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Visual Prison
How can you not love vampires competing in a visual kei battle of the bands?
― Man, remember visual kei? It was all the rage among anime fans in the late 90's and 00's, back when I first got into the hobby. Fans discussed bands like Malice Mizer and Dir en Grey right alongside their favorite series despite them not having any obvious connection, and the cross-dressing singer Mana, a major influence i...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island
Opening soon in theaters in the U.S., how does this expansion of a classic Gundam episode hold up as a full-length film?
― The existence of this film is an oddity, being a retelling of the 15th episode of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. Apparently, that episode had some issues on the visual production side, prompting its omission from the English-language releases, so you can interpret this f...
Crazy Food Truck GN 2
Despite the 'Crazy' right there in its title, Crazy Food Truck, by this second volume, really does seem to have settled into an easier, exploratory, travelogue-style story.
― Despite the 'Crazy' right there in its title, Crazy Food Truck, by this second volume, really does seem to have settled into an easier, exploratory, travelogue-style story. Granted, it's one that still regularly has shootouts, e...
SPY×FAMILY GN 8
It's Yor's turn to shine! After being criminally underused for seven volumes, volume eight's focus is on Yor as she takes on the task of being bodyguard to a woman and her infant on the run.
― It's Yor's turn to shine! After being criminally underused for seven volumes, volume eight's focus is on Yor as she takes on the task of being bodyguard to a woman and her infant on the run. The only catch? Yor...
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Streaming
Studio Trigger brings their A-game to this anime with Hiroyuki Imaishi of Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill fame in the directors seat. The action is dynamic, visually stunning, and completely over-the-top in the best possible way.
― (Spoiler warning: As it would be impossible to get into the meat of what makes this anime so excellent without going into spoilers, I didn't hold back. Continue forward at ...
Ragna Crimson GN 6
If the pacing of the last volume felt slower than you would have liked, then boy are you in or a ride.
― If the pacing of the last volume felt slower than you would have liked, then boy are you in or a ride. Ragna Crimson Volume 6 hits the gas pedal and doesn't let up until you hit the back cover. While I appreciated the character moments we got in Volume 5, it's not hard to see that this is where Ra...
Phantom of the Idol Streaming
Can a ghost revitalize a disillusioned idol singer's career?
― At a scant ten episodes, Phantom of the Idol is a show that knows not to overstay its welcome. You'd think that would be a good thing, allowing for tighter writing and a lack of unneeded fluff, and in some ways, that's true – every zany idol-based event that the protagonists have to participate in is kept to a manageable level of bizarren...
Goodbye, Don Glees!
From the director of A Place Further Than the Universe comes a new story that will take three boys from the Japanese countryside all the way to Iceland, but does it pack the emotional punch of its predecessor?
― If you're familiar with Atsuko Ishizuka's previous original anime, A Place Further Than The Universe, then you're already prepared for a good deal of Goodbye, Don Glees!'s appeal: dorky kids ...
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean 1-24
Stone Ocean has risen to my highest expectations and then some, as between the battles it has proven to be one of the most thematically rich and interesting parts of the franchise so far.
― Jolyne, Jolyne, Jolyne, Jolyne… As an anime-only fan of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and a chronic heroine addict, I've been looking forward to David Production's adaptation of the Stone Ocean arc for a long time. I'd...
The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Novel 1
We still don't fully understand what constitutes the "wrong way" to heal, but this is a nice little fantasy escape, and that's all it really needs to be.
― What, exactly, is the wrong way to use healing magic? It's a question we've seen pondered before, both in silly forms like in the old Slayers franchise and when Priestess uses it against monsters in the Goblin Slayer novels. The answer isn't fully...
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness
Does Made in Abyss make for a positively killer video game? The answer, as it turns out, is going to be based on how literally you want to take the word “killer.”
― I reckon that one of the first things people think after experiencing Made in Abyss—that is, once they've recovered from the awe-inspiring world building and the soul-crushing devastation of its story—is probably, “Gee, this whole premise...
BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- Part 1
While there are definitely some things that Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy lack when compared to the OVA, its distinct, more streamlined, and self-aware narrative can be charming all on its own.
― This is not the first time that Kazushi Hagiwara's BASTARD!! series was adapted in animated form. Many longtime anime fans might remember the OVA series from the early 90s which I would recommend checking out—we...
Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System - Case.1 Crime and Punishment
Finally available in the U.S., dive back in to the world of Psycho-Pass and find out if this trilogy remedies the second anime season's missteps.
― Following two seasons of the TV anime and a theatrical film, Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System is a trilogy of one hour films. Instead of being connected into an overarching plot, each one focuses on its own stand-alone story that is both a captivating m...
Odd Taxi: In the Woods
Soon to be streaming on Crunchyroll tonight, how does this revisit to the world of ODDTAXI hold up on its own?
― Odd Taxi was 2021's sleeper anime hit, telling an intricate, original mystery that kept viewers guessing every week. Now it's back as a (mostly) recap film, which mainly serves to tie up some loose ends from the TV anime's ending. Is it worth the full price of a cinema admission ticket? We...
Tekken: Bloodline
Tekken: Bloodline is the latest challenger to step into the ring, and it faces not only the potential curse of prior adaptations but also a very different anime landscape than that of prior years.
― Anime adaptations of video games have a long, checkered history, but fighting game anime is particularly hit-or-miss. As an avid anime fan since the early 90s, I've been around to experience both the expl...
BanG Dream! Poppin' Dream!
Poppin' Dream's best moments are just that, moments, and they're strung together with storytelling that we know the overall franchise has grown beyond and surpassed elsewhere.
― There are equal parts irony and uncertainty to the movie BanG Dream! Poppin' Dream! seemingly unceremoniously being thrown onto Crunchyroll some nine months after its Japanese theatrical release. The three films from the fran...
Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up Novel
While there are very clear reverse harem aspects to the story – Viol's not the only one crushing on Seren by midway through the novel – the real love triangle is between Seren, Viol, and Helios.
― You can walk a path your whole life without realizing that it isn't the one you want to be on. That's what happened to Seren, fiancée of Crown Prince Helios. The two were engaged as soon as he was born, six...
Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions
Team up with Loid Forger, Kaiju No. 8, and more manga characters in this strategy puzzle game about how one boy's imagination gets him through trauma.
― Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions shouldn't be thought of as a Shonen Jump crossover. Not because crossovers are bad, nor because it's an “elevated crossover” or anything dumb like that. The plain and simple truth is that it isn't really a ...
The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World GN 1
The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World is not at all a bad manga, but at the same time, it so seldom goes outside expected norms that it's hard to talk about it as its own separate work.
― The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World is not at all a bad manga, but at the same time, it so seldom goes outside expected norms that it's hard to talk about it as its own separate work. The long and the sh...
The Journey
While it can feel gratingly religious if that's not your thing, The Journey does look good and the dub cast does a very nice job, even with lines that can at times come off as cheesy.
― A co-production of Japanese animation studio Toei and Saudi Arabian media company Manga Productions, The Journey is a retelling of an event in Arabian history generally known as “The Year of the Elephant.” This appell...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is about as much JoJo as any sane person could ever ask for.
― JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has had a few fighting games in its 35-year-long legacy. Most might still clamor for the arcade classic that was Capcom's Heritage for the Future, but in the meantime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R is about as much JoJo as any sane person could ever ask for....
Kemono Jihen GN 1
Kimono Jihen is a combination of folklore, fantasy, and horror. It's got a beating heart underneath the grimness and this volume is a solid start to the series.
― You don't have to be a supernatural expert to figure out that when a boy is called by the derogatory nickname of “Dorotabo” and kept away from school to work in the fields, there's probably something bad going on. That's the situation Inuga...
One Piece Film Red
New to One Piece? Richard Eisenbeis checks out the box-office smashing film to see if newbies can dive right in to Luffy's latest adventure.
― I'll be the first to admit, I know very little about One Piece overall—and with over 1000 episodes out, I've long since given up on ever starting it (much less catching up). At this point, the entirety of my knowledge on the subject comes from playing the firs...
Your Treacle Affects at Night GN
As a middle entry to a series that isn't fully available in English, Your Treacle Affects at Night's narrative is hard to fully grasp.
― My first question upon casting eyes on this review copy was, “What does that title even mean?” It doesn't appear to be one of those convoluted titles that we often see in light novels, nor does it feel completely nonsensical, so the question drove me to find out wha...
A Nico-Colored Canvas GN 1
Blue Period was too heavy on the emotional drama for you, A Nico-Colored Canvas eschews that in favor of a, let's say, more aggressively optimistic approach.
― Are you looking for a serious manga about the realities of studying art? Then read Blue Period. Would you rather read about an aggressively perky art student who apparently didn't actually prepare for her oil painting major, got into art schoo...
7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Novel 1
When we join the story, Rishe has just been reset to the night she's spurned by her jerk fiancé for the seventh time, but she's got a plan to get the life she's always wanted.
― Most time-looping protagonists have nothing on Lady Rishe, with the possible exception of Subaru from Re: Zero. Typically when we read a time loop tale, the protagonist has just died and discovered themselves back at an arbit...
SINoALICE GN 1
This manga adaptation of the popular mobile game gambles on a risky decision: to deliberately confuse its readers on what's real and what's just a dream.
― Does this manga make more sense if you've played the video game it's based on? I honestly couldn't tell you. In large part that's because it leans so hard into what it wants you to believe is the fine line between dreams and the waking world that ...
My Maid, Miss Kishi GN 1
While its premise is incredibly simple and its humor effective, My Maid Miss Kishi has a bunch of little distracting elements that add up to make the story a lot less enjoyable than I think it means to be.
― It's really hard to recommend romantic comedies that revolve around a singular idea or gimmick. I'm of the opinion that a good writer can get incredible emotional and comedic mileage out of just ...
Birushana: The Rising Flower of Genpei
Why just read about the gorgeous men of The Tale of the Heike when you could date them? Rebecca dives into this Nintendo Switch otome game of historical romance.
― Why just read about the gorgeous men of The Tale of the Heike when you could date them? Birushana: The Rising Flower of Genpei takes this timeless theme that has most commonly been applied to the Sengoku period and the Shinsengumi and uses...
Fist of the North Star Volume 5
In Volume 5 we see Fist of the North Star finally stepping into greatness.
― I mentioned during the review for Volume 4 that we were watching a legendary manga enter one of its most iconic phases. Here in Volume 5 we see Fist of the North Star finally stepping into greatness. While I wouldn't necessarily say this is Fist of the North Star at its peak, this is certainly the manga delivering on the pro...
The Holy Grail of Eris GN 1
Connie is prepared to marry the man her father needs her to wed and resigned to an unremarkable existence...that is until the ghost of an executed woman decides to possess her.
― You may not have heard of original light novel author Kujira Tokiwa, but there's a good chance you've seen Hinase Momoyama's art before – Momoyama illustrated the Massacre Arc of Higurashi: When They Cry, The Dawn of the Gol...
Alice in Bishounen-Land GN 1-2
Find out why Alice in Bishounen-Land is a "pitch-perfect send-up of idol genre."
― Pity Alice – she's no sooner seen a broadcast about girls going missing all over Tokyo before her friend Tamami gets a text invite to a new game that pulls her into the phone! In Alice's attempts to save her, she also gets sucked in, and now she's stuck in the world of Love Color School Stars, quite possibly the worst ...
Hella Chill Monsters GN 1
You'd be hard-pressed to find a book more dedicated to embodying its title than Hella Chill Monsters.
― "I like that nothing happens here," the character Vampy says at the end of this volume's first chapter. You'd be hard-pressed to find a book more dedicated to embodying its title than Hella Chill Monsters. This cute little tome stars a skeleton protagonist that makes no bones about Limbo being the ...
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Now playing in theaters in North America and abroad, this film brings Dragon Ball back to its Red Ribbon Army roots with a focus on Gohan's other dad...Piccolo!
― Superheroes are not a new concept in Dragon Ball. Most notably Gohan himself spent his high school years as a masked hero. Yet, this film is not about him—well, at least not directly. In the years since the Tournament of Power, Gohan has un...
Box of Light GN 1
Box of Light's first volume isn't perfect, but it's also one of those series that looks like it will get better as it goes on, and it has a very interesting take on the liminal world between life and death.
― Although it's not an entirely fair statement to make, Seiko Erisawa's English-language debut, Box of Light, is better in concept than execution. Similar to titles like Phantom Tales of the Night...
RPG TIME: The Legend of Wright
Every page is a new adventure, dripping with love and care from a child who is just bursting at the seams with how much he wants to share with his friends.
― I realize I might be a bit too biased to properly review RPG Time, the new RPG from studio DeskWorks and Aniplex. It's not because it's steeped in JRPG lore or because so much of its iconography brings Dragon Quest to mind—rather, I see way too ...
Digimon Survive
I honestly feel a bit conflicted after playing Digimon Survive, because I truly admire the amount of passion and thought put into it. If you are a long-time Digimon fan, then this this is worth at least one playthrough.
― Last month, I had the honor of interviewing the producer of Digimon Survive, Habu Kazumasa, who expressed his desire to take Digimon in a darker direction and demonstrate his person...
GAME: Between the Suits GN 1
If enemies-to-lovers is your preferred romance subgenre, or if you just want to read about a woman who's in charge of her own life and body, this is a safe bet.
― She's a workaholic. He's a jerk womanizer who can't understand why his lines aren't working on her. Is there actually any attraction between them, or is he just trying so hard because she's the one woman who tells him no? The answer is some...
Rapunzel of the Magic Item Shop Novel
Rapunzel of the Magic Item Shop is an easy book to recommend. It plays nicely with the tale type that influenced it, pays attention to the emotional pasts and needs of the characters, and has a good balance of dark and sugary content.
― Rapunzel of the Magic Item Shop might seem only tangentially a Rapunzel story – also known as “The Maiden in the Tower” – ATU310's main requirement is that a child is...
Beauty and the Feast GN 2 & 3
Even with a few missteps, these two volumes of Satomi U's gentle foodie manga continue to be a warm-hearted series about found family and the comforts of having someone to eat with.
― If home is where the heart is, the kitchen and dining table are where the heart beats. Even with a few missteps, these two volumes of Satomi U's gentle foodie manga continue to exemplify that, especially since volume th...
INU-OH
Now playing in theaters in the U.S., acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa presents a film where art and the political are perfectly intertwined.
― "Noh performers were the historical equivalent of rock stars" is the thought that sparked the genesis of this film, and boy does Masaaki Yuasa run with it here. More of an extended musical performance than a narrative film at times, Inu-Oh is a delightful audi...
I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss Novels 2 & 3
While the first volume was a complete story in and of itself, the following two entries prove that just because Aileen got the guy doesn't mean that her story's over.
― While the first volume of Sarasa Nagase's light novel series I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss was a complete story in and of itself, the following two entries prove that just because Aileen got the guy doesn't mean tha...
My Love Mix-Up! GN 4
This is a solid entry into a story that reminds us that not only is cupid blind, he's wandering down a very rocky road as the characters stumble their way into love.
― People do stupid things when they're uncomfortable. If there's a theme to this volume of My Love Mix-Up!, that would be it: feeling awkward and on-the-spot can push people into doing some truly ill-advised things. While we've seen that...
The Wolf Never Sleeps GN 1
The Wolf Never Sleeps stands out among isekai in one interesting respect: hero Lacan doesn't come from our world, but another fantasy world, and one with rather more game-like elements than the one he journeys to.
― Isekai is certainly still in its dime-a-dozen phase of popularity, but that doesn't mean that there aren't attempts to do something new with the genre. Although Shienbishop's The Wolf Nev...
Lonely Castle in the Mirror Novel
At the risk of being too personal, I lived this story. I don't mean now; I mean that as a seventh grader I experienced many of the same things that protagonist Kokoro did, and from that perspective I can say that this book gets it absolutely right.
― At the risk of being too personal, I lived this story. I don't mean now; I mean that as a seventh grader I experienced many of the same things that prot...
I'll Never Be Your Crown Princess! GN 1
Yes, it's another isekai title, but hear me out before you run screaming into the night – it's from a type of isekai that we don't get very often in print releases in English: raunchy for an intended female audience.
― Yes, I'll Never Be Your Crown Princess is another isekai title, but hear me out before you run screaming into the night – it's from a type of isekai that we don't get very often in pri...
Stalemate GN
Yes, you read the synopsis right: the main, five-chapter story in Toomi Aoyama's single-volume book Stalemate is a romance between a guy and his older uncle.
― Yes, you read the synopsis right: the main, five-chapter story in Toomi Aoyama's single-volume book Stalemate is a romance between a guy and his older uncle. That's going to be an immediate turn off for some readers, and while I wish I could s...
A Serenade for Pretend Lovers GN 1
Is it insta-love that he just doesn't understand or simply lust? If you think that's a deep philosophical question, A Serenade for Pretend Lovers may be the romance manga for you
― Is it insta-love that he just doesn't understand or simply lust? If you think that's a deep philosophical question, A Serenade for Pretend Lovers may be the romance manga for you. Taking the "fake couple" romance trope and...
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World Novel 1
Yuuya is at the absolute bottom of the world's hierarchy when he stumbles into amazing powers that rewrite his life. Can his story rise above the basic OP fantasy fare?
― This is not a revenge story. That's important to mention because it very easily could have been – like the protagonists of other similarly set-up titles, Yuuya is at the absolute bottom of the world's hierarchy when he stumbles into...
The Liminal Zone GN
It's latest collection visits the infamous Aokigahara and transforms it into an unsettling purgatory of people addicted to the strange powers that come from a mysterious cave within.
― Although he doesn't mention it in his afterword, the theme of this Junji Ito collection really feels like "folklore." The first story, "Weeping Woman Way," draws on the idea of professional mourners as well as myths of...
Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes: The Spirit Hunters of Tomoe Novel
It's likely that, upon reading the synopsis and looking at the cover, one of the first questions a potential reader of Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes may have is, “Is this BL?” The answer to that question is a resounding “…maybe?”
― It's likely that, upon reading the synopsis and looking at the cover, one of the first questions a potential reader of Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes may have is, “Is this BL?” The answe...
My Hero Academia Season 5 OVAs – “HLB”/”Laugh! As If You Are In Hell”
While these new extra episodes aren't essential viewing, they've got a lot more energy and character to them. They even work that good ol' anime magic and make the world's most boring sport into something fun to watch!
― The last time we got some between-season MHA OVAs, it was a pretty forgettable time. Not terrible, but a very obvious retread of ideas both the main series and previous OVAs had cove...
I Think Our Son Is Gay GN 3
Hiroki's mom finds reassurance after talking with a gay colleague but it's her own husband that is putting the biggest strain on the family, including their likely gay son.
― In volume two of Okura's gentle series I Think Our Son is Gay, mom Tomoko is present when a man comes to pick up her boss at Steamy Bento. Immediately her coworkers begin speculating on his sexuality, and that makes Tomoko uncom...
Shadows House GN 1
Anime viewers may get a lot more out of this introductory volume of the manga that inspired it, because if you're armed with a bit more knowledge, the foreshadowing is everywhere.
― Hindsight is, as the saying goes, 20/20. That means that if you're already familiar with the story of Shadows House from its anime adaptation, you may get a lot more out of this introductory volume of the manga that inspi...
Ragna Crimson Volume 5
Volume 5 shows that Ragna Crimson is a work that can cover a wider range of tones and speeds, while also letting Daiki Kobayashi flex creative muscles that previously haven't been at the forefront.
― This is perhaps the most restrained volume of Ragna Crimson thus far. Ragna and Crimson are in a situation unlike any they have been in previously, and it makes for a nice change of pace while allowing t...
Waccha PriMagi! Episodes 27-39
This third cour is full of episodes that showcase things that make Waccha PriMagi! stand out among other titles in the Pretty series and magical girl idol shows in general.
― There are plenty of things that make Waccha PriMagi stand out among other titles in the Pretty series and magical girl idol shows in general. This third cour is full of episodes that showcase that; it leans harder into coding an...
Summer Time Rendering GN 3
After learning the truth about the shadows and about what actually happened to his friend Ushio, Shinpei starts to gather allies and weapons to take the fight to the shadows.
― Volume 3 of Summertime Rendering picks up right after the series' breathtaking second volume; after learning the truth about the shadows and about what actually happened to his friend Ushio, Shinpei starts to gather allies and...
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium
Capcom Arcade Stadium returns with a mountain of arcade titles from the ‘80s and ‘90s. How many stand the test of time?
― Capcom was born in the arcades. Yes, they made a name with Mega Man,Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and other titles created for home consoles, but before any of that Capcom put themselves on the map with arcade games. So the Capcom Arcade Stadium series is a welcome roundup of thos...
Our Colors GN
From the creator of My Brother’s Husband comes a story of a high school artist struggling to be openly gay and the reassurance he finds at a local café.
― Sora is a gay high school student, afraid to come out for reasons he doesn't fully understand. He's perfected his façade of heteronormativity, which he pictures as an iron mask that slams into place every time conversations move over to his assumed...
Outbride: Beauty & the Beasts GN 1
There is a market for explicit romance aimed at an older female audience (although gender is no bar to enjoying this), because little girls grow up to be women with disposable income who'd like to read books written with them in mind, too.
― TL manga fans, your [steam]ship has docked. Not that there hasn't been TL manga available in English before, but with the exception of Seven Seas' release of Fir...
Fantasia Film Fest 2022: A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot
Part of a bigger sci-fi anthology feature called TAISU, Watanabe's short brings together an international team to create a new post-apocalyptic world.
― Well, this is a nice surprise: arriving with basically no advance hype whatsoever, we got a new Shinichiro Watanabe short film! A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot, which screened at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival, is apparently the first part of a bigge...
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale Episodes 1-12
It lacks the character depth needed to sell its main couple, but there's still some shine here for those parched for shojo anime.
― There have been many shows over the years that I have felt deserved a bigger audience than they had, shows with interesting storytelling, challenging themes, and daring visual styles. Taisho Otome Fairy Tale… is not one of them. It's not so much an underappreciated gem a...
Laid-Back Camp Movie
Our camping girls are now adults, but that doesn't interfere with their love for the great outdoors. Read Kim Morrissy's review of the film!
― I wouldn't be exaggerating if I called Laid-Back Camp the best atmospheric slice-of-life TV anime, period. There's just something entrancing about the show and the way it portrays the quiet beauty of the outdoors. The film serves up an extra generous helping o...
Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series
The Phantasy Reverie Series gives us two games that harken back to the time where these fun, thoughtful platformers where these fun, thoughtful platformers had more resources available to them.
― Poor, poor Klonoa. The waking world was hardly fair to Bandai Namco's Dream Traveler. The first Klonoa game came out just as the world was getting tired of platformers and 2D games, and the second one came o...
Orochi: The Perfect Edition GN 2
As Orochi once again drifts through the lives of humans, she encounters three separate tales of children caught in unimaginable circumstances.
― As Orochi once again drifts through the lives of humans, she encounters three separate tales of children caught in unimaginable circumstances. Two of them, Key and Prodigy, are somewhat hopeful, while Home is a grim story of how no place stays exactly the sa...
Netflix's Resident Evil
Netflix's Resident Evil tries to bring together all previous iterations even when that means explaining how Albert Wesker, a man who literally got punched into a volcano in the year 2009, now finds himself alive and well in the year 2022.
― Netflix's Resident Evil is a strange beast, indeed, so far as adaptations of the legendary video game franchise are concerned. Starting all the way back in 2004, ...
Fantasia Film Fest 2022: Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún
WIT Studio brings this intriguingly abstract world, about a man finding small joys with his ward, to life with resplendent animation.
― In The Ancient Magus Bride and Ranking of Kings, the animators at Wit Studio have shown themselves to be particularly adept at adapting fantasy manga that draw from classic fairy tales. Wit's latest fairy tale manga adaptation, The Girl from the Other Side, has eleme...
Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints GN 1
There's a certain kind of story that makes you slowly realize that you shouldn't be taking anything for granted. Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints is one of them.
― There's a certain kind of story that makes you slowly realize that you shouldn't be taking anything for granted. Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints is one of them. Even though it's specifically about debunking local ghost...
Apple Children of Aeon GN 1-3
Yukinojo was left as an infant on the porch of a temple, and he's never felt as if he truly belonged in his home. A story that spans decades, there's a folktale sensibility to its plotline, one that draws from Shinto legends
― Once upon a time, a baby was left outside a temple on a snowy night. The priest and his wife happily adopted the child, but he never felt like he belonged, all too aware of his...
Seaside Stranger: Harukaze no Étranger GN 3
Caught in the act, Mio's terrified that he's ruined the relationship he's been building with his boyfriend's brother. Shun hopes that his family will accept him for who he is, but he still may have a long way to go.
― When last we saw Shun and Mio, they were caught in flagrante delicto by Fumi, Shun's younger brother. We rejoin them now at that same moment, and while Fumi runs off immediately, Mio is...
MonsTABOO GN 1
Take a bit of social commentary on twisted, corrupt adults, add in schoolgirls who use monsters as transformed weapons to fight them, and then throw in a game where kids compete to kill the most baddies.
― Take a bit of social commentary on twisted, corrupt adults, add in schoolgirls who use monsters as transformed weapons to fight them, and then throw in a game where kids compete to kill the most ba...
Lost Lad London GN 1
Lost Lad London stands out on more than one level, and it wins the unofficial prize for “manga series most deserving of a live-action British TV series.”
― It isn't always easy to perfectly capture the tone, place, and time being written about, regardless of what culture the author is writing about or is from. Lost Lad London therefore stands out on more than one level, and it wins the unofficial pri...
Requiem of the Rose King Episodes 14-24
Requiem of the Rose King does play fast and loose with both history and Shakespeare. Can a good story overcome its lackluster animation?
― Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers As the wise Prospero once said, “Our revels now are ended. These our actors,/As I foretold you, were all spirits and/Are melted into air, into thin air.” It's fitting that so many Shakespearean quotations can be used to descr...
Aoashi Episodes 1-12
Welcome to Aoashi, the hot-blooded soccer story about what feels like forty boys who share five hairstyles between them.
― Welcome to Aoashi, the hot-blooded soccer story about what feels like forty boys who share five hairstyles between them. That is, of course, entirely too glib a way to describe this series, but it's also a defining piece of the character designs – with a few exceptions, there are...
Blue Reflection Ray Episodes 1-24
Blue Reflection Ray has some interesting ideas and likeable character moments if you can get past it's less than attractive visuals.
― I missed out on Blue Reflection Ray when it premiered last year, but I've become curious enough about the two video games in the franchise to give their anime companion piece another shot. Granted, I still haven't gotten around to playing the games yet, and according ...
Capcom Fighting Collection
The Capcom Fighting Collection delivers a lineup of Darkstalkers games and lesser-known arcade titles! What holds up and what doesn’t?
― The arcades of the 1990s never wanted for fighting games. Capcom's Street Fighter II saw to that, striking gold with its 1991 debut and inspiring wave upon wave of imitators. Yet that proved a burden whenever Capcom created an arcade game that wasn't Street Fighter....
Teasing Master Takagi-san the Movie
This film satisfactorily caps off Nishikata and Takagi's story by being very light on the teasing and heavy on the warm fuzzies.
― With its pitch-perfect portrayal of an awkward middle school romance, Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san (or Teasing Master Takagi-san) was always one of the more charming anime romcoms. After three seasons of adorable flirting masked as teasing, there's absolutely no doubt that ...
Kotaro Lives Alone
I have to say, though, that I'm really glad that I went back and gave Kotaro Lives Alone another shot, because it turned out to be a surprisingly well-written and affecting dramedy that speaks to some important social issues.
― Kotaro Lives Alone had a lot going against it at the outset, which is maybe why I had such a hard time going back to it after giving it a shot during the season's Preview Guid...
The Deer King
Screening in U.S. theaters this month, director Ando shows his talent in creating emotional impact through subtle character animation, even within a dense story.
― Aptly timed, The Deer King's story around a mysterious infectious disease conjures up ideas of a found family and the uncomfortable debate between science and faith. Studio Ghibli alumni Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji have impressive res...
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
A shrine maiden and a tanuki take on monster hordes in this extensive remake of a classic Super NES shooter! Do Pocky and Rocky still have the magic?
― You don't need to know anything about Pocky or Rocky to enjoy their latest game, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. You don't need to know how their series began with the Taito arcade game Kiki Kaikai or how it reached its greatest international popularity when...
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell
This rewrite of the final act of Macross Frontier changes a lot, but are the adjustments in service a better story?
― If I had to describe this film's predecessor, The False Songstress, in a single word, it would be “functional.” The film did a decent job trimming down the first 60% of Macross Frontier's TV series and delivering a coherent storyline, but it was an obviously compromised production tha...
ESTAB LIFE: Great Escape
Sure, the anti-panty cults and commie penguin armies are…a lot, and don't think for one second that this anime isn't proud to get weird and stupid whenever it gets the chance.
― Estab-Life: Great Escape is an especially bizarre anime, and not just for the reasons you're probably already expecting. Sure, the anti-panty cults and commie penguin armies are…a lot, and don't think for one second that this...
Love All Play Episodes 1-13
Love All Play is the sort of show that's good enough to keep watching even as it doesn't blow you out of the water.
― If there's one thing Love All Play unquestionably has going for it, it's the facial expressions. That perhaps sounds like an odd thing to praise in a sports show, but it truly is one of the standout features of both art and animation; each fleeting emotion that the characters feel can...
She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man is a forgettable show, so much so that I found myself struggling to recall what happened in the earlier episodes by the time I reached the end.
― She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man is a forgettable show, so much so that I found myself struggling to recall what happened in the earlier episodes by the time I reached the end. But to its credit, it's r...
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: the Movie Trilogy 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Box Set
Puella Magi Madoka Magica may not have reinvented the magical girl story, but it is an important step in the genre's evolution.
― Given that this is the tenth anniversary release of these films, I'm going to assume some familiarity with them in this review. When Puella Magi Madoka Magica initially came out as a TV series (which the first two films are a retelling of), it started a conversation about ...
Yuri Espoir GN 1
Yuri Espoir is an odd combination of froth and sadness. The way that the world seems hellbent on crushing Kokoro under the burden of false heteronormativity is undeniably tragic, but there is still hope.
― Kokoro's death is impending. That's how she puts it to her friend Amami, anyway – her father is forcing her into an arranged marriage as soon as she finishes high school. The man she's meant to wed...
Dropkick on My Devil!! Dash
Maybe it's the Stockholm-esque relationship I cultivated in consuming so much Dropkick in only a couple of weeks, but this opening stretch of the new season was the most fun I had with the series.
― So here we are with the second season of Dropkick on My Devil and immediately it feels like I'm in an even trickier critical position than I was with the first season. At least I could approach the origin...
Orient Episodes 1-12 Streaming
Based on the manga by Shinobu Ohtaka, Orient's first twelve episodes are both comfortably within shonen norms and just different enough to give it an edge.
― Based on the manga of the same name by Shinobu Ohtaka, creator of the Arabian Nights-inspired series Magi and the battle comedy Sumomomo, Momomo, Orient's first twelve episodes are both comfortably within shounen norms and just different enough ...
Hikaru in the Light! GN 1
Hikaru in the Light! is an idol competition tale, and while its initial description and unfolding feels a little like Blue Lock but for girl idols, it's actually a bit more grounded than it wants to let on in its opening chapters.
― Japan's idol industry has a problem. No, it's probably not the one you think it is; according to M. Hayama, a producer in Mai Matsuda's manga series Hikaru in the Light!,...
Island in a Puddle GN 1
From the creator of ERASED comes a new series about jumping through time when fifth grader Minato switches bodies with adult career criminal Tomohiro Takita – in the moment just after Takita committed murder.
― Kei Sanbe certainly has a way with stories about tormented little boys, doesn't he? But it's hard to complain that the protagonists of Erased, For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams, and now this seri...
Fruits Basket -prelude-
Before there was Kyo and Tohru, or even Kyo and Kyoko, there was Kyoko and Katsuya. Kyoko was a troubled teen; Katsuya a student teacher with no actual interest in education. Apart, they were a pair of misfits; together, they made Tohru.
― One thing I've seen bouncing around shojo-dominated spaces of the internet is anticipation for this movie. Specifically, people are excited about the all-new epilo...
The Town of Pigs GN
The first new release of Hideshi Hino's work in a decade, The Town of Pigs is a short allegory of war that starkly reflects the demons inside humanity.
― Spoiler warning: for the sake of discussing the context of this manga, the end twist is included in this review. The Town of Pigs marks a long-deserved return of Hideshi Hino, a central horror manga artist whose work hasn't been released stateside i...
Look Back GN
From the creator of Chainsaw Man comes a story about the passion of artists and the tragedies that shape our life.
― Growing up as a child, I've always found that there's never really a right or wrong reason to pursue a passion. Whether it's sports, academics, or even the creative arts, the reasons behind why one might decide to walk down those paths could range from the incredibly complex and selfle...
Dropkick on My Devil! Season 1
An anime filled with devilish dysfunctional weirdos engaging in wanton violence is a bit dated at this point, but its filling a niche for someone, if the crowdfunding numbers are to be believed.
― With the third season crowdfunded and poised to premiere this summer, it's well past time to formally take a look back at the original Dropkick on my Devil, to evaluate what brought us here. It's a unique p...
Macross Frontier: The False Songstress
Now screening in the U.S. for the first time, Macross Frontier: The False Songstress proves its larger-than-life idol, Sheryl, is still legendary for a reason.
― It still feels surreal to be covering this film, honestly. Sure, Macross Plus got an event screening not all that long ago, but that was a title that had at least temporarily escaped the licensing nightmare that has plagued Macross for decad...
Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love GN 2
The second volume is a step up from its debut but will a too-clingy younger sister put the brakes on Satomi and Yagyu's relationship?
― In a decided improvement from volume one, this second book in the shoujo romance series Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love features our hero and heroine slowly growing closer. This naturally means three of the major romance manga staples: the beach date, the zoo date, and the ...
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