I knew this series was going to cause trouble, but I didn’t realize how controversial it would become, especially in the depiction of all the violence that befalls practically everyone in this series. Also, the caliber of it as well was unsettling to many, so it was just a large plate for all. This is “Goblin Slayer” (“Goburin Sureiyā”). (more…)

I am starting to question if we really need to base animes off of video games. On the one hand, a lot of the footwork has been done for you, as far as preproduction; on the other hand, you have to come up with real mysteries and not those tales that could be solved in five minutes if I had ALL the clues in front of me. Such is the dilemma with Layton Mystery Tanteisha: Katori no Nazotoki File (“Reiton Misuterī Tantei-sha ~Katorī no Nazotoki Fairu” or “Layton Mystery Detective Agency: Kat’s Mystery Solving Files”). (more…)

Does anyone remember Screaming Yellow Zonkers? When I was growing up, it was my favorite snack food, although, to be honest, this truly was the definition of junk food. It was incredibly bad for you and, in those days, absolutely loaded with preservatives and food coloring and BHA and BHT and and and other nasty things for a growing body. I knew they were terrible, THEY knew it was terrible, everyone and their grandmother KNEW they were terrible. You would be better off licking toads, but I just couldn’t pass them by (the Zonkers, not the toads). I bring up this story from my past to explain why I chased after the second season of “Gyakuten Saiban: Sono “Shinjitsu”, Igiari!” (“Turnabout Trial: I Object to That ‘Truth’!”). (more…)

You know, a hot male fantasy and a hot anime fantasy is for a guy to have a harem of beautiful women, all catering to his every whim and desire. What if you could actually have one? What if you discovered it was a lot more work than you realized? What if your humanity was reduced to a mere cypher? This is kind of the plot for “World’s End Harem” (“Shūmatsu no Hāremu”), where, like Transformers, there’s more than meets the eye. (more…)

Yeah, this is a magical boy show. There are probably a lot of them out there, but this is more aligned with Harry Potter than Sailor Moon. And if we are doing the crossover, it would be a merging of Harry Potter and Perry Mason (OK, potentially closer to Judge Dredd, but without the Stallone Snarl and someone barking out “I AM the law!”) We are at “Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation” (“Muhyo to Rōjī no Mahōritsu Sōdan Jimusho”, also known as “Muhyo & Roji”). (more…)

I had resisted this show for some time. I have a hard time with music genres and sports genres, as they are quite similar in their approach: someone wants to make it, but the odds are long and the opportunities are short. The road before them is littered with the bleaching bones of those who went before and failed. (“Fortune favors the brave.” No, it doesn’t, Matt!) But, somehow, through diligence, talent, commitment and a bit of pixie dust, they can achieve their dream. Am I right? Right? However, the offering before us, “Ya Boy Kongming!” (“Paripi Kōmei” or “Kongming of the Party People”) tells this story in a most charming and interesting way. (more…)

Demons, demons, demons. There does seem to be a fascination with demons, especially when we present them as more humanish than demonoidal. I mean, most of us see demons as someone who will burn you up or mow you down or cleave you in twain. Yeah, you might want to get some kind of PR firm to help burnish that image a touch. But what happens when a demon come after you for a debt that a relative owes them? How did this happen? Such is the premise behind Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits” (“Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi”, or “Afterlife Inn Cooking”). Oh, did I forget to mention it’s also a kind of cooking show? Oh, did I forget to mention it’s also a kind of isakai? Oh, did I forget to mention it’s also a kind of romance? Man, I would lose my head if it wasn’t screwed on to my shoulders. *THUNK* (more…)

There are a group of fictional characters that have been played to death, either in movie or on stage. These include such ‘people’ as James Bond, Frankenstein’s monster, Hamlet and Sherlock Holmes. This also includes anyone billed as such, like “Basil of Baker Street”, which was a cartoon approach to Sherlock, and, with what you have with this show, “Kyōto Teramachi Sanjō no Holmes” (or, “Kyōto Teramachi Sanjō no Hōmuzu”, or “Holmes of Kyoto”). (more…)

Oh, no! It’s a ghost! It’s a haunting! It’s a hot springs! We must protect the world, or at least parts of Japan, from those bad, evil, nasty, mean, ugly, cruel, vicious and rotten ghosts that will bedevil the lives of common citizen who merely want to take advantage of a lovely locale to soak away their stress! Well, things are never as they seem and such is the case with “Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs.” (“Yuragi-sō no Yūna-san”) (more…)

There is always a problem when you try to put together a show about the human body. For the most part, the body is seen as some kind of community or village or great megalopolis (think like “Osmosis Jones”) and how everyone gets along together, but the analogies don’t always work well, especially when to have to show how things function. But we make a real attempt with “Cells at Work.” (“Hataraku Saibō”). (more…)