The Hozuna Blog
Reviews, deep dives, and what's new in anime: where to watch it, and why it's worth your time.
Bungo Stray Dogs Review: Dead Authors, Live Ammunition, and Bones at Full Swagger
A gorgeously animated action-comedy that turns Japan's literary canon into superpowered detectives, and mostly gets away with its wild tonal swings.
Noragami Review: A Five-Yen God Worth Much More
Bones builds a sharp and tender supernatural action-comedy around a broke god with no shrine and his odd-job hustle. Its excellent central trio carries the show, but the story ends long before it feels complete.
Why We Root for the Villain: The Rise of the Anime Antihero
Anime's villain protagonists are not fantasies about bad behaviour. Their best stories show a role consuming the person who took it on, and Overlord remains the clearest example.
Fire Force Review: David Production's Gorgeous, Tonally Reckless Inferno
This supernatural shonen crackles whenever a fight starts, but its clumsy comedy and uneven tone keep getting in the way.
The Rising of the Shield Hero Review: Betrayal, a Shield, and a Bond Worth the Baggage
A gripping betrayal-and-redemption isekai carried by Naofumi and Raphtalia's bond and Kevin Penkin's soaring score, held back by a genuinely contentious slave premise and sequels that lose the thread.
Studio Bind and the Rise of Prestige Isekai
Mushoku Tensei showed what isekai could look like when Studio Bind gave it serious time, money, and talent. Prestige fantasy has drawn on that proof ever since.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Review: A Cozy Power Fantasy Built Around Friendship and Nation Building
This easygoing wish-fulfillment isekai finds its appeal in watching an absurdly powerful slime create a monster nation. It is charming and comforting, though genuine tension is rare.
Sword Art Online Review: The Death-Game Hit That Reshaped Isekai and Divided Fans
A-1 Pictures' VRMMO juggernaut starts with one of anime's most gripping arcs, then burns through much of that goodwill in a weaker and deeply uncomfortable second half. Its influence on an entire genre remains impossible to miss.
Overlord Review: An Isekai That Makes the Villain Easy to Root For
Overlord builds a gripping isekai around a villainous lead and the bizarre residents of Nazarick. Dated CGI battles and a slow middle keep it from reaching the top tier.