Hello, Chizumatic

I'm adding Steven Den Beste to my blogroll.

I have been reading his blog ever since his U.S.S. Clueless days. Even after switching from "mostly politics" to "mostly anime" he continues to provide smiles and interesting reading.

Most anime is cartoons with no more merit than the Saturday morning cartoons I grew up with in the U.S. But a few series are gems I am happy to own. I would never have known about Haibane Renmei and Serial Experiments Lain were it not for Steven. (The local library introduced me to Last Exile and Gunslinger Girls.)

It is also a nice diversion from my Real Life Issues to read reviews of silly cartoons I will never see, so I get many smiles from his writing about "garbage cartoons". Moreover, now and then, as icing on the cake, he continues to write occasional thought-provoking political insights.

The only reason his blog has not been on my blog roll is that he puts a random image from an anime series on the top of it (changing every half hour) and a few of them are not appropriate for children and other innocents. I'll simply say that Japanese culture has different views about the comic value of underwear. A few of his images I can ignore but might upset some of my friends.

Be warned! Don't visit Chizumatic if you might be upset by what cartoons some else is watching. (And, apparently, do not attack the Earth in a gigantic robot.)