The Screen Scribe

Side Notes: How Streaming Turned Anime Into a Global Powerhouse

September 26, 2025

There was a time when anime was difficult to find outside Japan. Western audiences relied on scattered VHS tapes, late night cable slots, and word of mouth to discover series like Dragon Ball Z, Escaflowne or Sailor Moon. If you wanted to go deeper, you often had to hunt down expensive imports or grainy fan-subtitled…
Recommendation: Cyberpunk Edgerunners

September 24, 2025

Every so often, an anime arrives that doesn’t just tell a story but defines an entire moment in time. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the collaboration between Studio Trigger and CD Projekt Red, is one of those rare works. Released on Netflix in 2022, it did more than expand the world of Cyberpunk 2077. It revitalised faith in…
Review: 1883

September 22, 2025

There’s a rare satisfaction in finally sitting down to a show you’ve meant to watch for months, letting anticipation simmer until the first frame finally flickers across the screen, and discovering that it more than lives up to the wait. Such was my experience with 1883, the prequel to the sprawling Yellowstone saga. I had…
Side Notes: Why Anime Excels At Exploring Philosophy

September 19, 2025

When you hear the word philosophy, anime may not be the first medium that comes to mind. Yet for anyone who has seen Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, it becomes immediately clear that anime can wrestle with ideas as complex and profound as any philosophy text. Beneath its battles, alchemy circles, and memorable cast, the series grapples…
Recommendation: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

September 18, 2025

Few anime achieve the rare combination of thrilling adventure, profound moral inquiry, and unforgettable character development, but Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood does it with precision and heart. From the very first episode, it draws viewers into a richly imagined world where alchemy shapes destiny, and every choice carries weight. It is simply one of the finest…
Review: Hellsing Ultimate

September 15, 2025

Few anime embrace their own excesses with the unapologetic confidence of Hellsing Ultimate. This ten-episode OVA adaptation of Kouta Hirano’s manga is a relentless exploration of gothic horror, over-the-top action, and philosophical musings on what it truly means to be human and monstrous. It is a series that thrives on its audacity, daring to push…
Side Notes: The Enduring Appeal of Mecha Anime

September 13, 2025

Few images are as synonymous with anime as a towering robot striding into battle. For many Western fans, Gundam Wing was the first real exposure to this tradition, myself included. While it aired alongside the likes of Dragon Ball Z on Toonami, it stood apart in tone and focus. Where DBZ was about superhuman strength…
Recommendation: Gundam Wing

September 10, 2025

Few anime manage to balance the thrill of giant robots with the weight of political intrigue, but Gundam Wing does it with style and precision. For me, this was a defining series, the gateway to a lifelong fascination with anime alongside Dragon Ball Z during those nostalgic days of Toonami. Its mix of high stakes,…
Review: Wednesday Season 2

September 8, 2025

There are few things trickier in television than following up a cultural phenomenon. Wednesday’s first season was lightning in a bottle, combining gothic flair with teen mystery and a breakout performance from Jenna Ortega that launched a thousand TikTok dances. Now the question looms large: could lightning strike twice? The answer, unfortunately, is complicated. Season…
Side Notes: How Dragon Ball Z Inspired a Generation

September 8, 2025

There are certain cultural milestones that are impossible to ignore, and for anime, one of the biggest arrived with Dragon Ball Z. For many Western fans, myself included, it was the gateway. The moment anime stopped being some niche import and became something kids across the globe rushed home after school to watch. And while…