Tag Archives: patreon

Virtual Tumult: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for March 2024

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I broke an internal rule this month, which was that I try not to post about VTubers more than twice in a month. However, extenuating circumstances resulted in me doing three posts. One was because of the unprecedented events surrounding the termination of Selen Tatsuki, aka Dokibird. Another was the fact that the La+ Darknesss Waku Waku Dark Nightmare Solo Live was available only until March 1. And the last was the post I had actually planned all along: a celebration of Hakos Baelz for her rare Leap Year birthday. How rare is it that three of my absolute favorites would end up having something big in the same February?

And that’s not even considering that hololive 5th fes is in a couple weeks.

I’ve started to think about a Venn diagram between VTubers, pro wrestling, soap operas, and superhero comics. The concepts of loose continuity, neverending stories, kayfabe, and more make for a fascinating thought exercise. I don’t know when or even if this’ll become a real post, but I keep thinking about it.

Thanks to my Patreon subscribers below for this month:

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from February:

Laughing It Off: Celebrating Dokibird and Selen Tatsuki

A VTuber came back from the brink, and I am grateful she’s still around.

BaeDay 2024: The Unceasing Force of Hakos Baelz

One of the hardest working hololive members around.

Shinkalion and Japan’s Railway Museum

I wish the US had a train museum this good (and also train-themed robot franchise).

Kio Shimoku

Kio tweets about cool stuff, but he also came out with his official Genshiken LINE stickers!!!

Closing

I said last month that my Japan posts might go past February. That is clearly more than a “maybe” now. I bet April will even be likely at this point.

Bang Blog Bang Bloggern: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for February 2024

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It’s February, which means the day everyone with romance in their hearts looks forward to.

That’s right: It’s new Precure anime time. And with Precure Full Bloom and Soarin’ Sky Precure finished, I’m hoping to have reviews of both series done this month.

Of course, the must-watch show for me this season is Bang Brave Bang Bravern. The culture clash between a very super robot and a gritty realistic world is hilarious, and I want to see where it all goes.

This month is also a momentous time for two of my favorite VTubers. La+ Darknesss, fresh off a new outfit reveal, will be having her first solo concert. It’s sponsored by Nissin UFO yakisoba, of all things. Meanwhile, Hakos Baelz will be celebrating her February 29 birthday with streams every day (and hopefully won’t collapse from overwork). After the string of unfortunate VTuber events recently, I am looking forward to some fun times.

Thank you to my Patreon subscribers!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from January:

Comiket, at Long Last: Comic Market 103

After two decades of wanting to go to the largest doujin event of all, I finally made it.

In Search of Hanayo: My “Love Live!” GiGo Collabo Cafe Experience

Another highlight of my Japan trip!

Nico Nico Douga, Natsuiro Matsuri, and Nostalgia for Asynchronous Chat

Thoughts on the benefits of the Nico Nico comment system.

Kio Shimoku

Kio exploring making LINE stickers.

Closing

I definitely have more posts about my Japan trip on the way! They might even go past February.

I Comied, I Ketted, I Con-quered: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for January 2024

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Welcome to 2024!

I mentioned having some fun surprises last month, and I let the cat out of the bag on Twitter a few days ago: I attended Comic Market for the first time!

While I don’t have a schedule fully planned out, you can expect the next couple months to have at least a few blog posts about my experience at Comiket, as well as other bits of my trip to Japan. I’m actually a bit worried about them overshadowing other topics, including the new anime season, but hopefully it’ll all work out.

May the Year of the Dragon bring fortune to everyone, but especially my Patreon subscribers:

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from December:

Best Anime Characters of 2023

The annual tradition continues.

The Role of Unique Voices in VTubing, K-Pop, and More

Some thoughts I’ve been having about how singers are presented in various media.

Anime NYC 2023 Was a hololive Bonanza

My con report, at least for all the hololive content that was there.

Kio Shimoku

Kio drew a special Christmas Ogiue!

Closing

I did experience the earthquake that hit Ishikawa Prefecture, but fortunately only from a great distance. I know there have been some tragic losses, but I hope everything gets up and running for those most affected.

Holy Moly Holidays: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for December 2023

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Whenever I get around to December, I begin to think about my annual tradition, where I post about my favorite characters of the year. I’ve had one in mind all year long, but there’s another who’s a bit of a late entry of sorts.

I’ve also been enjoying the heck out of the holoX 2nd Anniversary streams, especially La+’s (naturally). I highly recommend them all, but want to draw particular attention to La+’s performance with HimeHina.

Happy holidays to all my Patreon subscribers for December:

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from November:

Attack on Titan: The Final Conclusive Ending Denouement

My thoughts on the controversial ending and the equally controversial main character

I Imported Japanese Curry Because of a VTuber

Spoilers: The curry is good, and you should check out Sena Aimi.

The Unbearable Weight of the Past: Space Battleship Yamato 2202

Reviewing the sequel to a remake, one that poses some tough questions.

Kio Shimoku

Kio will have one of his works adapted to live-action, but probably not the one you’re thinking of.

Apartment 507

Yohane the Parhelion

Closing

In other news, I’ll be doing a bit of traveling at the end of the year, and I hope I can come back with some worthwhile stories to share.

When Am I?: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for November 2023

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We’re at November already?! I really can’t believe it’s this close to the end of the year when the summer months felt like forever. New York Comic Con is in the rear-view mirror, Anime NYC is up ahead, and I’m still struggling to keep up with the anime that’s out this season—including the long-anticipated Pluto (aka one of the best manga ever).

Due to a combination of a busy schedule and my silly brain, I’ve actually been struggling more than usual to write about anime and manga. I can’t seem to read manga fast enough to satisfactorily write about series I’ve been reading, but maybe I should just deal with it and write even after reading just a single volume.

It might also be because I’ve been diversifying my media choices (and watching a bunch of VTubers), but I feel it important to keep Ogiue Maniax as primarily an anime and manga blog.

Thanks so much to my Patreon subscribers for November:

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from October:

Reminiscing About Right Stuf in Its Final Days

Farewell to the best online anime and manga shop ever.

New Frontiers with Old Lessons: Hololive Advent and ReGLOSS

Some thoughts on the recent Hololive groups that have debuted.

The Emergency Heteronormative Character

Thinking about a longstanding trend in the world of anime and manga.

Kio Shimoku

More Kio playing Elden Ring.

I also dedicated a post to his Star Wars parody!

Closing

I am actually extremely excited to watch Pluto. Even if you know nothing about it, it’ll probably be worth checking out.

Thumbs Up to the Fall Lineup: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for October 2023

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The start of October means a new anime season, and there’s a lot of new shows I’m looking forward to. My main concern is having enough time for all of them. We’ve got manga adaptations I’m looking forward to like Shy, MF Ghost, Under Ninja, Migi and Dali, and Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange. Then there’s not one but two rap/hip hop battle shows in Hypnosis Mic season 2 and Paradox Live. And then Otona no Precure, the first sequel to feature past Precures as adults! For those who might be feeling tired of isekai, I think this season is gonna be one to remember—and even if you love isekai a ton, there’s still plenty to go around.

Thank you to my October Patreon subscribers below!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from September:

Gattai Girls 14: “Sakura Wars” and Shinguji Sakura

Continuing my series of reviews of mecha heroine anime.

Boy Meets Girl Meets Tick-Throw Spinning Piledriver: Hi Score Girl

My complete review of one of the best nerd romances ever.

Hololive’s ReGLOSS Features Refreshingly Simple Character Designs

A new generation of Japanese Hololive members brings some designs that buck the trend

Kio Shimoku

There was a Genshiken pop-up store event in Japan!

Closing

COVID’s on the rise again. I hope everyone can stay safe.

Pros of Con Reporting: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for September 2023

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I don’t know if it’s the record heat waves or just the sheer amount of things going in life, but the summer has felt incredibly long. But now that it’s the final stretch, I’m sure I’ll be missing it soon enough.

During this time, I also managed to watch both Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider, so expect some reviews of those sooner than later. In the meantime, I’d also like to mourn the loss of gfycat, which provided many a useful moving record for both mirth and study. I didn’t use the site much for Ogiue Maniax, but I have been updating a few posts here and there.

September Patreon subscribers! Thank you to the following—

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from August:

Tomoyo…The Time Has Come to Demonstrate Our Power: Otakon 2023

My full review of Otakon 2023, including links to interviews.

The Haachama Experiment

A birthday celebration of the Worldwide Strongest Idol as she continues to recover from her illness.

The Advent of Pitch Accent: Pronouncing FuwaMoco’s Names Correctly

A post about the new Hololive dog twins and their preferred name pronunciations.

Kio Shimoku

Kio mostly talks about Elden Ring, but also, check out that high-resolution Ogiue art!

Closing

I watched the Hololive Summer 2023 concert, and it was a blast. There were some issues with the viewing platform that ended up with the entire Day 1 concert being streamed for free on Youtube for the next month, and I’m thankful for that because it meant being able to easily watch Holotori strut their stuff over and over. The fact that Day 2 has holoX’s performance of their new song, “Labyrinthine Labyrinth,” as part of the free preview makes me feel like I won a small lottery again. I also highly recommend checking out the last song in the Day 2 preview, especially those who love 80s anime.

And now Hololive Myth 3rd Anniversary is coming up! It’s amazing to reflect on how much time has passed, and how directly it’s tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. No, I will never forget about that.

Breathing Room: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for August 2023

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After the whirlwind that was July, I’m genuinely glad that things are slowing down for me. That said, I’ll be writing and posting my review of Otakon 2023 (as well as three guest interviews), so while I physically won’t be doing a lot, I’m still gonna have to hunker down and do some serious blogging.

Hopefully, you’ll all enjoy what I have to offer.

Thanks to all my Patreon subscribers. I hope you’re doing okay in this weather.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from July:

Gattai Girls 13: “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury” and Suletta Mercury

A full review of The Witch from Mercury and the first Gattai Girls in many months.

I Was There: Hololive EN Connect the World

My firsthand experience at Hololive English’s debut live concert. Spoilers: It was rad.

New Yuusha Robot Announced: Brave Universe Sworgrader

A new Brave series! Who knew?!

Kio Shimoku

Kio talks about movies and stuff.

Apartment 507

My review of the Rokudo’s Bad Girls anime.

Closing

I stopped putting my little messages at the end of my posts asking people to check out my Patreon, thinking that it was probably annoying people more than anything. Would readers mind if I included it again?

Precure Can Drink in Japan: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for February 2023

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February has arrived, and that means new Precure, of course. It’s this odd exception in that February debuts have been typical of the franchise, so I have it on my mind—especially because it’s the 20th anniversary [I’ve been informed that Precure is actually only 19, so oops.]. I still remember seeing the original Futari wa Pretty Cure being mentioned in an English-language anime magazine, and noticing the large combat boots and floppy socks they wore. It’s been a part of my fandom for two decades now, and while I don’t have plans to write a retrospective, I wonder if I should. At the very least, expect a review of Delicious Party Precure.

Moving on from a two-decade-old magical girl juggernaut, I’d like to thank my Patreon subscribers!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Naledi Ramphele

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from January:

“Son Goku” vs. “Sun Wukong”: The Challenge of Translating Chinese Names in Japanese Media into English

If you’ve ever wondered why a Chinese character’s name in an anime sounds so unlike what the subtitles say, this might be hwy.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 1—Bold New Steps

My review of Season 1.

The Elegant Design of Suntory’s Virtual Youtuber

Many VTubers have extremely busy designs, but one notable exception comes from a surprising source: a Japanese beverage company.

Kio Shimoku

Kio actually retweeted one of my posts this month!!!

Closing

I learned along with everyone else that Love Live! School Idol Festival is shutting down to make way for the sequel game. Given this information, it’s all too perfect that I finally managed to achieve my goal. Will I play the new game? I really don’t know—it depends on how much time I have and what the gameplay looks like.

RABBIT!: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for January 2023

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Yesterday, I watched the Hololive COUNTDOWN LIVE 2022▷2023. It involved 3D concert performances by a variety of members including two of my faves, the currently COVID-stricken Haachama and the on-hiatus La+ Darknesss. I highly recommend it, especially the crossover sections between the girls of Hololive and the boys of Holostars. This clearly takes some inspiration from Japan’s long-standing end-of-year musical event, Kohaku Uta Gassen, but I’ve never actually watched it.

Looking back, it didn’t hit me how long the past year felt until I saw Kio Shimoku mention that Hashikko Ensemble concluded back in January of 2022. At times, it’s like the days move by all too quickly, and other times, it’s like they slow to a crawl. I can’t tell at this point how much of it is the prolonged funk of the pandemic and how much is just me getting older.

But here we are at the start of 2023 and the Year of the Rabbit, at least if we’re going by the solar calendar. Whenever I think about it, I find myself remembering a certain old flash video from the 2000s. Thankfully, someone uploaded it to Youtube, so I can inflict it on a new generation.

January’s Patreon subscribers are looking good. Thank you, everyone, and here’s to another fine (?) year.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Naledi Ramphele

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from December:

Elegy of Fire and Metal: A Tribute to Mizuki Ichiro

Paying respects to one of the greatest singers in all of anime who passed away.

Hololive 3D Concerts and Bringing Different Fans Together

This is partly an analysis of how different fans have different expectations for their VTuber faves, and partly an excuse to post more videos of La+ Darkness’s amazing dancing skills.

Prospera Mercury, She Is a Char

How the mom in Gundam: The Witch from Mercury nails that Char Aznable feel.

And normally, I only pick three highlights, but I must mention that I’ve selected my anime characters of the year.

Kio Shimoku

Kio’s tweets mostly show his model-building progress and his thoughts on the 2022 World Cup.

Apartment 507

Chainsaw Man Anime vs. Manga.

Closing

At the start of the year, I feel myself wondering if I should be doing more both with Ogiue Maniax and outside of it. One thing I’ve thought about is starting a Substack, but I have no idea how I might divide my writing. In my head, there’s no real differentiation between “regular” posts and “premium” ones, and I’d probably have to figure out some way to make it worthwhile. One possibility is to break off the VTuber stuff into its own dedicated area in case it’s becoming too intrusive, but I don’t think it’s that bad currently.

I could also do premium posts on Patreon, but that sort of runs into the same issue. If anyone wants to see that sort of content (or if you even hate the idea), feel free to leave a comment. I think I care less about the money at this point and wonder more about how to promote Ogiue Maniax in 2023. All the old ways seem to be vanishing (and Twitter is constantly on the verge of collapse because of its moronic new boss), and I still haven’t caught up.

Whichever ways things go, though, I hope you’ll keep reading.