Anime Reviews

[Review] Rage of Bahamut: Genesis

Whether they know it or not, the people of Mistarcia are constantly caught in a vice grip between gods and demons, both of which are pretty much the only thing stopping their world from being destroyed. There's a unique balance of power at play, and …Read more »

[Review] Bloodivores

December 24, 2016

Joseph Luster

Despite being a decent-looking show, there's something about Bloodivores that's so incredible early 2000s. Maybe it's the whole vampire thing, which was especially well worn in anime a decade or so ago. Or maybe it's the characters and the overall situation, which quickly escalates from …Read more »

[Review] Good Luck! Ninomiya-kun

November 30, 2016

Brittany Vincent

You've probably seen Good Luck! Ninomiya-kun before, from its tired set of tropes to its recycled character designs, in just about every other harem series ever. All that's different here are the names and the premise—kind of. Unfortunately, that just isn't enough to elevate it …Read more »

[Review] Orange

November 27, 2016

Ink

Living a life without regrets is nearly impossible, but what if your future self could send a checklist of actions you could take that might erase your biggest regret? This is the premise behind Orange , an anime based on the manga written by Ichigo …Read more »

[Review] Sword of the Stranger

November 23, 2016

Daryl Surat

In our recent Anime USA special issue, as part of an overview of anime studio BONES I expressed regret that their 2007 theatrical film Sword of the Stranger originally released by Bandai Entertainment was long out of print and more or less forgotten, if it …Read more »

Pre-War Hiroshima Comes to Life In This Corner of the World [Review]

November 21, 2016

Matt Schley

Say “Hiroshima” to someone from the west and someone from Japan, and you’re likely to conjure up two very different mental images. For most people in America, Hiroshima is synonymous with a single moment: 8:15 am, August 6, 1945, the world’s first use of a …Read more »

[Review] Amagi Brilliant Park

November 19, 2016

Ink

What Seiya Kanie thinks is a confession he cannot refuse, delivered by recent transfer student Isuzu Sento, turns out to be quite another kind of proposal in the comedy Amagi Brilliant Park. Seiya is smart and attractive, and the problem is that he knows it. …Read more »

[Review] New Game!

November 16, 2016

Ink

A first job AND first impressions? Oh ... the pressures. Adapted from Shoutarou Tokunou’s manga of the same name, New Game! follows protagonist Suzukaze Aoba as she, fresh out of high school, struggles with settling in and completing her duties at her dream job as …Read more »

[Review] Cobra: The Animation

October 12, 2016

Gerald Rathkolb

Sometimes, it’s refreshing to find something that has little concern with following any current trends or popular motifs. This is occasionally the ingredient that leads to success and other times it makes something seem like it’s from another time. Cobra: The Animation, while most definitely …Read more »

[Review] Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom

October 8, 2016

Brittany Vincent

Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom was one of my first introductions to otome games. An avid visual novel fan, I had always gravitated toward those games, but I had never truly put the time into one and experienced it before. This particular offering flourished …Read more »

[Review] Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman

October 5, 2016

Paul Thomas Chapman

It is a world where evil organizations kidnap people and transform them into cybernetic weapons against their will. It is a world where demonic entities lurk in the shadows, ready to possess and consume human souls at the slightest sign of weakness. It is the …Read more »

[Review] Kuromukuro

October 3, 2016

Paul Thomas Chapman

Decades ago, during the construction of the Kurobe Dam in Toyama Prefecture, the builders uncovered several mysterious Artifacts of unknown and possibly extraterrestrial origin. In the present day, a research facility sponsored by the United Nations has been established to study these Artifacts, resulting in …Read more »

[Review] Sailor Moon Crystal—Season III

October 2, 2016

Kristina Potts

Interstellar threats are worrisome to be sure, but the most insidious of troubles are those that lie within. As the source material behind the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal, the Infinity arc in Naoko Takeuchi’s classic magical girl manga is best known for completing …Read more »

[Review] The Perfect Insider

September 28, 2016

Ink

Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider is a murder mystery presented thusly: Dr. Magata Shiki, a child prodigy whose intellect is fawned over by the scientific community (even though she’s a convicted murderer), is herself murdered within a single-door, staff- and camera-monitored suite to which …Read more »

Sailor Moon Crystal: Season One DVD Review

September 26, 2016

Danica Davidson

Sailor Moon is an iconic franchise to the point that it’s become a household name, and it’s been getting increased attention lately in part thanks to VIZ’s new and more accurate dub. But the franchise also got a reboot in the form of Sailor Moon …Read more »