I have nothing but love for Tezuka Osamu. Hell, I traveled across Japan just to visit the museum dedicated to him. But I never thought I would see the day when this pioneer of manga and anime would break in the moe community. Well, I thought wrong. Enter “Osamu Moet Moso,” an exhibition being held at the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara from September 18 to October 11. The concept? “Fantasize with Tezuka Osamu.” And what a line up of artists responded to the call!

Pop (“Moetan”):
 

Kei (Hatsune Miku):

Ito Noizi (“The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,” “Burning-Eyed Shana”):… Read the rest

Momoi Halko (桃井はるこ) isn’t your average Japanese idol. First of all, she doesn’t care to hide here age: 32. She also is perfectly comfortable hanging out with the guys chatting about bishoujo games and idols (she’s crazy about Mizuno Aoi). She is one of the most recognizable voices in anime and games, specializing in high-pitched “little sister” types. But her voice in spoken conversation is surprisingly rich. And, despite being the spokeswoman for moe, Momoi is surprisingly ambivalent about the phenomenon.

Momoi is full of surprises. In fact, she didn’t make her magazine debut in gravure, … Read the rest

Kaiju/Musume

In the heartland of anime, manga and games, Akihabara, Schatz Kiste is a maid cafe dedicated to spreading Akihabara’s culture to Japan and the world. And now, indie soft vinyl kaiju are invading!

Kaiju and Cute Girls
Shock and Moe
Old-School Japan and Modern Akiba
3D and 2D

What will happen when these elements come together? The only thing guaranteed is that it’s definitely something you don’t want to miss!

Featured creators will be bringing new original figures for display and sale, and original photography and illustrations featuring a blend of Kaiju and Akiba culture will be on … Read the rest

I am super impressed with this design, which I just received from Yamaji Tomo. He is an independent creator, and this is all made in Japan, an increasingly rare combination that I’d like to support. It is called the HENGE h010101, and it sells for around US$1,100, but it has been discounted to US$577. Check out the demo.… Read the rest

This past week, weekly women’s magazine “An-an” featured a huge story on moe. We are talking 11 pages, the second largest story in the entire January 20 issue. While “Vogue” did something similar – manga and dolls as fashion - introducing moe into the mainstream domestic fashion vocabulary is an interesting move.

The article attempts to explain moe as experienced by women. The definition is actually good: Not a preference or type, but it a strange feeling you get in response to bearing or clothing. This is not love, because it has nothing to do with any real partner, and … Read the rest

Before I begin, I need to state that I am a dyed in the wool Kaji and Asuka fan. To see these two characters, I lined up in Shinjuku a day early to see “Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance” (Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha), the newest theatrical version of the immortal television anime series released June 27. About 1,000 Eva addicts joined me in festival, and by morning the media had staged its own “Evangelion Festival.” But for me Kaji and Asuka were the reason to celebrate, and this necessarily colors my review. I was particularly concerned about the presence … Read the rest