This week: Todd looks at Square Enix’s throwback RPG! Plus Gravity Rush 2, Nintendo classics, and a major announcement! ― I'll start this column with some very important news: The X Button is retiring. If all goes as planned, the final installment will go up next Thursday, July 28. I must preemptively fend off rumors that the column's being shuttered because of my controversial stand on the Breath o...

review

4 comments

Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto GN 4

Jul 21, 10:00

4 comments

manga

Sakamoto walks off into the sunset in this final volume of Nami Sato's breakout comedy manga. But do Sakamoto's adventures come to a surprisingly emotional conclusion instead? ― It's hard to believe, but with this volume of Nami Sato's breakout manga, our time with Sakamoto comes to an end. Whether it was planned this way or not, each volume ends up representing one season of Sakamoto's school life, ...

column

59 comments

Answerman - Why Does Anime Go Unlicensed?

Jul 20, 13:00

59 comments

anime

In an age when almost every anime series gets licensed, how and why exactly do some shows still fall between the cracks? Justin breaks it down. ― Imogen asks: With the recent news article about Sentai dubbing Amagi Brilliant Park I was curious to know if there's a reason why one of Kyoto Animation's other works 'Hyouka' hasn't had any distribution beyond Japan when all of their other shows have? Is ...

feature

70 comments

The Most (And Least) Relatable Gundam Heroes

Jul 20, 12:30

70 comments

anime

Lauren Orsini lists the Gundam pilots whose decision-making skills and emotional fortitude she can relate to the most - while exploring how your favorite Gundam pilots can say a lot about you and the Gundam series you respond to most. ― Gundam has given us a lot of main characters who are strong, capable, and smart. But how many of them can you actually relate to? Since Mobile Suit Gundam first aired...

review

27 comments

Gundam Build Fighters Blu-Ray

Jul 20, 10:00

27 comments

anime

Lauren Orsini takes a look at the first Gundam series revolving completely around Gunpla models. Is there secretly much more to this series underneath its toy commercial polish? ― Let's address the elephant in the room: Gundam Build Fighters is a toy commercial. However, it's an amazing toy commercial with beautiful animation, innovative mecha designs, humor, and heart—one that I want to watch again ...

feature

36 comments

Interview: Studio Bones President Masahiko Minami

Jul 19, 12:20

36 comments

anime

The president of the studio behind classics like Fullmetal Alchemist and recent smash hits My Hero Academia and this season's Mob Psycho 100 speaks his mind on the state of the industry and his studio's incredible output! ― Masahiko Minami is a co-founder and the president of BONES, the studio behind world-class anime classics like Fullmetal Alchemist, Eureka Seven, and most recently, the internation...

column

13 comments

Vice & Luna - #6

Jul 19, 10:24

13 comments

just for fun

Naming your brand-new pet can be a pretty difficult task, but nobody's up to the job like Blume! ― Art: Lanny Liu Script: Zac Bertschy Editor: Jacob Chapman

review

13 comments

The Empire of Corpses BD+DVD

Jul 19, 10:00

13 comments

anime

When young John Watson's friend dies, he tries to replicate Frankenstein's reanimation of a corpse in this darkly fascinating 19th-century adventure from Studio Wit. So how does this unusual horror tale turn out? ― When Mary Shelley published her novel Frankenstein in 1818, I wonder if she had any idea how enduring it would become. The tale of Dr. Victor Frankenstein's efforts to create life from dea...

column

22 comments

Shelf Life - Sekirei

Jul 18, 11:00

22 comments

anime

Does Sekirei have enough bounce per ounce to be worth your time? Paul Jensen has the answers, plus all this week's new releases! ― I'm not sure what kind of licensing deal led to every episode of ReLIFE being available at once, but it's kind of convenient. By the time I finish watching it, I should have a backlog of at least a couple episodes to binge through on all the other shows I'm following thi...

review

7 comments

Assassination Classroom BD+DVD Part One

Jul 18, 10:00

7 comments

anime

Assassination Classroom takes its bizarre premise to surprisingly sentimental heights in its first eleven episodes. Rebecca Silverman explores just what makes this shonen story so special. ― It isn't a perfect comparison, but in many ways Assassination Classroom is like a combination of Dead Poets' Society and Akame ga Kill. That's what you get when you take a story about a strange, smiley-faced mult...

Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman vs Baikinman!? (movie)

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