Archive for the 'Japanese Invasion' Category

Le Linkage #16: Around the Blogosphere

Published on July 19, 2007 in Books, Humor, Japanese Invasion, Le Linkage and Theology and Philosophy. 2 Comments

While I’ve tried — in vain — I haven’t been able to get one of these out (to my own disdain). Again, the glut of ideas currently swishing around my brain is like water around a drain: round and round it goes, and not in vain if I take this opportunity to sha… daing.

Alright, so that didn’t work out as planned. If it had been planned. I really should start reading more modern poetry. (Although by now you may already be aware of how I feel about poetry.)

Anyway, so here it is: another episode of Le Linkage, and this one’s about all the wonderful stuff making its way into my RSS reader as of late. Some of it is thought provoking, some just fun to read, but most, I’m sure you’ll side with me, won’t make your eyeballs bleed. (There now, that’s better, though not by much.) Continue reading ‘Le Linkage #16: Around the Blogosphere’

J-Pop Artist Touring the US?

Published on January 15, 2007 in Japanese Invasion and Movies and Music. 2 Comments

Before you start reading, know that this article came from the now-defunct Gnorb’s UltraKitchy CyberXtreme iBlog. (“Because one cliche is not enough.”) The site was dedicated to Japanese influences in today’s culture, especially J-pop music, movies, and video games. This is the last feature I’ll be reposting from there. Enjoy.

I spend a good amount of time — a really, obscenely good amount of time — listening to the Jpop stations in Shoutcast and other services. (JPopSuki TV being my biggest source of J-pop music videos.) Artists like Morning Musume, Sakamoto Maaya, and Utada Hikaru have become to me what 50 Cent, Trisha Yearwood, and Dave Matthews are to most everyone else around here. (Not that Morning Musume, a collection of teen-aged Japanese girls singing happy pop songs, sounds anything like 50 Cent, a 30-something muscle-bound black guy rapping about inner-city problems, but that’s beside the point.) Eventually, this got me wondering if there are any Japanese pop(ish) artists planning to tour the US any time soon. Continue reading ‘J-Pop Artist Touring the US?’

Dance Dance J-Pop Grunge (or Why I Wear Polo Shirts)

Published on January 12, 2007 in Japanese Invasion. 0 Comments

Before you start reading, you should know that this article is one I wrote about a year ago for a site that’s no longer around, Gnorb’s UltraKitchy CyberXtreme iBlog. (Tagline: “Because one cliche is not enough.”) The site was dedicated to Japanese influences in today’s culture, especially J-pop music, movies, and video games. I’ve re-posted it here because the site is fully dead, not having been updated in almost a year. Oh well. Anyway as you read this, be forewarned that sometime around the halfway point this article takes a complete nosedive. Enjoy. Continue reading ‘Dance Dance J-Pop Grunge (or Why I Wear Polo Shirts)’

Futurama as Anime

Published on January 10, 2007 in Japanese Invasion and Random Web Things. 0 Comments

I just thought this was incredibly cool: a guy decided to do a draw up showing what Futurama may have looked like as an anime. Click the image for the full size one.

Futurama As an Anime

Aside from the complete lack of tentacles, short skirted uniforms showing off white panties, mecha [Edit: D'oh! Forgot, Bender and Tinny Tim.], and the absurdly large breasts, this is still a pretty darn cool drawing. Make Leela into an android and you got yourself a series.

Now, for those of you who haven’t heard, thanks to fan demand, Futurama’s returning in 2008. Frankly, it’d be absolutely hilarious to see an entire episode drawn in this style.

By the way, the artist who did this also did a Simpsons one, and has been hired by a comic book company to make a manga-style Simpsons. Very nice.