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Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 6
"After three episodes of tempting and torment, Hanabi has started falling to the dark side of the force, finally turned by Darth Minagawa's cruelest wound."
Masamune-kun's Revenge ‒ Episode 7
"This is the obligatory beach episode, since you can't have this many hot girls hanging around in an anime without one of these coming up eventually."
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episodes 494-495
"Naruto Shippūden serves up an extra-large helping of silly this week, with two episodes dedicated to showcasing the show's lighter side."
Answerman - Do Japanese High School Kids Really Hang Out On The Roof?
In countless anime, the hero and heroine hang out on the roof of their school - do Japanese kids actually do that?
― Chibi Chetsko asks: Are students permitted to eat their lunches and hang out on the roof during breaks or is this an anime-exclusive thing only? We've seen it countless times...but some recent series like Watamote have told us the door to the roof is always locked. Is this true? Also,...
God Eater Blu-Ray 2
God Eater's story starts slipping as it moves into its middle third. Rebecca Silverman explains what went wrong.
― Answers always come with a price. Sometimes it's simply learning something you really didn't want to know, other times, it's the destruction of humanity and the entire world. If that seems like an extreme comparison, it's deliberate – the second half of the God Eater anime takes its burn...
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 6
"Sadly, having to wait a few extra hours didn't mean we were in for anything special in this rather mixed bag of an episode."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 6
"Even when it isn't in perfect form, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid still manages to turn in an episode with both laughs and moments of profound sweetness."
Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 5
"Beginning in the fifth episode, Araragi and Senjougahara's strange relationship represents the fundamental hope of the Monogatari franchise."
This Week in Games - GameCenter CX
Dustin shares his appreciation of the long-running GameCenter CX series, where retro games great and terrible are put to the test. PLUS: Yakuza reprints, Zelda and more!
― There's no shortage of new games out right now, but it's perhaps a shameful admission that I've been spending more and more time digging into the retro side of things. I picked up a lot of early Nintendo Power volumes not too long ...
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 44
"This is the exact kind of episode I've been waiting for, as the show barrels towards its conclusion."
Faraway Paladin Novel 1 - The Boy in the City of the Dead
The Faraway Paladin eschews most of the usual light novel tropes to tell a story with plenty of appeal for fantasy fans. Rebecca Silverman dives in.
― Fantasy light novels have a deserved reputation for following the tropes of MMORPGs so closely as to feel like game novelizations rather than stand-alone fantasy fiction. With most of them falling under the heading of isekai, or “transportation to a pa...
KONOSUBA! 2 ‒ Episode 6
"While there may have been individual funnier moments so far this season, episode 6 delivers laughs with enough frequency to keep things satisfyingly rolling along."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 20
"An episode like this one, upping the ante and shifting the focus considerably, showed that Nanbaka still has some tricks up its sleeve."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 7
"I'm glad that Akiba's Trip isn't wallowing in fanservice, but it could actually stand to include more than we've seen in the past couple weeks."
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 6
"It's about time for the big in-show reveal to put all this intricate buildup to some dramatic use."
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 6
"When the episode isn't throwing lame CG fire or preposterous Giant Arms at the screen, it's attempting to squeeze some sympathy out of Lily's lust for her brother."
I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse Novel 1
The harem genre gets an entertaining parody in this novel about a boy who finds out that he's the last resort of heroines everywhere.
― How many harem titles you have consumed over the course of your anime hobby is likely to determine how funny you find this book. I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse is a straight send-up of the genre, and while it also adheres to a lot of the conventions...
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 6
"I'm getting incredibly spoiled by watching races start and finish in the same episode, especially in a show known for its interminable InterHigh."
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 6
"Satania once again takes center stage in Gabriel DropOut's latest offering."
Chain Chronicle: The Light of Haecceitas movie 2
The second leg of this movie trilogy picks up steam as our heroes prepare to go another round with the ultimate bad guy. Theron Martin investigates.
― The second Chain Chronicle movie is now available on Crunchyroll in the same format that the first movie was presented: broken into roughly 20-minute segments with an opener only on the first and a closer only on the last. As with the first movie, thes...
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 6
"This episode has some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen thus far."
Gintama ‒ Episode 322
"I've never been a huge fan of needlessly drawn-out Jump battles, but I can't help but feel that the Gintoki/Bato face-off concluded too quickly."
One Piece ‒ Episode 776
"This episode is effectively the finale of the Zou arc, as it marks the moment the crew steps off the "island", but it's gonna be a few episodes yet until we're setting foot on Whole Cake Island."
Answerman - How Big A Deal Is Crunchyroll Reaching A Million Subscribers?
Crunchyroll just hit a milestone: one million paying subscribers. But how big a deal is that really - for the company, for the industry? Justin gets into it.
― Branko asks: Reaching a million paying subscribers is a significant achievement by any measure, but what exactly are the implications of Crunchyroll achieving that milestone? What does it mean for the simulcast anime it streams? Does it mean ...
Shelf Life - Black Jack The Movie
Anime's most legendary Osamus (Tezuka and Dezaki) come together for a thrilling adaptation that became a '90s classic. Gabriella Ekens takes a closer look. Plus, all this week's new releases!
― This might be a side effect of reviewing anime on a regular basis, but one of the things I enjoy most is being surprised by a series, especially when a show turns out to have more to it than I expected. I sta...
Mobile Suit V Gundam Blu-Ray 2
The second half of Gundam Victory seems to bring Tomino's warning to avoid this series to fruition, as things get crazier and darker than ever before. Lauren Orsini takes a closer look.
― Rumor has it that director Yoshiyuki Tomino was deeply depressed while working on Victory Gundam, and that's even more apparent in the second half of the Blu-ray collection, episodes 27 through 51. Nothing goes well...
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 78
"Just as this mini-tournament serves as an exhibition before the real thing, these next few episodes serve that same role for the arc as a whole."
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 18
"This episode presents us with a much more organic way to work the Berseria story into Zestiria's plot. "
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 43
"McGillis's origin story shed light not only on his own actions and ambitions, but the message of Iron-Blooded Orphans as a whole."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 18
"If you've been waiting on more revelations about Bach's plans, we're finally here."
Attack on Titan: End of the World Novel
Does this novelization of the live-action Attack on Titan movies offer anything new for prior fans? Theron Martin investigates.
― While the synopsis above will no doubt sound familiar to fans of the anime or manga version of Attack on Titan, this is actually a novelization of the two live-action Attack on Titan movies released in 2015. It's a crucial distinction, as the movies used the core character...
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episode 6
"Those charmingly awkward attempts at making connections continue to sit at the heart of this show's appeal."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 17
"From its thoughtful character work to its charming comedy, great control of tone, and beautiful visual embellishments, this was a satisfying episode from start to finish."
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 6
"Plot-wise, this was a slower episode, mostly filled by a few philosophical discussions on the nature of art."
Saga of Tanya the Evil ‒ Episodes 5-6
"These two episodes can be enjoyed equally well for both their visceral thrills and for the overall military and philosophical schemes they depict."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episode 6
"Getting this kind of growth from a character we've only known for a few episodes is another example of just how confident Blue Exorcist has become in its own storytelling skills."
Seiren ‒ Episode 6
"If nothing else, Seiren continues to be the strongest source of subtitle non sequiturs over any show this season."
The List - 6 Dragon Girls to Set Your Heart Aflame
Long before Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid captured everyone's hearts this season, dragon girls were lighting up the scene in dozens of anime! Here are just a few of these reputable reptiles.
― The characters of Kyoto Animation's Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid have warmed viewers' hearts this winter. At first glance, Tohru and Kanna appear to just be an extension of the "monster girlfriend" trend, but d...
Secret of the Princess GN
This single-volume story is one of Milk Morinaga's best, offering up a great introduction to the world of yuri manga through a sweet romance.
― If someone tells you something long enough, it's hard not to believe it. Usually this line is brought out to explain low self-esteem or an inability to try something new, but in Secret of the Princess, yuri mangaka Milk Morinaga uses it to help her heroine qu...
Fuuka ‒ Episode 7
"After what I presume to be days of off-screen practice, it's finally time for Yu and his friends to make their musical debut."
Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 5
"Last week's episode proposed that the thing keeping all the "scum" in this story from being able to love was fear. This week's episode reveals where all this fear comes from."
Answerman - What Happened To The 90s Anime Boom?
A brief history of the late 90s anime boom in America, when Pokemon ruled the world, anime appeared in unexpected places and VHS was king.
― James asks: I have heard both you and other staff of ANN say that Japanese animation does not have mainstream popularity, that it is still a niche market in the west, but I distinctly recall that, during the late 1990's and early- to mid-2000's (when I was in h...
ANNCast - El Gee Bee Tee
Zac and Jacob are joined by an all-star panel to chat about LGBT representation in anime and manga, what works, what doesn't, and if things are getting better.
― ANNCast Episode 285: El Gee Bee Tee Zac and Jacob are joined by an all-star panel including Erica Friedman of Okazu, Jason Thompson, creator of Mangaka and film critic Valerie Complex to chat about LGBT representation in anime and manga, wh...
First Impressions: Nights of Azure (PC)
Once a Playstation exclusive, this creature-raising action RPG by Gust hits Steam, and Dustin's a little underwhelmed by it all.
― Nights of Azure is that most rare of video games—utterly benign, yet completely unremarkable. There are neat elements, cool gameplay ideas, and occasional flashes of an interesting setting, but at a handful of hours in it's tough to manage any word beyond “humdrum,” espec...
Interview: Digimon World: Next Order's Kazumasa Habu
The producer of the latest Digimon game discusses why Next Order is important, how to raise Digimon, and why he'd really like to hear from Western fans.
― Digimon World: Next Order came out a little earlier this year, placing it close behind 2016's Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. Yet there's more to Next Order than just another Digimon release. It's part of the Digimon World sub-series, which takes a sl...
Tiger Mask W Episodes 1-13 Streaming
This soft reboot of the '60s wrestling classic may seem like too deep a cut for most new viewers, but Daryl Surat is here to tell you why Tiger Mask W is worth checking out!
― I love it when anime gains traction among an audience who otherwise wouldn't typically think to watch it. Recent fan favorite Yuri!!! On Ice, for example, gained some noteworthy visibility among professional ice skaters which p...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 493
"While Gengo never lives up to his full potential as an antagonist, the final showdown against him at least hits some of the right notes."
Masamune-kun's Revenge ‒ Episodes 5-6
"The truths behind Aki and Neko's pasts and current motives are the main interest drivers for the series so far."
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 5
"Last week's science babble infodump continues as Taku learns not only about the origin of delusional powers, but has to deal with the implications of being a Gigalomaniac himself."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 5
"This episode proves that life really is better with Tohru in it!"
Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 4
"It was this wasteland of plot motion, more than the fanservice or idiosyncratic style, that initially almost knocked me off the Monogatari train."
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Jan 29-Feb 4
The Top 5 starts to firm up as Rakugo Shinjuu solidifies its place atop the list. How did your favorite shows fare in our weekly user rankings?
― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Winter 2017 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 a...
KONOSUBA! 2 ‒ Episode 5
"Things don't go anywhere near as planned for the bad guy, as Kazuma and crew's ever-loose screws are just as likely to thwart their enemies as themselves."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 6
"This episode is far from the worst thing in the world, but I do worry that we're starting to lose the plot here."
This Week in Games - Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star
Saber and friends wreck stuff en masse in Fate/Extella, but is it a satisfying experience for Fate fans? PLUS: E3 open to the public, Final Fantasy XV patches and much more!
― Look: Amiibos are dumb. As toys, they're overpriced figures that are too small for meaningful display and too static to be fun to play with. As game accessories, they're mostly just overpriced bits of costume DLC that offer onl...
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 43
"As it stands, Arima's story feels more like an info dump, necessary but not at all dramatically satisfying."
The Top Twenty Original Pokémon Episodes - Part Two
Our mega-countdown of the most memorable first season Pokemon episodes wraps with a few surprises rocketing to the top! Did your favorites make the list?
― 9. "Holiday Hi-Jynx" I mentioned before that early episodes of Pokemon were often more idiosyncratic than the more corporate-managed content we get today, and nothing illustrates this quite like the episode where Team Rocket attempts to steal Chri...
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 19
"As the action moved from Building 13 to Building 5, Nanbaka realized it was important to flesh out the characters who lived there."
Bungo Stray Dogs GN 1
While you don't necessarily need much knowledge of Japanese literature to enjoy Bungo Stray Dogs, this English translation may have some issues for new or returning fans.
― Some of you may already be familiar with this story, since Bungo Stray Dogs' anime adaptation beat its original manga to English translation by a fairly large margin. For those who didn't watch it, the chief conceit of the story i...
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 5
"It's the small, subtle things that made episode 5 such a delight to watch."
Answerman - Why Are Anime-Based Stage Plays So Popular?
Anime stage musicals are usually very low-budget affairs without any big name actors - so why are they so popular? Justin gets into it.
― MIchael asks: I've read numerous stories on ANN about various popular anime/manga franchises getting stage play adaptations, most recently Attack On Titan, and this prompts lots of questions. Who's commisioning these - is it a cashgrab by the publisher, or opportu...
The Top Twenty Original Pokémon Episodes - Part One
As the Pokémon anime celebrates its 20th anniversary, Jacob Chapman looks back on the most memorable entries in its first 82-episode season with a supersized countdown!
― Twenty years ago, TV Tokyo began airing a very strange kids' show called Pocket Monsters, intended like so many kids' anime before and since to advertise video games and trading cards to excitable anklebiters. But unlike so many of ...
Mikagura School Suite BD+DVD
This offbeat school comedy/battle anime stars a happy-go-lucky lesbian schoolgirl and ten truckloads of bizarre ideas. Nick Creamer finds out if this weird adventure is worth watching.
― Mikagura School Suite is a bit of a hodgepodge. Starring the wildly girl-crazy Eruna Ichinomiya, it posits a school where joining clubs isn't just mandatory, it dictates where you can sleep, what you can eat, and all...
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 5
"The issue wasn't so much that the plot this week was terrible, but that it was almost non-existent, and what little we got didn't make much sense."
The Winter 2017 Anime Preview Guide: Simuldub Edition
The Winter 2017 Anime Preview Guide returns with fresh reviews of this season's simuldub premieres!
Available Now: elDLIVE - Masamune-kun's Revenge - CHAOS;CHILD - ACCA - Interviews with Monster Girls - Fuuka - Saga of Tanya the Evil ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2017 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impressions instantly and they get posted as they g...
Available Now: elDLIVE - Masamune-kun's Revenge - CHAOS;CHILD - ACCA - Interviews with Monster Girls - Fuuka - Saga of Tanya the Evil ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2017 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impressions instantly and they get posted as they g...
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 5
"This episode of Yowamushi Pedal New Generation puts a fresh sports anime spin on the oldest storyline in the book."
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 5
"Although Tapris's introduction does an okay job of shaking up the familiar formula, none of episode 5's humor is particularly original, and it feels like we've seen many of the featured jokes before."
ERASED Blu-Ray 2
Despite stumbling a bit through its finale, ERASED comes to a satisfying conclusion overall. Rebecca Silverman wraps up this twisted mystery's highs and lows.
― There are several approaches a mystery story can take to solving its central crime, but perhaps one of the most frustrating is when the viewer has things figured out long before the detective does. Unfortunately, the second half of ERASED rea...
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 5
"Unlike earlier episodes, this week's Onihei casts a nice guy as its protagonist."
Gintama ‒ Episode 321
As the Battle on Rakuyo continues, Amy takes a listen to Crunchyroll's new English dub for Gintama!
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 17
"Zestiria's back to proving that it can provide scenery far superior to just about any other show this season."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 42
"We're wrapping up all those loose ends this week on Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans and setting up for something brand new."
Answerman - Why Do Japanese School Kids Carry Randoseru?
A "randoseru" is the specific type of bag you see schoolkids using in anime all the time - is that a real thing? Justin explains.
― Samuel asks: Why does it look like in anime/manga that elementary students have randoseru backpacks whereas middle/high school students have something that looks like a satchel, knapsack or book bag? Also, how is a randoseru different from a Western backpack? It's not j...
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 77
"There's a lot of new things to cover in this new episode of Dragon Ball Super, all signaling the beginning of a new arc."
One Piece ‒ Episode 775
"It's weird for the writing to be my favorite part of a filler-heavy episode."
Shelf Life - The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
This romantic comedy has one mouthful of a title, but is it worth watching? Paul Jensen finds out, after breaking down all this week's new anime releases!
― I downloaded the new Fire Emblem mobile game the other day, and it seems reasonably entertaining. I'm not all that familiar with the characters since I've played exactly one game in the franchise over the course of my gaming life, but the turn-b...
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam Sub. Blu-Ray part 1
Is this 1993 Gundam series that Tomino doesn't want people to see worth checking out despite his warnings? Lauren Orsini has the answers.
― This is the Gundam show director Yoshiyuki Tomino doesn't want you to watch. “I want to completely reject this work. These kind of results are the full responsibility of the director,” Tomino is quoted directly on Mobile Suit Victory Gundam's sales page. It's not...
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 17
"ClassicaLoid's ability to push the envelope of weirdness ever further each week is impressive."
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 5
"The curtain is closing on Kiku-san's life, and our hero has started to realize that his emotional constipation hasn't prepared him for a peaceful rest."
The Mike Toole Show - Comic Market Sweep
Mike braves the massive crowds of Comiket, Japan's gigantic doujinshi show, and lives to tell about it - with plenty of photos.
― My wife and I pushed through the crowded, unending streets of Tokyo, still hauling our luggage from the plane trip. The first major stop of our journey was a little café over in Takadanobaba, right on the outer edge of Shinjuku, and we'd skipped dropping our crap off in or...
Welcome to the Ballroom GN 1 & 2
Before its new anime adaptation airs this summer, Rebecca Silverman takes a look at Welcome to the Ballroom, a manga about professional dancesport.
― In terms of sports that are often denigrated as not being “real,” ballroom dance and cheerleading are probably at the top of the list. It is true that both have elements of the performing arts to them, and since it lacks the acrobatic feats of cheerlead...
Fuuka ‒ Episode 6
"While we got some hints about it earlier, this week's Fuuka finally gives us the full story of Yu's childhood friendship with Koyuki."
Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 4
"I shudder to think what lies at the bottom of this well, but I'm still holding out hope for a little happiness before the end."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 16
"March comes in like a lion continued its resurgence this week, with another episode that demonstrated many of the shows best qualities."
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episode 5
"While she played an important role in the story last week, this episode offers a much more thorough introduction to Yuki as a character."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episode 5
"If Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga has an Achilles heel at this moment, it is that it might end up being just a little too faithful to the manga at times."
Seiren ‒ Episode 5
"I've come to accept at this point that Seiren is probably not going to be a conventionally “good” show."
The List - 7 Anime References in American Cartoons
As more anime fans grow old enough to start creating cartoons of their own, otaku influences can pop up in unexpected places. How many of these anime in-jokes did you catch?
― American cartoon characters, politicians, and even celebrities have appeared as cameo roles in anime series. The same couldn't be said in reverse, with few American cartoons paying tribute to their Japanese brethren. That star...
Long Riders! Episodes 1-10 Streaming
After facing an alarming number of production delays that pushed its final episodes into February, is Long Riders! still worth checking out? Amy McNulty investigates.
― Long Riders! aims for that slice-of-life iyashikei healing vibe that so many all-girl-club anime offer. While the result is rarely a bore, there are so many negative details that it all adds up to a generally unsatisfying experience. ...
Answerman - How Do Translation Differences Between Anime and Manga Happen?
In the Attack on Titan anime, Eren and Armin are in the Scout Regiment. In the manga, they're in the Scout Corps. How do translation differences like this happen?
― Jimmy asks: I always wonder why anime shows and manga tend to not use the same names for both titles or terms. For example Jitsu wa watashi wa manga is translated as "My Monster Secret", while the anime has the correct translation of "Ac...
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...
The Worlds of Natsume Ono
Entranced by the delicate storytelling and graceful look of ACCA? Then get ready to dive into the incredible worlds of author Natsume Ono on this tour of her many masterpieces!
― Despite the fact that the English manga market has grown substantially since the early days of translation and publishing, it's still a fairly rare occurrence for any one manga creator to see multiple titles released. Even w...
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...
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