Jon’s Creator Showcase: July Edition

I’m very pleased to be back from my hiatus (for a day) with plenty of wonderful posts written by fellow bloggers in the month of June!

In case you don’t know about the showcase, here’s a list of its objectives from Jon’s website:

• Give exposure to both the host & creators who submit content to the showcase.
• Highlight a wide variety of content including written word, art, video, audio, etc…
• Allow for all creators, regardless of skill or current recognition, to participate and share their creations.
• Encourage involvement from creators across all platforms.
• Offer a fun and interactive way for people to discover new and interesting creations.
• Inspire growth and exploration for both the host and creators

 

Pride Month Section

Pride Month 2018: The Fluidity of Gender

Matt Doyle @ Matt Doyle Media presents us with an important personal piece. This post is an enlightening read for anyone who has every questioned their gender or for those who are simply interested in learning about gender fluidity, written partially in his classic Q&A style.

How Mai Yamane brought angry lesbian anthems to the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack

Jenn @ Welcome to Hell Zone analyzes Cowboy Bebop soundtracks by Mai Yamane in this insightful and playfully titled piece. It’s rare to see OST analyses on people’s blogs, so this is definitely a refreshing read! The fact that she linked to many YouTube samples of the OSTs is a bonus.

The Rape Trope in Yaoi – A Very Personal Post

Lina @ Tiny Ugly Animal wrote a thoughtful and genuine post discussing moral issues in the rape trope prominent in yaoi manga. I wasn’t quite sure about putting this in the Pride Month section, but my justification was that the trope is, as Lina points out, especially common and often fetishized in depictions of gay relationships, and with Pride Month being largely about respect and understanding, this post really hits home with some important messages.

Where are the Aces? Asexual Representation in Anime

Sam @ A Nerdy Perspective reflects on the lack of canon asexual presentation in anime, and brings up interesting debates regarding the sexuality of certain characters. Her conversational post generated lots of discussion that’s also worth checking out!

Anime Review Section

Megalo Box Analysis: Zero to Hero

Peach @ Peach’s Almanac analyzes the “underdog archetype” in last season’s Megalo Box, teasing out many powerful themes through discussing how a character’s motivations and weaknesses drive the plot of the series.

Revisiting Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words): A Review and Reflection five years after the 2013 Alberta Floods, and insights into mental health in a garden of words

Infinite Zenith @ The Infinite Zenith discusses Makoto Shinkai’s The Garden of Words in great depth, and analyzes themes in the movie by examining its depiction of mental health and the environment. Prepare for lots of gorgeous screenshots too!

Giving Monster the D – Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Throwback Thursday

Nick @ Black & Yellow Otaku Gamers presents us with a bloody throwback anime! Gore and melodrama – you know you want it. Nope, you totally don’t have to wait until Thursday for a fun throwback time.

Character Study Section

Never Lost at Anything Before, Prideful Akashi Seijuro

Mel @ Mel in Anime Land discusses how Akashi Seijuro in Kuroko no Basuke is affected by his pride, positively and negatively. Technically, this is a Pride Month post, but I decided to bunch it with other character studies here!

[OWLS Blog Tour] Pride Goeth Before a Fall: Katsuki Bakugo

Heyitszel @ Archi-Anime presents us with another study of how pride affects a shounen character. Acknowledging her love-hate relationship with Bakugo, Zel gives a fair review of his character, and evaluates him in relation to other sins – wrath, greed, and envy.

Hitomi’s Role in Hinamatsuri

[this is from a spellbook, not a picture book!]

Aria @ The Animanga Spellbook takes a look at Hitomi – a supporting character in last season’s Hinamatsuri – and examines how she reveals a sense of discrepancy between adults and children in the anime.

Anime Listicle Section

What I Watched in June 2018 (recommendations and reviews for anime and manga)

rossiroad @ My Brain is Completely Empty captures the anime he watched and enjoyed in the month of June in brief but succinct descriptions. You don’t have to only go for the seasonals, and rossiroad is here to convince you!

My 5 Favorite Anime Memes – Just Something Fun

Jon Spencer @ Jon Spencer Reviews (the very founder of the showcase) shares five of his favourite anime memes, as well as a few that are popular within the community. This is probably the lightest post in this showcase; click for plenty of silly fun!

TTT: Top Ten Tuesday-B Is For Beginner. The Otaku Guide To Start Your Downward Spiral Into The Abyss Known As Anime.

Ayano @ KAWAIIPAPERPANDAS provides us with a list of anime to introduce to your non-otaku friends. She’s got a good balance of iconic, accessible, and ridiculous shows for you to choose from, so do send a link to this post to any curious friend you might have.

Relatable Anime Characters

Rose @ Wretched and Divine puts together a list of five most relatable anime characters to her (with honourable mentions, of course). I already relate to about half the characters on the list, so I’m sure you guys will be able to relate as well!

Misc. Anime Section

IT’S JAPANESE ANIMATION…BUT IS IT ANIME?

Craig @ Animehead’s Retro World brings us the good old debate on the definition of anime. Does something animated have to be produced only by the Japanese to be considered anime? Is one type of animation “more worthy” than another? Read the post for an insightful discussion on anime and westernization.

In-between Generations of Fandoms and loving It

[Please imagine a liminal space to go with this liminal topic]

Scott @ Mechanical Anime Reviews discusses what it feels like to connect with both older and newer anime fans, and draws attention to age/generation is a factor of categorization for anime fans. Scott’s overall experience in-between fandoms is quite positive, but do let him know what your own experiences are in the comments section!

Friday’s Feature: It’s in His Kiss

Karandi @ 100 Word Anime discusses romance in anime, and argues that many anime can be too slow and conservative with its depiction of romantic development. As a result, however, the rare kissing scene becomes all the more rewarding.

Relatable Anime Helped Me Figure out what I’m Missing

Kenneth @ Black & Yellow Otaku Gamers reflects on how two anime about gamers developing relationships in real life – last season’s Wotakoi and last year’s MMO Junkie – have been personally relatable and inspirational.

Non-Animated Films/TV Section

OPINION| WESTERN REMAKES: CAN THEY BE SUCCESSFUL?

Minty @ Black & Yellow Otaku Gamers discusses the controversial topic of Western remakes of Asian films/anime, addressing issues like white-washing and cultural appropriation. She neatly summarizes places where Western adaptations fall short, and provides many videos/trailers to support her views.

Cunning Single Lady (2014): Superb Comedy with Strong Family Dynamics & Sweet, Fluffy Romance – K-Drama Review

Neha @ Biblio Nyan reviews a Korean rom-com in her usual relatable and comprehensive style. It looks like a good show to get into even if you’re new to K-drama (spoilers: she gave it a 8/10!).

Labyrinth Of Lies (Im Labyrinth des Schweigens)

MIB @ MIB’s Instant Headache brings us a review of German historical drama film which deals with the Holocaust and themes of morality. It is tricky balancing between solemn topics and entertainment, and MIB elegantly explains how the film negotiates with such nuances.

Creative Section

Frozen

Mike Cole @ To the Moon shares a piece of neat poetry that plays with different states of water. By using concise language to describe transcendent moments, Mike evokes sublime feelings. I especially like his use of capitalization.

Final Comments

Thank you so much for submitting these wonderful works! I went all out and featured every single one submitted to me (unless I somehow missed a piece…please remind me if I did). It was wonderful going through all of them.

I apologize if my descriptions sound a tad…formal at times? I’ve been writing essays like crazy these days, and before I’ve realized, I’m already featuring your posts the same way I reference academic writing, haha…

Please look forward to the next showcase hosted by Raistlin!