Samus is back in this expansive, extensive remake of Game Boy original Metroid II, but can it capture that old Metroid feeling? Dustin suits up to find out... ― There's a lot of bombast to a title like Samus Returns. Not just a nod to the original Metroid II subhead, this is indeed the return of Samus after an interminable hiatus for the Metroid franchise. It's been thirteen years since the last 2D M...

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4 comments

This Week in Anime - How Meta Does Re:Creators Get?

Sep 19, 14:10

4 comments

anime

What did this anime about fictional characters confronting their makers have to say about the creative process? This week in anime, we tackle the conclusion of Sota and Altair's story. ― Re:CREATORS is a story about fictional characters meeting the people who created them, but just how far does its metafictional rabbit hole go? This week in anime, Micchy and Steve follow Sota and Altair's tale all th...

game review

15 comments

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Sep 19, 13:00

15 comments

games

To call the end of Danganronpa "shocking" would be an understatement! Jacob Chapman takes on the controversial final chapter in this SPOILER-FREE review. ― Prior to the release of this (second?) conclusion to the main Danganronpa trilogy, series creator Kazutaka Kodaka was emphatic in several interviews that this "new semester" would be completely open to newcomers. While it would bring closure to th...

feature

3 comments

Easing into Ys

Sep 19, 12:14

3 comments

games

It may never grab the spotlight like other long-running JRPG series, but the Ys games have a long legacy and a strong pedigree. With a new game on the horizon, here's everything a beginner needs to know. ― At one time a premier role-playing franchise that stood toe-to-toe against the likes of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, a variety of factors prevented Nihon Falcom's Ys from achieving the mainstrea...

review

48 comments

Review: Neo-Yokio

Sep 19, 10:16

48 comments

anime

It's an original anime by Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig and famous actor Jaden Smith, along with a celebrity voice cast. What could possibly go wrong? Mike Toole investigates Netflix's latest original. ― They finally did it, folks: they animated Jaden Smith's Twitter account. That was what I thought after hearing Smith's character, Kaz, unwind the first of many bizarre pronouncements, in a bid...

column

10 comments

Answerman - What is "Video Post-Production"?

Sep 18, 12:00

10 comments

anime

You see it in the credits of anime blurays and DVDs all the time - but what does "video post-production" actually entail? Justin has the answer. ― Craig asked: Just finished watching the third Berserk film, The Advent and in the credits I saw your name. for Video post production. What exactly do you do in terms of post production(clean up, video/audio compression, restoration?)? Do all companies who...

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11 comments

Shelf Life - Hyouka Part 1

Sep 18, 11:00

11 comments

anime

Paul Jensen takes a look at the long-awaited blu-ray of Kyoto Animation's unusual mystery series, along with a rundown of this week's new anime releases! ― I went to a screening of Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro last week. It was my first time seeing the movie, and I have to say it was a blast. If you're a Lupin fan or are interested in Hayao Miyazaki's early work as a director, it's definitely...

review

17 comments

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya BD+DVD

Sep 18, 10:00

17 comments

anime

One of the most compelling adventures in the Haruhi saga finally arrives on Blu-ray! Nick Creamer takes a look at this uniquely engrossing film. ― After the madcap adventures and slapstick comedy of Haruhi Suzumiya's first two seasons, the anime series was capped off with a film unlike anything that had come before. Somber, slow-paced, and introspective, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya represent...

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21 comments

The Mike Toole Show - All About 'I Give My All'

Sep 17, 16:06

21 comments

anime

Mike's quest for unlicensed anime leads him to the strange case of "I Give My All", a racy OVA from the 80s that was very nearly released here... until it wasn't! ― As part of the work I do with the Discotek gang, I occasionally work on some cool shows that were once licensed, but never really released on video in the west—you know, the really good anime, like Fighting Foodons. As the years pass, the...

feature

59 comments

How Mari Okada Went From Shut-In to Anime Director

Sep 17, 11:30

59 comments

anime

The inimitable screenwriter behind Hanasaku Iroha, anohana, and Anthem of the Heart just released her autobiography. Kim Morrissy shares the recent director's enlightening story. ― Mari Okada recently became a topic of discussion when it was announced that she was directing an original anime film at P.A. Works. For many, this news came as a surprise, because unlike most anime directors, Okada has no ...

review

1 comments

Generation Witch GN 1

Sep 17, 10:58

1 comments

manga

These episodic adventures of modern, everyday witches are charming if a little light on lasting impact. Theron Martin delves into Generation Witch. ― Witches as commonly portrayed in anime and manga – flying around on a broomstick sporting a long pointy hat – are decidedly a Western phenomenon, but that hasn't prevented them from popping up in Japanese media on a regular basis over the years. Generat...

column

43 comments

The List - 7 Worst School Teachers

Sep 16, 11:00

43 comments

anime

School is back in session for the fall, but you'd better hope your new instructors aren't anything like these terrible tutors! ― It's the final week of summer, although most retail stores skipped straight to pumpkin season a few weeks ago. Deny it all you want, but the back-to-school grind is here which means notebooks, packed community college parking lots, and a handful of new instructors trying t...

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