All in Blog Post

Did the SK8 the Infinity Finale Queerbait Us?

Did the SK8 the Infinity Finale Queerbait Us?

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

The original skateboarding shounen anime SK8 the Infinity was one of our favorites of the Winter 2021 season. Its colorful and immaculately detailed art direction, over-the-top depictions of underground skating tournaments, and lovable cast of characters gave it a unique style that we couldn’t get enough of. But above all else, the heartwarming relationship between main characters Reki and Langa kept us coming back week after week to see if these two adorable idiots would ever realize that they’re meant for each other. Unfortunately, though, the series ended without any declaration of love in sight. Did we just get queerbaited again? Let’s take a closer look at the situation to see what exactly happened here.

Horimiya Review - Rushed, But Realistically Romantic

Horimiya Review - Rushed, But Realistically Romantic

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

This winter, we were blessed with the long-awaited adaptation of Hiroki Adachi’s webcomic/manga romance series Horimiya. It’s a tender tale about two high schoolers whose real personalities don’t match what they show to the world and how they break down each other’s facades to discover that they’re not so different after all. The source material is considered by many to be a phenomenal romance story with complex characters and memorable scenes, but does the anime live up to these lofty expectations? Let’s see!

86 is a Sobering Tale of Inequality and War

86 is a Sobering Tale of Inequality and War

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

Light novel adaptations don’t always have to be harems or isekai or harem isekai—sometimes they can be gritty dystopian dramas that force us to confront tough issues like systemic inequality and the horrors of war. 86 is exactly that, and even more besides. Here are our impressions of the first few episodes of this hotly anticipated series!

Fairy Ranmaru is Really Stupid, Kind of Offensive, and a Total Joy to Watch

Fairy Ranmaru is Really Stupid, Kind of Offensive, and a Total Joy to Watch

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

Bishounen-centric fanservice anime have been around for almost as long as their T&A-fueled counterparts, and even the “magical boy” angle has been done several times before. So what is a new anime in this esteemed genre to do if it wants to stand out amongst its sparkly brethren? Well, Fairy Ranmaru: Anata no Kororo Otasuke Shimasu’s solution is to crank every dial it has up to 11 so it can be the loudest, sexiest, and most absurd pretty boy anime ever made. Here are our impressions of the first few episodes of this... inspired piece of work the Spring 2021 season has bestowed unto us.

Fumetsu no Anata e (To Your Eternity) Hops on the Feels Train Right Away

Fumetsu no Anata e (To Your Eternity) Hops on the Feels Train Right Away

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

To Your Eternity has been one of the most hotly anticipated anime adaptations of 2021, and we can definitely see why. This atmospheric low fantasy epic is adapted from a manga by Yoshitoki Ooima (who also wrote A Silent Voice), animated by Brain Base (known for their work on ensemble pieces like Durarara and Baccano), and its OP is sung by none other than Hikaru Utada (the musician behind all of your favorite Kingdom Hearts songs). But does this promising series live up to its own hype? Here are our impressions of the first few episodes!

Cestvs: The Roman Fighter Should Be Your Hate-Watch of the Season

Cestvs: The Roman Fighter Should Be Your Hate-Watch of the Season

Mary Lee Sauder
Blog Post

On paper, Cestvs: The Roman Fighter sounds like a solid entry in any seasonal lineup—it’s a pure action anime about boxing gladiators in Ancient Rome, based on a never-before-adapted manga that’s been running more or less continuously since 1997. It has the director behind the Higurashi series, the studio behind Gintama, and even a professional boxer on hand to help choreograph fight scenes. But for some reason, this potentially great anime has turned out to be a hilarious train wreck reminiscent of Berserk 2016 and even Ex-Arm. Here are our first impressions of Cestvs: The Roman Fighter!

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