TV TV Articles

“The King is the crime!”: Commoners, royalty, and animated depictions of monarchy

Over forty-four years ago, on September 3, 1980, the series finale of the now-classic Rose of Versailles, entitled “Adieu, My Beloved Oscar,” aired on Japanese television. It depicted revolutionary leader Louis Saint-Just telling an assembly of Frenchmen, in 1792, that “the King’s own existence is itself an unforgivable crime” and “The King is the crime!” […]

Film Film Reviews

Love Me Review

The core theme of Love Me destined it to be labeled a pandemic-era movie. While Americans had already been experiencing epidemic levels of loneliness in the late 2010s, the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns highlighted what was already there while deepening that isolation. We were drowning in a preponderance of think pieces and studies […]

TV TV Articles

A trend toward “nomance” in animation?: Increased depictions of female friendships

Recently, UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers released their Teens & Screens Report, which stated that of the over 1,600 adolescents they polled, over 63% preferred stories focused on platonic relationships/friendships, as opposed to romantic ones, with movies remaining a top choice for entertainment, and a preference for live-action over animation. Respondents still rated animation, […]