meta: Critical Thinking

How the feminist, post-humanist, and deeply human heart of the 'Ghost In The Shell' franchise became, and remains, an icon and a model

How CGI in anime, whether fancifully fantastic or forensically realistic, can work well

'Ghost In The Shell' fizzled, but there are tons of other worthwhile anime/manga titles with strong female leads that could be adapted excellently for English-speaking audiences

The creator of 'AKIRA' is more interested in other things now. Good for him -- and most any creator ought to know what that feels like from the inside

Hollywood doesn't need blockbuster-sized live-action anime/manga adaptations. Here's some projects that could work on modest, manageable budgets, are easy to adapt, and could win over Western audiences handily

Ratings for reviews, whether in stars, numbers, or letter grades, are a detrimental influence to both criticism and consumer-service journalism. Here's why I'll never use them again if I can help it

Whatever my own readings of the film, the 2017 'Ghost In The Shell' is still problematic in ways that are potentially a bad model for other live-action anime

How to stay honest and review what sincerely interests you, when there's so much out there that clamors for your attention

How I almost folded Ganriki.org's tent, and how I decided against it

Covering an ongoing series can become an exercise in minutiae or futility. Here's the strategy I chose to keep my involvement active without also having it eat me alive

What kind of story is best told in a short form versus over the long haul?

On the benefits of anime featuring adult characters -- even if it isn't anime for an adult audience

How all the ways you change between re-watchings of a favorite show give you new perspective on old things

Is it possible, or wise, to critique anime adaptations of video games as if they had come from from any other source?

Fans shouldn't be peeved when material made to satisfy them first and foremost isn't welcomed by audiences with no obligation to meet that material halfway

For the first time in years, I attended Otakon as a fan and not press, and felt none the poorer for it

Do the impossibly high standards some fans set for anime come from the material itself, or from the way they're introduced to it?

With 'Legend of the Galactic Heroes' finally licensed for English release, it's all the more important to examine it critically, not reverentially

When does it make sense to have others continue work left unfinished by the creator's death, and when is it best to just leave well enough alone?

Is there any way to get around the prejudices of a modern audience that looks at a classic show and just sees something 'old'?