I think this is the first time in 29 episodes that we’ve seen Rikyu truly rattled, and with good reason. Read more

The aesthetes’ world was a battleground of its own, in a sense. Read more

Over the years I’ve often pondered who the true protagonist of Hyouge Mono is, and whether it matters. Read more

Hyouge Mono would never be normal. Read more

More than enough is too much. Read more

I suspect this series appears to be much more far-fetched than it actually is. Read more

“Esoteric” is a word you don’t get much chance to use when talking about anime these days. Read more

Sasuke plays the fool rather a lot in this series, but that shouldn’t gloss over the fact that he’s both ruthless and clever. Read more

He may see it as mainly a way to supplement his considerable expenses as an aesthete, but Sasuke still has to succeed as a warrior to get by in this world. Read more

It’s hard to overstate how important the way of tea and aesthetics generally were in court life at the end of the 16th-century. Read more