meta: Fantasy

Let's not shy away from calling this not only Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's greatest achievement, but one of the finest of all films, animated or not

Magical hijinks in high school are the jumping-off point for this enjoyable story with no small amount of potential, but also unnecessarily confusing visuals

At the heart of Hayao Miyazaki's most effortlessly charming film is a character of equal charm, learning her magic alone isn't what is most important about her

Looking back over this legendary and now-concluded OVA series, it's striking to realize how it all amounted to a great deal less than it might have seemed

Its story may be straight out of the tattered young-adult dystopia playbook, but 'Patema Inverted' boasts a central visual metaphor so dazzling it begs for IMAX

An endearing cast, a creatively elaborated setting, and a strongly character-driven story combine to make 'Chaika' many cuts above the run of the mill

The horror at the heart of this horror story lies in how it toys so adeptly with our understanding of 'human' and 'monster'

Despite some pacing problems and a few fumbled story elements, the first film from Hiroyuki Okiura since 'Jin-roh' is a good-hearted treat

It's as ridiculous, preposterous, and outlandish as the source material demanded, but there are side effects to being slavish to the very attributes that made 'Bayonetta' enjoyable as a game

Rare these days is the series with an all-female cast where character, story, and drama are the goals, not titillation or eye candy

Limited and fragmented as it is, this brutal fantasy still achieves wonders, thanks to the sheer strength of its storytelling and the force of its vision

The real monster in Satoshi Kon's genre-defying black comedy of horrors is human nature itself

Unfairly overlooked by audiences, this engrossing and intelligent adventure fantasy deserves cherishing -- doubly so now thanks to its welcome re-release

After a wave of successors and deconstructions, the sweetness and directness of one of anime's most-beloved magical-girl shows still holds up

It isn't just the Tim Burton-esque atmosphere that makes 'Soul Eater' ripe for a live-action version, but a lively and colorful cast of characters worthy of our attention

Katsuhiro Otomo's involvement in this dazzling short-film anthology is reason enough to seek it out, but there's plenty more on top of that

Long unavailable in anything but fansubs, this psychedelic horror-fantasy anthology is bewitching and intoxicating

Despite a meandering plotline, this mini-fantasia about one girl's spiritual powers is still worth the time

A gorgeously-designed surface isn't all that's beautiful in this compelling reworking of elements from the classic tale of 'Hakkenden'

The third of the 'Berserk' films brings us to the long-awaited end of the beginning, and reminds us the TV series still did some things totally right

As money becomes increasingly abstract, from Bitcoin to bubble-bursting financial derivatives, this series becomes all the more prophetic and fascinating

A massive budget wouldn't be needed to realize this most emotionally-powered of dark fantasies -- just proper attention to its story and characters

One of 2013's best shows, which manages to both shoot itself in the foot and not be limited by that

It's always fascinating how Japan does mutant fantasy versions of its own history, even if the results aren't always worth the effort