James Robert Shaw, Author At Otaku No Culture

Wind Up Geek’s J-Music Quick Fix – August 13, 2017

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

The Back Horn

The Back Horn will be hosting a special live concert to celebrate the release of their upcoming 2-CD greatest hits album, Best of the Back Horn II, and their 20 years as a band. This special concert will be by invitation only and will be held at the intimate venue where the Back Horn had their first paid gig, 下北沢SHELTER (Shimokitazawa Shelter) in Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo. Fans will be able to win an invitation via lottery through two ways:

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Chinese Eatery Offers Bigger Discount to Bigger Breasts

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

A restaurant chain in China came under fire, according to the Qianjiang Evening Post, after locals complained of “vulgar advertising” to their local council. Trendy Shrimp with two locations in the Lake and Binjiang District of Hangzhou city in Eastern China’s Zhejiang province, advertised discounts for women based on their bra size. The company’s ad depicted a line-up of cartoon women in their underwear. According to BBC News the ad slogan read “The whole city is looking for BREASTS”. On the side of the advertisement was a chart telling female customers how much of a discount they could get off their meal depending on their bra size. Women with a G-cup could get 65% off. The advertisements first appeared on August 1, 2017.

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Will Cowboy Samurai Walk the Streets of Texas After New Law?

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

The state of Texas already has an open carry law that applies to firearms but after September 1st, residents of the Lone Star state will be able to carry swords as well. That’s right, you read this correctly, swords. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 1935 into law, which allows the open carry of weapons with blades longer then 5.5 inches.

This new law will apply to bladed weapons such as rapiers, broadswords, Claymores, spears, machetes, katanas, and Texas’ famous bowie-knife from the Alamo.

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‘Attack on Titan’ Artistry Sends Shivers Down My Spine

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Being a fan of cosplay (although not a cosplayer myself), I’m an admirer of the process of costume creation. It’s the endless hours of sowing together, sometimes with nothing more than simple needle and thread, pieces of cloth that will take gradual shape before a finished outfit is worn for all to see at a an event. To me this is the side of fandom I show neither the talent nor the want to become a part of. Watching from the sidelines is my equivalency of having cake and eating it too. But among the cosplay it is, at times, easy for me to overlook the make-up. The artistry that completes the persona one will present does not always get the attention it so richly deserves.

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Tees Please: Paul Reubens and Astro Boy

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

This is a new segment on Otaku no Culture, one where we explore the t-shirt, that talkative piece of clothing that has (through the decades) bared powerful political statements, expressed the wearer’s feelings, and has caused fits of laughter or bouts of disgust. I’ll be posting photos sourced from different media and in those posts I will try to give proper credit not only of the photographer but of the manufacturer of that certain tee.

There are times it won’t be possible and we will be asking you, the public, to help us fill in the missing information. In my travels I will also be asking people permission to snap photos of cool tees that I spot in the street. So if I come up to you to ask for a photo, please don’t be shy and know that I won’t be asking to take a snap of your face, just the shirt you’re wearing.

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