It’s been a little over 26 years since Kishimoto Masashi’s Naruto manga debuted its first chapter in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Three years later, the anime began in 2002. Alongside One Piece and Bleach, it earned its place among the Shōnen Big Three. I didn’t start reading the manga until 2005, two years VIZ Media began […]
I have been slow-reading my way through Hyūga Natsu’s The Apothecary Diaries light novels for a while. When I say slow-reading, I mean I’ve been reading them at the rate molasses drips in winter. That isn’t because I’m not enjoying them. I actually love them every bit as much as I love the anime and […]
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo seems very Yuka-heavy in the first couple chapters. It’s almost as if this is going to be her story, and maybe, in some ways, it is. As the manga progresses, we meet Tsurugi and achieve more balance between […]
I am a sucker for a good dating sim. From Samurai Love Ballad PARTY! to Love in Deep Space, I am not afraid to break a few imaginary hearts. Last March, while interviewing voice actor Abby Trott, she gave me a look at her future. Along with DAN DA DAN Season 2 and Demon Slayer: […]
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Six chapters in, and Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is pulling out all the stops to remind fans why JJK is one of the most successful manga of the last five years. Continuing the traditon of the original series, Modulo puts our emotions […]
I grew up on slasher movies in the 1980s. Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and John Carpenter’s Halloween are just a few of the movies that terrified me as a kid. Despite the terror, I couldn’t get enough. Every weekend, I took my babysitting money to the video rental store to stock up […]
I fell in love with The Apothecary Diaries through the anime. The anime began airing on Crunchyroll during Fall 2023’s anime season, and over the last two years, it captivated me entirely. I quickly burned through the available tankobon volumes of the manga before Season 2 debuted in Winter 2025, but it wasn’t enough. When […]
Dark shonen may not be a new concept, but as a subgenre, it left a mark on anime and manga. Embracing themese like trauma, death, darkness, and suffering, the modern “Dark Trio” of Shonen doesn’t shy away. It forces readers to acknowledge the truth: Darkness is everywhere. Akutami Gege’s Jujutsu Kaisen stands heads above the […]
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Five chapters into Jujutsu Kaisen‘s successor, Modulo, and we haven’t seen much in the way of fighting… yet. The constant bickering between the Okkotsu siblings doesn’t exactly count as fighting, even if they do it in nearly every chapter. […]
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Jujutsu Kaisen rightfully earned its place among the “Shonen Dark Trio” when it debuted alongside Hell’s Paradise and Chainsaw Man. The graphic violence, complex characterizations, and bleak themes turn shonen on its head. Over the last few years, more […]
Last year, some of my work colleagues and I began a TTRPG adventure together. As life often happens (and then gets in the way), our bi-weekly Dungeons & Dragons sessions endure a hiatus. We are returning to gaming, but we are now down two players. Because several of us still want to play, we explored […]
Everyone knows Netflix is a virtual treasure trove of foreign TV series. It’s been that way for years now, and every year their collection of Nordic noir only continues to gloriously expand. After a recommendation from a trusted work friend (who hasn’t steered me to a bad TV series yet), I knew I had to […]
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Just three chapters into Akutami-sensei’s Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo, and all I can think about is how the original paved the way for this story. Knowing the foundation that brought the characters decades into the future, I miss the originals. […]
This Review Contains Spoilers for Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle Part 1. Reader discretion is advised. My original plan to head to the movies on September 12 to see Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 in the theater was scrapped. I realized I would have to sit in a dark room with a […]
Okay, so I’m not here to talk about aliens this week (at least not entirely, anyway). The element that really stuck with me after Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo #2: Deterrence is how focused these first two chapters have been on family, siblings in particular. A solid shonen trope, sibling rivalry has the power to drive a […]
