Tag Archives: Review

The Apothecary Diaries, episode 38

Rating: A- One of the neatest aspects of this series is the depth of its cast. Maomao and (to a lesser extent) Jinshi are clearly the stars, but all four of the high-level concubines also have their strong appeals: Gyokuyou is the clever and mischievous one (as we see again in this episode), Lihua isContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 38”

The Apothecary Diaries episode 37

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”

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”

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”

Special: A Look at Non-Japanese Isekai

Over the past several months I’ve started looking into current isekai stories from non-Japanese sources. That trends in this genre outside of Japan closely mirror what’s going on in Japan is no surprise, though some of these works ape the construction and signature characteristics of current Narou-influenced isekai more than others. Before we get intoContinue reading “Special: A Look at Non-Japanese Isekai”

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”

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V episode 15 (season finale)

Rating: A DanMachi may not always be the best-looking or most flawlessly-animated series, but it has rarely fallen short on dramatic presentation and does better than most when it comes to delivering on its biggest moments. That is no less true for this season finale, which brings to a conclusion the anime’s adaptation of novelsContinue reading “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V episode 15 (season finale)”

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”