EDIT 1: The links for some of our posts were broken, but they should be all fixed now. Thanks to our opponent, Charles, for pointing that out!
At long last, Round 2 of the 2012 Aniblog Tourney has begun. We’re up this Wednesday, May 2 against Christian-themed anime blog Beneath the Tangles, and we want to remind everybody (both new and regular readers) to vote for us. Why? Well, there are hundreds of posts from over four years of Ani-Gamers blogging to convince you of that, but I’ll try to sum up all the awesome in this one.
For those of you who need a straightforward explanation of what we do here, Ani-Gamers is a collaborative anime, manga, and video game blog. We focus mostly on critical commentary in the form of reviews, feature articles, columns, and podcasts, and we’ve got two main tenets: Quality and Variety.
Quality represents our dedication to sharp, honest, and entertaining commentary not only on anime, manga, and video games, but the fandoms that surround them. It also represents our strict revision process that screens all articles before they reach the eyes of readers like you.
Variety represents the range of bloggers and podcasters who make up our team of contributors. We’ve featured writing from an otaku comedian, a poet, a cultural anthropologist, and a few professional gaming writers. We leverage this diverse team to provide a wide variety of voices and post topics.
Unfortunately, this means our focus tends to shift depending on which writers are actively contributing, so I’ve made exploring the site easier for you by compiling a list of 15 of our best blog posts and podcasts. Through these posts you’ll be able to get a taste for the wide range of topics we cover and the unique perspectives of our contributors.
Anime
- Ink – Poetic Propaganda: Reading Between the Cards of Chihayafuru
- Phillip O’Connor – The Trap Door: Getting In, Getting Out – Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo
- Evan Minto – Secret Santa Review: Last Exile
- Evan Minto – Con Report: Otakon 2010 and the Generational Divide
- Ink – FMA: The Brotherhood Diaries – Poetry vs. Prose
- Uncle Yo – Review: Ristorante Paradiso (Sub)
Manga
- David Estrella – Review: K-ON! (Manga)
- Evan Minto – Review: Lychee Light Club
- Elliot Page – MMF: The Immaculate Conception of Yotsuba Koiwai
Video Games
- David Estrella – Review: Fate/Extra (PSP)
- Ink – Review: Fable III (360)
- Evan Minto – Exiled Hardcode: Can SEGA Tap Nintendo’s Lost Demographic?
Podcasts
- Podcast #030 – Code Geass (a.k.a. Pepperoni Hotdogs in the Pizza Crust?!)
- Podcast #028a: The Greatest Podcast on Earth, Part 1 and Part 2
- Podcast #013: The Professional
So why vote for us? Well, we’ve been plugging away at this blogging business for longer than a lot of other blogs in the Tourney, and we think we’ve honed a pretty fun, insightful way of looking at anime, manga, and games. If you agree, then head on over to the Tourney poll tomorrow! We expect a BLOODBATH OF DEMOCRACY when we check the poll again on Friday — preferably one in which we come out victorious.
Finally, regardless of which way your vote swings, I’d like to take a leaf out of Bradley C. Meek’s book (have you heard him on our podcast?) and ask for as much feedback as you can give about Ani-Gamers. Is our content working for you? How’s our layout? What do we do best? What could we be doing better? Don’t worry about being mean — I welcome any chance to find out what our audience (or potential audience) is looking to get out of this site. So please feel free to leave a comment on this post once you’ve taken a look around. And most of all: Enjoy your stay!