About

I’ve been an otaku since I was a kid. I have always been obsessive and as a child my obsessions centered around toys and cartoons. What I didn’t know at the time was that the cartoons were Japanese.

The show that had the most impact on me was Battle of the Planets the Americanized version of a Japanese anime Gatchaman. It had such an impact, in fact, that a few years ago I produced a radio documentary about my obsession with the show. I also have the team’s bird symbol tattooed on my left arm.

The other manifestation of my obsession with all things Japanese is my toy collection. I once told a friend that I really didn’t have that many toys, maybe 60 or 70 (must be close to 200 by now) only to have him point out that he, like most people, doesn’t have any. People have suggested I collect toys because I can now afford what I couldn’t have as a child, or because they represent a time in my life that I value. I believe that’s true, but they are also a very powerful (for me) symbol of storytelling and imagination – and just damn fun to play with.

Japan’s impact on my life has spread far beyond anime and toys, however, into cosplay, music, movies, books, video games, model making, food and art. I hope this blog can be a kind of filter for others who are interested in Japanese culture, but lack my obsessive nature.

Thanks for visiting.

Pedro Mendes