Whatever else you might think of the final episode – or of the eleven that preceded it – I think it’s hard to argue that Watanabe-sensei isn’t a directorial genius of the first order. It wouldn’t be unfair to say I went into this final episode with a good deal of trepidation. […] Read more

Of all the episodes of Sakamichi so far, this one might be the most difficult to get a handle on. I mentioned last week that Sakamichi no Apollon and Tsuritama – and indeed, all great anime – were much more alike than different, no matter their superficial dissimilarities.  But if […] Read more

As many different styles, shapes and sizes as great anime come in, how alike they are is more striking than how different they are. Fundamentally, if a series is going to meet the threshold of greatness, it has to be rooted in characters we can relate to and emotions that […] Read more

Dammit Watanabe, why do you insist on making it look so easy? This was an amazingly simple episode of Sakamichi no Apollon, really. Basically four main scenes, plus a few supporting ones, spread out over the winter holidays as Kyushu is covered by a light blanket of snow. I can […] Read more

And lo, with the simple question “Would you like a persimmon?” was the fujoshi movement born in Kyushu, 1967… This was a seemingly low-key episode after the frenetic drama of last week, but my sense is of a locomotive bearing relentlessly down on the conclusion suggested by the ED. The […] Read more

Well, that’s certainly going to give the fujoshi something to talk about… NoitaminA steamrolls along in spectacular fashion for yet another week, and Sakamichi joins Tsuritama in delivering peerless episodes that build on everything that’s come before. It was interesting that Crunchyroll finally subbed the OP and ED this week. […] Read more

If you ask me what my favorite NoitaminA series this season is, my answer might have to be “What time is it?” Seriously – as a huge NoitaminA fan (albeit a disappointed one lately) I don’t say it lightly, but this is the best pair of shows the block has […] Read more

“Realism” is a term that gets thrown around almost as much as “slice-of-life”, and likewise incorrectly most of the time – but Sakamichi no Apollon is that rare series that earns the descriptor. I can see where this episode might not be to everyone’s tastes, because it was certainly the […] Read more