Welcome, all, again, and a blessed Yule season! As we close both the year and viewing season, I'd like to look at what I interpret to be a Japanese attempt to make a western that consequently results in probably one of the most original shows currently offered, Garo: Vanishing Line.

Welcome, all, again. I hope you enjoyed Halloween (Samhain, for me) as much as I did! Meanwhile, our subject of discussion today, Anime-Gataris, has already proven a great joy to anime enthusiasts and other otaku by allowing us to view ourselves through rather rose-colored glasses, however pitted. And I can't argue. After all, we've been subconsciously awaiting this series--this premise--since Shirobako knocked us onto our collective can back in 2014. Shirobako, while fictional, was nonetheless ...

Welcome, all, again. Today's discussion will focus upon The Ancient Magus' Bride, one of those rare offerings which immediately scream "instant classic!"

Welcome, all, again. This month's subject anime is Knight's [sic] & Magic, a fast-and-loose genre-hopping fantasy that pits a young prodigy against his world. Because Ernesti "Ernie" Echevalier is not only a prodigy, but also the reincarnated soul of Tsubasa Kurata, a Japanese computer programmer and otaku who at least partially remembers his former life. Wait, you say, this all sounds so familiar!

Welcome, all, again. This viewing season just seems to keep getting better, with many shows that are becoming more and more interesting as things progress; Classroom of the Elite is a good example of this tendency.

Welcome, all, again. I am very happy to report that we have entered into a new viewing season, one that seems to offer a wider variety and much greater number of entertaining shows. And one such newcomer is Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, a show which follows a young man's sudden insertion into the supernatural via his new domestic arrangements.

Welcome, all, again. Facing a somewhat slow viewing season, I'd like revisit a past favorite of mine that I've always felt was underappreciated: Fairy Musketeers. This 39-episode series ran from 2006-7 and was preceded in 2005 by a 3-episode OVA, both by studio Madhouse. The story is populated by characters from Western fairytales, both as heroes and (newly minted) villains, and it becomes fascinating to watch their interactions when placed together.

Welcome, all, again. I want to discuss in this column a gem that I only recently found, WorldEnd: What are you doing at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us? (Mind you, from here on out I'll simply call it WorldEnd:. The full title is waaaaaaay too much typing!)

Welcome, all, again. A new viewing season has begun and, to be honest, I'm not quite sold on it. Not yet, anyway. There are a number of series that show potential, and a larger number of maybes, or even maybe-nots. Very few shows this season have commanded my immediate attention; one that did, however, is Alice and Zouroku.

Welcome, all, again. Today we will discuss Seiren, a slice-of-life series which follows protagonist Shoichi Kamita and his interactions with three very different girls. Now, the purpose and triumph of slice-of-life as a genre is its insertion of its audience into the very lives of its characters.