Author Archives: ghostlightning

Watching/Reading Other Media Using “Anime Goggles”

By ghostlightning | Published: September 29, 2011

While remaining a fan of cinema, television, novels, short stories, and manga, the past three years I’ve consumed more anime (both in terms of shows I’ve watched for the first time, and repeat viewings) than all other kinds of entertainment put together. A lot of things contributed to this, such as having divergent tastes in [...]

Posted in Editorial, Editorials | Tagged , , , | 33 Responses

Usagi Drop Roundup: The Viewers Speak Up!

By ghostlightning | Published: August 23, 2011

It’s no secret that we here at T.H.A.T. love Usagi Drop as Mystlord had just put out a post that highlights of all things, how the show takes on the issue of identity, of gender, and contemporary social mores. Here we round up not only other members of this blog, but other viewers from within [...]

Posted in Editorial, Team Posts | Tagged | 54 Responses

Tennis and FanService of the Female Form in Anime

By ghostlightning | Published: July 15, 2011

No this is not a post about Softenni. I did not last more than an episode of that show. They’re not even doing actual tennis. This sport that I love (and unlike basketball, I love to play tennis more than I like watching it) is pretty amazing. Why? Much like boxing, there is nowhere to [...]

Posted in Editorial, Editorials | Tagged , | 12 Responses

A Time to Gloat — Despite the Absence of the Variable Fighters, All is (not) Right in the World: The End of Sai Mecha

By ghostlightning | Published: June 23, 2011

Screenshot of my browser tells one story, but Sai Mecha isn’t Sai Mecha Anime, so I had no problem voting robots like the Gunbuster over the Unit-01 Test Type, of course the Variable Fighters of Macross… but I equally had no problem voting for it over the Tachikoma, or over any Gundam in the tournament. [...]

Posted in Editorial, Editorials | Tagged , , | 13 Responses

This May Be The Last Chance (To Gloat, To Sing High Praises, To Celebrate Victory): The VF-1 May Not Get Past The Evangelion Test Type Next Round, But Let Us Remember Love For What It Did to the Sinanju in Sai Mecha

By ghostlightning | Published: May 23, 2011

Macross’ mecha proved something very important. Without Minovsky Particles, Gundams, Mobile Suits, Armors, Capitol Ships, Every Close-Range Attack Craft in its franchise, is frickin’ TOAST against even conventional weapons. Minovsky Particles render contemporary guidance systems useless, requiring combatants to fight in visual range. Otherwise, it is stupid beyond reason to devote research and development to [...]

Posted in Editorials | Tagged , , , , | 28 Responses

Ooh Melodrama! Hanasaku Iroha Does it So Salaciously Good

By ghostlightning | Published: April 25, 2011

You often hear how melodrama is some kind of bad thing, as if there’s a high drama that people are so familiar with that they easily dismiss a great many shows because the drama is ‘melo.’ I’m not trying to stir up melodrama here with my straw-mannish opening to this post, but rather I suggest [...]

Posted in Anime, Assorted Anime Reviews | Tagged , , | 20 Responses

A Retrospective on Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

By ghostlightning | Published: March 15, 2011

[NO SPOILERS] I thought I’ve written everything I already could about this show at the end of that year it aired. I still am amazed that it’s already been 2 years. I feel compelled to think about this show again given the recent events in Japan that make the disaster depicted in this show seem [...]

Posted in Editorials, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 | Tagged | 34 Responses

Wishes For the Robot Anime of the FUTURE

By ghostlightning | Published: February 15, 2011

Despite much complaining and loud whining, robot anime actually persists. Sure, there aren’t any 80’s style 4-cour shows like Armored Trooper VOTOMS or Fang of the Sun Dougram, but then again there aren’t any 4-cour shows left anyway. Yes, FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood finished last year, but even that show was some version of a previously [...]

Posted in Editorial, Editorials | 95 Responses

Interstellar Flight: Watching Anime with Fellow Fans over the Internet

By ghostlightning | Published: January 2, 2011

My anime and manga hobby is too, a social activity. It isn’t quite enough for me to watch a show by myself and be content to enjoy it by myself then move to the next one. I derive a lot of gratification sharing the experience with others. It is why blogging is so enjoyable for [...]

Posted in Editorials, Life | Tagged , , , | 36 Responses

My Genshiken

By ghostlightning | Published: October 20, 2010

My Genshiken is real. It exists. It can’t replicate it in meatspace, thought it can come pretty close. But my Genshiken is indeed real. You might even be part of it.

Posted in Editorial, Life | Tagged , , , | 23 Responses