The Hozuna Blog
Reviews, deep dives, and what's new in anime: where to watch it, and why it's worth your time.
Studio Madhouse and the Art of Quiet Perfection
Madhouse has no recognisable house style. Its greatness comes from how it works, not how its anime look, and the credits for Frieren show that method in action.
Spirited Away Review: A Girl in a Bathhouse for the Gods, Drawn at the Height of the Art Form
Ten-year-old Chihiro's journey through a bathhouse for the gods combines extraordinary hand-drawn animation with a hard-earned story about growing up. Spirited Away remains one of the greatest animated films ever made.
Your Name Review: A Radiant Body-Swap Romance About People We Almost Remember
This dazzling body-swap romance earns its emotional wallop, even when its rules about time and memory fall apart under close inspection.
The Anime Romcom Renaissance
Modern anime romcoms improved when they stopped protecting their premises from change. Too Many Losing Heroines follows that idea all the way to its natural conclusion.
Why Studio Bones Keeps Winning
Bones never built its reputation on a house style. It bet on drawn motion and the animators behind it, and Gachiakuta's credits show that the bet still pays off.
Girls Band Cry Review: Frayed Nerves, Convincing Rock, and 3DCG That Feels Alive
Girls Band Cry is a prickly underdog drama with no interest in sanding down its cast. Its fully 3DCG presentation may divide viewers, but the animation comes alive when Togenashi Togeari plugs in, and the real rock soundtrack gives every performance weight.
Apocalypse Hotel Review: A Robot Concierge Keeps the Last Hotel Open
A tireless android hotelier keeps humanity's grandest hotel ready for guests who may never return. The result is one of the most quietly moving slice-of-life shows in recent memory.
How Akira and Ghost in the Shell Built Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk began in novels, but Akira and Ghost in the Shell taught filmmakers how it should move, look and feel. Nearly every neon-lit descendant still speaks their visual language.
Medalist Review: A Broken Coach, a Late-Blooming Kid, and the Warmest Ice in Anime
A tender, tearjerking figure-skating drama that sells its underdog dream so completely you'll forgive the CG routines that occasionally wobble beneath it.