The Animanachronism

The ‘Here’re some blogs like mine’ Blogroll

‘[L]ike mine’ is perhaps a little presumptious. But I’m aware that some readers use blogrolls to seek out ‘blogs in a similar vein to X’, so these are some blogs whose approach I try to imitate: The End of the World, Hop Step Jump!, Bateszi Anime Blog, Cruel Angel Theses ♪, anime|otaku, Hige Vs. Otaku, Claiming Ground, Omonomono, Mega Megane Moe, That’s Not Kanon!, far away no where and In Search of Number Nine.

I try to imitate these not because I think that so-called ‘editorial’ blogging is better, but because it’s what I can do.

The ‘I just want to be everybody’s friend’ Blogroll

This second list is a blogroll constructed on a principle of promiscuous linking (described elsewhere as ‘my uber-sluttish blogroll’), so don’t expect much rhyme or reason. In fact, this is deliberately not in alphabetical order. See the About page for an explanation of this blogroll’s length.

Anyhow I read some of these blogs regularly. Others stand out, but because of niche focus I’m less likely to follow them - they’re still recommended though. Be aware that I am a forgiving reader: I see merit in most blogs (or, to put it another way, I’m going to try to say nice things about everybody here). Quotations, where they appear, are from the bloggers themselves.

Looking for your own blog? [Ctrl] + [f] is your friend!

• Martin, of The End of the World, is an ‘unashamedly elitist’ writer who never fails to produce something thoughtful.
• Owen S., who writes Cruel Angel Theses ♪ (yes, apparently the musical note means something), declares that he has ‘a fondness for inventing taxonomies’. Be that as it may, he’s possessed of a fine analytical style and is a master of the argumentum ex verbis Latinis.
• Jinx! Touch wood. Recommended.
• Paul, at Bateszi Anime Blog, says that ‘[b]eing ignored’ is the worst part of blogging. So don’t do it to him.
• THAT Animeblog is a collaborative effort; many hands may or may not make light work, but THAT’s cooks have yet to spoil their broth.
• Speaking of collaborative efforts, the Epic Win Blog tag-teams its topics in impressive style, though strangely no Muses are involved and it isn’t even in verse.
• Drastic My Anime Blog: ‘People have said that I write editorials, so let’s go with that.’
• Somone clever’s Claiming Ground with perceptive insights into anime storytelling, and I’d advise you to pay attention.
• Heterochromia is a perceptive and individualistic take on anime.
• It’s unclear whether the Anime Sophist is referring to the literal Greek meaning of the term (’wisdom seeker’) or its derogatory, Socratic meaning. Regardless of this ambiguity, he focuses on accessible reviews of shows and films with a Region 1 release.
• The aforementioned Sophist is on linking terms with Cameron Probert of In Search of Number Nine, who thoughtfully approaches shows as suitable subjects for analysis regardless of their reputation.
• An Anime Diet is a diet worth following.
• Baka-Raptor employs an unusual aesthetic, backing it up with witty and idiosyncratic entries.
• neko’s thinkbox is a place where neko thinks. And neko is a sophisticated, intelligent, Earl Grey-drinking European polyglot, so I’d listen if I were you.
• Somewhere out in the remote, provincial parts of the UK lurks Teeif, posting his (a)musings episodically on Lostlink ~ Wrong Way To Japan.
• tasukete! is a dual-authorship blog which carries thoughtful-yet-enthusiastic reviews and humourous commentary.
• transientem’s title is a Latin derivation (A Good Thing), and the author is thinking. [Poisoned by the Romantics, I often find myself skipping the whole thought thing and going straight to feeling.]
• a geek by any other name is a house built with news-and-commentary bricks. Gia has mastered the art of the pithy remark, and it shows.
• minaidehazukashii: apparently one of anime blogging’s Wise Old Men.
• j1m0ne’s blog is according to its tagline about ’seiyuu, anime [and] music’. The author took a degree at the University of Southampton, and therefore has already Won At Life.
• Otakuism is not a study of prejudice against otaku, but it is written by ‘a faux writer/blogger/historian/philosopher/student and all around hardcore otaku’. So that’s alright, then.
• Nakama Britannica is a place for Anime UK News‘ staff writers to kick back and relax.
• Moe Check! focuses, as the name suggests, on the world of cute things, but not exclusively.
• Kurogane’s Anime Blog is relaxed and regularly ribald.
• Anime (nothing like cutting to the chase in your title) carries informal, personal, lower-case reflections on, well, anime.
• Neko Kyou of OSiRiS ANiMe has a knack for turning up interesting curiousities from the lesser-known nooks and crannies of anime, besides covering more popular shows.
• Is Hige Vs. Otaku some kind of journalism/anime mashup? I leave it to you to decide, dear reader.
• Euphoric Field is an interesting mix. Its author is prepared to discuss some of the less-explored topics (extreme violence, yuri) alongside more traditional reviews and editorials, and for that the blog deserves respect.
• Scathbad’s Training - because cuchlann gets the dead author thing.
• Sea Slugs! Anime Blog is really old, in anime blog terms, and, in this case at least, age indicates quality.
• NeoShinka brings us delicious delicacies from the table of the wonderful and Charz (its author) appreciates the old as well as the new - always a good thing.
• Atarashii Prelude is a collaborative blog with episodic entries and the best of what is random. Deserves some kind of medal for bringing us the LOLWUT of Suzumiya Haruhi.
• Scrumptious: ‘Aiming to deliver delicious anime on a silver platter.’
• Danny Choo’s blog is some kind of monster! about anime, Japan, figures, idols . . . you name it. May take time to load on slower connections (like mine).
• Wakaranai offers a good mix of quality content, with episodic coverage, reviews and other oddities. [For some reason the author thinks that some anime series would be better off without mecha. Nothing is better off without mecha. Nothing.]
• アニ・ノート: [original UT voice] HEADSHOT ‘Comments are closed’.
• Inside Anime is written by someone who’s inside the UK/EU industry. Entries are slow but meaty and informative.
• Anime wa Bakuhatsu da! (something about an explosion?) is a worthwhile and varied read, and covers older shows as well as the latest stuff to come out of Japan.
• Anime Blog ga Arimasu: elegantly informal.
• Omonomono (did I spell that right?) is written with a honed mind and a wide subject interest.
• typeZERO - Riex blogs on THAT Animeblog as well, but typeZERO is where he thinks informally. Well worth a look.
  
• Heisei Democracy casts its net wide - very wide - but majors on the peripheral hobbies - figurines, eroge et cetera. Notable for its guide to requesting images politely on Japanese-language imageboards. Probably NSFW.
• The Moral Anti-Realist is where things get quite esoteric.
• two if by sea (or ’seasquared’, or perhaps ‘c²’) is worth a look because Cathy takes a laid-back and amusing approach to episodic entries.
• Cute Proxy’s Anime Rants. You know you want to.
• Steven Dan Beste’s Chizumatic carries a nice mix of opinion, evaluation and otakusphere current affairs, dealt with in a trenchant manner.
• The Subculture Anime Blog focuses on love comedy, but it’s not totali about that.
• The Otaku’s Hideout is big on the figurines, some of which may be NSFW, with nice sharp images. Prim3 doesn’t just review released figures, he previews forthcoming attractions too.
• moggling is an anime and manga imageblog. Go feast your eyes until they bleed.
• Crystal Tokyo Anime Blog carries in-depth summaries and thoughts, and the author’s an expert on the maho shojo genre.
• Yuri to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito is an informal but alert anime blog. The author, Yuribou, once spent some time examining hentai tropes in a matter-of-fact way, which is commendable.
• The question isn’t whether or not you want to know a Shameful Otaku Secret. The question is how you can bear not knowing it.
• OGUIE MANIAX is partly a thoughtful explanation of anime and manga. The rest of the time, it’s a flow of Oguie fan-celebration, which is . . . great, I suppose, if you like that sort of thing.
• That’s Not Kanon! It’s clever and opinionated instead.
• Are you brave enough to read the products of Deranged Minds? Can you resist the amount of hyperbolic-collar moe that their banner contains?
• Lelangiric has a tag called ‘praxis’. You can probably tell if it’s for you or not just from that.
• Hontou ni Taihen desu is witty and thought-provoking, and the tagline is more than it seems.
• Tenka Seiha does episode summaries, and does them well.
• The Meaty Anime Blog is forthright and its author tends to go his own way, which is no bad thing.
• z0mgwtflol deserves some kind of award just for bringing us news of a U-boat-themed eroge. A U-boat-themed eroge.
• niku²: one of the reasons I don’t make as much fun of screencaps as I could is because others have already cornered the market.
• Mahou Meido Meganekko is a forthright and entertaining blog.
• itsubun is, like, all perceptive and intelligent ‘n stuff. I’m indimidated.
• A scattergun approach to blogging is taken at Minimum Tempo, with episodic and editorial anime entries rubbing shoulders with games, movies and music.
• Mou Yamete! is dominated by eroge, and each post is served with lashings of fanservice. An acquired taste, but it’s certainly more original than ‘let’s write about anime’ blogging (I know, I know, let him who is without sin cast the first stone).
• far away no where: Caution, Man Thinking.
• The Blue Fox Alley: ‘a beautiful tale of two big boys babbling about Japanese cartoons’ (isn’t it great when these little annotations are ready-provided).
• Are-are: a team blog, mostly (but not entirely) containing unbuttoned episode summaries.
• Anime3World provides an eclectic mix of brief snippets (gaming, anime, news and so forth).
• Anime History exudes something which I’ve seen other bloggers sometimes try to hide: genuine enthusiasm.
• Many people ramble, but few as effectively as The Ramblings of DarkMirage.
• Azure Flame Reloaded serves up traditional reviews alongside superbly comic weekly collections of tidbits, functioning as a kind of delicious blog buffet.
• Furu Anime Panikku: ferreting out fascinating facts I never knew I needed to know, plus overlooked anime, manga, sites, games et cetera. Like the anime blogger’s version of Schott’s Miscellanies. Amazingly, Furu Anime Panikku is usually updated daily.
• KT + Anime. Lengthy reviews, well worth reading.
• One is happy to acknowledge these Mistakes of Youth, which are defiantly outspoken and deliciously partisan.
• HappySoda carries figurine reviews with high-quality photography and an inventive writing style, plus R1 anime release reviews too.
• The Hound Blog is humourous and parodic and generally fun.
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!? presumably stands for something else, but I can’t imagine what.
• anime|otaku’s author, Michael, seems remarkably well-read. The only blog I’ve found which has ‘disquisitions’ in its tagline.
• Ex-Fansubber Hitorigoto: ‘[In eroge] I always just go for the main girl’ (Actually, that is an utterly uninformative quotation. But I felt uncomfortable with highlighting the fact that this one’s written by a card-carrying girl. One doesn’t want to create preconceptions . . . oops.)
• Anime Afterglow covers a broad spread of series, generally in a brief but perceptive fashion.
• Xebek’s Blog revolves around episode summaries, with a scattering of character profiles. Author has two personas.
• Mega Megane Moe, because CCY can take a harem series apart like no one else.
• The Anime Academy is a collaboration, providing ‘focused pseudo-professional writing towards anime’. (Who does this remind me of?)
• orz: DrmChsr0 is probably unimpressed, and eloquent about it.
• The Riuva is . . . idiosyncratic. Also good: RPG-style categorisation of fellow bloggers.
• BasuGasuBakuhatsu Anime Blog is hard to say, yet easy and informative to read. Impressions, DVD reviews et cetera.
• Hop Step Jump! has a very clean, minimalist style. On top of which appear articles which are well written with (as far as I can tell) impressive attention to structure and flow.
• J Miao is a divisive figure. Many anime bloggers are in an Oedipal state of rebellion against him, and his blog certainly suffers from a serious solipsism problem. Nevertheless, he has a distinctive and often amusing style at Derailed by Darry (formerly Anime on My Mind).
• The now-seemingly-defunct blog-like-entity Ecchi Attack is not safe for work, play or rest. Vitriolic articles about hentai are redeemed by their wit and intelligence (’Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Shotanization Notes’). If you’re (really) strong-stomached, it’s here.

There’s also the Anime Blogging Collective, of which I am a member. It may or may not be a ‘confederacy of dunces’, but those interested are directed to its Google Groups page.