Category Archives: Interest

Bento Buffet Mountain Edition

Explore Japan’s Mountains! Japan is a land of islands, forests and mountains and since it will be Mountain Day in Japan soon we are going on a journey, discovering Japan’s mountain culture, learning the Japanese word for mountain and exploring…

• Bento Buffet Mountain Edition

Ski Shini Ikimasho! Bento Buffet

Ski, anime-style Happy New Year Fanatiks! We kick off this year in full velocity as we ski through a ski anime themed Bento. We learn about skiing in Japan, learn Japanese Ski words, look at the results of The South…

• Ski Shini Ikimasho! Bento Buffet

Rias Gremory Cosplay Challenge

Are you ready for a new Rias Gremory? If you think that magical girl transformations are kawaii, then you are in for a treat. And this is not your usual magical girl and it is not from a magical girl…

• Rias Gremory Cosplay Challenge

Bento Buffet Summer Beach Edition

The last days of Summer It is the last days of summer for the 2017 anime summer releases and we look at a few beach episodes, take a look at what is happening in anime this season, share some anime…

• Bento Buffet Summer Beach Edition

Summer Heat Bento Buffet

The heat is on The anime for the Japanese season is hot as the sun, but why turn down the heat, join us as we look at current anime news, a yummy recipe and listen to some sugoi anime tunes.…

• Summer Heat Bento Buffet

Bento Buffet January/February

  Your Source of monthly anime news Join us as we look at the month that was, look at the AMV of the month, share interesting traditional Japanese recipes, and spread the word by learning some Japanese. Our bento is…

• Bento Buffet January/February

Manga Blaze – read manga on your PC and Phone

Manga Obsession? Set it ablaze! Finding the right app to read manga on your phone or PC can be a nightmare but one possible solution is Manga Blaze. The app is a manga reader that has become quite popular on…

• Manga Blaze – read manga on your PC and Phone

Bento Bites – Assassination Classroom & Hanami

More Assassination Classroom Extracurricular Lessons Join us as we bring you more updates and information on Assassination Classroom and also share a video on Sakura trees at an interesting angle. Assassination Classroom Assassination Classroom’s second season premiered in January and its…

• Bento Bites – Assassination Classroom & Hanami

Konbini – culture of convenience

Konbini even has their own language! Japanese convenience stores are called konbini. They are everywhere in Japan, it is estimated that in Tokyo alone there are more than 8,000. As with most convenience stores, no two of them are exactly…

• Konbini – culture of convenience

Cleaning Culture: Japanese kids clean their schools.

O-soji, the tradition of cleaning Many Westerners grew up in a world where they went to school, had classes, recess, more classes, and then went home. They had janitors cleaning their classes and schools for them. At some places, the…

• Cleaning Culture: Japanese kids clean their schools.

Orphan to hero as a theme

What makes an orphan work as a character in anime? This is a theme that pops up in a lot of anime series, examples are Son Goku from Dragon Ball, Uzumaki Naruto from Naruto, Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan…

• Orphan to hero as a theme

Flushing the myths: The Japanese Toilet

Flushing made easy Japan, the Land of The Rising Sun, where interesting technologies like robots are real, where even trees can float, thanks to their advanced scientific minds. Toilets are no exception to the wonders of Japanese technology. You may…

• Flushing the myths: The Japanese Toilet

Flowers and what they mean in Japan

Hanakotoba – the language of flowers Flowers are, to the Japanese, just as powerful a way of communication as it is all over the world. We all know how dear the sakura to the Japanese citizens’ hearts is. Flowers are…

• Flowers and what they mean in Japan

Bento Bites – Endride & Japanese Indoor Farming!

Anime news and a bit of corporate indoor farming! Today we have an interesting Double Slam for you. First we share news on the upcoming anime Endride and then we show you how a Japanese company do some unconventional indoor…

• Bento Bites – Endride & Japanese Indoor Farming!

Shamisen, the Japanese banjo

We listen to some Shamisen music! The shamisen is a three-stringed musical instrument that is played with a plectrum (called a bachi) and is part of the lute family; some people call it the Japanese Banjo. Its length is similar…

• Shamisen, the Japanese banjo

Floating Bonsai trees!!

The floating miracle called Air Bonsai We have heard legends like the hanging trees of Babylon (which some legends say were trees floating in the air), we have seen floating plants and trees in anime like .hack//Sign, the animated movie…

• Floating Bonsai trees!!

Ganbatte, the power of the Cheer

We learn about ‘cheer’ words like Ganbatte and Ike! Ganbatte We have often heard the Japanese word ‘Ganbatte’ in anime in many situations like when Naruto goes off on a task, Sakura would cheer him on with ‘Ganbatte!’ Ganbatte is…

• Ganbatte, the power of the Cheer

More than Food – Japanese Themed Cafés

We look at more themed cafés in Japan In Japan visiting themed cafés are more than just eating food. Some of these cafes are an experience that must not be missed. As you remember we talked about maid cafés a…

• More than Food – Japanese Themed Cafés

Salaryman, the drone culture of Japan

We discover the lifestyle of the Salaryman! We have seen them on anime and in Japanese movies, we have heard about them, but we often wonder just what a salaryman is. Some say they are the typical white-collar worker, at…

• Salaryman, the drone culture of Japan

Cover Artists with a difference

We listen to AnimeSongCollabo cover songs Many anime fanatiks are passionate about the music in their anime, but a group of fanatiks took it even further. They cover anime OST! AnimeSongCollabo is a group of individuals dedicated to bringing quality OST…

• Cover Artists with a difference

Sado, Way of the Tea, an ancient respected ceremony

Explore The Sado Tea Ceremony with us In Japan drinking tea is not just for the pleasure of it, there is also a ceremony that is held sometimes. This tea ceremony is called Sado (meaning the way of the tea)…

• Sado, Way of the Tea, an ancient respected ceremony

Japanese loan words: a guide to speaking Japanese

Japanese loan words that trap or aid in translation As lovers of anime many of us that take our anime watching to the next level. We take up books like Japanese for Dummies or we enlist in courses to familiarize…

• Japanese loan words: a guide to speaking Japanese

Vending Forth: a look at vending machines in Japan

Millions of Vending machines to choose from! Japan is a very interesting country and known for its advancements in technology and different ways of doing things. It would be wrong, then, not to tell you about the one thing that…

• Vending Forth: a look at vending machines in Japan

Superstitions of Japan you may not know about

We share some hair-raising folklore and superstition A lot of us have a superstition or two, even if we will never admit it. Some of us may have a ring, or sock or a little trinket we wear for luck,…

• Superstitions of Japan you may not know about

Halloween Anime Movie Night suggestions and reviews

“What classic anime horror movies can I watch on Halloween?” you ask. Since tomorrow night is Halloween we often can’t choose what anime to watch. Luckily there is quite an arsenal of horror or spooky themed anime movies to watch…

• Halloween Anime Movie Night suggestions and reviews

Yokai, things that go bump in the night in Japan

Explore some Yokai myths with us Halloween is almost upon us and in Japan they also celebrate Halloween. We keep the AnimeFanatika tradition by bringing you some Halloween creepiness. This time, we look at the Yokai. You have seen them…

• Yokai, things that go bump in the night in Japan

Vampires don’t suck they sip: A look at vampires in anime

We get a little bloody with some anime Vampires With Halloween less than two weeks away a lot of us go hunting in our anime stash for some horror anime to watch on Halloween or in October just to get…

• Vampires don’t suck they sip: A look at vampires in anime

Attack on Titan Anthology announced for next year!

The Western comic scene’s take on the Attack On Titan phenomena American comic creators have been given the chance to give their own unique spin on Attack on Titan. This all thanks to a new Attack on Titan anthology announced…

• Attack on Titan Anthology announced for next year!

Ramen – A look at one of Japan’s greatest noodle dishes

We find out why Uzumaki Naruto is so crazy about Ramen Tomorrow is Naruto’s birthday and as we all know the shinobi is passionate about his ramen. Can we forget the countless times Naruto sat with Sakura-chan or with a…

• Ramen – A look at one of Japan’s greatest noodle dishes

Linux Mangaka Mou – an anime-friendly option

Linux, the most popular free operating system aims high Linux currently is the world’s most popular free operating system. On September 20 they released Linux Mangaka Mou. Linux Mangaka Mou, is the fifth major release of the Ubuntu-based distro. It…

• Linux Mangaka Mou – an anime-friendly option

A look at breakfast in Japan

Watching anime, many of us are always fascinated by the dishes they eat. We always see Brock making breakfast for Ash and Misty in Pokémon and in the anime Koufuku Graffiti we see Ryou and the gang getting quite poetic…

• A look at breakfast in Japan

The First Naruto Certification Exam in Japan!

Ever had an argument with friends that you are a bigger Naruto fanatik then they are? Apparently there is a way to prove to them for once and forever that you are not a Naruto fanatik, but THE Naruto fanatik…

• The First Naruto Certification Exam in Japan!

Birthday of the week: Orihime Inoue from Bleach

Let’s meet Orihime Inoue  If you know the anime Bleach then you definitely know her, Orihime Inoue, the beautiful girl with the long orange hair and the brown dreamy eyes (In the anime the eyes are silver-gray). We know her as…

• Birthday of the week: Orihime Inoue from Bleach

Unmasking the myths: Why people wear medical masks in Japan!

We have seen in movies and on television news that Japanese citizens sometimes wear surgical masks. Someone even asked if they belong to some cult, which is a funny notion. Wearing medical masks are actually a Japanese custom and for…

• Unmasking the myths: Why people wear medical masks in Japan!

Yukata explained

The Elegant Yukata Today we talk about something we have seen a lot in Japanese anime – the yukata. Some might remember them from the anime Glasslip where the characters dressed up in yukata to go and look at fireworks, or…

• Yukata explained

Japanese short movies creates Mommy Awareness

Working moms are very unappreciated. Many people do not always grasp the trials and tribulations a mother has to go through, balancing a career and having a child on her shoulders. From Tokyo, Japan to Pretoria, South Africa, to Las…

• Japanese short movies creates Mommy Awareness

What is Manga?

Many epic arguments have started between friends over the word ‘manga’. People that do not know the difference between anime and manga have mistakenly confused the words with each other. Anime is the Japanese word for ‘animation’, and to the…

• What is Manga?

AnimeFanatika – Quest for the slogan

It is essentially to have a slogan, not just to tell everyone out there a little about your brand but also to boost morale in your own work. AnimeFanatika decided that it was time to change our catchphrase to better…

• AnimeFanatika – Quest for the slogan

Anime Character Birthdays Week 5 of July 2015

It is Anime Character Birthdays where we celebrate the birthdays of our animated heroes and who knows maybe they share a birthday with one of us! Anime Birthdays (July 27, 2015 – August 02, 2015) July 2015 27 Recca Hanabishi…

• Anime Character Birthdays Week 5 of July 2015

When Misty’s Pokémon nightmare really happens

Lovers of the Pokémon series might remember how Misty always went hysterical when surrounded by bug Pokémon. Even poor Butterfree will remember how Misty screamed her lungs out at the poor guy back when he was a Medapod and a…

• When Misty’s Pokémon nightmare really happens