Well… Seven is a more auspicious number than six, I suppose. This was a pretty important week on Arslan Senki, it seems, as several events of considerable importance took place even if the immediate plot wasn’t advanced all that much. On the latter point, we’re nearly at the end of […] Read more
Once more, Baby Steps puts on a sports anime clinic. Apart from the animation, of course… That episode seemed to last about eight minutes, in the way these kinds of episodes often do in sports series. And as is so often the case, the most powerful matches can be the […] Read more
Well – with the name “Macbeth”, what were you expecting out of life? The thing about Kekkai Sensen is that it’s like the weather in Chicago – if you don’t like it, just wait a little while and you’ll get something completely different. This is a series that’s danced to […] Read more
Admit it – you didn’t think Souma could pull off an episode like that, did you? I find my feelings for Shokugeki no Souma the anime are very much in-line with those for the manga. That is to say, I started out liking it modestly as a fun diversion, and […] Read more
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi and NoitaminA? I think I just plotzed. There are certain anime announcements that just leave me with a silly grin for hours, and this is one of them. It’s not quite Otoyomegatari or Sangatsu no Lion (or a full Rurouni Kenshin reboot – hey, may […] Read more
There’s an awful lot of “what might have been” with Punchline. As much as I like certain elements of this show, the dominant impression for me is one of unfulfilled potential. Most obviously I wonder what sort of series this would have been if Uchikoshi Koutarou had simply written it […] Read more
I was going to say Rinne Sabato was the worst father of the year, but – well… Stannis Baratheon has pretty much redefined that title. It’s the nature of Yamaguchi Kappei’s talent that once you hear him in a role, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing it. Scenes like […] Read more
I think we can safely call that beat skipped. Ore Monogatari continues to dance a tightrope between parody and earnestness with exceptional dexterity. This is a funny sort of romance series in both senses, not quite like any I’ve seen before. There’s a lot about it that seems familiar at […] Read more
Well, that was worth the wait. But they sure as hell made us wait for it. My worst fears weren’t realized – despite a sort of trollish preview, Diamond no Ace did indeed resolve the agonizing cliffhanger it dumped on our doorstep last week. I guess they figured after 80-odd […] Read more
“Mother’s Mercy” Well, so much for that quiet and reflective season finale thing. I don’t think there’s any question this has been the most controversial season of Game of Thrones, both for book readers and new viewers (though mostly for different reasons). And I hardly think a season finale like […] Read more