Hi, my name is Joseph Mellish. I am an educator, an author, and an otaku. None of these are in any particular order of importance because they all consume my life and I often enjoy blurring the lines between each of these roles. I strive to love people and God.
I have tried to make God the foundation of my life. He empowers me through his Holy Spirit to love others. He accepts my feeble attempts to follow his law of love through the work of his Son, Jesus the Messiah. I often pray Proverbs 30.7-9: “There are two things, LORD, I want you you to do for me before I die: Make me completely honest and don’t let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need. If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you; if I don’t have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.” I often meditate on Psalm 25, the following is an excerpt:
In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust…Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long…Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way…The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them…Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish…May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, LORD, is in you.Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
I am a teacher. I always keep these verses in mind when I approach teaching: James 3.1 “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” and Proverbs1.8-9: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” I take this role very seriously. I think these verses emphasis the role of a teacher of being one of privilege and honor -one that has the power to enrich another person’s life. My hope for my students is that they will become lifelong learners- full of hope, passion, and curiosity. It is necessary for teachers and students to approach life with the an attitude of humility and determination: “I don’t know everything but I can try.” When I think of an ideal educator; one quality that comes to mind is that of being a great story teller. I strive to be a good story teller which bleeds into my next role.
I am an author. I enjoy communicating through the written word. What I choose to communicate through the written word can be educational or inspirational – but also entertaining and relational. I write everyday. Sometimes I create stories. I try to craft my stories to provoke thought in the reader. I don’t enjoy crafting cotton-candy plots with mindless characters and senseless acts. I enjoy and blurring the genres and experimenting with different styles. Sometimes I create character sketches though short vivid poems. Sometimes I dive into research for a story and come up with a fist full of notes: facts, concepts, and inspiration. Sometimes I pick up a long project and add to it. I am always editing and rewriting. I am always striving for better ways of communicating the story: the image, the theme, the emotion, the actions…
I am an otaku. Some people are not familiar with this term. It is a word that English has borrowed from Japanese. It has a variety of translations and meanings- the traditional use of the word meant “house” or “pertaining to the house.” However, like many words they mutate into something else. In English, we often use it to refer to someone whose primary hobby is the enjoyment and collection of anime, manga, and other related forms of entertainment and culture.
Anime is often the name we give to animation that has been made in Japan. It is sometimes used to refer to animation that borrows from the primary techniques or conventions commonly used in Japan. Manga often refers to graphic novels that are commonly published in black and white and are created in Japan. Sometimes it is used to describe graphic novels that follow the graphic language established and created by Japanese authors/artists. These authors/artists are often affectionately called “Manga-ka”. Other terms like Cosplay and Gunpla refer to activites. Cosplay is short for “costume role-play” or “costume acting.” Most cosplayers spend hours crafting custom costumes. They usually have a variety of skills that include making patterns, sowing, fashion design, and prop/craft making. Gunpla is short for “Gundam plastic.” This activity typically involves crafting Gundam models and creating your own custom designs from multiple model kits. However, this does not have to be limited to Gundam (an anime series created by Bandai) it can also refer to crafting models or statues from other anime or manga series. Otaku generally enjoy learning/studying about Japanese culture and/or the language.
Unfortunately, many people in American society have prejudices toward anime and manga. Some think it is only kiddie stuff like Pokemon. Others may think it is only animated porn. Anime and manga are art forms that cannot be limited to a specific genre, target audience, or theme. Just like great works of literature and cinema; anime and manga often transcend the culture and language of their creators and communicate to universal audiences. Like cinema and literature, there are genres and themes that entertain certain audiences and are only appropriate for certain audiences as well.
Sensei no Otaku says: “I hope you have enjoyed a brief introduction to my otaku -my home – my classroom. Sayonara!”
