I just happened to stumble across this article on Bento, which has a neat picture of a particular lunch, and a bit of a discussion about their cultural significance.

There is an interesting article on Overcoming Bias by Eliezer Yudkowsky on the phrase “Tsuyoku Naritai” translated there as “I want to be stronger.” In brief:

a sentiment embodied more intensely in Japanese works than in any Western literature I’ve read. You might say it when expressing your determination to become a professional Go player – or after you lose an important match, but you haven’t given up – or after you win an important match, but you’re not a ninth-dan player yet – or after you’ve become the greatest Go player of all time, but you still think you can do better. That is tsuyoku naritai, the will to transcendence.

Wow. This is the first time I’ve heard of Tsuyoku Naritai, but without any doubt, I can definitely see now that it’s part of what gives anime its appeal. Heck, Hikaru no Go, anyone? It was the first thing I thought about reading the above (I haven’t seen that series yet, so I’m not entirely sure how well it fits). Most Google results for the phrase are anime lyrics! This will to self-improvement is just one thing that makes anime characters stand out from characters in contemporary fiction in the U.S., and easily drives character development.

Details here. This is so bad, it’s hard to believe. I can’t fathom why anyone thought this would be a good idea for one minute. It’s laughably terrible on its face.

After watching Gate Keepers, I needed something to wash my brain out, and My Hime was just the ticket. Especially My Hime 6, which is superb.

I knew from my previous experience with the fansub that these episodes were going to be the shiznat. But nonetheless, I was surprised by how emotional, how powerful this volume really was.

I prefer dubs to subs; I always have, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so impressed with the voice work for any anime DVD as I have been for Hime 6. Every note, every word, from every character, seems to convey exactly and precisely the emotion required for this build-up. This is a dramatic change from Hime 1, where many of the most prominent characters sounded like dejected actors that had just failed an audition to get on The OC – same people behind the microphone, completely different performance. Bandai, no doubt the majority of the credit for this change goes to the VAs themselves for figuring out their characters, but I suspect you changed something behind the scenes as well. Whatever it is you did, do more of it – it apparently works.

Getting back to the DVD; it rocks. It’s animorgasmtastic. It’s a stunning reminder of just why Hime is listed as a must-see anime on this site. Everything that makes Hime great starts to move in these three episodes. It’s fairly clear at this point who the Himes have inadvertently placed on the sacrificial table, with a few exceptions. There’s a great deal of subtle dialog here related to the relationships between characters. It’s well worth watching more than once to pick up all of it. The music perfectly, perfectly matches the angst and tension.