Theron

2022 in Review: The Best and Strangest of the Year

As we say good-bye to 2022, it’s time to take a look at the highlights of the year. Prior to Anime News Network starting its current “Best of Year” format in 2016, I spent several years at the site teaming up with one of two fellow reviewers to make a “Best of Year” format thatContinue reading “2022 in Review: The Best and Strangest of the Year”

Isekai³: The Isekai Quartet Movie

Isekai Quartet The Movie: Another World Japanese Premiere: 6/10/2022 English Premiere: 12/21/22 (on Crunchyroll) Though American media has a tradition of cross-overs going back at least 40 years, they have always been quite rare in Japan, which is part of what made the two TV seasons of Isekai Quartet (aired in Spring 2019 and WinterContinue reading “Isekai³: The Isekai Quartet Movie”

Who Lurk in the Shadows?

The Eminence in Shadow, episodes 1-12 Minoru Kageno was a young man who never outgrew his childhood desire to be a hero – specifically, a warrior from the shadows known as Eminence in Shadow. He trained hard so he could beat up biker punks and criminals, but that only went so far; shonen-style great powerContinue reading “Who Lurk in the Shadows?”

Princess Principal: Crown Handler

The recent BD English release of the second installment in the Princess Principal: Crown Handler OVA series led me to realize that I never did get around to reviewing the first installment when it was released back in March (of 2022). Hence this review covers both installments. The anime-original Princess Principal TV series aired forContinue reading “Princess Principal: Crown Handler”

The Magic of the Inner Palace

Raven of the Inner Palace episodes 1-11 While I don’t specifically consider myself a fan of Chinese Imperial Court-influenced fantasy series, I must have a high tolerance for them; after all, three titles which would probably make my all-time Top 10 list for favorite anime series – The Twelve Kingdoms, Story of Saiunkoku (aka ColorCloudContinue reading “The Magic of the Inner Palace”

Review: Is the Novice Alchemist Managing?

Management of a Novice Alchemist One interesting trend in anime in recent years (and by extension its common source material) is fantasy series with an entrepreneurial bent. While the series may have flashy magic and action elements and typically features a protagonist that’s unusually capable (if not outright OP), it focuses much more on buildingContinue reading “Review: Is the Novice Alchemist Managing?”

KanColle: See You Again on Another Blue Sea (aka KanColle 1944) debut

Streams: Crunchyroll on Thursdays First Episode Rating: B Though easily the most successful of the “ship girl” franchises to come out of the 2010s (it had an enormous presence in doujinshi markets through much of that decade), the mobile game Kantai Collection has only had two previous anime adaptations: a 12-episode 2015 TV series andContinue reading “KanColle: See You Again on Another Blue Sea (aka KanColle 1944) debut”

Special Preview: Arknights: Prelude to Dawn

Streams: Crunchyroll on Fridays Rating: 3 (of 5) Anime series which adapt mobile games are hardly unusual in recent years, but I am hard-pressed to think of another one which is based on a tower defense game. Yet that’s exactly what’s going on with this adaptation of a Chinese mobile game. (It has also beenContinue reading “Special Preview: Arknights: Prelude to Dawn”

Reincarnated as a Sword episodes 2-3

Rating: B for episode 2, B+ for episode 3 This is one series that I did not expect to be commenting on week-to-week, and I’m still not sure if I will write it up every week. However, episodes 2 and 3 added enough to the basic premise laid out in episode 1 that I feltContinue reading “Reincarnated as a Sword episodes 2-3”