Sonny Boy Anime Review – 38/100

Let’s start this by just ripping the band aid off: Sonny Boy is a disappointment. Both created and directed by the acclaimed Shingo Natsume of Space Dandy fame and animated by Studio Madhouse, Sonny Boy was well equipped to become the darling of the Summer Season. And early on its run, it appeared to be just that! Intriguing plots and characters were introduced, the world began to expand, it was engaging! But then it kept expanding. Questions kept being asked and no answers were given. Time and space became figments of our imagination and Sonny Boy itself seemed to forget that it was supposed to be telling a story. The whole thing quickly transformed from “Abstract exploration of growing up” to “Meandering arthouse with no idea what it wants to say”. At least, that’s my take on it. The purpose of this review is to explain how I got there.

So lets jump in.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Sonny Boy. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents.
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Spice and Wolf Season 2 Anime Review – 70/100 – Throwback Thursday

Sequels always have it rough. If they change to much they risk losing their original audience. Yet if they change to little then their old audience could grow bored. Sequels to established properties have it even worse as the story is already set out before them. If they change that then fans will get upset, yet more often than not this original work isn’t paced or planned for an episodic anime format. It is this trap, this catch 22, that the subject of this review falls into. Now produced by Studio Brain’s Base, originally written by Hasekura Isuna and once again directed by Takeo Takahashi I give to you Spice and Wolf Season 2. Now with 100% more animation! So without further ado lets talk about economics and fox-eared waifu’s!
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Megalo Box: Nomad Anime Review 83/100

Megalo Box first aired in the Summer season of 2018. Part of the 50 year anniversary for the legendary series Ashita no Joe it was… satisfactory. It brought anime fans back to a different time, an older time, in ways good and bad. Yet despite ostensibly being an “Original” Megalo Box was so heavily tied to Ashita no Joe that it couldn’t escape the comparisons. The story felt like a retelling of something we got 50 years ago, smashed into a 13 episode season. And while some, myself included, still enjoyed the series it felt like something was missing. In Nomad we find that something. While while watching Nomad I felt like I was watching Megalo Box for the first time. The real Megalo Box, more than just a copy of Ashita no Joe, what the series was always meant to be. And I love it.

Created by TMS Entertainment, jointly written by Katsuhiko Manabe and Kensaku Kojima, and directed by You Moriyama I give to you my Summer 2021 Anime of the Season: Megalo Box: Nomad. Let’s dive in

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Megalo Box: Nomad. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents.

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86: Eighty Six Anime Review 65/100

War stories with giant robots and a dash of racism are pretty common in anime. You have everything from classics like Code Geass, Gundam and Gurenn Lagann (depending on how you define “classic”) to the more cult-hit works like Muv-Luv and uh… Gunbuster? Can you tell I don’t watch much mecha? Regardless this year sees a new show try its hand: 86: Eighty Six. A Light Novel adaptation written by Asato Asato, created by A-1 Pictures and Directed by Toshimasa Ishii, Eighty Six looks to take an existing idea and perfect it. And judging by all the press and the reactions I’ve seen in the community it appears to have done just that. But does it deserve the praise and accolades it has been receiving? Let’s find out!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Eighty Six. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “86: Eighty Six Anime Review 65/100”

Spice and Wolf Season 1 Anime Review – 81/100 – Throwback Thursday

Ah the late 2000’s, I remember you well. For those that remember what anime conventions are like, at least before the world shut down, there’s always a yearly fad. 2019 had Demon Slayer haoris, 2016 had My Hero Academia classroom outfits and 2013 was the year of Attack on Titan jackets. Of course the 2000’s were no different. From Naruto to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya there was no escape. Today I want to talk about one of those fads. Originally written by Hasekura Isuna, directed by Takeo Takahashi and produced by the since silent studio Imagin, I bring to you one of the titular works of 2008: Spice and Wolf. So without further ado, lets jump into it!
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2.43 Seiin Koukou Danshi volley-bu Anime Review 30/100

I normally try to start these reviews with some kind of cutesy lead in. Maybe a play on the sports anime genre and how it needs more drama focused series. Or a riff volleyball anime now that the recent season of Haikyu is over and the manga complete. Something about how the fans are looking for their next fix of Cute Boys Play Sports. Sadly 2.43 Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-Bu, henceforth referred to as Volley-Bu, simply isn’t worth it. Looking for a decently animated sports series for your action fix? Denied. Perhaps a well crafted coming of age drama that tackles social pressures and suicide with grace? Denied with prejudice. The sad fact of the matter is that Volley-Bu, produced by David Productions and directed by Yasuhiro Kimura of JoJo’s Part 5 fame, is terrible. And I’m here to explain why. So without further ado, lets jump in.
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Jujutsu Kaisen Anime Review 80/100

Recently it feels like there’s a Shonen Jump series in every season. From last years Kimetsu no Yaiba and Haikyu to Dr. STONE S2 this season and even My Hero Academia S5 coming up. Everywhere you go its Jump, Jump, Jump. Sometimes a man wants a break. Oh what’s that? A new cornerstone of Weekly Shonen Jump got an anime adaptation you say? Kohei Horikoshi of My Hero Academia called it the next pillar of the magazine? And Keiichiro Watanabe is animating for it?! Well count me in! Originally created by Gege Akutami, produced by MAPPA and directed by Seong-Hu Park who also recently The God of Highschool, ladies and gentleman I present to you: *Jujutsu Kaisen, the next big thing. So without further ado, lets jump into it.
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Dr. STONE S2 Anime Review 65/100

Dr. STONE returns for a 2nd season! If you haven’t read it yet you can find my review for the first season over here. If you already have or just don’t care then welcome to Season 2, Stone Wars. Produced by TMS Entertainment and directed once more by Shinya Iino with the original story by Riichirou Inagaki and original art by Boichi. This is the premier non-battle-battle Shonen except this time with more… well, actual battling. Interested? Then lets jump right in and Warning: There will be spoilers.
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