To Gather Around 胜券在握 China, 2024, colour, 2.35;1, 135 mins. Director: Liu Xunzimo 刘循子墨. Rating: 7/10. A dark satire of big-business ethics and corporate culture that loses its way in the final third but features strong playing, especially from lead Deng Chao. STORY A city somewhere in China, Nov 2021. Bai Sheng (Deng Chao), 35, … Continue reading Review: To Gather Around (2024) →
Feb 28, 2025 • Subscribe
More like this
TheOASG Podcast Episode 163: Gather Around For All The Weird News of The Year
The final podcast episode of 2022 sees Justin and Helen discuss their Fall Anime faves and the weirdest pop culture news of the year!
2024: Another Spin Around Our Star
This next year, 2025, will mark my 14th year of blogging about anime, the anime community, Japanese history, and all the other meanders I make here. JP began…
10 Japanese Azalea Gardens In and Around Tokyo 2024
We rounded up some of the very best Japanese azalea gardens in and around Tokyo to get to know these bold and beautiful flowers.
Thing To Do In And Around Tsukiji
There's More Than Just The Famous Fish Market
5 Things To Do Around Nagoya Station
The area surrounding Nagoya station is packed with things to do and see and delicious things to eat.
Around Town
We’ve made it safely back to Tokyo for the first time in 4 years. I’d say about 35-40% of folks are masked and of course we are, but…
Review: Welcome to My Side (2024)
Welcome to My Side 欢迎来到我身边 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 101 mins. Director: Song Haolin 宋灏霖. Rating: 6/10. An odd-couple rom-com with a goofy premise that only just makes…
Review: Welcome to the Game (2024)
Welcome to the Game 绑架游戏 China, 2024, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 89 mins. Director: Zhang Zhe 张哲. Rating: 7/10. Twisty-turny drama of a fake kidnapping and multiple game-playing has strong…
Space Heater Chat – February 25 2024: Once Around the Table
Mike, James, Kevin, and Moh briefly got together over coffee and each talked about one thing that caught their attention this week Moh: Initial reactions to the Netflix’s…
The Best Way to Get Around in Japan
You're coming to Japan! But how do you get from point A to point B? Here's a guide to the best ways to get around the country.
Smoky Mountain Terror 2024 Review: Great Potential For This Area With Obstacles Around Every Corner
So as someone who has went to Smoky Mountain Fan Fest every year since it’s inception it was only a matter of time before I found myself at…
what goes around
Japanese animation, anime, cartoons, manga, 1960-1990, Tezuka, Miyazaki, Ishinomori, Matsumoto, Yamato, Gatchaman, Star Blazers, Captain Harlock
![Featured image for Any Crybabies Around? (2020) review [22nd Nippon Connection]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220607/1654563177.37444.66550.jpg)
Any Crybabies Around? (2020) review [22nd Nippon Connection]
“A great drama that sketches out the destructive effect of the gap between one’s signifiers and one’s acts on others and shows the spectator that what the marital…
Summer 2024 – Week 3 (ish), time to review
Running behind (again), so this is verging on being a mid-season check in, isn’t it? Ah well, so it goes. We’ve got a fairly decent season on our…
Twittering But Caged Birds – Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather
“Maybe even Yakuza can’t be that bad” My weekend plans were suddenly thwarted thanks to a special access from Sentai Filmworks, for pleasing price of $12 to…
Rokka -Braves of the Six Flowers- (Episode 4) – The Heroes Gather
Adlet convinces Nashentania and Goldov to leave Fremy alone for now, but then they get to the temple and discover that the barrier has already been activated. Who…
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai | Episode Review: All around great.
Episodes seven and eight of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai had a little bit of everything. I'll be honest, this anime is turning out to be so good, I'm not…
Shojo around the blogosphere
Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know of a few recent shojo-inspired pieces around the blogosphere. First is part one of a comic entitled “Shojo Reactions,” a very relatable story abo…
A Tour Around MangaPlaza
MangaPlaza has officially launched, so now Krystallina checks out the full version of the manga subscription service and store!
![Featured image for Belonging (2024) review [Japannual 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20241103/1730612624.92771.134068.jpg)
Belonging (2024) review [Japannual 2024]
Higashi delivers a touching exploration of love after death.
![Featured image for Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240329/1711708570.81684.120298.jpg)
Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A complex character portrait that touchingly illustrates how easy it is to misrecognize the logic of the subject-supposed-to-be-in-need.
![Featured image for Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240317/1710682570.81043.119514.jpg)
Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.
![Featured image for Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240302/1709354770.80224.118546.jpg)
Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.
6th Day of Weebsmas: 6 anime to watch around the holidays
Hey everyone! We’re following through this reoccurring series of Top Anime to watch around the holidays for this year’s 12 days of Weebsmas! The theme is get wrecking…
Introduction to Otakutober 2024!
Hello Ghosts and Ghouls! It’s spooky season and we are back with more haunting weeby content for you all! Here is our line up this week: Introduction Post…
Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World Volume 4 Review (Finale)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World Volume 4, the official English adaptation as release by Seven Seas.
![Featured image for Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240323/1711202770.81362.119901.jpg)
Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A pleasant narrative that offers a fresh but familiar exploration of the subject’s fundamental desire for recognition/love and the problematic yet medicative function of consumption.
![Featured image for Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240314/1710382570.80854.119292.jpg)
Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A subtle but playful narrative about a subject who slowly tries to crawl out the hole of emptiness and diminished self-worth.
![Featured image for Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240401/1711978570.81877.120627.jpg)
Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry
Review: Upstream (2024)
Upstream 逆行人生 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 120 mins. Director: Xu Zheng 徐峥. Rating: 6/10. A black but ultimately warm comedy, set among Shanghai’s community of food deliverers, shows…
Review: Yuanyanglou (2024)
Yuanyanglou 鸳鸯楼•惊魂 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 94 mins. Director: Wang Shenghe 王晟赫. Rating: 6/10. Surprisingly effective horror film, anchored by undervalued actress Li Meng, simmers for an hour…
Review: Untouchable (2024)
Untouchable 逆鳞 China, 2024, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 111 mins. Director: Da Qing 大庆 [Wang Daqing 王大庆]. Rating: 8/10. Cat-and-mouse gangster drama, set in 1990s pre-handover Macau, is stylishly written…
Review: YOLO (2024)
YOLO 热辣滚烫 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 128 mins. Director: Jia Ling 贾玲. Rating: 7/10. Mainland comedienne Jia Ling’s second feature as writer-director-star hits the bell again, if not…
2024 in Review
A year of retreads and repeats, none of them good: War in Ukraine. War in the Middle East. Famine in Sudan. Famine in Gaza. Covid and…
Blue Flames, Chalk-iro no People, Gakkou no Yuurei, The Apothecary Diaries, Dance Till Tomorrow
Review: Decoded (2024)
Decoded 解密 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 155 mins. Director: Chen Sicheng 陈思诚. Rating: 8/10. Belated return to form by film-maker Chen Sicheng is a strongly written, subtly played…
Running Around Tokyo, December 2023
We did a lot in a week, let me just say that. When we arrived in Tokyo, my wife and I met up with Sonomi-san, who was my…
Mechanical Arms #11 — Clowning Around
Dozens of people were okay with the creation of this episode. Impressions: I'm sorry. Did I have a stroke? This is the second to last episode. Why…
TMH Around The Web 2023
Here's where I have been mentioned in 2023
Creating a Game Space Where Anyone Can Gather: Hidetaka 'Swery' Suehiro on VR
Swery is best known to gamers for his off-the-wall characterization and unconventional genre mixes. For a great example, look no further than his new VR multiplayer: Death Game…
Anime To Look Forward To – Fall 2024
By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting We are at the beginning of the Spring 2024 season, and I’m late, but still thought it would be nice to share…
A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School!, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Season 3, Let This Grieving Soul Retire, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.
Anime To Look Forward To – Spring 2024
By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting It is now the start of the Spring 2024 season, and we’re finally returning from our long hiatus. As we return, I…
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture, Black Butler, Black Butler: Public School Arc, Spice and Wolf
Anime To Look Forward To – Winter 2024
It is the start of the Winter 2024 season, and, as mentioned, this month, we’re doing things missed before we take off on posting until about April. That…
![Featured image for Penalty Loop (2024) review [Nippon Connection 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240617/1718589330.85800.125421.jpg)
Penalty Loop (2024) review [Nippon Connection 2024]
The way Araki resolves the narrative’s thematical questions concerning vengeance and the working-through of trauma will divide spectators
![Featured image for Desert of Namibia (2024) review [Japannual 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20241114/1731628424.93315.134743.jpg)
Desert of Namibia (2024) review [Japannual 2024]
Yoko Yamanaka delivers a cinematic masterpiece of subjectivity.
![Featured image for Sin And Evil (2024) review [Japannual 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20241210/1733816024.94550.136278.jpg)
Sin And Evil (2024) review [Japannual 2024]
Saito shows that the Other always bears some responsibility for the subjective outcomes of dysfunctional familial dynamics and the criminal excesses that plague its mendacious image of peaceful…
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Swordsmith Village Arc – 03 – What Goes Around Comes Around
Kotetsu believes that Tanjirou is entitled to the mysterious 300-year-old sword that emerges from the defeated mechanical doll. After all, he was the Demon Slayer who defeated the doll,…
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc
Intro to Niji Nights 2024
Welcome to readers! Noobs and Otakus, it’s that time of the year again! Our annual celebration of all things under the queer weeby umbrella! Giving you food for…
Off to Anime NYC 2024
I'm heading to Anime NYC 2024 this weekend. This is the first time the event is being held in the summer season and I'm interested to see how…
FX’s “Shōgun” Delayed to 2024
AstroNerdBoy discusses the delayed release of FX's "Shogun" mini-series, which is an adaptation of the novel of the same name.