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”
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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”
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”
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”
Summer 2024 Preview Guide
Commentary on most titles debuting in the Summer 2024 season as they debut.
An Archdemon’s Dilemma, episodes 7-9
Collective Rating: B+ The first six episodes of the series established the two main characters, justified the series’ title, and (more or less) formalized the relationship between Zagan and Nephy: they are, for all practical purposes, a married couple, even if neither is willing to admit it out loud and they’re still shying away fromContinue reading “An Archdemon’s Dilemma, episodes 7-9”
USA Anime 