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The Matierica phenomenon™ has been taking the anime community by storm as of the last year or so. It's a short film that everybody's talking about, yet nobody thus far has made a video or written a review. It could be the TikTok effect where tons of people are aware of a certain show or movie, yet not a lot of thoughtful discussion springs out of that boom in popularity. I am here to rectify that and tell you why Matierica is actually worth the hype.

Matierica is a short film by Keita Kurosaka, famous for his short animations uploaded to the internet. What differentiates Matierica ... from his other works is the sound design, not unlike something like Death Grips. Many of his other films have harsh noise or experimental ambiance heavily implemented into their sound design, but also have more traditional elements like voice acting and music. Examples of this include the likes of Midori-ko, Mochibei and Watashi no Kao. While classics in their own regard, Matierica is more of a throwback to his earlier works like Metamorphose Works No.1 and Sea Roar. Matierica doesn't follow traditional storytelling you would see in shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Robokko Beeton. It's a sequence of drawings made to form an unsettling morphing motion. The cover art leaves the story up to personal interpretation and that's the fun of figuring it out. It's not too unlike Serial Experiments Lain as something you may have to watch a couple times to fully piece together what's going on. For this reason I would recommend you watch it in a groupwatch setting to bounce theories back and forth as to what it could all mean. I'll refrain from putting my own interpretation here due to spoiler reasons. This movie can be enjoyed even if you are spoiled, but I would naturally recommend going in blind.

Matierica is a great film that I would recommend to just about anybody. Despite being a film that came out in 2017, the art still holds up great which is important for a movie that is so artistically driven. If you're sick of hearing about it everywhere, please reconsider it. I know not all seasonals that get hyped up are worth it or stand the test of time, but Matierica is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that's popular for a reason. Therefore I cannot give it anything lower than a strong 8, but it could potentially be a low to mid 9 upon further rewatches.

Visions of Frank is one of the most visually striking and boldest anime ever made, and it's an absolute must-watch for fans of alternative media.

Each episode contains its own short story, featuring the same characters in all of them, but are told with completely different art styles and tones. Seeing the sharp contrast between each story is what makes the OVA so consistently fresh and engaging.

Episode 2 is completely nonsensical in a hypnotizing sort of way. Episodes 4 and 6 are surreal and mind-melting, yet intensely captivating and mesmerizing. And episodes 5 and 9 are genuinely creepy in a way that only alternative media like ... this can convey. Honestly I think the third episode is the only one I would call kind of bad, but otherwise they are all masterpieces in their own ways.

If you enjoy the output of Studio 4°C or otherworldly animation by independent animators, you owe it to yourself to watch Visions of Frank.

Ai Yazawa, known mostly for Paradise Kiss and Nana, has been a prolific figure in the world of shoujo manga for decades with her mature themes and more realistic approach to character development. Gokinjo Monogatari was my introduction to her.

What initially drew me to watch this show was the very unique art style. Everything is done completely with flat colors which made me think of '70s cartoons. It's definitely a peculiar look, but fits the show to a tea. There's a perfect balance between being tastefully retro and progressively modern. Thankfully nothing is really lost with having such beautiful artwork either. It's similar to Sailor ... Moon in the sense that the art style at its core is so strong and appealing that the limited animation isn't as much noticeable, though, that's not to say that it doesn't also look great in motion, because it does.

But art only nets you so many points in your favor. I could also mention the music which is absolutely phenomenal and so good that it can almost be a little distracting at times. Take that as you will, I see it as a positive. But the characters is where Ai Yazawa shines and Gokinjo Monogatari certainly doesn't skimp out on that. Despite being one of her earlier manga, it works because it all feels very personal.

Every character in Gokinjo Monogatari is lovable and easy to empathize with. Even if there were a character you didn't particularly like or connect with at first, I guarantee you'll grow to love them during one of their episodes. Yes, while there definitely is an on-going narrative, for the most part it's pretty casual. There definitely is plenty of drama and romance, but it weaves in and out of relevance rather than being the main focus. And in between that you have a string of really wholesome episodes that'll tug at your heartstrings. These were some of my favorite episodes and really showcases the show's wide emotional palette.

With that being said, comedy is one thing Gokinjo Monogatari does not prioritize. Most of it comes from cheeky banter between the characters. It's more charming than anything, but you won't exactly be laughing out loud. Honestly I kind of like that though. Makes everything feel a lot more genuine. Every scenario feels like it could've been directly inspired from the creators' lives. It creates this very intimate bond between the show and the viewer. Gokinjo Monogatari is something you watch to invest yourself into these characters' lives. To see this group of friends figuring themselves out through the hard times, but ultimately sticking together out of mutual love for each other. While some moments hit very close to home and and made me feel the same guilt and anxiety as the characters, at the end of the day it encourages self-improvement and shows you that there are people out there for you. Is it anything life-changing? Maybe, maybe not. It's honestly more reaffirming than anything. Makes me feel more confident in myself. And I think that's something everybody could appreciate. Regardless of what you get out of this show, it absolutely will stick with you one way or another.

It may seem strange at first to make an anime adaptation of a game that was released over 25 years ago, but it makes a lot more sense with context. Spelunker on the Famicom is a very notorious game in Japan for how easy it is to die. You literally cannot drop 2 feet without dying mid-air, à la Action 52. How do you make an anime with a weak protagonist like that? Make him a scrawny teacher, of course!

Spelunker Sensei is reminiscent of classic web animation with its sense of humor and pacing. Me putting it that way could lead you to believe that ... it's going to be nothing but a bunch of amateurishly-made slapstick shorts which would only be funny to people who have played the game. However, that is absolutely not the case. Spelunker Sensei takes the concept of having a super weak protagonist and goes all out with it, creating several creative scenarios that will defy your expectations and have you laughing out loud. I was actually taken by surprise just how smart the setups were and how well the punchlines were handled.

With that being said, can you watch it and still get some enjoyment out of it if you haven't played the game or know of its infamous status? Well, you can definitely get a chuckle or two if you know the context, but being more familiar with it is what I think will really sell this OVA to fans of Spelunker and hardcore retro gamers as a whole. Otherwise it's a solid 30 minutes of fun for everybody else.

But for those who are deeper into gaming culture, you may associate bad games with angry nerds and irate gamers, which were all the rage in the late 2000s with their fruity language and high tempers. Meanwhile in Japan a lot of these bad games, or "kusoge", are actually quite celebrated for numerous reasons. The is that seeing people get angry over games is funny, but why would you wanna be the one behind the controller yourself? Playing bad games doesn't sound like fun, does it? Not necessarily in the traditional sense, however, there definitely is a level of passion behind getting the most out of the flawed. There's something other-worldly about getting that AAA experience out of a piece of media. Contrasting that on the other side of the coin, there's also something very human about the more niche and indie stuff. Watching Spelunker Sensei, I could tell that everybody who worked on it loved Spelunker and had a blast putting this OVA together. It's is a love letter to anybody who can feel that very human energy out of media. Maybe it doesn't have the greatest and most professional production out there, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ongaku is a passion project created almost single-handedly by Kenji Iwaisawa over the course of 7 years and is my pick for anime of the year.

"Beauty in simplicity" best describes the ethos of Ongaku. Every aspect from the minimalistic character designs to the blunt and incredibly straight forward script compliment each other and culminate to this strong sense of confidence in the film. That confidence in turn creates this aura of inspiration and optimism. Goes to show that you don't need a huge all-star team or deep writing to create something special. Sometimes all you need is a strong vision and tenacity.

Creating anything as a ... one-man army is impressive in and of itself, however, the talent at display here is truly remarkable. Rotoscoping is used prominently throughout the film for a unique effect. It's both very cartoony and life-like without ever dipping into the uncanny valley. This allows for lots of expressive character movements and complex background animation. The performances are definitely the highlight though. Pair that with the intense, emotionally-charged music and you've got yourself some of the most powerful performances of all time.

As a movie about music, there is a lot of attention put into the soundscape. All the voice actors do a great job at matching the script with their rather dry and mundane delivery. It's quite suitable for the film's sense of humor though, and the comedic timing is consistently on-point. It may not send you into bursts of laughter, but is subtle enough to always leave a smile on your face.

I cannot recommend Ongaku enough if you have an hour or so to spare. It's a great film to just put on and have a great time with, and if you're an animation nerd, this will be like a wet dream for you. There are also lots of nods to classic rock that, while a bit surface level, are still tasteful and fun to spot out. I suggest you gather up some friends and have fun together!

Atmosphere is one of the most important components when crafting a good show. If a show has weak or inappropriate atmosphere, it can potentially tarnish any chance of having emotional resonance with the audience, even if the script and acting are great. There are some anime fans that have a hard time enjoying a lot of horror anime for this very reason, because some of the scenes that were meant to be scary can come off as comedic instead if done poorly.

Then you have those rare shows which have a certain aura to them. Maybe the characters are a bit corny and the plot isn’t ... very engaging, but despite that, they still manage to pull some emotion out of you.

A Little Snow Fairy Sugar is exactly that type of show. What it lacks in subtlety, it more than makes up for it with sincerity.

The first thing that immediately struck me about Snow Fairy was its soundtrack. It’s easily the highlight of the entire show and largely consists of lovely and nostalgic-sounding piano pieces which play throughout the episodes. Sometimes the show will just sort of stop for a moment and let a character play an instrument for a bit. It can be quite bizarre and jarring at times, but endlessly charming nonetheless.

And that’s really how I would best describe the show as a whole. It’s very charming and endearing. With character designs from Koge-Donbo of Di Gi Charat fame, it is unmistakably “of its time” in the best ways possible. The legendary Shichirou Kobayashi is also on the team and he does a fantastic job bringing this world to life with his beautiful backgrounds. Overall, the show is a treat to look at and listen to.

However, while the artwork and music are both incredible, the characters and writing can leave a lot to be desired. The plot itself is rather unremarkable and the dynamics are all over the place. Saga and Sugar's friendship do have their wholesome and heartwarming moments together, but a decent chunk of the series is spent with Sugar getting in the way of Saga's everyday life and they end up fighting quite a bit which can take away some of the emotional weight those wholesome scenes could've had because the character progression is very inconsistent. If you’re the type of viewer who prefers getting super critical with what they watch, then maybe stay away, because Snow Fairy doesn’t exactly try too hard to be too deep with its themes and you'll probably end up getting bored and thinking it's stupid.

But at the end of the day, Snow Fairy exemplifies a lot of the qualities I love about this time period in anime history. A lot of the industry started converting over to computers and it gave more people the chance to create niche anime that may not have been approved or fully realized before. And while a lot of series from this era can often be rather weird or clumsy, you can often feel that raw passion shine through. Snow Fairy may be far from perfect, but I also don't think I'd want it any other way.

Flying Luna Clipper is the single greatest thing to ever grace humanity. This movie about a group of fruit & vegetable people will make you laugh, have you in awe, and make yourself question whether it’s actually legal or not to own the movie. Let’s get right into it!

This OVA was directed and written by Ikko Ono. Who is that? I have no idea. He was seemingly born just to make this one movie and then blipped off the map completely. I only mention him because there’s a similar sort of mystique to the film itself. It was practically lost to time until someone found ... the laserdisc of it in a thrift store recently in late 2015 and decided to upload it to YouTube. This gives the film an unusual aura, like a hazy memory of an obscure cartoon or video game you remember seeing as a kid, but you don’t know if it was actually real or just a product of your imagination.

Speaking of video games, Flying Luna Clipper uses 2D sprites made on an MSX2 computer instead of the typical cel animation at the time. Fans of Hideo Kojima may recognize the MSX brand for Kojima’s video game debut with the original Metal Gear, which later got an NES port. I honestly have no idea got into Ikko Ono when he made this decision, but oh boy am I glad he did. Flying Luna Clipper represents a lot of the same unrivaled charm found in games from that era. There’s this level of abstraction and dreamlike atmosphere that makes it a mesmerizing viewing experience from start to finish, even if you have no idea what the hell is going on. I was always at the edge of my seat; every time I told myself “There’s no way this can get any weirder!” the movie one-upped itself and continued to blow me away.

So is Flying Luna Clipper just style over substance? To some of you it definitely will just be a mismatch of ideas haphazardly thrown together into an incoherent mess, and I won’t blame you at all for thinking that way at all. However, for me the whole concept about going on this fantastical journey to explore dreams invoked a very magical feeling inside of me, like my mind had suddenly been transported into the body of an infant, and I’m experiencing the world all over again in my most impressionable years. Everything seems so fascinating and alien in that stage that you can’t help but to be in complete awe at everything around you. As we grow older, we start to take everything for granted and forget that we even had such a period in our life. Everything starts to blend in and become a bit mundane, which is why I appreciate things like Flying Luna Clipper that can take me by surprise and bring me back to my youth.

However, there is one tiny aspect of the film that’s a bit problematic, and it’s got to do with babies… In the Gravity Dance section of the film, there are a couple shots showing naked babies which are completely uncensored. To any western fan, I’m sure these mere seconds of footage alone is enough to turn them off from the film entirely, and while it does make me feel a bit uncomfortable, it’s not enough to ruin the movie for me. Who knows, maybe it’s not as big of a deal over in Japan where they had Goku’s Dragon Balls hanging out on national television, but it’s still something to look out for regardless. Aside from those few shots, the Gravity Dance section is absolutely my favorite part of the film. It conveys this sense of freedom and ecstasy, like you’re being whisked away on a cloud or floating on water. The bit before is starts where they tell you to unfasten your seatbelt was also really funny.

In conclusion, Ikko Ono really went above and beyond with Flying Luna Clipper. It is a one of a kind experience unlike anything else I have ever seen, and I am so glad it exists because by all accounts it really shouldn’t. I mean, even for the ‘80s where studios went bonkers on creating experimental OVAs and films, who in their right mind would come up with something like this? They really don’t make ‘em like they used to, and I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not… Oh, what am I saying? Flying Luna Clipper is a grace to mankind and I will cherish it with every ounce of my being. Now if only that alleged 2004 sequel film could get uncovered...

If there’s anything worse than a bad sequel, it’s a disappointing one. Nothing about Clear Card is overtly offensive or insulting. It just sort of… exists in a weird space of its own. It has all the characters you love and remember doing their usual shenanigans. In a lot of ways, Clear Card just feels like an extension of the classic original, and after all, isn’t that what a second season is supposed to do? Well, yeah, but… let me try and explain.

The series starts with a beautiful opening performed by Maaya Sakamoto, who did the third and final opening for the original, which was ... why personal favorite from that series. First impressions are looking pretty good! Then the actual show begins. The first thing I noticed was that the overall color design felt significantly more washed out than the original. The hand painted backgrounds, fluid animation, consistently great storyboarding, amongst many other things, made Cardcaptor Sakura feel warm and alive. Clear Card’s digital backgrounds doesn’t even hold a candle. Nothing about this show pops quite the same way. Even the animation feels a lot less lively. Characters rarely go into chibi mode, which is something that is often very typical and commonplace for Clamp series, which wouldn’t really be a problem if the facial expressions weren’t also so consistently dull.. Again, the original does a way better job at portraying emotions across the board, giving those funny scenes more comedic value and those sad scenes more weight.

But visuals aren’t the only element that factors into a show’s overall quality. What about the plot itself? Well… it sure is Cardcaptor Sakura. The overall story structure is pretty much the same, characters act exactly the same, even some of the music and most of the cards are lifted straight from the original. Gale is just Windy, Labyrinth is just The Maze, Mirror is just… The Mirror. You get the idea. It’s honestly pretty frustrating that I have to talk about the original in comparison so much, but Clear Card seriously feels like it has a bit of an identity crisis, and that’s my biggest problem with this show in general.

The manga and the anime came out about 20 years after the original. With such a huge time gap, I would’ve wanted them to either do some changes, such as make the characters older to better reflect the audience that would’ve been excited for this show in the first place, or start over from scratch and remake the original or introduce a new cast to sell the show to a new generation of anime fans. Instead it’s in this awkward in-between spot where it doesn’t quite offer enough new for older fans, and isn’t accessible enough to new fans because they would have to watch 70 episodes of a show that’s over 20 years old now beforehand.

With all that being said, I wouldn’t be honest if I said I didn’t like anything about Clear Card. I really liked the first ED. The song and animation is very lively and playful, and I also found it cool how they reference cel animation in the first shot of the ED with the name plates. The characters are only colored within that small frame, with the full character sketch taking up the rest of the picture, just like how cel animation is done. The original was obviously made before the era where digital animation was the standard for anime, so I thought that was a cute nod. There are also certain moments that do capture the spirit of the original show, with my favorite episode being episode 19. That was a great episode.

So how do I feel about Clear Card as a whole? As a huge fan of the original Cardcaptor Sakura, I was very disappointed that the sequel didn’t feel like much of an evolution of the series, but instead more like the exact same thing we already watched 20 years ago, just not quite as good due to its lackluster presentation in comparison to the original, as well as reused plot points and ideas, making it an overall exhausting watch.

Would I recommend Clear Card to you? Eh, probably not. You might get more out of this than I did, but I wouldn’t raise my expectations too high. Just be aware that it ends on a massively unsatisfying cliffhanger. I won’t spoil what happens, and we may still get a second season someday to resolve the plot. I’m just throwing that out there for anyone who hates cliffhangers as much as I do. Actually, maybe watch Saint Tail if you’re clamoring for more anime like Cardcaptor Sakura. That show doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves.

Mahou no Chocolate is a simple 8 minute short film about a girl who wants to give her Valentine's Day chocolates to a boy she likes. That is it. With a bland premise like that, how could this film possibly be worth watching when there are hundreds of deeper and more experimental short films out there? Well, let's find out.

As someone who grew up in the '00s, I spent a lot of my youth watching Flash animations on Newgrounds and YouTube. The thing that always drew me to these animations was the sense of passion and personality. Mahou no Chocolate is precisely that - a ... showcase of talent that shines through with some neat visual directing and lots of heart.

The visuals may seem primitive by today's standards. However, what you have to keep in mind is that this was all essentially a one-man project, lead by Naoya Ishikawa. The animation on display here is excellent and there are lots of interesting transitions and nice shot composition. It won't necessarily be anything you haven't already seen before if you're familiar with the medium, however, for the scope of this project; it's all very impressive. But we haven't gotten to the best part yet...

Watching Mahou no Chocolate makes me feel like a kid again. Alone in my room on a snowy day, watching Newgrounds without a care in the world. It fully engulfed me in a warm feeling of nostalgia and pure bliss during its short 8 minute run time. And while anime is a wide medium filled with incredible art pieces to open your eyes and mind, sometimes I want to watch something a bit... simpler. Something that can act more like a time capsule and take me back to a certain time period. Sometimes when I grow older and more cynical towards the world; I need something like Mahou no Chocolate to get me through a hard week. Thank you Mr. Ishikawa for making this.

In short: If you were someone who grew up on the internet in the '00s and want something that'll give you a spark of childlike wonder and joy, I would highly recommend this film to you.

Thanks for watching my movie. Please rate 5 stars.

What does it mean to be happy? Some people would tell you that being rich or famous is their ultimate dream. Now that could be true for a lot of people, but for me, however; self-acceptance is my one true wish.

Growing up can be an awkward and intimidating process for some of us. I'm sure that we have all done or said some things in the past that we look back on in regret or embarrassment, so when you get thrown into this cruel and unforgiving world where social norms are prevalent and people are very critical of you, the thought of having people finding ... the dark secrets of your past could be very detrimental to yourself.

I have spent most of my life slaving over each and every single little mistake I have made and forcing myself to act like everyone else in the hopes that people will finally accept me. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! taught me that it is okay to be weird and different. That you don't need to be like everyone else in order to be happy. That loving yourself is the only thing you need to do in order to achieve happiness.

Watching Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is like taking a trip to memory lane and reflecting on all the best moments that life has to offer when you're young and delusional. Rikka is kind of like the representation of your childhood while Yuuta reflects more of what adolescence is like and watching these two adorable goofballs talking to each other fills my heart with a warm feeling of nostalgia that I simply haven't felt before in anime.

The cast of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is one of the best that anime has to offer. Everybody here is a likeable dork and the character animation is always spot on and perfectly compliments the series' sense of slapstick and over the top humor. You will often see these really detailed fight scenes where characters use huge swords or shoot magic stuff at each other, only to then cut to a scene showing the characters actually just lightly wailing on each other in the adorable KyoAni-fashion. Even if you can see a joke coming, the execution and delivery of it all is so delightful that it's impossible to not crack a big dumb smile. But while Dekomori, Nibutani and everybody
else are also great characters in their own right; the bond between Rikka and Yuuta takes the cake here. Seeing Yuuta accepting his past in order to get closer to Rikka out of sheer love honestly gave me the inspiration to do the same with myself. After all, as long as you're not hurting anybody, why should you feel bad for who you truly are on the inside?

Even the opening feels like it's trying to amplify the show's message of clashing personality types with its visuals. However, Mother's Basement already made a great video on this opening in his "Top 5 BEST Kyoto Animation Anime Openings" so I would recommend that you go watch that video instead because otherwise I would just repeat everything he said.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is a very personal and important show to me. If I were to ever get trapped on a deserted island and I had to pick one anime that would be the only source of entertainment for the rest of my life, then Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! would be that anime. No other anime has made me as happy as this show has and I still cry tears of joy every time I even think about it.

If you are somebody that has struggled with self-acceptance in the past, then I would highly recommend this show to you! Even if you didn't feel the same way I do, the show has such an unparalleled charm to it that it should make for an enjoyable experience nonetheless.