Daniel Dockery
@dandock.bsky.social
Writer at Crunchyroll, Polygon, WIRED, Vulture, GamesRadar, Inverse, Pokemon, Paste Magazine and other places / Rep'd by Aevitas Creative / Author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught A Generation To Catch Them All / Picked Charmander
I wish it had gotten a Season 5 (apparently they were going to introduce Mr. Sinister?), but its ending is satisfying. One of the relatively few superhero cartoons to get a chance to actually wrap things up like this.
November 13, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I wish it had gotten a Season 5 (apparently they were going to introduce Mr. Sinister?), but its ending is satisfying. One of the relatively few superhero cartoons to get a chance to actually wrap things up like this.
While Magneto was cool, Mystique was in top form, and the build to Apocalypse was well done, the real villain standout was the effortlessly lovable Brotherhood. Not part of a revolving door of enemies, but a band of outsiders as interesting as the X-Men.
November 13, 2025 at 8:59 PM
While Magneto was cool, Mystique was in top form, and the build to Apocalypse was well done, the real villain standout was the effortlessly lovable Brotherhood. Not part of a revolving door of enemies, but a band of outsiders as interesting as the X-Men.
The films have always had trouble balancing the character of Wolverine with everything else going on. Evolution, though, used him as kind of this poignant anchor - an example of a sad life mostly lived alone. As such, his "evolution" as a den father only helped the growth of the others.
November 13, 2025 at 8:54 PM
The films have always had trouble balancing the character of Wolverine with everything else going on. Evolution, though, used him as kind of this poignant anchor - an example of a sad life mostly lived alone. As such, his "evolution" as a den father only helped the growth of the others.
I was never very emotionally attached to the X-Men films, but X-Men: Evolution was the complete opposite. It really thrived on ensuring that each team member (and villain) got their share of the spotlight, meaning that, by the end, all of their growth felt earned.
November 13, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I was never very emotionally attached to the X-Men films, but X-Men: Evolution was the complete opposite. It really thrived on ensuring that each team member (and villain) got their share of the spotlight, meaning that, by the end, all of their growth felt earned.
Do I wish it was better? Yes. But for the most part, I enjoy it in the context of that 90s classic sci-fi/horror adaptation renaissance with it, Dracula, the truly bonkers Island of Dr. Moreau and others.
November 13, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Do I wish it was better? Yes. But for the most part, I enjoy it in the context of that 90s classic sci-fi/horror adaptation renaissance with it, Dracula, the truly bonkers Island of Dr. Moreau and others.
I always liked the 1994 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's certainly bombastic and most of its imperfections lie in its inability to do anything subtly. But there's something charming about its theatrical sense of melodrama - it plays for the cheap seats in both performance and aesthetic.
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I always liked the 1994 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's certainly bombastic and most of its imperfections lie in its inability to do anything subtly. But there's something charming about its theatrical sense of melodrama - it plays for the cheap seats in both performance and aesthetic.
I want a copy of this booklet from the 1995 VHS copy of Jurassic Park that opens with a compliment
November 13, 2025 at 2:21 PM
I want a copy of this booklet from the 1995 VHS copy of Jurassic Park that opens with a compliment
His work as series director on the Wano arc, one that saw the One Piece anime aesthetic revised and supercharged, has been a major pillar of its current international success. I hadn't seen people so excited to watch it on a week-to-week basis in my entire time as a fan.
November 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM
His work as series director on the Wano arc, one that saw the One Piece anime aesthetic revised and supercharged, has been a major pillar of its current international success. I hadn't seen people so excited to watch it on a week-to-week basis in my entire time as a fan.
Meanwhile, Film Z remains one of the most poignant and exciting stories to come out of the entirety of One Piece. A sad tale about coming to grips with the past and making way for the future.
November 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Meanwhile, Film Z remains one of the most poignant and exciting stories to come out of the entirety of One Piece. A sad tale about coming to grips with the past and making way for the future.
RIP to anime director Tatsuya Nagamine. One of the finest adventure anime directors of the modern era. He helped breath new life into long-running series and made them feel altogether vital again. The current One Piece boom wouldn't have been possible in the same way without him.
November 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM
RIP to anime director Tatsuya Nagamine. One of the finest adventure anime directors of the modern era. He helped breath new life into long-running series and made them feel altogether vital again. The current One Piece boom wouldn't have been possible in the same way without him.
"Terror in the Sky" also has my favorite Batman landing ever
November 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
"Terror in the Sky" also has my favorite Batman landing ever
I know that this is likely a very common answer, but most of my life has existed in the wake of Fellowship of the Ring. I first read it in sixth grade and since then, I've come to believe that there are few things better in the entire world than, as Mark Twain said, "a good story well told."
November 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I know that this is likely a very common answer, but most of my life has existed in the wake of Fellowship of the Ring. I first read it in sixth grade and since then, I've come to believe that there are few things better in the entire world than, as Mark Twain said, "a good story well told."
Of course, by the time Bride of Frankenstein rolled around, Boris Karloff had become one of the most recognizable horror actors in the world, so they just identify him with "KARLOFF", which is pretty rad
November 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Of course, by the time Bride of Frankenstein rolled around, Boris Karloff had become one of the most recognizable horror actors in the world, so they just identify him with "KARLOFF", which is pretty rad
And then the end credits are like "Actually it was Boris Karloff the whole time! Gotcha! You thought it was a real monster but it was actually that angry dude with the terrible haircut from The Criminal Code."
November 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
And then the end credits are like "Actually it was Boris Karloff the whole time! Gotcha! You thought it was a real monster but it was actually that angry dude with the terrible haircut from The Criminal Code."
My favorite opening credits come from the 1931 Frankenstein because they're so intent on creating a mystery around the monster that they credit him with "?" as if to say "Ooooh, who could it be? We don't knooowwwww... Is it even an actor?? Oooooh"
November 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
My favorite opening credits come from the 1931 Frankenstein because they're so intent on creating a mystery around the monster that they credit him with "?" as if to say "Ooooh, who could it be? We don't knooowwwww... Is it even an actor?? Oooooh"
I love Ray Milland and his old, awful weirdo phase
November 11, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I love Ray Milland and his old, awful weirdo phase
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a great game if you enjoy a delightfully cartoonish aesthetic, refreshing gameplay, interesting puzzles, and repeating the same central dungeon roughly 4,000 times.
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a great game if you enjoy a delightfully cartoonish aesthetic, refreshing gameplay, interesting puzzles, and repeating the same central dungeon roughly 4,000 times.
Honorable mention goes to 1945's Leave Her To Heaven, a movie featuring Price in a non-spooky supporting role, but the film itself is fantastic and creepy
November 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Honorable mention goes to 1945's Leave Her To Heaven, a movie featuring Price in a non-spooky supporting role, but the film itself is fantastic and creepy
Vincent Price is one of my favorite actors of all time - His cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, his singular, attention-grabbing weirdness, a voice that seemed to control every corner of the room. He appears as if the horror genre itself conjured him.
November 10, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Vincent Price is one of my favorite actors of all time - His cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, his singular, attention-grabbing weirdness, a voice that seemed to control every corner of the room. He appears as if the horror genre itself conjured him.
I think the Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit is likely going to be the best adaptation of Tolkien's novel that we're ever going to get. Its art design runs the gamut from rustic to creepy to lovely, and its assortment of songs lend it a fairy tale quality that really fits the story.
November 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
I think the Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit is likely going to be the best adaptation of Tolkien's novel that we're ever going to get. Its art design runs the gamut from rustic to creepy to lovely, and its assortment of songs lend it a fairy tale quality that really fits the story.
However, I also very much enjoy the episode of Shippuden about Naruto's shadow clones essentially attempting to unionize.
November 7, 2025 at 8:03 PM
However, I also very much enjoy the episode of Shippuden about Naruto's shadow clones essentially attempting to unionize.
With One Piece's schedule changing, we may never have another filler arc. And while that's likely for the best, it doesn't change the fact that One Piece had one of the greatest filler arcs of all time: G-8.
www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...
www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...
November 6, 2025 at 10:14 PM
With One Piece's schedule changing, we may never have another filler arc. And while that's likely for the best, it doesn't change the fact that One Piece had one of the greatest filler arcs of all time: G-8.
www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...
www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...
Also, yes, Harley Quinn is BTAS's most famous original creation, but a close second...
November 5, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Also, yes, Harley Quinn is BTAS's most famous original creation, but a close second...
Also, not kidding, the first song on my leg day workout playlist
November 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Also, not kidding, the first song on my leg day workout playlist
In one of my favorite recent pieces, I wrote about how the Digimon franchise has changed along with the internet and what the anime can tell us about our evolving relationship with technology: www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...
November 5, 2025 at 4:13 PM
In one of my favorite recent pieces, I wrote about how the Digimon franchise has changed along with the internet and what the anime can tell us about our evolving relationship with technology: www.crunchyroll.com/news/feature...