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Elrentaros Wanderings Game Review
Dungeon dives and village-building combine in this action-RPG from the makers of the Rune Factory series, but can Elrentaros Wandering live up to its inspirations?
― Elrentaros Wanderings clearly doesn't mind comparisons to the Rune Factory series. After all, Rune Factory made a nice little home for itself, combining the farming of Harvest Moon with the combat of a fantasy action RPG. It's a place wh...
Father, I Don't Want This Marriage Volume 1 Manhwa Review
If you enjoy a villainess-good tale filled with lovely art of a royal fantasy world, try this.
― Like Not Sew Wicked Stepmother's release before it, Father, I Don't Want This Marriage's source novels were translated and previously published by WordExcerpt. For unexplained reasons, this Korean novel translation outfit has ceased to make its books available outside of the serialized format available on...
The Boy and the Heron HD 4K Blu-ray Anime Film Review
The Boy and the Heron, in which everything and nothing happens, captures quiet sorrow and loneliness in a film that is hopefully as much capstone as it is eulogy for a storied career.
― Hayao Miyazaki's 2023 film The Boy and the Heron feels like a eulogy. An ineffable sense of loss permeates the story, an underlying sadness that follows a departure, and that feeling isn't aimed toward any person or t...
This Reincarnated Cross-Dressing Princess Won't Be Looking for a Fiancé Manga Review
The single greatest flaw here is that the story would have worked better spread out over two volumes.
― Even though we are all ostensibly accustomed to the trend of light novels and their adaptations revealing the entire premise and half the plot in their titles, it still feels like this one is determined to toss as many buzzwords as possible into its own. We have a princess who is reincarnated, both...
Megaton Musashi Season 1 Anime Series Review
Megaton Musashi is a curiosity by this point in its story, and a tenuous beginning for a series isn't a return to form or revitalization for the mecha genre that never actually left.
― The idea that mecha is a "dead genre" of anime is an oft-repeated yet provably wrong fallacy. New seasons regularly bring refreshed entrants in the medium, often flying under the radar compared to whatever irregular Gu...
Witchy Pretty Cure! Episodes 1-25 Anime Series Review
Although all seasons in the franchise have their strengths and weaknesses, this one feels solid, and it's easy to see why it was chosen to get a sequel.
― Remember when Power of Hope: Precure Full Bloom was legally available with English subtitles (among others) even though the three series it was a sequel to never had an official English-language release? That won't be a problem for Witchy Precure: ...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 4 Anime Film Review
I couldn't help but feel disappointed—not at what I watched exactly but because of what could have, and perhaps should have, been.
― Leaving the theater after watching Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture's final chapter, I couldn't help but feel disappointed—not at what I watched exactly but because of what could have, and perhaps should have, been. Let's break it down. I have no problem with what happ...
The Misfit of Demon King Academy II Part 2 Anime Series Review
It often feels like the show needs double the runtime to get things in a place where it's understandable—not to mention make it so the emotional bits hit with any amount of weight.
― Whenever I think about this back half of season two, I remember feeling more than a little confused—much more so than I was in past parts of the story. On one hand, this is because both season one and part one of season ...
GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! Manga Volume 1 Review
It's hard to read this first volume and not feel yourself rooting for Akechi and Masako and they pursue petty and supernatural revenge.
― GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! ("What you hear when your Danny Phantom DVD has a smudge," said my partner, chuckling upon seeing the title) has a fascinating introduction. In the first chapter, we're introduced to our main character, an office worker named Ushiro Akechi, who g...
Alley: Junji Ito Story Collection Manga Review
One of Ito's trademarks is how unsettling he's able to make ideas that sound simple on paper, and the stories of Alley are no different.
― By now, Junji Ito's name is so ubiquitous not just in manga but in horror overall that it almost feels pointless to explain who he is. The four-time Eisner Award winner has created iconic horror manga after iconic horror manga. His latest work to get an English re...
T・P BON Season 2 Anime Series Review
T・P BON is an upbeat, (mostly) optimistic sci-fi adventure that doesn't shy away from the darkness of human history yet celebrates and uplifts the lives of the "little" people.
― This second half of studio Bones' adaptation of Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F Fujio's 1976-86 manga maintains the same light educational tone as its first, mixed with occasional graphic (historically appropriate) bloody viole...
My Hero Academia: You're Next Anime Film Review
This movie is built around a villain who misinterpreted All Might's final words as a hero—and was inspired by them in all the wrong ways.
― My Hero Academia: You're Next is the fourth tie-in film to the wildly popular My Hero Academia TV anime. Taking place around the start of Season 7, this movie is built around a villain who misinterpreted All Might's final words as a hero—and was inspired by them ...
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Game Review
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is the best execution of its core concept as it could ever be: a celebration of speedrunning and friendly competition between gamers.
― Nintendo's extensive history is its greatest strength; the Big N sits on a dragon's hoard of iconography and memorabilia that will forevermore be synonymous with video gaming. The barest brushing against their history is enou...
A Magical Girl Retires Novel Review
Why is it that magical girls are magical girls? The answer to that question is the theme of award-winning South Korean author Seolyeon Park's English debut, A Magical Girl Retires.
― Why is it that magical girls are magical girls? The answer to that question is the theme of award-winning South Korean author Seolyeon Park's English debut, A Magical Girl Retires. It's not an attempt to stake out a gend...
Wonderful Precure! Episodes 13-24 Anime Series Review
Even if Wonderful Pretty Cure! decides to tackle such a serious topic, Mayu's arc has proven that it can balance seriousness with joyous adventure.
― Dogs have a reputation for being protective, but in my experience, cats are just as keen on keeping their people safe. Although the science, or perhaps pseudoscience, of predicting cats' personalities based on their fur color has conflicting views of wh...
The New Recruit Volumes 1-2 Novel Review
The New Recruit is a treat for office romance fans and a good BL novel series featuring some very explicit content.
― The New Recruit, a Korean BL novel, is a sign of a changing publishing landscape. By this I mean that by the fall of 2024, it will be available in English in three different formats: this original novel, published digitally by Mullebooks, the all-ages version of the manhwa, available ...
The Poetry of Ran Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
This manga is unimpactful, and if not for the beautiful, meticulously detailed art, I’d say nothing about it stands out at all, either for better or for worse.
― Consisting of a whopping two volumes from start to finish, The Poetry of Ran is a bite-sized high-fantasy manga about a warrior called Ran. To be more specific, the manga begins with Ran arriving in a small village. Per the request of the vi...
Occult Detective Club: Graveyard of the Death Dolls Manga Review
This is a solid work of 1986 horror, with art that mimics the basic shoujo manga style of the period, twisted just so to make it upsetting.
― There is one abiding rule that horror stories need to follow: do not pull your punches. That goes for whatever demographic you're writing for, and in my opinion, nothing will ruin a horror story faster than an ending that wraps everything up too neatly. Sadly, ...
Mononoke The Movie: Karakasa Anime Film Review
Mononoke The Movie: Karakasa is a feast for the eyes, unlike any anime I have ever seen. It deserves to sit right up there alongside the standout works of mind-boggling surrealistic animation.
― The original 2007 Mononoke anime is a Japanese horror anthology series set in the closing days of the Edo period. It follows a man known only as "The Medicine Seller" who wanders across Japan and exorcises "M...
Princess Maker 2 Regeneration Game Review
30 years later, the child-raising sim is back with a fresh coat of paint. Rebecca tries to get her favorite (of 74) endings in Princess Maker 2 Regeneration.
― The original Princess Maker 2 game was released thirty years ago, in 1994, and hasn't gone away since. Some English-language players may remember the version for DOS (or DOS Box, depending on your age), but it did eventually get an official re...
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Game Review
Games with such a confident, bold vision rarely come around, and it's even rarer that they execute that vision with such success.
― The first thing you will likely notice about Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is how utterly spellbinding its world is. The lead director of the game is Shuichi Kawata, and it is immediately apparent how he is drawing on his experience as an art director and cinematic d...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 3 Anime Film Review
This is the “dark chapter” of the story—you know, where everything goes from a generally stable status quo to “the worst things have ever been” in just a few unfortunate moments.
― This film (or theatrically released set of three episodes, if you'd prefer) is the “dark chapter” of the story—you know, where everything goes from a generally stable status quo to “the worst things have ever been” in just...
Soup Forest Novel 1 Review
Soup Forest is a story to read when you want to escape from the horrors of the news cycle. It's truly cozy in the sense that it's like reading under a warm blanket in front of the fire.
― Although cozy fantasy has arguably always existed as a subgenre, especially within the world of light novels where it crosses paths with iyashikei works, it's only recently become known as its own special category o...
Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
Even when a rival rears her head, author Iru knows how to handle it without making it feel like too much of a retread of manhwa's greatest hits, and it's just a very well-put-together story overall.
― Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom has an odd history in English. Some years ago, Korean novel translators WordExcerpt released the source novel as I'm Only a Stepmother, but my Daughter is Just Too Cute! as both a...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 47-63 Anime Series Review
Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo.
― Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo. After episode forty-six scarred children of Japan with the magical girl's death via truck, the series still had seventeen episodes to go, well beyond the original slated episode count of fifty. That means that the writers had to figure something out relatively quickly – should the focus be on Momo growing up as the ...
Just Like Mona Lisa Volume 1 Manga Review
Tsumuji Yoshimura's romance drama centers on non-binary Hinase, a teen who has no gender in a world where most people choose by age 12.
― My ex once described gender as soup—it's fluid, can swirl all over the place, and can be enjoyed at one's leisure. However, depending on how you approach it, it can also be exceedingly messy. We unfortunately live in a world where many people fail to understand wha...
Unholy Blood Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review
With attractive art, a couple of good moments of humor, and a decent take on vampire lore, this is a series that's worth checking out – especially if it keeps getting stronger as it goes on.
― There are vampires, and there are vampires, something most lore agrees on. That means there are two distinct types of bloodsucker in plenty of vampire mythos: the original ones, who may well have been born that...
Gannibal Manga Volume 1 Review
This rollercoaster of a horror manga is a genuinely exciting page-turner by the last stretch of the volume
― A gruesome horror series whose English release was originally funded via Kickstarter, Gannibal is the definition of "niche." That's the sort of specially targeted appeal that's looked forward to by fans of any good gore. However, the pacing of horror is also paramount to paying it off in execu...
Your Lie in April: The Musical
From paid-up Your Lie in April fans to complete outsiders to anime, judging by the noisy goodwill on press night, the crossover audience may come.
― It's a trend now; no fewer than three major stage productions in London are based on anime or manga. But the newest, Your Lie in April: The Musical at the Harold Pinter Theatre (sic) off Leicester Square, is different. That's partly because it is a music...
Hajime no Ippo Episodes 1-25 Anime Series Review
Now streaming on Netflix, it's never too late to appreciate the underdog classic anime, Hajime no Ippo.
― Hajime no Ippo is a classic in the sports anime world. I cannot think of a show that perfectly embodies what we now consider the iconic underdog story more than Hajime no Ippo. Years ago, I watched this show on a whim as I was interested in learning about boxing at the time, and it quickly rose t...
Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Episodes 12-24 Anime Review
Arthurian legend fans, prepare to find some fun references in this set of episodes. That's always true of Nakaba Suzuki's works; the man is nothing if not consistent with his fondness for Arthurian lore
― Arthurian legend fans, prepare to find some fun references in this set of episodes. That's always true of Nakaba Suzuki's works; the man is nothing if not consistent with his fondness for Arthurian ...
Ishura Season 1 Anime Series Review
While Ishura seems to take itself incredibly seriously with such silly names, it's best enjoyed as a supremely daft, flashy action show.
― Ishura is about the closest thing I've seen to a good old Fate-style Grail War in a while. We've got a huge cast of overpowered individuals with godlike abilities duking it out with one another over a vast canvas of multi-factional war. Everyone has their own agen...
Rising Impact Season 1 Anime Series Review
I walked away from the first half of this series feeling reasonably entertained despite a rough start; it eventually managed to veer into something fun, if a bit uninspired.
― While it can be hard to gauge how well anime generally performs on Netflix, if there's one series that's undoubtedly been a success for them, it's Nakaba Suzuki's The Seven Deadly Sins. So much so that they've been consistently...
The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 3 Anime Series Review
Despite my grievances with how the story is told, I cried like a baby by the end. The Duke of Death and His Maid feels like it can only be described as wholesome edging.
― We have finally approached the end of this journey. When I first watched The Duke of Death and His Maid, I didn't think I would grow as emotionally attached to these characters as I did. What I thought would be a light yet digestib...
Bartender Glass of God Anime Series Review
Like a cocktail, the ingredients are all there, but they've been blended without skill or care, lacking fizz, leaving only a hint of the flavor and kick of the original.
― Despite my intense personal dislike of alcohol (for no profound reason other than it makes me feel ill and I hate the taste), I nonetheless love the original 2006 TV anime adaptation of the Bartender manga. In the same way that Lai...
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak Game Review
Trails Through Daybreak is a phenomenal RPG that provides a strong opener for the next era in the series while also serving as an excellent starting point for newcomers.
― The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak is a phenomenal RPG that provides a strong opener for the next era in the series while also serving as an excellent starting point for newcomers. The Legend of Heroes series—often simpl...
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Game Review
Elden Ring's DLC dares to ask the question: Can a solid story, an impressively designed, vertical world, and tons of cool new weapons offset the punishing combo of hyper-aggressive enemies and a flawed leveling system?
― I love Elden Ring. Even after years of avoiding the “Soulsborne” games due to constantly hearing about their punishing difficulty, the lure of a world created by George R. R. Martin ...
Twilight Out of Focus Volumes 1-4 Manga Review
Twilight Out of Focus treats difficult subjects with respect and doesn’t lean into melodrama unless its in service of the plot, while the characters read like believable high schoolers, disproportionately confident and squirming with anxiety at the same time.
― Twilight Out of Focus, a mature-rated BL series published by Kodansha, may have first come to the attention of English-language readers when ...
A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics Anime Series Review
Despite refocusing away from overt fantasy trimmings, A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics remains persistently and delightfully bonkers.
― Reverse isekai as a genre hasn't been done to death as definitively as its unreversed sibling. In A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics, the parallel world conceit is primarily employed to provide us with two very different fish-out-of-water characters and mine their odd situations f...
YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master Episodes 1-13 Anime Review
YATAGARASU is a work of art. That's not just a statement on the careful details of the images and animation; it's an overall assessment of how the entire series is put together.
― Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master is a work of art. That's not just a statement on the careful details of the images and animation, although those are beautiful; it's an overall assessment of how the entire s...
As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill Season 1 Anime Series Review
This is a tale full of comedy and heartwarming moments—scenes of triumph and scenes of despair. However, throughout it all is a sense of hope that one good man can bring peace and prosperity to a failing empire.
― The first few episodes of this series follow a simple, predictable pattern. Through chance, Ars discovers a promising talent and tries to recruit them. However, each person has problems or ...
DEMON SLAYER -KIMETSU NO YAIBA- The Stage Part 1 Review
I was originally skeptical at first but it didn’t take long for this production to win me over with its talent, production values and overwhelming charm.
― The more popular something is, the more mediums it is adapted into. Demon Slayer has taken the world by storm and is hands-down one of the most popular shonen series airing right now. Its original manga has sold tremendously well, merchandise is f...
Urusei Yatsura 2024 Anime Series Episodes 37-46 Review
Grab the series by the horns and tune into the crazy adventures of our stubborn cast.
― When it was first announced that there would be a reboot of the Urusei Yatsura series, I was genuinely surprised. The series already has some fairly beloved anime adaptations and original animations. Given the tropes that the original manga spearheaded back in the eighties, I just wasn't sure if there was a place ...
The New Gate Anime Series Review
I love the concept of The New Gate. I also quite enjoy the characters and the story. What I don't enjoy, however, is this particular adaptation—especially when it comes to the animation.
― In concept, The New Gate is just this side of fan fiction. It takes the first arc of Sword Art Online and uses it as a launching pad to tell its own story. Basically, its central question is, "What if Kirito was tr...
Tadaima, Okaeri Anime Series Review
I can't blame anyone who saw "omegaverse" and decided that the show was not for them, but part of the joy of reviewing media is the discovery of a series that defies your expectations.
― There's a good chance that the particular subgenre that Tadaima, Okaeri belongs to has scared a lot of viewers away. The series, based on the manga of the same name by Ichi Ichikawa, is what's known as "omegaverse," ...
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again Anime Series Review
This series is conceptually very unique, and some might find it worth watching just for that. But its execution still leaves plenty of room for improvement.
― Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again, henceforth referred to as Young Again, has come out at a weird time. On the one hand, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Delicious in Dungeon both feature older protagonists and are both very recent and high...
A Few Moments of Cheers Anime Film Review
Yu and Daisuke are facing what may be the end of their art. This film is about their pain and suffering and the looming decision they face: is it time to finally give up on their art?
― When it comes down to it, A Few Moments of Cheers is a film about the artist's struggle. The film is focused on three artists: Kanata (a 3DCG artist), Yu (a singer), and Daisuke (a painter). Kanata is at the beginning...
Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- Game Review
Successfully balancing fresh and familiar content and expanding on its own story, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- ranks among the all-time best video game remakes I’ve ever played.
― It's hard to overstate just how big a deal the official English language release of Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- (TBGM) is. Until very recently, English-speaking fans of Type-Moon—the creators of Tsukihi...
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era Anime Film Review
The more you know about the real-world events the film adapts, the better it gets. And frankly, I've had as much fun researching what really happened as I did watching the film.
― *Note: This review contains moderate spoilers for Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. The basic concept of Uma Musume is that "horse girls" are reincarnations of racehorses from our world who find themselves wi...
My Name Is Shingo Perfect Edition Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
This science fiction horror story from the early days of computers and robotics is fascinating, even as it takes its time getting to where it's going.
― If you're only familiar with Kazuo Umezz's previously released titles from Viz's current Perfect Edition run, My Name is Shingo may surprise you. That's not because it's more science fiction than horror or features a central romance, but because this...
Who Made Me a Princess Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
Gorgeous art and an interesting mix of subgenres make this manhwa a must-read.
― In The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, heroine Ailette's greatest desire is to be reborn into what she calls a “child-raising romantasy,” a subgenre of isekai where the heroine, an ordinary woman in her previous life, ends up starting from babyhood as the pampered princess of a powerful ruler. She doesn't mention that...
Let's Do It Already! Volume 1 Manga Review
Let's Do It Already's first volume is frothy, but this still reads like a fluffy shoujo romance. It's less of a sexy comedy than its copy implies, but it's still a fun read if you're a genre fan.
― Ah, high school love – when some teens begin navigating the waters of relationships and their physical components, eager to learn what their bodies can do and do it with the people they're crushing on. The...
A Ballad of Sword and Wine Danmei Novel Review
This pitch-perfect enemies-to-lovers novel might be too dense for those new to the genre.
― If you're a BL fan who hasn't discovered danmei (Chinese homoerotic romance novels), now is a great time to jump on the bandwagon – just maybe not with A Ballad of Sword and Wine as your first title. It's a good book and will improve even more as the story continues. Rather it's that this is the densest danmei...
This Monster Wants to Eat Me Volume 1 Manga Review
Is Shiori a friend, foe, love interest, or some combination of all three? With the sexual meaning of “eat” also present in the text, it's hard to know.
― Yuri mermaid horror. That's not word salad, it's the genre identifiers for Sai Naekawa's manga This Monster Wants to Eat Me, a dark literary folktale about a high school girl and the mermaid who's protecting her until she reaches the perfect stage o...
Sherlock Hound Anime Series Review
Whether or not the many adventures Sherlock Hound goes on in this series are new takes on old classics or completely new adventures, they're wacky and enjoyable if a bit formulaic and repetitive, all the same.
― Although the English title of this Japanese-Italian anime is Sherlock Hound and characters in the English dub refer to the titular detective as "Sherlock Hound," no other version of this anim...
Ultraman: Rising Anime Movie Review
Visually, the movie looks pretty solid as it takes some strong cues from the Spiderverse films with some stylistic flourishes. The iconic transformation is one of the coolest shots of the whole film.
― So some full disclosure here: I'm not exactly what one would call a tokusatsu expert. In general, my experience doesn't extend too far beyond watching early seasons of Power Rangers as a kid and watchi...
The Horizon Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
There's a sincerity about the story that goes a long way toward making this readable and engaging, even if dark dystopias aren't your preferred genre.
― It's not hard to see why JH's three-volume manhwa The Horizon has been nominated for an Eisner Award. Something about the series screams “critical darling” in that most literary ways – everything about its bleakness, its metaphors, and its late-break...
River's Edge Manga Review
For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school.
― For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school. Kyoko Okazaki's bleak single-volume story River's Edge is not interested in g...
The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses Season 1 Anime Series Review
The first few episodes are so boring and uninspired that I can't recommend the anime. However, the back half is good enough that I am actually looking forward to the second season.
― When something is called a "mixed bag," the image conjured up is one of the numerous good and bad aspects, all combined at random. While that phrase could technically be used to describe The Café Terrace and Its Goddesse...
Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura Anime Special Review
This is the strongest Kengan Ashura episode and one of the weakest Baki episodes.
― This is the strongest Kengan Ashura episode and one of the weakest Baki episodes. While the interesting match-ups and novel character dynamics elevate Kengan, the lackluster fights and uninspired art and animation bring down the Baki half of this crossover. Still, more Baki is welcome, with there being no confirmation...
Samurai Warriors 4 DX Game Review
These games front-load the fun and give the player a type of spectacle and power fantasy that can only really be found within this series.
― Samurai Warriors 4 DX is a great Warriors title through and through, and a surprise port dropped out of the blue for us to enjoy. Like hot-blooded warlords mustering armies in past eras, even the mere mention of the Warriors games gets people gathering into warr...
Kengan Ashura Season 2 Part 1 Anime Series Review
This is not an anime for people who like martial arts or combat sports; this is an anime for people who like Dana White's Power Slap and enjoy seeing people inflict novel harm on each other.
― I finally cracked the code on Kengan Ashura after watching the twelve episodes that make up the first half of its second season. While it likes to style itself as a martial arts series that elevates various fig...
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Game Review
While people understandably don't want to encourage Atlus to keep trying for two bites at the apple, this one is worth it.
― There's no ignoring the Grimalka in the room with this one: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an Atlus Remake. And with the original Shin Megami Tensei V only being three years old, folks have plenty of trepidation towards Vengeance. The good news is that if you haven't played...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 2 Anime Film Review
If the first part of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture was bringing the story back to its roots, this second part is all about reminding us what sprang from those roots.
― If the first part of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture was bringing the story back to its roots, this second part reminds us what sprang from those roots. Lelouch inadvertently and intentionally changed the world, and many things c...
Look Back Anime Film Review
Even if some small details are still missing, when finished, Look Back should, without a doubt, be acclaimed by most people.
― Creating a manga is like creating a TV series: every week, readers wait for a new chapter to be published in their favorite magazine, and then they can also buy a full "season" when a compiled volume is published. Tatsuki Fujimoto is very familiar with this process as he seri...
Synduality: Noir Season 2 Anime Series Review
Synduality: Noir perhaps ends up better than other video game tie-in series, but in the larger mecha genre, it's still an also-ran.
― This second cour started as a big fat question mark. While the first half of Synduality: Noir had occasional drama, most of its runtime was all about chilling with its extended cast as they got into cool robot fights. While that lent the show a lot of charm, it meant t...
Kengan Ashura Season 1 Part 2 Anime Series Review
Unfortunately, Kengan Ashura isn't dumb fun often enough to be enjoyable, and its politics make it a slog to get through.
― The back half of season one of Kengan Ashura — confusingly labeled "Part II" on Netflix and with episode numbers that reset to 1 through 12 — is better than the first part of the season. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much, as this martial arts anime opens with an incredibly w...
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf Anime Series Review
The best and worst thing I can say about Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is that it feels like an 80s movie.
― The best and worst thing I can say about Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is that it feels like an 80s movie. This track as this anime is an adaptation of the quietly seminal Garōden martial arts novels written by Baku Yumemakura, the first of which premiered in 1985. If you like shows ...
Mysterious Disappearances Volume 1 Manga Review
Mysterious Disappearances' first volume probably won't blow you away. But how it plays with urban legend and classic Japanese literature hopefully hints at more interesting usages to come.
― What does the original manga version of Mysterious Disappearances offer that the anime does not? Nipples. Specifically, Sumireko's nipples, in both adult and child forms. (Notably, in her youngest form, they're l...
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Season 1 Anime Review
On the surface, there's nothing remarkable about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special, but somehow, the execution manages to rise above all its basic tropes and clichés.
― Writing off A Returner's Magic Should Be Special would be very easy. On the surface, there's nothing remarkable about it: a standard magic academy, a basic time loop story, and characters whose names are way too on the mark. But so...
T・P BON Season 1 Anime Series Review
T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime.
― I adore classic sci-fi, especially when it involves time travel and grand adventure. T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime. Based on a 1978-1986 manga by Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F. Fujio, this ultra-shiny modern adaptation from studio BONES and director M...
Kengan Ashura Season 1 Part 1 Anime Series Review
I can't recommend the series, nor think that any hypothetical viewer would enjoy it, but it is the kind of trash TV that's rewarding to dissect.
― Have you ever wondered what Baki would be like if it had a conservative bent instead of queer undertones? Well, look no further because the answer is Kengan Ashura! While Kengan is trying to convey the same spectacle and white-knuckle action of the long-ru...
My Picture Diary Manga Review
In the Eisner-nominated work, Maki Fujiwara chronicles her daily life with her husband, lionized mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge. Though deceptively simple at first glance, a foundation of abuse is slowly revealed.
― At first blush, Maki Fujiwara's My Picture Diary does what it says on the tin. It tells the story of her daily life as a housewife and mother, spending time with her daily activities, noting the...
Genesis Climber Mospeada Streaming Anime Review
Mospeada is a work very much of its time, riffing on ideas and tropes that were all the rage when it was made, and doesn't do anything exceptional with them.
― It can be easy for even longtime fans to forget that alongside Macross, there were two other 80's sci-fi anime that got Frankenstein-ed into what we'd eventually call Robotech. While this isn't the first time one of those series has made it to...
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Video Game Review
Here we have a from-the-ground-up remake, but does this beloved classic still hold up in a modern sense, or is that praise just nostalgia talking?
― It's nice when Nintendo surprises us with a remaster or re-release of one of their more difficult-to-obtain games. The original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo GameCube is a classic for many. However, since the game was never re-rele...
Cupid Parasite: Sweet & Spicy Darling Video Game Review
With seven full routes and one mini-route with a character from the previous game, if you enjoyed Cupid Paradise, Sweet & Spicy Darling is worth playing.
― The first order of business is this: if you haven't played the original Cupid Parasite otome game, there isn't much point in picking up Sweet & Spicy Darling. There is one new route for this sequel, but even that relies on you knowing the backgrou...
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Astrea Record Novel One Review
When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad.
― When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad. That's assuming, of course, that you weren't prepared for it going in. The fate of Astrea Familia is well-known to readers and viewers (and players) of the various Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon iterations, and the most recent season of ...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo Episodes 31-46 Anime Series Review
This is where the series earns its place in anime history, setting a precedent that other magical girl shows will follow.
― It's a moment of magical girl history, right there on the screen: in episode forty-six of Fairy Princess Minky Momo's original 1982-83 television series, Momo is hit by a truck and dies. Even putting aside the question of whether or not this is Truck-kun's first victim, this is ...
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 Anime Film Review
This is a movie I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is.
― Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 is a film I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is. The film is full of well-developed and memorable characters—especiall...
Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Anime Film Review
If you're a Haikyu!! fanatic, or if you can overcome this background knowledge hurdle, you're in for a pretty good time and some of the best editing to come from an anime in recent memory.
― To begin, I should note that this film is a continuation of the Haikyu!! anime and a canon adaptation of the manga. As such, if you're not caught up on the anime or at least generally aware of the franchise and i...
i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!- Anime Film Review
i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!- is a movie best described as having big Saturday morning cartoon energy when it comes to its catchy high notes and off-key attempt at deeper storytelling.
― Admittedly, when I walked into Anime Central to review i☆Ris the Movie -Full Energy!!-, I envisioned the film as the typical fare of idol dancing via 3D models in dizzyingly pastel-rich environments with little to ...
My Oni Girl Anime Film Review
Narrative dissonance aside, the heart of My Oni Girl still shines through its jumbled ending: that folks should speak their minds even when it hurts.
― Upon first glance, My Oni Girl has all the hallmarks of a Studio Ghibli-inspired romp. You've got a globe-trodding adventure with odd-couple protagonists, a myriad of wonderfully drawn vistas, titular mouthwatering glamour shots of Japanese delicacies...
The Unimplemented Overlords Have Joined the Party! Novel 1 Review
The book feels like a deliberate combo of SAO, Log Horizon, and Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, and that works better than you might expect.
― If this story feels familiar, that's on purpose. In their afterword, author Nagawasabi64 says that they've noticed that the "trapped in a VRMMORPG" genre made popular by SAO has fallen out of favor, which made them want to ...
Bloody Sweet Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.
― Going into Bloody Sweet, I expected to find a fluffy rom-com about a girl and the vampire she accidentally gets attached to. Instead, I found a story about a bullied high school girl whose bullies are smart enough to evade all of the checks and balances the school has put in place. When Naerim accidentally awakens ...
I Want You to Make Me Beautiful! – The Complete Manga Collection Review
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.
― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Street Fighter Masters Volume 1: Fight to Win Graphic Novel Review
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.
― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
Pokémon Horizons Episodes 13-23 Anime Series Review
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.
― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
You and I Are Polar Opposites Volume 1 Manga Review
You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable.
― You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable. You and I Are Polar Opposites is based on the tried-and-true formula of a thousand romantic comedies: Suzuki is a popular girl, and Tani is the class nerd. She's bright and perky,...
Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way With You Volume 1 Manga Review
This steamy manga's appeal is going to depend on how much you can stomach a female protagonist who kicks off the romance by assaulting her former fiance.
― This is a tricky one. Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You is, to all appearances, a story that opens with a sexual assault. Agnès has been betrothed to Crown Prince Lucilleur since childhood, and she's been in love with him just as...
Healer for the Shadow Hero Volume 1 Manga Review
Healer Nanna's powers have one very unique caveat: she has to have sex with the person to heal them. See why Rebecca Silverman calls it "a cute story, decently racy, and generally good, fluffy fun."
― One of the fun things about Seven Seas' Steamship line of racy manga aimed at a female audience is finding which romance tropes are prevalent in any given release. While every genre has its tropes and s...
The Dangerous Convenience Store Manhwa Volume 1 Review
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.
― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Made in Abyss Volumes 11-12 Manga Review
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.
― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
Slam Dunk Anime Episodes 61-101
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.
― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Part 1 Anime Film Review
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.
― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Anime Series Review
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”
― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
trapezium Anime Film Review
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.
― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
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