Category Archives: Essay

Why It Works: Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichiro Watanabe is Directing an Anime this Spring!

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Today on Why It Works, I used the occasion of Carole & Tuesday’s upcoming release to talk about Watanabe’s work in a more general sense, highlighting the themes and narrative quirks that have remained consistent all through his many years as a director. I get the feeling my insistence his works are all a part of one cohesive statement might not tempt people who are just hoping for Bebop 2, but I gotta try! Regardless, I enjoyed looking and thinking back over Watanabe’s career, and now feel even more excited for his new show. I hope you enjoy the piece!

Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichiro Watanabe is Directing an Anime this Spring!

Chihayafuru Part Two: The Movie

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I’ll get the bad news out of the way right from the start: the second Chihayafuru film is not that great of an actual film. If I were giving it a formal review, I’d probably spend a fair amount of time talking about how its first act hangs on insubstantial drama, as well as its inability to maintain the manga’s tactical sports intrigue, which generally acts as a needed counterbalance to the story’s melodrama. I’d praise Mayu Matsuoka for absolutely killing it as Shinobu, but reflect that ultimately, in spite of doing its best to reconstitute the manga into a coherent three-film structure, it loses too much of the original’s appeal in the process. I’d conclude by summarizing it as not a great film in its own right, but a very fun lark for fans of the franchise, and a fascinating exercise in the difficulty of translating ongoing manga to discrete films.

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Why It Works: We Are Stronger Together in Run with the Wind!

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With last week’s article having covered the overall “here’s what this show does well” pitch, this week’s Why It Works offers a more traditionally Wrong Every Time take on Run with the Wind, as we explore the themes and emotional experience of the show. I really enjoyed writing this piece, and hope you enjoy reading it too!

We Are Stronger Together in Run with the Wind!

Why It Works: Why You Need to Catch Up on Run with the Wind!

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Today on Why It Works, I’ve got a general sales pitch running down the diverse strengths of Run with the Wind. Though I’ve been impressed with this show from the start, I never expected it to be quite this consistent, and certainly not this genuinely moving. The final relay has had me misting up for a few weeks straight now, and As Is My Code, I must do my best to share that blubbering with you all. Here’s the piece!

Why You Need to Catch Up on Run with the Wind!

Why It Works: Reigen is Great, But There Are Other Great Anime Parents Too!

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After last week’s parental love letter to a remorseless conman and serial liar, I felt kinda obligated to celebrate some anime parents who don’t necessarily possess quite so much baggage. For this week’s Why It Works, I ran down a scattering of other great parents or parental figures, giving me a fine opportunity to rep shows like March and Eccentric Family once more. Look, if March didn’t want to show up on half of my recommendation lists, it shouldn’t have been so good at absolutely everything.

Reigen is Great, But There Are Other Great Anime Parents Too!

Why It Works: Reigen Arataka and the Ideal Anime Parent

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Today on Why It Works, we’re exploring the messy yet surprisingly thoughtful relationship between Mob and Reigen! Though Reigen isn’t truly Mob’s dad, his time spent teaching his young employee has felt more true-to-life and poignant than many overt parental anime relationships, and it’s been a thrill to watch this season expand on their bond. Let’s get to the piece!

Reigen Arataka and the Ideal Anime Parent

Why It Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Has Crossed the Line

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Today on Crunchyroll, I’m celebrating one of JoJo’s strangely iconic qualities – those times when its solution to some particular narrative riddle is so absurd or convoluted you just have to say “no JoJo, that’s bullshit.” I genuinely love those moments, and feel JoJo tends to pretty gracefully dance between sequences that are given enough tactical grounding to feel genuinely tense, and sequences that are so laughably ridiculous they’re entertaining purely as fantasy. Let’s get to celebrating some of JoJo’s most absurd turns!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Has Crossed the Line

Why It Works: The Magnificent Kotobuki and Its High-Flying Director Have Arrived

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I’m guessing a lot of readers probably knew what this week’s post would be the moment “The Magnificent Kotobuki is now on Crunchyroll” was announced, and I’m happy to prove them right. Tsutomu Mizushima’s work has been bringing me great joy for years, and I had a great time celebrating his career with this week’s column. Let’s get to the piece!

The Magnificent Kotobuki and Its High-Flying Director Have Arrived

Why It Works: The Adapted Vision of The Promised Neverland

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I’ve got a nice, meaty topic for this week’s Why It Works, as we dig into the complexities and unique priorities of anime in adaptation. While an anime that attempted to echo Neverland’s intricate fairy tale tone would have been very interesting, it’s clear that this team are instead focused on making a tightly wound suspense thriller, and their choices bear that out. I hope you enjoy the piece!

The Adapted Vision of The Promised Neverland

Why It Works: The True Nature of Strength in Mob Psycho 100

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For today’s Why It Works, I’ve got a plus-sized breakdown of Mob Psycho’s overall thematic thrust! Well, not its entire thematic thrust – there are also subthemes regarding social difference and mob mentalities and whatnot that I didn’t directly address, BUT STILL! This is basically a classic thematic essay, and I’m pretty happy with it. Mob Psycho embodies a great deal of what I love in anime, from its visual experimentation to its psychological inquiry to its quirky dramatic sensibilities, but its underlying belief in the power of human kindness and worthiness of all people is what speaks to me most. I hope you enjoy my tribute to this wonderful show!

The True Nature of Strength in Mob Psycho 100