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Girls Band Cry Anime Series Review
Girls Band Cry is an emotionally exhilarating show with a fantastic cast, uniquely strong animation, and fist-pumping songs. Missing out on it means missing out on one of the best anime of the year.
― Looking at the credits, the most immediate connection to Girls Band Cry is the Love Live! franchise. Lead writer Jukki Hanada filled the same role for three of that franchise's four major anime projects...
Kengan Ashura Season 2 Part 2 Anime Series Review
This is the best Kengan Ashura has ever looked.
― Kengan Ashura has come to a close, and even as it improved in nearly every regard from season to season, its finish was middling at best. While this season had more material that appealed to my particular tastes than any other, the problems that have plagued this show since its first episode persisted through the final episode. So, while this season i...
Witchy Pretty Cure! Anime Episodes 26-50 Review
While all Pretty Cure series have some elements that are darker and more depressing, Witchy Pretty Cure!'s penultimate episode is an honest-to-goodness tearjerker.
― If you were wondering why this is the season that gets a sequel, episode forty-nine should give you an answer. While all Pretty Cure series have some elements that are darker and more depressing (albeit rarely as dark as Healin' Good Pre...
The First Slam Dunk Anime Blu-ray Review
The First Slam Dunk serves as a fantastic introduction to Takehiko Inoue's classic while simultaneously functioning as its own self-contained experience.
― When Takehiko Inoue announced that he would not only be returning to the classic that ignited his career but trading out his drafting table for the director's chair, the critically acclaimed storyteller found himself toe to toe with a fascinating ...
Pokémon Horizons Anime Episodes 24-34 Review
This part of Pokémon: Horizons starts off strong. It's firing on all cylinders narratively and in terms of production value.
― This part of Pokémon Horizons starts off strong. It's firing on all cylinders narratively and in terms of production value. Not only does it have the anime appearance of the mysterious Pokémon Terapagos, but it also introduces the audience to Liko's grandmother, Diana, who st...
Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to You Season 3 Anime Series Review
With excellent performances from both English and Japanese returning casts and cleaner character designs and animation, this is a worthy follow-up and one that was worth waiting for.
― To say that it's been a long wait for the anime continuation of Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You might be an understatement. To put it in perspective, last spring, Viz started publishing the soft sequel to the original m...
Rising Impact Season 2 Anime Series Review
Despite some problems, I enjoyed this second season more than the first, but the lack of an actual conclusion lets down much of that.
― While I wasn't too big on the first season of Rising Impact and thought it took a while to get going, I had a decent enough time with it that I was hopeful the second season could improve on it. Unfortunately, while I did end up enjoying it more, this season wound up...
The Boy and the Heron HD 4K Blu-ray Anime Film Review
The Boy and the Heron, in which everything and nothing happens, captures quiet sorrow and loneliness in a film that is hopefully as much capstone as it is eulogy for a storied career.
― Hayao Miyazaki's 2023 film The Boy and the Heron feels like a eulogy. An ineffable sense of loss permeates the story, an underlying sadness that follows a departure, and that feeling isn't aimed toward any person or t...
Megaton Musashi Season 1 Anime Series Review
Megaton Musashi is a curiosity by this point in its story, and a tenuous beginning for a series isn't a return to form or revitalization for the mecha genre that never actually left.
― The idea that mecha is a "dead genre" of anime is an oft-repeated yet provably wrong fallacy. New seasons regularly bring refreshed entrants in the medium, often flying under the radar compared to whatever irregular Gu...
Witchy Pretty Cure! Episodes 1-25 Anime Series Review
Although all seasons in the franchise have their strengths and weaknesses, this one feels solid, and it's easy to see why it was chosen to get a sequel.
― Remember when Power of Hope: Precure Full Bloom was legally available with English subtitles (among others) even though the three series it was a sequel to never had an official English-language release? That won't be a problem for Witchy Precure: ...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 4 Anime Film Review
I couldn't help but feel disappointed—not at what I watched exactly but because of what could have, and perhaps should have, been.
― Leaving the theater after watching Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture's final chapter, I couldn't help but feel disappointed—not at what I watched exactly but because of what could have, and perhaps should have, been. Let's break it down. I have no problem with what happ...
The Misfit of Demon King Academy II Part 2 Anime Series Review
It often feels like the show needs double the runtime to get things in a place where it's understandable—not to mention make it so the emotional bits hit with any amount of weight.
― Whenever I think about this back half of season two, I remember feeling more than a little confused—much more so than I was in past parts of the story. On one hand, this is because both season one and part one of season ...
T・P BON Season 2 Anime Series Review
T・P BON is an upbeat, (mostly) optimistic sci-fi adventure that doesn't shy away from the darkness of human history yet celebrates and uplifts the lives of the "little" people.
― This second half of studio Bones' adaptation of Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F Fujio's 1976-86 manga maintains the same light educational tone as its first, mixed with occasional graphic (historically appropriate) bloody viole...
My Hero Academia: You're Next Anime Film Review
This movie is built around a villain who misinterpreted All Might's final words as a hero—and was inspired by them in all the wrong ways.
― My Hero Academia: You're Next is the fourth tie-in film to the wildly popular My Hero Academia TV anime. Taking place around the start of Season 7, this movie is built around a villain who misinterpreted All Might's final words as a hero—and was inspired by them ...
Wonderful Precure! Episodes 13-24 Anime Series Review
Even if Wonderful Pretty Cure! decides to tackle such a serious topic, Mayu's arc has proven that it can balance seriousness with joyous adventure.
― Dogs have a reputation for being protective, but in my experience, cats are just as keen on keeping their people safe. Although the science, or perhaps pseudoscience, of predicting cats' personalities based on their fur color has conflicting views of wh...
Mononoke The Movie: Karakasa Anime Film Review
Mononoke The Movie: Karakasa is a feast for the eyes, unlike any anime I have ever seen. It deserves to sit right up there alongside the standout works of mind-boggling surrealistic animation.
― The original 2007 Mononoke anime is a Japanese horror anthology series set in the closing days of the Edo period. It follows a man known only as "The Medicine Seller" who wanders across Japan and exorcises "M...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 3 Anime Film Review
This is the “dark chapter” of the story—you know, where everything goes from a generally stable status quo to “the worst things have ever been” in just a few unfortunate moments.
― This film (or theatrically released set of three episodes, if you'd prefer) is the “dark chapter” of the story—you know, where everything goes from a generally stable status quo to “the worst things have ever been” in just...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 47-63 Anime Series Review
Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo.
― Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo. After episode forty-six scarred children of Japan with the magical girl's death via truck, the series still had seventeen episodes to go, well beyond the original slated episode count of fifty. That means that the writers had to figure something out relatively quickly – should the focus be on Momo growing up as the ...
Hajime no Ippo Episodes 1-25 Anime Series Review
Now streaming on Netflix, it's never too late to appreciate the underdog classic anime, Hajime no Ippo.
― Hajime no Ippo is a classic in the sports anime world. I cannot think of a show that perfectly embodies what we now consider the iconic underdog story more than Hajime no Ippo. Years ago, I watched this show on a whim as I was interested in learning about boxing at the time, and it quickly rose t...
Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Episodes 12-24 Anime Review
Arthurian legend fans, prepare to find some fun references in this set of episodes. That's always true of Nakaba Suzuki's works; the man is nothing if not consistent with his fondness for Arthurian lore
― Arthurian legend fans, prepare to find some fun references in this set of episodes. That's always true of Nakaba Suzuki's works; the man is nothing if not consistent with his fondness for Arthurian ...
Ishura Season 1 Anime Series Review
While Ishura seems to take itself incredibly seriously with such silly names, it's best enjoyed as a supremely daft, flashy action show.
― Ishura is about the closest thing I've seen to a good old Fate-style Grail War in a while. We've got a huge cast of overpowered individuals with godlike abilities duking it out with one another over a vast canvas of multi-factional war. Everyone has their own agen...
Rising Impact Season 1 Anime Series Review
I walked away from the first half of this series feeling reasonably entertained despite a rough start; it eventually managed to veer into something fun, if a bit uninspired.
― While it can be hard to gauge how well anime generally performs on Netflix, if there's one series that's undoubtedly been a success for them, it's Nakaba Suzuki's The Seven Deadly Sins. So much so that they've been consistently...
The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 3 Anime Series Review
Despite my grievances with how the story is told, I cried like a baby by the end. The Duke of Death and His Maid feels like it can only be described as wholesome edging.
― We have finally approached the end of this journey. When I first watched The Duke of Death and His Maid, I didn't think I would grow as emotionally attached to these characters as I did. What I thought would be a light yet digestib...
Bartender Glass of God Anime Series Review
Like a cocktail, the ingredients are all there, but they've been blended without skill or care, lacking fizz, leaving only a hint of the flavor and kick of the original.
― Despite my intense personal dislike of alcohol (for no profound reason other than it makes me feel ill and I hate the taste), I nonetheless love the original 2006 TV anime adaptation of the Bartender manga. In the same way that Lai...
A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics Anime Series Review
Despite refocusing away from overt fantasy trimmings, A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics remains persistently and delightfully bonkers.
― Reverse isekai as a genre hasn't been done to death as definitively as its unreversed sibling. In A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics, the parallel world conceit is primarily employed to provide us with two very different fish-out-of-water characters and mine their odd situations f...
YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master Episodes 1-13 Anime Review
YATAGARASU is a work of art. That's not just a statement on the careful details of the images and animation; it's an overall assessment of how the entire series is put together.
― Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master is a work of art. That's not just a statement on the careful details of the images and animation, although those are beautiful; it's an overall assessment of how the entire s...
As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill Season 1 Anime Series Review
This is a tale full of comedy and heartwarming moments—scenes of triumph and scenes of despair. However, throughout it all is a sense of hope that one good man can bring peace and prosperity to a failing empire.
― The first few episodes of this series follow a simple, predictable pattern. Through chance, Ars discovers a promising talent and tries to recruit them. However, each person has problems or ...
Urusei Yatsura 2024 Anime Series Episodes 37-46 Review
Grab the series by the horns and tune into the crazy adventures of our stubborn cast.
― When it was first announced that there would be a reboot of the Urusei Yatsura series, I was genuinely surprised. The series already has some fairly beloved anime adaptations and original animations. Given the tropes that the original manga spearheaded back in the eighties, I just wasn't sure if there was a place ...
The New Gate Anime Series Review
I love the concept of The New Gate. I also quite enjoy the characters and the story. What I don't enjoy, however, is this particular adaptation—especially when it comes to the animation.
― In concept, The New Gate is just this side of fan fiction. It takes the first arc of Sword Art Online and uses it as a launching pad to tell its own story. Basically, its central question is, "What if Kirito was tr...
Tadaima, Okaeri Anime Series Review
I can't blame anyone who saw "omegaverse" and decided that the show was not for them, but part of the joy of reviewing media is the discovery of a series that defies your expectations.
― There's a good chance that the particular subgenre that Tadaima, Okaeri belongs to has scared a lot of viewers away. The series, based on the manga of the same name by Ichi Ichikawa, is what's known as "omegaverse," ...
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again Anime Series Review
This series is conceptually very unique, and some might find it worth watching just for that. But its execution still leaves plenty of room for improvement.
― Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again, henceforth referred to as Young Again, has come out at a weird time. On the one hand, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Delicious in Dungeon both feature older protagonists and are both very recent and high...
A Few Moments of Cheers Anime Film Review
Yu and Daisuke are facing what may be the end of their art. This film is about their pain and suffering and the looming decision they face: is it time to finally give up on their art?
― When it comes down to it, A Few Moments of Cheers is a film about the artist's struggle. The film is focused on three artists: Kanata (a 3DCG artist), Yu (a singer), and Daisuke (a painter). Kanata is at the beginning...
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era Anime Film Review
The more you know about the real-world events the film adapts, the better it gets. And frankly, I've had as much fun researching what really happened as I did watching the film.
― *Note: This review contains moderate spoilers for Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. The basic concept of Uma Musume is that "horse girls" are reincarnations of racehorses from our world who find themselves wi...
Sherlock Hound Anime Series Review
Whether or not the many adventures Sherlock Hound goes on in this series are new takes on old classics or completely new adventures, they're wacky and enjoyable if a bit formulaic and repetitive, all the same.
― Although the English title of this Japanese-Italian anime is Sherlock Hound and characters in the English dub refer to the titular detective as "Sherlock Hound," no other version of this anim...
Ultraman: Rising Anime Movie Review
Visually, the movie looks pretty solid as it takes some strong cues from the Spiderverse films with some stylistic flourishes. The iconic transformation is one of the coolest shots of the whole film.
― So some full disclosure here: I'm not exactly what one would call a tokusatsu expert. In general, my experience doesn't extend too far beyond watching early seasons of Power Rangers as a kid and watchi...
The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses Season 1 Anime Series Review
The first few episodes are so boring and uninspired that I can't recommend the anime. However, the back half is good enough that I am actually looking forward to the second season.
― When something is called a "mixed bag," the image conjured up is one of the numerous good and bad aspects, all combined at random. While that phrase could technically be used to describe The Café Terrace and Its Goddesse...
Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura Anime Special Review
This is the strongest Kengan Ashura episode and one of the weakest Baki episodes.
― This is the strongest Kengan Ashura episode and one of the weakest Baki episodes. While the interesting match-ups and novel character dynamics elevate Kengan, the lackluster fights and uninspired art and animation bring down the Baki half of this crossover. Still, more Baki is welcome, with there being no confirmation...
Kengan Ashura Season 2 Part 1 Anime Series Review
This is not an anime for people who like martial arts or combat sports; this is an anime for people who like Dana White's Power Slap and enjoy seeing people inflict novel harm on each other.
― I finally cracked the code on Kengan Ashura after watching the twelve episodes that make up the first half of its second season. While it likes to style itself as a martial arts series that elevates various fig...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 2 Anime Film Review
If the first part of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture was bringing the story back to its roots, this second part is all about reminding us what sprang from those roots.
― If the first part of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture was bringing the story back to its roots, this second part reminds us what sprang from those roots. Lelouch inadvertently and intentionally changed the world, and many things c...
Look Back Anime Film Review
Even if some small details are still missing, when finished, Look Back should, without a doubt, be acclaimed by most people.
― Creating a manga is like creating a TV series: every week, readers wait for a new chapter to be published in their favorite magazine, and then they can also buy a full "season" when a compiled volume is published. Tatsuki Fujimoto is very familiar with this process as he seri...
Synduality: Noir Season 2 Anime Series Review
Synduality: Noir perhaps ends up better than other video game tie-in series, but in the larger mecha genre, it's still an also-ran.
― This second cour started as a big fat question mark. While the first half of Synduality: Noir had occasional drama, most of its runtime was all about chilling with its extended cast as they got into cool robot fights. While that lent the show a lot of charm, it meant t...
Kengan Ashura Season 1 Part 2 Anime Series Review
Unfortunately, Kengan Ashura isn't dumb fun often enough to be enjoyable, and its politics make it a slog to get through.
― The back half of season one of Kengan Ashura — confusingly labeled "Part II" on Netflix and with episode numbers that reset to 1 through 12 — is better than the first part of the season. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much, as this martial arts anime opens with an incredibly w...
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf Anime Series Review
The best and worst thing I can say about Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is that it feels like an 80s movie.
― The best and worst thing I can say about Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is that it feels like an 80s movie. This track as this anime is an adaptation of the quietly seminal Garōden martial arts novels written by Baku Yumemakura, the first of which premiered in 1985. If you like shows ...
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Season 1 Anime Review
On the surface, there's nothing remarkable about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special, but somehow, the execution manages to rise above all its basic tropes and clichés.
― Writing off A Returner's Magic Should Be Special would be very easy. On the surface, there's nothing remarkable about it: a standard magic academy, a basic time loop story, and characters whose names are way too on the mark. But so...
T・P BON Season 1 Anime Series Review
T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime.
― I adore classic sci-fi, especially when it involves time travel and grand adventure. T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime. Based on a 1978-1986 manga by Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F. Fujio, this ultra-shiny modern adaptation from studio BONES and director M...
Kengan Ashura Season 1 Part 1 Anime Series Review
I can't recommend the series, nor think that any hypothetical viewer would enjoy it, but it is the kind of trash TV that's rewarding to dissect.
― Have you ever wondered what Baki would be like if it had a conservative bent instead of queer undertones? Well, look no further because the answer is Kengan Ashura! While Kengan is trying to convey the same spectacle and white-knuckle action of the long-ru...
Genesis Climber Mospeada Streaming Anime Review
Mospeada is a work very much of its time, riffing on ideas and tropes that were all the rage when it was made, and doesn't do anything exceptional with them.
― It can be easy for even longtime fans to forget that alongside Macross, there were two other 80's sci-fi anime that got Frankenstein-ed into what we'd eventually call Robotech. While this isn't the first time one of those series has made it to...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 31-46 Anime Series Review
This is where the series earns its place in anime history, setting a precedent that other magical girl shows will follow.
― It's a moment of magical girl history, right there on the screen: in episode forty-six of Fairy Princess Minky Momo's original 1982-83 television series, Momo is hit by a truck and dies. Even putting aside the question of whether or not this is Truck-kun's first victim, this is ...
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 Anime Film Review
This is a movie I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is.
― Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 is a film I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is. The film is full of well-developed and memorable characters—especiall...
Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Anime Film Review
If you're a Haikyu!! fanatic, or if you can overcome this background knowledge hurdle, you're in for a pretty good time and some of the best editing to come from an anime in recent memory.
― To begin, I should note that this film is a continuation of the Haikyu!! anime and a canon adaptation of the manga. As such, if you're not caught up on the anime or at least generally aware of the franchise and i...
i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!- Anime Film Review
i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!- is a movie best described as having big Saturday morning cartoon energy when it comes to its catchy high notes and off-key attempt at deeper storytelling.
― Admittedly, when I walked into Anime Central to review i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!-, I envisioned the film as the typical fare of idol dancing via 3D models in dizzyingly pastel-rich environments with little to ...
My Oni Girl Anime Film Review
Narrative dissonance aside, the heart of My Oni Girl still shines through its jumbled ending: that folks should speak their minds even when it hurts.
― Upon first glance, My Oni Girl has all the hallmarks of a Studio Ghibli-inspired romp. You've got a globe-trodding adventure with odd-couple protagonists, a myriad of wonderfully drawn vistas, titular mouthwatering glamour shots of Japanese delicacies...
Pokémon Horizons Episodes 13-23 Anime Series Review
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.
― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Slam Dunk Anime Episodes 61-101
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.
― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 1 Anime Film Review
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.
― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Anime Series Review
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”
― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
trapezium Anime Film Review
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.
― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
Shaman King Flowers Anime Series Review
Ultimately, my biggest problem with Shaman King Flowers is that it mostly just feels like a set-up to a much larger story that has yet to actually happen.
― [Warning, this review will contain major spoilers for the ending of Shaman King (2021)] If there's one thing that can be counted on with battle shonen properties, it's that any of them that go on long enough will inevitably get some sequel series...
The Grimm Variations Anime Series Review
The Grimm Variations is one of those shows that tries. It almost tries too hard, and the result is that some of the tales are beyond recognition, while others play it too safe.
― At the end of The Grimm Variations, Charlotte, the real-life younger sister of the Brothers Grimm (who were, in fact, only two of many Grimm brothers), remarks that she would like to see fairy tales where the protagonists ar...
BLUELOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- Anime Film Review
Makes Nagi an even more interesting and nuanced character, but the last 10 minutes almost upends the film's otherwise interesting plot.
― BLUELOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- is a retelling of the early events of BLUELOCK through the eyes of Nagi and Mikage. However, that's not to say this is a recap or compilation film. Rather, a good 70% of the film is newly animated footage as the story follows their...
Wonderful Precure! Episodes 1-12 Anime Review
You can't accuse the Pretty Cure franchise of resting on its laurels. Wonderful Precure! could move too slowly for some viewers. But these episodes are full of unmitigated joy.
― You can't accuse the Pretty Cure franchise of resting on its laurels. While there are distinct similarities between all iterations of the long-running Magical Girl franchise, recent years have done their best to maintain the...
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 1 Anime Film Review
Part District 9 meets O Maidens in Your Savage Season, part grimdark deconstruction of Doraemon.
― Many anime films are adapted from manga and Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction is no exception. Usually, a film will cover a single arc of the greater plot—giving the story on screen a solid beginning, middle, and end. However, this is not the case with the first Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destructi...
Classroom of the Elite Season 3 Anime Series Review
However, for all the good to be found in the season, there is a notable flaw: its pacing.
― On most levels, Classroom of the Elite Season 3 falls into the category of being "more of the same." After all, the usual story pattern remains intact: Some new threat comes for Ayanakoji's class, and he pulls strings from behind the scenes, eventually coming out on top. That said, this season does its best to...
Kurayukaba and Kuramerukagari Anime Movies Review
These tenously-linked films sport impressive world-building and mechanical designs but suffer from undercooked plots.
― Streaming worldwide on Crunchyroll on the day of their Japanese theatrical release, does the distribution pattern of these one-hour-long thematically-linked movies mark a new strategy for the Sony-owned service? I can't see anything similar happening with massive properties like Dem...
SPY×FAMILY Code: White Anime Film Review
The anime dub premieres tonight in Los Angeles, but is the Spy x Family film a must-see or an easy skip?
― Let's start this review with a bit of a litmus test to see whether you'll enjoy this film or not. Does the idea of an extended sequence about a little girl trying desperately not to poop—to the point where she starts having surreal hallucinations—sound like the height of comedy? If yes, you've f...
Banished from the Hero's Party Season 2 Anime Series Review
A new, compelling villain and a pleasant romantic backdrop makes for a deeply satisfying show.
― Despite the off-putting, typical-for-light-novels word salad of its full 15-word title, the first season of Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside was one of my highlights of the Fall 2021 season. For one, it wasn't an isekai, and it mixed low-stakes slice-of-lif...
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 2nd Stage Anime Series Review
As before, Second Stage's biggest strength is in its complex, nuanced character development and dynamics.
― I was a little surprised when Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 2nd Stage failed to win enough ANN reader votes for weekly streaming reviews of its second season, as I'd been under the impression the first season was pretty popular. I guess I was wrong. To several of my internet buddies, each succ...
Ya Boy Kongming! Road to Summer Sonia Anime Film Review
Some of the best-looking musical sequences are so heavily improved upon their original versions that they alone justify watching this film, even if you know the original by heart.
― Compilation films are such a weird thing in anime, are they not? We accept their existence because there are a million of them. If American TV shows started cutting up full seasons into 2 hours and throwing five minutes o...
High Card Season 2 Anime Series Review
High Card is a show that seems to live by the rule of cool, but the problem is that the lore of High Card isn't always that interesting at best and downright perplexing at worst.
― The first half of High Card had an issue with establishing an identity. My biggest problem with the first handful of episodes was that it felt like the show couldn't decide what kind of story it wanted to tell. Did it want...
Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp Anime Series Review
In many ways, watching this show is at least mildly annoying.
― In case you missed it, Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady with the Lamp is making a very real attempt to align its heroine with real-life nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. Her last name, Clorence, is meant to rhyme with "Florence" (and the manhwa translation spells it "Clarence," so the subtitles are trying to play this link up), her count...
Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash Anime Series Review
Unfairly overshadowed during the Winter 2024 season by heavyweight titles The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash is a surprisingly high-quality fantasy.
― Unfairly overshadowed during the Winter 2024 season by heavyweight titles Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon, The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash is a surprisingly high-quality fantasy anime from Studio Massket – it's their...
Sasaki and Peeps Season One Anime Series Review
In its animated incarnation, Sasaki and Peeps is Overstuffed Smörgåsbord – The Anime.
― Sasaki and Peeps surely represent the end stage of the Japanese light novel explosion. We've run out of endlessly iterative and overcomplicated isekai power fantasy concepts, flashy and violent psychic battling's getting old, and magical girls have been deconstructed over and over until there's nothing left but ru...
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! Anime Series Review
It could look better, but don't let that stop you from watching this kind, mature romance.
― Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: it's like My New Boss is Goofy, but actually gay. It would be easy to glibly write this series off that way, and there are distinct similarities between the two, not the least of which is that both series explore the bonds between men who work a...
Tis Time for "Torture," Princess Anime Series Review
Despite its best efforts, Torture Princess' humor is mostly one-note and has little to leave audiences wanting more.
― The more jaded fans among us would be forgiven for fearing the worst for this anime that prominently features the loaded word “torture” in its title. After all, the series composer is Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, the same screenwriter who composed such infamous anime adaptations as Redo of Hea...
The Demon Prince of Momochi House Anime Series Review
The Demon Prince of Momochi House absolutely could have been more than this and I'm sorry it isn't, but to damn it with faint praise, “mediocre” is at least better than “bad.”
― It's difficult not to watch The Demon Prince of Momochi House and compare it to Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts. That's not because they're similar stories – apart from falling under the shoujo demographic and fan...
Tales of Wedding Rings Episodes 1-12 Streaming Anime Review
What you're left with is a dull fantasy with stock, underdeveloped characters with uninteresting relationships that never look as good as they insist they should.
― The isekai subgenre is no stranger to harems. These days, it seems like every Tom, Dick, or Harry who gets transported to a fantasy world is instantly gifted with a gaggle of giggling girls glomming over his gormless gonads. Tales of Wedd...
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid Anime Film Review
The second part of a double-feature currently in U.S. theaters, when Sakuta finds he's become invisible, he'll have to face some significant changes in his life to create the future he wants.
― As an overarching story, The Rascal Does Not Dream series hit its central climax in the 2019 film Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl. The previous film to this one, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Vent...
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out Anime Film Review
In theaters as a double-feature, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out changes up the formula for a unique yet satisfying film.
― As a fan of the previous Rascal Does Not Dream anime, this film is not at all what I expected. Up until this point, the series has followed a set pattern. Our protagonist Sakuta becomes involved with a young woman who is dealing with some aspect of growing up—be ...
Bocchi the Rock! Anime Series Blu-ray Disc Review
One of "the most unorthodox and innovative" anime is out on Blu-ray in this subtitled-only release. We'd like more extras, but you can't say no to Bocchi.
― Unless you're a brand-new anime fan, you probably have heard of Bocchi the Rock!. If you are a new fan, welcome! When it came onto the scene in the fall of 2023, it was an easy crowd-pleaser with the way it combined cute girl hobby anime aestheti...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 16-30 Anime Review
With this second batch of episodes released for Western audiences, Fairy Princess Minky Momo feels like it really hits its stride.
― With this second batch of episodes released for Western audiences, Fairy Princess Minky Momo feels like it really hits its stride. By this point, the formula is well-established: Momo, in her guise as the daughter of an Earth couple in an unnamed European country, finds...
Pokémon Horizons: The Series Anime Episodes 1-12
With Ash's story done and its focus on new adventures and characters, can Pokémon Horizons live up to its legendary predecessor?
― With the end of one era comes the beginning of another. We saw the original Pokémon anime officially come to an end with the wrap up of Ash Ketchum's journey. None of us thought for a second this would be the end of Pokémon anime as a whole because the Pokémon Company had...
Marginal Prince Anime Series Review
It's far from groundbreaking, and every episode is filled with so much cheese that you risk getting indigestion, but I think if you take your time digesting it like I did, there's a lot of fun here.
― Crunchyroll recently added Marginal Prince to their streaming service. It's an adaptation of a love simulation game of the same name from the early 2000s. Boy, does it feel like it! It's always interest...
SAND LAND: THE SERIES Anime Episodes 1-6 Review
This visually stunning action-adventure is another reminder of why Toriyama was a world-builder with boundless creativity.
― Coming straight out of the mind of the beloved Dragon Ball's Akira Toriyama, the original Sand Land manga is a short, one-volume work published all the way back in the year 2000. This past year, it was adapted into a feature film. Sand Land: The Series takes the 106-minute movi...
Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Episodes 1-11 Anime Review
The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse's first cour is a bit of a mixed bag that doesn't yet live up to its popular predecessor.
― Welcome back to the Arthurian-inspired shounen world of The Seven Deadly Sins. In this adaptation of the Nakaba Suzuki's sequel manga, it's been sixteen years since the Sins' final battle, and the focus shifts to their children – or at least to a random kid...
The Klutzy Witch: Fukka and the Witch of Darkness Anime Movie Review
There are some fun moments of slapstick, but the humor fades as the film goes on, and the action is never particularly impressive or memorable.
― The Klutzy Witch: Fukka and the Witch of Darkness screened at the 2024 New York International Children's Film Festival as a double bill with the short film Magic Candies. Despite the festival's name, many of the anime movies screened there have also held st...
Lovely Complex Anime Blu-Ray Review
Fans of romantic comedies with human characters, people who love and relate to weirdo protagonists, and long-time Lovely Complex admirers, pick up this Blu-ray.
― Lovely Complex seems like an unlikely candidate for a dubbed Blu-ray release, even from a company that specializes in releasing older anime like Discotek. It first came out in 2007, natively animated in 480p, and the simple, frequently off-...
Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night Anime Movie Review
Asuna's story continues in the second Progressive film, now streaming on Crunchyroll. Find out more about her and Kirito's growing friendship and see the continuation of her rocky relationship with Mito.
― Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night is the second Sword Art Online Progressive film, and it picks up the story a bit less than a month after the end of Aria of a Starless...
Bloody Escape -Jigoku no Tōsōgeki- Anime Film Review
The cyborg vampire ninja isn't enough to keep this film above merely mediocre.
― Bloody Escape -Jigoku no Tōsōgeki- is a film of tremendous highs and lows on nearly every level. On the one hand, its world is wonderfully over-the-top. The mixture of future technology, magic, and fantasy races leads to wildly fun clashes in tone and style. Kisaragi, our main protagonist, is a cyborg vampire ninja who h...
Bullbuster Anime Series Review
If you're looking for a story that uses giant robots to do something different, something smart, maybe even something a little political, this is worth your while.
― Yes, this is an anime named Bullbuster that was produced at Studio NUT. Two things that sound like a testicle reference! Dohohohoho. Now that we've gotten that sensible, if slightly puerile, chuckle out of the way, let's move on to talki...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 1-15 Anime Review
This a great series to watch while scarfing down a bowl of sugary cereal in true 1980s fashion.
― Before we get going, yes, this is that series with the infamous episode forty-six, which shaped the darker elements of the magical girl series that came after it. As of this writing, Crunchyroll hasn't licensed anything beyond the first fifteen episodes, and although they still contain some moments that ...
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and the Inexperienced Me Anime Review
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and the Inexperienced Me is… fine. Had the story been more nuanced, the script more engaging, the direction more impactful, it could have been good, great even.
― Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and the Inexperienced Me is somehow both ambitious and completely lacking in ambition. It initially caught my attention because I have a soft spot for the dynamics ...
Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure Episodes 37-50 Anime Review
Every one of the Cures in this season is a hero by the end, saving the worlds, each other, and themselves.
― Every story starts somewhere. It sounds sophomoric to say, but the truth is that we often don't think about where something really began, especially if the story we're watching or living is exciting and tangled in its own right. That's more or less the case with the Cures in their fight agains...
Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: Star Sage Anime Film Review
Kaina's closing chapter is hindered by a stereotypical villain and predictable plotting, where the destination was emphasized over the journey.
― Kaina of the Great Snow Sea was the latest televised collaboration between manga author Tsutomu Nihei and CG animation studio Polygon Pictures. This team-up had previously produced adaptations of Knights of Sidonia and Blame!, and Kaina stood out as their f...
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM Anime Film Review
After languishing for years, Gundam SEED FREEDOM is out in theaters in Japan. When Orphee joins the story, Lacus and Kira face the line between free will and fate.
― I'll be honest. Part of me was certain this film would never be completed. It was announced way back in 2006 only to be put on hold due to the chronic illnesses plaguing Gundam SEED's creator, scriptwriter Chiaki Morosawa. Little was sai...
My Hero Academia Season 6 Part 1 Anime BD+DVD Review
Long-held fan theories finally reveal themselves. If you've stuck with the franchise, then there are a multitude of moments that will make you happy.
― The best way to describe the beginning of season six of My Hero Academia is that shit is finally going down. It is a shame that the popularity of My Hero seems to have waned in the past year or two because we're finally approaching the beginning of th...
BLUELOCK BD+DVD Anime Series Review
BLUELOCK exemplifies why soccer garners such an intense fandom worldwide.
― There is something uniquely tragic yet beautiful about unrequited sports fandom—passionate fans who stick by their teams through the sporadic highs and lowest lows, fervently hoping every year that this year— this year— is going to be the year they go all the way. It's a universal experience shared by fans around the globe, e...
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