My top picks for 2016

Although 2016 has gone by in the blink of an eye, I received so many blessings, probably more than I deserved. For that, I am so much thankful. Also, along my journey, anime greatly helped me relieve my stress, and it served as my escape from the mundane. It was a great thing that 2016 was also a great year for anime. We were served with some great shows each season; a lot of them shined brighter than the rest.

So yeah, as we celebrate the new year, I would like to share my TOP 5 PICKS lists for this Anime Year 2016. This would probably be for several posts coming early this year because, yeah, I need to make up for the lack of posts lately.

I decided the rankings based on my totally biased opinion. If I enjoyed it, they I enjoyed it. Period.

Without any further ado, here they are:

5. FLYING WITCH

Truly, a healing anime. The whole show exudes serenity and tranquility – perfect for total relaxation. I do understand that some people would find this show boring, because hey, we do have different tastes! Surprised, aren’t ya?

What I do love about this show is that every scene unfolds naturally. It perfectly mixes the fantasy element with the mundane. Can you believe that I totally enjoyed some episodes about the characters taking few walks, picking wildflowers, and eating pancakes? The show meanders through some uneventful situations but the show invested in character interactions and their daily lives. Add up the sweet and super likeable characters (Chinatsu, anyone?) and its peaceful music. I can’t ask for more. Oh, probably more flying?

4. BOKU DAKE GA INAI MACHI

Yoho! This one is probably the most hyped anime during the season it aired, if not of the whole 2016. I dunno, I was out of touch in the anime community except in twitter. But yeah, I joined the hype because this show was really good in making me feel at the edge of my seat in every episode. I enjoyed the thriller element, waiting for the reveal by the end of the episode.

The plot and the time travel element were kept simple so as to avoid plot holes; the show invested more on the emotional aspects. Who remembered the scene when Satoru’s mom took care of Kayo? Man, the feels. I could probably put this higher on my list but the latter episodes kinda let me down somehow. They were still good, but I just expected more I guess?

3. HAIKYUU!! S2

Best season of Haikyuu for me. The revenge match against Seijo made me want more each week. Although I already have an idea what the outcome would be (typical sports anime formula), I was still at the edge of my seat every match. Season 3 was also good, as it gave the spotlight to Tsukishima, but the tension between the Shiratorizawa and Karasuno doesn’t compare to that of Seijo and Karasuno. Man, I want more Oikawa. Oh well.

2. RE:ZERO KARA HAJIMERU ISEKAI SEIKATSU

A total surprise to me. I have no idea about the show when I picked it up; I was attracted to the character designs at first. Then that last scene of the first episode happened. Boom! It sparked my interest. And from then on, the show kept giving me the adrenaline rush. I totally enjoyed the whole ride. It is the only anime that I watched during my review. That says a lot.

I kinda love and hate how the show treated Subaru, but by the end of it, I enjoyed seeing the fruits of his sufferings (though he will probably suffer more based on the spoilers I read online). The setting, to me, was perfect and I would love to know more about the world they are in. I saw myself wanting to know more, about the royal selection, the witches, the dragon – all about Lugnica. Wish they would have the second season soon. I can’t wait.

Oh, to avoid conflict, my ships involve Reinhardt and Subaru. The former being the ultimate seme and the latter the ultimate uke. I’ll leave the combinations to you all! (Hint: No Emilia and No Rem)

1. NATSUME YUUJINCHOU GO

Do I still have to explain why this is my TOP 1 Pick? Do I really have to? Damn, I missed this show. I lost count of how many times I rewatched the whole franchise during the time that it was gone.

Since it is already on its fifth season, Natsume was already a developed character and I am already invested in his character. It is totally rewarding to see how he grows each season. I specifically love how this season focused more on some characters like Natori and Matoba. We dig a little bit deeper into the world of exorcists in which Natsume was dragged into.  And the second to the last episode about Touko and Shigeru – PERFECT. I cried, really. It tied up some things left loose during the previous seasons.

There are MORE potentials in which Natsume Yuujinchou could explore. We still do not know a lot and we could expect more. Good thing the sixth season was already announce. Thank you, anime gods!

Special Mentions: Osomatsu-san, Hibike Euphonium S2, Bungou Stray Dogs S2, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

So there you have it. We were blessed with good anime year last 2016. I sure do hope that 2017 would be even better.

How about you? Care to share your own top 5 picks?

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Dragon Ball FighterZ Game's Opening Cinematic Video Streamed

Xbox One/PS4/PC game launches on January 26, open beta on January 14-15

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Bandai Namco Entertainment America began streaming an opening cinematic video on Saturday for the Dragon Ball FighterZ fighting game. The same video is available in Japanese, featuring different name spellings for some characters.

English Version

Japanese Version

Bandai Namco Entertainment will host an open beta for the game between January 14-15. Those who pre-ordered the game will have early access to the beta on January 13. The game will launch for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam in the Americas and Europe on January 26.

People who pre-order the game digitally will receive early access to Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta with two exclusive lobby avatars; and a Girls Stamp Pack with Android 21, Android 18, and Bulma at launch.

The game's Ultimate Edition will include the FighterZ Pass, a music pack with 11 songs from the anime, and a commentator voice pack. The FighterZ Pass will include eight additional playable characters that will be released after launch, and it will also be available for purchase separately.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Europe will also release a "CollectorZ Edition" that will bundle a Goku statue, three art boards, and steelbook packaging.

The game will launch in Japan on February 1 for PS4 and Xbox One.

In the game's story mode, as the mysterious Clone Army invades, the Super Warriors lose consciousness, and their powers. At the same time, the player protagonist becomes mind-linked to Goku. Goku and players must fight together to reveal the mystery behind the link and the Clone Army. The story mode will also have two other stories, where the player protagonist becomes mind-linked to Android 18 and to Frieza. The characters Android 16 and new character Android 21 "hold the key to the story."

Playable characters include Goku, Teen Gohan, Vegeta, Future Trunks, Freeza, Cell, Krillin, Piccolo, Android 18 (with Android 17), Android 16, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan (with Chiaotzu), Majin Buu, Gohan, Cell, Nappa, Ginyu, Super Saiyan Blue Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, Gotenks, Kid Buu, Adult Gohan, and Hit. The game is also adding an original playable character designed by Akira Toriyama named Android 21, who is described as a scientist possessing intelligence rivaling Dr. Gero. 

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Disclosure: Anime Consortium Japan Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.

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Land of the Lustrous Episode 12

At the beginning of the final episode of Land of the Lustrous, Padparadscha awakes from a 231-year nap and after some fleeting conversation, they collapse into sleep again all too soon. This is a mirror for my experience of the show as a whole—so much beauty intermingled with so many unanswered questions. While every gem got a cameo in “New Work,” these glimpses of their personal dramas were as much a culmination as they were a new beginning. This season finale quietly but thoroughly summarized Phos' journey to this point while setting itself up for a sequel that I truly hope arrives.

Phos wants badly to speak to a Lunarian in order to continue their investigation on the true nature of Kongo Sensei. An impulsive chance encounter with one shows us how powerful Phos has become—even when they've forgotten their sword, their arms are more than a match for the flimsy Lunarians. The clash that follows is certainly one to remember. Cornered in a golden vault of Phos' own making, the Lunarian's eyes roll back into focus, instantly giving them an animate look. But were the melting mouth and strangled syllable an attempt at speech or simply a final gasp? Phos' answers won't come so easily when Cinnabar comes to their “rescue.” Phos' decision to thank Cinnabar at this moment is their kindest lie of the season. How far Phos has come since their days of mouthy, impetuous reactions. They've both gained (strength, popularity, responsibility) and lost (security, innocence, and memories) so much.

In fact, it takes Cinnabar to remind Phos of their earliest promise. It's tragic and a little funny that Phos has forgotten why they started on this journey of self-development in the first place—and it's adorable that aloof Cinnabar remembers every word of it with a blush. Their relationship certainly takes a step forward this episode, even with so much lost ground to recover. It brings back one of the most upsetting moments of the season for me: the moment a newly gold-limbed Phos asked who Cinnabar was. In the background of this budding relationship, we're treated to another pair—Yellow Diamond and Zircon. As Zircon strives to be good enough for Yellow under Bort's tutelage, Yellow and Rutile reminisce tenderly and humorously about the old days. (With these gems running around and Phos chasing Cinnabar later, this episode has two great examples of the one-two punchline, in which a gag is replayed immediately for great effect.)

But even though this episode nixes the opening theme, there's only enough time to focus in depth on Phos and give us a tantalizing glimpse of the daily lives of so many of their fellow gems. We've never seen so much emotion from Rutile as when they're speaking with Padparadscha, somebody they've attempted to revive more than 300,000 times. Zircon's desperate resolve to protect Yellow results in a revealing conversation with Phos, in which they psychotically consider amputating their own arms and legs in order to experience the rapid growth of their junior. And when Phos asks Alexandrite—in full Sensei cosplay—why they are so devoted to the study of Lunarians, we learn that Alex has lost somebody too: Chrysoberyl.

Season one of Land of the Lustrous was Phos' coming of age story, but episode twelve was all about hinting that every other gem has a story just as important, beautiful, funny, and tragic. The season ends the same way it begins, with Sensei giving a new assignment to a changed Phos, and the cycle is complete. Unanswered questions and all, this tense and compelling first season stands well on its own. But I'd be remiss if I didn't add that I'm hoping for more to come.

Rating: A

Land of the Lustrous is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist.

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Yuki Yuna is a Hero Season 2 Episode 12

I came away from the series' penultimate episode with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is the most dramatically dense and intense episode of the franchise to date – which is saying something. On the other hand, I was left wondering if Yuki Yuna wasn't finally pushing things too far.

It's not like the story is straying into territory beyond its normal boundaries, nor is it suddenly pulling out a crisis from nowhere. We've had overt hints for a couple of episodes now that Shinjyu-sama is waning, and subtler hints have been dropped that the girls' power is now limited from the start; before, they had to make sacrifices of bodily functions in exchange for power boosts. The reason Shinjyu-sama is bothering with those restrictions at all is because it's clearly not a limitless source of power. So it's not a surprise that a bigger sacrifice is required to renew it, leading to the whole business of Yuna “getting married” to Shinjyu-sama. In ancient times, making sacrifices of young women to appease the gods was often couched in terms of marrying the young woman off to the god, and since she has to ascend from the mortal realm to be with the god, that means she has to die in the process. What Yuna has to do ritually is merely a modern extension of that practice. It has to be Yuki because she's a Misugata, though I suspect that her greatest Hero aptitude probably plays into this too.

Yuna's struggle to convince herself to accept the situation forms the first part of this episode's drama, which can be a little difficult to watch. But it should be difficult, as she's being asked to take on a burden that goes beyond mere heroism for a cost that she doesn't deserve, even if it's considered the only way to save everyone. Naturally, her friends are fiercely unwilling to roll over and accept this, which results in the second part of this episode's intense drama. Watching the girls passionately try to talk Yuna out of this decision as she resorts to using the Hero Club tenets as verbal weapons is painful to watch, because we've been given ample evidence of how deep and strong the bond is between these girls, and we know that they all deserve better, especially Yuna.

But the series isn't done throwing weighty stuff around even after Yuna runs off. The girls meet the Taisha representative at the graveyard where Gin is interred, and there we learn another bitter truth; that whole graveyard is heroes and shrine maidens – girls like them - who have given their lives over the past three centuries. It's hard to imagine a stronger visual cue for the magnitude of what the girls have done.

Something else doesn't sit comfortably with me in all this. The whole scenario with Yuna performing the Shinkon is couched in frustratingly vague metaphysical terms, but there's a strong suggestion that the entire population will become something other than human as a result, since that's the only method that will get the attacks to stop. “Living with the Shinjyu-sama eternally”, becoming “people of god”, and Shinjyu-sama “managing” everyone are all vaguely ominous concepts, even though the Taisha doesn't seem to have insidious intent. Who exactly was angered enough by the girls' proximity to Shinjyu-sama to curse Yuna also remains vague. Even at this late point, we still aren't seeing the whole picture because we're still constrained by what the girls themselves know.

One thing is quite evident, though. The flaming wall is fast approaching and the girls have to fend it off just so that Yuna can sacrifice herself. This at least assures that the finale next week won't be dull.

Rating: A-

Yuki Yuna is A Hero Season 2 is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

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King's Game The Animation Episode 12

Like the theme song goes: "This is the end, this is the end." For a series that revels in hilariously shallow attempts at suspense, probably the biggest mystery was which version of King's Game would show up for this finale. Would it be the amazing self-immolating dumpster or the depressively dragged-out LiveJournal rant? Thankfully, this finale is mostly the former, though the added burden of closure proves to be too much for this show's storied stupidity.

This resolution begins with easily the most outrageous order yet. The kids are supposed to cut off parts of their body and build a ‘human doll’ out of them. On the surface, it's just more senseless grimdark edginess, but the actual mechanics become purely nonsensical when you consider them for more than a few seconds. This seems to have the same effect on the characters in the show as well. Previously meek little Ryou has a breakdown that leads him to dismember himself so he can prove that he's ‘strong’, while Riona goes the opposite direction into outright refusal. I honestly enjoy Riona's characterization throughout this show, the way she's perpetually 100% donewith how stupid this has all gotten; it effectively mirrors what the audience must be feeling by this point. In general, the whole thing comes across like the characters are losing their minds less because of exposure to all this death and darkness, and more because of how ridiculous the situation has become.

But of course Riona's protests fall on deaf ears, and Ryou jumps right to lopping his own leg off to prove that he's a big strong man. The failure of the series' execution is exemplary in this scene. Everything from the cinematography to the voice acting results in a scene equal parts baffling and hilarious. For our stomach's sake at this point, maybe that's for the best.

Only when Nobuaki awakens to this scene does he finally question why the King would give an order like this, which seems like a point that should have been brought up earlier. Questioning what the King has to gain from these specific tasks seems salient, and the fact that Natsuko doesn't care could create an interesting contrast. But it's less interesting that they're only bringing this up now, and then they completely abandon the question once they dredge up the Game's infamous virus origins. They explain this to us for a third time and it still doesn't make any sense, actually raising further questions now that the question has been raised about the King's motives. This absurdity makes it unclear if there even is a King actually sending orders or if it's just a procedurally-generated facet of the hypnotic hypervirus. Nobuaki and Riona seem to think it's interesting at least, enough to start discussing it with the maniacal Natsuko after she just chainsawed two of their friends to death in front of them. But that ends up moot after they finally unscramble the jumble of cell phone messages and reveal the true solution to the King's Game: they must kill themselves!

That's right, the last big twist this triumph of storytelling has in store for us is that the King's Game virus will continue to spread unless all participants kill themselves, otherwise humanity itself will eventually be destroyed! It's almost as if the show realized it had desensitized us to obscene violence and was desperately trying to up its stakes for the finale at the eleventh hour. Ignoring the severe logical fallacies in this so-called ultimate solution, can these kids really kill themselves to save humanity?

Natsuko obviously isn't willing, and her subsequent rant actually comes the closest this series has been to compelling. I almost even liked her “someone has to be the bad guy” rationalization, and it even gets punctuated with an absurdly dramatic chainsaw slash from Riona. Everything after this point is a ridiculous daisy chain of the trio almost dying to end up killing each other anyway, complete with near-perfect comic timing as Natsuko cuts Nobuaki down just as Riona's confessing her love to him, followed by Natsuko revealing that she did it because she loves Nobuaki too! Enough girls have fallen for Nobuaki over the course of this thing that it practically qualifies as a harem fantasy for its namesake author.

So then we get to see Nobuaki go to Heaven to be reunited with all his dead friends! Maybe Teruaki can give him another haircut in the great beyond. Heck, even Natsuko is there, apparently sorry about the whole chainsaw-murder thing. What's bizarre about this sequence is that it's presented as some sort of happy-end resolution, completely glossing over the point that they all died pointless deaths. The King's Game was trying to kill them, and they put so much effort into surviving only to fail over and over again, and now the narrative is now celebrating that failure? What's the takeaway here? I know the flashback storyline didn't work because we already knew everyone died at the end, but now that the surprise is apparently that everyone dies again, there's even less sense of closure. It ends up feeling just as pointless as Riona finally kills herself to end the King's Game as the decoded message advised.

After all this, at the very end after the credits, King's Game's attempts at horror actually pull through, and it finally manages to be truly terrifying! In its last frame, in the same manner as the deadly messages sent to a new group of unsuspecting students, the series torments us with the scariest words to grace our screen:

To Be Continued...

Rating: D

King's Game The Animation is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Just Because! Episode 11

As an unabashed member of Team Ena, this week's Just Because! was an absolute disaster. The episode was essentially constructed as one long visual parallel, contrasting Eita and Mio's journeys toward each of their entrance exams. As a dramatic conceit, it was an absolute success, one of the more tightly composed episodes of the show so far. As potential justification for Ena's romantic victory over Mio, it was basically the apocalypse.

More than anything else, what stuck out to me in this episode was Just Because!'s subtle but consistently effective musical cues. The show's main musical motif is a simple synth melody contrasted against a gentle rim pop sound, a light tapping that adds structure and a sense of building momentum to a melody that wavers between hopeful and resigned. That song feels like the show itself—slightly melancholy, fundamentally warm, and building ever so gently toward something bigger. Contrasted against Eita and Haruto offering friendly goodbyes, the overall effect felt like Just Because! in total, a fond goodbye and a glance toward whatever comes next.

That sense of the music leading the action carried through this episode's following scenes, where Mio and Eita both worked their hardest to not confess to each other. Mio's sister was forced to act as an unintentional negotiator, as her chance meeting with Eita resulted in both him and Mio reaffirming their dedication to not actually tell each other anything until after the exams. Mio's and Eita's infuriating attitude is a big part of why I fell so much on Ena's side in the first place, but for this episode, their synchronized hesitation definitely worked—particularly since Mio's absurd expressions facing her sister were one of the show's best comedy beats so far.

The mirroring of Mio and Eita locked fully into place the night before the exams, as the two of them each spent a moment staring out across the town toward the other. Just Because! has always drawn great dramatic mileage out of its sturdy sense of location, and this sequence felt like a final validation of how well the show has built up their Tokyo suburb as a living place. From the train sliding past in the distance to the wooded houses and sparse fields of the town proper, Mio and Eita's feelings have always been tied to this place, with its well-worn alleys and familiar convenience stores. Just Because! isn't just “teens figuring out love,” it's moments like this—two kids looking out over all the streets and sidewalks that divide them, treasuring these last moments in the place they know so well, the place they seem to be leaving behind.

A building violin-led melody followed Mio and Eita to their exams, contrasting shots shaping their journeys into a kind of shared conflict. I've never seen a show try and turn a college entrance exam into a big romantic turning point (well, I guess that was actually Love Hina's premise), but Just Because! did a stand-up job of that here, layering Mio and Eita's most emotionally charged conversations over them struggling to answer test questions. It was very in-character for these two that this climactic union would involve them sitting in entirely different towns, working quietly by themselves, trying to pass an exam they were only taking due to their refusal to actually communicate. Infuriating yes, but also in character.

In the end, it seemed like Mio, Eita, and even Ena all succeeded in their grand trials. This episode didn't really sell me on Mio and Eita being the pair that “deserve” to be together, but it was a smartly constructed episode all the same, and it certainly illustrated the depth of their feelings. The Ena ship may be sinking on the horizon, but Just Because! is still sailing gracefully to the finish.

Overall: B

Just Because! is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.

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GARO -Vanishing Line- Episode 12

This week's episode of Garo is called “FAMILY”, which is about as perfectly literal a title as could be. Not only is the Horror of the week centered around a down-on-their-luck family running a motel in the middle of the desert, but the thematic crux of the episode is all about how Sophie, Sword, and Gina are growing into their own family unit. While there's nothing especially surprising or mold-breaking for GARO -VANISHING LINE- here, the show has really grown into the strengths of its cast, its themes, and its setting. I think there's a tendency for people to look at more episodic stories like this one and dismiss them as filler, but I don't think that's entirely fair. This adventure has enough of its own share suspense, atmosphere, and charming character interactions to make it worthwhile in its own right.

After the cold open sets up the creepy motel (fashioned after the Bates motel) that will become the main setting later on, we get a few good minutes of Team Garo simply making their way through the western expanse, but where last week played heavily into the “Western with a capital W” imagery, the mood this time around feels more apocalyptic than anything else. Gina informs Sophie that the government of their nation has failed many of the people living outside of Russel City, and thousands have been forced out into the broken streets of cities out in the lawless zones. When we learn later that the main antagonist of the episode is also a victim of financial hardship, the whole story feels so much in touch with current American struggles that I found it almost disarming. While I've never been to a place that felt quite as bad as what Team Garo drives through, I've spent plenty of time traveling through some of the areas of the USA hit the hardest by recession, industrial collapse, and the inevitable drift of communities and opportunities. In a year where ideas like “economic anxiety” have been burned into the cultural dialogue, I never expected for GARO to be the anime that approached America's relevant current struggles.

All of this gets put into sharper focus when Team Garo finds the Bates-esque motel, and the rest of the episode does a mostly excellent job of balancing the suspense surrounding this horror of the week with the more lighthearted moments of Sophie, Sword, and Gina simply acting like a family on a road trip. Sophie exudes her characteristic glee at simply having a shower and a bed, while Gina takes on a more matronly role as she bonds more with Sophie and keeps Sword at bay. Sword has the least to do character-wise, but the episode does give him a monologue that explains his almost spiritual reverence for women's breasts, which is so enthusiastic and impassioned that it manages to be genuinely funny and incredibly stupid.

However, the overabundance of levity brought by this speech does make for one distractingly jarring transition. Before Sword goes on his boob rant, we see how the motel's owner has become broken by his financial woes, and he spends his days obsessed with earning enough money to restore his old life in Russel City. This character and his fate at the hands of the Horror that eats his motel's guests feels like an even more pointed critique of the egotism that leads to people making poor decisions based on the desire for economic prosperity alone. All Matthew's wife and son want is to remain together as a family, but Matthew won't be satisfied until he can make his own life feel great again. The town around them is as dark as pitch, and while the show doesn't immediately cut from Matthew beating his wife to Sword waxing poetic about the historical significance of breasts, the tone does feel mismatched all the same. I understand that the point was probably to break the tension up, but after watching something so thoroughly unpleasant, I think the transition could have been handled better.

Outside of that off note, this is a tightly written and genuinely suspenseful episode that worked well as a standalone story for Team Garo to fight their way through. The animation was a little wonky in places, but the strong character interactions and interesting themes made up for it. Sword was at least able to turn his breast obsession into something funny, and Sophie and Gina getting more screen time to spend together is always a good thing. Even the horror of the week was refreshing, eschewing the overly sexualized design choices of past monsters and instead going with a sentient pool of murderous water, which becomes all the more menacing in its simplicity. Even if it lacks any significant plot developments about El Dorado, to call this episode “filler” does a disservice to it as a successful example of episodic storytelling. Seeing Sophie, Sword, and Gina grow closer and stronger over the course of their journey is becoming a key feature of GARO -VANISHING LINE-'s story.

Rating: B+

Garo -Vanishing Line- is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is an English teacher who has loved anime his entire life, and he spends way too much time on Twitter and his blog.

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Touhou-Based 'Memories of Phantasm' Anime's Episode 9 Streamed

Manpuku Jinja streams trailer for 10th episode launching at Comiket 93 on December 29

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Dōjin (self-published) circle Manpuku Jinja began streaming the full ninth episode of "Gensō Bankakyō ~The Memories of Phantasm~" (Kaleidoscope of Illusions: The Memories of Phantasm) — its anime project based on the Touhou Project games — on Sunday. The ninth episode is titled "Eiya Ihen no Shō (Chūhen)" (Imperishable Night Incident Chapter Middle Part). The circle streamed a preview for the episode in July.

The end of the video teases the 10th episode, "Eiya Ihen no Shō (Kōhen ①)" (Imperishable Night Incident Chapter Final Part ①). The circle will release the 10th episode on DVD at the Comic Market 93 (Comiket) event on December 29. The circle is also streaming a preview for the episode.

The circle distributed the ninth episode on DVD on the first day of this year's summer Comic Market 92 event, which was held on August 11-13. Manpuku Jinja distributed the eighth episode on DVD at Winter Comic Market 91 in December 2016, and streamed the episode with English subtitles in March.

Manpuku Jinja streamed the full first 16-minute episode of "Gensō Bankakyō ~The Memories of Phantasm~" in August 2011 after debuting the work at Comic Market 80. The circle streamed the second episode in June 2013 after debuting it at the Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai Touhou Project-only dōjinshi event the month before. Manpuku Jinja streamed episodes three and four in December 2014 followed by episode five in June 2015, and episodesix in January 2016. The seventh episode, "Kyodai Yōkai Densetsu no Shō" (Giant Monster Legend Chapter), debuted in July 2016.

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Dies Irae Episode 11

Though Ren has been the central character since episode one, he's not been the exclusive focal point. Nowhere is that more evident than in this episode, where he doesn't appear at all in the current timeline; instead we focus on Shirou, Rea, and some of the bad guys, leaving us hanging about where the proposed alliance from the priest last episode will end up going, at least for another week. That wouldn't be a problem if the content from this episode made much sense. Once again, I can't shake the nagging impression that all these gaps would be filled in by familiarity with the source material, and some VN spoilers I've looked into do help to make sense of at least some of what we're seeing in the anime. Still, making a series that's nonsensical to anyone unfamiliar with the source material is bad planning.

The anime story does actually clarify a few points, though. Most importantly, it finally establishes that Rea is Riza's great-granddaughter, which means she's directly connected to the swastika-based plot, as evidenced by her stomach pains. It also reaffirms that Kasumi's father was a total bastard who had insidious intent on wooing Kasumi's mother for bloodline-related reasons. Shirou's déjà vu ability is also at Mercurius's will and Schreiber – the gaudily-eyepatched one who fought with Bey back in episode 0 – also finally makes an appearance, complete with his own giant skeletal thing.

Beyond that, things get almost incomprehensibly weird. The bombshell this episode drops is that Shirou was responsible for stabbing Kasumi's father to death to stop some experiment on Ren as a child. Where did that come from? Nothing of the sort has even been hinted at before this point. Presumably, Shirou sprouting up out of Rusalka (the redhead) Alien-style had something to do with her killing him, which raises the question of where Shirou's girlfriend Erii might be. (As a side note, the name that Bey calls Rusalka by, Malleus, is a reference to Malleus Maleficarum, a late 15th-century book that set the standard for witch persecutions in Europe. All of the villains in the series are apparently associated with items like these.) Equally out of nowhere is Rusalka's profession of love to Schreiber; this is presumably a ploy to save her own life, but we know too little of their relationship for such a manipulation to seem convincing. There's also Bey sprouting a girl out of his body who's supposedly his mother AND sister. We're probably not going to get any elaboration on that, since Bey gets offed quite easily by the newly-arrived Schreiber before the episode ends.

All of this is delivered through some fairly neat visuals and a strong mix of orchestral and pounding metal music, which makes me think once again that a better series could have been made from this content. As it stands, this anime hasn't done anywhere near enough work in forming a solid foundation for its world-building or connecting its puzzle pieces in a comprehensible way. For those intent on trying to weather out the rest of the series, I highly recommend checking out this Wiki page, where the character profiles will fill in some of the blanks for you.

Rating: C

Dies irae is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Dark Horse to Re-release Gantz Manga in Omnibus Form Starting in 2018

Company originally released 37-volume series in 2008-2015

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Dark Horse Comics revealed on Twitter on Monday that it plans to release omnibus editions of Hiroya Oku's Gantz manga starting next year. The company said it will reveal more information about the rerelease at a later date.

Oku launched the original Gantz manga in Shueisha's Young Jump magazine in 2000, and he ended the manga in 2013. Shueisha published the 37th and final volume in Japan in August 2013. The original manga followed a young Tokyo man who is reanimated after a deadly subway accident. Kei and other resurrected people go on violent, seemingly endless missions at the behest of an unseen host.

The manga inspired a television anime series animated by GONZO (and released by ADV Films in North America) and two live-action films (released by NEW PEOPLE Entertainment). More recently, the manga inspired a 3DCG anime film titled GANTZ:Othat premiered in Japan in October 2016.

The manga also inspired the GANTZ:G spinoff manga, and is inspiring a stage play that will run in Tokyo from January 26 through February 4.

Dark Horse Comics originally published the manga in North America between 2008 and 2015.

Thanks to Wes ker for the news tip.

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Inuyashiki Last Hero Episode 11

The finale of Inuyashiki will doubtless leave most viewers with mixed feelings, and I'd be curious to hear the directors, adaptive writer, or original manga author comment on whether or not this effect was intentional. My suspicion is that it wasn't intended to be as unsettling as it may come across, since for all the emotional richness that the series has delivered, it's never been that thematically complex either.

The biggest point of contention will no doubt be the actions of Hiro, though I didn't find his portrayal in this episode to be problematic myself. While he unquestionably became a monster, he was never portrayed as being truly emotionless or uncaring; he was just very limited in who he cared about. I don't believe that the story was trying to redeem him through his act of self-sacrifice in trying to divert the asteroid, nor did I see Hiro as seeking any kind of redemption. His efforts to save everyone were just a side effect of his desire to save Ando and Shion – the two surviving people he did care about – rather than any substantive change of heart. His inability to single-handedly divert the asteroid could be seen as an indication that not even that could make up for all the people that he slaughtered in cold blood, but I'm not convinced that the series was trying to be that thoughtful. It seemed much more like a ploy to require that Ichiro follow Hiro's efforts with a more genuine heroic sacrifice, now that he knew how to self-destruct as well.

But was that ending avoidable? Probably not. After all, the asteroid had been at least vaguely hinted at throughout the series, and even though Ichiro used his abilities to save people, he didn't fit in that world anymore, especially without a foil like Hiro to combat, and he wouldn't be able to remain anonymous forever. Besides, this was more than some vaguely-defined sacrifice for him. Though he loved his family and fully intended to return to them if he could, he also understood that this was something he had to do to safeguard their future. For a man who had always felt small, this was the ultimate expression of both the heroic role that he had chosen for himself and the life that he had lived so far. Still, it would have been nice to see him survive.

What sells the impact of this sacrifice most is the emotions tied to it. The episode opens with Ichiro finally revealing the truth to his whole family, and both his wife and Mari won't hear his concerns that he isn't the Ichiro that they knew. His son, who's never been given much attention, was more thrown by the revelation, which was why I appreciated that the series took at least some time to round things out between him and Hiro. The scene at the end implying that his son might have finally been inspired to fight back against the bullies by his father was a simple but great inclusion, as was Ando's anguish when he immediately realized what Ichiro had done or Shion's reaction to her presumption about Hiro's demise. Moreover, Mari's discovery at the end that she had won the manga contest strikes a final note of validation for the role Ichiro played in encouraging her efforts.

That emotional honesty and impact more than makes up for the episode's most significant flaw: rushed pacing. Even though the asteroid has been foreshadowed, the scenario feels like it is plays out too quickly. The portrayal of the American president, clearly intended to be Donald Trump, was also uncharacteristically cheesy, though it still fits with the sharply opinionated social commentary tone of the series. Besides, it's practically tradition for anime to poke fun at American presidents.

Overall, the final episode delivers strongly enough for me to rank this series among the season's best. In the ways that matter, it doesn't falter in playing its strengths through to the end.

Rating: A-

Inuyashiki Last Hero is currently streaming on Amazon's Anime Strike.

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Live-Action ERASED Series Available Now on Netflix U.S.

Netflix U.S. is now streaming its live-action series of Kei Sanbe's Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi) manga. The stream is available with English subtitles. The 12-episode series premiered in Japan on December 15, and is slated to debut in 190 countries this winter.

Ten Shimoyama (live-action SHINOBI - Heart Under Blade) directed the series, with scripts by Tomomi Ōkubo. The Kansai TV/Cocoon production filmed the show in 4K resolution in Hokkaido's Tomakomai City, the real-life locale depicted in the original manga. Yūki Furukawa, who plays Satoru Fujinuma in the show, happens to be 29 years old in real life, just like the adult Satoru.

The original manga's story follows Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year old struggling manga artist who possesses a strange power: a largely uncontrolled ability to turn back time before a life-threatening accident occurs around him. When his mother notices a serial kidnapper in action, and is later murdered for it, Satoru unwillingly turns back time to arrive 18 years in the past in his elementary school days, some time before an incident that has haunted him his whole life: the disappearance and murder of his classmate Kayo Hinazuki.

The new series adapts the manga's epilogue story for the first time.

Thanks to Rai for the news tip.

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Hiro Shimono Performs Ending Theme for Nil Admirari no Tenbin TV Anime

Series based on Otomate romance game debuts in spring 2018

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Voice actor Hiro Shimono announced at the "Hiro Shimono × Cinnamoroll Christmas Special Event in Sanrio Puroland" event on Saturday that he will perform the ending theme song "Black Thunder" for Nil Admirari no Tenbin (Libra of Nil Admirari), the television anime adaptation of Idea Factory and Otomate's Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Teito Genwaku Kitanromance game.

Shimono previously performed the opening theme songs for the Kabukibu! and Rainy Cocoa television anime series. He will release his first mini album Color of Life featuring "Black Thunder" on March 14.

Nil Admirari no Tenbin will premiere in spring 2018. The anime features a returning cast from the game, including:

• Yuuki Kaji as Hayato Ozaki
• Nobuhiko Okamoto as Akira Kōgami
• Ryota Ohsaka as Hisui Hoshikawa
• Ryohei Kimura as Shōgo Ukai
• Kenichi Suzumura as Shizuru Migiwa
• Takahiro Sakurai as Rui Sagisawa

Masahiro Takata (Super Seisyun Brothers director, Kenka Banchō Otome: Girl Beats Boys episode director) is directing the anime at studio Zero-G. Tomoko Konparu (Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000% all four seasons, Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to Youboth seasons) is overseeing the series scripts, and Yukie Sakō (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal first two seasons) is designing the characters. Tomoki Hasegawa(NANA, Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei) is composing the music at Pony Canyon.

The story of the game is set in the Taisho Era at the beginning of the 20th century — except the era did not end in 15 years (as it did in real life) but lasted 25 years. To protect her family who fell from their former glory, a girl decides to marry a man whose name she does not even know. However, before she does, her little brother commits suicide in a mysterious fire, with an old book in hand.

The Imperial Library Information Assets Management Bureau — also known as "Fukurō" — then appears before the confused girl. According to the Fukurō, there exists books called Maremono, which exert a great influence on those who read it. Moreover, the girl gained the ability to see an "Aura" due to the incident with her brother. Despite her confusion, the girl chooses to leave the "birdcage" of her former life.

Otomate released the original game in April 2016. Otomate released a sequel Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Kuroyuri Enyōtan on September 21. A manga adaptation by artist Shō Yuzuki will launch in the February issue of Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasymagazine on January 18.

Source: MoCa News

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Uta no Prince-sama Anime Film Reveals Title, Visual, 2019 Debut

New singles also revealed for ST☆RISH, QUARTET NIGHT, HE★VENS groups

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Broccoli opened a website on Sunday to reveal the title and 2019 debut date for the upcoming planned anime film in the Uta no Prince Sama anime franchise. The film's title is Uta no Prince Sama Maji Love Kingdom. The website also features a new visual.

The in-franchise idol unit ST☆RISH will release a single on February 14 for a song that will be featured in the film. A similar single for QUARTET NIGHT for a song that will be featured in the film will ship in summer 2018, and single for HE★VENS for a song that will be featured in the film will ship in fall 2018.

Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000%, the first anime season adapting Broccoli's dating simulation video game for female players, premiered in Japan in July 2011. In the first season of the slapstick romantic comedy, the female protagonist goes to a school for the performing arts with young men who are budding idols. The subsequent seasons followed seven of the young men after they form the idol group ST☆RISH.

Niconico streamed the first series outside of Japan as it aired. The 13-episode second season, Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 2000%, premiered in Japan in April 2013. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired. The 13-episode third season, Utano☆Princesama Revolutions, premiered in April 2015, and Crunchyroll streamedthe series as it aired.

Sentai Filmworks licensed the first three seasons, and has released them on home video.

The 13-episode fourth season, Utano☆Princesama Legend Star, premiered in October 2016. Crunchyroll and The Anime Network both streamed the series as it aired. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series and plans to release it on home video.

Thanks to Emi for the news tip.

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Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Promo Video Showcases Syaoran

Crunchyroll to stream series starting in January; Funimation to stream dub

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The official website for the television anime of CLAMP's Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card manga began streaminga new promotional video focusing on Syaoran Li on Friday.

The anime will premiere on NHK BS Premium at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2018. The anime will then repeat on Fridays at 11:45 p.m. Crunchyroll will stream the series as it airs in Japan, and Funimation will streamthe dub on FunimationNow. NHK reported earlier this month that the series will have 26 episodes.

Morio Asaka is returning from the first television anime series and two films to direct the new series at Madhouse. CLAMP's Nanase Ohkawa is handling the series composition and is writing the scripts. Kunihiko Hamada (animation director for previous TV series and two films) is the character designer with costume and card designs by CLAMP's Mokona. Masafumi Mima is directing the sound, and Takayuki Negishi is composing the music. NHK, Kodansha, and NHK Enterprise are producing.

The main returning cast includes:

Sakura Tange as Sakura Kinomoto

Aya Hisakawa as Keroberos

Junko Iwao as Tomoyo Daidōji

Motoko Kumai as Syaoran Li

Megumi Ogata as Yukito Tsukishiro/Yue

Tomokazu Seki as Tōya Kinomoto

Nozomu Sasaki as Eriol Hiiragizawa

Emi Shinohara as Kaho Mizuki

• Hideyuki Tanaka as Fujitaka Kinomoto
• Yumi Touma as Spinel Sun
• Ryoka Yuzuki as Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon
• Issei Miyazaki as Takashi Yamazaki
• Miwa Matsumoto as Chiharu Mihara
• Emi Motoi as Naoko Yanagisawa

New characters include:

Minori Suzuki as Akiho, a new friend of Sakura's who has transferred from Hong Kong. She has lived abroad for a long time in France, Germany, and so on. Her favorite stuffed animal is named Momo.

Natsuki Hanae as Yuna, who takes care of Akiho. He is good at making delicious black tea and sweets.

CLAMP launched the Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card sequel manga series in Nakayoshi on June 3, 2016. The manga's third volume shipped on September 13, and a special edition bundled the Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen Prologue - Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma OVA. The manga series now has more than 1.5 million copies in print.

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