From lolicon to moe: the adventures of the bishoujo

From lolicon to moe: the adventures of the bishoujo

Japanese otaku fans are often associated with two controversial concepts: lolicon and moe. Outside of otaku circles, both terms are associated with some sort of abnormal attraction for fictional characters. To put it bluntly, they are perceived as two equivalent forms...
Daicon, back in context

Daicon, back in context

The two Daicon shorts, Daicon III and Daicon IV, are still today considered to be emblematic monuments of otaku culture. A large part of this reputation comes from the fame of its creators, the ones who would go on to create studio Gainax, but also from the array of...
Evangelion: You Can (Not) Deconstruct

Evangelion: You Can (Not) Deconstruct

You’ve probably heard or read this somewhere: “Neon Genesis Evangelion is a deconstruction of the mecha genre” – or of SF, or even of shounen as a whole, if the person writing this is ambitious. This interpretation of one of the most famous mecha series ever is...