Category Archives: Anime Appraisals

Autumn 2007 Preview, or Fall for you Yanks

It’s that time again, when I write about all the anime to come in the next month or so, ignoring the fact that everyone else does this already. I’ve given up on the whole predicting what I will or won’t … Continue reading

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Mai-Otome Zwei 4: the end…for now

It’s been a long road, getting from there to here…and sadly, it is by no means over yet. As Mai- threatens to become a mega-franchise to rival the greats, we learn that Zwei is not the end, but merely the … Continue reading

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Madhouse: God’s own studio or merely human?

Wherever anime studios are spoken of, fans can be found singing the praises of Madhouse, claiming how this one studio can turn everything they touch into gold. Naturally, when I hear such things, I have to question them, and so … Continue reading

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Those Were the Days? Fist of the North Star

Remember the old days? Times were bloodier, women were meeker, and MANLY men strode across the lands, showing off their toned muscles to one and all. Yes, this was the era of Fist of the North Star, a tale of … Continue reading

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Gainax: Recycling Evangelion and overdoing the fanservice

They may not be the most prolific of studios, but Gainax has been the subject of much debate and discussion over the years, surrounding both their seeming inability to end a series properly, but over the various elements of their … Continue reading

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Summer 2007 Preview: It won’t take much to make it better than 2005-6 combined

Yes, that Spring Preview (so important it has to be capitalised) wasn’t a one-off, because now I’m doing another one for summer, so that you can all read what you’ve read a hundred times before on other blogs. As we … Continue reading

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Mai-Otome Remix: The ‘True’ Otome Part II

NATIONS OF THE WORLD Wind Bloom Once a significant world power, Wind Bloom has lost status over the generations thanks to a number of ineffectual rulers, but nonetheless retains much of its influence on the world stage thanks the existence … Continue reading

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Mai-Otome Remix: The ‘True’ Otome Part I

Foreword This is not Mai-Otome as you saw it onscreen (and for that you must be thankful); this is Mai-Otome as it should have been, and hence much has been liberally changed whilst retaining the essence of the original. OTOME … Continue reading

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Production I.G.: From the highs of Chevalier to the lows of xxxHOLiC

I’ve looked at past and present subsidiaries Bee Train and Xebec, but what has Production I.G. themselves brought to the anime scene? The number of series they have brought us may be relatively limited, but from the technological future of … Continue reading

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Mai-Otome Zwei 3: Less nipples, more fat cats, please

I have to admit that I have been terribly wrong about Mai-Otome. How could I, holder of a degree in physics, possibly understand its depth and complexity as well as the random grammatically challenged flamers who came to my blog … Continue reading

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