This article was originally published on 18th November 2021. ‘It’s been a tough year.’ This is a phrase that we’ve all heard countless times lately. Whether it is through the news, social media or word of mouth, I am often reminded that the world is in the middle of multiple crises and that I’m unwillingly … Continue reading What Sonny Boy Can Teach Us About Living In Times Of Uncertainty
Hunting Flying Saucers – Contextualising ‘The UFO’ in Anime
This article was first published on August 28th 2021. The piece has mostly gone unchanged outside of some better images/links to the UFO as seen in Ninja Mono (1996). Those that follow the Japanese animation scene closely would know that the so-called ‘UFO’ has made a decent number of appearances in the past year and a … Continue reading Hunting Flying Saucers – Contextualising ‘The UFO’ in Anime
Another Look At Heike Monogatari’s Incredible Final Act
This article was originally published on 16th December 2021, shortly after Heike Monogatari had finished airing on streaming platforms. While my observations are still relevant, I have decided to add some additional notes in 2024. Those paragraphs will be denoted in bold text. After eleven episodes, the curtain has finally closed on the story of the Heike … Continue reading Another Look At Heike Monogatari’s Incredible Final Act
Drifting Through The Memories of Yesterday – How Keiichiro Saito Explores Identity & Nostalgia In ‘Tomoshibi Serenade’
Quite a lot has changed for animator and director Keiichiro Saito since the last time I covered their work. The biggest development that occurred during this time was the recent announcement that they were heading the upcoming TV anime series Bocchi The Rock at animation studio CloverWorks. However, I wish to concentrate on continuities rather … Continue reading Drifting Through The Memories of Yesterday – How Keiichiro Saito Explores Identity & Nostalgia In ‘Tomoshibi Serenade’
Bringing Letterboxes To Life: Toshimasa Ishii, Tomohiko Ito & Eighty-Six Episode Twenty-Two’s Use Of The 21:9 Aspect Ratio
My experience with 86 (Eighty-Six) was pretty varied. After offering a strong eleven-episode package for the first cour, my expectations for the anime’s second half were quite high. Unfortunately, they were not met in their entirety but that does not dismiss the fact that there were some rather memorable moments during the second half. The … Continue reading Bringing Letterboxes To Life: Toshimasa Ishii, Tomohiko Ito & Eighty-Six Episode Twenty-Two’s Use Of The 21:9 Aspect Ratio
The Talking Dog’s Tale – Exploring Sonny Boy 08 & Keiichiro Saito’s Direction
After watching Keiichiro Saito's first storyboarded episode of Sonny Boy (Episode Three, 'The Cat Who Wore Sandals'), my expectations for this series had already been surpassed. From the excellent shift in lighting, made complete by debut animation director Nobuhide Kariya, to his use of several visceral close-ups, Saitō had already made his mark on this … Continue reading The Talking Dog’s Tale – Exploring Sonny Boy 08 & Keiichiro Saito’s Direction
Wonder Egg Priority: Character-Acting, Understanding Emotions & Being Human
Wonder Egg Priority (2021) has already received a lot of praise in multiple areas, from its incredible staff lineup to its intriguing narrative - I would think that this is the sort of positive reception that almost any team would ask for. This is an anime I also feel quite passionate about too, so I thought … Continue reading Wonder Egg Priority: Character-Acting, Understanding Emotions & Being Human
4:3 in Anime – The Aspect Ratio Gaining Significance With Time
Aspect Ratios are something I think about constantly, mostly because they are a component of film that simply are not thought about enough (and I tend to be a bit of a contrarian). Within some of my previous content, I have thought about what makes the 2.35:1 cinematic aspect ratio transformative for our understanding of … Continue reading 4:3 in Anime – The Aspect Ratio Gaining Significance With Time
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