Perhaps it’s the romantic in me—or rather the romantic that the ever-present buzzing of cicadas in summer-themed anime made me to be—but summer evokes nostalgia in my heart and thoughts of sometimes whimsical and sometimes epic adventures. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is at times full of both whimsy and danger as it traces the titular… Read More Frieren: Journeys Short and Eternal
Meg Raspberry is getting cocky. By episode 6, she’s got collecting teardrops of joy to break the curse over her down to a fine art: All you need to do is target the weak and vulnerable, flourish some magic, and voila! Tears of joy and gratitude, heh heh heh. She’s acting like a creepy old… Read More The Pruning & Cleansing of Meg Raspberry: Once Upon a Witch’s Death, ep. 6
It’s not every day that you compare God to a horse girl, but that’s what I’m about to do. Episode 6 of Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is an absolute beast of an episode: beautifully storyboarded, stunningly animated, and nail-biting both for the action, but even more so, for the relational dynamics underpinning it. It’s a… Read More Of Dying Dreams and Unholy Vows, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, ep. 6
“Pleasure” can have the feel of a dirty word sometimes in church culture, like it’s dangerously indulgent and carnal, or tainted with innuendo. But God himself takes pleasure, and he created us to do the same. In fact, he even designed it so that pleasure and delight would be a gateway to one of the… Read More Redeeming Pleasure in ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess
Meg Raspberry has given up. And frankly, it’s a pretty rational thing to do—maybe even a healthy thing. After all, she is cursed to die within the year, and acceptance is one of the stages of grief. So, isn’t it right that she just accept reality, come to terms with her mortality, and see what… Read More Once Upon a Witch’s Death, Ep. 3: Meg Raspberry & The Choice Between Life & Death
Rewatching Violet Evergarden (the series) recently reminded me why it is still my favorite anime, even after seven years since it first aired and five since its brilliant conclusion. Despite the influx of major shounen action productions during this period, few have matched its impact on me. The storytelling, character depth, and emotional resonance of… Read More Violet Evergarden and Understanding the Meaning of Love
Zenshu has been a favorite around here this season, and the finale did not disappoint! It pulls together all the threads that we wrote about for earlier episodes (spoilers ahead!): there’s Memmeln’s continued faith in the Lord Exister and the hope it gives her to the very end; there’s QJ’s resurrection, completing his Christ-like arc… Read More Zenshu and Spiritual Warfare: The Power of Creating
Interested in watching thoughtful, human-centered conversations with people connected to anime?
Watch Something Genuine, our interview series that cuts through the noise and focuses on the people behind the costumes, in front of the mics, and watching anime, just like you and me. Season two premieres on May 27th.