At long last, the real racing has begun. Time to break out the sorting hat. When grand tour bike races start (and in high-school terms three days certainly qualifies as a grand your) everyone tends to fall into their specified roles. With two-week affairs like the Tour de France the […] Read more
As confessions go, that was certainly emphatic. I think I’ve figured out why Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta often seems to work better as a series than it “deserves” to – why all the exasperating logic holes and sexism and overzealous foreshadowing can’t quite sink the dreadnought. Inside this deeply […] Read more
The chickens are really coming home to roost now. I hardly know where to begin talking about an episode like that one, because it was so intellectually dense, opaque and a total mind-screw to boot. Space Dandy has done surrealist and even psychedelic more than once, but this was something […] Read more
The seas may be uncharted, but so far the sailing is pretty smooth. I’m viewing this anime-original turn for Noragami as a positive because it seems to indicate a desire not to go places that will make a second season more difficult, and comments this week from director Tamura Koutarou […] Read more
No ablutions occurred during the course of my visit. I’ve been to Yushima Tenjin before and blogged it, but given the Noragami connection there were obvious reasons to go back. Besides, I’m a student and next week is finals week, and it’s virtually a requirement that all good students visit […] Read more
“In Her Garden” Mori-sensei + cat = win. I must say that narratively speaking I found this new chapter to be a bit of a snoozer, though I suppose it’s only natural since I have no connection with this new bride. But the art was so beautiful you can’t help […] Read more
More and more it seems as if Diamond no Ace has barely gotten started. I have no idea how long this series is going to run, but there’s a growing sense that we’re going to be here for a while. I certainly hope so, because the anime is really making […] Read more
It seems fitting that Uchuu Kyoudai embraces an uncertain future with a look back to the past. The official Space Brothers Twitter account has confirmed that next week’s episode – the 99th – will be the finale of the TV adaptation. I thought they might go for an even 100, […] Read more
Once again Gin no Saji brings us a beautiful, terrible sadness. I really think you’d be hard-pressed to find two consecutive episodes of any anime series that aspired to realism better than the last two of Gin no Saji, no matter how far back you look. They’ve been perfection, really […] Read more
So wrong, and yet so right… There was an interesting bit of news this week with the announcement that the first volume of the Hoozuki no Reitetsu Blu-ray/DVD was delayed by four weeks. I have no idea why (presumably production delays), but I obviously hope there isn’t a negative impact […] Read more