When the otaku culture was in its infancy stages, there were basic terms and meanings that have made the transition from Japan to North America. For modern day fans those terms would include such words as kawaii which means ‘cute’, and senpai which means ‘someone you admire’. The word otaku of course meant that an individual has vast knowledge (and an obsession) of a certain topic that others may deem insignificant. In Japan the word meant that you were a straight-up loser, but in America its definition was redefined as an individual who not only knows a lot about something (usually anime), but is a functioning member of society.

The two words that have been circulating throughout the anime/otaku community for a good number of years now, has to be the words waifu and husbando. A handful of anime titles (and its abridged parodies) have been using this word to describe certain character types throughout the show, but where exactly did the words waifu and husbando come from? Before we answer that question, let’s bring up the real definition behind them.

A waifu is a term for a fictional character (pretty much from anime or video games) that a male fan has great admiration for, or is in love with and wants to make their wife. Like otaku, the term waifu has come under some kind of scrutiny from the outside world; that being the fact that you’re so in love with an imaginary girl who doesn’t even exist, that you’ve sworn off real women in order to fulfill your affection for something that is transparent. Nevertheless male anime fans love and admire female anime characters, and are willing to defend them by any means necessary. On the flip side, a husbando is basically a male version of a waifu – only for fangirls.

The true origins of the word ‘waifu’ comes from Japanese borrowing of the English word wife. The 80’s was the first indication of the term ever being used in Japan; where the word was used more often due to the limitations of the word ‘kanai’, which means ‘in the house’. When the early 2000’s rolled around however, waifu took on a different meaning throughout the anime and manga culture.

Nowadays the term is used to describe a female character that male fans are particularly fond of, however because of the sheer amount of anime that is currently available, fandoms have adopted more than just one waifu – which has lead to a few waifu wars. (That’s another post for another time.)

Like waifu, husbando is an anime or video game character that female fans admire or even want to marry. There are some moments in anime where we see ourselves as either the waifu or the husbando. When it comes to relationships, the male and female characters that we see in anime come from all walks of life. Some of them may have gone through a traumatic experience that has left them feeling vulnerable on a mental, emotional, and psychological scale; while others want to become a better version of themselves and be there for the ones they love.

Life has a funny way of teaching us some things that we can’t learn from our parents, but in the terms of the waifu-husbando relationship, it’s basically translated as a husband-wife relationship filled with the desire to be there for one another. The husbando is the one that will be there for the girl that he loves; to protect her from the dangers of the world, to listen to her, and to care for her in times of need. The waifu is the one that encourages the guy that she loves; to nurture him, to support him in his struggles, and to remind him how much she loves and appreciates him.

Having a waifu or husbando that you love or admire, doesn’t completely mean that you won’t find that girl or guy who possesses the same traits. Nobody’s perfect, as the ones we call our waifus and husbandos may have some baggage or may have gone through some things that almost broke them mentally and emotionally. We look up to these male and female anime (and video game) characters as a source of inspiration; individuals who we want to model our personalities after. Yeah, the outside world may not understand it, but if you have a waifu or husbando that you admire, continue to admire them. (But please avoid any wars if you can. >.<)

That will do it for this filler post, but we’ve got more great stuff coming your way! As always and forever, stay gold! 😉

It was only several weeks ago that we received a huge announcement that was going to change the mainstream world. Every year millions of Americans are treated to the spectacular parade of floats that we all know as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. It’s an annual tradition in the ‘Big Apple’ (aka New York City) where tens of thousands descend upon the downtown area of Times Square, to look at the awesome floats as well as mini performances that take place during this occasion. Now for the first time in 20 years, a key character from a legendary franchise is about to represent the anime community in a whole new way! For the first time ever, our favorite saiyan from Earth will be floating high above the NYC during the Thanksgiving Day Parade!

In less than 12 hours history is about to be made, and it will be made not just in the NYC, but to every family that will be watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. This will be an amazing moment for every Dragon Ball fan (from 90’s to 00’s kids), as they’ll get the chance to see their favorite Z-Warrior soaring high above, while basking in his glory. Never in the history of this annual parade would fans live to see this proud moment, so if you’re in the NYC or near it (say, New Jersey) you don’t wanna miss this moment!

For us this moment can be looked at as both historic as anime fans, as well as a way to promote the much-anticipated Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie. No matter how you look at it this is but a small step to some bigger possibilities down the road, and who knows what will happen next year – maybe Naruto Uzumaki might get a shot above the NYC! If the mainstream media hasn’t acknowledged our otaku presence by now, after tomorrow…they will.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving guys and gals, as you’re one of the reasons why we’re the most thankful during this season! 🙂

If there’s one thing that many of us know from growing up as a kid, its the fact that you had the freedom to let your mind run wild. The possibilities were endless when it comes to the imagination of a child, and if you were lucky, that imagination would carry over into adulthood. For decades mankind has been telling stories that have allowed us to open the door to a new world; a world filled with things that were not from the ordinary, but from the fabric for our own imagination.

When it comes to these kinds of stories we turn to our favorite authors and writers, but one writer in particular has captured and touched the hearts and minds of not just children, but adults as well. Whether you’ve heard of him or not he’s been involved in some part of your childhood (and adolescence), and if you’ve seen any great action movies lately (or have been to the comic book store), then you’re well familiar with his name. Some call him the “Founding Father” of Marvel, and some call him the man who changed the way we look at superheroes.

His name…is Stan Lee.

The legendary creative leader of Marvel Comics is the man behind many of the superheroes that you see on the big screen (and at conventions) today. When it came to creating characters as well as comics, Lee didn’t do it in the conventional way that most writers would have done it; he had a method. During the 60’s and 70’s that method changed the game in terms of how superhero comics were written, and the method that Lee used was deemed “The Marvel Method”. Lee would work with the artist after creating an idea and synopsis, and then a few ‘trades’ later, a story is born.

Lee’s approach to the superhero archetype changed the way that kids and preteens view them as a whole; instead of them being individuals with no flaws or problems at all, Lee introduced a darker and more complex realistic side of their identity that lets us know that even though they have powers, they are also human – in some way. This made the storytelling not just more interesting, but more appealing to the teenage adolescents who were in the angsty years of their youth. I guess you can say that there was a superhero type for everybody, and in this day and age there are superheroes for just about every race; whether your White, African-American, Hispanic, Native-American, Caucasian, or other. Stan Lee along with his partner Jack Kirby had a hand in creating a lot of the wonderful characters and worlds that we come to know in the 20th century.

Lee was also not afraid to push boundaries when it came to his creative works. In 1971 he helped reform the Comics Code; which came in the form of the three-issue subplot of The Amazing Spider-Man #96-98, where Peter Parker’s friend was addicted to prescription drugs. The CCA (Comics Code Authority) refused to grant its seal due to the fact that the issues contained drug use, however Lee published the story without the seal, as he was confident in the request U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare for him to do so. Thus the CCA loosened their restrictions and allowed negative depictions of drug use as well as other freedoms.

If there’s one thing that fans love about Stan Lee, it was the fact that he loved his fans – every single one of them. It didn’t matter if you were a kid or a grown man (or woman), if you were a fan of Lee’s work, then Lee was a fan of you. Although he retired from working with Marvel in the 90’s, he was always connected to his passion in some way. From his charity work to creating various other sources of media for kids as well as aspiring superhero comic book artists, Lee was truly someone who wanted to change the world. There were some who thought that he was wasting his time creating comics for kids and preteens, but truthfully, Stan Lee was an entertainer who wanted to put a smile on the faces on everyone he touched.

So from us to you, we say Excelsior! Stan Lee!!

In loving memory of our favorite real-life superhero…

Stan Lee (1922-2018)

Since the early days of Japanimation, anime has manifested itself from being something of an ‘underground phenomenon’ that’s only known to a select population, to the huge boon that it has become today. Some may say that its upward surge in popularity all started from pioneering titles such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, but that’s not all it took for this niche medium to make it way towards the limelight.

If you ask any fan what their favorite shows or characters are, you’ll probably get a list of at least 10-15 different shows/characters. The one thing that makes anime stand out from western cartoons is its complex plots and deep characters. Anime has indeed changed over the years as it has made us laugh, cry, rage, and actually feel something for these two dimensional characters that we’ve come to know, and love.

Which brings us to this question: What makes a good anime character?

This question can be dissected in a number of different ways. For many of us it could be the various tropes that a lot of anime fans are already familiar with; such as the ‘underdog protagonist’ who fights for a dream that he has his heart set out on, or the overpowered badass who the world doesn’t take seriously – but proves them wrong every time. This is one of the most complex questions that every anime fan has in the back of their minds, and so far, there hasn’t been a really good (full) answer to this question.

For a question like this there’s not really a right or wrong answer, but this one can be based on the creators intent. Anime brings us into a world that can be similar to our own, or it can be something that will take us away from the headaches and struggles that we face in the real world. Like us anime characters come from all walks of life, and some of them have grasped us in a way that has helped us overcome our own challenges in life; especially if you’ve been bullied in school. Many anime characters that we’ve looked up to for motivation and inspiration have come from the likes of Goku (DBZ), Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto), and Deku (My Hero Academia). Some of their traits include that ‘Never Give Up!’ attitude and confidence to press forward when all hope seems lost, that has helped a number of us in our own lives when we felt down and melancholy.

A good anime character can be someone that you can relate to based on what they may have gone through in their own lives. Take the Prince of all Saiyans for example; we remember the kind of person he used to be when he fought against Goku for the very first time. Vegeta started off as a ruthless saiyan prince who looked down on the weak and felt superior to others, but it wasn’t until the end of the Majin Buu saga that he openly admitted that his rival, Goku (aka Kakarot), was better than him. Now a father of two, Vegeta still has his prideful nature, but at the same time has some respect for Goku.

Its hard to truly define what makes a really good anime character, but with the vast amount of shows that are at our fingertips, we can come up with our own answers to that question. To us a good anime character is someone who is on the path of discovering who he (or she) is, and what their true purpose in life may be. For Luffy it could be becoming one of the greatest pirates in the world. For Vegeta it could be protecting his family while continuing to train and stay on pace with his rival. Many good anime characters are either goal-oriented (although most are protagonists), are on the road to self-discovery, are wrestling with their demons, are atoning for their mistakes, or just want to make the world a better place.

The definition of a good anime character can mean a number of things, but that’s what makes them so compelling in the various storylines that the creators put them in. It’s one of the things that pulls us (the viewer) into their world/lives as we discover what drives them, what motivates them, what their goals or aspirations are, and what kind of person they are on the inside. At the end of the day it all depends of what you’re looking for in a good anime character, but at the same time there’s always room to evolve and elevate that concept in to something that could possibly blow our minds.