Although this is a magic show, it is miles away from what you are used to, even with the mediæval flavor. It is a land where man and beast live. It is a time where common folk are in fear of witches and the Beastfallen. It is a situation where the Beastfallen are in fear of others, despite their size and numbers. This is the world of the “Grimoire of Zero” (“Zero kara Hajimeru Mahō no Sho”, or “Starting the Magical Book from Zero”). (more…)

Oh, no, how did this happen? I watched a show that was BOTH giant fighting robots and CG animation! Am I crazy from the heat? Missing a critical enzyme? On the verge of being deported? What could have led me to such a series? Well, sit down in front of the fireplace (it’s summer; there’s no fire in there, merely deadly spiders and a ton of creosote) and I’ll explain “ID-Ø”. (more…)

I sometimes have a problem with shows where the main character and others possess supernatural powers, while the rest of us have to bumble through life with not much more that a bag of potpourri and some nuts. This show tries to transcend that trope. It doesn’t always succeed, but it does an admirable job of it, which brings us to “Alice & Zouroku” (“Arisu to Zōroku”), an interesting tale of government intrigue and harnessing special abilities. (more…)

Wow. This is seriously one delightfully deranged comedy. Although you may tumble to the secret before it gets revealed, that does not detract from the romantic humor generated by “Eromanga Sensei”, although ‘romantic’ may be a bit of a stretch. PS, I am also going to reveal things in the third paragraph, so you may wish to avert your eyes. (more…)

Although this could be seen as “Girls Who Save the World”, it is done in a more realistic manner, in that they may not have capes and wands or be magical girls, but they are trying to save and protect people and a way of life. This is “Sakura Quest” (“Sakura Kuesuto”). (more…)

Steampunk is a term that confuses me. I mean, I think I know what it is, but I cannot always be certain of it. I bring this up, as I wonder if this is a steampunk series, or one with an unusual idea and merely looks like steampunk. This is the world of “Clockwork Planet” (“Kurokkuwāku Puranetto”). (more…)

I was initially concerned about this show, as it looked like another version of the “Ouran High School Host Club”. It took a couple of episodes to warm up, but “The Royal Tutor” (“Ōshitsu Kyōshi Haine”) was a real eye opener. (more…)

It is often said that Edgar Allan Poe brought us the detective fiction novel, although there had to have been some kind of investigation and detection into crimes long ago and far away. It gets tough to put together these tales about the past, as we here in the modern era do not know how they might have done things in those days and for our tales, it was when Tokyo was Edo (sadly, that era spans 1603 to 1868, so it is hard to give a specific date). However, what we see in “Onihei” is a marvelous crime story, set off with beautiful imagery, smart story-telling and one sharp fortune cookie. (Yes, yes, I know that the fortune cookie is an American invention.) (more…)

This is another iteration series, although rather than putting a date on it, they dub it as ‘new’, but this is a reboot of a series that came out over 25 years ago. Some might call this a black comedy, but I feel it is in the horror genre, akin to the old “Night Gallery” shows, where people get what they deserve. But let us look deeper into “The Laughing Salesman” (“Warau seerusuman” or “Warau Salesman”). (more…)

Another ‘new’ trend in animes: the outsider, coming to a school that is fitted with rigid regulations and equally rigid people to enforce things. Easily seen in the bizarre “Prison School”, our latest show under the microscope takes it to a different level. This is the world of “Armed Girl’s Machiavellism” (“Busōu Shōujo Makyaverizumu”), where power is knowledge. (more…)