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ICYMI: Feminism and Diversity in Anime (ft. Mercedez Clewis)

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Ionatan and Ravi are joined by Mercedez Clewis, a contributing writer and journalist for sites like Anime News Network, Japanese to English translation and localization editor, and staff editor at Anime Feminist, to discuss feminism and diversity in anime. They talk about Mercedez’s time living in Fukushima and transition into anime journalism, and then break down how to think about anime through a feminist lens.

I am so, so honored that I got to spend time chatting with Ionatan & Ravi in late July (when we recorded) for this episode. It was a blast, and I really felt wonderful talking about my work as a Black Feminist and a proper Anime Feminist as well!

Listen to Feminism and Diversity in Anime (ft. Mercedez Clewis) here.

How to Japanese Podcast – S02E13 – Mercedez Clewis – Intensive Japanese Study, JET Program, Writing/Localizing

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Mercedez Clewis is a Japanese to English localization editor and proofreader as well as a pop culture writer and critic with websites like, Anime Feminist, But Why Tho, and the Anime News Network. She also has previous worked with Siliconera, which is where she got her start with Japanese to English translation. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s in History, she taught on the JET Program in Fukushima Prefecture for four years and is currently in the process of returning to Japan. See her website here.

Listen to How to Japanese Podcast – S02E13 – here.

July 8, 2021

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Today is another hot, humid day in Texas, which seems like the way this year’s just gonna go. It’s hot, hotter than it’s ever been: the kind of hot that makes you hid inside with all the windows closed, every single ceiling fan on at least the mid-level so it moves the air, and all the blinds closed. It’s the kind of hot that makes me crave shaved ice, heaped in a styrofoam

It’s also the day after tanabata, a day that had my mind back in Sendai in 2016, a scant week and a half after I arrived in Japan, and more specifically: in Fukushima.

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Record of A Blerd: April 2021 Edition

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Can you believe that tomorrow is May? I certainly can’t! It feels like April zipped by, and in many ways it did. This April was particularly busy for me, in large part because I’m wrapping on a text-heavy otome game, and have had a pleasant uptick in writing. I also debuted on the Anime News Network as a member of the daily streaming review team and a journalist as well.

That all said, let’s get into what I’ve done in April!

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REVIEW: ‘Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack’ Offers Mysterious and Pleasant Fun (Switch) — But Why Tho? A Geek Community

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The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack offers up three charming and enjoyable games that all have quirks that help make them enjoyable titles.

REVIEW: ‘Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack’ Offers Mysterious and Pleasant Fun (Switch) — But Why Tho? A Geek Community

February 12, 2021 (Formerly Titled February 2, 2021)

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The day I started this post, I opened with the following:

Today, it’s 31 F/-1 C, and I’m craving cups of tea, heated throws, thick books, and jellyfish live streams. However, instead, I’m at my computer, writing this post before digging back into work.

That day, I’d planned to make some pasta aglio e olio (that’s pasta with garlic and olive oil) for lunch. I’d planned to get in lines on an editing project I’m on. I’d even talked about my new 2021 goal of making one Twine text-based game a month all year.

But then life came at me fast and now it’s ten days later, I’m back in Texas, and I’m… going to talk about why.

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