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The Ogre's Bride Anime Series Review
Yuzu seems passive, but she's really a survivor stumbling her way into the light.
― The Cinderella fairy tale often draws knee-jerk reactions about passive heroines. Even some of her arguably more passive fairy tale sisters, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, are afforded more grace than the woman who rises from the ashes to become a princess. She's painted as the ultimate in passivity, a girl who w...
DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition Game Review
An already beautiful game and a spectacular RPG... hobbled by Square Enix's bad business decisions.
― Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was already a beautiful game and a spectacular RPG. While it was eventually brought to the Nintendo Switch, it was with some compromise. Understandably, fans have waited a while for a "better" version that didn't compromise the visuals so much. The good news ...
Kingdom Hearts I-III Collection Game Review
Our clown-shoe-wearing Chosen One is back with a staggeringly packed bundle of his epic adventures with Goofy and Squall Leonhart.
― It used to be that when you first heard the name Kingdom Hearts, you would think of it as that kitschy crossover that was cool before crossovers were cool. Before Fortnite (which, man, talk about serendipity with that one) or guest characters making wacky cameos in othe...
Hyakusho Kizoku-the farmer's days (Seasons 1-3) Anime Review
It's refreshing and sweet to hear about what influenced Arakawa.
― I have a lot of respect for Hiromu Arakawa, not just because she made some of my favorite stories of all time, but also because she has never been afraid to discuss her roots before becoming a manga creator. In fact, I personally knew about Arakawa's background well before watching this series, since I know it also influenced the crea...
BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA Anime Series Review
This era of BanG Dream! feels like it's been pushing for more surprises! More swerves! More drama! YUME∞MITA seems similarly engineered.
― Since its reinvention with It's MyGO!!!!! in 2023, the arc of BanG Dream has bent toward stories that get people talking. Obviously, engagement is a measure of any story, but in this current era of BanG Dream specifically, it feels like it's been pushing for more ...
Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2 Anime Series Review
Sometimes you just need to see Akutagawa skipping along the waterfront or watch Dazai try to wrangle the rest of the cast as preschoolers.
― The main story of Bungo Stray Dogs, whether in anime, manga, or novel form, isn't given to silliness. That's not just because the authors are reimagined in the plot, although many of them died young and/or tragically; the series explores humanity and all the lig...
Uncanny Counter Season 2 Live-Action Series Review
Evil spirits are taking the fight directly to the Afterlife by attacking the Counters who protect the world.
― In Season one, we met So Mun (Jo Byeong-kyu), who was left with a maimed left leg after losing his parents in a horrible car accident. So finds his true purpose in life (and gets a healthy body and new powers) when he awakens as a retrieval specialist for evil spirits who have escaped the co...
HimaNatsu: Of Churches, Sunflowers, and Long Summers Game Review
There’s a fine line between a piece of media feeling nostalgic or dated and, unfortunately, HimaNatsu falls into the latter category.
― I decided to review HimaNatsu: Of Churches, Sunflowers and Long Summers because I wanted to practice what I preach. I've long been frustrated with how the majority of mainstream gaming outlets treat visual novels and their ilk as, at best, quirky novelties and, at wo...
Hell Mode Season 1 Anime Series Review
Nothing says thrilling like watching someone throw rocks at trees while they think about their stats.
― In a never-ending sea of isekai titles where our protagonists are reborn into wealth as a child or adolescent and are overpowered, Hell Mode should, theoretically, be a breath of fresh air: Our protagonist—formerly a hardcore gamer named Kenichi Yamada, now named Allen—is reincarnated as a newborn ...
Horror Collector Volumes 2-4 Light Novel Review
That’s part of what makes for successful children’s horror fiction: not even the grown-ups can keep you safe.
― Middle grade horror is often some of the best the genre has to offer. That's not because children's stories are inherently scarier, but rather because authors need to bring all of their skill to bear to successfully craft a horror plot that's scary but not traumatizing. The best authors can...
The Summer Hikaru Died Volumes 2-7 Manga Review
As The Summer Hikaru Died approaches its conclusion, who can say where it will take "Hikaru" and Yoshiki? The monster already ripped his heart out; will Yoshiki be next?
― The Summer Hikaru Died is one of Yen Press' best-selling manga series for a reason. The journey through these six volumes takes readers from one side of existence into the next as "Hikaru" and Yoshiki attempt to reconcile what "Hik...
Aachi and Ssipak Film Review
This film isn't for everyone, but it’s like watching someone drop the Rugrats into Akira.
― Korean Animation has hit a high in recent years. Between Netflix's Lost in Starlight and Studio Lico's Your Letter, the industry feels more confident than ever in producing its own stories. But that wasn't the case in the early 2000s. While the country had become known for reliable outsourcing of animation tal...
Godzilla Minus Zero Live-Action Movie Review
The King of the Monsters is here to blow you away again—and this time, he’s got company.
― How do you bridge the gap between Godzilla as a force of terror and as a cool guy who fights other monsters? The American 2014 film tried to split the difference between metaphorical horror and “let them fight” fun before turning completely silly in its sequels. The last two JapaneseGodzilla films (Shin Godzill...
Orbitals Game Review
Despite the gorgeous veneer, the characterization and writing in Orbitals don't have anywhere near the same amount of gas that everything else in it does.
― It's no secret that Nostalgia is the lowest-hanging fruit to get juiced into a pulp by many of the recent marketing trends promoting the media we consume, especially when the act of looking back at better times can be a far more enjoyable experie...
MY HERO ACADEMIA: All's Justice Switch 2 Port Video Game Review
This game is meant to enhance the experience of an established fan rather than draw in potential new ones.
― All's Justice is the third installment in the tag team 3D arena fighting games developed by Byking Inc., with this one being a direct follow-up to My Hero One's Justice 2. I appreciate that the game wastes no time getting into the action, aside from a basic tutorial to reintroduce you to the g...
Historié Volumes 1-2 Digital Manga Review
Iwaaki moves from Parasyte to historical fiction, drawing Eumenes' path to greatness.
― Manga creator Hitoshi Iwaaki is best known for his hit manga series Parasyte, a supernatural horror story featuring bloodthirsty aliens who begin living in human bodies. Kodansha injected new blood into the ' 90s-era series with the premiere of its 2014 anime adaptation, with manga spin-offs and live-action series...
Game Review: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Few games fly as high or as well as Wings of Theve.
― Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is one of the best games that I've played in 2026. It's a thrilling, arcadey fighting flight sim whose design team seems to have had a ton of fun playing with their game's form. Its level design, barring one inordinately frustrating late-game chokepoint, interlinks a rewarding level of challenge with creative mission p...
Billy Bat Volume 2 Manga Review
What does the bat want? Why does he want it?
― Some symbols are universal from the start. Others become so through the length of human use. A gesture that can mean “it's hot out” in one country can mean “I think you're attractive” in another. But how do these things evolve? Do they come naturally as people develop cultures? Or do they predate nations and form their very foundations instead? These que...
Qliphah in Providence's Shadow Game Review
Can Stylish Rock-Paper-Scissors combat save Qliphah in Providence's Shadow’s dull narrative? No. But can it evoke memories of the PS Vita? Yes, for better or worse.
― Qliphah in Providence's Shadow's immediate first impression when I launched the game was “this would easily have been a 7/10 PS Vita cult classic”, which is perhaps damning praise; when I first launched it on my PC, the game made the fu...
Akane-banashi Volumes 1-3 Manga Review
Determined to vindicate her father after the humiliating end of his Rakugoka career, Akane Osaki descends into the world of rakugo herself, but will she fare any better?
― Some of the comments about Akane-Banashi's early start were that it did not seem to fit within the confines of Shonen Jump: It didn't feature fighting, it wasn't explicitly a comedy, it had no romance, and most importantly, the pro...
A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even Volumes 1-7 Light Novel Review
Ellie is perhaps the most morally gray villainess I’ve seen in an otome story. She’s a villainess with a body count: 103. And that’s only counting CHILDREN she’s killed.
― Awful men in positions of power are destroying our world and us along with it. Wouldn't the world be so much better, so much more peaceful, if women were the ones in charge? Hold that thought. A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even: ...
The Shy Snow Woman and the Cursed Ring Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
Shy Snow Woman and the Cursed Ring's characters are far more interesting than you'd expect for a simple sex romp, and Puuzaki Puuna clearly has put a stellar amount of effort into ensuring that the cast sticks out for more than just their sexy designs.
― Puuzaki Puuna's Shy Snow Woman and the Cursed Ring has an extremely simple setup, and, at the risk of sounding overly simple, it handles the concept...
Cupid Parasite Visual Novel Review
Lighthearted for the most part but serious when it needs to be, this is a sheer delight.
― I started out as a PC gamer, largely because my parents felt it was “educational” for us to have a computer in a way that having a console wouldn't be. That means that my default tends to be to want to play video games on my computer, possibly because I am a creature of habit. So I was very excited that Idea Fa...
RESIDENT EVIL (2026) Live-Action Film Review
This movie has earned the right to carve the name of RESIDENT EVIL in jagged letters onto its very bones.
― I'm fairly certain that RESIDENT EVIL doesn't even make it to the ten-minute mark before its well-meaning hero, Bryan (Austin Abrams), is covered in blood and screaming for his life. The first and most significant thing that anyone is likely to notice about Zack Cregger's crazed and confident s...
Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid Anime Film Review
No matter how you feel about the story, as a piece of anime history, this is more than worthwhile.
― Before Ariel and before Lara, Marina swam the seven seas. Director Tomoharu Katsumata's 1975 film The Little Mermaid predates most other filmic iterations of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 literary fairy tale, with Shirley Temple's Storybook airing an adaptation in 1961. A Russian film followed in 197...
Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Game Review
It's a tour de force that looks like nothing you've seen before, while also rooted in a profound appreciation for Marvel characters and broader fighting games as a culture.
― Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls is an amazing fighting game - if you can play it. First, the basics. Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls is in many ways a checklist of classic elements. This is a 2D fighting game where opponents duel each o...
Magical Girl Raising Project: Restart I-II Light Novel Review
Restart is less a simple death game story and more an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery within a death game setting.
― The first arc of Magical Girl Raising Project is very much a death game story. In it, the various magical girls kill one another to continue being magical girls and keep their memories of their time as one. Of course, as the death count rises, murders start happening for more pers...
Overgeared Volumes 1-3 K-Comic Review
This is a brain candy series.
― What's that you say? VRMMORPG-set manga and manhwa have been a dime a dozen ever since SAO made people forget the genre existed long before it? Why, yes, you are correct, and Overgeared, based on the webnovels of the same name, is another one of them. On the surface, there's pretty much nothing to distinguish it from any other series in its subgenre. But despite that, ...
Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Volumes 1-9 Manga Review
The thrill of combat, the agony of defeat, that’s all that matters for the dedicated gamers of Kuromi Girls’ Academy’s illicit Fighting Game Club…even if it means they give up everything else.
― The first thing that impressed me right off the mark in Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games is the obvious love of Fighting Games. True, this is not an incredibly insightful remark, since the story is lite...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7--Steel Ball Run Volumes 6-8 Manga Review
Steel Ball Run is Hirohiko Araki at his most untethered to reality, and you should be equal parts excited and horrified.
― I get that it's not called Jojo's Totally Normal, Everyday, And Not At All Weird Adventure. Even so, it seriously can't be emphasized enough that, not unlike the way Johnny and Gyro find themselves traversing great stretches of lands unknown to them, Steel Ball Run (SBR) really f...
The World's Strongest Witch Volumes 1-2 Light Novel Review
In a world where only she can see the strategy guide, no one will be able to stand up to this witch’s skills, her weapons, her charisma, or her luck!
― Author Mochimaru Sakaki talks about the premise of the series in an author's note – what if the protagonist is the only one who can see the strategy guide, the comments, and the entire Internet? And what if that character was otherwise an innocent, wi...
From Far Away Volumes 1-7 Manga Review
Once upon a time, in the distant days of 1991, girls sent to another world didn't land there with cheat abilities.
― Once upon a time, in the distant days of 1991, girls sent to another world didn't land there with cheat abilities. Their new worlds weren't facsimiles of games they'd played or books they'd read. They couldn't speak the language. Before the ubiquity of isekai (and specifically the male...
MARRIAGETOXIN Volume 12-14 Manga Review
You’ll be happy to know that the story is kicking things up a notch in the best way possible.
― MARRIAGETOXIN acknowledged that it couldn't just keep introducing new girls for Gero to court forever. While his chemistry with all the girls he met across the different arcs has been strong, he needs to sit down and build upon that foundation before deciding who he's going to spend the rest of his life wi...
Victoria of Many Faces Season 1 Anime Series Review
The push and pull Victoria feels between her longing to settle down and the feeling that she must constantly be ready to flee are what bring intrigue to this show.
― I was going to start this review comparing Victoria of Many Faces to trope-driven modern anime, all the genre pastiches and reiterations of the same basic premise. But then, I decided that wouldn't be fair to a show like this, which esch...
The Demons Are Planning Something Good Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
This naughty workplace comedy benefits from its delightful streak of camaraderie; demons they might be.
― In the trend of subversive fantasy manga that portrays the all-powerful "Demon Lord" as a hapless victim of circumstance, The Demons Are Planning Something Good has one advantage: it's not about the Demon Lord; it's a workplace comedy. And a very kinky one at that! The artwork threatens to overpo...
Daughter of a Thousand Faces Volume 1 Comic Review
What's a girl to do when she accidentally makes a pact with a demon in the depths of the Abyss?
― It's not easy being the odd child out, and that goes double when your father is an immortal cultivator with tens of other children who do live up to his expectations. Shen Yuhua, youngest daughter of the great immortal of Chaoyang Palace, was told as a little girl that she lacked any meaningful spiritual...
The Apothecary Diaries Volumes 3-6 Novel Review
Helping powerful people is just an occupational hazard.
― If you're keeping score at home, you already know that The Apothecary Diaries' anime adaptation has been both remarkably faithful to the books and progressing at a pace that indicates that care is being taken with the source material. Given that progression, I fully expect the first half of the upcoming fourth season to cover the contents of n...
Look Back Live-Action Film Review
The live-action movie of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga tragedy can’t match the anime but is still a moving experience.
― Look Back is a perfectly devastating manga volume that already received an excellent anime movie two years ago, so I understand if you're questioning the need to retell the same story in live action. This new adaptation, written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and premiering at the Ve...
Changeable Guardian Estique Game Review
A new game made especially for old consoles turns out to be a great showcase of 2-D shooter glory.
― Old game systems don't really die out. They just hibernate until they're revived by nostalgic designers who build new games with the looks, the atmosphere, and sometimes even the precise technical standards of their favorite consoles. There's no shortage of fresh “retro” titles striving for the aesthe...
Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Game Review
Much like how the game's presentation is wasted on the story, these mechanics are wasted on the game's structure.
― If there was one word I could use to describe Way Of The Sword, it would be “cinematic”. This game will throw you into gorgeously rendered and directed animated cutscenes every chance it gets. There's a part of me that wonders if this game would function better as a samurai action movie...
Super Psychic Policeman Chojo Volume 1-3 Manga Review
A gag manga's biggest nemesis is a stale premise.
― Classic gag manga series are like a lost art nowadays. Unless it's aimed at children or combined with a serious story, there aren't many popular or mainstream manga that are just a bunch of fun gags executed with a quirky premise or a bunch of major personalities. I was pretty excited to read Super Psychic Policeman Chojo because the first volume de...
The Detective Is Already Dead Volumes 1-4 Manga Review
Make no mistake, the actual narrative progression of these mysteries is far from graceful.
― One of the greatest strengths and weaknesses of The Detective Is Already Dead is that it always kept me guessing. The story is pretty front-loaded with its setup, highlighting a dynamic between Kimihiko and Sietsa that would inform the rest of the series, even though the latter is barely present as a characte...
Suikoden: The Anime Episodes 1-3 Review (Theatrical Screening)
Is the anime adaptation of this fan-favorite RPG helped or hindered by its massive cast of characters?
― A bit of background to start. I'm not what you would call a hardcore Suikoden fan, but neither am I oblivious to the long-running JRPG series. Back in the 2000s, I played (and greatly enjoyed) both Suikoden V and III. Sometime in the 2010s, I picked up the original Suikoden to play on internationa...
Firefly Wedding Volumes 5-7 Manga Review
Firefly Wedding isn't billed as a series about the dangers of being a woman in the past, but it's impossible to read it without thinking about what it's revealing.
― A teacher I once had warned the class never to ask a question you don't want to hear the answer to – even if you think you do. Firefly Wedding is filled with those questions: what is Shinpei's true history? Why doesn't Asagiri want to be...
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey Live-Action Film Review
Higashimura, who created the manga and co-wrote the movie’s script, leans into the complex, ambiguous nature of her relationship with Hidaka.
― People love an inspirational teacher story. The Dead Poets’ Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, Great Teacher Onizuka, and even Assassination Classroom touch on our desire for narratives where unconventional educators blow in, disrupt the status quo, and touch the l...
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe Anime Film Review
If deep character explorations and interpersonal drama are your cup of tea, you'll get your fill. If you're just in it for giant robots fighting each other, you'll get that too.
― Like with the first Hathaway film, The Sorcery of Nymph Circe is a character-driven movie more than a plot-driven one. While the story is step-by-step building towards Mafty's impending attack on the Earth Federation Leader...
The Ogre's Bride Chapters 1-15 Manga Review
The Ogre’s Bride’s first fifteen chapters operate on two levels: the Cinderella dream, where a downtrodden girl is swept off her feet by a princely character, and Yuzu learning that she’s worth something.
― Cinderella is one of the most widely disseminated folktales in the world. At least one version of it exists in nearly every culture on the planet, and between 1893 and 1895, British folklorist Mar...
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Game Review
The old flaws are still there, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 can still show us a thing or three.
― True believers really love Xenoblade Chronicles. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 takes a lot of creative swings that very much set it apart from its predecessor; whether or not it's a worthy sequel depends on who you ask. Taken on its own, it's a game that has been designed from the ground up for the Nintendo Switc...
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- Anime Film Review
Madoka Magica is, and always has been, Homura's story—the tale of a girl who turns her admiration into friendship, friendship into love, and love into obsession.
― Madoka Magica is one of those franchises built around “the twist”—or rather, a constantly building series of them. What starts with the brutal death of a main character is followed by numerous revelations: the relationship between Soul Gem...
Blue Box Volumes 5-8 Manga Review
Taiki makes it clear multiple times that his feelings will not waver, and the problem is that I believe him.
― Blue Box's balancing act of sports series, slice of life drama, and romantic comedy is leaning towards the slice of life drama throughout this arc. As Hina starts progressively becoming more open and forward with her feelings towards Taiki, that puts this adorable teenager in a very interest...
Fairy Princess Minky Momo 2nd Episodes 1-13 Anime Review
This is classic 1990s children’s programming – sometimes preachy, sometimes zany, and always completely insane.
― Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo. I know I've said that before, but it really is the best way to describe not only the original series' infamous killing of its heroine but also the reboot of the series in 1991. Mahō no Princess Minky Momo: Yume o Dakishimete took the original 1982...
Patlabor EZY: File 2 Anime Film Review
I continue to be impressed by the variety of stories Patlabor is able to tell.
― Like with the previous “film,” Patlabor EZY: File 2 is actually just three distinct episodes in a row with the openings and endings taken out. This isn't a complaint, really, as it once again shows off one of this anime's greatest strengths: how the police mecha framework can be used to tell tonally varied stories from a...
Mistress Kanan is Devilishly Easy Season 1 Anime Series Review
The show is bogged down by its desire to maintain a repetitive status quo.
― Even though this is technically a story where the two main leads become an official couple within the first ten minutes of the first episode, I originally wasn't on board with this series. All it did was trade one cliché to double down on another. A lot of the humor felt very repetitive, often revolving around Kana reacting ...
Your Letter Anime Film Review
While not the most grounded tale about teenagers overcoming trust issues, sometimes we need a bit of sappiness if it means being honest about ourselves.
― Have you ever reconnected with someone you knew as a kid? If you grew up in more than one neighborhood, chances are you stopped talking to most people from your hometown. A handful of friends you could try keeping in touch with, but even then those...
The World Is Dancing Volumes 1-6 Manga Review
This stunning spin on the origins of Noh’s greatest talent is not only visually spectacular but also speaks deeply to the plight of artists in every era.
― When setting out on a new creative endeavor, you're likely to start asking “why” almost immediately. However, that'll be far from the last time you'll ever pose that one-word question. The “why” of it all serves as the opening act to Kazuto Mihara...
Death Note: The Musical Stage Show Review
Death Note: The Musical is very good fun, and that's both its main virtue and its biggest failing.
― Death Note: The Musical, now playing at London's Barbican Centre until 12 September, is very good fun, and that's both its main virtue and its biggest failing. It's thoroughly entertaining, full of the zingy energy you expect in a stage musical, and it's packed with tricks and ideas. What's missing is...
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT Game Review
With new visuals, rerecorded voices and music, and an entirely new ending, does STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT have what it takes to be the definitive version of this iconic story?
― When it comes to visual novels, it's hard to imagine one with more world-wide impact than 2009's STEINS;GATE. With its memorable characters, complex time travel mechanics, and tear-jerking story, it has been adapted into a hit anim...
Psyren Volume 1-8 Manga Review
The pages of JUMP run red with the blood of hundreds of canceled manga, so why has Psyren stayed in the public consciousness?
― If there's one thing that people who follow the magazine closely can agree on, it's that the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump are a battleground every bit as fierce as their most iconic action manga. For every Naruto or Demon Slayer that manages to survive and reach untold height...
Brigandine Abyss Game Review
Brigandine Abyss has the makings of a sequel that improves on its predecessor's biggest flaws. In practice, though, the results aren't so straightforward.
― It was way back in 2020 that I reviewed the second game in the storied Brigandine franchise, The Legend of Runersia. At the time, I found the game's mix of grand strategy scope and tactical RPG battles pretty interesting, but the game was held ba...
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 3 Anime Series Review
What a wacky, random, and fun ride this third season is!
― I said this before, and I'll say it again, even if it has been said a million times by now: wow, did I ever underestimate the HELL out of this anime! How is a show this absurd, this wacky, this asinine, become such an insanely good sleeper hit? I remember first hearing about it way back when and avoided it like the plague, thinking it was an ...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: IruMafia Edition Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
Original Azz would be horrified by his Irumafia character
― Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: Irumafia Edition has certainly taken some dark turns for a series that started as “what if everyone wore suits?” Not that the suits aren't still impressive – seriously, Azz looks good - but with these three volumes, the series really comes into its own. While there are still elements that are perhaps more ...
Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 - Rising Hope Anime Series Review
If you were a fan of the Blueberry Academy DLC in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, then half of this season was made for you.
― The Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope batch of episodes doesn't immediately pick up where the last batch left off. The first three episodes of Season 3 are their own self-contained arc, focusing on Roy and Ult's first meeting during the one-year time skip in Lumiose City. Wh...
Farming Life in Another World 2 Anime Series Review
What was mindless fun before is made even more mindless with this new season.
― Farming Life In Another World started off being mindless, and now this second season is even more mindless. And random too? This scoop of twelve episodes delights itself in serving up premise after premise that doubles down so hard on mindlessness. The good news is that you liked the laid-back hijinks of the last season; ...
Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Season 2 Anime Series Review
With a lack of stakes and conflict, the villainess charm in this anime doesn’t quite work the second time around.
― There was a lack of action in this season of The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, and I quite welcome it. It's all just a big swell of melodrama for a straight twelve episodes where physical violence is replaced with emotional violence, the former always lurkin...
Sweet Hamster Days Game Review
You've reincarnated into the body of your childhood friends' pet hamster. Does this live-action visual novel have more to offer than its unusual premise?
― I have played a lot of visual novels before, but this is the first time I've played one structured like Sweet Hamster Days. Unlike others that use stock art or animations to set up interactive scenes with the player, this game is 90% live-action, ...
Splatoon Raiders Game Review
As the first single-player-focused entry in the franchise, Splatoon Raiders hopes to bring in a new player base, but it may have lost some of its identity in the process.
― Splatoon was always a series that I had a fleeting interest in. With each new entry, I'd play it for a week or two before never coming back again. Granted, it's mainly because I'm not a multiplayer person, not because the games we...
The Archduke's Adopted Saint Volume 1 K-Comics Review
It's a good thing that the book opens with a “chapter 0” that shows readers that things will, in fact, get better, because Dinah's life is pretty bleak.
― By this point in pop culture, we've all read about or watched time loops. The usual method for handling them (with, of course, some exceptions) is that the looping party eventually uses their knowledge to break the cycle or just becomes inured to t...
Rhythm Heaven Groove Game Review
Is Rhythm Heaven Groove the best game in the series? No, but it's one heck of a runner-up.
― Rhythm Heaven Groove is a return to the Rhythm Heaven games of old—i.e., Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven, and Rhythm Heaven Fever. Gone is the attempt at story in Rhythm Heaven Megamix, and instead you simply work your way up columns of mini-games, clearing each to unlock the next. Rhythm Heaven Groove is massi...
The Ribbon Hero Anime Film Review
Stylish, well-choreographed, and featuring some excellent new character designs by Kei Mochizuki, there's nothing out there that looks quite like this film.
― It's hard to overstate the lasting influence of Osamu Tezuka's The Princess Knight. With the manga published between 1953–56 and an anime that aired from 1967–68, it's widely considered a foundational title for all things shojo, magical girl, a...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volumes 17-20 Manga Review
Most of the misfits never even considered that there’d be a thirteenth member of the class, and that’s just how Soi Purson wants it.
― Sharp-eyed readers (and anime viewers) already knew that there was a thirteenth student in the Misfit Class. It makes sense even if you didn't spot the sleepy-eyed, bob-haired demon in the background: everything important in this series plays with the numbers thirteen...
Classroom of the Elite 4th Season: Second Year, First Semester Anime Series Review
Of all the arcs so far in Classroom of the Elite, this one is the first to feel like Ayanokoji is in any real danger.
― If this season of Classroom of the Elite were to be described in one word, that word would be “chaotic.” Over the first three seasons, we've steadily gotten to know all the major players of freshman (now sophomore) classes A through D—with many supporting characters getting at least...
Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly Episodes 1-12 Anime Series Review
Magical girl fans owe it to themselves to watch Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly; here's why.
― It's been two decades since Studio Pierrot last released a magical girl series. The studio made its mark on the genre in the 1980s with Creamy Mami, Magical Emi the Magic Star, Magical Fairy Persia, and Magical Idol Pastel Yumi before taking a break for roughly ten years, returning in the 90s with Fancy Lala....
Star Ocean: The Second Story R Game Review
I cannot blame people for being twice-shy about Star Ocean, because I was for a long time. Keyword: was.
― I've had a problem with the Star Ocean series, going back a long time: for a series so steeped in science fiction, the games nevertheless take place on typical medieval worlds. At their worst, they feel like bog-standard RPGs with science fiction window dressing. Having played through Star Ocean...
Semantic Error Volume 2 Novel Review
Semantic Error still isn't going to be a story for everyone, even if you're a fan of queer romance fiction.
― Semantic Error is, understandably, something of a hard read for some people. The first novel features the romantic interest embarking on an all-out harassment campaign based on the fact that he's unaware (or unable to understand) that Sangwoo is neurodivergent. While the novel does a better j...
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class Anime Series Review
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class goes in the pile of romance anime that remind me why I love this genre so much.
― On paper, this show doesn't have anything going for it. It looks as basic as they come: a young, socially awkward man eventually gets together with one of the more popular girls in his class. The title almost seems like a misleading gimmick, considering that even...
Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi Anime Series Review
The Ninth Jedi is one of those anime I enjoyed watching in the moment and have become more enraptured with the more I think about.
― First and foremost, The Ninth Jedi feels like Star Wars. Much of this is in how the story is told. While each episode is an individual story, the overarching series follows the classic Star Wars trilogy structure. The two Star Wars: Visions episodes make up the opening ...
DIGIMON BEATBREAK Episodes 25-37 Anime Series Review
While there are great individual episodes here, the awkward execution of its larger plot leaves this arc falling just a little short of being the whole sum of its parts.
― With the first arc of Digimon Beatbreak doing a good job of setting up the show's foundations through its episodic format, and the second digging a little deeper into the darker sides of its setting through a more tightly focused p...
Beast of Reincarnation Game Review
While Beast of Reincarnation doesn't quite reach the heights of its truly brilliant inspirations, it still accomplishes more than enough to prove itself as a genuinely excellent game in its own right.
― NieR: Automata is a top contender for my favorite video game of all time, so I am of two minds when I see some of these more recent games that are so clearly inspired and influenced by it. On the one ...
Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online Game Review
At the end of the day, while Echoes of Aincrad was an easy game for me to play and enjoy, it is a difficult product to recommend without including some major caveats.
― I have to admit that I have maybe been too hard on Sword Art Online. In the 2010s, I was still finishing up college; I had only just recently gotten back into anime, and fancied myself quite the S.A.O. hater. Back then, it was easy to...
Eren the Southpaw Anime Series Review
There’s a difference between “being real” with your audience and calling a rant your motivational speech.
― If there's one type of story I'm quite fond of, it's stories about other artists. From Look Back to Blue Period, they often serve as a window into the creative's mind. If “write what you know” is practically law, this is just taking that literally. And while that could come off snobby, recent t...
Star Detective Precure! Episodes 13-25 Anime Review
While the main plot of this cour is largely wrapped up in finding Cure Éclair, it also has time to discuss the role of partners and friends.
― Did you figure out who Cure Éclair is before the reveal in episode twenty-five? Whether you did or not, there's no denying that the publicized hunt for her identity was a very smart marketing move on the part of Toei. It recognized that for many mystery fans –...
Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk Anime Series Review
More than just alcohol, this anime indulges in a cinematic style that makes for an absolutely sublime watch.
― On paper, Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk sounds like a very tired concept: another round of cute girls going to tourist destinations together, with globs of yuri mixed in for some additional flavoring. And let's 80 proof it by making alcohol a gimmick here. In the wrong hands, this ...
Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky Light Novel Review
A blind woman lives life to the fullest with the help of the people around her.
― Love Unseen Beneath The Radiant Night Sky is a slice-of-life story about a blind woman who is surrounded by people who love her enough to make her world sparkle. I, jaded reader that I am, kept waiting for a boot to drop, a conflict to arise, a tragedy to occur. It quickly becomes clear that the tragedy has occurred bef...
Kill Blue Anime Series Review
What starts as promising, explosive fun fizzles out very quickly due to smudgy art, lackluster action, and stretched-out middle school hijinks that amount to nothing.
― Although I wasn't in love with it, I'll admit that Kill Blue's opening five-volume suite still made for an enjoyable read. Throwing in middle school sports with a hitman story made for an awkward clash at times, but what else could ha...
Blue Reflection Quartet Game Review
Both upgraded versions of Blue Reflection and Blue Reflection: Second Light themselves are worth getting Blue Reflection Quartet for.
― The first Blue Reflection game follows a young girl named Hinako Shirai. After suffering from a leg injury, she's forced to quit dancing, but two magical girls named Yuzu and Lime give her powers, making her a “Reflector.” Hinako then travels to an otherworldly area ...
Witch Hat Atelier Volumes 9-14 Manga Review
From the moment the Brimmed Cap gave Coco the spellbook and wand, Witch Hat Atelier has been about who is allowed to learn and what they’re allowed to do with that knowledge.
― Any soul out there who tries to restrict the things you learn is only doing it to keep you square under their thumb. Thus, in one sentence, a character in volume twelve of Kamome Shirahama's superb Witch Hat Atelier sums up th...
Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!? Anime Series Review
This show might be the strongest example of a romantic comedy where I think the best ending would be for there to be a throuple.
― I know everyone is going to look at both the title and poster for this show thinking, “oh great, another wish fulfillment fantasy where a shy introverted guy ends up getting romantically involved with the gorgeous outgoing girls in his class.” I know that's exactly how th...
Though I Am an Inept Villainess Volumes 1-10 Light Novel Review
Abused and despised, one Maiden plots to take over the life of the Prince’s favorite, only to find that “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence” can have deadly consequences for them both.
― Let's start with the content warning: If you are chronically ill and/or disabled, you may find these novels way too real, despite the magic and silliness. Depictions of chronic illness and the emotio...
Disgaea Mayhem Game Review
The real Achilles' heel of this title is the lack of a true party dynamic.
― Disgaea Mayhem manages to bring the Disgaea formula into the action RPG format successfully, but by the slimmest margin and missing many of the key features that make Disgaea soar. For background's sake, I'm a long-time Disgaea enjoyer. Not to age myself too much, but I bought a physical copy of the first Disgaea on PS2 from...
You're Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun! Volume 1 Manga Review
It may not be an innovative shoujo romance, but it is a very nice one, comfortable like a peanut butter sandwich.
― Romance, particularly YA romance, which encompasses shoujo manga, has a reputation for being formulaic. We all know the basics: ordinary girl, extraordinary boy, he's awful to her, she eventually falls for him. Sometimes there's an element of one of them “saving” the other, often becaus...
Beat & Motion Volumes 1-6 Manga Review
This charming romantic comedy strikes at the heart of being a working creative and dating one too!
― I initially stumbled upon Naoki Fujita's Beat & Motion in the first few days of January '25—not long before the series came to an end. Despite the less-than-opportune timing, I saw Beat & Motion as a solid little comic about rediscovering your creative passions and the doldrums that come with pursuing...
Dead or Alive 6: Last Round Game Review
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is a solid game, but a fundamentally mishandled product.
― Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is a solid game, but a fundamentally mishandled product. This is a game that has multiple layers worth discussing. I mean, all games are more than merely gameplay. There are the aesthetics, the soundtrack, monetization, all sorts of caveats and considerations that have to be taken into acc...
Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? 4K Remaster Anime Film Review
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? has been revered as a classic for decades. Watching it for the first time in 2026, I came away understanding exactly why it's endured for more than 40 years.
― The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? has been revered as a classic for decades, holding a special place in anime history. I was fortunate to catch the special s...
cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood Anime Movie Review
This tragedy makes for intense viewing, and San's choice to keep living finds a satisfying positive note amidst the trauma. However, it feels as if the anime has deliberately depoliticized the context compared to the manga.
― Every description of cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood talks about it as a work of historical fiction about World War II, specifically concerning the Himeyuri students forced to w...
Be Forever Yamato: Star Blazers: REBEL 3199 Episodes 19-22 Anime Review
The jury is still out on what is truly going on in this Be Forever Yamato reimagining.
― Space Battleship Yamato's reboot series continues its long, winding trek from intermittent Japanese theatrical releases to eventual international streaming. These four episodes comprise “Blue Labyrinth”, the penultimate chapter of REBEL 3199's seven-part release strategy. Coming to Crunchyroll only two weeks afte...
To You in the Beyond Anime Movie Review
Somewhere beyond the story being told is a more interesting movie happening off-screen.
― There are two types of films I find frustrating to talk about. The first are films that almost made me cry. It's one thing to discuss a bad movie that was mean-spirited or arrogant, because then I have no reservations about riffing on it. But when something doesn't hit me after wearing its heart on its sleeve, I...
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