Austin
@austin.karageko.com
Pinned
Austin
@austin.karageko.com
· Sep 1
The Bobby Book: Toshio Hirata Interview
"I wanted to adapt it into a pleasant, animated film composed of a series of imagined landscapes and refreshing, cinematic poetry."
Read here: karageko.com/2025/09/01/t...
"I wanted to adapt it into a pleasant, animated film composed of a series of imagined landscapes and refreshing, cinematic poetry."
Read here: karageko.com/2025/09/01/t...
Reposted by Austin
The National Diet Library is exploring the possibility of extending its Digitized Transmission Service for Individuals (DCTI) to those residing outside of Japan. To understand potential demand, the NDL and CULCON have created a survey. Deadline for responses 3/31! forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...
February 2, 2026 at 4:15 PM
The National Diet Library is exploring the possibility of extending its Digitized Transmission Service for Individuals (DCTI) to those residing outside of Japan. To understand potential demand, the NDL and CULCON have created a survey. Deadline for responses 3/31! forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...
Reposted by Austin
The story goes like this, in 1967 a little girl called Takara’s customer service number, and asked to speak to Licca-chan.
Not wanting to crush a little kid’s dreams, the operator quickly replied “Hello, this is Licca-chan!”
Very cute, totally harmless. …right?
Not wanting to crush a little kid’s dreams, the operator quickly replied “Hello, this is Licca-chan!”
Very cute, totally harmless. …right?
February 4, 2026 at 7:21 PM
The story goes like this, in 1967 a little girl called Takara’s customer service number, and asked to speak to Licca-chan.
Not wanting to crush a little kid’s dreams, the operator quickly replied “Hello, this is Licca-chan!”
Very cute, totally harmless. …right?
Not wanting to crush a little kid’s dreams, the operator quickly replied “Hello, this is Licca-chan!”
Very cute, totally harmless. …right?
Reposted by Austin
I've slowly been working on series of article tracing the history of Heavy Gear, the VOTOMS-influenced tabletop game that arrived in 1995 and still exists today. The game's origins lay with a couple of early anime magazines, Protoculture Addicts and Mecha Press.
www.zimmerit.moe/protoculture...
www.zimmerit.moe/protoculture...
Mecha from Montreal, A History of Heavy Gear Ch. I: Protoculture Addicts & Mecha Press
Wearing its VOTOMS influence on its sleeve, the tabletop game Heavy Gear rose to prominence in the late ’90s. It had come, albeit indirectly, out of foundations laid in 1987 by a handful of C…
www.zimmerit.moe
February 6, 2026 at 6:29 PM
I've slowly been working on series of article tracing the history of Heavy Gear, the VOTOMS-influenced tabletop game that arrived in 1995 and still exists today. The game's origins lay with a couple of early anime magazines, Protoculture Addicts and Mecha Press.
www.zimmerit.moe/protoculture...
www.zimmerit.moe/protoculture...
Picked up from where I left off 9 years ago on the GBA one, and finished all perfects in a day.🥳
January 23, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Picked up from where I left off 9 years ago on the GBA one, and finished all perfects in a day.🥳
Finally got the Remix 10 Perfect 💀
January 22, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Finally got the Remix 10 Perfect 💀
Reposted by Austin
Hey all. Ready for a small mailbag day?
Well here we have a new format added to the Museum. It's CD Video. You know, the short lived audio CD format that could play five minutes of video on your laserdisc player.
Not to be confused with Video CD. Wait. Confusing right?
Well here we have a new format added to the Museum. It's CD Video. You know, the short lived audio CD format that could play five minutes of video on your laserdisc player.
Not to be confused with Video CD. Wait. Confusing right?
January 19, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Hey all. Ready for a small mailbag day?
Well here we have a new format added to the Museum. It's CD Video. You know, the short lived audio CD format that could play five minutes of video on your laserdisc player.
Not to be confused with Video CD. Wait. Confusing right?
Well here we have a new format added to the Museum. It's CD Video. You know, the short lived audio CD format that could play five minutes of video on your laserdisc player.
Not to be confused with Video CD. Wait. Confusing right?
Reposted by Austin
New episode of The Anime Business!
Jonathan Clements talks about the history of anime in the UK!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g59A...
Jonathan Clements talks about the history of anime in the UK!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g59A...
January 19, 2026 at 7:24 PM
New episode of The Anime Business!
Jonathan Clements talks about the history of anime in the UK!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g59A...
Jonathan Clements talks about the history of anime in the UK!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g59A...
Reposted by Austin
New Piece: An Overview the Early Years of the "Modern Day Late-Night Anime Infomercial": 1996 & 1997
2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of what now defines our current anime production hellscape! So... how did we get here?
I go over the early days of late-night, as well as all of 1996 & 1997!
2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of what now defines our current anime production hellscape! So... how did we get here?
I go over the early days of late-night, as well as all of 1996 & 1997!
An Overview the Early Years of the "Modern Day Late-Night Anime Infomercial": 1996 & 1997
While not technically the first anime to be made for TV broadcast, 1963's Tetsuwan Atom / Astro Boy (based on Osamu Tezuka's most iconic ma...
landofobscusion.blogspot.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
New Piece: An Overview the Early Years of the "Modern Day Late-Night Anime Infomercial": 1996 & 1997
2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of what now defines our current anime production hellscape! So... how did we get here?
I go over the early days of late-night, as well as all of 1996 & 1997!
2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of what now defines our current anime production hellscape! So... how did we get here?
I go over the early days of late-night, as well as all of 1996 & 1997!
So it turns out, not only did I happen to have a downloaded copy of this, but I also found out this Toshio Hirata interview is still publicly available on the FFF Vimeo account (24 views accumulated over the last 15 years, haha).
For those interested (Italian subs): vimeo.com/15835470
For those interested (Italian subs): vimeo.com/15835470
January 10, 2026 at 5:01 AM
So it turns out, not only did I happen to have a downloaded copy of this, but I also found out this Toshio Hirata interview is still publicly available on the FFF Vimeo account (24 views accumulated over the last 15 years, haha).
For those interested (Italian subs): vimeo.com/15835470
For those interested (Italian subs): vimeo.com/15835470
Reposted by Austin
Also notes/sources/further reading here
Tangled Up in ‘Blue’: The Making & Unmaking of ‘Aoki Uru’ — Beyond Electric Sheep
Notes, Sources, and Further Reading links from the Aoki Uru panel at Anime Lockdown 2025
www.beyondelectricsheep.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Also notes/sources/further reading here
Reposted by Austin
If you missed my Uru in Blue panel at Anime Lockdown a few months ago you're in luck - the VOD is now available! Thanks again to @gonzodotmoe.bsky.social for putting on such a great event and letting me ramble to everyone about weird and horrifying Gainax stuff for an hour
Tangled Up in "Blue": The Making & Unmaking of Gainax's Aoki Uru (Anime Lockdown 2025 Panel)
YouTube video by BEYOND ELECTRIC SHEEP
www.youtube.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM
If you missed my Uru in Blue panel at Anime Lockdown a few months ago you're in luck - the VOD is now available! Thanks again to @gonzodotmoe.bsky.social for putting on such a great event and letting me ramble to everyone about weird and horrifying Gainax stuff for an hour
New Minky Momo OVA announced!
I posted this three years ago in Japanese, but it seems apt to say again:
"If there's a Reiwa Momo, how's she going to bestow dreams and hopes to children glued to their smartphones?"
I posted this three years ago in Japanese, but it seems apt to say again:
"If there's a Reiwa Momo, how's she going to bestow dreams and hopes to children glued to their smartphones?"
December 24, 2025 at 9:46 AM
New Minky Momo OVA announced!
I posted this three years ago in Japanese, but it seems apt to say again:
"If there's a Reiwa Momo, how's she going to bestow dreams and hopes to children glued to their smartphones?"
I posted this three years ago in Japanese, but it seems apt to say again:
"If there's a Reiwa Momo, how's she going to bestow dreams and hopes to children glued to their smartphones?"
My copy of Anime Herald Magazine #1 has arrived. Voluminous, and from a quick glance, nicely printed. Looking forward to reading it thoroughly.
Happy to see more fan publications enter the space 🙂
Happy to see more fan publications enter the space 🙂
December 22, 2025 at 9:50 PM
My copy of Anime Herald Magazine #1 has arrived. Voluminous, and from a quick glance, nicely printed. Looking forward to reading it thoroughly.
Happy to see more fan publications enter the space 🙂
Happy to see more fan publications enter the space 🙂
Another Another Another Another Another Haul
December 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Another Another Another Another Another Haul
Reposted by Austin
New episode of The Anime Business! Final episode of 2025!
Helen McCarthy (@glider.bsky.social) on Discovering Anime, UK Fandom and the Joy of It All!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdEM...
Helen McCarthy (@glider.bsky.social) on Discovering Anime, UK Fandom and the Joy of It All!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdEM...
December 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
New episode of The Anime Business! Final episode of 2025!
Helen McCarthy (@glider.bsky.social) on Discovering Anime, UK Fandom and the Joy of It All!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdEM...
Helen McCarthy (@glider.bsky.social) on Discovering Anime, UK Fandom and the Joy of It All!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdEM...
Reposted by Austin
The final Anime Business of the year, with @glider.bsky.social, goes live in 15 minutes!
The Anime Business - Helen McCarthy on Discovering Anime, UK Fandom and the Joy of It All
YouTube video by AnimEigo
youtu.be
December 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM
The final Anime Business of the year, with @glider.bsky.social, goes live in 15 minutes!
Another Another Another Another Haul
December 16, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Another Another Another Another Haul
Reposted by Austin
Ashita no Joe at the Art of Manga exhibition in San Francisco!!
I’m amazed they got such iconic pages to display. Most of the exhibition goers don’t realize…
I’m amazed they got such iconic pages to display. Most of the exhibition goers don’t realize…
December 15, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Ashita no Joe at the Art of Manga exhibition in San Francisco!!
I’m amazed they got such iconic pages to display. Most of the exhibition goers don’t realize…
I’m amazed they got such iconic pages to display. Most of the exhibition goers don’t realize…
This Japanese translation I commissioned of the Animag Royal Space Force interview, which didn't draw much attention when I originally posted it two months ago, doubled its view count yesterday.
Of course, I'd rather it wasn't due to unfortunate circumstances, but at least it's getting read at all.
Of course, I'd rather it wasn't due to unfortunate circumstances, but at least it's getting read at all.
December 11, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This Japanese translation I commissioned of the Animag Royal Space Force interview, which didn't draw much attention when I originally posted it two months ago, doubled its view count yesterday.
Of course, I'd rather it wasn't due to unfortunate circumstances, but at least it's getting read at all.
Of course, I'd rather it wasn't due to unfortunate circumstances, but at least it's getting read at all.
Shiro: Say, Matti... Suppose that life was a story......
Matti: Come again?
Shiro: No, if you were to think about it like that.
Matti: Okay.
Shiro: Well, have you ever wondered if... If maybe you aren't a good guy? That you're one of the bad guys, instead?
Matti: (Puzzled) I dunno?
Matti: Come again?
Shiro: No, if you were to think about it like that.
Matti: Okay.
Shiro: Well, have you ever wondered if... If maybe you aren't a good guy? That you're one of the bad guys, instead?
Matti: (Puzzled) I dunno?
December 11, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Shiro: Say, Matti... Suppose that life was a story......
Matti: Come again?
Shiro: No, if you were to think about it like that.
Matti: Okay.
Shiro: Well, have you ever wondered if... If maybe you aren't a good guy? That you're one of the bad guys, instead?
Matti: (Puzzled) I dunno?
Matti: Come again?
Shiro: No, if you were to think about it like that.
Matti: Okay.
Shiro: Well, have you ever wondered if... If maybe you aren't a good guy? That you're one of the bad guys, instead?
Matti: (Puzzled) I dunno?
Reposted by Austin
For a very limited time we're offering a complete set of the Zimmerit 'zines at a discounted price. This is a great way to grab all of them at once or pick up a gift for the anime fan in your life.
Order now and it'll arrive before Christmas (if you're in the US)
garagekit.club/products/zim...
Order now and it'll arrive before Christmas (if you're in the US)
garagekit.club/products/zim...
Zimmerit 'Zines Holiday Bundle
For a limited time we're offering a complete bundle of all five Zimmerit 'zines as a reduced price. These make great gifts for the old anime fan in your life or work as a great way to grab all of our ...
garagekit.club
December 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM
For a very limited time we're offering a complete set of the Zimmerit 'zines at a discounted price. This is a great way to grab all of them at once or pick up a gift for the anime fan in your life.
Order now and it'll arrive before Christmas (if you're in the US)
garagekit.club/products/zim...
Order now and it'll arrive before Christmas (if you're in the US)
garagekit.club/products/zim...
Reposted by Austin
With a bit of sleuthing help from @austin.karageko.com I put together a short article about the Five Star Stories original video that General Products announced but never released. Garage kits. Music by Mamoru Nagano. Animation by Hideaki Anno. What could have been?
www.zimmerit.moe/five-star-st...
www.zimmerit.moe/five-star-st...
The Five Star Stories Original Video That Never Was
In early 1988 General Products began advertising a Five Star Stories original video that would feature animation by Hideaki Anno and direct involvement from the manga’s creator, Mamoru Nagano…
www.zimmerit.moe
December 2, 2025 at 8:24 PM
With a bit of sleuthing help from @austin.karageko.com I put together a short article about the Five Star Stories original video that General Products announced but never released. Garage kits. Music by Mamoru Nagano. Animation by Hideaki Anno. What could have been?
www.zimmerit.moe/five-star-st...
www.zimmerit.moe/five-star-st...
Another Another Another Haul
November 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Another Another Another Haul
It turns out I downloaded a copy of this a while back and shoved it on an external drive and just forgot about it this whole time. Whew!
(I'll look into uploading it on IA or something later)
(I'll look into uploading it on IA or something later)
This is a long shot, but does anyone have an archive of the brief Toshio Hirata interview at the Future Film Festival 2008, in Bologna, Italy? It used to be on youtube but they made the video private☹️. It was the only video interview with Hirata I found.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkR5...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkR5...
www.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:06 AM
It turns out I downloaded a copy of this a while back and shoved it on an external drive and just forgot about it this whole time. Whew!
(I'll look into uploading it on IA or something later)
(I'll look into uploading it on IA or something later)