Your Mileage May Vary when it comes to this new version of Urusei Yatsura, a series that brings the 70s into the 2020s, flaws included.
Urusei Yatsura – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Urusei Yatsura – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Slice of Life
Management of a Novice Alchemist – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Management of Novice Alchemist is a slow paced premiere sure to draw in the Atelier video game crowd but… maybe only the Atelier video game crowd, at least right now.
Management of a Novice Alchemist – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
A just okay premiere that plays weird sex chicken at times with its “it’s complicated” stepsibling relationship, but seems to be aware of the line it definitely shouldn’t cross.
My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
A seemingly promising premiere that’s ultimately too many tropes doing… nothing at all.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – Episode 1 — Anime Feminist
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episode 12/Season Finale (ANN)
Episode 12 feels like a celebration of three months with the world’s most charming middle schooler. The real sailor uniform was the friends we made along the way. Sure, Akebi’s had its foibles and uncomfortable moments. I don’t think you can really divorce those from the show (or the source content) and really engage with it. Keeping that in mind, I think there’s a lot of meat on the bone here: Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is really, really good slice of life fare, and quickly became my favorite show of this season.
Read the rest of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episode 12/Season Finale on the Anime News Network
Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 12/Season Finale (ANN)
There’s a lot I haven’t talked about in this finale: there’s a pretty engaging one-fly competition in the middle of the episode that features prizes ranging from a waterproof backpack to an unreasonably cute merfish plush that Hiyori gets VERY fired up about. It’s cute, and is definitely the vehicle to the resolution of the episode, but really… that photo album had me in a grip! It’s the perfect way to close out our time with Slow Loop, and just feels so fitting for a series about care and community.
Read the rest of Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 12/Season Finale on the Anime News Network
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episodes 10-11 (ANN)
It’s subtle, almost mundane, yet is the cream of slice of life this season because of the emotionality of Komichi’s world, and how she affects others with her abundance of joy. It’s genuinely nice to see such a good, nice kid being embraced by the community and generally just getting to remain a good nice kid.
Read the rest of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episodes 10-11 on the Anime News Network
Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 11 (ANN)
If episode 11 had a motto, it’d probably be “You deserve mercy” because at the core, this episode is about Koi being kinder to herself. True, the fishing and the trip are enjoyable too, but really, this an episode in Koi’s own grief, and how she comes to terms with the grief of feeling like a bad friend. It’s an episode in forgiveness, and an optimistic look at the finale next week.
Read the rest of Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 11 on the Anime News Network
Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 10 (ANN)
Slow Loop casts the line and always reels in a big one: episode 10 is no exception, especially since it leans into Koharu’s serious side by indulging both her and the viewers with a fantastically fishy subplot that just slaps. With a combination of fly fishing lingo, a sweet series of scenes with Hiyori and Futaba, and just so much charm, it’s an easy episode to sink into, and a wonderful way to spend a half hour of your day, drifting away on the waves and thinking fond thoughts of all the delicious creatures drifting in the sea.
Read the rest of Slow Loop Season Premiere – Episode 10 on the Anime News Network
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episode 9 (ANN)
So often, middle school relationships are heralded as the beginning of feminine cattiness, borne out of a brutal social minefield that punishes those who don’t wear the right things, behave according to socially acceptable norms, or perform your (assigned) gender in all the right ways. And while this is often the reality for a lot of teenagers, there’s something beautiful about friendship being upheld as such a powerful tool for good, which Akebi consistently does.
Read the rest of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform – Episode 9 on the Anime News Network
Backlit Pixels 