Normally when a series follows conventional story cliches, it just comes across as boring or mediocre. After all, when you’re checking off points on a list rather then going out of your way to add bad plot elements, you’re going to end up with a serving as bland as ham on wheat bread. But oh, does Isuca deliver. Isuca is in fact a fascinating case study on current Japanese animation. It’s the descendant of years of inbreeding within the industry,…
Oh yeah I completely forgot about this didn’t I? So as you may know, I kinda stopped blogging Gatchaman Crowds Insight after 2 ½ episodes last summer. I blame it on a combination of general procrastination, overwork on various other projects (many of which are also incomplete), and that lousy behind-the-scenes soap opera that exploded between myself, Mahou, Foggle, and a certain youknowwho who’s forcing me to write this shitty article and has generally been the source of everything that…
You know what was one of the most polarizing anime this year? Yuri Kuma Arashi. One faction thought it was a wonderful take on lesbian relationships both grizzly and calm. Another smeared this anime as nothing but pandering fluff for the creator to masturbate to. You can say this show either touches upon many facets of the human identity, or just uses them as a platform to show naked girls licking each other. Or you can be a stuffy little…
A lot of people watched Toyko Ghoul √A this year. I was not one of those people. I just didn’t care. And unlike Gakkou Garashi, which I regret having skipped out on during its initial run earlier in the year, I have no such regrets regarding the ghouls of this urban fantasy. Can I understand why people would love this show? Yes. Do I myself give two shits about this show? No. Non, et je ne regrette rien. The root…
There are a lot of bad works of fiction in this world, dear reader, and I have had the displeasure of “enjoying” many of them. But for the most part, they do not provoke any real emotion from me. Yes, they’re awfully written, sloppily passed, and often offensive in content, but they’re still fiction, so I often feel bored the whole way through. You become desensitized to things eventually, after all. Then….there’s Grisaia. Grisaia is such a convoluted concoction of…
There are some pieces of media that are hard to recommend without revealing a twist that occurs within it, as said twist is often integral to the very identity that the show, film, or book has for its fanbase. It was difficult for my fellow Thaumatropists to get me to watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica without them constantly promising that “the twist is coming” or that “this episode will change everything.” They ultimately refused to tell me what made this…
For 13 years a very vocal section of the Digimon fandom has been clamoring for a continuation of the Adventure series, despite the controversial epilogue in 02 that wrapped up the series in a nice little bow, fans would much rather forget that flash forward (and for good reason) in exchange for a third Adventure series. In 2014, they finally got their wish, cue Digimon Adventure Tri. Tri promised to show the adventures of the now teen-aged Digidestined and their…
Shimoneta and Prison School made plenty of controversy this year involving obscenities, sexuality, and a certain dub line that I’ll decline to talk about. They were made to challenge controversies to the point where even fans of this comedy style would get annoyed at how much their excesses invaded the screen. Subtlety was unheard of as episode after episode of these two shows pumped out meat for Sankaku Complex articles while some couldn’t tell whether or not these shows were…
Well I finally did it. I have watched the entire 2011 version of Hunter x Hunter. It had always been on my series bucket list years back, but never really got into experiencing because of other commitments. The trudge could be daunting at times, and I had to remind myself I watched much longer series to get ahead, but all in all, the binge has been a net gain in my eyes. Nevertheless, there is that one headscratcher I have…
Shinmai Maou no Testament—still running as of this writing—is not a good show for many reasons. The show revels in derivative light novel clichés and sleazy fanservice that only the most desperate teenage boy could enjoy in earnest. Our main character Basara breastfeeding on his stepsister or massaging cake batter on a succubus’s ass become regular occurrences. Boobs jiggle more than there are breaths from my lungs, shaking and quivering as much as I presume the intended audience’s right hand…