Author: Jean Snow

How do you spell relief during summer in Tokyo? J-I-N-B-E-I. The jinbei is the sort of short, light yukata that men wear in the summer, at home for the most part, but it’s also something you’ll see being worn at summer festivals (where I women will sometimes wear them too). I’ve always had an aversion…

I don’t go back home for a visit very often, but when I do, I need music. Next month I’ll be going back to my hometown for the first time in four years, and the visits I’ve done before that have always been at intervals of 2-3 years. One of the things I look forward…

There’s a fantastic Tron series out there, don’t miss out. It’s called Tron: Uprising, and it really is worth checking out. Set in a timeframe that falls between the original Tron and the 2010 sequel, this animated series tells the story of a new “renegade” who teams up with Tron to fight the good fight.…

Last night was the 62nd edition of PauseTalk, and yes, we talked. I’d like to thank everyone who made it out. It was a nice mix of participants as usual, filled with regulars and new faces, and you’ll find the list of those who came (or at least those who signed the attendance sheet, which…

I’m reading my first Agatha Christie book. Ever. It’s a bit odd that I’ve never read one. My mother is not only a huge fan of mystery novels, she always did love Agatha Christie, and we had all of her books at home when I was growing up, in both English and French (or at…

Today is Canada Day, and I actually remembered this year. There are a few reasons for this. One of them is that for the first time in a decade I’m reading a couple of Canadian newspapers. I recently test drove an app called PressReader — which I reviewed on The Magaziner — that lets you…

Naoki Urasawa never fails to entertain me, and Billy Bat is no exception. The series, which he co-writes with Takashi Nagasaki (the art is by Urasawa), tells a story that starts off following a cartoonist, Kevin Yamagata, who finds out that there’s more to the creation of his Billy Bat character than he first thought.…

I watched Indie Game: The Movie last night, and it made me furious. I should start by saying that I knew I would have some major issues with the film, but what I saw was even more shocking than what I expected. The thing is, that “business partner” that Fez creator Phil Fish refers to…

After Wednesday’s post on Indie Game: The Movie and the incredible response it got — surprising even me — I’ve decided to write a follow-up post to respond to the main feedback I’ve gotten (most of it through Twitter, although I received a few emails as well). These are not direct questions I was asked,…

Today is “On Design” day (the last Tuesday of the month), and that means that my monthly column is in today’s edition of The Japan Times, and online here. What’s “On Design”? It’s a column that I’ve been writing for the JT for seven years now (this September will mark the true 7th anniversary). It has…