Review: Tsugumomo E.01-02

April 12, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Holy shit, they still make anime like this? My god is this shit dated. The gist is that a teenage boy with no special qualities has a magical elf looking girl show up in his life. At one point she was the silk tie for the boy’s mother’s kimono. His love for his mother became infused into it and brought her to life… which is kind of fucked up when you think about it. Mostly because she’s always nude, wants to sleep with together and is the physical embodiment of HIS FEELINGS FOR HIS MOTHER!!!

Nobunaga no Shinobi: Ise Kanegasaki-hen E.01

April 10, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

Okay so spring has arrived and with its arrival heralds the release of new anime shows and sequels. I’ll be frank, this week I found it exceptionally hard to choose which show to review. Before I explain the reason for my predicament, I think I should probably explain my decision-making process when selecting an anime show to write about. It’s very simple – I merely choose the show which leaves the biggest impression (good or bad) to write about. The only problem with this method is that, on the occasions where none of the shows I watch has an impact on me, I’m left with the issue of feeling like I have nothing to write about. I know I’m babbling, but the truth is this week I experienced the problem with this method this week.

Review: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations E.01

April 7, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

I will kind of echo what I said in my review for the first volume of Boruto: Naruto Next Gubernations the manga. I have never been a fan of the Naruto series, nor have I ever checked it out until now. Boruto is my entry point, and that’s where I’m sticking. That said, damn, the team behind this series have this all locked down. Well-oiled machine doesn’t begin to do it justice.

Review: Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism E.01

April 7, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

That title is a mouth full, and I can’t wait to butcher it on a future episode of Super S – Anime Podcast. All joking aside, the title is what got my interest in checking this anime out, which is probably why it's titled as such.

Review: Sakura Quest E.01

April 7, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Sometimes, I see comments on shows before I have a chance to view them. Just random people stating their opinion on the show in a quick burst. I hate it because it’s almost always something without context, but manages to stay with me the entire I watch the show/episode of the show. This time the comment was, “Anime of the season.” Which is a far cry from the truth.

Review: Attack on Titan E.026 – “Beast Titan”

April 6, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Let me clear something up before we jump into this review. I’m not a diehard, all or nothing Titan fan. The characters aren’t deep; the main character is an insensitive dick that only cares about his revenge, and everyone cries a lot. Not that I can blame them on that last one since the idea of living in this world is enough of a reason to eat a gun. Hell, I didn’t even like this show until Eren turned into a fucking Titan.

Review: My Hero Academia E.014

April 3, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

As soon as I found out that Boku no Hero Academia had received a second season I have been patiently awaiting its return. I was ecstatic to learn that one of the most heartrending anime series was coming back; I can’t remember how many times I cried while watching this series. A week ago, I was contemplating watching the entire series again in preparation for the second cour. However, episode 0 summed up the entire first season well enough that I did not have to. After viewing several trailers of the upcoming season, I knew what to expect, but episode one was not as exciting as I hoped it would be.

Review: Marginal #4: Kiss Kara Tsukuru Big Bang E.02

March 27, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

I knew what I was gearing myself up for when I decided to watch this; I mean firstly it falls under the shoujo/music category, secondly the overall plot follows the activities of a male idol group, and thirdly the anime is of one of Rejet's and Idea Factory's otome titles (no discredit to Rejet and Idea Factory's work).

Review: ēlDLIVE E.01

March 20, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

I had no idea that elDLIVE was by the same creator of Katekyo Hitman Reborn; Katekyo Hitman Reborn is a personal favorite of mine, and it’s definitely in my top three shonen series after Hunter x Hunter 2011 simply because of its great combination of humor and artwork. The show aired in 2006, and admittedly, this is the fourth of fifth time I have re-watched the entire series. Therefore, I just had to check elDLIVE out. Akira Amano was not only responsible for the production of Katekyo Hitman Reborn, but she also did the original character design of Psycho-Pass; I was unaware of this fact until recently.

Review: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen E.09

March 6, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

Okay, now this is the reason why I adore this show, the reason is that whenever you think you know something it turns out that you know nothing. In other words, always expect the unexpected, which is still something I struggle to grapple with concerning this show.

Review: Chain Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari E.01

February 27, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

Hmmm, so admittedly, I was going to write another review of this week’s episode of Shouwa, but in the end, I decided against it. Sometimes it's good to change things up and Chains Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari - an anime rendition of the role-playing game produced by the illustrious video game company, Sega, available on the Android and PlayStation Vita, was just the ticket. Honestly, out of all the genres, fantasy is probably at the bottom of my list when it comes to selecting what type of anime to watch. For some reason, I just find most fantasy shows to be too predictable or conventional, even when the plot line is supposedly unique and original. Fantasy shows tend to cast females in subordinate roles despite being as strong as their male peers are and the heroes tend to be predominantly young males of ordinary descent. However, now and again it is good to set aside one's preconceptions and give these things the benefit of the doubt.

Review: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen E.07

February 20, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

It's official; I am completely hooked on Shouwa! I loved the unexpected twist this episode. I knew the death of Konatsu’s parents was a delicate matter that weighed heavily on the characters minds, particularly Konatsu who blamed Yakuma for the demise of her father and Yakumo who blamed himself for not being able to save Konatsu’s parents despite being in such close proximity to them. However, I never suspected that the truth regarding the manner in which they died was different to what actually happened.

Review: KonoSuba 2! E.06

February 16, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

What I realized after writing my review for the fifth episode of KonoSuba and thinking about the sixth episode, is that this is a great transition episode. It doesn’t necessarily wrap up the last arc or start the next one, but it's buffering between the two while going back to a staple of the series. That said, there’s going to be spoilers ahead.

Review: Seiren E.01-04

February 16, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Initially, I wasn’t even sure I would review Seiren. Mostly because I watched the first two episodes back to back and still had no idea what the story was about when I was done. I kept watching and finished the first four episodes which are in a way a mini-series of their own. I say that because Seiren is, unfortunately, one of those shows you have to do research on which is the biggest problem with its story.

Review: KonoSuba 2! E.05

February 16, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

This episode of KonoSuba 2 is fairly interesting in that it acts like the midpoint conclusion of the story. Everyone that watches a lot of anime knows what midpoint I’m referring to as there’s usually a shift in the story from that point on.

Review: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen E.05

February 6, 2017

By Shanel Kamara

Oh My Gosh! that last scene in Shouwa featuring Yakumo and Sukerou had me on the edge of my seat; I wish the preview would not keep me in suspense regarding Yakumo. I have a love-hate relationship with cliffhangers. They stir up your anticipations but force you to accept the fact that you will have to wait to find out what happens next. I suppose in a way that is good, though because it means that the show is keeping you engaged. Lately, I have noticed that most of the shows I tend to prefer feature cliffhangers or plot twists. It may sound a tad cliche, but Shouwa is unlike any series I have previously watched.

Review: KonoSuba 2! E.04

February 3, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

Okay… this is probably the funniest episode of the season, and I hate to say it, but it’s because of Darkness. As much as I find her gimmick hilarious, I just never liked Kazuma’s interaction with her. Not in the way I enjoy him and Aqua, who act like best friends or he and Megumin who have a brother-sister type bond. Darkness is a pervert… I suppose that’s how they bond.

Review: Interviews With Monster Girls E.03

January 30, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

And there it is. This show is well done, but at the end of the day, it’s ecchi or harem or whatever fucking classification you want to use. The teacher is collecting love interests and this episode it’s the Succubus.

Review: KonoSuba 2! E.03

January 30, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

I really do enjoy this show which might be the reason I stop reviewing it. When I watch it, it turns off my brain. I don’t analyze it to death because I’m enjoying it so much. When I watch it, I don’t think of things like, “hey this episode felt a lot like an episode from last season” or “good for them for getting back to character relationships.” Instead, I’m just laughing my ass off and loving every minute of it.

Review: Chaos;Child E.01

January 26, 2017

By Dustin Cabeal

What the fuck is up with shows having a “semi-colon” in the title? Grammatically, that doesn’t make any sense, and as a reviewer, it’s annoying. If I had known what Chaos;Child was about I would never have watched in the first place; I struggled through it so that I could write a review that had some level of competency.