‘a message of hope’
Apr. 18, 2023
The King of Melancholic Anime Wants Us to Reckon With the Past The director of Suzume breaks down his movie’s road trip through the abandoned places of Japan, co-starring a guy who turns into a chair.
The Bad Batch Season-Finale Recap: The Empire Strikes BatchThis two-part finale is kind of frustrating because this is what the show could be every week but isn’t.
The Bad Batch Recap: We’re in the Endgame NowThis is it. This is the show we’ve been waiting for, the episode everything has been building toward.
The Bad Batch Recap: The Great FloodThe Batch is starting to grow a spine and think about more than just surviving
The Bad Batch Recap: In a Galaxy Far, Far Away, No One Can Hear You ScreamMaybe punting on the larger plot can be forgiven if we get a sweet Alien riff out of it.
The Bad Batch Recap: Enough With the Mundane MissionsThe Bad Batch follows up an incredible two-part game changer with an underwhelming one-off mission.
The Bad Batch Recap: City of Walls and SecretsThe Bad Batch ’s two-part political thriller ranks up there with some of the best The Clone Wars ever did.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Recap: Treasure PlanetIt’s a Star Wars– meets–Indiana Jones Lucasfilm extravaganza — with a bit of Horizon Zero Dawn sprinkled in for good measure.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Recap: Now This Is Podracing! The Boonta Eve Classic isn’t the only dangerous high-speed race in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Recap: Are We the Baddies?Crosshair and Commander Cody go on what seems like a cool, throwback The Clone Wars mission … until it’s not.
The Bad Batch Season-Premiere Recap: A New Hope The clones are starting to finally reckon with the fact that their brothers are now the bad guys.
buzzy anime
Oct. 18, 2022
Chainsaw Man Lives, and It Demands an ExplanationAn English dub is coming for the new anime that feels like Sam Raimi by way of Charles Dickens.
between two frames
Oct. 11, 2022
The Best Anime Streaming Services of All Simulcasts? Dubs? Free subscriptions??? Let us guide you.
overnights
Sept. 30, 2022
overnights
Sept. 23, 2022
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: We’re in the Endgame NowA totally new villain appears out of nowhere in the [checks notes] penultimate episode of season two.
overnights
Sept. 17, 2022
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: The Power of TelevisionOur demon lord wants a TV to stay on top of pop-culture conversations.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: The One With the Bear AttackAfter what was arguably the single worst episode of the show, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! finally gets back on track — sort of.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: Old MgRonald Had a Farm What happened to the old Maou Satan, ruthless demon overlord?
The Devil Is a Part-Timer Recap: Slow Your RollEmi isn’t killing out of hate anymore … folks, that’s growth and we love to see it.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: First DayAn episode with good pacing, comedic timing, interesting lore and world-building, and also decent animation! What is this, 2013?
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: A Return to FormA welcome change of scenery and a chance to get back to basics.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: A Totally Normal Trip to a Theme ParkMaou and Emi take Alas Ramus to a theme park and encounter a whole bunch of deep Judeo-Christian mythology, as one does.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Recap: 3 Demons and a BabyThis week plants the seeds for the overarching story of the season.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Season-Premiere Recap: Doin’ the CockroachAlmost a decade after the first season’s release, Maou Satan is back with a premiere that feels mostly like a very long recap.
localized listings
May 31, 2022
Every Language Everywhere All at Once Audiences love foreign TV and film. So do streamers. There’s just one little challenge.
dune: part two
Mar. 27, 2022
What the Dune Team Is Planning for the Sandworms in Part Two Get ready to watch Timothée Chalamet ride sandworms and meet their little troutlike offspring.
Mamoru Hosoda Still Has Hope for the Future of the Internet The Belle director has been making movies about the internet for over 20 years. He shares his vision and what movies like Ready Player One get wrong.
backstories
Dec. 29, 2021
How Arcane Delivered One of 2021’s Coolest Animated Sequences Netflix’s animated version of League of Legends breaks the video-game adaptation curse in singular style.
How Maya and the Three ’s Jorge R. Gutiérrez Crafted a New Kind of Fantasy Epic The new miniseries’s creator breaks down its unique blend of Mesoamerican history, Latin American culture, and Lord of the Rings –inspired mythology.
new genesis evangelion
Aug. 13, 2021
What to Know Before Watching the New Evangelion Movie, Thrice Upon a Time The Rebuild finale is finally streaming on Amazon Prime Video. It’s a big deal.
The Demon Slayer Movie Is Breaking the Mold and Shattering Records Japan’s highest-grossing film ever, Mugen Train, is pulling into the station in North America. Here’s what you need to know.
close reads
Feb. 10, 2021
Lupin Pulls an Adaptation Heist on Its Audience As Netflix’s latest international hit cleverly riffs on its titular public-domain character, it simultaneously teaches viewers what it’s riffing on.
