Am I the only one who says “You’re welcome” every time I see the title of this series? Well, there’s just no doubt about it – Zankyou no Terror is anime royalty. While I still find it to be more a cerebral than a visceral experience (less so than after […] Read more
Tokyo Ghoul just keeps delivering the goods. I know it’s a frustratingly vague thing to say, but Tokyo Ghoul just has “it”. Some series have it, others don’t – that little extra spark that makes them special. Ishida Sui’s source material and Morita Shuhei’s direction clearly both have that spark, […] Read more
Summer has truly arrived in Tokyo. Tourou Nagashi is one of the most important rituals in Japanese spiritual life. Chouchin paper lanterns are floated down a river on the last day of Obon, the lights guiding the spirits back to the afterlife. Obon is traditionally observed in August, but by […] Read more
Two shows, same, studio, each primarily on my radar because of one man – but the experiences are intriguingly different. Love Stage!! – 02 I certainly enjoyed the first episode of Love Stage quite a lot. I’d give an educational series on canine oral hygiene a couple of episodes to […] Read more
“The Men’s Bath/Nice to Meet You” Whatever your tastes, I imagine Mori Kaoru supplied some kind of service in these chapters of Otoyomegatari. Manservice, cat service, the usual service (hubba, hubba), food service… The woman sure knows her way around ink and paper. “The Men’s Bath” isn’t really a full […] Read more
There’s no such thing as a trivial detail in Toghashi Yoshihiro’s world. Author’s Note: Please be very careful to avoid divulging any information about upcoming events from the manga. When in doubt, don’t post it, even if it’s remotely possible to view it as a minor spoiler. Thanks for your […] Read more
I was half-expecting a panda to show up there at the end. A pretty self-explanatory double-episode OVA from Tonari no Seki-kun, a series which is always a cleansing experience when the excess of formula and derivative nonsense on the anime schedule have taken their toll on the soul. This one […] Read more
Someone really should have worked it out so Ao Haru Ride aired before Nozaki-kun, because watching it the next day is a little… Ao Haru Ride – 02 When it comes to shoujo, I tend to like those that take themselves a little less seriously even when dealing with serious […] Read more
Space Dandy is one series that sure doesn’t let the moss grow under its feet. Here’s a a measure of just how trippy and weird this show is – this was the episode before the Yuasa Masaaki episode. Watanabe Shinichirou continues to make Space Dandy a revolving door of guest […] Read more
This is a fascinating show, in so many ways. There’s a strong meta quality to Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, but it’s not quite the sort of thing we see in more traditional anime meta-satire. After two episodes it seems clear to me that the essence of this series is flipping things […] Read more