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Episode Review — Anime

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ep. review

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 7 ‒ Episode 10

Buckle up: it's once again Fujoshi Time because nobody stopped me last week.
ep. review

You are Ms. Servant ‒ Episode 10

I’m so glad that this anime finally took a much-needed beat. I only wish the episode itself were better.
ep. review

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth ‒ Episode 11

Nowak is the scariest character of the year.
ep. review

Nina the Starry Bride ‒ Episode 10

I’ve seen and read a lot of shoujo over the years, and I can confidently say that Nina telling the king of Galgada that she doesn’t give a rat’s ass stands out as a highlight of a heroine standing up for herself.
ep. review

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict ‒ Episode 36

This episode made me realize just how little we really know about Nemu.
ep. review

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II ‒ Episode 10

In the end, this episode is an action-focused one, putting the more personal worries to the side to have some fights and properly introduce our protagonists.
ep. review

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ‒ Episode 22

In the end, it’s hard not to feel like this whole yokai transformation thing was mostly a waste of time.
ep. review

BLUE LOCK 2nd Season ‒ Episode 34

This might be the best-looking episode of the season thus far, and I will take what I can get.
ep. review

365 Days to the Wedding ‒ Episode 10

This is the funniest episode of the show thus far.
ep. review

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. ‒ Episode 10

The introduction of Ginji, elementary-school-age child genius BROOM engineer, stretches the credulity of what makes Magilumiere's setting work.
ep. review

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians ‒ Episode 10

Why does Rettoran have both a magical and a standard track? The better to use the Standard students to fuel Northern Harris’ mad dreams of unencumbered magic, my dear.
ep. review

Negative Positive Angler ‒ Episode 10

It's right there in the title. Things can't stay positive forever. Sometimes, you have to confront the negative.
ep. review

Blue Box ‒ Episode 10

I would love it if our protagonist's romantic interest actually seemed a little more interested in romance with him?
ep. review

Dragon Ball Daima ‒ Episode 9

If there’s one moral to this episode, it’s that no one should trust Goku to be responsible.
ep. review

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms ‒ Episode 10

While Alma has mourned the loss of his friend Yakumo for over a century, Fist has ridden his rotting body like a fleshy mech-suit during that entire time.
ep. review

Acro Trip ‒ Episode 11

It's just nice to see the show step up its game in some way this close to the end of the season.
ep. review

DAN DA DAN ‒ Episode 10

Sincere, funny, and expertly crafted romance is the lifeblood that fuels my existence. Folks, let me tell you: This one episode of Dan Da Dan is enough to keep me going for the next seven years straight.
ep. review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V ‒ Episode 9

That's Freya in a nutshell – she's not just one thing, she's many, and all of them together make up a single person.
ep. review

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii ‒ Episode 9

Kirishima and Yoshino's plot to foil the chinpira out for their blood makes this the most action-driven, gangster movie-esque episode yet, but to mixed results.
ep. review

I'll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History ‒ Episode 10

Liz can't really understand that Alicia doesn't want to be friends not because of hate or misunderstanding but because of a difference in core values.
ep. review

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 7 ‒ Episode 9

My most unpopular Natsume's Book of Friends opinion is: “I don't trust Natori.”
ep. review

One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga ‒ Episode 5

If you are like me (which is to say, a person of taste and sophistication), then you enjoy watching the Straw Hat pirates interact with one another.
ep. review

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth ‒ Episode 10

Badeni may not be invoking the specter of social media when he talks about the propagation of unreliable information, but Uoto, the author, sure is.
ep. review

Nina the Starry Bride ‒ Episode 9

It's fairly obvious to us that there’s a significant difference between what Nina feels for Sett and what she feels for Azure.
ep. review

You are Ms. Servant ‒ Episode 9

Usually school festival episodes are a highlight, but surprisingly, that’s not the case in Ms. Servant, which has somehow found a way to make a boring one.
ep. review

BLUE LOCK 2nd Season ‒ Episode 33

The relationship between Rin and Sae is at the heart of this episode.
ep. review

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 ‒ Episode 33

Are we finally getting out of this game?
ep. review

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ‒ Episode 21

However things pan out next, it’s hard to escape the feeling it’ll all come at Lucy’s expense.
ep. review

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II ‒ Episode 9

With Pitohui's insanity constantly stealing the spotlight, it's easy to forget how far Karen has come. More than that, it can be easy to forget why she started her character journey in the first place.
ep. review

Ranma ½ ‒ Episodes 8-9

Akane is used to the unwanted attention of men, after all, and she has plenty of weapons in her arsenal to defend herself.
ep. review

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. ‒ Episode 9

The lead-in properly lays out Niko's backstory, which is both nice on its own, and also great because it loops in more of Magilumiere's brilliant world-building that I love so much.
ep. review

365 Days to the Wedding ‒ Episode 9

Rika is doing everything in her power to ensure she doesn't become the protagonist of this show, but little does she know, the wheels are already set in motion.
ep. review

Negative Positive Angler ‒ Episode 9

NegaPosi Angler embraces the silliness of their situation with an ensemble-driven episode full of goofs and good food.
ep. review

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms ‒ Episode 9

When done well, the narrative style “More is More” can be really entertaining.
ep. review

Dragon Ball Daima ‒ Episode 8

This week’s episode of Daima successfully left my inner 8-year-old bouncing across the room, and I couldn’t be happier.
ep. review

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians ‒ Episode 9

If he could, I suspect Mr. Harris would act like the king in Sleeping Beauty and banish all writing implements from Rettoran grounds on the off chance that someone might accidentally draw a spell array.
ep. review

Blue Box ‒ Episode 9

Taiki may have lost the battle for nationals, but he has a good shot yet of making headway in his quest for Chinatsu's heart.
ep. review

DAN DA DAN ‒ Episode 9

Sometimes, the only way to properly adapt a manga is to completely destroy its established style and pacing in order to take advantage of the medium of animation.
ep. review

Acro Trip ‒ Episode 10

Thankfully, this week's episode manages to land on the “Funny” side of the spectrum, though only just barely.
ep. review

I'll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History ‒ Episode 9

In which we are, once again, reminded that Alicia is not a normal villainess.
ep. review

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 7 ‒ Episode 8

Being Natsume's friend must be a supremely weird experience.
ep. review

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 ‒ Episode 32

It’s episodes like this that really test my abilities as an episode reviewer…and my patience.
ep. review

Nina the Starry Bride ‒ Episode 8

It's hard not to think that Az’s arrival in Galgada isn’t for the express purpose of bringing Nina home.
ep. review

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii ‒ Episodes 6-8

These episodes also go a long way toward explaining why Kirishima is… you know… like that.
ep. review

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth ‒ Episode 9

Orb's embellishments never let us forget the depth of its human drama. A small yellow circle at dusk shatters the whole world for the man observing it.
ep. review

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict ‒ Episode 34

If you had told me a few months ago that this anime would do Uzumaki better than the Uzumaki anime would do Uzumaki, I wouldn’t have believed you. And yet, against all odds, here we are.
ep. review

You are Ms. Servant ‒ Episode 8

It’s really hard to take the exposition dump about Yuki’s childhood seriously when it’s being delivered by a giant, cartoonish-looking empty sauce bottle.
ep. review

BLUE LOCK 2nd Season ‒ Episode 32

Now we're getting into the second half, and based on the final shot, it's time for the demon to enter the field and cause as much of an upset as possible.
ep. review

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ‒ Episode 20

Hopefully things will turn around as we get further into this arc, but right now, if this is how we’re starting, then I can’t say I’m feeling too confident about the rest of it.
ep. review

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II ‒ Episode 8

With this final episode of the arc, one thing becomes strikingly clear: This arc was never Llenn's story, it was Pitohui's.
ep. review

One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga ‒ Episode 4

"Hehehe Luffy stretchy Robin reading Chopper baby,” I say for twenty-plus minutes, kicking my feet with glee.
ep. review

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians ‒ Episode 8

Someone is really scared about the return of ancient magic, and they are not holding back.
ep. review

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. ‒ Episode 8

Kana and the crew are attending the annual Magical Technology EXPO, where all the latest advancements in magical girl monster-blastin' can be seen!
ep. review

Negative Positive Angler ‒ Episode 8

By showing Machida in both scathing and sympathetic lights, NegaPosi Angler transforms a potentially rote narrative into an engaging one.
ep. review

365 Days to the Wedding ‒ Episode 8

While this episode didn’t give me exactly what I wanted, it was mature, well-thought-out, well-paced, and emotionally devastating in all the right ways.
ep. review

Dragon Ball Daima ‒ Episode 7

Having Goku and the others accidentally overthrow the Demon Realm government while hunting for Dragon Balls does feel like a gag Toriyama would write, so I hope it comes true.
ep. review

Blue Box ‒ Episode 8

Watching him run off into the sunset because he can't even bear to confront her or his mother may be Blue Box at its most melodramatic, but you know what? Taiki has earned himself a big, dramatic cry out in the painterly splendor of the setting sun.
ep. review

Acro Trip ‒ Episode 9

You look at that Tiny Evil Hat and tell me that Chizuko isn't the perfect successor to Chrome's legacy of charming ineptitude.
ep. review

DAN DA DAN ‒ Episode 8

We've got a friggin' Shin Godzilla Loch Ness Monster, Aira's kickass new Acrobatic Silky transformation, and a perfect balance of spooky atmosphere and cute hijinks.
ep. review

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms ‒ Episode 8

Mecha-Ude episode 8 showcases excellent action sequences balanced with intelligent character development, and welcome goofy humor.
ep. review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V ‒ Episode 8

That what Freya is trying to do is to force Bell to stand still in the fantasy she's created for herself makes it all the more imperative that he moves forward.
ep. review

I'll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History ‒ Episode 8

Despite the return of our now one-eyed villainess, this episode is about Liz more than anyone else.
ep. review

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 ‒ SEASON FINALE

One of the things I most respect about Re:Zero is its willingness to stop and address potential plot holes rather than simply barrel ahead at full speed—even in a season finale like this episode.
ep. review

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 ‒ Episode 31

Please tell me I’m not the only one who was watching the second half of this episode while screaming “what the hell are we doing?”
ep. review

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 7 ‒ Episode 7

I doubt we'll see Isamu again, but his brief presence served to help Natsume—and the audience—know Taki a lot better.
ep. review

Ranma ½ ‒ Episode 7

But hey, the fight is good, so we're good, right? WRONG!
ep. review

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth ‒ Episode 8

Their chat is Orb's twisted take on the seduction of evil, as Badeni the snake spreads his honeyed words to lead Jolenta astray from Catholic orthodoxy.
ep. review

Nina the Starry Bride ‒ Episode 7

Alisha/Nina is the fulcrum on which two kingdoms balance.
ep. review

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict ‒ Episode 33

I never cease to be amazed at how jaw-droppingly gorgeous the animation in this show looks every single week, and yet every single week it still manages to find a way to out-do itself.
ep. review

You are Ms. Servant ‒ Episode 7

Dress up, a zombie movie, a power outage—this week, we got all the ingredients for a quintessential Halloween episode.
ep. review

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II ‒ Episode 7

What does it mean for Pitohui and Llenn now that Pitohui's obsession has switched from re-creating the Sword Art Online experience to Llenn herself?
ep. review

BLUE LOCK 2nd Season ‒ Episode 31

OK, I admit defeat. I was wrong about the episodes looking better once we got to the U-20 match.
ep. review

One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga ‒ Episode 3

What I find most interesting about this return to the Fish-Man Island arc is how it fulfills nearly the same role in the current era that it did when it was first released.
ep. review

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ‒ Episode 19

This wouldn't be Fairy Tail if we didn't transition to a new arc in the silliest way possible, so that means a non-stop barrage of gags, callbacks and of course, fanservice.
ep. review

Blue Box ‒ Episode 7

I can totally empathize with the silly, butterflies-in-the-stomach excitement comes from wondering if the girl you like might have been jealous over more than just that other girl's access to your nuggets...
ep. review

Negative Positive Angler ‒ Episode 7

Hiro's mistake is thinking he needs to be good at fishing in order to have a good time fishing.
ep. review

365 Days to the Wedding ‒ Episode 7

Well, this episode definitely took an unexpected turn.
ep. review

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. ‒ Episode 7

It's smart, and so strongly brings things back at the beginning of this episode that I was quickly able to blow past a cheaty cliffhanger and enjoy everything else it was doing.
ep. review

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn't Be Magicians ‒ Episode 7

Despite getting some very good answers, this is kind of a frustrating episode.
ep. review

DAN DA DAN ‒ Episode 7

This is a perfect episode of television. That is to say, it is somehow even more perfect than every episode of DAN DA DAN has already been.
ep. review

Dragon Ball Daima ‒ Episode 6

While this episode leaves us with as many questions about Glorio as it does answers, what we do get culminates in one of the show’s coolest spectacles to date.
ep. review

Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms ‒ Episode 7

With Mecha-Ude’s rushed pace and underwritten character moments, scenes that should be emotionally devastating are at risk of feeling superficial.
ep. review

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 ‒ Episode 57

Subaru has already become the hero he once deluded himself into thinking he was—he just hadn't realized it yet.
ep. review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V ‒ Episode 7

Freya has been deceiving everyone in Orario from the start, and maybe that's something that Hedin is at least tangentially aware of.
ep. review

Acro Trip ‒ Episode 8

I wish a single funny joke wasn't the most memorable part of this otherwise disappointing and disjointed episode of Acro Trip.
ep. review

I'll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History ‒ Episode 7

In which our villainess is conspicuously absent.
ep. review

Ranma ½ ‒ Episode 6

This arc introduces what will become a recurring motif in the series: martial arts versions of things that aren't traditionally combat-oriented.
ep. review

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 ‒ Episode 30

While definitely not an episode that had a lot of substance to it from a narrative perspective, sometimes you need an episode that’s just pure fun.
ep. review

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 7 ‒ Episode 6

In a world where Natsume can see things that aren't there, what is real? This strange, dreamlike episode calls everything into question.
ep. review

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth ‒ Episode 7

Our merry band of heliocentric heretics welcomes a new member into their fold.
ep. review

Nina the Starry Bride ‒ Episode 6

Nina isn't a passive princess Sett can browbeat into any form of submission, and her show of being a worthy queen in no way indicates that she'll be a submissive partner.
ep. review

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict ‒ Episode 32

This is definitely a more low key episode—quite a contrast to all the 2000s-AMV-bait we’ve had in the past few weeks.
ep. review

You are Ms. Servant ‒ Episode 6

Let’s be honest: who amongst us hasn’t yearned to bury ourselves in the inviting warmth and softness of freshly dried towels?
ep. review

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ‒ Episode 18

Watching Gajeel go full Ultraman and wrestle with Aldoron like they’re in a kaiju fight is the best part of this whole affair, and it just makes me wish it was the actual climax of this arc.
ep. review

365 Days to the Wedding ‒ Episode 6

This episode got way more real than I expected.

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