The first Fall show to weigh in for Winter may just be the best, and the new year finds it still in rhythm. OP2: “Yowamushi na Honoo (弱虫な炎)” by Dirty Old Men Yowapeda starts 2014 with a new OP and ED – I like the former the better of the […] Read more
There’s just no stopping moepigs. I actually thought Space Dandy might come out on top in this poll, but Gin no Saji sniped the lead from it on the second day and never looked back. Despite a relatively weak season on paper, this poll broke the record for most votes […] Read more
The fascination never ends. Nobunagun – 01 It’s no exaggeration to say that Oda Nobunaga is one of the handful of most important and legendary figures in Japanese history. Even so, it’s remarkable the degree to which anime and manga is obsessed with him. I can’t think of another characters […] Read more
This has to be the easiest money of Shimono Hiro’s career. I haven’t blogged any short anime that I can remember, not beyond the first episode anyway. There have been some I’ve really liked – especially Poyopoyo and Chi’s Sweet Home among the three-minute class, Boku no Imouto wa Osaka […] Read more
BONES Monday, phase two. OP: “Goya no Machiawase (午夜の待ち合わせ)” by Hello Sleepwalkers Gods, but it’s good to have BONES back. They were uncharacteristically silent in 2013 – nothing on TV after Zetsuen no Tempest ended – but they were apparently marshalling for a big 2014, with at least five TV […] Read more
So – is anime saved? For now, the jury is out and the bag is mixed. OP: “Viva Namida” (ビバナミダ “Viva Teardrops”) by Yasuyuki Okamura There are many unusual things about Space Dandy, but perhaps the weirdest for me is this: it’s definitely the first time I’ve seen a TV […] Read more
“Timeless” is a good word for Mushishi, in more ways than one. Various year-end anime polls like to include a category for “world-building” or some such description, and it’s hard to imagine Mushishi not coming out on top any time it’s eligible to compete. It’s truly remarkable how seamlessly I […] Read more
The end is surely in sight now, and maybe in more ways than one. We’ve reached the endgame stage of the Qin-Wei war now, and whichever side is going to emerge victorious is going to do so in very short order. There are lots of interesting storylines emerging here (just […] Read more
Cats everywhere. Just another lazy day of wandering about Shitamachi. This time it’s Gokokuji, which of all Tokyo’s most important temples is the closest to me. I took the 25-minute walk up there today and snapped some more pics (along with a few at a small but picturesque temple I […] Read more
That episode was a long time coming, and not because of the New Year’s break. OP 8: “B.B.” by The Yatou 2014 starts off on a very strong front for Uchuu Kyoudai, which is nice to see because it’s 2013 was a step down from the first three cours. This […] Read more