Attack on Titan OADs 1-8 Streaming

Can I just say how wild it was to dive into “Classic” Attack on Titan all of these years later, especially since the second half of MAPPA's Attack on Titan: The Final Season is right around the corner?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/attack-on-titan-oads-1-8-streaming/.181070

This Week in Games - Final Fantasy Takes Another Hit

What's been going on with Final Fantasy XVI? It feels like forever since we first saw the game revealed. Surprise, surprise – it's suffering from COVID-related development setbacks.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-12-31/this-week-in-games-final-fantasy-takes-another-hit/.181135

Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Just like with Mugen Train, don't let the overwhelming commercial success trick you into assuming Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is somehow way bigger and better than the TV anime it spawned from.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/jujutsu-kaisen-0/.181005

The Faraway Paladin ‒ Episode 11

The best moments of the prior episodes were those that leaned heavily into our investment with Will and his background. Here, everything zips by so fast nothing seems to stick.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-faraway-paladin/episode-11/.181056

Karate Survivor In Another World GN 1

For about the first half of Karate Survivor, it's the 'Survivor' part of the title that's the focus more than the 'Karate' part you might be more expecting. It's a 'Man Versus Wild' situation if said Wild also had goblins in it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/karate-survivor-in-another-world/gn-1/.180593

Heaven's Door: Extra Works GN

Young robots search for their parents, a man in a plane crash navigates through a strange dream, and a drug dealer crosses the wrong Amazonian deity, among other tales in this collection of grittily psychedelic stories by Keiichi Koike.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/heaven-door/extra-works/gn/.180373

My Senpai Is Annoying ‒ Episode 12

It's a show that establishes how, even when you enter adulthood, you sometimes still carry those needy and “childish” aspects of yourself with you, and I appreciate the fact that the show never really says that that's a bad thing.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-senpai-is-annoying/episode-12/.181020

The Best Anime of 2021

Welcome to our editorial team's countdown of the very best anime that aired this year! Over the next five days, we'll be revealing our team's picks of overall best as well as multiple sub categories like best character, best moment, best song, and best film.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-12-27/the-best-anime-of-2021/.180825

Devilish Darlings Portal Fantasy

I never thought I would use jovial to describe a series that has two half-demons obsessed with making babies front and center, but here we are.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/devilish-darlings-portal-fantasy/.180805

Waccha PriMagi! Episodes 1-12

While it does lean heavily to the pink'n'pretty side, Waccha PriMagi also has a lot of elements that just make it a solid magical idol show.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/waccha-primagi/episodes-1-12/.180935

This Week in Games - Twisted Winter Wonderland

What is Twisted Wonderland? Heidi introduces the mobile game with designs by Black Butler's Yana Toboso. She also bids farewell to Seattle's Gameworks, a convention hangout and arcade mainstay.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-12-24/this-week-in-games-twisted-winter-wonderland/.180948

Aggretsuko Season 4 Streaming

What started as a cute workplace comedy about anthropomorphic animals just trying to get by as Millennials in Japan has become a veritable soap opera of rocky relationships and biting social commentary.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/aggretsuko/.180922

What Is Idol Anime?

When you hear the phrase “Idol Anime”, what do you think? Mercedez Clewis breaks down the emotional and cathartic appeal of these music-focused series.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/watch/2021-12-24/what-is-idol-anime/.180947

This Week in Anime - Is The Faraway Paladin Worth Watching?

This rather wholesome entry into the isekai subgenre features Will, a good boy raised by the undead. Nick and Jean-Karlo debate whether a good, straightforward fantasy can hold an audience's interest and overcome its workman-like animation.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-12-23/.180920

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Interview: The Staff of The World's Finest Assassin

"The biggest advantage of writing dark and harsh worlds is that it makes the protagonist's exploits stand out. Overturning a sad and unfair situation has a lot of catharsis."

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-12-22/the-staff-of-the-world-finest-assassin/.180834

The Fruit of Evolution: Before I Knew It, My Life Had It Made ‒ Episode 12

I can't definitively claim that The Fruit of Evolution is the “Worst Anime of All Time”…but if I rely on my own personal misfortune and trauma, I can once again resort to infallible, peer-reviewed methodology of…

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-fruit-of-evolution-before-i-knew-it-my-life-had-it-made/episode-12/.180883

Home Is the Battlefield for the Young 86

No longer the person that place once knew, Paul's true and actual home is now very different: on the battlefield, with his comrades. And one-by-one, they all die there.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-12-22/home-is-the-battlefield-for-the-young-86/.180348

The Best and Worst of Fall 2021, Dec 10-16

It's a close race between Platinum End and Fruit of Evolution. Find out what else is moving in the rankings this close to season end!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/weekly-ranking/2021/fall/.180873

Shaman King Episodes 14-25

I'm happy to report that the second cour is an improvement in nearly every respect, and while I can't exactly peg this show as a “great” adaptation, it's at least started to shift the needle from bad to solid, and feels more confident.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/shaman-king/episodes-14-25/.180758

Translators Unite!

Bringing manga to the world! “Translators Unite” manga on sale starting today. Manga translated with creators' permission are now available worldwide.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2021-12-21/translators-unite/.180869

Lupin the 3rd Part 6 ‒ Episode 10

There have been plenty of wild one-offs in Lupin's history, but even by the standards of those and Mamoru Oshii, this one's pretty weird, right?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/lupin-the-3rd-part-6/episode-10/.180759

Super Crooks ‒ Episodes 7-8

I just have to ask: What the hell is with Super Crook's complete inability to structure its episodes in a reasonable way?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/super-crooks/episodes-7-8/.180757

Monday, December 20, 2021

Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut ‒ Episode 12

Trying to 'solve' the vampire racism as an overall arc can only come about as a result of those kinds of odd, previously-unfocused details suddenly injected back in at the eleventh hour here.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/irina-the-vampire-cosmonaut/episode-12/.180786

Komi Can't Communicate ‒ Episode 9

The rest of this episode is filled with more genuine moments of Komi doing her best, from working her first part-time job to hoping that Tadano would refer to her by her first name without realizing the more intimate implications of it at first.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/komi-cant-communicate/episode-9/.180739

Interview: The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window Manga Creator Tomoko Yamashita

ANN spoke to the manga creator Tomoko Yamashita about her approach to creating manga, her feelings on The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window as a BL story, and her intentions behind the seemingly dysfunctional romance.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-12-20/the-night-beyond-the-tricornered-window-manga-creator-tomoko-yamashita/.180463

How Self-Proclaimed “Scaredy-Cats” Created MIERUKO-CHAN

Manga artist Tomoki Izumi and anime director Yuki Ogawa both describe themselves as “scaredy-cats.” ANN asked the two about their work crafting this unique series.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-12-18/how-self-proclaimed-scaredy-cats-created-mieruko-chan/.180650

Chainsaw Man Anime Premieres in 2022

The Jump Festa '22 event on Saturday revealed that the television anime adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man manga will premiere in 2022. The...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-18/chainsaw-man-anime-premieres-in-2022/.180748

Edens Zero Episodes 13-25

The world feels bigger and bigger with each new planet that we visit while also feeling darker and more selfish along the way.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/edens-zero/episodes-13-25/.180622

Tokyo Godfather - A Beautiful, Underappreciated Anime Christmas

When you think of Christmas movies, anime probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but what if I told you that there's an anime Christmas movie by one of anime's greatest directors and greatest screenwriters?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/watch/2021-12-17/tokyo-godfather-a-beautiful-underappreciated-anime-christmas/.180651

This Week in Games - Sorry, Moon's Closed

Folks looking for safe a way to socialize amidst COVID, a new expansion generating massive hype, an exodus of former World of Warcraft players fed up with Activision-Blizzard's shit – it's all added up to make FFXIV the king of the MMORPG hill.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-12-17/this-week-in-games-sorry-moon-closed/.180686

The aquatope on white sand ‒ Episode 24

It's a beautiful way to start off a finale that's wholly about community, which has been a throughline since episode 1 when Kukuru and Fuuka first met.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-aquatope-on-white-sand/episode-24/.180681

takt op. Destiny ‒ Episode 11

Most of “Preparing for Battle -Orpheus-“ is about exactly what it says on the tin. The characters need to get from Point A to Point B in order to prepare for the final battle, and also we meet the Musicart Orpheus. That's about it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/takt-op-destiny/episode-11/.180692

Muv-Luv Alternative ‒ Episode 11

It might not feel like the right time to explore the hypocrisies of a nationalist agenda, but that just makes it disappointing when it backs out to say that it was some frightening, unknowable outside force that was responsible after all.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/muv-luv-alternative/episode-11/.180652

FILA Reveals 7 Special-Edition Dragon Ball Super Shoe Designs

The designs include FILA's Original Fitness, F-13, and FILA Renno styles and are based on Goku, Goku Black, Vegeta, Golden Frieza, Trunks, Beerus, and Super Shenron's iconic colors.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2021-12-16/fila-reveals-7-special-edition-dragon-ball-super-shoe-designs/.180617

This Week in Anime - Is Sakugan Underrated?

Like the show's premise, Sakugan has stayed under the radar, but it might be the best show you aren't watching.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-12-16/.180646

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

My Senpai Is Annoying ‒ Episode 10

Do you ever go out with a bunch of friends only to realize that all of you collectively share maybe one or two brain cells? That’s what this episode felt like but I mean that in the best way possible.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-senpai-is-annoying/episode-10/.180645

Digimon Ghost Game ‒ Episode 10

In the past I mentioned being concerned over the fact that the show's less than stellar production could potentially get in the way of the more exuberant...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/digimon-ghost-game/episode-10/.180643

Restaurant to Another World Season 2 ‒ Episode 11

Strange to think that we'll be ending our time in Nekoya so soon. Still, I feel quite comfortable declaring this one of the year's best sequels ahead of the end.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/restaurant-to-another-world-season-2/episode-11/.180533

Macross Plus Movie Edition (Theatrical Release, 2021)

When three former friends reunite seven years after a horrific falling out, their pent up emotions threaten to spill out beyond the bounds of their tattered friendship and envelop the entire galaxy.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/macross-plus-movie-edition/.180626

Mieruko-chan ‒ Episode 11

Screw the ghosts, did you see that twist coming? In its penultimate episode, Mieruko-chan finally hits the climax of this season's longest-running arc.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mieruko-chan/episode-11/.180620

Seaside Stranger GN 1

It's just as much about how Shun comes to understand that he deserves to be happy and that Mio truly does love him for (rather than in spite of) who he is.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/seaside-stranger/gn-1/.180489

This Week in Anime - Can 86's Plot Overcome Its Production Issues?

Despite production issues and delays, season two of 86 remains just as engaging as its predecessor. Steve and Nicky check in on the military drama to see whether peace will ever be an option for the 86.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-12-14/.180591

Monday, December 13, 2021

Super Crooks ‒ Episodes 5-6

If “The Heat" and “The Gladiator" prove anything, it's that my earlier hypothesis about Super Crooks was correct: This show is infinitely more enjoyable when all of its characters shut up and do crimes.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/super-crooks/episodes-5-6/.180535

Nippon Ichi Software Launches Countdown Page for New Work

Nippon Ichi Software launched a countdown website on Monday for a new project. The company teases that "something" will happen on the website every day....

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-13/nippon-ichi-software-launches-countdown-page-for-new-work/.180577

Lupin the 3rd Part 6 ‒ Episode 9

This week's episode of Lupin the 3rd Part 6, another one-off adventure in the show's rotation, is one of the most fun half-hours of TV anime I've seen in a bit, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/lupin-the-3rd-part-6/episode-9/.180534

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Reign of the Seven Spellblades Novel 2

This is not a series that enjoys revealing too much. In the field of light novels, where authors often indulge in oversharing their worldbuilding and over-writing their descriptions, this definitely stands out as a novelty.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/reign-of-the-seven-spellblades/novel-2/.174969

The Humanist Legacy Of Keiko Nobumoto

Cherished by all who worked with her, Nobumoto's reputation as a delicate humanist with radical ideas about the intersection of gender, politics, and environmentalism put her behind the wheel of series that we're still talking about decades later.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-12-11/the-humanist-legacy-of-keiko-nobumoto/.180511

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Novel 10

But when it's on, it's on, and this volume, while not quite a return to the form of the earliest books, is definitely on the higher end of things.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-next-life-as-a-villainess/all-routes-lead-to-doom/novel-10/.180456

Skip and Loafer GN 1-2

At this point it seems as if Skip and Loafer is a pure comedy series. That's not entirely fair or true to say, although it is definitely a very funny two volumes.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/skip-and-loafer/gn-1-2/.180252

This Week in Games - I Have Many Regrets

A tribute to video game pioneer Masayuki Uemura, a welcome bunch of fighting game updates, and... sigh... The Game Awards. Heidi breaks it all down in today's beef-sized column.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-12-10/this-week-in-games-i-have-many-regrets/.180473

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Extreme Baseball Anime Tribe Nine Premieres on January 10

The official website for Akatsuki and Too Kyo Games' new Tribe Nine project announced on Thursday that the anime will premiere on January 10 on Tokyo MX...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-09/extreme-baseball-anime-tribe-nine-premieres-on-january-10/.180451

Dropout Idol Fruit Tart

I dropped Dropout Idol Fruit Tart when it didn't grab my attention by episode 3. Now, I'm revisiting it to see if this was secretly the dark horse of Fall 2020, or if it's better left behind.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dropout-idol-fruit-tart/.180386

This Week in Anime - Summit of the Gods is a Serious Oscar Contender

The French-animated adaptation of Jiro Taniguchi's manga follows two men obsessed with Mt. Everest. Together they'll face the unrelenting brutality of one of Earth's highest peaks in this beautifully animated drama.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-12-09/.180417

The Best and Worst of Fall 2021, Nov 26-Dec 2

The last two episodes allow My Senpai Is Annoying to jostle its position up in the middle of the pack. Find out where your favorites rank this week!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/weekly-ranking/2021/fall/.180381

Interview: Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Director Ayumu Watanabe

Straight on the heels of the arthouse anime masterpiece Children of the Sea, director Ayumu Watanabe returns for a charming coming-of-age anime film about a young girl and her surrogate mother in a seaside town.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-12-08/fortune-favors-lady-nikuko-director-ayumu-watanabe/.179450

Media Blasters Teases Kamen Rider Licenses

Media Blasters posted several images on Twitter on Tuesday teasing licenses of some works in the Kamen Rider franchise. The first image appears to tease...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-08/media-blasters-teases-kamen-rider-licenses/.180407

Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Anime Film Reveals Teaser Visual

The staff of Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh, the musical anime feature film of Hideo Furukawa's Heike Monogatari: Inu-Oh no Maki (Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh) novel,...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-08/masaaki-yuasa-inu-oh-anime-film-reveals-teaser-visual/.180406

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

The Faraway Paladin ‒ Episode 8

This is the episode that has fully sold me on Faraway Paladin. The elements here were all present before, and it's been a slow burn to get to this point, but it's paid off.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-faraway-paladin/episode-8/.180305

This Week in Anime - Does Stone Ocean Live Up to the Joestar Bloodline?

The next installment in the popular franchise is set in none other than a Florida prison and stars Jolyne, the daughter of Jotaro Kujo. Does Stone Ocean build on its predecessors or should it have stayed in Netflix Jail?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2021-12-07/.180339

Komi Can't Communicate ‒ Episode 7

Komi Can't Communicate has finally established a regular, recurring cast who all speak to different social dynamics for Komi to interact with.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/komi-cant-communicate/episode-7/.180267

The aquatope on white sand ‒ Episode 22

“Ready to Return”, continues the focus on Kukuru's grief, on the shape it's taken, and how she moves through it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-aquatope-on-white-sand/episode-22/.180223

Cupid Parasite

A game with this many strengths is easy to recommend, which is why it's unfortunate that the current game is ridden with typos, ill-fitting text, and the telltale signs of a hastily edited machine translation.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/game/nintendo-switch/cupid-parasite/.180148

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation 2nd Part ‒ Episode 21

Mushoku Tensei's second major turning point lives up to its foreshadowing while also subverting it at crucial points, making every second of this episode an "edge of your seat" moment.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mushoku-tensei-jobless-reincarnation-2nd-part/episode-21/.180312

Banished From The Hero's Party Author and Director

ANN spoke to the novel's original creator Zappon and the anime's director Makoto Hoshino about the subtle themes and world of this RPG-like fantasy.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-12-06/banished-from-the-hero-party-author-and-director/.180208

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 Premieres in April

The official website for the Ascendance of a Bookworm television anime unveiled a new visual and the April 2022 premiere date for the anime's third season...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-05/ascendance-of-a-bookworm-season-3-premieres-in-april/.180315

Red Flowers GN

The peace and solitude of rural spaces is a persistent theme throughout the book, and there is something that feels a bit idealized about that, making it clear that the stories were written by someone who had lived more urban than rural for most of their life.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/red-flowers/gn/.179087

Final Fantasy XIV Game Has 25 Million Registered Accounts

Square Enix announced on Thursday that its Final Fantasy XIV game has 25 million registered accounts worldwide. The game's "Endwalker" expansion will release...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-04/final-fantasy-xiv-game-has-25-million-registered-accounts/.180269

A Man and His Cat GN 4

A Man and His Cat is one of those series where you can judge how effective it is by how many times each volume puts you on the verge of tears.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/a-man-and-his-cat/gn-4/.179494

Bloomberg: Dark Horse 'Weighs Options That Could Include Sale'

The Bloomberg news website reported on Wednesday that North American comic book and manga publisher Dark Horse Comics is "working with an adviser to weigh...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-04/bloomberg-dark-horse-weighs-options-that-could-include-sale/.180274

This Week in Games - Save it for a Rainy Day

Heidi has the latest on Spike Chunsoft and Kazutaka Kodaka's new title, plus those of you holding out for the Dragon Maid game might want to temper your expectations.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2021-12-03/this-week-in-games-save-it-for-a-rainy-day/.180224

Ranking of Kings ‒ Episode 8

What is this guy doing?! He got his turn to be big king on campus and now he's destroying everyone's lives, including his kids' own.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/ranking-of-kings/episode-8/.180256

The Winter 2021 Light Novel Guide

Looking for your next page-turner? ANN's Rebecca Silverman will help you find your new favorite, whether its a famous vampire hunter, a planet of orcs, or a tsundere villainess!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-12-03/the-winter-2021-light-novel-guide/.180129

The Case Study of Vanitas Anime's 2nd Part Premieres on January 14

The official Twitter account for BONES' anime of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas (Vanitas no Carte) manga announced on Friday that the anime's...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2021-12-03/the-case-study-of-vanitas-anime-2nd-part-premieres-on-january-14/.180255

Platinum End ‒ Episodes 8-9

I forgot this show's default brand of tragedy is so clumsy and heartless that it turns into unintentional comedy. But here we are with our newest antagonist being the god damn Ugly Barnacle. Amazing.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/platinum-end/episodes-8-9/.180229

Sakugan ‒ Episodes 8-9

You know, it figures right when personal circumstances make me skip a week, that Sakugan delivers easily its best episode since its premiere.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/sakugan/episodes-8-9/.180250

Call Girl in Another World GN 1

If you read Interspecies Reviewers and thought, “This is fine, but I'd really like to read it from the ladies' perspective,” Call Girl in Another World may be the book for you.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/call-girl-in-another-world/gn-1/.179684