Jake Coker

I make online content at Deviant.RED

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Hellsing Ultimate Abridged Finale (Online Show Update)

Hellsing Ultimate Abridged Finale (Online Show Update)

A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about the awesome Team Four Star’s Hellsing Ultimate Abridged series. And as of yesterday this eight year journey has finally come to an end. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me sad.

The last two episodes, simply titled “Series Finale” parts 1 and 2 were released over the past week, and TFS even hosted a bingefest leading up to the final episode.…

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Kōan 27: How to Write a Chinese Poem

Kōan 27: How to Write a Chinese Poem

A well-known Japanese poet was asked how to compose a Chinese poem.

“The usual Chinese poem is four lines,” he explains. “The first line contains the initial phase; the second line, the continuation of that phase; the third line turns from this subject and begins a new one; and the fourth line brings the first three lines together. A popular Japanese song illustrates this:

Two daughters of a silk…

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Have you read “Welcome to the NHK”? I remember watching the anime a few years back, but I've been wanting to give it a read ever since I learned that the author was a hikikomori himself. Is it any good? Worth the read, or will it make me want to become hikikomori as well? 

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Looking back at Yu Yu Hakusho

Looking back at Yu Yu Hakusho

Recently I reached one of the lowest forms of life — a college graduate who moved back in with his mom to save some money while he tried to figure out just what the fuck he’s doing with his life. And aside from filling out 10+ job applications a day in the hopes of finding something to claw my way out of crippling student load debt, I’ve also been watching more than my fair share of Hulu.…

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Visual Novel Review: Steins;Gate Linear Bounded Phenogram

Visual Novel Review: Steins;Gate Linear Bounded Phenogram

After recently finishing the Steins;Gate 0 Visual Novel and with the anime ending today, I figured I’d play through a fan-translated VN many Steins;Gate fans are unaware of. Along with Hiyoku Renri no Darling (Darling of Loving Vows) and Hen’i Kuukan no Octet (Steins;Gate 8bit), Senkei Kōsoku no Phenogram (Linear Bounded Phenogram) has still yet to receive an official release. It is however…

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Kōan 26: How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened

Kōan 26: How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened

Note: Tendai (天台宗 Tendai-shū) is a Mahayana Buddhist school established in Japan in the year 806 by a monk named Saicho also known as Dengyō Daishi (伝教大師, “The Pure Land School”).

During the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen seven years; then he went to China and contemplated Zen for thirteen years more.

When he returned to Japan many desired to interview him…

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Kōan 25: Happy Chinaman

Kōan 25: Happy Chinaman

Anyone walking about Chinatowns in America will observe statues of a stout fellow carrying a linen sack. Chinese merchants call him Happy Chinaman or Laughing Buddha.

This Hotei lived in the T’ang dynasty. He had no desire to call himself a Zen master or to gather many disciples around him. Instead he walked the streets with a big sack into which he would put gifts of candy, fruit, or doughnuts.…

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Kōan 24: Gudo and the Emperor

Kōan 24: Gudo and the Emperor

The emperor Goyozei was studying Zen under Gudo. He inquired: “In Zen this very mind is Buddha. Is this correct?”

Gudo answered: “If I say yes, you will think that you understand without understanding. If I say no, I would be contradicting a fact which many understand quite well.”

On another day the emperor asked Gudo: “Where does the enlightened man go when he dies?”

Gudo answered: “I know not.”

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Kōan 23: Great Waves

Kōan 23: Great Waves

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wresting. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami…

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Kōan 22: Gisho's Work

Kōan 22: Gisho’s Work

Sorry I haven’t posted these in a while. Home internet has finally been restored!

Gisho was ordained as a nun when she was just ten years old. She received training just as the little boys did. When she reached the age of sixteen she traveled from one Zen master to another, studying with them all.

She remained three years with Unzan, six years with Gukei, but was unable to obtain a clear vision.…

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Kōan 21: Flower Shower

Kōan 21: Flower Shower

Subhuti was Buddha’s disciple. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoint that nothing exists except in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity.

One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness, was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall about him.

“We are praising you for your discourse on emptiness,” the gods whispered to him.

“But I have not spoken of…

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Kōan 20: Fire-Poker Zen

Kōan 20: Fire-Poker Zen

Hakuin used to tell his pupils about an old woman who had a teashop, praising her understanding of Zen. The pupils refused to believe what he told them and would go to the teashop to find out for themselves.

Whenever the woman saw them coming she could tell at once whether they had come for tea or to look into her grasp of Zen. In the former case, she would serve them graciously. In the latter,…

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Kōans for Modern Society Recently I stumbled upon a YouTuber by the name of Dogen. He typically makes videos parodying typical Japanese lessons, and I couldn't believe it when I found this video on kōans.

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Kōan 19: Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road

Kōan 19: Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road

Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain was falling. Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village he noticed four or…

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Kōan 18: Everything is Best

Kōan 18: Everything is Best

When Banzan was walking through a market he overheard a conversation between a butcher and his customer.

“Give me the best piece of meat you have,” said the customer.

“Everything in my shop is the best,” replied the butcher. “You cannot find here any piece of meat that is not the best.”

At these words Banzan became enlightened.

Lazy marketing or accepting attitude? Is the butcher implying that…

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Visual Novel Review: Steins;Gate 0

Visual Novel Review: Steins;Gate 0

Well it only took about 40 hours, but I finally got all of the endings for the Steins;Gate 0 VN. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears to get here, but in the end I knew it was the choice of Steins Gate!

For this review I’m going to assume you already have some knowledge about the workings of Visual Novels(although I apparently have a lot to learn xP), so I’m mostly just going to rate it…

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Kōan 17: Every-Minute Zen

Kōan 17: Every-Minute Zen

Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: “I suppose you left your wooden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the…

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