18 Dec 22
The Fall 2022 anime season is wrapping up, but before we begin our coverage of that, we've got a bit of an interlude. First we have the scifi series Exception, followed by Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle, and the movie Expelled from Paradise, that Toei Animation was kind enough to air for free for a bit. We close on manga coverage with Volume 9 of Kimetsu no Yaiba. As Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle has been compared to Infinite Stratos, I ended up watching through that, so if I don't decide to binge a bunch of Christmas specials for something thematic, your Christmas present with be coverage of an international mecha harem. The real Christmas miracle will be me having the next chapter of TWH ready. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:22:02
17 Dec 22
It's time for Chapter 11 of EM3. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:30:18
11 Dec 22
Because I've fallen behind on writing manga reviews, I'm frontloading the rest of the Summer 2022 anime to make the full set of reviews. We start with the original main feature of the week, two series from A-1 Pictures that feature girls with guns: Engage Kiss and Lycoris Recoil. Next is a holdover from the previous season, Summer Time Rendering, followed by the obligatory isekai Parallel World Pharmacy and daughter simulator The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting. As of now, I've got some odds and ends I'm thinking about putting together for next week. Look for more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:00:25
10 Dec 22
It's time for Chapter 17 of NagaTen. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:04:08
04 Dec 22
Love is in the air for this week's reviews. We start with the latest entry in the Forehead Cinematic Universe, When Will Ayumu Make His Move?, followed by The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious, Vermeil in Gold, and The Devil is a Part-Timer!! (the second season, as indicated by the two exclamation marks). For our manga coverage, we have Volume 13 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend and Volume 8 of Kimetsu no Yaiba. Next week we'll have A-1 Pictures giving us some action girls. As for the story side of things, we'll be leapfrogging TWH and move on the NagaTen. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:56:25
27 Nov 22
Sasuga, Ains-sama. This week we've got Overlord IV and unlike last week's feature, this one's got a good chibi microseries spinoff in Ple Ple Pleiades 4. For manga, we've got Volume 10 of My Dress-Up Darling and Volume 27 of One Punch Man. (No Kimetsu this week because I ran short of time.) Next week we've got romance and devils and romance with devils. We'll also (hopefully) have more TWH. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:29:01
26 Nov 22
The House League Parliament is about to get a helping of sit down and shut up in Chapter 10 of EM3. We've got Bone Daddy in tomorrow's reviews, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:05:18
21 Nov 22
You in the mood for some good romcoms? Me too, but all I've got for you are a couple mediocre ones that are more frustrating than enjoyable. First is A Couple of Cuckoos and its lame chibi microseries spinoff Kakkou no Iikagen. Next is My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex, which isn't half as trashy as the title might have you think but nevertheless stars a couple of royal pains in the keister. Things look much better in our manga coverage with the recently released Volume 13 of Call of the Night (which I would've shown last week to go with the anime but I didn't have it written at the time and you know the rest of the story) and Volume 7 of Kimetsu no Yaiba. Look forward to Bone Daddy next week and more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:26:20
19 Nov 22
Wakey-wakey. It's time for Chapter 16 of NagaTen. We've got some "quality" romcoms in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:33:18
16 Nov 22
A bit of sad news. I was chatting with my mom and she informed me that she had to put our junior mascot to sleep. Poor ol' Olive was having a rough time of it and even if costly tests were performed, the chances of a clear diagnosis, much less any treatment with significant prospects of decent quality of life, were slim at best. There were some congenital issues that were identified way back when she was a kitten, and I suppose that caught up to her. She had a bit of a rocky run, but she's at rest now. Sleep well, Stripes.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:23:42
14 Nov 22
Though it was tempting to just turn in early to further my recovery, I didn't want to delay this any longer. We kick off our coverage of the Summer 2022 anime season with the TV adaptation of Call of the Night. I've heard that a second season has already been greenlit, so I'm happy to hear that. Speaking of second seasons, we got Season 2 of Classroom of the Elite and Shadows House. Obviously, before I started those two I had to watch Season 1 of each. We've got some meh romcoms and more NagaTen to look forward to next. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:17:51
13 Nov 22
While it's a long ways from the monster delays of Tico1's release, two months is still a long time to wait for a single chapter. Yes, it may be hard to believe, but I actually have Chapter 11 of TWH ready at long last. The only reason I didn't get this out yesterday was because I've come down with a cold, so I couldn't be staying up late to get everything in order. I was in no shape for writing the manga reviews I had planned for this week, but I may just do an anime-only update tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:40:22
06 Nov 22
A while back, I started covering the Bastard!! manga in anticipation of the Netflix remake released this year. To compare and contrast, I also watched the 1992 OAV and we might as well toss in Volume 4 of the manga for extra bastardy. Speaking of manga, we also have Volume 6 of Kimetsu no Yaiba and the relatively recent release of Volume 12 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Look forward to some nightlife and elite classrooms next week. Maybe we'll even have that long-awaited chapter of TWH. Who knows? Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:41:43
05 Nov 22
Head honchos old and new meet in Chapter 9 of EM3. We've got a certain heavy metal dark fantasy on the menu in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:51:27
30 Oct 22
So there's a new Hellraiser out and though I was skeptical, I decided to give it a shot. Since I've seen every other film in the franchise, I decided to go ahead and watch Hellraiser: Revelations as well. (Spoiler alert: It's crap and a waste of time, as expected.) This prompted me to make a Clive Barker theme for this week's reviews. We've got two films directed by Barker himself, Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions, and one loosely based on a short story he wrote, Rawhead Rex. I haven't decided yet if I want to revive the old tradition of following Halloween with some religious horror or if I want to go ahead and start the coverage of the Summer 2022 anime season. I'll figure it out. Look for more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:18:46
29 Oct 22
Inspiration has guided me elsewhere at the moment, so instead of TWH, I've got Chapter 15 of NagaTen for you. We'll be closing out our Halloween reviews tomorrow with Clive Barker and his derivations. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:21:49
23 Oct 22
Reader: "What happened to Hell or high water?"
Me: "I don't want to talk about it."
Instead of thinking about me once again missing my deadline, look at the giant lizard and the big monkey fight! This week we've got Toho's King Kong vs. Godzilla and Legendary's Godzilla vs. Kong. To round things out, we have the debut films of two iconic Tohoverse monsters, Rodan and Mothra, and also Atragon (a.k.a. Kaitei Gunkan). I'm thinking about doing something a little more conventional to bring this year's Halloween coverage to a close. If I can get ahold of one of the films I'm thinking about, I may add a related one I've previously said I wasn't going to watch. As for the next story update, if I can somehow get that rogue chapter of TWH completed by then, I'll put that out. If not, look for more NagaTen. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:42:19
16 Oct 22
Last week was the King of the Monsters and now we've got the Eighth Wonder of the World, King Kong. This thrilla gorillia made such a splash that we got a sequel rushed out the same year, Son of Kong. Because you can't have a good thing without remakes, we also have the Dino de Laurentis-produced 1976 version, Peter Jackson's 2005 version and Legendary Pictures' Kong: Skull Island. So we've had Godzilla. We've had King Kong. How does Godzilla vs. King Kong sound? We'll be looking at two different takes on the concept next week and maybe a few other monster flicks to round it out. Also, at long last, come Hell or high water, I'm going to get that chapter of TWH out. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:17:01
15 Oct 22
Not everyone's in the mood for a little jailhouse rock, so I guess we'll just have to have a jailbreak instead. It's Chapter 8 of EM3. Look for a Kongstravaganza in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:05:01
09 Oct 22
If Halloween is time for a monster mash, then we certainly ought to invite the King of the Monsters. That's right. We've got Godzilla this week. We'll introduce them in chronological order. Our first offering is the second film in the franchise, Godzilla Raids Again. We then skip over the rest of the Showa Era to the movie that started the Heisei Era, The Return of Godzilla. Next we get the two bookends of the Millennium Era, Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla: Final Wars. Last, but definitely not least is the Godzilla film directed by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, Shin Godzilla. For next week, we'll bring in Godzilla's good buddy, the thrilla gorilla King Kong. Who knows? The week after next, we might even have them fight. We'll also have more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:07:11
08 Oct 22
Surprise. I didn't get the chapter of TWH done, so I'm instead going to give you Chapter 14 of NagaTen. Tokyo will have to brace itself for Big Daddy G in tomorrow's reviews, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:58:58
02 Oct 22
When I finished reading the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga, I teased my niece, telling her that I was going to spoil the ending for her. She then told me that she was going to spoil Stranger Things. The thing was that I didn't really have plans to watch Stranger Things, but then she hyped enough for me that I decided to give it a shot. As a bonus, I figured it would be a fine way to kick off this year's Halloween reviews. We've got the whole set (that's currently available) of Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4. As D&D factors heavily into Stranger Things, and the moral panic surrounding it is a big parts of Season 4, so we round out things with Tom Hanks' feature debut, the made-for-TV film Mazes and Monsters. As you've seen, I once again missed my deadline for TWH, but I'm going to try to get it out this time around rather than waiting until next cycle. I'm thinking about a certain King of the Monsters for next week's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:19:41
25 Sep 22
I happened to stumble on some anime tie-in shovelware, which led to me checking out the source material, and so for this week we have The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? and Peach Boy Riverside. We also recently concluded the Mahoyome OAV miniseries The Ancient Magus' Bride: The Boy From the West and the Knight of the Mountain Haze. Next, for our manga coverage, we have Volume 5 of Kimetsu no Yaiba and Volume 8 of Vinland Saga. We'll be kicking off our Halloween coverage next week with some 80s nostalgia bait. Looks for more TWH as well (hopefully). Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:08:03
24 Sep 22
We get to enjoy some good old-fashioned Imperial hospitality (with a healthy helping of karma) in Chapter 7 of EM3. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:52:26
18 Sep 22
We've got a recent release headlining this week's reviews. From Studio Trigger, it's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Coincidentally, we can loosely tie this to two of my airplane movies from the trip back to the States a couple months back: Cyborg She and the 2021 Japanese remake of Cube. For manga, we've got Volume 4 of Kimetsu no Yaiba and Volume 1 of Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku. Next week we'll have more manga and a crooked mentalist for reviews and further adventures in EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 19:30:43
17 Sep 22
We had turnips back in Meridot and in Champs des Bleuets, we get potatoes. Fascinating stuff, right? There may be more going on than that in Chapter 13 of NagaTen. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:54:52
11 Sep 22
There's nothing really connecting the two main features for this week's reviews other than that I was prompted to check them out after seeing random clips on Youtube. It's Alderamin on the Sky and Gleipnir. I was going to post more manga reviews, but I'm short on time, so I decided to dip into some of my recent cinematic consumption. When I was back in the States, I was exposed to some of the latest Marvel sludge in the form of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Thor: Love and Thunder. When I was indexing these reviews, I saw I hadn't posted my review of Thor: The Dark World or Thor: Ragnarok, probably because I was going to rewatch the first Thor and bundle them together, but I guess I'll post them now so you'll have a little extra content in lieu of the story update that didn't materialize. So we at least have some manga coverage, here's Volume 3 of Kimetsu no Yaiba. We've got two more weeks before our Halloween coverage begins. In the meantime, I imagine I'll focus on manga and more of the films I saw when I was back in the States. I'll try to get that chapter of TWH out to you next cycle, so in the meantime we'll just move on to NagaTen for next week. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:33:16
04 Sep 22
Today's feature is Amagami SS, an anime adaptation of a dating sim that takes an anthology approach with the different routes. We follow it with Amagami SS+ plus (yes, the title is redundant) and its later sequel Seiren. We also have the bonus OAVs for SS and SS+. We've got a couple other series I've watched recently on the docket for next week. Also look for more TWH (if I can keep myself on task). Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:59:20
03 Sep 22
School's back in session in Chapter 6 of EM3. We've got kiddos who have other things on their minds than academics in tomorrow's reviews, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:31:58
29 Aug 22
This week we look at the OAVs for Season 1 and Season 2 of One Punch Man and the animated version of Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's The 2000-Year-Old Man. Moving on to manga, we have Volume 2 of Kimetsu no Yaiba and Volume 11 of Twilight Princess, the finale for the series. Next week we'll look at multipath approach to romcoms in the form of Amagami and its successor Seiren. Look for more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 03:18:07
27 Aug 22
It's time for some interplanetary diplomacy in Chapter 12 of NagaTen. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:53:49
21 Aug 22
We step back from the latest releases to look at a couple series from several years back. From Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, it's Terror in Resonance and from KyoAni and Full Metal Panic! author Shoji Gatoh, we've got Amagi Brilliant Park and its OAV. For manga, I recently acquired the whole series of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, so we'll kick off our coverage with Volume 1. We also have Volume 7 of Vinland Saga. Next week we'll look at the One Punch Man OAVs and a rare (for me) non-anime animated short. We'll also have the latest chapter of NagaTen, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:16:49
20 Aug 22
I want to blame the mascot's interference for this delay, but we all know better than that. Anyway, it's finally time for Chapter 10 of TWH. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:39:04
14 Aug 22
We close the book on the Spring 2022 anime season with In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki and Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. We also have the recently released Kakegurui spinoff Kakegurui Twin. For manga, we have Volume 13 of Rin-ne and Volume 3 of The Misfit of Demon King Academy. We've past the halfway point in the current season, so in the meantime there's some assorted other viewing I've been doing lately, so look for that. Now if only I can get that chapter of TWH out in time. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:55:58
13 Aug 22
The new arrivals to Altamira are trying to piece together the events of the previous novel in Chapter 5 of EM3. We'll be closing out the Spring 2022 anime reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:42:43
08 Aug 22
We pick up where we left off in our reviews with a holdover from the previous season which is one of those rare series these days that actually gets 24 episodes, Requiem of the Rose King. We then have the saccharine RPG Real Estate and the garbage Misfit of Demon King Academy knockoff The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody. For manga, we have Volume 12 of Call of the Night and Volume 26 of Kaguya-sama. We end our coverage of Spring 2022 anime next week and we'll have more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 01:28:17
06 Aug 22
I realize I've been gone for a while. I've been a little preoccupied of late. I actually got to go home for the first time since all the Corona-chan shenanigans blighted us, so surely you can forgive me for making the familia my priority. Now, I know TWH was the next story in the chute, but as I don't have the chapter ready, I'm just going to hop over it for now and move on to Chapter 11 of NagaTen. Tomorrow we'll be picking up our Spring 2022 anime coverage along with some recent manga releases. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:29:46
17 Jul 22
Our first entry isn't quite an isekai but it has a lot of similar tropes, so it's getting bundled in this week. It's I'm Quitting Heroing. For proper isekai, we've got Skeleton Knight in Another World and Season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero. Our manga coverage picks up where last week left off with Volume 13 of MAO and Volume 26 of One Punch Man. For next week, we'll have a grab bag in more ways than one and more TWH. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:06:44
15 Jul 22
I'm getting this one out a bit earlier than usual because there are things to do. So here's Chapter 4 of EM3. We should get reviews tomorrow, but it may be delayed a bit, so don't panic if I'm a bit off schedule. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 23:28:01
10 Jul 22
Last week we had some straight-up romance, but this week we have some more low-key lovey-doveyness in the form of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, Deaimon and Season 2 of Komi-san Can't Communicate. For manga, we have Volume 12 of MAO and Volume 25 of One Punch Man. Next week we'll be looking at some isekai and an isekai-adjacent series, plus more EM3. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:33:21
09 Jul 22
Mascots on the screen may be smaller than they appear. Anyway, on to the main event. It's time for Chapter 10 of NagaTen. Look for some cozy anime reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:14:26
03 Jul 22
Spring is a time for romance and we've got three romcoms for you from the Spring 2022 anime season this week. First we have a couple continuing series, Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic- and Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It r=1-sinθ, and also new arrival Love After World Domination. We've got some recently released manga as well, Volume 11 of Call of the Night (whose anime adaptation is going to be coming out soon) and Volume 11 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend. We'll have some more romance for you next week and more NagaTen to go with it. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:23:17
02 Jul 22
It's time to get some religion in Chapter 9 of TWH. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:35:26
26 Jun 22
The Spring 2022 anime season is winding down, so let's get started with the reviews. First up is Part 3 of Ascendance of a Bookworm, followed by Ya Boy Kongming! and The Executioner and Her Way of Life. Moving on to manga coverage, we have Volume 7 of Mahoyome and Volume 6 of Vinland Saga. Love will be in the air next week and we'll have more TWH as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:06:01
25 Jun 22
By the blinding bright light of the mascot, it's Chapter 3 of EM3. We'll be kicking off our Spring 2022 anime reviews tomorrow, so look for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:23:43
19 Jun 22
I decided to kick it old school this week. First up, we have our first film from the 1910s, The Grim Game, starring Harry Houdini. Also, so I can't say the only Zorro movie I've seen is Zorro the Gay Blade, it's 1920's The Mark of Zorro. We then have three German films. The biggest name of the bunch is Fritz Lang's Metropolis, followed by The Adventures of Prince Achmed and 1926's Faust. Next week we'll be kicking off our Spring 2022 anime coverage. We'll also have more EM3. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 08:50:32
18 Jun 22
The mascot looks fearsome, but we've actually got a rather chill entry this week with Chapter 9 of NagaTen. We'll see how long peace and quiet holds. Probably not long given the psychopath on our main duo's tails. Anyway, while a few of the Spring 2022 anime wrapped this week, I said I was going to do three weeks of movie reviews, so I'll slap together another selection from the backlog before diving back into anime and manga reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:02:12
12 Jun 22
This week we're looking at two heavy-hitters who have gone through a stretch of direct-to-video sludge and while one seems to be leveraging that to stage a comeback, the other doesn't look like he's going to get that chance due to circumstances beyond his control. We won't be looking at any of the aforementioned sludge, though. We'll be looking at the good times (sort of). Exhibit A is Nicolas Cage with 1993's Deadfall (which was directed by his brother), Con Air and the first National Treasure. Exhibit B is Bruce Willis with his magnum opus Hudson Hawk and Richard Donner's last directorial outing, 16 Blocks. I haven't committed to a theme for next week, but I'll figure it out. Be on the lookout for more NagaTen. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:35:39
11 Jun 22
If we consider Lys and Sir Burkhardt to be Team A, then it's time for Team B to set out in Chapter 8 of TWH. We've got two titans of the silver screen on display tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 08:37:49
05 Jun 22
I've got a huge backlog of movie reviews going years back, so let's work on whittling it down a bit. This week's theme is dystopia... for no particular reason. Why do you ask? Most of this week's selection comes from the 70s because art imitates life, they say. Our first choice is set this very year, and if the supply chain crisis gets much worse, might be coming true sooner than later: Soylent Green. Next, coming to a New York near you is The Warriors coming out to play and its spiritual successor, Streets of Fire. If you believe deliberate geronticide is going on, then Logan's Run might be on the near horizon, and were barely a hop, skip and a jump from the corporate bloodletting of Rollerball. Isn't the future grand? Maybe I'll turn things around and pick a cheerier theme for next week. Look for more TWH next week. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:40:08
04 Jun 22
Wars tend to go better when the other side doesn't fight back. Well, that whole fighting back thing is picking up in Chapter 2 of EM3. Look for movie reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:19:37
29 May 22
Our last Winter 2022 anime is actually a holdover from Fall 2021 (the first ep aired in December and then the rest of the series kicked off after New Year's). Lurid, yes. Trashy, yes. It's World's End Harem. We then have some assorted series from the past few years I picked up here and there during my time off: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Domestic Girlfriend, and Record of Grancrest War. Our last item on the menu is a recent release in theaters: The Quintessential Quintuplets the Movie, which should tie a bow on our coverage of the Gotoubun franchise unless I end up getting the game. As I mentioned last week, I'm going to be working on my movie backlog between now and the end of the current anime season. Look for more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:10:03
28 May 22
The mascot is just brimming with energy for this week's chapter. It's Chapter 8 of NagaTen. We've got a new release among the reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:49:50
22 May 22
What's an anime season without isekai trash? Actually, only one of these qualifies as isekai trash (one being disqualified as it's just regular fantasy, albeit the sort of immature power fantasy most isekai trash is). Let's start with the good: Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout. Next is the bad: The Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest, a lame The Misfit of Demon King Academy knockoff. And last is the ugly: She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man. The latter two were my weekly doses of pain, which will be filed in my dossier as evidence of masochism. For manga coverage, we have Volume 5 of Vinland Saga and Volume 10 of Takagi-san. We have one more series that ended in the winter season but technically debuted last season, so you can look for that next week. Looking farther down the line, I've got a huge backlog of movie reviews, so I think I'll turn my attention to them while we wait for the current season to wrap. Look for more NagaTen as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:08:42
21 May 22
We're hitting the road in Chapter 7 of TWH. I'm sure our gang is in for loads of fun. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:47:31
15 May 22
For this week, we've got a few series that stand on one side of the law or the other. We've got Love of Kill, Miss Kuroitsu from the Monster Development Department, and Police in a Pod. For manga, we have Volume 12 of RIN-NE and Volume 6 of Mahoyome. We've got isekai trash and isekai-adjacent trash next week. Whee. We've also got more TWH, so look for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:48:03
14 May 22
We've got some catching up to do in Chapter 1 of EM3. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:05:36
08 May 22
We start off this week's reviews with a couple dueling series in the vein of such competitions of similar premises as Armageddon vs. Deep Impact, we have Season 2 of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom and The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt. We also have a holdover from last year, The Case Study of Vanitas. Next up is our manga coverage. We have Volume 11 of RIN-NE and Volume 5 of Mahoyome. We still have three more weeks of Winter 2022 coverage to come. Look for more EM3 as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:28:59
07 May 22
I was working on Chapter 12 before getting this update ready and the above picture would probably have gone well with that, but you're getting it now. The other thing you're getting now is Chapter 7 of NagaTen. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:53:10
01 May 22
We continue our Winter 2022 anime coverage with Season 2 of Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Season 3 of Teasing Master Takagi-san and Sabikui Bisco. For manga, we have Volume 9 of Call of the Night and Volume 25 of Kaguya-sama. The hits keep on coming next week and we'll have more NagaTen as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:45:02
A Happy International Ayame Jellybean Day to you all. The mascot has turned 15 and I really need to make good on my promise to update her gallery. How many years has it been that I've said I'm going to do it and haven't delivered? Well, we're going into Golden Week and I'm not in much mood to travel, so I might as well spare a little of my time for that little project. We'll have reviews later in the day. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 00:43:10
30 Apr 22
A new challenger enters the ring in Chapter 6 of TWH. We've got reviews tomorrow and International Ayame Jellybean Day. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 07:16:52
24 Apr 22
This week we're going to start our coverage of the Winter 2022 anime season and while you could argue that I should save the best for last, we're going to be starting with some of the best of the season. Now, the first one is a 2021 series whose conclusion was delayed until recently. It's 86. Next is the obligatory Part 2 of the Final Season of Attack on Titan (which, in case you're wondering, doesn't actually finish the story). And you know how much I've been enjoying My Dress-Up Darling in manga form. Well, it's got an excellent TV adaptation as well. On a related note, we also have Volume 9 of the manga. Last but not least is Volume 10 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend. The Winter 2022 coverage will continue for the next few week, so look forward to that. We'll also be having more TWH. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:28:21
23 Apr 22
We go back to the Cataclysm one more time in the prologue of Everyday Magic 3: Hell from the Heavens. Are you ready for worlds to collide? Fun times ahead. We'll be kicking off our coverage of the Winter 2022 anime season tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 23:18:32
17 Apr 22
Are you ready for one last round of all-manga reviews? We've got Volume 2 of The Misfit of Demon King Academy, Volume 3 of Bastard!!, Volume 9 of Takagi-san, Volume 10 of RIN-NE, and Volume 4 of Vinland Saga. We'll be picking up the Winter 2022 anime season next week and kicking of EM3, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:22:56
16 Apr 22
We've got visitors from on high in Chapter 6 of NagaTen. And when you're done with that, you can look forward to another helping of manga reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 09:01:56
10 Apr 22
You've got to wait a bit longer for me to get Volume 9 of My Dress-Up Darling, so in the meantime, let's take a look at the cancelled manga adaptation of The Misfit of Demon King Academy, starting with Volume 1. From there, we continue our ongoing coverage with Volume 2 of Bastard!!, Volume 8 of Takagi-san, Volume 9 of RIN-NE, and Volume 3 of Vinland Saga. Look for next week to be pretty much the same and after that I'll start shaking things up again. We've also got more NagaTen, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:07:57
09 Apr 22
Lys struck out last time, but might she find a new party member once she heads on over to the pub for a pint? We'll see how she fares in Chapter 5 of TWH. Maybe her luck is starting to change. You never know. In other news, look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:16:44
03 Apr 22
We've got another full slate of manga this week and let's begin by showing off the new series we'll be covering: Bastard!!, starting with Volume 1. For continuing coverage, we have Volume 8 of My Dress-Up Darling, Volume 7 of Takagi-san, Volume 8 of RIN-NE, and Volume 2 of Vinland Saga. In three weeks I'll be starting my coverage of the Winter 2022 anime season, but until then, we've got plenty more manga to add to the pile. Look for more TWH as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:04:29
02 Apr 22
Sound the alarm! Awake! Fear! Fire! Foes! Awake! ... ... Or I just caught the mascot yawning. The time has come at last for the epilogue of EM2. You could probably guess what was coming, but you'll have to wait until EM3 to see how it plays out. Oh, yes, I've also got the character glossary and map of Altamira. And I've even got a decent bit of lead time on the sequel. If only I was so on-the-ball with TWH. Look for more manga reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:41:02
27 Mar 22
It's nothing but manga today, starting with Volume 7 of My Dress-Up Darling and following it with Volume 4 of The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 6 of Takagi-san, and Volume 7 of RIN-NE. As promised last week, we're kicking off our coverage of the Vinland Saga manga with Volume 1. And lastly, because I had a couple light updates that didn't meet the usual five-review quota (and also because I forgot that I wrote the review until I was shelving the recently reviewed volumes), I've got an extra for you, Volume 1 of I'm a Lady's Maid; I've Pulled Out the Holy Sword. Next week will be the end of our coverage of My Dress-Up Darling for now (Volume 9 gets released next month, if I recall), so the week after, we'll be filling its slot with a blast from the past. We'll also be wrapping up EM2, so be looking forward to that (and for the debut of EM3 three weeks later). Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:19:36
26 Mar 22
You know, I don't think I've ever actually had a turnip before. Why do I bring this up? Oh, turnips factor into this week's chapter, though maybe not as significantly as you might guess, seeing as how I've brought it up. Anyway, it's time for Chapter 5 of NagaTen. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow, so be looking forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:58:46
20 Mar 22
We begin today's coverage with the OAV Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S: Japanese Hospitality (My Attendant is a Dragon). Last week I complained about my lack of foresight, as Volume 6 of My Dress-Up Darling would have bolstered the rabbit theme to accompany Usagi Drop. Oh, well. Anyway, we also have Volume 3 of The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 5 of Takagi-san, and Volume 6 of RIN-NE. Unless I change my mind, the next few weeks will be all manga and I'll be adding Vinland Saga into the rotation. Look for more NagaTen as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:04:56
19 Mar 22
Our girl has got one hard sales pitch ahead of her in Chapter 4 of TWH. Wish her luck and be looking forward to reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:27:10
13 Mar 22
I promised rabbits and it's rabbits we got with 2011's Usagi Drop. The rest of this week's coverage will be manga, starting with Volume 5 of My Dress-Up Darling and following with Volume 2 of The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 4 of Takagi-san, and Volume 5 of RIN-NE. We've had rabbits and now there'll be dragons next week (and rabbits in MDD). Look for more TWH as well, if I can stop working on the WttW peripheral materials to finish the dang thing. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:54:12
12 Mar 22
You might be thinking, "I can't believe we spent an entire novel in that miserable wasteland," in reference to Giger and the gang's time in Nylos. He would probably agree with you, I'm sure, so why don't we head back to Vigau ahead of the finale? It's Chapter 26 of EM2. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow, and I just now realized that if I wanted to play up the rabbit theme, I should've waited until next week when I release my review of Volume 6 of My Dress-Up Darling. Well, foo. Or you could look at it as a two-parter. Anyway, rabbits, tomorrow. Get hype. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:34:39
06 Mar 22
You know, my cousin is a fan of the Monster High franchise. We've got monsters and a high school here in Interviews with Monster Girls and its accompanying OAV. I don't know what my cousin would have to say about it, but that served as some sort of segue. We move on to a different sort of monster as we begin our coverage of The Ancient Magus' Bride manga, starting with Volume 1 and I guess you could see the character of Veronica as a sort of monster in Volume 4 of My Dress-Up Darling to round things out. Next week you can call me George because I'm going to be talking about the rabbits. We'll also have more EM2, which is sadly lacking in the rabbit department. Look forward to it all the same. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:36:52
05 Mar 22
It's time for Chapter 4 of NagaTen. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:24:55
27 Feb 22
We dealt with some real crazies last week and we're going to keep a good thing going with the yandere in Future Diary and its followup OAV, Future Diary: Redial. Next, we mix things up a bit with a rare bit of Western animation in the form of the much-hyped Arcane (which maintains the theme in the form of crazy ol' Jinx, who would probably have interesting conversations with Future Diary's Yuno). Last but definitely not least is Volume 3 of My Dress-Up Darling. We're going to take a turn for the wholesome next week with some cute monster girls. And while it won't feature monster girls (technically, arguably), we'll also have more NagaTen. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:23:24
26 Feb 22
Have you ever run into your teacher in an awkward place? Well, something like that happens with Chapter 3 of TWH. Look for reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:19:22
21 Feb 22
If you've been following my commentary on the blog, you know I've been alluding to some TBA projects. Well, I figure it's time to drop the TB part and get to the A. (Hopefully that line won't get misinterpreted by anyone.) So, I've got five different stories to announce. We start with an Else Arc series called Welcome to the World with three entries planned so far: Return to the World, The White Lions, and Lion Cubs. Also from the Else Arc is the standalone story Noroibito. Last but not least is something from the Earth Arc, Whose Dog Are You?. Hopefully you'll have fun with these when they eventually roll out. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 06:21:27
20 Feb 22
Gambling isn't my thing, but some people enjoy it (especially the retirees filling the Indian casinos). Some people take it too far, and that brings us to today's feature: Kakegurui and its second season, Kakegurui XX. We also have a holdover from last year, that wrapped recently, Season 2 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which includes a repackaged Mugen Train Arc and the anticipated Entertainment District Arc. For manga, we have Volume 2 of My Dress-Up Darling and Volume 11 of MAO. We're going to take the crazy in Kakegurui and kick it up a notch next week. We also have more TWH, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:33:39
19 Feb 22
General Dubcic isn't going to take his situation lying down in Chapter 25 of EM2. In other news, get ready to roll the dice in tomorrow's reviews. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:52:33
13 Feb 22
What better way to get geared up for Valentine's Day than with a twisted romcom that subverts a lot of the tropes of the genre? Well, that's what you're going to get with Oresuki and its OAV finale. For manga we bring our coverage of Haganai to a close with Volume 20 and we pick up a new series, My Dress-Up Darling (whose TV adaptation is currently airing) with Volume 1. We also have Volume 10 of MAO, which I've fallen behind on a bit. Since we've been talking about romance lately, there are many who say the whole thing is one big gamble. That may just tie into our feature next week. We've also got more EM2 next week, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 10:23:58
12 Feb 22
Care for a cup of tea? It's time for Chapter 3 of NagaTen. We've got a romantic disaster for you tomorrow, so be looking for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:35:41
06 Feb 22
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for a couple recent film releases. First is The Deer King, directed by a pair of Ghibli alums, and Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which any Jujutsu Kaisen fans out there are going to want to see. And with that taken care of, we go back to what I was originally planning on showing you. We have Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku and its followup OAV episodes, and also Ao-chan Can't Study!, not be confused with Bokuben, even though both came out around the same time. Because of the movie reviews, there won't be any manga this week, but we'll get back to it next week along with a romcom that I honestly can't remember very well, so it's a good thing the reviews were written at the time. Look for more NagaTen as well. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:52:23
05 Feb 22
We enter the hall of the Witch Queen with Chapter 2 of TWH. I've got a bit of a surprise for you tomorrow, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:13:14
30 Jan 22
I did a lot of binge-watching over the Christmas-New Year's break, so now you get to enjoy the fruits of that, tied together with the theme of (mostly dysfunctional) romance, which makes some kind of sense with Valentine's coming up. Today's feature is the Saekano series, consisting of Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat, and Saekano the Movie: Finale. Next is manga with Volume 19 of Haganai and our first manga of 2022, Volume 9 of Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Next week we'll have a slightly more grown-up look at otaku in love. We'll also have more TWH, so get ready for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:49:55
29 Jan 22
It's time for Chapter 24 of EM2. Be looking for the reviews tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 17:29:18
27 Jan 22
Whoopsee. I almost forgot. It's the 15th anniversary of the site. How 'bout that? Well, in keeping with tradition, let's look at what we've got planned for the year. If the schedule holds, and I don't see why it won't, then I'll be wrapping EM2 in the beginning of April and then following it with EM3. TWH and NagaTen will continue well into next year, so you can look forward to that. I believe I've been hinting at some new projects that have entered pre-productions, so you can expect some teasers for those in the near future. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 16:25:36
23 Jan 22
We conclude our Fall 2021 anime coverage with Rumble Garanndoll, The Vampire Dies in No Time, and the TV special The Irregular at Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc. For manga we have Volume 18 of Haganai and Volume 4 of Magic Patissiere Kosaki-chan!!. From here we're going to be looking at some other series I watched during the break. As we're approaching February, the theme will be romance and crazy. Also look for more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 11:57:37
22 Jan 22
We've got a cat in a box here and a cat out of the box in Chapter 2 of NagaTen. Look for us to wrap up our Fall 2021 anime coverage tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 15:08:18
16 Jan 22
For our next batch of Fall 2021 anime, we have Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, The Faraway Paladin, and The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat. Next up is manga with Volume 17 of Haganai and Volume 3 of Magic Patissiere Kosaki-chan!!. Next week we close out not just the fall season but 2021 as a year in anime. We'll also have more NagaTen, so look forward to that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 12:27:08
15 Jan 22
We get introduced to our protagonist in Chapter 1 of TWH. We've got reviews coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:39:35
09 Jan 22
We're continuing our Fall 2021 anime with Komi Can't Communicate, Muv-Luv Alternative, and Ganbare, Douki-chan. For manga we have Volume 16 of Haganai and Volume 2 of Magic Patissiere Kosaki-chan!!. We've got two more weeks of this fun to go. Also be sure to look for more TWH. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:43:42
08 Jan 22
We've got a hefty one for you this week with Chapter 23 of EM2. We've got reviews tomorrow, so look for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:47:48
02 Jan 22
For this week's selection of Fall 2021 anime, we have Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, My Senpai is Annoying, and The Aquatope on White Sand. Next up is manga with Volume 15 of Haganai and Volume 1 of Magic Patissiere Kosaki-chan!!, a Nisekoi spinoff by Bokuben's Taishi Tsutsui. Look for more of the same next week as well as more EM2. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 14:19:53
01 Jan 22
We ring in the new year with Chapter 1 of NagaTen. We've got reviews coming in tomorrow, so be on the lookout for that. Stay tuned.
Posted by: James
UTC 13:34:21