2003 Year in Review
Jan 22nd 2004⬈
⬋
-
+
Shelf Life - Knights of Sidonia Season 2
anime
This cel-shaded CG space opera continues into its second season with a renewed sense of purpose. Paul Jensen explores this set along with the week's other new releases!
― One thing I've noticed about reviewing anime is that strange things happen when you try to type too quickly. I have, on several occasions, turned Magical Girl Raising Project into "Magical Girl Raisin Project" while writing episode...
Super Mario Adventures GN
manga
Super Mario Adventures is a fun trip down memory lane, but risks not appealing to those who missed out on the Nintendo Power era. It's time to do the Mario!
― Originally running over the course of 1992 in Nintendo Power magazine, Super Mario Adventures is the second of Viz's large-format, full-color collected editions of the magazine's nostalgic comics. That's really the chief appeal here – the nosta...
The Mike Toole Show - Japan's Superhero Legacy
anime
An encounter with My Hero Academia in Shonen Jump sends Mike on a whirlwind tour of Japanese superheroes like Golden Bat, 8 Man, and even Batman himself!
― I was at lunch when I got the notification: somebody had bought that Yu-Gi-Oh! card I had on eBay. I don't play Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I get a couple of cards every year as part of my Shonen Jump digital subscription. The cards are immediately placed on e...
Cells at Work! GN 1
manga
The immune system has never been so much fun in this educational manga about blood cells doing their jobs inside the human body.
― First there was Moyasimon, making bacteria cute. Now there's Cells at Work, anthropomorphizing blood cells as diligent workers, living inside little towns in your veins. Both manga have shared educational goals, but Cells at Work specifically focuses on the human immune s...
The List - 6 Anime About the Awesome Power of Music
anime
Short of the power of love, nothing can top the power of music to change lives in these super-sonorous anime adventures!
― The power of music, utilized by magic bards wielding flutes and lutes, is a familiar staple to roleplaying gamers. Their original task was to commemorate the great deeds of their patrons and ensure history was passed down via song. It wouldn't be inaccurate to credit bards, and ...
Rainy Cocoa Sub.DVD
anime
Rainy Cocoa is about an hour's worth of cute and not much else. Rebecca breaks down this bite-sized oddity.
― Anime shorts can take a few different directions in terms of how they approach their stories. Some tell a complete tale in bite-size pieces, others eschew plot for random antics or sketches on a theme, and still others divide a relatively plotless story into a season's worth of episodes. Rain...
Answerman - Is Japanese Language From Anime Different Than Normal Japanese?
anime
Just how different is everyday Japanese language different from the way they speak in anime? Can you learn Japanese by watching anime? Justin has some answers.
― AJ asks: I've been studying Japanese for a while now, but it's only recently clicked that there appears to be a disconnect between how formal people are with each other in how they address each other and how they speak in anime. What I mean...
Don't Get Jaded: Cynicism in Anime
anime
Nick Creamer explores the snarky, biting, and sometimes wildly relatable cynicism in anime like SNAFU and this season's Girlish Number, shows that speak with a sardonic smirk.
― I've been watching some pretty jaded shows recently. Girlish Number is the new one - written by Wataru Watari, the author of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, its protagonist harbors all the snark and world-facing resentment you...
Complex Age GN 2
manga
Complex Age continues its exploration of what a grown-up "should" be through the story of an adult woman cosplayer. Rebecca Silverman dives in.
― For many of us who technically classify as “adults,” Complex Age is somewhere between “familiar” and “unsettling.” The story follows Nagisa, a woman in her twenties who is an avid cosplayer, making her own costumes, going to events, etc. She keeps her hobby...
Monster Musume Favorite Character Contest
manga
Vote for your favorite Monster Musume character and you could win some amazing prizes.
― Contest Giveaway Manga Sale 1. Contest Details Vote for your favorite Monster Musume character in this official Monster Musume Popularity Contest! If you have a BookWalker Global account, you'll also be eligible for some AMAZING PRIZES. To participate, fill out the form below. 2. GIVEAWAYS: Enter for a chance to...
The Monster Girls Want to Play!
manga
The spicy boy-meet-girl-monsters manga comedy Monster Musume has been a hit since it slithered sexily from the mind of artist OKAYADO. You could call it a harem manga, but you've never seen a harem like this one. It starts with a bird-girl, a snake-girl and a horse-girl, and then it gets really strange. All these ladies are flying, clopping and otherwise perambulating to Japan as part of a govern...
This Week in Games - Rest In Peace, Wii U
games
It brought us Mario Maker, Splatoon, Super Mario 3D world and Bayonetta 2, and now it's toast. Dustin salutes the Wii U on the eve of its demise. PLUS: Overwatch's Sombra and more!
― First, a note: please be excellent to each other, people. Now let's forget our problems for a few moments with the most beautiful of distractions—video games. Farewell, Wii Hardly Knew U We heard that the Wii U would be ...