This week Shirokuma Café proved beyond any doubt that it can do a serious episode very well. My question is: will the fans consider that a good thing? There’s just something about Tanabata that makes the Japanese go all doe-eyed and sentimental, if the festival’s many depictions in anime are […] Read more
A funny thing happened on the way to episode four of Kingdom… If you’ve been following my posts on this show, you know my biggest gripe has been with the excessive use of CGI in the scenes that one would normally not expect it. Well, there’s been a slow decrease […] Read more
As we end the first season of Jormungand – as we should, with Jonah and Koko squarely in focus – my thoughts are right where they were when I read the manga: there’s nothing else quite like this series. As is my usual practice I won’t do a “Series Review” […] Read more
Boy, Spring 2012 sure has been a heck of a season, hasn’t it? In an odd way, I’m glad Summer 2012 looks like a mediocre season. Frankly, Spring has exhausted me – there are too many good shows clustered on the same days (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday) and in general, and […] Read more
“From up on Poppy Hill” One thing’s for sure – it can’t be easy being Miyazaki Gorou. Anyone who pays close attention to anime in its theatrical form has spent plenty of time listening to directors being called “The next Miyazaki”. Makoto Shinkai (cold) and Hosoda Mamoru (a little warmer) […] Read more
And so it goes – we’ve reached the Round of 16 and a touch matchup against Sea Slugs Anime Blog. I’m surprised to still be alive in this thing – but since I am, let’s keep it going a little longer! Please click here to vote! Further thoughts after the fold… […] Read more
Anime’s fastest-moving adaptation in ages screams to a close with a finale straight out of the Alan Moore playbook. I’ll give you my usual Zetman disclaimer – I really have no idea how much of that ending is from the manga, and how much of it is anime original. Given […] Read more
“The Feast” Ah, the words every young bride surely dreams of saying on their wedding day: “Hey Mom, can we go see the sheep guts, too?” Mori-sensei is taking the term “slice-of-life” quite literally this time – . The long-awaited wedding day of Laila and Leyli has finally arrived, and […] Read more
The cliffhanger of episode 11 left me wondering – was Haiyore! going to stick to its insane guns for the season finale, or sell out and go the conventional route? The answer, I guess, is somewhere in between. There are definitely screwball comedies where warmth is a big part of […] Read more
I never thought all that much about Kimi to Boku during its run, but now that it’s ending I’ve become aware that I’m really going to miss it. Fittingly for a show that never worried too much about plot, KtB leaves the airwaves forever with an episode as thoughtful and […] Read more