Review - From Truant to Anime Screenwriter by Mari Okada
From Truant to Anime Screenwriter is an autobiographical light novel written by Mari Okada. As the title suggests, Okada is a screenwriter of several popular anime and she began life as a "truant." The word that is translated as "truant" carries a greater weight in Japan than it does in America, or at least that's my perception. In both cases a truant refers to someone who refuses to attend compulsory education, but in Japan this seems to be a source of scandal and shame. In America, I haven't sensed the same level of community concern about school attendance. That said, I think even the Japanese "futoku" is really underselling the full scope Okada's struggles. I need to confess to ignorance of a few things before I delve much deeper into the review. First, I have never watched any of Okada's work. I am aware of "Anohana" and "The Anthem of the Heart" (lit. My Heart Wants to Shout), but I never sought them out. Secon...