Six episodes in to “Natsume’s Book of Friends,” I’m not sold on what sounded like a terrific story. The second volume (third season) just came out from NIS America. I didn’t get a chance to look at the first volume when it originally came out, so I decided to hop in and see what’s what. … Continue Reading →
Part ghost story, part love story and part coming-of-age tale, NIS America’s “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day” is a touching drama about a circle of friends who lost their way. The Super Peace Busters split up in childhood after the death of one member of the group, Menma. Now all high school age, … Continue Reading →
There are a lot of pieces in “Zakuro” that fit together in a delicate balance that succeeds in creating one engaging show. There’s a bit of romance, a dash of humor, a hefty dose of the supernatural and just the right amount of action in this story of half-spirits and the military men who work … Continue Reading →
Volume 2 of NIS America’s charming “kimi no todoke — From Me to You” picks up right where the cliffhanger of January’s release left us. Beware a spoiler if you haven’t watched the first volume, which I reviewed a few months ago. Kurumi, the high school girl we all want to hate, has led Kazehaya … Continue Reading →
After seeing so many high-school shows focusing on fan service and sex lately, it was the proverbial breath of fresh air to pop NIS America’s “kimi ni todoke — From Me to You” in the player this weekend as I was recovering from a nasty flu bug that wiped me out last week. No manic … Continue Reading →
“Katanagatari” vol. 1 (NIS America) – Visually, “Katanagatari” is one of the prettiest and most interesting series out there Maybe it gets toned down later, but in the first episode and a half, they just never shut up. And since it’s not dubbed, so much dialogue makes for a lot of subtitle reading, which means … Continue Reading →
“Arakawa: Under the Bridge” (NIS America) – Longtime readers know I like quirky, and “Arakawa” gets lots of quirky points. It’s an absurd little story, but it makes perfect sense in its own way. Business empire heir and college student Ichinomiya Ko lives by the family motto: “Never be indebted to anyone,” not even if … Continue Reading →