I suppose like most people when I started this blog, I wanted it as a place to air my feelings. And over the last two – three years, I’ve kinda stopped sharing some of my personal life in lie…
Mar 30, 2021 • Subscribe
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Looking Ahead to 2021 in Anime
Taking a look ahead at the likely state of anime in 2021- shows, movies, blu-rays coming out, industry news to watch for, etc..
Fall 2021 Check-in
We're at the point with anime where a lack of big surprises is itself unsurprising. Read more
Summer 2021 Check-in
I've gotten about what I expected out of the season so far, but I wasn't expecting much. Read more
Winter 2021 Check-in
I haven't had occasion to say it for a long time, but Winter 2021 is starting to resemble a pretty good anime season. Read more
Spring 2021 Check-in
Both anime and I have changed a lot since we last had a season like this. Read more
Looking Forward to Winter 2021
Well, so long as we get out of the dumpster fire known as 2020, I’m fine with any anime.
What Anime Am I Looking Forward To In Fall 2021?
That’s a very good question, isn’t it?
New Beginnings – Q2 2021 Check In
It’s been nearly two months since my last post on this blog. Sorry for the impromptu hiatus. My dad had spinal surgery and helping him through recovery and…
2021 Fall Three Episode Check-In
This is a Fall of firsts--including the tentative death of Netflix jail (kinda). Join us as we check in on some hotly anticipated adaptations.
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale, takt op.Destiny, The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, Ranking of Kings
2021 Summer Three-Episode Check-In
The deluge of spring left us with a light summer, but that doesn't mean there aren't gems worth keeping.
The Duke of Death and His Maid, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Kageki Shojo!!, Peach Boy Riverside, RE-MAIN
2021 Spring Three-Episode Check-In
We may not be sure where some of these shows are going, but we can't look away!
Burning Kabaddi, JORAN THE PRINCESS OF SNOW AND BLOOD, To Your Eternity, Those Snow White Notes, Tokyo Revengers
2021 Winter Three-Episode Check-In
This season truly encapsulates the duality of anime: everything made us either really excited or really tired.
Cells at Work!, Cells at Work! CODE BLACK, WONDER EGG PRIORITY, 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team, I★CHU
Anime, Dramas, Movies and more I’m looking forward to in 2021
After the shitshow that was 2020, I’m hoping that 2021 will be less terrible. I’m not delusional thinking that COVID is suddenly gone, climate change has stopped, or…
Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan
Tokyo Babylon, BABYLON, Fruits Basket, Natsume's Book of Friends, Natsume Yuujinchou: Ishi Okoshi to Ayashiki Raihousha
Looking to the Past
For a long time I meticulously maintained a MAL page where I’d keep track of the obnoxious number of anime series I was watching at a time. Every…
Winter 2021 Check-In, Week of 3/7/2021
Whew, it’s been a while since I’ve felt like writing something about what I’m watching and not about something more abstract (though I enjoy, in my own way, putting my…
Looking Back on 2021
I spend most of 2021 revisiting older anime. I have articles in the queue where I reexamine them. There wasn’t too many new titles that caught my attention.…
Winter 2021 Anime – What I’m Looking Forward To
Some of you may not realize how good it feels to be writing “2021” in a post header; some of you probably know all too well the sense…
2020 Manga Q1-Q2 in Review
[ Last post: 2019 Manga Year in Review! ] [ Standard disclaimer: Spoilers! Lots of spoilers! ] Only “Completed” is ranked, all others alphabetical. (SHIMEJI SIMULATION IS #1…
Winter Anime 2021 Week 12 [Check-In]
Wonder Egg Priority’s expected competence proceeds – a focused, workman-like episode that does its job in demystifying the Accas in a gradually grim way, inevitably fitting in snuggly…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 10 [Check-In]
Horimiya bounces back with an episode of actual substance - anxious relationship drama layered over a spongy cake of insecurity.
Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY, Horimiya
Winter Anime 2021 Week 5 [Check-In]
Offering yet another great showing, Wonder Egg Priority pushes out a fourth episode that's in fantastic shape; Crafting a strong personality through thematic subtext that boiled elegantly into…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 2 [Check-In]
Layered, poignant, and elegantly articulated - Wonder Egg Priority had a fantastic debut made even more impressive considering this is Wakabayashi's first time directing a full-length series
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Scar on the Praeter, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter, Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
Winter Anime 2021 Week 7 [Check-In]
The positive streak for Wonder Egg Priority continues, extending a favorable combination of grim inquiry, intimacy, and insightful character vignettes for all to enjoy.
WONDER EGG PRIORITY, Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
Winter Anime 2021 Week 4 [Check-In]
Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu is back and with a fourth outing that is challenging for a lot of viewers - concerning itself deeply with sexually touchy…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 8 [Check-In]
Associating with a character's drama naturally demands moving beyond yourself, and understanding someone's own lived experiences and resulting perspective even if it's mostly foreign to you.
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 9 [Check-In]
Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun thankfully gets back on track as it dedicates its latest episode to resuming the thorough erosion of Tomozaki's social shell – proving to be pretty sweet…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 6 [Check-In]
This felt like a return to form for Horimiya - decisive in the bigger picture with what it wants to accomplish and competent in executing its moment to…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 1 [Check-In]
New year, new season of anime, same coverage. Let's rundown a heap of new shows and see how they stack up.
LBX Girls, Idoly Pride, Scar on the Praeter, BACK ARROW, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki
Winter Anime 2021 Week 11 [Check-In]
Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun gets ever closer to its conclusion and evidently, is only getting stronger along the way.
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Winter Anime 2021 Week 3 [Check-In]
Presented with the opportunity of success or failure, Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? enthusiastically chooses the latter - offering a third episode that's visually embarrassing and narratively unimpressive…
Horimiya, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, SK8 the Infinity, WONDER EGG PRIORITY
Blog Check-in: Where Life Led Me in 2021
Hey guys, it’s Rand. I wanted to let you know what I’ve been doing while having an unprecedented hiatus. I know it’s needed to take breaks when it…
Upcoming 2021 English Otome Games I’m Looking Forward To
Many new otome games are coming to the west in 2021. Aksys Games had announced they are localizing three which are Olympia Soiree, Dairoku: Ayakashimori, and Variable Barricade.…
Q1 2021 Solicitations for UK Anime Home Video Releases
The first quarter of 2021 for UK anime! This batch currently offers a variety of new and older releases, from Dragon Ball Z and Planetes to Children of…
No Guns Life, Planetes, Children of the Sea, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z
From the outside looking in…
Hi, everyone! I don’t think I’ve ever felt nervous while writing something before. …
Titles I’m Looking Forward to in 2023
It’s another annual post of mine! Just a little preview of things that I’m looking forward to this year that have been announced. Perhaps maybe a little reminder…
Titles I’m Looking Forward to in 2022
I promise this is the last of my unintentional, but now are seemingly reoccurring, beginning of the year posts. I still standby giving yourself things to look forward…
2021 Anime Looking Mighty Fine
It looks sparkly hehe My seasonal weekly game maybe down to nothing these days still doesn’t stop me from adding the latest sparkles to my list.
Tokyo Art Scene: Looking In, Looking Out
This month’s Tokyo Art Scene will introduce exhibitions that highlight intercultural Japanese art.
The Best Onsen to Check Out While in Japan
Whether you're traveling to Japan or planning a trip in-country, these onsen are bucket list experiences for everyone.
On my Radar for Summer 2021: The Eight Episode Check-In!
Summer 2021 is winding down! It’s been a very light season and I couldn’t have been happier. These breathers are important for anime fans, as it lets us…
On my Radar for Spring 2021: The Three-Episode Check-in!
This has sorta snuck on me, time just flies so fast! We are about three weeks into the spring season, so it’s time to check in and see…
On my Radar for Fall 2021: The Three Episode Check-in!
World’s End Harem might have been pulled at the last freaking minute, but there is still plenty to watch as Fall 2021 gets started. It’s been three weeks,…
On my Radar for Winter 2021: The Three Episode Check-in!
Anime Winter 2021 has began in earnest and there is plenty to talk about! Shows have aired, boobs have been seen, feelings have been had, and shows have…
On my Radar for Summer 2021: The Three Episode Check-In!
Summer 2021 has been the break I think we all needed. There is very little in the way of heavy-hitters, and honestly, that’s great. Having to focus on…
On my Radar for Winter 2021: The Eight Episode Check-in!
Winter 2021 for anime has been another banger year in a recent trend of banger years. So many great shows, shows that would absolutely be year-end hits if…
Chatty AF 151: 2021 Fall Mid-Season Check-in
Dee, Vrai, and Peter check in on the Fall season, from plucky princes to rollerblading tokusatsu heroes.
Chatty AF 135: 2021 Winter Mid-Season Check-in
Vrai, Peter, and Caitlin check in on the 2021 Winter season, from beefy skate boys to overworked cells.
Chatty AF 145: 2021 Summer Mid-Season Check-in
Vrai, Mercedez, and Peter dig deep to find the winners of a somewhat sparse season.
Winter Simulcast Check-in, Week of 1/10/2021
I thought I’d try something new this season, since I’m watching a lot of anime (by design; I’m seeing how much anime I can watch concurrently and whether…
Chatty AF 139: 2021 Spring Mid-season Check-in
Caitlin, Peter, and Mercedez check in on the 2021 Spring season!