Anime Reviews

Utawarerumono Pushes Just the Right Fantasy Buttons

At the beginning of Utawarerumono: The False Faces , a confused young man wanders aimlessly through the snowy wilderness, barefoot and wearing only what appears to be a thin hospital gown. Soon the poor fellow is attacked by a colossal centipede and a gigantic blob …Read more »

[Review] Boys’ Love Anime Dōkyūsei Hits All The Right Notes

February 22, 2016

Matt Schley

As popular as the boys’ love genre is, BL stories don’t often get the big-screen treatment. But this past weekend saw the Japanese release of the A-1 Pictures-produced Dōkyūsei ( Classmates ), an anime film based on the manga by Asumiko Nakamura and directed by …Read more »

[Review] Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

February 15, 2016

Paul Thomas Chapman

Before Panty & Stocking with Garter Belt pushed the boundaries of good taste, before Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann redefined struggle on a cosmic scale, even before Neon Genesis Evangelion rewrote the rules of the mecha subgenre, a studio of fans-turned-animators known as Gainax made waves …Read more »

[Review] Comet Lucifer

February 12, 2016

Paul Thomas Chapman

Strange things are afoot on the science fiction world of Gift, the setting for the original 2015 TV anime Comet Lucifer, which is directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi and Atsushi Nakayama and features animation from 8-bit. Set sometime in the indeterminate future, Comet Lucifer takes place …Read more »

BBK/BRNK is a Fairly Bland CG Anime

February 10, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

BBK/BRNK (pronounced Bubuki Buranki) is one of those shows you can guess a surprising amount of information about just by looking at a promotional image like the one above. Frankly, it’s not that impressive of a feat if you’ve been casually keeping up with anime …Read more »

[Review] Concrete Revolutio—Superhuman Phantasmagoria

February 7, 2016

Ink

Ranging from helpful to destructive, beings with capabilities beyond those of ordinary humans abound on Earth yet are seldom seen. Although society is at peace with this cloaked cohabitation, that status quo is sustained largely only through a law that bans the use of superhuman …Read more »

Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Puts a Unique Art on Display

February 5, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

There’s a lot of anime centered around the arts. While we’ve seen plenty about pop stars and even a few about anime and manga themselves, I think this might be the first one to be about rakugo. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese form of entertainment …Read more »

[Review] Aquarion Logos

February 3, 2016

Ink

Ever since it dared to use language to define its surroundings and itself, humanity distanced itself from a pure world. At least that’s what Kenzaki Sougon believes. Unfortunately for the unwittingly inherent transgressors of the present day, Sougon’s got his hands on syringes filled with …Read more »

[Review] Wakako-zake

February 3, 2016

Ink

Wakako-zake adapts random, stand-alone chapters from Chie Shinkyu’s ongoing manga of the same name, which depict Wakako Murasaki during her after-work indulgences at various izakayas. Normally a two-minute anime that literally consists of, in its entirety, a 26-year-old eating a meal and drinking a beverage …Read more »

[Review] Sailor Moon R: Season 2, Part 1

February 1, 2016

Joseph Luster

The saga of the original Sailor Moon TV anime adaptation continues in Viz Media's latest box set, and while there's still definitely something to be desired in the video quality department, it's nice to be able to get our hands on the Sailor Moon R …Read more »

[Review] Overlord

January 30, 2016

Joseph Luster

Online games come and go for a variety of reasons. In the case of Dive MMORPG Yggdrasil, its time has come to an end after 12 years on the top of the DMMO heap. The year is 2126, and one player just isn't ready to …Read more »

Sekko Boys Anime Rocks in Short Bursts

January 29, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

Sekko Boys is a new anime this season about a different type of rock star. The literal kind. Miki Ishimoto is the new manager for a talent agency, and her job is to manage the hottest new idol group. Its members are four stone busts …Read more »

[Film Review] The Case of Hana and Alice

January 28, 2016

Matt Schley

Whereas the practice of adapting popular anime series into live-action films seems to be an ever-increasing phenomenon , less common is the reverse – films that start out in live-action and later make the move to animation. But that’s the case with The Case of …Read more »

Miss Hokusai Review

January 26, 2016

Matt Schley

Japan’s Edo Period marked the unification of the country, the moving of the capital from Kyoto to Edo (modern day Tokyo) and most importantly, the end of a long period of internal warfare. This all led to a new level of prosperity for the merchant …Read more »

ERASED is an Early Contender for Anime of the Season

January 26, 2016

Norbert Daniels Jr.

Revival: a phenomenon in Satoru Fujinuma’s life where he is involuntarily sent a few minutes back in time to prevent life-threatening tragedies. After coming home to find that his mother has been murdered and he’s the prime suspect, Satoru wakes up 18 years in the …Read more »