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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...
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...
STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 1st STAGE Review
There were a wealth of reasons to go into Steel Ball Run with mitigated expectations, which is why I'm so thrilled to say that this extra-long premiere is incredible by any measure.
― After years of speculation and anticipation, David Production is finally animating STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the seventh part of Hirohiko Araki's long-running manga series and what's generally considered ...
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea Anime Film Review
This film is not centered around Rimuru—and this ingenious choice is why the film works as well as it does.
― My favorite aspect of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime as a series is how much focus it puts on actions having consequences—most notably the unintended variety. Once again, this movie puts this idea front and center. With his immense magic powers and modern-day knowledge, it can be eas...
Banished Court Magician Aims to Become the Strongest Anime Series Review
This is another “banished from the party” story that shows off the typical fantasy flair without giving too much thought to its substance.
― The biggest chip this anime has on its shoulder is its style. The Banished Court Magician Aims To Become The Strongest has moments of storytelling and lore that show their potential, had they not been buried underneath the usual bout of standard fantasy anime tr...
BEASTARS Final Season Part 2
While I still appreciate the juicy meal that was BEASTARS, the final bite was far from the most satisfying.
― Just like that, the anime that made a lot of people question whether or not they're actually furries has ended officially. But does it end on a high note? As someone who read and quite enjoyed the manga, it was interesting seeing exactly how things deviated. This is not a one-to-one adaptatio...
The Water Magician Anime Series Review
All in all, The Water Magician is proof that subverting clichés just for the sake of it does not make an entertaining story.
― *Note: This review contains major spoilers for The Water Magician. As someone who has seen more isekai anime than they can count, watching The Water Magician is a uniquely baffling experience. At its most basic, it's built on the premise of an isekai genre-savvy protagonist, ...
Cat's Eye Episode 7-12 Anime Series Review
What we got certainly wasn't bad, but it was also fairly forgettable, and for a new interpretation of an old classic, it's hard to think of a more disappointing outcome than that.
― I walked away from the first half of the Cat's Eye remake feeling mostly unimpressed, as the combination of its bland capers and even blander central romance didn't leave a whole lot to latch onto. To its credit, the seco...
Puniru is a Cute Slime Season 2 Anime Series Review
The show went out on a limb and took a big swing for some heavy subject matter.
― Season one of Puniru is a Kawaii Slime was pretty solid. In a lot of ways, the show felt very nostalgic from its setup, to its comedy, to its animation. Season two continues many of the elements I enjoyed about the show before. The animation is above average with very creative directing. There are throwbacks and referen...
My Awkward Senpai Anime Series Review
This is an adorkable anime in every way.
― My Awkward Senpai is a workplace anime that often denies its romantic comedy flavorings even when they are so obvious and in the audience's faces. I went into this series blind, so naive me expected a more grounded story about the 9-to-5 grind and the relationships that form between senpai and kohai. That proves foolhardy by the end of the first episode. The...
Private Tutor to the Duke's Daughter Anime Series Review
There's not much to Private Tutor to the Duke's Daughter beyond girls crushing on Allen as he helps them overcome their issues.
― You can't talk about this series without addressing the elephant in the room. Much of this series' drama and humor revolves around our three female magic students and their crush on Allen. Tina, Ellie, and Lynne constantly get jealous of each other and pretty much every ot...
April Showers Bring May Flowers Anime Series Review
With the deliberate pacing of the romance plot, there's plenty of room for character introspection.
― No one in April Showers Bring May Flowers is perfect. That might not sound important, but it truly is, particularly as the series goes on. There's a tendency in this style of high school romance to make a few people seem larger than life, as if their outer beauty reflects an inner saintliness that ma...
There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~ Episodes 13-17 Anime Review
Originally, the series was a bit unclear about why Renako was in denial or always quick to run away from the romantic advances of others. This arc makes it explicitly clear that she does not think she is a good person who is deserving of any of that love.
― There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… was an interesting series that mixed funny comedic hijinx with solid character writing. While...
Fureru. Anime Film Review
This is the kind of material that’s bread and butter for screenwriter Mari Okada, who as usual, brings a sharp eye for what makes human beings tick.
― The internet is awash with think-pieces discussing the “male friendship recession.” In our fast-moving, fragmented Western society, where once tightly-knit communities have been replaced by hyper-individualism, and face-to-face communication by digital...
Tougen Anki Episodes 13-24 Anime Series Review
This is hands-down, one of the worst shounen series I think I've ever seen.
― I was very harsh with the first half of this season of Tougen Anki. I thought this show was a by-the-numbers shounen that barely had anything new or inventive to bring to the table. Anything unique it did bring was vastly undercooked to the point where it barely mattered at all in the grand scheme of things. I thought the d...
Scarlet Anime Film Review
Is Scarlet Mamoru Hosoda’s best film? No. But is it an above-average film worth watching? Absolutely.
― It's obvious from nearly the first scene of acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda's newest film that Scarlet draws from the Shakespearean play Hamlet. Character names and basic plot points are ripped straight out of the play—and Scarlet herself is an obvious female proxy to the titular prince. However, ...
Let This Grieving Soul Retire! Season 2 Anime Series Review
There is a single joke at the core of this anime: No matter how far the odds are stacked against him, Krai is always going to win—and it's going to be completely by accident.
― There is a single joke at the core of Let This Grieving Soul Retire!: No matter how far the odds are stacked against him, Krai is always going to win—and it's going to be completely by accident. Now, you might think that knowi...
You and Idol Precure♪ Episodes 37-49 Anime Review
You and Idol Precure♪ has, I have come to realize, one very specific problem: it plants the seeds of meaningful storylines and then doesn’t bother to water them.
― You and Idol Precure♪ has, I have come to realize, one very specific problem: it plants the seeds of meaningful storylines and then doesn't bother to water them. Nowhere is this better seen than in the case of Kaito. Although he's not a ma...
My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha Anime Series Review
This is an anti-hero story so lacking in proper hamminess that there’s hardly a single bit of pork on the bone here.
― There's a part of me that feels there's a much better comedy buried underneath this tale of fantasy melodrama. We have a klutzy warrior girl who doesn't know her own strength and a weird girl who thinks she's a cat. A leading maid's underlings try to trollishly and absurdly seize pow...
Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 - Rising Hope Part 1 Anime Review
Pokémon Horizons does the unthinkable and actually lets the characters age!
― Pokémon Horizons was already doing a lot to break the unspoken rules of the original Pokémon anime. Rising Hope continues that trend by doing the unthinkable and actually integrating a time skip as the catalyst for a new arc. Unlike other anime that might just use a time skip for the sake of changing your character's design...
Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- Season 2 Anime Review
While the content of this season is a lovely balance of ayakashi lore, peril, and cozy cooking, it doesn't come to anything remotely close to a satisfying conclusion at the end of episode twelve.
― It was a long wait to continue the story of Aoi Tsubaki and her quiet adventures in the Hidden Realm in anime form. (Viz has been releasing the manga right along, although as of this writing the novels rem...
The Camphorwood Custodian Anime Film Review
While there are some minor issues with The Camphorwood Custodian, overall, this is an enjoyable film.
― When I go into films, one of the first things I pay close attention to is the story and narratives presented to me. The reason for this is that, no matter the visuals or camera work, if a story is engaging, other aspects of the story can be forgiven. However, The Camphorwood Custodian forced me to ...
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe Anime Film Review
If deep character explorations and interpersonal drama are your cup of tea, you'll get your fill. If you're just in it for giant robots fighting each other, you'll get that too.
― Like with the first Hathaway film, The Sorcery of Nymph Circe is a character-driven movie more than a plot-driven one. While the story is step-by-step building towards Mafty's impending attack on the Earth Federation Leader...
Li'l Miss Vampire Can't Suck Right Anime Series Review
There’s a slow-paced, low-stakes, soporific vibe to proceedings that means Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right is best imbibed in small portions to avoid losing consciousness.
― Back in September 2025, when I reviewed the first volume of this anime's source manga, while I wasn't overly enamoured with it, I stated, “I think Li'l Miss Vampire Can't Suck Right is likely to translate well to anime.” Was I...
Record of Ragnarok Season 3 Anime Series Review
In a world where rapid changes are frequent and often unrequested, it can be comforting to have a show that is consistent almost to a fault.
― Record of Ragnarok Season 3 is precisely what it purports to be – no more, no less. Dear reader, I'm not completely sure how to approach this review. In part, that is because this work is exactly what it says on the tin, no surprises and no curveballs. I would...
Detective Conan: Rivals Of The Great Detective Part 2 Anime Series Review
It's this span of episodes that showcases what makes Detective Conan so great.
― Rivals of the Great Detective continues to showcase some of the stronger elements of the Detective Conan franchise. I can continue to question the release order or overall plans for the franchise's global release until the sun explodes, but instead, I'll channel all of that energy into reviewing these batches of episodes...
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! Anime Film Review
What do you get if you smash together The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter with the online-sphere riffs of BELLE and a dash of Revolutionary Girl Utena's sapphic affection?
― What do you get if you smash together The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter with the online-sphere riffs of Belle and a dash of Revolutionary Girl Utena 's sapphic affection? You get a chromatic storm like the fantasy sci-fi musical Cosmic Pri...
Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise Film Review
Zombies battle aliens in the Zombie Land Saga movie, which isn’t as funny as the show but reminds us why Tae Yamada is Legendary.
― The strongest quality of Zombie Land Saga's first two seasons that this movie mostly lacks is the power of surprise. The TV series excelled at taking huge swerves, dishing out the most absurd comedic situations interspersed with unexpected heartwarming moments. The movie...
Love Through a Prism Anime Series Review
For all the brickbats that you could throw at it, Netflix's sumptuous new romance series set in 1910s London is admirably well-made and thoroughly entertaining.
― Love Through a Prism is the lavish new period romance anime series. It's mostly set in England of the 1910s; it's animated primarily by Wit Studio (though with a plethora of collaborating studios in the credits); and it's co-written by Boys...
Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota Anime Series Review
I wanted a spin on the usual “opposites attract” story, and that’s exactly what I got. Perhaps I wanted it a little too much.
― I feel like I was the only person on the face of the Earth who was the least bit excited for Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota. Why not? I enjoyed the first episode enough, with its solid direction and its spin on the archetypal “opposites attract” premise. He's an ...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans – Urðr Hunt Special Edition Anime Film Review
This film is essentially a remastered compilation of several video game cutscenes, and that origin ultimately hampers what could have been an interesting feature film.
― 10 years ago, the director and writer behind anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day took her shot at a Gundam entry with Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Between Tatsuyuki Nagai's underrated skill as an action director (A Certa...
Alice in Wonderland: Dive in Wonderland Film Review
This modernized film of Alice in Wonderland is pleasant in places, but it's too mediocre to justify a cinema release.
― Maybe you've had the experience of waking in the early morning, turning on the TV, hopping channels, and stumbling on a kids' fantasy cartoon that you've not seen before; not a TV episode but a stand-alone cartoon special or film. Honestly, it's not a great cartoon in terms of its s...
Whoever Steals This Book Anime Film Review
Whoever Steals This Book is, unfortunately, one of those films that is 100% style over substance.
― Whoever Steals This Book is a film filled to the brim with imagination. Mifuyu's adventure takes her into wonderfully realized storybook worlds. There's a Japanese fairy tale filled with surreal visuals, a noir detective story portrayed with a black and white color palette and film grain over the top, ...
A Wild Last Boss Appeared! Anime Series Review
In an anime landscape where video game isekai are standard issue, A Wild Last Boss Appeared! is easily one of the more ambitious—and certainly better animated—such titles.
― We never technically learn the name of the protagonist of A Wild Last Boss Appeared! (henceforth WLB). In fact, we only catch brief glimpses of what he actually looks like. Still, we do learn that he's one of the all-time best pl...
Black Jack - The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Review
Before Ameku, M.D., before House, there was only one name to call when medicine got weird – the infamous unlicensed surgeon, Black Jack.
― Osamu Tezuka, often called “The God of Manga” (in many cases by himself), has certainly given us many iconic characters—Astro Boy, Sapphire the princess with two hearts, and his epic Phoenix. Among these is the instantly recognizable Black Jack, a man with mismatc...
Shabake Anime Series Review
Shabake may have flown under a few radars as it was airing, but it's a solid show that deserves more attention.
― If you've been watching anime and reading manga for a while, you're probably familiar with the basic ayakashi, or spirits and supernatural beings, that crop up frequently. The kappa, the kitsune, the tanuki, the nopperabo…it'd be easy to assume that these and a few others make up the bulk...
Yano-kun's Ordinary Days Anime Series Review
Every episode is a gift for anxious anime girl reaction face screenshot lovers.
― This delightfully wholesome high school romcom flew under the radar for most anime viewers during the Fall 2025 anime season, and that's a huge shame, as Yano-kun's Ordinary Days is one of the sweetest examples of its genre. Central to the show's charm is the leading lady and audience viewpoint character, Kiyoko Yoshida...
Fate/strange Fake – Episodes 1-4 Review (Special Screening)
As a longtime fan of the Fate franchise in general and Fate/strange Fake in specific, it was everything I hoped for and more.
― The full series of Fate/strange Fake has been a long time coming. Written by Ryohgo Narita of Durarara!! fame, the book series has been ongoing since 2015 with the first novel getting an animated TV special, Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-, back in 2023. Last year, the ...
Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution Anime Film Review
If you're expecting a coherent re-telling of this arc or a chance to rewatch your favorite action cuts uninterrupted, prepare to be disappointed.
― If you've seen the trailers, you're probably aware this comes packaged with a recap of the entire Shibuya Incident. On paper, this seems like a way to catch up viewers who haven't seen this arc in preparation for the new episodes. Here's the thing: the mo...
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - Part 1 SE & Part 2 LE Blu-ray + DVD Review
At the end of the day, it’s all about the people we meet along the way...
― Looking back at the brisk autumn nights of 2023, I can't help but remember the visceral initial reaction I had to the first few episodes of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Despite not being much for fantasy, my heart dropped when the titular character realized she'd lost someone dear to her and never once told him how much he ...
Be Forever Yamato: Star Blazers: Rebel 3199 Episodes 11-14 Anime Review
This season of Space Battleship Yamato is one of the timeliest sci-fi anime I’ve ever seen.
― With the fourth REBEL 3199 “movie”, titled “The Aqua Sasha,” we reach the midpoint of this glossy modern retelling of 1980's Space Battleship Yamato movie Be Forever Yamato and TV show The Bolar Wars. Comprising episodes 11-14, these recently appeared on Crunchyroll at some point soon after their October the...
Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull Anime Film Review
This movie just might be the best distillation, the most coherent adaptation of this material, whether it's for the established fans or the anime-only audience learning about it for the first time.
― A series defined by duality, the FUUTO PI anime managed to balance the double tasks of being a sequel story for fans of the original Kamen Rider W tokusatsu series, as well as a series that allowed new v...
Fermat no Ryōri Anime Series Review Season 1 Part 2
Not only does this show address my issue with the lack of mathematics, but it even uses that as a plot point, tying into the larger narrative.
― After watching the first five episodes of this season, my biggest complaint was that Fermat set up a very interesting premise that it wasn't fully utilizing. The show sold itself under the idea of a protagonist who utilized mathematics in the world of cookin...
JUNK WORLD Stop-Motion Movie Review
Certifiably bonkers stop-motion work of cinematic madness.
― Director Takehide Hori is an auteur in every sense of the word – his singular, obsessive vision saw him single-handedly produce the thirty-minute stop-motion short Junk Head 1 back in 2013. So rapturously received was his debut work that he spent seven years expanding it to feature-length format, with the full Junk Head movie seeing interna...
Cat's Eye Episode 1-6 Anime Series Review
While this seems like a relatively functional introduction to Cat's Eye, it's hard not to feel like you might be better served with the 80s anime instead.
― While Shonen Jump is mostly associated here in the west with big action titles like Naruto or Jujutsu Kaisen, the magazine has always had a bit more variety beneath the surface than it's usually given credit for. All sorts of unique series have m...
Grand Blue Dreaming Season Two Anime Series Review
Grand Blue Dreaming is back with a fiery, if not incredibly idiotic, vengeance. And I’m all for it.
― After seven years of being in limbo, Grand Blue Dreaming is back with a vengeance. Its second season is still as dude bro as ever, with its “beer and tits” style of slapstick littering practically every frame. You can almost imagine being in the frat house as you're watching it, with the room reeking...
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...
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