ESTAB LIFE: Great Escape

Sure, the anti-panty cults and commie penguin armies are…a lot, and don't think for one second that this anime isn't proud to get weird and stupid whenever it gets the chance.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/estab-life/great-escape/.186985

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

This Week in Anime - Is Spriggan Worth Watching?

Netflix revamps the classic action-adventure anime in a six-episode format. It's got a fresh coat of paint, but can Spriggan finally step out of Akira's shadow?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-06-28/.187117

Monday, June 27, 2022

Love After World Domination ‒ Episode 12

Sweet, funny, and exciting, Love After World Domination is a complete package from the jump and this finale really brings it all home.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/love-after-world-domination/episode-12/.187091

Crunchyroll Adds Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Anime

Company also streams Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer films

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-06-26/crunchyroll-adds-mobile-suit-gundam-zz-anime/.187067

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Yuri Espoir GN 1

Yuri Espoir is an odd combination of froth and sadness. The way that the world seems hellbent on crushing Kokoro under the burden of false heteronormativity is undeniably tragic, but there is still hope.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yuri-espoir/gn-1/.186180

Hikaru in the Light! GN 1

Hikaru in the Light! is an idol competition tale, and while its initial description and unfolding feels a little like Blue Lock but for girl idols, it's actually a bit more grounded than it wants to let on in its opening chapters.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/hikaru-in-the-light/gn-1/.186873

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Healer Girl ‒ Episode 12

While it stumbled more than a few times with heavier drama, at its core Healer Girl has mostly succeeded in being the bubbly, musical, unerringly sweet show it set out to be.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/healer-girl/episode-12/.186879

This Week in Anime - Totally Spy×Family

Easily one of the stand-out series of the season, Jean-Karlo and Nicky check out why this family of misfits is winning the hearts of everyone across the otaku-sphere.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-06-21/.186881

Koji Yamamura, Yoriko Mizushiri Win Annecy Awards

Koji Yamamura's Ikuta no Kita anime film wins Contrechamp award, Yoriko Mizushiri's "Fuan na Tai" short wins Jury Mention in Official Short Films category

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-06-20/koji-yamamura-yoriko-mizushiri-win-annecy-awards/.186835

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic- ‒ Episode 11

So here we are with the final bit of build-up before we reach the finale of the culture festival arc, and a good chunk of this episode can best be summed up as “Kaguya being messed with by the writer”.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/kaguya-sama-love-is-war-ultra-romantic/episode-11/.186828

Komi Can't Communicate Season 2 ‒ Episode 20

I never thought that one of the most interesting and relatable characters in this episode would be a tour guide. But I guess that's just a testament to the uncanny ability of Komi-san to find enjoyment in the most mundane of things.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/komi-cant-communicate-season-2/episode-20/.186831

The Rising of The Shield Hero Season 2 ‒ Episode 11

Most of this episode is spent on establishing Kazayama's resolve as she tries to remain optimistic in the face of everyone else's cynicism.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-season-2/episode-11/.186832

Saturday, June 18, 2022

I'm Quitting Heroing ‒ Episode 11

This was a heavy one folks. I honestly wish this flashback had happened before the ascent to the mountaintop because this completely recontextualizes Leo's desire for self-destruction.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/im-quitting-heroing/episode-11/.186774

How True Is the Trickle Down Effect in Anime?

Disney's Gaku Narita claimed in a recent interview that “It's not just the select few who are getting rich; the artists on the ground are starting to make decent money,” but the truth is much more complicated.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-06-15/how-true-is-the-trickle-down-effect-in-anime/.186464

One Piece ‒ Episode 1021

This episode in particular continues the setup of Robin's battle with Black Maria, and while we only really get to see one major blow being traded hot dang is it a good one.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/one-piece/episode-1021/.186638

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3 ‒ Episode 36

I appreciate Main's long, drawn-out "What?!" early on in this season finale for Bookworm, since that was pretty much my exact reaction to the central revelation of this episode.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/ascendance-of-a-bookworm-season-3/episode-36/.186634

A Couple of Cuckoos ‒ Episode 7‒8

Fate is a major theme that runs across these two episodes, which are best taken together as a miniature arc of sorts.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/a-couple-of-cuckoos/episode-7-8/.186602

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Spy×Family ‒ Episode 10

Damian may have friends and servants (or at least toadies and servants), but he's basically still stuck in the sort of life Anya had before Loid walked into that orphanage.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/spy-family/episode-10/.186572

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

The newest Dragon Ball film's promotional material highlighted Gohan but make no mistake, this is Piccolo's time to shine.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-super/super-hero/.186560

Grammy Awards Add Video Game Score Soundtrack Category

The Recording Academy announced on its official website on Thursday that it is adding five new Grammy Awards categories for its 2023 awards show, including...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2022-06-12/grammy-awards-add-video-game-score-soundtrack-category/.186565

The Rising of The Shield Hero Season 2 ‒ Episode 10

Raphtalia has always come across as more of a companion/moral compass to Naofumi than a realized character on her own, so I'm glad to see this episode making significant strides towards fixing that.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-season-2/episode-10/.186554

The Demon Girl Next Door Season 2 ‒ Episode 9

The first half of "Pitch-Black Feelings!! Darkness Peach Returns!!" is “high stakes” insofar as a DGND story goes, but don't go thinking that the order of the day still isn't for supremely ridiculous shenanigans.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-demon-girl-next-door-season-2/episode-9/.186550

Skeleton Knight in Another World ‒ Episode 10

In this episode, Ariane's forced to acknowledge the simple fact that most humans never really think about elves at all—be that positively or negatively.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/skeleton-knight-in-another-world/episode-10/.186503

Heroines Run the Show: The Unpopular Girl and the Secret Task ‒ Episode 10

Heroines has always been down-to-earth, so it makes sense for it to address these unsavory sides of the entertainment industry in a matter-of-fact, if uncontroversial way. I just wanted a bit more from it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/heroines-run-the-show-the-unpopular-girl-and-the-secret-task/episode-10/.186540

This Week in Anime - Fanfare of Adolescence Trips at the Starting Line

For a show occupying a unique premise this season, Fanfare of Adolescence can't decide what it wants to focus on. One thing's for sure, it could certainly use more horses.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-06-09/.186460

Metal Max Xeno Reborn

Metal Max Xeno Reborn can be a lot of fun, but it does make you work for it. Its oblique objectives and wild difficulty curves can definitely be off-putting—and yet there's fun to be had in driving around the wasteland, scrounging for scrap metal, and blasting away mobs of cannon fodder.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/game/pc-playstation-4-nintendo-switch/metal-max-xeno-reborn/.186356

Revue Starlight The Movie

Revue Starlight The Movie addresses and fixes nearly all my quibbles with the series by burning off the fat and violently compressing the remaining stylistic meat into a brilliant multi-faceted diamond.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/revue-starlight-the-movie/.186302

“Make it like a Hollywood Movie” - The Story of Macross Frontier Films' Official English Subtitles

Macross Frontier: The False Songstress and The Wings of Farewell have had official English subtitles for nearly a decade. Here's the story of a trio of fans and the team at YTV who made it happen.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-06-08/make-it-like-a-hollywood-movie-the-story-of-macross-frontier-films-official-english-subtitles/.186303

Sunday, June 5, 2022

The Executioner and Her Way of Life ‒ Episode 10

Once things have gone well and truly cuckoo-bananas in “Pandæmonium", the titular villainess announces, “What you are about to witness is a B-movie screening!", and you know what? She is absolutely right.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-executioner-and-her-way-of-life/episode-10/.186328

Spy×Family ‒ Episode 9

Yor's fear that she's not living up to Loid's expectations of what a good mid-twentieth century wife should be is a vestige of her fears that she wouldn't be enough for Yuri.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/spy-family/episode-9/.186324

Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Season 2 ‒ Episode 10

Since the natural mating ritual of School Idols is wacky comedy bits, it's only natural that the club welcome Lanzhu, Shioriko, and Mia into the fold with a weekend of goofing off.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/love-live-nijigasaki-high-school-idol-club-season-2/episode-10/.186332

Saturday, June 4, 2022

The Rising of The Shield Hero Season 2 ‒ Episode 9

There are a lot of interesting nuggets being dropped in this episode, which really does make me wish that season two started with this arc instead of the one with the turtle.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-season-2/episode-9/.186306

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Collision ‒ Episode 36

The dang narrator of this show is far too enthusiastic at this stage, talking over several pivotal situational scenes that wind up as effective History Channel montages as opposed to actual dramatizations of these plans.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/legend-of-the-galactic-heroes-die-neue-these-collision/episode-36/.186301

Quintessential Quintuplets the Movie

If you've somehow managed to remain unspoiled about the ending of The Quintessential Quintuplets, then this movie will finally resolve your burning questions...but it could have looked better while doing it.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/quintessential-quintuplets-the-movie/.186152

Ya Boy Kongming! Director Osamu Honma

ANN talked to director Osamu Honma about how he brought Yuto Yotsuba and Ryō Ogawa's manga to life, the challenges of creating a music-themed anime, and the opening theme video which became a viral sensation.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2022-06-01/ya-boy-kongming-director-osamu-honma/.186208