Maybe I’m dying.
Cute Is Not Always Safe! Cover Stories: Judge a Book on Whether You’d Buy It
This time on Cover Stories, where we judge a book by the first face it presents… Ani-Imo: Volume 1 Haruko Kurumatani Yen Press The spine White! White looks clean and stands out. It’s confident. The font choices are all cute and the colour scheme is pleasant. I love a very round font; it looks so comfortable!…
Fifty Shades of Otome: A Mobile Market of Devotion or Defilement?
I can’t recall how I became interested in mobile otome games—I think it began with a game that was on sale on Steam. It renewed my interest in visual novels in general and eventually led me to the mobile market to further whet my palate. For those not aware, “otome gēmu” (pronounced “OH-TOE-MEH”) means “girl…
Shall We Date?
Once upon a time, our games editor, Al, asked if any of us would like to play and write about Japanese dating games or “otome.” Otome are story-based romance games largely targeted at a female, heterosexual audience. The player role-plays as the ambiguous main female character whose goal is to develop a relationship with one…
[TW] YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Trigger Warning: Suicide and depression. This week’s tragic news about the death of transgender teen, Leelah Alcorn, and the Tumblr note that followed, has brought me to tears. Losing lives, especially young lives, to hopelessness, always feels so preventable. Marc Lombardi, editor at Grayhaven Comics, is offering a free PDF copy of YOU ARE NOT…
#WWACTV – Rape On Television: How The Newsroom and Reign Got It Wrong
*Trigger Warning: This post will discuss the rape scene in episode 9 of Reign‘s second season and a discussion of rape between two characters in Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. As a woman, I find rape hard to talk about. It’s difficult because, growing up, I was told by many people in my life that, as a woman, I…
India’s New Comic Book Hero
Trigger warning: This post discusses sexual violence and rape. India has a new hero! She’s a survivor who works with the gods to fight against gender-based violence in India and beyond. Steeped in the rich Hindu mythology, beautiful color palette and culture of India, the new comic book, Priya Shakti, is a layered storytelling project…
[TW] Belief Is Radical: Believe Shia LaBeouf
During an interview with Dazed Digital earlier this week, actor Shia LaBeouf shared the knowledge that he was raped during a performance art project. We believe him. General response to the news was familiar: you don’t need me to tell you how people reacted to a man, a famous man, saying that he was raped. Abused…
Trigger Warning: Fantasy vs Reality
I hate the dark. As in full-on shaking, bones trembling, sweat-breaking-out-along-the-nape-of-my-neck fear. It’s a strange thing to admit to people because being afraid of the dark is something children fear. Being afraid of the dark is something people associate with weakness and immaturity. So no one thinks twice when they turn the lights out on…
Fail Better: Trigger Warnings — Use Them, Believe in Them
Trigger Warning: This post discusses sexual abuse, depression, and state violence. When I was younger and a much bigger asshole than I am now, I used to scratch my head at trigger warnings. I don’t now. It’s not a complicated issue — be kind, use trigger warnings; no downside.