The Internet, especially our little otaku/gamer/geek corner of it, has been terrible this week. I don’t blame you if you’d rather go outside. But if you’re stuck at your screen, I’ve collected some inspiriting links to remind you it’s not ALL bad.

• Free! Eternal Summer is the best anime of the season and everyone in Japan agrees. Even if you don’t agree, what this confirms is that women are a much bigger part of the anime audience than the stereotypes would have you think.

• Aww—a thoughtful mom has a daughter who just got into anime, and she went to r/anime for advice about anime shows they can watch together.

• Oh, and since we can never have enough of these, here’s another post on great shows for easing non-anime fans into anime.

• I went to a Magic: The Gathering tournament in DC last weekend mainly to cheer on my husband. The Washington Post was there too, and they profiled Feline Longmore, a trans woman who happens to be ridiculously good.

• Never heard of Anime Sols before this week, but it’s a really neat idea. People crowdfund classic DVD box sets, and then everyone gets to watch them streaming. And it’s all done in partnership with Japanese studios, too.

• MC Melody Doll, the world’s only Elegant Gothic Lolita rapper, has a new single out. If you’re into My Little Pony fandom, you might recognize the song’s composer, electronica master The Living Tombstone.

• Finally, I was on Beneath The Tangles’ very first podcast talking about anime and religion, writing for a living, and my new ANN gig! I’ve been reading Beneath The Tangles for four years now, and I was glad to be their first guest.

Screenshot via Gravity Falls.