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A New Dawn Anime Film Review
There's a sense of invention permeating through A New Dawn's various experiments with visual languages of animation.
― Perhaps there's a certain irony in a story about a fireworks factory mostly keeping away from explosive drama. Yoshitoshi Shinomiya's lowkey feature directorial debut A New Dawn is at the very least visually captivating, comprised of lush and rather hypnotic production design. The st...
Thunder 3 Volumes 2-8 Manga Review
Thunder 3 is one of the most insane manga I’ve ever read, and it’s incredible.
― Thunder 3 is one of the most insane manga I've ever read, and it's incredible. It's a bizarre mash-up that I can only describe as “what if Crayon Shin-chan, but Gantz”. If that sounds like a wild combination, then it is. The first volume, which I reviewed for Manga Guide back in Fall 2024, certainly impressed me with its...
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Volumes 2-6 Manga Review
Author Jinushi seems to have taken more than a few leaves out of the Rumiko Takahashi book of “one step forward, two steps back” style of storytelling.
― How important is relationship progression to you regarding your enjoyment of romantic comedy manga? Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You's author Jinushi seems to have taken more than a few leaves out of the Rumiko Takahashi book of “one step for...
Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm Volumes 1-8 Manga Review
Fujisaku’s work on Stand Alone Complex really shines through, as he absolutely nails the interpersonal banter between the lead characters in a way reminiscent of what made that series so iconic.
― For anyone new to legendary manga creator Masamune Shirow's expansive Ghost in the Shell (GitS) franchise, The Human Algorithm (THA) is absolutely not the correct place to start. First, go check out the abs...
The Ghost in the Shell Legacy Edition Box Set Manga Review
This is a premium product for those who already know what they’re getting, and it’s absolutely the best way to acquire Ghost in the Shell.
― Does The Ghost in the Shell franchise even need to be introduced? For fans of my generation, after Akira, the 1995 movie adaptation was one of the main gateway drugs into the anime medium. Dark Horse comics brought the manga to English readers during the same pe...
We Are Aliens Anime Movie Review
There’s never been an anime that looks like We Are Aliens, a strange, sad, and stunningly rotoscoped movie.
― I've never seen a movie that looks quite like We Are Aliens. I can compare aspects of the style to other anime to give you an idea, but those different stylistic traits have never come together before the way they do here. Imagine if the Flowers of Evil anime had the time/budget to draw each ...
I Want You To Make a Disgusted Face and Show Me Your Underwear Season 1-3 Anime Series Review
There’s just enough novelty in Show Me Your Panties While You Give Me That Disgusted Look! to make it feel interesting, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it got a fourth, fifth, or even sixth season.
― Show Me Your Panties While You Give Me That Disgusted Look! or I Want You To Show Me Your Panties With a Disgusted Face Returns, beginning in the third season, is one of those works that's more interested i...
Devil May Cry Season 2 Anime Review
This season is far more concerned with exploring its trio of main characters than it is political commentary.
― Beyond the action and adventure of the first season, Devil May Cry was largely an allegory for the war on terror. Refugees were persecuted for no other reason than their place of birth, and in the end, terrorist attacks were used as justification for a foreign invasion. While this aspect of...
Uncanny Counter Season 1 Live-Action Series Review
For evil spirits and the fighters who counter them, death isn’t the end of the story; it’s just the start of a new chapter.
― As a child, So Mun (Jo Byeong-kyu) lost his parents in a horrible car accident. With a disabled left leg as a reminder, So is now living with his grandparents and is a target of bullying and abuse at school. With his friends, Woong-min (Kim Eun-soo) and Ju-yeon (Lee Ji-won), S...
My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked Volumes 1-7 Manga Review
My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked is a frothy confection of a series, and consuming it a little at a time will help to allow its sweetness to come through.
― It's a story that's been around for millennia: a girl is thrust into a terrible situation after her mother's death, when her father remarries and her new stepmother and stepsisters resent her for the crime of merely existing. Sometimes...
Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope Anime Review
It’d take a heart of stone to come out of this not feeling sad, but at times it felt scientifically engineered to do so.
― There are two tropes in anime that never get old: humanoid robots and dying girls. Whether it's Astro Boy or Apocalypse Hotel, there's something innocent about seeing metallic dolls learning what it means to be human. Not even the AI apocalypse could ruin this concept, though som...
Red River Omnibus 2-5 Manga Review
Red River is a work of epic fiction, shoujo manga style, and it's still worth reading thirty years after its original publication.
― Historical fiction doesn't always owe history fidelity, but Chie Shinohara absolutely gives it more than its due in Red River. Although she fudges history a bit – the inspiration for Yuri was likely the wife of one of Kail's successors, a woman named Puduhepa – and chan...
Dara-san of Reiwa Volume 1-3 Manga Review
Dara-san of Reiwa feels like two manga stitched together, not unlike its monstrous central character.
― How should readers approach Dara-san of Reiwa, a story that feels like two manga stitched together, not unlike its monstrous central character? Creator Haruomi Tomotsuka shared at the end of volume one that the story originated as a web manga and was, at least at first, an outlet for his own fetish...
Reform with No Wasted Draws - The Legend of Koizumi Volume 1 Manga Review
When a manga has a two-page disclaimer, you know you're in for a good time.
― When a manga has a two-page disclaimer, you know you're in for a good time. And let me tell you, Reform with No Wasted Draws - The Legend of Koizumi's first volume is a hell of a ride. My initial thought was, “Why bother with using real people?” but after reading this volume, I've come to understand why it was a much more e...
Dandelion Anime Series Review
Traces of Gintama's heart and hilarity are definitely here, but each episode goes on five minutes too long in service of a tacked-on climax.
― Gintama is one of the most celebrated comedy manga of all time. Hideaki Sorachi smashing aliens into the tail-end of the Sengoku era was every bit as bold as when Akira Toriyama dropped dinosaurs and mechs (and eventually aliens) into Journey to the West. What...
A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation Anime Series Review
This noble’s vacation might be gentle on the eyes and ears, but recommending it is another story.
― A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation centers around a young duke, Lizel, who is magically transported into a kingdom he does not recognize. He gets by through becoming an adventurer, hiring a bodyguard, Gil, and together they wander the kingdom as part of a vacation where serendipity holds the rein...
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Game Review
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a perfect example of the pros and cons of a typical Yoshi game experience.
― Even though most Nintendo games are marketed to people of all ages, I have always found Yoshi games, in particular, to be skewed towards a slightly younger demographic. They're usually much simpler than Mario or Zelda games, for example. While that makes them more accessible, I sometimes feel...
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Volumes 4-6 K-Comic Review
This may be one of the okay-est titles I’m reading, but there’s enough to keep me coming back each time a new volume is released.
― Shadow Realms are something of a trigger for Desir Herrman. That's understandable – before his return to his high school-equivalent life, he watched everyone he loved die in one before ultimately succumbing himself. He would be justified in freaking out when he and his t...
Alien Nine Blu-ray Review
It's undoubtedly a unique experience: a little cute, a little off-putting, a little horrifying, and more focused on being intriguing rather than satisfying.
― Anime OVAs can feel like a lost art nowadays. Gone is the era of many lavishly animated, often ultraviolent indulgences funded by dubious sources. So, too, are the subsequent times of esoteric direct-to-video experiments largely comprised of vi...
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Mini-Episode Cut Anime Review
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is a must-see as an upcoming summer release—just wait for the full-length cut.
― Two jaded-looking adults chatting as they smoke caught my attention when I saw the announcement of this anime adaptation. As a working professional, I'm more inclined to watch a slice-of-life anime that features characters around my age group over an action title, especially one th...
Saved By the Ice Cold Prince's Embrace Chapters 1-19 Manga Review
Despite treading this familiar ground, Saved by the Ice Cold Prince feels fresh.
― Once upon a time, there was a count. He had two daughters, one with his wife and one with a maid. The daughter of the countess was treated with love, affection, and care – probably too much. The maid's daughter, on the other hand, was treated with cruelty and harshness, made to live with her dying mother in a cold atti...
Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent Anime Film Review
Visually stunning, musically strong, filled with supernatural mystery and action, and continuing to highlight the plight of women in feudal Japanese society, The Curse of the Serpent is a fantastic capstone to the trilogy.
― While each of the previous two Mononoke films is a stand alone story that shares a single location and a few overlapping characters, The Curse of the Serpent is the first of the ...
Final Fantasy IX Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa's Memories for the Sky Book Review
While it skews far younger than the average fan of Final Fantasy IX, it's nevertheless an adorable little book and a great little story to share with your children.
― As part of Final Fantasy IX's 25th anniversary, the original event designer sat down and gave the world a charming little picture book, all about the early days of the adorable and fan-loved Black Mage Vivi. You can almost imagine this ...
The Case Book of Arne Anime Series Review
The first episode of this anime is really good at defying expectations. The rest of the series, not so much.
― Let's address the elephant in the room here: the key visual is misleading, as are the plot summaries on Crunchyroll and IMDB. All of The Case Book of Arne revolves around the girl Lynn first and foremost. However, the first episode is anime-exclusive, deviating from the original RPG Maker ga...
The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom Anime Series Review
Tiara has very little agency in her own story. Things happen to her and one of the men in her life step in to rescue her. She is the damsel in distress rather than the hero.
― We've hit the point where, each cour, we get at least one or two villainess anime. However, most of those are either comedy or drama-based or a mixture of both. The vilainess character either tries to change their fate or plays...
Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! Volumes 2-6 Light Novel Review
Reborn into a game world with no understanding of the rules, Melody Wave becomes the perfect maid and whips the game into tiptop shape while making the perfect cup of tea.
― One must begin this series with a pure heart, willing to accept anything. And should one attain that state before beginning, Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It!) will reward the reader time and time again....
Ghost Dating Simulation Season 1 K-Comic Review
Ghost Dating Simulation is, in all fairness, kind of schlocky. But it's also compulsively readable and tries to use its genre to its advantage.
― At first, this sounds like a story we've all seen a thousand times before: a disillusioned young man tries his hand at being a gaming streamer, ends up getting pulled into a game, and is immediately surrounded by a bevy of lovely ladies. I went into Ghost D...
Hotel Inhumans Anime Series Review
While I enjoyed my time spent at Hotel Inhumans, it undoubtedly has room for improvement going forward.
― Despite my initial disappointment in discovering that Hotel Inhumans was not, in fact, all about a gang of creepy monster-folks all living together under one roof, I was immediately intrigued with what the show is actually about, which is a series of episodic stories all dealing with various kill...
MAO Volume 24 Manga Review
Stuck in Natsuno's eye, Daigo never really had the same chance to move on from the bad old days like the rest of the Goko Clan remnants.
― As a young man once said, life comes at you fast. Sometimes that means you don't have time to stop and really process what's coming your way. For Nanoka, that means that she has to keep moving forward, Natsuno's death notwithstanding. After all, there's still the ...
Zatsu Tabi -That's Journey- Anime Series Review
This is a very useful guide for visiting EVERY prefecture if you’ve got the money, while also emphasizing it's okay to make detours if you miss out on your planned destination.
― If you could go to Japan, where would you want to go? It's a question every anime fan has asked before. Plenty of anime often double as tourism ads for specific prefectures, so it only makes sense that they'd want to visit t...
Creamy Mami: Forever Once More Anime Review
Creamy Mami: Forever Once More gives you enough to understand the new material and is a successful coda.
― If you want to watch Studio Pierrot's original magical girl TV series, you are, as of this writing, largely out of luck. While the series received a crowdfunded DVD release back in the days of Anime Sols and was later streamed on RetroCrush, the DVDs are out of print, and RetroCrush no longer st...
Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider Episodes 15-24 Anime Review
When it comes down to it, the main theme of this anime is the power of love.
― With the back half of Tojima Wants to Be A Kamen Rider, the plot solidifies into one interconnected arc. Bat Man is taking a stab at world domination through the Japanese idol industry. Rather than turning only the strongest into Combatmen, Bat Man has turned every possible Japanese idol into one—and that's only step one o...
Detective Conan: FBI Intervention Anime Series Review
This has certainly been the lowest point of this creative endeavor.
― I knew it was only a matter of time before the series reached this point. Given the unorthodox nature of these episodic releases and the impressive awkwardness of the original Black Organization episodes, I had a feeling TMS would run into this particular problem. It's impressive that it took this long for this issue to surface. Th...
Kunon the Sorcerer Can See Anime Series Review
The greatest (and saddest) irony of Kunon the Sorcerer Can See is that the show itself just isn't very pleasant to look at.
― The greatest (and saddest) irony of Kunon the Sorcerer Can See is that the show itself just isn't very pleasant to look at. While far from an artistic disaster, it is not hard to see the consequences of the obviously limited resources and time that the crew at Platinum Vision ...
Betrayal of Dignity Volume 1 Novel Review
If you aren’t a fan of jerk romantic interests, I’d recommend looking for a different book.
― This is a beautifully written and well-translated book about an absolute horror show of a man. Betrayal of Dignity, whose webtoon adaptation is also available to read on Manta's site and app, is an impressive combination of light novel and old school romance novel, which makes it almost aggressively readable...
100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Volumes 2-17 Manga Review
No scene in any of these volumes feels like it exists solely for the gratification of the viewer, but rather like a natural consequence of these adorkable, horny characters being trapped in a room together.
― Hakari Hanazono, Karane Inda, Shizuka Yoshimoto, Nano Eiai, Kusuri Yakuzen, Hahari Hanazono, Kurumi Haraga, Mei Meido, Iku Sutou, Mimimi Utsukushisugi, Meme Kakure, Chiyo Iin, Nadeshiko Yamato, ...
Grand Blue Dreaming Volumes 1-23 Manga Review
Peekaboo Diving Club’s definition of “fun” is much less about love of the ocean than it is about drinking, getting naked, and failing classes.
― Grand Blue Dreaming has all the emotional depth and resonance of that friend of a friend who, well into your 30s, always says things like “Dude! Remember that time you got blasted and puked on the shoes of the girl you liked? That was awesome!” Iori, an aver...
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World TV Special Review
As with the series proper, pause at nearly any point, and the resulting screenshot looks great. It's once the show is in motion that things get dire quickly.
― When last we left off in the TV series proper, Yuuya had defeated his first Vile—Yuti, the divine archer's disciple—and we got a few scenes of in the credits showing what happened next. The first part of this special expands on those epilogue ...
You and I Are Polar Opposites Volume 8 Manga Review
I have a lot of respect for the relationship built between Taira and Azuma throughout the series. On the other hand, there is a part of me that feels just a little unsatisfied.
― If there's one thing I like about this finale of You and I Are Polar Opposites, it's how it managed to bring the series full circle. The entire series was built on the idea of characters being obsessed with appearances and o...
Love from the Tip of the Tongue Volume 1 Manga Review
Is this the first official license of a cakeverse manga?
― Is this the first official license of a cakeverse manga? I'm not sure, but I can say that it's the first time I've encountered this omegaverse spin-off. For the uninitiated, “cakeverse” is a variant of the increasingly omnipresent omegaverse where, instead of people being classified as alphas, betas, and omegas, they are separated into cakes ...
Unico: LOST Volume 3 Manga Review
I feel like this book suffers a little bit by just having things or ideas brought up out of nowhere with very little fanfare.
― I am once again taking another magical step into the world of Unico and right off the bat, it's great to see this world expand. One thing I loved about this series is how effectively it rides the line between being beautifully mysterious and downright haunting. A lot of that...
Patlabor EZY: File 1 Anime Film Review
Patlabor EZY makes giant robots as boringly mundane as possible—and therein lies its brilliance.
― Patlabor EZY makes giant robots as boringly mundane as possible—and therein lies its brilliance. This is a world where giant robots are as commonplace as any other piece of large construction equipment. Of course, some use them for crimes (Google “Killdozer” if you want a real-world example), and so the...
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Volume 3 Novel Review
When is a little knowledge more of a problem than none at all?
― When is a little knowledge more of a problem than none at all? Dokja Kim is about to find out. In the middle of navigating the Capture the Flag scenario in what used to be the webnovel Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse (TWSA), Dokja finds himself faced with a group of self-proclaimed Renouncers – people who read some of the novel, bu...
STARBITES Game Review
There's a reliable, well-tuned motor under the hood of this title.
― You don't see a lot of RPGs with futuristic trappings, especially ones that don't just use it as window-dressing for fantasy worlds. STARBITES, a new RPG from IKINAGAMES and NIS America, is that rare gem: an RPG that goes whole-hog into the science-fiction world of mechsuits and robots instead of elves and orcs. Its gritty, post-apo...
The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE - Yotsuba Succession Arc - Anime Film Review
The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE - Yotsuba Succession Arc - serves as the emotional capstone to the story so far. The truth behind Tatsuya and Miyuki's origins is laid bare, as are their feelings for each other.
― *This review contains major spoilers for both the various The Irregular at Magic Highschool TV anime and this film as well. As humans, we love stories about overcoming challenge...
Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express Anime Series Review
This series makes the most of its limited runtime thanks to fantastic dialogue that feels unlike anything you run across in the vast majority of modern anime.
― With 12 episodes running three-and-a-half minutes on average, the entirety of Milky☆Subway can be watched in 44-minutes—48 minutes if you also include the prequel short, Milky☆Highway. Yet, this series makes the most of its limited runtime th...
Kaiju Girl Caramelise Volumes 5-8 Manga Review
Who you are on the outside doesn’t matter nearly as much as who you are in your soul.
― While prior volumes of Spica Aoki's Kaiju Girl Caramelise have focused on the metaphorical aspects of Kuroe's dual nature as Kuroe the High School Girl and Harudon the Kaiju, these four books take the story to a more grounded place. Kuroe has always assumed she's really a human with the odd ability to transform in...
Land Volume 2 Manga Review
Land is neither fantasy nor science fiction, nor is it historical fiction. It's close to all of those, but it settles for none. What it is is an excellent read.
― They say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In Kazumi Yamashita's Land, that takes on a very different meaning. At the end of the first omnibus, An and her twin Anne (this second spelling begins to be used in this vol...
True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends Volume 1-2 Novel Review
If you're looking for an accomplished heroine, a hero with more feelings than he's aware of, and a comfortably realized world, this is the series for you.
― If you didn't know True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends was a light novel, I doubt you'd recognize that fact by reading it. Kosuzu Kobato's fourth English-language release, following I'd Rather Have a Cat Than a Harem, Making Jam in the Wo...
Baki The Grappler Volume 9-12 Manga Review
Young Baki faces losses, but he finds purpose in returning to the hidden arena under the Tokyo Dome to defend his title as the strongest fighter.
― As Volume nine opens, Baki is training again to face his father. Baki walks into a Northern Japan wilderness to find a team of battle-hardened, bloodthirsty commandos that defeated thousands of elite JDSF soldiers by themselves. In Baki The Grappler, ever...
Bleach Volume 56-74 Manga Review
If, like me, you’re a longtime Bleach reader, you owe it to yourself to see this manga to its completion. You’re going to have a bad time, though, and the goodwill the series was already running low on will not carry you to its conclusion.
― Stop me if you've heard this one before, but when a mysterious figure from an otherworldly race/organization appears before Ichigo and pals, their peaceful lives...
Monster Eater: A Delicious in Dungeon Board Game Board Game Review
You don’t have to be a die-hard Delicious in Dungeon fan or a long-time tabletop game veteran to be smitten by this fun little game’s charm.
― The rules of the game are as follows: You and other players have to travel down two levels of a dungeon, slay some monsters along the way, and then, in true Delicious in Dungeon fashion, cook 'em up real nice, all for some victory points. You are dealt a hand ...
Star Detective Precure! Episodes 1-12 Anime Review
Star Detective PreCure is a welcome return to form for the franchise.
― It is an absolute delight to have a good season of Pretty Cure again. You and Idol Precure♪,
the previous entry in the franchise, was the weakest season since Tropical-Rouge Precure, and generally failed to live up to its direct predecessors, Soaring Sky! Precure and Wonderful Precure. But Star Detective Precure is a return to fo...
Tales of Wedding Rings II Anime Series Review
The story is as bland and unimaginative as they come, without much of anything to give it any much-needed oomph.
― Pretense is king in the realm of romance—especially harem anime. By Arceus, there must be an excuse, no matter how canned or flimsy, for love interests to, say, share an indirect kiss, fall on top of each other, or for one of them to need to give the other mouth-to-mouth. That's simply h...
Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None Season 1 Anime Series Review
Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None is hampered by its own premise as much as it is helped.
― Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None is far from the first “banished from the heroes' party” fantasy story in recent years. In fact, it hits many of the key tropes of this sub-genre. Orhun is looked down upon by his party members for being weak—yet he's actually both the logistical linchpin and the strongest memb...
Summer Pockets Anime Series Review
For better or for worse, Summer Pockets is a quintessential Key anime.
― If you like your anime despair in “but surrounded by romanceable girls” flavor, there's a pretty good chance that you're already familiar with Key—or at least, familiar with their works, whether it's their visual novel source material or the anime adaptations that several of them have. But if you're not, Key is a visual novel st...
Glasses With a Chance of Delinquent Volumes 1-3 Manga Review
If there’s one thing that these volumes have going for them, it’s that both Ichikura and Momose earnestly want to change.
― The high school debut or glow-up has become a staple of shoujo and shounen romances in recent decades. You know the story: a kid who was bullied or ignored or perhaps bad in middle school decides that since high school is a chance to start over, they're going to make some seriou...
Tomodachi Life- Living the Dream Game Review
With its charming sense of humor and near endless amounts of well-constructed chaos, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is almost impossible to put down…I just wish that experience were easier to share with others
― The original Tomodachi Life on the 3DS was one of those games that completely flew under the radar for me, and while I remember being pretty impressed with some of the Miis I saw people sho...
Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Anime Series Review
Dark Moon: the Blood Altar, isn’t necessarily a good show, but it’s definitely a good time.
― It's impressive how much of the Dark Moon franchise has made it into English. Created by HYBE, the Korean boy band ENHYPEN, and the Japanese boy band &Team, the series originated as a Wattpad webnovel and a webtoon simultaneously, and then as an anime – all three of which are available as of this writing. (P...
Daily Life of a Part-time Torturer Anime Series Review
The title does not lie: this really is a torture to watch. Just not in the way you’d think it is.
― The problem with The Daily Life of a Part-Time Torturer is not that it's too dark to be funny. It's just not funny, period. The premise is half-baked, the characters aren't goonish enough, and there's nothing hyperbolic in the situations or the dialogue. The main joke of the show is that it juxtaposes ...
Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle Anime Series Review
As an author, it's only worthwhile inverting reader expectations of your protagonist if you intend to do something truly special with them eventually.
― I've been dreading writing about this series. Initially, I was really hyped for this light novel adaptation, which started airing back in Fall 2025. Several English-speaking friends had raved – repeatedly – to me about how great the translated novels...
Me & Roboco Anime Movie Review
I somewhat appreciate the shameless cribbing of more successful works, but Roboco the manga is more than just riding off the coattails of Gintama.
― For the longest time, Me & Roboco has been described by Jump fans as Shonen Jump's Family Guy. Often going viral for its volume covers lifting directly from other series like Jujutsu Kaisen or My Hero Academia, it's common to perceive it as riding off th...
King's Maker Volumes 1-2 K-Comic Review
In a landscape dominated by isekai and lighter fare, King’s Maker stands out for its unrelenting darkness.
― In a landscape dominated by isekai and lighter fare, King's Maker stands out for its unrelenting darkness. Not that it's fully grim, but even when the plot is touching on lighter topics or having a moment of humor, there's always an understanding that the underlying reality of its world is a s...
Iczer Girl Iczelion Anime Review
Schoolgirl Nagisa will be drawn into an intergalactic skirmish and have to find what she really cherishes before she can use the power of Iczelion.
― Iczer Girl Iczelion is a two-episode 1994 OVA in the Iczer franchise, although it occurs in an alternate timeline from Iczer-One, with which it shared direction from Toshihiro Hirano. This OVA is a self-contained story that does not require any knowledg...
Dangers in My Heart Volumes 9-12 Manga Review
Sakurai’s characters are so well-crafted, empathetic, and amusing, that I’d happily read a manga where they do nothing but watch paint dry.
― For fans of The Dangers in My Heart's excellent TV anime adaptation, we're into uncharted waters now. Although the recently released (mostly) recap movie features just under ten minutes of new material, it adapts at most a handful of short chapters from volume ...
Tune In to the Midnight Heart Anime Series Review
For something with “heart” in the title, this anime doesn’t express a whole lot of it.
― Tune in to the Midnight Heart is such a visual disasterpiece that I'm amazed my eyes could get through it all. And I knew what I was in for by the time the second episode rolled through. As if not being cursed with PowerPoint Presentation-styled animation wasn't bad enough, the anime pours more salt in the wound ...
How to Hold Someone in Your Heart Novel Review
Mizuki Tsujimura writes without turning emotions into gooey sentimentality, capturing humans’ inner lives in all of their bruised beauty.
― “It is a gift,” the last person Ayumi helps in this sequel to Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon tells him, “to live in the world at the same time as the person you have in your heart.” These words are a distillation of Mizuki Tsujimura's duology. Although everyon...
You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Anime Series Review
I never felt entertained for more than one moment every five episodes, and the gimmick overstays its welcome quickly.
― I love romantic comedies, and I will always jump at the opportunity to watch or review the latest ones each season. Despite that, I was never super fond of the childhood friend trope. While it can sometimes play into speed-running relationship-building between two characters, since ...
Ariana and the Elder Codex Game Review
Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles.
― Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles. Ariana surprised me with its basic structure. I will admit, from the trailer, I assumed I was getting yet anoth...
Dagger of Kamui Anime Movie Review
From the snow-shrouded mountains to the desert of Western America, from samurai and shinobi to cowboys and Indians, Rintaro’s vision for this classic tale of a half-Ainu boy and a lost pirate treasure is epic.
― It's always interesting to finally see a masterwork by a master craftsman. Most Americans' first encounter with Rintaro was the theatrical release of CLAMP's X. With an uneven translation and...
Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Volume 3 Manga Review
This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans.
― This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans; it certainly is to me. Not only does it include the fantastic storyline “Mister V” which really acts as a de facto climax to the entire series (despite it co...
DIGIMON BEATBREAK Episode 13-24 Anime Series Review
While Beatbreak's early episodes had already shown it to be perfectly capable of operating as a good piece of cyberpunk media, the extent to which this arc successfully tackles all of the heavier themes attached to that elevates it into a great one.
― With its first dozen episodes, Digimon Beatbreak successfully proved to not only be a solid modernization of the Digimon franchise, but also one capabl...
Versus Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
ONE took all of his favorite game, movie, and book antagonists, altered them slightly to avoid copyright violations, and mashed them all together in one almighty smorgasbord of madness.
― Versus is another gleefully over-the-top action extravaganza from the pen of Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man author ONE. After the first volume's extended introduction to this complex world, the next three volumes ...
OPUS: Prism Peak Video Game Review
With talking anthropomorphic animals and a disappearing girl, this is a fantastic story-driven adventure that's sure to tug on your heartstrings by the time the credits roll.
― Developer Sigono creates emotionally moving story games through the OPUS series, a collection of standalone adventures that touch upon topics such as grief, love, and growing up. OPUS: Prism Peak starts off showcasing Eugene's...
Farming Life in Another World Season 1 Anime Series Review
This is a charming romp, and a mindless one, too.
― Here it is, y'all. Another fresh plate of mindless isekai fluff served al dente. It's got farming. It's got food. It's got Jojo's references. It's got vampires, ogres, and dragons taking on the form of cute anime girls. Cliche? Perhaps. Substantial? Not really. Boring? As a fellow once said, it's all a matter of perspective. You already know the dri...
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Film Review
Watching this movie felt like I was strapped into a Mario-themed roller coaster
― I should probably start with some positives first right? I already praised the first Super Mario Bros. movie for its amazing animation and attention to detail. Super Mario Galaxy somehow ups all of that to such a degree where I can confidently say that this isn't just one of the best looking Illumination movies ever pro...
Wandance Volumes 11-13 Manga Review
Dancing like no one is watching you is freeing, but it won’t win competitions.
― We all know that dance is a form of communication, and we know that dance is a form of storytelling. In Wandance Volumes 11-13, the club members at Ichirin learn an important lesson about telling the right story to the right people at the right time. Kabo is struggling more and more with trying to decide who he is, what ...
Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Season 1 Anime Series Review
The color beige has more flavor and personality than this anime.
― While it's generally a good rule of thumb that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten is the kind of anime where the title pretty much tells you exactly what you're in for: An “I want a maid that works for free, but also, she lets me squish her cheeks, and rest my head on her lap, even though I h...
Pokémon FireRed Game Review
This port of Pokémon FireRed made me realize why I was destined to become a Pokémon kid, and why I’m going to be a Pokémon adult for the rest of my life.
― Do not spend twenty dollars to play 2004's Pokémon FireRed on the Nintendo Switch family of systems. I really hate having to bring up whether a piece of media is “worth the price” in a review, as this is one of the lowest forms of criticism imagin...
Tower Dungeon Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
What really sets Tower Dungeon apart is the ever-present sense of progression, of uncovering the unknown, of overcoming trials to progress further.
― Although manga creator Tsutomu Nihei is well-renowned for his sprawling sci-fi epics Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, with these further volumes of Tower Dungeon, he proves he's equally adept at creating fascinating, mysterious fantasy worlds. In place of...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volumes 11-16 Manga Review
Whether Iruma’s changing the Netherworld or the Netherworld was always more “human” than ours, the root of the story is the same: you don’t need to go it alone.
― Welcome to Iruma-kun's longest arc thus far – the Harvest Festival. Unlike the Battler arc and the upcoming Music Festival arc, this one doesn't really have an analogous real-world school event, although I suppose you could make an argument...
Drops of God: Mariage Volume 11-13 Manga Review
To truly be worthy of the Drops of God, Shizuku and Issei have traveled the world through cuisine. Now they will take on the complex and delicious Chinese table.
― We're heading into the last battle to determine if either Shizuku or Issei is worthy of even searching for “The Drops of God.” Volume 11 into 12 just hits it out of the park, with a perfect play of the best of this series. Also, that is a ...
Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Anime Series Review
The villainess leanings of the anime’s story make for a charming watch, imperfect as it all is.
― A lot of fantasies and fairy tales treat their villains more as obstacles than real characters. They're generally vile beings whose sole purpose is to cast curses, poison apples, and eventually get thwacked by the good guys. The reverse, I think, is part of the appeal of villainess isekai. We want to see...
Devil's in the Lunch Deals Manga Review
This tale of an outcast goddess of death who makes delicious food and tries to do good deeds as penance for being, you know, a goddess of death, is prickly and weird, and I think I love it.
― Fairytales play a significant role in human society. They stand in as simplistic moral education, tales of punishment and reward. They are also expressions of psychological and philosophical experimentation. Fai...
Oshi no Ko Volumes 9-12 Manga Review
It’s painful to read this flawed yet sympathetic character slide further towards self-destruction, but that’s all part of the dark appeal of Oshi no Ko.
― For readers wanting to catch up on the manga story after the point where the anime adaptation's second season left off, volume nine is the place to start. Oshi no Ko's anime maintains close fidelity to its manga source, and the four volumes covered...
From a Knight to a Lady Volume 1 K-Comic Review
Luci's mission becomes greater than just her own situation; she's the woman who will take back what other women lost and rewrite the narrative.
― Estelle spent most of her life defying gender norms. As an orphaned girl, she wanted to be in a position to protect rather than be protected, and to that end, she became one of her country's first lady knights. She continued her rise to the top, proving all...
Pokémon Horizons Season 3 - Rising Hope Part 2 Anime Series Review
The show is still taking advantage of the timeskip to tell a slightly more mature story; most of the cast is given a lot more depth, the symbolism is stronger, and the animation has greatly improved.
― The status quo has shifted, the villains are in power, and the Rising Volt Tacklers are on the back foot. But now that they're finally back together, it's time to start launching a counterattack or at ...
McDonald's x Evangelion Transforming Toys Review
McCapitalistic Chaos.
― The time was a few weeks ago, and the place was the Naka-kon dealer's room. There I was, minding my own business so cartoonishly that I may as well have been whistling between licks of my oversized lollipop, as the wind blew through my propeller hat. I wasn't prepared, suffice to say, to have my life very suddenly changed—to be psychically assaulted by an aura so strong, power...
Demon King's Daughter Is Too Kind!! Anime Series Review
The Demon King’s Daughter is Too Kind!! is, in a word, harmless.
― Whether you find The Demon King's Daughter is Too Kind adorable or irritating is going to come down to your feelings about artificially cute kids. Doux, who appears to be somewhere between three and five years old, is a squeaky-voiced moppet with a tendency to shriek “waiii” at every opportunity. She lisps, she giggles, and she makes ...
Be Forever Yamato: Star Blazers: Rebel 3199 Episodes 15-18 Anime Review
Perhaps I’m at my happiest with “spaceship go shooty blam bang oooh pretty colors."
― Forget my concerns about REBEL 3199's relative lack of action in my review of the preceding four episodes. The first three episodes of this next release quartet (also titled The Incandescent Galactic War) comprise essentially wall-to-wall intense space battleship combat from beginning to end, and for those viewers w...
Gizmo Riser Volume 1 Manga Review
When the system is designed to keep you at the bottom, there is no other way to go but up.
― This series checks all the boxes for “shōnen bildungsroman/Hero's Journey tale built on a foundation of social inequity that is actually about the cool gear.” Kuro is a slave among slaves. He's beaten and mocked by a man who claims Kuro as property, with no hope in sight, except for the very brief glimpses he...
Kowloon Generic Romance Volumes 9-10 Manga Review
While everyone else around her remains prisoners of their own regret, pulled into Kowloon like insects by a pitcher plant, Kujirai deserves to fly free, away from this place.
― Being a Kowloon Generic Romance fan is suffering. Since I last reviewed volumes 7 and 8 back in November 2024, only two further volumes have been published in English, with the eleventh due at the end of May 2026. The only bri...
Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 4 Anime Series Review
This is probably the worst season of this show so far.
― It's very easy to clown on Rent-A-Girlfriend because it does a lot of things wrong as either comedy or drama. It's a story that follows a protagonist who doesn't really have likable qualities, and anytime those likable qualities are showcased, they are either immediately walked back, or they're not strong enough to compensate for the sheer amou...
GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! Manga Series Review
GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is for the people who want to see a grown, tax-paying adult revel in petty revenge on everyday annoyances.
― Let's just be honest with ourselves: Broadly speaking, manga and anime are full of goody-two-shoes protagonists. They're usually teenagers. They tend to have selfless personalities or goals, and there's usually some element of needing to stop a superpowered bad guy for anyon...
Wandance Volumes 8-10 Manga Review
Kabo gets closer to the beat, but the distance between him and dance is growing.
― One of the most delightful things about Wandance is that it continues to buck narrative trends repeatedly. In other sports/club stories, the focus would be on the way the team seems to lack cohesion, while one character or another fails to live up to their promise. Here, people do well sometimes and not so well other t...
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Review
This is the best these three games have ever been, and the features included ensure that these games remain enjoyable as intended for years to come.
― Capcom's trek through the Mega Man franchise continues with Mega Man Star Force! Originally released on the Nintendo DS, the Star Force games serve as a continuation of the setting from Mega Man Battle Network. And if you're too young to have enjoyed t...
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