The Hozuna Blog
Reviews, deep dives, and what's new in anime: where to watch it, and why it's worth your time.
Sub vs Dub: Why the Argument Never Dies
Anime fandom's oldest argument starts from a bad assumption. A dub is not a faded copy of the original. It is another production with its own director, and recognizing that leads to a much better question.
Why Sports Anime Feels Different
Sports anime gets rid of the villain without lowering the stakes. That choice is why a volleyball rally can hit harder than a battle for the fate of the world.
Oshi no Ko Review: An Idol Anime with a Devastating Sting
This fiercely intelligent showbiz thriller arrives dressed in idol-anime sparkle. Its feature-length opener ranks among the medium's finest, although the rest of the season never quite recaptures that first crushing high.
The MAPPA Effect: How One Studio Set the Pace for Modern Anime
MAPPA is not the prettiest studio in anime. Its real influence came from making every major adaptation compete through standout individual sequences, and Jujutsu Kaisen made that approach impossible to ignore.
Demon Slayer Review: The Anime That Set a New Standard for Action
Demon Slayer builds on a familiar shonen story, but ufotable's remarkable production gives every sword fight an emotional and visual impact that few action anime can match.
Jujutsu Kaisen Review: The Standard for Modern Shonen
MAPPA gives Jujutsu Kaisen some of television's finest fight animation, while a cast worth caring about carries its darker, sharper version of shonen. For the most part, the series earns its considerable hype.
Dandadan Review: The Most Unhinged Anime of Its Year, in the Best Way
Science Saru mixes alien invasions, vengeful yokai, and a mortifying first crush into the most gloriously unhinged anime of its era. It is crude and gorgeous, with a tenderness hiding under the noise.
Solo Leveling Review: Spectacle Is Sometimes Enough
A-1 Pictures turns a beloved webtoon into a rush of pure adrenaline. Solo Leveling looks gorgeous and moves fast, even if its overpowered hero and quest-log plotting leave the drama feeling hollow.
Anime to Get Your Skeptical Friends Hooked
These are the anime to put in front of someone who says they do not watch anime. They use familiar genres, look superb, and ask for little enough commitment to win a viewer over in one sitting.