Halfway through episode eight of Oshi no Ko, Aqua makes an awful decision: he will become involved romantically with Akane and manipulate her for his own ends. It’s a sickening plan, especially when the girl in question just recently tried to take her own life. But by the end of the episode, something has changed… Read More The Regular, Transformative Friendships of Aqua Hoshino
In a world very much like our own, theater actors have developed special abilities, known as Senses, that enhance their skills and entrance audiences around the globe. For one, it might be unparalleled concentration; for another, it is a mesmerizing singing voice that makes every role her own; for yet another, it is the needle-sharp… Read More World Dai Star: Of Stages, Senses, and Holy Spirit
Everyone wants to grow. We all want to look back at ourselves in a year’s time and say “I’m better now,” whether at some craft, at school, work, or our personal goals. We want to be able to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. We all want to succeed. We all… Read More Bocchi the Rock! Ep. 5: Reflections on Growth
Human beings have two responses to anxiety and crisis situations: to freeze up and do nothing, or to get busy—and I mean really busy. Or as Brené Brown and other mental health professionals term it, under-functioning and over-functioning. Sadly, this fundamental difference in responses to stress is the stuff that often tears relationships apart, rendering… Read More Lycoris Recoil Ep. 9: The Grace of a Friend
How far would you go to save a friend? We never expect it will be that far; that it will be too far, and will push beyond the bounds of what we’re willing or have the capacity to offer. Instead, somehow, it will always be doable in the moment and we won’t really have to… Read More Of Artists, Minstrels & Drowning Friends
Anime has a lot to say about friendship. Most of it, is about the process of making friends (often in trying situations with rather awkward people), and then standing by them in tough times. Much of the medium’s message about friendship can be pretty clichéd, but that doesn’t make it any less comforting and inspiring—or… Read More The Friend We Don’t Know We Have: Ranking of Kings, ep. 5
A Tower of Babel in episode seven of Sonny Boy—that I expected. What I didn’t expect was a tearful goodbye scene. Near the end of this episode, after earlier departures of virtually every other stranded student, Rajdhani decides to leave, too, to search every single “this world” in hopes of discovering a way out. It’s… Read More Sonny Boy: Friends Convenient and True