TikTok Wipe It Down Challenge #Japan #Korea

Featuring some of the best compilations of TikTok's #WipeItDown challenge from Japan and Korea! Check it out!

Delicious Ca-ke pt. 2

This series is dedicated to "Delicious Ca-ke", because in Japan ca-ke is COOL! For females and males alike, the Japanese celebrate various offshoots of culture that are dedicated to the good life and a well mannered set of ways to have fun and be humane or human. One of these, is for their people as a ethnicity, to enjoy and place value on cake.

Though they would rather use the derivative loanword which sounds and is pronounced like. 

Ca-Ke!

R e d   V e l v e t   C a k e

R e d   V e l v e t   W a f f l e   vvv

T o d a y ' s   s p e c i a l   "C a-K e"

Red Velvet Cake! 

RPGHero's Corner: Anime + Current Events

RPGHero's Corner

What does being an otaku mean in the modern world? Well we should examine current events through the perspective of anime and video game to find out a bit more.

What comes to mind first when you think about the, “#blacklivesmatter” protests? For myself, “Sword Art Online”. “Angel Beats”, and “Steins;Gate” are three anime that have come to mind. As an otaku who also founded this blog and also who is African-American, I see the plot elements of these anime when I see the emotions that the “#blacklivesmatter” protests have evoked from both those who agree with the protests and those who don't. That's because if you've seen all those anime mentioned, they are about the drive that the protagonists have to protect the lives of those around themselves and not necessarily their own life. I clearly see that the real-life protesters would fit in as the protagonists of any of those anime, if not the ones of their own choosing. They feel more strongly about the sanctity of life, especially in the face of clear persecution against “Black people”, than the people who see themselves more as spectators to the protests or even who are offended by them. In the otaku world of anime, such protests would happen and they would be called “human rights” protests. However, IRL the “#blacklivesmatter” movement has been seen as a bunch (rather large bunch) of youths rasing trouble for other people who are supposedly already down with the sanctity and purpose of all life. For those new to the concept of protests or self-actualized endeavor, that should be expected but for adults in reality any protest is a rally for society to change, not for any one individual or something. That and self-actualized persons, the famous ones rather, are all familiar with the concept of failure on the road toward a goal. So otaku and also everyone else should understand that without the protests, nothing would change and nothing would get better. At least nothing that the right people can take credit for when it happens. That's one perspective from the founder of a blog.

There's still more yet. What about the gender equality movement, called feminism? Actually feminism is much more popular as a movement than as a protest against society. Gender equality is a societal trend and not something anyone is really fighting for and striving for at all (that protesting was already done before our time).

The anime, manga, and otaku world is just following the rest of the world and by following them, I meant leading the way by showing young women and women in a more positive than the rest of the world's media. Even if that means portraying all men as, “nose-picking, selfish, tie-on-head wearing, grouchy, crybaby, softy, hippocritical, and about everything else there is in the book, stopping short of hardline misogynist (which no one can really prevent or change in another person).

But what if you ARE a woman? How do you see the otaku world?

IMO there are barely any shounen-power inspired heroines in anime, not enough to combat the fujoshi-girl stereotype of otaku which actually seems like a negative connotation for the real life woman of power. IMO the anime industry would greatly benefit from more Blood+ and Birdy the Mighty like anime series but I'm sure I've mentioned that before on here somewhere... The two main characters of those shows Saya and Birdy the Mighty are assertive and powerful enough to feminist character models.

Haruhi from “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” actually seems like a fujoshi-girl but given her power over the other characters in the show, it looks more positive. C'mon what kind of real life girl would go for a a male character like Kon... a loner like Kon, a over-critical loner like Kon! It does make make sense now to you, the reader, right??! Haruhi's character, even a extroverted fujoshi-girl, comes off as the savior character, especially since Kon doesn't “do” any saving or anything at all for the group. All Kon does is suggest different alternatives to haruhi's outlandish and outgoing plans and actions, adding to his character's needs which he later says are met by Haruhi's brooding influences and escapades!

In addition, Gintama has enough sketches that make fun of men, for a person who is a “good-for-nothing” to relate and laugh! Maybe Gintama isn't the best show for human empowerment since its a comedy battle shounen, so IMO it keeps it real with its fans. Gintama pokes fun at all kinds of “good-for-nothing” and “weird” characters and doesn't discriminate between different “kinds” of people, just making fun of as many people as possible without really apologizing. IMO that's just the way IRL works with injustice and misfortune and the alleviation thereof. I would rather laugh and feel a bit uncomfortable with Gintama, than deal with injustice and misfortune in the real world...

There you have it, otaku friends, and without any obvious political references!!!

Side-tickling Types of Humor and the Anime World

Humor, the ability to laugh and make someone else laugh, is one of the best ways to be the best person in the room.

All over the world, with its movies, tv shows, and cartoons, laughter is in high demand because we all just want to feel good while watching TV.

Does milk really come out of your nose when you laugh???

Types of Humor by 
Character and Anime

Urahara Kisuke from the anime Bleach

English dub has some funny yet violent Urahara jokes...

Japanese dub shows Urahara as overly positive, like people who are good at Zingers!

Urahara is the only anime character I could find who executes Zingers almost as well as an American comic. Since the "zinger" is more purely American humor than actually from Japan or anime.

Zinger - A joke that follows a serious tone or awkward situation that serves to lighten the mood and make the listeners lighter and happier. These jokes can keep the flow of positive energy on the speaker and their speech.

Shinpachi Shimura from "Gintama"

Shinpachi is always using "straight-man routine" because his character is a "straight-arrow" good guy.

Straight-man routine - The blunt and forward reaction to either a solemn or outlandish topic or situation that makes the speaker assume the role of a "straight arrow" person. People relate and might laugh because of the situation's unusual weight on the speaker.

Gif version!!! (See of you can get the joke from the animation)

Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece anime

Luffy, the class-clown kind of guy who will be the Pirate King one day!

Class-clown / Star-of-the-Show - These jokes always come from a speaker who is the most popular character and they're either witty in general or are so outlandish in their critique of something else that the whole room is uplifted to the same popularity that the speaker enjoys and employs. :D

Goku from the DB, DBZ, DBGT, etc... series...

Goku from DBZ exemplifies "Class-clown / Star-of-the-Show" humor because of his outlandish reactions in the Dragon Ball world that show his easy-going optimistic personality.


Okabe of Steins ; Gate

Okabe frequently finds himself in situations where the other characters are trying to intimidate him... And he tries to be intimidating to be funny but it doesn't always work. It does make him look funny and like a good person.

Intimidator - These aren't always jokes but they are somewhat threatening in nature so that the person that they're directed to is laughed at because of their inferiority to the speaker.

Mio the main character of MM!

Mio from MM! is pretty intimidating and she's got the ability to be funny because she makes the viewers feel her rage!


Awakawa Under the Bridge

This is a great example of "Intimidator" humor that makes the viewer laugh but they're not really intimidating her. (They are tough guys in "tough clothes" lol)


Sakata Gintoki
Anime:  Gintama

Gintoki's cutting and witty remarks kind of make him a "pure host" because all of the other characters in Gintama look to him for moral support. Whenever everyone else looks to you for moral support, you've got the ability to use "Host" or "Hostess" humor in the real world!

Host / Hostess - The speaker controls the room or the other characters by happily patronizing as many of them as possible at once, usually with a combination of other humor and some kind of innate, natural based charm.

Suzumiya Haruhi from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"

Haruhi has the "Host" or "Hostess" kind of personality that makes everyone around her either laugh out loud or really comfortable, maybe even uncomfortable!


Saito from "Welcome to the NHK"



Saito is very sarcastic and very sardonic so its really hard to tell which one he is more. That's what makes "Welcome to the NHK" popular, funny, and well-watched all over the place.

Sarcasm / Sardonism - Use of either a very forward tone in a difficult or laughable situation or the disparate comparing of two very different ideas while shedding a pretentious positive or negative light on the conversation topic to the audience. Always downplays the situation or the topic at hand.

Natsume Yuu-jincho

Nyanko-sensei, the calico cat pictured, is a sarcastic talking cat that accompanies Natsume as his familiar, kindred spirit, or even as a guardian angel (but the Japanese people would rather say "familiar" for animal or "kindred spirit" for angels).

Neko-sensei and Natsume react sarcastically to something that someone says to them. They're a great team even when Nyanko has to sock it to Natsume.



Chi's Sweet Home

Chi always has cute reactions that make me laugh!

Cute / Moe Humor - Almost forgot one, this kind of humor is about lighthearted and warmhearted laughter after seeing a cute scene, cute character flustered, or a cute person in a funny situation!

Toradora

When moe characters fight it's almost seen as funny, right??

"There you have it..."

"Shall we review the evidence?"

:D

Does anyone get the Gintama reference here? Comment or Like  if you get the reference above...

Otaku Let's Play! - Breath of Fire II: With a little Help From My... Who Are These Guys Anyway?

On this installment, Jade finally says something in a dialogue box but remains as overlooked as ever... The dragon adventure continues!

Otaku Reivewers play: HuniePop - the OEL Puzzle-Dating Sim!

Full series coming soon to the Otaku Reviewers YouTube channel! -chansu

The Life and Time of Sakata Gintoki

Sakata Gintoki from the anime, "Gintama"

Sakata Gintoki is arguably the choice candidate for best bachelor in anime. He's got it all. Sakata Gintoki, he's somewhat of an enigma also. The man is near or in his mid-twenties, making him a good role filler in a Seinen, or genre of anime where the main character is more mature. Gintoku resists stereotypes and is a self-proclaimed jack-of-all trades. Despite his unpredictable life and friends, his number one best trait is... that he is a shounen hero.

Gintoki defines his life, by the bread he gives away and not the bread he makes... O.o

Somehow Gintoki gets into friendly quarrels... 

Gintoki doesn't always have it easy though. There are times, many times, that Gintoki gets stuck in a rut. The only thing is, Gintoki's key to being the best is that when he gets stuck in a rut it's usually because he jumps into every problem that his friends have. Is that what makes Gintoki such a prime bachelor?

Gintoki's adventures took him to some strange places. In one story, he got turned into a cat for carelessly peeing on a pet cemetery for cats and helped the stray alpha cat take down cat catchers that were mining cat balls and using an alien lion to fight all the stray cats in town. Yes, you read that correctly.

But Gintoki doesn't let those kind of setbacks phase him. He takes them with a kind of sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek attitude that characterizes a generation. Just a generation that Gintoki is a bit early to be a part of, being that he's in this twenties. The anime came out in the mid-2000's by the way but that doesn't matter because there aren't any time skips in Gintama, yet. Well there was a year timeskip I think, but it's not official. 

As the "Odd-Jobs Gin-San", Gintoki doesn't go on missions or want to be the best. In fact, all Gintoki wants to do is take odd jobs for anyone, no matter what. That makes him kind of amenable and able to fit in with all kinds of people. No matter how strong of a shounen hero he is, he considers himself to be a regular guy in the prime of life but he'd rather make fun of the irony of being in the prime of life because right after the prime of life is the decline... But Gintoki makes it seem funny!

Over the course of his earlier life, Gintoki went through a lot of ups and downs. That was before he started "Odd-Jobs Gin-San" and helped the town take on random adventures. The world he grew up in was unfair too. He lost people who were important to him and lived the life of a poor homeless teenager, until he was helped out by others. You could say that Gintoki didn't have it easy and made it, in part, because he had really good friends, a good teacher, and someone who helped him out first.

Once Gintoki did start to change and his life got better. He realized what was really important in life. It's not that you're a shounen hero and you can fight anyone all the time. Gintoki lets himself be himself all the time. That's what makes him really popular and sometimes gets him in trouble...

Gintoki's past life seems to always play a factor in his adventures. He IS a full-fledged shounen hero and his success depends on both defeating strong enemies and saving his friends from evil... Usually his enemies are way stronger than him at first and it seems like Gintoki will lose because he's never training. But the strength of the beliefs he gains from his everyday life always help him remember the right thing to do to win!

Instead of balancing his ego, Sakata Gintoki does not, which results in a balanced ego. I guess it's an Eastern Taoist/Zen kind of thing...

That is what makes Sakata Gintoki, the best Seinen anime character.

...and also a shounen hero...

Otaku Let's Play! - Megaman X Part 4: Don't game and drive

Break all your life's cieling, my son, Megaman!

There! The level you shouldn't play in the car! 

Or at the airport!

It's all gonna go down once the bird poop hits the fan...