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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 103
"An eventful finale to a fun mini-arc, Boruto's latest adventure offers plenty of action, a steady dose of heart, and a sprinkling of laughter."
Fairy Tail: Final Season ‒ Episode 305
"Waiting for reinforcements takes on a whole other meaning when you're Fairy Tail."
We Never Learn: BOKUBEN ‒ Episode 3
"The themes of this episode do nominally raise the stakes for the story, but the plot is so rigidly boxed into a pattern of character vignettes that it ultimately feels like the series at its most average."
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba ‒ Episode 3
"The bones of this plot may not be anything special so far, but Demon Slayer knows how to make every shot and scrap of character count."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind ‒ Episode 27
"By momentarily focusing on the villains, this episode cuts to the heart of what makes Golden Wind stand out compared to its predecessors."
Series Premiere: Sarazanmai—Episodes 1-2
"Once you get past all the misdirection, fast-scrolling text, and obnoxious double entendres, Sarazanmai is surprisingly straightforward as a magical boy story with sharp edges masked by a fluffy aesthetic."
Double Decker! Doug & Kirill ‒ Episode 16
"As with all of these extra episodes, your enjoyment will largely hinge on how endeared you were to the cast of Double Decker."
Season Premiere: Bungo Stray Dogs ‒ Episodes 26-27
"These two episodes focus on Osamu Dazai when he was a teenager with the Port Mafia, with an emphasis on his relationship with Chuuya Nakahara."
Black Clover ‒ Episode 79
"You know the tournament has truly begun when a fight takes more than a single episode."
Series Premiere: Wise Man's Grandchild—Episodes 1-2
"I'm concerned that what feels like isekai comfort food right now could just become dull and trope-laden down the line."
Series Premiere: The Helpful Fox Senko-san—Episodes 1-2
"This iyashikei series has the potential to be the spring season's gentle balm for a harsh world, combating the scourge of overwork with a soft mantra of self-care."
The Rising of The Shield Hero ‒ Episode 15
"Despite some underlying problems, the show's execution was handled well enough to make for an engaging episode, but the underlying story definitely has some room for improvement."
Series Premiere: YU-NO—Episodes 1-3
"Maybe like so many of its visual-novel brethren, YU-NO will take off later in its run after everything is finally set up, but a show like this shouldn't make me wish I could time-travel past all that to get to the good stuff."
Series Premiere: Fruits Basket—Episodes 1-2
"This shojo classic is one of the most emotionally rewarding stories I've ever experienced, and I hope many more new fans can open their heart to Tohru and her animal friends this season."
Season Premiere: One Punch Man Season 2—Episodes 1-2
"OPM is back, but it no longer possesses the pugnacious power to blow its audience away with the force of Saitama's fist."
Series Premiere: Isekai Quartet—Episodes 1-2
"This show is clearly targeted at genre superfans who are fully familiar with all four contributing anime series: Saga of Tanya the Evil, Konosuba, Re: Zero, and Overlord."
Dororo ‒ Episode 14
"This episode introduces a strange new family structure made up of humans and monsters alike."
Series Premiere: Fairy gone—Episodes 1-2
"In order to realize its potential fully, the story will need to dial back on its exposition and perfunctory plotting, and instead take the necessary time to ensure that its world and characters have emotional stakes worth getting invested in."
Series Premiere: Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life—Episodes 1-2
"Even though this anime is about one of Japan's oldest traditional instruments, its distinctly modern characters keep it fresh and vibrant, never stuffy or dry."
One Piece ‒ Episode 880
"We're introduced to four new captains of the Revolutionaries this week as they show up in a port town being ransacked by pirates."
Series Premiere: We Never Learn - BOKUBEN—Episodes 1-2
"The biggest detraction to this cozy harem romcom thus far is how lightly it treads in both its romance and comedy."
GeGeGe no Kitarō ‒ Episodes 50-51
Our coverage of this delightfully ooky-spooky family show ends as a new arc begins. Rebecca Silverman sums up her thoughts on this underrated series.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 102
"This episode ratchets up the tension in what's been a relatively relaxed arc."
Series Premiere: Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba—Episodes 1-2
"Beyond its entertaining injections of humor and pathos, I really appreciate Demon Slayer's economy of storytelling."
Fairy Tail: Final Season ‒ Episode 304
"I don't normally advocate for making characters sad, but at this point, Zeref could certainly use a jolt of regret, even if he can't truly stop what he started."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind ‒ Episode 26
"I'm torn between wanting to admire the audacity of this episode and feeling frustrated that I've completely lost sight of the tracks."
Black Clover ‒ Episode 78
"The first round of the Royal Knights tournament has now concluded, meaning it's up to the winning teams to face off against each other."
The Rising of The Shield Hero ‒ Episode 14
"It's episodes like this – when the show puts down the chip on its shoulder and just concentrates on telling its story – that The Rising of the Shield Hero is at its best."
Dororo ‒ Episode 13
"This week, the show returns from a focus on Hyakkimaru back to Dororo for a real emotional gut punch."
One Piece ‒ Episode 879
"It's nice to get back to the usual camaraderie of the crew hanging out on the ship, and the Reverie promises the secondary characters who don't travel with the Straw Hats a chance in the spotlight."
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 101
"Although the fisticuffs don't begin in earnest until next week, this episode serves as a nice breather before the final battles commence."
Fairy Tail: Final Season ‒ Episode 303
"This week makes twice now that a member of Fairy Tail has prevented someone from ending this war."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind ‒ Episode 25
"It was only ever a matter of time before Trish's Stand revealed itself, and this week we finally meet the legendary Spice Girl!"
Season Finale: A Certain Magical Index III ‒ Episode 26
"This season suffered heavily from compacting too much content into a too-busy adaptation that doesn't satisfactory explain or develop anywhere near as much as it should have."
Black Clover ‒ Episode 77
"This is closer to what I expected from a Black Clover tournament arc, where the character work gets to be front and center."
Karakuri Circus ‒ Episode 24
James wraps up his reviews of this action series for the season with a fond farewell to Karakuri Circus for now.
The Rising of The Shield Hero ‒ Episode 13
"Several plot developments are brewing as this episode follows through on the consequences of last episode's cliffhanger."
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 100
"A serviceable mid-arc installment, full of both quiet introspection and tension-filled (albeit brief) action sequences."
Season Finale: Mob Psycho 100 II ‒ Episode 13
"With a strong beginning, strong middle, and strong end, this sequel season has all the makings of an instant classic. While I loved Mob the first time around, season two easily blows it out of the water."
FINALE: PERSONA 5 the Animation ‒ Episode 28
"Christmas comes late (or incredibly early depending on how you look at it) in this Persona 5 the Animation finale special (that's not even the last anime we're getting)."
One Piece ‒ Episode 878
"With Whole Cake Island behind us, it's time to gear up for a new mini-story arc in the Reverie."
Season Finale: ENDRO! ‒ Episode 12
"While it does deliver on resolving everything nicely in its usual comfortable way, I feel like this final episode may have gone overboard on the late-game story details."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind ‒ Episode 24
"It's not just one or two trippy horror movie ideas being played with this week, its an onslaught of viscerally painful images and grotesque weirdness."
GeGeGe no Kitarō ‒ Episode 49
"And so the sun sets on another gripping storyline for GeGeGe no Kitaro."
Fairy Tail: Final Season ‒ Episode 302
"This may not be the best-structured episode, but it's still moving things in exciting directions as the story inches closer to its endgame."
Season Finale: The Morose Mononokean II ‒ Episode 13
"Even when the plot structure got somewhat confused, this story always nailed the emotional and character beats underneath."
Season Finale: W'z ‒ Episode 13
"W'z is technically superior to Hand Shakers, both as a work of animation and as a story, but all that means is that it's graduated from being a mythically terrible garbage fire to merely an everyday sort of bad."
Season Finale: Sword Art Online Alicization ‒ Episode 24
"The story's first half wraps up in suitably dramatic fashion, despite the dampened effectiveness of some protracted scenes."
Season Finale: Kaguya-sama - Love is War ‒ Episode 12
"From start to finish, this romcom has proven to be a subversive, wildly entertaining wintertime watch."
Season Finale: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka ‒ Episode 12
"Ultimately, it feels like the story was fighting with itself over whether it wanted to tackle serious issues or indulge in cheap fanservice, and in the end it didn't do either of those things well."
Season Finale: Domestic Girlfriend ‒ Episode 12
"Doubles down on all of this melodrama's worst instincts to present us with a saccharine treatise on love and creativity that's almost impossible to take seriously."
A Certain Magical Index III ‒ Episode 25
"Thankfully this series only has one more episode to go, because I'm not sure how much more of this ridiculousness I can take."
Season Finale: Boogiepop and Others ‒ Episode 18
"This series always advocated for the importance of honoring our feelings, however complicated and difficult they may be at times."
Season Finale: Girly Air Force ‒ Episode 12
"For this last episode, we haven't arrived at our destination, we're just being left on a layover."
Karakuri Circus ‒ Episode 23
"This action-heavy episode is the most that Karakuri Circus has felt like a traditional battle series perhaps even since it began."
Season Finale: The Promised Neverland ‒ Episode 12
"It's as much an agonizing cliffhanger as it is a well-wrought emotional conclusion, which is a volatile mix to play with at the finish line, but the show absolutely nails it."
Season Finale: My Roommate is a Cat ‒ Episode 12
"The series ends on a perfectly satisfying high note that will leave many viewers feeling sated even if it never gets another season."
Season Finale: The Quintessential Quintuplets ‒ Episode 12
"While it never quite rose above its modest ambitions, this series defied the stereotype of the mediocre harem comedy by delivering a story that works for a wide audience without ever leaning too heavily on the crutch of fanservice."
The Rising of The Shield Hero ‒ Episode 12
"Overall, while this episode has some questionable details, its meaty content more than makes up for the speedbumps."
Season Finale: Kemurikusa ‒ Episode 12
"The animators pull out all the stops to cap off Kemurikusa with an unusually action-packed episode."
Black Clover ‒ Episode 76
"The focus this week is on Rill Boismortier, the captain of the Aqua Deer squad."
Series Finale: Run with the Wind ‒ Episode 23
"This sports drama gave its beautifully-developed characters the happy ending they deserve, but it didn't quite tell the whole story of what came next."
Mob Psycho 100 II ‒ Episode 12
"This episode's pointed and timely message would be enough for me to love it, but of course all of that comes packaged with another wonderful blend of cartoonish exuberance and explosive esper clashes."
Dororo ‒ Episode 12
"This episode marked a devastating and climactic low point in Hyakkimaru's life, but it also establishes that hope, while distant, may still be within our protagonists' reach."
One Piece ‒ Episode 877
Sam offers his Big-Mom-sized retrospective on the Whole Cake Island arc as it comes to a close.
The Morose Mononokean II ‒ Episode 12
"Just about every smaller part of the story this week ties into the bigger questions about Ashiya's dad."
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 99
"The mystery of the recently-discovered Curse Marks deepens as new threats emerge this week."
GeGeGe no Kitarō ‒ Episode 48
"This series has never shied away from being dark and scary, but the stakes are especially high this time."
W'z ‒ Episode 12
"W'z devotes about half of this episode to deliver a flashback so clumsy and campy that it almost wraps back around to being enjoyable."
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind ‒ Episode 23
"This is Narancia's chance to start seeing Giorno as leader material, just as Mista did in the White Album fight."
Fairy Tail: Final Season ‒ Episode 301
"No one exemplifies the Fairy Tail guild's belief in themselves better than Erza Scarlet."
ENDRO! ‒ Episode 11
"Mao's revisiting how she's come to feel about her non-Demon-Lord life, as we see what kinds of wrenches an anime's impending season finale can throw into that peace."
Sword Art Online: Alicization ‒ Episode 23
"For the battle against Administrator, SAO took a page from Dragon Ball Z's playbook."
Kaguya-sama: Love is War ‒ Episode 11
"With summer vacation in full swing, the audience is given a glimpse at how three of the show's principal characters are spending their time off."
Series Finale: The Price of Smiles ‒ Episode 12
"Unfortunately, The Price of Smiles tripped over all its worst habits to completely faceplant at the finish line."
Domestic Girlfriend ‒ Episode 11
"The show has suffered tremendously ever since it let two of its three main characters become an official couple."
Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka ‒ Episode 11
"The show never seems to try hard enough to work with its themes, like giving us a bite of something but withholding the rest of the meal."
A Certain Magical Index III ‒ Episode 24
"This episode accomplishes something that precious few episodes have managed before: it actually makes sense. "
Boogiepop and Others ‒ Episode 17
"As the King of Distortion saga lurches toward its end, the story congeals and we start getting more answers."
The Quintessential Quintuplets ‒ Episode 11
"The series has put itself in a good position for the season finale, and now all that's left is to make the most of that potential."
Girly Air Force ‒ Episode 11
"The show's never been bad or anything, but this is the most confident and truly unique it's felt all season, which at least somewhat vindicates all the setup it took to get us here."
Karakuri Circus ‒ Episode 22
"I'm bothered by the show's puzzling adaptive changes, which have only become more obtuse over time."
My Roommate is a Cat ‒ Episode 11
"There's a surprisingly heartfelt and complex core to this series that goes beyond the warm fuzzies of cute cat antics to create something more meaningful."
Kemurikusa ‒ Episode 11
"After weeks of moving forward, Kemurikusa's penultimate episode stops to look back at where it all started, but with the same warmth for its characters and striking aesthetic choices that have defined its journey."
The Promised Neverland ‒ Episode 11
"An absolute firebomb of an episode, chock full of drama and suspense and moments that make you just want to punch the air in excitement."
Black Clover ‒ Episode 75
"Between Solid, Kirsch, and Langris, we've got a concurrent stream of crappy brothers stinking up the Royal Knights exams."
The Rising of The Shield Hero ‒ Episode 11
"The episode does just enough right to keep it from being the series' low point, but Shield Hero is still mostly failing to capitalize on all its potential."
Run with the Wind ‒ Episode 22
"Kakeru and King's narratives compare and contrast beautifully to make both stories stronger, culminating in a vivid visual portrayal of what a runner's high feels like."
Mob Psycho 100 II ‒ Episode 11
"As Mob's allies push their resistance against Claw forward, a series of high octane and psychedelic psychic battles ensue."
Double Decker! Doug & Kirill ‒ Episode 15
"These extra episodes of Double Decker definitely exist for the sake of fanservice, as this week revolves around Kirill wearing a dress."
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ‒ Episode 24
"With the curtain closed on the main story for now, the series shifts gears with a couple of side stories to close out the season, starting with a tale about Shizu."
Dororo ‒ Episode 11
"This episode has a faster pace than usual, and it still leaves us on a devastating cliffhanger."
One Piece ‒ Episode 876
"This episode offers a sobering moment of reflection, but also one of the most baffling and frustrating developments of this finale."
ENDRO! ‒ Episode 10
"This one gets points for being different, but not everything it tried to do was as strong as it needed to be."
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ‒ Episode 98
"While Boruto's latest arc appears to be off to a promising start, it's too early to make any broad predictions about its overall quality."
GeGeGe no Kitarō ‒ Episode 47
"Thus far the show has avoided the Bridge to Terabithia school of children's literature, but things take a turn for the tragic this week."
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