Me blogging at Otakon in August 2010
If you just started visiting Otaku Journalist, you are really missing out.
I do try hard to keep up Otaku Journalist, but the truth is now that I have lots of jobs, I don’t spend as much time coming up with and writing posts as I once did. Back in 2010, when I had just finished graduate school and was underemployed at a gym, Otaku Journalist was my biggest priority and what I considered my primary job.
Lately I’ve been trying to think of ways to make Otaku Journalist better and the answer seems to lie in these archives. I spent a lot of time perfecting my posts back then and it’s too bad I had like, ten readers total at the time. Since a lot of my survey respondents say they just started reading Otaku Journalist, these oldies are worth resurfacing.
Here are 10 of my favorite posts from the 2010 archives, accompanied by horrible photos of me from the same time!
1) Sex sells but is blogging sex “selling out?”
I don’t think anyone cares about “selling out” anymore in a time when we’re all just trying to pay off our student loans as quickly as possible. At the time I wrote this, I was running Project Wonderful ads on Otaku Journalist for some extra cash, and a drawing of a busty warrior kept appearing on my site even when I thought I’d blocked it.
This post isn’t so much about the cover of the new Persona game as it is about me coming to terms with whether my new identity as a feminist meant I would have to take a stand against sexism when I saw it even when that wasn’t the topic I was asked to write about.
2) Here’s to you, Red Shirt Guy
In our day and age, it’s a lot more “cool” to act sarcastic and disinterested than it is to be earnestly infatuated with something. That’s probably why fandom in all its forms is such a big target—it’s easy to make fun of us because it’s so apparent we care about something.
Red Shirt Guy was a World of Warcraft fan who knew more about the game than some creators, and as a result was called a nerd. It’s paid off for him though; a quick Google search shows that since I wrote this, he got his own NPC (non-playable character) in the game!
3) Interview with Brian Raftery, freelance pop culture writer for Wired
Today there are a lot of people who do what I do, and run profitable blogs about fandom and subculture. But at the time, I thought the job I wanted didn’t exist. Brian was one of the people who inspired me to keep going, and graciously offered an interview to me, unknown and unemployed, because I wanted to write about him on my personal blog.
I love the way Brian treats all of his subjects, from the Insane Clown Posse to Ben Huh of I Can Has Cheezburger, with enthusiasm and respect. His reporting style was certainly one that I looked at when devising my Otaku Journalism philosophy.
Getting my minimum wage on in October 2010
4) Welcome to the NHK, work, and life
I watched Welcome to the NHK while I was underemployed and very unsatisfied with the trajectory my life was taking. If you feel like you are at a similar point in your own life, I highly recommend you pick up the show right now.
I’ve said before that this is one of the anime that has changed my life. The most important line to me was Sato’s: “As long as I am working toward something I care about, I am not a NEET.” Whenever I am feeling complacent, this is what I think about to get back on track.
5) A squid comes to town, a squid leaves town
Squid Girl is an innocent romp about a literal squid girl, so this literary criticism of its season finale is definitely an overanalysis. But the finale was so self aware and introspective and almost mystical—such a dramatic change of pace for a light comedy.
I actually wrote this post for Japanator. Remember when I wrote for them?
6) My life as an otaku, my life as a journalist
Looking back, this is a real Bizarro world kind of post. I wrote about how I understated my geeky side when applying for jobs in order to be the right “fit” for as many companies as possible. Today, that is exactly what I advise NOT to do!
In the end, it was my geeky enthusiasm that has gotten me every single job I have ever been hired for in my life. So I wouldn’t take this post to heart.
7) Kaichou wa Maid Sama! and female strength
The only photo I actually like of me being a weeaboo from December 2010.
I watched some awesome shows in 2010. I remember discussing Kaichou wa Maid Sama! with Patches almost immediately after we met.
Fact you might not know about me: I also love graphic design, though I’m not very good at it. Fact number two: I did some graphic design for a local anime convention.
Almost forgot I made Jezebel. This is my first major media mention ever and even though I was later on Boing Boing, Media Bistro and others, this one is close to my heart.
10) What’s the appeal of cat ears?
Still one of the top ten most popular posts on the site. People REALLY like cat ears.
Thanks for taking this trip into the past with me. Now get in your time machine and get back to 2014. Stay tuned for next Wednesday: 11 posts from 2011!