[Editorial] Sweet Purgatory: Some Thoughts on Angel Beats
By Fernando Ramos

In case the title and timing of this article don’t make it clear, this is going to spoil the entirety of Angel Beats. For those who haven’t seen the show, the spoiler-free tl;dr version is thus: Angel Beats was a flawed show that it doesn’t quite add up to everything it could have. Despite that, it was a pleasant surprise for your dear writer due to some interesting themes that exceeded my low expectations.

Now with that out of the way, here comes the fanwank.

SNAP JUDGEMENTS: SPRING 2010
Fernando Ramos gives us a Snap Judgment on several series from the 2010, Spring season. These titles include: Rainbow, Arakawa Under the Bridge, K-On!!, KissxSis, Angel Beats and B Gata H Kei.

Japan Jumble: Okay Fine. The Guys Can (Cos) Play Too
We continue our long-overdue tour of Comiket 77's cosplay. Aren't you excited? The vast majority of cosplayers in Japan are female, or desperately trying to be female in ways that would make Jennifer Diane Reitz proud. This can make for some interesting discussion. We could try to psychoanalyze this as Japan's paternalistic culture making women wanting to dress-up to appease men and otaku men (-children) trying to become the idealized fantasy object seen in anime to gain some degree of control.

But then it just starts sounding silly. Instead, I'm content to just do what I normally do with these here Japan Jumble, put up photos and make wry, snooty observations from my Ivory Gaijin Tower in Saitama.

Japan Jumble: Let's Face It, You Just Want Girls Cosplaying
One week after the shutters have closed on the 77th Comiket, we finally release our pictures of cosplayers throughout.

Hello all. So last week I had the pleasure of attending my second-ever Comiket. This isn't the first time that Comiket has been discussed on Anime3000. In fact, one of my earliest articles (and still proud of it) was about the previous Comiket 76. The thing about conventions like Comiket is that nothing really changes from one to the next. 

Japan Jumble: Journey Through the Decade
ON THE ROAD...dare mo wa tabi no tochuu. Okay, bad Kamen Rider jokes aside, the Japan Jumble is back and it wants blood...and mochi.

So I've been sick and busy with the holidays, thus haven't been focusing my love and attention on this column the way I normally do. However, now instead of putting things on Flickr, I am free to upload to my own FTP space with impunity.

In any case, for the first column of the New Year, what better thing to cover than New Year's Day? In Japan, New Year's is like bigger than Jesus. Really. While Christmas is slowly gaining traction beyond just a couples' holiday and excuse to eat KFC, the real focal point is in staying up late and watching the ball drop.

Spaceship Battleship Yamato Warps Into Third Dimension
In yet another reminder that I have to use my pre-bought tickets for the Space Battleship Yamato Rebirth anime, a trailer of the live-action debut of the franchise has come out.

Fan anticipation has been cautiously optimistic. Japan does have a robust entertainment industry and a reputation in Asia for flashy, expensive movies, but not so much for serious sci-fi in the vein of Star Trek. Let's not forget the mixed reactions to previous live-action adaptations like 2004's Casshern and Cutie Honey.

Further complicating matters is the decision to cast boyband heartthrob Takuya Kimura in the starring role. While having a big name like Kimura is a guarantee that the movie will make money, can his hairspray-drenched hands take on the manly stoicism that defines the series?

Japan Jumble: Things That Shouldn't Be: Jumbo-sized
Because not everything is microsized....

After a year and change here, you get used to seeing things. People in yukata on trains? Quirky but whatever, what with the grabs at fading national pride and the like. Girls with quarter-inch hemlines in the dead of winter? Daily routine.

A jumbo-sized version of Tetris with massive controllers? 

Japan Jumble: The Great Game Center in the Sky
After a brief haitus, Japan Jumble is back. Hooray. Last time, we introduced you to the Tokyo Tower. Normally this would include countless pictures of the Tokyo Skyline followed by gushing paragraphs about the beauty and magnificence of the city. We're Japan Jumble though and we don't buy any of that crap.

Tokyo is an overrated crowded mess. While astoundingly clean for a metropolis of its magnitude, it is just a depressing place to go alone and seeing that skyline from up high does little to challenge the perception. Plus, again, not a single magical warrior fight in sight. 

However, what often goes neglected is that there is much more to the Tower besides a mere up-high view of grey buildings. After what kind of tourist trap would this place be if it didn't have all sorts of random crap stuffed inside?

Onto the Jumble: