26 Dec 21
Are you ready to take a look back at the Fall 2021 anime season? Well, ready or not, here we go. Our first item on the menu is a holdover from last season, The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated! Next is a series whose first cour was even further back, in the winter season, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, a rare review that's going to get a separate blog post as an addendum. Last but not least is the ooky-spooky fun of Mieruko-chan. For manga, we have Volume 14 of Haganai and another new release, Volume 24 of One Punch Man. We've got more Fall 2021 anime to come next week (and for the next few weeks beyond that), as well as more NagaTen. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:49:10
23 Dec 21
I've been doing story updates on Saturdays for a while now, but I thought the goings-on in this particular story update wouldn't be appropriate for Christmas, so I'm going ahead and putting this out early. We kick things off with our new Tellus Arc story with prologue of The Witch Hunters. Once you've had your Christmas cheer, you can look for the start of our Fall 2021 anime coverage. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:18:16
19 Dec 21
I thought I might have more material, but going back to a full workweek cuts into a person's binge-watching time, though that won't be a problem soon. Anyway, for the time being, let's kick things off with My Love Story (a.k.a. Ore Monogatari!!). Also from 2015 is Volume 13 of Haganai and Volume 3 of Takagi-san. That's not all, as I've also gotten a couple new releases in the form of Volume 9 of Call of the Night and Volume 24 of Kaguya-sama. The Fall 2021 anime is starting to wrap up, so expect our coverage of that to begin next week. Also look for the launch of The Witch Hunters. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:23:51
18 Dec 21
We get to play with the dogs some more in Chapter 22 of EM2. Have fun with that and look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:30:28
12 Dec 21
We've got a little more anime from my recent binge-watching. First is Midori Days, followed by Maid Sama! and its OAV bonus episode. Next is manga with Volume 12 of Haganai and Volume 4 of Rinne. Look for more bits and bobs next week along with more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:34:29
11 Dec 21
We kick off a new story this week with the prologue of Nagareboshi Tennyo. Look for more anime and manga reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:14:17
06 Dec 21
This post is late because I did a mid-course correction as I spent much of my week off binge-watching instead of writing. We'll start with the culprit behind the delay: The Ancient Magus' Bride and its OAV prequel The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star. Yes, I could've waited and posted these reviews next week, but I couldn't put the show down. (That should give you a hint about my rating.) I also watched A Sister is All You Need, based on a story by the author of Haganai, and Wolf Girl and Black Prince. For manga, we have Volume 11 of Haganai. I may have some more products of my binge-watching next week and also the debut of Nagareboshi Tennyo. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 04:52:11
04 Dec 21
Two weeks ago, we brought JJ2 to a close and now we can do the same again with the epilogue of KniTwi. We also have the character glossary, the map of Gladius and the map of Titan in the appendices. In other news, I've been doing some binge-watching in my time off, so look for some of the fruits of that in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:13:14
28 Nov 21
I watched a retrospective on the life of Christopher Lee and when I heard how strongly he felt about his performance in 1998's Jinnah, I knew I had to see it. I then realized that if I was going to post a review of Jinnah, it would provide a fine opportunity to dust off a review I had in the vault, another biopic about a major figure in the Indian independence movement, 1982's Gandhi. I suppose I should've seen if there's one for Nehru to round out the trio, but I didn't do that. Sorry, Nehru. Anyway, moving on, we have an Animatrix-esque collabo springing from the rotting corpse of what was once one of my favorite franchises, Star Wars Visions. For manga, we have Volume 8 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend and Volume 10 of Haganai. Look for more manga reviews and maybe the odd surprise. We'll be wrapping KniTwi, so look for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:13:41
27 Nov 21
Do you feel that chill up your spine? That's your body anticipating the blade before the person you thought was you friend slips a knife into your back. Look for such beauty of true friendship in Chapter 21 of EM2. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:38:32
21 Nov 21
It's time to close the book on Summer 2021 with Fena: Pirate Princess, Remake Our Life!, and The Dungeon of Black Company. Next is manga with Volume 7 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend and Volume 9 of Haganai. Next week we'll be mostly looking at manga as well as a recent East-West collabo. Look for more EM2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:21:55
20 Nov 21
We've been on quite the globetrotting adventure, but that comes to an end with the epilogue of JJ2. In keeping with tradition, now that the story is complete, we've also got our appendices: the character glossary, the map of Miravel, and the military ranks of the Northern Alliance, the Free Miravel Coalition, and the New Earth Empire. Speaking of things winding down, we'll be finishing out Summer 2021 anime reviews tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:43:18
14 Nov 21
We continue our coverage of the Summer 2021 anime with The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace and the Mahouka spinoff The Honor Student at Magic High School. For our manga coverage, we have Volume 6 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend, Volume 8 of Haganai, and Volume 10 of Twilight Princess. Next week will be it for the summer anime, so look for that plus the finale of JJ2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:44:43
13 Nov 21
The battle is over and we're winding things down with Chapter 24 of KniTwi. Next round will be the end for this one. In the meantime, look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:59:49
07 Nov 21
Now that our Halloween fun is over, we can get back to our summer anime coverage. First up is How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, followed by Season 2 of I'm Standing on a Million Lives and Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy. Next, for manga we've got Volume 5 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend and Volume 7 of Haganai. We've got two more weeks of this and then we'll be doing more of a manga focus for a bit. Look for more KniTwi as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:28:38
06 Nov 21
From what we've seen, the masters of the Cerberus Guild are very reasonable people and will have no problem negotiating a mutually beneficial settlement with Mordekai, right? Right? Well, we can see how it goes in Chapter 20 of EM2. Look for the resumption of anime and manga reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:45:17
31 Oct 21
Last week was Frankenstein and his monster and now for the big day of All Hallows' Eve itself, we've got the Prince of Darkness himself, Count Dracula. As a matter of fact, our first film is 1970's Count Dracula, where Christopher Lee does a more book-accurate take on the role he was perhaps most famous for. We then have three entries in the Hammer series: The Brides of Dracula, Scars of Dracula and Taste the Blood of Dracula. Last as most definitely least is hottest of hot messes, Saint Dracula 3D. And with our Halloween coverage at a close, we can look to resuming our look at Summer 2021 anime. We've also got more EM2 coming up. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:35:44
30 Oct 21
It's time for Chapter 42 of JJ2. The Prince of Darkness is going to be ringing in Halloween tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:49:19
24 Oct 21
We're closing out this year's Halloween reviews with a double-header featuring the two biggest Halloween heavy-hitters around: Dracula and Frankenstein. The Baron comes before the Count, so this week we're going to focus on Frankenstein. To pair with our coverage of Bram Stoker's Dracula several years back, we've got Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. We then turn back the clock to look at a couple entries in Hammer series: The Evil of Frankenstein and The Horror of Frankenstein. Now, while we're going to be featuring Dracula next week, he still manages to creep in to our last two films. This one not only has Dracula and Frankenstein's monster but the Wolfman as well. It's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Lon Chaney Jr., perhaps most famous for portraying the Wolfman, also appears in one of his last films, the abysmal 1971 film Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Look for the Count on Halloween and also more JJ2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:28:05
23 Oct 21
It's time for the big confrontation between Mark and Brenok in Chapter 23 of KniTwi. Look for fun with Frankenstein tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:43:45
17 Oct 21
First off, we've got a new release I decided to roll the dice on (1900-yen dice). It's Dune: Part One. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. We'll be looking at some old school medical horror, starting with 1932's Doctor X, and followed by two films starring Boris Karloff: The Walking Dead and The Body Snatcher, both of which will probably have you thinking of something else. Lastly, we mix things up with an anime film from director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Wicked City. I guess last week I'd said I was going to do a couple haunted house pictures, but that was before I decided to go see Dune. I guess they'll get their chance next year. I want to close out the last two weeks with Halloween heavy-hitters of Frankenstein and Dracula and since we covered two Boris Karloff films this week, it makes for a nice segue into some Frankenstein movies next week. Be looking for more KniTwi as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:47:18
16 Oct 21
The Ancients aren't having a good time of it. The Nylians took more of a hammer approach, but back in Arielle, other implements are being used. It's time for Chapter 19 of EM2. We've got a new release that's going to be joining the reviews tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:54:09
10 Oct 21
Once upon a time, there was a zombie movie called Dawn of the Dead. The Italians just called it Zombi and they weren't content to wait for George Romero to make another, so in fine Italian tradition, they made their own and they called it Zombi2 and nine years later, the people responsible had a miserable shoot in the Philippines that yielded Zombi 3. Now, here's where it gets interesting. In several different countries, they compiled these films with others to make a single series that isn't really. In the US, the UK and Thailand, the next film was After Death and then the US and Thailand followed in with Killing Birds. I don't plan on going much further down the rabbit hole, but our friends Down Under took a different path after Zombie 3 with what they called Zombi 4: Bakterion, otherwise known as Panic. Further untangling this knot will have to wait for another year, though. Next week, I'll be dipping into my backlog to bring you medical horror and haunted houses. We'll also be bringing you more EM2, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:58:28
09 Oct 21
How would it feel to be in a Japanese POW camp on August 15, 1945? You might get a taste of something similar in Chapter 41 of JJ2. Look for reviews tomorrow and be grateful, dagnabbit, 'cause I had to sit through some hot garbage for this one. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 18:04:43
03 Oct 21
It's October, which means it's time for some scary movies. I don't have a lot of films in my backlog, so I've got some movie-watching (which I haven't done much of lately) to do. Our main feature this week is 1960's Village of the Damned, along with its pseudo-sequel Children of the Damned and the 1995 remake by John Carpenter, who had the nifty idea of having Superman and Luke Skywalker team up to fight aliens. To round things out, we also have a couple ghost stories: the WWII-based Below and Phantasm II. What about the first Phantasm, you ask? Well, they didn't happen to show the two films together when I saw it years ago. Maybe I'll make up for that at a later date, but for next week, I'm thinking of checking out some cheesy Italian zombie films. Look for more JJ2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:18:02
02 Oct 21
Things have been going badly on the battlefield and, well, they're probably not going to be getting much better. Either way, you can find out in Chapter 22 of KniTwi. We'll be starting our October reviews tomorrow with some creepy kids and spooky spooks. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:30:48
27 Sep 21
Well, we have a lot of ground to cover, but with the October reviews coming up, there's going to be a bit of a gap. For now, we've got a quintet of anime series from the Summer 2021 season. We'll go from best to worst (spoiler alert). First is the excellent Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S and after it is The Duke of Death and His Maid. After that is Season 2 of TenSura, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles and The Detective Is Already Dead. Look for our spooky October reviews coming up and more KniTwi as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:47:33
26 Sep 21
I was so caught up getting things together for the review update that the story update completely slipped my mind. Well, let's get that taken care of first. Here's Chapter 18 of EM2. Look for those reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:23:03
19 Sep 21
I said we were going to have another all-manga set of reviews, but it turned out a couple of the Summer 2021 anime series I've been watching ended last week, so we'll go ahead and start our coverage. We've got My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X and Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Conveniently, the latter of these two ends at the same point as Volume 4 of the manga. For other manga, we have Volume 6 of Haganai and Volume 3 of RIN-NE. We'll be focusing on anime coverage next week to get a little more knocked out before October kicks off. Look for more EM2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:20:51
18 Sep 21
A cat in a box is definitely a more charming sight than a tyrant in a hole. What am I talking about? Find out in Chapter 40 of JJ2. Reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:30:49
13 Sep 21
I had a client dump a big request in my lap yesterday, so I had to get that knocked out rather than the update. However, a day's delay isn't too bad after a week of nothing. We've got more manga for you starting with Volume 3 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend, followed by Volume 5 of Haganai, Volume 2 of RIN-NE, Volume 2 of Aho-Girl, and Volume 2 of Teasing Master Takagi-san. We'll have another week of all manga reviews and then the reviews of Summer 2021 anime will start coming in as the season wraps. Be on the lookout for more JJ2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:46:38
11 Sep 21
A month and a half off and right before I get back at work, I get sick for the first time in something like six years. Naturally, things being what they are, I had to allay fears while I recovered. Anyway, I started off this week fresh and managed to get the oft-delayed Chapter 21 of KniTwi finished at long last. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:12:55
29 Aug 21
Ha ha ha. To the surprise of no one, I haven't finished the latest chapter of KniTwi, but I'm returning to work and should get back to writing as well. In the meantime, we've got manga reviews. I mentioned Volume 23 of Kaguya-sama last week, so we're starting with that. Next is Volume 2 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend, Volume 4 of Haganai and Volume 9 of MAO. Three more weeks and the Summer 2021 anime will start wrapping up, but until then, I've got stacks and stacks of manga to cover. Maybe we'll even see that rogue chapter of KniTwi while we're at it. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:37:11
23 Aug 21
The reviews are out a bit late because instead of getting right to it yesterday, I was binge-reading Kanojo mo Kanojo (Girlfriend, Girlfriend in English), which I picked up along with the latest volume of Kaguya-sama, so we'll start out with Volume 1 of that. We also have Volume 3 of Haganai and Volume 1 of RIN-NE (a review I actually wrote years ago, around the same time I was going back through Inuyasha, but I only just recently started picking up more of the series). At this point I've got several series ongoing and I'll be doling out the reviews here and there. Meanwhile, for some anime, I've got Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. Besides plenty more manga reviews, we'll hopefully have more KniTwi. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 08:06:42
21 Aug 21
After completely fumbling last week, I'm ready to get things back on track with Chapter 17 of EM2. Tomorrow we've got reviews, so be on the lookout for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:30:44
08 Aug 21
I've been doing a lot of manga reading. What I haven't been doing is much of any writing, hence no story update this week. I ended up burning through my buffer before I realized it. Maybe this will light a fire under my tail so I set my nose to the grindstone again. In the meantime, enjoy a selection of manga reviews. Continuing from last week, we have Volume 2 of Haganai. We also have Volume 1 of Aho-Girl, Volume 5 of Bakemonogatari, and Volume 1 of Teasing Master Takagi-san. I may just continue along these lines or slip some other stuff in there. We'll see. I'm going to buckle down and get that chapter of EM2 ready for the weekend. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:45:31
02 Aug 21
Last week I mentioned that I had purchased a lot of manga. I've since been doing a lot of reading manga but not so much writing reviews of what I read, hence this update being a day late and a dollar short. We'll have manga reviews aplenty for the foreseeable future, but before we get into that, I picked up a couple series on a whim (or less of a whim and more of a tangential connection to what I was reading). First is Toradora! with its accompanying OAV bonus episode and second is Mayo Chiki! For our manga coverage, we'll be looking at Volume 1 of Haganai. A good chunk of last week was devoted to reading through the series, so expect more of that along with other manga as well. Also be on the lookout for more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 06:05:27
31 Jul 21
Is it the Night Train to Mundo Fine? Not quite, but it might feel like we're going to the ends of the earth in Chapter 39 of JJ2. Just be glad there's no Coleman Francis. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:28:10
25 Jul 21
We start this week's reviews with our last straggler, a carryover from Winter 2021 that carried on into the spring season. From some of the people who brought us such hits as Code Geass and Gurren Lagann, it's Back Arrow. Next is some pain in the form of Strike the Blood IV. Next up, for our manga coverage we have the recent release of Volume 8 of Call of the Night and Volume 11 of Yakumo-san wa Ezuke ga Shitai, which happens to be the end of the series. It was actually released back in March, but I just got it last week. Since then, I made a big purchase at the Book Off, so we're going to have plenty more manga for the foreseeable future. We may just be doing manga reviews next week or I may have something else in store for you. Look for more JJ2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:10:31
24 Jul 21
It's been nearly three months, but I've finally got Chapter 20 of KniTwi ready to go. We've got reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:07:20
19 Jul 21
Last Friday, a new movie was released and I was in the theater Saturday to see it. From Mamoru Hosoda, the director of such films as Summer Wars, it's Belle. And with that taken care of, we have some backlog material and such with Dr. Stone: Stone Wars, Kemono Jihen, So I'm a Spider, So What?, and Season 1 of Yashahime: Half-Demon Princess, the sequel to Inuyasha. I've got one more piece of backlog I'll get to next week along with something else I'll figure out. Maybe we can get that chapter of KniTwi we've been waiting on as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:08:21
18 Jul 21
It's a wonder what going back for a full workweek will do for story progress. I'm going to have to square myself away so I don't just spin my tires all summer vacation. Anyway, it's time for Chapter 16 of EM2. Look for reviews tomorrow. I've got something special for you, so get hyped. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:10:49
11 Jul 21
Okay, so I've missed the mark again on story progress, but I'll get back on track soon. For now, let's enjoy our last batch of Spring 2021 anime. If your motto is "plz bully", then we've got just the show for you: Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro. Speaking of masochism, there's more of that in Full Dive (for the protagonist) and Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose (for the viewer). If you'd rather enjoy the slow life, we've got I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level. We then close on a high note with undead idol goodness in Zombie Land Sage Revenge. You may remember me talking about a backlog from the winter season. I've been catching that and that'll be on the docket for next week and I'm definitely going to be getting that chapter of EM2 together, so look for that too. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:16:12
04 Jul 21
While my countrymen are celebrating their independence (or currently in the fight for it as the case may be), we'll be looking at more Spring 2021 anime. Chris Hansen wants you to take a seat because our first two series are about grown men entangled with teenage girls, more on the comedy end with Koikimo and more on the drama end with Higehiro. And I guess it's also a factor but not the central point in our third selection, Mars Red (where it's a little less touchy as it's set in 1923). Fourth is a carryover from last year that just finished its second cour. There may not be much age gap romance to speak of to include it in the same circle as the previous three, but there's bait for a different sort of forbidden love in Moriarty the Patriot, which challenges the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies for ho yay per square meter. We close on our manga coverage (linking in with Mars Red with its Taisho Era setting) with Volume 8 of MAO. The Spring 2021 coverage continues next week and... what's that? We didn't have a story update this week? Yeah, well, about that... I'll try to have something together for next week. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:30:07
28 Jun 21
We continue our Spring 2021 anime coverage with something from the mind that brought us Konosuba, Combatants Will Be Dispatched! Next is Dragon Goes House-Hunting and The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent. To get us pumped for the upcoming Season 2 of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, we have the Mini Dragon microseries. Last but not least is Volume 7 of MAO for our manga coverage. Look for more Spring 2021 anime and the next chapter of EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:07:46
27 Jun 21
I'm still stuck on the chapter of KniTwi that's past due for release, so I decided I'm going to push it back to the next scheduled release date for a KniTwi chapter and go ahead with the regularly scheduled chapter of JJ2. A couple chapters ago, I took inspiration from Tora! Tora! Tora! and this time I'm drawing a bit from The Longest Day. It's Chapter 38 of JJ2. I'll be getting reviews to you tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:57:05
21 Jun 21
I found myself a bit stuck on the ending for the chapter of KniTwi that was supposed to come out Saturday, so I'm going to take a little more time to get it the way I want it before it goes up. Because I was waffling a bit on the story post, this update also ended up being delayed. First, we have something from last year I missed on the first go, Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It. We dipped our toes in the water last week and now we're getting further underway with our Spring 2021 anime coverage. We've got two series this week, both ones I rather strongly recommend (spoiler alert): SSSS.Dynazenon from Studio Trigger and Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song from Wit Studio. To round things out with manga coverage, we've got Volume 22 of Kaguya-sama. Look for more spring anime and that errant chapter of KniTwi (hopefully). Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:31:24
13 Jun 21
Around the Christmas break, I started experimenting with a bunch of different mobile games, most of which don't warrant the effort of writing up a review. One of these was a piece of Chinese shovelware copying other Chinese shovelware, albeit with the skin of a Japanese property. This prompted an exploration of said property, which then had a second season among the Spring 2021 anime. Because that season ended up being only ten episodes, it's finished ahead of the other series this season, so I'm going to go ahead and give my reviews of How Not to Summon a Demon Lord and How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Ω. It's not a strong start, but we do have some good stuff coming up (and some garbage as well, so look forward to a rollercoaster ride of emotions). Speaking of rollercoaster rides of emotion, this past week marked the release of Volume 34 of Attack on Titan, the finale of the series. Is it the worst thing ever as some fans have been saying? Read on and find out (my take at least). For something less controversial, we also have the OAV bonus episodes of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki. Lastly, we get a blast from the past in the form of 1905's Ayesha: The Return of She. We'll see what I come up with for next week's reviews. I've got a couple items slotted in, but I need to fill out the roster. We've also got more KniTwi (if I can actually get the dang chapter finished). Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:14:45
12 Jun 21
It's time for Chapter 15 of EM2. I thought we would be taking another week off from anime, but one of the series from this season ended early, so I'll go ahead and knock that out in the reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:32:05
06 Jun 21
Over the next two to three weeks, we'll be winding down the Spring 2021 anime season, so I thought I'd take a break a bit from anime reviews, but that doesn't mean we'll be leaving off animation. I've got a bit of a mix for you this week. First, from Fleischer Studios, it's 1939's Gulliver's Travels. In that film, in contrast to the Lilliputians, the character of Gulliver was rotoscoped, which leads us to our next film, Ralph Bakshi's Fire and Ice. Next is that (in)famous CGI "masterpiece" Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, followed by a more conventional CGI outing, Blue Sky Studios' Epic. Last but definitely not least, we've got Volume 15 of Yotsuba&! I might be doing some more non-anime animation next week as well. Look for more EM2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:55:20
05 Jun 21
We need to get to the station for Chapter 37 of JJ2. I'm sure everything will go smoothly, as it always does. Look for reviews coming. Reviews of what? It's a surprise. (You're not alone either. It's a surprise for me, too.) Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:52:27
31 May 21
I needed a little more time to get all this together, but here we have it. Nearly five years since it was originally announced and three years after the intended release date, Cygames has blessed the world with a mix of moe, idol singing and horseracing in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby. As part of a larger multimedia franchise, we actually got the first season of the animated adaptation in 2018 when the game was supposed to be released and the second season earlier this year. We also have the post-S1 OAV BNW's Oath and the spinoff microseries Umayon. And that should be enough horsing around for now. Look for more JJ2 coming up and reviews that are yet to be determined. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:42:48
29 Apr 21
In anticipation for tomorrow's reviews, we have the mascot investigating a weird red carrot (which ultimately tasted a bit off, if you ask me). This week we've got a bit of a short chapter, but it'll have a big impact on the final stretch of the story. It's Chapter 19 of KniTwi. Look forward to the horses tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:13:58
24 May 21
The remaining items in my backlog were S2 of Dr. Stone and Yashahime. I'd started on the former, but I ended up wandering elsewhere, which leads us to this week's feature. First, let's cover what first distracted me: Drifters, from the mad lad who brought us Hellsing. We also have the subsequent episodes released as OAVs. Next is a late addition I'd wanted to cover along with Horimiya, another romcom from Winter 2021: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki. Last is our manga of the week, the grand finale, Volume 21 of Bokuben. What's the plan for next week? The answer is horse women. You'll see. Also be on the lookout for more KniTwi. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:29:49
22 May 21
As a minor point of interest, this is the first picture of the mascot taken this year to be featured on the site. What is hopefully a greater point of interest is that we now have Chapter 14 of EM2. And once you're done reading that, you can look forward to reviews tomorrow. I have once again strayed from the original plan, so that's something to keep you guessing. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:10:48
16 May 21
I managed to knock out two of the series in my backlog (and got through a third which is part of a split-cour season so I'll be covering that when the second cour finishes). We've got King's Raid: Successors of the Will and a surprise entry in the form of Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table. (I know I said I wouldn't watch a third season of the series back when I reviewed Season 2, but I guess six years mellowed me out a bit.) Even more of a surprise is a rare book review. I've been reading it off and on, but this week I finished She: A History of Adventure. Next, for manga we've got Volume 20 of Bokuben. Next week we'll wrap up my backlog and have more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 18:19:31
15 May 21
The scene in Tora! Tora! Tora! where Cordell Hull hears about the Pearl Harbor attack while meeting with Ambassador Nomura always left an impression on me and loosely serves as the inspiration for Chapter 36 of JJ2. Don Francisco's little plan isn't looking so smart now, is it? Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 07:23:45
09 May 21
It probably tells you something about the series I have in my backlog that I've had trouble mustering the wherewithal to power through what's left of them so I can write my reviews. In fact, I've recently burned through two other series rather than work on said backlog. You see, a few months ago I started experimenting with games on DMM and one of those games is this crossover RPG called Fantasia Re:Build, which has all sorts of Kadokawa properties smashed together. Those two series I alluded to earlier are featured in the game: Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor and Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon. I'll probably be checking out some of the others later. Now, for manga, I was going to post Volume 20 of Bokuben, bit then I realized I never posted my review of Volume 19, so we'll go with that for now. I know I usually have five items for the weekly reviews, but you'll have to settle for us being a bit short this time. I'll try to get things back on track and get you some more JJ2 in the meanwhile. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:31:22
08 May 21
We see how Archduke Orestes is doing in Chapter 18 of KniTwi. I'm sure he's going to be just fine. In other news, there's going to be a bit of a change of plans for tomorrow's reviews, so be ready for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:28:39
03 May 21
I was a little behind on my viewing, hence the delay. Anyway, we continue our coverage of the Winter 2021 anime season with Azur Lane: Slow Ahead!, Horimiya, Otherside Picnic, and Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town. We then have Volume 21 of Kaguya-sama for our manga coverage. We'll be keeping this up for another couple weeks thereabouts. Meanwhile, look for more KniTwi. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 03:59:01
01 May 21
We get reintroduced to an old acquaintance in Chapter 13 of EM2. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:10:45
It's that special time of year once more. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's International Ayame Jellybean Day. Fourteen years and still going strong. I know I've said this in the past, but I do plan on updating the gallery. Look for the new chapter of EM2 later today. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 03:38:45
25 Apr 21
We start this week with another series that bridges the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 seasons, Season 2 of Re:Zero. Speaking of second seasons, we also have Season 2 of The Quintessential Quintuplets and Season 2 of Cells at Work! We then tie things up with the Cells at Work! spinoff Cells at Work! Code Black. Next, for manga, we have Volume 6 of Call of the Night. More Winter 2021 anime to come next week along with more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:28:25
24 Apr 21
It's time for Chapter 35 of JJ2. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow, so look for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 19:01:18
18 Apr 21
We're starting this week's reviews with another item that slipped through the cracks. From the Fall 2020 season, it's Assault Lily: Bouquet. From there, we have something that started in Fall 2020 and continued into Winter 2021, the first part of Attack on Titan: The Final Season. We now start picking up a couple Winter 2021 series, the anime adaptation of Hortensia Saga and The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter. I got a bunch of manga recently, so reviewing all that will be a side thing along with all the Winter 2021 anime. We start with Volume 6 of Yofukashi no Uta (or Call of the Night as I guess we're calling it now). I just got Volume 7 today, so I'll be covering that next week along with the aforementioned anime. Look for more JJ2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:05:41
17 Apr 21
I may not have utilized my time as effectively as I should have last week, but I have at least pulled things together so that we actually have a story update this time around. We get a look at things from a different perspective in Chapter 17 of KniTwi. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:15:11
13 Apr 21
With Yofukashi no Uta having made its English-language debut, I'm re-indexing the series under its English title, Call of the Night. Also, it's come to my attention that there's a "the" in the title of Quintessential Quintuplets, so I've re-indexed that as well. Minor changes, but I thought I'd make a note of it. Look for the story update and reviews this weekend. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:50:02
11 Apr 21
When I did my reviews of Haganai and Nisekoi, I thought I'd already posted the reviews of today's feature as it was what kicked off my little binge of romcoms. Somehow it slipped by and we're making up for it now. It's My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (a.k.a. Oregairu), followed by its sequels My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Too! and My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax, and the Season 1 and Season 2 OAVs. From here, I'm going to start in on the Winter 2020 anime that's been wrapping recently as well as some current manga. I know I missed the story update, so I'll be buckling down to get that chapter of KniTwi out. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:57:41
04 Apr 21
We bring our Hitchcock feature to a close starting with his first feature film, 1925's The Pleasure Garden. We then juxtapose it with his penultimate film, Frenzy. What a difference. We also have one of his wartime films, Lifeboat, and the horror/suspense classic The Birds (my mother's personal favorite film... heh heh heh...).
Now, the other day I was going through my backlog looking for things I might've missed. I came across a couple doozies, so I'm going to be correcting those oversights. First up, seeing as the second season is going to be premiering this week, it's Zombie Land Saga. Somehow I didn't post this review back when I saw this back in 2018. I even reference it in my review of the first season of Steins;Gate. Similarly, I reference Oregairu in my review of Haganai and I watched that show along with Nisekoi after I finished Oregairu. I thought I started my mini-feature with the Oregairu review. Only I didn't. So I'm going to be making up for that next week. We've also got more KniTwi. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:39:19
03 Apr 21
The mascot managed to make a bald spot on her belly in some overzealous grooming. No, this isn't a picture of said bald spot, nor does this anecdote have anything to do with today's chapter. It's Chapter 12 of EM2. We've got more Hitchcock tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 03:56:04
28 Mar 21
We continue our Hitchcock special, first by bridging last week and this week with another one of Hitchcock's films starring Cary Grant, 1941's Suspicion. We then have some fun with homicide in Dial M for Murder and Strangers on a Train, then have some pre-war intrigue with Foreign Correspondent. Next up is Volume 4 of the Bakemonogatari manga, and I'm going to have to acquire more if I want to continue this feature. (There is some manga purchasing on the table for the near future.) We'll wind down the current Hitchcock feature next week and have the next chapter of EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:52:38
27 Mar 21
You might feel that the eponymous Junker Jorg got a raw deal. I'd have to agree with you, but let's check up on her in Chapter 34 of JJ2. You may well be more interested in the aftermath of the previous chapter. See you in three weeks for that. ^_^ Look for reviews coming up. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 05:03:44
21 Mar 21
So I was looking through my backlog and I see that I've got a whole slew of Hitchcock movies and I think, "What have I been doing with my life?" Maybe I was working to build up enough for a monthlong feature. Well, surely three weeks will work in a pinch (though I may want to save The Birds for October). Anyway, this week we've got four films divided into pairs based on their leading men. First, we've got Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window and Vertigo and after that, Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest. Lest the audience go into Japan withdrawals, we've also got Volume 3 of the Bakemonogatari manga. Look for more Hitchcock fun next week and more JJ2 too while we're at it. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:26:41
14 Mar 21
Fourteen years ago, we began our journey at Palidor Media, but there was another journey that started that same year and came to a conclusion this past week. We're talking about the Rebuild of Evangelion. I was there opening night for the first movie and I was there for the final one as well. We start with Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, followed by Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, and finally, Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time. And now that I've covered these movies, you can expect the original series and End of Eva to follow in the near future. Next up is Volume 2 of the Bakemonogatari manga. The subject of next week's reviews have yet to be determined. I'll look at my backlog and try to put together something fun. Look for more KniTwi as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:33:01
13 Mar 21
We head back to Nylos to check on Giger and the gang in Chapter 11 of EM2. Look forward to a special feature for the reviews tied to a newly released film. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:52:27
07 Mar 21
We've got another romcom hot potato this week with Nisekoi, along with its followup Nisekoi: (note the colon) and the three OAVs that come in the interim. We also have a series that blends romcom and mecha, Hundred, which actually came on my radar after sampling its cheap mobile game tie-in while dredging the Mobage catalog. For manga, we're starting a new mini feature. I've actually been sitting on the first batch of these reviews for a while and it's high time I got to them. It's the Bakemonogatari manga, starting—as you would expect—with Volume 1. And speaking of reviews I've been sitting on for a while, now that I'm all caught up on anime reviews at the moment, I think I'll focus on movie reviews for a while. Look for a new release that I'll be watching tomorrow. While you're at it, look for more EM2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:15:25
06 Mar 21
It's time for a night raid in Chapter 33 of JJ2. Look for generally less violent subject matter in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 06:43:40
28 Feb 21
Our main feature this week is series that often comes up in discussions about recent romcoms. Why I hadn't seen it until recently, I couldn't tell you. Anyway, it's Haganai (Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai). We've got Season 1, Season 2 (Haganai NEXT) and the OAV in between. Next, as promised last week, we've got Volume 23 of One Punch Man. Last but certainly not least, we mix things up a bit with a real titan of cinema, the action-packed, high-flying, hard-hitting tour de force that is Who Killed Captain Alex? Be sure to be on the lookout for more Wakaliwood hits in the future. In the shorter term, however, we'll look at another romcom that leaves feathers ruffled: Nisekoi. We've also got more JJ2 coming up. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:46:26
27 Feb 21
Here it is. The eve of battle. Enjoy the calm before the storm in Chapter 15 of KniTwi. We've also got reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 05:06:11
21 Feb 21
This week's spotlight is Trinity Seven. We also have the accompanying OAV and the two feature releases: Trinity Seven the Movie: The Eternal Library and the Alchemist Girl and Trinity Seven the Movie: Heavens Library & Crimson Lord. Recently I purchased Volume 23 of One Punch Man and while I was deciding on a spot to release the review, I discovered that the previous volume slipped through the cracks somehow, so here's Volume 22 to get you primed for Volume 23's review next week. We'll also be looking at the romcom Haganai. Look for the latest chapter of KniTwi as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:06:36
20 Feb 21
I often call the mascot "little boss" because, well, she's little and she's bossy. The Count-Regent of Arielle has two little bosses and it's not nearly as cute. It's time for Chapter 10 of EM2. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:17:17
14 Feb 21
I don't know if you've got any Valentine's Day plans. If not, there's always anime. We've got two series on the table this week. First, we've got Season 1 and Season 2 of Chaika: Coffin Princess. Next is Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3 of Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei for people who want to bend their brains a bit. Next week, we'll be looking at Trinity Seven and have more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:05:24
13 Feb 21
It's rather late, so I'm going to make this quick. Here's Chapter 32 of JJ2. Reviews to follow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 19:08:50
07 Feb 21
Better late than never, we wrap up our coverage of the Fall 2020 anime season. We've got Akudama Drive, Magatsu Wahrheit Zuerst, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, and Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. Next is our first manga of 2021, Volume 33, the penultimate volume of Attack on Titan. Unless I come up with alternative material in the meantime, we'll be covering more anime from all my recent binging. Look for the next chapter of JJ2 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:04:24
06 Feb 21
It just took a little focus and I've finally got it done, so now we've got Chapter 14 of KniTwi. It begins. Keep an eye out for reviews coming up. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 18:22:25
27 Jan 21
Can you believe it's been fourteen years? Well, it's been fourteen years. There's been some schedule slippage over the past year and we'll probably see some more of that this year as well, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. If I can stay on schedule, I should finish JJ2 in late August, KniTwi in early September, and EM2 should continue into next January. I haven't made a solid commitment yet, but I'm either going to stick with Gladius and follow KniTwi with Children of Darkness or I'll kick off the Hecate Cycle with The Witch Hunters. After JJ2, I'm either going to go with Child of Promise or Nagariboshi Ten'nyo. EM2 will be followed by—surprise, surprise—EM3. That pretty well covers things until the next anniversary. More fun to come. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:25:17
24 Jan 21
This week I'm just doing Fall 2020 releases. Some of the older stuff I've been watching will come up later. We've got Iwa-Kakeru! Sport Climbing Girls, Talentless Nana, The Day I Became a God and Warlords of Sigrdrifa. For manga we have Volume 9 of Twilight Princess. We'll round out the Fall 2020 anime I've watched next week. Also look for more KniTwi. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:39:22
23 Jan 21
It's been quite the dry spell, but we're back in action with some story content at long last with Chapter 9 of EM2. We haven't quite reverted to the dark days of Tico1's tumultuous release history, but I need to stay on my toes. Hopefully we'll be seeing a return to our regularly scheduled programming. Speaking of which, look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:12:35
17 Jan 21
This week our main feature will be the Mahouka franchise. We have Season 1 and the recently completed Season 2 of The Irregular at Magic High School as well as the theatrical release The Girl Who Calls the Stars. We also have another couple of series from around the time of the first season: The Devil is a Part-Timer! and Cross Ange. I know I haven't got that story update out yet, but I'm getting ever closer. Enjoy the anime reviews until then. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:04:35
10 Jan 21
Sorry I've been out of action for a while. Writer's block and a bad habit of completely frittering my days away have been interfering with getting any content together. However, I'm going to be heading back to work soon, so I need to get back on track. We get the ball rolling with reviews. From the Fall 2020 season, we have Fly Me to the Moon, which you might otherwise know by its Japanese title Tonikaku Kawaii, and the first season of I'm Standing on One Million Lives. For some slightly less recent series, we have Mob Psycho 100, its sequel Mob Psycho 100 II, and Aho-Girl. I'll try to get that much-delayed chapter of EM2 out next week along with more anime reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 18:59:01