Almost 80 years ago, people of Japanese descent from the West Coast were evacuated and forced to live in internment camps.

122,000 men, women and children of Japanese descent were forced to leave everything behind — their businesses, homes and properties. They were only allowed to bring personal items they could carry in their arms.

Kaz Ideno was born in California and spent nearly four years of his childhood at camps in Arkansas and Texas.

"I don't know what made me arrive to the conclusion that we're in jail," said Ideno. "We're in prison."

Saturday, Jan. 19 marks the 80th anniversary of Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the executive order that authorized the internment camps under the argument that people of Japanese heritage posed a national security risk.

As we remember this stain in American history, a digital exhibit in Chicago called "Uprooted" aims to teach the next generation so we never forget. 

"It's part of a larger effort to capture oral histories of elders," said Kat Nagasawa, lead producer of the project. "What Uprooted tries to do is really try to package those stories in a way that's accessible to students and teachers."

Through graphics and videos, it follows Ideno and two other survivors as they trace the effects of their evacuation from California to their incarceration during WWII and then finally their resettlement in Chicago.

Despite being in camp for much of his childhood, Ideno says he felt a sense of shame and internal hate that he carried with him for a long time.

"I wanted to prove I was not Japanese-American," he said. "Accept [that] everything is American."

Even when his parents pushed for Japanese schooling after they were freed from the camp, Ideno pushed back and stopped learning the language.

It took Ideno years to embrace his culture and identity. Although he doesn't speak Japanese and at one point called himself Gene, he now celebrates his identity around his home. He also attends cultural events with traditional dancing to honor his ancestors.

"I kind of feel like I'm going full-circle in my life and coming back from leaving it," Ideno said.

The Japanese American Services Committee stores personal items from that time period to be preserved and shared.

"It's so very important for those stories to be told in the voices of the people who were directly impacted," said Emma Saito Lincoln, JASC Legacy Center director. "Whether that is the people who

were incarcerated themselves or the descendants of those people."

Illinois is the first state to require teaching Asian-American history, including this hurtful chapter, in all public schools.

This story was originally published by Cat Sandoval of Newsy.

"The Orbital Children" is a two-part film series written and directed by Mitsuo Iso recently released on Netflix.

As of writing, all we have is the first film, which has been chopped into six 30-minute episodes for easier consumption.

While you may not know Mitsuo Iso, fans of science fiction anime will undoubtedly know the shows he has worked on.

From some of the classic "Gundam" series of the late 80’s to "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Ghost in the Shell," Iso has been involved either as a writer, director, or animator on several iconic shows.

"The Orbital Children" marks the first time he’s done it all, directing, writing, and even doing key animation.

Because of that dedication and singular vision, you can tell what "The Orbital Children" labor of love is.

This first set of episodes (or the first movie, if you prefer) focuses on a group of children trapped on a Japanese space station and forced to use their problem-solving skills to survive increasingly dangerous situations.

Three of the children were lucky winners of a trip to the station, and two others were born on the moon and are a kind of enigma; among the first “space children."

Politics, technology, and survival all come into play as this rag-tag group battles the growing threat of a powerful AI, a group of terrorists using a previous AI’s Nostradamus-like predictions as the rallying cry for a mass depopulation event, and the harsh realities of space.

To say this anime feels like it was made for me is an understatement.

You rarely get a complex sci-fi series dealing in not just scientific but philosophical concepts, and putting it into a (mostly) single-setting film gives "The Orbital Children" a quaint, "Star Trek" quality.

But the setting doesn’t mean it’s hamstrung by only looking at events on the space station. Political intrigue comes from Earth’s UN2, a second attempt at the United Nations after the first failed.

And from the moon comes the children and the implants in their brains, built by an AI called Seven, known by earthlings as the Lunatic, because of its predictions on the direction of humanity.

This all feeds into questions of humanity's connection to the internet and machine intelligence, the role of determinism in how humans craft their lives, and existential questions as to whether AI’s are gods and humans have the potential to become gods themselves.

Which is pretty heavy for a show that seems focused on precocious, naive kids.

But at the same time, I appreciate that while we are dealing with immature people, they’re allowed to discover themselves through situations that even adults would have a hard time wrapping their heads around.

On top of the plot and navel-gazing, I love the near-future technology.

The design of everything is very realistic and doesn’t go too far into the fantastical.

I especially enjoyed the idea of a kind of glove phone, a screen projecting from the hand and arm (by implants or some other tech, I’m not entirely sure).

There are genuine hard science fiction concepts here that make this a show for anime fans and easily accessible for anyone with an appreciation for the genre.

Probably the weakest part of the movie is the characters. While they’re all likable, none are well-developed beyond maybe Mina, a live streamer who has to have a personality just because of what she does.

I grew to like her, but the others, especially her nerdy brother, didn’t make much of an impression.

Aside from that, the animation is gorgeous, the music is good, and the American dub is great for the most part, making "The Orbital Children" a well-rounded package.

If you’re looking for a high-concept science fiction series that never lets up on the adventure and thought-provoking ideas, "The Orbital Children" is going to satisfy.

If you enjoyed films like "Gravity" or even "2001: A Space Odyssey," "The Orbital Children" will satisfy your need for a zero-G jaunt into the beauty and horror of the final frontier.

Rating: 4/4

"The Orbital Children" is streaming exclusively on Netflix

Sean Newgent tries to survive watching anime on his website
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A new year brings with it a new season of anime. And with the comforting regularity of a pendulum that smacks a rock into the side of your head on every swing, isekai anime continue to dominate the seasonal output. Thankfully, in a medium that increasingly depends on tentpole series and safe, regurgitated schlock, there are a few standouts every season that manage to stay afloat.

Not included on this list is 'Demon Slayer' because if you love 'Demon Slayer' you're already watching it. I have already reviewed season one and discussed why I find it average and uninteresting. But, if it's your jam, then there's a new season in progress right now.

Here are the shows I’m watching this winter season:

My Dress-Up Darling

The strange name pretty much sums up the plot of this anime. A guy named Gojo who has an affinity for traditional Japanese dolls (and lives and works at a studio dedicated to them) befriends one of the most popular and beautiful girls in school after she learns he can sew. She asks him to help her craft the perfect cosplay of a video game character she loves. The shy, reserved, and kind of weird Gojo, having finally made his first friend in high school with the drop-dead gorgeous Marin, must now navigate awkward social situations and learn more about the intense and dedicated world of cosplay to bring Marin’s vision to life.
With gorgeous animation, likable protagonists, and some occasionally cute flirting, the anime explores traditional Japanese culture’s ability to evolve into the popular otaku culture of today. All the while it entertains the over-the-top flirtatiousness of Marin toward Gojo in a way that, while not realistic and mostly for fanboys, still gives the show a kind of wholesome innocence despite its lecherous moments. While the majority of male characters in series with similar situations are either total creeps or annoyingly innocent puritans, Gojo is multi-dimensional enough to be less a self-insert and more an actual character.

‘My Dress Up Darling’ is certainly not a universal recommendation but it is making the simple plot of a girl wanting to cosplay into a compelling romantic comedy.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2

Attack on Titan is wrapping up its incredible story with a final set of episodes focused on the war for Paradis. With fantastic animation, a great opening, and every episode ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger, Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2 is sure to leave fans on edge, waiting impatiently for the next episode every week.
You can check out my review of Part One here for a better idea of what to expect.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Sabikui Bisco

The stranger rides into town on a giant crab, bow slung over his shoulder, his arrows able to manifest giant mushrooms that infect whatever they pierce like a parasite. Pursued by the government and treated as a terrorist, this mushroom grower knows that his fungi are actually helping to purify the post-apocalyptic Japan he roams; while everyone else blames him and the mushrooms for a mysterious affliction known as "rusting" that is killing the population.
With steampunk airplanes that are actually slugs, rhinos that are equipped with rocket launchers, and a force of bunny mask wearing special agents; 'Sabikui Bisco' is the kind of utter weirdness that made me fall in love with anime decades ago. It feels like a show that would have released comfortably in the 90's or early 2000's and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise turgid season.

The hero, Bisco Akaboshi, is a manly-man action hero with a dedicated goal and a sense of humor. Facing down an opponent, he declares "What did I do, kill your family?" with the aplomb of an 80s action hero. It's a series that never stops moving, with plenty of action, comedy, and a world that's uniquely bizarre.

I'm not entirely sure where the series will take us or if it can maintain the forward momentum it managed in the first three episodes but it's well worth the time of any action fan.

Available on Crunchyroll

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean

Back in December I reviewed the first set of episodes

for 'Stone Ocean', a fantastic arc in the long-running Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series. The first twelve episodes dropped on Netflix and it’s been assumed that every three months the streaming platform will offer up another twelve episodes. That means we can likely expect the second part of Stone Ocean to show up in March. Stone Ocean is quite possibly as good as the series has been since introducing stands in Part 3 and Jolyne Cujo one of the best main characters in the series. I gave that first drop of episodes a perfect score and I only expect the series to get more weird and intense. If you’ve not caught up already – I implore you to go give it a shot.

Available on Netflix

Lupin the III Part 6

Speaking of the sixth part, let’s talk about 'Lupin III'. The original anime series began in 1971 and the iconic character has been in multiple television series, movies, OVA’s, and more. In all that time Lupin and friends were in more movies than James Bond; but it was only with 2015's television revival of the series that we started seeing a lot more enthusiasm for the Lupin franchise, probably because of a younger audience getting acquainted with a series that is older than 'Gundam', 'Star Wars', or most anime fans’ parents.

This season’s central focus is a battle of wits between Lupin and Sherlock Holmes. The battle comes as Lupin becomes involved in a heist that has something to do with the mysterious organization known as Raven, a group of politicians and giants of industry who have pulled the strings of the British government since the end of World War 2.

While the central story is full of action, twists, and great characterization; it’s the one-shot episodes that really shine through. One particularly memorable episode has a rich guy with a recreation of the American transcontinental railroad in his backyard. The miniature train line, complete with tiny American landmarks, becomes the set for an action scene that’s straight out of an episode of 'The Avengers' (not the superheroes, the OG’s John Steed and Emma Peel).

And that’s what Lupin is all about and why the series has such an enduring legacy. The characters are a unique hodge-podge of weirdos and they allow the writers to do anything from a serious character study to a dorky nonsense heist. Much like 'The Avengers' or James Bond, Lupin can mold himself to any genre or tone and remain fresh and fun because of that. Part 6 further cements that as long as anime exists, Lupin will endure and outlive most of his contemporaries.

Available on HIDIVE

Ranking of Kings

It’s rare that I can speak to an anime being both easily accessible to anyone, inclusive and thoughtful in how it presents its content; all while managing a balance between deadly serious character drama and whimsical fantasy elements. ‘Ranking of Kings’ focuses on a young prince who is deaf and unable to speak so relies on reading lips and sign language to communicate. Because of his disability, the denizens of the kingdom and those surrounding him in the walls of the castle underestimate and bully him. Despite Prince Bojji being the dying kings choice to succeed him, political machinations lead to Bojji's mean little brother becoming prince. Prince Bojji must now fight for his life in a twisty-turny adventure perfect for any fan of 'Game of Thrones'.
Because of the childlike nature of the show I nearly skipped over it but I’m so glad I didn’t let appearances fool me. This is a compelling, well-written, beautifully directed and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story offering characters unlike any found in contemporary anime. While the fantasy world it offers isn’t as well-realized as a Westeros or Middle Earth, it uses those elements of traditional fantasy to create a cast and world that captures the spirit of the fairy tales of youth.

Every single character is multi-faceted, with even the seeming villains coming with backstories that humanize them. In one episode, ‘Ranking of Kings’ offers more character growth and investment than entire seasons of other shows; a testament to its amazing writing.

‘Ranking of Kings’ has set itself up to be one of the best anime of recent memory and I can’t wait to see where Prince Bojji’s story takes him.

Available on Crunchyroll and Funimation

Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Jujutsu Kaisen took the anime world by storm and was among the best shows I watched last year. And while fans patiently wait for the second season, they can check out the theatrical release of this prequel film, dropping March 18 in select theaters. If you’re curious about the backstory of some of your favorite mentor characters in the main series, this movie is for you.

Limited theater release: March 18

Shenmue the Animation

And finally:

Releasing on February 5, 'Shenmue' rounds out the season with an adaptation of the cult classic martial arts game. Ryo Hazuki searches out the murderer of his father from Japan to Hong Kong, and goes toe-to-toe with underground organizations in his pursuit of justice. Without the abundance of filler and mechanics that made the game series inaccessible to so many gamers, the anime should let the story and action shine through.

Available on Crunchyroll and airing on Adult Swim

This story was originally published by Sean Newgent of KGUN in Tucson. Follow him on Twitter for more reviews.

DENVER — A viral TikTok video of a Denver Japanese restaurant created chaos, challenges, and changes for the small business.

In 1996, Gaku Homma opened Domo Japanese Country Restaurant. His restaurant provides a unique dining experience rich in flavor and culture that has attracted loyal customers over the last 25 years. Clients have the choice of sitting inside surrounded by Japanese décor or outside in a traditional Japanese garden.

The locally owned business became a Denver staple over the years, and in 2021, Zagat ranked the restaurant as one of the top five Japanese restaurants in the U.S.

But nothing prepared the business owner and staff for the power and impact of social media.

In July, a customer recorded a TikTok video restaurant. It was less than a minute long and without narration, but that's all people needed. In just one day, the video received hundreds of thousands of views.

"After it went viral, we definitely just got inundated with customers, almost instantaneously, so there was a big shift in our normal clientele," said Chef Koichi Ninomiya.

He said an employee pulled up the video, and it had more than half a million views in one day.

For several days, people lined up outside the restaurant before the doors opened. The line was so long it reached an apartment complex more than half a block from the entrance.

Ninomiya called the video a "blessing and a curse."

"It's nice to have people coming in, but at the same time, it's just a little bit too much for us to handle as a staff, and as a whole, we are not equipped with enough staff to handle the demand," Ninomiya said.

The business is home to many returning clients who went from experiencing a 30-minute maximum wait time to waits of three hours or more.

"It was busy to the point where we had to turn away customers," Ninomiya said.

Homma, the owner of the restaurant, said customers grew frustrated with the wait time.

A Facebook post on the restaurant's page stated that customers repeated insults and shouted hateful words at other people patiently waiting. Police were called several times to keep outbursts from escalating.

"There have been some disgruntled people," Ninomiya said.

Ninomiya said trying to predict how much food to prepare and order became difficult.

Homma was overwhelmed by the boost in business and closed for two weeks to prepare and set guidelines. He decided to scale back from seven days a week to three days a week and limited the seating capacity to keep people safe during the pandemic.

"We are still busy. We hit our capacity almost every night on those three nights," Ninomiya said.

Ninomiya estimates he's putting out 300 plates a day, and that doesn't include appetizers for the tables.

A customer waiting to be seated with her friends was in town visiting Denver and said a friend recommended dining at Domo. She said she typically searches hashtags on TikTok to find new restaurants and cool places to visit.

"It highlights the food; it highlights the ambiance," she said. "A lot of the time, it's the hidden gems that don't spend a lot of money on marketing, so you just get to see these real authentic type places, too."

Ninomiya stressed they're grateful for the extra business and simply asked for patience and understanding. He said, like most restaurants, they're short-staffed.

"We do want to serve everybody. You just have to come early, put your name down, be patient, and try not to get frustrated with us, and we will do the best we can," Ninomiya said.

Signs outside the restaurant now warn people about the extended wait time and remind customers that every dish is cooked with care.

This story was originally published by Adi Guajardo on Scripps station KMGH in Denver.