Michiru holding a can of “Wednesday cat” beer in Takunomi.
I’m back with a few thoughts on new anime series and some other things. Continue reading
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Mid-February 2018 Check-in
Author: Tom
Goodbye, 2017!
I made this using an Evangelion title card generator.
In December 2016, I tweeted: “The year 2016 has felt like 2+ years have passed since January 1st.” This year somehow felt even longer and was filled with too many distressing news stories.
The year also offered many entertaining and thoughtful anime series, movies, manga, and novels. I started watching a bunch of anime series that I hope to finish in 2018 including Kemono Friends, Little Witch Academia, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and Sakura Quest. There were many others I heard about during the year that I would like to give a try. I am optimistic about 2018 being a more positive year overall while acknowledging the continuing potential of major tragedies and global strife.
To aid in reflecting on the past 12 months, I’m borrowing nine questions Lauren used in her year-end post at Otaku Journalist. Continue reading
“Love is Like a Cocktail” is a cute couples comedy through 9 episodes
Chisato while drinking a “Zoom” cocktail
I’ve previously written about my love of short-episode anime series and my current week-to-week favorite is Love is Like a Cocktail (aka Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara). Its episodes are three minutes long and feature Chisato Mizusawa, an employee at a public relations firm, drinking cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at home made by her husband Sora.
Weekly Check-in: September 27, 2017 (October Premieres & Neo Yokio)
Screenshots from promo videos for The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Children of the Whales, Dances with the Dragons, Girls’ Last Tour, Himouto! Umaru-chan R, Osake wa Fūfu ni Natte kara, Recovery of a MMO Junkie, and Two Car.
A new crop of anime series debut next month and I’m interested in a handful of them. I also sampled Neo Yokio and didn’t like what I watched. Continue reading
Crunchyroll Expo 2017 was everyone’s first Crunchyroll convention.
Crunchyroll had its first convention-style event last month (August 25th to August 27th) at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California, and I had a fairly positive experience as a weekend attendee. Continue reading
Tuesday Check-In: August 22, 2017
I read volume 1 of Kore Yamazaki’s The Ancient Magus’ Bride tonight, partly because Yamazaki is a guest of honor at this weekend’s Crunchyroll Expo in Santa Clara, California. I had heard praise for that manga over the past couple years but didn’t know much about it. This first volume engaged me with its characters (mage Elias, his apprentice Chise, and Elias’ various acquaintances), fantastical creatures, and recurring talk about magic gradually fading out of practice.
Kore Yamazaki is scheduled to talk on Saturday afternoon about her career & other projects and she will also participate in a Sunday preview event for the upcoming Ancient Magus’ Bride anime series. (The three-day schedule is available on the official website and through the Guidebook app.)
I’ve been thinking about how Crunchyroll Expo appears to be organized more like a media expo than like a fan-run convention. Many of its guests have prior connections to Crunchyroll or its parent companies (Otter Media and Ellation): Rooster Teeth and Cartoon Hangover appear on the VRV video service (operated by Ellation); some of the YouTube “influencers” have Crunchyroll free trial affiliate links or sponsored videos; and upcoming anime series Kino’s Journey, Juni Taisen, URAHARA, and The Ancient Magus’ Bride have already been announced as simulcasts on Crunchyroll. Please note that I’m not implying any of the guests are not worthy of being invited; I’m just being conscious of its promotional aspects and how different my experience might be compared to Fanime or Otakon.
Anyway, I plan to be in Santa Clara all weekend so if you’re also going to be there, please say “Hi!”