Let the madness begin. Hamatora – 01 The next few days are pretty much going to be a death march to try and keep up with the flood of premieres, especially with the second cours of the Fall carryovers starting in earnest tomorrow. Today it’s two from the vast mid-tier […] Read more
No surprises in the results this year. Shin Sekai Yori claimed the top spot on the first day of voting, cruising to an easy victory in the 2013 reader poll. The only real drama at the top was the see-saw battle between Shingeki no Kyoujin and Kyousougiga for third place. […] Read more
After 111 episodes of brilliance – and a preview full of spoilers – Hunter X Hunter can still utterly surprise me. That’s brilliant writing and direction, plain and simple. Here’s the truth – when this episode ended, I broke out laughing for a good five seconds. It’s not as if […] Read more
Another top pick weighs in, as Winter 2014 really starts to heat up. OP: “azurite” by petit milady OK, let’s get to the elephant in the room – Kal-el, really? Was the light-novelist Inumura Koruku aware of the connection? I assume that’s a yes, but if so, is he just […] Read more
The first Fall show to weigh in for Winter may just be the best, and the new year finds it still in rhythm. OP2: “Yowamushi na Honoo (弱虫な炎)” by Dirty Old Men Yowapeda starts 2014 with a new OP and ED – I like the former the better of the […] Read more
There’s just no stopping moepigs. I actually thought Space Dandy might come out on top in this poll, but Gin no Saji sniped the lead from it on the second day and never looked back. Despite a relatively weak season on paper, this poll broke the record for most votes […] Read more
The fascination never ends. Nobunagun – 01 It’s no exaggeration to say that Oda Nobunaga is one of the handful of most important and legendary figures in Japanese history. Even so, it’s remarkable the degree to which anime and manga is obsessed with him. I can’t think of another characters […] Read more
This has to be the easiest money of Shimono Hiro’s career. I haven’t blogged any short anime that I can remember, not beyond the first episode anyway. There have been some I’ve really liked – especially Poyopoyo and Chi’s Sweet Home among the three-minute class, Boku no Imouto wa Osaka […] Read more
BONES Monday, phase two. OP: “Goya no Machiawase (午夜の待ち合わせ)” by Hello Sleepwalkers Gods, but it’s good to have BONES back. They were uncharacteristically silent in 2013 – nothing on TV after Zetsuen no Tempest ended – but they were apparently marshalling for a big 2014, with at least five TV […] Read more
So – is anime saved? For now, the jury is out and the bag is mixed. OP: “Viva Namida” (ビバナミダ “Viva Teardrops”) by Yasuyuki Okamura There are many unusual things about Space Dandy, but perhaps the weirdest for me is this: it’s definitely the first time I’ve seen a TV […] Read more