When beating the crap out of other people just isn’t enough, Baki turns to a giant ape for help getting stronger. ― Narrator Disclaimer: Baki The Grappler is not intended to illustrate martial arts in any meaningfully realistic way. Check with your doctor before continuing physical activity with broken bones and ruptured limbs. Baki The Grappler is a primer in unrealistic bloodsports. It's both amazi...

column

6 comments

Answerman - Do Japanese School Gangs Really Exist?

Mar 9, 10:00

6 comments

anime

From Akira to Tokyo Revengers, Jerome discusses how much is real and how much is a fictional trope. ― Alex asks: "I've seen a lot of anime and manga that portray large groups of kids from middle school to high school in gangs that are affiliated with a particular school. Do such gangs exist, and how much impact do they have on society?" I love this question. Thank you for sending it in. You're not a...

feature

4 comments

Edo Justice and Island Gods: What Hell's Paradise Gets Right (and Invents) About Historical Japan

Mar 9, 09:00

4 comments

anime

This is the perfect moment to examine how Yūji Kaku built his dark fantasy on the bones of real Edo-period history. ― With Season 2 of Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku) now ongoing as of January 2026, this is the perfect moment to examine how Yuji Kaku built his dark fantasy on the bones of real Edo-period history. The Yamada Asaemon were real, and the irezumi kei was an actual criminal punishment—the ser...

news

2 comments

Fist of the North Star, Galaxy Express 999 Composer Nozomi Aoki Dies at 94

Mar 9, 07:46

2 comments

people

Aoki also composed soundtracks for Akuma-kun, Patalliro!, more anime ― The Nikkan Sports and Anime! Anime! news websites reported on Monday that composer and arranger Nozomi Aoki died on February 20. He was 94. Folk singer Chiharu Matsuyama first announced the news on the Matsuyama Chiharu On the Radio radio program on March 8. Aoki arranged many of Matsuyama's early songs in the late 70s. Aoki was b...

review

9 comments

The Water Magician Anime Series Review

Mar 8, 12:00

9 comments

anime

All in all, The Water Magician is proof that subverting clichés just for the sake of it does not make an entertaining story. ― *Note: This review contains major spoilers for The Water Magician. As someone who has seen more isekai anime than they can count, watching The Water Magician is a uniquely baffling experience. At its most basic, it's built on the premise of an isekai genre-savvy protagonist, ...

review

4 comments

BEASTARS Volumes 5-22 Manga Review

Mar 7, 12:00

4 comments

manga

This is not a series that will make it clear everything will be all right, as it doesn't offer solutions to its problems, even by the very end. ― BEASTARS is such a fascinating series on paper, with themes and setups that are beginning to seem more commonplace. Using anthropomorphic, furry characters as an allegory for real-world issues can have mixed results, especially when the separation between s...

news

23 comments

'Evangelion 30th Anniversary Special Screening' Anime Short to Officially Stream Tonight

Mar 7, 04:23

23 comments

anime

Short starring Asuka premiered at "Evangelion:30+;" festival on February 21 ― The website for the Evangelion franchise announced on Saturday that “Evangelion 30th Anniversary Special Screening,” the new anime short that premiered at the "Evangelion:30+;" festival on February 21, will officially stream on Sunday, March 8 at 12:00 a.m. (Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 a.m. EST). The video will debut on khar...

review

1 comment

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7—Steel Ball Run Volumes 1-5 Manga Review

Mar 6, 12:00

1 comment

manga

Steel Ball Run is easily Jojo’s most bizarre adventure yet. ― Even by Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (JJBA) standards—which, to be clear, is an absurdly high bar to clear—Steel Ball Run (SBR) is absolutely, positively, aggressively, relentlessly, and lovably capital-W Weird. As vast as it is, the world of manga simply doesn't get wilder than this. Dare I say, SBR is easily Jojo's most bizarre adventure yet...

column

24 comments

This Week in Games - Pokémon Hits The Big 3-0

Mar 6, 11:00

24 comments

games

It's all Pokémon all the time as Jean-Karlo looks back on three decades of history and what we can expect from the game-changing franchise in the future. ― Welcome back, folks! It's a hectic week, and as I type this, I'm fighting off a very stubborn head cold. One thing that disappoints me: it was Chun Li's birthday this past weekend! Normally, I like to dedicate a section of the column to discussing...

feature

2 comments

A Niche of Their Own – Diving into the Top Anime Titles by Streaming Platform

Mar 6, 09:00

2 comments

anime

Kalai looks at Netflix's past and current reports to find what anime everyone is really watching. ― 2025 proved to be a big year for anime, as global box office performance and streaming views compete head-to-head with Hollywood-produced content. Streaming giants, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have been investing in their anime library and even chasing those audiences in other avenues, suc...

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