Rating: B+ Original novelist Isuna Hasekura is most commonly lauded for the way he uses medieval (and sometimes modern) economics as foundational plot elements in his story arcs, but another area he excels at is driving tension. Even if you know what’s coming – whether because of reading the novels or seeing the first adaptationContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 19”
Author Archives: Theron
Oshi no Ko episode 17
Rating: A- Episode 16 cast its net wide, addressing all the subplots feeding into the debut of Tokyo Blade and even a few peripheral points, too. Episode 17, which actually begins the play, is almost the polar opposite: its second act narrows the focus almost exclusively to one character, for better or worse. And onContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 17”
Special: August Debuts
Date: August 7, 2024 Two late-starting anime series are debuting today, so let’s take a Preview Guide-style look at both of them. Delico’s Nursery Streams: Crunchyroll on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Rating: 3 (of 5) This one has the unusual pedigree of being based on a stage play by Kenichi Suemitsu, who also wrote theContinue reading “Special: August Debuts”
Oshi no Ko episode 16
Rating: A Oshi no Ko‘s anime adaptation has never found itself shy on content, but this may be the most packed regular-length episode in the series to date. Even though its plotline is relatively simple – we’re watching the final preparations for the debut of the Tokyo Blade play – so many different character pointsContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 16”
Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 18
Rating: B We’re in the fifth episode of the current arc, and as in the last two arcs, Lawrence is stressing out over the current financial crisis. This time the stakes aren’t potentially deadly, but a different kind of death potentially awaits him: the prospect that Holo might leave him. And while Lawrence is theContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 18”
Oshi no Ko Episode 15: “Emotional Acting”
Rating: A In the days leading up to the airing of this episode, I engaged in a discussion on another site about whether or not this story actually needed the reincarnation angle. Could a story which eliminated that and Ai, and was just about ordinarily-gifted twins working their way through various aspects of the entertainmentContinue reading “Oshi no Ko Episode 15: “Emotional Acting””
Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 17
Rating: B Fundamentally, Spice & Wolf is the rare fantasy series where conversations, much more so than actions, carry the weight of the series. The only other episode in the series to date where that is as evident as it is in this one might be episode 2, but this time around Holo isn’t involvedContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 17”
Oshi no Ko episode 14
Rating: B+ Oshi no Ko has never been a series that pulls its punches when it comes to commentating on the entertainment industry, and boy, this episodes hold nothing back, either, as it delves deeper into matters concerning manga-ka and the process of transferring established work into other media. It’s so pointedly unflattering that muchContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 14”
Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 16
Rating: B+ Of all of the story arcs in Spice and Wolf, this arc is maybe my least favorite, and the content covered by this episode is a big part of the reason why. Some would say that it’s because of Amati, who’s one of the least-liked of all of the guest characters in theContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 16”
Oshi no Ko episode 13
Rating: A- Despite the regular cast mostly being relegated to supporting roles, the aptly-named episode “Game of Telephone” is, in its own way, nearly as searing an episode as the first season’s “Egosurfing” was, though for substantially different reasons. It’s about the conflicts that can arise within the multimedia creative process, cast within the frameworkContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 13”
USA Anime 