summer 2016

91 Days – Episodes 2-3

♪ I’ll be spending Friday nights writing ’bout a gangster’s paradise… ♪

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91 Days had possibly the best premiere of the season, and two episodes later it continues to dig its hooks into me with twists, turns, mysteries, and conspiracies. You read or watch enough stories and you start to get a feel for where a narrative’s heading, but 91 Days has kept me on my toes with speedy escalation, a chessboard full of briefly glimpsed players, and a camera that just loves to build tension through canted angles and wide shots of empty rooms. I’m not sure where it’s all heading, and I love that about it.

Click here for the full post on Anime Evo!

orange – Episodes 2-3

I’m not sure if I’m happy or just relieved.

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Adaptations can be a minefield, but orange has so far met my expectations, endearing me to its cast and sucking me into its story all over again. It’s easily one of my Top Three favorite shows of the summer (nestled right alongside gangsters and puppets, go figure), so I’ve opted to cover it for Anime Evo this season. Also, sorry it’s a little late–I had a busy travel weekend and couldn’t find the time until today.

I’m in a unique position with this one where I’ve actually read the entire manga, but anime newbies can rest assured that, while these posts do assume you’ve seen the episode(s) under discussion, this is a manga spoiler-free zone. So viewers and readers can read on free of worries!

Click here for the full post on Anime Evo!

Panning the Stream: Summer 2016 Premieres, Round 2

One final explosion of titles before we settle into the new season.

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I somehow managed to stop hunting Pokemon long enough to write my second and final batch of premiere reviews. With one exception (baseball anime BATTERY, which I’ll cover in my Rule of Three if it makes it that far), the summer rush has swept on by, leaving me to sort through the silt and see if I can find some gold. I wouldn’t call it a deep season, but there’s variety and potential, and one show that has me positively giddy.

Hit the jump to say hi (and goodbye) to the rest of the summer premieres.

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Panning the Stream: Summer 2016 Premieres, Round 1

Let the taste-testing begin!

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I’ve been up to my ears in family gatherings, travel, and spotty WiFi this week, but I finally managed to watch enough premieres to compile them into the season’s first Panning post. We’re sticking with the new format I adopted for Spring: I’ll watch every new, licensed full-length show and talk about ’em, then roll them up into “digest” posts divided into three basic categories: “Guaranteed three episodes,” “On the fence,” and “Probably dropped.”

If a title catches your eye, you can find out where the show is streaming by using this handy search engine. Now hit the jump to ding the bell for Round 1—FIGHT!

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orange – Episode 1 (Meet ‘n’ Greet)

Prepare your heart for a summer full of feelings!

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Now that my schedule has settled down somewhat, I’m back to blogging weekly for the good folks at Anime Evo again! While I’m still not 100% certain if I’ll be covering orange or something else, this lovely, vibrant, pensive premiere bodes very well for the show’s chances. Either way, it definitely deserved a few extra words.

Click here for the full meet ‘n’ greet on Anime Evo!