SPOILERS *Sigh* We're never going to see that intro again, are we? Opening with a heartbreaking shot of Rem still unconscious, we then cut back to Subaru’s second time confronting Betty in the library. She still has the Gospel, as before, but this time we learn the pages are blank. It stopped showing Betty’s future... Continue Reading →
Made in Abyss – Fear of the Depths
Few things terrify and excite us more than the unknown. Our curiosity to understand the deepest and darkest corners of existence helped us wander out of our caves and bask in the primordial sun. We’v trekked across continents, sailed great waves in search of new land, and built rocket ships to explore the cosmos -... Continue Reading →
Re:Zero S2E10 – Satella, The Witch of Yandere
SPOILERS Villains aren't hard to come by, but there's a few special ones that can transform the entire atmosphere of a show whenever they're on screen. Darth Vader is one. Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII is another. And though it's too early to compare her to those guys yet, I think that Satella, the Witch... Continue Reading →
Music in Anime: The K-On Girls’ Awesome Instruments
If K-On doesn’t make you smile, you’re dead inside. I love all the adorable moe girls and their band, Ho-kago Tea Time. But their songs are fairly simple, so there’s not much I could write about them besides “OMG so cute” and “Mio rocks!”. So I decided to write about their instruments instead! They are... Continue Reading →
Re:Zero S2E9 – The Witches’ Tea Party!
SPOILERS This is the episode I was waiting for. Of all the spectacular moments of Arc 4, my favorite reading the novels was getting to see all the Witches of Sin. Tonight we were introduced to Typhon, Minerva, and Daphne, the Witches of Pride, Wrath, and Gluttony, respectively. And the Big Bad of the whole... Continue Reading →
Re:Zero S2E8 – That Rabbit’s Dynamite
SPOILERS Eight episodes in, Re:Zero shows no signs of slowing down. Subaru confronts a hangry Garfiel in full beast mode, meets the second of the three great Demon Beasts, and talks about Return by Death for the first time without anyone dying. Arc 4 has officially kicked into high gear! Last time, Subaru and Otto... Continue Reading →
Re:Zero S2E7 – Enter the Beatrix
SPOILERS Sorry this post is a couple days late! I just started a new job and it's been kicking my ass lately, so I haven't been able to give Re:Zero my full undivided attention until today. But even still, I couldn't wait to see Subaru's confrontation with Beatrice that was teased in the last episode.... Continue Reading →
Little Witch Academia: Reconstructing the Magical Girl Genre
Puella Magi Madoka Magica changed the game for magical girl anime. Long associated with cutesy fare like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura, Madoka opened the floodgates for dark, deconstructive shows like Yuuki Yuna and Magical Girl Raising Project. To be fair, I love Madoka, and think it’s a nearly perfect show. But there’s only so... Continue Reading →
Trope Overload: Anime and the Hero’s Journey
If you've ever studied literature or film, you've probably heard of "The Hero's Journey". Originally coined by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, it as an archetypal story structure that can be found in everything from Star Wars to The Epic of Gilgamesh. Studying ancient myths from around the... Continue Reading →
Re:Zero S2E6 – Return of the Bowel Hunter
SPOILERS After five straight episodes of foreshadowing, intrigue, and all the feels, we're finally back to classic Re:Zero action with this banger of an episode. Subaru and Ram return to Roswaal manor, Frederica shows her true form, and the Bowel Hunter Elsa returns to, well, hunt some bowels. I'm starting to think I'm a little... Continue Reading →