It seems only fitting that there’s no middle path to be found in Chuunibyou. It would be wrong of me to criticize this episode of Chuunibyou for being heavy-handed, because this series has never postured towards having a light touch in anything it does. When it was a comedy it […] Read more
This train has been bearing down on us for weeks now, but there’s just no stopping it. In terms of pure emotional impact, Shin Sekai Yori is a show with few equals. In a word, it’s ruthless – no measures are taken to soften the impact events have on the […] Read more
Sometimes the reality lives up to the fantasy. This post was derailed by my untimely meeting with e.coli (or his cousin salmonella) but before I fell ill I’d spent the day on a return trip to Kamakura, wanting a chance to revisit on a sunny day and take things at […] Read more
As much praise as I’ve been lavishing on Zetsuen no Tempest lately, I still don’t think I’ve been giving it enough credit. I’ve noticed a curious trend in my reactions to ZnT. The series on the whole is, at the moment, exactly like each individual episode. I tend to be […] Read more
NoitaminA is in good hands this season. This is something of a throwback season in that we’re seeing some of the titanic studios of the last decade show us why they achieved that status in the first place, after struggling some over the last couple of years. BONES has had […] Read more
I think that was an episode that pretty much speaks for itself. Psycho-Pass mostly set aside the philosophy and social satire this week and stayed solidly in action-thriller territory, in the process delivering a tense and exciting episode that connected on pretty much every swing. This was the product of […] Read more
If ever a series was cut out for a Christmas episode, it’s Shirokuma Café. Among the early Christmas presents to the viewers of Shirokuma: Mamoru Miyano as Alpaca-san Shirokuma at Shibuya Crossing The full Panda family together at last, live and in photo tai-chi form Fukuyama Jun and Hanazawa Kana […] Read more
Enter the Dragon. One of the many things I love about Jormungand (it’s a long list) is how internally consistent the story is. It’s outlandish beyond reason, of that there can be no doubt, but the internal logic always holds up. Everything that happens in the story happens for a […] Read more
“It’s a First-Class Pitch” Lest anyone think we weren’t going to get around to one, Adachi-sensei delivers an all-baseball (with just a little service) chapter this month. With the Tokyo tournament starting, it seems an open question whether the Tachibana Brothers would be rooting for a win that would allow […] Read more
Hey – 12/12/12! How about that. Last one of the Century, Kids – seize the day. Most of you have a lot more of it left than we do here in Japan. Sakurasou no Pet no Kanoujou – 10 I don’t think there’s any doubt that this episode is another […] Read more