This one was a commission: the folks at MAL asked me to do a piece trying to explain to new viewers why one of the shows I’m blogging is worth watching. I picked Shokugeki no Souma, and this is the result… Read more
Anime
Jitsu wa Watashi wa – 07
Yep, the vampire is definitely the normal one. Read more
Kyoukai no Rinne – 20
Great job, Rumiko (and Brains Base). Not for the first time, I apologize for ever suggesting that Kyoukai no Rinne wasn’t a first-rate series. This isn’t second-tier Rumiko or anything else – it’s a great anime comedy, with impeccable timing and a wit as sharp and hard as a diamond […] Read more
Ore Monogatari!! – 20
What an odd little charmer this show is. OK, first things first – has the nameplate at Takeo’s apartment always said “Gouda!!”, or was that a one-time gag this week? I’m very often surprised by Ore Monogatari, because for all that it’s a conventional love story on the surface, it […] Read more
Diamond no Ace Season 2 – 20
Learn why Ochiai-kantoku is such a remarkable character in this week’s Diamond no Ace post. Read more
Akagami no Shirayukihime – 07
This game of princes just got more complicated. There’s no question Akagami no Shirayukihime has been excellent through six episodes. I really appreciate the way it doesn’t try too hard to sell me anything – drama, heartbreak, comedy, romance. It just lets the material speak for itself, and the material […] Read more
Arslan Senki – 19
Meanwhile, back in Pars… If “Why” is the keyword of the moment in Gangsta, in Arslan Senki I think it’s “Should”. As in, should Hilmes be the king because he has the stronger legal claim, or should Arslan be the king because he seems to be the better man? I’ve […] Read more
Baby Steps Season 2 – 20
If nice guys finish last, Takagi Sakuya has nothing to worry about. Watching this match play out, all of the incredible frustration I felt while reading it in the manga comes flooding back to me. And it’s a totally different kind of frustration than I felt during the Ide match, […] Read more
Gangsta – 07
Among the many things it’s doing brilliantly, Gangsta certainly knows how to ask the right question. I don’t throw the word “masterpiece” around lightly when it comes to anime (or anything else for that matter) but Gangsta is rather forcing my hand. I’m framing this is the context of two […] Read more
Manga to Anime – My Wish List
One thing I’ve discovered is that fleshed-out podcast topics make great article topics – and here’s one about the manga I’d love to see on our screens someday. Read more