Belle: Mamoru Hosoda’s Most International Film

Belle: Mamoru Hosoda’s Most International Film

Mamoru Hosoda has truly become “the new Miyazaki.” By that, I do not mean that he is or has become Hayao Miyazaki’s heir or that his work follows up on that of the studio Ghibli director. Rather, I mean that Hosoda has taken Miyazaki’s place in...
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...