Category Archives: Essay

Why It Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is Invading Your Home!

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Yep, we’re back on the JoJo train. For this week’s Why It Works, I focused specifically on the show’s long history of home invasion narratives, and how well they work for its specific blend of action and horror. To be honest, you could probably write a supplementary article on how the show embraces “invasion” more generally, often through terrifying Stands like Rohan’s Heaven’s Door. But the language of home invasions specifically is baked deeply into JoJo’s DNA, so I was happy to focus on that for now!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is Invading Your Home!

One Piece – Volume 18

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There are scattered moments within One Piece that seem to embody the romance of the high seas; the mysteries of the ocean, the scale of its vast movements, the ways we can come to understand it so well it feels like an old friend. Nami excels at facilitating these moments, as her navigator’s knowledge and generally contemplative personality tend to make her most attuned to the ocean’s sway. The scene early in chapter eighteen, where Nami muses on the nature of underwater vents, doesn’t impact our ongoing narrative in any way, and would be skipped in a point-to-point summary of this arc’s events. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful moment that naturally embodies the wonder of the ocean, and highlights how One Piece is far more than a straightforward action tableau. I appreciate that Oda consistently offers these little tonal oases, these beautiful moments that are only their own reward.

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Why It Works: Don’t Sleep on Tsurune

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Today on Crunchyroll, I ran through a brief formal breakdown of the vivid visual storytelling apparent all through Tsurune’s first several episodes. Part attempted sell and part close visual reading, I’m hoping this piece convinces at least a few wary souls to pick up Kyoto Animation’s latest production. The show’s been very satisfying so far, and given me plenty to chew on in both an aesthetic and character sense each week. I hope you enjoy the piece!

Don’t Sleep on Tsurune

Why It Works: The Solemn Beauty of SSSS.Gridman

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Today on Why It Works, I wrote a general exploration of SSSS.Gridman’s phenomenal ability to convey the suffocating atmosphere of its strange world. From its vast and alienating exterior scenes to its carefully detailed interiors, Gridman is thrilling me every week with its visual design, and I was happy to gush about it. I hope you enjoy the piece!

The Solemn Beauty of SSSS.Gridman

Strangulation: Kubishime Romanticist

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“You’re guilty of the crime of being you, and so, too, shall that be your punishment.”
– Jun Aikawa, the World’s Strongest Contractor

When I reviewed the first volume of the Zaregoto series, I was somewhat at a loss as to what to actually write about, as I’m not really a mystery fan. It’s clear that Nisio Isin himself started his writing career far more fascinated with mysteries for their own sake than he ended up – though shows like Monogatari are technically constructed around mysteries, they always ultimately reveal themselves to be about human psychology, instead. Who did what to who is never the actual point; it’s what drove a given story’s players to that point which is interesting, and “solutions” generally hinge not on figuring out who’s guilty, but on whether the guilty party can learn to embrace whatever truth they’re hiding from themselves.

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Why It Works: The Dramatic Power of a Great Anime Ending Song

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Today on Crunchyroll, I directly explored a topic that’s always been very interesting to me, but I’ve never really handled explicitly before. That’s frankly become a rarity at this point, given the hundreds of articles I’ve written, so I was happy to do a very specific dive into the various ways a smartly chosen ending song can actually elevate the drama of a show. I hope you enjoy the piece!

The Dramatic Power of a Great Anime Ending Song

Why It Works: Nick’s Picks for Fall 2018

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With the new season fully underway, it’s time for yet another seasonal tradition – my Crunchyroll roundup of all the shows I’d highly recommend. I didn’t really have to stretch at all for picks this time, seeing as the season’s actually terrific, and was even nice enough to distribute its quality across a broad spectrum of genres. Here’s the piece!

Nick’s Picks for Fall 2018

Why It Works: Here’s Why You Need to Catch Up with Planet With!

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With the summer season well and truly over, the time for subtlety has passed. More people absolutely need to watch Planet With, and so today I offered my final hard sell, trying to sum up all the many things that made this series so special. I’m sure you all have heard me gush about this series more than enough at this point, but for some reason Crunchyroll gave me a platform, and goddamnit I’m gonna use that platform for what I consider good. PLANET WITH FOREVER.

Here’s Why You Need to Catch Up with Planet With!

Why It Works: Here are the Shows to Cram Before the Fall Season!

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Well, I’d guess that title pretty much says it all, right? With the fall season basically upon us, it seemed about time to hype up all the great shows that will be gaining new sequels in the future. I’m not really sure either JoJo or Monogatari need the help, but I was happy to find another excuse to rep Thunderbolt Fantasy, and it’s not like promoting those titans could actually hurt. Anyway, if you know me well you probably already know what I’m selling, but if not, please enjoy these recommendations!

Here are the Shows to Cram Before the Fall Season

Why It Works: Monogatari Will Never Die

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With a new season of Monogatari on the way, it felt like the right time to once again explore some unique facet of this singular series. This time, with Ougi Dark having essentially concluded Araragi’s personal arc, I focused on how Monogatari is a story and show that isn’t really beholden to traditional narrative structures and endings, and how it’s basically always been a show about the laborious, continuous work of persistently recommitting to becoming your best self. I personally wouldn’t mind if Monogatari continued forever because I just like to watch it, but it’s nice that the concept of endings runs thematically counter to the show altogether, as well!

Monogatari Will Never Die