Category Archives: Anime

Girls’ Last Tour Manga Series (Review)

Posted on July 31, 2021 by Roger Pocock

As is so often the case, the Girls’ Last Tour anime ended while the manga series was still ongoing. I don’t often bother to find out what happens next, but in this case the anime had really sparked my interest … Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Books, Entertainment, Manga, Reviews, Science Fiction | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Spider and the Tulip (Review)

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Roger Pocock

The recent Blu-ray and DVD release of 1945 Japanese wartime propaganda film Momotaro: Sacred Sailors comes with a bonus on the same disk, a 1943 short animation from Kenzo Masaoka. The Spider and the Tulip is absolutely enchanting, but to … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 12 (Review)

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Connection / Friends The view from Igirisu: “Why do you want to know about that stuff anyway?” “I don’t know.” This kind of thing has happened in every single episode of Girls’ Last Tour, providing a clever thematic structure to … Continue reading →

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Momotaro: Sacred Sailors (Review)

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Roger Pocock

In 1945 the first ever Japanese feature-length animated film was released, funded by the Japanese Naval Ministry as a tool for propaganda. As an anime fan with a keen interest in history, I couldn’t resist purchasing this as a special … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 11 (Review)

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Culture / Destruction / The Past The view from Igirisu: “Apparently some wars were caused by differing cultures.” “Really? I wonder why.” “Maybe because things we don’t understand are scary, or something.” Probably the most interesting aspect of this series … Continue reading →

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Mysterious Girlfriend X (Anime Review)

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Akira Tsubaki is fascinated by the new girl in his class. Who wouldn’t be? She’s really odd. She falls asleep at her desk every lunchtime instead of eating anything, she laughs out loud for no apparent reason, and she wears … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 10 (Review)

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Train / Wavelength / Capture The view from Igirisu: Where are we going, and how fast are we moving? “The Earth turns, and time passes.” We are always moving, even when we are standing perfectly still. Yuu thinks they are … Continue reading →

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My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (Review)

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Roger Pocock

The aptly-titled third season of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, also known as Oregairu, does manage to bring the story of Hachiman, Yukino and Yui to some sort of a climax, something that is actually surprisingly unusual for love triangle … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 9 (Review)

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Technology / Aquarium / Life The view from Igirisu: Although this episode has three titles as usual, the three chapters add up to one continuous story. In fact, it feels like watching a short film, without the usual opening and … Continue reading →

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Cells at Work! (Anime Review)

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Roger Pocock

For most television series or films we can usually see similarities with other ones, or at least recognise the genre into which they fit. As time goes on, it’s more and more difficult for writers to come up with an … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 8 (Review)

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Memory / Spiral / Moonlight The view from Igirisu: “All these useless and practically worthless things are stored away as if they were important. I wonder why.” Chi and Yuu have found a graveyard, and a very impressive one, with … Continue reading →

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Love Live! School Idol Project (Review)

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Love Live! is a hugely popular series, which has spawned multiple spin-offs. With its blend of happy music and cute girls, it’s not hard to see why this would easily develop a large fan base. The story concerns a group … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 7 (Review)

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Labyrinth / Cooking The view from Igirisu: This is probably the most slice-of-life episode so far, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of jeopardy. Chi and Yuu are travelling through a maze of pipes, and in the opening sequence the … Continue reading →

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Yu-Sibu (Anime Review)

Posted on June 14, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Yu-Sibu, also known as Yu-Shibu, or to give it its absurdly long full title I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job, is an anime series set in a fantasy world, with some entertaining similarities … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 6 (Review)

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Accident / Technology / Takeoff The view from Igirisu: A plane flying behind Chi signals the arrival of only the second human being the girls have met in six episodes. Ishii is similar to Kanazawa in many ways, with a … Continue reading →

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Patema Inverted (Anime Review)

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Roger Pocock

It might not be fashionable to criticise scientists at the moment, but I’ve long held the view that eventually they will go one step too far with their messing around with things and do some real damage to the world … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 5 (Review)

Posted on June 5, 2021 by Roger Pocock

House / Nap / The Sound of Rain The view from Igirisu: This episode has three very distinct chapters, two of which are magnificent in a very melancholy way, but let’s get the middle of the three out the way … Continue reading →

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Spice and Wolf (Season One Review)

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Many anime series take place in fantasy worlds that take inspiration from Europe of the Middle Ages, but they tend to go no further than copying the look of the period, and use that as a starting point for creating … Continue reading →

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Girls’ Last Tour Episode 4 (Review)

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Roger Pocock

Photograph / Temple The view from Igirisu: The fourth episode of Girls’ Last Tour feels like the most slice-of-life episode so far, lacking one of those big shocking moments that have characterised the series so far. Having said that, the … Continue reading →

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Zombie Land Saga (Review)

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Roger Pocock

The school idol phenomenon is fertile ground for anime. If you’re not familiar with the genre, it’s a simple enough idea: some school girls get together to form a group of singers, who overcome various obstacles and hardships to become … Continue reading →

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