Paul tumbles down a wormhole of panty panic when faced with the mystery/comedy madness of Punch Line. Plus, all this week's new releases! ― By the time you read this, I'll be on my way home after going on vacation over Labor Day weekend. That means I'm writing this column earlier than usual in order to get it done before I leave, so hello from the distant past! It turns out time travel's easy as lon...

review

14 comments

The Asterisk War Novel 1

Sep 5, 10:00

14 comments

novels

The first volume of The Asterisk War's original light novel series is a breezy read with more complex characterization than its adaptations. Rebecca Silverman takes a look. ― I suspect that I'm not the only one who is sick of tsunderes, those characters who appear to be prickly and harsh on the outside but have warm, gooey, emotional centers. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that not only is...

column

11 comments

The Mike Toole Show - gdgd Gravy

Sep 4, 15:15

11 comments

anime

Mike's attempt at creating his own animation leads him to an encounter with gdgd fairies, one of the strangest cult comedy anime in recent memory. ― Did I ever tell you all how I myself became an animator? It's true! I am totally someone who has made original animation that has appeared on television. If you follow me on twitter or keep tabs on my incessant nerd behavior in general (lately: playing S...

review

24 comments

Absolute Duo BD+DVD

Sep 4, 10:31

24 comments

anime

It seems like every new season is awash with light novel anime these days, but does Absolute Duo rise above the pack? Theron Martin breaks things down. ― This series' debut last year was not well-received here on ANN; its first episode was one of the lowest-rated of the season amongst ANN staff and readers alike (only World Break and Unlimited Fafnir fared worse), and it did not poll well enough to m...

column

36 comments

The List - 6 Families You Don't Want to Cross

Sep 3, 11:00

36 comments

anime

From packs of mobsters to long lineages of tyrants, these broods spell bad news for anyone who runs afoul of their plans! It's best to keep your head out of these family matters... ― The phrase "blood is thicker than water" is widely used to demonstrate that familial allegiances trump all else, but these families stretch that oath to the breaking point. Rites of inheritance or generational power can...

review

11 comments

My Hero Academia GN 5

Sep 3, 10:00

11 comments

manga

My Hero Academia's strongest students face off in the sports festival finals, bringing many character arcs to an explosive climax. Nick Creamer explores this standout volume. ― What does it mean to stand in the shadow of those who've come before you? None of My Hero Academia's stars can avoid those shadows. Be it familial duty or simply the pro heroes chanting from the crowds, their past, present, an...

column

32 comments

Answerman - How Have Anime DVDs and Blu-rays Changed Over The Years?

Sep 2, 14:13

32 comments

industry

That anime bluray in your hands is the product of many changes and improvements over the years - Justin gets in to just how much our current physical media has changed. ― Jake asks: By now DVD's have been on the market for over 20 years and Blu-ray disks for over a decade and I have been thinking about how much technology has changed in that time. It has me wondering about the technical, under the h...

feature

64 comments

Thirty Years Ago: The Best Anime of 1986

Sep 2, 11:02

64 comments

anime

1986 wasn't just another year in the anime industry - from Castle in the Sky to Megazone 23, countless iconic and influential productions were released. Daryl Surat takes you on a journey through the year that was. ― The amount of new anime released every year is staggering. It's now the norm in the 2010s that every few months there are at least thirty new series starting, but ask yourselves: on aver...

review

19 comments

Barakamon BD+DVD

Sep 2, 10:00

19 comments

anime

This down-to-earth slice-of-life comedy has some surprising insights about what it means to be an artist, with lots of laughs to be had along the way. Jacob Chapman dives in. ― Common wisdom regarding critics is often contradictory. "Everyone's a critic," but at the same time, "no one loves a critic." It might seem like madness at first, but it makes more sense when you consider that the creative pro...

ep. review

535 comments

Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 474

Sep 2, 09:31

535 comments

anime

It's the end of the fight against Kaguya and Amy McNulty's 100th episode review of Naruto Shippuden! So how did this incredibly long battle wrap up?