Anime Reviews
In-depth, spoiler-aware reviews you can trust.
Perfect Blue Review: The Idol Nightmare That Changed Psychological Horror
A pop idol leaves the stage to pursue acting, only to watch her identity come apart. Perfect Blue remains a late-'90s landmark because it makes the question of who you are feel terrifying.
One Punch Man Review: A Superhero Satire That Punches Above Its Weight
Madhouse takes a one-joke setup about a hero who wins every fight with one punch and turns it into a gorgeously animated comedy about boredom.
Code Geass Review: The Gold Standard for Anime Plot Twists
Code Geass follows a ruthless exiled prince with the power to force absolute obedience, turning war into a chess match played with real armies. Its willingness to risk everything on the next move is exactly what makes it thrilling.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Review: As Close to Perfect as Anime Gets
A near-flawless adaptation that fuses breakneck shounen action with genuine moral weight, and the rare long-running series that never wastes a scene.
Death Note Review: A Battle of Wits at Its Best
Death Note delivers an extraordinary first half built around two brilliant rivals, then loses some of its charge when the contest changes at the midpoint.
Cowboy Bebop Review: Still the Coolest Anime Ever Made
A jazz-soaked, noir-drenched space western that fuses cool and grief better than almost anything before or since, and even its handful of filler-flavored detours can't dent a near-perfect whole.
Steins;Gate Review: Anime's Best Time-Travel Story
Steins;Gate begins as a goofy Akihabara hangout comedy and patiently rebuilds itself into anime's most painful time-travel thriller. The payoff is enormous if you give the slow opening room to work.
Monster Review: The Gold Standard for Anime Thrillers
A methodical, morally serious thriller built around one of anime's most unforgettable villains, demanding of your patience but almost peerless in its payoff.
Vinland Saga Review: A Viking Epic Finds Its Conscience
Vinland Saga begins with a boy consumed by revenge, then patiently pulls that desire apart. Askeladd is a magnetic antagonist, while Thorfinn has to fight for the chance to recover his own humanity.