Magical Mondays: Tanuki 101

Ever since Saika’s post on fairies, I’ve been thinking about one of my most favorite mythological creatures: the tanuki. While the two are really only related in terms of having a non-human morality and magical powers, the resurgence of fairies in popular media through mediums like the Tinkerbell movies from Disney and various young adult novels makes me wonder if tanuki could hold the same sort of interest in the Western market. Not that I’m wishing for authors to appropriate a wider range of cultures, but at some point we’re going to reach an over-saturation of vampire and angel stories—authors are going to start getting creative, and I’d like to be prepared for the possible future.

Teen Wolf: “Silverfinger” Review

Welcome back, everyone, for another review of Teen Wolf. “Silverfinger” is the fifth episode so far in Season 3B, and it was every single kind of awesome. Spoilers after the jump.

Ghibli Month: Spirited Away

Tsunderin: Outside of Princess Mononoke it’s clear that Spirited Away leads the pack of most well-loved Ghibli films in America. Certainly with an Academy Award and several other honors to its name, the impact of this film upon animation as a serious genre in filmmaking on an international level cannot be ignored. But on a slightly less foundation-shaking level, the film is just plain enjoyable to watch. So much so that I don’t think I know one person who hasn’t seen the film or at least knows the story on some level, even among my non-anime watching compatriots.