Tag Archives: manga

When you’re an Anime Fan… but only part time

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Cover of Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World by Matt Alt

So few weeks ago I got the chance to attend Anime North, one of the biggest cons to focus almost entirely on Japanese animation, comics and culture. Back in March I was musing about my love of conventions, and Anime North is one of my favorites. This con is fan-run, covers a variety of topics, is 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly and accommodating of various disabilities, and it’s just a great time regardless of how big an anime fan you are.

But here’s the thing about me and anime/manga. I’m definitely a fan… but I’m not a huge fan, at least not compared to some. Chances are if you ask me if I’ve seen a series, the answer is no. Attack on Titan? Nope. My Hero Academia? Nope. Jujutsu Kaisen? Watched the first couple of episodes but nothing else yet. It’s tricky when I’m talking to other anime fans who are so eager to gush about their favorites and I have very few points of reference.

Also I have yet to see a single Miyazaki film. Yes, I hang my head in shame.

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Heroes from Our Shelves

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If you could have a superpower, what would it be? The ability to fly? To be a webslinger with Spidey senses? Or maybe someone who’s really good at bowling, an ability that could unexpectedly dish out some justice, as you’ll see if you keep reading this post! Personally, I wish I could read books faster, so that I don’t have to be a sloth juggling half a dozen books at once. But that’d only count as a superpower if you consider readers or library workers to be superheroes!

Photo of a stack of comic books beside a black coffee mug. Photo by Rahul Mishra via Unsplash.
Photo by Rahul Mishra on Unsplash

Relatable superheroes who specialize in serving justice in fiction books, graphic novels, and TV shows are always fun to root for. When it’s backed by a gripping good versus evil narrative, what’s better than flipping through the pages of a comic book to see flashy fights with onomatopoeias or watching the high-octane and colourful action scenes on the big screen?

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Cherry Blossoms in the GTA: Spring, Transience and International Relations

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Cole-Jonathon Neophytou via Shutterstock

We’re on Cherry Blossom Watch everyone!

What is that? Well, that’s when the City of Toronto and its surrounding areas wait with anticipation for the cherry blossom trees in High Park and elsewhere around the city to bloom.

Cherry blossoms (桜 Sakura in Japanese, 벚꽃 Beotkkok in Korean, 櫻花 Yīng Huā in Chinese, etc.) are small five-petal flowers that are often associated with the color pink, but they come in other colors as well, like white. They’re native to areas in east Asia but they’ve been planted all over the world. They’re the national flower of Japan and they bloom for a short period each spring. In our neck of the woods that usually means late April early May, depending on the weather. They can be seen most famously in High Park, but they can also be found in other places around the city, like Toronto Island and Exhibition Place.

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