The JCS: Oshiete blogger-san edition!

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Hello Everyone and welcome to March’s edition of the Jon’s Creator Showcase. This is my first time working on a project like this so I hope you will ignore my shortcomings and just praise me for getting the post out in the end. I was inspired to come up with the idea for this project by a segment of the video game BlazBlue called Teach Me Miss Litchi. It’s a primer to the BlazBlue universe where through several stories Litchi attempts to teach Taokaka about the world. That’s where your submissions come in! I am not much of a blogger or a creative but that doesn’t mean i can’t learn new things. So I want to learn as much as I can through your submissions. Who am I? Noone important I don’t even have my own blog space, but I go by RedBlinky or letsalllovelain (@cripplednerd90) and I’ve written a few blog posts but I am a mere fledgling to the craft. While I’ve learned a bit through each post I’ve written I know I have a lot that I can continue to learn and improve on (I should probably start with their, there and they’re to be honest), but for all intents and purposes I am a complete newbie to the blogger world. Now, I want to view your favorite creative output from the month of February and see what helpful tips and tricks I can glean from you. Hopefully your proper grammar can rub off on me if nothing else. Also, I’ll make sure to do a quick summary of my findings at the end! So Please, Oshiete blogger-san!

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First Lesson

Key in Transition – Kanon (2006) Review & Discussion By: Jon Spencer Reviews (@JS_Reviews)

It makes sense that the person who runs the showcase would be the first submission. So let’s dive right in and see what we can find here. You may think from the last part of the title that this is a review of Kanon and that’s in there for sure. However, it’s the first part of the title that holds the interesting meat of this blog post. Jon uses his review of Kanon as a pretense to discuss Key adaptations and Maeda stories more broadly while also directly comparing/contrasting Kanon with the other titles in the Key “trilogy”. This allows readers who have already seen Kanon or who aren’t interested in a straight review to still get something out of reading this article. This post was done in conjunction with #AniTwitWatches so it was a good call to make this more than just a simple review.

Oshiete blogger-san!

So what did I learn here?

Sometimes, using a single show to discuss a broader topic is not only beneficial but may be necessary to hold an audience’s attention. I think extrapolating the concept from one story onto a broader point is a very efficient way to discuss that point.

Second Lesson

Arc Incidents: Chapter 1 By: Scott (@MechAnimeReview)

Okay time for the second go I don’t think the first one went too poorly, but if so just lie to me its fine. So here we have a fiction story by Scott, a blogger who typically does non-fiction style anime content. The first thing I’d note is the names he uses; he’s unabashedly wearing his creative influences on his sleeve but I think it’s so blatant that it works. It’s a good shorthand for the type of story he wants to tell because without any direct explanation it tells the reader what they are getting into. Surely this intro to a story about a new captain and her first mate recently out of their fleet academy can’t teach me anything about blogging, right?

Oshiete blogger-san!

If you’re any kind of writer; fiction, non-fiction, scripts, or whatever you’re into, I think there’s a big pickup from Scott’s work here and truth be told I found it entirely by accident. The first time I clicked the link I must’ve misclicked something because I ended up here (My Mecha Story). How did this happen? I have no idea but it did lead me to something really important and that’s the planning that comes before writing. Many of the best known new worlds created in fiction have massive encyclopedia-like compendiums of everything from their tech, to politics, to creatures. This isn’t just for fiction writers though, I think everyone can benefit from pre-planning their work. No one likes to remember an important point they wanted to make after they’ve already pushed submit, and I know I’ve done this!  I think an outline type draft even for something as simple as a review can be extremely helpful.

Third Lesson

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess Volume 1 Review By: Al Pal (@AlyssaTwriter)

On to submission number 3. Hopefully, everyone is at least moderately engaged because I have a feeling we still have a long way to go. So here we have a review of a shojo isekai manga. Shojo isekai have a long history and when I think of early isekai oftentimes shojo are what spring to mind. Al takes us into a synopsis and review of an isekai she was looking forward to because of its unique premise. It’s easy to see how a premise like this could strike a chord with creatives. Pretty much everyone has cringey fan fiction they wrote as a kid… it’s not just me right?

Oshiete blogger-san!

It wasn’t hard to find inspiration on this blog. This is a person who clearly has passion for the things she likes. I think it’s great to get to write about things you care about. But that’s not even what blogger-san taught me this time. It’s all about consistency. This blog is filled with stylistically consistent content that has been crafted over many years. You can trace how the style has been molded through repetition to come out refined and polished. They say it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something so it’s important that when you are practicing your craft you stay consistent (while improving of course!)

Fourth Lesson

Demon Slayer Tamagotchi Review – To Buy or Not to Buy? By: Two Happy Cats (@TwoHappyCats)

So after a day long break I’m back to review more submissions. Up first for today is a review of a Tamagotchi. Did you have one back in the day? I didn’t have a Tamagotchi branded one but I had the pocket Pikachu so I imagine it’s much the same. They seemed to really enjoy their demon slayer branded Tamagotchi as they mention having played with it for about 3 months but woah, apparently they can die? Makes me feel happy I never had a Tamagotchi because mine would have surely been dead, fortunately Pikachu couldn’t die he’d just get angry with you and refuse your commands.

Oshiete blogger-san!

What can be learned from this blog post about a toy brand I didn’t even know still existed? That it’s totally okay to share your seemingly out-there interest. If you google reviews for the demon slayer Tamagotchi there is a video review with 5k views and then this blog post at the top. People are interested in this topic and it might not be people who normally read an otome review or an episode review of a seasonal anime. This expands your potential audience to all new people. It’s easy to be afraid to write about the niche within the niche but go ahead because other people probably want to talk about it too!

Fifth Lesson

Killing Me/Killing You manga is a paradoxical journey on finding a reason to live By: Ribbon Girl Nabe (@geeknabe)

Here’s a review of a manga I’ve never heard of. This isn’t much of a shock to me as I’m not much of a manga reader. The premise sounds unique though so that’s always a good sign. If you were to read a synopsis of this story you would assume it’s a gloomy tale about gloomy people, or maybe even a mopey edge-fest with on the nose names like “Youthanasia”. Is that really all there is to the story? Sounds like you should head over to the review and find out and who knows maybe something wholesome awaits. (Thats uh… quite the design for a lead character by the way)

Oshiete blogger-san!

This one might be cheating a little bit and maybe I should be chastised for cheating before day 2 is even over but this is my show now and I make the rules!

As anyone who is active in the official Jon Spencer Reviews discord can attest Nabe is a joy to interact with. Even if this manga had been a major downer I think I would still come away with a different impression. Having read quite a few of Nabe’s posts

I know they bring the same upbeat nature that they have in normal online interactions into their writing. The reader can feel this positive energy and it just makes you leave the article feeling good.

(Wholesome even?) Not everyone can replicate this but I think everyone can use a bit more positivity and joy in life and let that come out in your writing.

Sixth Lesson

My Top 3 Favourite Character Classes in Rogue Legacy 2 By: Grand Immortal Tofu King (@yonnyaan)

Here we have our first video game article. It’s not a review but is instead designed to inform people already invested in the game. Just a quick google search shows plenty of people discussing this topic (usually in the form of tier lists). It’s amazing how big the industry has gotten that even early access indie games can have this much reach. It’s hard to summarize this article without just blatantly telling you their tier list and that wouldn’t be any fun would it? So click through and read about a game you might be interested in. I’ve heard good things about the original Rogue Legacy, if you’re into roguelites maybe you’ll enjoy this one?

Oshiete blogger-san!

I don’t know how long everyone else has been interested in niche media but I’ve been around long enough to remember a time when finding someone with similar interests was like finding a unicorn. I get the feeling while reading this article that this is an article they really wanted to write. It’s when you find that one thing that you just have to tell anyone about and if just one person reads it and is even slightly interested you feel vindicated for having written it. It’s probably impossible to replicate that feeling artificially but when it comes around definitely don’t bottle it up. I sometimes see bloggers fall into ruts because they have set schedules and obligations but readers can feel passion so don’t let that passion go to waste, write it down!

Seventh Lesson

K-On! Come With Me!!: A Review and Reflection of the 2011 Live Action Concert At the Ten Year Anniversary By: InfiniteZenith (@InfiniteZenith)

When someone submits their piece with the disclaimer not to try and summarize the work it sets up some crazy expectations. Luckily, this is actually a pretty easy read. The article starts with a brief introduction to the second K-on live concert and then proceeds into a truncated play-by-play of the performance.

Despite not being the world’s biggest K-on fan I had actually seen some of the concert (I just really like Don’t Say Lazy!!) so I wasn’t completely fresh-eyed to the topic. The post claims this is the only review/retrospective blog post on the topic and through just a casual Google search I didn’t find anything outside of product reviews for the home release, so if you want this content you’ll have to come here for it .

Oshiete blogger-san!

I like retrospective posts. I’ve seen people online who claim that nostalgia is adverse to objectivity and should be eliminated but I don’t see how feeling good about something from the past is a bad thing. Sometimes, what a show makes you feel is more valuable than objectivity. Some people, like me, struggle with this and others can just go on for hours about their favorite show from middle school as if they were watching it again for the first time and I respect that. Here we don’t just see a snapshot of a concert but of a person’s life of their struggles and even what they were coding at the time. This may be a lesson only I needed to learn but putting on the nostalgia goggles and just going back to a time of your life where you felt something HAS value.

Eighth Lesson

Yuru Camp – The perfect anime for the times By: Fred Heiser (@AuNaturelOne)

Yuru Camp I have to admit I’ve never seen it and it’s probably not my bag but I also have to admit that this gave me the perfect excuse to put on Shiny Days. If you think this being a piece on season 2 can eliminate the influence of Shiny Days you are mistaken! So here Fred dives into season 2 of comfy anime girls camping. If you want to see a quick distillation of why cute girls shows have value just read the first paragraph or so of this article. Everyone experiences life differently and likewise experiences escapism differently whether its watching cute anime girls or walking through the forest naked. 

***Random Tangent INCOMING*** Okay was just gonna leave it at that but I can’t. I went down a 30 minute rabbit hole about Autism and Nudism and it was kind of fascinating. For someone who isn’t on the spectrum the perspective offered in those articles is something you will not experience and probably isn’t displayed that often anywhere so i suggest you read those if you find yourself clicking through this blog it’s enlightening.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Here we go. Platitude time! Platitudes are platitudes for a reason right? In all seriousness when I agreed to do the JCS I didn’t really know what to expect. I have already seen a variety of perspectives but I certainly didn’t think I’d be reading a blog about a cute anime girl show from someone older than my parents. This person is out there living their best life and doing what they want and that’s awesome.

A lot of people in fandoms hope they can be that person when they get older but ultimately it just doesn’t always happen that way, and that’s fine. But it is great to see someone that you can look forward to and say I can be that person if I want. Is it an overused platitude? Sure. I’ve thought about it before though am I too old? Have I just grown out of it? But we’ve seen success of people like the Skyrim Grandma because a lot of people deep down want to retain some part of who they are now no matter what happens, and you just love to see it. Do you, whatever that means. Not a lesson strictly for blogging but for life too.

Ninth Lesson

My Anime Husbando List: 16 Fictional Men Who Caught My Heart By: Yu Alexius (@YuAlexius)

A couple of weeks ago a bunch of people were doing husbandos lists. I don’t know what you guys think but these kinds of posts are fun. I like lists in general and you tend to get more variety in these kinds of posts then your typical top 5 list. Not much more to be said here if you are interested in husbando lists check this one out because lists are fun.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Can we glean anything from a list of anime husbandos? Of course! It’s the value in community engagement. Yu saw other bloggers in the community doing these lists and wanted to join the fun. A lot of bloggers lean to the shy side but don’t let that stop you from engaging in a vibrant and welcoming community. Get involved you might enjoy it more than you think.

10th Lesson

Wonder Egg Priority – Why Action Matters | GITM Podcast Ep. 83 by Jamal (@GetInTheMecha)

My first non-blog submission so this should be interesting. This blog is a dive into the animation of a single episode of Wonder Egg Priority. Jamal covers this by highlighting 3 different animators and how they contributed to this episode. Having not seen any of Wonder Egg I can’t speak much to the validity of what they’re saying but they sound like they know their stuff. Additionally production on this podcast was pretty good, a good voice and solid enunciation make it easy to listen to. I decided to check out the first episode of the podcast as well just to try and get a feel for how it all started. Which leads me to my next point…

Oshiete blogger-san!

I figured the first episode of the podcast would be a work in progress but to my surprise it was actually pretty solid right away. My initial thought was “I’m glad I never tried this because my first podcast would be bad compared to this”. Maybe this is the Hajime no Ippo influence but I couldn’t help but think back to the “Talent vs Hard-Work” theme. This isn’t to say Jamal doesn’t work hard, I’m sure they do. My point is to avoid feeling down on yourself for things you haven’t even tried because you know there will be someone better than you. Even if you don’t have natural talent, hard work still means a lot. My failure to actually take this lesson to heart is the reason I haven’t published half of the articles I’ve written and I shouldn’t do that, this is an important lesson but not always an easy one, at least for me.

11th Lesson

Top 25 Best Eye-Catching Bishounen Anime of All Time By: YumDeku (YumDeku)

So this list is exactly what it says on the tin. I feel like in the wrong hands lists like this could be dangerous. I can respect the idea of just turning your brain off and enjoying the pretty pictures. Plus as a bonus you get an actual list of their favorite bishounen shows of all time. So basically 2x the bishie content for your money.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Chirico is the best and most beautiful

Unique lists are always good. If I google top anime fights there are a million lists. So sometimes being oddly specific will definitely help attract some attention to your list. I enjoy lists but never have made one of my own. If I did I would want to make sure it had its own unique spin because the same old list are boring, keeping it fresh is important. This list does that so that’s a win in my book, keep the content unique and fresh folks.

12th Lesson

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Episode 5 Review – Best In Show By: Crow (@CrowsAnimeWorld)

Crow is doing an episode review for a popular airing seasonal. I have to admit I read up until the point I saw the spoiler warning. I appreciate that warning being there because I do intend on watching this in the near future. If you’re interested in it then please check it out, I know they do a lot of episode reviews so this should be high quality. I feel bad for this, I really do.

Oshiete blogger-san!

After barely summarizing the blog post I wanted to write something so I cheated big time here.

I went back to a show I had seen Made in Abyss and read an episode review Crow wrote to try to find something to learn. It mostly just reminded me how good Made in Abyss was. In my opinion it means the review did its job. Crow manages to encapsulate a lot of the best elements of Made in Abyss in an episode review. That seems like a pretty good lesson to learn. Make sure you get as many of the show’s positive attributes into every post as possible, if it’s a show you liked the reader needs to want to watch it too! This may seem obvious to most of you veteran bloggers but I have a tendency to skew negative and it’s something I need to work on a lot but Mission accomplished for the Made in Abyss post though.

13th Lesson

Anime Corner: Given the Movie Review By: neverarguewithafish (@ChrisGJoynson)

Alright an anime movie review. Given was a pretty low-key yet highly revered series back in the middle of 2019. There was a lot of praise sent its way from the blogger community and I know those who watched it were happy to hear of the movie’s announcement. But did the movie deliver on the same beats as the series? Guess you’ll have to read here and find out. (Also enjoy this picture because there’s a fish playing a violin and I was amused.)

Oshiete blogger-san!

So what can you learn from a well crafted review? I’m sure there is something great and profound that a smarter man could discern. However, I am a simple man and as I type this half of the page in this document is covered by a picture of a fish playing a violin. But I will remember that fish and consequently this review because of it. That’s just good branding. Even though I have no artistic ability if I were to attempt a serious blog I think I would need an eye-catching logo. Maybe, I’ll do that for this project. Branding is important after all. (Edit: I did In fact do that for this project)

14th Lesson

Reading Slump Remedies By: Megan (@nerdramblesmeg)

This was an interesting read about one person’s experience going into a reading slump. I know I can empathize with this even though I don’t read much. For me it may be watching anime or playing games and sometimes I just don’t feel like doing things I usually enjoy. Perhaps that’s how you feel right now and you’re reading this “masterwork” of a JCS post to help overcome that. I’m kidding of course but Megan isn’t so see if some of her tips will help you power through your down moments.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Fans of certain mediums have a lot of shared experiences. While this post is not about anime directly it certainly can cross over to help those in similar situations regardless of medium. I think this post reminds us that we are in this together and our shared experiences can make each other stronger.

15th Lesson

What Is The Best Shounen For People Who Don’t Like Shounen? By: Karandi (@100wordanime)

What’s that meme “I’m in this picture and I don’t like it”. Here Karandi decides to write an article about me or others like me. Shounen is a super broad term and Karandi reminds us that a lot of shows you might not think of as shounen still fall under its umbrella. This post breaks down a couple of the big hangs up people have when it comes to finding a shounen anime they enjoy and offers some alternatives to view instead of the standard big three.

Oshiete blogger-san!

A pet peeve of mine is ambiguous terms, I don’t like them, at all. Shounen is one that can mean a lot of different things, maybe it shouldn’t but that doesn’t stop people from having many interpretations. Here Karandi does a good job of defining what she means by shounen. Making sure the audience understands exactly what we mean when using broad terms is a good lesson. Confusion breeds irritation.

16th Lesson

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: WONDER EGG PRIORITY By: Jack Scheibelein (@JScheibelein)

This egg show is really popular isn’t it? It looks like a good show and from what I’ve heard about the show it does sound interesting. Jack is here to give you some first impressions of the show. The article gives a good idea of what the show offers without getting spoilery on the plot so that’s always a bonus. I need to watch this show sooner rather than later. If you’re reading this check out Jack’s thoughts maybe this show will be up your alley as well.

Oshiete blogger-san!

The number one thing this article teaches us is to watch the egg show.

On a more serious note, I really like the way this blog did its first impressions. It manages to give you good comparisons on what the show is in order to give you an idea of what the show is going for. It also gives you some other various tidbits that make the show sound more enticing. Sometimes, spoilers are necessary to discuss a show but don’t discount the non-spoiler approach. It may be a little more difficult but it has a different set of merits that have some great value to the reader. So choose to spoil or not spoil wisely your readers will thank you!

17th Lesson

My anime viewing history, 2021 edition By: Derek Lyons (@DerekL1963)

I like stats. Do you like stats? Check out Derek’s stats in bar graph form. This article may bring up questions for you, like what happened in Fall of 2017. Apparently, he’s been doing this for a few years (with some gaps) so maybe check out all the stats available. As an avid mal stats user I appreciate what he’s doing here.

Oshiete blogger-san!

There are quite a few comments to this post. I think it shows that people are interested in your seemingly random stats.

I don’t know why we pour over each other’s ani lists and mals but it’s a pretty common and fun exercise. If your audience is already connected to you they will read about your viewing habits. I left this article wanting more stats, more details, give me all the numbers. Surely, numbers are a good thing and there are others like me who appreciate them? Of course! So feel free to post all your numbers.

18th Lesson

Why is Back Arrow So Fun? By: Aria (@MagicConan14)

Oh lookie a Goro post in the JCS. Aria is going to give us the rundown on the seasonal show Back Arrow. I’m glad they decided to highlight the names in the show in this post. It’s worth checking out this post just to see that. Goro shows are sure to be a little bit less than serious so “fun” is probably the perfect way to describe it.

Check out Aria’s first impressions here to see what they thought about the newly released and always underappreciated Goro Taniguchi title (and maybe some pretty boy thoughts?). On a side note S-cry-ed just got released on crunchyroll/vrv and it looks fantastic if you need more Goro.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Whenever I read something non-fiction I like to know a bit of where the author is coming from. I don’t need your life story but a bit of perspective goes a long way.

In this piece Aria not only gives you info about the show but about themselves and their preconceptions. Your outlook going into a show will slant your views on the show (and any other situation in life). So Aria does a good job of establishing where they are coming from and how they feel about the genre and the characters involved. It’s really easy to nail down why they feel the way they do and if your priors are the same it’s a safer bet you’ll enjoy the show for the same reasons.

19th Lesson

Attack on Titan Season 1: The Rollercoaster By: Jonah Hunt (@jernahblunt)

The article asks if we remember when everyone was talking about this show? YES. YES, I DO. The show that completely took over the convention scene for a hot minute when it stormed in with its memorable first episode. Jonah sets up a well articulated summary of the pros and cons you get with the first season of Attack on Titan.

He says a lot I’ve been thinking but that my lizard brain could never write down like this. So check out this review and maybe leave him a rebuttal since the article ends with “fight me”, time to get angry about nostalgic properties!

Oshiete blogger-san!

(Picture of every anime convention after AOT season 1 released)

I really appreciate the more casual style to this article. It feels like I’m just talking with a friend rather than reading a book report. This less academic approach is really nice to read and more of what I envision a blog should be. This segment is for me and my development and admittedly a lot of my posts read like stuffy lectures. I’ve really tried to be casual and let my voice come out in this JCS post, maybe that’s a success? Who knows? But I’ll continue to try to inject more of myself into my posts like this one does so effectively.

20th Lesson

Get Your Game On! – SK8 The Infinity – Episode 1 – Snowfall on a Hot Night!! By: Celestial Sparkles (@CSparkles60)

Here’s a seasonal review of that new skateboarding show. I’ve seen a couple people excited for this one in and around the Jon Spencer Discord so I expect it’s got promise. It is Studio Bones after all so if nothing else it should look good in the visuals department. Should doesn’t always mean will though, so did Celestial Sparkles think this show is worth your time? Get a little synopsis and some initial thoughts right here at that link, just above, and show some love a little lower down the seasonal chart!

Oshiete blogger-san!

Words are important, sometimes. Here Celestial Sparkles gives their impressions of the show while letting the show do a lot of the heavy lifting. When you have a show that looks this nice (did you see the gif?) there’s no reason to bog down the pretty pictures with too many words. They strike a really nice balance between giving you synopsis/impressions and glossy stylized art to look at. When I write things my images tend to be an afterthought to try and break up the monotony of plain text. There’s a more eloquent way to word all this but putting a little more thought into my image selection is a good lesson.

21st Lesson

Love Me For Who I Am Volume 2 [Manga Review] By: Matt Doyle (@mattdoylemedia)

This is a manga review. Does that work as a transition? Talking about my lack of manga knowledge for the third time just seemed redundant at this point, so I did it anyway of course. Matt on the other hand does read some manga so what are their thoughts on this one? Well I won’t spoil that but I will give you some of the basics here. Love Me For Who I Am is an LGBTQ manga about characters belonging to various identity groups that fall within the broader community. I’ve seen more of these types of stories get licensed lately so find out if this one is worth your time here. (Side note: I appreciate the tag including what medium it is on their site it makes it way easier to find things)

Oshiete blogger-san!

The thought struck me while looking around for an explanation behind the “ex-pro wrestler” section of Matt’s about me. In my real world job so much of what you do is just selling yourself as a person more so than selling your ideas. How many anime we’ve seen is cool and how many manga we’ve read makes us more knowledgeable about the medium but it’s not always what people latch on to.

Something personal from iniksbane

I had kind of an epiphany while rummaging around this blog. I think for most blog readers the blogger is just as if not more important than the content of the blog itself.

I think giving people more avenues to latch on to the blogger themselves could be more captivating than any words on a page. (Am I completely off-base here? What do you guys think and do you feel like you’re not interesting enough for this lesson? I feel that way.)

22nd Lesson

Gunbuster: Aim for the Top!!! || V-Day Special Review By: Takuto (@Takutoanimecafe)

Gunbuster! A great 80s OVA series from Gainax and Hideaki Anno. I really like this series and here Takuto reviews the later released movie version. The fanboy part of me wants to just start spewing my own opinions about how great the OVAs are here but that’s not why anyones reading this. You’re here to click that link and read what Takuto thinks about the best Anno series ever made (yeah I said it). So do that and then come back here to see if I managed to learn anything from reading this review besides the fact that lack of licensing sucks.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Good shows failing to be licensed does really suck though right?

On a more serious note this blog has a nice concept to it. I’ve noticed some blogs do this more than others. It’s not a branding thing as much as a nice atmosphere created by the whole of the blog. I don’t think this approach is necessary for every blog, and I’ve seen some really successful bloggers not use this concept, but the idea of a full blog theme is interesting to me. Everything relates back to the concept of the blog as a cafe. This comes through in the way shows are rated, the titles of articles, and more. This goes a little beyond just saying I review all of a certain type of show or a certain genre. It’s an intriguing concept. Maybe I’ll kick it around a bit more at some point.

(PS: Takuto if you happen to read this watch the OVAs. You really do miss a lot especially in the middle episodes in the movie version… I couldn’t contain this any longer.)

23rd Lesson

K-Friday | Versatile Forestella By: Mel (@MelinAnimeLand)

This submission is something completely different. I’m not super familiar with music reviews but this is sort of a cross between an album review and an introduction to the artist. There’s some general comparisons to other music genres and a few clips to check out if you’re intrigued by any of the descriptions. It also may be of interest to anyone who watches Immortal Song. I had to look it up and found out it’s a Korean TV show and it has a pretty interesting concept. They take a major artist and go through their history and groups do cover songs. So if any of that sounds fun check out this review and maybe go down a Korean TV rabbit hole.

(Wait you mean Loona isn’t a person??!!?)

Oshiete blogger-san!

I’m not sure if this blog post directly taught me this lesson or if it’s just a culmination of all the times I’ve said “I have no idea what this is but maybe you’ll like it,” but there’s a lot out there I know nothing about.

K-pop is big business and has a huge online presence. Do I need to know anything about it? No, not really. It’s never going to be a major part of my life but a lot of people would say the same thing about anime.

I think in life it’s important we challenge our preconceptions on occasion. That might be as simple as reading a music review or looking up information about a Korean TV show. I fall into ruts of learning nothing new and it doesn’t feel good, so less of that more Korean TV rabbit holes. (Or hosting more month long projects. Seriously, if someone else had done this you wouldn’t be having to deal with my ramblings right now!)

24th Lesson

GAMING AFTER DARK: FULL SERVICE By: Meg (@meggsngrits) [lulz pun]

**SO JUST A HEADS UP ADULTS ONLY ON THIS ONE, THERE’S SOME NSFW HERE THIS IS THE ONLY WARNING YOU GET FROM ME**

Okay now we can go crazy. I had never read a hentai or eroge review before and I was greatly amused by this one. This was my introduction to Meg’s series Gaming After Dark where she looks at adult video games.

This one is called Full Service and it’s a spa based MLM eroge visual novel. The art of this one looks pretty good for being an indie game (I’d pick red haired guy or purple haired guy) and it’s got dual audio voice acting. There have been a number of husbando posts so far in the JCS and if you like your husbandos a bit more on the spicy side maybe check out this review.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Hoo boy that was an article I didn’t expect and in the end that made it more enjoyable. I guess there’s something to be said for being different while still staying in the realm of the general community. NSFW works can be contentious but the occasional adults only article could add some “spice” to your blog. So don’t be afraid to spice it up. I can appreciate the variety.

25th Lesson

Heaven Official’s Blessing Anime vs Manhua Review (Spoiler) By: Yume (@YumeTokoyo)

This blog may label itself as a review. But there is a lot more going on underneath the hood. It’s also contrasting some differences between the source material and the anime adaptation.  This is a really good type of blog post. It’s such a useful source for the community.

Many times I’ve searched for the differences between the manga and the anime and I find these types of posts very helpful. It is also a review though so if you have questions about checking out this show you can find Yume’s thoughts within.  All-in-one post! (Also the show’s got a pretty interesting aesthetic).

Oshiete blogger-san!

I like posts like this that provide a service to the community. Opinions are nice and many people read your blog just to find yours. But so much good information is distributed to the community by bloggers. So I think it is a good lesson to remind us that we can help get some good information out to the masses. The more I think about it the more I realize just how much I’ve learned over the years from various blogs.

26th Lesson

#25 Vroom Vroom Angels By: Retro Anime Podcast (@retroanime)

Do you like motorcycles? Specifically motorcycle racing? This is a podcast reviewing two 80s OVAs about motorcycle racing. I had seen the first one Bari Bari Densetsu and had not seen the second one Circuit Angel: Ketsui no Starting Grid. Bari Bari Densetsu better known as Motorcycle Legend shares an original creator with Initial D so that’s exciting. I’m gonna spoil a little bit that the guys really liked one of them and did not think very highly of the other, but which is which? You’ll just have to tune in and find out.

Oshiete blogger-san!

Is it still blogger-san if you run a podcast? Sure, why not. Anyway, what can I pick up as a good lesson from this podcast? I appreciate the melding of their two hobbies, motorsports and anime. It allows the host to add more into the conversation than just a standard anime fan. Anytime you can bring your other expertise or interests alongside your anime blogging it adds a new dimension that I appreciate so I’m sure your readers too.

27th Lesson

The Power of Games | Deca-Dence By: BulletoonGirls (@Voyager_GT)

Deca-Dence was a really fun show that aired in Summer 2020. This video on Deca-Dence has the girls doing an analysis on a couple of thematic through lines in the series. If you have seen the anime you’ll know that there’s a lot to unpack within the layers of Deca-Dence so the show is primed for analysis. A multi-level story needs a multi-level analysis so watch the video to see a bit about Deca-Dence and a bit about video game storytelling in general. (There’s also more Deca-Dence and video game content to find on this blog if you’re interested).

Oshiete blogger-san!

I knew pretty quickly what I was going to write here while watching this video. Having written a blog piece about a thematically dense show somewhat recently I’ve seen firsthand a major pitfall in doing so. There were so many themes that I struggled to give enough time to any of them let alone all of them. On top of that after submitting the piece there were multiple more things I wish I had said. So my lesson from this video is to sometimes distill dense topics down into smaller bites so that you can better focus on individual parts otherwise it can get away from you.

28th Lesson

Genshin Impact Rambles: Liyue Archon Storyline By: NMarfoBlogs (@Nana_Marfo)

Genshin Impact I’m sure most people have at least seen the fan art if nothing else. I played the game a little bit myself at release but I’m not as avid as some of the other people who will probably see this article. I probably only got up to the point of the story that was covered in the first paragraph of the synopsis provided at the beginning of this article. If you’ve never played the game or just want a little refresher at where the story is at before Lantern Rite (I guess that’s new content coming?) You can check this out.

Oshiete blogger-san!

So confession here, straight up. I knew what this one was going to be before I read the article. Why? Because this is the last entry. Here my lesson is just to be ambitious but finish what you start. Set some goals creatively and do your best to achieve them. That’s what this project was for me and now that I’m staring down the finish line I’m happy I was able to see it through. (Also Nana if you read this My Love Story was such a wholesome show I’m glad you enjoyed it so much).

Conclusion

Well looks like I made it, did anyone else? I just wanted to thank everyone for submitting to this month’s JCS. Hopefully, everyone got a few more eyeballs on to their blog and maybe even found a new blog to follow. Thought I’d just give a tl;dr of stuff I learned from doing this project from each of you.

1. Jon Spencer: Use a single show to explore a broader topic
2. Scott: Pre-Planning is important
3. Al Pal: Be consistent
4. TwoHappyCats: Don’t be afraid of the niche within the niche
5. Nabe: Be more positivity
6. YonNyaan: Don’t let content obligations stifle passion
7. InfiniteZenith: Nostalgia isnt bad
8. Fred: Be Yourself
9. Yu: Engage with the community
10.  Jamal: Don’t let the talent of others deter you
11. YumDeku: Keep things fresh
12. Crow: Don’t be too negative
13. Neverarguewithafish: Branding
14. Megan: Shared experiences reach across mediums
15. Karandi: Define terms
16. Jack: Don’t always spoil (or never)
17. Derek: Stats are fun
18. Aria: Establish your own priors 
19. Jonah: Find the right level of formality
20. Celestial Sparkles: Make good image selection
21. Matt: Give readers opportunity to latch onto you as a blogger
22. Takuto: Whole blog themes can be interesting
23. Mel: Challenge your preconceptions
24. Meg: Don’t be afraid to add some spice
25. Yume: Provide a service
26. RetroAnimePodcast: Combine multiple of your interest 
27. Voyager: Cut big topics into smaller chunks
28. NMarfo: Set goals and finish what you start

So what do you think, did I learn good lessons? Did I learn the wrong lesson somewhere? What lesson should I have learned from you specifically? Did you learn any good lessons? Did you even read this far? Answer all these questions and more in the comments or talk to me on twitter (@cripplednerd90) or in the Jon Spencer Reviews discord please give me validation or I will see the 1 comment and 2 likes and just feel sad. Also, feel free to add any tips or lessons you’ve learned from your experience to help out fledgling bloggers in the comments or maybe what tip you need to take yourself! 

Thanks to Jon Spencer for hosting the JCS 

Thanks to iniksbane (@Cameron_Probert) for hosting this on his blog.

Thanks to Bumblechii (@TheSeasaki) for helping bring my banner idea to life and do a really great job.

And lastly thanks to anyone who made it this far.

Note from iniksbane: Thanks to redblinky for putting this together. All I had to do was spend a bit of time finagling it onto the page. Make sure you go say hi to him. It would make everyone feel better.

Next month will by hosted by A Nerdy Fujo Cries.