It looks as if sports anime are in a revival these days. Yowamushi Pedal, Free, Haikyuu!, Baby Steps, and Ping Pong are among very recent (and very well-reviewed) sports series, and though very different in tone from past classics, continue with some of the same addicting elements that draw people to these shows, like the… Read More Top 5 + Guest: Our Favorite Sports Anime
Overabundance of “swimming with animals and with each other” imagery aside, the final episode of Free! Eternal Summer (and of the franchise, I suppose, though wouldn’t a return for the 2020 Olympics in Japan be neat?) was excellent. The reactions from my Tumblr follows was pretty much this: tears, tears, and more tears. Although I… Read More Free Eternal Summer Episode 13: The Whole Story
It always seems as if season finales sneak up on us, and summer 2014 was no different, with shows ending their runs this week. That also means that a packed new season of anime is about to begin! Last night, Japes and Kaze conducted our first live stream, reviewing a number of this season’s shows… Read More Video: Summer 2014 Anime Review & Fall 2014 Anime Preview
Because the series almost doubled it’s main cast this season, it’s easy to forget that Free! Eternal Summer has two primary leads – Haruka and Rin. And while Haruka’s angst has been on full display this season, Rin has mostly tended to be in the background, influencing the rest of the cast in significant ways,… Read More Free Eternal Summer, Episode 12: Rin’s Serving Heart
With one episode remaining, Free Eternal Summer has surprised me in how good it’s become. The first season had it’s moments, but it was mostly mediocre, and the same could be said for much of season two. It sometimes felt like a conglomeration of tropes and ideas that, though well put-together, were very artificial. But… Read More Free Eternal Summer, Episode 12: Taking the Plunge
I’m not a terribly big fan of Free! I really don’t remember season one too well, and two has been meh for me as well. But beginning with the last episode, the series has really picked up, and in episode ten, it does something really unexpected – it takes all the build up from this… Read More Free! Eternal Summer Episode 10: And Make Disciples of All Swimmers
The tension in Free! has slowly risen all season long, with the stress involving Makoto’s and Haru’s futures even more pressing than the races the show focuses on. It all came to a head in episode nine as Haru has a meltdown, both in the pool and out, as he literally stops in the middle… Read More Free! Eternal Summer Episode 9: Free to Succeed…or Not