So instead of following the usual naming convention, it has gone rogue and named itself the same thing twice. The simplest way to interpret such a thing would be to assume that it means precisely what Dere means, except twice. To put it simply, a character that is a Deredere is a very sweet and energetic person whose entire character archetype centres on their love for a single character. This differs from the other archetypes like Tsundere or Yandere as while they are indeed in love with someone, they are still able to develop their characters separate from them along a different path. For example, a Yandere character would still be able to carry out actions that are entirely selfish in terms of the character that they are in love with by doing things to harm those who would get close to him or by kidnapping him for themselves. A Deredere wouldn’t even be fazed by another girl getting along with their main love as long as they’re not doing anything harmful to them. She’s even completely fine if their love starts to couple with another girl because that’s just how nice they are. In the end, as long as he/she is happy, the Deredere won’t kick up a huge fuss with whatever happens in the end. They’ll even be nice to all their rivals and have fun in the process. In the end, Deredere ends up being the “vanilla” option, which is not a bad thing, because you can’t go wrong with a Deredere. No mix signals or psychopathic killers, just a straight forward, plain relationship.

Girls Bravo follows the story of Yukinari who can’t seem to catch a break. Not only is he small in stature, this leads to him having no real luck with women all his life, because of his size. He is constantly bullied and belittled by other girls when he was younger and this lead him to be somewhat apprehensive towards approaching women, though not to the point of a mental breakdown whenever a female appears in the room. His “can’t catch a break” streak continues as he begins high school where he develops a condition that causes him to break out in hives whenever he comes into direct contact with a female. As if being nervous around girls wasn’t bad enough, now he has to fear for his life around them purely from a touch as well. To further compound his issues, he is transported to another world into the city of Seiren where women outnumber men by a large margin, fortunately! The females here seem to be a lot nicer to him and there’s even a girl whose touch doesn’t cause him to break out in hives! While the show seems a bit dark in the outset, his transport to the new world with more women does exactly what you’d expect, set up for a harem. Whilst the girls on Earth are more vicious and realistic like people usually are in real life, the girls in the mystic world are noticeably more “touchy” towards the main character and go so far as to chase him down the street in droves just to interact with him. There’s not specific character that embodies Deredere the most in this show as many of the girls themselves are Deredere due to the general light heartedness of the series as a whole. This show is what happens when a majority of the characters end up being Deredere.

Keichii is just the average guy of your run of the mill anime guys who passes each day like any other would go about his day. Like most guys, he doesn’t have much luck with many things, like his studies, clubs or love life in general. Yet at the same time, it’s mostly okay just not fantastic. Whilst going about his chores like a normal guy would do, as opposed to using a Rasengan or a Death Note to kill people, he tries calling his Senpai, only to accidentally reach something called the Goddess Help Line. Enter Belldandy, a goddess who has responded to his call and appears to him through the mirror. She’s ready to help and he’s freaking out about it but she isn’t fazed at all because that’s just the kind of Deredere character she is. Throughout the show, he continues to get into hijinks in an episodic nature and she always helps out him out in the end, though sometimes it’s more indirect than direct. He has to solve his own problems sometimes too. Though the premise of having a generally unlucky guy be the main character is still present like the previous anime, it contrasts itself in the sense that instead of being in a world full of Deredere characters who converge on the main character like locusts, Megami-sama is focused more on a central character who is extremely Deredere. Belldandy is helpful, kind, free spirited and just plain loves the main character. There’s never really any heart breaking moments or tense situations with her because that’s what Deredere characters do.

When talking about Deredere girls it’s a must to mention the magical girls genre, and what better way to talk about magical girls then to use one of the long running series of Lyrical Nanoha, which has four seasons under its belt so far, where the magical girls are generally light and vanilla in nature, as opposed to the darker themes of Madoka Magica. The premise is pretty basic as far as magical girls anime can get. The main character Nanoha comes across a ferret that is secretly a mage who grants her a red jewel which allows her to transform into a magical girl. This allows her to fight off evil monsters and find the Jewel Seeds that the ferret lost throughout the world. There’s not much more to talk about without spoilers as that’s pretty much the basic summary of the beginning. The unique point of the show is that Nanoha is indeed a Deredere as most magical girls tend to be. She’s sweet, kind and has a caring family as a whole. However, this contrasts with the rival character of the series who is pretty much in the opposite situation as her. Compound this with fighting monsters and having to find the Jewel Seeds, what we witness is actually a Deredere character who becomes more matured over time instead of remaining a one dimensional nice girl. She doesn’t stop being Deredere when the situation calls for it, but when the going gets tough, Nanoha becomes a tough chick who is able to use her magical powers to kick ass and chew bubble gum. This development of a Deredere character is what makes the anime slightly different to other anime that feature Deredere characters.

As an anime fan, you are probably already familiar with the concept of a harem anime – one very lucky boy (or a small number of very lucky boys) with a large number of women. The idea of a harem anime is not lost in the futanari world either, with one or only a few men, and the rest of the cast being futanari girls. So while the main character may be biologically only male, meaning he has a flat chest and a male penis, at least some of the women around him are likely to have pretty faces, small waists, big oppai, and penises of their own. The normal role of the female character in the harem hentai thus is changed quite a bit due to that added dynamic, and that brings us to the idea of a futanari harem – one man, but many penises.

Daiakuji: The Xena Buster is an older, but fantastic example of a futanari anime that follows the traditional harem idea with its own unique twist. In the story (yes, this hentai has a full-on plot!), Osaka has become a female-dominated city in every way, to the point that men are being enslaved and completely controlled by women. The main character, Akuji Yamamoto, has just finished his sentence in prison, and he is determined to flip the tables once more and bring the women of Osaka back down from their positions of power. Daiakuji has most of the typical women you can find in any normal hentai like tsundere and loli, but clearly those cliché character types are not enough to get it in our article. What does make Daiakuji more unique is that, amongst the large population of powerful women in Osaka, some of them are futanari. While for all intents and purposes at first glance they appear to be typical hentai babes, when their pants come off there’s more to them than meets the eye. Akuji thus finds himself face-to-face not only with more traditional women, but with the unexpected futanari as well! These futanari don’t shy away from having sex with the various other female and other futa characters as well, giving Daiakuji’s harem story a more interesting twist than the average anime.

Of course, there are also futanari anime that have a much stronger focus on the futanari themselves. In some cases, all or almost all of the sexy sequences of the anime will consist of only futanari characters together with one another. In these hentai, you can expect to see at least double the oppai and double the penis since all the characters involved are going to have the best of both parts of the anatomy. This sort of sex can be called futa-on-futa, meaning futanari getting down with other futanari. And if the best of both worlds is what you’re really craving, this is definitely the sort of place to start.

A newer and currently ongoing anime, Shinsei Futanari Idol: Dekatamakei! follows two futa girls Riko and Mizuho through their daily adventures. They are both school girls going through the usual daily motions of class, swimming, showers, and making friends. This is a hentai though, not a slice of life, so of course, expect these daily actions to be full of fanservice, and end up in quite a few sexy situations as well. What sets Shinsei Futanari Idol: Dekatamakei! apart from other hentai, or even other yuri anime, is that Riko and Mizuho are futanari. Not only are they well-endowed with huge boobs, they are also well-endowed with huge penises. So when the two of them are together, you can expect a kind of hentai unlike anything else you might have seen before. Like we said before you get the best of both kinds with futanari anime, and we meant it the way that Shinsei Futanari Idol: Dekatamakei! presents it. With funny dialogues and situations, and plenty of hardcore shots, Shinsei Futanari Idol: Dekatamakei! is a wild and unique, futanari kind of ride.

We already talked about harem anime, but what about reverse harem? Typically, a reverse harem anime features one female lead character, and a host of male characters. However, when it comes to futanari, we are using the term a bit differently to mean still one (or only a few) entirely biological female character(s), and a lot of futanari. This particular kind of futanari hentai is great if you like oppai and you like penises but maybe you don’t necessarily like men themselves – or you’re still looking for some more traditional style sex scenes as well. Lucky for you, if those are your specific interests, then you don’t have to look any further than “reverse harem” futanari!

As an anime that is literally called “Futa Club,” you can already imagine in what direction this plot line is going. Indeed, Futabu! is the story of Akane Niimura, an overly curious high school girl that decides to join the mysterious Futa Club. But before she can become a member, she has to pass an entrance examination – and did she sign up for more than she bargained for? Of course not! Akane is more than up to the challenge of dealing with the four futanari girls in the club, no matter how much unexpected girth they might have… Because Akane is a simple biological female, it means that she has a woman’s anatomy, including between the legs. That is what sets Futabu! apart as being a reverse harem futanari hentai. While it is indeed about multiple futanari and one main character again, this time that main character is a girl, so you can expect to see futa-style sex that is as traditional as futa-style sex can get. You can expect an endless supply of boob shots, and more typical penetrative sex – but still the pleasures of an entire female cast...and some some extra penises, to add something a bit special.

You’re into anime and you wanted to date a guy who is into anime, too, so of course, you looked for an otaku boy. Well, we hate to break it to you, but otaku boys can be pretty well-rounded and no, we do not mean in shape. Everyone has their own tastes in what they like and many otaku boys like a wide range of genres including action, ecchi, and comedy, but let’s not put otaku boys into a box. There are many genres out there. When you decide to date an otaku, you need to learn to share your interests. He’s not going to like everything you’re into and you may not like everything he’s into, but you’d be surprised when you watch anime you wouldn’t have otherwise watched. Maybe you actually like harem anime more than you thought. They aren’t all about girls fawning over an obtuse boy. Or maybe they are. Of course, otaku boys can have various hobbies aside from just anime. The most common hobby would have to be playing video games, but of course, not every otaku is made the same. What does this mean for you? Whether you like it or not, you are either going to have to accept that your otaku boyfriend will spend time away from you for his hobby or you’re going to have to join in. Don’t worry; it could be more fun than you imagined! It all falls under the bracket of sharing your interests. Let’s take a look at the anime “Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken,” otherwise known as “I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying.” Kaoru is clearly not an otaku, but she loves Hajime enough to listen to everything he has to say about anime and all things pertaining to it including work. Despite being as different as night and day, Kaoru and Hajime share their interests and make it work. Take note, girls! This is what you need to do to date an otaku boy!

Put away the fancy heels and cocktail dress you pulled out. We don’t mean that. If you want to dress to impress for your otaku boy, you’re going to have to pull out the cosplay. Take out those maid costumes, nekomimi, or that nurse’s uniform! We can’t forget the cheongsam. Now that is impressive! If you want to make your otaku boy happy, you’re going to have to appeal to his fantasies! Contrary to popular belief, these types of fantasies aren’t limited to just otaku boys. All men have fantasies. You don’t have to watch ecchi anime to have fantasies, you know. Declining is always an option, but if it makes your boyfriend happy, what’s wrong with a little cosplay? Doesn’t he do things just to make you happy? Of course, it’s important to remember to act the part. You’ll find it makes it more worthwhile for him and you may even enjoy it as well. How can you forget the scene in Fruits Basket when Ayame and Mine dress Tohru up, igniting the fantasies of the innocent Yuki? Oh yes, something within him stirred. No matter how innocent, every boy has his own fantasy. He may not even know it yet. Do not be fooled! However, it’s a girlfriend’s job to help fulfill them. Of course, if you fulfill his, your otaku boy will fulfill yours. Hey, don’t pretend that you don’t have any of your own fantasies. Moving on….

As worn out as this may sound, it’s true: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! Now, when you’re an otaku, you’ll come across this choice quite often: should you stop and eat or should you keep binge playing/watching? Yes, you can eat while watching anime, but eating requires either going out to buy something or cooking. It’s wasted time, but it’s also necessary for survival! Damned nature. Do you know what would really touch an otaku boy’s heart? If you prepared something for him to eat! You don’t even have to cook the food yourself. Most otaku aren’t as picky, especially when that pickiness will take time away from a hobby. You could just bring something that you found at the konbini. Still, you will take out the hassle of preparing food, allowing your otaku to spend more time doing what he enjoys, and show him that you can be considerate. He will be more than happy you did! Plus, doesn’t every otaku dream of having someone to feed them? It’s not just a cliché in shoujo and harem anime. If you want a good example of a considerate anime girlfriend, check out Takasu Ryuuji from Toradora. No, we did not make a mistake; Ryuuji would make a great boyfriend because he always prepares meals for Taiga, knowing she would not eat properly otherwise. Ryuuji even takes into consideration the nutritional balance of each meal. Now that is dedication! While you don’t have to be that detailed, an otaku boy will really appreciate the gesture regardless.

One part of a relationship that always seems skewed is how much partners spoil each other. Girls are usually showered with gifts, but girls, you can’t forget to reciprocate! So many relationships are one sided. Boys will always show how much their girlfriends mean to them by giving them gifts at any time, but how many girls remember to give back? You would be surprised to find out that very few do. Now, that is just not right! Show your otaku boy that you think about him with a gift or a gesture once in awhile. If your boyfriend enjoys collecting things, buy him something for his collection. If he enjoys Gundam, take him to see the life-size Gundam in Odaiba! OK, you don’t have to go all the way to Tokyo to spoil him, but you get the picture. No matter how big or small, just show your otaku boyfriend that you put as much thought into your relationship as he does. It’s fun to be spoiled, but it’s just as fun to spoil someone else, too. In Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Chiyo will usually consider what will make Nozaki happy. Chiyo has given up her time to help Nozaki work and will even go out to buy supplies whenever he needs them. Nozaki might be more than a little dense, but he notices these thoughtful gestures. Remember, it’s the little things that count. Everyone wants someone to spoil them the same way they’d spoil a loved one. It just shows how important that person is to them.

Take this last piece of advice with a grain of salt. If you want to date an otaku boy, sometimes you have to learn to just shut up. We mean no offense by this statement. Truly! Sometimes, an otaku boy may just want some peace and quiet to enjoy his hobbies. There are times when he may want to watch an anime without having someone chiming in about every little detail, or listen to a vocaloid song without having to explain why that particular vocaloid is so great. Maybe he just does not want to hear the 100 reasons why you hate his favorite series. In truth, there are just times when he does not want to hear any of it. That’s normal. It’s healthy for you, too. Even you’ll have moments when you want to be alone. No one wants to be “on” all the time. We all need a break. Just respect an otaku boy’s wish for peace and quiet. There’s always later. An otaku boy, himself, may not even want to talk at all. Silence isn’t a bad thing. It can be a sign of comfort in a relationship, so be a bit more self aware and realize when an otaku boy wants to be left alone. Of course, not all otaku boys are the same as mention in the first point of this article. There are many who love to talk about their passion for the anime they love by expressing it in ways that may surprise you, but what you can do is at least listen and show some support, as they will indeed return it. Support each other and work things out. That is key!

This is not a joke. One look at the title and the art, people are quick to think Ping Pong fans are joking when they praise this anime as a masterpiece. They most definitely aren’t joking. As one of Yuasa’s more recent works, Ping Pong harbors a lot of popularity for its timeless story of friendship accented with sports drama. The art, as you know by now, is amazing. The story has an air of maturity, brought out with intelligent cinematography and accurate table tennis play. The people don’t always look like people, but the quaint character designs match the impressively natural personalities as nearly every single character is uniquely portrayed and developed. If you’re going to start somewhere with odd-looking anime, this is the one.

If we’re talking about mixing styles, though, we have to mention Kuuchuu Buranko. Of many other art styles, Kuuchuu Buranko uses rotoscoping, an animation technique with a bad rap in anime circles due to controversial works like Kowabon (2015) and Aku no Hana (2013); but the proper mix of art styles can redeem its obvious shortcomings. Kuuchuu Buranko, in addition to Yuasa’s Mind Game, selectively uses rotoscoping in very crazy packages. The realistic images lets the characters express certain human emotions that their drawn anime faces couldn’t pull off. Still, there’s a whole lot more than rotoscoping going on in Kuuchuu Buranko. The anime integrates psychedelic art, pop art, paper figures, and one gravure nurse into very colorful backgrounds and character designs that seems like a hot mess that you just want to keep watching.

While we’re talking about beautiful art and color, let’s take a minute to discuss Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, the fantasy drama that just finished airing and was a 2016 sleeper hit, largely due to its artwork. Pleasant watercolor tones are infused into most backgrounds and the animations for the openings and endings. It’s the type of refreshingly beautiful that when you see the key visuals, you immediately think, “I want to watch that.” It’s a small art change that paid out big for A-1 Pictures.

The first category of kouhai is probably the most well-known one: kouhai at school. Here, the hierarchy is obvious since all students are supposed to respect their upperclassmen. These kouhai are especially prone to developing feelings for their senpai, since they are older, seem to have everything figured out and are the kings and queens of the school.

Our first kouhai is Chiyo from Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun who is everything you’d expect a kouhai to be: innocent, excited, gullible and committed to always give her best. So it should come as no surprise that she takes up the courage to confess her feelings to Umetarou Nozaki, her mysterious and cool high school crush. He, however, is as oblivious as only a guy can be and thinks she is a fan of his Shoujo mangas. But that won’t stop our energetic Chiyo and she decides to become Nozaki’s assistant in order to make him realize her feelings. Let’s see how that will work out for her. In this anime you get to see how senpai/kouhai relationships work for students. At school, Nozaki, Mikoto and Chiyo attend the same grade which puts them eye to eye. However, when it comes to Nozaki’s work the guys are clearly more experienced than Chiyo. This gives them the right to command the girl around and leave all the tedious tasks like buying coffee or cleaning up to her. In a way, schools are very unique environments with their own rules and hierarchy systems that do not necessarily have to translate into the student’s private lives. If you want to see a stereotypical kouhai character, especially combined with a high school setting, then you should check out Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun. Not only will it teach you more about Japanese hierarchy, but also entertain you with its hilarious jokes.

Graduating from college doesn’t mean your kouhai days are finally over. On the contrary, once you join a company your climb up the social ladder starts all over again. There will be new senpai, new struggles and a lot more tasks that fall to you as a newcomer. Let’s meet a kouhai working at an extraordinary workplace, shall we?

Working!! is one of the most well-known Slice of Life shows when it comes to depicting the everyday struggles of a crazy workplace. Thankfully, main character and lover of everything cute and adorable Takanashi seems to fit right in. This story is set in a typical family restaurant in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. The setting is however the only thing that is typical about this show since the main cast is as diverse and unique as they come. We have a waitress who is terrified of men, a violent manager, a woman wearing a katana and a 17-year-old girl with a height complex. Does Takanashi have what it takes to join their world? Since Takanashi is the newest staff member he obviously has to adapt to his new situation and learn all the tricks and tips of his coworkers. Especially at the beginning of the anime you get to see how a senpai is supposed to mentor his kouhai and teach him everything he needs to know. That not only includes whatever Takanashi needs to know about being a server, but especially everything he needs to know about his eccentric coworkers. What makes this story so interesting though is the hilarious relationship between Takanashi and Popura. Due to her experience she is obviously his senpai, but that is about everything that Takanashi respects about her since Popura is a short high school student who looks more like a small kid than a girl who is about to graduate. Comedy is ensured and you, as a viewer, get to realize that some senpai/kouhai relationships are more complicated than others.

Schools and companies make it easy to categorize between kouhai and senpai. But there are situations where no one gives you the official title of kouhai, yet you still know that there are people who you need to respect. Usually this hierarchy comes down to who has more experience and who can teach you something valuable. So let’s introduce one more kouhai character who will show you that there are senpai in all parts of life, even in magic.

All fans of dark shows with unexpected twists and turns should already know about this little gem. If not, you are definitely missing out on a great show. Madoka Kaname is your typical school girl: she loves her family, enjoys spending time with her friends and keeps wondering about what her future will look like. But everything changes when new people step into her life. The first one is Homura Akemi, a mysterious transfer student. The second one is Kyuubey, a mythical being who promises Madoka to fulfill her deepest wish. And the last one is Mami Tomoe, a magical girl who will soon become Madoka’s teacher and mentor. You could argue that being a magical girl is a profession and Madoka should therefore be included in the previous category. But it is not simply the techniques of hunting witches that Mami teaches Madoka and her friend Miki. She wants to show them her world and make them understand what they have to give up in order to become like her. In a way, Mami teaches Madoka more about life than any of her teachers ever have. Also, even though Madoka understands that Mami has a lot to teach her, she also knows that there are things she needs to do by herself. This is the best case scenario where a kouhai will first listen to all the advice he or she is given and then go on to make independent decisions. There is a point where every kouhai needs to let go and do his or her own things. Madoka shows the transformation of being thrown into a world she knows nothing about to becoming better than her senpai has ever been. A truly outstanding kouhai.

For those of you who may not know this, New Taipei City is a newer district within the country of Taiwan. Yes, Taiwan. Not Japan. Spirited Away is a movie filled with historic and supernatural references that are Japan’s alone, so why would a town in Taiwan have anything to do with the Spirited Away? Well, after China, under the rule of the Qing dynasty, lost the first Sino-Japanese War, the island of Taiwan was given to Japan in 1895. For 60 years, Taiwan was under Japanese rule. Japan immediately proceeded to expand its empire, filling Taiwan with Japanese customs and even enforcing that the citizens learn the Japanese language! Although Japan did influence Taiwan to a degree, Taiwan is far from being a small Japan away from Japan. Jiufen is on a mountain and often, most of what you will get to see is fog, unless you are lucky enough to catch Jiufen on a clear day, which will give you the full view of the bay in the distance. Nonetheless, do not let that deter you from visiting the mystical area that is Jiufen. The fog can transform it into a magical place! As the day passes, you will be surprised to discover whole buildings appear out of the dense fog several hundred feet from where you stood before!

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In the meantime, it might be difficult to see several feet in front of you. Luckily, you can follow the signposts showing you what might be of interest. Try walking through Old Street in Jiufen, where you can explore the many lantern lined alleyways with endless Taiwanese shops, selling things from old fashioned candy to the famous taro balls. Do you remember the lantern lined streets that Chihiro found herself in? Yes, Old Street did help inspire part of the scenery for Spirited Away! If you have ever wanted to be as gluttonous as Chihiro’s parents were, trudge through the narrow streets of Old Street, up the hundreds of stairs up the mountain, to Jishan Street where you’ll find the streets lined with eateries serving all the delicious foods that turned Chihiro’s parents into pigs! Maybe you want to eat like No Face? Perhaps your mouth waters thinking about the candy that Boh devoured. Well, everything can be found on the streets of Jiufen, which is a mixture of Taiwanese and Japanese foods that will have you wish you had four stomachs!

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If you’re not quite hungry yet, you may want to explore other parts of Jiufen. One thing you may remember from Spirited Away is the obsession with gold in the staff at the bathhouse. This ties in quite well with the history of Jiufen as during 1893 – 1971, a period in which Taiwan was mainly under Japanese rule, Jiufen became the center of a gold rush in Taiwan. While working under the Japanese, the Taiwanese dug many mines in search of the massive amounts of gold within the mountain, which explains much of the prominence of gold in Spirited Away. Also, some of the gold mines are still open today for the public to explore. Once you go through, you easily find yourself mystified about how quickly your world can change, much like Chihiro’s. You go through one end and find yourself in a whole new area entirely!

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One of the most iconic buildings in Spirited Away has to be the bathhouse, whose size and prominence is hard to ignore. It is not quite completely Japanese in style, which is evident, yet not entirely Taiwanese either. Like some of Japan’s shrines, the iconic bathhouse is a blend between two cultures. Most of all, the famed bathhouse of Spirited Away draws influence from the many teahouses in Jiufen, specifically Amei Tea House. Amei Teahouse is a 100-year old teahouse located on Shuqi Road. Amei Teahouse has a blend of Japanese and Taiwanese architecture that we can see reflected in the bathhouse of Spirited Away. The most eye catching detail about this rather large teahouse has to be the red lanterns that hang decoratively from the roof. It is truly a sight to see!

Jiufen can be a very busy town because it has grown in popularity amongst tourists for being the inspiration for the anime movie Spirited Away, as well as the location of the hit Taiwanese movie A City of Sadness. Even on a foggy day, the narrow streets of Old Street are quite crowded making it difficult to walk through! It may be best to start the day out early so that you can explore all the possibilities that this mountainous town has to offer, as well as, the various other sights nearby. Transportation in the area is quite convenient. Taxis and buses are numerous. There is a Gold Fulong bus that will take you to the various sights in Jiufen such as the Golden Waterfall, as pictured above. You can even take the same bus route to go to Fulong Beach, which holds many possibilities for an afternoon of fun! That is, if you have time. If you are in Taiwan, you should always make an effort to try bubble tea in the country that supposedly invented it! Even in the small town of Jiufen, you can find a few bubble tea stalls. Taiwan is known for its milk tea, but there are many different drink combinations that you may want to try. Not a fan of tapioca pearls? Maybe you can trade that out for pudding or jelly, which are great compliments to many bubble tea drinks! When you’re on vacation, you may want to buy some souvenirs along the way. Popular souvenirs sold on Old Street are traditional Taiwanese stamps, very similar to the same stamps that the Japanese use. Although the practice of using stamps in Taiwan are outdated, that doesn’t mean you can’t make one to take home with you. The stores will engrave your name in Chinese characters into the stamp. Most of the stamps sold in the shops are made out of wood. If you have the extra funds, you may want to consider going extremely traditional and purchase a stamp made out of jade, a stone very special in Chinese and Taiwanese culture. You can find a lot of traditional Taiwanese culture in the streets of Jiufen alone.

One thing that aspiring animators/illustrators should be aware of is that the industry requires a lot of your time. A lot of the shows we watch draw us in with their stunning effects and character designs, but just one frame alone can take hours if not days to complete. Being an animator is harder than it looks mainly because you really have to dedicate yourself entirely to your craft. Both the gaming and anime industry have become very fast paced with hours lessening due to quick deadlines. The salary can differ depending on your position and also your work ethic with regards to the specific piece you're working on. By no means is the salary high, but as mentioned earlier receiving a decent salary in this industry is common as they tend to be around roughly $50,000-$60,000 annually for entry positions. Becoming an animator/illustrator requires a lot of your attention as every detail matters. As aforementioned just one frame can take up most of your time, since it has to match up with every other frame that you're either drawing or animating on screen. This shouldn't deter you from dipping your toe into the pool, but it's important to understand the challenges that come with animation. 2D and 3D animation also differ in their approach but also share some similarities. In the 80's, to create a 3D illustration one would have to draw the same image numerous times at different angles which resulted in over hundreds of sheets of paper being used. Now in today's advanced world, the work has been cut down severely but still brings about more challenges as programs such as Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator have a steep learning curve to master. To truly become one with your craft, a lot of commitment is needed which can be beneficial if it suits you but a detriment if it doesn't. This now brings us to the next reason why animation/illustration is a bit harder than we imagined.

When animation was just seen as a 2D format, a lot of the work was done by sheets of paper but now everything is split between computer and traditional styles. Despite the ease of use with computing, the manual work of having to draw out each frame of your character’s movements is still a drawback. In most video games today, everything runs in 60 frames a second which is very fast when compared with the old standard of 24 frames in film work. Creating movement by hand drawing out 60 frames is a lot of work, especially when you first have to design your character, upload it to the PC for detailing in illustrator then render its actions on screen. The entire process itself can be very taxing since not only do you still need to have a strong fundamental understanding of 2D animation/illustration, but now you need to transfer all of that hand drawn work onto a computer to complete your design. Patience is paramount when considering your position as an animator/illustrator because so much of your time will be limited. Anime and gaming differ in their respective ways, but both still carry the burden of having to combine both classical and modern day tasks to achieve the detail we see in our favorite shows. When you watch Bakuman, Moritaka dedicates his time entirely to ensuring every frame of his creation was spot on. Throughout most of the show, there are moments where so much paper is thrown away because one off frame could spell trouble for the rest of your animations. Don't take this as something negative as the whole point behind our justification is that everything requires effort, and if you aspire to take your dreams to the next level you must also strengthen your resolve as you go forward. There will be nights of no sleep, but the end reward is that once everything is compiled together the feeling of excitement permeates throughout your body. Evolution is part of the ongoing process of becoming an animator/illustrator not just yourself, but more importantly the technology that surrounds it all.

To be consistent at what you do it requires a lot of practice and commitment to see any sort of result over time. One must learn to evolve along with the ever moving industry that is animation. Technology plays an extremely major role in the art of animation/illustration, and so therefore in order to truly see results from your hard work you need to have a strong grasp of the programs that exist out there. As mentioned earlier, programs like Photoshop and Illustrator have made a lot of harder tasks a bit less daunting, but still require you to understand the program itself to maximize the benefits. Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and so more programs are being released which make the job of drawing simple expressions a lot easier. 3D applications such as Maya and 3D Studio Max have been around for many years, and are industry standard programs that are used to create the games we all play and the anime we grow to love. Understanding both realms is where the hard work starts to take its effect, because you can't have one without the other. So while technology is evolving to make our lives easier, there are still many cases where we have to rely on the more traditional style of illustration to form a scene. If you intend on entering the industry, understanding the core fundamentals will take you a lot further over the span of your career.

Despite the many drawbacks that being an animator/illustrator can bring, the reward behind seeing your design come to life is uplifting. The sleepless nights and overtime start to feel a little less crazy as now a lot of your work can be easily uploaded through a usb and completed through various programs. Our article isn't meant to scare you away from chasing your dreams, but more to help motivate you to realize that any dream worth chasing will require a lot of sacrifice in order to deliver achievements. The best way to begin is to do a lot of research, starting off with understanding the uses of both 2D and 3D respectively. Animation will always fall back on 2D and so when you're able to master the art of hand drawn animation, your overall design and ideas will skyrocket. One anime can take several months to put together depending on the team behind it, while others can take up to a year to see completion. Knowing this uphill battle is part of the everyday life of an animator but make sure you stay grounded in your approach not letting it deter you. Mind you this isn't for everybody since you're required to always be thinking outside of the box, and that may create a problem in this very hectic world. Just remember that you can't become anything over night, and that to truly see the fruits of your labor shine you need to stay consistent.

Anime fans outside Japan have no trouble understanding what shounen and shoujo anime are. Both target the ‘young male’ and ‘young female’ demographics as a defined feature of their genres and have spawned shows that have become iconic of the anime medium itself. One could easily get the impression that anime as a whole comprises shows and films that can be pigeonholed into the categories of ‘anime for guys’ and ‘anime for girls’, which may indeed be how creators and production staff sees the situation when considering their target audiences. Watching a long-running shounen TV anime show is a time-tested way of getting anime fans into the hobby, and such is the case for countless teenage boys who are right in the strike zone of the genre’s target demographic. The appeal of such shows lies in being able to find characters that one can think of as their idol or as a reliable friend, letting us root for them through their failures and eventual, hard earned success. The stereotypical young male otaku is enamoured with this kind of storytelling, and there’s a wealth of shows with all kinds of settings, character types and plotlines to make it work for almost every preference. On the other hand, shoujo anime are a dime a dozen, more often than not rehashing the high school setting. There is an intense emotional attachment to character drama that cannot be experienced anywhere other than the shoujo genre, especially considering how petty some of the conflicts might’ve been after taking the time to think the events through. Just like how romance movies hit it off well with the girl crowd, the fantasies of ideal romantic partners or hoping for the fulfillment of an unlikely couples are the As the differences between these genres are relatively clear-cut and lack in overlap, there is definitely merit in understanding that there is a split teenage anime viewership at least in terms of how each of the two genres above develop their popularity. However, to extrapolate further than the fact that there are two defined genres that have very particular target audiences is a dangerous line of thought. In order to show why this is, we will proceed to look at how certain fanbases are in more specific genres.

The same understanding comes into question when the sub genres of anime, which are also significant features of the current anime landscape, come under scrutiny. Are mecha anime and mahou shoujo shows really dedicated to a specific audience? Let’s first consider the former. Mecha anime is probably best understood in terms of its largest franchises, namely Gundam and Macross. While Gundam series are no doubt quality shows that convey meaningful (if admittedly questionable) messages about the problems of war and human conflict, they are also largely driven by hordes of mecha anime fans who have developed a deep appreciation of the intricate robot designs of the franchise’s signature robotic war machines and form a consumer base for the model kits and toys made of them. This particular subset of viewers is definitely dominated by males. However, the very same Gundam franchise have also spawned shows that have hit it off with the female demographic for various reasons. Consider the relatively recent Mobile Suit Gundam 00; the show has garnered an enormous female fan base because of the appealing bishounen character designs for the show’s main Gundam pilots. In fact, voice actor Mamoru Miyano became so popular for his role as Setsuna F. Seiei, the show’s protagonist, that he remains to date as one of the most loved male voice actors among dedicated female otakus in Japan. The Gundam franchise is a prime example of how genres in anime do not exist categorically; there are crossovers and overlaps for the vast majority of shows that leads to them appealing to a much broader range of audiences. Moreover, creators within established franchise are probably motivated to take a more flexible approach in their storytelling in order to attract newer fans in order to promote even more growth. The Macross franchise further complicates issues as it is as well remembered for its romance as it is for its mecha. Although, yet again, the franchise produced memorable mecha designs with every new shoes, iconic works such as Macross: Do You Remember Love is just as (if not more) loved for its memorable songs and romantic plotline, which is appreciated from both sides of the gender spectrum. Anime as a hobby, and probably along with many other modern media, has many aspects that do not divide between male and female. In fact, anime as a whole garners fans from so many different backgrounds that differentiating between gender seems to be meaningless. Ending off this section, let’s take a brief look at the mahou shoujo genre. Best known for spawning the now legendary Sailor Moon franchise, it is difficult to argue against the idea that mahou shoujo shows were originally meant to appeal only with female pre-teens. However, as the genre gained traction and Sailor Moon itself became a respectable love story with surprisingly ground-breaking themes for a TV show for kids, mahou shoujo evolved beyond its target audience. In fact, this evolution tips off an important aspect about the possibilities of anime that makes it difficult to regard the medium’s fanbase as split between male and female, and almost inane to think that ‘shounen’ and ‘shoujo’ (and the adult forms of either genre) covers everything that anime has to offer.

The current season of anime has over 40 series airing on TV. This is not counting those that began from the previous season, the films that are scheduled to air within this time nor the series that will be released direct-to-video. This has happened for four seasons a year for many, many years leading up to where we are now. There is a lot of anime available to us that we can easily tap into. Having said that, let’s refocus on the issue at hand: how do we consider the viewers of all these anime, and does being a boy or a girl have much, if anything, to do with that. The genre labels seem to suggest so, but also otherwise when looking at just how different some of the shows can be within specific subgenres. There are some shows that are clearly aimed at either boys or girls, but also shows that can appeal very well to both. What’s going on? The core issue of this problem is not one that lies within anime, but in the question being asked. A common assumption about anime, especially with newer fans, is that there are a lot more commonalities between all anime series and films than there really are. This leads to further assumptions that the people who consume anime also have a lot in common when that is not necessarily true. These assumptions come from a preconception that anime is, in one way or another, a genre of animated works. This is not true. Anime is a medium pertaining to animation produced in Japan, nothing more and nothing less. As the medium has evolved to bring us such a variety of TV anime series and anime films, there are countless combinations of anime that a single anime fan can have. The term otaku may be considered to have a specific definition when used in English, but its use in Japan is often specified even further (such as mecha otaku, military otaku…) just so that it becomes clearer what group of people exactly are being referred to. Ghibli family-friendly works are anime, provocative ecchi shows are anime and even social commentaries such as Hataraki Man and Shirobako are also anime. There are so few commonalities between their fans that it makes more sense to discuss their differences based on the genres of the anime, the topics they discuss or even their creators. There are many differences between anime and their viewers, some meaningful or thought-provoking and some less so because of how arbitrary they are. A difference based on gender is about as arbitrary and general as it can get. In essence, asking for the difference between otaku boys and otaku girls is about as meaningful as figuring out the difference between male and female movie watchers or the differences between male and female newspaper readers.

Once you get off the bus in Shirakawa-go, you will feel as if you were transported back in time to a period when things were simpler. The houses seem to be untouched by the advancement of humankind, unlike many of the cities in Japan. It is not crowded nor overrun by tourists who get in the way of every image you try to capture. It is a merely simple place, allowing you to enjoy the greenery that you just cannot experience in major tourist sites in Japan. Depending on what season you go, you will get to experience a different Shirakawa-go. In Spring and Summer, much of the plants are a bold green, giving the village the color of life. In Fall, the leaves change colors and paint the village a crisp red. Yet, it is Winter that seems to bring out the true feel of Shirakawa-go. It is the time when the snow has blanketed the ground and layered on the roofs of the gassho-zukuri. This is the season you can truly appreciate the gassho-zukuri! Now, gather some courage, as you must cross the rope bridge to access the village. You may worry about the bridge, but it is very stable. Once you step off the bridge, you will be met with the sight of dozens of gassho-zukuri houses! Take your time to stroll through the streets. It can be quite relaxing since Shirakawa-go is not like the metropolis that is Tokyo. Here, you can just enjoy the scenery at your own pace!

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As you walk along, you can stop at the shrine that is in the village or take a look at the various gassho-zukuri houses. There are even a few shops you can enter. If you follow the pathway, you can find the short hike which will take you to the overlook. The hike may seem steep, but it should not take long. The hike itself will take about 10 minutes, if even that. Once you reach the overlook, you get a wonderful view of the village! With such a picturesque view, you cannot help but feel that there is an eerie calm in this village. Shirakawa-go may seem very quiet at first, but there is plenty to see and experience, especially if you visit as a Higurashi no Naku Koro ni fan. If you walk around Shirakawa-go, you can see some familiar places such as Rika and Satoko’s house, the waterwheel, and the shrine. Walk around and see how much you can recognize. You would be very surprised! Shirakawa-go is not the type of place to go to if you are looking for a fast paced type of vacation. It is not a place where you rush through everything within a few hours. Shirakawa-go is a place for you to absorb in the countryside; enjoy the nature that you do not get much of in the city. Cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are busy and fast paced, but they are not representations of the entire country of Japan as a whole. If you want to see another side of Japan, you can find a piece of it here in Shirakawa-go.

If you have made up your mind to visit Shirakawa-go, it is important to note that a bus ticket has to be purchased and a seat reservation has to be made. For those who cannot speak Japanese to call and do so themselves, this can always be done at the bus center. You are technically able to get a seat reservation and bus ticket on the day of your trip, however there may be no availabilities that day or no return bus, although many people who do visit Shirakawa-go opt to stay overnight in the village in one of the gassho-zukuri houses! Others will visit Shirakawa-go on the way to Takayama from Kanazawa or vise versa. For those of you who are concerned about scheduling, just buy your ticket and make your reservation the day before! If you really enjoy Shirakawa-go, you can also take a separate bus to go to Gokayama, which has the gassho-zukuri houses but tends to be more secluded in comparison to Shirakawa-go. Bus centers usually do have some English speaking staff so purchasing the tickets should not be an issue. In Toyama, Kanazawa, and Takayama, the bus centers are located right next to the JR stations. In Winter, on select weekends, the gassho-zukuri houses will be lit up at night. It is another great reason to visit in Winter! Japan loves their omiyage and if you want to purchase some to take home, you may want to consider buying Sarubobo! Sarubobo is a mascot of the Gifu prefecture, which Shirakawa-go is located in. Sarubobo comes in different colors, each representing a different area in which people would like luck in like fertility and health! Although, if Sarubobo isn’t your thing, you can always pick up Shirakawa-go themed Hello Kitty or Rilakkuma accessories! You’ll find them in almost every one of the omiyage shops. Maybe you are more interested in the region’s local specialty. Shirakawa-go has a soba and udon restaurant, but if you are hungry, you can’t just leave Gifu prefecture without trying Hide beef! In Shirakawa-go, you can find Hide beef skewers as well as croquettes. There are also other foods such as agemochi and of course, senbei (rice crackers)! Shirakawa-go has many shops that sell senbei, a favorite omiyage to take home. While you walk around Shirakawa-go, you may also have some fun spotting the small details that prove that the village has advanced on with the rest of civilization. Yes, the village has an old feel to it, but if you look carefully, you can spot things like a stuffed Doraemon peeking through the curtains of a home or a satellite dish hanging on the roof of one of the historic gassho-zukuri homes. It just shows that you can’t keep society from progressing with the times, even though you try to preserve as much of the heritage as possible.

A popular character set-up in many action anime is a large group of mostly male characters, and one or two females. In many series, these females are strong and badass alongside their male counterparts, making them important and awesome members of the team, but they are also often the subjects of a bit of fan-service for the viewers. The bikini heroine is exactly that character! Sometimes, the girl in the group will not just be wearing short shorts and a tight-fitting or low-cut top – sometimes, she might be wearing just a bikini or a similar kind of sexy armor! Thus we present the concept of the bikini heroine – one beautiful girl, wearing only her bikini despite the danger to her body, and continuing to fight on anyway!

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been driven to living underground by a race called Beastmen, who freely roam the surface fighting in their war machines known as Gunmen. Simon and Kamina begin the story as typical underground civilians, working to excavate the Earth for a living – until they stumble across the key to an ancient weapon, which they dub Lagann. When they suddenly find themselves attacked from the surface, they fight back using Lagann and with the aid of a surface adventurer named Yoko. Now that Kamina and Simon have seen the surface, they begin a new journey to help fight against the Beastmen alongside Yoko to save humanity! In the desert setting of Gurren Lagann, most of the characters are not wearing a lot of clothes – the men are often shirtless or at least have open shirts, and as for our heroine Yoko, she’s just wearing a bikini top, short shorts, and boots! Yoko is quite an iconic character in anime, and many fans know her even if they have never watched Gurren Lagann – she is one of the most well-known bikini wearing fighting girls in recent anime! Yoko faces intense explosions, fights against giant robots, and survives in a post-apocalyptic environment wearing her bikini armor. And of course, it always keeps her safe. If you prefer a more adventure anime plot with a lot of action, but are still interested in a bikini clad female alongside all the men, (and trust us when we say that Yoko’s bikini does wonderful things for her figure), Gurren Lagann is a great choice.

Maybe just one bikini-wearing girl isn’t enough for you. Maybe you’re not feeling satisfied still mostly looking at men and only having a few opportunities to gaze your eyes upon all that beautiful, exposed skin in your action shots. Fear not, because there also exists the Bikini Small Group! In these anime, there is not just one, but a few sexy armor-wearing girls getting into the action and fighting wearing only the minimum! Get ready for these bikini girls to be interacting with one another and with other characters, and getting down and dirty in the brawl as a group!

Bikini Warriors begins with an age-old plot for a fantasy anime – darkness is taking over the world, and the protagonists have to fight to save everyone. However, this anime is anything but typical! The four main females – one mage, one paladin, one fighter, and one dark elf – just can’t seem to get along with one another, and are rather inept at being adventurers in general. If they want to actually save the world from the incoming darkness, they have to learn to take care of themselves and work together as a team first. Are these girls up to the challenge? How could we write an article about bikini armor and NOT include Bikini Warriors, especially with a name like that? As you maybe have been able to guess by now, all four of these useless girls are clad in little more than bikini-style armor! They’re still wielding weapons and raiding dungeons (or well, trying to at least…) but they hardly have enough armor to actually protect their bodies. And yet, miraculously, they are safe from harm! Bikini Warriors even has a sequence poking fun at this genre of anime, where the group of girls ask another character if he really thinks their armor is very protective. Bikini Warriors is a really fun look at the sexy armor kind of anime, not taking itself seriously at all and understanding how ridiculous the concept is but running with it anyway. So if you’d like a laugh, and to see a small group of bikini-clad warriors facing the rest of society, give Bikini Warriors a try as a fun look into this idea!

Does even the small group leave you unsatisfied? Would you rather eliminate other characters completely, or at least give them a minimal role? Are you left lusting after more and more fighting, bikini girls? Well fear not, the Bikini Army is here! In this concept, nearly every character in the show – or at least, a large number of them – are girls wearing sexy armor. This means you can expect them to not only be fighting the enemy, but even fighting other girls also wearing bikini armor! Everywhere you look, you’ll see bikini girls fighting, and of course, not taking any damage with the miracle protection of their sexy armor!

Queen Claudette rules through tyranny, oppression, and persecution – and a ruler like that almost always incites a rebellion. Thus begins Queen’s Blade: Rebellion, the story of a group of women who are ready to fight back against the Queen! While the Queen may have her own powerful army, it doesn’t get in the way of this band of rebel warriors who are willing to put everything on the line in order to try to save their kingdom from oppression. Queen’s Blade has created an entire world where nearly every single character in it is a sexy armor-wearing girl! The ladies on both sides of the war are wearing bikinis that are based on medieval, fantasy-style armor – they look like they’re made from metal or leather, and include elements like capes, boots, and gloves. However, they cover only as much skin as a typical modern bikini would, leaving exposed legs, armors, stomachs, backs, and of course, a fair amount of boobs too. The women are fighting on another with a variety of medieval weaponry, and yet, their minimalist armor keeps them quite protected even against swords! So if you want to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of sexy armor girls fighting against one another and coming from every direction, Queen’s Blade: Rebellion is definitely what you want to check out.

It’s nothing new that some series will jump to an alternative timeline in order to deal with overtaking the manga’s timeline. Naruto and Dragonball Z did it, and everything ended up being okay and even enjoyable! Fullmetal Alchemist did it, and it ended up being fantastic! In fact, we could call Fullmetal Alchemist a glowing success! That is, until we compare it with its newer, manga-faithful series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009). The 2003 series is an enjoyable experience for a shounen battle anime, plot holes and all. The 2009 adaptation, however, is much more solid in its storytelling. If the 2003 series is a great shounen anime, the 2009 series is its much better masterful twin sans plot holes. Because the 2003 anime adaptation switches storylines before we got to the mythos of the Homunculi, the anime creators were left to make their own rules, leading to a particularly confusing “rule” that the Homunculi can be killed if they are near a part of their remains. Call it the “Sin of Pride,” but keeping around the thing that kills you seems like he shouldn’t exist even for as long as he did. As for Gluttony, was he even human? Is the “rule” just one quick and dirty way to kill a Homunculus, or did a new way to kill Homunculi suddenly pop up in The Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)? These types of inconsistencies were easily identifiable when the 2009 series treated Homunculi in a completely manner.

Valvrave is an interesting watch with mecha battles and a school setting that will remind you of Code Gaess. There’s a lot of good in the anime: great animation and bold plot points. Valvrave mixes hard science fiction with fantasy elements and a whole lot of melodrama. The stars of the show become immortal mecha pilots. The main protagonist Haruto even has cravings characteristic of a vampire. For probably xenophobic reasons, one of the ruling political blocks decides they want to kill all of the immortal students. That alone should let you know what kind of unanswered questions we’re dealing with. While the second season gave a little enlightenment, we are still left with a lot of explaining that was not addressed. Unfortunately, the most problematic issue can only be explained with anime logic: Haruto is the best because he is the protagonist of the anime.

Similar to Valvrave, Seraph of the End involves vampire elements, but again, the vampire part is not the main issue. Seraph of the End is a pretty great anime, mixing different folklores and pulling out some great themes about family and friendship. As the protagonist Yuuichiro finds himself on the opposing side of his orphan brother Mikaela, the line separating good and evil blurs. Now, we know from Episode 1 of the first season that Yuuichiro is supposed to be a huge idiot, but this something that even time can’t fix for this character. With near zero character development for Yuuichiro, we’re left with repeating dialogs in near identical scenes. Then, there are unfortunate ethical conflicts that aren’t even addressed when Yuuichiro suddenly decides to prioritize his “new family” above his real family Mikaela, while still spouting how important family is to him. A stupid character can really keep the anime ball rolling, but all those repetitive plot points are really annoying.

Dimension W is a pretty and enticing science fiction anime filled with very cute human-like robots and multiple timelines, or dimensions. It appears to be a science fiction fan’s dream. Unfortunately, it wants to explain everything with, “A coil went haywire,” even when it involves ghastly hauntings in a hotel in Episodes 4 and 5. Despite the nonspecific explanation of dimension w before every episode, it would be a stretch to say that anything scientific is at work in an alternate holographic world that seems to be most powered by remnants of memories and regret, oh, and a haywire Numbers coil. For an anime that looked like it was taking the science part of science fiction seriously, it was a harsh and slow-rolling surprise as the season fully panned out, and fans learned the science therein hardly makes any sense.

In semi-coordination with adaptation-induced flaws, Freezing seems more focused on creating fan service moments than progressing the story or developing its characters. Even certain plot points that appeared to be a part of an actual story end up just being another set up for fan service. The anime doesn’t even have enough time to explain powers held by this or that Pandora, and the story itself feels brutally unfinished. What we are left with is very little story progression, underdeveloped characters, and a lot of questions. The basis of the story seems like an interesting future dystopia with possible plot shock value that could rival Puella Magi Madoka Magica, but fan service ruled this anime, making us wonder if there was a story at all.

For starters, if you are a fan of Sailor Moon that pays attention to every detail, judging by the address, the location of the exhibit happens to be within the Azubu Juban district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward, which also serves as the main setting for the Sailor Moon series. So it is rather appropriate that the exhibit takes place within context to its source material. Depending on what day you go, it can get rather busy. During Honey’s trip to the exhibit, it happened to have fallen on May 5th, a national holiday, so it was rather busy going through the ticket line. It took about 10 minutes to get through the ticket line, and after purchasing tickets, observers must go through a security scanner. After that, in order to get up to the 52nd floor to see the exhibit, is a much longer wait to get onto the elevator. The wait for the elevator ride took around 20-30 minutes. Now that the Golden Week holidays are passed, if you happen to have a day off on a general weekday, it should be easy to pass through. Usually, Wednesdays in Japan tend to be the easiest days for businesses. Weekends might still be a challenge, but should be easier compared to Golden Week.

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The elevator will go directly to the 52nd floor so you don’t have to wait between the 1st and 52nd floor while going up. After stepping off, you find yourself to the entrance where you present your ticket to the employee at the gate and you find yourself at a gallery of wall scrolls of the Sailor Senshi all painted by Takeuchi-sensei herself. This first exhibit is also accompanied by decorations of the Silver Millennium surrounding the windows which give you a gorgeous view of the Tokyo Skyline. From the windows of the first part of the exhibit, you get a great view of Tokyo Tower, which was also used in context to the storyline of both the old and original animated series of Sailor Moon. In addition to the wall scrolls, you can take a picture of life board cut outs of Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi by a professional photographer. A business card size photo is free while a bigger picture would cost around 1300 yen. At the center of the first room is various related merchandise such as books, magazines, toys, and games. In this part of the exhibit, you are free to take pictures. For a large majority of the remaining exhibits you are NOT ALLOWED to take pictures.

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While transitioning from the first exhibit to a video room that shows images of the manga, there is a display on the wall that explains in perfect detail the story of Sailor Moon from the first story arc to Stars. Unfortunately, all the explanations are in Japanese and you cannot take pictures. Then as you enter the video room, it shows a brief two minute video about the history of Sailor Moon and how the Sailor Senshi came together. After the video is over, while heading towards the next exhibit are life size statues of Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion. The statues are not in color and only in white. However, they are beautifully detailed as well as the costumes they are wearing. The good news is, you can take a picture of this part of the exhibit!

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The second part of the exhibit after the movie is that on the walls, you can see the original first story of the manga all in color! As stated, you cannot take pictures. Also along the walls are original 18 volumes of the Sailor Moon manga and the Sailor V manga. In the center in glass displays, it also has the original Nakayoshi Magazine that features the first story of Sailor Moon! In addition, it has general old school merchandise such as bags, stickers, pens, lockets and notebooks. The third part of the exhibit shows some various toys on displays such as the original dolls by Bandai, costumes for children, the statues released back in 2000, manga releases from various countries such as Brazil, Mexico, the US, and Germany. It even has an official Sailor Moon Tricycle on display! On the walls, they are COVERED in various concept art and character designs from the 1992 original anime series in addition to designs of the environments such as Usagi’s house! Unfortunately, this is also a nice place you cannot take pictures despite the never ending temptation to photo a great part of history!

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The fourth room contains animation cells, storyboards, and original trading cards. Above the trading cards, is an HD monitor playing all the opening and ending theme songs from the original series up to Stars, the final season. Unfortunately, this monitor does not play any of the songs from Crystal. Some hardcore fans whether Japanese or foreign will happily sing the songs just for fun such as the iconic Moonlight Densetsu or the catchy Rashiku Ikimashou from Sailor Moon SuperS. While entering the fifth room, along the wall are props from the musicals such as the weapons of the Outer Sailor Scouts. Also while entering the fifth room on the entrance wall is a painting of the logo of the exhibition and an autograph by Takeuchi-sensei herself in alphabet letters! The good news, you can take a picture of this part! The fifth room contains original art by Takeuchi-sensei of the Sailor Senshi. So if you want a more artistic experience, this is the spot! One painting of Sailor Saturn and another painting of the Sailor Senshi are masterfully colored in glitter. The sixth and final room contains newer merchandise such as the Figuarts action figures, pamphlets of the recent musicals, a display of Prince Endymion’s costume from the musical, a display of an official marriage certificate under Japanese law, posters of Sailor Moon Crystal, and a monitor that plays the songs and trailers to Sailor Moon Crystal.

Even though a majority of the exhibit is in Japanese, there are some signs at the entrance that do have some English, but the English is a little broken. Some of the staff members can speak English so if any of you readers choose to visit and do not speak Japanese, do not be hesitant to ask a staff member for help. As for any other language, we can not confirm that. Usually other businesses or exhibits in Japan will wear tags on what language they speak but this exhibit won’t. Staff members came up to us and openly talked to us in English.

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After enjoying the exhibit, you are free to enjoy the official exhibit shop. In order to enter, you must present your ticket or you can't get in! Upon getting in line, you can grab a brochure of what you can buy. Even if you can't read Japanese, there will be pictures of what the items you can buy are. Fans familiar to the franchise can instantly tell what they are. The line to get into the shop depending on what day and time you go can and will be busy. As stated, Honey’s visit was on a national holiday so waiting in line just to get in was pretty hectic. Once you get in, you will see a giant monitor that will also play the songs from the original series and you will be exposed to what you can buy. At the shop you can buy Sailor Moon cookies and marshmallows, folders, pens, figures, CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray, manga, T-shirts, jewelry and so on. Upon exiting the shop, employees will give you a free energy drink containing Vitamin B6 with Sailor Moon on the cover! In addition to the shop, there is also a café that sells gimmick burgers and drinks in relation to the Sailor Moon franchise. One is a parfait called the Miracle Romance, a play on a lyric from the original theme song. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to visit due to the very long lines and there was a sign that disclaims in Japanese that the wait in line would take over two hours! Due to this long wait, we decided not to attend. So if you are ever in the area on a less busier day, please feel free to try it. After the exhibit, you can check out the rest of Roppongi Hills. It also serves as a shopping mall you can find just about anywhere. If you want a piece of your home country, maybe you can find yourself to the Starbucks and or McDonald’s. Tokyo Tower is a relatively close walk so please feel free to check it out and see if the real Tokyo Tower compares to what you may have seen in Sailor Moon.