Episode Rating: A Episode 10 is aptly named “A Way to Survive,” as that statement perfectly encapsulates the goal here: both the military and apparently now even the politicians are looking for a way for the Empire to come out of this war intact. Key figures in the military have long recognized that the warContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 10”
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Review: cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood
The movie version of Machiko Kyo’s incredibly harsh source manga opens with a disclaimer that this is a fictionalized account, though it is based on true events. In the documentary which follows the movie (which is only a bit over an hour long) in its theatrical run, director Toko Ina mentions that the intent ofContinue reading “Review: cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood”
Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 9
Rating: A- Few anime series can pull off drastic tonal shifts as smoothly as this one can, and the episode “Sightseeing Tour” is just the latest proof on that. Even while engaging in elements of a light, playful foodie experience, the sense of the much more serious undertones is never far away, and the endContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 9”
Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 8
Rating: B+ Throughout the anime adaptation, Tanya has appeared on nearly every front that Germany directed engaged in during World War I or World War II. (The sole front that has not been represented is the battles in the eastern and southern German colonies in Africa during WW1.) The one she’s spent the least amountContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 8”
Summer 2026 Mid-Season Report, part 2
Continuing from part 1, this part features series which hit episode 7 on or after 8/15. I had originally intended to also include a look at the resumption of Re:Zero‘s season 4, but this has taken long enough to prepare, so I will wait and do that at the end of the season. A LividContinue reading “Summer 2026 Mid-Season Report, part 2”
Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 7
Episode Rating: A Even if you discount Tanya’s size, age, gender, association with Being X, and status as a cross-gender reincarnation, she’s still an aberration on other fronts. Some of that is a dramatic lack of empathy that she carried over from her previous life, which only reinforces her very studious pragmatism, but it’s alsoContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 7”
Summer 2026 Mid-Season Report, part 1
We’re at the midpoint of the Summer season, with earlier-starting series hitting episode 7 (or in a couple of cases, even episode 8!) this week, so it’s time to get the ball rolling on what a wide swath of series have been doing so far this season. With the return of Re:Zero to action thisContinue reading “Summer 2026 Mid-Season Report, part 1”
Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 6
Episode Rating: A The last few episodes have had a more tactical “big picture” focus, leaving this season so far much lighter than the previous one on direct battle sequences. That changes with this episode as both Tanya and even Zettour get into the thick of things. The result is arguably the season’s best episodeContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 6”
Movie Review: The Ribbon Knight
Osamu Tezuka’s 1953-56 manga Ribbon no Kishi (known in English as Princess Knight) is arguably the seminal work of modern shojo manga, as it was the first to apply narrative structure to manga aimed at girls. Its 1967-68 TV series anime adaptation is also easily one of the most influential of all anime titles; nearlyContinue reading “Movie Review: The Ribbon Knight”
Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 4
Rating: A- One thing that this franchise has never previously delved into is the personal costs of the war to anyone on the Empire side. (It has certainly dealt with the personal costs to the Sue/Sioux family, though!) That is one thing new that episode 4 offers. Rudersdorf’s visits to an unspecified grave (possibly thatContinue reading “Saga of Tanya the Evil II episode 4”
USA Anime 