The first season of Bakuman blew chunks. It did, I won’t defend it. It was a disappointing borefest that failed to communicate the manly (if chauvinistic) awesomeness of the manga, with the beating heart of pure desire to make the … Continue reading →
Except for a few occasions spent in the rooms of my friends, or in the boardroom of a friend’s place of work, I primarily watched anime on my laptop computer over the last 6 years – the period when I … Continue reading →
As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m quite terrible at anticipating new shows. Even if I manage to read a preview post that I can tolerate, I generally forget most of what I read especially about shows that I didn’t know of … Continue reading →
[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 24] Thematically, I think it still works. Asemu is not an X-Rounder. He suffers emotionally due to the pressures he puts on himself to be the pilot his father is, to become a match against Zeheart, … Continue reading →
As in any story, the most exciting part is the introductions, and its conclusions. In a story, as most anime’s really are, that intro phase is important. You have to introduce your characters and make your audience want to know … Continue reading →
The last thing I want to suggest is that there is some kind of “required viewing” in order to appreciate particular anime, perhaps the notable classics. No, I don’t believe such exist as necessary requirements. I do believe however, that … Continue reading →
[Cowboy Bebop Episode 19 “Wild Horses”] The first two time I watched the whole of Cowboy Bebop I still thought that some of the episodes were weaker than the others based on a near-complete lack of contribution to what I … Continue reading →
[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 25] Woolf Enneacle’s pep-talk to Asem worked superbly, and he builds upon it with a team-wide speech on surviving at all costs. The thing about the speech is its fundamental inconsistency: Directive 1: Survive at all … Continue reading →
With spring comes renewed energy. New love is often associated with spring. My wife and I met in April. And this spring anime season has brought with it three love stories. And by no means are they typical love; Zombies, … Continue reading →
In an effort to find something new to watch out of my backlog, I’ve watched Durarara!!. And honestly, I knew little about the series going into this. Yes, I know there is hype surrounding it. Fortunately, I have not been spoiled on anything … Continue reading →
Sequels are a touchy thing. Rarely does one capture the same ‘magic’ as the original. If the audience has created an emotional bond with the story and characters, they are apt to rebel against any change. Eureka Seven is a … Continue reading →
A recent comment on the events in Mobile Suit Gundam AGE episode 26 got me thinking. Yeah…it happened Asemu’s character arc went exactly where I had hoped it wouldn’t. But knew it would since revealing that he failed to inherit … Continue reading →
[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 26] A lot of things went down, and most likely a number of red herrings in terms of character deaths. I’ll let you guys bring these up for discussion in the comments, as I’m going to … Continue reading →
So in a whirlwind, Tsubaki has a girlfriend. But not just any girl, it’s the social outcast that sits right next him in class. As this episode opens, the boys are comparing the girls in their class. Sadly, Urabe gets … Continue reading →
Sai Mecha 2012 nominations are now being accepted, and there are new and exciting rules to keep the competition awesome. Send an email of your 10 mecha nominations to executiveotaku AT gmail DOT com, but by all means post your … Continue reading →
[Cowboy Bebop 20 “Pierrot Le Fou”] I don’t get the impression that viewers like this episode very much. I always had difficulty getting into it. I think I know now exactly why. There are two closely related but distinct reasons: … Continue reading →
[Cowboy Bebop 20 “Pierrot Le Fou”] [Springtime for Jet Black: Cowboy Bebop 21 "Boogie Woogie Feng Shui"] This session seems more light-hearted than any other with Jet Black as the protagonist. In a lot of ways it is: there’s a … Continue reading →
[Eureka SeveN AO 01 "Born Slippy"] There are a lot of different angles to the story in this show. They have not been afraid to just keep throwing things at the audience, with little to no regard to its place … Continue reading →
[Voting manipulation accusation drama in a first round battle (match 23)] It is quite rare for an anime to speak to me as if directly, as a person. So much of what I like are outright flights of fantasy: fighting … Continue reading →
[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE 27] The episode is titled “Upheaval in the Earth Sphere,” – which suggested chaos, but I thought it was hardly chaotic at all. In the Universal Century, it took the chaos of Operation Stardust – which … Continue reading →