For me, once a series has established that plot armor doesn't exist, I'd rather it not revel in demonstrating it ad nauseam. Read more
May 21, 2023 • Subscribe
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Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 09
Talk about flower power. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 06
That was pretty disturbing on multiple levels Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 12
Sooner or later the humans have to figure out that the entire premise of their presence here is a sham. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 11
That was certainly a dark turn. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 10
Jigokuraku may be turning into the sort of series I was hoping it would be. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 07
Jigokuraku seems to waver between Hunter X Hunter and Monster Hunter. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2023: Jigokuraku – 13 (Season Finale)
There's definitely the core of something rather good here, and we managed to see a fair bit of it in the second half of this season. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 08
This was very much an expected return to form for Helck. Read more
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 08
The first name thing was a bit of a disaster, but the die is pretty much cast. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 08
There are times in this series where it straddles the line between entertainment and commercial.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 08
This is not high art by any stretch of the imagination, but it's hard not to smile.
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 08
For me at least the ship has long since sailed on Shoushimin Series being remotely realistic.
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 11
I've always had the sense that this adaptation was never doing more than skimming the surface of the source material. Read more
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 09
I don’t think it would be inaccurate to call Mononogatari a slow build sort of show. Read more
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 05
The voters have spoken. Read more
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 06
Mononogatari is growing into its premise, albeit slowly. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 13
At long last Helck takes us on a journey to the past - Helck's past, where so much of the foundation of the story takes place.
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 10
This show has the chops to go full comedy when the mood strikes it. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 09
Helck getting a look at the darker side of demonkind seems like it might be a moment. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 06
Doing the expected in an entertaining way seems to be the order of the day. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 07
Wow, that was one hell of an infodump (no pun intended). Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 05
Pairing off Helck and Vermilio was pretty clearly fated to happen, and the possibilities here are obvious. Read more
Patron Pick Summer 2023: Helck – 04
Good choice, Patrons. Read more
Jigokuraku – 08
「弟子と師」 (Deshi to Shi) "Student and Master" I can't shake the vibe that this show has more than a whiff of death porn about it
Patron Pick Fall 2022: Koukyuu no Karasu – 08
An episode like this one provides an indication of what Raven of the Inner Palace is capable of at its best. Read more
Patron Pick Winter 2023: Mononogatari – 12 (Season Finale)
That explains why the exposition with this series seemed glacially slow. Read more
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 09
It would be hard to overstate how much better this worked than the last couple of arcs.
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 11
I’ll say this for Bartender, it’s really finishing on a high.
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 10
Anime don't get into philosophy too often and when they do, rarely rise above the level of a fortune cookie.
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 06
In spite of its resolutely realistic settings, Bartender is actually not a series that's trying to be realistic.
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 07
Bartender is working better for me when it's quirky and geeky - the drama just doesn't pack the same punch.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 09
That the Japanese need series like these to reassure them that it doesn't have to be like that is sad as Hell, but it's nice to have one…
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 06
There were several interesting elements in this episode of Atarashii Joushi, along with the usual handful of guffaws.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 10
On the whole this ep was more like a Blu-ray extra than a real episode of the series, with all that implies.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 04
Atarashii Joushi certainly doesn't beat around the bush. In that sense Kinjou, the new guy at the office, seems to fit right in.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 07
I think it's worth reiterating my view that the current plot twist is kind of messed up.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 11
It's great that Shirosaki is so protective but Momose needs to take control of his life here.
Patron Pick Fall 2023: Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen – 05
This week was probably the most shameless episode of Atarashii Joshi wa Do Tennen yet, and the weirdest too.
Patron Pick Fall 2024 – Negaposi Angler
We’re still solidly in slice of life mode here and ignoring elephants.
Patron Pick Spring 2024: Bartender: Kami no Glass – 12 (End) and Series Review
I go to see the person who is nowhere to be found.With clean water,And beautiful flowers in my hand.
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 07
It’s always a bit of a minefield when pure slice-of-life series get serious in their final episodes.
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 05
Can you imagine "The Chinese Restaurant" or "The Parking Garage" with little or no humor? Do you want to?
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 06
I almost expected him to light a cigarette.
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 04
Was this interesting? I guess sort of, though that's very much in the eye of the beholder.
Patron Pick Summer 2024: Shoushimin Series – 09
Fun fact - the seiyuu playing Kawamata Sanae is named Osanai.
Patron Pick Winter 2024: Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi (Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!) – 08
Dosanko Gal is another (in a long and august tradition) of anime on which I find my opinion diverging sharply from the general consensus.
Patron Pick Fall 2022: Koukyuu no Karasu – 07
I confess that ending had me checking the calendar there for a second. Read more
Patron Pick Fall 2022: Koukyuu no Karasu – 06
The voters have spoken. Read more
Patron Pick Fall 2022: Koukyuu no Karasu – 11
Koukyuu no Karasu gets the job done by doing a lot of big things poorly but doing all the little things incredibly well. Read more