They can be seen at every anime or comic convention around the world, those strange people who put countless hours and loads of money into becoming their favorite character. Whether it be for fun or for competition, cosplay has quickly become mainstream and has even spawned its own community with its own celebrities. Cosplayers travel from all over the world to conventions to be able to show off their elaborate outfits.

I love this genre of anime, but I'm in no way a guru or anything. Of course, I'll give it my best shot to explain this, and let's keep this (mostly) casual, shall we? Unless you want me to turn this into a boring encyclopedia entry... Please say no.

Before we begin, I would like to state that half of this article is purely opinion based. And while manga publications (Yuri Hime) are one of the main driving forces of the genre, I’ll be focusing more on the anime side of things.

Here we go!

You were watching an anime one day and noticed the two main female leads were acting way too close – as in way, way, WAY too close. You now know that they were more than friends, because of the frequent hand-holding and kisses that were way more than mere pecks on the cheek. Clearly, by definition, the girls were lesbians, but what do you call them in anime? And is there a specific genre for girl-girl relationships in Japanese media?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Yuri.

If you have been keeping up with your summer anime, Prison school is really popular, funny, and good. It even is now getting a live action drama! Well back in episode one, after the boys get locked up, they are fed an exquisite dinner that looks very out of place in a prison. Check out the show and this recipe! Tonkatsu is another very common Japanese dish. This is a fair warning, this does involve cooking in oil, so be ABSOLUTELY SURE to get permission before cooking this dish, or at the very least, NOTIFY SOMEONE OR HAVE SOMEONE WATCH YOU COOK (Mainly directed towards the youth). We don’t want you to get injured. This is supposed to be fun!

Usagi/Serena does try at one point, actually I’m pretty sure she only does it in the movie, but let me know if I missed an instance of it in the comments, to cook. In the movie Sailor Moon S Hearts in Ice, Usagi tries to make cookies for Mamoru/Darien. It’s known throughout the series that Usagi cannot cook, but she loves to eat. Actually it’s Mako (Sailor Jupiter) who knows how to cook. Maybe we should feature a Mako bento some time? Anyway, in order to show her love for Mamoru, Usagi bakes him cookies with the other girls. Well… Mamoru eats them… much to his chagrin I’m sure. These are really easy to make as just about anyone can make cookies. I’ll be keeping this recipe really straightforward for you to enjoy making!

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Tokyo Game Show held at Makuhari Messe, a very large exhibition hall on the outskirts of Tokyo. The exhibition showcased a number of anime games aimed at those who are fiercely loyal to the original content, and it encompassed all genres, but one of the most loyal fanbases around had a special place dedicated to their unique needs and tastes. I’m, of course, referring to otome games. The genre has gained a large following in Japan spawning off loads of merchandise and new anime in hopes of recruiting viewers into becoming loyal customers of the game, which actually works quite splendidly. Seeing as this up-and-coming genre has taken a hold of both anime fans and gamers alike, naturally I decided to delve deeper as a representative of Honey’s Anime writing team. I, Nikki Flores, using the knowledge I have gained shall take you on a journey through the otome genre.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, Otome games are typically aimed towards women (otome means “maiden” in Japanese) and can fall into two different categories: dating simulators and visual novels. In visual novels, the story is mostly fixed with perhaps a few choices in which players are able to change the overall outcome of the story, while dating simulators offer the freedom to choose one particular guy at the beginning of the game and to explore several different outcomes with him depending on the player’s decisions throughout the game. Both games offer loads of content and hours of replayabilty for those interested in completing all endings and gaining bonus wallpapers and other digital goodies. Widely agreed upon by fans, Angelique for the Super Famicom was the father (or perhaps mother) of the genre. Published by Koei, the game was the first to be developed by an all-female team wishing to create games that appealed to other women, particularly teenagers. They decided to create an easy-to-play game with simple controls that would revolve around romancing several attractive men. Their idea paid off in the long run and became a phenomenon. Women of all ages began to buy copies in droves and their success led to the birth of a new type of game.

Currently, there are a few publishers dominating the Otome Game market, but few have branched into foreign territory such as Voltage Inc. whose specialty lies in bringing these games into the hands of those not fortunate enough to own a dedicated gaming system. A vast majority of the population DOES own smart phones though and this is where Voltage Inc. flourishes. Their large library of Otome Games has reached millions in the casual game market as it is very easy to carry around a husbando in a pocket and on a device already used daily. Because of Voltage’s interest in the American and European markets, I reached out to them during my time at the Tokyo Game Show to gain more answers as to how they will continue to grow their offerings in the overseas marketplace. With the help of a translator, their PR Director Yosuke Hoshi was very helpful and forthcoming with his answers.

At this point in the conversation, their translator was on break, and so, he proceeded to lead me to an iPad in their demo area dedicated to their English audience. This iPad contained the aforementioned Scandal, and I proceeded to demo the game until their translator could be located. I played the opening sequence which laid out the general premise of the game before players would have to pay for their chosen guy’s story. This game in particular was about a young woman attending a large Boy Band concert with her friend who is a diehard fan. The show is almost over and the final song begins when the main character (the player) recognizes the lyrics as something she had written down in her stolen notebook. Wondering if it’s just a coincidence, she asks her friend who writes the songs for the band and his informed that a mysterious fifth member who has never been revealed composes all of the band’s content. The player’s character shrugs this off and proceeds to an after party with the band and things begin to progress from here. The game’s translations were quite solid and the artwork was well done.

Right as I was being introduced to the band’s members, a young woman came over to me to ask if I had any questions. She was the translator everyone had been searching for, and so, I set the game down to continue my inquiries. She attempted to answer my questions to the best of her knowledge until she eventually pulled her PR boss over and translated for him.

Soon after their teaser, Hoshi was called over to speak to someone else and left me with the amazing translator who led me to some full-sized cut outs of the men available in the three games being featured at their booth. Since Scandal was the only English game, she pointed out the most popular guys in Japan and America and so I took a picture with the number one American guy to avoid embarrassing myself onstage. The Voltage booth was quite impressive and was the biggest out of the other exhibitioners in the Love Games section as there were three separate areas dedicated to three of their most popular games. The Scandal area featured a small stage set up for a concert and women could choose one of several models dressed as the characters in the game. The women would then step up to the stage as their chosen guy walk would walk out from behind the curtain. Pictures are then taken and it is then the next person’s turn.

The next area featured Hana Yori Dango and was a similar premise, but featured less flashy guys. The line was longest here and had the biggest area out of the entire booth. I avoided this area so that I would not be dragged to the front of the line by any of the staff who saw me interviewing their boss. I discreetly made my way around the other side of the booth only to find something much more entertaining.

Shoujo anime will typically feature romance as part of the main storyline. There are an endless number of shoujo anime and manga on the market revolving around high school romances. The romances in shoujo anime tend to be more idealistic in nature with themes like "love at first sight" or "love has always been at your side." While I hate to make it sound negative, I would rather describe it as the fantasy romance that many girls dream of. Many characters in shoujo tend to battle some sort of conflict within themselves whether it's something as simple as being painfully shy, having an inferiority complex, or even trying to achieve a dream, but many of the issues are ones that girls do face as adolescents. One really funny series is a manga called Heroine Shikkaku, by Koda Momoko, where the main character Hitori thought of herself as the heroine in her own story who was destined to end up with her childhood friend Rita, and labeled everyone else as a side character from reading too many romance novels. This actually may affect some teens who are passive and believe that things will just work out in their favor. There's also Fruits Basket, in which Tohru must cope with the loss of both of her parents and attempt to live independently while trying to fulfill the dream of her mother. Many teenagers have to cope with the loss of a loved one so many may be able to sympathize with Tohru. There are a few notable traits of shoujo heroines. One would be naivety such as in the case of Hikari from Special A, who is so naive, she can't fathom the concept of romance in her own life. Many shoujo heroine believe in the goodness of people and cannot think that others have bad intentions. There are quite a few shoujo heroine who will stand up for their friends, no matter how vile and selfish they really are, and defend them to the end. Shoujo heroine tend to be the pure type with many outstanding qualities that bring out the goodness in some and make others feel completely dirty, but the shoujo series themselves will revolve around these endearing characters and show how they brighten up the world. It's truly a genre for making us believe that there are good people out there. Shoujo tends to be a more lighthearted genre compared to some others. Many are full of exciting doki doki moments like Kimi ni Todoke where you can't help but cheer on Sawako through her transformation in school and get excited about her love life. It is a very lighthearted shoujo anime, but it still has you on the edge hoping that everything works out, but true to many shoujo anime, Sawako still retains her innocence believing that a rival in love is a commendable thing instead of taking it as a chance to best someone else. Then Kaichou wa Maid-sama is also a very lighthearted anime, but it still seems to capture many fans and has many moe moments! Contrary to popular belief, shoujo does not always entail a high school life, though many do take place in high school and some may take place in middle school. Some may take place in college or further down the line as adults. Enjouji Maki is an example of a popular shoujo mangaka whose works tend to revolve around office ladies or young adults more so than high school girls. Sub Categories

Despite what people think shoujo it, it can be fairly complex and does not solely consist of romance. There are many sub genres including fantasy, yaoi, magical girl, historical fiction, harem and ladies' comics. Yaoi is a very popular genre in shoujo, so much so that there are many jokes about girls liking yaoi in many different series across the board. Yaoi and shounen ai are very popular genres amongst girls, so it is no surprise that a large collection does exist as shoujo manga, but the love may continue for many girls as they become young adults so the genre does extend into the josei category as well. Fantasy, supernatural, and historical fiction are common themes in shoujo, aside from the usual school life genre. A very popular series that has even been licensed in the USA is Tsuki no Shippo by Ueda Rinko which takes place at a time when ninja were believed to have existed and the main character is a kunoichi, Usagi who is supposed to marry another ninja. Despite having an aspect of romance, the series really revolves around personal growth than anything else, which goes to show you that shoujo isn't all romance. Another notable subgenre of shoujo, almost as notable as yaoi, would be reverse harems. Yes, ladies get their own harems as well! These tend to have a singular female character surrounded by males who adore her. We have seen many become anime like Saiunkoku Monogatari, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, and Ouran High School Host Club from manga, but many do come from visual novels as well like Amnesia, Diabolik Lovers, and Starry Sky. There are so many moe moments and scenes that drive you mad, it's worth watching at least once. Still, it is not a genre that is so plentiful in anime the way harems are. Reverse harems are more plentiful as otome games or manga, but the ones that are in animated form as still very fun to watch! While the shoujo genre tends to be misconstrued as innocent at times, I want to make note that it is not as innocent as it may seem. That's when Ladies' Comics come into play. Once known for publishing josei, now Ladies' Comics publishes more steamy manga for the enjoyment of adolescent girls or office ladies. As a subgenre, this may be labeled as smut, involving something slightly more toned down than hentai, but it can be pretty graphic. Although there may be aspects that are fairly serious in nature like rape, the mangaka will add in a budding romance between both parties making it seem more innocent and endearing than it really is. A popular mangaka who does just this is Shinjo Mayu whose works rarely seem to start off with mutual feelings. Of course, when these are made into anime, they are slightly toned down. Mitsu x Mitsu Drops (Honey x Honey Drops) by Minami Kanan is an OVA where you can get an idea of what may be included in the manga, but it won't give you anything graphic. Now, a really popular subgenre of shoujo that draws in a large male audience would be the magical girl subgenre, but that isn't to say that all magical girl anime is also shoujo. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon is a magical girl anime that is also shoujo for its character traits and the themes in the anime, while the magical girl anime Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is not a shoujo anime. A few other notable magical girl anime that are also shoujo would be Shugo Chara and Kamichama Karin whose heroines are very idealistic and pure in nature, and the plots are more lighthearted in content.

Publication of the original manga series is also a way to categorize a series into the selected genre, which may confuse some western audiences because of its notable difference from others in the same genre. An example would be the Deep Love series that is clearly more mature in content and not as idealistic as other shoujo manga, but because the manga is published in a shoujo magazine, it is is a shoujo manga. When western audiences try to categorize anime as shoujo, many anime tend to be mislabeled as shoujo because often times, westerners will categorize anime that contain romance as shoujo such as Ah! My Goddess. Sometimes anime with generally female audiences will also be mislabeled as shoujo like Azumanga Daioh. Both of these anime are not shoujo, but they just happen to feature romance so it is a misconception that all romances are shoujo. It would be important to note that Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, an anime voted to be the funniest of 2014, is also an anime that can be misconstrued as shoujo, but it is actually a shounen anime.

Bleach - The Bount Arc

One Piece - The G8 Arc

Samurai Champloo - Entire Series

The Answer is…

Terrible filler is present everywhere. I won’t even go into detail about how Dragon Ball Kai is basically a version of Dragon Ball Z where all the (bad) filler is removed. Kai basically equals better pacing and less episodes filled with characters screaming and conversing during their power ups. On the flip side, Dragon Ball Z has one of the most iconic fillers ever: Goku and Piccolo learning how to drive.

As you can see, filler is definitely a double edged sword. If done right, people won’t say much but continue enjoying the series. You’ll have to search through dedicated forums to find people praising the non-cannon episodes. However, if the filler is anything less than perfect… fans will flame and the show will drop in popularity rather quickly. If you’re an anime studio, you may even have to release an updated version of your show to please the fans. (This could be a business decision to simply make more money, but we’ll have to go into that in another article.) OK. So, back to the question of this article’s title: Are filler productive to the series? My definitive answer is: Yes. With the caveat that the filler has to be done right. If filler is introduced in a series, it can have just as much impact as any other plot element. Besides the negative examples mentioned it above, we can all name some filler episodes that we were less than pleased with. Bad press follows those arcs around indefinitely. But when done correctly, it can enhance a show such as in One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Gintama, Naruto (some fillers), or several other anime. It can even be the underlying structure, such as in Samurai Champloo. Filler is the best opportunity a show has to develop central characters, spotlight secondary characters, create a refreshing break from an intense story, or implement a crossover with another show for an entertaining holiday. The second best opportunity would probably be releasing an OVA. I mentioned before that adapting a manga into anime is generally an uphill battle from the start. So, not taking filler seriously is the easiest way for a studio to start falling down that hill and lose fans. Whatever the studio decides to do with their allotted filler episodes, they have to put in an earnest effort and set aside the same amount of talent that they would for the cannon episodes. If they do that, then those episodes become productive to the series and those episodes become cult favorites. I’ll leave you with this picture of your favorite super hero learning to drive ☺

Contrary to popular belief, girls like looking at naked guys, too. Well, maybe not naked, but women do appreciate the male physique and plenty of skin. While not all women are quite as picky in regards to what type of physique the male characters have, it is clear to say that by popular vote, men with slimmer bodies are more popular. Though that doesn't mean they have to be gaunt. In many reverse harems, the male characters had thinner bodies that are customary to Japanese males. In the more recent years as evidenced by anime like Kamigami no Asobi and Free!, muscles are also becoming a more favorable trait in many male characters. Muscular physiques can be quite eye catching, but strangely enough, when these males are fully clothed, you probably wouldn't have noticed the muscle at all. However, that's what beach scenes, pool scenes, and onsen trips are for! Getting the guys to bare it all.

Which brings me to my next subject: skinship. This is not something that westerners will hear that often, but it is something that females appreciate. Skinship, in its mildest form, can be something like touching someone's arm, holding hands, or patting someone's head. It is a way of bonding with a loved one and it helps females feel more secure. Skinship can also mean something as kind as wiping off the sweat off of someone's forehead. In a less innocent form, skinship can be something like helping to wash a guy's back that can be quite nerve wracking and have some exciting ramifications! Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side, an otome game, is known to have a skinship mode where simple touches can create doki-doki moments where the guy is blushing and nervous. On the other hand, Duel Love is an infamous otome game with a skinship mode, shown after the guys shower, where the player can help the guys towel off and well, the ensuing scene is just something you should not play in public. If you don't know the game, you may have seen Tomoko play it in WataMote! Some people might not understand something like skinship, but it is a relationship bonding moment between two people so much so that it can even be seen in ecchi harems. It may seem like an ecchi moment, but to the female characters it is an important moment to build a relationship with someone they like.

Nanase Haruka is a high school student who loves swimming, so much so that he enjoys merely being immersed in water such as in the bath. As a child, Haruka participated in a swimming competition in the relay race with fellow teammates Tachibana Makoto, Hazuki Nagisa, and Matsuoka Rin. After winning, each boy went their separate ways. However, now that they are in high school, they find themselves drawn to each other again as Rin returns from studying abroad. Since then, Rin has greatly changed. Rin challenges Haruka to a swimming competition when he has returned so Haruka sets out with Makoto, Nagisa, and new swimming club member Ryuugazaki Rei to create the Iwatobi High School Swimming club. Although it has been a while since they have competed, everyone is ready to give it their all and defeat Rin! There is no anime with as much visual fan service for females than Free! Free! is an anime famous for its vast amounts of male nudity. Well, not quite nudity, but you do get to see a lot of skin in Free! Plus, Free! is filled with many bishounen of all personalities from the shota to the tsundere that you almost forget that there are girls in this anime. Free! is known for its accurate depiction of musculature that will make you scoff at shounen anime. Even if muscle isn't top of your list of what appeals to you, you can still enjoy watching this anime where the primary clothes are swimsuits and other clothes are nonessential. How many other bishounen anime give you this much eye candy?

Free! Opening & Ending HD

Hino Kahoko attends a school that is divided into two branches: the normal division and the music division. While the normal division's uniforms are gray, the music division's uniforms are white. There is a music competition held every year by the school and while most of the competitors are chosen from the music division, with the help of a fairy that only Kahoko can see, Kahoko finds herself being chosen as the only competitor from the normal branch to compete in the music competition. What's worse is that she doesn't know anything about music. With the help of Lili, the fairy, can Kahoko discover the musician within her? Kiniro no Corda ~Primo Passo~ is an anime full of beautiful music and bishounen. While Kahoko is more prominent as a female lead, you get to see her build relationships with several bishounen making girls around the world curse that they aren't in her shoes. Well, it's almost possible. Kahoko is your typical shoujo protagonist who's simple, insecure, and kind. Although she isn't musically talented, Kahoko does her best! This makes it easy to imagine yourself being in her place. There are many guys in this anime and clearly, they hit all the moe character types except for the infamous yandere. There's a moe character for all preferences! There's also doki-doki moments a plenty. Even though Kiniro no Corda: ~Primo Passo~ may seem like a more serious reverse harem, any girl will find enough fan service to satisfy.

La Corda D'Oro Primo Passo Opening

Itou Keita is just an average high school boy, but he's been invited to the prestigious Bell Liberty Academy. As Keita struggles to find out why he belongs in the school, he begins to build intense relationships with the other boys in his school. However, Keita feels more drawn to Kazuki Endou. What do you get when you have an all boys' school and shounen ai? Endless possibilities! With your own imagination, you can venture into the many different possible situations that can unfold in Gakuen Heaven or enjoy the ones that Gakuen Heaven has to offer. With a cast of bishounen, there is no doubt that females will find their imaginations running wild. The real fan service in Gakuen Heaven is not just in the main story, but in what fans can draw out of the overall anime.

Gakuen Heaven Opening "School Boys" Full Version

Seinen is a genre/demographic that is aimed primarily at the male, college-aged/young adult demographic. Seinen anime and manga tend to be a little bit more mature than it’s counterpart, Shounen, which is aimed at younger boys. This can be in Manga where a trademark of Seinen material is the use of Kanji in the writing. This is in contrast to Shounen Manga which have Furigana (A type of reading aid) adjacent to the Kanji, to help younger readers who have not advanced so far in their study of Kanji. In anime, Seinen series are often aired at later time-slots. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion, famous for it’s cryptic, off-the-wall story telling, is considered Shounen because it aired at a 6pm time slot, and Hideaki Anno aimed the story at Youth. Also, sometimes Seinen is mistaken for shows that have a dark, edgy tone containing brutal violence but this is a common mistake. Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) is an example of a series that has such content and tone, but is actually a Shouen series, running in a magazine aimed at a young demographic. Seinen has a number of signifiers, but you can generally tell it apart from Shounen as Seinen series either have a more complex plot, more mature themes and content or have an older main character. Seinen series are also much more cynical and pragmatic in their approach to conflict. It’s also more likely that the conflict in a Seinen series might deal with more shades of gray, rather than black and white and good against evil. Also in Seinen, much more attention is paid to things like the overall plot, character interaction and dynamics, rather than fighting as compared to Shounen battle-manga. Increased realism is also a fixture of Seinen Material, often with a more realistic art-style or with details thrown in throughout the story to make it closer to real life. Even in Sci-fi or Fantasy Seinen, the fictional worlds may function very closely to the way ours does, often subject to the same increased cynicism mentioned prior. It’s also important to recognize that Seinen generally refers to shows that are marketed to an older demographic, and not who it ends up appealing to. Seinen material can find a younger, male audience as well as an older, female audience as can virtually all demographics of anime, respectively. Also, interestingly enough, Slice of life, high-school or rom-com Moe shows are actually generally thought as within the Seinen demographic. Now it’s important to mention that these qualities are a sliding scale rather than a hard and fast rule. Also many Seinen titles don’t necessarily feature all of the qualities above, but feature others that place it in the realm of Seinen. For example, Serial Experiments Lain features a young girl as it’s protagonist, but it’s complex themes, philosophical outlook and dense, cryptic story-telling place it firmly in the Seinen genre. Tatami Galaxy is an example of a show that has a very idealized, instead of realistic art-style, but is much more realistic in terms of themes of growing up and development, as well as its college-setting.

As stated above, a common mistake is that Seinen series is just shows that are dark and edgy. This mistake is easy to make, especially as Shounen series with darker content like Death Note and Shingeki no Kyojin have become extremely popular series, with followings outside of Japan. What generally places a series inside Seinen confines is that it’s more mature in its themes and plot, rather than just having a lot of violence. Now this is not to say that Violence usually isn’t a fixture of Seinen shows, it is, especially in shows with an Action element. But where the dividing line between Shounen and Seinen often comes about is that the Plots or the Themes the show deals with are more suited to an older audience. Character motivations too, might be more obfuscated and difficult to figure out as well. These are elements which are often dependent on the viewer, and which someone older in age might have a better chance of grasping in full. It’s not as if younger viewers wouldn’t be able to understand, but it’s a little advanced for a young demographic. Imagine reading Kafka or Dostoyevsky in middle school, there are some kids who can, but for most of us, we might be a little lost. Take for example the film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. In Jin-Roh, the main plotline consists of characters caught in a web of multiple feuding Security agencies of the Japanese Government as well as a populace that is in revolt against an Autocratic regime. The various developments are subtle, under-stated and probably difficult for younger viewers to understand. In terms of its Themes, Jin-Roh explores how human relationships and individuals themselves are tainted, and might be doomed, when they exist underneath said oppressive structure, and how getting caught up in various factions might make us lose a little bit of our humanity.

Often times in Seinen series, conflicts will develop between people, factions or nations that don’t have a clear moral high ground. One group may have noble intentions, but have ways of achieving them that lead to violence against innocents. One group may be actually protecting the common good, but only doing so to keep in power a certain segment of a ruling class or family. Thus, it’s not often easy to distinguish which is the side we should be on, and often times, there’s no one side we should be on. This also leads to characters who have greater shades of moral complexity. The Main hero may not be an ideal-hero, someone who strives to act justly and selflessly all the time, and may be someone with more roguish and selfish character traits and a much more flawed character. Also, the main villain may actually be someone with goals that aren’t outright evil. Their cause may be just in some sense, or they may be attempting to redress some actual wrong doing, but may be using extreme methods. Gray Morality doesn’t mean it will never be resolved for a greater good. One great example of this is the famous Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. In the film, there are two primary warring factions, Iron-Town and the creatures of the forest. Iron-town consists primarily of those in human society who are downcast and oppressed such as war refugees, lepers, victims of disease and widowed/unmarried women. It’s a haven for those who are trodden upon by Japan’s feudal system, but to sustain and defend itself it cuts down the forest to use timber as a fuel source, something which puts them in conflict with the creatures who live there, who are just trying to protect their home. It’s two sides which generally have the right reasons for fighting, so it’s hard to justify a moral high-ground in the conflict. This is in contrast to Shounen series which may have a conflict with less moral complexity. Often times they have a hero who you’re clearly meant to root for and identity with, and is always seen to be doing the right thing. It might have a villain who is just outright in the bad, with selfish and cruel motivations as well as methods.

Ashitaka is a prince from an eastern tribe who battles an cursed boar to save his village, only to be infected with the same curse. Ashitaka leaves the village to find a cure for the curse before it destroys him, and eventually runs into Iron-Town, which defends itself with gunpowder weapons. However, the creatures of the forest led by a princess named San, seek revenge against Iron-town for their destruction of the forest.

Princess Mononoke – Official Trailer

When Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” in his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene, he probably would not have guessed that his creation would turn out to be one of the most ubiquitous aspects of the world wide web in the future. In a sense, memes are a representation of an original idea that spreads and varies from culture to culture. Today, on the world wide web, it is an extremely prolific subculture. Memes are present in every nook and cranny of the internet, with people from marketers to politicians and Fortune 500 companies utilizing them for one purpose or another. Of course, memes, as powerful as they are in spreading ideas, are usually used for one thing nowadays - humor. Some memes have made a brand for themselves, with people all over the world recognizing them just by a glance. Of course, anime has its own share of notable memes, both of the witty and the burlesque type of humor. Thus, here is our list of the internet’s Top 10 Funny Anime Memes!

So that wraps up the list of our Top 10 Funny Anime Memes! Yes, there are a lot more of them out there, so if you’d like to see more, do request for them in the comments below! Or better yet, why not post a meme yourself?

It is a must given for all anime lovers who visit Tokyo that they must see Akihabara, what we proudly call our Mecca or Vatican City. If you ever get the chance to visit, there are plenty of places to visit for a large percentage of your needs. But where can you go for the hottest anime goods? One easy answer is Mandarake. It is eight floors of anime, manga, retro video games, J-pop and tokusatsu goods. It has something for all Japan entertainment buffs. All items are used and depending on the rarity of a certain item, it can go as high as 300,000 yen!!! (Current exchange rate as of Fall 2015 is averagely 120 yen to $1USD)

The First Floor

Before entering prior to opening hours, customers can enjoy some window displays. Usually it has some nice cosplays on exhibit and various retro toys not only from Japan, but from all over the world. The first floor serves as the place where people can sell their goods. Before opening hours on weekends, lines will be packed but it is mostly with people who want to sell stuff, so you are not 100% obligated to wait in line with them. Also on display are retro toys from between the 1950s and 1970s. Paintings by Japanese artists such as Matsumoto Leiji, the creator of Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato are occasionally on display as well. On the side, there is an entrance that is instantly accessible to the elevators and stairs. Customers are free to use this entrance. If you desire the exercise, please use the stairs. The elevator (only 2 sets) can get crowded, and you may have to wait awhile to get in.

The Second Floor

This is the cosplay floor and from my personal experiences, this is mostly aimed for female customers. From Sailor Moon, Madoka, to Hatsune Miku, fans can find quality costumes, wigs, and props. There may be cosplay for male characters from series like Prince of Tennis, but due to its popularity with women in Japan, the material and design of the shirts and pants are meant to fit a woman's frame. Due to the high domestic made quality of the costumes, costumes will range between 10,000 to 30,000 yen. Compared to other floors, this section is relatively small and is not really that crowded.

The Third and Fourth Floors

If any of you are looking for manga and/or art books, this is the place for you. The third floor is aimed for male customers while the fourth floor is for females. Most of the manga will be used and one volume can be as cheap as 100 yen and can go as high as 500 yen. Depending on the series and the quality, a 25-volume manga set can range from 2000 to 20,000 yen. The third floor sells Japanese translations of American comics as well. Both floors (and from time to time, the second) will also sell scripts and animation cels of anime series!!! There, fans are likely to see the cels of the original Sailor Moon anime series and Macross 7 for sale, and they can range from 1,000 yen to 20,000 yen. Compared to the second floor, these floors are very spacious but between bookshelves within the asiles, these places can be very cramped. So be careful if you are carrying a backpack. Trying to walk between people in bookshelf aisles is going to be a nightmare on a crowded day!

The Fifth Floor

This is for people who love hentai. This is just one of those instances where you are encouraged to use your imagination on what they got for sale in a place like this. Everyone who loves anime and knows about the hentai genre already has a general idea of how "creative" it can get and if you choose to enter, it is within at your personal discretion.

The Sixth Floor

Looking for DVDs, Blurays, retro games, CDs, and posters? This is the place for you!! The front half of this floor from the entrance is dedicated to retro games between the days of the Famicom to the PS2/Dreamcast/GameCube generation, while the back half is the place for anime, tokusatsu, and J-Drama DVDs and Blurays. Game prices can range from 1,000 yen for any common Famicom game to let's say 10,000 yen for Crows on the Sega Saturn. Most Neo Geo games can go as high as 80,000 yen!!! Also, please keep in mind these games will not work on non-Japanese consoles so you may have to get a converter, or buy a Japanese console. Retro consoles from the Famicom to the Dreamcast average from 3,000 to 6,000 yen depending on the quality. The Mega Drive however will cost 10,000 yen and so will the Mega CD. But many hardcore Sega game collectors can promise that the Japanese Mega CD (and Saturn) library has some really awesome Japanes exclusive games that justify its costs. DVD and Bluray Japanese prices are a completely different beast altogether. For example, the 1986 animated Transformers movie on DVD there costs 15,000 yen!!! In addition, the DVD set of Mach Go Go Go (or known world wide as Speed Racer) for 25,000 yen while the Bluray is 40,000 yen!!! The bad news is that Japanese DVDs will not work on most US DVD players, but should with European due to both being region 2 coded, while the US is region 1. But in some pleasing news, Japanese Blurays will work with a good number of Bluray players around the world. So for lets say American buyers, Japanese blurays will work on American players. The prices will also apply to tokusatsu series like Zyuranger (the series that paved way the original Power Rangers) and popular J-drama series like Gokusen. CDs can be pricey as well. I bought a CD set of Transformers soundtracks for 7,000 yen. In addition, a rare Rockman soundtrack goes for 30,000 yen!!! But for more common and mainstream franchises such as Bleach and Naruto, prices will be as low as 1,500 yen. Compared to the manga floors, this area is surprisingly not as crowded, and has a bit more walking space in the aisles. So if you like some privacy while browsing, this might be the right spot.

The Seventh and Eighth Floors

The seventh and eighth floors are dedicated to action figures, trading cards, models and build-a-figures. The seventh floor is mostly dedicated to anime while the eight floor is dedicated to Transformers and tokusatsu. The space of these floors is the same as the remaining stores, but the aisle space is CRAMPED. If you're Yokozuna size, you're not going to fit in. Many of the retro figures, especially Ultraman and Godzilla merchandise from the 60s and 70s, are going to be astronomical. If you want the Dino buckler from Zyuranger (or the morpher from Power Rangers), be prepared to pay 120,000 yen!!! If you want master grade Transformers figures exclusive to Japan (the size of let's say 1/60 Gundam model), you may have to pay 40,000 – 80,000 yen. If you are looking for generic anime figures, prices will be more averagely affordable between 2,000 to 10,000 yen. Most Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Bandai figures in addition to most Gundam models will be around 3,000 to 6,000 yen. As for trading cards, be prepared to pay 30,000 yen for Sailor Moon cards from the 1990s!!! The seventh floor also sells figures of American comic book characters as well from Marvel, Image, and DC.

Mandarake Akihabara Complex Floor Guide

The great news is that there will be foreign staff that can help if you can't understand Japanese. One of the clerks is a young American lady. She normally works the seventh and eighth floors so please look for her if she happens to be working there. Akihabara also has Wi-Fi so hopefully you should be able to access it there. On one important note, the store will have displays and signs that say you can't take pictures so if you want to post pictures of a figure that caught your eye and want to post it on your Instagram or Facebook, then you can't. If you get hungry after some hard shopping, at the recommendation of Honey’s Anime, you try this ramen restaurant just right by. It's the yellow building just right across from the front entrance, and you can't miss it. The ramen there is probably one of the best you can ever have in Japan! Unfortunately, it does get busy and during lunch, the lines are pretty hectic, but worth the wait! During the summer, there is a nice ice cream stand just right outside as well.

In other good news, there are other Mandarake locations around Tokyo such as in Shibuya, Nakano, and Ikebukuro. Outside of Tokyo, there are locations in Osaka, Utsunomiya, Sapporo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. But nothing beats the one in Akihabara. This place has most of your needs on practically every front whether it would be soundtracks, DVDs, blurays, figures, games, posters, etc.

So, I heard you like anime memes? Everyone on the internet has probably trolled someone with ‘em. Just in case, a meme is like an inside joke for peeps on the internet. Images that go viral because of their funny content or because of some random dude making it funny by adding text to it is basically meme material. As long as many people abuse an image for the same type of joke, making it become famous on the internet - anything and anyone can become a meme. Anime has often shown on people's screens as memes, most times not a specific anime, but anime in general. Those famous anime-referenced memes that have made us laugh over the years are the ones I’m gonna show ya here. The amount of time I wasted on this intro is too damn high! Let's start!