I must be the dumbest sack of doorknobs out there. Why do I torture myself? I have potentially been chasing this franchise down longer than “Code Geass: Akito”, yet I am not half as whiny about it as I should be. This popped up at AX 17, so I grabbed a showing of “Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo”. What a pile of noise! (more…)

It’s an anime movie. I am at least finding them a bit more often than in the past, but they still come out in a dribble, compared to other offerings. This is an odd one, more so for the apparent CG than the plot, which smells rather “Matrix”-y. This is “Blame!” (“Buramu!”). (more…)

I am starting to notice another trend cropping up and that is the throwback style in anime. I have seen a few shows that are trying to mimic what I call the First Wave of Anime (1962-1969 or thereabouts), like when “Astro Boy” first made it to the shores of America. This is an apt description, as “Atom: The Beginning” (“Atomu za Biginingu”) tells the story of things before “Astro Boy” became Astro Boy. (more…)

Animes about the arts are a high abundance genre. Having just completed one about rakugo, I was interested in kabuki. I do not know if this is the show to fully explain the art form, but we have a goodly attempt with “Kabukibu!” (more…)

This is a show that had a terrible capsule description, in that you thought you were getting into the thrilling and exciting world of…negotiations! Yes, I can feel you getting all a-quiver as we delve into land sovereignty issues and treaty discussions. Fortunately, this series is nothing like that at all. In fact, it is a rather tense and terse drama about meeting and dealing with an extra-terrestrial who possesses enormous powers. This is “Seikai Suru Kado”, (stylized as “KADO: The Right Answer”). (more…)

This is a show with a fairly standard concept, but brought forth in disturbing and dangerous realities. The idea is very simple: what if your artwork came to life and invaded YOUR world? A caliber of reverse isekai? Thus, the approach to “Re:Creators” (“Re:Kurieitāzu”, stylized as “Re:CREATORS”). (more…)

Yeah, OK, sure. We have another, another offering in the “Girls Who Save the World” genre, but this one has more of an edge than I have seen in other shows of this type, especially with the massively capacious title of “Shūmatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii Desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desu ka?” (also known as “Sukasuka”, and its English title “World End” or “What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?”) (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…)

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…)