Aria the Animation #04
SB: Sato Junichi
ED: Tamagawa Masato

This is the first episode to really lean into magical realism. Fittingly, the boards immediately draw attention with jarring chiaroscuro architectural framing & soft-focus backgrounds that prioritize mood over detail. +


This is also the first anime-original episode, and while I wouldn't say the show was ever afraid to step away from the margins in service of the different medium, you can definitely feel a unique Sato-esque pacing to this episode with more immersive visual flow.

It's really unfortunate that this one line was left out of Hellsing Ultimate, considering how significant it is for Integra's development, and her relationship with Alucard. It's a vital motif throughout the manga, too.

(Thread about how cool Integra Hellsing is 🧵) This single line strengthens this chapter's conclusion. Alucard is the first to ever call her Sir, a knight's title. While he does help her, she delivers the final blow.

She asks for a knight and she gets one, but more importantly, she's proven worthy of becoming one herself. +

Initial thoughts on Mushoku Tensei

I like how Rudeus' real life is starkly contrasted against his new one. Most isekai I've seen treat Truck-kun as a gag, so I appreciate that it took his death seriously & didn't try to laugh off his wasted life.

Death shouldn't be celebrated.


My favorite moments from the EPs 1 & 2 are the scenes that portray his trauma. His fear of exploring outside & his belief that everyone's out to get him is really relatable. We see him hiding behind his "parents" often; it's a really good way to portray his stunted development.

I don't think any anime captures the relationship between teenagers and social media as well as YoruKura does. #ヨルクラ 🧵


The way the digital world carries such a massive influence over them is woven into the OP - they're surrounded & trapped by screens rotating around them as they appear lost in the chaos, portraying their complex relationship with reality, which is visualized by their past selves.

Ranking of Kings

I came in expecting a well-executed action adventure about an underdog rising to the top, and found myself immersed in a brilliant subversion of fairytale tropes that was heartfelt and gripping until the very end.

Review thread 🧵 In retrospect, maybe it was obvious from the start, but my cynicism towards the genre lowered my expectations. So when the characters initially adhered to their stereotypes, I thought nothing more of it and assumed it was just a writing flaw.

I was thrilled to learn I was wrong.

Sonny Boy review 🧵

A singular experience. It's nothing short of incredible that a show so special and deeply personal could've been made in 2021. Simply calling it “unique” would be doing a disservice to the tremendous amount of love and care that was abundantly poured into it. The simple art direction ranges from pleasantly minimalist to deeply moving, like an expressionist scenic painting brought to life. Diegetic sound and lighting keep you fully immersed. By being conservative with the details, it feels holistic in a way that anime rarely does.

This sequence in the final episode of Sonny Boy encapsulates the shows themes with its extremely deliberate direction and a solid use of symbolism, making us feel like we’re transitioning from one stage of our lives to another alongside the characters. Small 🧵 When we move on from one place to the next, our memories often scramble together. All these important moments that shaped us, that we learned from - they all become one, indiscernible experience. The people we met, the places we explored, they're what gave shape to our lives.

A list of 20+ anime you might like if you enjoyed Sonny Boy 🧵!

Some are similar in terms of style, some are similar in terms of subject matter, while some are both. I tried to include a variety so that depending on what you like about this show, there's something here for you. 1. Tatami Galaxy

Easily the closest you'll get in terms of aesthetics and subject matter. TG is more lighthearted and fast-paced, but both are atypical coming-of-age stories with minimalist art direction and a vaguely episodic structure that builds into an overarching story.

Hitagi Crab is about carrying the weight of your memories & facing reality head-on. So it makes sense then, that when Hitagi resolves to gain that weight back, we are suddenly shown images of real-life people as opposed to the idealized, vibrant anime characters we're used to. 🧵


Learning how to communicate. A warm home. School. Mother's cooking.

This is what her youth should have been, but her memories of them have been tarnished. Her mom's features are obscured, the color is drained from her home. All that's left is the red shock of pain & heartache.