2018 Winter Three-Episode Check-In
We’re continuing the informal three-episode “check-in” roundtable that we started last season, this time with the long list of promising Winter 2018 titles.
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Chatty AF 39: Fushigi Yugi Watchalong – OVAs (Part 1 of 2) (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
The multi-part Fushigi Yugi watchalong with Dee, Vrai, and Caitlin is back for a pair of bonus episodes covering the OVAs! Here in Part 1, the team talks Oni 1 and half of Oni 2. (Spoiler alert: It’s the angry half.) Studio Pierrot writes a drunken fanfic. Hotohori and Nuriko revisit some old haunts. Tasuki gets […]
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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.
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Chatty AF 38: DEVILMAN crybaby Retrospective (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Chatty AF is back from its winter break, and what better way to kick off the new year than by chatting about the flawed-but-ambitious series that’s been emotionally wrecking the anime community? Vrai, Peter, and special guest Dawn get together to discuss Masaaki Yuasa’s DEVILMAN crybaby!
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My road to finding better Latinx representation in anime
Throughout my ever-growing love for all things manga and anime, there have been a lot of pretty good and some downright horrible portrayals of Latinx people.
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2018 Winter Premiere Digest
Another season of premieres watched and reviewed! Now that we’ve gone through every new show, it’s time to get ’em all in one room and see how they measure.
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Beatless – Episode 1
Beatless feels largely like a pastiche of genre conventions and other series that came before it.
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DARLING in the FRANXX – Episode 1
This has the potential to challenge cultural and gender norms. It also has the potential to be a queer-erasing mess of cliches. And while I want to believe it’ll be the former, I can’t shake the feeling it’ll wind up being the latter.
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Hakumei and Mikochi – Episode 1
Hakumei and Mikochi, with its watercolor-inspired art, intelligent but not anthropomorphized animals, and chill forest vibe, reminds me of nothing so much as a children’s book.
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Violet Evergarden – Episode 1
There’s an art to premiere episodes, and Violet Evergarden is a masterclass.
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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?
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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.
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Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody – Episode 1
The whole thing was so horrifically monotonous, I was hoping he’d stumble onto one of the harem girls from the opening just to spice things up.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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DamePri Anime Caravan – Episode 1
‘Scuse me while I bust out the biscuits, ’cause this premiere was 100% my jam.
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Anime Matsuri Moves to Silence Vlogger with Cease & Desist
John Leigh, a showrunner for Anime Matsuri—the second largest anime convention in North America—is digging up his own accusations by attempting to silence a vlogger who talked about them. It’s a bad look at any time, but especially during the #MeToo era. It’s also an unusual choice considering this scandal was all but forgotten.
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Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san – Episode 1
Takagi-san is the most “okay” premiere I’ve seen all season. It is utterly harmless. It is profoundly fine. And I have been staring at this stupid post for 15 minutes now trying to think of something else to say about it.
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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.
