Rating: A- Though he’s hardly one of the more likable characters in the series, Lakan is still an intriguing one. He’s ferociously smart and a superior judge of character and ability (last episode strongly implied that he is responsible for Lihaku being where he is, for instance), which allows him to maintain a high positionContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 22”
Tag Archives: reviews
Winter ’24 Mid-Season Round-Up, part 2
In Part 1 last week, I covered series that have not been getting episode reviews at Anime News Network. In this installment, I will be offering my take on series that I am following that are getting week-to-week coverage. In most cases, these are the season’s more popular and/or noteworthy productions, so it’s not aContinue reading “Winter ’24 Mid-Season Round-Up, part 2”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 18
Rating: A I was going to skip reviewing this one separately and just combine it with episode 19, rather than post a review this late. However, episode 18 turned out to be loaded, the culmination of many hints and mysteries presented to date, and the previews suggest that next episode will be even more loaded.Continue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 18”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 14
Rating: A- Episode 14 contains the sequence that I was probably most looking forward to seeing animated from this part of the story: Maomao’s lessons to the four high-ranking consorts on how to please the Emperor, a task warranted by the arrival of the new (and presumed to be sexually inexperienced) Pure Consort. That sheContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 14”
The Apothecary Diaries, episode 13
Rating: B+ After a week off, the second half of the series begins, shifting the adaptation into the territory of the second light novel and the 5th manga volume. This also marks a significant change in the setting: instead of being in the Rear/Inner Palace, Maomao is now working in the Outer Palace, directly underContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries, episode 13”
Review: Pluto
This ONA series, which debuted on Netflix in late October, has a very interesting pedigree. It adapts a lauded manga by Naoki Urasawa (the manga-ka behind titles like Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, Master Keaton, 21st Century Boys, and of course Monster), but that was itself a re-imagining of a singular story arc from OsamuContinue reading “Review: Pluto”
The Apothecary Diaries episode 11
Rating: A+ Barring a stunning collapse in the next couple of weeks, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is not going to be beat for best series of the season (and maybe the year), but with this episode The Apothecary Diaries makes its strongest bid for the #2 spot. In culminating multiple recent plot threads, it deliversContinue reading “The Apothecary Diaries episode 11”
Special Review: The Heike Story
Rating: 4.5 (of 5) The Tale of the Heiki is a 12-chapter epic assembled no later than the early 14th century from a collection of oral traditions. It chronicles the rise and fall of the Taira (aka Heiki) warrior clan in 12th century Japan, events which brought the Heian Period to an end and directlyContinue reading “Special Review: The Heike Story”
86
86 episode 1 Rating: 4.5 (of 5) 86 is my most-anticipated new series of the Spring 2021 season, as I am current on the American release of the source novels (and have previously reviewed the first four volumes for ANN) and have felt ever since reading the first novel that the first story arc, atContinue reading “86”
USA Anime 