THEM Anime Reviews

Last updated

THEM Anime Reviews
Type of site
News and database
Available inEnglish
Headquarters
United States [1]
Created by Arizona State University students [2]
URL www.themanime.org
CommercialNo
RegistrationRequired for use of forums or contributing information
LaunchedSeptember 9, 1996;27 years ago (1996-09-09) [3]
Current statusActive

THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an anime review website that writes about current and past anime in any form, including OVAs and ONAs. [4] [5] [6] The website offers reviews, [7] [8] [9] editorial content [10] and hosts forums. [11]

Contents

History

THEM was founded in 1993 by Arizona State University Honors College students as a school club for fans of science fiction and fantasy. [12] [2] It became an anime review website, named THEM Online, in 1996, [13] and Carlos Ross, who later became one of the editors in chief of the website, became a writer in 1999. [12] By 2007, Ross would be part of Arizona State University's College of Liberal Arts & Science. [14] In June 2000, the current domain name of the website was registered. [15] At the time, the site was using ASU servers, which were later changed. [16] [1]

In the first six years of the site, from 1996 to 2002, only one guest review was accepted and all "submissions from non-THEM members" were not accepted. [1] At the time, Ross's wife, Christine (also known as Christi), was the web designer and assistant reviewing editor, joined by fellow reviewers Raphael See, Jason Bustard, Eric Gaede, and many others. [17] In October 1999, THEM hosted awards for anime they found specifically notable or enjoyed, working with Anime Cafe. [18] See was instrumental in getting the awards to happen. [19] Bustard worked for Anime Club Reviews, [20] and Gaede, the son of Bill Gaede, became famous on YouTube as Asalieri, with the site later cutting off contact with him due to the devotion by him, and his father in "disseminating crackpot pseudoscience." [21]

In June 2002, the ASU-hosted site was last used, with a transition over to a new site for reviews, [22] [23] which is still used to this day. In the following year, those who were not part of THEM began contributing content while Pete Harcoff worked on the web design, which allowed the site to continue. [1] [12] That year THEM presented a "team game show for fans of Japanese animation," hosted by Angel Hungerford, Carlos Ross, and Christina Ross at LepreCon29 in 2003 in Tempe, Arizona. [24] The same year, in September, the new, and current look, of THEM's website premiered. [25] As late as 2004, THEM still defined itself as "a science-fiction/fantasy society" based at ASU. [26]

In January 2005, Janet Crocker, the content editor for animefringe, [27] described the website as a "great low-frills and old anime review site." [7] She also noted that the website has various types of reviews, has a separate section for adult content, and called it a frequent stop for her to "get honest and to-the-point opinions."

In March 2005, the website was profiled by the Phoenix New Times . Ross, and his wife, Christina, were described as "anime fanatics," who ran the website, preparing for an anime convention known as AniZona 01. [28] Ross and Christina described their love for anime, and what it meant to them.

In March 2006, Ross was interviewed on G4's Attack of the Show! , talking about Diamond Daydreams , Samurai Gun and Azumanga Daioh . [29] In October of the same year, Ross retired from being editor-in-chief of the site, with the duty taken up by Stig Høgset. [30]

In November 2009, Bradley C. Meek, a writer for the website and for anime3000.com, showed up on ANNCast, a podcast hosted by Zac Bertschy and Justin Sevakis of Anime News Network, to discuss anime he had been watching. [31] In December 2009, Scott Green's Ain't It Cool News recommended the THEM, calling its reviews "worth checking out." [32] In January 2010, Meek, a writer for THEM, was a guest writer on the blog of freelance writer Tim Maughan. [33]

In 2018, Ross, an editor-in-chief emeritus of the site, stated that THEM was still an "internet safe space," and that LGBTQ issues would not be tagged with "audience appropriateness" notes like they were in the 1990s. [13] He also said that LGBTQ people are a central and vital part of the site itself. As of 2020, the website has over 1500 full-length reviews, and currently has staff of reviewers from across the globe. [3]

Features

THEM Anime Reviews regularly posts anime reviews, [34] [35] has a list of editorials, [10] and forums. [11] The website has, since 2005, [7] had a section specifically about adult anime. Currently, Enoch Lau, Melissa Sternenberg, Robert Nelson, Stig Høgset, and Tim Jones, are some of the reviewers on the site. [36] [37] Sternenberg is also a professional voice actress who has voiced characters in various visual novels and animations. [38] [39] One of the active reviewers of the website is Nicoletta Christina Browne, a musician and geoscience educator, [40] [41] while Robert Lu is the site's convention reporter, along with being reviewer and editor of an anime review site, Animesou. [42] [36] Additionally, Jason Huff, one of the website contributors, runs his own site, called The Anime Review. [43]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ross, Carlos (June 10, 2003). "The Journey Continues". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Lozano, Anthony (August 31, 2009). "Front Page". THEMonline. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "THEM Website - About". Official Facebook page of THEM Anime Reviews. 2020. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  4. ↑ Ruh, Brian (2013). "Transforming U.S. Anime in the 1980s: Localization and Longevity". In Lunning, Frenchy (ed.). Mechademia 5: Fanthropologies. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 32, 48. ISBN   978-1452915654.
  5. ↑ Chen, Jin-Shiow (2015). "Beautiful, Meaningful, and Powerful: Explorations of the "Bishijo (Beautiful Girl)" and "Bishoen (Beautiful Boy)" in Taiwan's Anime/Manga Fan Culture". In Toku, Masami (ed.). International Perspectives on Shojo and Shojo Manga: The Influence of Girl Culture. United Kingdom: Routledge. pp. 112, 119. ISBN   978-1452915654.
  6. ↑ Cavallero, Dani (2012). Kyoto Animation: A Critical Study and Filmography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 38, 91, 126, 188. ISBN   978-1476600840.
  7. 1 2 3 Crocker, Janet (January 2005). "Animefringe Top 25 Results 2005!". Animefringe. Online: Animefringe. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2021. Only citing her specific review, as it is the relevant one here.
  8. ↑ Cavallaro, Dani (2013). Japanese Aesthetics and Anime: The Influence of Tradition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 192. ISBN   978-1476603834.
  9. ↑ Cavallaro, Dani (2015). The Art of Studio Gainax: Experimentation, Style and Innovation at the Leading Edge of Anime. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 40. ISBN   978-1476600703.
  10. 1 2 "Editorials List". THEM Anime Reviews. 2020. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "THEM Anime Boards". THEM Anime Reviews. 2020. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Ross, Carlos (April 14, 2004). "Who is THEM? Why Anime Reviews?". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Ross, Carlos (October 1, 2018). "A Note on Audience Appropriateness tags". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Exciting second round of Academic Bowl comes to a close". ASU News. Arizona State University. October 14, 2007. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Whois Record for ThemAnime.org". Whois.DomainTools.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ Ross, Carlos (November 19, 2000). "Since We've Been Gone..." THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ "THEM Anime Credits--Your Humble Reviewers". THEM Anime Reviews. 2002. Archived from the original on June 16, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ "T.H.E.M. Animé Café Awards: 1998 Edition". T.H.E.M. Anime Cafe Awards. October 18, 1999. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Raphael See". Anime Cafe. October 28, 2002. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Pretear anime review". Anime Club Reviews. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Eric Gaede". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  22. ↑ "THEM Anime Reviews version 2.0". THEM Anime Reviews. 2002. Archived from the original on June 11, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  23. ↑ "THEM Anime Reviews version 2.5". THEM Anime Reviews. 2002. Archived from the original on May 30, 2002. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  24. ↑ "LepreCon 29 Programming". LepreCon . Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Homepage". THEM Anime Reviews. 2003. Archived from the original on September 26, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  26. ↑ "T.H.E.M. F.A.Q.!". THEM Anime Reviews. 2004. Archived from the original on November 16, 2004. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  27. ↑ "About us". Animefringe. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  28. ↑ Pela, Robrt L. (March 24, 2005). "Drawn That Way". Phoenix New Times . Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Carlos Ross - Them Anime". G4 . March 21, 2006. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  30. ↑ "News Archives - October 2006". THEM Anime Reviews. October 2006. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  31. ↑ Bertschy, Zac; Sevakis, Justin (November 26, 2009). "Debinitely, Maybe". ANN Cast. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020.
  32. ↑ Green, Scott (December 29, 2009). "AICN Anime - Oshii on Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor), King of RPGs, Biomega, Gantz, new Makoto Shinkai and More..." Ain't It Cool News . Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  33. ↑ Maughan, Tim (January 22, 2010). "Thailand, Sagat and Guest Writers". Tim Maughan Books. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  34. ↑ Green, Scott (July 3, 2009). "AICN Anime Return With Fist of the North Star, Ponyo/Ghibli/Miyazaki News, Updates on Evangelion, Live Action Old Boy and More." Ain't It Cool News . Archived from the original on January 24, 2021.
  35. ↑ Green, Scott (September 1, 2009). "AICN Anime - Urasawa's Monster on DVD, New Oshii Live Action, Flashing Back to the Exceptionally Strange Darkside Blues and More". Ain't It Cool News . Archived from the original on July 13, 2019.
  36. 1 2 "T.H.E.M. Staff". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  37. ↑ Huff, Jason (2009). "Aria the Animation". The Anime Review. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Melissa Sternenberg". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Discotek Media Announces Kemono Friends Dub Cast". Anime Herald. Anime Feminist. July 28, 2019. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Nicoletta Christina Browne". Free Rads. December 23, 2018. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Browne, Nicoletta Christina". Earth Research Institute. University of California, Santa Barbara. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  42. ↑ "About". Animesou.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  43. ↑ "About Us". The Anime Review. 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
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