Early Japanese Animation at Open Culture

Nice article on early Japanese animation at Open Culture, with some interesting samples. I liked the music in this one, as well as the story. Read the article and see more films here.

Japanese 'Fahrenheit 451' Poster

Regular visitors to this site will be aware of my fondness for 'Fahrenheit 451.' I came across this striking Japanese poster for the film this morning. You can see more Japanese posters from the 'Swinging Sixties' here.

AKB48 -- The Exuberance of Japanese Pop Culture

I'm new to the music of AKB48. But this video is a perfect distillation of the endearing, energetic goofiness of Japanese pop culture and the super-stylized imagery of anime. Part of my attraction to anime is the way 'reality' is not allowed to anchor works of the imagination to the ground by way of ill-advised attempts to be 'gritty' or 'realistic.' This music video combines miniskirted super-cops, giant monsters, biker girls, 'Ringu' styled ghost girls, and a ton of other anime staples in six souped-up minutes of off-the-rails fun. Watch it here.

Ultraman Adversaries