anime

The 'Space Wizards' Argument: Why Sci-Fi and Fantasy Narratives Need To Be Better
The “Space Wizards” Argument: Why Sci-Fi & Fantasy Narratives Need To Be Better

Fantasy and sci-fi films push our suspension of disbelief regularly – but can we complain about them being unrealistic if this is pushed too far?

GODZILLA - THE PLANET EATER: A Big Monster With a Small Bite
GODZILLA: THE PLANET EATER: A Big Monster With A Small Bite

The conclusion to the animated trilogy, Godzilla: The Planet Eater, is as flawed and unsatisfying as the previous entries – and it might be the dullest of the bunch too.

Anime's Mainstream Moment: Past, Present, and Speculation
Anime’s Mainstream Moment: Past, Present & Speculation

As anime becomes increasingly mainstream in the west, Film Inquiry’s Christina Tucker examines the past and potential future of the genre.

MIRAI: Intimate, Ambitious and Filled with Childlike Wonder
MIRAI: Intimate, Ambitious & Filled With Childlike Wonder

Mirai may feel more like a series of vignettes thrown together rather than a cohesive whole, but Hosoda’s wondrous animation style, coupled with a personal look at family dynamics, makes it hard to resist.

LIZ AND THE BLUE BIRD: Intimacy in Style and Song
LIZ AND THE BLUE BIRD: Intimacy In Style & Song

Liz and the Blue Bird is an indepth and stylistic chracter study that explores the details and hidden emotional gravity of seemingly unremarkable situations.

FIREWORKS: Nice Animation Can’t Save A Familiar Story
FIREWORKS: Nice Animation Can’t Save A Familiar Story

Fireworks is both stunningly animated, and stunningly disappointing, hampered by a predictable love story that is neither compelling or insightful.

LU OVER THE WALL: Sugary Sweet, A Little Messy & Oh So Strange
LU OVER THE WALL: Sugary Sweet, A Little Messy & Oh So Strange

Lu Over the Wall combines a basic coming-of-age story with folkloric legend to concoct a tale of self-discovery that is incredibly messy, but also very beautiful.

MARY AND THE WITCH'S FLOWER: The Magic of Ghibli lives on in the first Studio Ponoc feature
MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER: The Magic Of Ghibli Lives On In The First Studio Ponoc Feature

Mary and the Witch’s Flower feels truly timeless, an animated classic in waiting that will delight audiences both young and old. Hiromasa Yonebayashi has captured the very essence of Studio Ghibli for this first Studio Ponoc effort.

The Stature and Vision of Isao Takahata, 1935-2018
The Stature and Vision of Isao Takahata, 1935-2018

In this retrospective guide, we examine the work of recently deceased filmmaker Isao Takahata, one of the pioneers of Studio Ghibli.

IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD: A Sketch of Sadness
IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD: A Sketch Of Sadness

In This Corner of the World is a beautifully captured and quietly tragic animation, which succeeds due to how it captures the sadness underneath the mundanity of life in a war-torn country.

The Beginner's Guide: Masaaki Yuasa, Director
The Beginner’s Guide: Masaaki Yuasa, Director

Masaaki Yuasa is known for his dynamic anime, which take inspiration from surreal 1960s-70s animation and Golden Age Disney films.

Curb Your Adaptations: On Animation & Live-Action
Curb Your Adaptations: On Animation & Live-Action

Animated films often don’t work when translated to live-action; here, we discuss just why that may be, and why it should be avoided.

DEATH NOTE: Stylish, Gory and Joyously Silly
DEATH NOTE: Stylish, Gory & Joyously Silly

Death Note has plenty of faults, but watched with the brain firmly in the “off” position, it becomes easy to enjoy – especially as it manages to feel more cartoonish than the anime it’s based on.

ONLY YESTERDAY: Unfolding In The Countryside
ONLY YESTERDAY: Unfolding In The Countryside

Blending grounded animation with fantasy, Only Yesterday is a stunning work from Studio Ghibli, expressing down-to-earth life in the country.

GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995): I Believe In Miracles
GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995): I Believe In Miracles

1995’s Ghost in the Shell creates a prescient vision of a connected world that functions as both as character study & social commentary.