vitality of rural libraries

Iina, Kokoro, and Aru marvel over Aru’s drawing for the library flier in the show’s second episode In July 2022, I wrote about Kokoro Library, noting that the series takes place in an extremely rural location, with the library isolated on a mountain and receiving very few visitors/patrons. This connects with rural libraries, which do not always get as much attention as more people like in urban…

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Reassessing Doctor Oldham: The 56-year-old librarian-of-sorts in "Gargantia"

Description of the debut episode for Doctor Oldham on page 6 of The Art of Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet which I got when I bought an DVD and Blu-ray copy of Gargantia. Sorry for having my finger there, but it was hard to hold it open and prevent glare at the same time. I tried taking this photo at least three times and this was the best photo I could get with my cell phone. Time and again I…

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Recently added titles (April 2025)

Less than a minute into the first episode of Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty, this library scene is shown, showing the library is part of the school’s impression as quiet, proper, elite, and modest, as it is for ladies of the upper class Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October,  November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August,…

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Black animation at the crossroads?: Diversity, corporate mandates, backlash, and hope

An image I came up with for this post, noting some Black animations which have aired recently. The top row has characters from: Kizazi Moto, Karma’s World, Supa Team 4, and My Dad the Bounty Hunter. The middle row has Iyanu and Oh My God… Yes!. The bottom row has: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Lil Kev, Lyla in the Loop, Iwájú, and Young Love I recently came across a piece in the St. Louis…