Of the heavier anime series from the Spring 2023 season that I watched, probably the heaviest of them all was Heavenly Delusion (released on Hulu in the US and Disney+ abroad under its untranslated Japanese title of Tengoku Daimakyo). The series was one of the two from this past season that sought to build a couple of mysteries over the course of the season, with a varying degree of success. Also, a content warning for this series – it contains imagery of sexual assault.
Continue readingCategory Archives: film

Anime Review: Tonikawa Over The Moon For You Season 2
The first season of Tonikawa was a light, refreshing slice-of-life sitcom series that answered the question – can you have a funny sitcom when everyone in the relationship has already said “I Will”, and also they don’t have kids? The answer, it turned out, was yes. The question for season 2 is, “Can this story continue to maintain this momentum?” The answer, it turns out, is also yes.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Magical Destroyers
I’ve reviewed several anime series in the past about Otaku getting dumped on by society – Rumble Garandoll & Akiba’s Trip both put their focus on the social stigmatization of Otaku by larger Japanese society. Rumble Garandoll put its emphasis on more conservative elements of culture attacking Otaku based on ablism some of the more progressive themes in some Otaku-targeted works (which is not certainly monolithic – I’ve covered some more conservative works here). Akiba’s Trip’s climax called out the hypocrisy of the Japanese government touting anime and other media targeted toward Otaku as part of the government’s soft-power initiative on one hand, while often the same political party (and same politicians) who champion that initiative demonize otaku (either directly or indirectly) through their policies and their public speeches (like the whole “Herbavore Male” thing that was going on for a while). Magical Destroyers takes a different tack and focuses on otaku self-loathing.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Tokyo Mew Mew New – Season 2
First off, hey! That title rhymes! Also, the second season of Tokyo Mew Mew New is a straight continuation of the plot, with the focus shifting with the Aliens no longer shooting for a slower, more gradual monster-of-the-week plan, and instead going for more spectacular plots, threatening Tokyo as a whole. On the mundane side of the plot, Ichigo’s relationship with Aoyama is now getting considerably more serious. And then there’s the whole matter of this new Blue Knight who keeps (Tuxedo-Mask-esque) coming to Ichigo’s aid. There will be some spoilers.
Continue reading
Episode 9: JoJo Part 2 – Stardust Crusaders (Road to Egypt Arc)
The Summer of JoJo continues with the first half of Stardust Crusaders – the Road to Egypt arc.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Vinland Saga Season 2
The first season of Vinland Saga, which I watched when it was streaming on Amazon Prime, was a very fast-paced and dark period action series with some serious political undertones to it. The second season, which aired in the Spring 2023 season, maintains the dark tone, but with a shift in the focus of the story. There will be spoilers in this review.
Continue reading
Anime Review: The Hollywood Theater OVA Film Festival (2023)
This past weekend, the Hollywood theater did a film festival of OVAs, featuring Neo-Tokyo, Baoh: The Visitor, Dragon’s Heaven, and Project A-Ko. As I haven’t seen the first three, I’ll give my thoughts on those (and I’ll be doing a podcast episode on A-Ko later for the Anime Explorations Podcast).
Continue reading
Anime Explorations Episode 8: JoJo Part 1 – Phantom Blood + Battle Tendency
This month we’re beginning the Summer of Jojo with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 1: Phantom Blood/Battle Tendency.
Continue reading
Anime Explorations Episode 7: Bocchi The Rock
This month we’re doing a quick rundown of some of the shows airing in the Spring 2023 season, before we discuss Bocchi! The Rock – a music comedy series about dealing with social anxiety.
Continue reading
Film Vlog Review: Dungeons & Dragons – Honor Among Thieves
I went and saw Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in a theater, and I’m going to talk about it!
Continue reading
Spy Classroom: Anime Review
I’m not entirely sure if Spy Classroom knows what it wants to be. On the one hand, it’s an anime series about a bunch of (cute) teen girl spies going on missions in an alternate-history Europe – in this case, one inspired by Europe in between the World Wars, and before the rise of Fascism. On the other hand, so much of this series is just comedic hijinks, which makes it miss the gravity of something like Princess Principal.
Continue reading
Ippon! Again: Anime Review
I’m a fan of Naoki Urasawa, and one of his manga that got him on peoples’ radar (and the anime adaptation that came with it) was Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl. That series was a more conventional sports anime – closer to something like Hajime No Ippo/Fighting Spirit. This year, we got what I believe is our first dedicated girls Judo anime in quite some time – Ippon! Again – a series which follows in the wake of the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things sport anime series of the past (like Pride of Orange), so I was interested to see how this new show bears out.
Continue reading
My Hero Academia Season 6: Anime Review
We’re in the Endgame now – or rather My Hero Academia is.
Continue reading
Anime Review: In/Spectre Season 2
The second season of In/Spectre is less dominated by a single mystery for the entire story, and is instead broken up into a series of smaller mysteries – generally not one-and-done cases, as they usually take a few episodes to resolve. However, it does mean that if the Steel Lady Nanase mystery seemed to drag for you in the show’s first season, this might be more your speed.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Trigun Stampede
Continuing with the theme of revivals of classic anime franchises, the Winter 2023 season saw the return of Trigun, with Trigun: Stampede, from Studio Orange (best known for Land of the Lustrous), doing what is effectively a half-reboot/half-prequel to the original series, with Trigun Stampede.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Urusei Yatsura (2022-3)
These past few years have been a time of resurgence for various classic anime & manga franchises – not only with the long-running new adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but also with an adaptation of Ushio & Tora, and a sequel to Inuyasha, it only seemed appropriate that someone returned to the manga that put Rumiko Takahashi on the map in Japan – Urusei Yatsura.
Continue reading
Anime Explorations Episode 6: My Dress-Up Darling
This month we’re discussing My Dress-Up Darling – a romantic comedy anime (with some fanservice) all about cosplay, followed up by a discussion about this year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards and the r/Anime Awards.
Continue reading
Thoughts on the 2023 Anime Awards Ceremony
Crunchyroll has held their 2023 Anime Awards Ceremony – the first one that was in person since the pandemic and the first ever in Japan, and I have some thoughts on the presentation.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Girlfriend, Girlfriend
In honor of White Day, it’s time for some silliness with a bunch of horny idiots.
Continue reading
Anime Explorations Episode 5: Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family
This month, Tora, David, and I kick off the inaugural installment of Fate-uary with a discussion of our background with the franchise, and a look at Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family.
Continue reading
Anime Explorations Episode 4: Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 1 + The Blade of Life & Death
This month, David, Tora and I are taking a look at the first season & film of Thunderbolt Fantasy for Lunar New Year.
Continue readingAnime Review: Lupin Zero
On the one hand, Lupin Zero is a show that doesn’t “need” to exist. We’ve had several TV specials and the series A Woman Called Fujiko Mine has covered some of this in the past. Lupin Zero tries to put their own spin on it by making Jigen & Lupin either late-Middle Schoolers or early High Schoolers, in a series set contemporaneously with when the manga started running.
Continue reading
Anime Review: Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch from Mercury (S1)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch from Mercury is an excellent example of how to handle shifting the tone of a series incredibly well. The show opens with a prologue episode set several years before the main body of the series, establishing what the Gundams are, and what the Gundam (or GUND-ARM) technology that powers them is based on – before setting up why the Gundams are rare and restricted, and how the main character’s Gundam, in particular, is going to be special in the series to come.
Continue reading
8 Favorite Anime of 2022
A little bit late, I have a rundown of 8 of my favorite shows from 2022, with two per season.
Continue reading