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Poco's Udon World ‒ Episode 6
"This week's Poco's Udon World promptly takes us from the rural quiet of Kagawa to the hustle-and-bustle of metropolitan Tokyo."
Occultic;Nine ‒ Episode 6
"Occultic;Nine's visual execution continues to be its saving grace."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 6
"Classicaloid has a lot of exciting spectacle and some important emotional scenes, but it needs to work on keeping its plot threads together."
Kiss Him, Not Me ‒ Episode 6
Kae's new fujoshi friendship is torn asunder by an unexpected shipping war this week, and Amy takes a listen to Funimation's first simuldub episode of Kiss Him, Not Me!
Cells at Work! GN 1
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...
Flip Flappers ‒ Episode 6
"Flip Flappers finally became the best of all its strengths at once, blowing me away more than ever before."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 6
"Equally charged reflections and images ran up and down this episode, which was almost entirely framed from Rei's most depressive of mindsets."
WWW.WAGNARIA!! ‒ Episode 7
"WWW.Wagnaria!! appears to be back in top form, and this episode helps to relieve any worries that the series could be running out of good material."
Magical Girl Raising Project ‒ Episode 7
"If nothing else, this episode gives us another chance to compare the moral codes of the remaining magical girls."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable ‒ Episode 33
"There's always that hard-to-describe balance between drama, weirdness, and pointlessness that contributes to the charm of this show."
Haikyu!! 3rd Season ‒ Episode 6
"With only four episodes remaining and one set to cover, the show knows that the tension is rising, and I may have to start holding onto something I can squeeze while watching."
Lostorage incited WIXOSS ‒ Episode 6
"Time will tell if any of this episode's setup will amount to anything, but for now I'm just hoping this is a minor speedbump."
Drifters ‒ Episode 6
Drifters has a slightly rocky installment this week, but at least Funimation has a shiny new broadcast dub for James to check out!
Rainy Cocoa Sub.DVD
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...
Bungo Stray Dogs ‒ Episode 19
"The threads are rapidly becoming very tangled in this three-way battle."
All Out!! ‒ Episode 6
"All Out!! continues to be an engaging and entertaining example of its genre."
Keijo!!!!!!!! ‒ Episode 6
"This episode is mostly a light-hearted journey for the elite class to Kyoto, which results in some initial downtime."
Complex Age GN 2
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...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 483
"Although it had its strong points, I'm not particularly saddened to see the Boyhood series come to an end."
Yuri!!! on Ice ‒ Episode 6
"Halfway through its run, Yuri!!! on Ice continues to progress at a blistering pace."
Brave Witches ‒ Episode 5
"Eventually this series will aim for something more dramatic, but for now it seems content to meander along and focus on character development."
Sound! Euphonium 2 ‒ Episode 6
"On a general level, this episode reflected Sound! Euphonium 2's largest flaw: its lack of dramatic and thematic focus."
In Search of the Lost Future BD+DVD
This VN adaptation squanders its interesting plot in a poorly-paced bid to cram in too many other story elements. Rebecca Silverman breaks down what went wrong.
― Light novels may have overtaken visual novels as anime source material lately, but their adaptations are still around, as In Search of the Lost Future reminds us. Based on the 2010 visual novel of the same name, the story follows the six me...
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 31
"While it certainly isn't perfect, this episode does a great job to help transform Kinako from a one-note gimmick into an honest-to-goodness character."
Girlish Number ‒ Episode 5
"The contrast between this episode's somber tone and often farcical material lead to some occasionally awkward moments."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 6
Nanbaka hits a major speedbump in episode 6, but Rose has some more positive thoughts on the first installment of the show's broadcast dub!
Answerman - How Are Anime Materials Archived?
Once an anime is finished airing, how do they preserve the show? Justin goes into all the ways Japan has preserved anime media over the years, and how it winds up in your hands.
― Ashley asks: Given that anime publishers and licensors can't just throw a master tape or a film can in a vault anymore, how does the process of archiving master materials work, both from a practical hardware standpoint and...
Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go ‒ Episode 6
"It's a standalone snow globe of an episode—full of fierce love and emotional permanence."
The Biggest Animation Highlights of Fall 2016
As the year's fall anime slate reaches its midway point, Kevin Cirugeda explores this sakuga-heavy season's most jaw-dropping and soul-warming animation showcases!
― Every now and then we're blessed with particularly strong anime seasons, batches of new series with a surprising wide range that gives any viewer at least something to treasure. This wonderful fall didn't quite sneak up on us though, the...
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria Novel 1
This DanMachi side story explores the adventures of Aiz, but is it essential reading for franchise fans?
― The DanMachi franchise has been successful enough that a spin-off novel series should come as no surprise. And no other supporting character is as worthy of a new storyline focus as Aiz Wallenstein, the inscrutable savior, idol, and love interest of original protagonist Bell Cranel. The result i...
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Oct 29-Nov 4
Flip Flappers shoots up the rankings this week, while Bungo Stray Dogs takes a precipitous plummet! Find out where your own favorites rank!
― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Fall 2016 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that these rankings are bas...
Trickster ‒ Episode 6
Trickster slows down for a breather episode this week, and Anne takes a look at Funi's new broadcast dub!
Interview: Studio SHAFT president Mitsutoshi Kubota
At this year's first annual Akiba Fest, Studio SHAFT's president sat down with a roundtable of interviewers to discuss his career and philosophy for creating great anime!
― Mitsutoshi Kubota is the president of Studio Shaft, which is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. His body of work includes popular and diverse titles ranging from the Hidamari Sketch, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, and Bakemono...
Tokyo Ghoul GN 7-9
Tokyo Ghoul cements its Gothic roots in these three volumes, which mark a major change for both Kaneki and the overall direction of the story.
― Tampering with the makeup of humanity, be it physical or psychological, has long been a subject of literary fascination. One of the first to take the idea in a specifically Gothic direction was Matthew Lewis' 1796 novel The Monk, which saw its lead character...
One Piece ‒ Episode 763
"It now officially feels like the new "saga" of One Piece has begun."
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 65
"Zamasu honestly does feel like an authentic successor to the previous villains from the Dragon Ball manga."
Answerman - Why Do Voice Actors Perform Multiple Roles In Dubs?
In many anime, you'll find the same Japanese voice actor playing multiple roles - why is that? Justin gets into it.
― Kevin asks: I've been notching that in the credits that some of our voice actors play 3-5 characters. While in the Japanese's cast all voice actors have a different person and only play one person. Why is that? Also some voice actors in japan play characters that have only a single l...
Shelf Life - Cobra The Animation
Gabriella takes a look at this 2010 revival of a classic '80s psychedelic space adventure. Plus, all this week's new releases!
― I had a lame joke ready to use in this week's intro, but then Funimation picked up the license for Nichijou - My Ordinary Life, and that's clearly much more interesting. I watched this show when it aired and was crushed when the original plans for a release were scrapped. ...
Review: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Blu-Ray
Ten years after it set the otaku world on fire, does Haruhi Suzumiya still hold up as a slice-of-life comedy adventure? Nick Creamer cracks open this time capsule.
― It can be difficult to picture now what a big deal The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya once was, with cosplay, fandom clubs, countless Hare Hare Yukai videos, and an overwhelming convention presence once dominating the scene. One of my fir...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 31
"This week featured a military stalemate that just wouldn't end, and the episode's lack of a clear-cut conclusion—again—really drove that perpetuity home."
Poco's Udon World ‒ Episode 5
"While Souta and Poco largely take a backseat this week, Nakajima is a compelling enough character to carry his own story."
Occultic;Nine ‒ Episode 5
"It's a shame that Occultic;Nine seems to have done so much to repel its audience right off the bat – it's only been on an upward trajectory since then."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 5
"This week, ClassicaLoid made what could have been a completely silly episode feel meaningful."
The Rising of the Shield Hero Novel 6
As Naofumi struggles to get the other three heroes to understand that this is not a game, will he be the only one left standing when the battle's done? Rebecca Silverman investigates.
― Aneko Yusagi's The Rising of the Shield Hero light novel series has come a long way from when it began. Volume one was very much a standard transported-to-another-world fantasy with its major claim to fame being that ...
Kiss Him, Not Me ‒ Episode 5
"If Kae's yo-yo-ing weight remains a prominent plot fixture, I can easily see it wearing thin."
Flip Flappers ‒ Episode 5
"After weeks of traveling to enchanting dream worlds, it looks like Cocona and Papika have stumbled into their first world of nightmares."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 5
"March is an uneven show, but its base strengths are evident even when it stumbles."
Magical Girl Raising Project ‒ Episode 6
"A sudden and violent shift in storytelling almost makes it seem like Magical Girl Raising Project is trying to make up for not killing anyone off last week."
WWW.WAGNARIA!! ‒ Episode 6
"The show's ongoing problem of jokes playing out exactly as expected continues to rear its head more often than it should."
Izetta: The Last Witch ‒ Episode 6
"Episode 6 reaffirms that, no matter how serious the story remains, it will still have brief lighter interludes – whether they're appropriate or not."
Bungo Stray Dogs ‒ Episode 18
"We're really starting to get down to the nitty-gritty of what makes Akutagawa tick."
Haikyu!! 3rd Season ‒ Episode 5
"With only two sets to go, the winner of this fourth one could very well determine things without the teams ever playing the fifth."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable ‒ Episode 32
"I was so-so on the Kanedaichi plot last week, but it honestly got a lot more interesting once it was one of several things going on in an episode."
The List - 7 Powered-Up Forms That Are More Weird Than Awesome
Usually when an anime character in an action show gets fully powered up, they look intimidating and awesome - but that isn't always the case!
― Hey everyone, we have a Classic for you this week. I'll return to your regularly scheduled list next week with the Power of Music and Lost Anime Films. Until then, enjoy these silly power-ups! It's right about when all hope is lost that a character finally p...
Inside the 2016 Barcelona Manga Fair
Spain's biggest anime and Japanese culture convention broke its attendance records once again this year with over 140,000 visitors! Manu G. has the inside scoop on this king-sized event.
― The 22nd Barcelona Manga Fair (also known as Salón del Manga de Barcelona) took place this last weekend, which has been the largest event related to Japanese culture in Spain from its very first year. Every new ed...
Lostorage incited WIXOSS ‒ Episode 5
"The plot this week felt like busywork, but busywork that amounted to very little end product."
Drifters ‒ Episode 5
"Drifters will never be Shakespeare, but it's always good to see the storytelling at least dip its toe into the waters of thematic ideas."
All Out!! ‒ Episode 5
"This show doesn't shoot for the moon, but it's engaging enough to deliver a good time."
ANNCast - The Discotek Threat
Discotek's Brady Hartel stops by to talk about what this boutique DVD & bluray studio has been up to, including Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and the latest, greatest Lupin anime!
― ANNCast Episode 275: The Discotek Threat Discotek's Brady Hartel stops by to talk about what this boutique DVD & bluray studio has been up to, including Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie and the latest, great...
Answerman - Why Do You Still See Flip Phones In Anime?
They're all but gone in America, but you see classic flip phones in anime all the time - what's the deal with that? Justin has the answer.
― Osiris asks: I've seen a lot of animes in which people only have old cell phones (durarara for example) but rarely they have smartphones, which i find weird since japan has great technology advances. Does people in japan actually use those old cell phones these...
Fairy Tales in Anime and Manga
From Snow White with the Red Hair to Flip Flappers, anime and manga are no stranger to classic fairy tales, but their reinterpretations can be very strange, as Rebecca Silverman explains...
― Are there any words filled with more anticipation than “once upon a time?” They've moved beyond being a stock phrase in oral storytelling; that four-word phrase has become the signal that we're about to hear som...
Review: A Silent Voice
Kyoto Animation's highly anticipated, lavishly-animated and epic-length adaptation of the smash hit manga A Silent Voice recently played the Scotland Loves Anime festival - and Kevin Cirugeda was there to see it!
― It's only appropriate that after announcing the plans for an anime adaptation – quickly detailed as a film – this project went silent for about a year. The idea of a beloved award-winning ...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 482
"If this is a reflection of what we can expect moving forward, it's probably a good thing that this miniseries is slated to end after next week."
Keijo!!!!!!!! ‒ Episode 5
"After the battles for the other Room 309 members last round, now it's finally Nozomi's turn."
Yuri!!! on Ice ‒ Episode 5
"The show buckles down to resolve some of the underlying dangers in Yuuri and Victor's partnership."
Brave Witches ‒ Episode 4
"After taking a week off due to the production reportedly falling behind schedule, Brave Witches is back in business."
Girlish Number ‒ Episode 4
"I'm not sure where everything will end up, but there's still more than enough thoughtful material here to keep me eager to find out."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid GN 1
Tired of the guys getting all the monster girls? Here's a story about an unwitting female office worker who invites a dragon girl into her home!
― Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid may be yet another in the seemingly endless library of monster girl stories, but it distinguishes itself right away by being about a monster girl who moves in with an office worker rather than a young male college student. Koba...
This Week in Games - Owlboy
Zac Bertschy reviews the Castlevania and Metroid-inspired "hi-bit" adventure Owlboy and discovers it's a real hoot! PLUS: Dustin runs down this week's big news and release list!
― Let me fill you in on a secret—moving sucks. I'm writing this in the midst of a pile of boxes that I can barely see over, in a hastily thrown together office that I had to set up in the new house because the cable company s...
Sound! Euphonium 2 ‒ Episode 5
"Euphonium has outdone itself yet again with this aesthetically striking and emotionally charged concert performance."
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 30
"I'm so glad that the show was indeed able to stick the landing to this arc."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 5
"The most fun part of these New Year's challenges has been getting to see the weird superpowers that each member of Building 13 hasn't yet shown in their goofy escape attempts."
Answerman - Are Cover Versions of Anime Songs Legal?
Youtube is chock-a-block with singers performing covers of anime theme songs - is that legal? Justin has the answer.
― Trace asks: There's a lot of youtube artist who do English covers of anime songs. A few of them even end up on itunes (though with new instrumentation). This brings a lot of questions to mind. Is this illegal? How does copyright work for covering songs in countries that aren't licen...
Natsume Yūjin-Chō Go ‒ Episode 5
"This week shows that nobody's life needs to be at stake for Natsume Yujin-Cho to deliver a kick right in the feelings."
What's So Gay About Yuri!!! on Ice?
In the wake of Yuri!!! On Ice, Jacob Chapman surveys LGBT characters throughout anime to explore what "representation" for the gay community really looks like in this medium.
― Even if you haven't seen this anime season's breakout hit Yuri!!! on Ice yet, it only takes a quick Google image search to make it clear that this show is pretty fabulous. Just five episodes into its run, Yuri!!! on Ice has ca...
Bungo Stray Dogs ‒ Episode 17
"It's a definite let down after the previous story arc, but this does have the potential to recreate a lot of what was good about the Oda storyline."
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan BD+DVD
In this quirky spinoff of the 2006 otaku phenomenon, Yuki Nagato finds herself in the spotlight pursuing a romance with Kyon. How does Yuki-chan's adventure hold up compared to Haruhi's?
― This 16-episode series is based on a spin-off manga of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series. It's one of those “what if” tales, imagining how things might have played out if the people around origin...
Trickster ‒ Episode 5
"As a criminal mastermind, Twenty Faces leaves a lot to be desired."
One Piece ‒ Episode 762
"The Zou arc is continuing to shape up as a really solid chunk of the One Piece anime."
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Oct 22-28
Haikyu and Keijo race up the charts while Flip Flappers drops a few spaces - find out how all your favorite shows performed in our weekly user rankings!
― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Fall 2016 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that these ran...
Dark Souls 3: The Ashes of Ariandel
The latest DLC for Dark Souls III sends Dave Riley to the Painted World of Ariandel, where he can't shake the feeling that he should be having a lot more fun with all this.
― Calling the Souls expansions “DLC” does them a disservice. Not at all similar to the micro transaction character skins and map addons the term calls to mind, Dark Souls' Artorias of the Abyss and Bloodborne's The Old Hunters are...
Interview: Sword Art Online Hollow Realization's Yosuke Futami
SAO's newest RPG is getting a special edition english release in just one week! Producer Futami tells us all about it.
― Sword Art Online's stock is still rising if its attendant video games are any indication. Namco Bandai brought Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment to the West only in carelessly translated digital form in 2014, but this year's Hollow Realization gets a physical release with a lavish...
ERASED Blu-Ray 1
Erased's first half delivers an interesting take on a time travel murder mystery. Rebecca Silverman breaks down this new deluxe release.
― Many people have a moment they wish they could return to in order to do just one thing differently. Sometimes it's just to say good-bye to someone who won't be coming back, but maybe it's for a larger purpose, like to save a life. For Satoru Fujinuma, that moment ...
Answerman - What Is That Short Screen After The Opening?
Sometimes, after the opening credits of an anime, a still will appear along with some music for a few seconds - what's up with that? Justin has the answer.
― Steve asks: Every now an then an anime will have an OP or ED that finishes playing, and then a bar or two of the music repeats, with some random frame from that episode as the visual. Flying Witch on Crunchyroll in the US is this season's examp...
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 64
"I can now honestly say that my fear was misguided. Dragon Ball Super is awesome."
Shelf Life - Wake Up, Girls!
James returns to the world of WUG with a review of the Wake Up! Girls anime. Plus, all this week's new releases!
― I talked about my overly ambitious streaming queue a few weeks ago, and while a couple of shows have gotten the axe (farewell, Scorching Ping Pong Girls), I'm actually finding that keeping up hasn't been as tough as I'd feared. It certainly helps that there's a lot of fun stuff airing t...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 31
"It'll take three weeks for Tekkadan's ship to travel from Mars to Earth, and in that time, anything could happen."
Horimiya GN 5
Horimiya continues to delight in its fifth volume of this angst-free look at a sweet romance. Rebecca Silverman takes a look.
― Of all of the many wonderful things about Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara's romance manga Horimiya, one of the best is its lack of melodrama. There are no huge dramatic reveals, no histrionics, no panels oozing with overly tense anticipation. Instead there's just Hori and Miyamura...
Poco's Udon World ‒ Episode 4
"Like last week's installment, episode 4 does an admirable job of fleshing out a supporting character while giving us some additional insight into Souta's past and personality."
Kiss Him, Not Me ‒ Episode 4
"The romantic stalemate was cozy while it lasted, but it looks like the introduction of yet another rival for Kae's affection is going to heat things up in the coming weeks."
Lostorage incited WIXOSS ‒ Episode 4
James Beckett takes over our WIXOSS coverage from Rebecca Silverman, right as the show's star-crossed protagonists finally meet again in the present day...
Occultic;Nine ‒ Episode 4
"Following the sheer information overload of its debut, Occultic;Nine has plateaued into something comprehensible, at least on a basic plot level."
The Mike Toole Show - The Poll Vault
Anime popularity polls have been around for decades, and they've been creating slapfights for at least that long - Mike takes a survey of anime polls through history and what they all mean.
― It's election season in the US! Are you exhausted with the whole thing yet? I sure am—pals, I am completely full up on election news, speculation, and scandal. I have hopes about the outcome of my country's nati...
Izetta: The Last Witch ‒ Episode 5
"After an episode entirely without action, Izetta is now back to the business of showing off her magic and wreaking havoc on enemy forces."
Scum's Wish GN 1
Before its anime adaptation comes out this winter, Rebecca Silverman takes a look at the dark world of sex and self-hatred in this very unusual romance.
― Scum's Wish is a difficult story. A bit like a “lite” version of Inio Asano's The Girl on the Shore, the story takes on the idea of budding sexuality and the disconnect between a physical and emotional relationship between a pair of unhappy sevente...
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