Tamagotchi! Miracle Friends (TV)

Shelf Life - School-Live!

Jul 24, 11:00

anime

James Beckett discovers surprising thrills and chills in this slice of life drama that's more than it seems on the surface. Plus, all this week's new releases and a new Shelf Obsessed! ― My daily streaming review shows for this season have a suspicious number of things in common. Both New Game and Gamers are video game-themed slice-of-life comedies (one about the people who make them, one about the ...

review

37 comments

Review: Saga of Tanya the Evil

Jul 24, 10:00

37 comments

anime

This unusual series combines dark comedy and war drama to shockingly entertaining effect. Nick Creamer delves into Tanya's cynical world. ― Saga of Tanya the Evil's first episode largely confirmed all my worst suspicions regarding the title. Framed from the perspective of a tiny girl who'd somehow risen to officer status within a faux-German military, it seemed to revel in nastiness, playing up the g...

column

The Mike Toole Show - The Magnificent 1997

Jul 23, 13:49

anime

Mike straps in to his time machine for a trip back to the year 1997 to revisit some of his old favorites, from Battle Athletes to a little show called Berserk! ― This week, I'm finding myself stuck between stations. I've got a couple of pieces in the early stages, and one column that's almost done but just needs a little more detail to really make it work. Retrospective pieces are always good in a pi...

ep. review

30 comments

Series Premiere: The Reflection

Jul 23, 11:40

30 comments

anime

Studio DEEN and Stan Lee team up for this summer's new superhero anime, with a controversial artistic style. Our weekly series reviews begin here!

feature

The Controversial Legacy of Final Fantasy XII

Jul 23, 11:26

games

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is an ambitious remaster of a game with a notoriously rocky development and release. Dustin turns the pages of Ivalice history for a look back. ― There is perhaps no Final Fantasy game—and certainly no 3D entry in the series—which has been uncontroversial. Maybe that's the cost of a franchise where each iteration is wildly different from its predecessor, making group...

review

Genshiken: Second Season GN 9

Jul 23, 10:00

manga

Genshiken seeks to steer its most questionable plot arc into safer waters in its surprisingly thoughtful ninth volume. ― Genshiken Second Season has been a bit of a mess. In contrast with the original series' sensitive and remarkably grounded approach to fandom circles, Second Season has shifted from a promising setup into outright harem comedy territory, its characters moaning about their own cliche...

column

The List - 6 Fantastic Female Friendships in Anime

Jul 22, 11:00

anime

Whether they're taking down monsters or just surviving the trials of high school, these gal pals have each other's backs through the best and worst of times. ― Hello readers! As you may or may not know, I'm approaching my fifth anniversary as the author of The List. With the exception of brief hiatuses and reprints over the last year or so, that's roughly 250 columns written about anime and manga to...

review

27 comments

Fate/Apocrypha — Episodes 1-3

Jul 22, 10:00

27 comments

anime

While we wait for the newest animated entry in the Fate series to arrive on Netflix, Kim Morrissy has a look at the first three episodes straight from Japan. How does this "Great Grail War" compare to its predecessors? ― Note: While Fate/Apocrypha is not yet available streaming in English, this review comes courtesy of our Tokyo correspondent who watched these first three episodes in Japan. Fate/Apoc...

feature

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Interview: Tokyo Ghoul (live-action) Director Kentarō Hagiwara

Jul 21, 12:00

0 comments

live-action

The director behind this challenging action/horror manga adaptation discusses the process behind bringing the shock and wonder of Tokyo Ghoul to life on the big screen. ― Just before its wide Japanese release, the live action Tokyo Ghoul film premiered at Anime Expo on July 3rd, 2017. Hundreds of people waited hours in line for a chance to see the film, whose screening filled the JW Marriot's Diamond...

column

50 comments

Answerman - Why Aren't Anime Sales Figures Made Public?

Jul 21, 11:30

50 comments

anime

We'd really love to know exactly how well our favorite anime sold on Bluray and DVD. Why do they keep these numbers from us? Justin gets into it. ― Michael asks: I was wondering if you could explain the mindset behind why anime companies seem to be so secretive with their sales numbers. I could be wrong about this, but I don't see any benefit to not releasing how many units "title x" sold or how man...

feature

Why Affordable Housing for Animators Matters (and What You Can Do to Help)

Jul 21, 11:00