Dragon Ball Z, Slam Dunk, Bleach, Hajime no Ippo. Most shonen series are based on physical activities like sports or fighting. Surprisingly, the general shonen formula can also work well with a non-physical activity. In Bakuman, J.C. Staff and NHK successfully tell a shonen-style story about two aspiring manga creators. The result is an interesting show… Continue reading I need a job so I wanna be a mangaka writer
Tag: shonen
Naruto Shippuuden episode 82 is a masterpiece
After all these years, I still love watching Naruto. I’ll place it on hiatus every now and then, but it still is, and always will be, one of my biggest favourites. This past weekend marked the end of my latest break from Shippuuden, but already, here I am again; writing away. I couldn’t let this… Continue reading Naruto Shippuuden episode 82 is a masterpiece
Fullmetal Alchemist is overlooked as horror
Something that ‘outsiders’ probably don’t realise about Fullmetal Alchemist is just how grotesque and disturbing it can be for mainstream shonen; it has never been a story that shys away from death, even when the victims are cute little girls and their pet dogs! This lurched back into focus during episode 20 of Brotherhood, when… Continue reading Fullmetal Alchemist is overlooked as horror
A tribute to Soul Eater 18
It’s been a long time since my last foray into Soul Eater. Too long, really. And it’s easy to forget just how fun it is, how exciting, how damn awesome. I mean, there are certain things that will always stick out, launch it above other series, and these two episodes were no different. Consider the… Continue reading A tribute to Soul Eater 18
Ok! Let's do this in a cool way! Soul Eater!
There is no denying it; for Soul Eater and me, it was love at first sight. Bursting with an adorable “look-at-me” style and eccentric attitude, it’s probably the coolest looking anime I’ve clapped eyes on since Gurren Lagann. 6 episodes in and every single one of them has been weird and wonderful, just one surreal… Continue reading Ok! Let's do this in a cool way! Soul Eater!
Digging up backlogged gems, like Great Teacher Onizuka
If MyAnimeList has taught me anything, it’s that for every merely-good new anime series airing right now, there are many more excellent but old (and therefore, forgotten) gems just waiting to be found. Since I joined that site, I’ve spent countless hours trawling through their hefty archives of anime, trying to build up a well-structured… Continue reading Digging up backlogged gems, like Great Teacher Onizuka
Kiba – 7 – Hollow Defeat
As insane as it may sound, the last two episodes of Kiba were actually quite good! If you then stop to consider that they also didn’t feature its main character, there is something undoubtedly wrong. To keep me interested, a show has to have an interesting, involving and immersive story; Kiba doesn’t have that. Likeable… Continue reading Kiba – 7 – Hollow Defeat
Kiba – 6 – The price of freedom
It’s easy to take kids anime for granted, but compared with Western cartoons aimed at the same young viewers, the difference in conviction and themes is exceptional. Through out episode 6 of Kiba, several (old and young) characters die. It’s not gory, but the intent to kill is clear from the outset. There are no… Continue reading Kiba – 6 – The price of freedom
Kiba – 5 – Swings & Swords
At a time when Kiba was in real danger of drowning in the true depths of unsalvageable mediocrity, an episode like this comes along and suggests that the story may well have some mileage after all. Tellingly this was an episode free of Zed; rather the story follows his bespecled old buddy Noa who also… Continue reading Kiba – 5 – Swings & Swords
Kiba – 4 – It sucks… but that's cool, because I like it!
So today I had to choose one of three episodes to watch. I could have gone with Studio BONES’ latest masterpiece Jyo-Oh-Sei, the utterly artistic new arc of Ayakashi or be content with the generic shounen delights of Kiba. If you’re reading this, you already know which episode I plumped for! I feel so dirty.… Continue reading Kiba – 4 – It sucks… but that's cool, because I like it!