Japanese - Ask questions thread

Basically if you have a question about the language, ask it and fellow 4channers might see it and answer it for you.

To start it off. When an animate object (iru) dies, is it considered inanimate(aru)?

What's the point of half-width kana in Japanese? like ｷﾀ, does it add any kind of emotion to it? Or is it just for shits and giggles?