Things have been a bit quiet around here the last few weeks, and for that, I apologize. Despite my best attempts at maintaining a regular update schedule, sometimes real life just takes over for a bit – by life, I mean job and conventions. I’ve completed my Child Development Associate’s, thus securing my continued employment at the center where I work, and Sakura Con is coming up soon, which I’ll have more info about next week!

I did manage to sneak in some work for Anime Feminist during the interim, which I’m excited to share with you. Turns out, participating in a podcast that you don’t have to edit is way less work than churning out an article.

Without further ado, the links.

I edited The Problem with the Dark Magical Girl by Alex Henderson of The Afictioniado, in which she discusses her problems with the current trend of dark magical girl series, particularly Magical Girl Raising Project and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The post was a huuuuuuge springboard for discussion between anime fans on social media, for better or for worse. While I don’t agree with every point – or even, to be frank, a lot of points – Alex argues her case eloquently and backs it up. On top that, she’s a delight to work with, and I’d happily edit anything else she submits.

I’ve also participated in a couple more episodes of Chatty AF, the Anime Feminist podcast. In honor of Utena’s 20th anniversary (what even the fuck, though), Dee of Josei Next Door and Vrai of Fashionable Tinfoil Accessories chat about our long-time love of the show.

In the third episode of Chatty AF, The Re:Zero Triangle, I discuss my recent watch-through of Re:Zero with Amelia and Peter. They’re big fans of the show, but I personally didn’t care for it. We discuss its strengths and flaws from a feminist viewpoint, and finally find the answer to the most pressing of questions: who is the best girl? (Hint: It’s not Emilia OR Rem!)

Finally, I write about that seminal feminist classic, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure in my article Reimi is Unbreakable: Female Empowerment in Diamond is Unbreakable. Okay, it’s not really a feminist classic – far from it – but I found myself incredibly moved by Reimi, the ghost of the first victim of the season’s Big Bad. I wrote about how she refuses to take a passive role, even after death, and brings her story to closure on her own terms. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure may have a lot of issues with female representation, but Reimi’s story was beautifully handled.