Japanese Reading Report: 23 March 2025

２ちゃんねる化する世界

２ちゃんねる化する世界

I finally finished this book. I wish I had anything interesting to say. I wish the book was more interesting. The final chapter was about Hong Kong message board LIHKG. The chapter was partially a history lesson tying a few social movements to LIHKG, and partially a look at the demographics, behaviours, and other quirks of the platform.

Ultimately I felt very disappointed with this book. I think each section was pretty fine, but each section became less interesting and less related to the topic that I was interested in the book about. I think I was mostly a victim of my own expectations, and I'm sure the book is pretty valuable if you're curious about a Japanese perspective on the growing right-wing presence in politics in the last 20 years.

The best part is the very cool cover art and typography...

カードキャプターさくら

I managed to accomplish my goal and totally reversed my failure to keep up with anime which has been plaguing me since returning to Australia in February.

This week of Card Captor Sakura was also just very enjoyable. The episodes have started focusing on the core plot points: Sakura's new threat, Yukito's whole deal, and the romance between Sakura and Xiaolang.

My favourite episode of the week was episode 61 (used in the weekly thumbnail). In that episode Sakura is able to express her appreciation for her cards, and the Mirror card is used as a conduit for us to see how Touya really sees Sakura. It was very sweet, and the ending tied everything together well.

真ゲッターロボ世界最後の日

This week I also started rewatching Getter Robo Armageddon. This is sort of the last good Getter Robo anime they ever made, aha... Getter Robo has been on my mind a little bit in the last week, so I just felt compelled to watch my favourite one of those.

Armageddon sort of mashes concepts from all the prior Getter Robo series — Original Series, G, and Neo — to tell a fairly dark story right at the end of the world. It's very metal, extremely well animated, and the pinnacle of what makes Getter Robo cool, though I still have a soft spot for the original series for developing a world worth protecting.

AX アックス

It's so refreshing to return to the world of 伊坂幸太郎. I only read a handful of pages last night so I don't have too much to discuss, but I'll quickly go over the first section.

The main character, Kabuto, sneaks into a house. The whole scene is written so that it sounds like he might be burgling committing a crime, but it turns out he was actually just sneaking into his own home late at night.
Kabuto talks with his two friends, Lemon and Mikan, about the best food to purchase from a convenience store to eat at home so that you don't wake up your family. Kabuto immediately rules out cup ramen, saying that the layers of plastic would wake his wife (and that it even has the times he tried). They go through some options, but Kabuto eventually reveals his top pick: Fish sausage. He says it stays in good condition all day (unlike fresh fruits or onigiri), it's full of nutrients, and it's easy to eat on the go.

A bunch of guys casually talking about something I'd never ever think about... this is what I read Japanese for (seriously).