Anime Reviews

[Review] Den-noh Coil: Collection One

Ink

In Daikoku City, augmented reality eyewear (cybernavi), used by everyone from medical professionals to children, has been an integrated aspect of life for over a decade. Years of updates to and reformatting of the virtual world (new space), however, have resulted in omitted areas (old …Read more »

[Review] Please Tell Me! Galko-chan

June 4, 2016

Kristina Potts

The human body sure is one hot mess. On a biological level, the degree of detail, efficiency, and reliability is staggering, miraculous even, some would say, but on a practical level, it’s a daily battle to stay on top of it all, to keep up …Read more »

Hard to Find Much to Love About New Film Zutto Mae Kara Suki Deshita [Review]

May 15, 2016

Matt Schley

High school romance may be one of the most common themes in anime, but the new film Zutto Mae Kara Suki Deshita (I’ve Loved You For a Long Time) comes to us with a new and unusual production history. The film, which opened April 23 …Read more »

Not Many Objections Yet with the Ace Attorney Anime

May 3, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

The long-awaited anime adaptation to the Ace Attorney video games is finally here. The story follows rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright/Ryūichi Naruhodō as he makes a name for himself in the Japanese courts. The only thing that really disappoints with this adaptation is the art style. …Read more »

First Impressions: Space Patrol Luluco

May 1, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

Luluco is an ordinary middle school student. Even though she lives in a city full of interplanetary immigrants and her father is a space patrolman, she’s just your average everyday normal girl. That is until her dad is frozen from accidentally eating illegal space-time pills …Read more »

[Review] Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace

April 27, 2016

Joseph Luster

Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace is an interesting series. The original production from anime studio Lerche ( Assassination Classroom , Monster Musume ) came about in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of author Edogawa Rampo’s passing in 1965, and its mysteries are all woven from …Read more »

[Review] Eden of the East: Complete Collection

April 24, 2016

Evan Minto

Eden of the East has had a pretty turbulent trajectory in fan consciousness. Created by Kenji Kamiyama, director of the critically acclaimed Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex and Moribito , and sporting some strong introductory episodes, it got a lot of attention when it …Read more »

[Review] Mr. Osomatsu

April 23, 2016

Clarissa Graffeo

Mr. Osomatsu is a new update of Fujio Akatsuka’s 1960s comedy series Osomatsu-kun, made to celebrate Akatsuka’s 80th birthday. Reviving a classic series is always a challenge, introducing tension between respecting and maintaining the qualities of the original while also making something that’s accessible for …Read more »

[Review] Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time

April 17, 2016

Paul Thomas Chapman

Rumi Yokoi is a diligent, hard-working high school student who wants nothing more than to buckle down and study during her scholastic career. Unfortunately for this serious-minded young lady, the young man seated at the desk adjacent to hers is Toshinari Seki. Seki doesn't seem …Read more »

[Review] Bodacious Space Pirates

April 16, 2016

Clarissa Graffeo

While the mania for them waxes and wanes, pirates are an indelible part of the international pop culture landscape. So, too, with the introduction of science fiction literature about space travel, began the tried and true technique of combining various genres, concepts, and story frameworks …Read more »

[Review] Pita-Ten

April 10, 2016

Brittany Vincent

Pita-Ten could possibly be one of the cutest anime series of all time if it weren't for creator Koge-Donbo's Digi Charat series. It's still in the running for a close second, however, with its innocent themes, sugary-sweet characters, and the unlikely friendship between a young …Read more »

[Review] Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

April 9, 2016

Daryl Surat

The following phrase is not one I’ve bothered saying for the last decade: the new Mobile Suit Gundam TV series is actually rather enjoyable so far! Iron-Blooded Orphans is an “alternate-universe” Gundam series, which means it’s set completely stand-alone from any other anime with Gundam …Read more »

Ojisan and Marshmallow: A Cute, Satisfying Anime

April 8, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

Ojiisan and Marshmallow is the cutest little anime to come out of last season. Based on the manga by Rekomaru Otoi, the show follows Iori Wakabayashi as she tries to get a date with her co-worker Habahiro Hige, an oblivious man in his thirties with …Read more »

[Review] Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist

April 6, 2016

Brittany Vincent

What if we all lived in a world where lewd jokes could land you in prison? Shimoneta: A Boring World Where The Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist explores that reality, and while the idea is bleak on its own, the series is an engaging …Read more »

[Review] Those Who Hunt Elves

April 2, 2016

Joseph Luster

Because Those Who Hunt Elves was released before 2000 I found myself considering it a "recent relic." It's definitely in that odd pocket of time that saw plenty of anime saturating the American market, but it still falls before the dark period of awkwardly advancing …Read more »