Monday 31 October 2011

Some Recent Updates

Hello hello hello!

This post is to address some house-keeping issues, so please keep on reading even though there is no manga discussion.
1.
I've updated this blog a LOT in the past week. As you can see, the background has changed, I've added some new gadgets on the side to that even the least tech-savvy of my followers can stay updated, and I've added a resource page with links to some of the more useful sites for manga otakus and nubes alike. Hopefully, this makes Unrepentant Otaku a more interesting site to visit.
2.
I would like to change the update schedule for this blog. I'm trying to be consistent in my updates, and I know that while it's fun to see new posts, it can also be overwhelming to keep up with a lot of new content in a short amount of time. So from now on, I will be publishing new blog posts every Monday and Thursday.
3.
Please comment on my posts! I live for feedback -- it gives me a feeling of self-worth and accomplishment ;) You don't have to leave a long comment, but if you read a blog post please drop me a line in the comments section about it. You can say whether you liked the review, or if the manga seems interesting, or even if the review was too long and boring to read . I don't need compliments (although I like them >_<) but I would really like to interact more with my readers.

Also, since I've been updating this web page, comment on this post to tell me if you like the changes or not. How can I make Unrepentant Otaku a more interesting experience?


That's all folks! Expect your next update this Thursday.

Monday 24 October 2011

Review: Bakuman

Read the translated chapters of Bakuman here

Hello again folks!

2 posts in 3 days? How exciting! (Actually I'm required to have a certain number of posts a month, and my teacher just announced that more posts = a better grade. On the plus side, this means more updates for you, which is still exciting!) After blogging about Sket Dance I read to the end of the last translated chapter, and there were more and more in-text references (breaking the fourth wall...) about this manga called Bakuman. They're both serialized in Shonen Jump so I can see why that would be, but it just so happens that I read Bakuman before starting Sket Dance and it's very worthy of a review. One thing to note is that the author (actually, a team of 2 authors) writing Bakuman are the same guys who wrote Death Note (a super-epic psychological manga that I will definitely review one day!). If anyone has read Death Note, Bakuman is nothing like it but it is at least worth a try.

Summary:
This manga is about 2 boys, Takagi and Mashiro, who want to be mangakas*. Mashiro is in love with Azuki, a girl in his class who wants to be a voice actor*, so they make a promise to get married as soon as he rights a manga that gets turned into an anime and she does the voice of the lead female character. The story starts at the beginning of middle school and has continued into their early 20s.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Review: Sket Dance!

Read Sket Dance here

Hello to my loyal readers! (all 2 of you)

Your patience has been rewarded with a new update. This is the first of my manga reviews. From now on, expect updates weekly. The reason I'm choosing Sket Dance is because it's a very funny manga and I wanted an excuse to read it last night.  Actually I was gonna wait until all my midterms are over, but after the mental beating I just took with the first 2 tests yesterday, I needed to laugh at something other than my own pitiful existence. You're actually doubly lucky, because I stayed up so late last night/this morning that I was gonna leave the blog post until tonight, but I downloaded the blogger app and am now typing this on my phone during a break in my midterm crash course tutorial. I gotta say -- as much as I love my shiny, high-tech smartphone (android ftw!) I wish I had a keypad. [Actually, by the time I get around to posting it, it will be tonight. But I started it earlier than I intended and it's the thought that counts, right?]
But enough about my misery -- let's  started with the manga!

Thursday 13 October 2011

And so it begins...

Hello to all my readers!

Since I've created this blog, I guess I'd better get cracking. You can't expect to build a solid readership base if you don't consistently update, right?
To start with, I just want to explain this blog. As the name implies, I'm an *otaku and I'm proud of it. Being non-Asian, it can sometimes be weird to talk about manga in daily conversation. But here on the internet, I can gush all I want about manga and maintain my dignity.
This blog is about manga. I write about what I've read, what I'm reading, what I want to read and what I vow never to read. I'll also post from time to time on manga-related issues, such as distribution of manga, commercial and amateur translating, and even anime and light novels.
I am pretty much a beginner to the manga scene. I don't speak any Japanese except what I've picked up from translators' notes, so things may get lost in translation. I'll try to explain the stuff that I talk about, but if you ever feel lost let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to enlighten :)

So here we go!


*otaku: it basically means a geek, or a fanboy. Ie., someone who's really into manga, anime, or video games. Not a geek in the sense of being really smart or a keener, because in Japan that's a good thing ;)