God’s in the Details
An essay I wrote for Komaba Times reflecting on the magic of detail in Japanese anime backgrounds and how they blur the boundaries between the real and the fantastical.
April 2023
Komaba Times
God’s in the Details
Essay published in Komaba Times, Issue 12, 2023
This essay reflects on the phrase “God’s in the details” through the lens of Japanese animation. I write about the everyday magic found in anime backgrounds—from Kazuo Oga’s watercolor skies to the quiet streets and hidden shrines of A Letter to Momo—and how they mirror and transform my encounters with real-life spaces in Japan.
The piece explores how details in drawings can bridge worlds, allowing the ordinary to become extraordinary, and how in turn, glimpses of Japan’s everyday scenery spark that same sense of enchantment in real life.
Read the full essay here.