Answerman - Do the Animation Cuts at HBO Max and Netflix Spell Trouble for the Anime Industry?

The fan-favorite column returns with a new host! The first question: Do recent cuts to domestic animation spell bad news abroad?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2022-09-30/.189954

Prepare for War!: A Guide Through Season Five of My Hero Academia

Are you ready for the long-awaited confrontation between Shigaraku and Deku? Umeko Long has your quick guide to last season to get you up to speed before the action hits on October 1!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-09-30/prepare-for-war-a-guide-through-season-five-of-my-hero-academia/.190090

This Week in Anime - Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a Near-Perfect Anime Movie

Now streaming on Crunchyroll, you can catch the Jujutsu Kaisen prequel story in all its monster-loving horror. The movie is an undeniable good time, if only there wasn't one glaring problem...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-09-29/.190310

Overlord IV ‒ Episode 13

Here we are at the end of another season of Overlord. The kingdom has fallen, almost all the “good guys” we've followed so far are dead, and Ainz has shown the world not to mess with him.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/overlord-iv/episode-13/.190286

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious ‒ Episode 9

Nakashima seems cute (I'm a sucker for a girl with sharp teeth), and there are some insights and interesting lessons to be gained from her character.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-maid-i-hired-recently-is-mysterious/episode-9/.190230

Thursday, September 22, 2022

The Fall Trailer Watch Party!

Watch all of this season's trailers with Lynzee Loveridge, Jacki Jing, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement! Find out your next "must-watch" it and keep your eyes peeled for information on how to win one of two prize packs, including the soon to be released complete edition of Masamune Shirow's The Ghost in the Shell manga from Kodansha Comics!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/watch/2022-09-22/the-fall-trailer-party/.190032

Crazy Food Truck GN 2

Despite the 'Crazy' right there in its title, Crazy Food Truck, by this second volume, really does seem to have settled into an easier, exploratory, travelogue-style story.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/crazy-food-truck/gn-2/.188025

The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious ‒ Episode 8

Look I'm sorry, I really am, but I just couldn't get swept up and be swayed by the emotions that were on display this episode, even though I desperately wanted to.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-maid-i-hired-recently-is-mysterious/episode-8/.189989

RWBY: Ice Queendom ‒ Episode 12

Ice Queendom has been an amazing experiment to witness. Regardless of your feelings on the original webseries, the fact that it was able to reach the medium that clearly inspired it is heartwarming on its own right.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/rwby-ice-queendom/episode-12/.189990

Overlord IV ‒ Episode 12

The thing about facing their own mortality so directly is that it serves as a catalyst: it forces them the focus on what is most important to them in what looks to be their last hours.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/overlord-iv/episode-12/.189970

Love Live! Superstar!! Season 2 ‒ Episode 9

This is a stellar focus episode that lets Keke and Sumire finally connect in a real way, and even if you're not into shipping an isopod and a panda, it's hard not to get teary-eyed nonetheless.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/love-live-superstar-season-2/episode-9/.189953

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Yurei Deco ‒ Episode 12

I don't even want to spend the many paragraphs that I could easily use to ask “What the hell!?” and “No, seriously, that was the point this whole time?”, because Yurei Deco isn't interested in doing that, either.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yurei-deco/episode-12/.189912

FUUTO PI ‒ Episode 8

The Shotaro and Philip in this episode are the ones who, to me, actually come off like they spent forty-nine episodes and a movie learning how well they could synchronize and work together.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/fuuto-pi/episode-8/.189866

Engage Kiss ‒ Episode 12

Sated with NTR energy and thirsty for murderous revenge, Kanna has the most insane villain origin story Engage Kiss could have whipped up, and I'm in the stands cheering for her.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/engage-kiss/episode-12/.189861

The Fall 2022 Manga Guide

The Fall Manga Guide kicks off with six new releases including the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure spin-off Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, the latest from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid creator Coolkyoushinja!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-09-19/the-fall-2022-manga-guide/.189276

Tokyo Mew Mew Then vs. Now

Shelby Tozier compares the classic to the currently airing magical girl series and finds charm that spans two decades.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-09-19/tokyo-mew-mew-then-vs-now/.189362

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Lycoris Recoil ‒ Episode 12

This score needing to be settled, and the pain of watching Chisato and Takina be shut off from one another yet again—this is the sort of high the show knows we're here for, and will be coming back for at least one more time.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/lycoris-recoil/episode-12/.189835

Call of the Night ‒ Episode 11

The vampires have finally met their slayer; Call of the Night's harbinger of doom is here, and she has one hell of a nicotine addiction.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/call-of-the-night/episode-11/.189817

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting ‒ Episode 11

Kirishima couldn't completely let go of who he used to be. Old habits die hard, and that leads us to perhaps the most interesting and perplexing sequence of the episode.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-yakuza-guide-to-babysitting/episode-11/.189812

Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 2 ‒ Episode 24

You spend 80% of this season's runtime futzing around, and just now decide to actually do some honest-to-god character writing for your romantic comedy story's main love interest?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/rent-a-girlfriend-season-2/episode-24/.189793

Yurei Deco ‒ Episode 11

Can we all agree that the Mark Twain references are more distracting than anything, at this point?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yurei-deco/episode-11/.189653

Eminence in Shadow Anime Reveals New Visual

Kadokawa revealed a new visual for the television anime of Daisuke Aizawa's The Eminence in Shadow (Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!) light novel series...

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2022-09-14/eminence-in-shadow-anime-reveals-new-visual/.189667

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

RWBY: Ice Queendom ‒ Episode 11

The RWBY fan in me ate this episode up, but the critic in me feels like it doesn't quite achieve all the things it set out to do.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/rwby-ice-queendom/episode-11/.189607

This Week in Anime - Does Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer Overcome Its Animation Shortcomings?

A cult-favorite manga by a well-regarded creator finally gets its moment to shine only to look like...well, this. It's hard to ignore in a visual medium but can this adaptation get by on charm alone?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-09-13/.189587

Engage Kiss ‒ Episode 11

Since I'm on record begging this series to be the weirdest and trashiest version of itself it can be, I have to praise this episode for veering back into some bonkers melodrama.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/engage-kiss/episode-11/.189595

Parallel World Pharmacy ‒ Episode 10

I think this is an occasion where PWP's desire to get all Edu-taining on us ended up robbing the show of a golden opportunity to have Farma seriously struggle for once.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/parallel-world-pharmacy/episode-10/.189594

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? ‒ Episodes 9-10

It's very bizarre to me that Ayumu is struggling so much to engender any sympathy or affection for its side characters.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/when-will-ayumu-make-his-move/episodes-9-10/.189567

Kaguya-sama: Love is War Producer Tatsuya Ishikawa

Kaguya-sama: Love is War recently concluded its excellent third season. We checked in with Aniplex producer Tatsuya Ishikawa to discuss the standout episode 5 and his feelings on the show.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2022-09-12/kaguya-sama-love-is-war-producer-tatsuya-ishikawa/.189046

FUUTO PI ‒ Episode 7

This felt like the strongest introduction for an arc yet: an expansion of what Kamen Rider can do and show in this different format, while also being a mostly-effective mystery story introduction on its own.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/fuuto-pi/episode-7/.189568

Delicious Party Precure ‒ Episode 27

I'm actually very impressed with how lightly Kome Kome's development in this episode was handled, because this is the sort of Very Special Episode stuff that can be applied with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/delicious-party-precure/episode-27/.189565

A Couple of Cuckoos ‒ Episode 20

The meandering side content in this episode is frustrating, but it's a frustration I'll charitably speculate is supposed to be there at this point?

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/a-couple-of-cuckoos/episode-20/.189556

Lycoris Recoil ‒ Episode 11

These cycles of action and drama may understandably mean little time for the sillier antics that were once LycoReco's trademark, but they do find some space for it, for which I'm grateful here at the end.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/lycoris-recoil/episode-11/.189554

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Yurei Deco ‒ Episodes 9-10

For all of Yurei Deco's ideas and attempts at world-building, Tom Sawyer Island has never quite managed to come together as a real, living place.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yurei-deco/episodes-9-10/.189397

Kaguya-sama: Love is War Voice Actress Aoi Koga

From her child-like excitement while waiting for a text to her devastating demeanor when she encounters a romantic challenger, voicing Kaguya requires vocal elasticity. ANN spoke with Aoi Koga about her character's multi-faceted personality.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2022-09-07/kaguya-sama-love-is-war-voice-actress-aoi-koga/.189026

Tokyo Mew Mew New ‒ Episode 10

It's a good thing there's so much fun cat stuff, because a few other elements in this episode just aren't quite working, and that's not including that rushed feeling.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tokyo-mew-mew-new/episode-10/.189389

The Best and Worst of Summer 2022, Aug 26-Sep 1

For Lycoris Recoil and Call of the Night the recent high weekly rankings are paying off in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/weekly-ranking/2022/summer/.189384

My Isekai Life ‒ Episode 11

In this episode, Yuji employs his usual bag of tricks against a new opponent and they… don't work. At all.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-isekai-life/episode-11/.189356

Engage Kiss ‒ Episode 10

The exposition really grinds my gears, because it flattens all of these characters into samey mouthpieces for the sake of expanding on plot and lore that is nowhere near interesting enough to justify sucking up so much time.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/engage-kiss/episode-10/.189350

Sunday, September 4, 2022

A Couple of Cuckoos ‒ Episode 19

It is contrived, it is expected, and it is a complete bullshit fake-out as the series shortly reveals just to screw with presumptuous audience members like me.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/a-couple-of-cuckoos/episode-19/.189302

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting ‒ Episode 9

Episode 9 of The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting returns to form in the best possible way. It had precisely the right tone and impact for me, and reminded me of why I fell in love with the series early on.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-yakuza-guide-to-babysitting/episode-9/.189299

Call of the Night ‒ Episode 9

A gal who suffers from ennui is a powerful enough concept on its own, yet Call of the Night takes it a step further and gives Seri pathos, catharsis, and a place in the series' overall thematic ambitions.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/call-of-the-night/episode-9/.189300

Friday, September 2, 2022

The Journey

While it can feel gratingly religious if that's not your thing, The Journey does look good and the dub cast does a very nice job, even with lines that can at times come off as cheesy.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-journey/film/.185077

Thursday, September 1, 2022

This Week in Anime - The Adolescence of Revue Starlight

Chris and Steve attempt to decipher the theatrical teenage emotions of Revue Starlight the Movie. Also: the giraffe is scarier in this one.

source https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2022-09-01/.189188