8th MS Team certainly stands as being one of my favorites of the Gundam franchise that I consider to be a great companion to War in the Pocket. It has the maturity to analyze the nature of conflict in a very sobering way, but didn't set out to emotionally wreck me - which is something that I can appreciate. No, instead this series stands to highlight a very hopeful message and really sell it in the context of the story, which has a very tragic narrative backdrop.
The animation is stellar. Fighting seems very grounded and realistic, by nature of the mechs being on the ground
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Aug 5, 2023
Vinland Saga Season 2
(Anime)
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Vinland Saga season 2 manages to adequately stand alongside the previous season as being something incredibly memorable for its philosophical ponderings which ardently force the protagonist to reckon with problems he cannot solve with mere violence. In fact, this story arc serves to meaningfully change the characters we have gotten to know up till now and see them adapt to their growth.
This show offers something mature and intellectually stimulating in ways which probe you to reflect on your own values as a person. The actual animation is incredibly top-notch from it's contemporaries. The fight scenes are both fluid and extremely graphic at times. The set ... 
Apr 28, 2023
Rarely do I end up feeling so strongly about something I've watched, but War in the Pocket manages to really endear you to the characters while also pummeling into you the sheer nihilistic agony that is the reality of armed conflict and how pointless the sacrifices made for it truly are in a harrowing look at individuals faced with situations in which they simply cannot win against due to forces larger than them at play.
This series will demand it's attention and force you to become introspective about some rather sensitive subjects happening in the real world which most would feel comfortable enough to not ever ... 
Feb 21, 2023
Amagami SS
(Anime)
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Probably the most interesting thing about this show is that instead of it being a by-the-books harem anime, it adopts what is referred to as the "omnibus" format, basically meaning that each love interest has an entire arc that ends with them getting together with the main lead - but when the arc ends - the timeline 'resets' and the story and all the character development is brought back to where it is at the start of episode one.
It's maybe a little complicated to wrap your head around at first, but I think it's sort of a genius idea in the sense where all pairings ... 
Feb 21, 2023
Love Plus: Kanojo no Kako
(Manga)
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This manga isn't groundbreaking by any means, but is a pleasant accessory to those who have played the video-game that this is based off of and especially to those who are a fan of Rinko's character. This manga is a prequel and goes over events that only only discussed in passing during the actual game, so it is rather interesting to see Rinko take the main stage for once and be able to see things through her perspective and how she grows over the years.
For people who aren't already a fan of the Love Plus series, this isn't going to be the thing to win ... 
Jan 23, 2023
Chainsaw Man
(Anime)
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Chainsaw Man steals the show of the season it released in and in many ways is well-deserved of the hype it has gotten. It makes me happy to know that the industry is in good hands with studios taking a chance on new creators and fresh ideas, because this anime flips the script in ways that put current anime tropes and conceptions to shame.
The animation is phenomenal, feeling so realistic at times to make me think a certain shot is rotoscoped. And at other points, it dives into artsy abstraction with the opening and *multiple* endings which become thematic to each episode. The characters are ... 
Dec 19, 2022
Fire Punch
(Manga)
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It's with instances like this where I begin to pass the threshold of manga just being entertainment and start seeing that it can also sometimes be art.
Though, it's important to note that there are many valid reasons why someone would likely bounce off reading this manga. It's hyper-violent, confusing at times, and overwhelmingly nihilistic for a story. This in some ways makes me wonder if this manga can be considered the modern Devilman or Berserk - not just in the sense of hopelessness it portrays, but in it's often reflective and existential ponderings on the meaning people have and how the world perceives them. Fire Punch ... 
Dec 18, 2022
Itsudatte My Santa!
(Anime)
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This is probably THE Christmas anime, likely uncontested by lack of there being many solely dedicated Christmas anime out there to begin with. Most anime will either have something relating to the theme of Winter or have Christmas be the backdrop to the episode - but this OVA is very unambiguously revolving around the holiday as it's core feature. Now, does that mean it is good?
Well, I found myself watching this mostly out of curiosity because this anime certainly does have a unique novelty to it - but that novelty wears off fast and I especially felt that as I dragged my way through the ... 
Dec 18, 2022
Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu
(Anime)
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The Disappearance serves as a great conclusion to the epic saga that is Haruhi's story, so much that it to me stands out alone as one of the best anime films period, and perfect viewing along with the Winter season. This review comes after my second go-around with this movie - my first time being before I watched it's prequel 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya' and this time after I have caught up with the events of the show.
For fans of the show, this is essential viewing as it thematically concludes the story and wraps up important character arcs established in the show. There are ... 
Dec 12, 2022
Baki-dou can be seen as something of an epilogue to the events preceding Hanma Baki, which more or less concludes the story of Baki and many other characters in a dramatically satisfying way. As a result, Baki-dou is left with answering the question of "what now?" And the answer is a perhaps expected level of absurdity involving light science fiction elements to bring fourth even more stronger opponents for the main cast to face-off against. The power creep is very apparent and this would seem like a 'jump the shark' moment for the series, but that would be discounting the many other points where Baki
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