Writing for Anime UK News
In 2013 I joined a community forum dedicated to the discussion of Japanese culture like anime, manga, and similar themes like video games and more. Eventually in 2016, I was given the opportunity to join their staff team and write news articles to help bring more exposure to the UK industry scene as well as the website itself.
Since then I have written well over a hundred articles with a couple viral hits that have reached the top search results on Google. These articles involve new license announcements, theatrical events and also summarises of convention news from both distributors of Blu-rays and books. Notable distributors whom I have received press releases for include Anime Limited, Crunchyroll, Funimation, J-Novel Club, Manga Entertainment and Screen Anime. I have also written articles on new updates from Amazon Prime, Netflix and distributors that share a similar theme including Bandai Namco and Third Window Films.
My work with Anime UK News is freelance and no profit is involved. Everything that has been done is a hobby and I have a flexible timeframe for new write-ups if needed.
Collecting Anime, Asian Cinema and Video Games
One particular hobby that I have throughout the past decade has been to acquire the different type of films, shows and video games out there throughout the world. I love Japanese culture and part of that is because of anime. Anime is essentially Japanese animation but the difference comes from its unique approach to presentation, art style and the different variety of genres they cover, from comedy to drama and even sci-fi.
Basically anime is a whole medium in itself rather than a genre and I love exploring the new and older titles that have been released over the past decade. Titles that I adore which have inspired many well-known western directors and creators include Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Lupin the Third, Mobile Suit Gundam, Monogatari, My Hero Academia, Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Vision of Escaflowne, Weathering With You, and hundreds more. I buy the Blu-rays because I want to keep the industry going and the more titles that have been released in the UK, the more exposure it gets.
Anime is not the only hobby I enjoy watching. Asia is also home to hundreds of under-rated classics in the film industry. Thanks to distributors 88 Films, Arrow Academy & Arrow Video, British Film Institute (BFI), Criterion, Curzon, Eureka Entertainment, Third Window Films and more, they have provided the UK with tons of Japanese, Hong Kong, Chinese and Korean cinema. I’ve watched films like Burning, Departures, Dragons Forever, Hana-bi, The Handmaiden, Love Exposure, Parasite, Police Story, Pulse, Train to Busan and many more.
I also love going out to the cinema to watch the latest films whenever possible. When I used to live in Sheffield, I visited the Light, Showroom, ODEON Luxe and Cineworld IMAX to watch films like Avengers: Endgame, Color Out of Space, Dark Waters, Le Mans’ 66, The Lighthouse, The Nightingale, Suspiria and many more. I intend on acquiring more films for home video in the latest 4K Ultra HD format whenever possible.
And as you could probably guess by my University degree, I also enjoy playing video games. I don’t play the more well-known titles that have been released, as I often focus more on the niche titles. I do like games from different genres such as puzzles, role-playing, music & rhythm, action, shooters and more. I currently own different consoles such as the Nintendo Wii & 3DS, PlayStation 2 to 4 as well as the Vita, and Xbox 360. My favourite games in recent years include Crash Bandicoot, Doom, Final Fantasy X, God of War, Kingdom Hearts, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid 3, Nier, Persona 5, Rock Band and more.