Article viewer
-
April 14, 2012
I have many a faint and fond memory of Eureka Seven, but wasn't sure how to feel about news of its sequel. It ended with a quite profound sense of finality, after all. Everything that needed to be said, was, an…
-
Sexuality in anime: Mine Fujiko and Faye Valentine
April 7, 2012
Like any potentially great anime, the new Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna has given us much to talk about already. It's a beautifully animated, adult series the like of which we haven't seen in TV a…
-
Category Archives: Editorials
Sexuality in anime: Mine Fujiko and Faye Valentine
Like any potentially great anime, the new Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna has given us much to talk about already. It’s a beautifully animated, adult series the like of which we haven’t seen in TV anime for … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged cowboy bebop, Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna
2 Comments
The state of Noitamina and Thermae Romae
It’s fair to say that, critically, 2011 was a poor year for Noitamina and (with Guilty Crown in tow) is currently at its lowest ebb. It’s now suffering from an identity crisis, no longer the bastion of josei anime it … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged comedy, historical, noitamina, surreal, Thermae Romae
12 Comments
But I’ll be Peter Pan forever: To Aru Majutsu no Index and I
It’s a common story. A Saturday night, no plans. What do I do? Seek out a new anime to watch, of course.
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged anime, getting old, magic, reviews, school life, To Aru Majutsu no Index
12 Comments
Madlax aka What’s wrong with the anime industry
Young women with gun skills? Check. Mysterious organization that runs the world? Check. Quasi-religious mysticism? Check. Noir only lasted one season, but if you started watching Madlax and thought it was Noir Season 2 I wouldn’t blame you. Madlax isn’t a complete … Continue reading
Don’t forget the side characters
In alot of ways, what keeps a longer manga engaging isn’t its main characters, but the side characters. Though our initial emotional investments as readers are in the main characters, the supporting cast and their links with those main characters are what … Continue reading
Posted in Editorials, Manga
Tagged drama, Hana Yori Dango, Hate, Kamio Youko, love, Manga, Moments, Rich people, romance, shoujo, Side characters, Teenagers
Leave a comment
Because you need a little violence in your life: Dr. Mohiro Kitoh’s fabulous depression
One thing we may deduce about author Mohiro Kitoh from Bokurano and Narutaru is that he probably had a few bad experiences growing up. It’s otherwise very difficult to understand why his stories about children are quite so fucked-up. Case … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged bokurano, horror, mohiro kitoh, narutaru, science fiction, violence
8 Comments
Anime Trends 2011: At least no one (of note) went bankrupt
All told, 2011 was a stable year in the anime business. No anime company of any worth (so 4Kids doesn’t count) went bankrupt, although over in the manga world TokyoPop bit the bullet. The tsunami and resulting nuclear incident will … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged 4Kids, crunchyroll, Durarara!!, funico, Funimation, gainax, niconico, streaming, trends, TV Tokyo
4 Comments
Darker than Black is the new black
Darker than Black is an enigma. The more I watch it, the less I understand how I feel about it. I wanted to write an article extolling its virtues, for example its deep characters and beautiful art. Then I went … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged Aniplex, cowboy bebop, darker than black, studio bones, witch hunter robin
2 Comments
Dear anime industry, think before you tweet
My name is Dengar and I have a problem. My problem has a name, Twitter. Ever since I joined, I’ve been addicted to getting rapid news updates. It’s particularly convenient as a way to track anime news from companies like … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged Aniplex, Funimation, McDonalds, rurouni kenshin, twitter
Leave a comment
An anatomy of a gaze
Though I suppose anatomy of a pose might be a better title for this post. I’m in love with by this image of Himari. Rather, boushi-san, or hat-san, as Shouma calls Himari’s possessed form. This image, seen in Mawaru Penguindrum’s second opening, … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged dramatic, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Mad Men, Mawaru Penguindrum, opening
4 Comments
Sorry women, distributors don’t like you
I love when the mainstream media tackles anime. Tomorrow’s New York Times’ features a story about the business opportunities in streaming anime. In its discussion of what shows work, the articles drops this great quote: “The small but avid audience … Continue reading
How many lawyers does it take to screw up an anime series?
Licensing agreements are usually kept top secret for business reasons. That is, until one company (allegedly) breaches the agreement and then goes bankrupt. At that point the court system takes over and the dirty laundry become public. That is exactly … Continue reading
Quantum is .hack as it should have been, albeit now too late
.hack//SIGN was one of the first anime shown by Cartoon Network and it left a lasting, negative impression on me: an otherwise brilliant show with a plot that went nowhere. .Hack//Quantum is the latest iteration of the series. It is … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged .hack, .hack//Quantum, .hack//SIGN, fantasy, Phantasy Star Online, science fiction
2 Comments
Streaming is good, streaming is right, streaming works.
Digital is the future of video media. Funimation’s announcement of a new premium streaming service this weekend shows that it recognizes what it needs to do to maximize its profits. Up until now, Funimation mostly used streaming to advertise its … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged Blu-Ray, DVD, Funimation, hulu, netflix, Nico Nico, streaming
6 Comments
This place of dreams and ghosts
It was around this time last year that I started watching Aria. I loved the first series, but stalled at some point during the second (Aria the Animation.) This week, though, I came back to it. It felt new to … Continue reading
Back to School
September in the US means the end of summer vacation and the beginning of the school year. Kids spend more of their lives at school than anywhere else and I’d wager that more shows are set in schools than in … Continue reading
A cloud prairie
I’ve fallen behind on anime recently. I’m not sure if that’s down to a lack of interest in what I’m watching or if I’m just not in the mood for anime at the moment, but I’m feeling quite ambivalent about … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged aircraft, flight, hayao miyazaki, porco rosso, studio ghibli, war
12 Comments