This blog has been around for over 2 years and has well over 500 posts. I want to take the guesswork out of it and give you a master list of all the posts that you honestly ought to read, that aren’t already covered by the Diary of an Anime Lived, Epic Journey, or Don’t fuck This Up section. A lot of these relate to various theories on otakudom and studies of otaku types and personalities among other things. There are also some fun little studies in there. There are a number of lists, which I will make noted updates of as necessary. I’ve put an asterisk (*) next to what I consider must-reads.
Odd Studies:
Anime Blogging… Like Writing a Textbook?
Anime is Madness, or is it Sanity?
Recommendations: You’re Gunna Carry That Weight
Why I Love the Endings that Everyone Else Hates *
Shounen Anime Adaptions Are a Lot Like American Football Games
Anime? This is a Damn Textbook! (When Anime and Manga Stop Being Anime and Manga)
Anime Characters: Living in the Lavish Light of Luxery
Shin Mazinger’s Ancient Classical Art Style
These People Can’t Act!!! Another Example of Dubs Failing Horribly
Immersion – Why Talking To Every Person in Town is a Good Idea
Andrew Cunningham on Translation Vs. Editing and the Importance of Translators *
Projected Responses to Backstory Sex in K-On *
Musical References in Boogiepop and Others
Incredibly Awkward Production – Uninhabited Planet Survive
Unrepresentative Studio Screw-Ups
Maria Holic Opening Possible Influences – Erwin Wurm and the Red Hot Chili Peppers *
Shugo Chara and the Legalization of Crunchyroll
GAINAX Theory of Burning Pathos
Fun Stuff:
Anime, Manga, and Otaku Moments of 2009
Forty Fandoms: Rie Kugimiya - Rurouni Kenshin – Kazuya Nakai – *
Why I Love Magical Girl Shows (OR Nostalgia For Digital Boy)
(Videocast) Released and Relinquished Live! Our Panel on Video *
Kenshin Himura vs. Sakata Gintoki – I’m In Yur 19th Century Japan Subverting Yur Trope
Simoun DVD Commentary Transcribed! Junji and Asako’s Know-Your-Simoun Lecture! Part One
Mai Waifus – Because Anime Made Me a Polygamist!
How to Watch Ranma 1/2 and Minimize on Crappy Episodes
Top 10 Reasons Yasuhiro Imagawa Alone May be Worth a Trip to Anime Weekend Atlanta
Otakon 2009 – Convention of the VOCAL Generation
Maze of the Haze! Test Drive – Weird Shit That Central Park Media Left Behind
We Remembered Love: Digitalboy and Ghostlightning Videocast *
More Awesome Anime Moms! – Mother’s Day Special
Digitalboy’s Shipping – Anime Relationships I Support
Stop! Hibari-kun! Old School Trap Anime
Top 10 First Episodes of Anime
Top 10 Anime That Should Have Been Longer
Euphoric Field Anime Quiz! Novice – Intermediate – Hard – Insane
Top 20 Shows You Suck For Not Seeing *
Minor Characters That Deserve Their Own Anime
The Greatest Anime Ever Made: Legend of Duo
One More Time, One More Chance *
Kizutsuita, Hibi no Mukou ni, Nani ga Matsu no Ka? 2 0 0 8 *
The Hottest Manga Page of All Time
Yes, I am Going to Hell For This
Otaku Studies: (Everything in this section is a must-read)
Epic in an Instant – Creating the Casual Fans
Divining Your Fandom – Why Most Blogs Talk About the Wrong Things
Stop Using The Term ‘Tsundere’, You Fucking Assholes
Favorites Lists, Guilty Pleasures, Branding, and ORE NO RUURU!
Anime is Serious Business… but Should it Have to Be? (A Study of Late Night Anime)
Why I Don’t Like to Talk About Shows That Aren’t Over or Blog Episodically
Everybody Gets One: Anime’s Personal Rage Machines
Image Accreditation: Necessity Through the Filter of Reason
Evolution and Maturing of My Otakudom
Why You Probably Aren’t An “Anime” Otaku but Something Else
What Are You “Otaku” For? (OR How Do You Otaku? You Fight For Otaku, You Plug Otaku In)
Anime Generalism – True Otakudom?
So Much Hate? DigitalBoy’s Least Favorites and Dropped List
Some People Are Just Bigger Fans
How Do You Blog? You Fight for Blog, You Plug Blog In.
“It Builds Character!” or Depth Versus Chemistry and the Tournament of Themes