Anime Review: Sasaki and Peeps

Sasaki is a skilled negotiator.

Anime Review: Sasaki and Peeps We first meet Sasaki at his day job, a salaryman at a small trading company in Tokyo. He’s good at his job, and well liked by his coworkers. But it’s clear that his career stalled out years ago, and his salary can be generously described as modest. By frugal living,… Continue reading Anime Review: Sasaki and Peeps

Anime Review: Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure

From left: Cure Wing, Cure Sky, Cure Prism and Cure Butterfly

Anime Review: Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure (Japanese title: “Hirogaru Sky! Precure”) Pretty Cure is a franchise series of anime shows aimed at preteen girls, which began in 2004 with Futari wa Pretty Cure (“We Two are Pretty Cure”). The recurring basic plot is that girls in their early teens are given magical items (usually by… Continue reading Anime Review: Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure

Manga Review: Magical Angel Creamy Mami and the Spoiled Princess 1

Manga Review: Magical Angel Creamy Mami and the Spoiled Princess 1 by Emi Mitsuki A few years ago, when small talent agency Parthenon Productions was just starting out, Megumi Ayase was their breakout star. Company manager Shingo Tachibana led her to believe that they’d work together to make Parthenon a success. And they did. But… Continue reading Manga Review: Magical Angel Creamy Mami and the Spoiled Princess 1

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian by Kel McDonald So it turns out that King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, was a loan from the fairies of Avalon. They’re not exactly thrilled with how the whole Camelot thing ended up, and they never got their sword back. In the present day, Cu (“Hound”) has… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Webtoon Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Swift Wind and Adora navigate the Whispering Woods.

Webtoon Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon has a plan. If she and her best friend Bow can find the piece of First Ones technology that he’s detecting in the nearby Whispering Woods, her mother Queen Angella will be so impressed that she will allow Glimmer to take a… Continue reading Webtoon Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Book Review: MagnifiqueNoir Book One: I Am Magical

Book Review: MagnifiqueNoir Book One: I Am Magical by Briana Lawrence College life can be hard to balance. There’s classes, social life, maybe a part-time (or even full time) job, and of course fighting off monster attacks. Or at least that one applies to gamer girl Bree Williams and her friends in MagnifiqueNoir, a team… Continue reading Book Review: MagnifiqueNoir Book One: I Am Magical

Manga Review: Tokyo Mew Mew, Volume One

Manga Review: Tokyo Mew Mew, Volume One by Mia Ikumi & Reiko Yoshida At the turn of the millennium, Ichigo Momomiya is a junior high school student with a crush on her handsome, smart and athletic classmate Masaya.  He seems to be a bit oblivious to her feelings though, being consumed with a passion for… Continue reading Manga Review: Tokyo Mew Mew, Volume One

Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3

Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3 by Naoko Takeuchi Usagi Tsukino doesn’t look much like hero material at first glance.  She’s clumsy, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and a bit of a crybaby.  But Usagi has a secret heritage, and when talking cat Luna seeks her out, Usagi becomes the bishoujo senshi (“pretty… Continue reading Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3

Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)

Once again this year I participated in the “Anime and Manga for Speculative Fiction Fans” panel at Minicon.  As promised at the panel, here’s a list of the items mentioned–I make no representations regarding the quality of the ones I have not seen. .hack:  A series of interlocking video games, anime, manga and light novels… Continue reading Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)

Anime Review: Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?

Anime Review: Invaders of the Rokujyoma!? Satomi Kotaro’s father has gone abroad on business, but he’s staying in Japan to attend high school.  Their family is not well off, and to stretch his living allowance as far as possible, Satomi jumps on Room 106 at Corona House because it costs the equivalent of $50 a… Continue reading Anime Review: Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?