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Ruri Rocks ‒ SEASON FINALE
It's the finer details of that dirt and the process of discovering them that is the important part. And in that respect, this ending for the anime does feel special in its own way.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus ‒ SEASON FINALE
Sometimes, you just need someone—anyone—to tell you it's going to be okay.
CITY The Animation ‒ SEASON FINALE
CITY the Animation is nothing short of an achievement in the medium of animation and is packed with the exact kind of informed optimism that I think the world needs more of right now.
Secrets of the Silent Witch ‒ Episode 12
Monica is a bundle of tightly wound social anxiety. Meanwhile, Felix is a fount of superficiality.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 23
Mina popping giant monsters with a mega-sniper emplacement is legitimately very cool, there’s no two ways about it.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity ‒ Episode 5
With all of the heaviness in the main plot, Usami is something of a godsend.
Anne Shirley ‒ SEASON FINALE
It’s Anne’s world summed up: the fantasy of romance with the romance of real life, wound together like ribbons on a bouquet.
Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE ‒ SEASON FINALE
Not bad for a squeaky little melon-headed moe-blob.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 ‒ SEASON FINALE
I desperately tried to find something to emotionally grasp and get me invested, but every time, it's like the show slapped me in the face for giving it that chance.
One Piece ‒ Episode 1144
Luffy’s Gear 5 form needs serious opposition to be under any real threat - and this episode makes it clear that the five elders are up to the challenge.
Turkey!-Time to Strike- ‒ SEASON FINALE
If you have a taste for the equally-absurd-and-heartfelt, or if you just want to watch something that’s truly unlike anything else you’ve ever seen, Turkey should be considered a must-watch.
New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT ‒ SEASON FINALE
While I expected a certain level of edging trolling in the finish for New Panty & Stocking, I also knew that they wouldn't let things wrap without spectacularly blowing their load at least once.
Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube ‒ SEASON FINALE
Turns out that setting two scary yokai against one another works wonders.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra ‒ Episode 12
This anime wants to be Berserk so, so badly.
Sword of the Demon Hunter ‒ Episode 23
So much for any hope of closure this season, as the series decides to go for some slack timeslip whimsy.
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ‒ SEASON FINALE
Is this going to be the first-ever yuri-only poly anime I think I've ever seen?
Sakamoto Days ‒ SEASON FINALE
This episode comes off less like a season finale and more like the show simply hitting pause for the foreseeable future.
CITY The Animation ‒ Episode 12
While episode twelve of CITY the Animation does look great, anyone who reduces this episode or the broader show down to its visuals is doing the work and themselves a massive disservice.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity ‒ Episode 4
This episode once again combines sheer adorability with a grounded exploration of prejudice and how it affects people’s day-to-day lives, all with Kaoruko’s absolutely perfect hairstyle.
The Summer Hikaru Died ‒ Episode 11
No matter what kind of eldritch monstrosity he may metamorphose into, Hikaru will always remain a blorbo.
Gachiakuta ‒ Episode 11
On paper, “Amo's Hospitality” just shouldn't work. In practice, though? It's easily my favorite episode of Gachiakuta yet.
Call of the Night Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE
With Anko's arc wrapped up, the adaptation elongates its denouement with a mostly anime-original episode that allows its various creatures of the night a chance to reflect and party.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE
This show can be spooky horror and goofy comedy, but the third part of its secret sauce is its tender portrayal of young love—and this finale hammers that home.
Witch Watch ‒ Episode 24
Morihito has always been more neurotic than his stoic attitude would suggest, and this is basically just 20 straight minutes of demonstrating how much of a dork he truly is.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus ‒ Episode 12
Up until now, we’ve been buying into an assumption—that our Santa-clad beauty was the one-and-only Touko Kirishima. But you know what they say about assumptions.
Ruri Rocks ‒ Episode 12
As appreciable in its ideas as this week's episode is, it arguably works better unburdened from thinking it's the final say on the whole arc of the season.
With You and the Rain ‒ SEASON FINALE
Anyone can be outside when water is falling from the sky, but not everyone can appreciate it as something more than mere weather.
Secrets of the Silent Witch ‒ Episode 11
All in all, this is an episode where you can see the puppets' strings clearly—taking you right out of the story.
Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 23
It’s a shame things got so far with Roy, but Anne was doing what she thought she wanted, what she had convinced herself was her romantic dream.
Bad Girl ‒ SEASON FINALE
When Bad Girl works it’s a sweet and hilarious exploration of the confusion present in young love; and the season finale was exactly that.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE
With the way the world is going right now, I need a show where people from different walks of life enjoy each other's company through a creative hobby. Call me simple-minded, but I REALLY need this right now.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 22
Classic teamwork struggles abound as the duo is forced into action before all the kinks have been worked out - and before they really know how their cooperation is going to work in the field.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 ‒ Episode 11
The look on Naofumi's face in the screenshot perfectly summarizes my reaction to this episode.
DAN DA DAN Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE
This week, DAN DA DAN's season finale delivered a showstopping battle between a rubber-suited dinosaur kaiju and a giant Buddha mecha piloted by a gang of ridiculous idiots.
Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube ‒ Episode 12
Welp, guess I like fox boys now. How do I tell my wife?
Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE ‒ Episode 23
The great thing about the scientific method is that its results are reliably reproducible by anyone, given the correct procedure.
Clevatess ‒ SEASON FINALE
“Return of the King” concludes this outstanding first season of Clevatess with bombastic spectacle, shocking violence, and enough genuine pathos to ensure that this show will stand tall as one of the year's best anime.
Turkey!-Time to Strike- ‒ Episode 11
The group is solving this potentially-fatal problem the only way they know how: bowling.
New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT ‒ Episode 11
At the best of times, it feels like the crew is simply trying to one-up each other in terms of writing and illustrating the most hilariously blunt dick jokes put to screen.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra ‒ Episode 11
Mynoghra just doesn’t have the guts to be gorier.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE
This season finale suffers from one major problem. From a story standpoint, this is really two episodes crammed into one.
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ‒ Episode 11
Did this show just end an episode by invoking a powerful emotional reaction in me?
The Summer Hikaru Died ‒ Episode 10
It doesn't feel nightmarish as much as it feels like an authentic nightmare.
Ruri Rocks ‒ Episode 11
Ruri's enjoyment of and engaging with mineralogy, like the earth itself, has a fair few layers burying it that she needs to dig through before she can commit.
One Piece ‒ Episode 1143
He’s giggling and kicking his feet, I’m giggling and kicking my feet - we’re all having a great time.
Sakamoto Days ‒ Episode 21
This is a great example of how fun Sakamoto Days can be when it hits its stride, and while a lot of it rides on sheer spectacle, sometimes that's all any good action blockbuster needs.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 21
It all comes together to make a great stretch of character focus for Kafka.
Call of the Night Season 2 ‒ Episode 11
After weeks of flashbacks, mysteries, action, and drama, Call of the Night returns to its roots with long nocturnal conversations about life, love, and dirty jokes.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity ‒ Episode 3
Suddenly, Rintaro sees her as Kaoruko, and that’s a person he can talk to.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 ‒ Episode 23
Is anyone else craving pizza?
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 ‒ Episode 23
The warm feeling that this episode left me with genuinely makes it one of my top episodes of the entire franchise.
Secrets of the Silent Witch ‒ Episode 10
Bernie is a kid with a superiority complex. Not only is he talented, but he’s been told all his life that he is special. He has taken this to heart in all the good ways and the bad.
Witch Watch ‒ Episode 23
One thing is certain: No matter what else happens, we can't escape thinking about Uron Mirage.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus ‒ Episode 11
Touko was the queen of the school before Mai arrived—at which point she was promptly replaced.
CITY The Animation ‒ Episode 11
I struggle to think of any other anime that’s had such a specific and unique voice, while also being so cohesive across every element of its production.
To Be Hero X ‒ SEASON FINALE
While X's impact on the world started the night he gave Cyan her first coin, the story is far more than his own personal tale—which is why we, the viewers, have been witness to it over these past 24 episodes.
Bad Girl ‒ Episode 11
Even if two thirds of this episode wasn’t my jam, the opening act is so good that I can’t help but love this episode and wish more of Bad Girl was like it.
Gachiakuta ‒ Episode 10
I don't need hours devoted to explaining every single character's abilities. Stick to a basic but consistent logic that keeps the fights feeling interesting, fresh, and cool.
With You and the Rain ‒ Episode 11
Every week, With You and the Rain gets at least one thing very right. This week? The allure of reading about bees.
Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 22
It’s the last time Diana Barry will kiss Anne. Sure, Diana Wright will, but she’s not quite the same person.
Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE ‒ Episode 22
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed the show quite as much as I have done since Senku and his pals reached the Amazon.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 ‒ Episode 10
If the producers are so insistent on milking this dry to the bone franchise for all it's worth, can the show at least get creative about it?
Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube ‒ Episode 11
I’m not sure why the wormy monster thing first manifests from above a field of electrified solar panels. Perhaps the director is anti-renewable energy?
DAN DA DAN Season 2 ‒ Episode 22
Whoever once said that "Cellar Door" was the most beautiful combination of words in the English language was a hack and a charlatan. Obviously, that honor goes to the sentence "Hey, It's a Kaiju."
New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT ‒ Episode 10
This week's entry hands things over into the noncanonical anthology/pastiche angle, going all Simpsons Treehouse of Horror with a couple of entries in Garterbelt's Cabinet of Curiosities.
Clevatess ‒ Episode 11
Even if 'Fake Hero' didn't showcase a thrilling climactic battle between our outmatched heroes and a vengeful demigod, I still would have been on the edge of my seat the entire episode, because Clevatess' lore and worldbuilding is just that good.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra ‒ Episode 10
Better visuals absolutely could’ve helped to give Mynoghra the edginess it’s so desperately trying to conjure.
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ‒ Episode 10
This girl is so deep in the closet, I want her to get Aslan's autograph for me, because she is occupying a separate plane of existence.
Turkey!-Time to Strike- ‒ Episode 10
Let this episode be testament to the value of learning and preserving local history.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 ‒ Episode 11
Is simply standing on the sidelines, watching as his friend brutally murders dozens of men (who, admittedly, totally deserve it) something Boxxo can actually do?
The Summer Hikaru Died ‒ Episode 9
The episode's slow simmer of exposition and character beats suddenly turns boiling when the boys meet up with Old Man Takeda.
Sword of the Demon Hunter ‒ Episode 22
It's supposedly a new beginning, but a very middling episode.
Sakamoto Days ‒ Episode 20
If there's one thing any diehard stan won't stand for, it's someone knowing their idol better than they do.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity ‒ Episode 2
Those Kikyo girls need a major lesson in judging people by appearances and socio-economic status. I can’t be the only person who wanted to yell at them as they were dragging Kaoruko away.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 20
The fighting looks cool and is impactful while also fitting the general mood of what has been building up since last week.
Gachiakuta ‒ Episode 9
“No more crap vibes! Let's party.” Talk about words to live by.
With You and the Rain ‒ Episode 10
If there's one unspoken perk of being a writer, it's working from home and the corollary delight of having your pet appear on Zoom calls
Call of the Night Season 2 ‒ Episode 10
It's the big showdown: Nazuna versus Anko. Two ladies with big jackets enter. One lady leaves.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 ‒ Episode 22
Beneath the supernatural hijinks is a very real story of brotherly envy and love.
Ruri Rocks ‒ Episode 10
Forcing Imari to take point changes the whole vibe of the expedition, and shows that these characters aren't just interchangeable mouthpieces for dispensing mineralogy trivia.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 ‒ Episode 22
There were moments during this episode that were genuinely difficult to watch.
Bad Girl ‒ Episode 10
I can’t think of any other anime that has an e-girl streamer rizzing herself up while explaining that socialism is the only ethical economic and political model for society!
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus ‒ Episode 10
The purpose of Himeji's mind-reading ability is for her to learn empathy. However, thanks to her long-reinforced self-centered tendencies, she instead uses her powers to seduce every man and boy that catches her eye.
CITY The Animation ‒ Episode 10
Maybe I was just in the mood for an episode like this as I watched it in early September as my own summer comes to a close, but episode 10 of CITY captures exactly what makes the season so special.
To Be Hero X ‒ Episode 23
With the death of one fake hero, two true heroes are born.
One Piece ‒ Episode 1142
Vegapunk’s passing represents an interesting bookend to a very long journey.
Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 21
Life always moves on, no matter how much you might not want it to. Anne learned that lesson with Matthew’s death, and again with Diana’s engagement and Ruby’s passing. But I don’t think it ever really occurred to her that Gilbert might move on.
Turkey!-Time to Strike- ‒ Episode 9
This episode felt like a culmination of everything I love about this anime.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra ‒ Episode 9
At its core, this week’s episode was nothing if not full of head pats.
Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE ‒ Episode 21
The tension here comes not necessarily from “oh no, everyone is dead, how terrible,” but from “yeah, okay, despite all the murderings we know they're somehow going to get out of this, but how?”
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 ‒ Episode 9
Wow, I felt almost nothing but irritation while watching this episode.
Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube ‒ Episode 10
Any object loved and appreciated enough will develop its own sense of self.
DAN DA DAN Season 2 ‒ Episode 21
As we all know by now, a slightly-below-incredible episode of this show that is mostly focused on introducing new characters and setting up future plot points is still going to be a hell of a time.
New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT ‒ Episode 9
Instead of a neutral character combo, it seems the team stumbled into the most potent crack-ship possible in this show. It has to be healthier than Kneesocks hooking up with her sister.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 ‒ Episode 10
All known immediate threats have been handled. So, what do our heroes decide to do? Take part in a beauty pageant, of course.
Clevatess ‒ Episode 10
The general was a good man once, too, and his friendship with Margo was truly a prime source of their incredible strength.
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