Author Archives: Merlin
Useless Male Leads in Anime
In the practice of my one-episode rule, I watched the first episode of a fairly recent anime called Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie. It didn’t appeal much to me, but I was fairly certain other people would enjoy it, so I … Continue reading
Dear Disney: An Open Letter
Specifically, Dear Disney Executives, You are idiots. Why do I begin this letter in such a fashion? A particular author, now of famous renown, began what became arguably the single most famous story of his entire career with these words: … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #403: Worth the Risk
“Although there’s lots of bad things in the world, there’s lots of good, too, and those things make the risk worthwhile.” – Eliaria Jamil, By the Grace of the Gods Episode 2, “Departure, With the Slimes” Eliaria is a young … Continue reading
(The Fun) In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki
Most longtime anime fans have encountered or heard of that unofficial genre of titles which consist entirely of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things (CGDCT). This anime, in a nutshell, is a mix of that with Naruto. It’s Cute Ninja Girls Doing Cute Ninja … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #402: It’s What We Do With Our Gifts
“Gifts don’t make you better, just different. It’s how you use them that counts.” – Beast Boy, Teen Titans Season 1, Episode 4, “Forces of Nature” When Beast Boy says this, he is relating a lesson that he has recently … Continue reading
Slimes, Slaves, and Sexy Maids: The New Wave of Tropes?
It’s no secret whatsoever: when something new and unusual gets any sort of success, it gets copycatted out the freaking wazoo. Hollywood’s scramble to imitate the Marvel Cinematic Universe is but one outstanding example of that. There’s also all the … Continue reading
The Executioner and Her Dark and Epic Way of Life
This feels like one of those times where the author said, “You know what? Let’s take these tropes and make them as twisted and disturbing as absolutely possible! Let’s go the extra mile to really freak people out!” And considering … Continue reading
Sunday’s Wisdom #401: Pioneer Spirit
“The pioneers gave up their safety, their comfort, and sometimes their lives to build our new West. They were determined to make the New World strong and free, an example to the world. Some would say that those struggles are … Continue reading
A Cute and Hilarious Love After World Domination
I grew up watching Power Rangers. From Mighty Morphin to Time Force, with a bit of Wild Force there at the end, if I recall correctly. It has been a very long time since I paid the franchise much attention, but even if one … Continue reading
Merlin's Musings 