YGKO1: ELEMENTS OF A SUPERSTAR

The appeal of lolita fashion jessica w.

As a fashion niche from Japan, lolita fashion is characterized by its elements originating from Victorian England and French Rococo that feature a lot of lace, frills, bows, and a variety of styles. It has been said that a lot of the origins of lolita can be traced back to the 1970s and increasing popularity in the 1990s of the French kawaii aesthetics. During that time, lolita was used as a form of expression that romanticized a simple Victorian lifestyle. The reason why cuteness was seen as a way of escape for the Japanese youth of that era is because adulthood was seen as a time of hardship and restrictions, especially as a time of misery after marriage and motherhood. By reverting back to a period of innocence and childishness, people found comfort through lolita as it allowed them to engage in activities treasured in the past. Even today, the community is most closely associated with the fashion scene in Harujuku.

What I love about lo-

source: rebelsmarket

lita is the individuality and creativity that comes with it. Instead of dressing for another person, lolita is about dressing for yourself. To be able to create an image of yourself in which you feel beautiful even when it’s so opposite of the status quo, is admirable in my eyes. It is also amazing to see the thought behind each coord that people have when selecting pieces and accessories that are suitable together. Furthermore, the patterns in which the dresses have designs resemble oil paintings of Europe and details that I really appreciate. As with most people, I like lolita for its cute aspects that seem like a little girl’s dream. Because of its flattering silhouettes and high costs, I understand why many people are materialistically invested in this lifestyle and hobby. After learning about lolita, I have found more courage to try the fashion style in the future and discover a new side of myself.

In conclusion, lolita fashion embodies the existence of fashion as a form of artistic expression and control of how a person wants to present themselves to the world.

“living

on an island made from fate”

a humble request for lil nas x to take the old town road to the throne of heroes by madison m. | photo by getty images

Ah, the Fate Universe. Infamously known for being convoluted, with universes inside universes, which are in timelines that sometimes intersect with other timelines but not at the same time. Sounds crazy, right? Thankfully, dear reader, I am not here to explain the Fate universe, no, that would take up this entire zine. I am here just to make a simple argument: why Lil Nas X deserves to be a servant in the Fate universe.

Now, I will just need to lay some groundwork here. The major players and people with fancy powers in the Fate universe are called servants. They are called servants because they are summoned into the world of Fate to act as “servants” to humanity, aka, saving humanity whenever humanity needs it, but humanity forgot that part and just used servants for war. The servants are typically famous dead people and they do not have to be real, for example, Medusa and Thomas Edison are both servants. The mechanism that summons servants from the annals of history is called “the Throne of Heroes.” With this, mages can summon servants. Starting from now, I will explain why I believe Lil Nas X should be a servant in the Fate universe.

Now, I can hear you wondering, “Didn’t you say only dead people can be servants, and Lil Nas X isn’t dead…right?”, and you are, he’s not dead yet, however, there is a little contingency for the Throne of Heroes that I didn’t mention for dramatic effect, the throne can summon fa-

mous dead people from the past, present, AND future. Because Lil Nas X will die eventually, Lil Nas X has the possibility to be in the Throne of Heroes. Another thing that you may be wondering is “But Lil Nas X is a singer. The servants I just looked up and the ones you listed have some combat ability or deadly power.”, and wrong again, because musical/artistic servants have always existed. You can summon William Shakespeare, Mozart, Salieri, Vincent Van Gogh, Hans Chrsitain Anderson, and many more. So there is a precedence of artistic and musical servants existing, meaning Lil Nas X has a chance. Now, another requirement to become a servant is to be known, or many people at least know of him. Lil Nas X is famous, he has 8 million followers on Twitter alone. And more people have probably heard of him, which counts in the eyes of the Fate universe, so he is known enough to be a servant. Now, the only other contingency for servants in fate is accepting being a hero, however, that comes when the Throne of Heroes asks if you want to be a hero at the time of your death, but let’s just say he has. Congrats, Lil Nas X, you can now be summoned by mages across history to fight for a Holy Grail/save the world/end the world/whatever Fate likes to do. However, I am going to go one step further and explain what

servant Lil Nas X will be, what will be his abilities, and other things, so stick around to read further.

Also, before I do that, to convince you further that Lil Nas X should be a servant, the Fate universe has interacted with Lil Nas X. Lil Nas X has some snazzy outfits, and some of them look like Fate outfits. One of these outfits was a set of golden armor, and when Lil Nas X posted pictures of this outfit, he put a picture of the servant Gilgamesh in there as well. Also, on April 9th, Lil Nas X’s birthday, the Japanese twitter account for Sony Music Japan wished Lil Nas X a happy birthday, by putting a picture of Gilgamesh saying happy birthday while holding a mic.

Really quickly, in Fate, there are seven different classes for servants: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker. I believe that Lil Nas X would be a caster, aka, a magician. Casters are noted by their extreme proficiency in a certain type of magecraft. Lil Nas X would be proficient in music, like Mozart is. I believe this because he is a musician, so yeah , he should be good at music. So, I think that Lil Nas X’s attacks would all be music based. I think his standard attack would be sonic blasts of a particular note or parts of songs. Now, for his noble phantasm, which is a servant’s strongest attack (if you’ve played Genshin, it would be his burst). I believe it would conjure a “reality marble” (certain servants can summon a bubble that replaces reality with a different reality, a domain

expansion if you will), but in that reality marble would be an entire Lil Nas X concert. In this reality marble, each song and dance move Lil Nas X performs causes damage to the enemy. The reality marble sustains itself until either the enemy is dead or the concert ends. Also, I think Lil Nas X should be able to conjure illusions of different alter egos of himself. In his music videos, he has a lot of alter egos, like Santa, a cowboy, and a gay angel that is sent to hell and becomes the devil. Lil Nas X should be able to conjure these different images of himself to confuse enemies while he is attacking. So, ufotable, Type-Moon, Mr. Nas himself, if you are reading this, please take my proposal into consideration. Lil Nas X would fit right in with the zany world of Fate. And dear reader, I thank you for reading this. Now, if this sounded cool, try Fate. It has a cool premise of seven historical figures fighting each other and the fight scenes are really cool and well animated. And if you don’t want to watch five million different Fate animes that are all somehow connected, try Fate/Grand Order, it’s a free mobile game that is a little less confusing. And now, Lil Nas X is officially an anime character, just like Gilgamesh.

the extraordinarily ordinary beauty of reigen arataka

jay m. (@starrpowered)

If you’re a Twitter-dwelling anime stan or at least vaguely familiar with the concept of a Tumblr sexyman, you’ve likely heard of Internet Sex Symbol Reigen Arataka. Twink Supreme, Ultimate DILF (and MILF), Hottest Anime Woman, Ultimate Babygirl, Slut Supreme, Twitter’s Most Unfuckable, and 2nd place Ultimate Tumblr Sexyman are all of his official titles as bestowed upon him by various Twitter poll brackets, but online anime communities have been objectifying this man since long before the #REIGENSWEEP of 2022. As someone who’s been enamored with him for many years, I thought I may be capable of cracking the code to

his superstar power, and figuring out why the internet— specifically, the girls and the gays— have fixated such passion, and even lust, on our favorite fraud.

In case you’re unfamiliar, Reigen is one of the main characters in the anime & manga series Mob Psycho 100. He was a skeezy conman running a fake psychic business before becoming a mentor to real esper & series protagonist Shigeo Kageyama (aka. Mob), after which he continues to run a shady business and likely evade taxes, but now as a pseudo-father figure to several autistic middle schoolers. There’s a lot more to his character and role in the show’s nar-

rative, but for the sake of conciseness I’ll be focusing on the aspects that pertain to his online reputation. Put a pin in that thought, I’ll expand on it later.

I believe the catalyst in the series of events that resulted in Reigen’s current status was the Mob Psycho 100 anime. The original art style of the manga, drawn by ONE, made none of the characters look particularly attractive, as it’s purposely stylized to look rudimentary and off-kilter; while most of the characters’ designs were adapted relatively faithfully in the anime and only changed to provide visual consistency, it was clear that extra liberties were taken with Reigen’s adaptation to make him more attractive. Several gratuitous scenes of the man include panning shots of his naked back as he’s changing his shirt, suavely wiping sweat off his face with a flourish of anime sparkles, and taking a slow drag of a cigarette. Official art of the conman has been equally suggestive, often depicting him wearing his usual outfit (gray suit, white button-up shirt, black belt, and purple tie) but in various degrees of undress; several show him laying on his side as if to display himself to the viewer with a cheeky smirk. However, sexualization of anime characters is nothing new, and to seasoned anime fans, these depictions are downright tame. Therefore, we must conclude that there is something special about Reigen Arataka beyond his physical attributes that uniquely qualifies him for the coveted title of “babygirl”.

With that established, let’s revisit the subject of Reigen’s character. His flamboyant nature and proclivity for lying immediately stand out to the viewer, and we see these qualities shine throughout the various humorous situations he gets himself into. However, his character also has a bit more depth to it, and we see that he genuinely cares about others and abides by his own code of ethics, never going so far as to outright take customers money without providing some sort of service– even if that service is a back massage disguised as an exorcism. In the second season of the show, we also see that, without Mob, he is quite a pathetic person. The latter half of the episode “Poor, Lonely Whitey” (I swear that’s the actual title of Season 2 Episode 6, look it up) follows Reigen on his birthday, which he spends alone after upsetting Mob the day prior. We see that he has no friends his age and has received no birthday messages on social media, other than an unrelated message from his mom encouraging him to change professions, which depresses him enough to send him out on the town looking for a drink. These scenes are juxtaposed with ones of Mob going out to karaoke with his friends, further emphasizing what his former mentor lacks. This aspect of his character is the final piece of the puzzle, showing us what makes him a perfect figure for the internet’s queers to rally behind.

Despite all his quirks and Studio BONES’ best efforts at emphasizing his attractiveness, Reigen Arataka is quintessentially just some guy. In

his own series, he’s effectively a powerless salesman who succeeds by walking into situations with a sense of authority and improvising as best he can, but he’s even more normal compared to what’s common practice in the medium of anime. Every season of new anime yields a fresh crop of waifus for straight male otaku to buy body pillows of, each with a brighter hair color, bigger boobs, and an even more complicated explanation for why she’s not actually a minor. A major criticism of “waifu” culture and the segment of the industry that caters to it is that these female characters and their stories are created to fulfill the fantasies of male fans. When shows like Rent-a-Girlfriend spark discussions of who is “best girl” or “best waifu”, these conversations about appreciating aspects of favorite female characters are automatically predicated on their romantic and sexual desirability. In contrast, Reigen is a sort of anti-waifu. At best, he’s a mildly attractive, morally dubious father figure, and at worst he’s a friendless loser who ruined his own birthday by yelling at the 12 year-old he was already breaking multiple labor laws by employing. He wasn’t created to be desirable, but that’s partially why fans were drawn to him. His over-thetop personality is fun to watch, but the narrative consistently humbles him and dissuades the audience from believing in his savvy, confident persona, setting him in strong contrast with “waifu” characters, whose personalities are constructed deliberately to appeal to the viewers’ fantasies.

This brings me to my final thesis: Reigen’s popularity in queer & female dominated anime spaces as a

subject of objectification is because he’s diametrically opposed to the typical subjects of desire in mainstream anime culture. We saw the charm in a character that’s weird and flawed in part because that’s what we hope people will do for us, and I believe this applies especially to queer fans. I specifically chose to compare Reigen with the treatment of female characters by male fans rather than how popular male anime characters are treated by female fans because the language of many of Reigen’s titles and memes purposely reappropriates heteronormative frameworks for discussing women’s desirability for comedic effect. Calling him a “babygirl” and entering him in the anime woman bracket were not intended to emasculate Reigen but to humorously subvert the mainstream idea of who should be considered an object of desire. Now, I’m not saying that treating a 28 year-old conman who owns a small business like a submissive neko malewife is an intentional act of radical gender politics. Obviously, I understand that the simplest explanation to this phenomenon is that the internet likes a good meme, but I think it takes a special kind of character to inspire a community in the way that Reigen has. Inversely, it also takes a special kind of community to embrace a character like him, and, for all his flaws, I’m personally glad the LGBTQ+ community has forgiven Reigen Arataka.

camp in the world of jojo’s bizarre adventure

by jay m.(@starrpowered)

Dear reader, I humbly invite you to guess my favorite anime. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a couple hints. It’s giving…eccentric. Strange. Weird.

Dare I say…camp? Would it be giving it away if I called it…bizarre?

You know what anime I’m talking about. Men so buff that when their brows furrow, their foreheads ripple with muscle. Characters who stop mid-combat to perform poses ripped straight out of Vogue editorials. Abilities so complicated they necessitate full-length video essay explanations. If you guessed the hit anime and manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you would be correct! Now, lower your torches and pitchforks, I’m not saying it’s the best anime– that would be Mob Psycho 100– just that it’s my favorite, because I’m gay, neurodivergent, and very dramatic. You don’t have to be a lover of hot dudes to enjoy JJBA, though it is a plus; fans around the world have been celebrating these wacky stories for over three decades, with collaborations as prestigious as Gucci and the Louvre. But why has this series become so popular? I believe that

so popular? I believe that much of JoJo’s superstar status is due to its mangaka, the visionary Hirohiko Araki, and how he used Western pop cultural iconography to bring the principles of camp to the shonen genre.

First, we need to catch you up to speed on the meaning of camp, and, in case you’re living under two identical rocks in the desert, the basics of JoJo.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure follows members of the Joestar family as they use their abilities to combat evildoers. The story is split into parts, with each part taking place in a different time period and following a different protagonist (known as that part’s “JoJo”) during their adventures. If you’re still thinking about whether or not to start the series, check out Madison’s writing in this zine! As for what “camp” means in this context, a description from Dapper Confidential explains it best: “nothing is subdued, and everything has to be referential – to the present or something iconic –all while being pulled to extremes”. Even the term’s original definition in the Oxford English dictionary fits much of the imagery of JoJo, describing the term as “associated with all things flamboyant and

dio in stopped time after moving polnareff down the stairs again

describing the term as “associated with all things flamboyant and theatrical but also the effeminate and homosexual”. I can think of a particular character that checks off all those boxes, but we’ll get to him later. First, we need to break down how that definition relates to the content of JJBA.

Right off the bat, JoJo is nothing if not referential, but I don’t believe this is to its detriment. Whereas MCU characters making quips about Star Wars can often feel like nostalgia pandering or thinly-veiled corporate marketing from Disney, Araki’s references feel like they’re for his own joy rather than to elicit a reaction from the audience. One of Araki’s most frequently referenced real-life superstars is Prince, using two of his songs for main characters’ stands (Gold Experience and Soft & Wet, respectively) as well as designing his confirmed favorite JoJo, Diamond is Unbreakable’s Josuke Higashikata, in his likeness. He’s also referenced legends in pop & classic rock like David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and more, even referencing more recent popular music as the parts go on, including the likes of Snoop Dogg and Lady Gaga. Even one of JJBA’s major iconic elements, the “JoJo poses” (don’t lie, you’ve seen the TikTok trend), are often direct references to existing fashion illustrations & photoshoots. The resulttrations & photoshoots. The resulting amalgamation of these major influences is a series where seeing muscular men wearing thigh high boots, full faces of makeup, and colorful outfits with lace and mesh textures, it probably means they’re the main characters, whereas other shonen would likely present such a sight as a visual gag.

If you’re a fan of popular shonen, I won’t argue that the fights in JJBA are objectively the best or even better than most of the greats. Recent anime like Jujutsu Kaisen & Chainsaw Man and new releases from classic anime like One Piece & Evangelion are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the medium, whether it be by embracing developments in CG technology, carrying on the craft of hand-drawn anime, or fusing traditional techniques with new methods. But, I will argue that they are the most camp. If you take a look at a random fight in Battle Tendency you’ll see dynamic poses, vibrant colors in clashing patterns; it’s either an assault on the eyes or a sensory paradise depending on your taste— for me, it’s obviously the latter— and this is before you’ve even pressed play. Think back to that definition of camp, “nothing is subdued”. Starting in Part 3, the series’ combat revolves around the characters’ Stands, which are essentially a person’s life force manifested in a colorful

life force manifested in a colorful humanoid form generally named after a popular musician/song that stands near you and punches stuff. However, they don’t necessarily have to be humanoid or capable of punching– a fly, a cell tower, a near-exact replica of LEGO Architecture White House 21006, and the Sun have all been stands– but the main character and villain’s Stands generally are. Because of the variety in how they can appear and the complexity of their abilities, Stand battles make up a large part of JoJo’s campiness factor by providing almost humorously strange and unbelievable situations. Humping your male friend while an old woman beats you with an umbrella, peeing into a cloud midair, punching a plate of spaghetti, and drinking your new co-worker’s piss out of a teacup are all possible if you’re a main character in JoJo, thanks to the magic of stands. Why are two of those examples piss-related? Just be grateful I only picked two. I told you it gets weird! The character that best demonstrates my thesis on JoJo’s campiness is none other than the series recurring villain, Dio Brando. Dio knows he’s a star, even eschewing his last name in Part 3 to go by simply DIO in a move that we can’t prove wasn’t Beyonce’s inspiration for doing the same. To summarize, Dio was a British kid whose daddy issues drove him to issues drove him to reject his humanity and become an evil power-hungry vampire with aspirations of usurping God after he finally defeats the Joestars. In media, vampires typically possess the powers of immortality, sharp fangs, and a compelling- perhaps even seductive- nature. Their skin is white and cold and they can’t see themselves in mirrors. In JoJo, Dio doesn’t just possess those attributes; cold skin becomes blood that can literally freeze enemies, he’s so captivating that characters are traumatized by how quickly they fell to his whims, he can somehow create mutant zombies- oh, and he can shoot lasers from his eyes. And that’s all before he becomes a Stand user. Though Dio’s stand does facilitate some of his most campy and villainous moments, I’ll omit its abilities from this piece in the offchance you don’t already know it. I’ll instead describe his presence to you via Abdul’s first meeting with Dio in the Stardust Crusaders anime. His visage is framed with a sensual vignette in rosy tones, smoke creeping around the edges of the frame. His supple, glossy lips open to reveal sharp fangs that glisten in the moonlight as he beckons the other man forward. “It would make me very happy if you let me see it”, Dio’s deep voice requests–referring to his stand, of course–before licking his lips. The scene ends with Abdul running away

screaming from Dio’s mind-controlling hair tentacles (not a part of his stand, nor a vampire thing, just a Dio thing). Later in the same part, he dons green lipstick and black stiletto nails to unleash a hail of knives and throw a road roller at a Japanese teenager, all while waxing poetic about his own power. I’d say that’s icon behavior. I swear I have a point to make, I’m not just thirsting after Dio. My point is that Araki finds popular tropes and archetypes and amplifies them to a degree that often prioritizes theatricality over realism. His serial killer villain isn’t just a serial killer villain, he has an obsessive hand fetish and design inspirations in both Queen and David Bowie. Another villain is literally the ultimate lifeform who can grow wings and turn his hands into ravenous squirrels. And there’s the 23rd President of the United States, whose name is Funny Valentine. I swear I’m not making these up.

But why does this matter? Sure, JoJo is camp, but that doesn’t necessarily make it good, you might say. To that, I would reply, but it does though. It’s brilliant how a series so laden with weirdness, camp, and spectacle can also create powerful, iconic, and emotionally resonant scenes that withstand the test of time. It’s so intensely referential but because Araki continuously pushes himself in new directions with his writing and directions with his writing and integrates his influences in unique and original ways that JJBA has become an iconic series referenced by countless other artists. The series’ success is a crystallization of one of my main philosophies on art: in the modern era, it is impossible to produce art without the influence of art that came before, but that doesn’t mean one cannot be original. JoJo’s success is not despite its campiness and heavy inspiration from pop culture; Araki was able to make such an original series because it is in part a love letter to the act of making art and an open declaration of admiration for what inspired him to create.

an afternoon in the kitchen s.neciosup

YELL-ena | suggestive content

Her hair tangles easily. Especially when she cooks.

She moves leisurely between the island and the stove. Sometimes she even sways to the cabinet on the far end. Her hand clasps the runaway jar of honey the same way she once grabbed artillery for the Beast. Even

in war, she was calm, elegant, dragging, like a shark in a tsunami.

When she asked me out I remember going through all the ways I could reject her. Me? What makes you think I’d look at you? Her half-lidded eyes looking at my

face. Sorry, I’m not interested. Her open lips pointing towards mine. Unlike those soldiers you wrap around your finger, I can’t accept any distractions. All those years expecting to never be with her.

But there was no war anymore. Paradis had ceded. Marley was in reconstruction and Eren—well, he wasn’t there anymore. There were no more titans, and there was no more need for the Cart or a devotion to a cowardly God. She strayed me from my religion with a single question.

“Please.”

That was my response.

“I’m almost done,” she says. “Yelena.”

Pieck’s flirting was relentless. Her obsession with a beard I wore once, her desperate need to sleep beside me in the tent, her fascinatingly stubborn refusal to ever touch me. She never even brushed my arm. When the steps of the colossals knocked us sideways, she didn’t even touch me as we fell. I grabbed her arm, expecting her to grab back. Countless times I pet her titan form, expecting her to gain the same sense of physicality with me. But she never did. She so gorgeously

kept herself at a distance and so easily crawled into my fantasies.

But now she touches me more than I touched her. Our roles have reversed since the days when I rode her titan.

“That’s not what I’m begging for.” I move behind her. Her hands reach my neck as she bends her neck backwards. The last thing I see is her laugh entering mine.

She is half my size, her cute legs just long enough to wrap around mine and hang on as she gets tossed. She’s plump, her body easily grabbed. I’ll massage her anywhere, and she’ll feel it. She’ll jump twice when I thrust once. She’ll tell me my hands are too big for her own good. She loves the length of my fingers, the way a slight curve feels huge in her. I bite the stretch marks under her ass, the birthmark above her waist, the scars on her thighs. Her skin is soft, but her body is strong with years of training that never leave her. Her cries should remind me of the people I’ve killed, of the mothers I’ve made weep, but all I can hear is her. Just like a flood washing away the blood after a massacre, her sounds deafen all I’ve done and leave me with nothing but the feeling of her climax on my tongue. She’s gorgeously alive.

UZUMAKI LONDON

an international food review by baguettegoing

Whilst exploring the city, most London tourists are drawn towards its iconic attractions—such as Sherlock Holmes’s residence at 221B Baker Street, its historic Buckingham Palace, or its sweeping River Thames. Though I’ve visited quite a few London attractions, the hotspot that has, admittedly, excited me the most is an anime-themed restaurant located in central London.

Nestled in a corner building on Great Russell Street, Uzumaki London is a restaurant specializing in Japanese cuisine—and, as its name suggests, its design and menu primarily draw inspiration from Naruto Uzumaki, the title character of the Naruto series.

ushered me to my seat—dare I mention that he was absolutely dripped out in a black jacket with the Uzumaki London logo on the back? No shame in reserving a table for one! I thought, but, upon seeing the number of couples and groups in my vicinity, my backpack quickly became my plus one, as I stationed it in the seat across from mine. The casual, fun atmosphere was something I greatly appreciated about Uzumaki London, however, for everyone had come for the same anime dining experience as

I had—there was no need to worry about the pickpockets that frequented the more heavily-trafficked areas of London.

Upon entering, I was greeted by the front of house, who

After being presented with the menu, I chose the Uzumaki Ramen—served with tonkotsu

miso broth, egg ramen noodles, an egg, bamboo shoots, and chashu pork—and a mango bubble tea to accompany the order. Further drawing from the Naruto series, each bubble tea on the menu was inspired by one of the tailed beasts, with my selection being a nod to Kurama, the nine-tailed fox residing within Naruto for the majority of the series.

As I awaited my order, I noticed the amazing customer service provided by the servers at Uzumaki London—not only were they all very pleasant to interact with and quick to assist, but it was clear that everyone working there was just as much of an anime fan as the customers there. Their team camaraderie was super cute, and they truly excelled in making the customers feel welcome! Furthermore, I thought that the anime music playing softly from the speakers was a nice touch, and the character mural painted on the walls circling around the restaurant certainly made for a great photo-op backdrop upon my order’s arrival!

The ramen broth was flavorful, and both the egg and bamboo shoots were well seasoned— making great additions to the dish. The noodles had thoroughly absorbed the contents of the bowl, and I eagerly gulped the dish down—just like Naruto when he visits his beloved Ichiraku Ramen in the series! Additionally, I quite liked the Kurama-inspired bubble tea—the pearls were still warm when served, contrasting the cooler mango pieces that had been blended in, coming together to create a refreshing and unique creamy milk tea beverage.

Overall, I would certainly recommend Uzumaki London to anyone who happens to find themselves in London looking for a meal with an anime twist— just make sure to reserve a table, as spaces do fill up quickly!

“things i was about to say disappeared one after another, this uneasy feeling is weighing on me. i forced down my heart’s desires that i wanted to follow so i wouldn’t spit them out they built up inside my chest, like dregs, and clouded me.”

“if we are to be separated, if we are to lose our way, i’ll make sure we’ll be connected this time, no matter how many times it takes. if you will stay here with me, if i could just keep you from leaving, you could still be saved by this feeling no one else knows.”

lower one’s eyes

Lower (ロウワー) by nulut was commissioned for the group 25ji, Nightcord-de in the game Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage. Its associated event, My Footprints, Your Destination, broke in-game ranking cuto records by a landslide in both the JP and global servers, although this fervent level of competitiveness cannot be solely attributed to the song itself, but rather how it works in conjunction with the beautiful limited card art and heart-wrenching story.

e original MV depicts the betrayal of a maid towards her teacher, the witch. Out of jealousy, the former sells out the latter, leading the witch to be burnt at the stake. e story and imagery contains sapphic undertones and has been interpreted as an allusion to the story of betrayal between Judas and Jesus.

e lyrics also re ect the struggles of Mizuki Akiyama, the central character in the event story. In both, the focal character commits an act of betrayal towards a loved one in a twisted attempt to keep them close. Mizuki is a beloved character in Project SEKAI, and it’s clear why: their struggles are relatable to both Japanese and Western audiences. Although they keep a playful façade on the surface, they are deeply afraid of what they believe to be an inevitable abandonment once others discover their “secret.” ey also have a strong, individualistic sense of identity

surrounding their presentation despite facing harsh backlash from their peers in a collectivist society.

ese characteristics resonate strongly with many queer fans as well, particularly since Mizuki is so heavily queer/ trans-coded; the English translation uses they/them pronouns for Mizuki (since their gender is o cially unknown), and they are seen in ashbacks with short hair wearing a boy’s uniform in middle school, whereas they now have longer hair and don the female uniform for high school. is is what most consider to be their “secret.”

My Footprints, Your Destination begins with Ena Shinonome, one of Mizuki’s close friends and fellow members of Nightcord, attempting to discover what’s bothering Mizuki a er she notices their cheerful mask slip. e attempts culminate in a heartfelt conversation on the school roo op, where Ena convinces Mizuki that she will stay by their side no matter what. Mizuki almost reveals their secret, but hesitates at the last moment a er recalling traumatic memories of being mocked and ridiculed by their classmates, and instead says “nothing’s wrong.” In the end, Ena resolves to wait as long as they need until they’re ready, while Mizuki berates themself for lying to Ena. ey cling onto the hope of their relationship remaining unchanged, even if it means they cannot be honest.

The imporTance of handicrafT in culTure

With the current times and westernization, a lot of people’s fashion has been normalized for the convenience of daily life and mass production through mechanization. For this reason, a lot of handmade clothing has fallen out of demand due to its high cost. While it is easy to dismiss an expensive garment as something insignificant, I feel that there is still a lot of value in understanding the reason behind expensive handicraft, particularly the kimono.

A brand called Chiso currently prices their kimonos up to ten thousands of dollars. Based in Kyoto, the company was established in 1555 and is one of the oldest kimono houses today with over 600 artisans that carefully and painstakingly carry out the 20 steps of making a final kimono. Because everything is done by hand, each kimono is unique and carries the hours of effort the artisans put in.

Simply designing and drafting it onto the kimono is already a highly detailed process that takes several days. In order to get their signature look, an itome nori artisan traces all the drafted lines so parts are undyed and the kimono’s designs end up with white outlines. While some kimonos are dyed with brushes, others are dyed through the technique of shibori or barrel dying through threaded patterns. After, the intricate procedure of yūzen painting is where designs come to life and nature sings through brush strokes. With further steps of embroidery, whole pieces can take months. Many of the artisans' work takes a toll on their body through decades of labor. It is amazing to see how much passion is put into a single piece of clothing and truly gives a new appreciation to traditional wear.

Nowadays, fast fashion and commercial brands have saturated the clothing industry which shows how much society has deviated from the past. It is very easy to dismiss cultural clothing for its price. I think it’s still important to recognize that handicrafts are high for a reason. It isn’t only about paying for the clothing, but also paying for the deep history that comes with it.

“ it was you who said goodbye, still, tears run down on your cheeks. if you are going to erase memories of yesterday like this, that’s enough. just show me your smile. ”

charles

While vflower is well-known through the “edgy” VOCALOID community nowadays, her usage was not always so prevalent. Released in 2014, she had to compete with already famous Crypton VOCALOIDs such as Miku, Rin, and Len. Charles (シャルル) by balloon (Suda Keina) could be credited with propelling her into popularity, as the first (and only from 2016!) song featuring vflower to surpass 10 million views. The MV currently sits at over 7 million views on NicoNico and over 40 million views on Youtube.

Dear Sister,

After you moved out when you were 14, I became a different person.

Before then, I based everything off of you. What I liked, what was cool, what I’d try to study in school, all of my ideas were shadows of yours and I loved to wrap myself in the safety and comfort of the security I felt from that. Sundays would saunter past lazily in the summer, drawn out in my memories like warm taffy. I could tame my swirling loneliness like I was never bothered by it. When you started watching anime, I did too. I peeked over your shoulder out of nosiness, and I’d catch glimpses of the action. One day my curiosity got the better of me and I sat down with you to watch it together. You were watching Naruto dubbed on Crunchyroll. Several episodes had already been released, so you streamed dubbed episodes. The first thing that piqued my interest was how watching it felt like watching my favorite cartoons, but the story was undeniably Asian. you would watch into twilight hours, but my eyes would start drooping by midnight. I’d fight to stay awake as long as I could, but eventually I would drift into sleep and you would plow ahead. As tired as those hazy nights left me, I loved the ease of watching episode after episode with my best friend, chasing the rising sun.

After you left for school, I rarely saw you. Your return marked school holidays and breaks. Watching the summer season of anime became our ritual together. Each time, you would pick the show and I would prepare myself for the ride.

In the summer of 2013, I was approaching a pivotal moment in my life. By the end of August, I would depart for my new boarding high school in Pennsylvania. I was terrified of not fitting in there and my anticipation for the move was acrid and sharp. With you around, my worries softened. Instead of thinking about the week ahead, I could pour my nerves into a different world. We caught up to the airing season of HunterxHunter (2011), watching approximately 92 episodes of HunterxHunter in five days. Your eyes were peeled for

Hisoka and Illumi (‘with the dead fish eyes,’ you’d say). I was stuck on Departure from Masatoshi Ono. By the time I had to leave, I didn’t even remember what I was scared of, I was still living in their world with you by my side.

In 2014, I was experiencing a stage of adolescent confusion that was intense and strange. My identity as a queer Chinese American girl left me feeling perpetually foreign, an alien beneath my skin. We dove into anime that summer with both of us needing it more than ever. You could escape your multiplying responsibilities as a student and almost-graduate and I could remain and return to us. Love Stage was my first exposure to BL and queer desire. Unabayoud in sparkling bodies, the characters chose to love instead of parade through endless, unhappy, straight relationships. You would tease me, ‘don’t you like it, haven’t you seen this before,’ provoking until my feigned nonchalance was punctuated with a blush. The other series, Barakamon, was full of rising exuberance. Its characters reside in the picturesque Japanese countryside of cultural heritage and familial pride. We fawned over Naru together, squealing at her adorable cheeks. Handa’s new lease on life lifted me out of my personal hurricane, 20 minutes at a time.

2016 was one of my favorite years. My mood was on the upswing. I was a guest in a new beautiful home. It was my first summer having people I could call friends and friends I could call. You insisted we watch the first two complete seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure because of its meme value, I’m sure. We lit up the room laughing until our eyes were watering and our ribs hurt, marveling at Jonathan’s enormous shoulders (‘his biceps are the size of my head!’ you’d say). We sang along to Walk Like An Egyptian each time and never skipped the opening credits. When the sun started to set, we’d hear the forest cicadas sing.

I wonder if you remember the last anime I watched with you in our family home was Made in Abyss. That time, I picked the show. It was the summer of 2017. We stubbornly remained

silent during Nanachi’s story despite both holding in hot tears behind our glasses, failing at our refusal to cry. Afterwards, I realized it was the first time in a long time that we’d cried together.

I don’t see you during summers anymore. you have a completely separate life now. Yet, you were my best friend for the first decade of my life, when I was a very different person. Trying to reconcile these versions of myself, to parse my Ship of Theseus, was an impossible paradoxical challenge. It’s true, I am not who I was. Maybe next time we talk, I’ll break down all my walls. I’ll tell you all the ways I’ve broken and all the ways I picked myself back up. Maybe I’ll do all those things. But I guarantee this thing: I will carry your guidance with gratitude every day. Anime as I know it now is woven into my memories of you and myself, dancing atop my heartstrings. How can I possibly separate the two? It’s love.

a crash course of sorts on jojo’s bizarre adventure madison

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure… It sure is bizarre. But it is a good kind of bizarre, even more, it’s a bizarre that captures the very essence of a superstar type of anime. However, it isn’t for everyone… At first. In this little piece, I will A. convince you to watch/read JJBA, and B. review this small anime.

First, a synopsis of JJBA. JJBA follows the Joestar family. Each different season, or Part, features a different “Jojo”, and their adventures, however some of these adventures are connected. For example, Part 1, 2, 3, and 6 all have something to do with the villain that keeps plaguing the Joestar family, Dio Brando.

Now, you should really watch JJBA. Other than the fact that it is a genuinely good show, with likable characters, a fun story, and thrilling fight scenes, the energy of the show is so captivating with its superstar energy. Each season, or part, of the anime is so different from the other that you can never truly be bored of it. Like, part 2 two gay men fight superhumans who were made out of stone, who just so happen to also be gay. Part 5: taking down the Italian mafia. Part 7: gay cowboys. However, don’t worry if you get attached to a specific character, the characters you know

and love appear across many Parts; Jotaro Kujo shows up in 4 parts even though he’s the main character in only one. It also has some of the best music in all of anime. There is not one opening of JJBA that is not a hit. Trust me, one listen to all openings of JJBA, and all the openings will end up on your playlist. The endings for JJBA are so camp as well. Part 5’s first ending is literally “Freek’N You”. This part has some of the saddest deaths, and the ending is a song about fucking. The character’s themes, and the sound effects are awesome. Listen to the sound effect of Dio Brando’s The World and tell me that it doesn’t scratch an itch in your brain. Also, if you hadn’t noticed when I was describing the parts, the parts are connected by one thing: the LGBTQ. Now, while all the characters we see aren’t that gay, except for Dio Brando, you can see why the LGBT has attached itself to the anime if you watch any ten second clip. With the characters’ camp outfits, the ever changing color palette, and some of the characters acting quite suspicious with the same gender, so much of this anime is so flamboyant. If you watch anime, if you are a part of the LGBTQ, and if you are a member of the LGBTQ community who

also watches anime, JJBA is a must watch. And, if this little description hasn’t convinced you to watch it, at least watch it for the memes. And, if that doesn’t convince you, read Jay’s piece about Jojo in this same zine. He can explain it way better than I can.

Now that I have convinced you to watch JJBA, I recommend that you watch JJBA after you are already acclimated to the world of anime. JJBA is a very bizarre anime (hence the title), and it will be even more bizarre if this will be your first anime. After you have already watched something small, simple, and easy to watch, like One Piece, then you can get started. Alright, now that all the people who watch anime here, let’s get started on your JJBA journey. The right watch order for JJBA is very complicated, so stick with me here. First, you watch Part 1, and then Part 2, and then you go in order, until you get to Part 6, and then you wait for Part 7 to be animated, or, read the manga. After Part 7, read Part 8. Super complicated, I know.

Now for the review: it has its faults, but if you can get past those, this will become your new favorite anime/manga. When I say faults, I mean it. Other than the fact that one of Part 2’s side characters is a literal Nazi, the main problems with the anime is the pacing. Part 3’s pacing is abysmal, however, it has the worst pacing of all the parts. If you can look past Part 2’s glaring problem with Nazis aiding our small little guys, this anime is spectacular. It is so funny, and so camp, but at the same time, heart-breaking. When I finished reading Part 6, I sobbed in the same room as my friend talking about Spamton drowning in soup. JJBA has beautiful art, characters to get attached to, deaths to cry at, themes and writing to marvel at. It also has some of the best openings and endings in all of anime. While JJBA has its faults, it also has very very strong points. When you’re done reading this zine, go pull up JJBA and watch it. And remember, don’t be a part skipper and don’t skip the openings and endings.

game review: omori kayley chun

One of my favorite games of all time is Omori. I started following the game development when the trailer 8 years ago came out. I loved the confusing themes it gave with a mix of horror and also the dream-like setting it had. It took several years for the game to be fully developed, and by that time, I had mostly forgotten about it until I just happened to be on Steam when the game was released on Christmas 2020. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I definitely was not expecting a horror role playing video game.

One of my favorite things about Omori is the plot. There are tons of twists and turns, and even when you think you know where the plot is going, it changes. The game mainly follows a friend group where the main character is Omori/Sunny. Throughout the game, we are trying to find Omori’s lost friend, Basil, with three other friends while also uncovering truths Omori/Sunny have been locking away. The start seems really wholesome as we are introduced to the whole crew, and spend some time with them. However, the moment Basil goes missing, the game starts becoming more horror-like. I

warning: discussions of death

really enjoyed Omocat’s navigation through the plot. They give this illusion of a bright fantasy world where a group of friends work together to find Basil. However, the integration of Omori in “Headspace” and Sunny in the real world is a great way to hint that something isn’t right. We learn that Mari has passed away in the real world and everybody in the friend group has aged up in comparison to Omori’s world where Mari still lives and everyone is still young. With Sunny moving away and the friend group’s strained relationships with each other, there clearly is something going on that we don’t know of. We can assume it has something to do with Mari’s death, but nothing fully settles in. My favorite part of Omori was the sequence of getting the pictures of what actually happened the day Mari passed away. It was a chilling experience and such a heartbreaking truth. I was genuinely so shocked because I was not expecting such a reveal. Omocat put such a great reveal on the truth with keeping the suspense and anticipation. There are multiple endings to the game that can occur after Omori/Sunny reveals the truth which is an excellent way

to showcase the different realities

Sunny can find himself in. Overall, my favorite part of the plot was the truth which was an emotional rollercoaster and fantastic storytelling.

Other than the plot, the gameplay itself is fairly simple. The controls are straightforward, and the battle system is unique with its incorporation of emotions. For new gamers, the game is an easy enough difficulty, and for people who want more of a challenge, there are some more difficult bosses in the game that you can try out after finishing the main plot. I really enjoyed playing the game itself without consideration of the plot. The battles are fun, and there is so much to explore in “Headspace” and in the real world. There are a lot of missions/events that can happen over the course of the game which makes it entertaining when you are trying to grind levels. You can also learn a lot about the characters simply from their playstyle, and how they interact with each other in battle. The gameplay takes about 20 hours for a first playthrough because there are a lot of things packed in Omori. I do think

that the last third of the game becomes too focused on grind. Especially when you are trying to figure out what secrets Omori is hiding, the journey to the next cutscene or plot material is pretty long. It starts to seem a little tedious doing everything, and I think if the sequence of events went a little quicker near the end, it would’ve been very nice. Overall, there are a lot more things I enjoy about Omori like the characters and their relatability. I focused mainly on the plot and gameplay because those are the two main things people might choose to get into a game for. Even with just the plot and gameplay itself, the game is well thought out, and you can tell a lot of effort and care was put into this game. The community for this game is also fantastic, and I love seeing the recognition Omori gets. I would highly recommend anyone to play this game as it touched on important subjects of friendship, acceptance, and healing.

a tribute to kyoto animation

by emma zhao

Kyoto Animation, or KyoAni, is a studio that is known for producing character-driven stories with a delicate sensitivity. Their shows excel at imbuing scenes with electrical intensity. They magnify tiny moments between characters into heart-racing climaxes. They draw out tangible emotions in the viewers by highlighting subtle changes in a character’s body language and facial expressions. Their animators highlight the power of emotional vulnerability by immersing the audience in a tactile, sensory experience. As a result, striking, expressive eyes have become a signature of KyoAni’s designs. I sought to pay homage to these strengths while honoring the studio’s transformation after 2019.

On July 18th, 2019, Kyoto Animation’s Studio 1 building was set on fire during an arson attack with 70 animators still working inside. 36 employees passed away as a result, making the event one of the largest massacres in modern Japanese history. In the aftermath of the attack, there was an outpouring of support and donations to the victim’s families and KyoAni studios. When choosing my topic, I was drawn to explore how this attack not only destroyed the hundreds of lives directly impacted by the fire, but also the devastating cultural impact of the assault. In my image, I wanted this personification of the studio’s work to express rage, a lit fire burning now from within. There was an awful maliciousness to the violence directed at Kyoto Animation. The fact that it viciously targeted a group that represented vulnerability and gentleness felt like a particularly twisted and infuriating injustice. After the attack, Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatta announced, “If it is possible, I would like to turn the site into a park and erect a monument.” A committee has since been established to create a memorial at the site where the studio was. A majority of the victims’ families are in favor of building an on-site memorial to create a space of remembrance for the countless who are still recovering from the trauma.

photo by lorenzo herrera on unsplash

the rise of streaming kayley chun

As a person involved in the gaming community, I’ve seen a rise in popularity with becoming a streamer. Sometimes it’s a hobby, but a lot more often, you’ll see people committing themselves to streaming full-time. I’ve always wondered why this rise in live streaming came to be, but I think the reasoning is a lot more simpler than most people would think. I’ll mainly focus on Twitch with some mentions of Youtube since these two platforms are the most popular ones. TwitchTracker.com provides us with some insight on the viewership and streams of Twitch over the years starting in September 2012. From there we can see that while streaming and viewership was steadily growing,

there was a sharp rise in both during March 2020. This could be explained because of the pandemic when people started to realize that the lockdown wasn’t going to end within a year. This is the most logical explanation as streams and viewership started decreasing in June 2021 when people weren’t mandated to be on lockdown (at least in America). This allowed for people to continue their normal life before the pandemic hit, and the people who streamed or watched streams just to pass time during the pandemic, could now stop if they wanted to do something else. However, there are still a lot of people who continued streaming or continued to watch. Ever since 2020, the viewership has averaged 2.5 million

viewers, and the active streamers on Twitch averaged 7.82 million monthly broadcasts. Clearly there is more charm to streaming than just to pass time during the pandemic.

Across most streamers, most of the reason they stay is because they genuinely find live streaming fun. It’s a great way to connect to people all over the world, and a new way to share your experiences with a group of people. It can be very professional like, for instance Offline TV, or casual streaming. The most popular streamers have sponsors, contracts with companies, and other content they might have to attend to while also streaming. I would label this as more professional live streaming because it is their job. Casual streaming is not exactly a streamer who just streams for fun or has a small amount of viewers. I would define it as a streamer who isn’t contracted with companies, doesn’t have a set schedule, or where streaming isn’t their job. People who stream as their job have to stream to somehow sustain themselves financially which I find a little different than people who stream just for fun. They might earn money from donations or subscriptions, but ultimately most of the motivation to stream is to engage with the chat or stream their gameplay. Recently, there has been a rise in just normal people who like playing games, stream. They continue to stay and stream because it’s fun, and to them the monetary value isn’t a

huge factor. It is also easy to start streaming which I think plays into the rise of streamers. My older sister even tried it out at some point, and she didn’t have the best PC or the best set up. However, she got started super easily, and she did it for a few months before going back to her more “meeting people in-person” life. Because it’s easy to figure out, people have at least tried out streaming a lot, and a lot of these streamers continue to stay for the sheer enjoyment streaming gives them.

I enjoy seeing streaming becoming a more viable hobby or job for our generation. I feel that streaming in America wasn’t as popular before compared to the streaming culture in countries like China or Korea. With the pandemic hitting, and people realizing the fun nature of streaming, I do think the popularity of streaming is a good thing for people who want to explore something new. Of course there are downsides to streaming like the chance of receiving rude comments or people stealing your content. But the charms of streaming and interacting with people all over the world make streaming unique. I hope the popularity of streaming continues, so we can see more people enjoying themselves.