“Umar’s Visit” I’ve said it already on more than one occasion, but I really think Otoyomegatari is at its best when it’s at its simplest. That’s what seems to suit Mori Kaoru’s writing style best – the action-packed battle arc was brilliant in its own way, but it somehow didn’t […] Read more
I’m with Hyoro-kun on this one. In case you missed it, Chihayafuru made a guest appearance of sorts in this week’s Diamond no Ace. And while I’m certainly happy to see Madhouse pimp their own series, I have to disagree with the “first 10 volumes are slow” line – though […] Read more
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
Is the the calm before the storm? Perhaps more accurately, the mild storm before the hurricane, because things were pretty lively in these two chapters of Chihayafuru. But it still felt very preliminary, and there’s a real sense that Suetsugu-sensei is setting up something bigger on the horizon. The most […] Read more
“Glaring hole”, indeed. We’re in a funny sort of Purgatory in Chihyafuru right now. There’s obviously not just someone but something missing. Suetsugu-sensei acknowledges this openly in the writing, as it’s obviously an intentional development – yet the fact that it’s missing is no less glaring. Right now the series […] Read more
“To Work” I had a thought recently, when the 251st Nisio Isin adaptation was announced. What a wonderful thing it would be if Otoyomegatari got an adaptation, and a bunch of Nisoisin fans watched the premiere thinking it was one of his, and were perplexed and infuriated. Well, a man […] 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
No Taichi, No Arata, no problem? I wouldn’t go that far. Change is definitely the theme in Chihayafuru these days. There’s still no sign of Taichi, Chihaya isn’t playing, and the Empress is thinking about the future as much as the present. Maybe it’s a test of how big a […] Read more
“To the North” We got a mini-chapter of Otoyomegatari sandwiched in-between the usual releases from Mori-sensei, a short check-in with the remnants of the Halgal clan. As Karluk’s family sifts through the spoils of war, Azel and his kin have headed north, with Azel now officially in-charge of the clan. […] Read more
“Are You Sure?/Because We’re Brothers” Fittingly it’s Mix that completes the first ever manga triple play at LiA… It’s been so long since we’ve seen a translated chapter of Mix that I’d almost forgotten where the story left off. Such are the frustrations of being a manga fan who can’t […] Read more