Anime has problems with its story telling habits. Habits we as fans often take for granted. It’s just how anime is, we say when we notice these problems. We overlook them. But in the end, these habits of anime–killing tension, breaking world rules, escalation of power, getting lost in complexity, flashbacks, and undoing everything–are just…
Category: Anime
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
An isekei with a female lead? Sounds good! Unfortunately, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent has many interesting aspects, but suffers from a passive protagonist. Sei Takanashi sits in the center of a reverse harem in an rpg-like fantasy world. This is an isekei, after all. Like most isekei, Sei is overpowered. I mean, it’s…
The Appeal of Yashahime
Yashahime excited me when I saw it debut. Inuyasha was one of my first exposures to anime. I enjoyed its exploration of folklore and the characters. Yashahime continues this exploration. This time, the story delves into Chinese folklore and more obscure Japanese folklore. In the story, various demons from the eastern lands invade the western…
Hinamatsuri, an Anime Review
I rarely find a comedy anime that strikes me as funny. Most have amusing moments amid the tired, over-trod comedy tropes (nude jokes, breast jokes, and the like). but few strike me as funny. Hinamatsuri made me laugh quite often with its antics. Of course, the show has structural problems and over-uses some of its…
Ranma 1/2, Does it Hold Up Today?
Ranma 1/2 is an old sit-com style anime from 1989 to 1992. It follows a martial artist named Ranma, his dad, and the family of his fiance Akane. Ranma and his dad fall into different cursed ponds when training in China. When dosed with cold water, Ranma turns into a girl. His dad turns into…
Horimiya: Surprisingly Subtle
Horimiya appears to be a standard high-school rom-com, but it quickly shows how it is more. The series focuses on how people have hidden sides to their personalities that slowly reveal to those closest to them. The main characters Hori and Miyamura develop a relationship while discovering these layers. Hori is a popular, head of…