Category Archives: Reviews

Farewell Satoshi Kon

Posted on September 2, 2010 by bateszi

It’s difficult to express the disappointment I felt when I learnt of Satoshi Kon‘s passing last week. Since then, many heart-felt tributes have been published and half-way through writing this, I started wondering whether it was worth posting at all. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Can you make a giant killing happen inside of you?

Posted on August 31, 2010 by dengar

This is a show about football (out of respect to Bateszi I’ll avoid using the word soccer…). The featured team, East Tokyo United (ETU), is dysfunctional. ETU’s fans are running away, the team keeps losing managers and players and worst … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The town where nothing ever happens: FLCL & I

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Celeste

Frankly, I lack the words to talk about Satoshi Kon’s passing; there are others who have said and will say things more eloquently. Instead, I offer you a diversion: FLCL. I meant to write this post a while back, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

This is the Naruto I remember

Posted on August 22, 2010 by bateszi

There were times when I considered dropping Naruto.

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

One Piece, or when the anime is better than the manga

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Celeste

Before I start, a preamble: One Piece is a great anime. Ever since our little agreement a month back I’ve been tackling the series, from 229 onwards at a pace of about 3 or so episodes a day. Unlike the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Opinions on current anime

Posted on August 14, 2010 by bateszi

Although the vast majority of my recent scribblings concern mostly older series, I am (and have been) keeping up with some newer anime, too. Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu is a name that suggests parody, but this new fantasy series … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

You’re gonna carry that weight

Posted on August 7, 2010 by bateszi

What is the ending of Cowboy Bebop trying to say? It feels like such a waste. Spike doesn’t have face Vicious, he could just stay with Faye and Jet, leave Mars and fly away, but he doesn’t.

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

Naruto & child soldiers / The thrilling tragedy of Kakashi Gaiden

Posted on July 22, 2010 by bateszi

Does Masashi Kishimoto think about how children are depicted in Naruto? Ninja are tools of war, after all, and Konoha trains its children to become ninja; isn’t that wrong? On a base, moral level? Of course, Naruto is intended as … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Low-brow good times [Occult Academy first impressions]

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Celeste

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about anime over the past year, it’s that these Anime no Chikara projects start out strong, only to have me lose interest after four episodes. When faced with the latest offering in the project, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Get back to watching One Piece

Posted on July 10, 2010 by bateszi

One Piece. Oh, man. Where do I start.

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , | 18 Comments

The curious case of Kannagi

Posted on June 22, 2010 by bateszi

Watching anime for a long time (I’m talking years, really,) one can fall into certain patterns of viewing. I’ve grown accustomed to knowing what I like, and what I don’t, and picking the anime I watch according to my own … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Why didn’t you shoot? I meant to. – Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Celeste

The thing is like a wolf. The thing is a wolf. Thus, it is a thing to be banished. I’ve been an anime fan for a long time. At 22, the portion of my life in which I’ve been a … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Horrible fun / Exhuming Ga-Rei -Zero-

Posted on June 14, 2010 by bateszi

If just because there’s something exciting about proving yourself wrong every now and then, I’m trying to watch a bunch of recent series that I’ve snubbed or otherwise ignored in past. This all started when, on a whim, I began … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Shoujo fantasy Gurren Lagann: Sense of Wonder by Akemi Hayashi

Posted on June 10, 2010 by bateszi

Reality is rarely as poetic, but then, a dream is not supposed to be real. Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Next time, let me see a Matsuri Special.”

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Celeste

Something about the transience of adolescence never fails to inspire. More often than not we wake up, 20, fully grown, and confused as to how we got there. For this reason, mangaka like Kamio Youko are a particularly rare breed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Manga, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

People with cold hands have warm hearts (Air Doll review)

Posted on April 6, 2010 by bateszi

Two years is a long time. Just two years ago, I’d seen very few Japanese live-action films, only to eventually realise that my interest in anime was linked to a broader fascination with the whole spectrum of Japanese art; what … Continue reading →

Posted in Live action, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Sora no Woto: apocalypse moé

Posted on February 4, 2010 by bateszi

I’m not an admirer of the moé aesthetic, so my initial response to Sora no Woto was one of indifference; just more moé, I thought; not interested. That’s always my default reaction to a series like this, but the thing … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

The tide of violence

Posted on January 27, 2010 by bateszi

I’ve read only 26 chapters of Vinland Saga so far but its quality is such that I have to admit it’s already one of my favourites. Thorfinn is the main character, an Icelandic warrior joined with a band of Viking … Continue reading →

Posted in Manga, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments