Out-Of-Office Reply: Off On An Adventure

Hey gang, I am writing to you from the past for delivery in the future — which means that if you’re reading these words, the future is now. (Translation: I wrote this post a while ago and scheduled it to go live today.) The message is this: I’m in Japan right now! Like, literally right this very second! I took a very long flight at the end of last week, arrived several days ago, and will be traveling around the country for the next two weeks. The bad news is that we won’t be publishing any new pieces at TGIMM while I’m gone. I know that typically I try to get at least Wednesday’s posts queued up before I leave for an extended period, but it’s been… uh… let’s call it a tumultuous spring over here, and to be honest, I just didn’t have the extra time on my hands this time round. Also, since I’ll only have intermittent internet access and extremely limited phone access, I won’t be checking TGIMM’s email or moderating comments while I’m away. We’ll be back to our usual twice-weekly posting schedule on Monday, June 3. And in the meantime, here’s something to keep you occupied while I’m gone: Beginning in 2013, an anime series known variously as Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories, Yami Shibai, and Theater of Darkness has aired on TV Tokyo in Japan. Framed as a daily kamishibai show performed by a mysterious old man at 5pm on the dot at a children’s playground, each episode tells a short, spooky tale — usually no more than five minutes in length — designed to send shivers up your spine. Some are based off of widely-known Japanese legends and ghost stories, while others are much more local; all, however, are a great deal of fun. They’re the kind of tale I might classify as kaidan. I also particularly enjoy the distinctive animation style, which really does emulate the paper scenes seen in an actual kamishibai show in a super creepy way. Crunchyroll has all six seasons currently available to view; you can also watch most of it in on YouTube, although be warned that the formatting is a little funky over there (likely to skirt around copyright issues). To get you started, here’s the first part of one of my favorites; it’s called “Contradiction.” Click through here for parts 2, 3, 4, and 5.

We’ll be back on June 3. Stay spooky, kids.