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A missed opportunity: Jormungand
May 11, 2012 (2 weeks ago)
I really wanted to like Jormungand. It's a series about illegal arms dealers and child soldiers, which is not exactly typical fare for anime and sounds interesting. Comparisons to 2006's fantastic Black Lagoon…
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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…
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Tag Archives: surreal
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
The eyes of a wolf: Ben-To’s awesome
There’s a few different tactics one can employ when approaching a new season of anime. You can either jump straight in during the first week or wait a while longer for the dust to settle; neither choice is perfect, but … Continue reading
After Life, Angel Beats! and anime blogging
If the anime blogosphere is a living purgatory, then the bloggers are the helpers, themselves stuck, but willing to point others in the right direction. As we see our friends come and go, sometimes it feels like there’s only a few of us left, but seeing people change is fulfilling in itself, and there’s always new people to help. And the same old faces, too; seeing a change in them is the best of all. Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Live action
Tagged after life, angel beats!, Hirokazu Koreeda, philosophical, purgatory, surreal
16 Comments
Am I looking at the sky, or the sea?
Though it borrows from the mythos of the (very real) city of Venice, there’s something pleasantly unreal about Aria. Rather, not unreal so much as there is a disregard for the idea and constraints of reality. Perhaps Aria seeks not … Continue reading
The candy-colored afterlife
Occult Academy, you’ve made a fan out of me.
Posted in Anime
Tagged anime no chikara, beautiful, colorful, Mamoru Hosoda, occult academy, surreal, tomohiko ito
9 Comments
Why you should care about The Tatami Galaxy
I’m totally hyped about seeing the first episode of The Tatami Galaxy (Yojohan Shinwa Taikei). It finally aired this evening in the beloved noitaminA block and is already streaming on Funimation‘s video site, but… I’m region blocked! It’s been a … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials
Tagged artsy, Kaiba, kemononzume, Masaaki Yuasa, noitamina, surreal, The Tatami Galaxy, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei
6 Comments
Injections of fun / Trapeze and episodic anime
At the moment, I’m probably more satisfied with the anime I’m following than I have been for a long time. Whenever a new season begins there’s always the temptation to try to see as much as possible, particularly as an … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Editorials, Reviews
Tagged animation, comedy, episodic, noitamina, surreal, trapeze
16 Comments
Kemonozume – 10 – Sex-starved monkeys and eating fish with giant detectives
Since we’re now hitting the final couple of episodes, Kemonozume is building up to an action packed climax. The villain, or “big boss”, has turned out to be the fat Ohba – I liken his bizarre appearance to that of … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged animation, crazy, horror, kemononzume, kung-fu, science fiction, sex, surreal, violence
3 Comments
Kemonozume – 9 – Old habits die hard
Still on the run from the Kifuuken, we join the love birds Yuka and Toshihiko aimlessly wandering down vast and empty roads when they are offered a lift by an old married couple. Their journey (squeezed inside a white van) … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged animation, crazy, horror, kemononzume, kung-fu, science fiction, sex, surreal, violence
2 Comments
Kemonozume – 8 – Hard violence, hard sex, hard feelings
At the beginning of this episode a boy student is excitedly kissing his innocent girlfriend for the first time. They hold each other in an emotional embrace, it is a pivotal moment in their lives, “Ah the day has finally … Continue reading
Mushishi – 26 – And so ends a landmark anime production
As if to confirm its audacious brilliance, central character Ginko hardly even appears in this final episode and it was still one of the highlights of the Mushishi TV series. Again bursting with its trademark melancholic tone, this was yet … Continue reading
Mushishi – 25 – Even without eyeballs, tears run
Although it would be harsh to say Mushishi had been in the doldrums of late, I must admit that the episodes succeeding number 20 have often flattered to deceive. It still looks as gob-smackingly beautiful as ever, but feels like … Continue reading
Kemonozume – 1 – Delicious gut-munching innovation
The moment I clapped eyes on its highly evocative promo art, I knew I’d love Kemonozume. It just looks so damn cool, completely in another league to the typical “doll face” anime style; here characters look and move like real … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged animation, crazy, horror, kemononzume, kung-fu, romance, science fiction, sex, surreal, violence
3 Comments
Mushishi – 24 – Bound for Bonfire Field
Another episode that was only average in comparison with Mushishi’s previously sky-is-the-limit standards, “Bound for Bonfire Field” showcased one of the more deadly mushi Ginko has come across but failed to deliver the profound human empathy I’ve come to expect … Continue reading
Mushishi – 23 – The Sound of Rust
In a village where humans are literally rusting away and being physically covered in (ever worsening) scabby brown marks, only this one girl (Shigure) appears to be immune from the disease. The bitter villagers blame Shigure for their ill-health, curse … Continue reading
Welcome to the NHK! – 1 – Salvation lies within
I admit I was initially turned off by the pretty poster girl heavily pasted all over the promo art (much like Black Lagoon) and yet still, my interest in NHK has rapidly grown over the last 4-5 weeks. Being an … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged drama, geeky, hikkimori, slice of life, surreal, Welcome to the NHK!
4 Comments
Mushishi – 22 – The essence of individuality
By following the mysterious legend of the Uminaoshi, Ginko finds himself on a secluded island. Here it is said that when people die, if they so wish it, they can be born again; in a certain part of the sea, … Continue reading
Mushishi – 21 – Animalistic tragedy
Since the last few episodes of Mushishi left us in upbeat and melancholy moods, this was a timely reminder as to just how heartless a series it can be. I don’t mean heartless in a sadistic sense, rather how a … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged drama, fantasy, magical, Mushishi, nature, supernatural, surreal
4 Comments