Higurashi: When They Cry – SOTSU ‒ Episode 15

We're supposed to accept that, when it comes to millennia old entities, a little disembowelment isn't enough to come between friends.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/higurashi-when-they-cry-sotsu/episode-15/.178009

In the Clear Moonlit Dusk GN 1

The story will explore the characters' inner selves versus how schoolmates see them. It does still feel a bit old-fashioned in its gendered themes, but the characters are interesting enough that it will be worth seeing where it goes.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/in-the-clear-moonlit-dusk/gn-1/.177361

Ryukishi07 Explains How Higurashi GOU and SOTSU Reinvent the Franchise

As the Higurashi: When They Cry – SOTSU sequel anime approaches its conclusion, Ryukishi07 spoke to ANN about how the new anime reinvents the franchise, witches, his experience as a civil servant, and more.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-09-30/ryukishi07-explains-how-higurashi-gou-and-sotsu-reinvent-the-franchise/.177492

This Week in Anime - Is Aria the Animation a Hidden Gem?

The original 2005 "healing" anime series is now officially streaming on Funimation, letting viewers travel to Neo Venezia for the very first time. Steve and Nick try to zero in on the charm of Aria the Animation.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-09-30/.177977

Love Live! Superstar!! ‒ Episode 9

Kanon is the reluctant and under-qualified leader of this band of buffoons. That's a recipe for chaos, and it is gloriously realized across the entire episode.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/love-live-superstar/episode-9/.177936

Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke: This Time I'm Gonna Tell Her How I Feel! LN 1

In the end, it has an interesting concept but one it hamstrings by tacking on the “reincarnated in another world” trope when it has almost nothing to do with the story or characters.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/reincarnated-as-the-piggy-duke-this-time-im-gonna-tell-her-how-i-feel-ln-1/.177092

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story ‒ Episode 21

On the whole, the battle is pretty rushed, as is the whole denouement, but considering how completely fucked this finale could have been, given the circumstances, I was surprised by how satisfied I was by the time the credits rolled.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/magia-record-puella-magi-madoka-magica-side-story/episode-21/.177910

One Piece ‒ Episode 993

This go around we get more time with the Akazaya Nine, which is great to my mind as they are critical to the entire arc.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/one-piece/episode-993/.177902

Battle Game in 5 Seconds ‒ Episode 12

That overall, seemingly unintentional theme of the characters' actions and efforts not really mattering apart from generating base story momentum permeates every aspect of this finale.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/battle-game-in-5-seconds/episode-12/.177616

Crueler Than Dead GN 1

It's hard not to wince at Crueler Than Dead's plot of a virus spreading out unchecked across the globe, forcing people to shelter away from the outside world, salvation only possibly coming in the formulation of some sort of vaccine.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/crueler-than-dead/gn-1/.175426

This Week in Anime - Visions of a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars: Visions takes audiences across vast space and time to showcase nine different stories. Jedi, Sith, found family, a pair of twins, and even a garage band take center stage in shorts from some of anime's most acclaimed studios.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-09-28/.177890

Our Most Anticipated Anime Of Fall 2021

The Fall season is just days away! What series are at the top of your must-watch list? If you're still undecided, our critics make a case for some of the promising anime premiering in October.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-09-28/our-most-anticipated-anime-of-fall-2021/.177677

Fall 2021 Anime Trailer Watch Party With SungWon Cho!

Tune in LIVE on Wednesday, September 29th at 5pm PDT/8pm EDT! Voice actor and YouTube personality SungWon (ProZD) will join executive editor Lynzee Loveridge and ANN video producer Jacki Jing to watch every fall anime season trailer!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/watch/2021-09-28/fall-2021-anime-trailer-party-with-sungwon-cho/.177901

Hana-chan and the Shape of the World Manga Creator Ryotaro Ueda

In his first ever interview, manga creator Ryotaro Ueda goes into detail about the thin veil between the living and the dead, and the in-between world as Hana-chan experiences it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-09-28/hana-chan-and-the-shape-of-the-world-manga-creator-ryotaro-ueda/.177696

Monday, September 27, 2021

I'm Standing on 1,000,000 Lives. ‒ Episode 24

It turns out that the Jezby twist was a refreshing wrench to throw into this cocktail of components. It somehow managed to tighten down the loose screws until the story was perfectly tuned by the end.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/im-standing-on-1000000-lives/episode-24/.177811

Sonny Boy ‒ Episode 11

If Sonny Boy has anything as simple as a “message,” then Rajdhani's exclamation of nihilistic optimism—that nothing matters, but sometimes cool things really do happen—is probably as close as we're going to get.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/sonny-boy/episode-11/.177826

The Honor Student at Magic High School ‒ Episode 13

So here we are at the end of the series, and the climatic showdown between our young magical rivals with the entire tournament on the line. Except there's just one problem: the winner is a foregone conclusion.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-honor-student-at-magic-high-school/episode-13/.177832

Temple Alley Summer Novel

Temple Alley Summer is absolutely a masterwork of middle-grade fiction, but it's also a good book that anyone can enjoy.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/temple-alley-summer/novel/.176613

Kageki Shoujo!! ‒ Episode 13

Episode 13, “Kageki Shojo!!”, wraps up the auditions for those coveted four positions. But more importantly, it is also a celebration of the series as a whole.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kageki-shoujo/episode-13/.177829

My Hero Academia ‒ Episode 113

Well, it's been a hell of a trip getting here, but it's time once again for MHA to return to its seasonal slumber.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-hero-academia/episode-113/.177853

World Trigger Manga Takes 1-Month Break Due to Author's Health

The official Twitter account for Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine revealed on Monday that Daisuke Ashihara's World Trigger manga will not appear in the magazine's...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-09-27/world-trigger-manga-takes-1-month-break-due-to-author-health/.177870

The Best and Worst of Summer 2021, Sep 16-22

With many series ending this week there are few surprises left... but what's happening to Love Live!? Come and see where your favorites rank this week!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/weekly-ranking/2021/summer/.177831

How to Melt the Ice Queen's Heart Novel 1

Nevertheless, for all its structural imperfections, How to Melt the Ice Queen's Heart still has its charms. Asahi and Fuyuka genuinely do feel like they would make a nice couple, and their hesitant courtship is both sweet and true to life.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/how-to-melt-the-ice-queen-heart/novel-1/.176957

BanG Dream! FILM LIVE 2nd Stage

Right from the start 2nd Stage is bigger, louder, and more ambitious than the utter demo tape its predecessor was.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/bang-dream-film-live-2nd-stage/.177561

Kageki Shojo!! Manga Creator Kumiko Saiki and Anime Director Kazuhiro Yoneda

Manga creator Kumiko Saiki and anime director Kazuhiro Yoneda share the inspirations behind Kageki Shojo!! from the Takarazuka Revue to the classic series The Rose of Versailles.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-09-25/kageki-shojo-manga-creator-kumiko-saiki-and-anime-director-kazuhiro-yoneda/.177767

Ultraman Anime's 2nd Season Reveals Visual

The "Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event" livestream on Saturday revealed a new visual for the second Ultraman anime season. The anime will premiere in spring...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-09-25/ultraman-anime-2nd-season-reveals-visual/.177819

This Week in Games - Maidragon Spirit

Things have just gone from really bad to extremely worse over at the ongoing dumpster fire that is Activision-Blizzard corporate.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-09-24/this-week-in-games-maidragon-spirit/.177731

Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- ‒ Episode 12

However—and you might call me old-fashioned for saying this—I'm the kind of guy who expects my heaping helping of shiny action scenes to be served with a decently proportioned side of “giving a shit.”

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tsukimichi-moonlit-fantasy/episode-12/.177746

Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~

Mahoraba isn't the kind of show I'd warn people away from, but it's also not a show I'd recommend particularly strongly.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mahoraba-~heartful-days~/streaming-1-26/.176949

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S ‒ Episode 12

The first half of this episode zooms in as Kobayashi herself gets introspective. Is she ready to be completely honest about her feelings?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/miss-kobayashi-dragon-maid-s/episode-12/.177737

Fire Force Figure Giveaway!

As a special treat for ANN Readers in the US, Kotobukiya is giving away a Fire Force ARTFX J Figure Set to 1 LUCKY WINNER!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/giveaway/2021-09-23/fire-force-figure/.177086

This Week in Anime - Is Fena More 'Princess' Than 'Pirate'?

Nick and Nicky catch up on the seafaring adventures of Fena: Pirate Princess but hit choppy waters when it turns out the story's titular character is given little agency in her own destiny.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-09-23/.177698

Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon's Judgement Episodes 1-12

It's never been a show that was afraid to be overtly romantic or to torment its characters, and we're really starting to see both of those things pay off as we edge closer to the second cour.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/seven-deadly-sins/dragon-judgement/episodes-1-12/.177326

Star Wars' Place in Anime and Manga

It's fair to say that Star Wars would not look or feel the way it does without its roots in Japanese cinema, but do those roots extend to anime?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-09-23/star-wars-place-in-anime-and-manga/.177617

Love Live! Superstar!! ‒ Episode 8

Now it's time for Love Live! to enter Serious Drama mode as we collect our final School Idol member.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/love-live-superstar/episode-8/.177666

Kakushigoto Theatrical Edition

What might shock the uninitiated who sit down to experience the theatrical version of this story is how beautifully it is animated and directed, especially with the scenes that feature a now-grown Hime going to confront her father's secret once and for all.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kakushigoto-theatrical-edition/.177117

Star Wars: Visions

Star Wars is a Disney IP vehicle, yet another cinematic universe carefully curated for the largest fandom demographic possible. Can any originality be found in what has become another highly homogenized Disney property?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/star-wars/visions/streaming/.177367

Tokyo Revengers ‒ Episode 24

Going into this season finale, I was mostly resigned to ride this story out and hope for better things in the eventual season 2. But what I got instead was about as strong and intriguing a season finale as you could want from television.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tokyo-revengers/episode-24/.177620

One Piece ‒ Episode 992

The duality of Wano, am I right folks? Continuing on last week's theme of “Oh my Usopp there is so much Wano,” we have a lot more arc to get through this week.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/one-piece/episode-992/.177556

Star Wars: Visions Producers James Waugh and Kanako Shirasaki

Anime has exploded culturally, there's no doubt about it, but we're all fans and have been since before that happened. I do think there's a whole host of people who haven't given anime a shot or haven't really tried it, but are Star Wars fans.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-09-21/star-wars-visions-producers-james-waugh-and-kanako-shirasaki/.177615

Seirei Gensouki - Spirit Chronicles ‒ Episode 12

What's even more frustrating is in a lot of ways it feels like the series ends just as things are finally getting interesting.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/seirei-gensouki-spirit-chronicles/episode-12/.177609

This Week in Anime - Can't Someone Cut Jahy a Break?

One tiny former lead demon does her best to survive in the modern world...and is barely making it. Steve and Jean-Karlo try to find the humor under the crushing weight of adult responsibilities. Someone get Jahy an ice cream or something.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-09-21/.177611

Remake Our Life! ‒ Episodes 10-11

While I have mixed feelings about episode 10 versus episode 11, what I can easily say about these two episodes is that these are brutally realistic, but in a satisfying, understandable way.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/remake-our-life/episodes-10-11/.177515

Kageki Shoujo!! ‒ Episodes 11-12

But before we get to the rest of the auditions, I want to get to a different topic today: queerness in Kageki Shojo!!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kageki-shoujo/episodes-11-12/.177513

The Detective Is Already Dead ‒ Episode 12

Alright, now that The Detective Is Already Dead is finally dead, we can all go home and think about what we learned from this

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-detective-is-already-dead/episode-12/.177558

Fena: Pirate Princess ‒ Episode 7

Even for a show about pirates (or with pirates in it), this week's episode of Fena: Pirate Princess has an insanely high body count.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/fena-pirate-princess/episode-7/.177557

Edens Zero ‒ Episode 7-8

I think Hiro Mashima does best outside of these bigger fantastical concepts: putting the family aspect of his stories at the forefront.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/edens-zero/episode-7-8/.177528

The Honor Student at Magic High School ‒ Episode 12

Oh sure, we get an extended look at Miyuki's first flight and get to see the whole CAD tampering revelation from Miyuki's point of view instead of Tatsuya's, but there's no new problem that Miyuki and the other girls have to solve while Tatsuya does his thing.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-honor-student-at-magic-high-school/episode-12/.177521

The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! ‒ Episodes 6-7

Jahy is relatable: I, too, can't do push-ups, need silence at night, embarrass myself in front of kids, and also, enjoy hunting for treasure with others.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-great-jahy-will-not-be-defeated/episodes-6-7/.177514

Girlfriend, Girlfriend ‒ Episode 12

I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm a little disappointed that Girlfriend, Girlfriend decided to take this route.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/girlfriend-girlfriend/episode-12/.177529

The Best and Worst of Summer 2021, Sep 9-15

After a season scraping the bottom of the rankings, the Detective is now Dead in the cumulative as well. See how your favorites and not-so-favorites stack up this week!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/weekly-ranking/2021/summer/.177600

From Saint Seiya to CCXP: the Past and Present of Anime Fandom in Brazil

Part of the reason anime became a cultural sensation in such a short span of time is because the ground had already been prepared by nearly a century of soft power. Brazil, after all, has the largest Japanese diaspora in the world.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-09-20/from-saint-seiya-to-ccxp-the-past-and-present-of-anime-fandom-in-brazil/.176893

Sword Art Online Audiobook 1

For those of you on the fence, there are two things in particular I want to highlight in this review: Bryce Papenbrook's performance and whether the story of SAO's first volume still holds up today.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/sword-art-online/audiobook-1/.177160

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X ‒ Episode 12

Yes, it's important that we learn that there was a Fortune Lover II after Catarina's previous death, but maintaining that link to her past life is a bit like keeping her heart beating.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-next-life-as-a-villainess-all-routes-lead-to-doom-x/episode-12/.177508

My Hero Academia ‒ Episode 112

Tomura Shigaraki, the villain, was neither born nor made – he was designed, custom built by the first person to reach out to him.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-hero-academia/episode-112/.177511

Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- ‒ Episode 11

Our usually laid-back hero Makoto confronts true loss and tragedy for the first time in his new life as an isekai demigod, and in retaliation, he suddenly adopts a savage willingness to torture and murder that we've never seen before.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tsukimichi-moonlit-fantasy/episode-11/.177495

I'm Standing on 1,000,000 Lives. ‒ Episode 23

The show finally puts some of its dang cards on the table, cutting out some of the excessive tragedy and instead propelling us forward to where they're actually going with this.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/im-standing-on-1000000-lives/episode-23/.177493

House of the Lost on the Cape

Although it would be too much to declare the film a "disappointment," it does feel as if this story would have been better suited as a television series

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/house-of-the-lost-on-the-cape/.176838

The Case Study of Vanitas ‒ Episode 12

Vanitas is more than just put off by Noé's desire to taste his blood, he's vehemently against it. Whether he's trying to protect one or both of them isn't clear, but it is evident that Vanitas wants to remain an unknown quantity, at least to Ruthven.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-case-study-of-vanitas/episode-12/.177480

Sonny Boy ‒ Episode 10

At times, Sonny Boy seems like the kind of series that could go on wandering and wondering forever, but this week's episode makes it clear that the end—or some kind of end, anyway—is inexorably approaching.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/sonny-boy/episode-10/.177479

Peach Boy Riverside ‒ Episode 12

One at-last appreciable element of Peach Boy Riverside is the understanding we don't need to judge this episode as a true 'finale'.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/peach-boy-riverside/episode-12/.177435