The discoveries just never stop. Today was my last big sakura excursion (unless I decide to head up to the mountains next weekend along with half of Tokyo) so I wanted to try somewhere I hadn’t been before. Koganei Park, about half an hour West on the Chuo Line, seemed […] Read more
It’s a race against time now. One of the unfortunate impacts of my trips outside Tokyo this week was that I was out of town when the peak sakura season hit. And as fate would have it, on Thursday – the day I was resting up – we got a […] Read more
God’s in his Heaven, and all’s right with the world. Mushishi’s back. OP: “Shiver” by Lucy Rose Mushishi is back – and it’s still the same masterpiece it ever was. How can you put something like that into words? It’s rare enough in anime to get a sequel almost a […] Read more
That was almost a perfect finale for a terrific series. It was really only missing one thing. The last series review post of the Winter is for arguably its best series. For me it was pretty much a photo-finish between Space Dandy and Hoozuki no Reitetsu as the outstanding new […] Read more
When an Okada train leaves the station, you better be damn sure you want to be on-board. I’m never going to skip the premiere of an Okada Mari series, because the curiosity factor if nothing else is enough to draw me in. And in truth, for all her flaws as […] Read more
How could Nagi no Asukara have possibly finished with an episode that was anything but a mixed bag? So, there are two thoughts running through my mind as I reflect on this series. Sucks to be Kaname, huh? Let me get this straight – the showcase hug we get in […] Read more
In the annals of anime fandom, no words so often unjustly doom a series as “That’s a kid’s show, right?” Spring is finally here with the first official LIA premiere of the season (unless you count the Anime Japan Mushishi screening) and it’s a show that wasn’t prominent on my […] Read more
Anime is starting to get the kinks worked out of this short-format anime thing… In honor of Tonari no Seki-kun ending (for now) I ate dinner at Tonari Ramen last night (a local tanmen chain – very delicious). Happily this isn’t really the end, as the DVDs are going to […] Read more
There’s old, and then there’s old. I’ve been meaning to check out Kashima Jingu for quite some time. I bypassed it when I had my Seishun-18 Kippu last year in favor of Izu, and I’ve always kind of regretted it. Kashima Jingu is regarded as the most important Shrine in […] Read more
Nowhere but Japan is it this much fun to get yourself into hot water. Today’s Kanto Pass excursion took me to Kusatsu Onsen, up in the mountains in Gunma. I’m a huge onsen fan, and Kusatsu is regarded as one of the best onsen towns in Japan, both for atmosphere […] Read more