Anime Reviews

Gakuen Heaven on Blu-Ray Is a Charming, Humorous BL

Keita Ito can’t believe that he’s allowed into the revered all-male Bell Liberty Academy, also known by the tongue-in-cheek name BL Academy. When he arrives, he finds himself surrounded by beautiful boys, with more than one of them openly crushing on him. He gets sent …Read more »

Akudama Drive [Anime Review]

May 16, 2021

Daryl Surat

The combination of the long-esteemed pedigree of anime Studio Pierrot and Too Kyo Games (its founders created the Danganronpa series) resulted in exactly what I want anime to be. For as Cyber City Oedo 808 established decades ago, the absolute highest form of narrative is …Read more »

Sunday Without God [Anime Review]

May 16, 2021

Gerald Rathkolb

Would you rather live a beautiful lie or a painful truth? This is one of the questions that is asked in the 2013 series Sunday Without God, one of the most interesting series that you probably never saw. Sunday Without God, based on the light …Read more »

Heaven’s Design Team [Anime Review]

May 14, 2021

Paul Thomas Chapman

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth, but when it came time to craft the Animal Kingdom, the Almighty got bored with the task and decided to farm out the bulk of the creation process to a group of overworked and under-appreciated …Read more »

Puppet Princess Anime is a Fun Romp of Ninja Escapism

April 1, 2021

Danica Davidson

The Puppet Princess anime is a 40-minute OVA that originally came out in 2000, but is getting its first Blu-ray release now from Media Blasters. Taking place in feudal Japan, it follows Princess Rangiku, a very innocent and sweet-natured princess who is, ironically, out for bloody …Read more »

On-Gaku: Our Sound Is a Quirky Indie Film About High School Musicians

March 11, 2021

Danica Davidson

Kenji is a deadpan, lethargic high school boy who hangs out with his friends, plays video games, and has bullies in his life. He barely talks sometimes, and he’ll just stare for long segments without expression. At first it’s a little odd. Then you realize …Read more »

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle [Anime Review]

February 7, 2021

Paul Thomas Chapman

She’s a small wonder In the magical kingdom of Goodereste, humans and demons live side by side, but the harmony between these two peoples is shattered when King Twilight, the sovereign of Demon Castle, abducts the beloved Princess Syalis and takes her hostage within his …Read more »

Jujutsu Kaisen [Anime Review]

February 5, 2021

Paul Thomas Chapman

Puts the “beatdown” in narrative beats Just beneath the surface of the ordinary world lurks a spirit realm populated by monstrous curses, dangerous supernatural creatures born of fear, hatred, and other negative human emotions. But none of that mumbo-jumbo means much to Yuji Itadori, a …Read more »

Tezuka’s Phoenix Anime on Blu-Ray is a True Classic

February 1, 2021

Danica Davidson

During his prolific lifetime as a manga creator, Osamu Tezuka declared his best work was Phoenix. The manga remained unfinished when he died and the English adaptation is unfortunately out of print (though you can read it digitally). However, not all is lost: Media Blasters …Read more »

Violence Voyager Is Unlike Any Anime You’ve Ever Watched

January 24, 2021

Evan Minto

There’s a good chance you’ve never seen a “gekimation” film before. Independent director Ujicha has made his name on the stuff, but his latest horror film, Violence Voyager, is the first time anyone had created an entire gekimation feature. The term refers to an unusual …Read more »

The God of High School [Anime Review]

January 2, 2021

Paul Thomas Chapman

Every so often, an anime comes along with qualities that can best be described as “stupefying”, and in the summer 2020 season, that anime is The God of High School. Based on the Korean WEBTOON online comic by Park Yongje, The God of High School …Read more »

Barakamon [Anime Review]

January 1, 2021

Michael Goldstein

John Lyndgate once said, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Seishu Handa, a prodigy calligrapher at the …Read more »

Healin’ Good Pretty Cure [Anime Review]

November 28, 2020

Brittany Vincent

A magical-girl extravaganza The Pretty Cure franchise is rife with hit after hit when it comes to adorable, heartwarming, and flashy magical girl characters. The seventeenth installment, Healin’ Good Pretty Cure, is no exception, as it delivers exactly what fans have come to expect over …Read more »

Princess Connect! Re:Dive [Anime Review]

November 23, 2020

Brittany Vincent

Travel to the land of Astraea When it comes to anime adaptations of video games, many are often hit or miss. They’re either fantastic expansions of a property that remind you why you fell in love with the game in the first place, or they …Read more »

Demon City Shinjuku [Anime Review]

October 18, 2020

Daryl Surat

Only Trust Your Bokuto 32 years following its release, 1988’s Demon City Shinjuku still remains the greatest anime ever made about a teen chopping up horrible monsters and the occasional buff wizard using a wooden stick, with the sporadic support of a little person grenadier …Read more »