DEVILMAN crybaby, Legacies of Queerness, and Diversifying Remakes
What do you do with a series that features sympathetic representation while also roundly killing its queer characters off, and does it make a difference that everybody is dying?
Posts by Vrai Kaiser
-
-
Makoto Kageyama discusses mental health issues in Japan and anime
Makoto Kageyama, a former volunteer at Aokigahara, was kind enough to speak with us about their experiences living with mental illness, how the mentally ill are treated in Japan, and how those issues are depicted in anime.
-
Killing Bites – Episode 1
Remember when this season started, and there were so many good titles with promising characters and unique premises and the world seemed shiny, new, and full of possibility?
-
Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens – Episode 1
I’m not sure it’s going to be a classic of the genre, but if you’re looking for an adult-oriented mystery this season and don’t mind the gore and frequent low-key victimization of women that usually entails along with the issues listed above, Hakata is probably worth at least a three-episode test run.
-
After the Rain – Episode 1
It’s nice to know that if Hollywood ever spines up and kicks Woody Allen out for good, he could still find a very fulfilling career in anime.
-
How to keep a mummy – Episode 1
We’ve arrived at the last female-directed series of the season, and it was like watching twenty minutes of cute kitten videos. It’s all but guaranteed to be this season’s entry into Gentle Comedies about Nice Kids.
-
Maerchen Maedchen – Episode 1
I think there might be a funny, clever little magical girl show buried in this premiere. I’m not sure, though—I’m still recovering from the episode’s decision to strip its protagonist naked for the third act, blinding me with shiny, shiny moeblob flesh.
-
The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! – Episode 1
The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! genuinely loves shogi. And sexualizing children. Reeeeally don’t want to overlook that second part.
-
KOKKOKU – Episode 1
Well, this is a premiere that hits the ground running. By the end of the episode there’s been a kidnapping, a ransom demand, and not one but two pretty brutal fight scenes. Also monsters or spirits are somehow involved, but apparently that’s a kettle of fish for a whole ‘nother episode.
-
citrus – Episode 1
Give me a minute to strap in, because I feel like I’m wading into a pit of snakes with this one.
-
Slow Start – Episode 1
I would like to state for the record that this is the first premiere of the season to leave me feeling slightly unclean afterward, as if I had seen someone’s fetish without asking. And the last show I reviewed was DEVILMAN Crybaby.
-
DEVILMAN crybaby – Episode 1
Devilman Crybaby is not for everyone. It’s got a list of content warnings as long as my arm. That said, I’ll definitely be bingeing the rest—they had me at “body horror.”
-
Junji Ito Collection – Episode 1
Junji Ito’s talent for disturbing atmosphere and slow burns has rightfully cemented his status as a household name. The downside is that it means this adaptation comes with enormous expectations, and it’s arguably impossible to live up to what everyone wants. Still, I think this one is off to a pretty good start.
-
Katana Maidens ~Toji no Miko – Episode 1
Katana Maidens is in a hurry to get you on board. To that end, it’s willing to throw as many things at the wall as possible in the name of finding something that sticks.
-
Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles – Episode 1
Are you into food porn shows? I hope so, because otherwise Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles doesn’t really have anything for you. I say that with a certain level of respect, mind: like its titular character, this is a gag show with a focus, and it dedicates itself to diving deep into its subject matter.
-
A Place Further Than the Universe – Episode 1
2018 is putting its best foot forward with this one.
-
Land of the Lustrous, singular “they,” and the politics of subtitles
Land of the Lustrous made minor waves by deciding to refer to almost the entire cast with neutral “they/them” pronouns. In an industry that has historically chosen binary pronouns for characters who aren’t gendered or are gendered ambiguously in the original text, this marks a small but important—and most crucially, conscious—shift.
-
My Girlfriend is a Shobitch – Episode 1
Well, I’m mad. Not for the reasons I was expecting, though (well, not just for those reasons).
-
A Sister’s All You Need – Episode 1
By the laws of common decency, I’m guessing you know this show is not good, and that you’re actually here to watch me suffer. And you know what? I’m down for that. I’m here for you.
-
Anime-Gataris – Episode 1
Club anime aren’t my thing, but Anime-Gataris is pretty good at being a club anime, with some potential to go in weird directions and only one thing that I absolutely hated.
