Author Archives: bitmap
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episodes 7-8
Hey all, it’s me, the mysteriously-absent Mysterious Girlfriend X episodic blogger! But no, I do apologize: I’ve been busy with real-life things and am recovering from a slight case of writer’s block! Anyway, I’ll keep this part short; this week’s … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episode 5
Sorry for the late post this week! Overall, a nice episode this week; I just want to point out that this episode is the first one that plays out quite differently from the manga. (For the curious, chapter 6 is … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
When in Rome: The Anglo-anisphere vs. “Haganai”
Note: The following post was originally published on 17 November, 2011 on the now-defunct Remember XVI. It is presented here edited to fit the visual formatting of Altair & Vega, but otherwise unaltered in content. As such, the statistics and such in … Continue reading
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episode 4
This week, we finally get to see Ayuko Oka in action! (And perhaps more importantly, hear Ryō Hirohashi play her!) On a side note, I have rough translations of the short essays written by Riichi Ueshiba for the first four volumes … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episode 3
Another week, another episode of Mysterious Girlfriend X! I’ve been voicing my thoughts on the pacing of the adaptation, and this week, we finally got to see how they would fit multiple chapters into one episode. (The contents of episode 3 … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
Hanko-e Philosophy in Animation: Shining Hearts and the Uncanny Valley
“My eyes have been trained to examine faces and not their trimmings.” – Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles I’ve discussed it before, but let us once again touch upon the topic of hanko-e. Literally meaning “stamp picture,” hanko-e is a style … Continue reading
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episode 2
It’s the weekend, and you know what that means: more mysterious goodness! This week, we finally learn the significance of those scissors tucked under Mikoto’s skirt, and get an eyeful of fanservice along with it. All in all, episode 2 … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
Mysterious Girlfriend X Episode 1
I quite honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from the anime adaptation of Mysterious Girlfriend X (Nazo no Kanojo X), even though I had read the original manga. Just what do you get when you combine a studio that’s only produced shows … Continue reading
Filed under Episodics, Mysterious Girlfriend X
Denpa bigaku riron: the Rise of the “Radio” Aesthetic in Japanese Subculture in the 21st Century
Abstract A self-proclaimed sociologist with no academic background in the field of sociology, bitmap has nonetheless published dozens of posts on modern Japanese pop culture over the Internet, and has been described as “an unconquered genius” by his peers. His … Continue reading
Filed under Editorials, Modern Visual Culture
Spirit of Okinawa: Asobi ni Iku yo! and Ryukyuan Folklore
How familiar is the modern foreign anime fan with Japan as a place? From the bustling streets of the mecca of moé, Akihabara, to the temples of historical Kyoto, some parts of Japan are well-trodden backdrops. Watch enough anime, and a viewer … Continue reading
Filed under Asobi ni Iku yo!, Editorials
