The Eminence in Shadow – 22 – The Maddening Thirst
The warrior Crimson captured and made into a guard for the gate of his tower witnesses the awesome power of Juggernaut and Yukime, but neither of them is a match for a third combatant: Shadow. Juggernaut sidesteps him and heads into Crimson’s tower, while Yukime notes that Shadow has helped some of her girls in the … Continue reading "The Eminence in Shadow – 22 – The Maddening Thirst"
The Ancient Magus’ Bride – S2 13 – She Got That Dragon In Her
I have to award Headmistress Quillyn both for her gravitas while dictating her notice to the students and staff of the College, but also style points for magically affixing a notice to every dorm and office door without leaving her desk. She’s shut Hogwarts the College off from the outside world, both physically and magically, … Continue reading "The Ancient Magus’ Bride – S2 13 – She Got That Dragon In Her"
Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 14 – The Melancholy of Ophelia Salvadori
Ophelia isn’t some cartoon villain who is just evil because. She never asked to be the descendant of a succubus. As she tells her only friend Carlos years ago, she doesn’t make love to anyone, she merely devours. Her only duty as bestowed on her by her mother is to create superior progeny through selective breeding. But … Continue reading "Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 14 – The Melancholy of Ophelia Salvadori"
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 05 – The Front-Liner
One of Fern’s favorite memories is of Heiter telling him she’d better do as Frieren says, because if she’s bad, he’ll haunt her after he dies. She takes that to mean she’ll just get to see him, so he flips it around: if she’s a good girl, he may just come and visit her. She wakes … Continue reading "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 05 – The Front-Liner"
The Eminence in Shadow – 21 (S2 01) – Black and White and Red All Over
Our boy Shadow, sitting in his throne room, hears reports of stirrings in the Lawless City from the Seven Shadows. It’s your typical serious, brooding, self-important exposition scene…suddenly hilariously undercut by Shadow getting everyone to freak out about whether they have B.O. Turns out it’s the red moon he smells, and rather than a bad … Continue reading "The Eminence in Shadow – 21 (S2 01) – Black and White and Red All Over"
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 01 – Coffee Break
After a brooding, dramatic prologue elegantly cut between classi white-on-black credits involving an undead dragon in a cave, Takanashi Sei, AKA the Saint wakes up in the comfort of her bedchamber, ready for her second summer in this new world. She is greeted by a huge delivery of ingredients courtesy of the alchemist Cecilia from … Continue reading "The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent – S2 01 – Coffee Break"
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 04 – Not Just a Sunrise
Now 28 A.H. (After Himmel), Frieren and Fern find themselves in the a town by the Grantz Channel. An old man, who was only a little boy when Frieren was last there, tells them the townsfolk can’t keep up with the debris and wrecks along the beach, so in exchange for a grimoire of the … Continue reading "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 04 – Not Just a Sunrise"
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 03 – The Best Defense
Now that I’m accustomed to Frieren’s tendencies, I appreciate them all the more when certain things occur. The cutaways, for instance. A show like Family Guy will run them into the ground, but Frieren employs them judiciously. We’ve seen Frieren’s quirker, sillier side expressed in this way, whether she’s hopelessly stuck head-first in a chest, or describing … Continue reading "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 03 – The Best Defense"
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 02 – Rhapsody in Blue
Frieren doesn’t mince words when it comes to Fern’s development: she has control over mana, which is the hardest of three things a mage needs. Unfortunately, Fern lacks sufficient mana itself, and the necessary strength to use it. She can gain both, but it will take years. We watch those years—four of them, to be exact—unfold … Continue reading "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – 02 – Rhapsody in Blue"
Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 13 – Frolick In the Forest
Years ago, Ophelia Salvadori was all alone, and she hated it. But one day a boy approached her, and rather than go crazy and try to ravage her due to her succubus pheromones, he’s not affected at all. Having passed his self-appointed test, he takes a shocked Ophelia’s hands in his and declares them friends. … Continue reading "Reign of the Seven Spellblades – 13 – Frolick In the Forest"