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A series tragically overlooked by the greater community, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea showcases two important qualities that contemporary anime have long been in need of: ambition and potential.

The most impressive aspect of Kaina is how well-paced it's 11 episode run is. The show moves itself along at an incredibly brisk pace, which allows for it's survival themes and character dynamics to be explored with a level of variety that is both engaging and satisfying. This elevates another key aspect of Kaina, which is the scope and worldbuilding of the series. Set at the foot of a great tree bordered by a misty snow ... ocean, Kaina drags you through all the possible sights and sounds of this abstract realm in a way that is expertly woven into the plot progression.

Where the show stumbles a little, however, is in the story department. Kaina presents an overdone narrative about warring nations and the struggle for resources with little nuance to make itself stand out. The ending of the show is where this weakness is most apparent, being the result of a conflict that has only been given two episodes to develop while also trying to set up a continuation. While the characters play off of one another nicely, it's also worth mentioning that there's little to their personalities that makes them individually interesting.

While only competent as of currently, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea shows the potential to culminate into something that is worth paying attention to. With a movie on the horizon, it's obvious that there's enough life left in this series for that possibility to be met. If you enjoy stories centered around the exploration of an expansive world, or stories that are very much to the point, I'd recommend this anime. On the other hand, if unoriginal narratives, weak characterisation or 3D anime are a turnaway for you, you may want to give Kaina a miss.

Alarmingly in tune with my own experiences of life, The Tatami Galaxy feels like something I should be deeply moved by and passionately in favour of, and yet, I'm not. While the series admirably leans in to the ambition of it's premise through the fantastic visual style, inventive animation and unique methods of storytelling, these strong points are left hanging by the show's apparent lack of depth, and so the experience of watching it feels hollow come the conclusion.

What the Tatami Galaxy suffers from so greatly is how it only manages to explore it's ideas on the surface. From as early as the first 10 ... minutes, you can immediately deduce what the point of the series is and what the story will culminate into. And yet, the show nominates to continue along this exact path for the remainder of it's 9 formulaic episodes, slowly revealing it's hand to the audience like it's meant to come with any surprise.

In many ways, the quality of this series is strangely contradictory. The extreme level of focus that is put on exploring the protagonist's endless possible lives is betrayed by how linear and indistinct many of those lives are. Because an overwhelming majority of the series is spent being episodic, the show's attempt at character development is unfulfilling come the conclusion. Despite being clearly telegraphed, the show manages to culminate into a fantastic climax, showcasing all the rich creativity, nuanced introspection and emotional core that the series has become revered for. Because of these inconsistencies, The Tatami Galaxy falls right down the middle for me. It managed to surprise me in it's own unremarkable way, and for that I have a conflicted sense of appreciation for it.

For those willing to bear with the faults of a show just to see the full scope of it's artistic vision, appreciate stories that you're able to gain a lot from on repeat viewing or just like shows that give you an experience through the way they're watched, I can cautiously recommend The Tatami Galaxy. Otherwise, if you don't have a tolerance for monotony or prefer stories with compelling character development and introspection, I suggest you look elsewhere.

It's difficult to fully articulate why, but I love this manga. It's one of my favourites.

The Red World presents its narrative like something from a distant memory. All of the locales are harmonious and untouched by the war setting that frames them, and each of the chapters are embellished to differing degrees by their low fantasy concepts. There's a whimsy and beauty to each of the stories that makes them very easy to be engaged by, even in spite of their short lengths.

However, The Red World doesn't linger on the spectacle of it's setting. Each story is more focused on exploring the ways that it's ... characters navigate through their lives, with each of them either being drawn together or pulled apart by the hand that life deals them. This serves as the ultimate goal of the anthology, being a reflection on the spirit of mankind, the value of human kindness and the threads of fate that remind us how small our world truly is. There is a lingering and haunting appeal to these stories, which is masterfully understood by the author through the ways they are reintegrated into the later chapters.

If you like stories that focus on a single pivotal point in the lives of it's characters, transport you to a completely different place and time, or just simply enjoy storytelling, this is a sure-fire recommendation. Otherwise, if you clamour for nuanced characterisation or more conventional and realistic depictions of war in your stories, you may be left disappointed.