There were definitely a couple of head-scratchers in that episode for this viewer… Kawahara Reki is revealing himself to bit a bit of a frustrating writer for me. There are definite strengths there – a certain likeable sincerity, a deft touch in creating interesting alternative settings and a keen attention […] Read more
Not since Level E have we seen an anime which so gleefully celebrates the fine art of the troll. I’ve often – probably too often – analyzed Kokoro Connect in context of how it compares with Hyouka and Tari Tari. These shows naturally seem to group themselves together as a […] Read more
If any anime episode ever screamed “side story”, this was the one. While I like Accel World well enough and SAO more, I confess I do see some basis for the complaint that Kawahara-san’s works are a sort of male wish fulfillment. A hyper-realistic VRMMO where most of the players […] Read more
Considering how different they are, it’s surprising how well the contrasting styles of Binbougami Ga! fit together. This is another one of those Summer series that’s easier to enjoy watching than it is to blog, but it’s nonetheless quite an interesting little shows. Binbougami is really two shows in one, […] Read more
Natsuyuki Rendezvous seems determined not to make things very easy for the viewers. If there’s one word that springs to mind for me in connection with this series, it’s empathy. It seems to be a critical component of everything that’s happening in the story – and an equally critical factor […] Read more
It’s about damn time someone did an anime episode about coffee roasting. Disclaimer: I’m biased in favor of this ep. I worked in the coffee industry and had the chance to know several roastmasters (guys who have been doing this for 20+ years) and they’re truly artisans. I also stovetop-roast […] Read more
Well now, there’s some straight-up GAR for you. I really enjoy Kingdom (especially when the animation is tolerable, as it was this week) but as I’ve mentioned before, there are times when it isn’t the easiest show to write about. There’s a WYSIWYG quality to it most of the time, […] Read more
Well, that was silly. I’m going to guess that this episode was made up of omakes from Sugita Kei’s Utakoi manga – it sure felt that way. If not, it seems as if Kenichi Kasai just decided to throw caution to the wind and get as far away from traditional […] Read more
This shocking news just in: Zaeheart lost another major battle. Film at 11. A couple of thoughts strike me as I reflect on this episode. First, how some of the things that annoy me about AGE haven’t really changed in 43 episodes. Second, how much Seric Abis is the unsung […] Read more
Would it kill KyoAni to have just one of these bit parts filled by a no-name seiyuu? I have to give full credit to Hyouka, a series that’s really raised its game in this culture festival arc. There was always an insidious quality to the way the show wormed its […] Read more