Rating systems are always odd, as it is someone else’s opinion as to what that threshold is between being a child and being an adult (of sorts). It also varies by country so what is OK for one land is verboten in another. I bring this up, as this is kind of the plot of “R-15”. (more…)

Steampunk is a genre that I genuinely do not fully understand. I can grasp bits and pieces of it and I have seen a few steampunk-themed shows. I even saw “Steampunk”, the anime movie, but I am uncertain what it wishes to accomplish. I bring this up, because the series I just viewed, “Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth”, is a strong entry into Steampunk, even though it started out as a video game. (more…)

There is always a problem with having a large cast in an anime, in that everyone needs to be there all the time. However, for this show, “Yōkai Apāto no Yūga na Nichijō” (“Elegant Yokai Apartment Life”), it actually works in its behalf not to showcase them all at once. You see, there are a few key people who need to be there, but the rest can come in and go out, as it befits their character and the plotting. (more…)

At its core, this show is no different than “Future Diary” or “Eden of the East”, where a group of people (in this case, twelve) are brought together to slug it out for domination in a single-night event. Thus, we have “Juni Taisen” (“12 Wars”). There are twelve ruling families, each one a representative of the Chinese Zodiac. (more…)

Calloo callay! Our favorite demon bureaucratic wonk is back for a second season of marvelous mayhem in “Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 2” (“Hōzuki no Reitetsu”). (more…)

This is the oddest looking show I have seen in some time. And I don’t mean wild and crazy as with “Dead Leaves”; I mean it more like ‘Why are they all built so oddly?’ Look at how long their legs are and the hips come off more like a U-joint of some construct. And that the show is CG just adds to the visually unsettling nature of things. Thus, we come to “Houseki no Kuni” (“Country of Jewels” or “Land of the Lustrous”) and the tales of all of these gems. (more…)

Another Japanese obsession I cannot wrap my noggin around is the theme café/maid café fetish. OK, I have never been to Japan and I don’t even do the Maid Cafes that pop up at anime conventions. It’s a bit of a culture clash for me. And though this show doesn’t define it any better for me, “Blend S” (“Burendo Esu”), was fun to watch. (more…)

I caught this delightful entry at AX 17, where we were the first to see it, which also spurred me to eschew a couple of other offerings to take advantage of actual ballroom dancing classes at the Pony Canyon booth. Even if you know nothing about competitive ballroom dancing, this series, “Bōrurūmu e Yōkoso”(“Welcome to the Ballroom”) will introduce you to it. Yes, the story is as old hat as it gets, but it is executed with a great deal of heart and vigor. (more…)

It has sadly gotten to the point where I am tired of NEETs or hihikimoris or shut-ins or whatever you want to call those people who willingly shut themselves off from the real world to pursue a virtual one. However, this offering, “Netojū no Susume”, (subtitled “Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life” or “Recovery of an MMO Junkie”) does something a bit different than just locking us inside a darkened room, the glow of the monitor giving us companionship. (more…)

One of the freedoms you get with doing an Alternate History/Universe series is that you are untethered by anything concrete in the real world to tell your tale. One drawback is that you may have to rely on pseudo geography and country names to help with your story. Thus is the conflict generated by “Shoukoku no Altair” (“Altair: A Record of Battles”). (more…)