Rating: B+ Even The Apothecary Diaries isn’t free of the seemingly-ubiquitous bathing episode in anime titles, as this episode proves with Maomao, Xiaolin, and Shisui spending much of the episode in the Rear Palace’s baths or concerned with what goes on there. The difference here is that this may be one of the least sexyContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries episode 37”
Tag Archives: Anime
Winter 2025 Wrap-Up
Due to some production delays, not all Winter ’25 series that aren’t continuing into the Spring ’25 season have wrapped at this point; both My Happy Marriage and I Left My A-Rank Party still have episodes to air as of 3/31/25. However, with the Spring ’25 Preview Guide getting underway, I have decided not waitContinue reading “Winter 2025 Wrap-Up”
Spring 2025 Preview Guide
A look at the titles debuting during the Spring 2025 anime season.
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 36
Rating: A- Since writing the review for episode 35, I’ve seen some discussion from those familiar with the source material which advocates that last episode would have been better-served running about a minute farther into the scene in the cave than it did. I didn’t agree with that assertion at the time, and I disagreeContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 36”
SERIES REVIEW: Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World
I was not originally planning to give a separate review for this series as a whole, but this is easily the most underrated and underappreciated series I saw in the Winter 2025 season, so I’m doing this review in part to call attention to the merits of a series which is more unconventional than itContinue reading “SERIES REVIEW: Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 35
Note: My apologies for this being a bit late. Family plans interfered with getting this written in a more timley fashion. Rating: A- Jinshi has been contemplating for a while now about revealing the two big secrets he’s been keeping from Maomao: how he’s related to the Emperor (and possibly even which truth to tellContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 35”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 34
Rating: B+ To this point the series has studiously eschewed mystical explanations for anything, always going with the approach of the level-headed Maomao finding the practical explanation for events that may seem supernatural to the uninformed. You’d expected that to continue to be the case with a night where Yinghua drags Maomao to a nightContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 34”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 33
Rating: A Many fans of the novels and manga are eagerly anticipating the upcoming episode explaining why a frog is featured in the OP. For me, though, the most anticipated episode of this cour of the series is this one, the one which dealt most squarely with Empress Dowager Anshi and the previous Emperor. DespiteContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 33”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 32
Rating: B+ Last episode’s mystery with the shrine provide a glimpse into the setting’s broader history. This episode, by contrast, looks at the closer history of the setting by starting to expand on Jinshi’s dream sequence from the beginning of last episode. (In the manga version, that dream sequence comes immediately before the content ofContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 32”
Winter 2025 Mid-Season Report, part 2
This half deals with titles which hit either their 6th or 7th episodes during the week of 2/17/25-2/23/25. It also includes the remainder of season 3 of Arifureta, which finished airing during this time frame. Arifureta s3 episodes 12-16 Rating (these episodes only): B- After a short delay, the third season of Arifureta finished itsContinue reading “Winter 2025 Mid-Season Report, part 2”
USA Anime 