It took me about 40 years and seven valiant attempts to finally enjoy anime. Whether I grew into it or the stories got better, things have been percolating along since 2004.

Mary, “Mary”, Where You Goin’ To?

I never do Fathom Events. I find that they charge more for the activity than they need to, like $15 or $30 or $50 (and for that sum, I’d better be sitting in a hot tub of soda!) and it is usually in some out of the way venue at some godawful time, so I would have to drive to East Powdermilk, Wisconsin, to catch a 2 am showing of “The Incredible Stinking Blob from Galaxy X”….with director’s commentary! But when they did a recent offering of the latest anime movie, it wasn’t too costly, at a convenient location and at an acceptable time, so I grabbed it. But, before we can go into the review, a bit of history about the production house.

Studio Ghibli closed its doors in 2014, but a lot of the talent there felt they had more to give, so they started a new company from the ground up. This is Studio Ponoc. Hmmm….’Ponoc’ is not a Japanese name, and you are right. It’s Croatian and means ‘Midnight’. So why not use the Japanese term for it? Well, Studio Mayonaka sounds too much like ‘mayonnaise’, so that is out. But why Croatian? I guess Studio Minwi or Studio Phakathi Kwamabili just didn’t have the same ring. Then, why Studio Midnight? Aside from it being the witching hour, it is also the demarcation line between the end of the old day and the start of the new day, and everyone felt that they were on the cusp of a new day in what they wanted to do and show, so we have their first offering “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” (“Meari to Majo no Hana”). Continue reading

Hair “Trigger”

I have a problem with long-format shows, as I am not certain where to break it and give a review. A long-format show is any offering with 50 or more episodes, things like “Monster” or “Toriko” and certainly “One Piece” or “Detective Conan”. Should I wait until 52 parts are in the can and do it then or should I wait for it to ‘end’ and give the overview at that point? Such is my dilemma with this one.

A show about world domination and interplanetary protection, “World Trigger” (“Wārudo Torigā”) has as much working for it as working against it. But I get ahead of myself. Perhaps too far ahead. I started writing this in a mistaken belief that it would end fairly soon, but I guessed wrong and here we are, loads of episodes in and possibly more on the horizon. Continue reading

Like a Blazing “Comet”

This is an curious entry in the mecha category. Yes, I know that I’ve mentioned that I don’t like Giant Fighting Robots shows and mecha usually evolves into it, but this is done with a bit of a different take on things.

“Comet Lucifer” (“Kometto Rushifā”) takes place on the planet of Gift. (Is there a planet called “Returns”?) On this planet are glittering blue crystals known as Giftium, which are buried deep underground. A young boy named Sōgo Amagi (on the right) lives in the prosperous mining town of Garden Indigo. Sōgo, whose hobby is collecting rare crystals, becomes involved in a dispute between his classmates, including Kaon Lanchester (on the left). He wanders deep into the ruins of a mine and discovers an underground lake. There, Sōgo meets a mysterious blue-haired girl with red eyes named Felia (in his arms) who is looking for something that takes them to the edge of their planet and into the adventures that follow. Continue reading

“Sweets” for the Sweet

Ever tried a new type of candy? The wrapper makes it sound interesting, so you get it, and, upon gulping it down, were disappointed in that it wasn’t what it seemed? I mean, it’s an OK candy, but you were expecting more or something else. My sad little tale explains everything right and wrong with “Dagashi Kashi”.  Now, to make things even more convoluted, this is one of those Japanese language puns. If you pronounce it as ’Dagashi Kashi’ it means ‘cheap sweets candy’, but if read or said as ‘Daga Shikashi’, it can also mean ‘however’. The show is like that. Continue reading

I Have “Erased” That Line

Every year, one show comes out that is completely head and shoulders above the rest of the offerings. The only thing wrong with “Boku Dake ga Inai Machi”, (“The Town Where Only I am Missing”, also known as “Erased”) is the capsule description that came with it (“Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths.”) A show lives or dies by the capsule and this one sank it low on my ‘must see’ list. Thank goodness that it was next in line when a slack period came around or I may have missed out on something tremendous. Continue reading

Do You Believe in “Magic”?

This is seriously one of the weirdest ninja shows I have seen since “Senran Kagura”, but with unprecedented levels of fan service and that one was burgeoning with it. And I mean off the charts direction of fan service. Can you have too much fan service? OK, the correct term for a female ninja should be ‘kunoichi’, but no one knows that, whereas everyone understands ‘ninja’.

“Manyū Hiken-chō” (“Magic Breast Secret Sword Scroll“) relates a tale of ancient Japan…well, a different Japan than you have seen in the history books. In a reign ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate (although it ran from about 1600 to 1870, let’s date this around 1840 or so), big breasts mean everything. And I mean EVERYTHING! Those who have huge breasts are guaranteed wealth and popularity. The women who lack them are not considered even human, more like pathetic wretches. Continue reading