So the Anime Blog Award nominations are up, and I just wanted to thank all of you who nominated me for best news blog! ♥

Now, I want you to all go out and vote for the other blogs in that category ♥♥ Because they all kick my ass. Fer serious!

Just another quick LOOK-IT’SA-ME!: this month’s issue of The Escapist is themed “It Came From Japan,” so of course I submitted an article. And what topic could be better than yaoi? Hence, “It’s a Yaoi Thing: Boys who Love Boys and the Girls who Love Them.” Anyone who’s actually interested in the article probably knows most of what’s in it, but thought I’d also let you know.

But it’s not just me! Japanator’s Zac Bentz also wrote an article called “Big in Japan,” about various Japanese artists who may be poised to hit American sales charts. Also: Erin Hoffman’s “Hail to the Kitty” (about Hello Kitty, natch); Emily Dettmar’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (about what shoujo series say about Japan’s ideal girl), and Khristopher L. Kirkland’s “Konnichi wa, Nihon!,” about his introduction to otaku-dom via a Japanese class.

It’s good stuff. Check it out! (And if you wanna vote for The Escapist in The Webby Awards, hey, go for it.)

Those of you who have your own anime blogs, you have until April 22nd to nominate blogs for the Anime Blog Awards. Thanks to those crazy bastards who nominated me, and make sure you don’t forget all the other awesome blogs out there!

After the nominations are done, voting opens up to the world at large. I know some people are already anticipating that the more popular blogs (like the ones I just linked) will take the awards, but y’know what? Being popular doesn’t mean you’re bad (some might argue the opposite), and the people who run those blogs deserve recognition, because they’re freakin’ amazing. Not that I’m saying you shouldn’t root for the underdogs; just don’t write someone off just because they’re not!

…Just some random blather inspired by some of the babble I’ve seen regarding the awards lately. ♥

Horo jarou!

For the newcomers: around the start of every new season, I work up a layout featuring art or characters from (one of) my favorite show(s) from the season that’s coming to a close. This month, it’s Horo from Ookami to Koushinryou, a.k.a. Spice and Wolf. It was an awesome show and I was hoping to get a layout that was a little different color-wise (I like the warm feel of the new layout).

So, if you love it, great! If you hate it, well, you only have to put up with it for a few months. ♥

Also, I know it’s a little broken in IE6. I may try to spend time fixing that, but only about 7% of my visitors are IE6 users (interestingly, 63% of them are Firefox users. Hm!), and the content is still viewable in IE6, so although I spent a bit of time on it there, it’s not a super-high priority for me. Sorry!

As always, I also set up my phone to match: the nekkid!Horo shot is now on the front of my phone, and for my phone’s internal wallpaper I have her gesturing that Lawrence should grow whiskers in episode 2. I also have ringtones of both the OP and ED and a couple of clips of Horo talking for my alert tones. Hey, I am nothing if not thorough.

So, what will it be next season, I wonder? ♥

Hey, just so y’all know– while I was at Sakura Con I was approached to be interviewed by Kevin Tain, a youth entertainment reporter for DigitalReporter, a reader blog on SeattlePI that was also covering the con. It was a lot of fun, and I know you guys love hearing my voice (or so it would seem, given the number that seem to listen to Japanator’s Podtoid-san O.o), so there you go.

Yes, this year a new set of awards has been established for anime (and manga) blogs. So go nominate me!

…I kid. (Especially since you have to run an anime/manga blog of your own to nominate someone.) I am nominating Jtor for best team blog, MangaBlog for best manga blog (dur!), and JapanProbe and Danny Choo for most influential blog, as well as anything else I think of. So when they come up, be sure to vote for ‘em, eh?

If it wasn’t for them closing, I’d be nominating YaoiSuki for something as well. Boo :/

Most of you already have most or all of the information in this series, but I thought I’d let you know that I have a series called “10 Light Novels You Should Know.” Up so far: Haruhi, Zero no Tsukaima, Shana, and Spice and Wolf.

Again, there probably won’t be a single series you guys haven’t already heard of, but I can’t help but try to pimp myself. ♥

There is absolutely nothing to see here.

Most recently, a badge interlude (plus Christmas), and before that, something unexpected.

Zac Efron for Kira!

Due to some jackassery on other peoples’ parts, Randall has had to move Ikimashou.net to his other domain at dasaku.net for the time being. I just wanted to mention it since I know a fair few of you read his stuff too. ♥