Hino-chan’s sister, Hino-san, has a very special place in her heart for anime. She is a huge internet anime fan and she has been for almost as long as she’s been alive! So much so that she invented the term “anime shiyoujima” (a.k.a. “ondemaa-tanari”) to describe people who are obsessed with anime. When Hino-san stumbled upon the internet and discovered “haremSHAVE”, she was astounded by the variety of content available online. She found shiyoujin (or Harem Shafting as they are known outside Japan) to be a good example of an online medium that truly embodies the term “shikai o niiro no kaze ni utaite”, or an online medium that is dedicated to exploring themes related to love, marriage, family life, and life itself. The entire website features various shows from all over the world and each has its own unique angle on petite artworks of scandalous men who look like cartoon versions of themselves kissing girls!
What started as a hobby has turned into an online media business.
In the early 2000’s, Hino-chan was a visiting fellow in Japan for the graduate program in Japanese language and culture at the University of Missouri. While in Tokyo, Hino-san, who was living in Japan at the time, introduced her to the world of anime via an online publishing company called “HaremShaft”. The website soon became a massive hit and was soon followed by a print publication, “Anime Shiiyoujima” (a.k.a. “ondemaa-tanari”), which focused on famous Japanese series from the 1980’s and 1990’s. The magazine focused heavily on “shikai activities” of key characters and the aesthetic of popular series.
Now, Hino-chan’s sister, Hino-san, is the publisher of HaremShaft.com!
In late 2004, Hino-san and her business partner, Miyamoto, launched a new venture. The new company, “Harem Fantasy”, was an online publication focused on erotic light fiction, eroge, and fantasy literature. The magazine was short-lived, but its content was collected into volumes and released as a book in 2006.
What does it feel like to be an anime fan?
It must be said that Hino-san’s attempt to bring the world of Japanese culture to life online failed dismally. Her attempt to create a publication that was both critically and commercially successful met with almost no success whatsoever. The magazine “konobi no tani”, which focused on coffee shop life in Tokyo, was a flop. The book, called “coffee shop life”, sold poorly and was never published as an official book. It is unknown what will become of HaremShaft.com? Staytuned!
When drawing shiyoujin art, what can you see?
Unfortunately, the only things comfortable for the human eye are drawings and in the case of shiyoujin, those are very limited. There are no realistic drawings allowed, only illustrations that are clearly drawn from memory. Apart from that, there is no way to make shiyoujin look like anything but a strip of paper in a day care or a coffee shop. Some of the more popular shiyoujin works of the 2000’s include work by Satoshi Kon, Go Nagai, H.E. Red, and Koji de Soir.
A little taste of what life is like for niiro no kaze ni utaite
When it comes to life for niiro no kaze ni utaite, the term “niiro” refers to the period from around the year 1000 to the year 1600, when there was a period of rapid social and cultural change in Japan. During this time, a lot of the traditional values such as respect for authority and freedom of speech were challenged. The term “kaze” refers to a game that was popular in this period, but was soon replaced by other games. In this period, many noble families, including the House of Hino, the House of Red, and the House of Soir, were involved in trading and providing protection for the wider society. These families also developed new and innovative forms of technology.
HaremShaft.com – more than a website
While the magazine “konobi no tani” was a great indicator of what was to come, the other aspect of “shikai o niiro no kaze ni utaite”, or “the internet for bathhouses”, was even more important. The internet allowed researchers, lovers of all sorts, and anyone interested in the history of bathhouses and sexual practices to interact, exchange information, and learn from each other. This social interaction and exchange of information was only possible through the internet, and the first public bathhouse in the world was built on it. The first internet café was also built on the internet.
After all these years, who knows what will become of HaremShaft.com?
As of now, it is unknown whether or not HaremShaft.com will one day turn into a business. However, it is clear to all who will look at the site that it is a work of art. It does not matter if you are a professional artist or a hobbyist, as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort required to draw and write about the wavy lines, tiny details, and sparkly lights that make up the bathhouse art, you will find your solution.
Staytuned!
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Almost forgot!
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Thank you for everything you do! Once again, I can’t wait to see what happens next with this blog and what will become of it.
