Clik here to view.
[Ten] JoJo’s Bizarre Nostalgia Trip
“Anytime I need to see your face I just close my eyes And I am taken to a place Where your crystal minds and magenta feelings Take up shelter in the base of my spine Sweet like a chica cherry cola” –I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Nine] Tsubasa Hanekawa’s Vacation — Koyomimonogatari
One of the Monogatari series’ greatest strengths is its inadherence to chronology. It often eschews placing events in chronological order to focus on a particular emotional narrative or relationship....
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Eight] Time Flies So Fast — Yuri!!! On Ice
One of my close friends was a professional athlete. He hasn’t competed in five years and is, by all accounts, retired. I rarely see him anymore, but the few times I have visited in the past five...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Seven] Flip Flapping!
The third episode of Flip Flappers was a turning point for viewers and in-universe characters alike. Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s Flip Flappers is often been compared to Shinichiro Watanabe’s Space Dandy,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Six] Your First Love is Useless, Precious, and Invincible — Space Patrol Luluco
I didn’t expect to like Space Patrol Luluco all that much. While it’s sacrilege to say this in front of the Studio Trigger faithful, I couldn’t really get into the antics of Inferno Cop. Studio...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Five] No, Mr Araragi, I want you to die (with me)
Part of me wishes that I could erase my memory of the Monogatari series completely, and watch Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu with fresh eyes. I wonder what I would see. How I would interpret the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Breadcrumb Trail in Flip Flappers — the Witch
When faced with the danger of becoming lost in a snowy, Pure Illusion forest, Cocona takes a page out of Hansel and Gretel, placing small snacks to mark her path in the snow. Papika trails behind,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Four] When the outro ends, the intro begins to play, onto the next song —...
I’ve written a few times on this blog about Aikatsu! but not nearly as much as I should have. Aikatsu! is an utterly charming children’s series — far more than a vehicle for selling an idol card game...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another Breadcrumb Trail in Flip Flappers — Color Theory
This post was actually going to be part of a longer post on small “breadcrumbs” that Flip Flappers has scattered throughout the series — small tidbits that are now either coming together, or reframed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Three] A Return to Digimon
I approached Digimon Tri — a continuation of the beloved Digimon Adventure from my youth — like any faithful Digimon fan. At first, I was in it just for the ships. Digimon Tri isn’t a poor adaptation....
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Two] No Words, Just Music
The fifth episode of Sound! Euphonium‘s second season is one of the most sublime moments I’ve ever seen out of an anime production. It’s impossible to put into words the scale of this performance. As...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[One] “If Italy is the ‘Land of Love,’ then all the love is in my hands.”–...
One of my favorite anime series that I watched in 2016 is a series that I did not write about until this post. Although the two series are nothing alike, I have similar feelings towards Lupin III Part...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flip Flappers and the Painting
“Just write down where you want to go.” -School counselor to Cocona, Flip Flappers, Episode 1 The first time we see the painting, it’s in Cocona’s periphery as she walks down her school staircase. Her...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It’s JJ Style! — A New Year’s Day Yuri!!! On Ice Post
There’s no one, two, or even ten ways to categorize fears and feelings of inadequacy. They come in all shapes and sizes. Canadian superstar Jean-Jacques Leroy is designed to be hilariously obnoxious...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“You’re a witch, Akko.”— Little Witch Academia and the Mundane
“I ordered a magic learning kit online but I had no idea what to do with it. I don’t really understand the basics all that well . . . “ -Akko Kagari, Little Witch Academia, Episode 1 Part of the craft...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yayaka’s World (and a few stray thoughts on Flip Flappers’ Pure Illusion)
Yayaka is an intriguing character. Her story isn’t unique, but her presentation throughout the series leads to some of the most compelling scenes in all of Flip Flappers. She straddles two worlds and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
There but for you go I — Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
When we first meet Tohru of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, she is unmistakably a dragon. With green scales, yellow eyes, and a body that doesn’t even fit within the series itself — only parts of her...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Studio Trigger and Inspiration: Yoh Yoshinari’s Little Witch Apprentices
“The theme was about a young animator who joins the industry looking up to a -sorry for the term- lowbrow late-night magical girl anime. So he’s mocked by people around him.” -Yoh Yoshinari on Little...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Leylines, and More on Magic in Little Witch Academia
“You can’t blame little me for not knowing. How could I have guessed that magic energy comes from the Sorcerer’s Stone? I just believed I could fly and practiced my heart out!” -Akko Kagari, Little...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Pillow Shots, Nichijou, and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Many anime use cherry blossoms for lingering shots, full of deep longing or the ephemeral Heian mono no aware. Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second immediately comes to mind, as do the more...
View Article