Such is the ubiquity of Free! that it’s difficult to think of simply as an anime or Koji Ohji’s light novel series, rather a franchise in the upper echelons of fandom that has snowballed into a marketing monolith. Yet outside the commodity is a potent yarn of determination, perseverance and friendship that are the core tenants of sports shows of this kind. But while Haikyu!!, … Continue reading Review: Free! Eternal Summer – Collector’s Edition
The second collection of the hit volleyball anime picks up in the midst of vigorous training under coach Keishin Ukai’s tough love approach, whipping the Karasuno boys into shape ahead of the interscholastic preliminaries where only one team in 60 makes it through to the nationals. In between bouts of ball-time, the team talk strategy and the roll call of attack plans, enemy teams and … Continue reading Review: Haikyu!! Season 1 Collection 2
Even after surviving World War II, beloved manga artist Shigeru Mizuki always kept his verve in both life and creativity. As you might expect, such a life left a wise imprint, but when he passed away last year at the age of 93, he left us with the lingering enchantment of the yokai from his seminal GeGeGe no Kitaro, an impression that even over five decades later is … Continue reading Seven Rules for Happiness: our anime take on Shigeru Mizuki’s wisdom
From gawky soccer player to volleyball upstart, short-stuff Shoyo Hinata goes into his first and only official game of middle school a ball of nervous energy and infectious enthusiasm. Like a kid with his face pressed up against a shop window at Christmas, Sho watched the ‘Tiny Giant’ dominate the court three years before. Without a boys’ volleyball team to his school’s name, he went … Continue reading Review: Haikyu!! Season 1 Collection 1
