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Library War DVD
The 2008 TV anime of Hiro Arikawa's light novels finally makes it to English-speaking audiences and largely proves to be worth the wait...story-wise, anyway.
― DiscoTek continues its trend of bringing shoujo series some of us feared would never see a legal US release to DVD with Library War, a twelve episode (plus one special) TV series from 2008. The story adapts Hiro Arikawa's five volume light nov...
Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War Blu-Ray
Theron might not be quite won over by this feature-length film, a hard-edged chunibyo adventure that covers similar ground to Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions.
― One old adage which is reportedly especially applicable in Japan is “the nail which sticks out will get hammered down.” That underlies the themes of this 83 minute long 2013 movie, which adapts a one-shot 2008 light novel of the same name....
A Silent Voice GN 4
A Silent Voice retains its profound sensitivity of execution even as it takes some clumsy dramatic turns.
― It feels like A Silent Voice's density of heartwarming and agonizing moments must exceed the legal limits. The story is littered with so many deeply endearing or painfully true little details that even when it's going through a somewhat weaker dramatic arc, the reactions of the characters feel ...
Umi Monogatari DVD
This magical girl-flavored 2009 fantasy series, a recent pick-up by Nozomi Entertainment, is wholly uninspired in its early stages but gets better as it goes along.
― The title of this 2009 fantasy series directly translates as “Sea Story,” which tells you exactly what you're getting: a story where nearly everything going on in some way or another involves the sea, even if that connection is not init...
Buddy Complex Sub.Blu-Ray +DVD
Buddy Complex never quite lives up to its promise, but it still manages to be a pretty enjoyable show.
― Buddy Complex is a bit of an odd duck. It's a time-traveling mecha show that owes its plot to a lot of recognizable sources, from Aquarion and its sequels to hints of the original El Hazard with its relationship between Hina and Aoba. None of this is bad, per se, nor does it feel fully predictable...
Tokyo Ghoul GN 3 & 4
Tokyo Ghoul is horror that makes you think as these volumes delve more deeply into the question of who is the real monster - the ghouls or the humans?
― Every so often, there will be two news items side-by-side: a story about how, for example, a battered “bully breed” dog will have saved a newborn kitten and nursed it back to health juxtaposed with an article about two people killing each other over ...
So Cute It Hurts!! GN 4
Go Ikeyamada's sugary shoujo continues to be ridiculously entertaining...and gives us hints of an actual backbone to this otherwise gooey confection.
― Have you ever eaten Pixie Stix? They're paper straws filled with flavored sugar, basically the sweet equivalent of an energy drink, and this is important because reading Go Ikeyamada's English-language debut, So Cute it Hurts, is basically the literar...
Etotama Collector's Edition Blu-Ray Vol. 1
Zodiac-flavored romantic hijinks abound in this decidedly overlooked show, now on bluray from PONYCAN. Theron Martin discovers that it's kind of a mixed bag.
― Etotama (whose name is a reference to the souls of the Eto-shin and Eto-musume) is a 12 episode series from the Spring 2015 season which also has an accompanying manga version; the latter, which debuted more than a year earlier, is actually li...
Durarara!! x 2 Blu-Ray 2
The bomb that Mikado lit the fuse on so many years ago has finally gone off, spreading shrapnel all through the heart of Ikebukuro. The next volume of Durarara!! x 2 is here.
― It finally happened. The bomb that Mikado lit the fuse on so many years ago has finally gone off, spreading shrapnel all through the heart of Ikebukuro. Now some very dangerous people know that he's the schmuck who started the...
Dragonar Academy BD+DVD
"Dragonar Academy offers tentacles and balloon boobs, but not much else."
― Great art often asks difficult questions - questions that speak to the human condition, that embody what we are and who we strive to be. “Why are we here?” is a classic art entreaty; “is true understanding of another possible?” is one of my personal favorites. Dragonar Academy centers its discourse on a similar question, one ...
The Irregular at Magic High School Sub.Blu-Ray 3
The third and final arc of the anime adaptation of The Irregular at Magic High School has its moments, but it doesn't really take off until the very end, which is sadly inconclusive.
― The Irregular at Magic High School has made some attempts at differentiating itself from its “magical high school harem adventure” brethren by being much more technical in how it both uses and discusses magic, it also ...
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers Collector's Edition Blu-Ray Vol. 1
Rokka opens with an uneven but promising start, offering compelling hooks in spite of some fairly rough edges.
― Rokka's first episode is about as strong a statement of purpose as you could ask for. The first scenes introduce would-be hero Adlet Myer in a thrilling fight scene, as Adlet interrupts a holy tournament and gracefully careens between its two champions, tossing off caltrops and spitting fi...
My Hero Academia GN 2
My Hero Academia turns up the heat in a second volume that exemplifies Jump action at its absolute best.
― My Hero Academia barreled out of the gate with an extremely polished first volume, featuring sharp, dynamic art and confident (if very genre-conservative) storytelling. The manga didn't lack polish, but it did feel possibly a bit impersonal - what with it going through the classic motions of big...
Tokyo ESP GN 1
Tokyo ESP's first omnibus volume takes a little bit to overcome genre stereotypes, but when it takes off, it really flies.
― Vertical's decision to publish Hajime Segawa's Tokyo ESP in two-volume omnibuses turns out to have been a very good idea. Not only does it mean that this is a nice, thick book, it also ensures that we get not just the basic beginnings of the story, where Rinka is still torn abo...
GATE Season One
The second season is right around the corner, so Rebecca Silverman takes a look back at the first season of the military fantasy adventure GATE.
― It would be easy to brush GATE off as a version of Outbreak Company with a military twist – both shows are based on light novels and feature otaku leads whose “special” interests make them ideal candidates for Japanese expeditions to fantasy lands. But whe...
School-Live! Complete Series
Infamous for its first episode twist, the moe girls-and-zombies dramedy School-Live captured the imaginations of otaku everywhere this summer. Is the show worth all the hype?
― Spoiler Warning for the major plot point at the end of episode one! It's so easy to be taken in by appearances. School-Live!, based on the manga of the same title by Norimitsu Kaiho and Sadoru Chiba, starts out looking like ev...
Fullmetal Alchemist Blu-Ray Collector's Edition
The 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series left a smoking crater in anime fandom, and now it's out on bluray in a superdeluxe $300 limited edition. Hope Chapman revisits this modern classic and cracks open that pricey box.
― Few anime have had the opportunity to leave a thumbprint on pop culture the size of Fullmetal Alchemist's. Upon first airing on Cartoon Network's adult swim block in 2004, FMA became a ...
Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire GN 5
Resident Evil 6's prequel manga ends after five tense (and intense) volumes, and while the finale may work better for those who know the game, it's still a pretty good horror series.
― You have to appreciate a manga series where you can read each volume in roughly twenty minutes because the action just moves that fast. Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire has been one of those series for all of its five...
Naruto Shippuden Uncut Set Volume 24
Gaara confronts his resurrected father in this decidedly uneven collection of Naruto Shippuden episodes from the Fourth Ninja World War.
― Volume 24 of Naruto Shippūden encompasses episodes 297 to 309, another collection of stories set during the Fourth Ninja World War. Episode 297 picks up where the previous set left off, with Gaara confronting the reanimated corpse of his father, the Fourth Kazekag...
Black Lagoon: The Complete Series Premium Edition Blu-Ray
Black Lagoon offers plenty of highlights for fans of ultraviolence, though those looking for something more may find its serious drama too little too late.
― It's no surprise Black Lagoon has maintained such an enduring reputation among action fans. Even on the level of base premise, the show presents something fresh and exciting - a multinational cast of smugglers and thieves terrorizing the souther...
Idol Dreams GN 1
Arina Tanemura reworks the magical girl story into something for an older audience with the story of a thirty-one-year-old woman who wishes she could change the past.
― Most of us can probably remember a time in adolescence when we made a choice at a metaphorical fork in the road. Do you regret yours? Chikage Deguchi does, and she has carried the memory of the boy she let get away in her heart, conti...
Devil Survivor GN 1
It's a clunky start for this manga adaptation of Atlus' Nintendo DS game, but not an entirely unpromising one.
― While any form of adaptation from one medium to another is difficult, games into another narrative format seem to be particularly troublesome. Whether this is because the choices present in the originals now have to be made for the reader, as opposed to the players making those decisions t...
Danganronpa BD+DVD
The anime adaptation of Danganronpa, the twisted smash hit visual novel that's taken anime fandom by storm, is out now. But is it as cool as it should be?
― Danganropa is a Japanese video game franchise available primarily on PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android platforms which has already seen American releases of some of its titles. This 2013 anime series is a more or less straight adaptation of the ...
The Honor Student at Magic High School GN 1
The Honor Student at Magic High School retells the story of The Irregular at Magic High School from Miyuki's point of view, and the franchise is much more accessible for it.
― Did you try to watch the anime version of Tsutomu Sato's The Irregular at Magic High School but just couldn't get into it because the protagonist, Tatsuya Shiba, was simply too good at everything except having a discernible per...
A Bride's Story GN 6
A Bride’s Story shines in its most dramatic and propulsive chapters yet.
― When I reviewed the last volume of Bride's Story, I mentioned how my greatest hope for the series was that it would eventually turn its piercing eye towards a story more focused and dramatic than the slice of life vignettes so far. Though the manga was endearing and beautiful, it wasn't always gripping, and sometimes felt more...
The World is Still Beautiful Sub.Blu-Ray
This lighthearted shojo adventure about a girl sent to marry a prince she's never met had a warm reception with critics and audiences alike, but is it worth owning?
― As shojo romantic dramedies go, this 12 episode series from the Spring 2014 season is one of the most accessible recent offerings. Even those who do not normally care for such fare could find this to be a pleasing viewing experience, as...
Yo-kai Watch GN 1 & 2
Yo-Kai Watch's first two books are good fun for the kiddies, but probably don't have much crossover appeal for older readers.
― If you're familiar with this story – which traces its roots back to a card game and a Nintendo 3DS game – you'll notice that Viz's release of the shounen Yo-Kai Watch manga has been localized. (A shoujo manga also exists, but as of this writing, it has not been licensed in E...
Accel World Novel 5
Accel World's fifth novel not only goes beyond where the anime left off, but it also shows some real improvement in terms of writing as it explores the reasons why the characters need to accelerate in the first place.
― Since the first Accel World novel, Reki Kawahara has fostered a suspicion in the reader that the kids who become caught up in Brain Burst, the program that allows access to the accele...
Tokyo Ghoul BD+DVD
The first season of this insanely bloody drama has captured a worldwide audience of hungry fans, but does it live up to all the hype?
― The action-horror series Tokyo Ghoul is quickly turning into one of the few anime you might have heard of even if you don't regularly follow new Japanese releases. The manga keeps topping the New York Times bestseller list, while merchandise has already crept its way...
Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX
The third season of Symphogear brings all the ludicrous over-the-topness that made the first two seasons such a smash, but how does it all wrap up?
― Symphogear has always been a very silly show, one resolutely dedicated to dramatic absurdity and one-upmanship. In its second season, the show doubled down on its premise by emphasizing everything Symphogear and discarding everything not Symphogear. Wha...
Naruto: Kakashi's Story Novel
Naruto's teacher Hatake Kakashi takes center stage in this light novel set one year after the Fourth Shinobi World War.
― When it comes to Naruto characters who warrant further exploration, Hatake Kakashi is at the top of the list. Team 7's cool and collected (but oftentimes aloof and nonsensical) leader is one of the franchise's most popular characters. The hidden lower-half of his face was the subj...
Fairy Tail BD+DVD Parts 16 & 17
As two arcs come to their conclusions, Fairy Tail grows increasingly intense as the characters battle to change the future.
― One of the strengths of Fairy Tail, and indeed other similar shounen series, is the way that it can go from goofy to dead serious in a matter of minutes. The most recent story arcs to receive DVD/BD releases from Funimation, the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse Gate plotlines...
K-ON! The Movie
K-On! settles into a comfortable rhythm for an unremarkable but endearing final movie.
― After the surprisingly draining emotional heights of K-On!'s second season, it'd be difficult for a movie reprise to come off as a truly essential addition to the series. And possibly to its benefit, the K-On! movie doesn't really try to - cataloging the girls' pre-graduation trip to London and quest to come up w...
Sword Art Online II Blu-Ray 3
The shortest arc of Sword Art Online II comes to bluray, and Theron Martin decides if it's worth the hefty price tag.
― At a mere three episodes the Calibur arc is by far the shortest of SAO's five TV series arcs. It is also the weakest in a narrative sense, as its stakes are the lowest and its motivations the most trivial of any of the story arcs. However, Calibur does have one critical factor going...
Rodea the Sky Soldier
Simple but reflexively fun, Rodea the Sky Soldier emerges as the last good Wii game. Unfortunately, it's also on the Wii U and 3DS.
― Second chances come often in Rodea the Sky Soldier. The original game emerged as a Wii creation from Yuji Naka and his Prope studio in 2011. The Wii was on the verge of retirement at the time, but if the man responsible for NiGHTS, Burning Rangers, Ivy the Kiwi!, and s...
Review: Digimon Adventure tri. Episodes 1-4 Streaming
The long-awaited return of Digimon Adventure is finally here, 15 years later. Does it have anything to offer other than a fun nostalgia-wallow? Hope Chapman is ready to find out.
― Ever since Digimon Adventure tri was announced almost a full year ago, fans have been filled with trepidation over the unexpected anniversary project. The heavily anticipated Sailor Moon Crystal and its mixed reception wer...
The Seven Deadly Sins
It gets off to a slow start, but Netflix's exclusive 24-episode action-adventure shonen title eventually builds into something worthwhile.
― The Seven Deadly Sins (hereafter SDS) is the latest and most successful manga by Nakaba Suzuki, who has been active on one shonen title or another since the late '90s. This 24 episode anime adaptation is the first anime based on one of his works and definitely w...
School-Live! GN 1
School-Live's manga is differently paced than the anime based on it, but it's still a great combination of two disparate genres into a strangely fascinating whole.
― Warning: Spoilers for the Major Plot Twist It does feel a little foolish to put that warning here, because Yen Press, the English publisher of Norimitsu Kaihou and Sadoru Chiba's School-Live manga, puts it right there on the back of the ...
Mobile Suit Gundam Part II Blu-Ray
The original Mobile Suit Gundam wraps up with a bluray collection of the episodes that aired after the show was canceled and subsequently resurrected.
― In one of the earliest episodes of the Mobile Suit Gundam: Part 2 Blu-Ray collection, Amuro apologizes to a superior officer for a mutual comrade's death. Amuro believes that fewer people would have died “if I were better at using the Gundam.” The li...
A Silent Voice GN 3
A Silent Voice rises to new heights of emotional acuity in a volume that perfectly captures its protagonist’s roiling emotions.
― Welcome back to A Silent Voice, your source for good kids and sadness. In this third volume, we rejoin Shoya and Shoko as they attempt to make up for lost time, growing slowly closer in spite of hesitance on both sides. In Shoko's case, we see most of her desires secondhan...
Claymore GN 27
The dark fantasy series Claymore comes to a close, but will it satisfy longtime fans of the series?
― While many fans of the franchise have insisted that the anime version of Claymore spoiled things at the end by deviating from the manga, I have always insisted that the anime's ending was the better and more satisfying option at the time. Sure, the manga continued on and explained a lot of things tha...
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun GN 1
What do you do when your dream guy turns out to be a shoujo mangaka? Chiyo's started working as Nozaki's assistant, but she still isn't sure if this is the way to his heart in this very funny 4-koma series from Oresama Teacher's Izumi Tsubaki.
― Izumi Tsubaki is best known in the English-language market for her two shoujo series, both published by Viz: The Magic Touch and Oresama Teacher. Monthly Gir...
Blood Blockade Battlefront Episodes 1-12
Nick Creamer visits Yasuhiro Nightow's world of Hellsalem's Lot and finds a few compelling reasons to stick around.
― There's a lot to get through with Blood Blockade Battlefront, so I'll just start at the top. The show starts off by introducing us to Leonardo Watch, a boy who three years ago was caught in the “Great Collapse.” As New York City shattered to pieces in the distance, Leo and his sister ...
Review: Ghost In The Shell: The New Movie
Makoto and her cybernetic pals are back in the latest full-length animated Ghost in the Shell movie, set in the ARISE timeline. Is it a worthy entry in this storied, beloved sci-fi franchise?
― 20 years ago this month the original Ghost in the Shell movie debuted in theaters, offering what would quickly become the defining animated cyberpunk work. Rather than being an innovator, The New Movie is a wo...
K-ON! Season 2 Blu-Ray
Overall, K-ON! exemplifies “better than the sum of its parts.” And that makes sense, really, because it's the beauty of the construction of these tiny moments that makes it work.
― When I reviewed K-On!, I described it as an “unassuming but quietly excellent slice of life.” Cataloging the first two years in the high school life of Houkago Tea-Time, the show established an endearing cast of characters...
Ghost in the Shell: Arise 3 + 4 Blu-Ray
Things slow down a little in this ambitious prequel series, just in time for the new film debuting this week. Also: Motoko goes on a date!
― The second Arise release includes episodes 3 and 4, each of which is a little over 50 minutes long. While each episode focuses on a specific case, the two are somewhat related and a definitely continuity exists between the two. Both episodes certainly continue t...
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu BD+DVD
Full Metal Panic's light and silly Fumoffu season stands the test of time - it's just as funny to watch Sousuke blow up shoe lockers now as it was in 2005.
― Welcome back to 2003! Funimation's rescue of Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu, a series originally licensed and dubbed by ADV in 2005, is just as much fun as it ever was, although it must be said that the character designs look a little dated. Based on...
Skip Beat! GN 35
Skip Beat's 35th volume proves the series is still going strong while giving most of the inner monologues to Ren. If you've been waiting for him to make a move, this is your book.
― It isn't often that we get a chance to have an entire volume from Ren's point of view, although given that Yoshiki Nakamura has kept Skip Beat going this long without it declining in quality, we ought to expect the unusua...
Mobile Suit Gundam Blu-Ray
The Gundam series that started it all is out on bluray now, but there are two burning questions: how well does the show hold up and how well has it been preserved?
― When Mobile Suit Gundam Blu Ray edition was released in Japan, Bandai aired several commercials, all of which are included in this Blu Ray's bonus content. Each one features a middle-aged man going about his life while softly singing, “F...
Anthem of the Heart
The new film from the creative team behind Anohana is all about expressing yourself no matter how difficult it may be - but how well does the film express itself? Nick Creamer investigates.
― If you expect a movie called “Anthem of the Heart” to have its own heart somewhere in the vicinity of its sleeve, you won't be disappointed. This is a movie about secret hearts and burning youth, full of charact...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 2 GN 1
It's a new arc with a new JoJo as Hirohiko Araki's tale of epic strangeness moves forward in time fifty years to pit Joseph Joestar against the men behind the stone mask that started all of the trouble in the first place.
― Warning: This review contains spoilers for the final volume of Part One: Phantom Blood. No where outside of an eighteenth century Gothic novel can you find melodrama and ridiculou...
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer GN 7-8
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer slows its roll in a volume focused on fleshing out the last few members of the Beast Knights.
― The last volume of Biscuit Hammer ended in dramatic emotional fireworks, as Taro's death prompted Sorano to discover new power within herself and find purpose in her own life. There's little to match those cathartic peaks in this fourth volume; this one is much more leisurely...
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden
Arc System Works put together a competent fighter with some enjoyable side attractions, but Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden can't escape the fans-only landing zone that awaits merely adequate anime-inspired games.
― The modern fighting game barely existed back when Dragon Ball Z first appeared as an anime series and an extension of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga. Yet the two worlds were fated to m...
LDK GN 1
LDK's first volume is a sweet shoujo romance about unlikely roommates that avoids some of the less enjoyable tropes of the genre.
― Shoujo manga has never been shy about finding ways to throw its teenage protagonists into a shared living situation. The most commonly found trope in English-translated works seems to be the Marmalade Boy: parents remarry and kids are thrust into a shared life under the ...
Fatal Frame 5: Maiden of Black Water
Fatal Frame returns as a somewhat modernized horror game experience just in time for Halloween, but the results are decidedly less than spooktacular.
― Featuring more spooky dolls than you can shake a camera at and a cast comprised primarily of breathily voiced young women in incredibly intricate attire, Fatal Frame's fifth installment, Maiden of Black Water, certainly nails the look and feel. The ic...
Selector Infected WIXOSS BD+DVD
Teenagers do battle with a card game you can conveniently purchase! Sound familiar? Maybe, but Theron Martin discovers that there's a lot more to this show than it might seem at first glance.
― By all appearances this 12 episode anime is intended a complement to the real-life CCG WIXOSS rather than an adaptation of or pure advertisement for it, as the two were released concurrently during the Spring ...
Durarara!! x 2 Volume 1
Durarara!! came back in a big way, and now the very first chunk of its return season is on bluray, with a dub, from Aniplex. Hope Chapman puts it through the paces.
― After five long years away from Ryohgo Narita's tangled web of Ikebukuro intrigue, Durarara has finally returned with a second season, split into three cours, which have been split yet again into six releases (of six episodes each) from...
Inari Kon Kon BD+DVD
If forced to describe the shapeshifting romantic comedy Inari Kon Kon in a phrase, I'd likely go with the classic “mostly harmless.”
― If forced to describe Inari Kon Kon in a phrase, I'd likely go with the classic “mostly harmless.” Inari Kon Kon is neither an impressive nor offensive show - it's pleasant enough, has a couple strong elements, and has its heart in the right place. It's not the best s...
Kiss Him, Not Me GN 1
When a fujoshi suddenly loses weight, she finds herself the object of four hot guys' affections in this very funny series from the creator of Mr. Mini-Mart.
― Do you remember a series called Fujoshi Rumi: Mousou Shoujo Otaku Kei by Natsume Konjoh that Media Blasters published back in 2009? It was about a fujoshi who suddenly found herself confronted with a real live boy who wanted to date her, but sh...
The Rising of the Shield Hero Novel 1
The Rising of the Shield Hero's first volume is readable, but ultimately an exercise in unimaginative fantasy writing. Nice art, though.
― You could be forgiven for writing Aneko Yusagi's The Rising of the Shield Hero novel series off as something you've read before, but that isn't entirely fair. Yes, it is another series where virtual reality becomes the new reality in a game-like world, and yes, th...
Hetalia The World Twinkle: Episodes 1-15 Streaming
The latest season of Hetalia takes the show further from its roots than ever before;does this venerable fujoshi franchise still have life left in it?
― At this point, Hetalia may as well be an institution. As long as Hidekaz Himaruya keeps cranking out manga, and as long as there's an audience for it, there will be more anime of Hetalia. The show is now on its sixth season of five-minute gag episodes...
Aldnoah.Zero Part II Blu-Ray
The conclusion to Aldnoah.Zero's first season is heavy-handed with its use of symbolism but still effective as it brings events to a haunting conclusion.
― What is the point of fighting in a war to avenge people who died fighting in a war? This is the question that Aldnoah Zero never quite comes out and asks, and yet it seems to be at the heart of the second half of this first season of the show. It'...
Review: Attack on Titan Part II: End of the World
The conclusion to the controversial live-action Attack on Titan films has arrived; Hope Chapman loved the first installment, but does the second film live up to the promise of the first? That's a tough question.
― Attack on Titan Part II begins with an unusually long, TV-style recap montage of the first film. On the one hand, it's been about a month since that first movie came out, so maybe the audie...
Review: Yoshi's Woolly World
After two decades of mediocrity, Yoshi finally delivers a worthy follow-up to his most beloved classic.
― A personal litmus test for what makes a truly superb action/platform game is how memorable individual levels are. After all, when you're zipping through stage after stage, bouncing across dangling lifts and bopping bunches of enemies, things can start to blend together after a while. The best pla...
Please Twins! DVD
One house, one guy, two girls, both claiming to be his long-lost twin sister. Spoiler alert: there are some sexy misunderstandings.
― Please Twins! Is the 2003 sequel to 2002's highly popular Please Teacher!, although in this case the term “sequel” is being used loosely. The story is set in the same location as its predecessor, with its events taking place about two years after Teacher started, and m...
K-ON! Season One Blu-Ray
Fresh out on bluray, K-On! returns to enjoy a few more lazy afternoons, but does this recently-minted classic series hold up in 2015?
― So here it is. The big moe specter, that harbinger of slice of life disaster, K-On! Considering the show's reputation as Patient Zero for a specific commercial trend, you'd almost expect the show itself to be either magnificent or terrible - after all, depending on y...
QQ Sweeper GN 1
Kyousuke Motomi is back with a new series that has a much more supernatural plot than her previous ones.
― Kyousuke Motomi, author of Beast Master and Dengeki Daisy, is back with a new, much more supernatural series, continuing Viz's new(ish) trend of publishing a mangaka's latest work right after they finish with the previous title. It's a treat for fans of Motomi's work, and while QQ Sweeper's firs...
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz!
A classic example of what happens when a series tries to be something it isn't, and thus for more than half of its run basically ignores what is actually the strength of this branch of the franchise.
― So is there some contest going on in Japan to see who can come up with the most awkward way to name a sequel series? Really, simply putting a 3 after the title, when it is the third series in this bran...
The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 2
The Ancient Magus’ Bride continues to celebrate a style of fantastical storytelling full of mystery and wonder.
― When Ancient Magus' Bride left off, Chise was caught in a trap set by another mage, unable to complete her task of exorcising the darkness of the lake. This volume opens with a rush of action, as Chise quickly frees herself and then stumbles into the memories of the blight itself, learnin...
Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City Novel 1
This spin-off prequel novel about the struggle for survival after the fall of Wall Maria is by far the easiest AoT novel to get into and tells a good story in its own right.
― In some ways, Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan series can be read as an expression of human fears. As the assumed dominant species on Earth, the ones with the brains to outwit the predators who are better physically equipped to...
Sword Art Online Novel 5
SAO's fifth novel gives the series a much-needed rejuvenation as Kirito sets out to solve the mysteries of a new game and the story begins to really explore the psychological consequences of its first arc.
― There are quite a few ways to continue a series after you've reasonably concluded it – twice. Reki Kawahara appears to be using two of them: go back and expand on what you've already written (the...
Senki Zesshō Symphogear G
Symphogear returns for a second season that doubles down on the original’s strengths while jettisoning any dead weight like “character development” or “coherent writing.”
― If there is a single coherent theme running through all of Symphogear, it has to be “restraint is for suckers.” The first season of this ridiculous show ended with a resurrected goddess hidden in a scientist's genes attempting to ...
When Marnie Was There BD+DVD
Studio Ghibli's latest (and possibly last) theatrical film may not have the hype machine of a Miyazaki release behind it, but it's a beautiful story about finding your place and your peace in the world.
― When Marnie Was There, a film from Studio Ghibli from 2014, is a difficult story to describe. Based on the 1967 novel by Joan G. Robinson (as of this writing out of print in the United States but in...
Review: Boruto -Naruto the Movie-
It seems like just yesterday we learned that Naruto had a son, who now has a movie of his own (which is in US theaters this weekend). ANN's resident Naruto expert puts Boruto's big-screen adventure to the test.
― Boruto: Naruto the Movie expands on the manga's epilogue, presenting the story of a young genin disenchanted with his hero father. Living in a peaceful world with a loving family, Boruto's c...
Review: Garm Wars: The Last Druid
Mamoru Oshii's latest live-action fantasy extravaganza has its roots deep in his previous films; Brian Ruh tries to make sense of it all, but more importantly, is the film any good?
― It's become something of a rule of thumb among some anime fans to avoid Mamoru Oshii's live-action films. On the surface, this impulse is perfectly understandable. Oshii has been widely acclaimed for being one of the fo...
Snow White with the Red Hair Episodes 1-12 Streaming
The first half of this popular, gorgeous Disney-esque shoujo fantasy wrapped up earlier this month. Does it capture your heart well enough to warrant a second season?
― The past year or so has been good for shojo romances with strong-willed heroines. Snow White with the Red Hair is just the latest after Yona of the Dawn and The World is Still Beautiful. What sets Shirayuki apart from her fellow heroi...
Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! DVD 2+DVD
The magical boys are back in more adventures with their pink wombat friend and Mr. Tawarayama's dead body. It's still a lot of fun, but these releases still only have 4 episodes each.
― Episodic shows can run into trouble pretty early on if they aren't careful, and that's doubly true of episodic formulaic shows. Fortunately Cute High Earth Defense Club Love knows enough to mix up its formula and to p...
Naruto, Vol. 72
Naruto and Sasuke have their long-awaited showdown in the final volume of Masashi Kishimoto’s iconic ninja manga.
― Just as it seems like Naruto and company have restored peace to the world, Sasuke throws a wrench in the celebration by proclaiming his intentions to become the ninja world's all-powerful dictator. To bring his plan to fruition, he needs to wash away the sins of the old world by killing...
Servamp GN 1 - 3
Servamp's humor hides an increasingly dark story as the volumes go on, making it more than it first appears to be.
― From the title, it is easy to assume that Strike Tanaka's Servamp is a straight comedy. It's a portmanteau of “servant” and “vampire,” after all, which seems like it could very easily be played for laughs. And Servamp's first three volumes are funny, particularly when it comes to Kuro'...
Monster Musume Episodes 1-12 Streaming
One man, a snake, a spider, a horse, some goop, and so much more; Monster Musume rides its very silly premise all the way to the comedy bank.
― We are entering a brave new era of fanservice. No longer can the fans simply be sated by boys walking in on girls changing, or tripping and falling face-first into boobs, or watching girls splash each other in swimsuits. No, to please today's discerning fanse...
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
The new Animal Crossing game strips out most of what people associate with the franchise to focus almost entirely on interior design. It's so crazy it just might work!
― There are some game ideas that sound great on paper but are executed horribly. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is the exact opposite: it sounds like an absolutely terrible idea on paper. Take a game known for its numerous life-s...
Persona 4 the Golden Animation Sub.Blu-Ray 2
The final 6 episodes of Persona 4 the Golden Animation tell what's left of a very specific story for very specific RPG players. Gabriella Ekens determines whether or not it's worth the asking price.
― After six episodes of situational shenanigans and foreshadowing of Adachi's dark intentions, the latter half of Persona 4: The Golden Animation mostly consists of climactic events. It all concerns the n...
Rose Guns Days Season One GN 1
The latest series from the creator of Higurashi doesn't have nearly the potential or intrigue as his previous works, but plenty that might give some readers pause.
― I have always suspected Ryukishi07 of being either fascinated by, upset with, or obsessed with World War Two. It has exerted a subtle influence over his previous series Higurashi: When They Cry and Umineko: When They Cry, and now in Rose...
Kamigami no Asobi: Ludere deorum Sub.Blu-Ray
Kamigami no Asobi may play fast and loose with mythology, but it's still one of the more enjoyable and interesting reverse harem anime in recent memory.
― Who needs fractured fairy tales when you can have mangled mythology? Welcome to Kamigami no Asobi, an otome game-based series that throws together gods from the Shinto, Greek, Norse, and Egyptian pantheons in a magical high school setting alongside...
Sword Art Online II Blu-Ray 2
Kirito's gunslinging heroics in Gun Gale Online continue, and the initial setup of the series is over so we're finally getting to the meat of the show. Theron Martin takes in Aniplex's new bluray release.
― Episodes 8-14 comprise the second half of the Phantom Bullet story arc. It is arguably the better half, as all of the sometimes-tedious set-up is done, allowing the story to concentrate on the rea...
Your Lie in April GN 1
Your Lie in April has good intentions, but it doesn't seem to quite understand how to pull its story off emotionally.
― Your Lie in April's first volume is a difficult book. Not in terms of being readable or confusing; rather this is an emotionally complicated tale that at times feels well-intentioned and sweet and at others feels unintentionally mean. At its heart it is about a traumatized boy learn...
Tsukimonogatari: Yotsugi Doll Sub.Blu-Ray
Araragi returns to the spotlight in an arc that firmly demonstrates why Araragi does not belong in the spotlight.
― Koyomi Araragi is a problem. His personal existence reflects and embraces all of the fanservicey, indulgent stuff that makes Monogatari divisive. When an arc centers itself on his perspective, you can be fairly sure it'll be rife with lechery, incest jokes, and “I love little girls.” If...
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Blu-Ray
Yoshiaki Kawajiri's spectacularly animated gothic adventure finally comes to bluray, but after 15 years, does it still hold up?
― Bloodlust is the 2001 follow-up to the original 1985 movie Vampire Hunter D. Whereas the first movie adapted the first novel of the source series by Hiyuki Kikuchi, this one loosely adapts the third novel, in the process adding in a couple of new elements while discarding ...
Game Review: Afro Samurai 2: Kuma's Revenge
Afro Samurai gets resurrected as a video game, this time an episodic sequel to the 2009 Xbox 360 game. Dave Riley thinks maybe they should've left this one in the oven a little longer, though.
― Afro Samurai has always been a curious case, a rare piece of major Japanese media that reciprocates American hip hop's pointed interest in Asian pop culture. A self-funded manga from an indie Japanese creator...
One-Punch Man GN 1 & 2
One of the most anticipated anime of fall 2015 is out now in manga form. Rebecca takes a look at the first two volumes.
― One thing you can say about ONE and Yusuke Murata's One-Punch Man: the title does not lie. The shounen parody, which began life as a web comic both written and illustrated by ONE, follows the adventures of Saitama, a young man who got sidetracked on his way to a job interview thre...
Turn A Gundam Sub.DVD
Turn A Gundam returns in a second half that flies to the moon and back in search of a lasting peace.
― When I last left Turn A Gundam, the Dianna Counter and Militia forces were still sparring on earth, with various side groups like the Rett squad and Corin Nander occasionally throwing wrenches into their already-fraught attempts at negotiations. Those earlier episodes dithered around somewhat, with ...
Chiro - The Star Project GN 1
Chiro - The Star Project is an unlikely title to get a license rescue, but its story of a pampered girl learning that her looks won't get her out of everything has enough potential that it may yet prove itself.
― You never can quite tell what series cut off in their prime will get a license rescue. Some make perfect sense, while others feel a little more random. Netcomics' reissue of Hyekyung Baek's ...
Naruto, Vol. 71
This is it: the second-to-last volume of Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus, one of the most popular manga of all time. Can you believe it?
― The entirety of Naruto Volume 71 of is devoted to the showdown with Kaguya, who's been released from her sons' seal as a result of the Divine Tree's resurrection. The volume opens on a needlessly complex info dump courtesy of Black Zetsu, who reveals his true iden...
The Irregular at Magic High School Sub.Blu-Ray 2
The Irregular at Magic High School's second arc suffers from glacial pacing, but it still manages to relay some important information.
― This may be just my opinion, but I rather thought that competitions, when portrayed in a visual medium such as anime, ought to be as tense and exciting as possible. We should be on the edges of our proverbial seats as the talented groups compete for supremacy, or at...
IDOLM@STER (Episodes 1-25 Streaming)
The Idolmaster combines an engaging cast with jaw-dropping production to create a show worth watching for anyone with any interest in idols and anyone who loves animation for its own sake.
― The Idolmaster is based on a rhythm/”raising” game, where you take the role of a producer of a new idol or group of idols as they attempt to make it in the idealized but still fairly dog-eat-dog world of professi...
Super Mario Maker
The good news: Mario Maker is a great tool that lets anyone design Mario levels. The bad news: Mario Maker is a great tool that lets anyone design Mario levels.
― It's pointless to try and review Super Mario Maker like most other games, because it's not as much of a game as it is a tool. Sure, there are a handful of pre-made levels on the disc to mess around with, but ultimately most of the fun from ...
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