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The Apocalyptic End of Akudama Drive: Swindling Death with a Smile
Akudama Drive was an unpredictable, exciting and, in the end, emotionally moving anime: the kind of story that gets exponentially better with each episode, to the point where…
Moriarty the Patriot episode 1 anime review
The villain from Sherlock Holmes is re-framed as a righteous young avenger out to deliver his own delivish brand of karmic justice, the law be damned. Is Moriarty…
The Gymnastics Samurai episode 1 anime review
It’s fair to say I didn’t come away from The Gymnastics Samurai feeling inspired by feats of physical mastery. Is The Gymnastics Samurai good? The Gymnastics Samurai is…
Akudama Drive episode 1 anime review
An edgy, Western-media inspired “all villains” story that is as fun and violent as it is vapid. Is Akudama Drive good? It’s certainly fun, but I wouldn’t go…
An Autumn Update
The beginning of Autumn (in the UK) is one of my favourite times of year. There’s just something about the colour of the sunlight, especially in the mornings,…
Jujutsu Kaisen episode 1 anime review: an electrifying introduction
Like Parasyte and Devilman before it (and I suppose you could even lump Naruto in here too), Jujutsu Kaisen is the story of a boy losing control of…
Deca-Dence episode 1 – 5 anime review
Deca-Dence is an anime of dueling aesthetics: a gritty human world akin to Attack on Titan being bossed by a society of walking toys. Sounds weird? Well, that’s…
Why do anime fans dislike Japan Sinks: 2020?
I’ve read more than a few people describe this anime as a “dumpster fire”, but I don’t think that’s fair. In my opinion, it’s one of the best…
Re:ZERO vs Japan Sinks: anime for fans vs anime for everyone
A few weeks ago, I made a second attempt to watch Re:ZERO. It’s not exactly an unpopular show, so I figured that maybe the first time around it…
What is your personal anime golden age?
For me, a personal anime golden age is any consecutive run of 3 years in which the highest number of your favourites are gathered. 3 years may seem…
Eureka Seven, Samurai Champloo, Planetes, Wolf's Rain, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
The ending of Sing “Yesterday” for Me was a betrayal
The ending of Sing “Yesterday” for Me was a betrayal. I know that sounds dramatic, but allow me to explain. It concludes with Rikuo falling into the arms…
My anime diary: A Place Further than the Universe & Smile Down the Runway
A Place Further than the Universe is that rare thing: an anime that, with each passing episode, I began to savour. It made me want to travel.
Spring 2020 anime season rankings (and thoughts on anime blogging)
3,112 words later, I’m finally finished with my Spring anime season reviews, and what a promising season it’s turned out to be! I ended up reviewing 9 anime…
Listeners episode 1 anime review
Listeners is a welcome return to the imagination of writer Dai Sato. Just like his Eureka Seven, Listeners is an adventure in a desperate post-disaster world, a world…
Appare-Ranman! episode 1 anime review
An anime original from P.A. Works, Appare-Ranman! is the story of Appare, a scientific genius cum adventurer from Japan, entering into a larger than life car (some may…
The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED episode 1 anime review
A fun and satisfying debut that feels in many ways like a throwback to late Nineties anime like The Big O and Cowboy Bebop, albeit with a less…
Kakushigoto episode 1 anime review
The chaotic story of a responsible Dad that’s also a pervy ecchi manga artist. Plot summary By night, Kakushi Gotō is the doting (single) father of a young…
Gleipnir episode 1 anime review
Gleipnir’s first episode pings between being a fascinating psychological thriller and a creepy erotic comedy. It starts weird and only gets weirder. Plot summary Shuichi has a secret:…
Sing “Yesterday” for Me episode 1 anime review
Sing “Yesterday” for Me is an easy anime to love and, quite frankly, I fell pretty hard for it. Plot summary Rikuo’s graduated from school, but doesn’t know…
Wave, Listen to Me! episode 1 anime review
In Wave, Listen to Me!, we’re dragged into Minare’s world: the world of a hungover and bitter adult, looking to regain some momentum in her life and ranting…
Tower of God episode 1 anime review
In whatever medium, Tower of God is a messy story, filled with anachronistic touches, that’s somehow still quite addictive. Plot summary Best friends Bam and Rachel are living…
Winter 2020 anime season: a final say
The snow outside is melting, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. Ever so quietly, even as the world feels like it’s frozen in time, Spring…
The End of Blade of the Immortal: a merciless fate, stained in blood
At times, extreme and horrifying, at others, awe-inspiring and beautiful, but does 2019’s Blade of the Immortal anime capture the strange magic of Hiroaki Samura’s chanbara epic? Strange…
BNA: Brand New Animal episode 1 anime review
BNA could well be Studio Trigger’s Devilman: a story boiling over with racial tension and supernatural action, and yet still, undeniably, a Studio Trigger anime: just bloody good…
Humanity between the lines: Tsubame in Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
“I realised something working on it. That to me, life is about working on stuff like this. And there’s nothing I can do about that, now.” Tsubame on…
Tower of God gets an anime: the exciting webtoon blazing a trail
The popular webtoon Tower of God is getting an anime series in April, but what is it? Heck, what is a webtoon? Let’s dive into the future of…
The cancelled ero anime stream: Interspecies Reviewers
When sex and anime collides, something has to give! Interspecies Reviewers is the horny anime that broke Funimation. What is Interspecies Reviewers? Based on a manga that began…
Noi Problem: The Awesomely Weird Characters of Dorohedoro
Looking like a cross between professional wrestlers and the Cenobites of Hellraiser, the characters of Dorohedoro are awesomely weird. Weird because it’s like watching Pinhead and Freddy Krueger…
The Ethical Dilemma at the End of Weathering With You
Weathering With You is another archetypal, gorgeous Makoto Shinkai film, but something about its ending is a bit… off. Allow me to explain. Hodaka and Hina’s dilemma Hina…
From manga to anime: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is probably the best anime of the Winter season, so let’s review what we can of its manga and learn a bit more…
Dorohedoro episode 1 anime review
Q Hayashida’s bewildering horror manga is finally animated! Dorohedoro is a dismal, filthy anime that’s teeming with cheerful monsters and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Plot…
Haikyuu!!: To the Top episode 1 anime review
It’s been four long years but finally, the majestic Haikyuu!!, one of the best sports anime of the last decade, returns for its fourth season. Plot summary Volleyball!!…
ID – Invaded episode 1 anime review
ID – Invaded is caught between two worlds. One, an awesomely weird dreamscape modeled after Inception and Minority Report; the other, an overly-wordy police procedural. Plot summary A…
Pet episode 1 anime review
Pet is a low budget, vaguely homoerotic supernatural thriller that recalls the pulpy late-night anime of the Noughties. As such, it won’t win praise for its subtly, but…
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! episode 1 anime review
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is a love-letter to anime and, more broadly, the boundless potential of animation. It’s also really fun. Plot summary When youngster Midori falls…
Somali and the Forest Spirit episode 1 anime review
Somali and the Forest Spirit was a surprise: an evocative fairy-tale anime told from a new Dad’s perspective. Plot summary In a magical land, it’s Golem’s job to…
The End of Vinland Saga: An Inevitable Tragedy
In the end, Askeladd dies in Thorfinn's arms, urging him to look beyond the battlefield and become the "true warrior" that he could not.
Anime of the decade!
An elegiac rundown of my favourite anime of the last ten years. Dedicated to everyone that loves anime.
Hype for Blade of the Immortal
To use modern parlance: Blade of the Immortal is problematic, but that’s fine. I don’t read manga or watch anime to feel clean and like everything’s okay. Quite…
“Eren will reach the sea for me!”
Nothing is ever as great as you imagine. When a dream becomes real, it inevitably loses some of its magic. There’s something really sad about Eren when he…
Destroying her identity: the timeless, terrifying world of Kaiba
I have dreams. I want to do something with my life. I want to be remembered. In my own little world, everything revolves around me. Isn’t it terrifying…
Okay to delete: forgetting meaningful anime
As soon as I’ve finished an anime series, no matter how meaningful it was to me, it’s strictly consigned to the past and starts gathering dust in the…
Spring status update
As I reflect on how things have been going for the blog since November last year, I’m satisfied that I’ve been able to post something new most weeks.…
The Promised Neverland anime review: Vulnerable & compulsive
The Promised Neverland was great. At some point during its run, I started watching new episodes as soon as they were out. Every episode seemed to end on…
Boogiepop and Others anime review: If only…
Boogiepop and Others is many things, but an anime for casual viewers it is not. Unless you’re willing to give it your full attention, it will leave you…
You cannot save the world on your own: The Promised Neverland episode 11
What a treat episode 11 was. At this point, I have to say I think this anime is as good an adaptation as fans of The Promised Neverland…
Spring 2019 anime preview
I could end up watching a lot of anime come April. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Of the five anime I’ve picked, this is the one I’m most…
A warm heart in the grim worlds of Dororo & Rurouni Kenshin
Watching Dororo has helped me realise that Kazuhiro Furuhashi is one of my favourite anime directors. He is the man responsible for directing the breathtaking Rurouni Kenshin: Trust…