Is Tokyo Ghoul beginning to develop a reverse Star Trek syndrome? I’m not quite ready to call it a pattern, but there’s definitely a trend here – the odd-numbered episodes of Tokyo Ghoul tend to be much better than the even-numbered ones (which is of course the opposite of the […] Read more
I want so badly to love Zankyou no Terror, but wanting isn’t enough. There was always one thing missing from the C.V. of Zankyou no Terror, and that was any mention of who the main writer was. We’ve had script credits for individual episodes, a mix of names that may […] Read more
What, you were expecting me to be able to resist that? It’s not surprising at all that Majimoji Rurumo had this sort of episode in it, really, or that it would choose to pursue it. Good anime comedies more often than not are a blend of laughter and feels, and […] Read more
It’s tough being a man… My knowledge of Japanese culture doesn’t really extend to Otoko wa Tsurai yo, the spectacularly popular series of 48 films starring Atsumi Kiyoshi as the luckless hero, Tora-san. I’d heard of them, but mostly because of my interest in visiting Shibamata, one of the enclaves […] Read more
“Hello/Just a Walk/That’s How a Childhood Friend Should Be” While waiting more than three months between releases is obviously less than ideal, in terms purely of consumption it might not be such a bad way to read Adachi Mitsuru. His narrative approach is so deliberate that one chapter per month […] Read more
It’s easy to see who the real master manipulator is here, and his initials are “T.Y.”. Author’s Note: Please be very careful to avoid divulging any information about upcoming events from the manga. When in doubt, don’t post it, even if it’s remotely possible to view it as a minor spoiler. […] Read more
This turned out to be a happier occasion than I expected. I was all set to mention yet again that reviewing OVAs for series we’ll never again see in anime form is kind of depressing, but there was a very happy surprise at the end of this one – an […] Read more
That kind of ambience I can do without. It’s not every anime that’s going to fit Lucha Libre and a laugh track into the same story (or any story). In fact this is the first time I can recall a laugh track being inserted into any anime episode, which makes […] Read more
I’ll just be over there in the corner, silently weeping… Author’s Note: In light of the news of Robin Williams’ death today, I thought I’d top this post as I couldn’t help but be put in mind of Watamote when I heard this news, because it’s one of an extremely […] Read more
Come for the cats, stay for the scenery. Given a short window of good (well, sunny – it’s still 33 degrees) weather amidst what’s looking like a stormy final week of summer break, I decided to visit one of the places that’s been on my list ever since I moved […] Read more