The Neurospicy Journalist

National Pinnacle Award (CMA) & Press Club Award Winner Editor/Reporter for LACC Collegian Wired | My Portfolio: sharing opinions on autism, a love for music, books & media. News Reporting

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Los Angeles Collegian Newspaper 5

Issue 4 for L.A. City Collegian Spring 2026

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Los Angeles Collegian Newspaper 4

Issue 4 for L.A. Collegian Spring 2026

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Los Angeles Collegian Newspaper 3

Issue 3 for L.A. Collegian Spring 2026

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Los Angeles Collegian Newspaper 2

Issue 2 for L.A. Collegian Spring 2026

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Los Angeles Collegian Newspaper 1

Issue 1 for L.A. Collegian Spring 2026

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Don’t FUGETSU-DO About this Shop

Stepping into Fugetsu-Do, the famous Japanese confectionery shop in historic Little Tokyo, is like taking a step back in time. Every corner of the shop has stayed virtually unchanged since its inception, and plans of changing the interior are unlikely.

Brian Kito, third-generation owner of Fugetsu-Do, 

Fugetsu-Do was the starting point to a new life for Japanese immigrants Seiichi and Tei Kito, who arrived in the United States in 1903.

While raising a big family, they were continuing to grind and work hard to keep the business up and running. 

At the time, Little Tokyo was a neighborhood for many Japanese Americans, it was home away from home. 

“It was comfortable for Japanese people to come here. If you wanted raw fish, this is where you had to come; you couldn’t get it anywhere else.” said Brian Kito. “Japanese food was foreign food. So at the time, the only place you needed to come to was Little Tokyo to get it.”

Because of the deaths of five of their children and wife, Tei, Seiichi was a widower and single father and made harsh decisions to have some of his children raised by relatives in Japan. 

Roy, Brian’s father, was known as a kibei, as he was educated and raised in Japan while born in the U.S. He did go to an American high school, learned English and became very involved in the family business. 

Unfortunately, Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order to evacuate people of Japanese ancestry to internment camps. Even living life in those camps, Japanese Americans tried to make life normal for them and as for Seiichi, he met Kazuko and he became the one person to make mochi and manju, keeping the culture alive. When the Japanese were released after the war, Seiichi and Kazuko faced hardships trying to get the family business back as there was a property owner who wanted four years of rent for storing their equipment and so they stayed at the Koyasan Temple on 1st St. while Seiichi worked as a waiver for 20 cents an hour, but on Boys Day, May 5th, 1946, with the help of the Tanashi Family, the Kito’s were able to establish the business. The building that Fugetsu-Do is at was planned for demolition, they moved the business on 2nd St. temporarily, but after two years, they were able to move back to their rightful spot, all from the help of Uncle “Nob” who did shelving work and Bob Ing, who did the electrical work. Since the Ktio family couldn’t pay Ing in full, they were able to pay him back in credit, so because of his generosity, Fugetsu-Do wouldn't have been able to re-open on their rightful location. Through the help of a community, they were able to be back on business. 

Flash forward to now, Brian Kito, continues to keep the Fugetsu-Do legacy alive. This shop was more than just a mochi shop, it felt like home. Although, it is becoming less Japanese as the years go by because of gentrification, but it didn’t start recently. “It’s gone through waves and so I want to say this is about the third wave I’ve seen. We went through redevelopment back in the late 70s, early 80s; where they tore down all these little buildings and all the little mom and pop shops left, that was our first wave of gentrification I was exposed to,” Kito said. “Then it slowly kind of moved back, and then these Japanese companies come into Little Tokyo who basically took over an entire block, we consider that gentrification too. Little Tokyo was created by first generation Japanese, but we have a festival called Nisei Week, which is second generation, so this was created by Japanese Americans, not Japanese from Japan.” 

Even though Little Tokyo slowly becomes less Japanese, there is a surge of a young generation who has an appreciation for Japanese culture because of the influence of anime. Brian has noticed the appreciation and gives anime the credit for bringing non-Japanese into the culture. 

“Anime kind of shifted people into becoming more very into Japanese culture; wanting to visit Japan or coming to Little Tokyo, and seeing the little shops. That’s a cool thing,” says Kito.

Brian recounts having an employee from Boyle Heights who learned Japanese on her own because of her love for anime and reading the manga. “I thought it was amazing that anime does that and it has helped this area and made it a cool place to be.” 

The foot traffic of Little Tokyo increased and because of these anime watchers or otaku, who are eating the food and going to the shops in the Japanese Village Plaza have made the area one of the most popular places in Los Angeles. 

“The true thing is to spread the culture so people understand Japanese culture, then you have less to worry about because it’s people who don’t know about other cultures are the ones who pass judgement,” says Brian. “And so, the more people understand or parts of Japanese culture, I think it is better for all the Japanese and Japanese Americans.”

After the war, when Japanese Americans left the camps, they raised their children to become American first. Brian’s parents did just that with their children and although they had Nisei Week, he had sisters playing instruments. One of them played a Japanese instrument while the other played the piano, but the fact of the matter was that they had a rarity if they were in their own culture versus being American. Japanese parents wanted their children to have an education, they wanted them to have high profile jobs such as doctors or lawyers, but it is a rarity to see them work in family businesses. Since Fugetsu-Do is a family business, Brian understands the commitment it takes to upkeep one as valuable as the shop, he would have hoped that his son would take over the shop, but he also doesn’t wish that kind of life for him either as it is a big obligation to own a business. Brian has struggled trying to keep his employees paid. His son has worked and left three times so he's content to give him leeway to leave if he wants. 

The future of Fugetsu-Do is unknown, Brian does plan to retire in a couple of years and decisions are going to be made by this or next year, he’s wondering whether the business will close or be sold. This is a mochi shop that specializes in handmade mochi. He's known how to make it since childhood. “It’s not like I can put an ad out for a baker and find a qualified baker to come into my shop. There’s only five of these mochi stores in the United States and so you can’t find employees that are trained in the field. I need an expert mochi maker.” 

There is also the matter of making non-traditional mochi for the western pallet, but the shop does so well and has taken off because their mochi is popular. Their most popular mochi are the strawberry peanut butter mochi and the chocolate ganache. “They’re not the old traditional stuff that my grandfather made, or my dad, but they’re still good. They’re easier for non-Japanese.” Sweet red bean paste was the main mochi filling in Japanese mochi, although not wildly popular, even Brian isn’t a fan of it. Before COVID-19, around seven, eight years ago, they took off. The shop tried to figure out if they were going to make it or how they could serve customers since they were only able to allow two people at a time. Either way, the lines got longer and longer. 

“I went outside one day and I looked at the time and I asked, ‘how many of you had mochi before?’ Like one out of 25 raised their hands. I thought, wow, the rest of you guys are waiting in line to try something you’ve never had before, so yeah this was like 2021 or 2022.” 

Brian says Fugetsu-Do has a spirit and that it wants to survive. He doesn’t know what to do with it now at this point, he would have thought years ago that he was done, he would just close it, but it’s doing so well now. “It’s a different animal than it’s ever been before and I told my niece recently that I probably can’t just sit and close it. I would probably have to sell it, not because of the value, but because no one else is making what we have here. So for the community itself, they need this store.”

There are places where you can get Japanese imported goods or a place that understands the American taste buds, so Fugetsu-Do has it all. 

Fugetsu-Do’s history is of resilience, strength, struggle, and community. This is a shop that was one of the central places of Little Tokyo history. Whether you like mochi or not, walk into this shop and get other amenities and bask in its long-standing success. Family shops are a rarity and it would be a shame if one comes to Little Tokyo and never come to Fugetsu-Do.

[neurospicyjournalist]

Memoir Reveals Less Traveled Road to Adoption Professor Helps Couples Create a 'Family Maybe' Professor's Memoir Provides Roadmap to a New Family

Memoir Examines Less Traveled Road to Adoption

Lane Igoudin has led many lives. He carved out a new one when he came to the United States with his family as a refugee from the former Soviet Union. Today, he is a full-time professor of English and linguistics, a best-selling author and a father of two girls. Lane appears relaxed on the third floor of Jefferson Hall at Los Angeles City College in front of a wall-to-wall bookcase. There are books everywhere.

Lane's life as an educator is a driving force in the community, as he’s helped students who struggle with English as their second language for 20 years at LACC. The professor speaks five languages, including Russian, French, Spanish and Hebrew. 

“I've been teaching in a variety of modalities," he says. "While my ESL courses could be in-person on campus or on Zoom, my linguistic courses now, all of them are asynchronous. ... The challenge, I would say, with asynchronous courses, is to find that sort of direct one-on-one interaction ... find a way to connect with an individual student that you actually never get to meet in person.” Lane smiles and his eyes brighten when he talks about work. He is influenced by his early life as a refugee, and now his experience as a professor. Many students have come to this country with similar experiences of their own. City College educates students from 70 to 80 different countries.  

“I can relate firsthand to what my students are going through because I went through that, many years ago,” Lane says. “So, as a non-native speaker of English and an immigrant, I understand them. I think I have a pretty good idea as to what they need and about the sequence of skills that they need to develop in their writing, their grammar and their reading.”

From Uncertainty to Parenthood

Lane has always seen himself as a father figure because he helped raise his sister, who is nine years his junior. However, he never thought he would be a husband. 

“I thought I knew I was gay, but I kind of thought that maybe I'm not. I didn’t know if I'll be able to handle a long-term relationship,” he says. “But, you know, 28 years later, I think we're doing okay.” 

Jonathan is Lane's husband, and he comes from a family of 10. He has nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews but was not so sure he wanted a family of his own. Lane told Jonathan that he wanted to have a family, and Jonathan began to warm up to the idea. They decided to pursue fatherhood, and they were "clear-eyed" about it."And things started to go pretty crazy. And I would say pretty wrong almost from the very beginning as I realized this is something I've never read about,” Lane says. “This is something that really isn't out there that's been covered — what it's like to go into the system and try to adopt a child or two."

Foster care and the adoption system were unfamiliar turf. Lane leaned into his education and prior experience in business communication and as a writer, and he chose to document the journey, no matter the outcome.  He wanted to share the information with other prospective parents and to create a record for society. 

He focused on a part of American life that is invisible to most people: the children's courts, foster care and foster adoption.

There are hundreds of thousands of children in the foster care system in the United States. The most recent data shows that 328,947 children were in foster care in the U.S. as of Sept. 30, 2024, according to the National Council for Adoption (NCFA).

"People have some very general ideas, but they really don't know what's happening. And I thought, this will be my job, to explain what's really happening," Lane says of the motivation for his memoir. 

"A Family, Maybe" chronicles the path that Lane and Jonathan traveled to adopt two siblings in foster care that they had raised since birth. It describes the trial and error the couple experienced and their transformative journey through foster adoptions to parenthood.

"It’s a warm and funny experience because there are two men who have no experience raising babies, and suddenly, they are trying to learn how to become dads," Lane says. “It's not fantasy. In that sense, it's fun. It's interesting. It's warm, but it's also a core drama because overlaying all this ... are the court proceedings. There’s one court hearing after another, after another ... and there's no end in sight.”

Lane says the process can be "intrusive and disempowering." In many ways, it has marginalized them as an adoptive family, but also as an LGBTQIA+ family. At the time their story unfolded between 2005 and 2008, the LGBTQIA+ community was fighting for equal rights. Lane and Jonathan were involved parents. “So, being part of the gay dad club, demonstrating by pushing the stroller in pride parades, reaching out to the right officials, writing letters and testifying as far as the U.S. Senate,” Lane says. “As well as the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, where we testified in support of equality.” Lane documents the way society treated the first generation of gay families. There were major social and political repercussions to being a gay parent back then, as well as to being in a family led by a same-sex couple. 

Further complicating matters, their marriage was not recognized in the eyes of the federal government even though they married in June of 2008. California’s Proposition 8 outlawed same-sex marriage five months after they wed. They ended up in legal limbo, which meant that they were sometimes perceived as two unrelated adults who wanted to adopt and raise two children.

Perfect Children Do Not Exist

Adopting and raising children coming from the foster care system may have experienced trauma, so they require patience. It is important to be prepared. Lane recalled the process of going through the child-desired worksheet, which is described in one of the chapters of his book.               

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“ ‘What children would we wish to raise?’ This was the question John and I were struggling with, pouring over the county's child-desired worksheet. It started with the desired number of children and their prospective age(s). Fairly quickly, we agreed on a sibling set of two, so they would always have each other. Ages zero to five. In other words, ‘two kids, two very small siblings,' Lane said. “ ‘Now, gender,’ I said. ‘Any thoughts?’ ‘I think girls, they would have an easier time with two dads,’ John said. ‘There'd be no masculinity questions nor stigmas. One less thing to worry about.’ “ ‘I agree,’ I replied. But I didn't just agree with John, I loved his choice. Raising a girl was familiar to me. I helped to raise my younger sister, Natalie, and we remained close throughout our adult lives,'" Lane said. "Would you be willing to provide care for a child of a different race or ethnic group?" "If yes, how would he or she be accepted in the neighborhood, in the school, by relatives and friends? How would you help the child maintain connections with his or her own culture? 'Cultural heritage can be priceless in giving an adopted child a sense of roots. It may also become a source of contention. Whose culture do we honor by continuing? Conversely, whose do we not? How, for instance, would I feel not bringing up my child Jewish, erasing the 4,000 years of my history and traditions? Would such cultural sensitivity align me with the Jew haters of the world who would love to wipe out my heritage? How would John feel raising a child without honoring his African American heritage? ... In the end, we marked all ethnicities with a preference for mixed race,'” Lane said.

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Older Children Face Delays, RejectionThe couple labored over the next eight and a half pages of the worksheet for several days. Lane says score upon score of debilitating health conditions had to be debated and marked as acceptable, unacceptable or willing to consider. “We were now in the familiar, quintessential American milieu, the marketplace,” Lane writes in his memoir. “Walking the aisles. Emotional problems this way, physical handicaps and mental disabilities up against the back wall, stopping at each item, evaluating the options.” A chapter of the memoir covered the L.A. County Adoption Fairs, which were intensely emotional experiences for Jonathan. Children who are up for adoption are trotted out to meet prospects. The kids include sets of siblings and older children. The Fairs would move Jonathan to tears, as he faced children in the system who were waiting to be adopted, especially older children. “Why is it fair to keep a child in the confines of foster care for years on end,” Lane says. “And then throw them out on the street at 18 with no support and no one to continue to be there for them? That's the worst. That is the worst option.”The Los Angeles foster care system is the largest in the country with 17,000 children who need a home. For adults thinking about fostering or adopting, Lane’s advice is that a willing parent will find the right child.“As a person of faith, I'm a believer that you will be sent to the right child who needs you. They need parents, and you will be that parent. So, I would say, learn about it, set the limits and do it.”

[neurospicyjournalist]

What Joji’s Impact Has Done for Fans That AI ‘Artists’ Cannot Do

I have been a huge fan of Joji since his FilthyFrank days, his YouTube content before he transitioned to music, and I’ll say that ever since I found out about his music, I fell completely in love. This was during a time when I was into Lo-Fi Hip-Hop, and since his music incorporated a lot of that, I was hooked. Then he came out with his debut single, “Will He,” when moving on to the music scene. All I ever wanted to do throughout the day was listen to his music. It made me sad that he had given up making content on YouTube, but as a fan, I was happy that he was continuing to share his talents with us. I have dealt with depression for pretty much most of my adolescence, and Joji’s music hit hard for me because he understood what it was like to be on medication, go through heartbreak, and deal with loneliness. When he released “Slow Dancing in the Dark,” I felt all the emotions run through me. I cried, I danced (by myself), and I would sing that song out loud because every time I listened to it, I got goosebumps. Everything about that song meant the world to me.

When he released his second album, “Nectar,” and I heard the first song, “Ew,” I felt those exact same feelings again. At the time, I was in a committed relationship, but every song was beautiful, heartbreaking and amazing. By the time Joji released his third album, “Smithereens,” I was also going through a breakup, and songs from both albums made me feel more attached to Joji. I was experiencing heartbreak, loneliness and fear — songs like “Afterthought” and “Feeling Like the End,” would make me think of my relationship. His lyrics would make me stop in my tracks because the pain was still fresh. Joji’s music had that effect on me, and many songs of his were always like that for me. It’s hard to articulate my feelings for this artist.

We all have favorite music artists, and many of us turn to them and depend on their music to help us process the chaos in our lives. It is about that human connection. That is something to think about when it comes to AI-generated “artists,” who cannot understand human emotions or what it is like to be human. There are actual musicians who put in the time and work to create something impactful. The fact that there are AI artists with more listeners and followers than independent musicians makes it seem like their hard work is all for nothing.

Joji released his music way before the height of AI-generated music, but not every artist is so lucky.

Eden Dey, stage name, Veloura, has been doing music for 18 years, but began performing in the capacity they do now for nine years. They started releasing music on different platforms just recently. They know the struggle of having to release music independently while AI music becomes more popular. “I feel like it's low-key depressing to see how quickly some AI music takes traction and like a lot of it is literally someone just putting a prompt into something like suno and then uploading that to Spotify and other streaming platforms with literally zero work,” said Dey. “The music industry is already pretty oversaturated with how much easier it is to get music out without the need for a label or even a fancy studio. And for other independent artists like myself, I don't mind the oversaturation but it's rough when people with no heart just enter a prompt and upload what they get.”

AI music cuts a lot of time to just enter a prompt and it’s generated. Dey builds all of their songs from the ground up. Although they don’t play any instruments, they know the ukulele and have spent years learning music theory and have arranged music before. Dey’s process is quite complex, but they put in the work and dedication to create the sound they wants “I start by writing sheet music and letting Muse Score, the software/website I use, play it back to me so I can tweak stuff. Then that as a midi is put into my production software, Bandlab, where I can transfer it to different instruments,” said Dey. “I also have my vocal part as a midi so it just sounds like a piano and I'll sing the first rough cut along with that and then add flavor and harmonies and stuff as I go. Then I mix and master it all myself.” Eden says they are an amateur, but their music process is a testament to their dedication for their love of music. It takes days and even weeks of work to garner one single song. “I love that about it because I feel so much pride for what I'm able to accomplish. So seeing people basically press a button and get a song feels pretty disingenuous and lazy.”

No matter how much work it takes, Eden has a lot of pride for their music and has fun doing it. The results are what make it worth it. 

Honestly, AI-generated music all sounds the same. They are not unique. The lyrics are hollow, they don’t ring true, they don’t relate to fans — they simply can’t. I’ve listened to Girly Girl Productions, an AI-driven music project who are known for their satirical songs. They seem to be an AI-generated music group, but it’s understood that they use AI to create, produce, or voice its content. 

Maybe I am biased, but the music from Girly Girl was absurd. I am not a musician, but musicians can usually tell when something sounds robotic. I spoke with music artist, Aejay Fletcher, who writes his songs and creates his own music, gave me the rundown of how you can catch if a song is AI. “Sometimes AI music has some harmonies or background music, but if you really listen to it, it sounds similar to real artists, but they sound robotic.” Aeyjay says that he won’t try to compete with a computer because he knows he’ll lose, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying doing music. 

Fletcher started doing music in the sixth grade. When he did his first talent show, he didn’t think much of it because it was all just a talent show, but everyone really loved that he performed so he says, “okay, let me go ahead and just take this serious.” 

 Then in middle school, Aeyjay released some songs and also throughout high school, so it really became his main purpose. “I lost my partner as he died by suicide and because we actually did music together,” Fletcher says. “I’m not only doing it for myself, but for him as well.”  When he moved to LA six years ago, that’s when everything really started taking off for him.

I can’t imagine listening to AI music and thinking it’s art. When I listen to Joji, I can feel what he wanted me to feel. The lyrics sink into me, and that is something AI can’t do at all. Since Joji released his “Piss in the Wind” album, I was set and I was ready to go to listen to what he’s been feeling since his three-year hiatus. Do you really think an AI artist can write two of Joji’s popular songs, “Hotel California” or “Piece of You”? No, they cannot. All somebody did was write a sentence for a song to generate and boom, it’s all done. Many artists took their time to write and create their music for a certain period of time, such as Beyoncé and SZA.

 Beyoncé took at least five years to make her first country album “Cowboy Carter,” according to goodcountrybgs on substack. While in the process, she released her other studio album, “Renaissance,” in 2022, during the process of writing the country album. Beyoncé kept dropping teasers to surprise the fans. In Feb. 2024, she released her first “Cowboy Carter” single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” becoming the first Black woman to top the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs. In Mar. 2024, Beyoncé finally released “Cowboy Carter,” featuring many contributions from none other than Black country singer icon, Linda Martell, as well as other contemporary Black artists, Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy and Willie Jones. 

SZA, on the other hand, has a unique vocal style and raw songwriting that make her stand out amongst other R&B artists, according to The Singers Company. Her vocal style is an embrace of imperfection because it doesn’t rely on classical vocal polish or rigid technical rules, instead SZA uses an emotionally honest conversational approach. She’s carved out a lane that bridges alternative R&B, neo-soul, hip-hop, and indie pop that makes her sound so captivating. After the release of her debut album “Ctrl,” that came out in 2017, it took her at least five and half years to release “SOS.” In 2020, SZA built suspense by dropping two singles, “Hit Different,” and “Good Days;” then in 2022, “I Hate U,” went mainstream, followed shortly by her second single “Shirt.” By then, in Dec. 2022, “SOS” was released, which was the album that weaves in the styles of trap, pop, indie, and soul. Her vocal range was shown through her vulnerable lyrics as she was able to take the beat parts of “Ctrl,” and put it into “SOS.” She displays her experiences with falling into relationships, unhealthy codependencies of love that turn into hatred. 

That’s what music is all about. It is not hollow; it’s human, complex, and unique. Beyoncé and SZA were able to come up with albums that made them stand out. Joji released “Smithereens” in 2022, but took three years to drop “Piss in the Wind,” because he wanted to create something that was truly his. On one of his instagram posts where he’s holding a fish, he quotes, “this was a fun album to work on and it felt good going back to my roots with the sound.” While “Smithereens” was a great album, I loved it personally, but it honestly didn’t feel like it was truly his sound or what he was passionate about. There’s speculation within the fanbase as to whether Joji even enjoyed his third album as it felt rushed or he wasn’t really part of the creative process. I have the CD and looked at the credits and noticed he didn’t co-write some of the songs, except for “Night Rider.” I think when you listen back to his previous work, his sound was different, he collaborated with other artists, and there was more marketing for the albums. Like I said, it is just speculation and no confirmation has been said by Joji himself, but if you’re well deep into the fanbase, it feels like you can tell. Despite all of that, “Smithereens,” was a great album that touched on heartbreak, loneliness, and depression.

 Either way, I find it amazing the hard work and dedication these musicians put into their creativity. When you’ve waited so long for your favorite artist to release something they are passionate about, you can feel through the music that this was something that is theirs. It’s theirs for us to keep in mind that it doesn’t just take a few seconds to generate a song— it took years. 

I’ve loved many artists before Joji, but he was something special to me, I give him my full respect and support because he’s passionate, raw, and wanted to create something unique while not trying to be a show off about it. I haven’t seen him live since 2019, so I am looking forward to his upcoming concert in July.

[neurospicyjournalist]

Japanese Music Event Will Make its Way to Pasadena

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If you’re a big-time fan of Japanese music, a Tokyo music production hub, CLOUD NINE is going to present “Zipangu,” the biggest Japanese music event in the Spring to Brookside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 16, 2026. This festival will be a one-day event, and it will bring in the most popular and celebrated artists of Japanese music and organizers have described it to be the largest overseas music event as it will only feature Japanese-based artists. This will be a turning point to how music Japanese music has gained so much traction around the world. Genres such as J-Pop, rock, rap, and idol music will highlight their talents through the artists that will be performing at the event. Here are the artists who’ll be performing at the event: Ado uses her talent with her unique voice that can range from angelic to gut-wrenching. She performs with strict anonymity inside a box, as if she were like a silhouette.

ATARASHII GAKKO! are an idol pop group making their ten-year run while building their identity with wearing sailor uniform and self-choreography. They debuted with the studio 88rising in 2021 and they’ll make their appearance at the upcoming event.

CHANMINA has been around since 2016 and although they are born in South Korean and raised across Japan, South Korean, and the United States, they’ve made their way to stardom in J-pop. Alongside her solo work, she’s also formed a seven-member girl group, HANA who will also be in the Zipangu lineup.

HANA are one of 2025’s most talked about groups as they have a reputation for strong vocals, choreography, and pushes the boundaries of traditional idol groups.

MAN WITH A MISSION are a group who wear wolf masks and are known for their opening song “Kizuna no Kiseki”, for season three of Demon Slayer and sing openings for other anime shows such as “My Hero Academia” and “Vinland Saga,” so if you want to see them perform their music live, they’ll make their way to the Zipangu festival.

Yuki Chiba collaborated with rapper Megan Thee Stallion with her hit song , “Mamushi,” but before then, he was known as KOHH as he was a key figure in Japanese hip-hop until he decided to stick with his real name. He became one of the first Japanese artists to perform at the 2024 MTV VMAs and he’ll be show up in the Spring.

10-FEET are a trio from Kyoto, Japan and have been around for 25 years , bringing their loud melodic sound to Zipangu. They’ve mixed up their genre of music from punk, hardcore, reggae, and hip-hop and will bring their long-running performances to the stage at the upcoming music festival. CLOUD NINE’s “Zipangu” event will be at Brookside at the Rose Bowl on May 16, 2026. Tickets and information will be available at www.zipangu-event.cloud

[neurospicyjournalist]

photo by Erika Ramirez: Carolina Rivera Escamilla (left) and Professor Genevieve Patthey (right) sit side by side to discuss Escamilla's book "Coming of Age in America" at the Student Union on Nov. 19, 2025.

Carolina Rivera Escamilla Tells Stories of Resilience

published: October 19, 2025

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Salvadoran writer and cultural activist Carolina Rivera Escamilla joined the L.A. City College Book Program for a Q&A at the Student Union on Nov: 19, to discuss her book "Coming of Age in Central America." Rivera Escamilla spoke about her journey in Canada and Los Angeles after being exiled from her home country. Fifty copies of Escamilla's book were given out for free to LACC students who attended the event.

Rivera Escamilla is a writer, poet, educator, actress, cultural activist and documentarian who also organizes community literary events. She spoke about her book,

"Coming of Age in Central America, which is a selection of short stories from "..after..." a previous book.

Although these stories are fiction, they touch on the harsh realities of turbulent times. The stories confront the poverty, civil war, repression, loss of human rights, death and loss in 1980s El Salvador. "The civil war broke out in the 80s and when I talk about movements, 1 am talking about where students, workers, unions or all kind of union movements, it was about better pay, better education, and better human rights," Escamilla says.

She was forced into exile after completing her secondary education. Initially she was welcomed in Canada and eventually joined her family in Los Angeles. Her stories of economic struggles and war expose hardship.

"As a writer, I explore through my work ways to enrich themes of memory that touch on economic struggle, exile, immigration, violence, and war," Es-camilla says, "because these are themes that have accompanied [me] since I was a child." She attended University of California, Los Angeles to complete her Bachelor of Arts in English literature with creative writing and Spanish literature. Through her writing, she delves into themes of trauma, resilience, coming of age and bringing Latin America to life for both Spanish and English-speaking readers. She wanted people to read these stories and experience culture through her lens.

Before the book event concluded, students lined up to prepare for a Q&A with the author. She answered questions about her life and her books and gave advice to future writers and to Latino students.

"You should never stop telling your story. Tell your story however you want whether it's through theater, dancing, film, even in your phone where you have a lot of advantages," Escamilla says, "take this phone, and tell your stories. My advice is, go ahead and do it.

Don't wait for anybody to tell you what to do."

Carolina Rivera Escamilla's books are available to purchase through her website carolinariveraescamil-la.com, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

[neurospicyjournalist]

photo by Erika Ramirez: Joji performs live at the El Rey Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles in 2019. It was part of the Ballads 1 North American Tour, which was Joji's first concert tour in support of his debut album.

Joji’s Silent Return with Unexpected Single Drops

published: November 19, 2025

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AIternative R&B singer Joji left fans guessing when he suddenly went inactive on social media for three years. His new single, "Pixelated Kisses, dropped unexpectedly in mid-October.

Fans finally felt some relief, leaving behind their doubts about his return. The song was classic Joji, with his brooding lyrics and unique beats.

Before he became the melancholic artist that fans now adore, Joji was a YouTuber who posted absurd content under the name Filthy Frank. He was also posting comical music under another persona, Pink Guy. Even though he was all comedy and chaos, he was still an artist who wanted to bring more to the table, with his own music and sound. Joji announced he would be leaving YouTube in late 2017 so he could move on to the next chapter of pursuing a music career. Around the same time, he released "Will He" with a music video. The EP "In Tongues" was the beginning of his music career beyond YouTube.

Joji released three studio albums "Ballads 1," "Nectar" and "Smithereens," under the labels 88rising, 12'Tone Music and Warner Records.

Singles from each album such as "Slow Dancing in the Dark," "Sanc-tuary" and "Glimpse of Us," were instant hits because they encapsulated the feelings of longing, heartbreak and vulnerability that shape the signature Joji sound.

After his three-year hiatus, Joji dropped "Pixelated Kisses" on Oct. 14. Just one week after that, he released the singles "If It Only Gets Better" and "Past Won't Leave My Bed." He announced that his fourth studio album, "Piss In the Wind," will be released on Feb. 5, 2026, under his own label, Palace Creek, which is distributed by Virgin Music. This album will be Jojis comeback in the music scene and will give fans the validation they've been craving for years.

[neurospicyjournalist]

photo by Erika Ramirez: South Korean poet Oh Eun (center) celebrates the release of his first English-language poetry book translated from Korean at an event inside the Student Union on Oct. 23, 2025. Eun is flanked by President Amanuel Gebru and Director of the RESJ Center Mickey Hong along with other program attendees.

South Korean Poet Oh Eun Celebrates English Release

"From Being to Being" marks the English translation of the poet's book.

published: November 5, 2025

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The Race, Equity and Social Justice Center (RESJ) at L.A. City College and the Korean Cultural Center partnered to invite South Korean author Oh Eun to conduct a class to celebrate his book of poetry "From Being to Being," or "Yu Esco Yu" in Korean, on Oct. 22, on the third floor of the Student Union.

Organizers passed out goodie bags filled with Korean snacks and K-Pop group albums prior to the class.

Oh Eun is South Korea's beloved emerging poet who is the first South Korean author to be awarded a Nobel Prize. And while his poetry book was first published in 2016, literary translator, Shyun Ahn took it upon himself to translate Eun's work, so that English readers could enjoy his poetry.

“I accepted an editor's recommendation right away to translate Oh Eun's work, as I didn't believe anyone was working on his books," Ahn wrote in the translator's note in the poetry book. "Right away, I started to work on Oh Eun's Yu Eseo Yu, turning it into the English translation, From Being to Being."

During the class, UCLA Korean Studies professor, Namhee Lee presented a brief history on South Korea, bringing awareness on the economy, education, culture, and immigration. This presentation and poetry class altogether showcases how much Korean culture has thrived in decades and the meaningful impact it has brought to the U.S., mainly in Los Angeles.

Oh Eun went on to describe his writing process and what his writing meant to him.

"These poems were written by observing those beings who are not famous, not huge entities who are already on the forefront," Eun said, "but who are sometimes hidden, who are ignored all while observing them and bring ing them into existence."

Although his poetry can come off as melancholic, it shows the realities of adulthood, the educa tion system in South Korea, and his personal feelings as he wrote When the class concluded, Eur met with attendees and signed the book, taking into consider ation of writing their names cor rectly and greeting them as then came and left.

This poetry book is available to purchase online through the Black Ocean website Barnes and Noble, and Amazon

[neurospicyjournalist]

Regal Brings Horror Movies Back to Big Screen

published: October 8, 2025

[neurospicyjournalist]

Opinion: Tylenol Misinformation Harms Autistic People, Pregnant Women

published: October 8, 2025

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President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continue to ignore the science and choose their own explanations for the spike in autism diagnosis over the past 20 years.

At a Sept. 22 press conference, they claimed that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, causes autism.

Telling the public that acetaminophen causes autism is incorrect and irresponsible, and it harms both autistic individuals and pregnant women. It frames autistic people as mistakes to be prevented or cured, and it revives a cruel and false notion that mothers of autistic children have somehow failed or done something wrong to cause their child's diagnosis. It also adds uncertainty and stress for pregnant women during an already stressful time.

Trump warned pregnant women not to take the drug despite its status as the only medication that is widely recommended for treating fevers and pain during pregnancy. He did not address the fact that fevers during pregnancy have been proven to cause a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and numerous birth defects.

While researchers have not found a causal link between acetaminophen and autism, there are some factors like parental age, illness during pregnancy and genetic factors that can make it more likely both that acetaminophen will be used during pregnancy and that a child will be diagnosed with autism. This correlation is what initially suggested a connection between the medication and autism.

But when scientists at Drexel University collaborated with Swedish researchers to look at siblings born to the same moth-er, where acetaminophen was used during one pregnancy but not the other, the results showed no association between acetaminophen use and autism diagnoses - indicating that the medication does not cause autism.

This aligns with what is already known about autism. "We have known there's a big genetic component, and that genetics account for about 80 percent of the identifiable causes of au-tism," said Judith S. Miller, an associate professor at the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

We also know that the rise in autism diagnoses is largely because of increased awareness and an expanded definition of who can be diagnosed.

Even if, hypothetically, there actually was a connection between Tylenol and autism, that should not justify choosing to accept the well-known risks of leaving fevers untreated during pregnancy. Telling pregnant women that they can't take Tylenol for a fever because their child might be autistic implies that it would be better to risk a miscarriage or having a child born with neural tube or heart defects than to have an autistic child. This implication is cruel and devalues autistic lives.

The mental and physical harm this will cause to pregnant people is also completely inexcusable. Our government should not be giving women confusing information during an already stressful time where getting the facts correct is so important.

They should not be adding yet another way to shame mothers for being anything less than perfect

No matter how you put it, these attempts to find ways to prevent and cure autism cause damage to the autism community even further. While there is more awareness, it is still being stigmatized.

Many autistic individuals are living in fear because of this ad-ministration. Even though the Trump administration wants to find a cure to erase autistic people, the autism community continues to stand strong.

[neurospicyjournalist]

Movie Review:

'DEMON SLAYER, 'KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE MOVIE: Infinity Castle Feels Infinitely Spectacular

published: September 24, 2025

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"Demon Slayer" or Kimetsu No Yaiba in Japanese, became a successful anime since it aired in the U.S. in 2019, with only three seasons and two movies.

When the news broke that the Infinity Castle arc was set to be released in three movies every two years, the anticipation became heavy. Nobody could wait, as this is the final arc that will conclude the series.

The anime has been riveting since its release because of its loveable characters, great story, and the amazing animation by the studio, Ufotable.

Crunchyroll streaming service promoted an early screening premiere of the "Demon Slayer" movie, released at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard on Sept 9. The English voice actors who helped bring the anime to life included Channing Tatum and the Japanese voice actor for the main character, Tanjiro Kamado, Natsuki Hanae.

Fans excitedly waited for pictures and a chance to talk to the voice actors. It showed how much this anime created a community, whether you are an anime fan or not. It just became such an influence across the world.

Ufotable producers did a good job on the animation with their intricate details of the breathing techniques and the background scenery. It captured the essence of the anime. It is amazing how much anime has come in decades where we get to see such a big time series going to the big screen, where fans can come together and enjoy with one another.

[neurospicyjournalist]

image courtesy of Unplash

News Story:

Shoppers Brace for Price Hikes, Fewer Imports

Fast fashion, small appliances, textiles, and toys could soon be missing from store shelves.“Inflation and the rising price of retail will keep Americans on their toes.”

published: June 4, 2025

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Inflation and the rising price of retail goods will keep Americans on their their products in Chinese warehouses because it's much mone affordable than paying the tariffs," said Ryan Peterson, CEO of Flexport, a logistics and freight forwarding broker in San Francisco. Consumers will begin to priced up."

Shoppers should anticipate a soike in the cost of consumer goods as retailers struggle pay the cost of tariffs for imported products, according to CNN.

Retailers must make do with their current supply, which will result in lewer sems on stone shelves. The United States and China have made a temporary stop to slash the 145% tariffs for 90 days, yet that may not make a difference.

Many shortages of goods are to be expected because of a decline in imports from China and trade "Retailers are having to store their products in Chinese warehouses because it's much more affordable than paying the tariffs,” said Ryan Peterson, CEO of Flexport, a logistics and freight forwarding broker in San Francisco. Consumers will begin to notice their favorite goods are not in stock because the products that were stored in the United States are starting to run out. Peterson says if this continues for a few more weeks, retailers will end up selling through in-ventory.

Product shortages such as apparel, toys, electronics, and bousehold items may lead to higher prices. "So, if you're looking for a certain type of pants, you may find all kinds of pants, but not the type you want," said Gene Se-roka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. "And the type vou want ... are coing to be priced up."

Los Angeles locals have a few thoughts on the matter and on whether the shortages will affect them or lead to higher prices.

“I personally don't mind because in my day-to-day life, it won't affect me in the long term as opposed to the short term," said Ronald Martinez who works as a security officer near his home. Although he lives from paycheck to paycheck, he still is not bothered about price increases. "In this day and age, what even is affordable? You look at Door Dash for example, they have implemented a buy now, pay later plan. At what point does the consumer take accountability for their choices on spending money they don't have!" Martinez says miscellaneous prices will rise, but the consumer has the power and the choice about whether to buy or not.

Single mom, Alejandra Gonzalez is more sensitive to price hikes. She says it was already a challenge to live in Los Angeles because it is expensive. "As a mom of three children- with my full-time job, getting paid bi-weekly and not receiving enough food stamps. Because I am considered middle-class, these high prices on foods and clothes and toys are just not okay," she told the Collegian. Gonzalez works as a deli cook, and her mother watches her children to help her save money. She is concerned about prices and shortages in the future. "I have children who play with toys and there are certain ones they see online that they want," Gonzalez said. "But it's become too much, so I buy secondhand. It's unfortunate, but I have to consider the necessities."

[neurospicyjournalist]

Opinion:

Officials Should Not Promote Vaccine Myths

published: May 14, 2025

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President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secre tary Robert F Kennedy Jr. have promoted false claims that the rise in autism diag noses is due to childhood vaccines.

This is misinformation, and it stigmatizes autistic in dividuals by reducing their existence do a negative side effect. Anti-vac-cine sentiment also increases the risk factors of not vaccinating children by encouraging parents to unneces sarily fear their children developing autism.

Since 1998, there has been a myth going around that vaccines have caused a rise in autism. This now-de-bunked claim was introduced by a British former doctor by the name of Andrew Wakefield. He was banned from practicing medicine and is now an anti-vaccine activist. Wakefield published a paper claiming to find a connection between autism and the MMR vae cine, based on the parents of eight children reporting that their child's autism developed after receiving the vaccine.

There was no control group or independent evaluation of the parents' claims. The paper was later retracted, but Wakefield's views have continued to cause an uproar of conspiracies that there is a link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy and Trump are continuing this misinformation and plan to fund research about vaccines and their ability to cause autism.

As an autistic woman, I know it to be true that vaccines do not cause autism. I was diagnosed later in life at the age of 24 and have since ac cepted being on the spectrum. Au tism is not a disorder or a disease; it's not something where a simple blood : test can determine if you have it or not. Autism is a spectrum, and many individuals have their own experi ences and different traits that can be signs of autism.

The biological basis of these traits is genetic.

Kennedy spews the conspiracy theory that because of vaccines, there has been a rise in autism diagnoses, from an estimated 1 in 50 children in the 2000s to 1 in 36 today. But according to health and science jour nalist Liz Szabo, "research suggests that much of that increase is due to increasing awarenesand screening for the condition,changing definitions of autismto include milder conditions on the spectrum that weren trecognized in previous years; as well as advances in diagnostic technology.

Szabo also addresses the genetic basis for autism, pointing out that doctors have long known that genes play a large role in autism simply by noting that autism can run in fam illes.

I know I have relatives who could be autistic but never had a proper diagnosis. For example, my brother shows dear signs of autism while also having ADHD.

Hearing that Trump and Kennedy want to continue research on the connection between vaccines and autism is very harmful to me and to the community.

No matter how many times a study is conducted to research this myth, it is still debunked each time.

These false claims by Robert E Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump create fears in parents who are wor ried about their child being autis tic. Funding this research will cause more harm than good. I think there is more to worry about from vae cine-preventable diseases than won dering if your child will end up au tistic or not.

Exposing this problem can bring awareness that autism is not a defect or a disease created by vaccines, but something that needs more under standing and acceptance.