Category Archives: Essay

Why It Works: Kaiju Are Making a Comeback!

Posted on by

For this week’s Why It Works, I took stock of just how generous our current era is in terms of kaiju productions. We’ve got the Anno-Higuchi films, Legendary’s surprisingly good MonsterVerse films, and even a pair of high-profile kaiju anime coming this spring. As someone who’s only recently gotten into the genre myself (I just watched the original Godzilla this weekend!), it’s nice to have so many great examples of the form to choose from, and I was happy to shed a bit more light on these excellent productions. Here’s the piece!

Kaiju Are Making a Comeback!

Shin Godzilla

Why It Works: The Madness of Hunter x Hunter’s Hero

Posted on by

Hey everyone! For this week’s Why It Works, I dove back into Hunter x Hunter, that seemingly infinite well of potential storytelling topics. This time, I explored the unique ways the show characterizes its protagonist, and how it manipulates our expectations regarding its genre to essentially conceal Gon’s most frightening qualities. I’ve sorta been going through Hunter x Hunter one arc at a time, highlighting various strengths of the show along the way, and this time I cheated a bit – this is technically the “Greed Island article,” but it’s more about Gon than Greed Island itself. Still, I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it too. Let’s get to it!

The Madness of Hunter x Hunter’s Hero

Maquia and the Beauty of Parting

Posted on by

Tucked away in a remote village, the Iorph tend to their cloth. Known as the “Clan of Partings,” they are creatures of an older world, and live long, long lives compared to the humans that surround them. But the cloth lives longer still – referred to as the “Hibiol,” it is woven with the stories of its people, the trials and triumphs of our lives recorded in shimmering fabric. It can be a lonely existence, hidden away from the world, and the young Maquia feels isolated by her duties. But as her teacher tells her, even if we feel alone, our precious memories exist within the cloth, along with all the people we’ve loved. “They cry with us,” her teacher says, wiping away her student’s tears. This is why the Iorph must protect the Hibiol – through doing so, they protect the past, and ensure their stories endure.

Continue reading →

Why It Works: The Quiet Lessons of Laid-Back Camp

Posted on by

Laid-Back Camp is friggin’ back, meaning I can once more wax rhapsodic regarding the meditative, life-affirming qualities of the best slice of life anime. That basically covers this article, which digs into the ways Laid-Back Camp’s methodical approach to camping, as well as its general framing of the outside world, essentially works as a form of mindfulness training. Let’s get to it!

The Quiet Lessons of Laid-Back Camp

Why It Works: Gen Urobuchi’s Puppet Masterpiece Returns This Spring!

Posted on by

Hey folks. I think you can figure this one out by the title – Thunderbolt Fantasy’s on the way back, and so I am conscience-bound to hype it to all hell, and make sure at least a few more skeptical anime fans check out Urobuchi’s most hilarious production. If any of you haven’t seen it, I’d strongly urge you give Thunderbolt Fantasy’s first episode a try; the script is terrific, and the puppet art design has a tendency to grow on you, if you’re not already on board. Here’s the piece!

Gen Urobuchi’s Puppet Masterpiece Returns This Spring!

Why It Works: Here’s Why You Should Be Excited for Josee, the Tiger and the Fish!

Posted on by

Welp, the title kinda covers it, right? BONES’ upcoming film Josee looks phenomenal in basically every regard, so it was a no-brainer to write a rundown of its many production assets, and hopefully get a few more people excited about this delicate-looking romance. We’ve actually got a bunch of interesting film projects coming, but Josee is high among them, and I’m eager to see it for myself. Here’s the piece!

Here’s Why You Should Be Excited for Josee, the Tiger and the Fish!

Why It Works: One Perfect Moment – Atmosphere as Drama in Anime

Posted on by

For this week’s Why It Works, I discussed anime’s laudable focus on atmospheric storytelling, and its ability to convey emotional truths or the precise tension of a moment through careful scene-setting. This also serves as a general “becoming a more active media consumer” lesson, as I once more encourage people to connect with art in ways aside from the purely plot-focused. I’ve come to accept I probably won’t singlehandedly instigate a sea change in how fandom engages with art, but I think I’m okay with encouraging just a few people to think just a little differently about storytelling. Anyway, let’s get to it!

One Perfect Moment – Atmosphere as Drama in Anime

Why It Works: Ojamajo Doremi and the Magic of Children’s Animation

Posted on by

Heck yeah, writing about Doremi on Crunchyroll. I’d likely never have gotten the chance if not for this upcoming film, so count that as another reason I’m so excited this revival project exists. Beyond that, this article is more generally about how children’s anime tends to actually inhabit a more mature, thoughtful perspective than late-night anime, largely because it’s written to help kids grow, rather than to make teens feel badass. Let’s get to it!

Ojamajo Doremi and the Magic of Children’s Animation

Spirit Circle: What We Keep, and What We Leave Behind

Posted on by

Initially, Kouko’s demand that Fuuta relive his past lives must have felt like a kind of divine punishment. Dragged out of his happy, oblivious adolescent experience, he has been forced to experience hardship after hardship, carrying the suffering of multiple lives on his own shoulders. Fuuta’s past lives don’t even possess the decency to merely lurk in memory; they surge upwards at the most inopportune times, tainting his current experiences with the stifling taste of old, unfulfilled grudges and regrets. Thanks to Kouko, Fuuta carries his past with him always, living with one foot dragging through a mist of half-forgotten sentiment.

Continue reading →

Why It Works: Fabulous Hair, and Other Character Design Fundamentals

Posted on by

For this week’s Why It Works, I leapfrogged off Ninny’s absolutely fantastic hair from Burn the Witch, in order to discuss the nature and importance of character designs more generally. I don’t often focus too much on characters’ fashion choices in my critiques, but I have a great deal of respect for the difficult craft of character design, and Tite Kubo has always been one of the best when it comes to designing stylish characters. Let’s get to it!

Fabulous Hair, and Other Character Design Fundamentals