It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Read more
Nov 25, 2021 • Subscribe
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Heike Monogatari – 11 (END)
Heike Monogatari’s TV finale contained just its second substantial portrayal of armed conflict, following episode 5’s Battle of Uji Bridge. One might think it a bit strange that…
Heike Monogatari – 11 (END)
「諸行無常」 (Shogyō Mujō) "The Impermanence of Worldly Things" Like the shrike that impales its prey upon branches, I feel as if this adaptation has impaled my heart upon its sharp…
Heike Monogatari Review — A-
They shall be as mere dust before the wind.
Heike Monogatari – 09
The year is 1184. Having fled Fukuhara to escape Genji troops, the Heike are forced to undergo several further relocations in order to avoid their pursuers. In the…
Heike Monogatari – 06
Heike Monogatari returned this week to the more character-oriented stories of its first two episodes. The renewed focus on Shigemori’s children saw Biwa come back in a major…
Heike Monogatari – 09
「平家流るる」 (Heike Nagaruru) "Heike Flowing" The real carnage here is the butchery the script-writers do to the characterization and epic action of the original story.
Heike Monogatari – 06
「都遷り」 (Miyako Utsuri) "City Transition" This adaptation is all about portraying the characters as living, breathing humans enjoying every-day moments rather than focusing on them purely as giants of history
Heike Monogatari – 07
The burning of Kofukuji and Todaiji Temples in Nara was in many ways the single most important event of the entire Genpei War, so I hope you didn't…
Heike Monogatari – 10
Episode 10 of Heike Monogatari felt slightly more measured than last week’s blitz of character deaths, family reunions, and political/military developments, but upon closer inspection, the two installments…
Heike Monogatari – 04
Heike Monogatari has dealt with intergenerational themes since its premiere, but this episode cemented them as its cornerstone. Now that we’re safely past the ‘continue reading’ tag,…
Heike Monogatari – 06
If nothing else something of the pathos of this series can be salvaged if the narration slows down enough to give it a chance to express itself. Read…
Heike Monogatari – 08
If one was going to punt on preserving the moral ambiguity of the original, it's much easier to make the Minamoto non-people than the Taira. Read more
Heike Monogatari – 10
「壇ノ浦」 (Dan-no-ura) "Dan-no-ura" The sunset of the Taira.
Heike Monogatari – 07
「清盛、死す」 (Kiyomori, Shisu) "Kiyomori, Dies" “Because I could not stop for Death He kindly stopped for me”. Or in Kiyomori’s case, not so kindly.
Heike Monogatari – 08
「 都落ち」 (Miyako Ochi) "Leaving the Capital" The Taira scrape a final spoonful out of their now almost finished bowl of victories
Heike Monogatari – 05
For all its beautiful imagery and symbolism, this episode exposed a weakness that Heike Monogatari may struggle to overcome. Where are we situated in The Tale of…
Heike Monogatari – 04
I think there's an inherent paradox at work here Read more
Heike Monogatari – 05
Through factors partly beyond its control and partly controllable, the anime is losing most of what makes Heike Monogatari so special. Read more
Heike Monogatari – 09
Watching this has literally become a physically painful experience for me. Read more
Heike Monogatari – 07
The year is 1181. Not long after achieving political dominance in western Japan, the Taira clan’s power has already begun to fade. Their move to Fukuhara is short-lived,…
Heike Monogatari – 10
The tragedy of the Taira really comes through here, carried on the source material's wings of glory. Read more
Third Impressions – Heike Monogatari
If you're not familiar with the source material, I'm having a hard time imagining anyone keeping up with this. Read more
Sakuga Espresso – Heike Monogatari
A visual analysis of the climax scene to the ninth episode of Heike Monogatari through the lens of cinematography.
First Impressions – Heike Monogatari
This is certainly something special, something important, and something unique in anime. Read more
Heike Monogatari – 1-2
The Tale of the Heike is a classical Japanese epic detailing a war fought for control of the country near the end of the 12th century. It has…
Second Impressions – Heike Monogatari
Turn it into an anime and not even Heike Monogatari is immune to the curse of filler. Read more
Dance Dance Danseur – 11 (End) and Series Review
I've rarely been this conflicted about an anime ending. Read more
Dance Dance Danseur, Daily Lives of High School Boys, Nichijou - My Ordinary Life
Fugou Keiji: Balance:Unlimited – 11 (End) and Series Review
Fugou Keiji ended up being something quite different from what I thought it was for most of its run. Read more
Flower language in Heike Monogatari
“The color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline.” -The Tale of the Heike During her time at Kyoto Animation it was a…
Heike Monogatari: Humanity in War
Possible spoilers for an 800 year old story Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) is a historical epic chronicling the struggle between the Taira/Heike and Minamoto clans…
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen – 11 (End) and Series Review
In KnY the demons get both the best writing and the best seiyuu. Read more
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
BNA: Brand New Animal – 11-12 (End) and Series Review
There's a good core of a story here, but as a 12-episode series a lot of punches are pulled by necessity. Read more
Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season – 11 (End) and Series Review
Just what in the hell happened here? Read more
Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi – 11 (End) and Series Review
Well, that certainly was a thing. Read more
Horimiya – 13 (End) and Series Review
Horimiya is a series with a big spread of options, but Ishihama loaded up on too much dry chicken and stale bread and left the carving station and…
Pluto – 08 (End) and Series Review
These robots are humanity's children, and if they gain sentience it's our responsibility to educate them on what to do with it.
Helck – 24 (End) and Series Review
I guess it's better to go out on a high, though that just makes the way this ended that much more frustrating.
SSSS.Dynazenon – 12 (End) and Series Review
Perhaps more than any art form I know, anime is at its best when crafted by people who truly love it. Read more
Overtake! – 12 (End) and Series Review
Like all good sports anime, Overtake excels at both the competition and the story of the people taking part in it.
Pet – 13 (End) and Series Review
That was certainly a suitably WTF ending for this series - anything less would have been a letdown I suppose. Read more The post Pet – 13 (End)…
Noblesse – 13 (End) and Series Review
Noblesse kind of limped across the line if we're being honest. Read more
Mononogatari – 24 (End) and Series Review
Mononogatari is a show that's always been in the middle for me. Read more
SK∞ – 12 (End) and Series Review
We always give more chances to shows that have it and lose it than ones that never had it in the first place. Read more
Revenger – 12 (End) and Series Review
In an era where original anime are rarely worthy of the name, Revenger was a breath of fresh air and a welcome outlier. Read more
Oooku – 10 (End) and Series Review
As good fantasy often does, Oooku uses the pretext of its premise to shed light on reality in ways a less fanciful series would struggle to do. Read…
Summertime Render – 25 (End) and Series Review
I’ve been waiting for a show like Summertime Render for a long, long time. Read more
Mars Red – 13 (End) and Series Review
Mars Red was a great series and its finale was an abject masterpiece, and it doesn't really matter who believes that and who doesn't. Read more
Blue Period – 12 (End) and Series Review
This last run of episodes has been really spectacular, and the finale more than held up its end of the bargain. Read more
Ryman’s Club – 12 (End) and Series Review
Given the considerable affection I have for this series, I'm relieved to have things end on a positive note after all. Read more