Cool Japan’s Soft Power In Action
Japn’s “soft diplomacy” has come a long way – from ‘Hakujaden’ in 1958 to SMAP in Beijing in 2011. But can a pop song, a cosplay, or an urgent desire to make manga outside Japan really change the world?
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )In Loving Memory: Vaunda K. Perry, 1951-2008
One year ago today, our dear friend Vaunda passed away after a long fight with sarcoma. Soon afterwards, writer Gloria Oliver posted this on her blog, and old-school anime god Dave Merrill recorded a few of his own memories. I was thinking of Vaunda when I started this blog a few months ago, and today [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 11 so far )Star Blazing Across The Universe: a 35-year pilgrimage
Space Battleship Yamato, aka Star Blazers has been an American classic for 30 years and a Japanese icon for 35. Its fans are as devoted as ever, and they still love to party.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Normalising manga: now part of the mainstream
I’m going to Cambridge in October to speak at a conference on Women in Comics. It should be a really interesting day – the organisers have mixed academics, critics and writers with comic-makers, both male and female, and the range of topics sounds like fun: Trina Robbins on Nell Brinkley, Asia Alfasi on cultural dialogue and [...]
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