When it comes to anime, there are various things that we as fans look out for, in may of our favorite titles that we love to watch. Some of us like ourselves a good storyline and some great character development, while others may fancy a good fight scene and some comic relief. There’s even a large percentage of us who happen to be anime bloggers (like ourselves), who make reviews on many of the anime titles that they watch on a daily basis, pretty much like ourselves!

When it comes to reviewing anime, there are a few things that every aniblogger must consider before posting their review(s) online. That’s why we’re giving fans and anibloggers three important (and critical) things that you must do before posting your anime review on your blog.

Number 1: Read, Watch, Analyze!

The first thing you must do as an anime reviewer, is to make sure you do your research! Read what the story plot is about for the anime series that you’re trying to review, then actually watch the series for yourself. Analyze the dialogue between the characters as well as their strengths and their weaknesses. Figure out what is it that they’re trying to accomplish that’s parallel to the overall plot itself. Doing this will help you when it’s time for the reviewing process. Your review will actually sound authentic, accurate, and something that will change the way how others view the same title that you (yourself) just watched.

Number 2: Be The “Middle Man”!

During the reviewing process, make sure that you weigh out the pros and cons about the anime title that you watched. Don’t point out all the flaws in your title, because then it’ll just turn into a rant instead of an actual review. Give a brief summary of what the series is about before getting into your review, that way it’ll give people who haven’t seen the anime title that you’re reviewing, a chance to watch it for themselves.

Number 3: Review The Series From Both Sides!

Allow us to explain what we mean by reviewing an anime title from ‘both sides’. Almost all of the anime that we watch is based off its manga, of course there is the exception that there are some manga that are based off the anime. (Danganronpa: The Animation?) This one is optional, but it will even out the playing field of anime vs. manga. You can do both reviews and then top it off with a similarities and differences review, that way it’ll make both sides of the fandom happy, and shows that you’ve covered the series from both angles.

Doing these three important things before reviewing your anime title, will broaden the horizon of certain fans who can only assume that a series is going to be good or bad, just by watching the first episode. Not only that but we must also see the series from the creator’s point of view; what was the message that they were trying to convey or get out from their title? Naruto’s message was quite simple; keep believing and never give up on your dreams no matter how tough the road is! Danganronpa’s was to never give into despair, and that hope will always find a way to shine through!

There are some titles that give out a good message, and there are some that are ‘just for laughs’. By keeping all of this in mind when writing anime reviews, it will boost the antithetical credits of an anime reviewer who knows their stuff like the back of their own hand. Believe it! 🙂

Anime has been known to push the envelope sometimes; such as breaking the fourth wall with its viewing audience, or adding bizarre elements that you wouldn’t normally find in certain anime titles. If you’re already a part of the fandom, then you know that anime is more than just a trend – it’s a lifestyle! With so much diversity that can be found in one of the most popular mediums ever made, there’s bound to be some titles that talk about the lifestyle of an anime fan. A lot of fans can relate to these titles because they’re about as accurate as Panty’s sniper skills (*chuckles*). So for all the anime fans, NEETs, online gamers and otakus out there, here’s our five anime titles that are centered around the anime-otaku lifestyle! 😉

Number 5: And You Thought There is Never a Girl Online?

We’re kicking this filler post off with our fifth anime title “And You Thought There is Never a Girl Online?“. If you love playing MMORPGs then this is the title for you! The story talks about Hideki Nishimura, an online gamer who excepts an in-game marriage from his guildmate, Ako. Not long after he and his other teammates from his guild decide to have their first ever real-life meeting, and is shocked to discover that all of them are girls who go to his school. Throughout the whole series Nishimura is trying to help Ako understand the difference between the game (Legendary Age or L.A.), and reality.

Number 4: Ultimate Otaku Teacher

Don’t we all wish we had this kind of teacher while we were going to school? Hardcore otaku Jun’ichiro Kagami suddenly becomes a substitute teacher due to the fact that his NEET-ish lifestyle, has gotten in the way of his sister. (Did we mention that he’s a teacher at the same school he graduated from? Which proves that even though we obsess over anime, we’re not stupid!) Using unorthodox methods to help his students due to his lifestyle as an otaku, Kagami manages to change the lives of many of the troubled youth during his class. ALL HAIL ANIME NERDS!! ^.^

Number 3: How To Raise a Boring Girlfriend

This title is for the fans who love playing visual novel games like Danganronpa and the Persona series. Tomoya Aki works part-time in order to fund his otaku lifestyle (like many of us), and suddenly meets a rather beautiful girl during Spring vacation. That same girl, known as Megumi, actually goes to the same school that Aki is in. He wants to develop a visual novel game using Megumi as the star character, but in order to do that he’ll need the help of two other girls; one named Eriri Spencer Sawamura, and the other Utaha Kasumigaoka. The series follows their saga of developing the game, selling it at a con, and the sudden love twister that forms.

Number 2: Oreimo

Have you and your sibling never gotten along with each other and don’t know why? Maybe it could’ve been that time you ate the last slice of pizza when your brother (or sister) called dibs? Maybe it could’ve been the time you broke your mom’s special vase and blamed your brother (or sister) for it? Or maybe, just maybe, you discovered that your brother (or sister) is actually a closet otaku, and doesn’t want the rest of the world to know about it? (By the ‘rest of the world’ we mean his/her friends at school.) If you’re a fan who is in that same situation, then you’re gonna love this comedic anime title!

And Finally Number 1: Himouto! Umaru-chan

This title is about as NEET and otaku-worthy as it can get! All of us can relate to Komaru in a big way only because she represents everything there is about otaku life! Sometimes we play the game of reality and do our best to impress, but every now and then we’d like to kick off our work shoes, lock ourselves in our rooms, fire up our desktop/laptop, and watch multiple seasons of our favorite anime for hours on end. This is a must see title if you’re a true anime fan! 😉

That’ll do it on our end! Be sure to check out all of our social media pages as well as the blog for updates and upcoming cons for the month of August! Until next time anime fans, stay true you yourselves and keep the love of anime alive! 🙂

Japan. There is so much beauty that can be found here in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. From its pop culture to its amazing dishes (some of which were inspired by other countries) Japan has so much to offer to tourists of various ethnic backgrounds. If you’ve never had the the pleasure of visiting this wonderful place, save up your money (or go in with a friend) and make that incredible journey.

Although there’s a lot to do in Japan; such as visit places like Tokyo and Shibuya, there are some things that foreigners (like ourselves) should not do, or even avoid doing all together. Some of the most common things that we do in the west might be deemed offensive in Japan due to our cultural differences, laws, and way of life. So to help you out we’re gonna give you our top five things that you should never do while visiting Japan. (Though there are many others.)

#1 – Don’t wear shoes in the House

Our mothers and fathers would argue that this should be a rule in everybody’s household, not just in Japan. (Especially if you’ve just shampooed the carpets.) This is a hygienically good reason why Japanese people don’t want to track any dirt or mud into their homes. Before entering the house the shoes are placed on a genkan, as guest slippers may be provided for you upon entering into the house. You’re not allowed to wear slippers in the tatami room, so make sure you have some good clean socks on before entering, and also make sure that you don’t have foot odor. Yuck! >.<

#2 – Don’t Walk/Drive on the Right Side of the Street

On the west side of town (America) we’re used to driving on the right side of the street; where the cars on the left would travel northbound, and the cars on the right would travel southbound (or something to that effect). In Japan however it’s the other way around, so that means that you have to drive on the left side of the street and not the right. Driving on the right side may result in a crash, fine, death, or time in jail, so make sure to take that into consideration before driving out on the roads of Japan. Don’t be surprised if you happen to run into characters from a certain racing game series from a well-known franchise. 😉

#3 – Don’t Talk, Text, or Smoke on Japanese Public Transport

This one’s a bit of a doozy for many (if not all) of us, because we do this on a regular basis everyday while riding public transport. In Japan it’s impolite to talk and text on the bus because its serves as a distraction to the other passengers. This may be a deal-breaker for some of us who would like to visit Japan in the near future, but you have to remember, rules and regulations over there are different than in North America. You can however ask for help in case of an emergency.

#4 – Don’t forget to say “Thank You” and Bow in Respect

Whenever your waiter/waitress serves you your meal, or if you happen to meet a Japanese elder, make sure that you bow and say “thank you”. (If you do it in Japanese it might score you a few brownie points.) It shows them that you’re a respectful and gracious individual, and that you know how to express your gratitude. Don’t forget to also bow whenever you make a mistake too.

And #5 – Don’t Be Shy

Never be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know what to do while visiting Japan. The Japanese are very friendly and polite, and will not hesitate to help you if you’re unsure about something. If you forget something or leave something of value in a public place; such as in a bus, a public park, or any other various places, it will be right where you left (forgot) it and you won’t have to worry about it being stolen.

There are a lot of other things that you should also avoid doing while visiting Japan, but these five are the ones that we wanted to share with you. Japan is a beautiful place and has so much to offer in terms of cuisine, pop culture, fashion, and entertainment. It is also a country where the locals are reserved, friendly, and polite. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we can give back the same respect and gratitude that they have shown us as tourists and travelers? Education is one of the most important fundamentals of everyday life, and if we take the time to learn the standard etiquette of the many countries we visit (like Japan), we’ll always feel welcome no matter how far we travel.

There are a lot of debatable topics in the anime community, but this one in particular is probably the most debatable. Before we start this filler post we want each and every one of our fans to know; we’re not for nor against this particular topic, we’re middle men. That simply means that the final decision for what side fans are on regarding this particular topic, is going to be up to them.

Fan Service can be described as material that the fans would want to see; such as a ‘fourth wall break’ moment where the main character talks directly to the audience, or possibly a cameo appearance from the author/creator of the series, a celebrity, or a character (or characters) from another series. The most common form of fan service in modern times (as we all know) is gratuitous sexual titillation; basically panty shots, shower scenes, girls in bikinis, you name it! This kind of fan service is hardly nothing new, in fact you can trace it as far back as the 50’s, when halftime football shows had cheerleaders to keep the audience entertained through exciting cheers and dances.

Nowadays fan service can pretty much be found anywhere, including in most modern anime titles. (But you already knew that, right?) Although gratuitous sexual titillation is basically the norm for all anime fan service, there are some anime titles that use it in a comical way. If you don’t believe us, then watch the first episode of Chivalry of a Failed Knight. Or Shimoneta if you prefer.

Fan service can go both ways with guys and girls; with Shonen titles aimed at the guys, and Shoujo aimed at the girls. Depending on the title you watch Ecchi and Harem-based anime use fan service as the vocal point of the whole series. Are there pros and cons to using too much fan service in certain anime titles? Yes, but again, it depends on what side of the tracks you’re on.

So now comes the one million dollar question, “Is fan service in anime a beautiful blessing, or a horrible curse?” The answer to that question will depend on the viewpoint of the fans themselves. Some people have even argued that the presence of fan service in anime and manga in general, indicates the low-leveled maturity of the fandom itself. Sometimes fan service may enhance the overall experience of certain anime titles depending on how it’s used, how it’s balanced within the story line, and which characters are involved. This goes back to a recent filler post that we did in regards to what we want to see from anime creators in Japan.

Keep in mind that fan service can be seen by many as either helping or hurting the quality of anime in the industry, however it all depends of what side of the debate you’re on. 😉