The stories I write take inspiration from some of my favorite parts of Japanese culture. This page codifies those inspirations, and how I expect them to impact my stories.

Anime

  • The hero is special. Give them frequent opportunities to surprise and impress. Bonus points if they can give powerful people their comeuppance.
  • Concrete, visible power levels. Power levels are explicit. They’re often shown by bounties, tournament rankings, etc. Characters are given frequent opportunities to compete against one another and show their relative power levels.
  • Rivals and the competition lead the conflict. Characters are often focused on overcoming rivals and reaching new levels on the power ranking. Villains sneak up on you, rather than being explicit from the start.
  • Sudden transformations. Mid-battle transformations/realizations turn a loss into a decisive victory. Time skips and other off-camera training create exciting leaps in character proficiency.

Pokemon

  • Embrace the random encounter. Unexpected opportunities for allies, training, and powerups.
  • Craft your party. Training is part of the adventure.

Japan

  • Fueled by nostalgia. World details, organizations, adventure ideas, etc. are pulled from iconic childhood memories:
    • Pokemon
    • Power Rangers
    • Godzilla
    • Samurai
    • Ninja
  • Showcase the weird, unexpected. Showcase the ways that Japanese culture and medieval fantasy differs from Western stereotypes.
  • Zen beauty. Highlight the beauty of the Japanese aesthetic.