In my last part of this series, I talked about LGBTQ+ representation in animation in 2025, from January to mid-April. This post will cover from mid-April to mid-September, focusing on series such as #1 Happy Family USA, Oh My God… Yes!, Maebashi Witches, Lazarus, Once Upon a Witch’s Death, You and Idol Pretty Cure, and A […]
Tag: animation
A year of “Yuridemption”?: LGBTQ+ Representation in Animation in 2025 [Part 1]
In December of 2024, I published my post examining LGBTQ+ representation in Western animation and anime, noting that twenty-six anime with direct, or indirect, yuri themes aired. This included some of my favorites, with yuri subtext, like Dungeon Meshi, Girls Band Cry, My Deer Friend Nokotan, Mayonaka Punch, Pon no Michi, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in […]
Burkely’s Top Ten Indie Animated Pilots of 2025
In early February of last year, Olan Rogers, best known as creator of Final Space (sadly shafted by WarnerDiscovery), responded to a fan, writing “…it’s the worst it’s ever been. Indie is the way to go.” His words gave me the idea to highlight some recent indie animated series and pilots since my last post in […]
The “Lumberjanes” Animated Series That Never Was
Earlier this month, ND Stevenson had an announcement. He is a writer best known for helming She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which is an animated re-boot of the classic 1980s series She-Ra: Princess of Power, and for his webcomic (and later) graphic novel Nimona. He told interviewers from Comic Book Club that the animated adaptation of […]
MechWest Episodes 1-3 Review
I’ve watched many indie animations this year. One of my favorites is MechWest, which is streaming on YouTube. This indie action-adventure series is by David “Dave” Gallagher, and co-written by Clifford James Taylor and Noah Gallagher. It begins with a robot/mech, witnessing the death of its two compatriots. Soon, a spunky teenage girl named Pearl West (voiced […]
It’s time for… some piracy!: Examining fictional pirates in animation
Earlier this month, there was news that a new spinoff sequel of Steven Universe was in production, entitled Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars. Animation Magazine described protagonist Lars Barriga as an “eternal teenager and space outlaw.” It said that the series will follow him “and his pirate crew” as they “smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and […]
Black animation at the crossroads?: Diversity, corporate mandates, backlash, and hope
I recently came across a piece in the St. Louis American about Iyanu: Child of Wonder, which is based on a Nigerian graphic novel by Roye Okupe and Godwin Akpan, which incorporates Yoruba mythology and stories and was produced by a Black-owned animation studio (Lion Forge Animation). While this series, said to be influenced by […]
“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!” […]
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 […]
Burkely’s Top Twenty Animated TV Shows of 2024
Last year I published a list of my top ten Western animated series. I am doing the same this year. Some are holdovers from last year, like Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, My Adventures with Superman, and Hailey’s On It!. Others are new additions, such as God’s School, Static Shock, Hazbin Hotel, Avatar: The Last […]










