That kind of ambience I can do without. It’s not every anime that’s going to fit Lucha Libre and a laugh track into the same story (or any story). In fact this is the first time I can recall a laugh track being inserted into any anime episode, which makes […] Read more
I’ll just be over there in the corner, silently weeping… Author’s Note: In light of the news of Robin Williams’ death today, I thought I’d top this post as I couldn’t help but be put in mind of Watamote when I heard this news, because it’s one of an extremely […] Read more
Come for the cats, stay for the scenery. Given a short window of good (well, sunny – it’s still 33 degrees) weather amidst what’s looking like a stormy final week of summer break, I decided to visit one of the places that’s been on my list ever since I moved […] Read more
It’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world in Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. The thing I really like about this series is that even when it’s not making me laugh outright, it’s always a little skewed. Nothing is ever normal or straightforward – an assumption or a cliché is always […] Read more
Here’s the lesson, Puck – now that you have pants, keep it in them. I suppose one would be entitled to a certain amount of surprise that Captain Earth ended up having as much structural integrity as it did, given the inconsistencies in the first half and the writers involved. […] Read more
The source of Baby Steps‘ greatness is surely also its commercial curse. Every young athlete’s path to becoming a professional – especially in a physically brutal sport such as tennis – passes through places that look a lot like where we saw Maruo this week. The difference is that most […] Read more
Those were the best dumps I’ve seen in ages. Diamond no Ace – 43 It’s no surprise at all that this was the best episode of Diamond no Ace we’ve seen for several weeks. Like any ensemble series it’s better when it focuses on its best characters, but more than […] Read more
Cloudy, with a 100% chance of Kaji. Anyone who saw the weather forecast for Western Japan knows today was a fitting day for Kaji Yuuki to arrive on the scene in Barakamon. Like an approaching typhoon his ominous presence has been bearing down on this defenseless island, its residents helpless […] Read more
Way to sink your own ship there, Inaho – though fortunately not literally. I’m a bit surprised by the markedly hostile turn in the commentary about Aldnoah.Zero of late, because for me it remains a sterling example of how to do popcorn anime right. There are a few factors that […] Read more
A small world, indeed. I don’t think there’s any question Sasasegawa Sasami’s arc is one of the simpler and more straightforward in the Little Busters anime repertoire. And in the end, it’s probably one that depends on the audience having had a familial relationship with a pet – preferably a […] Read more