Christopher Kincaid's Blog, page 23
March 19, 2022
Impostor Syndrome
I suffer from Impostor Syndrome, and I am not alone. At least 70% of professionals report feeling Impostor Syndrome (IS) at some time during their careers (Gottlieb, 2020). Some time ago, Netflix approached me with an Anime Analyst position. This made my IS flare! After all, I can speak only toddler Japanese, and this job…
March 13, 2022
Why are Incels, Neckbeards, and Others Attracted to Japan?
Why is Japan the fantasy for the socially awkward? Why does its culture, its media, and its women receive so much attention from some online men? Since I’ve began to study Japan and the online social groups surrounding it, I’ve pondered these questions. I’ve wondered why generalizations and objectifications and misconceptions proliferate (Look at those…
March 6, 2022
Fact vs Truth in History
You’ve likely heard the phrase “history is written by the victors.” Because of this sentiment, historians feel skeptical about written histories sponsored by governments and winners of conflicts. In history, there’s also a tension between fact and truth. These sponsored histories may not be factual, but they are often truthful. After all, they explain a…
February 27, 2022
Examining Animation: Marin’s Smile
In this article, I’ll attempt to show you an exercise I used to do when I was working on my animation undergraduate degree. The exercise has you take an animation sequence and tear it down, drawing its keyframes (main points of motion) and some of its important in-between frames. Since Marin from My Dress-Up Darling…
February 20, 2022
My Top Couples in Anime
Long time anime fans have their favorite couples. I enjoy couples with dynamic dialogue. It doesn’t matter if they get together by the end of the series or not as long as the dynamics are interesting. In many cases, the relationships should happen because of the great character interactions. Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach offers…
February 16, 2022
Download “Tales from Old Japan” for Free!
Download “Tales from Old Japan” for free from Thursday, February 24 to Monday, February 28 on Amazon. This collection brings together over 170 Japanese fairy tales into one volume. I reworked these stories for modern readers, freeing them from the often stuffy academic versions. If you like what you read, please leave a review on…
February 13, 2022
Japanese Professional Wrestling: Strong Style
Strong Style is the most common type of professional wrestling. It came from a disagreement in approach between the wrestlers Antonio Inoki and Shohei Baba. Inoki founded New Japan Pro Wrestling, which focused on what came to be called Strong Style. Baba founded All Japan Pro Wrestling with its focus on what came to be…
February 6, 2022
Pythagora Switch on NHK is Strange But Enlightening
Pythagora Switch is a children’s educational broadcast on NHK. It’s a strange, surreal program that runs for 5-15 minutes. Pythagora Switch refers to how the segment uses a Rube Goldberg machine or, for my British readers, a Heath Robinson contraption to reveal a segment of the show’s title. Within the run time, the show offers…
January 30, 2022
Japanese Professional Wrestling: King’s Road Style
Japanese professional wrestling has roots in American pro-wrestling. Many of the holds and brawling seen in early matches came from the various styles popular in the United States. The origins of Japanese pro-wrestling traces to Rikidozan, a former sumo wrestler who switched to it in 1951. Two of the most important wrestlers trained under him.…
January 23, 2022
The Authentic Voices Shift in Publishing
Lately in publishing there’s been a push for authentic voices. Authentic voices are usually minority authors writing stories that concern their groups and perspectives. This is wonderful! I enjoy reading authentic perspectives and experiences. That’s what I look for when I research articles for JP. However, as with everything there’s a downside. With the rise…
