If there’s one thing otaku are known for, it’s their unending enthusiasm towards the medium that best captures their respective interests. Whether it’s idol groups, game developers, a certain genre of anime, or serialized manga, once a true fan gets ahold of something, they almost never let go. While this sort of “brand loyalty” is usually a great thing for anime studios and manga publishers alike, the lines start to blur a little when it comes to adaptation from one medium to another. Which is exactly when we see the fans bare their fangs in defense of their preferred medium, in what I will politely call a “less than civil manner.” So the big question today is this: should anime adaptations follow their source material? In order to better understand the question, we’ll explore several examples of adaptations and fans’ reactions, whether good or bad, and why that’s the case. As always, this is just my opinion on the subject, and I’ll try to be as thoughtful as possible while considering both sides of the issue. I’ll be discussing different shows and manga, but will try to avoid spoilers as much as possible. Let’s get into it!

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles comparing both mediums, it’s usually (though not always) the case that manga comes before an anime, for a wide variety of reasons. The development cycle is a bit slower and the production costs for manga are much cheaper (despite the insane hours worked by industry professionals), and because it’s such an inundated part of Japanese culture, which has a tendency to always be on the move, it’s consumed by a much wider audience on a much more regular basis. So in a way, manga tests the waters. If a particular series is well received, it makes sense to adapt it into an anime. The reasons are twofold: an anime adaptation is likely to attract pre-established fans of the manga, while hopefully drawing in new fans who are more inclined to spend their time and money on shows instead of books, since fans are drawn to each medium for different reasons. Those responsible for adaptations have a very important decision to make. Should they faithfully adapt from the source material, which drew so many fans in the first place? Or should they use their professional judgement to take creative license and do what they think is best for adapting to an anime series?

Let’s talk about some series’ that have been faithfully adapted, with minimal deviations in terms of overall plot, especially when it comes to the ending, and how fans reacted. Generally speaking, fans of the source material are appreciative of faithful adaptations, because that’s what reeled them in originally. Think long-running shows like One Piece, or adaptations of less lengthy, ongoing series’ like Gin no Saji. Faithful adaptations bring worlds and characters you love to life in ways you might not have been able to realize. Of course, there are exceptions. The first series I wanted to mention was Monster, which I have written about at length in other articles on the site, and will admit is one of my favorite shows (and a series I hope to tackle, once I get through my constantly-expanding manga library). Fans of both the show and the manga agree that it is an incredibly faithful adaptation from the source material, in terms of overall plot arc (including the chilling, ambiguous ending), and character development that takes place throughout the series. As a viewer, I found the anime captivating; the music is haunting, the voice acting and art style suit the dark, almost nihilistic themes of the narrative, and the production values speak for themselves. But even I have to admit that there are times where scenes seem to drag, and fan consensus is that moments that felt perfectly at home in a more static medium felt cumbersome when translated to something more dynamic. In manga, thoughts and exposition take place on the page in a way that makes sense, and manage to contain the same feeling of movement as more action packed scenes containing a lot of dialogue. Generally speaking, those same scenes end up feeling like fillers, even if they give valuable insight into character motivation, or potential plot developments, when included in anime. Think of things like voice overs in Dragonball while a character is charging for their deus ex machina-style ultimate attack, or the three-episode arc in Attack on Titan involving a startling revelation, Eren, and a boatload of cannons. It just doesn’t have the same narrative effect when translated from page to screen, and the same can be felt in some of the exchanges in Monster. Then, of course, there’s Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which picked up the pieces left by the original run (more on that later). Devotees to the source material and the original run breathed a collective sigh of relief when the show was announced, and responded incredibly positively to that iteration of the series. By that point, the manga had finished and the show could more faithfully follow the plot, giving everyone much-needed closure for characters they had invested so much of themselves in.

I teased moments ago about the original run of Fullmetal Alchemist for a reason. Occasionally a manga series will be adapted before it has come to its natural conclusion. This can have problematic results when the production of a show catches up with (or even surpasses) the production of the source material. It’s a very big moment of truth for a series, because the author of the source material can divulge information about upcoming story developments to the production team of the show (at the risk of upsetting fans at the thought of “spoiling” the series…think HBO’s current situation with the insanely popular Game of Thrones series). Or the same production team can wander off the beaten path to flex their own narrative creativity, while attempting to remain true to what brought fans of the original in the first place. In the case of Fullmetal Alchemist, both those that had migrated and those who were newly captured were baffled by the late-game shift in quality, especially when it came to integral moments between fan-favorite characters, and bizarre plot points. The results left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Fortunately, they had a second chance and could remedy it later, but that isn’t always the case. As a counterpoint, the adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul manages to successfully walk the razor-thin line between faithful adaptation and artistic license. The show began after the manga ended, although a prequel manga series has started since then. It is a very successful reinterpretation, capturing the characters and drama with an appropriately slick art style, while deviating from the original in moderation, and at the right times. The source material has continued to expand the world in ways that future iterations of the show (fingers crossed) can use for inspiration and motivation, and fans of both are eager to see where the show might go next.

The number one complaint when it comes to adaptation is the quality of the ending. Realizing the original ending is always great, because it transforms moments of conclusion and catharsis (or thematically appropriate ambiguity and ennui) into something greater than they were before. Likewise, fans of source material have very little to complain about when a series manages to synthesize what made the original so special, but in a way that feels fresh and modern. Take, for example, Death Note, which rocketed to the top of anime popularity polls when it was adapted after the manga had ended. It managed to capture the essence of the show and the dramatic themes that made it so compelling in a way that surprised longtime fans as much as newcomers. When interviewed in Newtype USA about the creative decisions made in the anime adaptation, director Tetsuro Araki stated that his goal was to convey aspects that “made the series interesting” instead of merely “focusing on morals or the concept of justice.” He felt comfortable playing with the events and chronology of the show because the development team approached it with appropriate finesse. Other times, it isn’t received quite so well. Take, for example, the brutal, violent wonderland that is Gantz. While fans of the show have very little to complain about in terms of the actual quality of the product that was released, the show caught up to the source material and ended in a way that felt conclusive, but perhaps a bit premature. The series continued for over eight years after the anime was released, and continued to please crowds and critics alike, leaving rabid viewers scratching their heads and wistfully wondering what could have been. And don’t even get me started on shows like Ouran High School Host Club, which reached no conclusion (forced or otherwise), and leave everyone hanging.

Now that it’s finally time to weigh in on whether or not an adaptation has any sort of obligation when it comes to staying true to the source material, I feel conflicted. I think like most things in life, there isn’t any single golden rule that studios should adhere to, and that it makes a lot more sense to determine how you feel on a case by case basis. My answer is a tentative “yes, but it’s tricky, and creative liberties aren’t always a bad thing.” It doesn’t make sense for a license to deviate so strongly from its source material that it becomes unrecognizable. If that were the case, why share the name at all? There’s a reason certain things are chosen for adaptation when others aren’t, and it’s important for studios to understand fan expectation, while still striving for creative freedom. While it isn’t necessarily always the case with anime, some of my favorite movies and shows have deviated from their source material in significant and exciting ways. The Lord of the Rings films captured everything I loved about the books, and managed to keep the romanticism inherent in its setting and characters, while making it accessible enough for modern audiences. Previously mentioned, Game of Thrones has kept all of the grit and heart-wrenching twists devotees came to expect, while giving screen time to understated or completely invented characters in a way that fleshed out the world, and made it feel even more authentic. That same approach can be just as effective when adapting manga. It just requires a robust creative team that pays a lot of attention to detail.

What do you think? Is it sacrilege to deviate from source material? Should an anime be evaluated independently from the manga that it’s based on? What are some of the most successful adaptations you’ve seen, and why? Sound off in the comments, and let us know what you think.

If you’re reading this right now, on behalf of the entire anime fandom, I apologise. Welcome to the world of 2D women, where the borders between reality and fantasy are blurred. It’s a world where love requires no reciprocation and where worship constitutes a “date”. Among most anime fans, it’s regarded as a joke or a way of describing their favourite female character in a show, however there’s a far deeper and darker way in which the term is used. Some fans take the term a step (or several) further, purchasing any and all merchandise involving a single character from a show. Supported by the anime merchandise industry, some otaku will go on to purchase wall scrolls, body pillows, figures and anything else they can find that relates to the character of their uncertain affection. Basically, once you’ve gone this far, you really can’t go back. For the particularly strange, there’s even an event known as “Dinner with Waifu” or “Yome To No Bansan” where users post images of their dates with their waifus, usually on Christmas or Valentine's Day. Occasionally they’ll seat a body pillow on the opposite chair or even place a monitor on the dining table. It’s a charming sentiment, but the appeal doesn’t last long after your parents disown you.

If you've ever tuned into anime, you've more than likely come across various characters who seem to have a well endowed persona so to speak. For decades, oppai has been the center of attention in various anime series ranging from classics such as Lupin, to the more recent such as Dagashi Kashi. While the term itself is used more predominantly among the anime culture, almost everyone within Japan is aware of the term and use it very openly. It's not a derogatory word by any means, but more so a playful word to “emphasize” the meaning. Not only that, but the word has a nice sound to it when said correctly. Many children find it easier to say than other well known phrases in Japan, which add more to its popularity. So you're probably wondering, what does the term mean anyway? Perhaps you already know, but there is more to the term than you might expect. Honey's Anime is here to give you the breakdown and elaborate on what oppai truly means. So this brings us to the first definition that many of us are aware of, and most likely come across in more than one anime. In popular culture, oppai refers to a woman who is well developed. She has been blessed with a cup size that is much larger than most average women, and makes sure to expose them in a sultry way. The term is loosely used among the more otaku friendly community, since it's often thrown around all throughout anime and manga. In television, the term is used in a more relaxed and slightly reserved fashion, since in Japan maintaining a good image is of the utmost importance.

Oppai will forever be etched in the minds of everyone for all eternity, and so ecchi anime will continue to rise in popularity so long as we exist. With a generous amount of sexy oppai to go around, there's no telling what we'll see next. We do hope you found this to be entertaining, both as a male and female respectively. If you have any other anime that really show off a lot of skin, be sure to leave your choices in the comments section! As always, for your sweet anime fill, keep it locked here at Honey's Anime.

A continuing and undying controversy amongst mostly US (and some European) fans is, is anime really expensive? A good number of fans justify torrenting anime (regardless of license) due to this argument, while others follow the basic rule of as long as it is not officially licensed in their country. But you are here not to read that, you are here to read the answer to today’s question and see for yourself whether anime truly is expensive or not.

For starters, let's compare anime Blu-ray and DVD prices between America and Japan. As a foundation, I will use some DVD and Blu-ray packages of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Kai to make a comparison. For part 1 to season 1 of the first Sailor Moon anime adaptation, the US price is listed from $17 to $21 on the American Amazon site. On the Japan site, the Japanese set is sold at ¥18,800. The current exchange rate averages around ¥118 to $1 upon publication of this editorial. So in comparison to buying the Japanese set, you're saving around $140 if you buy American! Keep in mind the Japanese release is Japanese audio only, has no English subs, and will NOT be compatible with non-Japanese, or region 2 DVD players.

With Blu-ray prices, let's use Dragon Ball Kai as an example. For the Cell saga, American viewers can buy the Blu-ray off Amazon for $30 while viewers such as myself in Japan have to pay 19,500 yen!!! US fans are saving $135 if they buy local! However, the good news is if you want a Blu-ray anime that is Japan exclusive, both Japanese and American Blu-ray players (most notably PS3 and PS4 consoles) can play each other’s Blu-ray discs! So in some sense depending on what you buy, you are getting your money’s worth!

As for those astronomical Japanese prices, those have been their prices since the VHS days, and VHS copies on average (in both Japan and the US) would have two episodes! But why do Japanese DVD and Blu-rays (and VHS back in the day) charge so much? Some residents and Japanese natives will just joke because Japan is not as cheap to live in. Other people will say because fans are crazy enough to pay those prices. As a resident of Japan, I cannot deny those claims but there are distinct reasons for this. For starters, it's because the television industries between Japan and the US are run completely different, along with their differences in economical practices between both countries. With American studios, they make a pilot/pitch of a show to a network, the network decides to test it out and if it goes well, the networks will air it and studios can get their money from the network as opposed to the reverse, which is the practice in Japan. In Japan, the studio makes a show and they pay a network to air it. Because of those respective costs, the studios need to make a profit and pricing high in DVDs, Blu-rays and other merchandise, is how the studios receive those profits, in order to make up for other miscellaneous production fees. The benefit to this practice is that the studios have more creative freedom. In American television, networks and studios have a more hand-in-hand relationship. Because of the American practice, networks also have an influence of the creative directions of their programming. Yes, anime productions do get sponsorships but it’s not as emphasized as it is in US TV where there is more commercial time compared to Japanese broadcasts, which also contributes to the difference in costs.

Another major factor contributing to the Japanese prices is based on very outdated marketing practices to the American home video market. While video rentals have gone the way of the dinosaurs in the US thanks to cheap and convenient streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, the rental market in Japan is still relatively strong. Despite Japan’s strong lead in technology, foreign anime fans, and Japan enthusiasts, need to remember some significant societal factors. Mainly, Japan (as with many other first world countries) has been facing a declining birthrate and in turn, their elderly population (and having one of the longest life spans in the world) has been progressively increasing the past twenty years. Because the elderly (and increasing majority) population is more used to older technologies such as fax machines (yes, they still use fax machines here) as opposed to e-mail, streaming services have slowly caught on but not enough to put the rental market out of business yet. I have seen some rental shops that still carry VHS because the elderly population in those areas is high. When the VHS technology was first introduced around the world over 40 years ago, the initial prices could have been as high as $100 just about anywhere, and the entertainment industry did not expect it to evolve into a collector’s market. After accounting for inflation, that is pretty expensive. Home video in general started as an exclusive market and got its popularity through rentals, as did Japan. Video rental outlets are how both US and Japanese industries made their money in those days. Despite being long gone in America, as previously stated, Japan still continues this practice because the elderly population is still active in keeping this method alive. Because money is still being made through rentals, Japan can still sell Blu-rays and DVDs at prices that are meant to be affordable by rental stores. Another factor to why Japanese prices are high is also an effect from their old economic prosperous times between the 1970s and 1980s. Japan was such a rich country in those times that citizens could waste money like water. The Japanese and Blu-ray prices also account to tell buyers they are buying a quality brand. Of course, such business practices are questionable in some countries.

As some of you readers may know, when a US anime company licenses an anime, they pay a license fee to the original studio. It can cost tens of dollars per episode, and these fees are treated like revenue to the Japanese company. So in essence, the Japanese companies already made their money off the licensing fee and it is up to the foreign licensing company to figure out how they can make up for it through DVD sales. Of course, that means that US companies are within their freedom to set their own prices which is why they can sell it cheaper than the Japanese prices (and stay in range with other American DVD prices). However, there are some Japanese companies that do have American branches. One obvious example is Bandai, the company that is in association with Sunrise, which made Code Geass and Cowboy Bebop. With VIZ Media, they are a division of Shogakukan, a publishing company that Licensed most of Takahashi Rumiko’s works from Ranma ½ and Kyoukai no Rinne, to the most recent popular series, One Punch Man. So because of this particular ownership, works by the parent Japanese companies are in essence, automatically licensed through their American branches.

US fans will probably always claim that anime is expensive, but here is something to put in perspective. Maybe some of you readers are new to anime, and some of you have been following for more than twenty years such as myself. Yes, averagely, a 20-30 episode disc set on either DVD or Blu-ray can range from $20-$40. In addition, you are also getting bonus content (which can consist of behind the scenes footage, bonus footage, original OP/EDs, making of the series, commentary, etc.), and dual (or maybe even triple) lingual options with high-grade screen and sound quality. To help further inform either rookies or younger fans of anime, let's use an oldie called Bubblegum Crisis to talk about how cheap anime in the US has become in twenty years. Back in the VHS days, when that anime was released one episode per tape, costs could range from $45 for dub to $75 for subs on average. Yes, watching subtitled anime was a novelty back then to some degree due to these differences in price. With 1 episodes per tape for an 8 episode OVA series, fans in those days paid $360-$600 for the whole series! Now try to adjust that after inflation between now and 1995. As for why the prices were that high, it goes back to when the VHS market was mostly dependent on rentals, then DVDs changed the game from the year 2000 when the technology gave fans options that were dreams. Getting Duo audio back then was a big deal and the prices to fans at the time (I remember buying a 5 episode Gundam Wing DVD for $20) was considered groundbreaking. When looking at the DVD and Blu-ray prices for Bubblegum Crisis, the DVD set for the WHOLE series goes for $35, or $130 for the Blu-ray premium package! For the DVD set of the whole series, you are paying $10 less than a one episode VHS tape at minimum! For the Blu-ray, buyers are paying way less than half for the whole series for the VHS set during that initial release!

With the evolution of media today, anime fans now have numerous opportunities to explore numerous titles through mainstream streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, or the anime exclusive Crunchyroll, which releases anime almost one hour after it airs in Japan. Each service costs $10 a month and you can watch on an unlimited basis (based on region licensing). Compare $10 a month and how your binge watching would have cost compared to video rental. But these services are for another future Editorial Tuesday, for another time. For some of you non-Americans or non-Japanese fans, what are the prices and availability of anime in your respective nations of residence? For my fellow Americans, do you still think anime is still expensive? Whatever info you got, please share it in the comments!

Admit it, we’ve all dabbled in illegal streaming sites at some point. Much of it was due to a lack of easy access to anime that we like and want to watch, especially for those of us who started watching anime more than 10 years ago. Many of the TV channels that we can find in our countries usually have very few anime available for us to watch and often times they aren’t even subbed, which a majority of the population prefers. Importing the Blu-ray/DVD version of the anime can be very costly, not just for the price of the discs themselves but they’re import price as well. This holds true for many forms of media in fact. Other shows, such as simple dramas to even movies, that feature in other countries can be very expensive to purchase and many find it not worth the purchase price. Therefore, a lot of people use illegal streaming sites to view these forms of media and anime. This used to be an understandable position to take. But with the advent of the Internet as a medium to convey filmographic material, that no longer has to be the case. There are such things as legal streaming sites nowadays, with official licensing rights to the anime themselves. Furthermore, with their subscription based services, it is much more worth it to simply subscribe than to buy the anime outright. Here at Honey’s Anime, we explore the reasons why you should get your anime fix from legal streaming sites such as Crunchyroll, Daisuki, FUNimation, Hulu or Netflix, instead of illegal streaming sites.

Unofficial versions of anime often rely on fansub teams to translate, encode and sub the anime upon release in order to create a working “product” that viewers over the internet can watch. This process involves someone getting a raw version of the anime, most times illegally by directly recording the anime or some other source, and the fansub team will then work on a short schedule to get the translated version out for people to watch. This process is bad for a number of reasons. The most obvious of reasons would be the illegality of the whole thing, but we will explore more on this topic further in the article. The emphasis here is on the final product itself. Unofficial fansub are often times the work of a team of regular people who have regular lives and jobs. They’re not professionals who know for sure what they are doing or have the full breathe of knowledge needed to accurately translate an anime into sub form. In the process of translation through the fansub teams, many cultural nuances and idioms that would have been more concisely translated by a full professional team can be lost in translation, literally. Famous memes such as “People die when they are killed” are spawned from such mistranslations, when the original context of the anime relies on the user's understanding of the Japanese language to fully comprehend. Official sites not only have a fully dedicated team that are paid to translate anime as their day job, the fact that they are being paid also suggests that they have the qualifications needed to even be hired by the companies that own the sites. Furthermore, the official sites often have access to the original video in full HD quality, leading to a more palatable final product with official subtitles that are more pleasing to watch visually. Just imagine watching the works of Ufotable or A-1 Pictures in full HD, wherever and whenever you want.

It isn’t easy to get access to illegal versions of subbed anime most of the time. Those who can get such copies are usually fairly intimate with how the whole process works, and finding them can be very daunting for the uninitiated to the anime fandom of the internet. The usual way that is taken would be to access the illegal streaming sites and hope that they have the anime that the user wants to watch. This often presents the conundrum of being unable to watch the anime due to how these sites skirt the edge of the law. Instead of directly hosting the videos on their server, these sites use third party players in order to showcase the anime. This allows them to get away with not actually have the anime on their site but still being accessible on the site itself. However, third party players are often unreliable and the videos get taken down often. Imagine having an anime binge and not being able to find the next episode, leading to massive amounts of frustration. Another way to get access is through the process of torrenting. Torrenting is often denotative of piracy and piracy is a crime in most commonwealth countries, where a majority of anime fans come from. Therefore, not only is torrenting a technically difficult process to utilise, it is illegal as well. In the United States, the act of pirating videos, including anime, can carry a penalty of $250,000, 5 years in jail and a felony record. Is that worth it just to get anime for free? On the other hand, official streaming sites have a full and easily accessible database with all variations of quality a user needs to adjust to his network speed, from 360p to 1080p. They also boast many utilities that can be helpful to the user, such as the episode synopsis and auto play of the anime (great for binge watching!). There are very little hiccups that can come from using legal streaming sites, leaving viewers with more time to watch anime rather than to deal with the tedious process of getting unofficial versions.

As stated earlier, the official sites license the anime from the publisher or studio and either translate the anime from there or get the subbed version from the studio. It can vary from anime to anime as each studio works differently. Regardless, the releases of the official versions are done by people who are paid to work around the clock in order to bring out the official version as soon as humanly possible and immediately upon posting it on the site, users can usually get notifications that the anime they are currently following has been updated. Unofficial fansubs are done by a group of people with a common interest in anime. These fansubbers are often unpaid and are done by regular people during their off time. After getting the anime from a dubious source, the work is put through a multistage process that involves the anime passing from person to person, whether to translate or to handle the encoding of the video. This is an understandable process because these people don’t stay within commutable distance from each other and can often be from different countries. However, it is also extremely time consuming to translate anime in such a manner. Not only do the fansub teams have real jobs and lives to get back to, passing it from person to person can only mean that the process would take far longer than an official translation team. In a full team, they usually edit the video together in the same working area and in doing so, they are able to handle all stages of the anime translating process in a speedy manner. Furthermore, without the strings attached to the earlier subtitle, ease of access, the official versions simply have to be posted on the legal streaming sites without fuss or worry and are immediately watchable from their servers. The illegal versions have to be uploaded multiple times on third party players or be put up for torrenting, which is once again, time consuming. Using the legal versions is just faster and easier, and who doesn’t want that?

Piracy is illegal. Not only does it come with a jail sentence and penalty, in countries like the United States it comes with a felony record as well. By viewing, downloading and pirating the illegal versions that come in torrenting or streaming sites, you are putting yourself at risk of civil and criminal legal proceedings. Not only can these leave a person destitute and lose many years to the prison system, the record that comes with it can bar a person from many education and employment opportunities. The ones at greater risk to this process are the fansub teams who produce the illegal versions of anime. While downloading and viewing for personal pleasure is already bad, imagine what sharing the illegal copies on the internet carries with it! By having an over reliance on these teams, they are made to share what is essentially thousands of episodes of anime over the internet. An example of why this can be damning is the following case in the United States. A former Ph.D student in the States was recently made to pay the fine of $675,000 in total for the downloading, streaming and/or sharing of songs on the internet. The fine carried for each song is $22,500 each. With 30 songs being used to implicate and prosecute him, it adds up to the hefty amount above that could be used to feed a family of four for 5 years. Imagine the consequences this can have for the fansub teams. The student has already incurred more than half a million in fines for sharing 30 songs illegally. These teams share thousands of episodes in order to sate everyone’s desire for more anime. Not only is watching anime this way putting ourselves at risk, but the teams that are relied on can have their entire lives taken away just because they’re trying to please the masses.

Watching anime on the illegal streaming sites can be taxing on the site’s servers. This is often supplemented by the adverts that are present on such sites. The income from the adverts pay for the servers used and the site owners can even profit from such adverts. Overall, it forms a nice little ecosystem for the user and site owner, right? Not really. The adverts can often be cumbersome and distracting, giving a dreary user interfaces peppered with banners of weird products or obviously illegal surveys. This is further compounded with pop-up ads that wish to inform you that there are hot lonely singles in your area who really want to do the horizontal tango with you. The more tedious the adverts, the more money the owner gets each time one is brought to your attention. If you were the owner, wouldn’t you put as many as possible? The worst caveat that appears with this “ecosystem” comes with the division of profits, or lack thereof. The money goes to the people who maintain the sites. It does not get shared with the studios who produced the anime we love at all. This is obviously because these sites are illegal to begin with and profit from doing nothing more than sharing the illegal versions. It can be hard to find one season of an anime. Often times, anime that are wildly popular still get discontinued purely from a lack of funding. This is due to the anime being watched through illegal means as opposed to buying the DVD or Blu-ray version of the product. Since the studios don’t receive the money, they don’t have the funds required to make another season of the anime, leaving us hanging. However, supporting the anime can be costly. Buying the Blu-ray and importing it can be a costly process, and often times, it’s even harder to find a subbed version. Buying the figurines or official products of the anime can also potentially bankrupt the fan as well. So how can one support the studios without losing all financial stability? By subscribing to the legal streaming sites. The subscription fees of these sites are often reasonable to upkeep with and they provide the benefits that have been listed throughout the article. Due to the licensing agreements that these sites have with the studios, the studios are paid a portion of these subscription fees in return for licensing the anime. In watching anime on the streaming sites, you are supporting all our favourite studios directly with cold hard cash, and this allows them to keep making the very anime that we know and love!

There is no question that legal sites have all the advantages over an illegal site. There are literally no downsides to using a legal site, and doing so is completely risk free to the user. Getting the full HD version of an anime subbed the very same day it’s released in Japan is great as well. Most importantly of all, it gives us a cheap way to support the studios that we like, allowing the anime industry to grow and expand. This can only be good for anime fans as more anime is released, the bigger the industry is as a whole. Support the legal streaming sites! (Or by the DVD/Blu-ray if you want to!) Official Sites you can checkout: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Daisuki, FUNimation and Hulu. There are more, but these are some to start you off with.

After nearly half a century of growth, anime has secured recognition as a medium and art form distinct from all others. However, Japanese animation is not necessarily dependent on a single process, and is still evolving today with new techniques. As studios get more comfortable with allowing new creative input in their works, we anime fans have a lot to look forward to. Today, Honey’s Anime presents to you a short reader starting with some general knowledge of how Japanese animation works, and then moves on to introducing a few of the newer techniques utilised in anime production.

There is a time in our lives when, we have someone to look up to whenever we feel times of hardship. Those people come in the form of friends, coworkers, and family. For those fortunate enough to have an older sibling, then perhaps our article will remind you of that special someone. The term oniichan pops up on more than one occasion in anime, and has become a very popular word to refer to the older brother. In Japan, this word is used frequently outside of anime. The term oniichan uses what’s called Teineigo ( 丁寧語) to make the “o” on “Nii-Chan” more polite. The older brother doesn't necessarily have to relate to family, but it could also refer to close friendships. This sort of relationship if not related by blood, usually winds up in a situation where the character has been in a friendly relationship with someone for years and years. It is important to note that this relationship usually starts from a childhood friendship. An Oniichan is someone who you can look up to, for guidance and encouragement regardless of your own gender. They are the root from which we grow, because they educate on matters that we may experience throughout our lives. As you'll see later in our article, Sora from No Game No Life is a prime example of being a true oniichan. In today's article, we will travel deeper into the meaning to give you a better idea of what a big brother is capable of, and why they make such an impact on our lives.

Throughout our journeys, there are moments when we aspire to be just like someone else. Not entirely like them in the physical sense, but rather, their approach to life and their ability to overcome adversity. Oniichan are the motivator for the younger ones around them, and so it becomes his responsibility to be the right teacher to advise what's right from wrong. Many of us have at some point, sought after role models who play the sports we love, or the movies we dream of acting in. There is no greater role model however than the older brother. The older brother has experienced a large share of his life, and so his advice becomes more valuable over time, much like wine becomes more delicious over its maturity. There might be a time when you're having relationship problems, and your older brother is there to guide you through it. Perhaps you aren't receiving much allowance from your parents, so your brother slips in an extra few dollars for you to enjoy yourself. There are a handful of examples which we could use to emphasize the importance of a role model, but having an older brother to help you discover the treasures of life is invaluable.

The oniichan is someone who you can always look up to and depend on when life just isn't feeling right. In times of distress, we often lash out and create internal wars with ourselves. It's at that very moment that our older mentor steps in to ensure that everything will be fine. While no one is truly perfect by any means, oniichan depicts that of a courageous specimen who will do whatever it takes to protect those around them. Oniichan show no fear in their hearts to reach out when it really matters. No matter the issue at hand, be it about a breakup, or jumping in to save the day, oniichan are ones you should always have around no matter the circumstance. They become an influence over each and every one of us due to their confidence, and innate ability to read our feelings. In our next anime example of oniichan, we will take a look at an individual who truly defines that of an older brother protecting the ones they love.

Whether you have an older sibling or not, we all can relate to the oniichan in some way or another. Be it a friend at school, or a colleague in your workplace, there will always be someone to teach you the ways of life. Oniichan are an inspiration to many, and so we should always look up to them whenever we feel we lack direction in our lives. If you have more oniichan suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below! As always, for your sweet anime fill, keep it locked here at Honey's Anime.

Music plays an integral part in anime, it allows the anime to go beyond the fourth wall and reach the viewer's’ sensibilities, putting a depth of emotions in it as well. That is because music is often said to be the universal language of mankind and the language of the soul. Anyone is able to simply listen to it and truly understand the sentiments that music is trying to evoke. Be it a fast paced rock/metal track or a slow, calming classical/soft tune, music sets the mood of the anime, and truly communicates the inner emotions of the characters, or the situation in a way not even the images can’t describe. Today, we go through how some of the most popular songs in anime that depicted the mood of the whole anime series flawlessly, ranging from the Original Sound Tracks (OST), to the Openings and Endings (OPs & EDs). Firstly, we will move on to how music is used as a tool to portray and transfer emotions, setting the mood for the anime. Subsequently, we'll talk about one of the anime in which the music is really what defined it and made it popular.

There is a Vietnamese proverb that says “brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet”. While every person’s take on the quote may differ, it is quite evident that though brothers and sisters may differ from each other, they both share a bond that cannot be broken. Often times, we see this close bond in anime between two siblings, usually the main character and their imouto. What does “imouto” mean, though? Imouto is the Japanese word meaning “little sister”. While the terms for older siblings can vary, little sisters are usually referred to as “imouto”. Depending on the closeness of the relationship, siblings can attach an honorific to “imouto” such as “-san” or “-chan,” although usually, “-chan” is the honorific used. When it comes down to sibling relationships, imouto is great for showing the close bonds between an older sibling and their little sister. Why? An imouto, no matter how strong they may appear, will usually bring out the protective side of the main character. They may appear to have everything in control, but they’ll always need their older sibling, so you can feel the closeness of the sibling bond between the two. Regardless if your imouto is a tsundere, kuudere, deredere or dandere, you can’t help but want to protect them! Also, as the young sibling with a cute demeanor, imouto can be used to invoke sympathy in many viewers. How often have you seen an imouto get hurt, bullied, or killed? There are various types of imouto shown in anime, much like in real life, not every single character type is the same. Some take care of everything in the household from cooking to cleaning, are completely helpless, relying heavily on those around them. Some imouto can bully the main character relentlessly and there are imouto characters who are protective of their older sibling. You’ll even get the imouto with the brother complex (brocon) and likewise, the onii-san (big brother) may even have a sister complex (siscon). Any anime imouto come to mind yet? Well, let us take a look at a few anime imouto that should not be missed.

Imouto characters are all different in their own way, but in essence, they are all very similar. On the surface, the viewer may be led to believe that the imouto may be a troublesome character or another odd addition into a harem, but there is so much more to them than that. Imouto are more important to the characters than meets the eye, just like in real life. These imouto show us just how important our siblings are to us. Whether she is from a harem, slice of life, or parody anime, do you have an anime imouto that has struck a chord with you? What do you think about imouto in anime? Are they just the lolita characters, incestuous additions, or do they actually mean more than what meets the eye? Let us know in the comments below!

Honey's Anime always enjoy bringing you the sweet goodness when it comes to definitions, and we would love to discuss the meaning of moe. Many of you are probably familiar with this term, but for those who are just jumping into the world of anime this one is for you. Akihabara, the hub for all things otaku, features a lot of the moe culture. You'll find an array of figurines, posters, and more displaying young cartoonish girls. More so, you may even come across a handful of women dressed up as maids to accommodate you into their cafe. So you're still wondering, what is moe? The term moe stems from the Japanese word moeru which can mean “to burn/get fired up” or “to burst/bud”. This all depends on the way it is written in kanji, but in otaku terms it refers to one's strong emotional attachment for a certain character, preferably a younger female. Cute girls represent purity and innocence, which is very alluring to many people and so moe becomes the term used to emphasize that. It is by no means spreading any negative connotation, but rather embracing our youth and happy-go-lucky state of mind. Furthermore, moe isn't something romantic (unless you want it to be) but rather, a strong overwhelming feeling of wanting to just hug and cradle these characters. To borrow the moeru term fired up, many otaku get excited over seeing young fictional girls having a good time. So we're going get you all bursting with excitement as we will now provide some great examples of moe themed anime.

Moe popularity will most likely continue to grow and evolve over time, so we suggest you check these fantastic anime out for a nice glimpse. Since the mid 80's, moe culture has touched many and will be forever eched in the stones of anime lifestyle. Whether you see the cute girls wandering the busy streets of Akihabara in the mid afternoon, or while tuning in to your favorite series, you'll always find a hint of moe lying around. If you feel like there are more moe anime out there that didn't make the list, be sure to show your love and leave them in the comments section down below! As always, for your sweet anime fill, keep it locked here at Honey's Anime.

One day, you decided to change the channel, watch something new, and found yourself immersed in the world of anime. Now you simply can't stop watching. Welcome to the otaku world! We know it’s confusing, but we are mostly friendly. And we have cookies! So like any subculture out there, anime has slang; special words used in certain ways within Japanese society and that have been changing through time. We otaku also contributed to the changes of words usage, as anime has crossed the borders of its original country and now is enjoyed all around the world. So this time, we are going to explain several suffixes that you surely have heard in your favorite anime series. Remember, an informed otaku is a good otaku.

One characteristic of Japanese is that it's an agglutinative language. This means we have some letters forming a root word and then we can add some stems that act as branches to form a sentence. Adding other stems (like leaves) right after the original word modifies the meaning, making it more specific. The “branches” and “leaves” makes it easier to identify the meaning and intention of the words. This is basically what happens when we hear “name-chan” instead of a plain name. In Japan, name suffixes help us knowing how we stand towards a person within their hierarchical society. It would be rude to address a superior (a boss) in a familiar or even in a plain manner, for example. Suffixes might sound as medieval or even dictatorial, but they also can help us to show affection towards other people, as we will see soon.

Probably the most heard name suffix by new otaku is -san. After all, it has been used in famous American movies like Karate Kid. -san is derived from -sama, which we will explain a little bit later. Anyway, using -san after a name shows respect towards an equal of age, school grade or status. It's used to address people, but on these days, it can also be used for pets or objects.

-sama is used for people who have a higher rank than the speaker, so we can find it in postal information, business mails, customer support, and similar situations. On daily conversation though, is a little bit more rare to hear. Kami-sama (meaning God) is also written with this suffix, but if you happen to find someone who call themselves “name-sama”, this shows arrogance. You have been warned.

We know that Japanese have a special spot on their lives for everything cute. Under this logic, -chan is the cute version for -san which shows that besides respecting someone, we are fond of that someone. The suffix -chan tends to be used for young family members, from babies to teenagers, but it can also be used for grandparents. Still, these days -chan can be used for everything we find cute. Remember Kitty-chan? Yes, Hello Kitty is called Kitty-chan in Japan. We also have to be careful, as using -chan to call someone from a higher rank is considered rude. So please, make sure the person you want to address using -chan thinks of you as a close or dear friend. A person calling themselves “name-chan” is considered childish also, so if the motivation behind it is to have a cute effect, there is no further problem. Just notice that in work or formal environments it will sound out of place.

This suffix is commonly used for men and children, but it also can be applied by persons in a high status when they refer to any person in a lower status, especially in formal environments like school or work. It is not uncommon to hear Professors calling their female students with the suffix -kun. It is also interesting that male freshmen in companies call their superior female colleagues with this suffix also. But maybe the most important usage for -kun in the world of anime is that it's a favorite suffix for girls to show affection towards a certain guy.

So, here we have the explanation for the most common suffixes in the anime world. The Japanese language can sound a little funny or even complicated at times, but it has also shown us that it has a cute side, right? Also there are other unusual suffixes in the Japanese language, but that's material for future articles. We hope you enjoyed this brief explanation full of Japanese culture. Now you can go and call your friends in a proper otaku and fun way (just ask them first if it’s ok!). We are also open to all your suggestions and comments. See you soon!

Here at Honey's Anime, it is our goal to ensure that everyone leaves with a better understanding of Japanese culture. Anime is most surely our forte, however we love to provide you all with more than just the fun and games. The definition we'll be looking at is one of the more recent terms used in Japan, and is surely to last for quite some time. Japan is all about trying new things, and Agokui is one of the ways of expressing love and romance. Prior to the surge of agokui, the term “Kabe-Don” (putting ones hand firmly on the wall in front of the one with whom you have an emotional attachment to) was very popular, and many found the action to be a very flirtatious way of communicating how you felt. Now agokui has taken over with a more soft and sophisticated approach. The term agokui comes from “Ago” which means chin, while “Kui” refers to a soft “creak” sound as if one were to open a window when extending the arm (an onomatopoeia). The action is simply to place one's hand under the chin of your significant other, bringing them in closely for that magnificent kiss. Not all agokui conclude with a kiss as the action itself is what emphasizes the moment in which two people embrace one another. You most likely have seen this specific action in a variety of romance films/anime, but perhaps you were unaware of its meaning. Now that we have provided you with the definition, it is now time to move into the meat and bones of it all. Let's hop right to it.

As long as love continues to exist in this wonderful world, you will most likely see the romantic style of agokui manifest into something huge. Romanticism was very popular in the early 16th century and you can still see large remnants of it all throughout the world. Chivalry is a fantastic example of displaying ones love, and perhaps if paired well with agokui you may find yourself a partner in no time. While we don't promote that you go outside and perform agokui on every attractive woman you see, we do advise that you give it a shot when you do find that special someone. If you feel like there are more examples out there that didn't make the list, be sure to show your love and leave them in the comments section down below! As always, for your sweet anime fill, keep it locked here at Honey's Anime.

So Valentine’s Day and White Day have passed in Japan and you’re alone. You spent the days eating chocolate you bought yourself or maybe you plan on celebrating Single’s Day like the people in South Korea. You have to celebrate something, right? You deserve to celebrate something, too! But wait! What if you are actually in a relationship and you didn’t realize it? If you are an otaku or an avid anime enthusiast, as many of you must be if you’re on this site, you will be surprised to find out that you may actually be in a relationship and not even know. What do I mean? Have you ever thought that your relationship with anime is just like dating someone? It may seem like a strange idea on the surface, but maybe there’s more truth to it than you initially thought. How is dating different than watching anime? Well, it may not actually be as different as you think. Sure, you may not be in a relationship with a physical human, but perhaps it is not as ridiculous as it sounds. Let’s talk about 5 reasons why watching anime is like dating, shall we?

When you’re in a relationship, there are a few key factors that come with any relationships. Dating has quite a few traits that just seem to come with it, but do they really only apply to dating? Whether you’re just an anime fan or you have a waifu or husbando, watching anime can be similar to dating. Have you ever compared any of your hobbies to a relationship? What qualities do you think apply? Are you in an anime relationship?

There is no doubt that anime is different, the original source material changed, when it is brought to the West from Japan. The Japanese voices are dubbed over with English voices. Names changed. Sentences altered. Even whole scenes and episodes are omitted. Some have to do with the way the characters speak, while other situations involve censorship. However, there is one factor that some people do not consider: Westernization. Westernization of anime involves changing something in a scene so that Western audiences can better relate or understand. For many fans who began watching English dubbed anime as children, they can recall at least one instance in which something had been altered in an anime for the sake of being relatable. One thing that has been ingrained into my childhood memories of anime was of a scene in Pokemon when the characters were clearly making onigiri out of rice, but the characters called it a jelly donut. While I had no idea what an onigiri was, I was fully aware what rice was, so I was at a loss for words when they called it a donut. How can an item made out of rice be a jelly donut? Do you really put jelly inside the rice? It baffled me. It was even more confusing in future episodes when they referred to the food item by another name. The West is a diverse place than people give it credit for. Many assume the West is full of Caucasian people who do not seem to have knowledge of other cultures, but is that the truth? Do young children, who may just be starting to watch English dubbed anime, lack knowledge on other cultures? This brings into question: Is Westernizing anime still necessary?

Have you ever seen a show with a character who wanted to rule the world? How about a show where a character demanded that another person bow before his/her presence? Did that person possibly scare you in some way as well as grab a little bit of your interest and respect? Don’t worry. That mix of emotions is perfectly normal when meeting someone who is chasing such a monstrous and massive dream. However, you should prepare yourself a little bit as you have just come across what is known as a kamidere.

Relationships play such an integral part in the growth of humanity, and we all often dream of that one person who we can spend a lifetime with. Everyone is on a journey to seek out harmony, and discover a new euphoria within. Although the journey to seek out such a person is no easy task, it's a task that we all somehow manage to muster through and end up in the arms of the right individual for us. It's why we thought it would be nice to elaborate more on the very popular term “Husbando”, and why it plays such a huge importance on our lives. The more predominant “Waifu” is a term that is in direct correlation to that of a beautiful female anime character, while “Husbando” refers to a male character whom we deem fitting enough to have strong attraction to. Everyone who immediately sees the husbando is drawn into his irresistible aura, wishing that they could either be with him, or be like him. There are different variations of the husbando, such as the bishounen husbando whose non-threatening features melt our hearts with his tenderness. On the other hand we have the tsundere husbando, the one who is so cold and distant but deep down we all know his heart is pounding with love and we just want to tame him. Whatever type you prefer is entirely up to you, so it is our job here at Honey's Anime to embrace husbando and give you a few examples to spice up your life.

The winter 2016 anime season had its fair share of kuuderes and danderes. Almost every show had one! And one thing that is usually true about these types of characters is that they have a very cool and unique fashion sense! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but hairstyles, colors and even clothes go through trends in anime just as much as they do in real life and during some seasons some of the characters even look so much alike you’d swear they’re the same person! Today we’ll take a good look at what our favorite kuuderes and danderes were wearing this season and see what is in and what is out! If you’re looking for a change of style, these girls (and guys!) might give you a few ideas. So let’s get started!

What is Himedere? - If you kneel before me, I might tell you. Let’s face it: there are a lot of –dere types in anime. The most popular is tsundere, a personality that has marked character development easing from hard-to-get to lovey-dovey. You’re probably saying, “Yes, I know what tsundere is. I came here to find out about himedere.” Great! You’re in the right place. Let’s start with a definition. As you probably guessed, it has something to do with princesses. The “hime” part of himedere means “princess,” so the easiest way to describe himedere is a princess-y tsundere, or sometimes a princess-y kuudere. She’ll usually speak in a haughty way and expect you to do everything for her. She’s a princess after all. You should be holding her up on a pedestal and singing her praises. From her attitude to her accessories to her perfectly placed hair, she oozes rich and beautiful. It’s no wonder you were attracted to her. She shines like the royal gems she’s wearing—or pretending to be wearing. Just because she’s a princess doesn’t make her Princess Peach. If you were all-in on your princess but forgot about the “tsundere” part of the equation, you’re in for a hell of a ride! Himederes are demanding. Forget the whole trying to look good for the public. They already think they’re adored by the masses. They have no trouble putting you in your place. What’s your place? Running errands for them, waiting on them like a butler, and never, ever touching them. She just can’t sully her precious skin with commoner filth. She will constantly remind you of her elite status and let you know how high up the food chain she is compared to you. That sounds horrible. Why even try? Oh, don’t worry, my friend. If you prove your worth with your superior skill, undying affection, or just stupid luck, the himedere will fall into your lap, maybe literally. Somewhere along the story, the himedere will eventually open her heart to you, and you’ll have the shiniest best girl in town.

What is Yangire? – Why be normal when being insane is much more fun?

They are cute, they are innocent, they are completely insane. They are yangire. You thought yandere girls are dangerous? Then you haven’t met the yangire, a person who seems to be normal on the outside, but can easily snap and reveal a violent and insane personality. They can be both male and female and have one, two or even multiple personalities. Yangire characters are sometimes also referred to as “Cute and Psycho”. Both yandere and yangire are crazy. The difference though is what causes these characters to go crazy. While yandere girls (and boys!) do insane things out of love for another person, yangire characters have their own set of reasons. Usually they went through a traumatic experience in the past which causes severe emotional and mental damage. This also makes yangire characters more dangerous than yandere since it is impossible to predict when they will snap and show their true self. The word yangire is a combination of the word “yanderu” which means being sick and “kireru” which means to cut or to snap (as in losing one’s temper and turning crazy). While yangire are similar to yandere in the sense that they have a clear personality disorder, they are not “deredere” meaning caring and in love with another character. This means that their actions are not caused by affection, but simply because they are crazy. Charming, aren’t they? Now that we all know a little bit more about the mad world of yangire, let’s take a look at a few examples. After all, every yangire is a unique little (psychotic) snowflake. Enjoy!