There are anime openings that simply introduce a show, and then there are openings that somehow become part of the reason you keep watching. Let’s Go KAIKIGUMI feels like it belongs firmly in the second category. The supernatural comedy-horror series has already developed a surprisingly dedicated following during the summer 2026 anime season, but the…
There are some anime franchises that you simply grow out of, and then there is Yu-Gi-Oh!. Even if you stopped watching Duel Monsters years ago, hearing Yugi’s voice, seeing Blue-Eyes White Dragon appear on screen, or watching Kaiba dramatically do something completely unreasonable can instantly bring back a very specific kind of childhood nostalgia. That…
I’ve watched enough Gundam projects over the years to know that the phrase “a brand-new timeline” can mean almost anything. Sometimes it is a clever way to refresh the formula, and sometimes it feels like another excuse to put a different coat of paint on familiar ideas. Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, however, immediately feels…
There are anime movies I love because they are nostalgic, and then there are anime movies that become more uncomfortable the older they get. Roujin Z belongs firmly in the second category. When I first think about early-’90s cyberpunk anime, my brain naturally jumps to Akira or Ghost in the Shell, but Roujin Z has…
There are some manga chapters that are simply good, and then there are chapters that make you stop reading for a second and think, “Wait… did that seriously just happen?” For me, Mayori Academy Chapter 5 belongs firmly in the second category. What initially looked like a brutal execution scene turned into one of the…
There are some new manga series that take a few chapters before you understand what makes them special. The Ura Files is starting to feel like the opposite. After Chapter 3, I honestly think Shun Numa and Yuushin Kuroki have found a ridiculous amount of potential in the relationship between Momotaro Kibitsu and Ura Onigashima….
There are some manga chapters that are fun to read, and then there are chapters that make you stop for a second after finishing them and think, “Okay, where is this story actually going?” For me, Graykeith: Translator Daemonica Chapter 2 was definitely the second kind. Natsuki Hokami’s urban fantasy series continues to feel surprisingly…
There are moments in Akane-banashi when the manga stops feeling like a story about rakugo and starts feeling like a full-blown battle manga. Chapter 222, “Brothers’ Quarrel,” is one of those chapters. After more than 200 chapters of watching Akane Osaki grow from a talented young performer into one of the most fascinating characters in…
Centuria Chapter 103 is shaping up to be one of the most important chapters of the series in a long time. Chapter 102, “Leave It to Me,” did something I really appreciate about Centuria: instead of simply using the aftermath of a battle to slow things down, it turned the recovery period into a massive…