Author Archives: Theron

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”

Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 15

Rating: B+ Things were a bit strained between Lawrence and Holo at the end of last episode, and clearly that still weighs on Lawrence as this episode starts; why else would he flash back to the last time he thought Holo was leaving him behind? That presumably plays a factor in why Lawrence decides toContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 15”

Oshi no Ko season 2 (episode 12)

Rating: A Oshi no Ko was, by any reasonable measure, one of the biggest titles of 2023, and one of the hardest-hitting as well for the content it covered. Hence it was, by far, my most-anticipated title for the Summer ’24 season (if not the whole year). I am pleased to say that its firstContinue reading “Oshi no Ko season 2 (episode 12)”

Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 14

Rating: A- With “New Town and Nostalgic Feeling,” the series begins the adaptation of novel 3, thus following the exact path trod by episode 1 of season 2 of the original adaptation. And like that adaptation, the depiction of Holo’s hangover after a night out drinking the strong stuff is epic. Whether this version orContinue reading “Spice & Wolf (2024) episode 14”

Spring 2024 Wrap-Up

With the last handful of titles for the Spring 2024 season having now aired (except for the title whose last two episodes have been delayed), let’s take a summative look at what worked well and what didn’t this season. Because of the high volume of titles I managed to follow this season, covering every oneContinue reading “Spring 2024 Wrap-Up”