My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
This story of pubescent orphans looking to fit in is a dark, modern-day fairytale.
Gate – Season 1 and 2
Gate is an incredibly jarring anime experience.
A Silent Voice Examines Trauma and Forgiveness with Heart-warming Humanity
A Silent Voice is an optimistic, humanistic film. You might not expect that level of optimism from a story bracketed by a pair of suicide attempts, a story of bullying and trauma and self-hatred.
KanColle: Kantai Collection
Once you get past the undeniably unique conceit of KanColle, there’s not much to recommend it.
Code Geass: A Pessimistic Take on Revolutionary Heroism
I thought Code Geass was a tale of resistance, rebellion and ultimately revolution. A heroic tale where the noble Japanese prevail against the evil Britannian Empire.
That’s not quite the story it’s telling.
Coco Sings a Brilliant Song of Family and Ambition
It’s testament to the charm and character of Pixar’s latest, Coco, that it can win a crusty critic like myself over without once deviating from Pixar’s established formula.
Steven Universe – Season 3
At its best, Steven Universe Season 3 is funny, entertaining and legitimately poignant.
Food Wars! – Season 1
Food Wars! offers up a substantial serve of shonen anime tropes, complemented by a generous side dish of food porn. Think Dragonball Z meets Iron Chef. It’s fresh and fulfilling like a hearty Sunday roast.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
While Captain Underpants is colourful, comedic and … competent, it’s just not my kinda scene.
The Red Turtle (2016)
The Red Turtle is imbued with the resonant power of a creation myth, thanks to the simple yet expressive animation, the naturalistic sound effects, the swell of the vast ocean.
