Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).
The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.
Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.
Now available in its complete 12-episode run with English subtitles, the Devil May Cry anime is a fascinating artifact. It’s not the party you remember from DMC3 , but it might be the hangover Dante never knew he needed. The series, directed by Shin Itagaki and animated by Madhouse ( Death Note , One Punch Man ), strips away the operatic demon invasions. Instead, we find Dante (voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in Japanese) living in a trailer on the outskirts of a city that looks perpetually overcast. His shop, "Devil May Cry," is still open for business, but business is slow.
The English subtitled version is available on Crunchyroll and Funimation (check regional availability) and for digital purchase on Prime Video. Bottom Line: The Devil May Cry anime is not the summer blockbuster of the franchise; it is the rainy Tuesday. And thanks to the English subtitles, you finally get to hear the quiet devastation between the gunshots. Give it a shot—just don’t expect to shout "Jackpot!" at the end of every episode. Devil May Cry Anime Episode 1-12 English Sub
However, if you watch the English sub with an open mind, you will discover the best character study of Dante ever produced. This is a portrait of depression disguised as a demon-hunting show. The subtitles highlight the lonely poetry of a half-demon who has outlived everyone he ever loved. Best for: Fans who want to see the "DMC2" era Dante—cool, quiet, and grieving. Skip if: You only want non-stop action and pizza memes. Now available in its complete 12-episode run with
When the Devil May Cry franchise made the leap from hyper-stylish video games to the television screen in 2007, fans expected lightning in a bottle: the cocky one-liners of Dante, the visceral crunch of Ebony & Ivory, and the gothic chaos of Mallet Island. What they got was something else entirely—a moody, melancholic neo-noir that prioritizes atmosphere over adrenaline. Instead, we find Dante (voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa