All Articles
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My Fave is Problematic: Samurai Flamenco
No one has ever asked whether Samurai Flamenco is good, because the question is a loud and simultaneous “no” and “yes.” But the question of whether it “counts” as queer romance has waged on for eight exhausting years now. Incidentally: yes, it does.
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“Serves You Right”: The abolitionist condemnation of retributive justice in Akudama Drive
With a cast mostly of “dangerous criminals” identified by the crimes they’ve committed instead of their names, I assumed Akudama Drive’s dystopian setting would act as little more than set dressing in a story that ultimately reinforces, rather than challenges, the stigmatization of criminalized people. I have rarely been happier to be proven wrong. Echoing the calls of the prison abolition movement, Akudama Drive delivers a powerful and subversive statement against the criminal legal system, one that goes beyond slogans like All Cops Are Bastards and questions the basis of our conception of justice.
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Race, power dynamics, and the missed opportunities of Great Pretender
The initial premise promised colorful heists alongside an interesting story, but it ultimately failed its characters of color.
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How No More Heroes tackles otaku toxicity
No More Heroes is able to distill my biggest issues with the anime scene, mocks those who defend and perpetuate its shittiest elements, and makes me hopeful that things can improve by having Travis embody and then question his identity as a scummy anime nerd.
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Chatty AF 141: Angelic Layer Watchalong – Episodes 20-26 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Caitlin, Dee, and Mercedez fight their final battle and look back on Angelic Layer as a too-rare example of women-led sports anime.
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Kyubey’s Multi-Level Marketing Scheme: The capitalist metaphor of Madoka Magica
Looking at this series through an economic lens reveals yet another layer of interpretation: a story about the cruelty of business models that profit off the worker’s suffering.
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My Fave is Problematic: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
From 2007 to 2011 or so, Kyoto Animation’s multimedia juggernaut dominated most aspects of Western anime fandom. Whether getting stormed by a “Hare Hare Yukai” flash mob at a con or debating the “correct” viewing order online, you couldn’t escape the series’ sizable cult of personality. When watched today, it’s still easy to see why the small show left such a big impact. Yet for all of its still-endearing charms, Haruhi is plagued by foundational cracks that consistently threaten to undermine its core strengths.
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Genderless Gemstones: The pros and cons of Land of the Lustrous as non-binary representation
In the discussion surrounding queer representation in fiction, things are not always so simple as stamping a work with “good rep” or “bad rep”. While the series is not perfect—or perhaps because the series is not perfect—Land of the Lustrous makes a useful case study for reading and critiquing through a queer lens.
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The Girl with the Healing Kiss: How Talentless Nana explores gender, morality, and the savior complex
Despite having a teen girl assassin as its protagonist, the contrast between Nana and the healer Michiru ultimately paints a picture of the ‘savior complex’ being righteous amongst women.
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Chatty AF 140: Angelic Layer Watchalong – Episodes 14-19 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Caitlin, Dee, and Mercedez continue their exploration of CLAMP’s foray into battle shounen with the fighting robot series Angelic Layer!
