Author Archives

I want to consume so much entertainment, but have so little time.

• Kasane review: Sweet True Lies

  By Alexa C. on October 24, 2021 • ( 0 )

  Content warning: this manga depicts attempted rape and physical/sexual abuse of a child. Kasane was written and illustrated by Daruma Matsuura as her debut work. The manga was serialized in seinen publication Evening from 2013 to 2018. The manga received… Read More ›

• Abbott review: Sorry, no Costello

  By Alexa C. on November 17, 2020 • ( 0 )

  Abbott is a five-issue mini-series that originally ran from January to May 2018. The comic was written by Saladin Ahmed, who has previously authored a variety of fantasy and science-fiction works. Ahmed’s writing credits include short story and poetry pieces… Read More ›

• Again!! Review: Time Keeps on Slipping

  By Alexa C. on January 1, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Oendan is the Japanese term for a sports cheering squad present at high schools and universities. In contrast to the pom-pom wielding cheerleaders of the West, oendan is stereotypically depicted as hot-blooded, gakuran-clad, boisterous performers who rile up their home… Read More ›

• Fence Volumes 1-3 Review: Le Petit Prince de L’escrime

  By Alexa C. on October 20, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  The sub-genre of sports manga and anime has been hitting a demographic renaissance with a female audience since the early 2000’s. While unintentionally started by Takeshi Konomi’s The Prince of Tennis, later series such as Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyu!! have… Read More ›

• Sukedachi 09 Review: Assistor 009

  By Alexa C. on February 2, 2018 • ( 2 )

  

  Edginess is a recurring problem I’ve seen from time to time in certain shounen titles that are aiming for the 16+ or 17+ age demographic. The titles in question often fall within a difficult region wherein they attempt to tell… Read More ›

• In Clothes Called Fat Review: Hungry Like the Wolf

  By Alexa C. on April 10, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Understanding cultural context when consuming media created in other countries is a concept I’ve really learned to keep in mind in the past few years. In particular, learning about the collectivist culture prevalent in many East Asian cultures has helped… Read More ›

• The Flowers of Evil Review: A Rose by Any Other Name

  By Alexa C. on November 11, 2015 • ( 0 )

  

  Stories about psychological drama tend to be my bread-and-butter with regards to anime and manga, but I’ve realized over the years that it’s a genre with its own set of noticeable issues. Namely, a pattern where series that fall under… Read More ›

• Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 review: Sugar, We’re Going Down

  By Alexa C. on June 14, 2015 • ( 0 )

  

  While working on today’s review, I came to the realization that there are rather few mainstream anime and manga that deal with natural disasters on a realistic scale. I’m talking something realistic like Barefoot Gen or Grave of the Fireflies,… Read More ›

• 5 Centimeters per Second Review: Also the Speed at Which My Patience is Dropping

  By Alexa C. on January 15, 2015 • ( 0 )

  

  5 Centimeters per Second is an adaptation of the Makoto Shinkai film of the same name. Shinkai is well-known for his various film works which feature highly detailed animation and background work; some notable pieces in his filmography include Voices… Read More ›

• Cronos Review: I Can’t Think of a Witty Title Involving Vampires

  By Alexa C. on August 12, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  Cronos was originally released in 1993 and was the debut film of director Guillermo del Toro, of Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific Rim fame. Additionally, the film’s cinematography was done by Guillermo Navarro, who in addition to working on many of… Read More ›

• Olympos Review: The Beautiful People

  By Alexa C. on July 20, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  Although I’ve maintained a moderate interest in Greek mythology since I was in elementary school, I’ve never cared to consume adaptations of said mythos that would place the stories in alternative settings or alter the stories themselves to create a… Read More ›

• Children of the Blazing Fist @ A-Kon 25!

  By Alexa C. on June 5, 2014 • ( 0 )

  We will be doing panels once again at this year’s A-Kon! Get ready for some updated and revamped versions of our usual panels and a completely brand new one. If you can come by the Hilton Anatole anytime between Friday… Read More ›

• Golgo 13: The Professional Review: Feur Frei!

  By Alexa C. on April 30, 2014 • ( 0 )

  

  Based on Takao Saitou’s long-running Golgo 13 manga, Golgo 13: The Professional was originally released in Japan in 1983.  The film was directed by the late Osamu Dezaki. Dezaki, who was best known for directing a variety of classic anime,… Read More ›