Pop Culture Library ReviewRecently added titles (January 2025)
Panels from the first/only issue (“A Difficult Start”) of Unleashed: Holly’s Story [left] and first/only issue (“Love Letter“) of Literary Link, both of which are playable stories/movable comics.Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October, November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2024, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware, apart from other news to share.
Animated series recently added to this page
None for this month.
No updates, but just the news that series like Teen Titans Go!, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Static Shock, were removed from Max, along with We Bare Bears, Steven Universe, and Regular Show, in October. Furthermore, Paramount+ cruelly removed various Nickelodeon titles, like My Life As a Teenage Robot last year. All of these series had library scenes. Specifically the following episodes with library scenes can no longer be streamed on Max (note: Steven Universe, Regular Show, Teen Titans Go!, and We Bare Bears can be streamed on Hulu/Disney+, as can Adventure Time, Thundercats, and some others, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, while My Life As a Teenage Robot, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Static Shock can be streamed, by paying, on Prime Video):
- Teen Titans Go! episode “Magic Man” (s6 ep 14); Raven and Beast Boy travel to the “Azarath Public Library” to get a new spellbook for Raven, as she presses a special code and fly to even get in the library.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “The Boy Who Cried Robot” (s1 ep 7b); Jenny gets a book about the “boy who cried wolf” story from Tuck, who picks up the book from a traveling bookmobile which comes to their neighborhood. An elderly White female librarian is shown working inside the bookmobile and is giving out books.
- My Life as a Teenage Robot episode “Shell Game” (s1 ep 10b); Jenny works in a library, shelving books. In one scene, an elderly White female librarian is shown.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode “Duck!” (s5 ep 5); Mandy is trying to study in the library, but the duck keeps making fart sounds. The librarian yells at Mandy, asking her if this is how she behaves, and Mandy responds that walking up to someone, while they are trying to work, and yelling “does seem kind rude.” The librarian says she doesn’t tolerate “such behavior” in “her” library. Mandy says that is the librarian’s problem, not her problem. The librarian persists, saying she will not stand for this, steam starts coming out of her nostrils, and Mandy tells her to have her meltdown somewhere else, saying she has a report due the next day about the history of corn, and saying the librarian is distracting. She is brought to the principal’s office, Principal Good Vibes, but he can’t say anything because of the duck. Later, the duck does a farting sound over the intercom, and she talks down the duck, causing it to disappear.
- We Bare Bears episode “Our Stuff” (s1 ep 1); The protagonists go to the library to find if their stuff is there and they use a computer to look up a phone’s location. A Black librarian at the desk shushes them.
- We Bare Bears episode “Shush Ninjas” (s1 ep 11); The protagonists are in the library enjoying their quiet, with a theater worker pleading for their help. They agree to help him.
- We Bare Bears episode “The Library” (s2 ep 21); Grizz, Ice Bear, and Panda all go to the library, where they learn they have a number of overdue books, from a librarian. They find their friend Chloe there, who is cramming for a chemistry test. In the resulting episode, there are hi-jinks, like Chloe eating too much candy and zooming across the library. There are also jokes about old technology at the library and the library shown as a community space which people use to study. The presumably Thai librarian is likely voiced by Ashly Burch, when looking at the episode credits. Interestingly, the Black librarian shown in episode 1 is sitting at a table with two other presumed librarians (a Black man with glasses and a White man), at one point, and then a second time, in another scene.
- Steven Universe episode “Buddy’s Book” (s4 ep 3); Steven and Connie visit the local public library and the library book shown in this episode is later featured in “Steven’s Dream.”
- Regular Show episode “Skips vs. Technology” (s3 ep 15); Skips reads books in the library about how to fix computers and tries to help solve the problem his friends are having with a computer, and they say he needs to recognize that are some problems he just doesn’t know how to fix. It turns out his friends, Mordo and Rigs, were just trying to print out a thank you message to him all along.
- Regular Show episode “The Last Laserdisc Player” (s4 ep 30); Two store assistants tell them that a library is where “all junky stuff goes”; Mordo, Rigs, and their friend go to the local library to search for a laserdisc player, talking to two older guys who try to say that a VHS is better than a laserdisc; Archie the Archivist (voiced by John Cygan) takes them down to the basement where there are thousands of formats in storage, with the librarian thinking they are the ones who will end the “format wars,” and tells how VHS took over from laserdisc, with a goon squad which destroyed all the players in society, so VHS could be dominant; the laserdisc opens a secret chamber in the library, where they find the last laserdisc player. They have to fight off the “ancient order of the VHS” so they can watch their film, with the library getting destroyed in the process. The librarian turns into the laserdisc guardian and they later watch the movie together, which is an absurdly long film.
- Regular Show episode “Party Horse” (s6 ep 21); They go to the library to try and help Party Horse, but the library is too distracting for him, somehow. As such, the scene in the library is very short.
Anime series recently added to this page
- Honey Lemon Soda, “Because I Met You” [s1 ep 1]
- Hug! Pretty Cure, “Everyone’s Angel! Hooray Hooray! Cure Ange!” [s1 ep 2]
- Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, “In Love with Him” [s1 ep 2]
In Honey Lemon Soda, Uka Ishimori laments her life after hearing students from her previous school bully her, writing in a notebook, while sitting in the school library, that she wants to change, and Kai Miura confronts her, embarrassing her, and it seems like she is going to say something to him. However, this does not happen after she (Ishimori) hears bullies saying they will trash her shoes and their bullying gets to her, yet again, and her self-confidence is plummeting.
Then in the second episode of Hug! Pretty Cure, Hana Nono meets Saaya Yakushiji in the school library, catching her off guard, while she is working on the school newspaper. She laments that no one wants to read it. Hana helps her write an article about the Pretty Cure (herself) and even does an illustration.
Also, in the second episode of Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Mona Kawai sees Medaka Kuroiwa in the library and grabs the same book as her. He rejects her sexual advance, and this annoys her. In actuality, he does find her cute, but he is trying to resist his desires so he can become a monk and not fall in love. She sees Tsubomi Haruno, who is watching her, and is confused. Later Mona suspects that Tsubomi is a love rival and begins to tease/flirt with him even more, which gets a rise out of him.
No new episode, but it was sadly announced that HIDIVE will be took down a series I have listed on here before, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, describing it as “a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.” I wrote about the series exclusively back in March of last year:
Another library which a very similar role is the one in the romantic comedy series Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. In the sixth episode of that series, entitled “Nurse’s Office and Main Character”, in which Junta Shiraishi tries to study for a class in the library but doesn’t understand the content and is nervous because his video games will be confiscated by his mom if he does badly on his tests. Nagisa Kubo finds him in the library and they study together. She even borrows glasses from the student librarian who she is friends with so she can look like a teacher. He agrees to let her help him with questions that he doesn’t know. She says she won’t tease those trying to learn something. [3] It may be one of the better examples of studying in the library, apart from scenes in episodes of Teasing Master Takagi-san, another romantic comedy.
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[3] They agree to study the next day and Kubo gives the unnamed student librarian her glasses back, glasses which are fake anyway. However, they never end up having the study session the next day because Junta is sick or the day after because Kubo is sick.
I also mentioned the series in posts in May (here and here) and September of last year. The series will also be mentioned in a post next year, with a section about the (Student) librarian in the above-mentioned episode of the series. Luckily the series can still be purchased on the Sentai Filmworks store, Robert’s Anime Corner Store, and elsewhere! I purchased a copy of my own and I recommend that other people do the same.
Comics recently added to this page
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 29“
- Do You Like Tomboys, “Episode 30” [season 1 finale]
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 11“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 21“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 22“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 23“
- The Dark Mermaid, “Episode 24“
In these two episodes of Do You Like Tomboys, Shaye, while wearing a suit, brings Charlie into a library room, claiming they have serious business. She asks her if she is a “top or bottom” (referring to sexual positions) and Charlie says both (she still doesn’t totally get it). I hope there are more library scenes in this yuri/girl’s love series going forward. I think it is possible, but its up to the author.
As for the young adult series, The Dark Mermaid, in episode 11, Seulbi Yu and Hae-on Kim are working side-by-side in the library, as student librarians, and Seulbi tries to check out books, but she messes up badly and causes the books to be damaged by mistake. And Hae-on tells the patron she’ll get another book for her, and tells Seulbi to take a break. Some episodes later, in episode 21, Seulbi is informed about a mandatory field trip to another library, specifically the Barley Library in Seoul, to get another perspective on school library work. She doesn’t want to go and says she shouldn’t have joined the club. Another student librarian is also shown as well.
Later in that same episode, Hae-on, Seulbi, and others go inside the library, watched by a suspicious woman. This is followed up in episode 22 when they continue their visit to this private library, noting the books available, and events for patrons (storytime for kids), including a story about a mermaid (The Little Mermaid story). One girl speaks up and says that the story is wrong, wanting a happy ending instead. The mysterious woman talks to the girl later, who points to Hae-on and calls her a “mermaid girl.” This all continues episode 23, when Hae-on catches up with everyone, enlists Seulbi in finding the girl and her bracelet, which makes it easier for her to change form (from mermaid into human). The girl demands to play with Hae-on, she gave her bracelet, and the girl ran away. The time in the library ends in episode 24, with Hae-on getting her bracelet back, and Seulbi still remains relatively cold to Hae-on, based on a misunderstanding about their friendship (this is later cleared up in a later episode, in episodes 26 and 27 after Hae-on saves her from a guy who bullied her in the past, who is creepy and unhinged). They later conclude, in episode 27, that the woman could have been a siren just like Hae-on, although it isn’t confirmed.
Films recently added to this page
None for this month.
Other entries recently added to this page
- Literary Link, Story 1 [“Love Letter”]
- Rebel Princess Guide
- Unleashed: Holly’s Story, Story 1 [“A Difficult Start”]
As this year began, I wasn’t sure what series to add since there weren’t many with library scenes. Even wonderful comics on the Glow platform (i.e. playable stories), like Susuhara Is A Demon! Asinine Adventures, Pick Me, Don’t Look At The Sky, In My Heart, Diamond Dive – Running Latte, Office Talk, Solar Eclipse, and Warm Spring Rain, have no library scenes. [1]
However, the Diamond Dive playable story features Bailey noting a book club is moving to Cafe Diamond because the librarian is strict with the club for being too loud. In comic that this playable story is based on, there’s library scenes in the third issue (“Girl Crush“) where one protagonists, Karta Kloss (also known as “Pinky”), heads to the library at the Montgomery University, and she first meets a librarian who helps her with telling her where to get school books. Then, in the “Winter Special – Part 2” issue, a crossover with Our Days in Lumain, it ends with Pinky and Bailey arriving at the school library, Pinky telling Bailey that it was cute how starstruck she was around Lady Cassidy, causing her to blush in response. Finally, in “Issue 37“, they go to a library-like setting so they an schedule a duel, with Ms. Davies, between Karta Kloss and Bailey Montgomery.
On the other hand, some playable stories have library scenes. Unleashed: Holly’s Story [based on the webtoon Unleashed], shows Holly relaxing in the library in the first story, as she reflects on being better to her coworkers and reading a story about two older women falling in love, she meets Blaze there, an attractive woman. She gives her a card with her number on it [she meets her again in the next story, as Blaze is the new author her firm is taking on]. In the comic this is playable story is based on, originally entitled My Masochistic Boss, there’s two library scenes, from episodes 49 to 50. In the first, Blaze Clarke remembers when she went to the library because of a hostile home environment, and found a “completely different world” and a helpful elderly librarian. In the second, Blaze notes how books were an important part of her childhood, with all the information and knowledge, with all “sorts of different stories and worlds”, and that she almost gave up on a love for literature until she met Holly, and Holly accepted her as a girlfriend.
Then in the story for Literary Link on the same platform, it begins when Atlas finds a love letter, while shelving books in the library. Of course, Faye, whose also working at the library, is completely embarrassed, while Vega remains confident. Following this, Faye and Vega work efficiently to shelve the books, while Vega teases Faye about who sent the love letter to Atlas. He continues teasing her about her crush on Atlas, saying she should write her own love letter, and implies that Atlas may be gay to increase Faye’s chances. Even so, Atlas continues thinking about the letter, but puts it aside, until he leaves temporarily, and the crush between them is clear. It turns out, at the end, that the love letter is for someone entirely different! Similar to Diamond Dive, this also has library scenes. In fact, the entire series is based around library interactions. In the comic itself, Faye begins working at a local library after being obliged to do so as a form of community service, and meets Atlas, who she develops a crush on. She also helps out with events at the library.
Lastly, there’s a book I got recently which was released on September 3, 2019, after the third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out (on August 2nd). There are some mentions of the library/archive run by Bow’s family in this book, which is broadly from Adora’s perspective. This includes describing the library as a key spot in the Whispering Woods which is “packed with First Ones books and artifacts” (page 113) and description of Bow’s family on page 19:
Bow’s dads take care of the library in the Whispering Woods. They are fascinated with First Ones tech, which is probably why Bow is so good at figuring it out. He has twelve older siblings who are all historians.
© 2024-2025 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] The first is based on the webtoon Susuhara Is A Demon, the second is based on the webtoon Pick Me!!, the third is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fourth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the fifth is based on the webtoon Diamond Dive, the sixth is based on the webtoon of the same name, the seventh is based on the webtoon of the same name, and the eighth is based on the webtoon of the same name.
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