Posts

Tamon's B-Side Episode 11 Review

Image
Episode 11 of Tamon’s B-Side leans into darker emotional territory while still delivering the trademark comedy and charm that has made the series a seasonal standout. This week’s installment puts Natsuki at the center, unspooling a backstory that reframes his prickly exterior and explains the reasons behind his hesitance, guilt, and complicated relationship with work and fame. The episode balances heartfelt revelations with small, character-driven moments—Tamon continuing to grow as a friend and Utage quietly confronting feelings that go beyond fandom. © 師走ゆき・白泉社/多聞くん今どっち!?製作委員会 Episode 11 Recap: Tone Shift Without Losing Heart This episode opens on an optimistic note with Tamon and Utage, but it soon takes a turn into heavier emotional beats centered on Natsuki. What begins as a simple exploration of his financial troubles quickly becomes a revelation about why he carries such deep guilt—he blames himself for Asuka’s life-changing injury. The episode uses this ...

Yō Samori's Eiyū to Majo no Tensei Romantic Comedy Manga Ends

Image
Magazine Pocket surprised fans by publishing the final chapter of Yō Samori's Eiyū to Majo no Tensei Love Come (A Reincarnation Romantic Comedy of a Hero and a Witch) manga ahead of its regular release date. The manga adaptation of Kazuki Amamiya and Ale's light novel series has wrapped its serialized run on Magazine Pocket, with the regular final chapter set for release on February 16. Here’s a full breakdown of the series’ publication history, what the ending means for readers, and related projects to keep an eye on. Image via Amazon © Yō Samori, Kazuki Amamiya, Ale, Kodansha Quick summary: The manga’s final chapter and timeline The Eiyū to Majo no Tensei Love Come manga adaptation by Yō Samori began serialization on Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket in November 2024. Kodansha collected the chapters into tankōbon volumes, with the first volume published in March 2025 and the third volume released on November 7. Magazine Pocket released the final chapter in advance o...

Gazing at the Star Next Door Manga Returns April 13 with New Arc

Image
Fans of romantic high school manga, rejoice: Ammitsu's beloved series Gazing at the Star Next Door (Tonari no Stella) is set to return with a brand-new arc. The announcement confirms the manga will resume in the April issue of Bessatsu Friend on April 13 and will spotlight Chiaki and Subaru in their third year of high school—with a vivid color opening page and placement on the issue's front cover. Below, we break down everything known so far, the series' background, what the new arc might bring, and where to read the English release. Image via Amazon © Ammitsu, Kodansha, Kodansha USA Gazing at the Star Next Door Returns: What the Announcement Means The series' return to serialization marks an important moment for readers who have been following Chiaki’s slow-burn romance with her best friend Subaru. Resuming in the April issue of Bessatsu Friend (on sale April 13), the new arc will jump the timeline forward to their third year of high school...

Hell's Paradise S2E9 Review

Image
Hell's Paradise Season 2, Episode 9 moves quickly—packing a surprising amount of narrative weight into a short runtime while delivering strong emotional payoff and top-tier action choreography. This episode pivots the plot toward a more urgent, island-spanning threat while offering a somber, thematic resolution for some tragic characters. Below I break down what works, what feels clumsy, and why this installment could be a turning point for the season. ©YUJI KAKU/SHUEISHA, TWIN ENGINE, MAPPA Episode Recap — Fast, Focused, and Foreboding The episode opens with a high-energy encounter that showcases MAPPA's consistent investment in fight staging. The early combat is efficient—tight choreography and crisp editing keep momentum high, though some viewers might wish for a longer set-piece. The latter half pivots to a major reveal: the Tensen intend to leave the island and take their elixir project to the mainland. This raises the stakes dramatically; the island is no longer ...

Fire Force S3E16 Review

Image
Fire Force Season 3, Episode 16 ramps the stakes up to apocalypse levels — and then rushes past many of the moments that should have landed the hardest. This installment drops a literal deity into the battlefield, leans into the series' Adolla-world mythology, and gives Shinra a full-throated “savior” arc, but the episode's breakneck pacing makes the emotional and thematic resonance feel thinner than it could be. Below I break down what works, what falls flat, and why this chapter of the finale still manages to deliver spectacle even while shortchanging payoff. Speed vs. Substance: The episode's biggest problem One recurring observation across this season has been the adaptation’s accelerated rate of events — especially in the second cour — and episode 16 is the clearest symptom. Major revelations and confrontations occur back-to-back, with little breathing room for reflection, reaction, or connective tissue. A sequence that should feel like the culmination of years of...

Masami Kurumada's New Saint Seiya: Tenkai-hen Manga Debuts May 14

Image
Masami Kurumada, the creator behind the legendary Saint Seiya franchise, is returning to serialized storytelling with a brand-new entry titled Saint Seiya Tenkai-hen (Saint Seiya: The Heavens Arc). The announcement, revealed in Weekly Shōnen Champion, confirms the series will begin in the magazine’s 24th issue (shipping May 14). Alongside the new arc, Kurumada continues to publish the highly anticipated "Saint Seiya Then" short installments — a direct sequel thread to Saint Seiya: Next Dimension — keeping longtime fans both nostalgic and excited for fresh mythic battles. Image via Amazon ©Akita Shoten What is Saint Seiya Tenkai-hen? Saint Seiya Tenkai-hen — translated as "The Heavens Arc" — is Kurumada’s next serialized continuation in the wider Saint Seiya mythos. The title itself signals a high-stakes arc, likely to return to the saga’s celestial conflicts, divine warriors, and mythological stakes that defined the original manga. For readers who f...

Journal with Witch Episode 10 Review

Image
This episode of Journal with Witch aired on March 8th — International Women's Day — and fittingly centers its attention on the quiet, everyday violences women face. Under Tomoko Yamashita’s josei lens, the anime has consistently delivered nuanced portraits of womanhood, and episode 10 is among its sharpest: a multi-threaded examination of misogyny, inherited patterns, and small acts of resistance that accumulate into meaningful change. ©ヤマシタトモコ・祥伝社/アニメ「違国日記」製作委員会 Everyday Misogyny: Small Scenes, Big Impact Episode 10 begins with a deceptively simple domestic beat: Emiri’s mother serves her husband breakfast while Emiri must pour her own. That tableau evokes the comforting image of the nuclear family while quietly exposing its gendered underside — the way labor and deference are normalized for women. From there the episode escalates the critique with stingingly precise vignettes: a daytime variety show turns Kojima, a scientist, into a curiosity, and hosts re...