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Detective Conan: Rivals Of The Great Detective Anime Series Review
I'm not sure if this was always the intention or if these episodes were a direct response to the first batch of episodes that TMS put out, but it looks like more episodes of Detective Conan have been adapted that now add some much-needed context.
― Those mad lads did it! I'm not sure if this was always the intention or if these episodes were a direct response to the first batch of episodes that TMS p...
Angel's Egg Anime Film Review
Surreal and beautiful, Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano's Angel's Egg anime film remains an enigmatic entry in both creators' careers.
― Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano's Angel's Egg remains an enigmatic entry in both creators' careers. Years out from his iconic directorial turn with Ghost in the Shell, Oshii wrote the film's story with Amano before the artist touched Final Fantasy. Just a hair's br...
Edge of Time Anime Film Review
While Edge of Time fails as a cohesive anthology film, that doesn't mean the short films within aren't without promise—well, some of them anyway.
― Edge of Time's greatest flaw becomes more obvious with each minute that passes while watching it. Despite the film's claims to the contrary, this is not a cohesive anthology. Rather, the connections between the four short films are superficial at best—and...
Tougen Anki Episodes 1-12 Anime Series Review
The problem with Tougen Anki is that it presents tropes without showing why they work or why I should care about them.
― There unfortunately comes a certain point where you watch enough media in a specific genre, where it becomes hard to get invested in a show that isn't doing anything more than what is expected. A show could be doing everything “right," like having high production values, great voic...
Cultural Exchange With a Game Centre Girl Anime Series Review
Very few times have I seen an anime where the cuteness felt this forced and contrived.
― By all means, this should have really been my thing. Cute girls doing arcade things? A chillaxed environment where not a thing goes wrong? A lead whose design has shades of Sakura and Tomoyo from Cardcaptor Sakura, albeit color-swapped? All of these screamed “yes” to me. It took me just several episodes in to rea...
Kamitsubaki City Under Construction Anime Series Review
KAMITSUBAKI wears its ambition on its sleeve, and with a clearer vision of what it wanted to accomplish and how it would do that, it could’ve been something really special.
― Kamitsubaki City Under Construction (henceforth Kamitsubaki) is one of the worst types of disappointing anime: the type that gets your hopes up because it actually started out being pretty cool. Kamitsubaki opens up in a city, v...
100 Meters Anime Film Review
There’s a profound sense of weight, of sheer muscle-shredding, teeth-grinding effort during the running scenes.
― “Wow, the main character sure looks like Rafal from Orb: On the Movement of the Earth,” I thought during 100 Meters' opening few minutes, where young protagonist Togashi tutors his classmate Komiya in sprinting. Turns out that the movie, directed by On-Gaku: Our Sound's Kenji Iwaisawa, is...
Dealing with Mikadono Sisters Is a Breeze Anime Series Review
This isn't just a love story, it's also one about family, insecurity, imposter syndrome, and the overall pressures of living up to the expectations forced on you by others.
― Are you looking for an anime about sisterhood to fill the empty hole in your heart that The Quintessential Quintuplets left? Then I might have an anime for you! I'm kidding…mostly, but the idea of a harem show specifically revol...
Labyrinth Anime Film Review
At the end of the screening of Macross' Shoji Kawamori's latest film, with my head in my hands, I sighed to myself, “How in hell’s name am I supposed to review this?"
― Within the first few minutes of director Shoji Kawamori's Labyrinth, protagonist Shiori laments that “without smartphones, humanity would be doomed”. From the events that later transpire, I suspect Kawamori's opinion is quite the oppo...
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince Season 2 Anime Review
I doubt this season of 7th Prince is going to convert people who didn’t care for the first.
― On paper, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability (henceforth 7th Prince) doesn't seem like the type of show that would benefit from having any given season focused on one singular story arc, as opposed to a small handful of shorter ones that last 1–4 episodes...
Isekai Quartet The Movie: Another World Anime Film Review
Isekai Quartet The Movie: Another World is clearly made by a group of people who have an insanely in-depth knowledge of all the series they're combining.
― When it comes down to it, the main selling point of Isekai Quartet as a whole is watching characters from across entirely different series interact—and often in comical ways. Does this film do this as well as the TV series? The answer is a simple ...
The Obsessed Anime Film Review
While not without its issues, The Obsessed is a film well worth watching. It's full of fun, silly, moments and yet manages to delve into true human tragedy as well.
― Giuseppe is a man existing in his own little world where his current obsession overrides everything else. However, that doesn't mean he is selfish or cruel—it's more like a sickness he has no control over. Moreover, his obsessions often...
You and Idol Precure♪ Episodes 25 - 36 Anime Review
You and Idol Precure♪ is struggling to make its two halves merge in what feels like a relevant way. It's like all of the pieces are there, but they've been assembled incorrectly.
― You and Idol Precure♪ is not what I was hoping for, and it pains me to admit this. It is, as has been mentioned, absolutely possible to merge idols and magical girls – it's really a subgenre in its own right. Likewise, the...
Miru: Paths To My Future Anime Series Review
Mostly, MIRU is a fairly disposable anthology, yet it is far better than I expected a corporate advertisement to be.
― Although initially released in Japan in April 2025, this five-episode sci-fi anthology oddity didn't show up to stream worldwide until late September. It allegedly appeared slightly earlier on Samsung's proprietary streaming platform in the US, but as probably only five people watche...
Pokémon Concierge Season 2 Anime Series Review
There's no shame, there's no overly depressing conflict, just a nice story at a resort that I really hope I'll be able to return to one day.
― Despite its incredibly short length, the first season of Pokémon Concierge was an absolutely charming delight that I could recommend to almost anybody. The relaxing atmosphere, the soothing music, and the simple yet incredibly relatable premise were something ...
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Anime Film Review
Emotionally resonant and visually stunning, this is simply one of the must-watch anime films of the year—and you can see it in US theaters today!
― A large part of this story is made to highlight just how inhuman Denji is. He grew up socially isolated and lacking the vast majority of creature comforts that even the most meager of us tend to have. He sold an eye and a kidney to survive--and three meal...
Conan vs. The Black Organization Anime Series Review
I never thought I would see the day that Detective Conan would get this kind of treatment.
― I never thought I would see the day that Detective Conan would get this kind of treatment. Detective Conan is probably one of the most beloved franchises in Japan, going on for over three decades and being one of the few shows that has more episodes than One Piece. Numerous attempts have been made to bring th...
Betrothed to My Sister's Ex Anime Series Review
Betrothed to My Sister’s Ex is a mix of modern views of Cinderella with the other reading about a girl who pulls herself out of a bad situation.
― ATU510A, better known as Cinderella, is one of the most widely distributed fairy tales in the world. It exists on every continent among a majority of disparate cultures, from the ancient world to modern retellings. (Its lesser-known counterpart, Donkeyskin...
Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 4 Anime Series Review
The path to get to this point was definitely not a clean one, and the pacing of these final couple of episodes definitely feels more rushed than I would like it to be.
― This is it, the end of the first major saga of Pokémon Horizons. This is where everything comes ahead with payoffs to major setups in a true confrontation with the main villain, Gibeon. The path to get to this point was definitely no...
New Saga Anime Series Review
Time travel is a cool angle to approach a power fantasy anime, but poor writing prevents it from ever feeling like it’s living up to its full potential.
― I'm not going to sit here and legitimately argue that it's either a point for or against this anime that its esteemed hero of a protagonist—the legendary warrior who's transcended time itself to save everyone—is named Kyle. Friggin… Kyle. But there...
Let's Go Karaoke! Anime Series Review
I’m just amazed by how much you could squeeze out of this bizarre premise.
― Let's Go Karaoke! is a series that succeeds in making the unbelievable believable. It's a comedy at heart, yet the bond between its two unlikely leads makes for melodrama that's both kitschy and effective. Who'd'a thunk that the best way to overcome your musical failures and teen angst was by teaching a yakuza member how to ...
A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 Anime Series Review
It’s a colorful, comforting anime that requires minimal brain power to consume.
― For me, A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 is like “Sunk Cost Fallacy: The Anime.” I enjoyed the far-fetched and dumb, but sweet, twenty-four-episode first season, and found myself sleepwalking into the second out of a misplaced sense of duty. Like many long-running anime romcoms, the “plot progression,” if one could even des...
Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 Anime Series Review
Like the longest (but enjoyable) roller coaster you've ever been on, the eight episodes based on the creator of Chainsaw Man's early works are a wild ride from start to finish.
― Tatsuki Fujimoto's early-career standalone stories show the subtle ways he's developed as a manga author. From trying his hand at a straightforward romantic story to the early foundations of the enigmatic world of Chainsaw M...
Nyaight of the Living Cat Anime Series Review
Nyaight of the Living Cat likely would have achieved more success as tightly-edited, punchier shorts.
― Nyaight of the Living Cat is a deeply silly show where most of the humor derives from the viewer recognising plentiful references to mainly US-produced horror and action movies. Even the individual episode titles are cat and movie-related puns, like “Commeowndo” and “Meow Am Legend.” Non-movie buff...
Thunderbolt Fantasy Sword Seekers -The Finale- Movie Review
Thunderbolt Fantasy is more so going out with some sparks than a full-blown BANG.
― It took nearly a decade, but at long, bittersweet last, Thunderbolt Fantasy has finally reached its conclusion in this, its finale movie. The movie picks up immediately where season 4 leaves off—which makes sense with the way season 4 ended. So, right off the bat, hopefully that answers your question if you were wonde...
Welcome to the Outcast's Restaurant! Anime Series Review
For a series that’s supposed to be about cooking, almost everything here feels half-baked.
― On paper, Welcome to the Outcast's Restaurant has everything I should like: a cozy restaurant, a fantasy environment, some cute character designs, and a few dashes of slice of life. It's a recipe that could have worked, had someone in the kitchen not made the grave error of adding a spoonful of “banished from...
Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōriken Yūki 4 Series Review
There’s an ever-present campiness to Thunderbolt Fantasy that really brings it over the top and keeps it super fun to watch.
― It's taken four seasons and a handful of movies, but Thunderbolt Fantasy finally approaches its conclusion in its fourth and final season. Our main players of the season are divided into three main groups: Shāng Bù Huàn, Juǎn Cán Yún, and Dān Fěi, who are exploring the Wastel...
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Anime Film Review
Emotionally resonant and visually stunning, this is simply one of the must-watch anime films of the year.
― A large part of this story is made to highlight just how inhuman Denji is. He grew up socially isolated and lacking the vast majority of creature comforts that even the most meager of us tend to have. He sold an eye and a kidney to survive--and three meals a day of tasty food is all it takes fo...
Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōriken Yūki 3 Series Review
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen so far of Urobuchi’s puppet perfection, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy the third season as well.
― There's nothing out there doing it quite like Thunderbolt Fantasy, full stop. Gorgeous, ambitious, and oozing with theater kid energy, it's by far one of the more creative shows out there. Less self-contained than previous seasons, this particular season of Gen Urobuchi'...
Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi Anime Film Review
Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi a wonderful watch on a lazy afternoon or a film to watch with children.
― There is no better way to say it, I love Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi. It shares the same charm of the manga and ONA series, with a series of delightful short stories following the titular character Kozame-chan on a big adventure in a city (presumably Tokyo). Layered on top of ...
COMPASS2.0 ANIMATION PROJECT Anime Series Review
#COMPASS2.0 is a plate of saltines and unseasoned chicken that's cosplaying as an anime.
― If you're trying to review an anime, saying, "This just sucks," is the quick quip you might casually tell your friends if they ask your opinion, but that's probably the limit of its potential use. It gets your point across on a basic level, sure, but it's reductive, vague, and in the absence of further explanat...
Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 Anime Series Review
It’s not difficult to literally see why the series was delayed at all, let alone why it was delayed for so long.
― It's not every day that you see an anime experience significant delays between episodes that aren't divided into separate specials, seasons, or series. Sure, it happens sometimes—it happened to One Piece earlier this year, for example—but for the most part, the anime industry has embrace...
Senpai is an Otokonoko: Sunshine After the Rain Anime Film Review
This is a hopeful epilogue to the television show.
― None of us is ever as put together as we seem. For that matter, few people are precisely who we perceive them to be, and these hard truths are at the core of the Senpai is an Otokonoko film, Sunshine After the Rain. Arguably, those have always been themes of the series, particularly as regards two of the three leads, Makoto and Saki. Makoto, althou...
Romeo's Blue Skies Blu-ray Anime Series Review
There’s a reason why Romeo’s Blue Skies is such a well-loved entry into the storied World Masterpiece Theater catalogue. Despite having plenty of anime-only content, it understands the message of the original novel and retells it in a way best suited for its time.
― In 1933, a couple, Lisa Tetzner and her Jewish husband Kurt Held, left Germany for Switzerland, for reasons that should be obvious to an...
Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood- Anime Short Film Review
Bâan is Garnt “Gigguk” Maneetapho’s attempt to turn his own personal expat experience into an isekai anime designed to convey those feelings—and it succeeds beautifully.
― As the title suggests, Bâan -The Boundaries of Adulthood- is the story of two people on the cusp of adulthood looking for a place to call home. (“Bâan” [บ้าน] is the Thai word for “home” if you were unaware.) Each feels they don't ...
Scarlet Anime Film Review
Mamoru Hosoda’s isekai riff on Hamlet is one of this year’s biggest anime disappointments.
― Once upon a time, Mamoru Hosoda was supposed to direct Howl's Moving Castle before Hayao Miyazaki took it over. On a certain level, Scarlet could now be called Hosoda's Howl, inasmuch as it's an attempt to work his righteous anger at a war in the Middle East into an unrelated piece of English literature and e...
See You Tomorrow at the Food Court Anime Series Review
In many ways, the show accomplishes everything it wants to, but I don't think there's much to this compared to other slice-of-life shows.
― Some shows try to replicate a very specific experience. When I was in high school, whenever my friends and I would finish up with classes, we would always go to the local deli or a card shop one or two train stops away from our school. After a long day of dealing...
Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World! Anime Series Review
Are Dark Elves your fetish? Are yandere girls? Well, if so, congratulations. If not… well, it’s best to simply move on and forget you saw anything at all.
― Are Dark Elves your fetish? Are yandere girls? Well, if so, congratulations. This show is for you. If not… well, it's best to simply move on and forget you saw anything at all. Yandere Dark Elf is one of those shows that knows what it is and who ...
The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows Anime Series Review
This is one of those shows that is more than the sum of its parts. While it uses clichés left and right, it almost always goes beyond them to add an extra layer or two.
― Much of The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows is cliché to say the least. We have a standard Western fantasy world, an overpowered hero who doesn't realize he isn't normal, and a harem of demi-human girls all vying for his ...
mono Anime Series Review
mono is an anime where the slice of life is done right, and makes for a worthy successor of its sibling series Yuru Camp.
― When I shipped up to Anime Boston this year, I distinctly remember a big banner advertising mono on display for any ongoers mozying their way up the escalator. Its display almost seemed boastful, as if it wanted to swallow people going further and further up the escalator with m...
I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! Anime Series Review
This is an anime defined by its crazy tonal dissonance that vacillates between light-hearted/sexual comedy and over-the-top grimdark tragedy.
― I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! is an anime defined by its tonal dissonance. On one hand, it's the light-hearted tale of a man reincarnated in a sci-fi world who is determined to become an evil galactic overlord. However, the trick is that he's ...
Food for the Soul Anime Series Review
This anime had me eating good in more ways than one.
― For moe junkies and slice of life fanatics everywhere, this spring season has exemplified all the reasons why we keep coming back to the genre in the first place. If mono tickled the more comedic side of slice of life through its sillier, at times hyperbolic gags, then Food for the Soul is all about the genre's calming, cozier side. This is a cha...
Yes! Precure 5 Episodes 25-49 Anime Review
The story continues strong in the second half of the series, and central to that is the idea that being a team is a major facet of the way these Cures function.
― From one perspective, it's a good thing that Yes! Precure 5 has two sequels. Although the middle series, Yes! Precure 5 GoGo, remains legally unavailable in English as of this writing; the adult third series Power of Hope: Precure Full Bloo...
My Melody & Kuromi Anime Series Review
If you have a little Sanrio fan in your home who wants to watch this, I’d suggest watching it with them, because there are some genuinely scary elements to what at first looks sickly-sweet.
― Although Sanrio characters (and character goods) are popular among all age groups, there's an assumption that the animated features are for a younger audience. My Melody & Kuromi at first does nothing to challen...
Takopi's Original Sin Anime Series Review
How do you recommend media that is so soaked in tragedy, shock value, and inherently horrific subject matter?
― There are some shows out there that are just inherently difficult to recommend to people. This isn't because the media in particular is bad or poorly written, rather it's because the journey that the media puts you on is far from a happy one. How do you recommend media that is so soaked in...
Fermat no Ryōri Episodes 1-5 Anime Review
This show has all the tools it needs to be great; it just needs to find the best way to utilize and bring the most out of those tools.
― Cooking is something that many people take for granted. There are so many unique combinations and ideas that go into making a single dish. Even when a meal can be prepared by anybody due to its simplicity, there are so many little details that help elevate the overa...
Bullet/Bullet Episodes 9-12 Anime Series Review
Even if you fail in making the world a better place, someone who sees you fail may be inspired to continue in your stead.
― The first part of BULLET/BULLET ended on a climax that would have, in most stories, led to a lower-class uprising. After all, Gear gave the working-class people proof that not only was their daily hard work being exploited by the upper class (who lived in a beachside paradise) b...
Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers Anime Series Review
This anime is a failure on pretty much every conceivable level.
― This is an anime for only the most hardcore of Guilty Gear fans. Even if you've played the latest game in the series, Strive, and loved it, you're going to be lost when viewing this anime unless you're already fully acquainted with every other game in the series. While this anime will occasionally throw you a bone when it comes to som...
The Shiunji Family Children Anime Series Review
This show left me with a certain type of anger.
― This show left me with a certain type of anger. At first, I thought that I was just having a knee-jerk reaction to the overall premise of the show. Incest is a relatively taboo subject, and anime is no stranger to utilizing it in a variety of different ways. Most of the time, it's generally played up as a type of risque situation to generate drama. So...
You and Idol Precure♪ Episodes 13 - 24 Anime Series Review
It simply could be that it’s not meshing with me personally as much as nearly every other season of Precure, but something about this simply isn’t working as well as it ought to, and that’s a shame.
― Perhaps this is a “me” problem, but I had hoped for more from You and Idol Precure♪ in its second cour. Even recognizing that this is a lighter, fluffier season than those that preceded it, there's some...
Lupin the IIIrd: The Immortal Bloodline Anime Film Review
Thematically, this story asks the question: Does the world need the likes of Lupin III and the gang? Would things be better without them?
― The Lupin the IIIrd sub-series of Lupin the Third, first introduced in 2012's Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, has been sporadically getting new entries for a decade now—with Lupin the IIIrd: The Immortal Bloodline (Lupin the IIIrd The Movie: Fujimi...
I Left My A-Rank Party Season 1 Anime Review
This is a show where the first half definitely stands out more to me because of its found family theme and the fact that the character dynamics were put more front and center. But unfortunately, we began to lose steam by the second half.
― I will admit, sometimes I'll enjoy a good isekai or generic fantasy story because I need something to play in the background while I'm doing other work. My experie...
Maebashi Witches Anime Series Review
The real secret sauce of Maebashi Witches is that it fearlessly tackles thorny topics with an uncommon degree of sensitivity.
― Maebashi Witches is a “just trust me” anime. The premiere is much clumsier than I would like, and to be frank with you, I bounced off it when I first watched it. Among the chaotic mélange of a motormouth heroine, wisecracking mascot, local Maebashi landmarks, bizarre aesthet...
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince Season 1 Anime Review
7th Prince has some cool ideas that I desperately wish it pursued to any meaningful extent. But instead, we got a royal snooze fest.
― I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability (henceforth 7th Prince) is an anime that, on paper, sounds cool and, dare I say, relatable enough. I mean, if we were all fortunate enough to be reincarnated into wealth and power...
Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Season 1 Anime Review
The first season of the story of Oguri Cap stands apart from its previous Uma Musume brethren—and arguably stands above many of them.
― Every great hero deserves an origin story, and that even—especially!—includes the funny big-eating horse girl Oguri Cap from Uma Musume. This obviously isn't the only franchise where a comic-relief background character can undergo this kind of drastic promotion to pr...
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns Anime Film Review
The problem with this film is not the story being told but rather how that story is being told
― Akaza Returns is not a film without high points—especially to fans invested in every aspect of the story and world. Zenitsu and Shinobu both reach the climax of their arcs, and we finally learn the complete backstories of what drives them. We also get a rematch between Tanjiro and Akaza—now with Giyu work...
Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 3 Anime Series Review
We need to find the remaining of Lucius' Pokémon, including the Black Rayquaza. All of that sounds really exciting, right? So why is half of this batch of episodes so boring?
― Training is over and it's time to leave Paldea. Liko, Roy and Dot are stronger than they ever have been before, but now it's time to resume the journey to find Laqua. But first we need to find the remaining of Lucius's Pokemon...
Dinner Table Detective Anime Series Review
If it’s a worthwhile mystery anime you’re hungry for and The Dinner Table Detective is what’s on the menu, you’re going to starve.
― First impressions are important. Titles are often a key part of an anime's first impression; ipso facto, an anime needs to have a good title that captures the essence of the show. But I'm not sure about “The Dinner Table Detective” as a title. It captures anything but m...
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved Anime Film Review
It is through the relationship between Kanna and her father that the film explores the concept that neglect is abuse.
― On its most basic level, this is a movie about family. In the lore of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, dragons don't have family units. They don't love their young and tend to see them only as battlefield companions or eventual rivals. However, thanks to her time in the human world, Ka...
Bullet/Bullet Episodes 1-8 Anime Series Review
On its most basic level, this first arc of episodes is a story of the rich exploiting the poor, and the poor accepting it.
― This first set of eight episodes is the story of a heist gone wrong—or one gone right, depending on your point of view. Gear, our starry-eyed youth, is a kid enraptured by the idea of an outlaw lifestyle who is being held back by his love for his sickly father figure. However, ...
Sword of the Demon Hunter Episodes 1-13 Anime Series Review
After an impressive start, this period supernatural show is hampered by terrible action scenes and squandered potential, but it's still watchable and interesting.
― We're midway through Sword of the Demon Hunter, with the two-cour series due to resume on July 15, and it's still tricky to evaluate as a whole. As the amusingly generic title suggests, it's a period supernatural drama, mostly set in 1850...
Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine Anime Film Review
I would put this in my top three Detective Conan movies.
― The Black Organization is the primary antagonist in the Detective Conan franchise. While the abundance of filler in the main anime series causes their presence to get buried, when even a single member makes an appearance, that's when you know that an episode is important. The organization ties all of the major plot points of the series togeth...
Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl Anime Film Review
Virgin Punk is the most gorgeously animated 35 minutes of ultraviolent anime I've ever seen.
― Virgin Punk is the most gorgeously animated 35 minutes of ultraviolent anime I've ever seen. Every frame has an unreal level of detail. The action itself is smooth, clear, and impressively choreographed. The direction is likewise a masterclass in visual storytelling, and more than a bit of rotoscoping has b...
SHIROHIYO - Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble Episodes 6-12 Anime Series Review
Shirohiyo manages to glide to a stop, like a sled on a hill that’s not quite steep enough for good sledding.
― The ending of Shirohiyo: Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble: Raising My Baby Brother With Memories From My Past Life isn't conclusive. I think many of us saw that coming; not only is it the norm for anime series based on long-running light novels, but it also couldn't have reached a solid fin...
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2 Anime Series Review
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Season 2 is perfectly “fine” at what it sets out to do.
― I've been sitting here for ages racking my brain for the correct adjective with which to describe this series. “Mediocre” is too negative, as is “middling,” as both would suggest I didn't enjoy my time with it. I guess I'll stick with this one: it's “fine”. I've Been Killing Slimes ...
Leviathan Anime Series Review
Leviathan is a poignant and moving war story in a time when we need tales that shine bright through the darkness.
― Around this time last year, Netflix announced that it would be home to the next project from Studio Orange (Trigun Stampede, Beastars) and Qubic Pictures (Eden), Leviathan—an anime adaptation of the alternate history World War I novel trilogy written by Scott Westerfeld and illustrated ...
Once Upon a Witch's Death Anime Series Review
This story about an improbably cheerful witch under a deadly curse is hampered by dull early episodes and a cliffhanger which may not be resolved, but it's still enjoyable and worthwhile.
― In Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service, the plucky title witch no sooner turned thirteen than she left home to make a living in a faraway town. Kiki, though, had it easy compared to Meg Raspberry, the heroine...
Unaware Atelier Meister Anime Series Review
The potential The Unaware Atelier Meister had makes it all the more disappointing that it turned out to be such a letdown.
― Overpowered anime protagonists are always in vogue and usually find themselves front and center of the anime zeitgeist. And yet, perhaps in part because of that, they've become dime-a-dozen, and it's a lot harder than it used to be for them to stand out, to say nothing of the e...
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: The Movie Anime Review
In many ways, Macross II is a product of its time—for better and for worse.
― Often regarded by fans as the red-headed stepchild of the Macross franchise, 1992's six-episode Macross II OVA series was rights holder Big West's attempt to make a sequel to seminal 1984 movie Macross: Do You Remember Love (DYRL) without the involvement of original creators Studio Nue. As a result, this is the only Macross...
Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You Season 1 Anime Review
The anime's presentation lets down what is otherwise a good story.
― Even though I am a self-described (and other-described) Book Person, I try very hard not to get too caught up in the idea that the originating novel or manga is always going to be better than the TV adaptation. But sometimes it turns out to be true, and this is one of those cases. Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You does work bette...
Farmagia Anime Series Review
The original character designs of Farmagia are penned by Hiro Mashima, which results in Fairy Tail bleedover leaking all over the place.
― It's hard to resist calling Farmagia a “dumpster fire” when the show starts with a giant fiery monster wreaking havoc on the landscape. Granted, the anime does creep into that territory on more than several occasions, but it doesn't quite land there. For me, dumps...
Lupin the IIIrd: Zenigata and the Two Lupins ONA Review
Lupin the IIIrd: Zenigata and the Two Lupins is both a fantastically directed political spy thriller and an exploration of Zenigata and Lupin's odd-yet-enduring relationship.
― I'm a big fan of the adult-audience aimed Lupin the IIIrd series of shows and ONAs. Starting with The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, each of these has told the early adventures of our antiheroes with a large helping of ultraviolenc...
DAN DA DAN Season 1 Anime Blu-ray Review
DAN DA DAN’s first season is more than just a kooky and spooky teenage romance; it’s the best deal in anime right now.
― If you've been following the latest and greatest in anime, there's a good chance that you're well acquainted with the first season of Dan Da Dan. A quirky, and often spooky, action-romance comedy that landed with general audiences and critics when it aired last fall. With that in ...
All You Need Is Kill Anime Film Review
It’s a shame that a film making such idiosyncratic choices in its merging of 3D and 2D visual languages in animation keeps falling into rather predictable patterns
― It's appropriate that Hiroshi Sakurazaka's light novel All You Need is Kill, a story about trying something again and changing just a little bit each time, is getting a repeat adaptation. But it would be a disservice to the new film by K...
ChaO Anime Film Review
This Little Mermaid-inspired film just won at Annecy - come discover the charms that helped it to do so.
― There have been many stories – even just told with animation – about love going beyond cultural lines, appearance, even specifically love between man and mermaid. As the film settles in to its premise, ChaO has a lot of work to set itself apart from these other films. Director Yasuhiro Aoki buil...
Bye Bye, Earth Episode 11-20 Anime Series Review
Nonsensical as this twenty-episode fever-dream of a show is, I can’t deny the potency of its mad imagery.
― After finishing the second half of LIDEN FILMS utterly inscrutable anime adaptation of Tow Ubukata's Bye Bye, Earth novel series, I had to lie down for an hour so that my poor, confused brain could attempt to parse all that it had experienced. I don't know whether that helped, but the color-dre...
Puniru is a Kawaii Slime Season 1 Anime Series Review
Puniru Is a Kawaii Slime is throwback to the mid-late 2000s, when we had an abundance of slice of life comedies focusing on a tsundere boy and an overly hyperactive girl.
― In a lot of ways, you could consider Puniru Is a Cute Slime as a throwback to the mid-late 2000s when we had an abundance of slice of life comedies focusing on a tsundere boy and an overly hyperactive girl. We have a bunch of imma...
Manie Manie: Neo Tokyo Anime Film Review
This collection still stands tall as a time capsule for an essential era in the history of Japanese anime.
― It's always wonderful when classic, out-of-print anime make their way onto legal streaming services. While a full-blown restoration on a nice home-media format would obviously be ideal, the fact that we can sit here in the year 2025 and watch Manie Manie: Neo Tokyo at all is something to be th...
100 Meters Anime Movie Review
Debuting at Annecy, 100 Meters is a gorgeous work from the creative team behind On Gaku: Our Sound and the creator of Orb.
― If you were to map the film onto the circumstances of its making, Kenji Iwaisawa's feature debut ON-GAKU: Our Sound fit perfectly—a project made by self-taught animators about embracing your love of art despite your level of talent. His sophomore feature 100 Meters is less clea...
Jinsei Anime Film Review
There is an eclectic collection of influences at play in Jinsei, from acclaimed Norwegian comedy-drama The Worst Person in the World to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
― It's easy to reduce Jinsei, 30-year-old Ryuya Suzuki's feature directorial debut, to this year's On-Gaku: Our Sound. It's not like the two films have nothing in common, either. Both share a sheer sense of independent filmmaki...
The Last Blossom Anime Film Review
The first film from the creator of Odd Taxi makes it clear Baku Kinoshita loves to show the gradual cracks in the shell of a taciturn man.
― Alhough the debut feature film from Baku Kinoshita, The Last Blossom, is strikingly different from his series OddTaxi, it's clear the man loves to show the gradual cracks in the shell of a taciturn man. In this case, it's the stoic yakuza Minoru Akutsu, first sh...
Nobody's Boy Remi Anime Series BD Review
While Nobody’s Boy Remi doesn’t have the fidelity of other World Masterpiece Theater adaptations, it’s still historically important and a solid work in itself.
― Based on the 1878 novel by Hector Malot, Nobody's Boy Remi (originally called Sans Famille, meaning “without family") is part of what appears to be AnimEigo's “Ruined Childhood” collection. That tongue-in-cheek label (the series is famously ...
Princess Principal: Crown Handler - Chapter 4 Anime Film Review
Princess Principal: Crown Handler Chapter 4 feels like it squanders the tension it gained in the previous installment with a return to the status quo.
― The previous Princess Principal film ended on the mother of all cliffhangers. While Mary was saved, Prince Richard captured and all of our heroes were as well, with even Princess Charlotte revealed as a traitor to the crown. All this left us wonderin...
OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying Anime Series Review
The real star here is Okinawa and its language.
― In case you're not familiar with Okinawa's place in Japanese culture, the US has a convenient analog: Hawaii. Like Hawaii, Okinawa was an independent nation that was annexed by a larger and more militarized empire. Its geographical distance from its colonizer allowed it to maintain its distinct culture; however, it struggles to survive under the threa...
DAN DA DAN Evil Eye Anime Theatrical Cut Review
Fun as it is, Evil Eye isn't really a movie. You will find plenty of exposition, a rising action, and a falling action—but nothing resembling a satisfactory conclusion.
― Fans of DAN DA DAN have nothing to fear but the Evil Eye as we head into the second season of the supernatural action series. Evil Eye is the theatrical cut of the anime's first three episodes, a now tried-and-true promotional avenu...
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia Anime Film Blu-Ray Review
Nasu: Summer in Adalusia finally makes its way to English speaking audiences, and it was well worth the wait.
― Chances are, relatively few people reading this have heard of Nasu: Summer in Andalusia before. Despite being the first anime film ever accepted to Cannes and its stylistic resemblance to world-famous Ghibli films, which were finally receiving wider international recognition when it came ou...
I'm Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class Anime Series Reeview
This is a rom-com without any fancy frills, yet doesn’t come off as too cliche or trite for its own good either.
― I'm Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class gives you exactly what you expect, but honestly? What you get is something that for the most part delivers. Its premise is simple and to the point, and it's filled with rom-com tropes that are put to good use, even if they never amount to ...
SHIROHIYO - Reincarnated as a Neglected Noble Episodes 1-5 Anime Review
Shirohiyo has just enough charm to go down easily, a standard isekai showing that sometimes describing a series that way isn’t automatically an insult.
― In the crowded anime landscape, it's easy to forget that “standard” doesn't immediately equal “bad.” That's especially true of isekai titles, where the word is just as often used as shorthand for “creatively bankrupt.” I certainly am not exempt from...
Yes! Precure 5 Episodes 1-24 Anime Review
With a good first half to a seminal series, this is likely to appeal to classic magical girl fans in general, even if you’ve never watched a Precure series before.
― In the history of Precure, Yes! Precure 5 is particularly important. This fourth series, which introduces the third set of Cures, is the first to feature more than two officially-named Cures (Shiny Luminous doesn't have “Cure” in her tit...
I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic Anime Series Review
The plot is unoriginal, the characters forgettable, and the storytelling itself is bound and determined to keep things as void of narrative tension as possible.
― I'll be the first to admit that it's generally in bad taste to compare one work of fiction to another while reviewing it. After all, each is an individual work of art that has unique points, even if they use the same basic tropes or general...
Devil May Cry Animated Series Review
Rather than doing just the bare minimum with fun fights and explosive action, Devil May Cry also explores concepts like xenophobia, religious zealotry, and the difficulty of accepting when you are wrong.
― The Devil May Cry game series has built itself on over-the-top action, demonic invasions, and pithy one-liners. Netflix's Devil May Cry certainly does the same. However, unlike the 2007 anime serie...
Trillion Game Episodes 14-26 Anime Review
The story’s a freewheeling mess, rushing from one mad scheme to the next, with regular daft cliffhangers and last-minute plot twists.
― When last we left would-be trillionaires Haru and Gaku, it seemed an irreparable rift had formed between them. Having unilaterally decided to use all of their company Trillion Game's available cash to buy two billion yen in entertainment company God Promo's stock, Ha...
Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 2 Anime Series Review
Now that we've gotten the training arc of the season over with, I'm very curious to see how the main plot will end up playing out moving forward.
― Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua is definitely shaping up to be one of the strongest arcs in the entire Pokémon franchise. I already sang the praises of part one and how it established its new characters. This part focuses on how some of th...
You and Idol Precure♪ Episodes 1-12 Anime Review
We’re still in the early stages of this series, and it has plenty of room to grow.
― Wonderful Precure was always going to be a tough act to follow. That's doubly true when you add Soaring Sky! Precure, the series that preceded it, into the mix – between those two and the previous year's Delicious Party Precure, we've had three very strong seasons in the long-running franchise in a row. None of this ...
Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World Anime Series Review
Forget exploring a new land and learning the customs of its people. No, the first order of business is flipping goods for profit in a world where you've been granted a silver spoon.
― What's the ultimate isekai fantasy? Is it slaying monsters? Obtaining magical powers? Knighted by a beautiful queen? Taking things easy, forego all that hard work and danger, and… relax in a new world? Meet hotties and ...
Ishura Season 2 Anime Series Review
The real genius of Ishura is that none of this is boring. By some stroke of demonic inspiration, every character’s backstory is compelling
― In my review of Ishura's first half last year, I wrote, “The one thing that frustrates me most about Ishura is that its promised tournament to decide the “True Hero" doesn't even begin during this season, which means the entire thing is but a prologue to the rea...
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