Author Archives: Hana

Space Brothers episodes 05-06: Planes, Trains and Imbeciles

By Hana | Published: May 19, 2012

 Of course he hasn’t. He just really likes shampooing his hair. Daww. Yikes, sorry for being all quiet on the blogging front lately. Let’s just say it’s been an exceptionally busy past couple of months both at and outside work. Anyway, I’m back now (minus Crusader though, as he’s busy with his last finals this [...]

Posted in Space Brothers | 4 Comments

Space Brothers episode 04: Close to You

By Hana | Published: April 25, 2012

‘An older brother should be next to his younger brother.’ Hello, just my fangirling this week, as Comrade Crusader is buried under more projects and midterms than you can shake a cell phone at. So… I thought that this was a lovely ‘transitional’ episode, focussing on the immediate events surrounding Mutta and company’s end-of-the-second-round-interviews at [...]

Posted in Anime, Current, Space Brothers | 6 Comments

Hotarubi no Mori e and the unbearable lightness of feeling

By Hana | Published: April 9, 2012

‘Don’t forget…’ A canopy of trees glimpsed through a blue-tinged mist, the quiet sounds of early birds, a dew-soaked spider web nestled among still leaves, the winding mossy stone steps of an outside shrine, the hazy surface of a flower-strewn lake, and a silent masked man seated on a rock in the middle of it. [...]

Posted in Anime, Editorials, Hotarubi no Mori e | 11 Comments

Chihayafuru – 25(Final): Kana-chan’s Dream

By Crusader and Hana | Published: April 4, 2012

Suo has finally shown himself and so ends Chihayafuru. There isn’t much of blatant to be continued, and there is no championship parade for Mizusawa. It was a fun ride, even if the chances for another season are slim to none. Such is the state of shoujo anime that sequels are few and far between; [...]

Posted in Chihayafuru | 23 Comments

‘To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell’: on the rise and fall of men and monsters in Berserk

By Hana | Published: April 3, 2012

Image courtesy of Lyaska Hail, horrors! hail, Infernal World! and thou, profoundest Hell, Receive thy new possessor – one who brings A mind not to be changed by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven [...] To reign is worth [...]

Posted in Anime, Berserk, Editorials | 12 Comments

Chihayafuru – 24: Of Clan Mashima and Shallowness

By Crusader and Hana | Published: March 25, 2012

Well one more to go and Taichi is in desperation mode. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would try and lure Chihaya to his bedroom so that he could try something. However if Zeus wanted him to be with Chihaya he would have miracled it by now. Instead it seems [...]

Posted in Chihayafuru | 20 Comments

‘The most important place to me right now is here’: on photos, memories and home in Natsume Yuujinchou Shi

By Hana | Published: March 14, 2012

 Natsume, you really should say this stuff out loud… In short: this week’s episode of Natsume Yuujinchou Shi (no. 11) was amazing. In not as short: it’s probably my favourite episode to date, as it focuses on Natsume’s backstory and development and finally gives us information about his parents, as well as some really great [...]

Posted in Current, Editorials, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi | 8 Comments

Anime and ‘the uncanny’: case studies on Shiki and Another

By Hana | Published: March 6, 2012

Creepy. Even if you’ve only seen the opening episodes of Shiki (Autumn, 2010) or Another (Winter, 2012), the chances are that you’ll have noticed the distinctly creepy atmosphere in both series. Clearly, these are horror shows, but I think that both particularly excel (albeit, in differing degrees) at creating and sustaining genuinely unsettling feelings within [...]

Posted in Another, Current, Editorials, Shiki | 26 Comments

Chihayafuru – 21: Sudo Strikes Back

By Crusader and Hana | Published: March 3, 2012

Chihaya likes lolis. Taichi has a new  Class A act. Sudo returns and baptizes Nishida. Desperation ships, bold text messages, daring wagers and Kana-chan got denied by an old man; this week had plenty going on but not one confession.  People want to call Taichi a karuta genius but he can’t match a 6 year [...]

Posted in Chihayafuru | 13 Comments

Natsume’s Book of Friends s.4: Feelings vs. Duty in the Exorcists’ World

By Hana | Published: February 28, 2012

How different Nanase’s decisions are to those of Reiko, Takashi and Natori… In last week’s episode (no. 8), we were teased with the promise of Reiko’s appearance, but, in the end, we were left wanting and shown how powerful even her off-screen presence can be. Rather, that episode focusses on another female figure, as does [...]

Posted in Assorted Anime Reviews, Current, Editorials, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi | 2 Comments