Tag - manga

 
 

MANGA

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Longform
Mar 15, 2024
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world
The artist's impact was such that he should be considered alongside greats such as Walt Disney and Stan Lee when it comes to cultural contributions.
A man allegedly stole a prized "Yu-Gi-Oh!" trading card valued at ¥4.98 million from a store in Tokyo's Akihabara district on Wednesday afternoon.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2024
Suspect at large after theft of 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' card worth ¥5 million
According to the police, the suspect appeared to be in his early 20s and was wearing a black jacket and black pants.
Manga illustrations displayed in a room of the renovated Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Thursday
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2024
Tokyo building from Meiji Era to reopen as manga attraction
After renovations, the building will open as a facility with a gallery exhibiting original manga copies and illustrations.
Following the death of manga artist Hinako Ashihara, X users are going in search of clues, treating the internet as a virtual crime scene — and appointing themselves the arbiters of law and order.
CULTURE / Wide Angle
Jan 31, 2024
The internet goes in search of blame after the death of Hinako Ashihara
To piece together what happened, social media users are going in search of clues, treating the internet as a virtual crime scene.
A scarred war veteran (Kento Yamazaki, center) in early-20th century Hokkaido embarks on a quest to find buried Ainu treasure in “Golden Kamuy.”
CULTURE / Film
Jan 18, 2024
‘Golden Kamuy’: Big-budget adaptation glitters rather than dazzles
Shigeaki Kubo’s live-action version of Satoru Noda’s manga series has terrific visuals but doesn't quite stick the landing.
A yakuza member (Go Ayano, right) enlists a teenage choir leader (Jun Saito) to teach him how to sing in "Let's Go Karaoke!"
CULTURE / Film
Jan 11, 2024
‘Let's Go Karaoke!’: Unlikely duo's friendship hits a comic sweet spot
The chemistry between Go Ayano as a gangster and newcomer Jun Saito as a young choir leader makes their characters’ relationship shine.
Ayako Shimazaki, editor in charge of the manga “Light Blue Embryologist,” described the work of embryologists as “an important job that involves the beginning of life.”
JAPAN / Society
Dec 21, 2023
Manga brings realities of fertility treatment to mass audience
The series revolves around a narrative that follows interactions between aspiring parents who visit a fertility clinic and an embryologist.
If we let writers and translators be replaced by AI tools such as ChatGPT, we lose control over language and how it shapes us.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2023
When we abandon language to AI, we abandon our humanity
Not only does AI threaten writers' and translators' jobs, giving it control over how we shape and are shaped by language is detrimental to who we are.
Eri Nanato (right) and her husband, Satoshi Kameyama, in Tokyo on Oct. 18. The pair have authored a manga series, "My Wife is Developmentally Disabled," based around their experiences.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 3, 2023
Married manga artists tell story about life with a disability
Published in a monthly magazine, the pair have authored a series titled "My Wife is Developmentally Disabled."
A concierge-in-training (Natsumi Kawaida) learns the ins and outs of working at an upscale department store in “The Concierge.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 26, 2023
‘The Concierge’: Frivolous fun with vintage charm
Yoshimi Itazu’s anime set in a department store for animal clientele offers a glittering experience with fluid animation and a vivid color palette.
A Hello Kitty balloon is paraded down 6th Ave during the 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in November 2017.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2023
Soft power and Japan's role in a complex world
While hard power zeroes in on what can be physically controlled such as an empire by force, soft power is an empire by invitation.
A Japanese submarine captain (Takao Osawa, center) goes rogue with a nuclear-armed vessel in “The Silent Service.”
CULTURE / Film
Sep 28, 2023
‘The Silent Service’: Submarine thriller runs shallow
While it has the makings of a potent geopolitical thriller, Kohei Yoshino’s film struggles to work as a standalone feature — or generate thrills.
Guy Perryman hosts the Tokyo-based "Guy Perryman Show" on InterFM on Friday mornings.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 26, 2023
Guy Perryman: ‘Sound and rhythm are ingrained in our DNA’
Radio personality Guy Perryman says around 99% of his audience consists of Japanese people who want to listen to English content.
A demon prince named Beelzebub (voiced by Mutsumi Tamura) steals much-needed water from an evil ruler for the thirsty citizens of a desert world in “Sand Land.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 17, 2023
‘Sand Land’: Summer fun with a bad-boy prince
Akira Toriyama's anime adventure is a straightforward romp, but it's also an entertaining ride through a post-apocalyptic future with lovable demons.
As zombies take over the world, a salaryman (Eiji Akaso) decides to live his best life before his inevitable demise in “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 3, 2023
‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’: Zombie comedy has no bite
Netflix’s adaptation of the manga series about a salaryman making the most out of a zombie apocalypse is like scrolling through a mediocre Instagram feed.
Paris' Japan Expo, a gathering for fans of Japanese pop culture, says it attracts 250,000 attendees per day.
CULTURE
Jul 30, 2023
In France, Japonisme has turned into Japanmania
Through architecture, fashion, culinary arts and even sports, aspects of Japanese culture are attracting a large portion of France’s population.
Japan Times
Film / Reviews
Jun 23, 2023
‘Insomniacs After School’: A cute film that barely passes the grade
Chihiro Ikeda’s adaptation of Makoto Ojiro’s manga tugs on the heartstrings but feels devoid of a truly compelling conflict.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 18, 2023
Hong Kong manga cafe offers safe haven to 'boys' love' fiction fans
Fu Court in Hong Kong becomes a place where manga fans can explore their favorite BL fiction in peace.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 12, 2023
New 'Black Jack' manga episode created using AI to be released in fall
For the project, the creators from Tezuka Productions have used AI that has been trained on the structure of past plots and the relationships between characters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 17, 2023
Manga artists preserve drawings on washi for generations to come
Artists who helmed series such as "Ashita no Joe" and "Thermae Romae" launch an initiative to leave ink drawings of their work to posterity and ensure the future of "gampi" paper-making.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world