Last Update: Thursday 7/13 2:57 p.m. EDT (probable final update) NOTE: With the posting of the last debut that I will be covering (i.e., The Devil is a Part-Timer! s2 p2), this preview guide is now complete. Welcome to my seasonal Guide! (For the debut schedule, see here.) I expect to cover every full-episode seriesContinue reading “Summer 2023 Preview Guide”
Author Archives: Theron
Oshi no Ko episode 11 (season finale)
Rating: A- For a series which has idols at its heart, Oshi no Ko has been remarkably light on actual idol performances. Since episode 1, the closest the series has gotten is the silly exercise video with Pieyon (which I don’t count) and Kana’s past music videos (closer, but not really the same thing). TheContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 11 (season finale)”
Oshi no Ko episode 10
Rating: B+ Aqua and Ruby are the centers of this series, and that’s not going to change. As much as character development might focus on other characters, these two are the impetus around which all of the major events in the series happen. That being said, I am increasingly convinced that the true star ofContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 10”
Oshi no Ko episode 9
Rating: B+ Though setting Ruby into the footsteps that her mother followed has been a plot element since episode 2, she has largely remained on the back burner over the last several episodes as the story has focused more on what Aqua is up to and his recruitment of the other two girls who willContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 9”
Oshi no Ko episode 8
Rating: A- One of the things I love about this series is about how it plays all sorts of different angles, and yet all of it is, to some degree, interrelated. Aqua is playing a very big and very long game here, and everything which goes on in the series somehow gets worked into thatContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 8”
Love’s Gentle Spring. . .
Among the sea of isekai (and isekai-like) titles in the Spring 2023 season are a couple of sweet, tame, more old-fashioned anime romantic comedy titles: TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You and A Galaxy Next Door. While the two titles have some distinct similarities, the way each of them approaches its romantic elements, and howContinue reading “Love’s Gentle Spring. . .”
In Memoriam, Anime-Style
Though many countries have their own versions of holidays to celebrate the dearly departed, Memorial Day being on the last Monday of May is a uniquely American thing. In honor of 2023’s occurrence, I’m going to take a special look at several anime titles which are profoundly influenced (if not completely defined) by the deathContinue reading “In Memoriam, Anime-Style”
Oshi no Ko episode 7
Rating: A After producing one hell of a hard-hitting ending last time around, the series faced a difficult assignment: find a way to follow through and resolve the problem without cheapening the circumstance which got the show there. Instead of just contenting itself with that, the writing went for the extra credit as well: takeContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 7”
Oshi no Ko episode 6
Rating: A- “Egosurfing” (the apt title for this episode) is the act of looking one’s self up on social media to see what others are saying about you. While it can be a very gratifying experience when people are saying complimentary things about you, it can be crushing when they aren’t and positively toxic whenContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 6”
Oshi no Ko episode 5
Rating: 4 (of 5) In a recently posted interview on ANN, the writer for the source manga, Aka Akasaka, explains how he came up with the idea for this series and the process he went through to gather sufficient insider details to make the effort feel realistic. I recommend it as a complementary read forContinue reading “Oshi no Ko episode 5”
USA Anime 