Monday, March 30, 2009

Of kabuki and books

This week I have two entries related to kabuki, one a kata used when portraying foxes and another a famous theater, then I have a term from the book trade.

kitsunede (fox hands) 狐手

Nakamura-za (Nakamura Theater) 中村座

tankōbon (a separate book volume) 単行本

Let me know if there are any types of material you would like to see more of. How I decide on new entries can be influenced by your feedback.

Monday, March 23, 2009

20th Century Details

20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa is a title I am recommending to everyone. Yesterday I mentioned this when I was in Comic Relief in Berkeley and everyone in earshot piped up with an enthusiastic YES! I can't recall when I last heard a manga produce so an enthusiastic response.


This week's three entries all relate to volume 1, the first indirectly as I needed it as background for the second.

danchi (housing complex) 団地

danchizuma (housing complex wife) 団地妻

Heibon Panchi (Heibon Punch) 平凡パンチ

Monday, March 16, 2009

Ommyodo related

This week I have three items related to Ommyōdō, the Way of Yin and Yang.

meigen (resounding bowstrings) 鳴弦

reki-hakase (high master of calendar-making) 暦博士

shikigami (spirit servant) 式神

I have also added two new subdivisions in the Anime Companion Supplement - Topical/Subject Index:

RELIGION/MYTHOLOGY/BELIEF - OMMYŌDŌ

RELIGION/MYTHOLOGY/BELIEF - RITUAL/ACTIONS

As always I am open to suggestions and requests for items you would like to see me add.

Friday, March 13, 2009

New Topical/Subject category

I have added a new category to the Anime Companion Supplement - Topical/Subject Index:

People - Occupations, Titles & Ranks

Many of the entries are also found elsewhere in the index. some are only here.

Monday, March 9, 2009

More yōkai

Yōkai continue to be fun to write about, eve if it is very hard to find reliable sources on them in English.

This week I bring three yōkai related entries, one from Pom Poko, one from MahoRomatic and two from Ghost Slayers Ayashi.

Ashiarai Yashiki (Foot-Washing Mansion) 足洗邸

oiteke-bori (leave it behind) 置行堀

tsuchinoko ツチノコ or 槌の子

Monday, March 2, 2009

Handiness, Gems and Eyes

This week I was spending time getting stuff together for my accountant to handle my taxes. As I was short on time I wrote one new entry and pulled the two I had in reserve. I need to rebuild my reserve for time like this.

This week I bring you a mixed bag, or in the case of one; sack.

fasshon massaji (fashion massage) ファッションマッサージ

kintama (golden balls) 金玉

mokumokuren 目目連

Now to get started on next week's entries.