It’s been a tradition on my website for a few years to write about the top ten most popular posts on my blog. Unfortunately I lost hundreds of posts in 2025 during my transfer to WordPress, so I don’t know how accurate this list is anymore. Plus, I’m doing this almost four weeks before the new year, so anything could happen post-wise (although the dial moves slowly). Despite all of that, I’m sharing with you the top ten most popular posts here on WordPress at kristinaelysebutke.com.
#10 – Goshuin: My Hobby in Japan
This blog post was original written for the now-defunct sci-fi/fantasy/horror webzine Speculative Chic, for which I was an editor and contributor. At the time I wrote it, I was still living in Japan teaching English to high school students. In my spare time, when I wasn’t teaching, I journeyed all over Kyushu and Shikoku and Honshu for shrines where I could collect the famous red stamps. I share some pictures of my most favorite goshuin from my most favorite shrines.
#9 – Writing too fast, too slow, too little
This is a post I wrote while working on the first draft of the first book in my trilogy, The Name and the Key. I talk about pacing, how long it takes for me to write novels, and how much shorter the draft was in terms of word count than any other books I’d written before. What was so nice in particular about this post, beside the giant feeling of catharsis, was the feeling of encouragement I got from a well-written, kind comment from a reader that made my day.
#8 – The Beat is nominated for an Eisner
I worked for The Beat for about two years and learned so much about writing and reviewing in the context of journalism. I met incredible people on the team, including founder Heidi MacDonald, and also made connections with TOKYOPOP through my writing for The Beat. Anyway, the fruits of the team’s labor were rewarded by the Eisner nomination, where the winners would be presented at Comic Con. It was my first time writing for an award-nominated (later award-winning) publication. While I’ve since gone on my own, I always look on my time at The Beat with fondness, and remember how thrilling it felt to get the Eisner nomination.
#7 – Wishes and Weirdness: MADE IN ABYSS: THE GOLDEN CITY OF THE SCORCHING SUN
When this post was on my previous blog at Wix, it was my #1 for years with thousands of hits. I guess people wanted to not feel alone in discovering the second season of Made in Abyss was totally bonkers. This is not a series for children, despite the youthful characters populating it. This series is violent, dark, disturbing, and damn-near tortures its leads and other characters. I couldn’t look away from season two, but I had SO MANY QUESTIONS.
This was my delicious, feel-good, spiteful post, ha ha! Are you talented but the world tries to bring you down? Succeed, in the name of spite! I share author opinions and dedications where they admit they owe their successes to a degree to their rancor. My personal motto is “the best revenge is success,” and I, too, have pushed myself to do well out of some very dark emotions. You think I’m not good enough? Well, I’ll show you! Spite is an incredible motivator and it can be a force for good, if properly tended to.
#5 – A Fairy Tale Childhood: Trina Schart Hyman
This surprised me a little bit because usually my most popular post from this short blog series is the article I wrote on Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. But, then again, my readers tend to be book lovers, and if you are a child of the 80s and 90s, then you definitely at some point ran into Trina Schart Hyman’s book illustrations. I share some of my favorites of her work. She did fairy tales, stories from the ballet, folklore, and more. And while they are very beautiful, some of them are quite dark!
#4 – Vengeance and mercy: a review of DORORO
I am so happy readers are finding this review. Dororo, one of Osamu Tezuka‘s creations, took me completely by surprise. I hadn’t heard of it at all, and just started playing it after seeing a 30-second preview of it on Amazon Prime. I was sucked in immediately–the art of the characters, the completely unique story of an ancient Japan filled with heroes and demons and corrupted leaders–and I fell in love with Hyakkimaru and Dororo’s quest. This is a 2019 remake of the original 1969 series and is so worth the watch. It’s in my top ten. Maybe my top five.
Besides collecting red shrine stamps (goshuin), I also purchased omamori–protective amulets–from shrines and temples. I didn’t mean it to hoard good luck, but to bring them back as presents for friends, and to collect them as souvenirs for myself because I find them beautiful and unique to each place of worship. I gave shrines and temples so much of my money, lol! I hope it helped them. In the meantime, I share my favorite amulets and the stories behind them.
#2 – THE LAST UNICORN and the Unicorn Tapestries
This is another post that surprised me, because when my blog was at a different provider, there was nowhere near that many people into this article. And now, it’s number two? Yay! I love The Last Unicorn, and seeing the opening credits with music by America inspired me to seek out its inspiration–the Hunt for the Unicorn tapestries, which are housed in The Cloisters in New York City. I’m lucky enough to have been born in NYC and have family there, which allowed me to visit The Cloisters several times. I also lucked out and saw the Unicorn Tapestries in Paris at the Musée de Cluny, too. Life goals, complete!
#1 – K-POP DEMON HUNTERS is the real deal
I knew this review of Netflix and Sony’s mega hit would draw a crowd, but nothing like this. Filled with lots of screenshots and gifs of your favorite characters, links to the original songs plus talented covers, and more, check out what seems to be everyone’s favorite animation review this year!
Stick around for next year! I wonder how my new articles will do in 2026, or if the old ones will remain popular? It’s hard to tell at this point but I’ll see you in a year and see how we’ve done!
Kristina Elyse Butke 
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