Analysis

Thank You, My Hero

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Warning: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Final Season, now streaming on Crunchyroll. Some sections are more spoilery than others, so I’ll try to label when I’m diving into the thick of things for those who might just want my general thoughts on the season as well as the series at large.

This coming April will mark 10 years since the TV anime adaptation of My Hero Academia began at Bones Studio C, the same production house that gave us Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), Soul Eater, and Ouran High School Host Club. And nearly just in time for that anniversary, the series has concluded its eighth and final season – the shortest, in fact, at 11 episodes. 11 episodes of dazzling spectacle, heartbreaking sacrifices, and monumental strides for its world and characters, and not a single week passed that the gravity of it all did not bring me to tears.

When it started, I was in my senior year of High School. I loved all the characters, I loved the animation, and I had a crush on Deku, because he was (and still is) adorable and ideal boyfriend material. Now I’m approaching my 30s, and despite the uncertainty of the future, for which this series’ text aptly latched onto as it progressed, I’m living my best life. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that My Hero Academia contributed to the heights of my life at this juncture, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that its whimsy has helped lift me along the way. It is a story that found me at the right time and grew with me, becoming more resonant than I ever expected.

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Bones Film and the Hunger for Longer Anime Seasons

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So earlier today, I watched the new trailer for Daemons of the Shadow Realm, the new Hiromu Arakawa adaptation, and unsurprisingly, it rocked. Though crucially, I don’t believe it’s just because of Arakawa’s namesake. Don’t get me wrong: Fullmetal Alchemist‘s acclaim and staying power in the cultural consciousness are a testament to some wonderful writing, but they’re also inextricably tied to the artistry of Studio Bones. Frankly, if it weren’t Bones – oop sorry, Bones Film – handling this adaptation, I might actually be less excited, if only because few studios can evoke such trust in me by reputation alone.

Like, honey, look at the material. Mob Psycho 100? My Hero Academia? Noragami? Kekkai Sensen? Star Driver? With a resume like this, even something as huge as Fullmetal Alchemist is practically just a blip on the radar. Glazing aside, Daemons of the Shadow Realm‘s anime has only done itself more favors the more that’s been shown, and all from Masahiro Ando, the director of one of the studio’s greatest gems, Sword of the Stranger. Plus, with music by Kenichiro Suehiro of Fire Force and Re:Zero fame, it will probably be one of the best soundtracks of the season.

But none of that is what really caught my eye. I wasn’t even gonna write about it. If anything, I was planning on writing about Gachiakuta and My Hero Academia dominating this season (and I still might). No, what really caught my eye were the final words of the trailer: “Airing for two consecutive cours starting in April 2026”. It’s just a simple detail, practically obligatory, to disclose the release date and whatnot, right? Right… But somehow it felt more like the answer to a prayer. Cause like, has anyone else felt like anime seasons used to be longer?

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To Be Hero X Is The Best Superhero Story of 2025 (Sorry)

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[Note: I watched To Be Hero X in Japanese with English subtitles. Any appraisal of vocal performances is made with this frame of reference in mind. However, from what I’ve heard of the English dub, it’s really well done, so if you prefer dubs, you’re in for a treat.]

In a landscape so saturated with superhero media, what does it mean to be truly original? Is it the ideas? The spectacle? Themes? Style? Sure, these can help new projects to stand out in a cluttered marketplace of origin stories and disparate continuities, but amid the genre’s worst lulls, finding originality can feel like a moot point. And frankly, is looking for “true originality” even productive? The foundations of these stories and their messages are timeless for a reason. It’s not about originality so much as nuance, and To Be Hero X might be the best superhero story in years.

And, you know, at the start of 2025, that might have felt like a low bar, especially after such a spineless shitshow like Captain America: Brave New World. Even with Thunderbolts*, Jake Schreier and his team’s commendable commitment to practical stuntwork, strong theming, and heartfelt character drama felt like the exception to the rule. But then we got James Gunn’s Superman, and less than a month later, Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four: First Steps. These two beloved films weren’t just successful, but reignited faith in superhero movies, to say nothing of hope for humanity in general (especially in the case of the former).

So it’s fair to say this has been a strong year for superhero media, which makes my aforementioned take a lot more contentious. However, while I don’t want to undermine the merits of Schreier, Gunn, or Shakman, I genuinely think To Be Hero X clears all of them by *that* much. But what exactly is To Be Hero X? And why does it deserve to be recognized among the genre’s best and brightest?

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An Abridged Summary of My Thoughts on the Demon Slayer Anime For No Reason At All

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Hey everyone, remember in 2019 when I gave Demon Slayer a 10/10?

Probably not, and that’s fine. I mean, I didn’t give it a 10 in the post itself, but that is what I gave it on MyAnimeList.net when I finished it, and honestly, I still stand by that. Season 1 of Demon Slayer was such a fun and jam-packed adventure that really hit all the right notes. Animation, music, performances, heartfelt themes – it had it all, and from when it began to where it ended, it truly felt like we’d experienced an adventure with only more on the horizon.

Fast forward to 2021, and I reviewed Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train almost just as positively. It was kinda the first shonen anime film to prove that studios could feasibly continue the canon story through films rather than just making high-budget theatrical side stories that were dubiously canon at best. Mugen Train was awesome, and later, while writing for GameRant, I would go on to write about what I considered to be the most emotional scene, not only in that film, but in the series at large. That film rocked and made me even more excited for what the franchise held in store for the future…

… That is, until that future came. Now I’m just a bit sad.

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Lazarus Is Dumb (Fun)

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Warning: The following contains spoilers for Lazarus, now streaming on HBO Max.

A little over two months ago, I set my expectations low for Lazarus, the newest original anime project from Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo fame. I poked holes in its premise, criticized its mish-mashed tone and its overly wordy script, and expressed my disappointment in the early English dub. Yet, through it all, I was just as quick to praise its aesthetic strengths and held out hope that, by the end, I’d look back on a series that, while perhaps not excellent, wouldn’t leave me regretting the time spent with it.

Thank god I lowered my expectations, because the things this show has done well since the start have made each Sunday morning spent with it all the more entertaining. Its artwork was consistent and, on occasion, truly wowed me with exceptional action and choreography. The English dub improved as the main cast settled into their roles, and the show’s heights leveraged their simple but energetic chemistry to create a pace that was fun and engaging. Best of all, the music was really good.

However, the closer the series inched towards its finale, the more it felt like I had to fish for these positives; to remind myself of how impressive this series can be when it has its shit together. Then, I started to wonder if it ever truly had its shit together to begin with and furthermore, whether it ever had the chance to from the start, much less the time. I kept my expectations low for Lazarus, now let’s see how much that helped, how much that was needed to begin with, and what a measuring of expectations couldn’t save at all.

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I’m Bracing Myself for Disappointment with Adult Swim’s Lazarus (And So Can You!)

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Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Lazarus, Episodes 1-3, now streaming on MAX.

I love Shinichiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop, but like… in the way that I feel like most people love it. By that I mean I’ve watched it at least once, hold great respect for the artistry apparent in its creation, and I rewatch the three or four episodes I liked the most every once in a blue moon. I actually rewatch the movie more than I do the TV series. Bebop is awesome, but it probably wouldn’t make my top ten (unlike the movie, as I’ve written before).

I compare it loosely to my feelings on Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad because, despite it not being among my favorite TV shows, I recognize its patience and strong storytelling and thus have no issues sharing in the fandom’s appraisal of it. It’s possible to not love something while still recognizing its strengths and how it resonated with people. Good art doesn’t need to be for everyone, but I think it’s good (and even necessary) to appreciate widely acclaimed art even when we might not vibe with it.

On that note, it amuses me when I think about Watanabe’s popularity among even the most casual of anime fans, young and old. Without even leaning into it himself, this man has achieved a kind of brand recognition that can sell entire shows just by slapping his name on the tin. Granted, that’s not all that different from how most works from notable directors are marketed, but in Watanabe’s case, it strikes me as particularly impressive because I can easily imagine a universe in which his works are widely considered “mid”.

Bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this

The Profound Hopelessness of Castlevania: Nocturne

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I never reviewed the first season of Castlevania: Nocturne, though I did pen a piece about how it evolved the franchise’s already impressive power scaling through its new cast of characters. Nocturne‘s first season really impressed me, and that’s why I was so shocked to see that it had such a mixed reception – at least according to the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (take that as you will). I suppose living up to the original series was a tall order, but even so… why?

Looking at this sequel series solely through the lens of its artwork, sound design, and overall aesthetic, it is a joy to behold, and a step above even its predecessor’s greatest heights. Narratively it might stumble in places, so too did the first series, just over four seasons instead of two. But that’s not really what compelled me to dust off the old blog and add another idea to a pile of half-completed drafts. I want to talk about how Season 2 made me feel, and how that feeling allowed me to forgive what few flaws held this show back from greatness.

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My Top Ten Anime List, a Decade in the Making

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Over a Christmas break in 2013, I binged Attack on Titan and became an anime fan. This often surprises the friends that I’ve made since then because, what with how I talk about this industry and my favorite shows therein, one would think I’ve been this way since I was a kid. My high school pals have been watching Dragonball and Naruto since they were kids, but they would likely call me out as the biggest weeb in the group.

A few years ago, I decided that when 2024 struck, I’d have a list of the top ten anime I have watched in those ten years. And then, New Year’s came and went and I realized I’d completely forgotten to write this. Thankfully, I already had the skeleton of a list ready to go and only had to make a few adjustments. I know I haven’t kept up with this blog as much as I would have liked, but I wasn’t about to miss this occasion.

So without further ado, whether you’re a friend or mutual anime blogger with whom I have been blessed to share this platform, here are the best anime I have ever seen.

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“Bang!” | The Guns of Cowboy Bebop

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Cowboy Bebop‘s cultural influences trace heavily to classic action cinema, be it Hollywood or Hong Kong, western or noir. And though most will remember Bebop for its martial arts and the Bruce Lee stylings that define the leading man, the gunplay in Bebop scratches quite the itch.

It’s not like there haven’t been tons of good gunfights in anime, even in recent years, but they often lose out to melee combat, be it realistic or stylized. There’s something about the gunplay in anime of the 90s and the early 2000s that feels distinct.

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Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is Fine

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The original title for this review was going to be “The Right Soul For The Wrong Source.” My thinking was that Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, a 10-episode live-action series from Tomorrow Studios, had an enticing presentation and soul, but ill-fitting for the material it was adapting.

After all, Cowboy Bebop is a certified classic. I can’t really call it a cult classic because if you know anime, you know Bebop. It carries a cultural footprint and critical acclaim in the anime sphere akin to the likes of Breaking Bad or The Soprano’s.

In 24 episodes, Shinichiro Watanabe created an eclectic character study of some of the most lovable, deep, and iconic bounty hunters in fiction. They might suck at their job, but they’re good when it counts. How could anyone adapt this show and NOT come under fire?

And really, why adapt a series like Bebop when it itself is inspired by the cinema of the western and noir genres, with a healthy balance of martial arts for good measure. It’s the same reason that people are boggled by a game like Uncharted getting a movie adaptation. Why make a movie out of a game that’s literally Indiana Jones.

Regardless, I watched the live-action Bebop, even after early reviews damned it early on. I got spoiled on the Ed reveal that EVERYONE knew was coming (more on that later), and my Twitter feed was angry people pulling out the Voldemort tech and not even saying the show’s name.

But something fascinating happened after watching three episodes the day it was released.

I enjoyed it. I was having fun. But why though?

3, 2, 1, LET’S JAM