Frequently Asked Questions
Do you translate everything here yourself?
Yes, all content here is translated by me (with help from my partner Zorio) unless stated otherwise. As a disclaimer, I am not a native Japanese speaker. Though I try to be as thorough as possible, there may be things I miss or get incorrect. I will fix any mistakes as soon as I am aware of them. No AI is used.
What do you use for scanning and editing?
I use an Epson Perfection V600 for most things, but also a non-destructive scanner for more delicate books. For editing, I use GIMP and/or Clip Studio Paint depending on the situation.
Can I use your scans?
Feel free, as long as it’s for non-commercial purposes. Please give credit for any translations used.
Where can I buy old magazines/books/etc?
I typically begin my search on Yahoo Auctions Japan and Mercari Japan, but both of these sites require a proxy (a service that can order from Japanese websites that do not ship overseas). If you’d rather not deal with a proxy, Japanese second hand stores that ship overseas like Mandarake and Surugaya may have what you’re looking for, though prices vary. You can also check eBay, but be warned almost all Japanese magazines I’ve seen listed there are priced pretty high.
As an added note, if you’re just looking to see what is in an old magazine and don’t necessarily care about owning it, the Internet Archive is a great resource too.
Where can I buy Japanese retro games?
Physical copies can sometimes be found for fairly cheap through Japanese second hand stores and auction sites, though not all ship overseas. If you have a local used game store in your area with a section for import games, that can be great option too. If you’re uncertain whether a Japanese game will play on a console from your region, here’s a list of consoles all that are region free.
Are any of the games you played available in English?
Some versions of Gihren’s Greed have partial English patches, but none of the games I have covered on this site have official English releases at the time of writing.
Glossary
Anime Magazines
These are the anime magazines featured on this site.
Animage (アニメージュ): Published Tokuma Shoten on the 10th of every month, beginning in 1978 through today. It is the oldest anime magazine still in publication
Animedia (アニメディア): Published by Gakken on the 10th of every month, beginning in 1981 through today.
Monthly OUT (月刊OUT): One of the first anime magazines, published by Minori Shobo (みのり書房) on the 27th of every month from 1977 to 1995
Newtype (ニュータイプ): Published by Kadokawa Shoten on the 10th of every month, beginning in 1985 through today.
My Anime (マイアニメ): Published by Akita Shoten (秋田書店) from 1981 to 1986
PASH!: Considered the first anime magazine aimed at women, published by Shufu-to-Seikatsusha since 2004.
spoon.2Di: A spinoff of the magazine spoon., published by Prevision (プレビジョン) and distributed by KADOKAWA beginning in May 2012. It specializes in anime and games.
The Anime (ジ・アニメ): Published by Kindai Eigasha (近代映画社) from 1979 to 1986
Video Game Magazines
These are the video game magazines featured on this site.
Nintendo DREAM (ニンテンドードリーム): A magazine specializing in Nintendo games and consoles, published by Ambit and distributed by Tokuma Shoten on the 21st of every month. It was launched in 1996 as The 64Dream, but this was changed to Nintendo DREAM in May 2001.
Famitsu (ファミ通): A line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage, starting from 1986 to today. It is published in weekly and monthly formats.
Other
Danmei: a Chinese fiction genre focused on romantic relationships between men, similar to the BL (“Boys’ Love”) genre in Japan
Donghua: used to refer to Chinese animation, similar to how “anime” is used to refer to Japanese animation
UC: Universal Century (宇宙世紀), the primary timeline of Gundam. This includes the original anime from 1979 and related prequels/sequels.
First/First Gundam: Used to refer to the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime from 1979 in order to avoid confusion.
LoGH: Abbreviation for Legend of the Galactic Heroes