Tag Archives: Fantasy

The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Roger Pocock

One of the most popular subgenres of anime is known as isekai, where somebody escapes their humdrum, human existence to live in a fantasy world. I can understand the popularity, because it’s pure escapism, but I’m not sure there’s a … Continue reading →

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Haibane Renmei

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Roger Pocock

This series is 20 years old now, and watching it today is a reminder of how much anime has moved on in the last couple of decades. There is generally a lot less movement in the animation nowadays, but watching … Continue reading →

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Zoku Owarimonogatari

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Roger Pocock

Owarimonogatari was a magnificent end to the Monogatari anime adaptations, tying up pretty much all the loose ends from a large number of previous episodes. It felt like a fitting tribute to all the main characters. But what happens after … Continue reading →

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Owarimonogatari II

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Roger Pocock

Endings are tricky things to get right, and few anime series even run long enough to get to the point of concluding their stories. Strictly speaking this is not quite an ending, for reasons we will discuss later, but it … Continue reading →

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Owarimonogatari I

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Roger Pocock

As we travel through life we tend to collect emotional baggage. The older we get, the more we will be able to look back on past friendships and other associations and wonder what we could have done differently. There will … Continue reading →

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Koyomimonogatari

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Roger Pocock

At first this season feels like an odd backwards step for the Monogatari franchise. We begin with a prequel to Bakemonogatari, with Koyomi and Tsubasa investigating a minor mystery concerning a shrine in their school’s gardens. It all seems oddly … Continue reading →

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Tsukimonogatari

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Roger Pocock

The title of this miniseries in the Monogatari franchise is a tricky one to translate, with an ambiguity of meaning that is probably beyond the understanding of somebody trying to dip a toe into the Japanese language like me, but … Continue reading →

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Shakugan no Shana Final

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Roger Pocock

Shana has always been an uneasy mix of teenage relationship issues and fantasy battles, and those two aspects of the series have never been well integrated. We have had whole episodes that focus on school life, followed by whole episodes … Continue reading →

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Koimonogatari

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Roger Pocock

We have reached the final, six-episode arc in the second full season of Monogatari, and the focus is mainly on two protagonists. Hitagi Senjogahara has been largely neglected as a character for a very long time, her relationship with Koyomi … Continue reading →

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Onimonogatari (Review and Fanservice Debate)

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Roger Pocock

We have reached the penultimate arc in the second season of Monogatari, a four-episode story titled Shinobu Time. It is an absolutely magnificent run of episodes, for reasons I will enumerate later in the article, but first I need to … Continue reading →

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Otorimonogatari

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Roger Pocock

After a little detour to watch Hanamonogatari, we are back with Monogatari: Second Season for a four-episode arc titled Otorimonogatari. The title loosely translates as “Decoy Story”, although as is often the case there are subtleties in the use of … Continue reading →

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Hanamonogatari

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Roger Pocock

Regular visitors to the Junkyard will remember that I have been watching the second season of Monogatari, and have so far written about Nekomonogatari (White) and Kabukimonogatari, which leaves three arcs still to watch. I have paused from that season … Continue reading →

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Kabukimonogatari

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Roger Pocock

The second season of Monogatari continues with Kabukimonogatari, a four-episode arc. If Nekomonogatari (White), which proceeded it, felt like there was not enough story to stretch to five episodes, this is quite the opposite. A complex butterfly effect plot is … Continue reading →

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Nekomonogatari (White)

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Roger Pocock

I have previous watched, enjoyed and written about Bakemonogatari, Kizumonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Nekomonogatari (Black). Next up in the sprawling Monogatari saga is the longest season of all, Monogatari: Second Season. It is a run of 23 episodes, but consists of … Continue reading →

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I, Robot… You, Jane

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Roger Pocock

Sometimes rewatching Buffy makes me feel old, but never more so than I, Robot… You Jane. It’s not just that the technology seems so out-of-date that it looks prehistoric now, it’s the outdated attitudes on display that really seem alien, … Continue reading →

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Roger Pocock

We are seven episodes into the series, but this is the one that really defines the nature of the show and the direction it is going to take. Writer David Greenwalt hints at a secret past for Angel for the … Continue reading →

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Pack

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Roger Pocock

I was not looking forward to rewatching this episode, as I remembered it as embarrassingly silly. On repeat viewing, and paying a bit more attention to what the writers are doing here, I was wondering how I could have been … Continue reading →

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Roger Pocock

What happens when your heart’s desire conflicts with your responsibilities? Buffy is obviously going to be a series that explores teenage issues, but it can do more than that, because Buffy is the Slayer, and that’s a job and a … Continue reading →

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Teacher’s Pet

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Roger Pocock

This week, Xander is mesmerised by an unattractive middle aged woman. Is something magical going on, or is this simply a representation of a teenage boy who is a slave to his hormones? Actually, it’s both, one literal and one … Continue reading →

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Nekomonogatari Black

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Roger Pocock

This short series in the Monogatari saga runs for just four episodes and focuses on a single arc, adapted from one book in the light novel series. Anyone who has watched a few anime series will have probably picked up … Continue reading →

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