What a marvelous dichotomy this episode of Kingdom presented. To be clear, Kingdom the manga/anime isn’t history – it’s historical fiction. Who knows how things really played out on these battlefields – but in the end it doesn’t matter, because all we’ll ever know about those moments is what’s trickled […] Read more
How do you solve a problem like Mari? Pocari Sweat was one of three readers who made the biggest contribution to LiA, and had a request – a post on the topic of one of anime’s most powerful and controversial writers, Okada Mari. Not an easy commission, mind you – […] Read more
Is it next week yet? It’s not specifically Yowamushi-related, but on the topic of sports anime the big news is that the Kuroko no Basuke terrorist appears to have finally been caught, as he was about to send another batch of threat letters in Osaka. It’s an embarrassment to the […] Read more
Another patron commission, as requested. Thanks, Ishruns! “Taichi’s True Rival” Our dear Chihaya, She loves a megane guy Harada-sensei Read more
What a truly wonderful little series Gingitsune has turned out to be. Every season as a show that eclipses all the others in how much my esteem for it grows during its run, and this season it’s definitely this one. Part of it is that Gingitsune has legitimately gotten better […] Read more
Daiya no A is a veritable feast for the baseball fan. Every week this series gives hardcore baseball lovers a little something to chew on while still managing to be thoroughly entertaining. This time the subject is “hiding the ball” – which is one of the practical implications of Eijun […] Read more
There’s just no let-up in the emotional barrage. This has been a really intense anime week emotionally, and it was pretty much a given that White Album was going to deliver some big-time feels considering where it left off last week. It’s a different sort of intensity with this series, […] Read more
In returning to the surface, Uchuu Kyoudai comes back down to Earth a bit. There was some very interesting news today – Space Brothers will be getting a theatrical animated film next summer. It’s already had a live-action film of course – and a hugely successful one at that – […] Read more
I really don’t think this is the time for a clever opening line. I don’t think I need to say much about that episode of Little Busters!, really. If any anime episode ever spoke for itself, it was this one. And who wants to cloud such emotional purity with a […] Read more
It’s always a thrill to be in the presence of true genius. Takahata Isao, the 78 year-old “other” of Studio Ghibli’s two old lions, is never going to be as well known as his good friend Miyazaki Hayao. His movies are never going to sell as many tickets in Japan, […] Read more