Happy new year, readers! Did you miss me? Regular posts resume Monday.

• Here are the people whose combined vision became the Land of the Lustrous finale. I love how SakugaBlog is able to get behind the scenes of our favorite shows.
• Buddhist Iconography in Land of the Lustrous. A comprehensive account absolutely worth the long read. This would make a great anime convention panel.
• Wanted to highlight Gabriella Ekens’ review of Kino’s Journey episode 11 in particular, which was among the most interesting of this inconsistent show, because it addresses Kino’s gender.
• Crunchyroll’s 2017 co-productions. Did you know Crunchyroll didn’t just stream, but produce shows like Recovery of an MMO Junkie? I was surprised not only by the titles, but the quantity.
• Anime Feminist’s top picks of 2017. With feminist reviews and trigger warnings to keep you from accidentally watching something you’ll hate. Definitely read my Kemono Friends love letter.
• MangaDou is a service that helps you learn Japanese with manga. I read manga at home and try that way, but it doesn’t come with homework or extras like this service does.
• Forget Bitcoin—These Guys Invest In Magic Cards. The wallet I used to keep my bitcoin in was hacked; at least with physical cards you don’t have to worry about that.
• The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens. I’ve been spending more time on Tumblr because it feels like it’s less about status (follower counts are private). I liked this story about its very young, very female userbase and what draws them to the service.
• Logan Paul’s fans are reacting to news the only way they know how — vlogging. Polygon has the only take on this scandal worth reading. It’s about the psychology of parasocial relationships, or why Paul’s young fans are inclined to support him no matter what.

Top image via Hisako Akagi via SakugaBlog.