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Peace is power: pacifism in shonen

When the Soul Eater manga came to an end in 2013, it took a bold stance and chose to have a win for peace, with no fists or weapons pointed at the enemy. Instead, weapon [...]
A strange way out: hikikomori in anime

For decades in Japan, people have been disappearing. Coming home one evening, they have drawn the curtains or gone to their bedrooms and stayed there ever since, as though [...]
Young rebel magicians: the magical school in anime

The magical school in anime reflects a long-standing tradition of Japan plucking hidden (or not so hidden) gems from children’s literature. Harry Potter would come to [...]
No handicap to heroism: how anime portrays disability

In anime, disability is often either something to be overcome, or something which makes a character stronger. It extends the character’s bodily limits along with the [...]
From depression to anxiety: water as metaphor in anime

The world’s water is the mother of all. It is where all life originated from, and where, with global warming, it seems fated to return. Anime acknowledges the many [...]

Six Naruto filler episodes worth your time

July 21, 2020

Most long-running anime series will have at least a few filler episodes. The internet abounds with viewing guides to cut out filler entirely and focus only on the meat of the [...]
3 emotional anime that will strike you straight in the feels
From page to screen: our top five anime based on novels

Review: Fruits Basket (2019) – Season One Part Two

February 28, 2020

If I were to give Fruits Basket a tagline, it might be ‘dessert before dinner’. Because the more acquainted you get with the series, you more you begin to realise that all the cake and ice-cream of young romance and new-found friendship is just sweetening you up for a full dish of seriously savoury drama. By the time you’re full up on sugar, you’re not sure how much room you have left for the main course. But then, there’s always a bit of space for something yummy that’s made with [...]
Review: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Complete Series Collection
Review: Anohana – The Flower We Saw That Day Collection
Review: The Saga of Tanya the Evil – Complete Collection
Review: One Punch Man – Collection One

Why watch … given?

September 13, 2019

given is, in many ways, like one of its central characters, Mafuyu – quiet, distant, full of pain, regret and longing and beautiful to behold. Like most of us, Mafuyu carries his emotional baggage around with him, only in his case its physical; a guitar. All spoilers aside, it’s clear from the outset that this guitar has an emotional significance as he hugs it, sleeps with it and carries it everywhere. He can’t even play, but that’s the catalyst needed to ignite a relationship with [...]
Why watch … Laid-Back Camp?
Why watch … Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens?
Why watch … Hakumei and Mikochi?
Why watch … A Place Further than the Universe?

Peace is power: pacifism in shonen