#Michiko Yamamoto

[gregor-samsung]

Norte, hangganan ng kasaysayan [Norte, the End of History] (Lav Diaz - 2013)

[roseillith]

[animehouse-moe]

Women In Anime

I came across this tweet a few days back, and did give it a response on Twitter back then, but I keep thinking about it, so I wanted to bring a longer discussion here.

I think hating that anime ends up a male dominated industry is totally fair, I think that hating that men end up bringing a lot of negative stereotypes and tropes and whatnot is valid.

There's a mountain of problems with men in the industry, and just the industry in general. But there's also a problem with the awareness of the NA community. Scrolling about the quote tweets and replies, it's probably one in ten responses at best, that show an opening that's actually from a woman.

Hate like this ends up performative, and targeted at the most negative aspects, rather than being used as a tool to shine a light on the people that deserve it. Directionless and generalized points like this do nothing, and in the end can actually take away from uplifting the voices and talents that they should be.

So, I wanted to bring a list of ten women in anime that have worked on openings over the years.

Karneval OP - Satou Akira

Openings that really cut deep into the core of a series can be a little hard to come by sometimes. I think a lot of openings get suckered into "looking cool" and tend to neglect their creative ability to depict something deeper within. Satou Akira falls into no such trap with Karneval, providing an incredibly strong opening that consistently relays several themes to the viewers through its visuals of things like, well, carnivals, for one. Also included is clock faces, butterflies, gears, and a few other pieces. It's really great work, so it's a shame that they haven't returned to the role since then.

They have, however, been in some pretty impressive roles elsewhere. For example, their biggest role was boarding for the second Fate/Grand Order Camelot movie. Important to note that it's the second movie, and not the first, as the second movie is considerably better.

Akira is still only reaching the tip of the iceberg though, as they recently were the lead director on Ao Ashi, and are being tapped for the Kinnukuman anime in 2024. They certainly have a good relationship with Production I.G, so I'm really hopeful to continue to see them on future projects with the studio.

Skip and Loafer OP - Deai Kotomi

Yeah, it hurts my soul to have different embeds, but I've had to source some of these OPs as they don't exist on YouTube.

Anyways, Deai Kotomi definitely had her limelight moment this year with Skip and Loafer and it's very fun and energetic opening. It's a great reflection of the characters and story, which really highlights Kotomi's understanding and ability to work with the content of the series. She did an absolutely wonderful job leading the production of Skip and Loafer, but I think a lot of people don't know about her history and connection. I mean, the reason she's following up Akira and Karneval is because Kotomi actually did the ending for Karneval! Really cool little piece to learn.

Make no mistake though, this isn't Kotomi's first rodeo, it's just the one she's most known for. But man, does she have a good history. Starting off with assistant direction credits for Kids on the Slope and the first season of Silver Spoon, she then moves on to helm the follow up season of Silver Spoon, and take over for Natsume's Book of Friends.

Though with the new season of Natsume's Book of Friends I'm a little sad to see Kotomi relieved of the role as the Chief Director for the series, Hideki Itou, steps into the role. Still have high hopes, but was looking forward to more Kotomi. Just means I need to wait and see where she ends up next, and I highly doubt it'll take too long for her to appear once more.

Sk8 The Infinity OP - Hiroko Utsumi

Speaking of people that I can't wait to see more of Hiroko Utsumi. I'm sure everyone that's seen it is a fan of Sk8 The Infinity and its opening, and there's not really a better person to handle the opening that Utsumi herself. After all, she's the original creator for the series.

But let's rewind a little before I get ahead of myself. Utsumi has probably one of the most prestigious careers on this list. Utsumi originally started with KyoAni, working her way up from second key animation to first key animation, to episode direction and storyboarding, finally making their directorial debut with Free! back in 2013, quickly following it up with the sequel.

Interestingly enough though, Utsumi then goes silent for 2 years before re-appearing outside of KyoAni, doing some storyboarding work with Bones and Mappa, leading into the next crazy piece of her story: the lead director of Banana Fish. Then of course it's to Sk8 The Infinity, and now she has Bucchigiri?! on the horizon, as well as a continuation of Sk8 The Infinity.

Talk about a career with no misses. Even better is that with her new works, we'll almost certainly be getting more of her expert openings, as with every series she's directed, she's also done the openings. So really, lots and lots to look forward to with Utsumi.

Arakawa Under The Bridge OP - Yamamoto Sayo

I know, not the opening that most would pick, but I wanted to be ✨Different✨. Everybody surely knows Yamamoto Sayo from Yuuri!! on Ice, but I just wanted to show off a bit more of a her range with an opening like this one. Clearly, she's a very talented woman, and the industry recognizes that with her work as she's done quite a few openings, especially with Mappa as of late.

These are all of her openings (and some endings), in order of appearance: Rozen Maiden Traumend, Michiko and Hacchin, Arakawa Under The Bridge S1 & S2, Hanamaru Kindergarten (ED), Attack on Titan S1 (ED), Space Dandy S1 (ED), Yuri On Ice, Kakegurui, and Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul.

Quite the list, to be sure. I just wish they did more direction work, as they've been stuck at Mappa for the Yuuri!! on Ice movie. Hopefully that'll come out some day and Sayo will be free of that hell, but all we can do is sit and wait.

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic OP - Eiko Hirayama

I mean, it's Kaguya-Sama, do I really need to say more? Great effort, and great direction from Hirayama here to really cap off the best season of the series. But did you know that she also did the work for the first opening of Love is War?

Hirayama is probably the most curious staff member on this list though. They do have a good few credits for various openings, but by and large they're all special or visual effects credits. For example, they most recently did the visual effects in the opening for the Nier anime, and they also did the same for 2 of the Vivy openings.

I think it's really interesting to see someone like Hirayama step out of their comfort zone to do something like an opening, because you can absolutely feel their experience shape the opening.

Here, let me add a little breakdown of the opening for Kaguya S3. If you pay close attention to the opening, you'll realize that there's not a crazy amount of animation. Rather, there's a lot of camera and 3 dimensional movement, and a lot of interesting composition. I mean, just look at the sequence of Kaguya running, it's a compositor's dream as they shift through all sorts of different visuals and styles.

And I just think that's really cool. Sure, Hirayama isn't a thoroughbred director like the others on this list, but I think their storied experience with composition gives them an angle in this opening that a lot of others just wouldn't find.

Heike Monogatari OP - Naoko Yamada

Naoko, alongside her work with Heike Monogatari, will always have a special place in my heart. Much like Utsumi, Naoko started her career with KyoAni. However, she was a part of the studio for longer, and because of that, was present during the arson attack on the studio in 2019.

This opening, and really the entirety of this story, hits really close to home with its ideas of the loss of family and suffering through a cycle of violence, and she does a beautiful job of juxtaposing that idea against the pieces that Biwa fondly remembers of those around her. It's very, very strong work from Naoko that feels almost like a rebirth as her first major work following the arson attack.

Regardless of what she went through at the end, her time with KyoAni was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure how many will know her name from it, but she was the director behind the incredible success of K-On!. Similarly, she also worked on Tamako Market and the follow up movie. She's an incredibly talented woman, and has continually put her best foot forward with everything she's done, so I'm really hopeful to see her continue that hot streak with wherever she goes next.

Naruto Shippuden OP20 - Chiaki Kon

Had to bring a bit more of a classic pick out, no? Chiaki Kon is certainly not a staff member that tends to really be seen as someone popular, if that makes sense. They're rather light in terms of individual expression, so having a stronger opening like this that hones in on individual character arcs while relating them to larger interactions within the world is really great to see.

Though that's not to say that Chiaki tends to get lost as a staff member, but that I think her work is very subtle. For example, she directed the recent (and popular) Sacrificial Princess anime, which is one of J.C Staff's top 3 anime in the last 5 years. It undoubtedly has Chiaki to thank for a lot of that, where she's kept a reasonable distance on the project while still providing a lot of her overarching vision to it.

But man, has she been active lately. While she does do lead direction, she's insanely present as an episode director and storyboarder, getting anywere from 6 to even 12 or more episodes boarded and/or directed in a year. Odds are if you watch any amount of anime, you've seen an episode done by Chiaki Kon.

Given OP - Hikaru Yamaguchi

Maybe a bit of an odd choice, but I feel like that makes it all the better to give them some spotlight. Not everyone is going to be a "knock it out of the park anime rockstar", and that's perfectly fine. Though I might still argue that Yamaguchi fits that bill. It's just that they're not as productive as others on this list.

After all, they did the OP for Given and directed the series (as well as the movie), and it's a very good show. It's interesting though how long it took her to get another lead direction role. There was 3 years between the Given movie, and the Osomatusu-San movie that she directed in 2023. And you might be thinking, "well hey, what about smaller roles to fill the gap?". Nope, not really any of that.

There was a 2 year gap between the Given movie and her next staff position. Though I mean, it's a pretty damn cool one. She did the storyboard for episode 3 of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. For those that don't know, that's the episode of Ichigo vs Quilge Opie (which was very cool, by the way).

Yamaguchi is certainly an interesting staff member in that regard, as she doesn't have many projects she's worked on, but they've almost all been very big name ones. Certainly has me curious to see what she'll manage to appear on next.

Dance Dance Danseur OP - Sarisa Kawamura

If you thought Kawaguchi was an odd pick, wait until you hear about Kawamura. This is the second ever credit for her that I've been able to track down. The other comes from VFX assistant role on the Undead Girl Murder farce ending. So you can imagine my surprise considering the insane quality and creativity displayed with this opening that she boarded for.

I mean, when I first watched it when the anime aired, I was stunned. Absolutely incredible work with the first person perspective and the ideas with all the reflections and the wild expressiveness of the characters. Seriously, this was a shoe-in for opening of the year back in 2022, and I'd still say one of the standouts in this decade for sure.

I just, really, really hope that we'll see Kawamura board something else soon, because I absolutely need more of her incredible vision.

And that's the end of the 10 women, that I chose to use for this list. Seriously, there's a mountain of them that have done all sorts of other openings, or endings, and an unimaginable amount that have done creative work outside of those things.

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed that nobody talks about anime staff (in general, really, but also more specifically women), but a lot of people just don't have the interest in looking this stuff up. I really, really wish that streaming services would start translating credits to make it easier for people to get a grasp of who it is that's working on their favorite series, but we can't always rely on companies to do things like that.

Thankfully, the community out there is really, really dedicated so you can find staff credits on websites like MAL, Anilist, Anidb, and even Anime News Network. Sure, it takes a little bit of time to go and find those credits, but I think it's really valuable time that's well spent. You're bringing more awareness and understanding into the hobby and community, and that can change the trajectory of it in really wonderful ways.

Highlighting the works of women in anime is just one way of doing that. It inspires people in the community, it makes people aware of the idea of who is making their favorite works, that women are a central and pivotal part of the industry.

I really hope that people found out something cool with this list, and I really do encourage everyone to do a bit of digging into their favorite series to find out the names behind them. I mean, we all know who directs a movie or TV series over here, and we certainly know all about the actors and whatnot, so I'd love to see people bring that same understanding to anime.

[juliachankawaii14]

Sally, the Witch (Mahotsukai Sally) (TV Asahi) (1966-1968, 1989-1990) (The first magical girl anime series ever)

With voices of: Michiko Hirai, Yuriko Yamamoto, Midori Kato, Aya Hisakawa

Studio: Toei Animation

Genre: Magical Girl, Fantasy, Magic

Run time: 24 minutes

Episodes: 109 (1966 version)

Plot:

Sally is the witch princess of the Magic Kingdom who longs to visit the mortal realm, presumably to make friends her own age. One day, by mistake, Sally teleports to the "mid world" (Earth), where she uses her magic to fend off a couple of burglars menacing two schoolgirls. Immediately befriended by her new acquaintances — tomboyish Yoshiko Hanamura (known affectionately as "Yotchan") and girly Sumire Kasugano — Sally decides to stay on Earth indefinitely, leading to mischief. As with Samantha Stevens in Bewitched, Sally tries to keep her supernatural abilities secret, assuming the role of a human child.

In the final episode, Sally's grandma informs her she must return to the Magic Kingdom. Before leaving, Sally tries to tell her friends about her origins, but no one will believe her. Then her elementary school catches on fire, and Sally uses her magic to put it out. Her powers thus exposed, Sally's time to leave has finally come. She waves farewell to her friends, and returns to the Magic Kingdom.

[spankymerve]

That reminds me, I really should watch Michiko & Hatchin at some point. I did love The Woman Called Fujiko Mine...

in all honestly I've assumed the yuri on ice movie wouldn't..actually...happen. I didn't feel emotionally attached to it being a prequel, it was a "I'll believe it when I see it" situation, and once you've gone a year with no news? it's not happening. It's been, what, seven years?

I'm glad we got the Yuri on Ice that we did, and I will watch anything Sayo Yamamoto directs

[woman-respecter]

eh, I'm kind of tired of the relentless promotion of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as feminist when all those female characters exist in relation to men, and that was the message I felt it sent to me: women are great but only if they don't forget their place. Those women are just better written than most because the original mangaka is a woman, but I've read a lot of Arakawa's stuff and it feels like she's really into this kind of promotion of traditional women in a way that has its pluses in showing how fully-faceted those women are, but never seems to really question those roles in a larger sense. I get why it appeals to people but I wouldn't exactly call it "feminist."

(I also have longstanding beef of how people use that to excuse the really fucked up messages about race in that show/manga, especially to dump on the original FMA anime which does that aspect much much better and whose female characters felt a lot more genuinely independent to me, but whatever. Neither is a bastion of feminism lol and don't want to make this about fandom beef)

It's also not necessary because there are a lot of anime that are outspokenly feminist and center women. Revolutionary Girl Utena being the obvious one, and got me through the 2016 election aftermath with episodes like when Utena beats Touga after he defeats her the first time, showing how women can triumph eventually even when the odds are wholly stacked against us. And it has a really probing analysis of the patriarchy and heteronormativity woven throughout the whole show.

A whole bunch of magical girl anime (not the entire genre, some suck and are made for gross dudes, but a lot of them, especially the 90s ones are aimed at women - Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura etc). Sayo Yamamoto's stuff that isn't Yuri on Ice - not that that show isn't great and gay and cute and doesn't say interesting things in its occasional one-off subplots about women, but it's obviously focused on men. But people who liked it who want great women-centric stuff should watch her Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Michiko and Hatchin, both centered on women and very feminist in their themes, albeit in a way that requires you to pay attention and think and watch the whole show so you occasionally get Tumblrites without reading comprehension missing the point of them. I was really surprised, given the kind of trashy title, by the anime Maria the Virgin Witch, which is all about fighting patriarchal ideas about sex in fantasy medieval Europe. Also, Yurikuma Arashi by the same creator as Utena is a really good analysis of the ways that lesbians are portrayed in Japanese media and by the broader patriarchy.

For as much misogyny as there is in anime, the stuff that does engage with feminism can often be pretty radical and smart and does it better than you'll see in a lot of other media. It's like having that low hum of misogyny in the medium as a whole builds up a rage in some of its creators that just explodes in the stuff they make. Same with how it often engages with queer themes, tbh.

And then there's just that anime has a lot more female-character-centered stuff even if it isn't "feminist" exactly. Like stuff about women where the story and world is centered on women that you can just put on as a comfort watch. Love Live or something lol

you do bring up a good point about fma, i kinda forgot about that bc i watched it like a decade ago. rgu is really great and i defo recommend it even tho it was directed by a man. yurikuma is actually my fave anime of all time but does seem sexist and fan servicey on the surface. and i love love live and the other cgdct anime but it feels like there is always an underlying misogyny of that genre, knowing how the male fans and creators are. if i were to recommend a comfort watch i would go with k-on bc it has a female director.

thanks for the recs!

[katsona-the-katsequel]

At which age did they awaken their Personas?

Not the age they began fighting with them. Just the age of awakening. I'm trying to get an age range here. Shotout to Aigis for being the youngest user to awaken to her Persona, at the amazing age of "pre-installed upon activation".

So, from oldest to youngest:

Unknown. Adult

37 years old

Takashi Hanya

Takuto Maruki

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Junko Kurosu (assuming she had a Reverse Persona like the other admins)

33 years old

Ginji Sasaki

28 years old

Takahisa Kandori

27 years old

Baofu

Tohru Adachi

25 years old

Katsuya Suou

24 years old

Ulala Serizawa

Unknown. Could have been a teen or an adult

Tatsuya Sudou

18 years old

17 years old

Yasuo Inoe

Makoto Niijima

Naoya Toudou

Maki Sonomura

Masao Inaba

Kei Nanjo

Eriko Kirishima

Reiji Kido

Yukino Mayuzumi

Lisa Silverman

Jun Kurosu

Anna Yoshizaka

16 years old

Hiroki Sugimoto

Haru Okumura

Hidehiko Uesugi

Yuka Ayase

Minato Arisato/Kotone Shiomi

Junpei Iori

Yukari Takeba

Fuuka Yamagishi

Yu Narukami

Yosuke Hanamura

Chie Satonaka

Yukiko Amagi

Naoto Shirogane

15 years old

Rise Kujikawa

Akira Kurusu

Ryuji Sakamoto

Ann Takamaki

Yusuke Kitagawa

Unknown. Between Ages 16-18

Kanji Tatsumi

Goro Akechi

Futaba Sakura

Sumire Yoshizawa

Kenta Yokouchi

Tomomi Fujimori

Kumi Hirose

Michiko Matsudaira

Yuriko Yamamoto

Unknown. Could have been a child, a teen, or an adult

Takeda

Unknown. Could have been a child or a teen

Eikichi Mishina

Akihiko Sanada

Shinjiro Aragaki

Unknown. Could have been a child

Mitsuru Kirijo

Takaya Sakaki

Jin Shirato

Chidori Yoshino

13 years old

Maya Amano

Akari Hoshi

11 years old

Ken Amada

9 years old

Randolph Carter

8 years old

Tatsuya Suou

2 years old

Morgana

The moment she was born

Aigis

Koromaru

???

Teddie

Sophia

[nodutra19]

Persona Stand Name Headcanons

Only for the stuff I'm familiar with tho, so the mainline games and PQ1. I'm ignoring doubles and ultimates tho.

P１ ＣＡＳＴ

Naoya Toudou - A Simple Game

Kazuya Toudou - Changeling

Maki Sonomura - Ojalá

Masao Inaba - Uknowhowwedu

Kei Nanjo - Reflections

Yukino Mayuzumi - Kurayami De Dance

Eriko Kirishima - SEARCHLiGHT

Hidehiko Uesugi - Slim Shady

Yuka Ayase - Turf Dancing

Reiji Kido - Sixteen Tons

Kenta Yokouchi - Shame

Yuriko Yamamoto - Guilty As Charged

Michiko Matsudaira - Rock the Casbah

Kumi Hirose - Suicide Lane

Takeda - Instanbul

Tomomi Fujimori - Elton John

Takahisa Kandori - Bitches Brew

P2 ＣＡＳＴ

Tatsuya Toudou - Stargazer

Maya Amano - Spanish Doll

Lisa Silverman - Nana

Eikichi Mishina - WOLF DOWN THE EARTH

Jun Kurosu - In the Wake of Poseidon

Joker - Starless

Tatsuya Sudou - False Start

Junko Kurosu - Triplicate

Anna Yoshizaka - 1200

Ginji Sasaki - All Hail the Crimson King

Takashi Hanya - ...Meets His Maker

Ixquic - Funky Motion

Youichi Makimura - Don't Stand So Close to Me

Yasuo Inoe - Sadist Tastes Copper

Hiroki Sugimoto - constellations

Tamaizu Nirasawa - Mysterious Traveler

Musubu Torikiri - Maze

Katsuya Suou - Hotel California

Ulala Serizawa - Waffle

Baofu - KRS-One

JOKER - Munshun

Philemon - Somewhere Far Beyond

P3 ＣＡＳＴ

Minato Arisato/Makoto Yuki - The Mystery

Minako Arisato/Kotone Shiomi/FEMC - The 18th Letter

Yukari Takeba - Umbrella

Junpei Iori - Party and Bullshit

Mitsuru Kirijo - Bright Lights, Big City

Akihiko Sanada - The Moody Blues

Fuuka Yamagishi - Harvest Time

Aigis - Remember That

Koromaru - Canserbero

Ken Amada - Mature Opinion

Shinjiro Aragaki - Nobody Speak

Elizabeth - Final Home

Takaya Sakaki - completed nihilism

Jin Shirato - Evolution Rush

Chidori Yoshino - My Witch

Metis - Black Birds

Theodore - Extension

??? - Giving Up the Ghost

P4 ＣＡＳＴ

Yu Narukami - John Dope

Yosuke Hanamura - AMERICAN MUSCLE

Chie Satonaka - Warzone

Yukiko Amagi - Anger of the Earth

Kanji Tatsumi - Hit 'Em Up

Rise Kujikawa - Super Shy

Teddie - Inexplicable

Naoto Shirogane - Walk the Walk

Margaret - Yerbatero

Tohru Adachi - Radiologue

P5 ＣＡＳＴ

Akira Kurusu/Ren Amamiya/Joker - The Offspring

Morgana - Rasputin

Ryuji Sakamoto - Apocalypshit

Ann Takamaki - Change the World

Yusuke Kitagawa - Imagination

Makoto Nijima - Under Pressure

Futaba Sakura - The Number Song

Haru Okumura - Breakdown

Goro Akechi - Keeping the Motion

Caroline and Justine - Duality

Sumire Yoshizawa - crushcrushcrush

Takuto Maruki - Don

Zen - Starch

Rei - Winter Lane

[silvermoon424]

My manga collection (October 2023)

I did a post detailing my manga collection back in 2021, but it's grown a lot since then so I figured I'd make a new post! It was also a good time to do so because we're repainting my room and while there's usually a ton of anime merch in front of the books on my shelves, now it's all been packed up. So there's a clear look at the books without me having to move anything, lol.

Anyway, without further adieu, here we go! My manga collection is largely shoujo (specifically magical girls) and horror manga.

Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino

Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo by Matsuri Akino

The Clique by Yishan Li

Frozen II manga by Arina Tanemura

Dark Metro by Tokyo Calen and Yoshiken

Yokai Rental Shop by Shin Mashiba

Confidential Confessions by Reiko Momochi

Pichi Pichi Pitch (aka Mermaid Melody) by Michiko Yokote and Pink Hanamori

Magical Girl Site by Kentaro Sato

Reiko the Zombie Shop by Rei Mikamoto

Les Miserables (manga adaptation) by TszMei Lee

Nightmares for Sale by Kaoru Ohashi

Presents by Kanako Inuki

Mail by Housui Yamazaki

Dark Water by Meimu

Tale of a White Night by Tooko Miyagi

Goth by Otsuichi and Kendi Oiwa

Beautiful People by Mitsukazu Mihara

Attack on Titan: No Regrets by Gun Snark and Hikaru Suruga

In Clothes Called Fat by Moyoco Anno

A Girl on the Shore by Inio Asano

Bride of Deimos by Etsuko Ikeda and Yuuho Ashibe

Limit by Keiko Suenobu

Helter Skelter by Kyoko Okazaki

Dolls omnibus (in Japanese) by Yumiko Kawahara

Ibitsu by Haruto Ryo

A God Somewhere (Western comic) by John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg

Beauty (Western comic) by Hubert and Kerascoët

Ah! My Goddess by Kōsuke Fujishima

Only One Wish by Mia Ikumi

Higurashi When They Cry: Festival Accompanying Arc by Karin Suzuragi

Chronicles of the Grim Peddler by Lee Jeoun-A

PTSD Radio by Masaaki Nakayama

Elfen Lied by Lynn Okamoto

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit by Motoro Mase

Happy Sugar Life by Tomiyaki Kagisora

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood by Hirohiko Araki

An Ojamajo Doremi artbook (in Japanese)

Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi

Dolls by Yumiko Kawahara

Maid-sama by Hiro Fujiwara

Franken Fran by Katsuhisa Kigitsu

Hell Girl by Miyuki Eto

Gurren Lagann by Kotaro Mori

Doll by Mitsukazu Mihara

Mantis Woman by Senno Knife

Various Sailor Moon artbooks from the anime, manga illustrations by Naoko Takeuchi, and fan artbooks

Sailor Moon Eternal Edition by Naoko Takeuchi

Sailor V Eternal Edition by Naoko Takeuchi

Puella Magi Madoka Magica by Hanokage

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story by Hanokage

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Wraith Arc by Hanokage

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story by Hanokage

Puella Magi Oriko Magica by Kuroe Mura

Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer by Kuroe Mura

Puella Magi Tart Magica by Golden Pe Done

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story by Fuji Fujino

Assorted PMMM and Magia Record artbooks

Pokemon Adventures (aka Pokemon Special) by Hidenori Kusaka and Mato/Satoshi Yamamoto. I own the complete set of the RBG, Yellow, GSC, FRLG, Emerald and HGSS arcs as well as a few volumes from the RS, DP, and Black/White arcs.

Various Pokemon 4koma (in Japanese)

Pokemon: I Choose You by Ryo Takamisaki

Phantom Thief Pokemon 7 by Miho Asada

The Rise of Darkrai by Ryo Takamisaki

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure by Shigekatsu Ihara

The Electric Tale of Pikachu by Toshihiro Ono

The Art of Pokemon Adventures by Satoshi Yamamoto (both English and Japanese versions)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team by Makoto Mizobuchi

Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea by Makoto Mizobuchi

Various Junji Ito Manga:

Dissolving Classroom

Fragments of Horror

The Liminal Zone

Sensor

Black Paradox

Gyo

Uzumaki

Tomie

Deserter

Tombs

Lovesickness

Smashed

Shiver

Frankenstein

Remina

Venus in the Blind Spot

No Longer Human

Twisted Visions (artbook)

Uzumaki coloring book

Uzumaki (original printing) by Junji Ito

Museum of Terror by Junji Ito

Soichi by Junji Ito

The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency by Hirohiko Araki

Orochi by Kazuo Umezu

Be Very Afraid of Kanoko Inuki! by Kanoko Inuki

Wonderland by Yugo Ishikawa

Shadows House by Somato

I Had That Sane Dream Again by Yoru Sumino

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

Nightmare Inspector by Shin Mashiba

The Ring by Misao Inagaki

Wonder House of Horrors by Miyako Cojima

Puella Magi Suzune Magica by GAN

Puella Magi Kazumi Magica by Masaki Hiramatsu and Takashi Tensugi

Magia Record: Another Story by U35

I also have some manga in storage like Inuyasha and Kitchen Princess, but that's about it!

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #613

Febri vol. 41, Ujita Takashi talking about Yamamoto Sayo

[Screenwriter for Michiko and Hatchin]

Part 2.

I think that Michiko and Hatchin is full of a lot of different feelings and experiences that Yamamoto Director personally had. I felt that when I wrote quite aggressive, or should I say, vulgar lines [in the screenplay for M&H]. She was grinning, all happy, every time she read them.

I don't remember if we had this conversation the first time that we've met, or maybe some time later - we once talked about anime for kids. And she said 'even if it's supposed to be an anime for kids, I don't want to make animes at kids' level'. What that meant is that sometimes, even if a small kid is not able to follow the story as they watch the show, they can understand it, when they're older. That's why she didn't want to make anime that targets small kids specifically. And that was a very nice idea.

Even after Michiko and Hatchin ended, sometimes we meet, and exchange mails. And talk about unimportant things... (laugh). Although recently, the topic of figure skating appears rather quite often (laugh). It's been almost 10 years now, since we met for the first time, but I still can't understand her at all. When she's strict, she's really strict, and when she's lenient, she's just lenient. She's really 'how a good man should be like' [男前].

[Note: Just normal Jp sexism at the end, everyone knows that all positive traits in human beings are masculine by nature and if a woman has them too, she's 'honorary' masculine 🥱]

[cosmicrhetoric]

there is something very special about michiko to hatchin I just can't identify what it is. it's not just the melanin (but for girls like me it helps) or the music it's just....the director (hi sayo yamamoto) once said that she wanted to make an anime that grown women could come home and watch after work and yeah it's like exactly that

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Ooh, this one's been a hell of a time. Another offering from Sayo Yamamoto who gave us Woman Called Fujiko Mine and I'm starting to see trends that will make me check out anything from her going forward. This one's Michiko & Hatchin, a tale of an escaped convict trying to bring a guy's daughter to him.

The best way I've heard this described is "Kinda like The Boondocks for black & brown women," and while that may not describe the plot it sure as hell does the vibe. Set in Brazil and the team really did their homework which is refreshing to see. Bad bitches with motorcycles, guns, and a string of lost loves. It's also pretty hella gay. Kinda has a 70s Latin American Samurai Champloo vibe and definitely feels like someone watched a bunch of movies like Stray Cat Rock. So its got pretty much everything in Rhea's Big Book of Rad Shit. Very much recommend.

[pochqmqri]

The anime adaptation of Shaman King Flowers, the sequel to the original Shaman King, has been announced to start airing in January 2024. A trailer dropped and the website was updated with new information.

Most of the staff from the 2021 remake will be returning, with the exception of Satohiko Sano, who is replaced by Mayuko Yamamoto as character designer for this upcoming anime.

Voice Cast:

Hana Asakura — Yoko Hikasa

Alumi Niumbirch — Sumire Uesaka

Yohane Asakura — Shun Horie

Gakko Ibuki — Michiko Kaiden

Tao Men — Romi Park

[animebw]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw that was such a sweet ending

In total, Michiko and Hatchin is the most 6/10 show I’ve watched in a while. Even if I didn’t connect with it that strongly, I still admired the craft on display, and there were plenty of fun moments throughout. Plus, good lord does Saya Yamamoto know how to direct a scene. She should make a show about, I don’t know, gay figure skaters one of these days, I bet she’d do a great job. Until then, though, I shall wait and see which 2009 anime will take this show’s place. See you then!

[susansontag]

Love your anime recs. Have you ever watched Michiko to Hatchin? It’s directed by a woman (Sayo Yamamoto) and it shows in the best possible way. Probably the only serious, complex exploration of a mother-daughter bond I’ve ever seen in anime. My controversial weeb opinion is that it’s absolutely as good as the big classics (Bebop, etc) and the only reason it isn’t treated as such is because it’s about a grown woman and a young girl who’s a real kid and not gross lolibait

yeah I know sayo yamamoto, she directed the woman called fujiko mine that I'm always considering checking out. I have actually started michiko to hatchin, I just fell off with it at some point due to lack of time. I'll pick it up again for sure, I remember it being fun

[vivalatoons]

My Talk: Yuri On Ice

Can you hear my heart beat? Anyway, this anime has exploded everyone with amazing story and ice skating. This is the reflection of Yuri On Ice.

Yes, this website is how and the reason why I watched the show. The end of 2016 was nothing but gay ice skating. My friends also told me to check it out. I gave in, so I headed to the ice rink.

Plot: Here, we meet Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese figure skater who takes a break from ice staking after a crushing defeat the Grand Prix Final and goes to this hometown. After doing a routine from his idol, Russian figure skater Victor Nikiforov, that gets secretly recorded and goes on the Internet, Victor goes to Yuri’s hometown and becomes Yuri’s coach. This leads to a series of competition, love, and ice skating.

Characters: There are a lot of characters in Yuri On Ice. Too many that a season couldn’t cover everyone with fair screen time. So, we’re doing a lighting round. Yuri Katsuki is an anxious ice skater who loves pork cutlet. Victor Nikiforov is an ice skater as well, but puts it on hold to coach Yuri. Yuri “Yurio” Plisetsky is an angsty teen with a bad attitude and a passion to ice skate. More characters include Yoko and Taksehi with their three triplets, Minako, Otabek, Guang-Hong, Chris, JJ, Phichit, Mickey, and many characters and ice skaters.

Animation and ice skating: The animation is done by MAPPA. Anytime an ice skater perform, the routine was choreographed by a real-life ice skater. Each perform took a lot of time to animate. There was a new animation format used to animate the character skating. I’m not particularly a fan of ice skating. I tried before but fail miserably and ended up hurting my ankles. Now, I’m not saying ice skating is stupid. However, this show made me appreciate those who do skate on ice. It must be challenging to not only skate on ice, but perform your heart’s content for a competition. I see that ice skating is a graceful sport where people express their emotions through skating. Thanks to this show, I begin seeing how awesome ice skaters are. 

Yamamoto and Kubo: Quick background on these two. Sayo Yamamoto is an anime director responsible for creating her own show, Michiko and Hatchin. She also directed Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Kubo is recent in anime world, and she has written manga like Moteki and Again!! These two women has swept the anime world with their love of ice skating. This duo has already broke so much fans with their excellent writing and characters. I admire Yamamoto for her direction on creating stories with diverse and a woman being the lead, and Kubo for telling a story about ice skating and added romance in the mix. 

“We need more.”: Originally in this section, I was talking about how I hope the success of Yuri On Ice will get them a second season because I want more from the characters and seeing Victor and Yuri again as a beautiful couple. Also, I mention the announcement of the movie, which on April 19th was cancelled and no longer happening. I wrote this post back in 2017 and kept it in my drafts for years because I was waiting for the movie to come out. I’m quite upset because it’s been over 7 years when they announced the movie. I feel for the cast and crew of the movie because they really care about the story and still admire the impact Yuri On Ice made. So, the future of Yuri On Ice is up in the air. I don’t want say it’s never coming back because things can happen, but it seems like we’ll never know what the next level is. Still, for what the show did and gave MAPPA the platform to finally work on other well-known project, you can’t deny that Yuri On Ice was one of the biggest influence for anime in the 2010s.

Yuri On Ice does make me appreciate the art of figure skating. This is my first sports anime, and it did make me admire those who ice skate for a living. The show continues to be praise for its portray for ice skating, LGBT+ representation, and splendid animation. It’s not be the greatest anime, but Yuri on Ice skated their ways to our hearts.