As of this posting, the United States is just over three weeks from Election Day, and while every presidential election is significant, this one comes during a moment of particular crisis in the country. Divisions are deep and visible, and the country is moving further away from reconciliation than towards it. Social media posts are… Read More Great Pretender, Human Love
The backstory of Uotani Arisa, friend of Fruits Basket protagonist Honda Tohru, is a genderswapped retelling of Jesus’ parable of the “prodigal” son found in Luke 15. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it was fun to say, and it got your attention, didn’t it? And there really is some great thematic resonance… Read More The Prodigal Uo-chan
Trains play a heavy role Pokémon Detective Pikachu—they come and go in key points in the narrative. Sometimes Tim Goodman, the young man at the center of the film, boards a train; other times, he chooses not to. His decisions not only lead to physical closeness or distance from his father, Harry Goodman (recently missing… Read More Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Getting off (or on) the Train
TR, the administrator of Golden Plume Press, an OEL manga firm, covered Anime Expo for us last year, and has some thoughts for this year’s convention as well from a very different perspective. I think maybe you’ve shared it in some sense, too, if not at conventions, through just the difficulties of relationship in all… Read More Lessons from AX: Forgiveness & Freedom
As the bullying arc of March Comes in Like a Lion comes to a close, Hina, both the heroine and a victim in these episodes, seeks closure as well. Much of that comes in the form of a letter from Chiho, letting Hina know that things will be alright. The letter, even tinged as it… Read More Yes, Hina, it’s Okay if You Don’t Forgive
Bungou Stray Dogs is a decent action anime about an orphan weretiger and the “Armed Detective Agency” that gives him a job and a place to belong. Between the quirky characters and the action, it has all the ingredients for a basic, fun show. Still, I found it unremarkable until the seventh episode, “Love for… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Bungou Stray Dogs and Messy Justice
I didn’t expect to like Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. But, as I wrote in the season reviews, it turned out to be fairly enjoyable. In fact, I found it soothing, almost like something from the slice of life genre: a perfect wind-down show for the end of a busy day. I saw it as a kind of… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Grimgar and Discordant People
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