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ANNCast - Now We're Having Fun
Funimation's Justin Rojas and Jennifer Fu stop by ANNCast to dive into Funimation's 2016 bestsellers, the spring 2017 season, Code Geass, Escaflowne and much more!
― ANNCast Episode 284: Now We're Having Fun Funimation's Justin Rojas and Jennifer Fu stop by ANNCast to dive into Funimation's 2016 bestsellers, the spring 2017 season, Your Name in theaters, Code Geass, Escaflowne and much more! You can...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 492
"Shikamaru's Story enters its endgame this week, as the source of Gengo's mysterious power is finally revealed."
Ajin season 2
In Ajin's second season, the tension thickens as villains rise to power and all hell breaks loose. Theron Martin compares this second half to where the series started.
― After taking the summer 2016 season off, Ajin returned in the fall for another 13 episodes, which are now available in subbed and dubbed form exclusively on Netflix, continuously numbered from 14 on rather than numbered as a separate...
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 4
"This sequel's very restrained approach enters full-blown delusion territory at last."
Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 3
"Welcome to the second arc of Bakemonogatari, Mayoi Snail."
KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 ‒ Episode 4
"As much as this is Darkness's feature episode, Kazuma is every bit as important to its overall success."
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 42
"This is an episode we needed, but I don't know if it's the one we deserved."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid GN 2
The humor is balanced with some romance in this second volume, showing that Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has more to offer than you might expect.
― If the first volume of coolkyousinnjya's Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid established the series as a fun take on the monster girl genre, the second lets us know that it isn't strictly a gag series, and that Tohru's protestations of love for Miss Kobayashi ar...
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 4
"This has become an increasingly strong series by delivering a little more than you expect every week."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 5
"For a series that specializes in taking deep dives into otaku culture, this episode spends far too much time skimming the surface."
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 4
"As we accompany Jean on yet another inspection, it's finally time for the much-discussed coup d'état to rear its head."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 18
"Episode 18 does a lot to build on Samon's character from his focus episode, despite the fact that Samon doesn't spend a lot of time onscreen."
Answerman - How Often Do Japanese Kids Go To Cram School?
Kids in anime are constantly attending "cram schools" - what is a cram school, and do Japanese kids really use them that often? Justin explains.
― Jake asks: I have seen in a lot of anime that almost every school kid attends cram schools and this has made me wonder about their purpose. On the one side Japan is almost always ranked as one of the best education systems in the world. But if there educa...
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 4
"Without exaggeration, the first half of this episode contains one of the single worst sequences of animation I've ever seen."
Magic of Stella Episodes 1-12 Streaming
This slice-of-life comedy flew under the radar last fall, but Amy McNulty will shoot you straight on whether this doujin game club adventure is worth your time!
― Magic of Stella (the name makes sense when you learn it's a reference to one of the games they create) is small in scope but broad in appeal. It's a slice-of-life show with a comedic edge that never delves too heavily into slapstick comedy,...
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 4
"Now that the four main characters have more or less gotten to know one another, episode 4 opts to focus on them as a group instead of fragmented pairs."
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 4
"This week's story has more payoff than usual, with two race conclusions and lots of drama."
One Piece ‒ Episode 774
"I'm having a hard time finding the pulse on the momentum of these last few episodes."
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 4
"Onihei does, as this episode shows, still have some problems with its female characters."
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 16
"This is a strong entry in a consistently good series—and happily, it looks like it will be Berseria-free for a little while longer."
Shelf Life - Ultimate Otaku Teacher
Can this quirky teacher comedy measure up to the likes of GTO and Assassination Classroom? Paul Jensen finds out, along with breaking down all the week's new anime releases!
― I started re-watching Space Dandy on a whim recently, and it made me realize something: I almost never watch shows a second time these days. I remember going back through some old favorites as many as three or four times, but ...
Answerman - What Is A "Salaryman"?
They're all over anime, dressed in suits and filing into subway cars, but what exactly is a "Salaryman"? Justin gets into it.
― Julian asks: Although I don't know much about working options in Japan, I imagine there are tons of careers one can go into. Out of those, intricacies of work a salary man does interests me. In anime, there is so much pressure to get ahead in academics all in order to end u...
Gintama ‒ Episode 320
"Despite being one of the series' strongest fighters, Zura rarely goes toe-to-toe with his opponents, and this week, we're given some insight into why."
Review: Tales of Berseria
The latest Tales game goes darker than ever before, but does that make it better? Todd Ciolek cracks into the first big RPG of 2017!
― Tales games are struggles, and they're not just between a world-saving cadre of misfits and some ruthless villain or eldritch power. They're clashes of quality. On one side, you'll find entertaining characters and hectic, enjoyable battle systems. On the other, you'll...
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 76
"Sometimes I really do think I'm going crazy with this show, as I can love it one episode and then be incredibly frustrated by it the next."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 41
"We go from comedy and romance to betrayal and violence so quickly that it's less of a space opera and more of a soap opera."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 16
"Mozart and Beethoven's friendship forms the heart of this episode."
Kindred Spirits On The Roof GN 1-2
Based on an adult yuri visual novel, Kindred Spirits on the Roof relies too much on readers having played the game to be truly enjoyable.
― Kindred Spirits on the Roof is based on the yuri visual novel of the same name, and if you aren't familiar with it, there's a good chance that the book won't hold a whole lot of appeal. This isn't because the two stories told within the volume aren't cute and swe...
Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 3
"Episode three of Scum's Wish took it from a well-written look at adolescent sexuality to one of the most emotionally insightful romance anime I think I've ever seen."
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 4
"This episode finally delivered on something I've been waiting for since the beginning of the show."
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episode 4
"After weeks of playing it safe with mild-mannered humor, Interviews With Monster Girls finally tries its hand at a more dramatic story in this episode."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 15
"The Rei/Kyouko flashback is this episode's most emotionally powerful sequence, but the rest of the material is no slouch."
Seiren ‒ Episode 4
"Overall, this was a reasonable conclusion to a just-barely-passable love story, building coherently from the characters' personalities and bringing their romance to an acceptable close."
Fuuka ‒ Episode 5
"At long last, we've gotten to the actual plot of the show, Our Heroes Starting a Band."
Saga of Tanya the Evil ‒ Episode 4
"This is the first episode so far to have no action, and yet the story isn't suffering for it one bit."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episode 4
"Blue Exorcist wastes little time this week, diving right into answering the question that has plagued the Myoda monks for weeks now."
The List - 7 Anime Pilgrimage Sites to Check Off Your List
These real-life locations were the inspiration for some of Japan's biggest anime hits! Perhaps you can take a detour to these beautiful spots on your next trip to Japan.
― Anime pilgrimages, the act of going to real-life locations depicted in a show, have always existed to some extent but they seemed to really take off with the Lucky Star shrine. The Washinomiya Shrine has drawn close to half a mill...
The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún GN 1
This dark folktale-inspired manga takes us into the world of Irish mythology in a haunting debut. Rebecca Silverman digs deeper.
― Folklore is full of warnings for the careless: don't dance in the fairies' circle, eat no food in the underworld or fairy realms, don't listen to the siren's or rusalka's song – the list goes on. In the world of Nagabe's strange and haunting The Girl From the Other Side: ...
Review: Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions
After ten years of waiting, Yugi Muto's adventures continue in a king-sized movie that reunites the original dub cast! Gabriella Ekens revisits this childhood treasure.
― After more than 10 years of increasingly ridiculous sequels, the original Yu-Gi-Oh! – the one where Yugi Muto, the Pharaoh Atem, and their cadre of pals unearth 5000-year old secrets about the origins of a popular card game, Duel Mo...
Answerman - Are Oscar Campaigns For Anime Worth It?
Oscar campaigns for anime can be frustrating to watch - and the American distributors that handle them seem to get little support from Japan. Justin explains.
― Anonymous asks: How much benefit is there for an American distribution company like Gkids and Funimation to pay money to try an get a film nominated for an oscar? And why don't Japanese companies help in campaigning for their film to get nom...
ANNCast (Video) - Baity Feelsy
Zac and Jacob team up with editor Lynzee Loveridge to argue about Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Tanya the Evil and much more! PLUS: Anime shut out at the Oscars again!
― ANNCast Episode 283: Baity Feelsy Zac and Jacob team up with editor Lynzee Loveridge to argue about Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Tanya the Evil and much more! PLUS: Anime shut out at the Oscars again! You can listen to the show on ...
Interview: Legendary Anime Producer Masao Maruyama
A true titan of the anime industry with a 50-year career, veteran producer Masao Maruyama discusses his latest film, the touching, widely-acclaimed drama In This Corner of the World.
― In this Corner of the World, a period drama about a young woman growing up in the Japan of the 1930s and 1940s, is currently in Japanese cinemas and racking up rave reviews. (Screen Daily, for example, called it "an en...
Owarimonogatari Sub.Blu-Ray 2
Owarimonogatari’s second half offers a poignant sendoff to one of Monogatari’s minor players, while emphasizing the many lessons its heroes have learned. Nick Creamer takes a closer look.
― Monogatari's bizarre chronology can be frustrating at times. After the relatively straightforward continuity of Bake and Nise, Second Season saw the show jumping all around Araragi's final high school year, before...
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 3
"Chaos;Child probably wants us to be paranoid alongside its surprisingly well-adjusted protagonist, and I'm still mostly happy to indulge."
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 491
"This episode doesn't do a great job of transitioning from last week's anime-original story back to the storyline presented in the source novel."
Masamune-kun's Revenge ‒ Episode 4
"A new girl's arrival provides a distraction to what were otherwise interesting developments between Makabe and Aki."
This Week in Games - Resident Evil 7
Biohazard is back - and it's actually good?! Dustin claws his way through the Resident Evil mansion and reports back. PLUS: Overwatch's Year of the Rooster, Death Stranding and much more!
― Video games are back, you guys. Since last week's column went up, we've seen the release of the Dragon Quest VIII remake, Kingdom Hearts 2.8, and Tales of Berseria. On top of that, there are the games I've actuall...
Classic Streaming: Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 2
The Hitagi Crab arc ends as Senjougahara faces the truth behind the ghost who stole something precious to her.
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 41
"Kuranashi dealt his final hand this week, and I'm of two minds over how it all played out."
Review: The Vision Of Escaflowne BD+DVD
This fantasy classic celebrates its 20th anniversary by coming to Blu-ray for the first time, with a brand-new English dub! Jacob Chapman explores just what makes this series so special.
― It's been over 20 years since The Vision of Escaflowne first aired, and let's face it, there aren't many 20-year old anime series you can expect the average anime fan to sit through with ease, much less the average...
KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 ‒ Episode 3
"KONOSUBA finally ventures into the one staple of fantasy RPGs that it has so far avoided: the dungeon crawl."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 3
"For a show about a dragon who takes on human form to become a maid, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has an awful lot of relatable, realistic moments."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 4
"With a greater emphasis on gadgets and radio waves than actual fighting, the series leans more towards Akiba's Trip than Akiba Strip this time around."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 17
"Nanbaka pares itself down to its best elements and gives us a tight story this week."
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 3
"Characters generally assume a lot in ACCA, only to form a whole array of expectations, defensive strategies, and alliances based on their suspicions."
Is Dragon Ball Super Super Enough?
Dragon Ball Super is finally on Toonami, the floodgates of opinion have opened and fans are split - is this the show fans have really been waiting for? Sam Leach considers the angles.
― It took about a year, but Dragon Ball Super finally has widespread accessibility for the North American public. The subtitled Japanese release was the first wave, proving just how much staying power that the Dragon Ba...
Ange Vierge Episodes 1-12 Streaming
Does this fanservice-filled trading card game adaptation have the chops to stand out in a market crowded with both those things already? James Beckett finds out.
― Trading card game adaptations have a surprisingly wide variety of styles, tones, and themes, given their relatively simple origins. Some series choose to simply use the mythology of the game to forge their own unique story (Rage of Bahamut...
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 3
"If you came into this week wondering if Hand Shakers has somehow miraculously improved, the answer is an emphatic “Nope.”"
Review: Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen Blu-Ray
The first film in the epic Monogatari trilogy has finally arrived on Blu-ray! Nick Creamer breaks down all the goods on this deluxe release.
― Six years ago, it was announced the light novel Kizumonogatari would be receiving an anime adaptation. Following on the heels of the blockbuster success Bakemonogatari, Kizu acted as a prologue for that story, detailing the events that were briefly hinted at i...
One Piece ‒ Episode 773
"Once again, this episode's main purpose is to hammer out more of the specifics about Luffy and the alliance's immediate plans."
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 3
"This episode is a high-energy cliffhanger, but it's the character development that really shines."
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 3
"With a new character and a variety of amusing situations, this week's Gabriel DropOut may be the show's strongest outing yet."
Charlotte Blu-Ray 2
After a promising start, Charlotte's second half derails in multiple ways. Nick Creamer takes a look at what went wrong.
― Charlotte began as a fairly comprehensible and even sometimes engaging fantasy drama. The central conceit allowed for plenty of unique episodic narratives, as Yu, Tomori, and their associates traveled around and saved those abusing their own psychic powers. It wasn't a great show...
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 3
"This episode's confrontation scene is harrowing, easily the strongest this second season has been from a production standpoint so far."
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 3
"This episode seems to cement Onihei's dedication to old-fashioned melodrama as its preferred style of storytelling."
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 15
"This installment of the show has the definite feel of a transition episode."
Answerman - Why Are Motion-Smoothing Televisions So Terrible For Anime?
Most new TVs have "motion smoothing" turned on by default, a video setting that makes anime look pretty terrible - but why? Justin gets into it.
― Jon asks: I recently upgraded my TV to a new OLED flatscreen from LG, and I couldn't understand why the anime I watched looked so blurry. After a little research online, I found out there is a setting called "TruMotion" that was the culprit and when I tur...
Shelf Life - Shimoneta
This week, James Beckett finds out if the infamously nasty SHIMONETA is a filthy good time or just plain filthy. Plus, all this week's new releases!
― I'm not sure how the anime world reached a point where I'm more excited about a pair of monster girl shows than just about any other new title this season, but here we are. I'm calling Interviews With Monster Girls my early favorite just because I lik...
Qualidea Code Episodes 1-12 Streaming
This collaborative light-novel-project-turned-anime begins with tons of ambition and ends with tons of problems. James Beckett explains what went wrong.
― Qualidea Code belongs to a particular class of anime, one that I've come to refer as “anime stew”. An anime stew is any project that takes a bunch of ingredients we've seen dozens of times before, familiar themes and ideas and characters, then toss...
Gintama ‒ Episode 319
"Now that all the key players have arrived on the titular planet, one of the biggest battles in Gintama history is primed to take place."
Fuuka ‒ Episodes 1-4
"Overall, Fuuka's first four episodes are a drawn-out start to this simple-seeming story."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 40
"Even if I don't want to accept the circumstances leading up to this episode, I still couldn't take my eyes off it."
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 75
"This episode is kicking off yet another two-parter, which at this point is getting a little tiring."
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episodes 1-3
"As long as you don't mind its laid-back attitude, this looks like a very promising series."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 14
"March is still a compelling show, but it can't help but seem overshadowed by the greater show it could have been."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 15
"This week, ClassicaLoid delves into Sousuke's insecurities and develops him beyond just a one-note comic relief character."
The Mike Toole Show - Binge Benefits
Mike weighs the pros and cons of binge watching, the act of watching entire anime series (or huge chunks of episodes) all at once. Is the binge good, or is the binge bad?
― Every January, I visit Arisia, a science fiction convention here in Boston. For me, it's a fun change of pace – the convention is smaller and lower-key than the anime events I appear at, and while I'm on the speaking program, the ...
Seiren ‒ Episodes 1-3
"Seiren's weirdness is ultimately its most notable quality."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episodes 1-3
"In addition to setting the stage for the Eyes of the Impure King, this first act of the new season is primarily focused on restoring and developing Rin's relationships with his fellow Exorcists."
Big Order GN 1
Big Order's anime version may have been one of last year's biggest critical and popular bombs, but does the original manga fare any better? Rebecca Silverman finds out.
― Big Order is the third of Sakae Esuno's manga to be released in English, and readers may have noticed a trend: with each series, the story gets more complicated and bizarre as the storytelling gets looser. The basic themes within Bi...
Saga of Tanya the Evil ‒ Episodes 1-3
"Overall, these first three episodes have the definite capacity to forcefully turn some viewers away, but absolutely everything about them clicks for me."
Aoharu x Machinegun GNs 1-2
The anime may have been tragically DOA, but is the original manga of this uniquely airsoft-driven shojo title worth checking out? Rebecca Silverman investigates.
― Aoharu x Machine Gun is that rare story that doesn't conform to one specific subgenre. Ostensibly this is a shounen action tale, but with its female protagonist (mistaken for a male, a la Ouran High School Host Club), surprising lack of vi...
The List - 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sailor Moon
With the Sailor Moon R movie now in theaters, it's the perfect time to revisit this Classic List and learn some new things about this groundbreaking anime.
― The Sailor Moon R movie is opened in theaters across North America this week! It seems like a great time to revisit some classic Sailor Moon trivia. Naoko Takeuchi's magical girl series had a profound effect on anime fandom, whether you caught ...
All Out!! ‒ Episode 15
Our episodic coverage of All Out!! concludes this week, but that doesn't mean Jinko's quest to Hanazono has to end.
Answerman - Why Can't Anime Get A Wide Theatrical Release?
Justin runs down the myriad reasons that anime movies like your name don't wind up on 3600 multiplex screens across America. It's a little complicated.
― Brooks asks: With anime movies like Your Name becoming global hits and companies finding success with Fathom Events like Funimation's theatrical releases of the DBZ movies,why is it that anime movies still can't get normal wide releases in every U....
Anime Spotlight - Hand Shakers
High school student Tazuna meets a girl sleeping on a bed in a laboratory. When he touches her fingertip, as if guided by something unknown, he hears a voice coming from somewhere...
― Hand Shakers Official Website: http://www.project-hs.net/ Official Twitter: @hs_p_info Story Characters Trailer Cast & Staff Gallery On air starting January 10, 2017 Key Staff Director: Shingo Suzuki (Coppelion, K: Mi...
ANNCast - It's High Noon
Zac and a panel of special guests run down the best games they played in 2016, the Nintendo Switch and 2017's biggest games! Overwatch, Final Fantasy XV, Resident Evil 7 and more!
― ANNCast Episode 280: It's High Noon Zac, Dave and Graz from Fast Karate for the Gentlemen and our own Dustin Bailey run down the best games they played in 2016, the Nintendo Switch and 2017's biggest games! The Last Guar...
How Mari Okada Writes Mobile Suit Gundam
Nobody knew what to expect when anohana scribe Mari Okada took on Mobile Suit Gundam - how has her distinctive, melodramatic style blended with this storied franchise?
― Mari Okada puts a very personal stamp on her work. From AnoHana to Hanasaku Iroha, you can always recognize this prolific author's screenwriting by the hallmarks of extreme melodrama, complicated character relationships, and sometime...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 490
"Since Shikamaru has always been more of a thinker than a fighter, it makes sense for his story to focus more on the intricacies of shinobi missions than outright brawling."
Chain Chronicle: The Light of Haecceitas - Movie 1
So what the heck is this Chain Chronicle trilogy that's popped up out of the blue, and should you bother checking out its first movie? Theron Martin has the answers.
― Chain Chronicle: The Light of Haecceitas is the first of a trilogy of movies being released once a month between December 2016 and February 2017. A TV series version is also airing during the Winter 2017 season, but based on its first ...
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