Category Archives: blogging

Musin’ on Muzan: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for September 2025

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Summer is winding down, and the first Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie will be in theaters soon. I already have my ticket, and I’m eager to see how this series begins to conclude. I feel they made this into a trilogy in order to make more money, but I don’t begrudge them about that. If there’s a reason to make it a big event and draw fans to theaters, so be it.

Later in the month are some big hololive milestones, namely Myth’s 5th anniversary and the first online concert for Holostars EN. I’ve decided I’ll celebrate Myth with some Raising Cane’s, but I haven’t figured out what would be fitting for the EN boys.

I’m also fresh off of Anime NYC and hololive EN’s third concert, All for one. I intend to get my thoughts about both before the end of the month.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from August

I Attended hololive night 2025 at Dodger Stadium

VTubers + Baseball = ???

My Theory on the True Identity of the GQuuuuuuX

If I’m right, GQuuuuuuX fits into the Gundam timeline in an important way.

“High School Girls Are Funky” and a Lesson in Sport Fighting vs. Combatives

Do you want to fight? Or do you want to fight?

Kio Shimoku

The Confrontation: Spotted Flower Reaches a Crucial Point

Are we nearing the end of Spotted Flower?

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights August 2025

Kio caught COVID-19 but is alive.

Closing

Amid the erosion of human rights and the destruction of the United States’ scientific expertise, the weird obsession with tariffs feels like kicking someone while they’re down. I desperately hope, for the sake of everyone regardless of political beliefs, that things are made right. We should not be beholden to the most ass-backwards ghouls who seem to want to burn the world down so they can grift just a little more.

Fallen Angel’s (and Ascended Devil’s) Thesis: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for August 2025

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Anime NYC is this month! Takahashi Youko of “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” fame will be holding a concert there, and this year’s hololive World Tour will feature IRyS, among others. And both concerts are on the same day! Talk about timing. It’s also funny that Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame sang the ending theme from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt for her 3D debut. Just angels and devils all over the place.

This past month has been a bit of a whirlwind, as I’ve been doing more traveling and general going out than normal. I have a bunch of things I want to write and report on, and I hope I can do so in a timely fashion.

I often feel that I have both too many blog posts and not enough ready. I’m trying to strike the right balance between being informative and expressing my thoughts.

Thank you to this month’s Patreon supporters!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from July

A Whole New Meaning to “G” Generations: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

My review of the wild ride that was Gundam GQuuuuuuX.

[Anime Central 2025] The Anne Shirley Interview ft. Inoue Honoka and Nakayama Yoshiko

I interviewed Inoue Honoka, voice of Anne Shirley and daughter of

New Lives, New Faces: Virtual Vacation 2025

I attended Dooby3D and Nimi Nightmare’s 3D concert!

Kio Shimoku

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights July 2025

A relatively light month. Kio saw the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie!

Closing

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been considering dropping down to about one post per week, maybe two if things are good and I have more time. I do feel like I might be losing something if I make my posting that sparse, though, as I don’t know if it would necessarily make for better writing in general. Hopefully, I can find a good answer.

I also just read the latest Spotted Flower and wow. I’m just trying to figure out if I should write about it ASAP or wait for the next chapter in three months.

Return of the Mackerel: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for July 2025

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I can’t believe the summer anime season has arrived! I’m already behind on the spring shows, so I may be stuck in a perpetual state of being behind on everything.

I’m looking forward to the return of Panty & Stocking, as well as a chance to finally see what Hell Teacher Nube is all about.

Thank you to this month’s Patreon supporters!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from June

[Anime Central 2025] An Ultimate Triumph, Nine Years in the Making—Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Final Chapter 

Reviewing the finale of Thunderbolt Fantasy!

[Anime Central 2025] Thunderbolt Fantasy Red Carpet Gala and Q&A

Also, check out this follow-up post about the Q&A at Anime Central 2025!

Tardy with the Tardis: I Finally Checked Out Doctor Who

It’s about time.

Kio Shimoku

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights June 2025

If you want to see Kio’s rough manuscripts, this is a good month.

Closing

We got a new fish in town! I feel like we might see big moves from her soon—including with many other big names, like Dooby3D, Nimi Nightmare, Mint Fantôme, and Dokibird.

The Land Is Cloaked in Deepest Blue: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for June 2025

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I attended Anime Central 2025 last month! I enjoyed it a lot and ate a decent amount of Chicago’s iconic foods, so expect some reviews and other coverage in the coming weeks (or maybe months). The last time I was there, I was very under the weather (later finding out it was COVID-19), so it was sure to be a better overall experience this go around.

Thank you to this month’s Patreon supporters!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from May

A Mecha Classic More Timeless than Ever: Blue Comet SPT Layzner

A review of an awesome 1980s anime that I’d been wanting to watch for over 20 years.

La+ Darknesss Birthday 2025 and the Proximity of Fandom

Another celebration of the leader of holoX, but also some thoughts on VTubers and their relationships with fans.

I Finally Watched Seven Samurai

Just reviewing one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, no pressure.

Kio Shimoku

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights May 2025

Kio had a talk at a gallery, and tweeted his wishes for how Gundam GQuuuuuuX would go.

Closing

I hear that a funny VTuber that may or may not be part Shark, part Mackerel is on the horizon. I hope she’s gonna be a part of the upcoming Virtual Vacation 2025 concert…

Juggling Tubes: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for May 2025

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April was a hell of a month for VTuber fans. Between the departures from various major companies, a few surprise returns, and even a boatload of legitimate drama on the indie side, it felt like a nonstop rollercoaster. It has been (and perhaps will continue to be) such a frenzy of a time that I devoted more posts to the topic of VTubers than I usually would—a combination of things I had been wanting to write about, plus other things becoming more time-sensitive. Additionally, I want to write something encapsulating the tumult, because I think it deserves to be gathered together and contextualized.

The result is that many of the posts I had been working on that are more directly related to anime and manga have been pushed back. Hopefully, I can get some out for May.

Thank you to this month’s Patreon supporters!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from April

Ash Again: I Can’t Stop Thinking About Gawr Gura’s Final Song

My feelings about Gawr Gura’s last project with hololive.

ENigmatic Recollection and the Ones Who Never Forgot

Amid these tumultuous weeks, ENReco is starting up again real soon. Here’s something I found fun from Chapter 1.

Please Don’t Punch the Woodland Critters: Wonderful Precure!

My review of 2024’s notably less violent Precure.

Kio Shimoku

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights April 2025

Tweets and a bit of art!

Closing

Last month, I mentioned thinking about allowing tips directly through WordPress. I don’t really see Ogiue Maniax as my primary source of income, so I’m not desperate for more ways to make money, but it might be a way for readers to show support without having to use Patreon. I do technically have a ko-fi gathering dust as well, but maybe folks would prefer less hoops to jump through.

Forward-Facing Nostalgia: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for April 2025

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Spring Anime is here! Between Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Kowloon Generic Romance, and Anne Shirley, it feels like we’ve got lots of shows that touch on nostalgia but aren’t necessarily nostalgia-grab shows. I just wish these anime could appear on more than one platform, so fans can support the ones they prefer. Exclusivity is a pain in the ass.

Thank you to my Patreon supporters. With the season in full swing, I hope you’re doing well, and haven’t been too thoroughly bamboozled by April Fools.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

I’ve also been thinking of enabling fan donations on WordPress, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Any feedback is appreciated.

Blog Highlights from March

DX Soul of Chogokin Mechagodzilla: A Celebration of a Triumph in Robot Kaiju

A brief review of the coolest Mechagodzilla figure ever, followed by my thoughts as to why I like this Showa Era design so much.

Steady Steps: Hololive 6th fes. Color Rise Harmony

My thoughts on this year’s hololive fes concert.

Power Transforms and Reveals: Transformers One

I think the portrayal of Megatron and who he is at his core is especially effective.

Kio Shimoku

“Kio Shimoku Art Collection: See You Tomorrow in the Clubroom” Review and Interview Notes

At last, my thoughts on the Kio artbook in all its glory!

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights March 2025

And here are the tweets.

Closing

This past week, VTuber Nanashi Mumei of hololive English Promise announced that she will be graduating from hololive primarily due to throat-related health issues. I don’t know if I’m going to write anything about her in particular, but I do have a post partially about her that I had been saving up. Expect to see it in the coming days!

Parade, Parade, Parade: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for March 2025

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Given recent news in the world, I’m reminded of the biggest geek fallacy of all: The belief that just because you’re good and knowledgeable about one intellectual area means you are or will inevitably be an expert at another. I think this assumption is often a kind of insufferable macho chauvinism that replaces muscles with brains. Failure to accept with humility that one cannot know it all or be accepted into every area—sometimes because one lacks the necessary culture or context—leads to some of the worst of what we see.

So please understand that it’s okay to be bad at something and that you might not ever be “good” at it. I know it can sting, but it’s also freeing in a way.

Thanks to my supporters on Patreon. In other news, it took basically 10+ years for me to realize I’ve been doing something wrong on the platform the entire time. Never too late to learn!!!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from February

Don’t Let Them Limit You: Gridman Universe

Gridman delivers on the big screen.

VTuber Music: The Current-Day Character Image Songs

VTubers truly are real-life anime.

Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION…in Japanese?!

Providing the Japanese version we always needed…sort of.

Kio Shimoku

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights February 2025

Closing

This coming weekend is hololive 6th fes. I am hoping I can stay awake to watch it live, but my body can’t guarantee that.

A Conflict: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for February 2025

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I feel of two ways about still using Twitter in any capacity. Its owner is a Nazi and a piece of shit, and I hate the way he ruined it, even if it already wasn’t in the best shape). I’ve already switched over the majority of my social media usage to Bluesky. Yet, I have to contend with the fact that that many artists, anime and manga creators, VTubers, and other related accounts have still not made the switch over. As an anime blogger who does things like keep a record of Kio Shimoku’s tweets, a part of me feels that abandoning it entirely is also abandoning the ability to accrue and archive information that might be lost otherwise. Kio himself has also mentioned that he’s hesitant to start another social media account.

Similarly, I wonder if I should even post links to my blog posts on places like Twitter and Facebook, because Twitter throttles links to keep them from getting traction, and Facebook is increasingly taking a disgusting turn. But I also know there are people who are only able to follow me through those platforms.

Whatever the case, I find it funny that there’s now a move encouraging people to make their own websites again, instead of relying on social media. It’s almost like the real Web 3.0 (and not the NFT bullshit) is a return to something closer to the internet of my youth.

Thank you to everyone on my Patreon, and extra special thanks to those below. Happy Lunar New Year to all.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from January

A Lasting Legacy: Love Live! Superstar!! 3rd Season

A look at what made the story of Liella! truly special.

I Wish It Was 52 Episodes: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

Did you catch this show? It was delightful.

Celebrating Sakamata Chloe and holoX

In honor of Sakamata Chloe, who has now left hololive.

Kio Shimoku

Kio tweets about the release of his latest adult doujinshi.

Closing

I would very much not want a country controlled by a billionaire trying to gut out the federal government and steal our personal information.

Snake? Snaaaake!!!: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for January 2025

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It’s customary to see the New Year as a fresh start, and an opportunity to say farewell to the previous year. I don’t expect 2025 to be an especially fantastic year, but I do know we have a lot of anime to look forward to. Witch Hat Atelier! Wandance! And more! At the very least, I hope that we can find comfort in art created by artists.

Thanks to my supporters on Patreon. I appreciate that you’ve stuck with me, and hope you’ll be safe in 2025 and on. And remember: Don’t subscribe on iOS if you can help it!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from December

Rawhide Kobayashi’s Favorite Anime: Delusional Monthly Magazine

I had to write about the fact that this anime even exists.

A Fine Roast: Fantôme Thief’s Revenge

I decided against all common sense to attend this concert, and it was totally worth it.

Best Anime Characters of 2024

Who are your picks?

Kio Shimoku

One last Kio twitter summary for 2024.

Closing

I don’t exactly have any big plans for Ogiue Maniax in 2025, but perhaps if I write about my lack of ideas, something fun will manifest. I really should get back around to doing a Gattai Girls series…

Blogger17: The (Belated) Ogiue Maniax 17th Anniversary

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I completely forgot that November is the anniversary month of this blog. I guess I was bound to do this eventually after 17 years, though the tumultuous nature of both November and December (let alone the entirety of 2024) made it even less of a surprise.

From what anime has told me, this is the eternal year. Once you reach this milestone, you’re 17 forever (or you enter “17, Season 2,” as per one Houshou Marine). So here we are, where Ogiue Maniax isn’t quite able to vote, but it’s still insisting that it’s practically an adult. 

I’m making all the jokes that we’ve seen from anime and otaku culture, but when I look back on how far I’ve come writing here, there’s gotta be one thing above all else that marks how far I’ve come: I got to interview Inoue Kikuko, the mother of the Eternal 17 movement. How wild is that?!

But as long as I’ve gone, I still find the identity of Ogiue Maniax to be perpetually in flux. A big part is that every year I find myself with new ideas, new responsibilities, and the awareness that my perspective simply has to be different from when I started. That’s not to say that I consider myself a traitor to the values and inspirations that prompted me to start an anime blog in the first place, but I inevitably have to approach it with a different energy.

In a way, continuing to write about anime in this fashion is a sort of Eternal 17 attitude in itself. At the same time, who the hell blogs anymore? It’s the domain of weirdos like me who have stubbornly refused to switch mediums (this is not a bad thing). Yet, given where media as a whole has come and gone, I wonder if younger people will rediscover the unique joys of writing as a way to escape some of the things they enjoy less. 

Blogging’s fun, everyone!