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Tag: essay

Movies

An Ode to ‘Up’ a Decade After It Broke Our Hearts

May 28, 2019December 30, 2019 Isabel GalweyComments Off on An Ode to ‘Up’ a Decade After It Broke Our Hearts

A personal reflection on Pixar’s most poignant tearjerker, 10 years after it came out.

fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
TV

The Only Way Out Is (Not) Through (Alchemy)

April 8, 2019December 29, 2019 John MaherComments Off on The Only Way Out Is (Not) Through (Alchemy)

All traumatized children would bring their parents back to life if they could. The Elrics show us why the past should stay dead.

madoka magica
TV

Inside the Godhood in ‘Madoka Magica’

September 28, 2018May 6, 2019 Fiona DayComments Off on Inside the Godhood in ‘Madoka Magica’

Let’s unpack why Madoka was a holdout among her friends.

powerpuff girls
TV

Why So Many Early ’00s Cartoons Couldn’t Escape the Male Gaze

June 15, 2018May 9, 2019 Shelby PeakeComments Off on Why So Many Early ’00s Cartoons Couldn’t Escape the Male Gaze

Animation has long been a boys’ club—and the 21st Century has mostly been no exception. Until now.

morty sanchez
TV

Morty Is Mixed, Just Like Me. And That’s Complicated.

June 7, 2018May 9, 2019 Izzy KingsComments Off on Morty Is Mixed, Just Like Me. And That’s Complicated.

The soul of ‘Rick and Morty’ is a mixed-race boy who goes on inter-dimensional adventures. What do we expect of him?

TV

‘Trigun’ Celebrated Its 20th Anniversary Last Month. I’ll Never Forget Its Story.

May 30, 2018April 25, 2020 Wyatt ErchakComments Off on ‘Trigun’ Celebrated Its 20th Anniversary Last Month. I’ll Never Forget Its Story.

A look back at Vash, Meryl, and one of the most powerful anime series ever.

julia real folk blues cowboy bebop
TV

How the Invisible Hand of Julia Drove the Plot of ‘Cowboy Bebop’

April 27, 2018May 9, 2019 Victoria FreyreComments Off on How the Invisible Hand of Julia Drove the Plot of ‘Cowboy Bebop’

It’s impossible to get her out of your head.

my funny valentine faye cowboy bebop
TV

To Faye, From Faye: Be Your Own Goddamn Valentine

April 20, 2018May 9, 2019 Maya GittelmanComments Off on To Faye, From Faye: Be Your Own Goddamn Valentine

A poetic love letter, from one kickass survivor to another.

jupiter jazz cowboy bebop
TV

The Hidden Parallels in ‘Cowboy Bebop’—and Its Links to Cormac McCarthy

April 18, 2018April 18, 2020 John MaherComments Off on The Hidden Parallels in ‘Cowboy Bebop’—and Its Links to Cormac McCarthy

Spike is Gren? Spike is Vicious? Spike is Odin, the wanderer god whose ravens represent thought and memory? Spike is Cormac McCarthy’s nameless Kid from ‘Blood Meridian’? Good questions.

ballad of fallen angels cowboy bebop
TV

I Watched “Ballad of Fallen Angels” and Have So Many Questions

April 6, 2018September 7, 2022 Bruce BohriComments Off on I Watched “Ballad of Fallen Angels” and Have So Many Questions

The fifth episode of ‘Bebop’ is one of its best, but I never watched the rest of the show. Here are all the things I still wonder about.

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EDITORS PICKS

blind vaysha

The Oscar-Nominated Film That Dares You to Live in the Now

By Tiffany Kelly

It didn’t win big at the Oscars, but that doesn’t diminish this short’s message.

Genndy Tartakovsky Gets ‘Primal’: “I’m Doing Things Differently Than I Ever Have Done”

By John Maher

The 'Dexter's Laboratory' and 'Samurai Jack' creator discusses his brutal, bloody, badass new series on Adult Swim

amethyst steven universe

Amethyst Is the Path to Self-Acceptance, Not the Destination

By Ruth Morrison

The most rambunctious Crystal Gem is still trying to figure it out, and that’s OK.

What Queer People Want the Future of Cartoons to Look Like

By Elly Belle

Queerness in cartoons has been subtextual for a long time, and a new generation of cartoons has brought it to the forefront. But there's a lot more to be done.

dorothy elias fahn meryl stryfe trigun

Dorothy Elias-Fahn Looks Back at Meryl Stryfe 20 Years Later: Exclusive

By Wyatt Erchak

The voice of Trigun’s gun-toting leading lady recalls her unforgettable role.

ingress

‘Ingress the Animation’ Packs Plenty of Action, But No Action Music

By John Maher

Composer Jacob Yoffee on how he made music for an action-packed anime without relying on standard soundtrack tropes.

‘Weathering With You’ Is the Wettest Movie of the Year

By Eric Vilas-Boas

Makoto Shinkai's follow-up to 'Your Name.' dramatizes its characters' feelings with rain.

gravity falls pig waddles mabel

We Asked Neil deGrasse Tyson Why He Voiced a Pig on ‘Gravity Falls’

By John Maher

And other things you don’t know about the popular scientist and his cartoon career.

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GREATEST HITS

big mouth

Inside Netflix’s New Nick Kroll and John Mulaney Cartoon, ‘Big Mouth’: Exclusive

By John Maher

The Titmouse founder on his studio’s upcoming comedy, hints at progress on ‘Venture Bros.’ Season 7, and more.

“Kota” Brings Pain, Tension, and Peril to UA’s Summer Camp

By Sarra Sedghi

And a cliffhanger leading us into the next episode.

2017 editorial | Editorial by MysteryThemes.