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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.
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ‒ Episode 9
Unlike previous plotlines, this has the potential to be a good arc for another potential love interest while also being a good arc for Renako herself.
Call of the Night Season 2 ‒ Episode 9
Anko is Not Okay.
Sword of the Demon Hunter ‒ Episode 21
Forget the technical issues with this episode's roll-out, I was annoyed with how much of a squib it was.
Witch Watch ‒ Episode 22
There isn't really anything off about how this week's shorts have been adapted, but I do wish they'd picked some better ones to place together.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 ‒ Episode 21
Creating a situation where Marin is potentially forced to confront somebody who just straight up doesn't like her could be interesting.
Sakamoto Days ‒ Episode 19
We'll have to see how well the show manages to deliver on all these looming threads, but there's at least enough here to work with to help this season go out with a bang
Ruri Rocks ‒ Episode 9
The slideshow of saucy setups is punctuated with lovingly grounded animation of Nagi hammering apart rocks while wearing said maid outfit, as the Ruri Rocks crew are, above all, creators of culture.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 19
We just haven’t spent as much time with Ichikawa in the past, and in the present, there is no one in much immediate danger either.
CITY The Animation ‒ Episode 9
You’d think by now CITY would be out of tricks, but no, it’s still finding new ways to impress both visually and emotionally nine episodes in.
One Piece ‒ Episode 1141
Here we get to see the joyful, destructive goofballery of that idea in action as Dorry and Brogy's giants rip apart the navy and marines without so much as a scratch.
Secrets of the Silent Witch ‒ Episode 9
Casey wants to make her exile easier on Monica—tries to goad Monica into replacing her sadness with hate or apathy. But, unfortunately, that's not the kind of person Monica is.
Gachiakuta ‒ Episodes 7-8
Rudo's first job is in the bag, he's an official member of the Cleaners, and he is beginning to reap the rewards of his new position, such as the crew of cool new friends and access to all of the decadent sweets he can eat.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus ‒ Episode 9
To Himeji, love is something others do to her—not something she does to others.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity ‒ SERIES PREMIERE
This is a situation that's just begging to be shaken up. Assumptions run rampant in this episode, and only two people are trying to see beyond them.
To Be Hero X ‒ Episode 22
While Nice does the right thing, he does it in the wrong way. Deep down, part of him is still trying to accomplish Shand's original plan—if only half-heartedly.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 ‒ Episode 21
I did not put money down on Teru becoming the funniest character in the show, but I really should have.
With You and the Rain ‒ Episode 9
At long last, an episode of With You and the Rain that will get my sister to shut up about how Kimi doesn’t have visible eyes!
Bad Girl ‒ Episode 9
While this episode doesn't quite bring some of the simmering character dynamics to the surface of the show in the way I was hoping, episode 9 of Bad Girl gave me enough of a taste to stave off that appetite at least.
Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 20
Even if Anne does change her heart later, that doesn't invalidate what she feels now, and very few people are hearing that.
Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE ‒ Episode 20
In a rare nod to plausibility, it turns out no, actually three teenage fighters aren’t a match for an organized team of professional soldiers armed with semi-automatic firearms.
Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube ‒ Episode 9
When humans no longer need to strive for what makes them happy, they become lazy.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 4 ‒ Episode 8
The irony about this arc is that the constant focus on Raphtalia really emphasizes how little her presence has become since season two.
DAN DA DAN Season 2 ‒ Episode 20
The show can now pivot back to sitcom mode and let us bask in the glory that is 'Evil Eye Steals Jiji's Body to Go to School and Do Other Normal Stuff, Except Like an Insane Freak.' It is glorious.
Turkey!-Time to Strike- ‒ Episode 8
Why did anime stop ending episodes on dramatic stills? It’s so cool. We should bring this back.
New PANTY & STOCKING with GARTERBELT ‒ Episode 8
Seeking to answer the question of "What would a Panty & Stocking musical look and sound like?" yields…basically the precise answer you would expect, but it's no less stunning in its execution for that.
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 ‒ Episode 9
You don't burn a forest just because you're evil. You do it as part of a bigger plan.
Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra ‒ Episode 8
For a series that’s trying so hard to be dark and brutal, it’s really been severely lacking in the gore department until now.
Clevatess ‒ Episodes 8-9
With every passing week, Clevatess continues to up the ante and deliver one of the most consistently entertaining and considered adventures of the season.
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ‒ Episode 8
If Mai was taken out of the show, then I think everything would be much better, but the problem is that if you take her out, then there wouldn't be a show because everything revolves around her actions.
The Summer Hikaru Died ‒ Episode 8
The consequences of their actions (and inactions) haunt both Hikaru and Yoshiki in unsettlingly direct ways.
Sword of the Demon Hunter ‒ Episode 20
It's not a visually impressive or varied episode, just a standard dark rainy night of the soul, yet it conveys its main idea well.
Sakamoto Days ‒ Episode 18
Any proper exam arc in a battle shonen needs a wild card, and where Hunter x Hunter gave us Hisoka, this show gives us Kanaguri.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 ‒ Episode 18
Kafka hasn’t been in this season much at all, and with the way Reno’s musings are framed, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Kafka was straight up dead.
With You and the Rain ‒ Episode 8
Although it's made up of the same short-segment format as the rest of the series, episode eight brings everything together.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Season 2 ‒ Episode 20
For as much as this is a show about the supernatural, its beating heart is the ties that bind us together—through family, friendship, and romantic love.
CITY The Animation ‒ Episode 8
My partner once described this show as feeling like it was “made by someone who never had anything bad happen to them,” and I can't help but agree.
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 ‒ Episode 20
The dialogue and reactions were definitely the highlights of this episode.
Witch Watch ‒ Episode 21
This proves something that anime has exploited for years: you can sell any personality type, no matter how weird or terrible, so long as you put a cute girl in front of it.
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