Given that I’m a teacher, it must seem like a cliche that I would use a similar A-F grading scale for my much of my freelance work and my own written reviews (including pluses and minuses for each). I like this scale because it allows me to be a bit more specific in communicating my overall thoughts and feelings about a work, while still affording a bit of the ambiguity I think is inherent to qualifying the success of whatever it is I’m reviewing. Continue reading “My Rating Scale”
Twin Star Exorcists – Episodes 1-50 [Complete]
Originally Aired: Spring 2016 – Winter 2017
My first ever series of episodic reviews was for Twin Star Exorcists, back in April of 2016. This was a romance/shonen hybrid that I ended up really loving, despite suffering from some serious artistic and storytelling shortcomings.
Rokuro and Benio make for an endearing and compelling pair of leads, and they share a genuine chemistry that evolves in fascinating ways as the story develops, and when the show is willing to put in the effort, it’s capable of pulling off some damn good fight scenes. And don’t even get me started on Sae, an anime original character that somehow managed to completely win me over.
If you’d like to check out my episodic reviews for Twin Star Exorcists, you can check them out on Anime News Network.
Dusting Off and Catching Up
Hello all,
Back in the summer of 2016 I began this blog with the intent of updating it regularly as I worked on my freelance writing as well as my own personal projects. Unfortunately, I vastly overestimated the amount of free time I would have managing the writing I needed to do as a freelancer as well as adjusting to my day job as a teacher. As a result, I’ve let this blog fall by the wayside for far too long.
Now, two years later, I’m much more comfortable balancing my work and my personal writing, and I want to give this site another go. Over the next little while, I’ll be updating the site with the most important freelance work I’ve done since 2016, as well as working to expand for more personal musings. The organization may look a bit haphazard because of this, but things should even out fairly quickly.
Also, believe it or not, but I don’t just watch anime; I’d like to share more of my thoughts on video-games, television, and all the other stuff I advertise in my site bio. I’m also trying to expand my portfolio a bit; I’ve invested in some equipment that will make projects such as podcasts and video-essays much more viable for me, and while I can’t make any long term promises, I’m definitely interested in exploring are and pop-culture in as many mediums as possible.
Stay cool everyone!
J.B.
DVD Review – After War: Gundam X
I got to review both volumes of After War: Gundam X for Shelf Life on ANN. Check out the full writeups below!
“I enjoyed my time spent with Gundam X, even if the show took its sweet time getting on my good side. It’s hardly without flaws, and it’s never quite as smart or compelling as it wants to be, but the series ends up doing a fine job in spite of itself. I can’t give it my fullest endorsement, since so much of this show’s quality is dependent on the viewer’s patience and tolerance for cheap-looking animation, not to mention a heaping helping of 90s flavored cheese.”
Blu-Ray Review – When They Cry KAI
A review for the When They Cry KAI Blu-Ray release is up on ANN!
“When I reviewed the first season of When They Cry back in March, I was struck by how much I liked the show, given its rough first impressions. The animation and character designs were pretty ugly, and the story was presented in a rather unique way that nonetheless created some noticeable pacing and tonal issues.
Still, in spite of its problems, When They Cry season 1 managed to create an atmosphere of genuinely unsettling horror, one backed up by a compelling central mystery and an endearing cast. This month, Sentai is releasing When They Cry’s follow-up, When They Cry: Kai, for the first time in the West. Does this second entry in the Higurashi saga live up to the expectations set by the first?”
To see the rest, check out the link below!
DVD Review – Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection
A new review for Lupin III – Alcatraz Connection ‘s is up on ANN!
“Lupin the Third, both the character and the media franchise revolving around him, is a cornerstone of Japanese popular culture who hardly requires an introduction. Most anime fans have had some interaction with the snarky thief, be it through films like Miyazaki’s The Castle of Cagliostro, Adult Swim reruns of the second anime series, or more modern interpretations of the character like Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. I’ve always been fond of the adventures of this ragtag group, so I was excited to dig into this Lupin TV special, produced over a decade ago but available for the first time in English this month. While Lupin’s stateside adventure is certainly a fun one, it’s still enough of a mixed bag that I can’t recommend it without some reservations.”
To see the rest, check out the link below!
Blu-Ray Review – Wake Up Girls! The Movie
A new review for Wake Up Girls! The Movie ‘s is up on ANN!
“On paper, I should love this show. It has everything I look for in these kinds of setups: The in-over-their-head band manager, the cast of wacky misfits who can barely get through four bars of music before collapsing into shenanigans, it’s all there. My reaction to the finished product, though, left a lot to be desired.”
To see the rest, check out the link below!
Blu-Ray Review – Eden of the East Collector’s Edition
My review for Eden of the East ‘s Collector’s Edition is up on ANN!
“I was just getting ready start college when Eden of the East was released back in 2009, and at the time it blew me away. The series’ initial 11-episode run was one of the most tightly paced and intriguing mystery/thrillers I’d seen in a long time, and when I got to the cliffhanger ending I was dying to know how everything played out. Starting a new life at university ended up being a little more challenging than I’d imagined, though (surprise surprise). Time, work, and a college student’s budget prevented me from catching up with Eden of the East’s two finale movies, King of Eden and Paradise Lost, at the time of their release. Now that Funimation has repackaged both the series and its films into a gorgeous, limited edition collector’s set, though, I finally had the chance to play catch-up. Was it worth the wait?” Continue reading “Blu-Ray Review – Eden of the East Collector’s Edition”
DVD Review – Kingdom (Season 1)
My review for Kingdom Season 1 is up on ANN!
“Studio Pierrot‘s Kingdom is an adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara‘s manga of the same name, which has been running in Shonen Jump for the last decade. Following the lives of key figures from China’s Warring States period, Kingdom incorporates the broad strokes of documented history and blends them into a canvas of familiar, if well executed shonen tropes. In this way it almost feels like the anime equivalent of 300. It uses the flavor of ancient politics and warfare rooted in real history as a draw, without ever worrying about things like realism or accuracy bogging down the storytelling. Does Kingdom live up to the epic history it aspires to mythologize? Well, that depends.”
To see the rest, check out the link below!
Blu-Ray Review – Terror in Resonance
My review for Terror in Resonance is up on ANN!
“Reviewing Terror in Resonance was a very exciting proposition for me because I knew almost absolutely nothing about it. Though the amount of shows I end up keeping up with on a regular basis every year is fairly concentrated, I spend enough time with my face buried in wikis and review sites that I almost always know the main details of most of the shows I’m not watching. Terror in Resonance did not have this problem to worry about. Outside of knowing it was the latest work from famed director Shinichiro Watanabe (of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo fame), the only background info I had about this anime going in was that it focused on the subject of terrorism in modern-day Japan. Somehow or another Terror in Resonance slipped underneath my all-too-curious radar back in 2014, and am I ever glad it did, because not knowing what to expect helped me enjoy this series even more than I otherwise would have.”
To read the rest, hit the link below:
Kick the Beckett! 