personal experiences

Experiences After Leaving Twitter – Two Years Later And The WordPress Drama, The Implications on the AniBlogosphere

October 31, 2024 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

How is life without being on Twitter? Well, it’s great.

It’s almost coming to two years of leaving Twitter. You might be wondering, how are things going? Yes, there are a lot of challenges in cutting myself from the connections I made on Twitter that are in the Aniblogosphere as the site has gotten worse.

After I decided to cut Twitter loose, I moved on to the Fediverse with things like Mastodon and Misskey. Now that we are in two years as Elon continues to destroy what remains of the site, now called X, I may as well reflect on that and, of course, the drama with WordPress. Yes, this one is important. This is also the 2^ndanniversary since I started Sakurajima on October 28, 2022.

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Category: EditorialsTag: AniBlogosphere, enshittification, opinion, personal experiences, wordpress

Learning Japanese the Right Way

March 31, 2024 by Chikorita157 4 Comments

After reading about Irina’s experiences of not learning Japanese, some people wonder how I learned Japanese correctly. While I can relate to a few experiences. Things such as picking up word immersion and some I can agree with, such as a language learning partner.

However, I disagree with some methods. Yep, it’s Duolingo, as it’s very ineffective for a complex language like Japanese. Moreover, she didn’t focus too much on knowing the Kana, which is essential.

Believe it or not, I started self-studying Japanese in college in 2012. Although I slacked off for a few years thanks to my mistake of not focusing on Kanji or the Japanese version of Chinese Characters, I fixed that. So, while I went in-depth on my experiences of studying Japanese, this guide is more of a general starting point for those who are serious about learning it.

Note: I orginally wrote this editorial back in 2022. Since then, I kept it as a draft, until now adding some additional things to the post from my recent experiences.

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Category: EditorialsTag: duolingo, japanese language, learning japanese, opinion, personal experiences

Thoughts on Taking the JLPT N2 and What I Have Learned?

March 4, 2024 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

Last year, I decided to take the JLPT. However, I am not too confident that I will pass it since I spent a lot of time doing WaniKani and doing some Bunpro along the way. My only immersion was a handful of JDrama and many Manga volumes.

While I knew that passing the exam at the N2 level would be a stretch, I may have a better chance of passing N3, but I am up for a challenge. Here are my thoughts on the JLPT N3 exam I took at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I took the exam to see my progress in my studies.

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Category: Editorials, Japanese Self-Study ProgressTag: jlpt, learning japanese, personal experiences, personal thoughts

Anime Blogging after Leaving Twitter – Blogging Frustrations and Feeling Left out of the Community. The Case to Rebuild the Anime Blogging Community

January 13, 2023 by Chikorita157 6 Comments

It’s coming to a 1-month mark of finally leaving the dumpster fire known as Twitter. But, of course, interacting with other anime bloggers has been a challenging aspect through the transition. I still struggle to receive comments compared to other bloggers, as seen in the last four posts, although others have it even worse.

With Twitter possibly becoming a worse place and even perhaps becoming Myspace or shut down entirely in the future, what will life be for Anime fans without Twitter? Sure, people mention Mastodon as an alternative to Twitter, but aren’t people forgetting about Anime Blogging?

You might think people should also start anime blogs and revive the medium since there is a community there too. I will share some thoughts about the state of the anime blogging community and why you should get involved. Also, I share some ideas on how to revive the community.

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Category: EditorialsTag: anime blogging, anime blogging community, anime fandom, personal experiences, twitter

PSA: Now is the Time to Leave Twitter and Use The Great Tusk and Thoughts about Reviving the AniBlogosphere and Independent Web

December 16, 2022 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

This pretty much sums up Twitter at the moment with it’s mass banning

Right on cue, I’m making another public service announcement about moving to alternative profiles. Last night, I witnessed the unthinkable with journalists getting banned for mentioning a particular account and banning links to alternative social networks like Mastodon, aka “The Great Tusk.”

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Category: EditorialsTag: anime fandom, birdsite, personal experiences, twitter

The Reasons You Should Start an Anime Blog

July 7, 2022 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

With the talk of Elon Musk buying Twitter and the adverse effects, people wonder what the alternative places to talk about anime are? After all, Musk has a history of silencing his critics, and I can see why some are concerned. However, the question remains on who owns the platform and if some egotistical millionaire will come in and ruin the platform to allow hate speech and harassment.

Starting your anime blog may be a worthwhile experience for those looking for an alternative to Twitter. Irina and Jacob have shared their own reasons for creating one. Still, it’s always good to share other perspectives, especially from someone who has done it for 13 years straight.

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Category: EditorialsTag: anime blogging, opinion, personal experiences, rambling

My Experiences on Learning Japanese for 10 Years and Why You Should Do It

June 7, 2022 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

Last time, I shared some of the tools I use to solve the remember the Kanji problem and what I use as my dictionary. It’s been a little over 10 years since I started my quest to learn Japanese.

As expected, I learned some things during the past 10 years. So, with that, should you learn the language?

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Category: Editorials, Japanese Self-Study ProgressTag: japanese language, Japanese language study, personal experiences

State of Japanese Study – Solution to Studying the Kanji, Thoughts on Denshi Jisho, and What I’m Doing for Immersion

February 3, 2022 by Chikorita157 1 Comment

Now that we are in 2022, this marks little over 10 years trying to learn Japanese. While I gotten a bit lazy in the past few years, I felt I am not progressing at all, although I still know most of the Japanese grammar. The Kanji remains an area that I am still struggling.

However, with a new year, I want to do things differently. With that, I want to share what I am up to in my Japanese studies and the change in approach I’m taking.

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Category: Editorials, Japanese Self-Study ProgressTag: japanese language, Kanji, personal experiences

Episode 7 – Reviewing the Anime Streaming Platforms – Which One Is the Best?

April 18, 2021 by Chikorita157

In this episode, we will be sharing our thoughts on popular anime streaming platforms where you can watch anime legally.

This is an audio version of our post, originally titled, Reviewing the Anime Streaming Platforms – Which One Is the Best?, published on June 14, 2020. If you have any comments, leave a reply in the original post.

This podcast uses the following songs:

Night In Venice by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5763-night-in-venice
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5010-ultralounge
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Tag: anime industry, opinion, personal experiences

Episode 5 – The Dark Downsides of Gacha Mobile Games and Gaming as a Service

April 8, 2021 by Chikorita157

In this episode, we will discuss the dark downsides of playing Gacha Mobile Games and the Gaming as a Service Model. After all, with a Gacha mobile game, you don’t own anything.

This is an audio version of our post, originally titled The Dark Downsides of Gacha Mobile Games and Gaming as a Service, published on September 10, 2020. If you have any comments, leave a reply in the original post.

This podcast uses the following songs:

Night In Venice by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5763-night-in-venice
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5010-ultralounge
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Tag: analysis, aniplex usa, gacha games, mobile gaming, opinion, personal experiences, predatory video game monetization, Video Games

Episode 1 – Speaking out Against Anti-Asian Hate and The Problem of Fetishizing a Culture

April 3, 2021 by Chikorita157

In this episode, we focus on calling out Anti-Asian hate. We also focus on the dark history of the treatment of Asian Americans in the United States. Lastly, we focus on why fetishizing a culture is bad and how it contributes to Anti-Asian racism.

This is an audio version of our post, originally titled Speaking out Against Anti-Asian Hate and The Problem of Fetishizing a Culture, published on March 21,2021. If you have any comments, leave a reply in the original post.

Tag: analysis, essay, fandom, personal experiences

Speaking out Against Anti-Asian Hate and The Problem of Fetishizing a Culture

March 21, 2021 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

In last week’s monthly digest post, I shared my thoughts on the disturbing rise of Anti-Asian hate. Since I review Japanese media, I think it’s important to make people aware of this. It’s not too surprising since only a very few focused on it in the anime blogging community. Given recent events, I think it’s a good idea to make everyone aware of this so we can fight against hate.

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Category: EditorialsTag: analysis, essay, fandom, personal experiences

What Is on My Mind – March 2021 – Anime Blogging Frustrations, and Feeling of Isolation, Fighting Anti-Asian Racism, Poor Animator Pay and More

February 25, 2021 by Chikorita157 5 Comments

With February coming to an end, it’s time to share my thoughts on posts that I found interesting during the past month.

Also, I want to address my anime blogging frustrations as I am becoming increasingly upset. This is mostly due to the lack of comments, people not following directions of not to like posts on WordPress Reader, but instead leave a comment, promoting my content on social media, or linking it back. I’m just really frustrated after 5 years of my blog stagnating and not growing at all. While I have touched on some of this in my anniversary post, but I want to share my overall thoughts.

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Category: Editorials, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, The iDOLM@STERTag: personal experiences, rambling

What Is on My Mind – January/February 2021 – Ex-Arm Fiasco, Sony Buys Crunchyroll, Precarious Future for Anime Conventions, WordPress Like Button is Toxic

January 31, 2021 by Chikorita157 1 Comment

It’s finally 2021 and I didn’t write a monthly post for January due to it being the holidays. With that, there is a lot of things I want to share throughout the two months.

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Category: EditorialsTag: covid19, crunchyroll, funimation, opinion, Otakon, personal experiences, rambling, sony

What Is on My Mind – December 2020

December 1, 2020 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

Now that we are finally in December, meaning that the year is finally coming to an end. With that, it’s time to share some brief thoughts on what I found interesting for the month.
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Category: Editorials, Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita!Tag: opinion, personal experiences, rambling

Behind the Scenes – The Tools I Use to Blog About Anime (2020 Edition) – Updated

November 24, 2020 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

As mentioned, several times, I finally resolved my job woes and finally moved to a new place earlier this year. As expected, things have changed a bit since I shared my last behind the scenes post. With that, it’s time to share an updated version including my overall setup since mostly everyone is stuck at home. This should give some insights to new inspiring bloggers.

Note that I won’t go too much in detail with the hosting aspect, since everything is the same. If you are curious about that, read my first behind the scenes post.

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Category: EditorialsTag: anime blogging, behind the scenes, personal experiences

What Is on My Mind – November 2020 – Supporting Seiyuus in Age of Covid, Magia Record Gallery Mode Epic Fail, Mangaka Ragequit and More

October 29, 2020 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

Now that it’s the end of October and fall finally settling in, it’s time to share my thoughts on anything interesting during the month and of course, thoughts on any anime I decided not to cover.

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Category: Editorials, Love LiveTag: opinion, personal experiences, rambling

What Is on My Mind – October 2020

September 30, 2020 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

Now that summer is finally over, it’s the end of September and it’s time to share what I have on my mind for this month. This one will be short since this month has been very quiet and there is no notable posts or posts to share.

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Category: EditorialsTag: opinion, personal experiences, rambling

The Dark Downsides of Gacha Mobile Games and Gaming as a Service

September 10, 2020 by Chikorita157 4 Comments

It’s not a big surprise that anime fans tend to play Japanese mobile games that has a gacha element. In some cases, you probably saved a lot of free in game premium currency to roll for your favorite character. Others probably spent a lot of money in order to get the character they want in the game.

However, not everything is forever, especially in gacha games. The big downside of these games is that unless it’s successful, as in bring in a lot of money, the game won’t last long. In other words, you will lose all your progress and money spent in the game.

Believe it or this, this is not too uncommon, especially with localized mobile gacha game releases. This can really upset a lot of people as seen when Aniplex USA decided to pull the plug on the English version of Magia Record. Yes, I was livid about it, but apparently the franchise isn’t popular enough compared to popular franchises such as Fate Grand Order.

Since I spent money on monthly passes, this announcement really left a bad taste towards mobile gacha games or the whole games as a service thing. The question is, do you really own anything in these games? The answer is obviously no. Since I am salty about this a few weeks after the announcement, I want to share my thoughts on the dark side of Games as a Service.

Note: An audio version of this post is now available.

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Category: Editorials, Mahou Shoujo Madoka MagicaTag: analysis, aniplex usa, gacha games, mobile gaming, opinion, personal experiences, predatory video game monetization, Video Games

What Is on My Mind – September 2020 – The Things You Like Turn to Crap Because 2020, Machikado Mazoku 2nd Season, and More

August 28, 2020 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

Now that Summer is coming to an end soon, it’s time to share my thoughts during the month. As expected, it’s not pretty because it’s 2020 after all.
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Category: Editorials, Machikado Mazoku, Mahou Shoujo Madoka MagicaTag: anime industry, crunchyroll, essay, gacha games, opinion, personal experiences, rambling, Video Games

What Is on My Mind – August 2020 – Crunchyroll and Poor Translator Pay, Blog’s Domain Turns 10, In Defense of CGDCT Genre, and More

July 26, 2020 by Chikorita157 4 Comments

With July ending very soon, it’s time to share some interesting posts and some thoughts during the month.
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Category: EditorialsTag: anime industry, crunchyroll, essay, opinion, personal experiences, rambling

Reviewing the Anime Streaming Platforms – Which One Is the Best?

June 14, 2020 by Chikorita157 4 Comments

A while ago, I shared some thoughts about anime streaming services. Believe it or not, in 2017, I realized that streaming anime is a lot more convenient than messing with torrents. While I dabbed into streaming sometime in 2016 by subscribing to three months of Funimation Now, I never shared my experience using it. Eventually, I cancelled it. A year later, I finally subscribed to Crunchyroll after being a holdout for years. It’s mostly because I couldn’t afford a subscription since was in college at the time.

While I was going to share my experiences with Crunchyroll and my three months using Funimation Now a while back, well it didn’t quite happen. Between the period when I lost my job, focusing my time finding another job, finally getting one and moving, this idea went by the wayside.

Since then, a lot has changed in the legal anime streaming landscape. Some players such as Daisuki and a few others have gone under. Of course, there are some new players as well such as Hidive, and the revamped Funimation streaming service.

What really inspire me to finally share my thoughts is Irina sharing her thoughts on streaming platforms. While her review focuses on the state of streaming in Canada, since most of our readers are from the United States, it’s time to focus on the state of streaming here. Of course, I subscribed to all three services. With that, I will share my overall impressions on after using them for a while.
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Category: EditorialsTag: anime industry, opinion, personal experiences

What Is on My Mind – June 2020 – Coronavirus Impact on Anime Blogging, Blog Changes, Black Lives Matter and Summer 2020 Preview

June 7, 2020 by Chikorita157 4 Comments

Now that it’s finally June, the rather desolate spring season thanks to Covid19 is coming to an end.

After the breakdown I had on Twitter, I want to change things up to perhaps improve the content of this blog. Since I usually do some kind of life updates on season previews, I want to do some kind of monthly summary type of posts.

Back in 2013-2015, I shared some kind of updates in a weekly summary of titles I chose not to cover individually. What I tend to do with these monthly posts is to share not only what I am up to and have planned, but also mini editorials on anime-related topics I find interesting during the month but couldn’t write a whole post for. Also, I will also share my picks for this summer, providing that it doesn’t get delayed.

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Category: Editorials, Season PreviewsTag: essay, first impressions, opinion, personal experiences, rambling, summer 2020, Video Games

Dealing with Possible Blogging Burnout – How to Deal With It

May 17, 2020 by Chikorita157 12 Comments

Since the time I shared my concerns about the state of the blog, I fell anxious about where my blog is headed. Sure, I have tried making some improvements. However, I still feel the bottom is coming underneath me as the pandemic delayed a lot of titles. I fear that this could be the end of my blog. It’s not too surprising since there would be less content to cover, thus fewer comments and likes. The thing that really upset me today is the lack of comments in my recent posts. This is despite the hours put into writing these reviews and even an editorial nobody bothered to leave a like and/or a comment. I became upset that I complained on twitter in several tweets today. I felt that I can’t let this go on any further.

Believe it or not, at some point, some anime bloggers probably faced these issues. When he or she look at other blogs, they have no problem receiving comments and likes. It does make one feel that the effort one put into creating content is going to waste. Of course, this is not the only problem that can cause a blogger to become frustrated and/or even quit for good. Instead of continuing to vent on Twitter and going nowhere as I did this morning, I want to share my thoughts in a rational manner.
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Category: EditorialsTag: anime blogging, burnout, opinion, personal experiences

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