Get In The Mecha

Fire Force (2019) (Enen no Shouboutai), even prior to it's release, was an anime that I was excited for, primarily because I saw a lot of potential in it's production values. Fast-forward to today, the second season of the anime is now airing with a strongly animated first season in the bag; I think that there is no better time to analyse the animation & techniques of various animators who par...

The Rolling Girls (2015) is an anime that I have mixed feelings about, mostly because it performs very well in some areas but (in my opinion) poorly in others. This made me think quite strongly about the idea of ‘premises’ and whether a ‘good’ one genuinely exists. In this episode I discuss what I dislike about the story as a whole, in contrast to it’s individual episodes, what made it a strong pr...

Neon Genesis Evangelion is currently my favourite anime of all-time, partially due to the way that Anno is able to take apart his own story, reducing it to the fundamental question, ‘Who is Shinji Ikari?’ Although there are various other reasons for why I love the series, this is the main focus of ‘The Bitter End’, a name given to refer to the final episodes of the series. In this episode, I discu...

Over the past few episodes, I have been very focused on doing quite in-depth analyses, however I haven't taken a lot of time to think about what I've taken away from watching & analysing a lot of anime. So in this episode, I take a step back to think about what I have learnt about anime over the past few months, in the form of a mid-year review! I discuss what I've learnt about animation &...

Aspect ratios are something I've often taken for granted when it comes to anime; although I acknowledged them, I didn't necessarily look into their importance and their impact on the concept of space within film. In this episode, I will be looking into what 'space' is in the context of filmmaking and how aspect ratios play a big part in warping our perceptions of certain anime. What is the beauty...

In the previous part of my look through the philosophy of Vinland Saga's War Arc, I looked at Askeladd's connection to Stoicism, autonomy, etc.; in this second part, I will be looking at Canute's commentary on 'beauty'. In this episode, I discuss how Canute's speech & dialogue with the priest relates to idealism, the objectivity of beauty, how this fits in with Christianity and more. I helped...

Vinland Saga's War Arc took me by surprise, as it managed to layer many themes and discourses intricately across it's episodes; it is for that reason that I have decided to try and answer the question, 'What is Beauty?' according to the anime.  In this 2-part series I will be looking into Vinland Saga's commentary on Aesthetics from the perspective of Askeladd (Part 1) & Cannute (Part 2).  In...

This episode is the second part of the Beyond Konoha mini series; in this mini-sode I take a look at Masashi Kishimoto’s baseball one-shot manga, Bench. Within this episode, I look at how Kishimoto is able to maintain consistency within his artwork, while also being experimental, how he manages to maintain an uplifting mood throughout the manga and more. I’ve really enjoyed doing this series and t...

This episode is the second part of the Beyond Konoha mini series; in this mini-sode, I look at another one of Masashi Kishimoto’s terminated serializations, (which was published as a one-shot manga in May 2013 in Jump Square Magazine) Mario. Within this episode, I focus on how Kishimoto’s work managed to evolve (post-Karakuri), how Mario is made for an exciting reading experience, why I believe th...

This episode is the beginning of a three-part mini-series, looking at three one-shot manga (Karakuri, Mario & Bench) by none other than the legendary mangaka, Masashi Kishimoto. Throughout the series, I will be trying to uncover what these manga demonstrate about Kishimoto's development as a writer and artist, as well as the value that comes from understanding / analysing his creative process....

It's been a hot minute since we I last discussed Blue Exorcist! Similarly to the Festival Arc, the Illuminati Arc demonstrates a massive shift in the narrative, with comrades taking up new positions and the stakes rising for the ExWires of the True Cross Academy Cram School. In this episode, I analyse how the arc works really well with its counterparts, the shift of character dynamics, the beauty...

Downfall by Inio Asano (Goodnight Punpun) was a short 8 chapter manga I managed to read a few weeks ago and it managed to touch me in many ways. After reading Asano's work, I have since learnt and been reminded about many things regarding art, creativity and more, which I share within this analysis session. Within this episode, I discuss the various takeaways which come from this manga, such as wh...

With my second watch of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) nearing completion, I thought that I could confidently say that I had a 'decent' understanding of the series... until I began to research the Absurdist philosophy behind it. Albert Camus' extensive discourse on The Absurd has definitely challenged what I understand of the series, potentially my perception of all the works in the medium and art...

Recently, there have been many anime with some extraordinary animated fight sequences and with all the time on my hands, I decided to break down a few of them. Fight scenes are highly complex ways of portraying antagonisms, hence animators work really hard to represent this when showcasing battles between sides. In this episode I look at the combat sakuga of My Hero Academia Season 4 (2019), Fire...

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019) is not a film I intended to look at for a long time on the show, but as we have a lot more free time, I have had the opportunity to take some time out to think of what I truly believe the film was able to accomplish. Heroes Rising captures the growing independence of our aspiring young heroes from U.A Academy and how they manage to deal with threats when left...

Spy x Family (2019) by Tatsuya Endou has been one of the few manga to really appeal to me among the rest, probably because I haven't read or watched any anime / manga with this sort of theme. Endou's writing and art managed to have a strong impression on me and so I could not resist anaylsing why I think it is such a strong piece. In this episode I look at the manga's smart genre fusion, constant...

After several episodes, I have reached the final arc in the Attack on Titan arc analysis series, The Uprising Arc. This arc stands out as it is able to shift the position of the Survey Corps, putting them into many difficult situations. Alongside this, more of the truth about the Eldian Empire and people who surve it is revealed. In this episode (5:35 to skip the slightly longer intro), I look at...

How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift? (2019) was a great anime for me, as it was a refreshing and light-hearted piece which allowed me to escape the stresses of everyday life. Dumbbell did this by approaching comedy in a much softer and subtle way than most, which was a big theme that underpined most of my analysis. In this episode, I'll be looking into how the show completely subverted my expecta...

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017) may not have been recieved well by many, but (at least earlier on) there are definitely parts of its narrative that are worthy of merit, one of them being The Momoshiki Arc. In this episode I look at arc thematically, structurally and technically in order to answer the question of how this arc succeeds in transitioning viewers / readers nicely into the new ag...

At this stage of Neon Genesis Evangelion, things start to go sideways. From uncovering the truth of the Eva units to getting a glimpse into Gendo’s master plan, The Adam Project, Anno’s narrative definitely accelerates from episodes 14-19, making it a complex yet tremendous experience to witness. In this episode I analyse the third arc of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), The Descent Arc, looking cl...

With the Anime Award season coming to a close, I thought that it would only be right to offer my honest critique of some of the winners and nominations. At the core of my analysis, I try to figure out whether the various works are representative of the art form (anime) as well as its development over time. In this episode, I dive into some of the winning pieces of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2020...

In Attack on Titan's Clash of the Titans Arc, another breach in the walls is found, leading the Survey Corps investigate the cause of it and take out any necessary threats. In this arc, may of our characters reveal their true colours; some of these reveals will potentially threaten humanity. In this episode I look at how this arc works with the Female Titan Arc, investigate whether arc structure i...

By this part of Attack on Titan, humanity begins to bring the fight to the Titans; let us analyse this momentous part of history alongside them! The Female Titan Arc contains a lot, from the arguable turning point in the entire narrative to the emergence of a conspiracy as to what the Eldian Empire is founded upon, making this a really tense and volatile moment in the story. In this episode I will...

ID:Invaded is one of the front-runners in the psychological genre this season (Winter 2020) and since we love psychological themes here, I decided to look at this show from an analytical point of view. From Sigmund Freud to nihlism, the first four episodes have a lot to unpack, which I will be looking through in this episode. In this analysis session, I zoom in on the nature of the Id, what it say...

Throughout most of my anime-watching career, I've always been plagued by my Naruto nostalgia, the piece that got me involved in the diverse medium of anime. After reading The Wave Country Arc in slightly over a day around 5 years ago, I still haven't been able to forget this part of the story, since it contained the battle which started it all. So in this episode, I will be dissecting possibly one...