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ep. review

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider ‒ Episode 13

What? You actually thought this was a Kamen Rider show and not the sequel to an often-overlooked 2003 anime?
ep. review

Gnosia ‒ Episode 12

It's the inability to provide any sense of emotional or thematic progression that is making Gnosia into a show that feels like less than the sum of its parts.
ep. review

One Piece ‒ SEASON FINALE

It has everything a feast needs: smiling Nico Robin, food and songs, smiling Nico Robin, tearful tributes, smiling Nico Robin, and best of all: smiling Nico Robin.
ep. review

This Monster Wants to Eat Me ‒ SEASON FINALE

Lest it leave us on too healthy a note, This Monster Wants to Eat Me wraps up the season with a reminder that love and pain walk hand in hand.
ep. review

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess ‒ SEASON FINALE

If anything, a subversion would be a betrayal of its exploration of the crappy cliches that teenagers feel drawn to, at least at this point in the story.
ep. review

Spy×Family Season 3 ‒ SEASON FINALE

When Loid is approaching his apartment, he thinks to himself that it feels like forever since he’s been home. Just “home,” not “Loid’s home” or “Operation Strix’s home,” home.
ep. review

A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace ‒ Episode 12

The theme of this episode is all about how the connections we foster with people.
ep. review

With You, Our Love Will Make it Through ‒ Episode 11

Finally, we start getting something a little bit juicy besides the…actual juicy stuff.
ep. review

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE

This is a final episode that’s about as good as Chili’s ribs: not the best out there, but immensely satisfying nonetheless.
ep. review

Ranma ½ ‒ SEASON FINALE

Who could this be, and how are they incompetent enough to make this mistake? He'd have to be blind, stupid, or both.
ep. review

Gachiakuta ‒ SEASON FINALE

The show about the stinky little trashboy who flings poop at his mentors and smiles with all of the grace of a meth-fiend baboon has proven to have a shockingly deep and nuanced emotional core.
ep. review

Dusk Beyond the End of the World ‒ SEASON FINALE

This was, in my opinion, the worst anime of the season.
ep. review

Isekai Quartet 3 ‒ SEASON FINALE

Perhaps in their own respective series, our heroes will find a little bit extra inner strength—strength provided by the multiverse-spanning friendships they were never meant to have during the silly school life they never experienced.
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1154

Big News Morgan is like an affable cousin you see around the holidays: always a delight to catch up with, but he’s still the same as the last time you saw him.
ep. review

My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's ‒ SEASON FINALE

I'm a big fan of any show that sets up a moral dilemma and has the characters resolve it—but leaves it up to the audience to decide whether our heroes did the right thing or not.
ep. review

Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Season 2 ‒ SEASON FINALE

Oguri Cap is the main anime vanguard of the franchise at this point, and why shouldn't she be? She represents the show's modern form, heralded by butt-rock openers and strained, sweaty facial expressions.
ep. review

GINTAMA - Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class ‒ SEASON FINALE

While I haven't had a terrible time with this spin-off, much like Takasugi last week, I question if this was all worth bringing Gintama back from the dead.
ep. review

The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess ‒ Episode 15

Is it worth being annoyed that The Fated Magical Princess chose to abandon the manhwa in its final few episodes? I’m still trying to decide.
ep. review

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! ‒ SEASON FINALE

Unfortunately, I think it suits this series to end on such an underwhelming note.
ep. review

DIGIMON BEATBREAK ‒ Episode 12

Even though this episode marks the end of Digimon Beatbreak's first cour, in many ways it feels like its true beginning
ep. review

Touring After the Apocalypse ‒ SEASON FINALE

The lush, verdant landscapes of this empty, crumbling future Japan will remain in my memory for a long time.
ep. review

To Your Eternity Season 3 ‒ Episode 12

For as much as I am enjoying this third season of To Your Eternity, I fear the story may be falling into a pacing trap
ep. review

Mechanical Marie ‒ SEASON FINALE

Mechanical Marie has always looked cheap and cheerful, with bargain-basement animation carried merely by its sheer innocent charm.
ep. review

Gnosia ‒ Episode 11

I am beginning to worry that all Gnosia the Anime will end up accomplishing is making me want to switch off the T.V. and simply check out Gnosia the Video Game, instead.
ep. review

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 ‒ SEASON FINALE

This whole episode feels like a fever dream—which is exactly what it turns out to be.
ep. review

One Punch Man Season 3 ‒ Episode 11

Even as One Punch Man season three technically improves, it continues to remind us how far this franchise has fallen, and I cannot wait for it to be over soon.
ep. review

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider ‒ Episode 12

This week’s episode left me with a question: Has the novelty finally worn off? Honestly, I think it has.
ep. review

This Monster Wants to Eat Me ‒ Episode 12

Both Shiori and the story recognize that she can't just renew their original promise. They need to up the toxic yuri quotient, and this week, the dial goes to eleven.
ep. review

May I Ask for One Final Thing? ‒ SEASON FINALE

Who among us wouldn’t pay the highest of prices for even the chance to be ground into a fine crimson dust under the finely polished knuckles of Scarlet’s trademark gloves?
ep. review

Spy×Family Season 3 ‒ Episode 49

There’s no surer sign that Twilight is on the scene than when he shows up looking exactly like the guy he’s fighting.
ep. review

SANDA ‒ SEASON FINALE

It’s appropriate that SANDA ends with its main duo having a bit more clarity but being a lot worse off, as that struggle is a big part of the transition from childhood into adulthood.
ep. review

A Star Brighter Than the Sun ‒ SEASON FINALE

A Star Brighter Than the Sun doesn’t break any molds. It hews close to most of the tropes of its genre. But it was still a charming way to spend an anime season.
ep. review

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation ‒ SEASON FINALE

The franchise uses the time-honored tradition of giving attractive characters garbage personality traits—and I think that's beautiful.
ep. review

With You, Our Love Will Make it Through ‒ Episode 10

From my perspective, not addressing it runs the risk of muddying what exactly the prejudice metaphor of the show is supposed to be about.
ep. review

A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace ‒ Episode 11

Wow, the show really just went full yuri in the second half.
ep. review

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2 ‒ Episode 11

There are plenty of things fishy about this episode, but hey, who can complain when calamari’s on the menu?
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1153

The Straw Hats won. The World Government lost. But it sure doesn’t feel like a victory.
ep. review

GINTAMA - Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class ‒ Episode 11

What looks to be a good old-fashioned school brawl instead has this show pondering the nature of its own existence.
ep. review

Isekai Quartet 3 ‒ Episode 10

Alpha has to realize that this world works fundamentally different to her own—that what was a villain in one world can be a hero in this one.
ep. review

Dusk Beyond the End of the World ‒ Episode 11

This week’s episode feels like it was haphazardly pulled out of thin air on the spot.
ep. review

My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's ‒ Episode 11

Latty is an enigmatic character—though not for the usual reasons.
ep. review

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! ‒ Episode 11

If this anime thinks it can distract me from how boring it’s quickly becoming with a cute puppy, then it’s absolutely right.
ep. review

The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess ‒ Episode 14

The best way for Athanasia to protect herself is to show the world what she’s capable of.
ep. review

Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Season 2 ‒ Episode 22

It's easy to joke about the absurd-on-its-face anthropomorphization device of the horse girls, but the final flashback-coded finish between Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross wouldn't work otherwise.
ep. review

Touring After the Apocalypse ‒ Episode 11

Trust Yoko to find the most implausible, physically dangerous way to do something.
ep. review

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON ‒ SERIES FINALE

Say it with me now: EVEN YOU CAN BE A HERO!
ep. review

Mechanical Marie ‒ Episode 11

Who puts locks on the outside of their bathrooms?
ep. review

One Punch Man Season 3 ‒ Episode 10

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but One Punch Man season three is back to sucking with episode nine.
ep. review

DIGIMON BEATBREAK ‒ Episode 11

I'm sure that Tomoro and Gekkomon will have to mend their relationship to survive this mess in one piece, but given how many issues their communication problems have caused, they'll be in for a rough time getting there.
ep. review

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider ‒ Episode 11

This episode is mainly light comedy and men getting horny—nothing really important or meaningful when it comes to moving the plot forward.
ep. review

Gachiakuta ‒ Episode 23

You have to love how Rudo acquires healthy outlooks on how to process difficult emotions the same way that most shonen protagonists collect special moves and power-ups.
ep. review

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 ‒ Episode 8

The Bird of Paradise is a story focused almost completely on the internal—a battle within an injured, terrified girl’s mind for the fate of her soul.
ep. review

To Your Eternity Season 3 ‒ Episode 11

What's an Orb to do in this new, gray world of uncertainty and doubt?
ep. review

Gnosia ‒ Episode 10

There's just something about the thought of Yuri chirping, 'Like, yeah, totally!' and batting those big anime-girl eyelashes that I find exceptionally hilarious (and adorable).
ep. review

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess ‒ Episode 10

There's a reason helicopter parenting is frowned upon in this day and age.
ep. review

This Monster Wants to Eat Me ‒ Episode 11

Hinako is sinking. While This Monster Wants to Eat Me frequently deploys drowning as a metaphor for her mental state, it feels most appropriate for her current depressive spiral.
ep. review

May I Ask for One Final Thing? ‒ Episode 12

May I Ask for One Final Thing? has officially reached its endgame, and this penultimate chapter is…pretty mediocre, honestly.
ep. review

Spy×Family Season 3 ‒ Episode 48

This may be what this entire season of Spy×Family has been leading up to.
ep. review

SANDA ‒ Episode 11

This episode is both blunt in its themes and silly in how it explores them, and that makes it the epitome of what makes this big, ridiculous story about becoming an adult so special.
ep. review

With You, Our Love Will Make it Through ‒ Episode 9

I think this episode is a perfect example of my small frustrations with the show.
ep. review

A Star Brighter Than the Sun ‒ Episode 11

A Star Brighter Than the Sun, while an enjoyable story, does by this point feel like it might be chucking rocks at Sae and Koki with mad abandon.
ep. review

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation ‒ Episode 7

This was premeditated egg violence.
ep. review

A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace ‒ Episode 10

For a workaholic, rest seems like this elusive dream that doesn't seem real. (Stop looking at me)
ep. review

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2 ‒ Episode 10

After being a coward for so long, it’s nice to see Muhkoda really tap into his fighting spirit this time around.
ep. review

GINTAMA - Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class ‒ Episode 10

Does anyone remember that Takasugi was supposed to be a big deal in this show?
ep. review

Isekai Quartet 3 ‒ Episode 9

After three seasons, the elephant in the room is finally addressed: Subaru never pushed the button.
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1152

This episode was twenty minutes of terrific television but also twenty years of steady storytelling.
ep. review

My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's ‒ Episode 10

This entire episode is dedicated to one simple question: Will Akira decide to kill Gram or not?
ep. review

Ranma ½ ‒ Episode 22

It's like watching a slow-motion car crash at the intersection of all things that bring out the worst in Ranma.
ep. review

The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess ‒ Episode 13

Athy gets a chance to both better her friendship with Jennette, decreasing the chances of a bad ending related to the other girl, and to prove to herself and Lucas that she’s really making a lot of progress with her magic.
ep. review

Gachiakuta ‒ Episodes 21-22

This inaugural standoff against Zodyl and his acolytes may be over, but Rudo and the Cleaners' fight against the abominable force of The Watchman has only just begun.
ep. review

Spy×Family Season 3 ‒ Episode 47

Even sober, Yor’s unable to make the distinction between a turn of phrase and a literal statement of murderous intent.
ep. review

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON ‒ Episode 169

Our heroes hug each other as they lament their failure and all we can do is make strides to create a future where such a tragedy never happens again.
ep. review

Dusk Beyond the End of the World ‒ Episode 10

This episode is messier than I ever could’ve catastrophized.
ep. review

Touring After the Apocalypse ‒ Episode 10

Lightning-exploded rocks and refrigerated corpses aside, this is probably the most standard travelogue episode we’ve had in a while.
ep. review

Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray Season 2 ‒ Episode 21

This race, taking place on December 25, might actually appropriately wrap up on-air while the Christmas season is still upon us. Giddy-up, jingle horses, pick up your feet.
ep. review

Mechanical Marie ‒ Episode 10

Marie 2 is definitely the show’s breakout character.
ep. review

DIGIMON BEATBREAK ‒ Episode 10

If there's any takeaway from Haruko's trials here, it's that the only way to push back against a system demanding perfection is to step outside it and embrace imperfection
ep. review

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! ‒ Episode 10

This is probably the first week I’d call an episode of Monster Meat downright boring.
ep. review

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider ‒ Episode 10

Tojima might be the worst fighter of the group, but in his heart burns a fire that can’t be extinguished—and that’s his real power.
ep. review

One Punch Man Season 3 ‒ Episode 9

Season three has spent too much time farting around for it ever to be “great,” but it’s nice to watch a good episode of One Punch Man after all of these years.
ep. review

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 ‒ Episode 7

The Smuggler falls into the category of "fun but predictable.
ep. review

Gnosia ‒ Episode 9

Here I was, thinking that Gnosia was running out of ways to surprise a jaded old critic like me.
ep. review

To Your Eternity Season 3 ‒ Episode 10

Will it be possible for this quest for "a peaceful world" to end in anything other than bloodshed and misery?
ep. review

May I Ask for One Final Thing? ‒ Episode 11

This is an episode of May I Ask for One Final Thing? where "business as usual" left me feeling unsatisfied.
ep. review

SANDA ‒ Episode 10

Even if the past few episodes of Sanda were perfectly enjoyable, it’s great to see the most audacious show of the season firing on all cylinders again.
ep. review

This Monster Wants to Eat Me ‒ Episode 10

When Shiori revealed that she spent most of the 20th century dealing with an explosive breakup by listlessly drifting along the ocean currents, I could relate.
ep. review

A Star Brighter Than the Sun ‒ Episodes 9-10

It may have taken us ten episodes to get there, but at long last we have it: official confirmation that Koki likes Sae.
ep. review

With You, Our Love Will Make it Through ‒ Episode 8

Maybe I'll feel differently by the end, but for now, With You, Our Love Will Make it Through ironically just hit a wall.
ep. review

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess ‒ Episode 9

“Self-Evaluations are Unreliable” closes out the Bloody Rosa arc with the Hydrangea Guard bursting in and capturing Lady Amaryllis just in time.
ep. review

Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation ‒ Episode 6

The Cheshire Cat character is somehow gayer than all the other characters put together, and that is not an easy task to achieve.
ep. review

A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace ‒ Episode 9

Even if Nana is the main creator who needs to sign off on everything, she can’t get very far on her own. No creator can.
ep. review

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2 ‒ Episode 9

While still a delight to watch, I’d be lying if I didn’t say this episode didn’t err a bit on the aimless side of things.
ep. review

GINTAMA - Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class ‒ Episode 9

If this were a longer show, I wouldn't be too bothered by another below-average episode, but since we're close to the end, it's hard not to feel a little let down
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1151

The dance of Nika is so infectious that it makes the giants dance along despite their imminent danger, and awakening something within Bonney’s past, both bring big smiles too, though one more bittersweet than the other.
ep. review

My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's ‒ Episode 9

This week, Akira faces the problem that many isekai protagonists do: everyone wants to use them for their own profit.

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