zephyrprince

just the media and culture i’ve been consuming lately. my shōwa magical girl content is @showamagicalgirls. everything else is at linktr.ee/jchq

[zephyrprince8]

I knew they were finally publishing an English edition of this important trans manga from the ‘80s, but I hadn’t figured out where I could actually buy it from. And then yesterday, I walked into my neighborhood comic book store as I do every Wednesday when the new books come, and I was shocked to see it just sitting on the shelf. Can’t wait to read this in my native language instead of slowly puzzling through the Japanese.

[coolcomicbookcovers]

[zephyrprince8]

Apparently we’re getting an anniversary revival of the Marvel Mangaverse this year. It’s such a funny thing because I find very few of those stories to be very good, and yet I love them very much and am looking forward to this continuation.

[zephyrprince8]

More Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkarion (新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン)

[zephyrprince8]

Some Evangelion sightings on my recent trip to Japan

[zephyrprince8]

While I was at the US National Museum of African Art for the LGBTQ show, I also saw their exhibit on Benin bronzes before they’re repatriated.

Slightly confusingly, these pieces are not from the county of Benin but rather a part of Nigeria.

[zephyrprince8]

Last month when I was in Japan, I visited Koyasan in Wakayama prefecture, which is a major Buddhist mountain town with an adorable mascot named Kouya-kun.

[zephyrprince8]

It’s such a good feeling to be excited about new Madonna music. I’ve enjoyed each song from Confessions 2 as it’s come out, and this newest one is no exception.

[zephyrprince8]

Although I obviously mourned the end of Super Sentai on Japanese TV, it's been a real thrill to see the rebirth of Metal Hero, and it's always fun to be watching something current because then, when I'm in Japan, there's so much fun promotion to encounter.

Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity (超宇宙刑事ギャバン インフィニティ), the first season of Project RED (プロジェクト超次元英雄譚) and the most recent series of Metal Hero (メタルヒーロー)

[zephyrprince8]

Dragon’s Heaven (ドラゴンズヘブン), 1988

I rated this four stars on Letterboxd not because I think the plot is excellent but because I’ve truly never seen anything like this. First of all, it opens with a live action mech puppetry segment I found extremely fun. Then when the animated body of the piece, I spent the entire time assuming that Mœbius was somehow involved because it so precisely mimics the look of Franco-Belgian comics.

Also, I would be remiss not to mention how fun the music is.

[zephyrprince8]

Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

[zephyrprince8]

I got to experience the exhibit, HERE: Pride and Belonging in African Art at the US National Museum of African Art. Particularly thrilling to see work from GALA, a Johannesburg-based archive and activist organization I’ve loved for a long time. Other artists include Athi-Patra Ruga, Solá Olúlode, Arvin Ombika, Talia Ramkilawan, Kawira Mwirichia, and Leilah Babirye.

[zephyrprince8]

More Hajime Sorayama from the exhibit at Creative Museum Tokyo

[zephyrprince8]

One manga I brought back from Japan this past time is Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkarion (新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン), which I have admired from afar because it's based on some Shinkansen mascot characters.

[showamagicalgirls]

Two more views of the Heidi, Girl of the Alps (アルプスの少女ハイジ) sweets I received as a holiday gift.

[zephyrprince8]

Some of the sculptures at the Hajime Sorayama (空山基) retrospective I got to see in Tokyo this month. It was an unbelievably cool exhibit.

[zephyrprince8]