Tag Archives: Anime

March comes in like a lion – Episode 9

Posted on by

March comes in like a lion had a bit of a lesser episode this week, though Rei’s match against Mr. Matsunaga was still both entertaining and dramatically important. I continue to appreciate how thoughtfully March approaches character drama focused on someone who’s fundamentally unhappy – Rei’s daily life is full of failures, victories, and new emotional discoveries, but all of that occurs in the context of his more overarching depression. Some occasional lazy jokes are a fine price of admission to a show that handles March’s key variables this well.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!

Continue reading →

Why It Works: Sculpting Worlds with Studio Pablo

Posted on by

Alright, so this one technically isn’t another Flip Flappers article – it instead focuses on Studio Pablo specifically, whose gorgeous background art lends the show so much of its power. But Pablo aren’t only associated with Flip Flappers, meaning I got to have a lot of fun digging around through their history to find even more highlights of their work. As someone who often appreciates shows for their mastery of tone more than anything else, background art is pretty dang important to me. I hope you enjoy the piece!

Why It Works: Sculpting Worlds with Studio Pablo

Flip Flappers

Nichijou – Episode 18

Posted on by

And we’re back on the Nichijou train! Last episode was very important, as it finally saw the integration of Nano into the group of high school friends. I was extremely relieved to see that; the show’s tone had been suffering overall from Nano’s unhappiness, and letting the professor interact with people like Yuuko and Mai seems like an extremely good plan. The professor is frankly becoming one of my favorite anime characters – I’ve come to terms with the fact that a truly good Yotsuba anime will almost certainly never exist, but the professor seems to demonstrate it’s not actually an impossibility. Either way, Nichijou is here right now, so LET’S GET TO IT.

Continue reading →

The Best Anime Next Steps

Posted on by

There are a lot of anime out there! Literally thousands, with over a hundred more being released every year. There are new hits every season, and old favorites that have slowly lost their topical sheen. Given all those shows, it can be understandably hard to pick what to watch next – anime, like every other medium, is full of stuff that will disappoint you, and everyone’s tastes are different.

My own tastes in particular are a little weird – I like arthouse stuff and intimate character studies and occasional cathartic message-focused shows. But fortunately, there is indeed such a thing as “normal” taste in anime, or at least the most common preferences shared by fans outside of Japan. And today, I’m hoping to help that audience – or more specifically, hopefully, You.

Continue reading →

Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 10

Posted on by

Euphonium had another stunner this week, finishing off Asuka’s story in the most cathartic possible manner. Even Mamiko’s material was really great this time, and the contrast between the two couldn’t be starker – Mamiko’s scene was all quiet reflections on the realities of family, Asuka’s was a melodramatic showdown between two of the show’s most compelling figures. Euphonium 2 has had some rough patches, but this last arc has been the series at its best.

You can check out my enormous review over at ANN, or my notes below!

Continue reading →

Girlish Number – Episode 9

Posted on by

Girlish Number finally turned back to Chitose this week, centering an episode on both her and Kuzu-P’s understandable anxieties. While I obviously don’t “like” these characters as much as I like the more emotionally generous side characters, I thought this episode did a fine job of bringing their anxieties home. Just because they’re assholes doesn’t mean they don’t have problems too!

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.

Continue reading →

Fall 2016 – Week 9 in Review

Posted on by

Turns out anime is good, everybody. Who would have guessed! As usual, nearly everything I’m watching this season operated at a level I generally just associate with my seasonal favorite, leaving me with a pile of cartoon riches to luxuriate in. Euphonium rallied from a weaker episode with possibly the strongest episode of the season, March continued to lay sturdy dramatic bricks in between episodic pleasures, and Flip Flappers steered itself right back towards the compelling bonds between the three leads. Even JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was acting like it had something to prove, working hard to give Hayato’s struggle all the manic energy it deserves. Anime will likely go back to being bad again soon, but I can’t say I mind having barely anything to complain about. But I’m not doing this critic shtick for nothing, so let’s start off with some complaints and then work our way to the fawning praise!

Continue reading →

Winter 2017 Season Preview

Posted on by

I’ll be honest – this upcoming anime season is looking pretty sparse. Perhaps this is our punishment for having such a strong current season, or perhaps the good and just anime gods are displeased with Flip Flappers’ low sales numbers, but either way, we’re going to be scavenging for scraps come January. That said, there are still some bright spots here and there – sequels to strong first seasons, shows with promising creators, originals that might have have some kind of special spark. And we’ve certainly had weak winter seasons before – in fact, this winter may just end up being a repeat of last year’s, where Rakugo stood head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. We’ll get by, as we always do. And we’ll probably have some nice cartoons to help us.

As usual, I won’t be previewing every single show of the coming season, and I also won’t be providing traditional synopses. You can check a site like anichart for all that stuff – instead, I’ll be highlighting the specific shows that seem to have potential, along with the generally staff-related reasons I feel that way. Plot is cheap, but strong artists are irreplaceable. So let’s start at the vague peak of my interest level and run this next season down!

Continue reading →

March comes in like a lion – Episode 8

Posted on by

March had another strong episode this week, one that brought some narrative congruity to a few disjointed sequences by tethering them all to Rei’s upcoming shogi match. The show seems to have largely resolved my initial complaints at this point, mostly through the natural progression of its character work. With Rei, the sisters, and side characters like Harunobu all so well established, the show’s comedy has become more warm and character-focused than abrasive and tonally incongruous, making the show a general pleasure to watch. While I wouldn’t say it’s the “best” show I’m watching this season, I’m pretty sure there’s no show I’m enjoying more than March. It’s a story I’m always happy to spend time with.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!

Continue reading →

Why It Works: Flip Flappers’ Fearful Symmetry

Posted on by

Couldn’t keep myself away from Flip Flappers, as it turns out. The Why It Works articles are actually very well-suited for exploring the show, since its ideas are all relevant across episodes, and so it’s handy to analyze single threads that have carried between them. This time I talk about the show’s use of visual symmetry, which essentially expands on my earlier writing about the show’s generally stellar visual storytelling. Take a look!

Why It Works: Flip Flappers’ Fearful Symmetry

Flip Flappers