Gate’s balanced presentation has impressed me since episode 1. For example, Gate presents the Self Defense Force (SDF) as capable but not infallible. Also, while they fought the fire dragon, Itami‘s reaction to Tuka’s nudity wasn’t a bloody nose (as I see far too often in anime); he really didn’t even react because they were in the […]
Anime
Overlord Episode 10: Wow, That’s an Ugly Vampire!
Well, “ugly” is prejudicial. Unexpectedly fierce? Appallingly vicious? I’m struggling to describe how Shalltear Bloodfallen looked to me when she went into full bottle mode in True Vampire, the latest episode of Overlord on FUNimation (or here for information if you’re not a subscriber). Last week’s episode (review here) ended on a shock: Albedo announced that the […]
Gate Episode 10: From Cellphones to Strength in Numbers
I hate to admit how much I look forward to watching Gate on Crunchyroll. I kinda feel like someone my age should be yelling at kids to get off my lawn or complaining about the weather. But fortunately, I embrace my affection for anime… The tenth episode of Gate, Despair and Hope, picked up where […]
Overlord Episode 9: The Dark Warrior
I started watching Overlord, streaming on Funimation, late in the season, so I just got caught up. The story begins with the main character playing a server-hosted game that’s about to be shut down. He’s the last of his friends to be online, and he’s determined to stay until the very end, when the hosting company […]
Gate Episode 9: Intrigue and a Slacker
Itami’s character continues to amaze me. From the first episode, where the Otaku plunged a knife into an invader, to last episode, where we found out that he was Special Forces, I’ve enjoyed seeing his character deepen in unexpected yet believable ways. Last week’s episode ended where this week’s episode starts: we got to meet […]
Gate Episode 8: Our Heroes Visit Japan
You Might be Interested In… Review If you haven’t watched Gate Episode 8 yet, please stop reading this immediately, buy a Crunchyroll membership (if you don’t already have one), and watch the episode. Of course, if you haven’t watched the previous episodes, watch them first. There are moments in episode 8 that are worth the […]
In Defense of Monster Musume
The first science fiction story I can remember reading is Lords of the Starship. The book depicted cultures that were so far from my experiences as a farm boy in rural Ohio that they blew me away. After reading that book, I’ve wanted to learn about new culture: not only about Terran cultures, but about […]