2012 Anime Year in Review, Part II: #11-20

All in all, this is a pretty darn impressive group of series.

Adventures at Comiket 83

I wouldn’t exactly call attending Comiket fun, per se, but in a way I do think it’s sort of (stay with me here) inspirational.

2012 Anime Year in Review: The Top 10

There was never really any question in my mind what my #1 anime of 2012 would be, once I started seriously considering it.

Winter 2013 Season Preview

I’m going to cut back on my blogging schedule this season.  I really mean it this time.

Bakuman 3 – 12-13

It’s hard to believe based on pacing that the Bakuman of episode 12 is the same series that gave us the first season.

12/28/12 - Nikko

Nikko is a good place to go if you want to dispel the notion that all of Japan displays a Zen sensibility.

Hyouge Mono – 15-16

Meanwhile, back in the 16th Century…

Jormungand: Perfect Order – 12 (End) and Series Review

Perhaps it’s clear now why it was so hard for me to write about Jormungand these last few weeks.

Hikaru no Go Manga Movable Feast

Animemiz is featuring Hikaru no Go in the "Manga Movable Feast" this month, a venture to which I've been privileged to contribute an article.  If you love HnG like I do - or need a good reason to read a great manga - it's well worth checking out.

Ginga e Kickoff – 29-30

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say, but mine was already pretty fond of this series before the latest information blackout.

Sakurasou no Pet no Kanoujou - 12

Oklahoma isn’t the only place where the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun – 13 (End) and Series Review

Since this is the last time I’m going to be able to say it about a TV episode, I’m going to repeat myself one more time – I love Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.

Christmas in Tokyo

Holidays are a wonderful way to bring the differences between cultures into focus.

Little Busters! - 12

Are those the unmistakable strains of magical realism I hear coming from the background?

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic - 12

It’s getting close to decision-time with Magi.

Uchuu Kyoudai - 38

Of all people, it was Furuya-kun who best summed up this episode of Space Brothers.

Hunter X Hunter 2011 - 60

Seriously – did anyone doubt for a second that Gon would put out “Rock”?

Btooom! – 12 (End) and Series Review

All in all Madhouse does a pretty good job here, delivering a non-ending that serves the purpose with few surprises.

Sukitte Ii na yo - 12

Give Sukitte some credit for this: it never misses its cues.

Jormungand: Perfect Order - 11

In some ways, this may just be the hardest blog post I’ve ever had to write.

Shin Sekai Yori - 13

Sometimes even in the darkest stories, you can find a glimmer of hope somewhere.  So far that isn’t the case with Shin Sekai Yori.

Psycho-Pass - 11

If you’re a fan of NoitaminA – and I’m one of the biggest – this goes down as one of the best and worst days of the year.

Robotics;Notes - 11

Now that’s how you kick things up a notch.

Zetsuen no Tempest - 12

If I know anything, it’s that when two trees throw down, you do not want to get in the way.

12 Days of Anime

For those interested, my entry in Random Curiosity's "12 Days of Anime" series has been posted.

Kamisma Hajimemashita - 12

Be careful – this is a series that will crawl inside your consciousness and build a nest before you realize it.

Shirokuma Café - 38

Without question, no other anime has gotten so much mileage out of the soujiki.

Chuunibyou – 12 (End) and Series Review

While Chuunibyou never achieved real profundity in its final episode, I think it crafted a finale that was true to itself.

Hourou Musuko - 116

“State of Mind”

Weekly Digest: 12/19/12 – Kamisama Hajimemashita, Sakurasou

These two series are a textbook example of extremely different approaches to storytelling.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun - 12

Damn you, Brains Base – why must you torture us with masterful adaptations that stop in the middle?

Weekly Digest: 12/18/12 – Btooom!, Magi

While Btooom was unable to carry over its momentum from last week, Magi sails along without missing a beat.