It turns out there is still room in this heart for cute romance.
Seinen
Ping Pong the Animation Review
There are some shows that I consider “moments” shows. They’re shows you watch for the few seconds or few shots of brilliant beauty interspersed between a lot of reasonably good, but not great material. Ping Pong the Animation [Tatsunoko Productions, 2014] is what happens when you take a “moments” show and bring all the in between moments up to the level of the moments. It’s an unreservedly ambitious, glowingly creative and masterfully executed show worthy of the rating I’m about to give it. For all of the above, and everything I haven’t said yet, I’m giving Ping Pong the Animation a 9/10. (Ranking)
Spice & Wolf (Season 1) Review
There are some anime that convey deep meanings; there are others that are crazy masses of gags, jokes and fun. And then there is the perhaps neglected category of shows that simply tell stories for their own sake. Spice & Wolf (2008; Imagin) is one such show. It’s nothing deep, it’s not raucous and loud; it simply tells the story of two people as they live their lives and learn to understand each other.
Spice & Wolf was an infinitely pleasant watch for me. It’s a well-executed show that made its proficiency and likability evident early on. As such, I was able to simply relax while watching, confident that the story would carry me through on its own terms. For all this, I give Spice & Wolf a 7/10, with its comparative ranking in the Ongoing Anime Rankings.
Mage in a Barrel 