Bocchi the Rock is a slice-of-life comedic music anime based on a manga by Aki Hamaji. It is directed by Keiichirō Saitō and written by Erika Yoshida. It is produced by CloverWorks, a seven-year-old Japanese studio known for series such as Slow Start, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, The Promised Neverland, Akebi’s […]
Author: Burkely Hermann
Do It Yourself!! Review
Do It Yourself!! (Dū Itto Yuaserufu!!) is an original slice-of-life and DIY anime. The series is directed by Kazuhiro Yoneda and written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu. It is produced by Pine Jam, a seven-year-old Japanese studio known for series such as Kageki Shojo!! and Just Because! In addition, Koyubita Beru’s online manga adaptation began at the […]
Wednesday (Spoiler Filled) Review
Wednesday is a coming-of-age supernatural, and comedy-horror series which is all the rage on social media. It is a live-action series created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Tim Burton as an executive producer, along with Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Kayla Alpert, and others. The series debuted on November 23. Wednesday, unlike many of […]
Hamster & Gretel Review
Hamster & Gretel tells the story of 16-year-old boy, Kevin, who helps his sister, Gretel, when she and her pet hamster get superpowers. It is an animated action, comedy, and superhero series created by Dan Povenmire. He is well-known for being a co-creator of Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy’s Law, with Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, often […]
The Demon Girl Next Door Review
On July 1st, this supernatural slice-of-life comedy anime directed by Hiroaki Sakurai came to an end. This series was based on an ongoing six volume manga series by Izumo Itō of the same name. The Demon Girl Next Door tells the story of a demon girl, and her two magical girl companions, as they learn more […]
An Alternative to the Studio System?: Indie Animation Forges Ahead
Indie animation is on fire as of late. This is clear from the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to Final Space creator Olan Rogers for his animated project, Godspeed, which will document the “entire process of developing, writing, boarding, animating, and even pitching” an animated series. Sara Eissa, the creator of Astur’s Rebellion, an […]
The Promise of Rad Sechrist’s “Project City”
In November 2021, Rad Sechrist, creator of the well-regarded series, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, announced the creation of a platform known as Project City. Writer, comedian, and musician Ethan Becker, director and storyboarder Chase Conley, and character designer, storyboarder, and illustrator Coran Kizer Stone, joined on as co-creators of this platform. Project City […]
The Indie Animation Boom Continues in 2022
In August of 2021, I wrote about the boom in indie animation, consisting of almost exclusively crowdfunded animations. Earlier this month, I expanded on that and wrote about various indie animations, specifically noting Hazbin Hotel and Wild Card which are in development. As storyboarder Amber Avara put it on January 7, “2022 is the year […]
Metal Family Review
In recent years, there has been an increase in indie animations, including on platforms such as YouTube. One of those series is the musical-themed Russian mature animation series, Metal Family. The action-adventure and drama series focuses on a Russian family of metal fans, each with their own personalities: there are Victoria and Glam, two metalheads […]
Booming LGBTQ Representation in Animation in 2021
In December 2020, I wrote that there is “hope in the future for diverse storylines and expanded representation,” adding that there is “a lot to look forward to in 2021 in terms of animated series…[which] will undoubtedly affect the ongoing war between streaming platforms for more subscribers, profits for themselves, and film distribution itself.” That […]