Seasonal Reviews: Fall 2014 Pt.4
We're nearly through the Fall! Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving, and we apologize in advance for Stephanie's lack of coverage this week. She had to go visit family for Thanksgiving week, so she was unable to keep up fully with all her shows. She will catch up fully upon her return for part five, though, so look forward to that!
Dropped
A Good Librarian, Like a Good Shepherd
Jonathan Kaharl
The bad news first; Shepherd is diving into the harem genre and that's never a positive development. Thankfully, this isn't a painful development. The girls of the library club being head over heels for Kakei is only an unbelievable development for half of the club, while it was built up solidly for the other two members. It also does play central into Kakei's main conflict. See, Kakei is now a shepherd in training, immortal beings that help guide human beings to their most prosperous route in life for the sake of the world. The cost of becoming a shepherd, as Kakei has just found out, is that they're forgotten by those in the world of humans, including the relationships they formed in life. Thus, Kakei faces a decision. He can either become a shepherd and gain access to the library he dreamed about since he was a child, or choose to remain human and live his life with the people he's grown close to.
Kakei and the library club are all well developed and likable characters, making the recent dive into harem tropes more tolerable than usual. I even got a few laughs at times, to my surprise. Misono is becoming my favorite character, moving past her initial status as the emotionless, aloof one to a more open, confident person. Kodachi also had a bit more depth to her then it first seemed, and I want to see more of how she's dealing with the price to become a shepherd. Still, despite strong characters, harems are still harems, and watching characters blush in embarrassment only manages to become more grating than more entertaining. There's not enough focus on developing the cast and too much on "WHO WINS MC!?" that every bad harem I've ever watched balances towards.
All that said, Shepherd is still plenty enjoyable and doesn't have any squickiness to it. I mean, there is a gag about a guy who makes love dolls, but it's well built and goes away about as fast as it came. That peaceful vibe from early in the series is still present and charming, and the comedy still has a good amount of energy and absurdity to it. Hopefully Shepherd can break the harem curse in the coming weeks.
Solid Recommendation
Ai Tenchi Muyo
Joe Straatmann
It's almost getting to the story. In fact, it was within grasp of
having an emotionally resonant moment when it decided to simply threaten
Tenchi's manhood again and follow it up by having a barbecue party with
all the characters where it's explained that it's better to do things
together because, "Being alone is lonely." In all seriousness, the plot
is actually starting to explain why there are two timelines (Though not
why Ryoko goes berserker in one of them). Why this wasn't done at the
start or near the beginning is the real mystery, since jumbling the
storyline only made the whole thing unnecessarily confusing for a breezy
bunch of shorts. It's difficult to say if the whole enterprise will be
able to redeem itself. It's stopped trying so hard to get every cheap
laugh it can in its running time, but getting emotional traction is
extremely difficult when it has to back up 4/5ths of the way through the
series to give the audience information that was fairly necessary to
get the most out what preceded it.
Even rolling back on its gags a bit, nothing has particularly hit my funny bone. It's rolling with the same slapstick that has had depreciating returns for nearly forty episodes, but thankfully, there's less of it. Unfortunately, it's all still so insignificant that instead of being a credible addition to the Tenchi franchise, it'll probably get brought up in the same brief, throwaway comments as that Speed Racer series where Speed is in the future and racing aliens. Let's just say I would defend Tenchi in Tokyo before I would defend this.
No Recommendation
Amagi Brilliant Park
Stephanie Getchell
What have we got going on in the wonderful world of Amagi this week?
Well, since it's summer, what better way to start off the week than with
a pool episode?! ...Followed by a pirate takeover. And then how
about a cold stricken Seiya and some hijinks from Isuzu, Moffle, and the
others as they disguise themselves as Seiya and go to school for him?!
Add in a rather obvious Star Wars reference, tentacle monsters, and a
large zipper on the top of someone's head and I think that will be more
than enough for this week! Really, that's the basic story line from this
week's batch of episodes.
I'll keep admitting this throughout my report on the series because it still holds up even now. Amagi has a lot of charm to it. The series has managed to keep my interest by being charming, but, at the same time, it also manages to give me unexpected moments. For example, Jaw, the shark, seems to look even more terrifying when he is wet compared to when he isn't. I'll admit, that was something I didn't know was going to happen. I am also starting to notice a downside the more I keep going with this series. I am finding less and less to talk about. Although it has it's rather unexpected moments, it also hasn't done a whole lot in terms of story and character development. Sure, we've had some episodes here and there where Isuzu is the focus, and at least a tiny bit of development for Seiya, but there hasn't been much else. And, to be honest, I almost forgot there was a story to begin with. At least until that blond guy, who wants to buy the park and then destroy it, turns up at the end of episode seven. Almost as if to remind us that, "Hey! There is a story here! I promise!" Amagi hasn't done a whole lot to remind us that the park is in danger, and, instead, focuses on a lot of hijinks. It's not a terrible thing, but if I have to be reminded that there's a major plot point to the series, then the series itself isn't doing too well with it's own story.
I'm not dropping this one, if that's what you're wondering. I actually can't, at this point, since I've already gone half way through it. Plus, there's a different series I'm ready to kick to the curb (but more on that later). Amagi seems to be favoring charm and hijinks over story and characters, and this can be a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I say it's right in the middle. I love the charm and hijinks that go on with this series. I really do! It's just that I do sometimes wish it would focus on the actual story a bit more and give us more to work with, character wise. The second half of the series ought to be able to really give us more, however we won't know that for sure. And, at the rate it's going now, it is humanly possible that we actually won't get to at all. It's hard to tell. Though the next two episodes have the chance to show that. I just really don't want a rushed ending to this series, is all. It can do better than that.
Solid Recommendation
BONJOUR: Sweet Love Patisserie
Megan R
This latest batch of episodes finds us working through more
of Sayuri’s potential routes – er, I mean, spend more quality time with her
teachers! Episode five has Sayuri meeting
up with Gilbert on a quiet Sunday on school grounds, where Gilbert tells her of his dream to
create a Japan-inspired dessert. Someone should hook this guy up with the kid from Yakitate Japan!! to create
the ultimate baked tribute to Japan. So
naturally this ends with a sightseeing tour of Tokyo that carries over into the
next episode, where we get a bit of backstory for the both of them along with a
visit to Mitsuki’s own bakery, along with yet another lecture from the
headmistress.
It took this show six episodes, but it finally found an opportunity for Sayuri emote like a real human being. She actually raises her voice! She chides someone! She has some sort of trippy Tokyo Tower hallucination when she tastes some chocolate! Too bad that these moments are all too fleeting, and the show returns to its determined, joyless slog through the old reverse harem routine. The same old magical girl-style cooking sequences are trotted out, along with the same old jokes about ‘illicit sexual exploits’ and Gilbert being all exuberant and foreign. I swear, I have tried to be patient with this show. I tried to give it a chance and hope that the show would show some spark of life, but my hopes have been dashed every time. I thought this was meant to be an adaptation of a visual novel, but the animation is so stiff and repetitious that they might as well just have aired a let’s play of the game it's based on. I’m through with waiting for this show to inject some life in itself, and instead all too ready to bid au revoir to this sleepy little dud.
No Recommendation, Dropped at episode six
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Jonathan Kaharl
We're headed near the major crossroads for the series, as the agendas of the higher ranking norma start to surface and the group starts to come together as a proper unit. Probably the biggest surprise so far is the return of Ange's maid, Momoka, who managed to sneak into the prison base just to find her old master. Momoka looks to be a bridge character for later in the series, reminding Ange of her past and being one of the first people in the empire's society that can accept a norma. The other major development is that Salia has finally managed to move past her desire for Ange's mech a little, allowing her to function properly as a captain and lead the group to take down a new type of dragon with gravity powers. Salia is probably the most entertaining character so far, putting on a strong front while writing down her frustrations in private through a private blog and cosplaying as a magical girl (and that scene is simply hilarious). Her frustrations with Ange are relatable, but so are Ange's problems with Salia's command.
These two episodes are a good breather between all the violence and death that surround this series at most every corner. It's just seeing how everyone goes about their everyday lives, despite the troubles they normally have to deal with. Of course, there's still hints of the darker side of things almost regularly (Momoka would have been executed if she left the island), but it's hard to focus too much on that while Ange is piloting her mech while wearing layered clothes due to a cold, or Momoka not getting it through her thick skull that maybe she's bugging Ange more than cheering her up. The comedy feels way more balanced here than during the Tusk episode, mainly because things aren't too drastic at the moment and there's no obnoxious and outdated suggestive position "jokes."
The next episode seems to be following a similar path as these last two (it's the swimsuit episode, because of course it is), but with a big twist for the plot, which fits well in Sunrise's past strategies. Remember, some of the darkest episodes of Code Geass followed a wacky school festival episode, or that Valvrave managed to switch from cheesy propaganda songs sung by children to attempted genocide. The big hint for what's coming relates to Ange's sister, and it looks like we're about to dive right back into "literally everything is awful" territory again. Hopefully the series can still function properly with a return to early tone.
Solid Recommendation
Denki-Gai
Jonathan Kaharl
And so we reached the fanservice episode. Unsurprisingly for Denki-Gai, it is wonderful. These past two episodes have mainly been focused on building the romantic relationships, most notably with Sensei and Umio, and a bit with Hio and Kantoku. While this is normally the death kneel of many a comedy series, Denki-Gai makes it work by not going too dramatic. There's only one real romantic rival, and she's barely a factor and accepted her loss. This just leaves relationship based shenanigans in between the regular, ridiculous shenanigans. Thank god for that.
There are a lot of amusing short bits in this series, like short black-and-white segments involving a stray cat that gets increasingly ridiculous the more it appears, that do a good job of pacing out the longer segments. Those longer bits have been good fun from the first episode, and the past two episodes have had some especially strong ones. I mean, you've certainly seen the skit when a girl uses too much make-up to impress a date, but Sensei goes the complete opposite direction and a tired joke is suddenly cosmic. That's not even the end of the segment, as it leads to the girls trying to figure out what guys like, ad it backfires terribly for everyone involved in ways I dare not spoil. The bath house episode is more cute than funny, but it works because of how enjoyable the cast is.
Denki-Gai has found a good groove and pace to its gags, and I hope it keeps this up, because it's a serious contender for best comedy of the year. It's a must for those familiar with how the manga and doujin industries work.
Strong Recommendation
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Jonathan Kaharl
Before I continue with Fate/Stay Night coverage, I just want to say that I started watching Fate/Zero and I am totally getting why people are saying this is more of a proper sequel to that series than a pure adaptation of the VN. The plot is the same, but context is radically changed here. Kirei's true nature is far more obvious here than in any of the other adaptations I've skimmed, and there's more bits from Fate/Zero characters early on to build context and connect the two series thematically. This is the reason they chose to adapt Unlimited Blade Works; that story path deals more heavily with the ideas of personal ideals and heroics (the main themes of Fate/Zero) than Heaven's Feel or Fate. It's the natural conclusion to what Fate/Zero was aiming for. This is becoming more and more clear as the story is progressing especially with Archer's current actions.
I am aware of several major developments in this route (you spend time on anime message boards enough, and this stuff gets spoiled for you), so I won't go too in depth on what the show itself hasn't brought up, but keep an eye on Archer. He is absolutely central to the story, bringing up a lot of viewpoints similar to Fate/Zero's Kiritsugu, challenging Shirou's more idealistic view of heroism. His shocking actions make a whole lot more thematic sense when you keep that in mind, including how he's being treated in this story line. Along with huge developments with Archer, the series has also introduced Assassin (sort of, wait for the Heaven's Feel movie) and Caster, whom are significantly different than the other servants. Assassin is actually Caster's servant and the guard to a shrine she took over, while Caster herself is a powerful mage who uses magic over weaponry. There isn't much to say about Caster just yet, but Assassin is instantly likable in his chivalrous ways. It's actually really interesting when compared to how Saber and Fate/Zero's Lancer talked to one another, drawing another major parallel between the two series. It even works in presenting Archer in a harsher light once he finally meets Assassin.
The action is as incredible as always, with some damn amazing production values put in each sequence. Shirou is far more likable here then he ever has been in any other adaptations, getting one bit of dumb this episode, but also showing that he's willing to learn from his mistakes not too much later. It also makes sense from the context of the scene, as being saved by someone like Archer, who Shirou detests (and with good reason), might as well be worse to him than being hurt by Caster. Still dumb, but it makes sense from his character and is more forgivable than not bring Saber to school (I MEAN SERIOUSLY). This is a must see for the season, but it's far stronger if you've seen Fate/Zero.
Strong Recommendation
The Fruit of Grisaia
Joe Straatmann
Oh, this is the moment I've been both interested in seeing and
dreading at the same time. We're finally down to Makina-the "little
sister" of the group-to be Yuuji's center of the universe for an
episode, and it escalates to everything wonderful and terrible
simultaneously. Makina offers Yuuji a ton of money to become her father
figure, he promptly accepts, and they do the typical things a government
black op agent does when raising a child like teaching his new daughter
how to properly aim a sniper rifle. On the other side of things, when
Yuuji tells Makina he's okay with their new relationship, she responds
by tackling him and giving him many long, passionate kisses that ends on
a lingering shot of swapped saliva. If you expected anything more
restrained and subtle from something based on an erogame, I am sorry to
disappoint you.
Keeping a relatively safe distance from the romantic aspects, this series is still plenty entertaining in its insanity and extremes, and the plot twist at the end of the latest episode only means more tragically-tangled madness to come. The weird thing, however, is how occasionally really forgettable some episodes are. I cut straight through the story centering around Sachi, the maid now revealed as the childhood friend of Yuuji (In today's job market, one must be an expert in multiple kinks in order to get sempai's attention). Re-watching it, it was properly bonkers with Sachi going to logical extremes in order to comply with someone's wishes and her crazy backstory, but it all goes straight in one ear and out the other. I can't say whether it's the makers trying to keep from going full insane to keep the drama intact or if some of the girls were developed too much in the visual novel character factory, but I can't fully recall a decent amount of pretty relevant information not an hour after I've viewed it.
What I do know is Yuuji is miles ahead of most erogame protagonists. Not in the least bit a self-insertion character, he is best described as Sousuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic after a few years of people experience now acting as a self-aware elite soldier who still has his own way of taking care of business. It's through him that this series really works and even if it does give into the more depraved acts these kinds of VN anime are known for, his calm and occasionally humorous responses makes it manageable. I'm not saying if you immediately throw a show in the trash if it sets off anything like father/daughter triggers, this title will completely eclipse those, but as a person who has very little interest in the racier aspects unless they lead to the occasional absurd humor, I find this series a very enjoyable watch even when it's not particularly memorable.
Solid Recommendation
Garo: The Animation
Stephanie Getchell
This is one of those weeks where there isn't a whole lot I can do. As
you'll notice, this week, with Garo, Parasyte, and Lie in April, I'm
only covering one episode. Due to the holiday and travels to the land of
no internet (aka my parent's house), these three won't be fully covered
like normal. But I couldn't just leave with completely nothing, so I'm
covering, at least, one episode from each and then three in the next
report. Oh boy... This will be a rough time.
Anyways, when we last left off with Garo, we had some odd things happen. Mostly involving werewolves. What we have from episode eight isn't a continuation of the story, but the same time frame that was played out in the previous episode from another point of view. That point of view is from German, and the time frame goes from the last time he sees Leon to when he is reunited with him a couple days later. How has German spent those two days? Well, aside from the normal habits of getting laid and being a knight in shining armor, German gets scammed by a group of thieves resulting in losing his clothes and then being chased around the place by palace guards. All the while, he hears from Ema about Leon's battle with Bernardo and recalls some memories of when he, Bernardo, and Anna (Leon's mother) were comrades fighting against Horrors. In the end, as I mentioned before, German is reunited with Leon and the same scene that plays out at the end of episode seven is played out in the end of episode eight.
First, let me get this part out of the way. Remember how I mentioned a couple weeks ago how I was excited about this episode because of the title, "Full Monty"? While watching this episode, I could not stop laughing because it stayed true to the name quite a bit. For those who don't know, there's a musical called The Full Monty, and one of the more prominent and memorable moments of that play is full frontal nudity since the main characters are trying to get money by putting on a strip show. It's rather amusing to me because a) German does go full monty for almost the entire time, and b) he lacks money after it gets stolen early on in the episode. This makes the title of the episode very appropriate. But this isn't the only reason why I enjoyed the episode. What I also enjoyed was the time we spent with German. Over the course of eight episodes, there has yet to be a single one where we get to spend time with German. Granted, the first episode we do spend half of it with German and a woman he was sleeping with, but I don't really count that because it was more for exposition purposes. This episode, in particular, is the first time we get to spend with German completely and also learn a little more about him. Because of his relationship to Bernardo, this will no doubt play a role later on when the two finally see each other again.
It's funny. I say that I probably won't have much to say about Garo this week because I'm only able to see one episode. And yet, here is episode eight and there's actually plenty to talk about. This makes me extremely happy to know there's enough going on in a single episode, and I won't have to worry about being bored! What Garo has managed to do every single week is just be so bombastic and fun, making sure your time isn't wasted. This is something I can really appreciate! As for what I hope for the next time we chat and I have three episodes to play with, maybe some Alfonso in there since we're long overdue for that. And some Zaruba wouldn't be so bad either.
Strong Recommendation
Girlfriend Beta
Thom "Tama" Langley
...You know what? I wish I was reviewing Boyfriend Beta. Seeing cute boys
do cute things is, after all, more of a novelty than seeing cute girls do cute
things, and having Takahiro Sakura (Cloud Strife's Japanese voice actor),
Kenichi Suzumura (Hikari Hitachiin of Ouran High School Host Club's
seiyuu) and Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon's seiyuu) would at least be amusing. Nope.
We're stuck here, reviewing the series that makes K-On! look like The Bourne
Trilogy. And, you know what? There IS nothing to this series. Just like the
product it's tied in with, it's ephemeral to the extreme. How it's suckered in
so many people to not only play it but pay for premium content is so...bizarre
to me that I feel I must employ Hakase from Nichijou, Okarin from Steins;Gate,
and any other anime scientist to work upon a theorum.That's not to say anime
based upon mobile phone apps are all terrible-Rage of Bahamut Genesis
took a mobile phone card game, and made one of the shows of this season.
In comparison, Girlfriend Beta took their huge profits...and made an anime so incredibly dull that 24 minutes of paint drying a week would be more interesting. Think about it. One shade a week, cycling through the Dulux colour chart. The drama of what colour will be the star next week. Will they use a large brush? Or a roller? The drama! Because nothing happens in Girlfriend Beta. K-On! and a lot of other moe shows may be knocked, but at least in K-On!, things happened. They played their instruments, they improved their instruments. . They worried about raising money to buy instruments. They actually DID something. With Girlfriend Beta's concept, and origins, I was anticipating awfulness, something to really get my teeth into. I got...boredom. And that, to be honest, is worse. At least something so woefully bad can be entertaining-to return briefly to the way I began my first review of this series, at least the popularity of Michael Bay's clanking borefests can be explained by the fact the robots turn into very nice looking vehicles and dinosaurs. That, and they have about thirty years of nostalgia to tap into-at least Michael Bay's films are so bad they're difficult to look away from.
So far, in Girlfriend Beta, we've had one episode that's actually been above mediocre, and that's largely because it a) stuck to two characters b) told backstory that fleshed out two people, and c) threw so much yuri subtext at us that I'll be unsurprised if there's shippy merchandise of these two. So. What's the non-event of episode 5? Oh no! The cafetiere is closed! Seriously. Within...ooh, twenty seconds...we have our conundrum of the week. Another bugbear with this series is the male students. We clearly see them in crowd shots, yet not a single one has been named, spoken, or heck, been anything other than a background character-heck, we even see them in the student council. Do none of these girls have male friends? Is Girlfriend Beta set in an alternate future where men have been struck dumb by some terrible virus? Are men forbidden to speak in this female-run school? I mean, obviously, this series is really intended for a male gaze, but this is bordering on the bizarre.
Oh. Plot. Yeah. The students are running the cafetiere because the catering staff have been grounded...on Easter Island?! Cue complaining about peeling potatoes, cutting onions, etc. Have none of these people ever cooked before? And then they make tea. And hello walking foreigner stereotype. And goodbye walking foreigner stereotype. And hello walking...robot girl...person who wants batteries. And goodbye walking robot girl. That was...incredibly awkward, and not funny. What I'm also beginning to notice is just how limited the animation is. And the school council president is clearly a moron.
That's it. I'm actually convinced that this is actually a parody of moe series. Someone at Silver Link., clearly irritated at being given this to direct, set out to make the most boring anime humanly possible. I have had work days more action-packed than this. Episodes of Seinfield, Lucky Star, and Chromartie High School stretched, 24 Hour Psycho style over an entire day have more happening than this show. I have watched anime for nearly eight years now, and never has something left absolutely no impression on me. I've lost 120 minutes, (the length of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, a film that crams the best part of three thick volumes of manga into its runtime) in watching something that has a plot that wouldn;t cover one side of a sheet of A4. This show (again, ignoring episode 3) is paperthin in terms of characterisation, animation, and destination. i don't care about any of the characters, the show is utterly aimless in plot, and the animation is KyoAni animated by Studio Deen. How the source material makes so much money is baffling, how anyone thought this was worthy of five independently running manga is baffling, and how anyone would watch this snorefest of an anime is beyond human comprehension.
To borrow a quote from Mark Kermode once more, Girlfriend Beta is incredibly long and incredibly boring and nothing happens very cutely about a hundred times. The new low of the moe genre.
No Recommendation, Dropped at Episode 5
Gonna be the Twin-Tails!!
Jonathan Kaharl
Erina, aka TailYellow is now an official member of the Twin-Tails, and she is ...incredible. She really comes out of nowhere, as Red and Blue haven't had a significant gimmick to them and how their abilities work. Then enters Yellow, whom turns out to be an exhibitionist who becomes more powerful the more embarrassed she gets. This is hilarious to me, especially with how easily she loses her composer from the most minor of compliments and instantly starts dropping armor and firing all of the guns at damn near everything. She is now my favorite character.
There's also a new villain present named Dark Grasper. Unlike the other bad guys, she's actually human, and she's a big fan of Twoearle from the time she was a Twin-Tails warrior. Much like TailYellow, she is amazing. She acts like a huge evil badass around her men, instantly starts nerding out when she thinks she's found her idol, hides out in her room and mumbles to herself after being completely socially drained, and also works as an idol who pushes a glasses/twin-tails combo while singing the most empty songs imaginable. Basically, she is four constantly shifting personalities, and they're all funny. The humor is also kicking back up with more little gags, like Erina's maid not being able to enter the hidden twin-tails base or Soji's mom constantly trying to create a harem ending, not to mention more of the fetish monsters. The show works when it's being loud and dumb, and I want it like that from here on out.
On the downside, I have to mention that the production values have taken a significant dive. I normally don't mind this too much, but there are a lot of off model shots that simple look embarrassing here, not to mention a few action scenes that lose their flow. For example, TailYellow's aura pillar shoots straight up and comes down as lightning, but one of the scenes where it was used had it shoot straight up, then hit from a diagonal angle going up somehow. It seems the show was hit with budget issues, but at least that doesn't ruin the strong comedy bits.
Solid Recommendation
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Jonathan Kaharl
Kokkuri-san decided to have actual character development and heavy plot developments these past two weeks. And it worked. I'm still trying to comprehend this. The first episode of these past two weeks had Kohina meeting a little cyclops bat creature upon awakening her ability to see spirits that pollute the world. However, these small spirits are far more dangerous than Kokkuri's ilk, because they lack proper intelligence and are more animistic. This lead to Kohina trying to house train the cyclops bat, with Shigaraki covering for her and to make sure she stayed safe. The ending was surprisingly dark and leaves a foreboding shadow over the series. It also did the impossible and gave a bit of depth to Shigaraki, who if you remember, is absolute scum. There was even a bit of development for Inugami at the end, as he has a conversation with Kokkuri and explains why he's so spiteful to everyone - including himself. It's a scene that does a good job of mixing humor with character development.
The following episode returned to normal form, with an A plot involving a cat god who runs a tea shop. She becomes obsessed with Kohina, who she believes to be a doll, and does everything possible to steal her from Kokkuri and the others. She is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay different than what I was expecting from her few appearances in the intro, and I'm glad that ended up being the case. She ends up being just as bad as the rest of Kokkuri's pests, and able to get under Kokkuri's skin far better than the others. The second plot had Kokkuri accidentally getting turned into a woman while rummaging through Kohina's warehouse, and that went exactly where you'd expect, and I wouldn't have it any other way. There were also a few cute extra jokes thrown in, like Kokkuri's narcissist tendencies shining through. This turn of events will be going into the next episode, and that makes me very happy (and not just because girl Kokkuri is incredibly pretty).
I'm very interested in how Kokkuri-san is going to wrap up, because it's looking like it's building to something far above its usual comedic range, and from what little I've seen from its dramatic moments, I think it could pull it off. Kokkuri-san may just end up being something special.
Strong Recommendation
Gundam: G no Reconguista
David O'Neil
Last time I covered Gundam: G no Reconguista I was actually
starting to lose my support for it. It wasn't getting bad, but there for
about two episodes the show just barely made any significant progress,
dabbled to much in territory it felt like it had already covered, and
got a lot less interesting in terms of action and animation. Luckily, in
the last two episodes the series has made somewhat of a comeback.
For one thing, the after the plot spent a brief amount of time wandering aimlessly, unsure of where exactly it wanted to go next, things are finally starting to movie forward. After Bellri's mom makes her way on to the Megafauna she's introduced to Aida's father, and for the first time there's some negations between the two sides that have been at war so far throughout the show. With implications of a greater threat coming from space, it seems as if it could be beneficial for an alliance to form between the Pirates and the Capital Guard, though it's unclear whether or not the Capital Army will get in the way of that happening. The last two episodes have certainly been a return to form in terms of action, with the most recent episode boasting one of my favorite battles in the series so far, with some excellent use of animation and some awesome additions to the G-Self as well. One thing about Gundam: G no Reconguista I've noticed recently is its meticulous attention to detail. From mud splashing up onto the feet of battling mecha, to vines wrapping around rifles when they're pulled through trees, to shots of animals reacting to airships flying overhead, there's always nice little additions that make the show feel a lot more polished and detailed than other shows this season.
Gundam: G no Reconguista still has its flaws, it still feels very light in terms of development or interesting conflicts for its characters, and as things get complicated I may be starting to get closer to joining the group of people who aren't sure exactly what's going on in this show. At the same time though the show has brought back it's top notch action and animation, along with finally moving the plot forward. After a bit of a lull, for me Gundam: G no Reconguista is back to being enjoyable, well animated fun for fans of mecha.
Solid Recommendation
Hi-sCool! Seha Girls
Walter Holleger
The two most recent episodes, six & seven, are a two part adventure
featuring a exam for our three heroines, Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, and
Mega Drive, where they must enter the game Border Break and destroy the
enemy base to win. Their exam is interrupted when Doctor Eggman hacks
into the Sehagaga systems, trapping the girls in the game, until Sonic
the Hedgehog shows up to save the day. Episode six with Border Break is
forgettable, despite the inclusion of giant robots, and the video game
bits are shot poorer than an early rooster teeth video, Include the same
dull jokes we've seen over the last five episodes, and it's a rather bland
watch.
Episode seven is the Sonic the Hedgehog episode, where the girls team up with Sonic and race through many of his levels from different games, and despite the girls usual "attempt" at comedy, this is probably the best episode of the show thus far. The original content with Sonic is actually decent and the much is well chosen (Taken from Sonic games obviously). If you removed the three girls, you could have called this a short sonic video and it would have been better for it, but as it is, it's tolerable. Despite that, I'm still dropping this series.
It shouldn't come as any surprise that this would be dropped. From Episode one, this show has been a rather tedious watch, that I stuck with out of curiosity of how the show would pan out, but I don't see any reason to continue. A collection of cookie cutter moe girl characters, and forced humor that, I'll admit, did get a chuckle out of me, but they were so few and far between that it just wasn't worth it. By this point, it was a chore to watch this series, and to anyone still watching, I hope your enjoying it more than I did.
No Recommendation, Dropped at episode seven
I Can't Understand What My Husband is Saying
Thom "Tama" Langley
Ah, once again, back with our Japanese dysfunctional duo. Honestly, with
these style of shows, you can see the similarity between the 4-Koma and the
Saturday paper cartoon-they're short, based around fairly minor little events,
(like "Who trashed the house?" Or "Why don't you find a
job?"). Husband so far has been, if nothing else, enjoyable. Yes,
some of the jokes have fallen a little flat, but, when you have under four
minutes to set up the situation, riff on it a little, and finish, it can
honestly be forgiven. If we compare it to some of the other shows in this
bite-sized style, they either tend to be shows that wouldn't otherwise get an airing
(such as the twisted BL work Litchi Hikari Club) or shows that are
designed foremost to be seen online (such as the phenomenally popular Axis
Powers Hetalia). Whichever the reason, Husband actually benefits
from this quick-fire style-whilst other 4-Koma manga, such as Nichijou
and Lucky Star have more of an underlying narrative, and so many strips
can be put together for a large number of full length episodes, the snapshot
style of each episode benefits from the short episode length. We may only spend
a few minutes with the characters each week, but it's a fun few minutes
So, anyway. What have Kaoru and Hajime been up to these last two weeks? Well. Episode seven finds Kaoru unhappy at her inability to cook (and somewhat surprised her husband can cook.) Cue culinary mishaps. And Hajime being the good husband and liking her food anyway. A visit to Kaoru's chef father later, and he's...very scary. Oh, and someone's brought Hajime's boss (everyone's favourite guy, DESTINY FUCKER (sorry, couldn't resist...)) food. Aww. Meanwhile, Kaoru and her father are catching up, Kaoru noting that she's a little ashamed to be learning from her father...who doesn't approve of Hajime. But Hajime does approve of her cooking! Yatta! Episode eight...GOLF. And Hajime and Kaoru have to care for a relative's child. Who doesn't want to wear clothes. Cue...worrying lolicon/giant t-shirt....things. And GOLF. Well, it's apparently in her blood. Both her parent's blood. And cue golf montage, followed by...probably this series' best animated moment, and adorable cuteness. It says a lot that this single moment made me d'aww more than five of the six episodes of Girlfriend Beta have.
Once again, Husband delivers two nice episodes, once again a little more focused than the slightly rambling riffing off otaku culture. Hajime and Kaoru are being increasingly fleshed out from the stereotypes that lesser series would fall back on, and there's a surprising warmth to the whole thing-despite his hobbies, Hajime's a good husband, Kaoru's a good wife, and they're surprisingly happy with each other. It's moved from a series about putting up with someone despite their bad habits, or odd interests, to a series where both characters are learning to love each other, flaws and all. Once again, a great two episodes.
Strong Recommendation
In Search of the Lost Future
Jonathan Kaharl
And that's it! I'm done! I don't have to watch this show ever again! My last drop, and well worth it! In Search of the Lost Future is far from one of the worst series I've ever seen, but it's definitely one of the most uninspired. Dead serious, this was a bore to sit through, and the only moments of life being from frustration or a minor giggle at some engrish. There's really nothing else to this series when it finds its groove; a sad thing happened and someone is trying to fix it via time travel. The story deals with the ramifications of this ...sort of. Unlike Steins;Gate, this is more like a concept being kept in the shadows for later, which was an awful decision. Everyone knows where this is headed, so if you don't have anything to say about time travel or can't do more early on with the concept early on besides constantly trying to make sure the tragedy magnet, personality deprived childhood friend character doesn't die, you're going to get on an experienced audience's nerves (certainly the case for me).
Nobody in this show is particularly interesting, and the tone is shot. One half of the show wants to be a slow building romantic tragedy with a sci-fi twist, while the other is a madcap comedy where a girl and an exchange student can kick people halfway across a room, or a bunch of computer nerds try building husbanos with school equipment. Neither of these things fit with the other, and neither are done particularly well. There's too much focus on tired tropes for the comedy bits, and the foreshadowing fails to make a barely present main plot interesting.
This show can be summed up in just one word; generic. Nothing here is new or original, and the execution isn't strong enough to distract from that fact. You can do well-tread territory well with the right story and production values, but the story just isn't here. The show has a nice art style, and I do like a few of the characters (Kenny man, Kenny), but the experience is more dull than anything else. If you want a good visual novel based drama or comedy, there's plenty better elsewhere.
No Recommendation, Dropped at Episode Six
JOKER
Walter Holleger
Episode five of JOKER is a flashback episode, showing how Joker met his
master, Silver Heart. Silver Heart has appeared before this episode, but
he's always been a comedic side character, often stopping the episode
to explain how an item or scheme works, but here, he does come across as
a more gentlemanly approach to Joker's normal cocky, but kind-hearted
personality. We're also introduced to Dr. Clover, the series villain, an
evil masked man who will stop at nothing to get at treasure, even
harming other people. Aside from a creepy clown mask motif, he's sadly
rather bland, though we've only see so much of him so far. The story is
rather predictable, but does have some good emotions, an interesting
puzzle, and does a good job of tying in where Joker gets much of his own
motif.
Episode six features another introduction to a new character, and perhaps the most unoriginal yet, Shadow Joker, a thief that tries to destroy Joker's reputation as a phantom thief by brutally attacking the places he robs. Shadow is sadly pretty bland, a angry person, working for Dr. Clover, seeking revenge for motives we've yet to learn, with a possible connection to Joker's past. There were some good actions scenes between Shadow, Joker, and even Oniyama, despite how ridiculous they got (Yes, that is a sword fight between an umbrella and a playing card in the picture), but story-wise, it was pretty played by the book, with even the big trick reveal being a bit more predictable than I think was intended. Overall, it was a decent episode for the action, but here's hoping for a more interesting character next time.
Solid Recommendation
Laughing Under the Clouds
Joe Straatmann
The swings in quality this show takes are almost enough to make one
dizzy. After two-and-a-half episodes of exposition dumping and action
sequences dragged down by freeze frames, it's followed with some heavy
punches to the heart. One of these developments qualifies as a major
spoiler, so I wouldn't dream of discussing it in specifics. However, it
is one of those twists where I'll need to see a body before I'll believe
it. I really don't buy that this series, which seems to be targeting as
general an audience as they can get, would pull something like this so
soon. It's also suspicious that it seems to want to stall immediately
afterwards by flashing back to the Kumo brothers' ancestor from 300
years ago and the tragic romance that surrounded the sealing of the
Orochi, the gigantic beast that threatens humanity every three
centuries.
That's not to say these dramatic jolts didn't have the intended impact on me. One scene before the largest dramatic moment of the season so far had me very close to tears, and the interluding flashback is certainly a powerful love story in of itself, and I'm looking forward to see how it plays out in the main timeline with people who might be reincarnations. The battle with the Orochi is mostly well handled, though there's a particular closeup where it feels like it's a live-action B-movie that doesn't have the money to show the giant creature and the cast interact, so it throws in an awkward closeup with a cast member slashing at a very hastily-constructed and immobile model to simulate the combat. It's very weird to see something like this in animation which has an entirely separate list of budget shortcuts.
All of this adds up to something that is still a mixed blessing of a show I don't quite know what to make of yet even if I can predict what it's going to do. With an exception of the insistence on humor during inappropriate times, I like most of what the series has to offer, and thankfully, the latest episodes have enough cognizance to roll back the attempts at getting a laugh in their more sobering times. But it's still all over the place at times, and it's still holding back its full potential.
Solid Recommendation
Lord Marksman and Vanadis
Jonathan Kaharl
And the female characters that were established as seven of the most powerful demi-gods in the world are becoming useless to male characters. It was bound to happen eventually. I don't mind female characters having weaknesses, but light novels have a really bad habit of establishing badass, incredible powerful heroines or supporting characters, and then completely stripping this away by making them fight male characters we've never heard of before that are far stronger, or by giving the main, personality devoid guy some sort of god mod. This happens so constantly and I was wishing Marksman wouldn't do it and just stick with the excuse that the maidens were just too powerful to fight normal humans with full power, but then Roland appeared. God. Fucking. Damn it.
Roland is a knight with a sword. He has no additional powers or abilities. The only thing that makes him a machine of destruction is that his sword can cut through magic, meaning he can take powerful magical spells and keep moving because that's how offensive weapons work (his armor may be enchanted, but it's never stated outright). What is even the point of the war maidens if you have this guy running around as a one-man army? Seriously, nothing hurts him until Tigre returns with his god mod bow that absorbs the magic in maiden weapons and fires it out as mini-nukes, and even then, he still manages to live (though he does admit defeat). Roland is just a guy divided between his sense of duty to the crown and his own ethics, but there isn't too much else to him otherwise.
Mila ended up being pretty lame, falling for Tigre's incredibly obvious disguise and falling for him a little because he's the main character and therefore any and all women must fall in love with him because otaku are the most predictable and pathetic people sometimes. There is a little fight between her and Ellen, but once again, Tigre has to be the one who actually saves the day. Ellen's major flaw of being too gun-ho really bugs the shit out of me, because the show is making a point that she tends to underestimate her enemies. Tigre has to bail her out, and it really robs her of her strength as a character. She's a badass warrior goddess, and most of the series so far as been playing second fiddle to some archer from the boonies and being so inept at command that her men have a habit of getting their asses handed to them. The politics remain interesting, but everything else is either bland or annoying. This needs to change, and fast.
No Recommendation
Magic Kaito 1412
Joe Straatmann
After the revelation that sorcerers with deadly magic exist in this
universe, the two following episodes seem a little minor in comparison.
It's important that the show get an explanation with how the head
inspector can see Magic Kaitou day after day and not suspect the
neighbor kid who looks eerily similar to be the real identity of his
sworn enemy, but it turns into one of those chintzy, contrived episodes
where a character has to be on a date and at another place at the same
time that I thought they retired when Full House went off the air. The
second episode of this update wastes about half of its time on a bit
about Kaito's school being possibly haunted. Gee, I wonder if the recent
transfer who is an actual witch with a direct line of communication to
Lucifer might have something to do with this. It follows this up with a,
"If I can't have him, NO ONE CAN! OHOHOHOHO!" conflict (Lady Akaka
actually does laugh like a Sailor Moon villain) which is rather similar
to the last one they had.
Still, I kept the goofy grin on my face for most of it. It's certainly not at the peak it was operating at in the previous update, but even at its most cliche, it manages plenty of neat little details, such as how Aoko handcuffs Kaito when they go on a movie date and it takes how dense she is that Kaito has slipped her custody to an art. I also quite like it when Kaito and Aoko actually get to have romantic moments because they combine the sweetness of two people who care deeply about each other and their screwball bickering into their own form of affection. Hopefully, they don't plan on this series going for forever because it could become like most of Rumiko Takahashi's works where the love/hate banter dissolves into infuriating tedium at about the third season. For now, it's just fine.
The series remains perfectly dependable. The animation, the music, and all of the other elements haven't dipped in quality since the beginning. While they might be leaning on Taku Iwasaki's "emotional strings" music track a little too much (If you've seen Now and Then, Here and There or R.O.D. the TV series, you know exactly the type of song I'm talking about), but I can't say it doesn't work every time. It might not have caught fire like I expected it to once it escalated the circumstances a bit, but it is no less a quality title that is worth seeking out.
Solid Recommendation
Orenchi no Furo Jijou
Megan R
Episode six seeks Wakasa discover bubble baths,
and Wakasa naturally wants to share his new interest with Tatsumi.
His efforts end in that
most manly of combat styles, the splash fight, as well as a lesson as to why
you don’t all of the soap at once. In
Episode seven, Tatsumi’s little sister Kasumi comes to visit, and he does
everything in his power to keep her from discovering the big, fish-tailed
secret in the bathroom. The truth inevitably comes
out, along with what seems to be a hidden brother complex within Kasumi.
Yeah, these last two episodes are just pure fanservice, albeit for two very different audiences. First we get the fujoshi-bait episode, where the splash fight might as well be scored to “Playin’ With the Boys.” Still, it might be the mostly tightly constructed episode of the show thus far. Every joke in a winner, and every joke builds upon the next until it reaches its as hilarious (and sudsy) punchline. In comparison, episode seven panders more to the tradional otaku crowd, and it feels like a massive let-down. I don’t know what person thought that what this show needed were a bunch of half-assed, mildly creepy imouto gags, but that person needs to stop trying to bring that crap to my quasi-gay merman show. The interactions between Kasumi and Tatsumi go nowhere and the episode end without a single proper joke. If these last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Orenchi is at its best when it lets itself embrace its own ho-yay tinged ridiculousness. It’s simply too short and too shallow to achieve any sort of pathos, and any episode that reaches for that ends up having all the impact of a soggy towel. Hopefully this last episode was just a brief misstep in what has been otherwise a entertaining show.
Weak Recommendation
Parasyte -the maxim-
Stephanie Getchell
Oddly enough, Parasyte is actually the first of my remaining three
shows I'm covering that has reached the half way mark in regards to
reports. And, oddly enough, this is one with a huge turning point for
Izumi. After the parasite that murdered his mother makes an attempt on
Izumi's life, Migi is left to try and repair the damage done. He becomes
successful, and Izumi makes a full recovery and then some. After
finally being able to answer the phone, he finds out that his father
survived the incident and is in the hospital. For fear of his "mother's"
return to kill his father, Izumi quickly travels to the hospital where
he is staying in order to protect him in case another attempt on his
life is made. After a day or so, Migi senses the presence of another of
his kind and Izumi assumes immediately that it's his dead mother,
rushing off to go and kill her. But, by the way the person in the
distance looks, I highly suspect it isn't her.
There's something rather important here that I left out in the summary because I wanted to discuss it here. How Migi was able to save Izumi was by, essentially, becoming a replacement heart since it was Izumi's heart that his former mother stabbed. If Migi had not done so, then both of them would have ended up dead. This is where that turning point I mentioned before now occurs. Because of Migi's methods in saving the pair, Izumi, in return, now seems almost superhuman. He doesn't have to use glasses anymore to see, he can sense people who are a short distance away, can run at break neck speeds, and jump over a seawall (which he actually does). Even though he has changed physically, Izumi has also changed mentally and psychologically. This has now gotten personal. His mother is dead and people are under the impression that his father is just having a bad dream because he witnessed his wife's death and yet there are witnesses who see her hours later. Izumi, at this point, has gone into revenge mode which isn't the best idea right now all things considered. Remember how I said that Migi seems to have an effect on him? Well, now Migi better be able to calm him down before something really bad happens.
Like Garo, there always seems to be something going on in Parasyte. Unlike Garo, it doesn't need constant action in order to do so. There's also plenty of information the story gives us in order to move on and understand what's going on, along with plenty of information that will come in handy later on down the line. What seems to have been going on before this episode was a kind of delicate balance between our cohabitants. Now, that balance is shifting and changing into something else. What the end result of this change could be is anyone's guess (at least for those who haven't read the manga), but there is a strong instability going on right now which could greatly help or hurt our characters depending on how the next few episodes are handled.
Strong Recommendation
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
Thomas Zoth
Ronia, the Bandit's Daughter
Joe Straatmann
Ronia has settled into a decent groove as far as storytelling. It
certainly has a more glacial pace than most of the shows this season,
but every episode has a purpose and there aren't many voids of plot just
filling in time. There is a literal void in episode seven though, which
has Ronia and rival Birk quarreling in the forest until a supernatural
fog forces them to work together to escape. Aimed at a younger audience,
it's not what I'd consider scary, but there is a rather shocking moment
when Ronia is entranced in a spell, and what she does to try to get
Birk to let her go would probably be considered too visceral for
American children's television to air.
Episode eight is more comedically based, as Ronia's father Mattis tries to find a way to secretly infiltrate his rival's side of the castle, and he and his bandits are more-or-less Wile-E-Coyote chasing the Roadrunner. This has more of a cartoony feel than the rest of the series, but it doesn't try too hard, and someone gets injured enough to where it's not completely throwing away all danger and consequence for the sake of being playful. I certainly don't hold it against them for wanting to to lighten the mood, and anything that gives Mattis more of a presence is a positive in my eyes. How his anger channels into physical energy continues to amaze.
While I can't say the look has improved as a whole, there are some nice moments in animation popping up now and again. They're throwaway details, like Ronia stepping into a patch of grass which has a gush of water under it and having just the right amount of submersion. They don't add a whole lot to the experience, but I appreciate their appearances nevertheless. Ronnie the series may be considered disappointing for something with Ghibli's stamp on it to be hovering at such simple and merely pleasant levels in animation and story, but what matters is it's still good. More than ever, it feels like something similar to David the Gnome as one of those imports Nickelodeon might've put in their 80's programming schedule which had imperfect animation but also unique charm. As someone who many fond memories of such shows, I have no problem with this.
Solid Recommendation
Seven Deadly Sins
David O'Neil
My main problem with The Seven Deadly Sins last time around,
was that while it was fun and fast paced, it was lacking any emotional
depth. None of the characters had really been explored beyond the
surface, and all the conflicts had been really simple. Luckily, in the
past two episodes it has managed to fix this problem, without losing the
brisk pacing that's making the series so consistently enjoyable.
The two recent episodes primarily were centered around the Sin of Greed, Ban, and the newly introduced Sin of Sloth, King. So far I've liked what I've seen of King so far. He's hardly my favorite character, but his soft, almost childish attitude and confrontational attitude against Ban makes him yet another welcome addition to the team. In addition to introducing this new character, the show also dived into Ban's past with some interesting results, showing how he got his immortality in addition to what he did that's making King try to attack him. While the "is a sorta pedo romance okay if she's technically like 700 years old" coming into play sort of rubbed me the wrong way, it was actually a really nice little arc with some fairly emotional moments. It's hardly a huge step forward for the series, but certainly a step in the right direction. Ban is a really likable character and was only made more likable as I got to see more of the kind of person he really is and why he acts the way he does, at least to an extent.
I'd also like to add that one of the things that has really been making the show so enjoyable is the strong dynamics between the characters. Whether it's in the downtime or during the fights, a lot of fun dynamics are created between the characters and it results in all kinds of cute quips and clever banter among the team. Though I do feel isn't a whole lot of tension at the moment with how overpowered all the characters are, as they often just sort of laugh off powerful attacks from the enemy. Still, The Seven Deadly Sins continues to be one of the better shonen adventure series I've seen in recent times, and is only getting better as it goes on as it creates entertaining relationships and goes further into exploring the characters.
Strong Recommendation
Shirobako
David O'Neil
Shirobako started out as a fun, well made little show that
offered an interesting look at what it's like to work in the anime
industry, along with looking at some aspects of the industry, where it
is, and where it's going. In the last two episodes, the show has gone
beyond that, delving into it's characters and themes deeper than I was
really expecting it too. From self doubt, to hopes and dreams, to the
meaning we find in striving to make a living doing what we love (and how
that can be done without losing that love) are just some of the
incredibly well delivered themes that the past two episodes of Shirobako tackled incredibly well, largely as a result of it's characters.
The main focus of the last two episodes was Ema, Aoi's best friend and former classmate who's working at the same studio as her as an entry level key animator. As she struggles to finish her cuts for upcoming episodes both as quickly and effectively as she feels is necessary, she starts to question her own ability and drive to really make it as an animator, leading to two full episodes that are largely focused on her falling into extreme self doubt over her own drawing skills. It's a really well executed character arc, watching her fall into despair is really difficult to watch because of the genuineness worked into it all. Despite the show's somewhat "moe" aesthetic, and occasional dip into goofier moments (anime studio street racing) at the same time the characters in Shirobako are incredibly down to earth and believable. The conflict Ema faces is so relatable and deeply human, and manages to be truly sad and complex, while also coming out in the end with a sense of optimism without being corny.
And Ema wasn't the only character that has had interesting internal conflicts the past few episodes, Aoi continues to mull over the question of what exactly her dreams and aspirations for the future are, and Aoi's sister is introduced as a clever parallel to the show's cast. As all these girls strive to achieve their dreams in a career field they're passionate about, Aoi's sister is a simple office worker, doing work and getting paid without much thought of a dream or grand objective, almost similarly to her sister. Shirobako has always been a fun show about the anime industry, but more than ever the show has been exploring its characters with terrific success. If it keeps up this pattern of great, complex characters with interesting conflicts, this could end up being one of my favorite shows of the year.
Strong Recommendation
Tribe Cool Crew
Jonathan Kaharl
Finally, we have the titular Tribe Cool Crew as our main starts, instead of Kumo and Haneru's rival groups. Haneru and Kanon lost again, but Kumo finally saw their true talent and invited them to combine groups. Needless to say, Haneru was the slowest to get on board with this, but he eventually came around after thinking about why he loves dance and talking with Kanon. With the team finally together and Haneru and Kumo made up, Master "totally not Jey" T appeared and offered an invitation to Dance Road, a secret competition to see who will get on stage with Jey and show off their moves, and everyone is hyped for it. They also paid no attention to Master T which I find hilarious. We also got introduced to some rival dancers, whom should become good early antagonists.
The CG dancing is becoming stronger, especially Haneru and Kanon's performance in the dance battle that had them alternating Haneru's jumps and Kanon's limb focused moves. The cinematography and camera angles were also far more interesting to look at than in most of the other dance sequences shown so far, making me excited to see what future dancing will look like from here on. The nice humor and solid set of lessons are still present, keeping Tribe Cool Crew as my little calm spot in a surprisingly strong season.
Solid Recommendation
When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace
Jonathan Kaharl
We're finally hitting the meat of the series. After some character building and silly shenanigans, Tomoyo's brother and his gang of other powers have kidnapped Hatoko and are getting ready for some sort of play against the literary club. However, the fun there is for next time, as these past two weeks have been wrapping up the last bits of character development. Sayumi's past has been revealed, and her respect for Ando makes a whole lot more sense. His silly beliefs are what ultimately helped her realize she didn't need to have such an attachment to the idea of "perfection" her family strives for, while Hatoko ...does not share similar views.
Hatoko's episode was a powder keg going off that subverted my expectations greatly. Something that's been building through the series is that all the characters are more than their initial cartoony appearance, with hidden depth and secrets to them. Hatoko is no exception, as she's been secretly frustrated with Ando's ridiculous personality and his inability to explain his interests to her. Ando is absolutely cold to her in a few flashbacks when she just doesn't understand, and he has absolutely no idea how hurtful his words are, simply seeing Hatoko as someone who doesn't get angry or stressed (even a supporting character points out how stupid an idea that is). He says she just wouldn't understand the conversation he was having with Tomoyo via text, and she just explodes into a two minute screaming rant about how she doesn't understand most anything Ando says, but most importantly, her frustration that he never bothers to explain himself to someone he's supposedly close friends with (the two have known each other longer than any other character, just so you get how far back the two go). It's an incredible scene, and Saori Hayami just nails the mix of anger and grief.
Here's the interesting thing; This series is a drama about being "chunibyo," or someone who's obsessed with the media they consume, and how the world around reacts to them. It's a timely story and it works very well, with the writer not afraid to criticize their own lifestyle. I'm a gigantic nerd, and I know people like Ando (I'm a bit of an Ando at times myself), and this series really nails a lot down. It gets that these shows and stories we consume affect who we are as people, but it also shows that going so far in that direction, where you define yourself on what you've seen and read too much, can blind you to how reality works and how real human relationships develop. That's ballsy subject matter for an anime to tackle, but Inou Battle's strikingly silly tone through most of it establishes a good safe place to explore these ideas without taking itself too seriously. It's a fun show, and there's a bit more to it. You picked a good LN, Trigger.
Strong Recommendation
Wolf Girl and Black Prince
Joe Straatmann
Well, the relationship between Erika and Kusakabe didn't even last an
episode. How entirely predictable and boring. Not only that, but the
series essentially hits the reset button with no repercussions. I should
be thankful that the characters are actually growing and the show is
ditching the blackmail setup to the main relationship between Kyoya and
Erika and making them a proper couple, but get your stopwatches out and
check to see how long it takes in the episode immediately following for
Kyoya to make Erika cry from being an insufferable bastard. For those
who have better things to do with your life, I'll just go ahead and tell
you. It's four minutes. Two-and-a-half if you don't count the opening
credits. This is the couple I'm supposed to hope ends up together,
right?
I get having characters who treat each other well yet having no feelings for each other, and the ones who seem like they hate each other actually having a weird emotional attachment. Happens all the time. However, this is all a part of the series' new focus, which is to go full cliche wish fulfillment shojo. Kyoya remains a misanthropic meanie pants, but the reveal that he really does care and his willingness to compromise after he makes her cry puts him square in the sights of a typical wallflower shojo protagonist who seeks to tame an angsty, callous guy and make him her own while still being catching the eye of the other guys around her despite having nothing special about her. The fact that the next guy who is a "threat" to the relationship is an obvious skirt-chasing hedonist isn't exactly making me gear up for excitement. Seriously, he introduces himself to his classmates by forcing all the women to give him their names before allowing them to enter homeroom. I'm not even going to go through the effort of remembering this guy's name if they're going to be this lazy with attempting to create romantic tension.
No Recommendation
World Trigger
Stephanie Getchell
Ever since I started working on the fall season and this report,
World Trigger has just given me the most mixed feelings I've ever had to
deal with, but mostly leaning towards the negative. I honestly hoped
that these two episodes would help me change my mind, because I had
decided very early on, when contemplating using my first drop, that
World Trigger could possibly be dropped next if it didn't pick itself up
and become interesting. And, well, it looks like that'll be the case
today. But before getting into that a little more, let's talk about what
happened. So the incident with the Trion solider at the end of episode
four was resolved within five minutes of episode five (go figure). After
Kitora finishes escorting Osamu to Border HQ, he sits in on a meeting
with the committee and receives his punishment.... Oh wait, he actually
doesn't get punished. Instead, we are introduced to Jin, another Border
agent and the same one that saved Osamu a few years ago (aka, that first
couple of minutes from episode one). Jin takes Osamu under his wing
because he senses that Osamu knows how the abnormal gates are opening.
This leads them to Yuuma who has found the answer to that exact question
(Jin can see the future, fyi, and is totally ok with Yuuma and his
Neighbor self). The trio, as well as the rest of Border, manage to solve
the problem. This now leads us into our next arc and finally a proper
introduction to Chika, a young girl who seems to have a Side Effect
(what Jin's "gift" is referred to as) that can attract Neighbors to her.
And that's really it aside from Osamu wanting Chika and Yuuma to meet
so he can ask Yuuma for some help in the matter.
Why am I deciding to drop World Trigger? I keep bringing this up week after week. It's the story. The story is what is making me drop this series because it is a mess in both structure and writing. A few weeks ago, I mentioned the beginning of episode one and how the structure was very very odd. It came up again with episode six. We finish the search for what caused the abnormal gates. Problem solved. Opening theme happens and then we shift into our arc featuring Chika..... At the half way point. You heard right, folks. The opening theme of the show did not occur until around the twelve minute mark. Hence why I say the structure of this episode is out of whack. Though this isn't the first time I noticed this problem. It's odd that an episode has a major moment going on, only to be completed and solved within the first few minutes of the next episode. This has happened between episodes three and four and, once again, between four and five. It's as if they're trying to build up to something really awesome and possibly monumental, but we only get a rather poor pay off in the end. This is some of the worst writing I've seen as of late. And considering some of the terrible series I've seen this year, that is saying something, and that isn't a good thing.
World Trigger wants to be a long running shonen series. That's the vibe I'm getting off of it right now. However, I doubt it will be a success because of the extremely sloppy writing. Since episode one, this series has been trying so hard to be amazing and action packed that it has seemed to have forgotten what good writing actually is. It does have some moments where it's decent, but those are so rare and difficult to find in this heaping pile of horse crap. I'm just glad to say I am finally done with this one. I didn't know how much longer I could last with the shoddy writing...
Weak Recommendation, Dropped at episode six
Yona of the Dawn
Jonathan Kaharl
It's been a slow build for Yona so far, but it's been time well spent. Yona's goal is finally defined, and she finally has the resolve to see her journey through. She was pretty badass, lack of combat training aside. Her actions managed to save both her and Hak (just barely), and she gave one epic "fuck off" gaze to her would be stalker of a general. Yona is finally understanding that she has little knowledge of the outside world, along with no fighting ability, but she's ready to learn. She's also been given the task by a priest to fight the four dragon warriors, human beings who received the blood of mythical dragons that could have the power to change the kingdom. Yona even has the same type of hair as the mythical red dragon that founded the kingdom, which couldn't possibly be more obvious foreshadowing.
Yona is really likable and a great female lead. She's not the strongest character in skill, but she definitely has the strongest resolve. Seeing her stand up to Hak's self-pitying heroics and ask he teach her how to defend herself was great (and something I've been waiting for her to do since the village). Hak has been way too hung up on Yona still having attachment for his long time romantic rival AND the guy who killed one of the greatest men he's ever known, so it's nice to see Yona bashing some sense into the guy and finally stepping up as her own person and not just a political figurehead.
Yona is looking like another strong 2014 showing for Pierrot. The characters are well written, the comedy is balanced just right, and the mythology of this fantasy world is very interesting. The animation is even above Pierrot's usual standards and impresses more often then I'd expect. It ain't no Tokyo Ghoul, but it's a damn good series itself. If you like eastern fantasy, you should definitely check this one out.
Solid Recommendation
Your Lie in April
Stephanie Getchell
Last time, I said that I was going to try and start focusing on the
story and not get as swept up with the visuals. Now that I have done
that with episode six, I'm not quite sure I enjoyed the direction it
went. While parts of the episode entailed Kousei prepping for the
competition that Kaori made him join, most of it went back to Tsubaki
and her struggling emotions for Kousei along with her jealousy of Kaori.
The reason I say I'm not quite sure I enjoyed it this week was really
because of the Tsubaki story line we've been dealing with these past
couple of episodes. It sometimes leans into the territory of cliched
teenage angst, but what stops it from staying there is really the
characters themselves and the stories each one brings with them. Out of
our four leads, Kousei and Tsubaki seem to be getting the most in
regards to development, at this point. Kaori has bits here and there,
but she is still a bit of a mystery. As for Watari, he hasn't had a
chance to really develop right now, but there's a possibility of that
happening later on.
Now that I'm trying to give more focus on the story, it's hard for me to talk about the show, once again. Really, all this has been is up and down for me. One episode could be beautiful and emotional and then the next could almost cross into angst territory and isn't as wonderful. Really my problem lies in the relationships, right now. The relationship between Kousei and Kaori is a lot of fun and is rather enjoyable. For Kousei and Tsubaki, that's where most of the drama seems to be popping up because of their long term relationship growing up as neighbors. The Kaori and Tsubaki relationship seems a little strained right now, Watari and Kaori just isn't there, and Watari and Kousei is more of a friendly competition for the girl they both like. The love square and the struggle are real, folks. But, depending on the relationship, there are some interesting dynamics in play, yet those same dynamics can also be rather flat depending on which one it is.
Honestly, this week is one where I wish I had more to watch. Again, I'll be in no internet land by the time this report is released, so I can only do so much. There's a lot in this series to like, there really is. The fact that is does resort to teenage love angst is a mix of frustrating and intriguing depending on the character and the story. This doesn't mean the entire series suffers because of it. In fact, it's better to get Tsubaki's major development out of the way now instead of saving it for later on. And with Kaori as the trigger for that, it just seems logical to do so. Next time, however, things will get really interesting as Kousei heads for his competition and we get introduced to two other characters that seem to have a vendetta against him.
Solid Recommendation
Yuki Yuna is A Hero
David O'Neil
Lately it had felt like Yuki Yuna is a Hero was just on the
brink of clicking for me. It was a fun and cute magical girl show with
some cool animation and interesting concepts, but it was littered with
ominous foreshadowing that episode by episode the show refused to
actually follow up on. It just kept building up and building up, always
making me think some big twist was around the corner, just to have end
with the girls all winning the day in the end, and nothing really
changing. It left me confused if I was just imagining all of this set
up, while also making me worry it'd drop a forced, shock value twist for
the sake of grabbing attention. Basically, I felt very unsure
throughout most of Yuki Yuna is a Hero, worried it'd either never do anything with all of its teasing, or do something brash and attention focused.
The first of the last two episode's didn't exactly quell this feeling, basically being 22 minutes of slice of life with not much happening and the same pattern of "everything is great!" undermined by a creeping feeling of "everything actually isn't great!". It ended with a twist, but one that everyone in the entire world could have seen from a billion miles away, and didn't really clarify all that well where the show was going. The most recent episode on the other hand, may have finally sold me on this show. In episode 8, Yuki Yuna is a Hero finally stops tiptoeing around darker territory, and to my surprise it didn't jump in head first, but instead just dipped it's foot in the pool. While that may sound bad, I actually found it refreshing. Yuki Yuna is a Hero's latest episode doesn't go for empty shock value, but instead goes for subtle, and almost frightening revelations. While the reveals brought up in the new episode were hardly surprising, the way they were presented was genuinely unsettling and dark. The show managed to finally face it's darker aspects without totally destroying the tone that it'd spent all of this time creating, which is an impressive feat. It didn't go as far as I was expecting, but still managed to really grab my attention for the first time since the first two episodes.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero hasn't changed a whole lot, but for the first time it feels like it's starting to move forward to where it really wanted to go with its premise. And impressively, what it seems to be doing seems to explore the creepier implications brought up previously in the show, and doing so with well paced, progressive exploration rather than relying on jarring, sudden twists like lesser shows might. It feels like the show should have gotten here sooner (two episodes sooner at the least, to be honest) but now that it is here, I'm liking what it's doing.
Strong Recommendation
Second Opinions
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Stephanie: Well, it's about damn time that the team comes together and has an understanding. And all it took was Ange to be sick to get the point across. Not only that, but Momoka is now reunited with Ange so she has a little bit home with her in this crazy place. Now, if only, we still didn't have that brother to deal with cause, from what it sounds like, Sylvia isn't doing so well. Strong Recommendation
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Stephanie: Well then, this series is really starting to deviate from the original one. If I recall correctly, Shinji was dealt with before we meet Caster and Assassin. Though it's been a while and I may have forgotten. I think it's still going strong, all things considered. However, we keep starting something and then it's just put off for the time being. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Strong Recommendation
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Stephanie: I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I love the theme songs for this show. Pretty sure this is the only series that I can't skip either theme and can't watch without humming along to it. Also, cat gods make me happy cause I love cats. Also also, Kokkuri turning into a woman makes me giggle along with the tanuki hitting on him. SUCCESS!! Solid Recommendation
Magic Kaito 1412
Stephanie: Welp, I wished for an appearance by Jimmy Kudo and I got one!! YES!!! It's about friggin time! I'm very happy to know that the series is taking full advantage of it's own universe and bringing in a familiar face to help give it a tiny boost. Now if only Kaito and Aoko would kiss already. That's my next wish. MAKE IT HAPPEN!! Strong Recommendation
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
Stephanie: I only get to see one episode this time around and it's a damn recap episode. Ugh... I honestly don't see the point in having one, but considering the series is apparently going to be only twelve episodes, I guess it makes sense. But now that I know it's only going to be twelve episodes, how the heck are they going to manage that?! But my recommendation this week is really just based off of the recap episode. I'm sure it'll get back to being better next time.
Editor's Note: We've gotten some reports that the twelve episode count doesn't include the recap episode. We'll know more in the future. Weak Recomendation
Shirobako
When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace
Stephanie: I should have picked up on this pattern sooner. We're letting Andou spend time with each of the girls in the literature club. This time it's Sayumi. I didn't have as many laughs in this one episode as I have previously, but I still did enjoy what I saw. It seems like we still aren't getting huge supernatural battles like the title would indicate, but I don't care. It's honestly a better show without constant battles. Solid Recommendation
Yona of the Dawn
Stephanie: One of these days, Yona and Hak are just going to end up dead from all the danger they end up in. Holy crap. Ah well, we did get a little more time with Soo-won before and during his coronation as the next king. And now we're starting to meet individuals that will join Yona and Hak in their journey throughout the series. Today was a good day. Solid Recommendation
Dropped
- Celestial Method (Jonathan Kaharl)
- Terraformers (Jonathan Kaharl)
- Trinity Seven (Stephanie Getchell)
A Good Librarian, Like a Good Shepherd
Jonathan Kaharl
Kakei and the library club are all well developed and likable characters, making the recent dive into harem tropes more tolerable than usual. I even got a few laughs at times, to my surprise. Misono is becoming my favorite character, moving past her initial status as the emotionless, aloof one to a more open, confident person. Kodachi also had a bit more depth to her then it first seemed, and I want to see more of how she's dealing with the price to become a shepherd. Still, despite strong characters, harems are still harems, and watching characters blush in embarrassment only manages to become more grating than more entertaining. There's not enough focus on developing the cast and too much on "WHO WINS MC!?" that every bad harem I've ever watched balances towards.
All that said, Shepherd is still plenty enjoyable and doesn't have any squickiness to it. I mean, there is a gag about a guy who makes love dolls, but it's well built and goes away about as fast as it came. That peaceful vibe from early in the series is still present and charming, and the comedy still has a good amount of energy and absurdity to it. Hopefully Shepherd can break the harem curse in the coming weeks.
Solid Recommendation
Ai Tenchi Muyo
Joe Straatmann
Even rolling back on its gags a bit, nothing has particularly hit my funny bone. It's rolling with the same slapstick that has had depreciating returns for nearly forty episodes, but thankfully, there's less of it. Unfortunately, it's all still so insignificant that instead of being a credible addition to the Tenchi franchise, it'll probably get brought up in the same brief, throwaway comments as that Speed Racer series where Speed is in the future and racing aliens. Let's just say I would defend Tenchi in Tokyo before I would defend this.
No Recommendation
Amagi Brilliant Park
Stephanie Getchell
I'll keep admitting this throughout my report on the series because it still holds up even now. Amagi has a lot of charm to it. The series has managed to keep my interest by being charming, but, at the same time, it also manages to give me unexpected moments. For example, Jaw, the shark, seems to look even more terrifying when he is wet compared to when he isn't. I'll admit, that was something I didn't know was going to happen. I am also starting to notice a downside the more I keep going with this series. I am finding less and less to talk about. Although it has it's rather unexpected moments, it also hasn't done a whole lot in terms of story and character development. Sure, we've had some episodes here and there where Isuzu is the focus, and at least a tiny bit of development for Seiya, but there hasn't been much else. And, to be honest, I almost forgot there was a story to begin with. At least until that blond guy, who wants to buy the park and then destroy it, turns up at the end of episode seven. Almost as if to remind us that, "Hey! There is a story here! I promise!" Amagi hasn't done a whole lot to remind us that the park is in danger, and, instead, focuses on a lot of hijinks. It's not a terrible thing, but if I have to be reminded that there's a major plot point to the series, then the series itself isn't doing too well with it's own story.
I'm not dropping this one, if that's what you're wondering. I actually can't, at this point, since I've already gone half way through it. Plus, there's a different series I'm ready to kick to the curb (but more on that later). Amagi seems to be favoring charm and hijinks over story and characters, and this can be a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I say it's right in the middle. I love the charm and hijinks that go on with this series. I really do! It's just that I do sometimes wish it would focus on the actual story a bit more and give us more to work with, character wise. The second half of the series ought to be able to really give us more, however we won't know that for sure. And, at the rate it's going now, it is humanly possible that we actually won't get to at all. It's hard to tell. Though the next two episodes have the chance to show that. I just really don't want a rushed ending to this series, is all. It can do better than that.
Solid Recommendation
BONJOUR: Sweet Love Patisserie
Megan R
It took this show six episodes, but it finally found an opportunity for Sayuri emote like a real human being. She actually raises her voice! She chides someone! She has some sort of trippy Tokyo Tower hallucination when she tastes some chocolate! Too bad that these moments are all too fleeting, and the show returns to its determined, joyless slog through the old reverse harem routine. The same old magical girl-style cooking sequences are trotted out, along with the same old jokes about ‘illicit sexual exploits’ and Gilbert being all exuberant and foreign. I swear, I have tried to be patient with this show. I tried to give it a chance and hope that the show would show some spark of life, but my hopes have been dashed every time. I thought this was meant to be an adaptation of a visual novel, but the animation is so stiff and repetitious that they might as well just have aired a let’s play of the game it's based on. I’m through with waiting for this show to inject some life in itself, and instead all too ready to bid au revoir to this sleepy little dud.
No Recommendation, Dropped at episode six
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Jonathan Kaharl
These two episodes are a good breather between all the violence and death that surround this series at most every corner. It's just seeing how everyone goes about their everyday lives, despite the troubles they normally have to deal with. Of course, there's still hints of the darker side of things almost regularly (Momoka would have been executed if she left the island), but it's hard to focus too much on that while Ange is piloting her mech while wearing layered clothes due to a cold, or Momoka not getting it through her thick skull that maybe she's bugging Ange more than cheering her up. The comedy feels way more balanced here than during the Tusk episode, mainly because things aren't too drastic at the moment and there's no obnoxious and outdated suggestive position "jokes."
The next episode seems to be following a similar path as these last two (it's the swimsuit episode, because of course it is), but with a big twist for the plot, which fits well in Sunrise's past strategies. Remember, some of the darkest episodes of Code Geass followed a wacky school festival episode, or that Valvrave managed to switch from cheesy propaganda songs sung by children to attempted genocide. The big hint for what's coming relates to Ange's sister, and it looks like we're about to dive right back into "literally everything is awful" territory again. Hopefully the series can still function properly with a return to early tone.
Solid Recommendation
Denki-Gai
Jonathan Kaharl
There are a lot of amusing short bits in this series, like short black-and-white segments involving a stray cat that gets increasingly ridiculous the more it appears, that do a good job of pacing out the longer segments. Those longer bits have been good fun from the first episode, and the past two episodes have had some especially strong ones. I mean, you've certainly seen the skit when a girl uses too much make-up to impress a date, but Sensei goes the complete opposite direction and a tired joke is suddenly cosmic. That's not even the end of the segment, as it leads to the girls trying to figure out what guys like, ad it backfires terribly for everyone involved in ways I dare not spoil. The bath house episode is more cute than funny, but it works because of how enjoyable the cast is.
Denki-Gai has found a good groove and pace to its gags, and I hope it keeps this up, because it's a serious contender for best comedy of the year. It's a must for those familiar with how the manga and doujin industries work.
Strong Recommendation
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Jonathan Kaharl
I am aware of several major developments in this route (you spend time on anime message boards enough, and this stuff gets spoiled for you), so I won't go too in depth on what the show itself hasn't brought up, but keep an eye on Archer. He is absolutely central to the story, bringing up a lot of viewpoints similar to Fate/Zero's Kiritsugu, challenging Shirou's more idealistic view of heroism. His shocking actions make a whole lot more thematic sense when you keep that in mind, including how he's being treated in this story line. Along with huge developments with Archer, the series has also introduced Assassin (sort of, wait for the Heaven's Feel movie) and Caster, whom are significantly different than the other servants. Assassin is actually Caster's servant and the guard to a shrine she took over, while Caster herself is a powerful mage who uses magic over weaponry. There isn't much to say about Caster just yet, but Assassin is instantly likable in his chivalrous ways. It's actually really interesting when compared to how Saber and Fate/Zero's Lancer talked to one another, drawing another major parallel between the two series. It even works in presenting Archer in a harsher light once he finally meets Assassin.
The action is as incredible as always, with some damn amazing production values put in each sequence. Shirou is far more likable here then he ever has been in any other adaptations, getting one bit of dumb this episode, but also showing that he's willing to learn from his mistakes not too much later. It also makes sense from the context of the scene, as being saved by someone like Archer, who Shirou detests (and with good reason), might as well be worse to him than being hurt by Caster. Still dumb, but it makes sense from his character and is more forgivable than not bring Saber to school (I MEAN SERIOUSLY). This is a must see for the season, but it's far stronger if you've seen Fate/Zero.
Strong Recommendation
The Fruit of Grisaia
Joe Straatmann
Keeping a relatively safe distance from the romantic aspects, this series is still plenty entertaining in its insanity and extremes, and the plot twist at the end of the latest episode only means more tragically-tangled madness to come. The weird thing, however, is how occasionally really forgettable some episodes are. I cut straight through the story centering around Sachi, the maid now revealed as the childhood friend of Yuuji (In today's job market, one must be an expert in multiple kinks in order to get sempai's attention). Re-watching it, it was properly bonkers with Sachi going to logical extremes in order to comply with someone's wishes and her crazy backstory, but it all goes straight in one ear and out the other. I can't say whether it's the makers trying to keep from going full insane to keep the drama intact or if some of the girls were developed too much in the visual novel character factory, but I can't fully recall a decent amount of pretty relevant information not an hour after I've viewed it.
What I do know is Yuuji is miles ahead of most erogame protagonists. Not in the least bit a self-insertion character, he is best described as Sousuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic after a few years of people experience now acting as a self-aware elite soldier who still has his own way of taking care of business. It's through him that this series really works and even if it does give into the more depraved acts these kinds of VN anime are known for, his calm and occasionally humorous responses makes it manageable. I'm not saying if you immediately throw a show in the trash if it sets off anything like father/daughter triggers, this title will completely eclipse those, but as a person who has very little interest in the racier aspects unless they lead to the occasional absurd humor, I find this series a very enjoyable watch even when it's not particularly memorable.
Solid Recommendation
Garo: The Animation
Stephanie Getchell
Anyways, when we last left off with Garo, we had some odd things happen. Mostly involving werewolves. What we have from episode eight isn't a continuation of the story, but the same time frame that was played out in the previous episode from another point of view. That point of view is from German, and the time frame goes from the last time he sees Leon to when he is reunited with him a couple days later. How has German spent those two days? Well, aside from the normal habits of getting laid and being a knight in shining armor, German gets scammed by a group of thieves resulting in losing his clothes and then being chased around the place by palace guards. All the while, he hears from Ema about Leon's battle with Bernardo and recalls some memories of when he, Bernardo, and Anna (Leon's mother) were comrades fighting against Horrors. In the end, as I mentioned before, German is reunited with Leon and the same scene that plays out at the end of episode seven is played out in the end of episode eight.
First, let me get this part out of the way. Remember how I mentioned a couple weeks ago how I was excited about this episode because of the title, "Full Monty"? While watching this episode, I could not stop laughing because it stayed true to the name quite a bit. For those who don't know, there's a musical called The Full Monty, and one of the more prominent and memorable moments of that play is full frontal nudity since the main characters are trying to get money by putting on a strip show. It's rather amusing to me because a) German does go full monty for almost the entire time, and b) he lacks money after it gets stolen early on in the episode. This makes the title of the episode very appropriate. But this isn't the only reason why I enjoyed the episode. What I also enjoyed was the time we spent with German. Over the course of eight episodes, there has yet to be a single one where we get to spend time with German. Granted, the first episode we do spend half of it with German and a woman he was sleeping with, but I don't really count that because it was more for exposition purposes. This episode, in particular, is the first time we get to spend with German completely and also learn a little more about him. Because of his relationship to Bernardo, this will no doubt play a role later on when the two finally see each other again.
It's funny. I say that I probably won't have much to say about Garo this week because I'm only able to see one episode. And yet, here is episode eight and there's actually plenty to talk about. This makes me extremely happy to know there's enough going on in a single episode, and I won't have to worry about being bored! What Garo has managed to do every single week is just be so bombastic and fun, making sure your time isn't wasted. This is something I can really appreciate! As for what I hope for the next time we chat and I have three episodes to play with, maybe some Alfonso in there since we're long overdue for that. And some Zaruba wouldn't be so bad either.
Strong Recommendation
Girlfriend Beta
Thom "Tama" Langley
In comparison, Girlfriend Beta took their huge profits...and made an anime so incredibly dull that 24 minutes of paint drying a week would be more interesting. Think about it. One shade a week, cycling through the Dulux colour chart. The drama of what colour will be the star next week. Will they use a large brush? Or a roller? The drama! Because nothing happens in Girlfriend Beta. K-On! and a lot of other moe shows may be knocked, but at least in K-On!, things happened. They played their instruments, they improved their instruments. . They worried about raising money to buy instruments. They actually DID something. With Girlfriend Beta's concept, and origins, I was anticipating awfulness, something to really get my teeth into. I got...boredom. And that, to be honest, is worse. At least something so woefully bad can be entertaining-to return briefly to the way I began my first review of this series, at least the popularity of Michael Bay's clanking borefests can be explained by the fact the robots turn into very nice looking vehicles and dinosaurs. That, and they have about thirty years of nostalgia to tap into-at least Michael Bay's films are so bad they're difficult to look away from.
So far, in Girlfriend Beta, we've had one episode that's actually been above mediocre, and that's largely because it a) stuck to two characters b) told backstory that fleshed out two people, and c) threw so much yuri subtext at us that I'll be unsurprised if there's shippy merchandise of these two. So. What's the non-event of episode 5? Oh no! The cafetiere is closed! Seriously. Within...ooh, twenty seconds...we have our conundrum of the week. Another bugbear with this series is the male students. We clearly see them in crowd shots, yet not a single one has been named, spoken, or heck, been anything other than a background character-heck, we even see them in the student council. Do none of these girls have male friends? Is Girlfriend Beta set in an alternate future where men have been struck dumb by some terrible virus? Are men forbidden to speak in this female-run school? I mean, obviously, this series is really intended for a male gaze, but this is bordering on the bizarre.
Oh. Plot. Yeah. The students are running the cafetiere because the catering staff have been grounded...on Easter Island?! Cue complaining about peeling potatoes, cutting onions, etc. Have none of these people ever cooked before? And then they make tea. And hello walking foreigner stereotype. And goodbye walking foreigner stereotype. And hello walking...robot girl...person who wants batteries. And goodbye walking robot girl. That was...incredibly awkward, and not funny. What I'm also beginning to notice is just how limited the animation is. And the school council president is clearly a moron.
That's it. I'm actually convinced that this is actually a parody of moe series. Someone at Silver Link., clearly irritated at being given this to direct, set out to make the most boring anime humanly possible. I have had work days more action-packed than this. Episodes of Seinfield, Lucky Star, and Chromartie High School stretched, 24 Hour Psycho style over an entire day have more happening than this show. I have watched anime for nearly eight years now, and never has something left absolutely no impression on me. I've lost 120 minutes, (the length of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, a film that crams the best part of three thick volumes of manga into its runtime) in watching something that has a plot that wouldn;t cover one side of a sheet of A4. This show (again, ignoring episode 3) is paperthin in terms of characterisation, animation, and destination. i don't care about any of the characters, the show is utterly aimless in plot, and the animation is KyoAni animated by Studio Deen. How the source material makes so much money is baffling, how anyone thought this was worthy of five independently running manga is baffling, and how anyone would watch this snorefest of an anime is beyond human comprehension.
To borrow a quote from Mark Kermode once more, Girlfriend Beta is incredibly long and incredibly boring and nothing happens very cutely about a hundred times. The new low of the moe genre.
No Recommendation, Dropped at Episode 5
Gonna be the Twin-Tails!!
Jonathan Kaharl
There's also a new villain present named Dark Grasper. Unlike the other bad guys, she's actually human, and she's a big fan of Twoearle from the time she was a Twin-Tails warrior. Much like TailYellow, she is amazing. She acts like a huge evil badass around her men, instantly starts nerding out when she thinks she's found her idol, hides out in her room and mumbles to herself after being completely socially drained, and also works as an idol who pushes a glasses/twin-tails combo while singing the most empty songs imaginable. Basically, she is four constantly shifting personalities, and they're all funny. The humor is also kicking back up with more little gags, like Erina's maid not being able to enter the hidden twin-tails base or Soji's mom constantly trying to create a harem ending, not to mention more of the fetish monsters. The show works when it's being loud and dumb, and I want it like that from here on out.
On the downside, I have to mention that the production values have taken a significant dive. I normally don't mind this too much, but there are a lot of off model shots that simple look embarrassing here, not to mention a few action scenes that lose their flow. For example, TailYellow's aura pillar shoots straight up and comes down as lightning, but one of the scenes where it was used had it shoot straight up, then hit from a diagonal angle going up somehow. It seems the show was hit with budget issues, but at least that doesn't ruin the strong comedy bits.
Solid Recommendation
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Jonathan Kaharl
The following episode returned to normal form, with an A plot involving a cat god who runs a tea shop. She becomes obsessed with Kohina, who she believes to be a doll, and does everything possible to steal her from Kokkuri and the others. She is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay different than what I was expecting from her few appearances in the intro, and I'm glad that ended up being the case. She ends up being just as bad as the rest of Kokkuri's pests, and able to get under Kokkuri's skin far better than the others. The second plot had Kokkuri accidentally getting turned into a woman while rummaging through Kohina's warehouse, and that went exactly where you'd expect, and I wouldn't have it any other way. There were also a few cute extra jokes thrown in, like Kokkuri's narcissist tendencies shining through. This turn of events will be going into the next episode, and that makes me very happy (and not just because girl Kokkuri is incredibly pretty).
I'm very interested in how Kokkuri-san is going to wrap up, because it's looking like it's building to something far above its usual comedic range, and from what little I've seen from its dramatic moments, I think it could pull it off. Kokkuri-san may just end up being something special.
Strong Recommendation
Gundam: G no Reconguista
David O'Neil
For one thing, the after the plot spent a brief amount of time wandering aimlessly, unsure of where exactly it wanted to go next, things are finally starting to movie forward. After Bellri's mom makes her way on to the Megafauna she's introduced to Aida's father, and for the first time there's some negations between the two sides that have been at war so far throughout the show. With implications of a greater threat coming from space, it seems as if it could be beneficial for an alliance to form between the Pirates and the Capital Guard, though it's unclear whether or not the Capital Army will get in the way of that happening. The last two episodes have certainly been a return to form in terms of action, with the most recent episode boasting one of my favorite battles in the series so far, with some excellent use of animation and some awesome additions to the G-Self as well. One thing about Gundam: G no Reconguista I've noticed recently is its meticulous attention to detail. From mud splashing up onto the feet of battling mecha, to vines wrapping around rifles when they're pulled through trees, to shots of animals reacting to airships flying overhead, there's always nice little additions that make the show feel a lot more polished and detailed than other shows this season.
Gundam: G no Reconguista still has its flaws, it still feels very light in terms of development or interesting conflicts for its characters, and as things get complicated I may be starting to get closer to joining the group of people who aren't sure exactly what's going on in this show. At the same time though the show has brought back it's top notch action and animation, along with finally moving the plot forward. After a bit of a lull, for me Gundam: G no Reconguista is back to being enjoyable, well animated fun for fans of mecha.
Solid Recommendation
Hi-sCool! Seha Girls
Walter Holleger
Episode seven is the Sonic the Hedgehog episode, where the girls team up with Sonic and race through many of his levels from different games, and despite the girls usual "attempt" at comedy, this is probably the best episode of the show thus far. The original content with Sonic is actually decent and the much is well chosen (Taken from Sonic games obviously). If you removed the three girls, you could have called this a short sonic video and it would have been better for it, but as it is, it's tolerable. Despite that, I'm still dropping this series.
It shouldn't come as any surprise that this would be dropped. From Episode one, this show has been a rather tedious watch, that I stuck with out of curiosity of how the show would pan out, but I don't see any reason to continue. A collection of cookie cutter moe girl characters, and forced humor that, I'll admit, did get a chuckle out of me, but they were so few and far between that it just wasn't worth it. By this point, it was a chore to watch this series, and to anyone still watching, I hope your enjoying it more than I did.
No Recommendation, Dropped at episode seven
I Can't Understand What My Husband is Saying
Thom "Tama" Langley
So, anyway. What have Kaoru and Hajime been up to these last two weeks? Well. Episode seven finds Kaoru unhappy at her inability to cook (and somewhat surprised her husband can cook.) Cue culinary mishaps. And Hajime being the good husband and liking her food anyway. A visit to Kaoru's chef father later, and he's...very scary. Oh, and someone's brought Hajime's boss (everyone's favourite guy, DESTINY FUCKER (sorry, couldn't resist...)) food. Aww. Meanwhile, Kaoru and her father are catching up, Kaoru noting that she's a little ashamed to be learning from her father...who doesn't approve of Hajime. But Hajime does approve of her cooking! Yatta! Episode eight...GOLF. And Hajime and Kaoru have to care for a relative's child. Who doesn't want to wear clothes. Cue...worrying lolicon/giant t-shirt....things. And GOLF. Well, it's apparently in her blood. Both her parent's blood. And cue golf montage, followed by...probably this series' best animated moment, and adorable cuteness. It says a lot that this single moment made me d'aww more than five of the six episodes of Girlfriend Beta have.
Once again, Husband delivers two nice episodes, once again a little more focused than the slightly rambling riffing off otaku culture. Hajime and Kaoru are being increasingly fleshed out from the stereotypes that lesser series would fall back on, and there's a surprising warmth to the whole thing-despite his hobbies, Hajime's a good husband, Kaoru's a good wife, and they're surprisingly happy with each other. It's moved from a series about putting up with someone despite their bad habits, or odd interests, to a series where both characters are learning to love each other, flaws and all. Once again, a great two episodes.
Strong Recommendation
In Search of the Lost Future
Jonathan Kaharl
Nobody in this show is particularly interesting, and the tone is shot. One half of the show wants to be a slow building romantic tragedy with a sci-fi twist, while the other is a madcap comedy where a girl and an exchange student can kick people halfway across a room, or a bunch of computer nerds try building husbanos with school equipment. Neither of these things fit with the other, and neither are done particularly well. There's too much focus on tired tropes for the comedy bits, and the foreshadowing fails to make a barely present main plot interesting.
This show can be summed up in just one word; generic. Nothing here is new or original, and the execution isn't strong enough to distract from that fact. You can do well-tread territory well with the right story and production values, but the story just isn't here. The show has a nice art style, and I do like a few of the characters (Kenny man, Kenny), but the experience is more dull than anything else. If you want a good visual novel based drama or comedy, there's plenty better elsewhere.
No Recommendation, Dropped at Episode Six
JOKER
Walter Holleger
Episode six features another introduction to a new character, and perhaps the most unoriginal yet, Shadow Joker, a thief that tries to destroy Joker's reputation as a phantom thief by brutally attacking the places he robs. Shadow is sadly pretty bland, a angry person, working for Dr. Clover, seeking revenge for motives we've yet to learn, with a possible connection to Joker's past. There were some good actions scenes between Shadow, Joker, and even Oniyama, despite how ridiculous they got (Yes, that is a sword fight between an umbrella and a playing card in the picture), but story-wise, it was pretty played by the book, with even the big trick reveal being a bit more predictable than I think was intended. Overall, it was a decent episode for the action, but here's hoping for a more interesting character next time.
Solid Recommendation
Laughing Under the Clouds
Joe Straatmann
That's not to say these dramatic jolts didn't have the intended impact on me. One scene before the largest dramatic moment of the season so far had me very close to tears, and the interluding flashback is certainly a powerful love story in of itself, and I'm looking forward to see how it plays out in the main timeline with people who might be reincarnations. The battle with the Orochi is mostly well handled, though there's a particular closeup where it feels like it's a live-action B-movie that doesn't have the money to show the giant creature and the cast interact, so it throws in an awkward closeup with a cast member slashing at a very hastily-constructed and immobile model to simulate the combat. It's very weird to see something like this in animation which has an entirely separate list of budget shortcuts.
All of this adds up to something that is still a mixed blessing of a show I don't quite know what to make of yet even if I can predict what it's going to do. With an exception of the insistence on humor during inappropriate times, I like most of what the series has to offer, and thankfully, the latest episodes have enough cognizance to roll back the attempts at getting a laugh in their more sobering times. But it's still all over the place at times, and it's still holding back its full potential.
Solid Recommendation
Lord Marksman and Vanadis
Jonathan Kaharl
Roland is a knight with a sword. He has no additional powers or abilities. The only thing that makes him a machine of destruction is that his sword can cut through magic, meaning he can take powerful magical spells and keep moving because that's how offensive weapons work (his armor may be enchanted, but it's never stated outright). What is even the point of the war maidens if you have this guy running around as a one-man army? Seriously, nothing hurts him until Tigre returns with his god mod bow that absorbs the magic in maiden weapons and fires it out as mini-nukes, and even then, he still manages to live (though he does admit defeat). Roland is just a guy divided between his sense of duty to the crown and his own ethics, but there isn't too much else to him otherwise.
Mila ended up being pretty lame, falling for Tigre's incredibly obvious disguise and falling for him a little because he's the main character and therefore any and all women must fall in love with him because otaku are the most predictable and pathetic people sometimes. There is a little fight between her and Ellen, but once again, Tigre has to be the one who actually saves the day. Ellen's major flaw of being too gun-ho really bugs the shit out of me, because the show is making a point that she tends to underestimate her enemies. Tigre has to bail her out, and it really robs her of her strength as a character. She's a badass warrior goddess, and most of the series so far as been playing second fiddle to some archer from the boonies and being so inept at command that her men have a habit of getting their asses handed to them. The politics remain interesting, but everything else is either bland or annoying. This needs to change, and fast.
No Recommendation
Magic Kaito 1412
Joe Straatmann
Still, I kept the goofy grin on my face for most of it. It's certainly not at the peak it was operating at in the previous update, but even at its most cliche, it manages plenty of neat little details, such as how Aoko handcuffs Kaito when they go on a movie date and it takes how dense she is that Kaito has slipped her custody to an art. I also quite like it when Kaito and Aoko actually get to have romantic moments because they combine the sweetness of two people who care deeply about each other and their screwball bickering into their own form of affection. Hopefully, they don't plan on this series going for forever because it could become like most of Rumiko Takahashi's works where the love/hate banter dissolves into infuriating tedium at about the third season. For now, it's just fine.
The series remains perfectly dependable. The animation, the music, and all of the other elements haven't dipped in quality since the beginning. While they might be leaning on Taku Iwasaki's "emotional strings" music track a little too much (If you've seen Now and Then, Here and There or R.O.D. the TV series, you know exactly the type of song I'm talking about), but I can't say it doesn't work every time. It might not have caught fire like I expected it to once it escalated the circumstances a bit, but it is no less a quality title that is worth seeking out.
Solid Recommendation
Orenchi no Furo Jijou
Megan R
Yeah, these last two episodes are just pure fanservice, albeit for two very different audiences. First we get the fujoshi-bait episode, where the splash fight might as well be scored to “Playin’ With the Boys.” Still, it might be the mostly tightly constructed episode of the show thus far. Every joke in a winner, and every joke builds upon the next until it reaches its as hilarious (and sudsy) punchline. In comparison, episode seven panders more to the tradional otaku crowd, and it feels like a massive let-down. I don’t know what person thought that what this show needed were a bunch of half-assed, mildly creepy imouto gags, but that person needs to stop trying to bring that crap to my quasi-gay merman show. The interactions between Kasumi and Tatsumi go nowhere and the episode end without a single proper joke. If these last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Orenchi is at its best when it lets itself embrace its own ho-yay tinged ridiculousness. It’s simply too short and too shallow to achieve any sort of pathos, and any episode that reaches for that ends up having all the impact of a soggy towel. Hopefully this last episode was just a brief misstep in what has been otherwise a entertaining show.
Weak Recommendation
Parasyte -the maxim-
Stephanie Getchell
There's something rather important here that I left out in the summary because I wanted to discuss it here. How Migi was able to save Izumi was by, essentially, becoming a replacement heart since it was Izumi's heart that his former mother stabbed. If Migi had not done so, then both of them would have ended up dead. This is where that turning point I mentioned before now occurs. Because of Migi's methods in saving the pair, Izumi, in return, now seems almost superhuman. He doesn't have to use glasses anymore to see, he can sense people who are a short distance away, can run at break neck speeds, and jump over a seawall (which he actually does). Even though he has changed physically, Izumi has also changed mentally and psychologically. This has now gotten personal. His mother is dead and people are under the impression that his father is just having a bad dream because he witnessed his wife's death and yet there are witnesses who see her hours later. Izumi, at this point, has gone into revenge mode which isn't the best idea right now all things considered. Remember how I said that Migi seems to have an effect on him? Well, now Migi better be able to calm him down before something really bad happens.
Like Garo, there always seems to be something going on in Parasyte. Unlike Garo, it doesn't need constant action in order to do so. There's also plenty of information the story gives us in order to move on and understand what's going on, along with plenty of information that will come in handy later on down the line. What seems to have been going on before this episode was a kind of delicate balance between our cohabitants. Now, that balance is shifting and changing into something else. What the end result of this change could be is anyone's guess (at least for those who haven't read the manga), but there is a strong instability going on right now which could greatly help or hurt our characters depending on how the next few episodes are handled.
Strong Recommendation
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
Thomas Zoth
Bahamut has
had a slower few weeks than other shows, with a two part episode six
that served as an exposition dump explaining the lore of the world of
Bahamut, and the stakes if the evil Bahamut were to awaken. However, the
point of any good two parter is to make you look forward with
anticipation to the cliffhanger's resolution. And it did! Shame
that episode "6.5," which comes in between, was a recap episode. And
while Bahamut has tended to excel at nearly everything it attempts, as
recap episodes go, it's a stinker. You might expect Favaro to narrate
past events, giving a heroic spin on everything he did, or perhaps the
episode might end with a few seconds of bonus content to make up for
being 95% re-used material. Sadly, no such luck. It's essentially a clip
show that retells the story in chronological order, starting with
Amira's theft of the god key before she even runs into Favaro. Any
artfulness in storytelling is completely absent, resulting in a recap
that somehow makes the previous adventures deathly dull. There's a
reason episode "6.5" is not going to be included on the blu-ray release!
With
episode seven, all is quickly forgiven. Whatever work needed to be done in
the off week will be remembered long after any complaints about
recapping are forgotten. The episode begins with Azazel's attack on the
walled city where Amira, Favaro, and Kaisar are essentially under house
arrest, and Joan of Arc is charged with protecting them. There's a touch
of Attack on Titan here as Joan of Arc assigns her different battalions
to protect the city's two walls from oncoming demonic forces. The
Golems face off with spider like ghouls, and dragon knights fell wyverns
with fairly well-integrated CG and excellent choreography. But the
spectacle is mere distraction to the real battle.
Azazel
can't be bothered with waiting, so he heads immediately to Amira, drunk
and stuffed with food, and attempts to kidnap her out from under Favaro
and Kaisar's noses. Despite some lingering resentment, the two work
great together to take on this demonic foe that's responsible for the
downfall of both of their families. With the way all of the story
threads of past betrayal are tied together, it feels like the final
battle of a summer movie, the ultimate showdown with the Big Bad that
will right everything in the world... and here we still have five
episodes left. This is only the start of part two of Rage of Bahamut,
and I couldn't be more excited.
Strong Recommendation
Ronia, the Bandit's Daughter
Joe Straatmann
Episode eight is more comedically based, as Ronia's father Mattis tries to find a way to secretly infiltrate his rival's side of the castle, and he and his bandits are more-or-less Wile-E-Coyote chasing the Roadrunner. This has more of a cartoony feel than the rest of the series, but it doesn't try too hard, and someone gets injured enough to where it's not completely throwing away all danger and consequence for the sake of being playful. I certainly don't hold it against them for wanting to to lighten the mood, and anything that gives Mattis more of a presence is a positive in my eyes. How his anger channels into physical energy continues to amaze.
While I can't say the look has improved as a whole, there are some nice moments in animation popping up now and again. They're throwaway details, like Ronia stepping into a patch of grass which has a gush of water under it and having just the right amount of submersion. They don't add a whole lot to the experience, but I appreciate their appearances nevertheless. Ronnie the series may be considered disappointing for something with Ghibli's stamp on it to be hovering at such simple and merely pleasant levels in animation and story, but what matters is it's still good. More than ever, it feels like something similar to David the Gnome as one of those imports Nickelodeon might've put in their 80's programming schedule which had imperfect animation but also unique charm. As someone who many fond memories of such shows, I have no problem with this.
Solid Recommendation
Seven Deadly Sins
David O'Neil
The two recent episodes primarily were centered around the Sin of Greed, Ban, and the newly introduced Sin of Sloth, King. So far I've liked what I've seen of King so far. He's hardly my favorite character, but his soft, almost childish attitude and confrontational attitude against Ban makes him yet another welcome addition to the team. In addition to introducing this new character, the show also dived into Ban's past with some interesting results, showing how he got his immortality in addition to what he did that's making King try to attack him. While the "is a sorta pedo romance okay if she's technically like 700 years old" coming into play sort of rubbed me the wrong way, it was actually a really nice little arc with some fairly emotional moments. It's hardly a huge step forward for the series, but certainly a step in the right direction. Ban is a really likable character and was only made more likable as I got to see more of the kind of person he really is and why he acts the way he does, at least to an extent.
I'd also like to add that one of the things that has really been making the show so enjoyable is the strong dynamics between the characters. Whether it's in the downtime or during the fights, a lot of fun dynamics are created between the characters and it results in all kinds of cute quips and clever banter among the team. Though I do feel isn't a whole lot of tension at the moment with how overpowered all the characters are, as they often just sort of laugh off powerful attacks from the enemy. Still, The Seven Deadly Sins continues to be one of the better shonen adventure series I've seen in recent times, and is only getting better as it goes on as it creates entertaining relationships and goes further into exploring the characters.
Strong Recommendation
Shirobako
David O'Neil
The main focus of the last two episodes was Ema, Aoi's best friend and former classmate who's working at the same studio as her as an entry level key animator. As she struggles to finish her cuts for upcoming episodes both as quickly and effectively as she feels is necessary, she starts to question her own ability and drive to really make it as an animator, leading to two full episodes that are largely focused on her falling into extreme self doubt over her own drawing skills. It's a really well executed character arc, watching her fall into despair is really difficult to watch because of the genuineness worked into it all. Despite the show's somewhat "moe" aesthetic, and occasional dip into goofier moments (anime studio street racing) at the same time the characters in Shirobako are incredibly down to earth and believable. The conflict Ema faces is so relatable and deeply human, and manages to be truly sad and complex, while also coming out in the end with a sense of optimism without being corny.
And Ema wasn't the only character that has had interesting internal conflicts the past few episodes, Aoi continues to mull over the question of what exactly her dreams and aspirations for the future are, and Aoi's sister is introduced as a clever parallel to the show's cast. As all these girls strive to achieve their dreams in a career field they're passionate about, Aoi's sister is a simple office worker, doing work and getting paid without much thought of a dream or grand objective, almost similarly to her sister. Shirobako has always been a fun show about the anime industry, but more than ever the show has been exploring its characters with terrific success. If it keeps up this pattern of great, complex characters with interesting conflicts, this could end up being one of my favorite shows of the year.
Strong Recommendation
Tribe Cool Crew
Jonathan Kaharl
The CG dancing is becoming stronger, especially Haneru and Kanon's performance in the dance battle that had them alternating Haneru's jumps and Kanon's limb focused moves. The cinematography and camera angles were also far more interesting to look at than in most of the other dance sequences shown so far, making me excited to see what future dancing will look like from here on. The nice humor and solid set of lessons are still present, keeping Tribe Cool Crew as my little calm spot in a surprisingly strong season.
Solid Recommendation
When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace
Jonathan Kaharl
Hatoko's episode was a powder keg going off that subverted my expectations greatly. Something that's been building through the series is that all the characters are more than their initial cartoony appearance, with hidden depth and secrets to them. Hatoko is no exception, as she's been secretly frustrated with Ando's ridiculous personality and his inability to explain his interests to her. Ando is absolutely cold to her in a few flashbacks when she just doesn't understand, and he has absolutely no idea how hurtful his words are, simply seeing Hatoko as someone who doesn't get angry or stressed (even a supporting character points out how stupid an idea that is). He says she just wouldn't understand the conversation he was having with Tomoyo via text, and she just explodes into a two minute screaming rant about how she doesn't understand most anything Ando says, but most importantly, her frustration that he never bothers to explain himself to someone he's supposedly close friends with (the two have known each other longer than any other character, just so you get how far back the two go). It's an incredible scene, and Saori Hayami just nails the mix of anger and grief.
Here's the interesting thing; This series is a drama about being "chunibyo," or someone who's obsessed with the media they consume, and how the world around reacts to them. It's a timely story and it works very well, with the writer not afraid to criticize their own lifestyle. I'm a gigantic nerd, and I know people like Ando (I'm a bit of an Ando at times myself), and this series really nails a lot down. It gets that these shows and stories we consume affect who we are as people, but it also shows that going so far in that direction, where you define yourself on what you've seen and read too much, can blind you to how reality works and how real human relationships develop. That's ballsy subject matter for an anime to tackle, but Inou Battle's strikingly silly tone through most of it establishes a good safe place to explore these ideas without taking itself too seriously. It's a fun show, and there's a bit more to it. You picked a good LN, Trigger.
Strong Recommendation
Wolf Girl and Black Prince
Joe Straatmann
I get having characters who treat each other well yet having no feelings for each other, and the ones who seem like they hate each other actually having a weird emotional attachment. Happens all the time. However, this is all a part of the series' new focus, which is to go full cliche wish fulfillment shojo. Kyoya remains a misanthropic meanie pants, but the reveal that he really does care and his willingness to compromise after he makes her cry puts him square in the sights of a typical wallflower shojo protagonist who seeks to tame an angsty, callous guy and make him her own while still being catching the eye of the other guys around her despite having nothing special about her. The fact that the next guy who is a "threat" to the relationship is an obvious skirt-chasing hedonist isn't exactly making me gear up for excitement. Seriously, he introduces himself to his classmates by forcing all the women to give him their names before allowing them to enter homeroom. I'm not even going to go through the effort of remembering this guy's name if they're going to be this lazy with attempting to create romantic tension.
No Recommendation
World Trigger
Stephanie Getchell
Why am I deciding to drop World Trigger? I keep bringing this up week after week. It's the story. The story is what is making me drop this series because it is a mess in both structure and writing. A few weeks ago, I mentioned the beginning of episode one and how the structure was very very odd. It came up again with episode six. We finish the search for what caused the abnormal gates. Problem solved. Opening theme happens and then we shift into our arc featuring Chika..... At the half way point. You heard right, folks. The opening theme of the show did not occur until around the twelve minute mark. Hence why I say the structure of this episode is out of whack. Though this isn't the first time I noticed this problem. It's odd that an episode has a major moment going on, only to be completed and solved within the first few minutes of the next episode. This has happened between episodes three and four and, once again, between four and five. It's as if they're trying to build up to something really awesome and possibly monumental, but we only get a rather poor pay off in the end. This is some of the worst writing I've seen as of late. And considering some of the terrible series I've seen this year, that is saying something, and that isn't a good thing.
World Trigger wants to be a long running shonen series. That's the vibe I'm getting off of it right now. However, I doubt it will be a success because of the extremely sloppy writing. Since episode one, this series has been trying so hard to be amazing and action packed that it has seemed to have forgotten what good writing actually is. It does have some moments where it's decent, but those are so rare and difficult to find in this heaping pile of horse crap. I'm just glad to say I am finally done with this one. I didn't know how much longer I could last with the shoddy writing...
Weak Recommendation, Dropped at episode six
Yona of the Dawn
Jonathan Kaharl
Yona is really likable and a great female lead. She's not the strongest character in skill, but she definitely has the strongest resolve. Seeing her stand up to Hak's self-pitying heroics and ask he teach her how to defend herself was great (and something I've been waiting for her to do since the village). Hak has been way too hung up on Yona still having attachment for his long time romantic rival AND the guy who killed one of the greatest men he's ever known, so it's nice to see Yona bashing some sense into the guy and finally stepping up as her own person and not just a political figurehead.
Yona is looking like another strong 2014 showing for Pierrot. The characters are well written, the comedy is balanced just right, and the mythology of this fantasy world is very interesting. The animation is even above Pierrot's usual standards and impresses more often then I'd expect. It ain't no Tokyo Ghoul, but it's a damn good series itself. If you like eastern fantasy, you should definitely check this one out.
Solid Recommendation
Your Lie in April
Stephanie Getchell
Now that I'm trying to give more focus on the story, it's hard for me to talk about the show, once again. Really, all this has been is up and down for me. One episode could be beautiful and emotional and then the next could almost cross into angst territory and isn't as wonderful. Really my problem lies in the relationships, right now. The relationship between Kousei and Kaori is a lot of fun and is rather enjoyable. For Kousei and Tsubaki, that's where most of the drama seems to be popping up because of their long term relationship growing up as neighbors. The Kaori and Tsubaki relationship seems a little strained right now, Watari and Kaori just isn't there, and Watari and Kousei is more of a friendly competition for the girl they both like. The love square and the struggle are real, folks. But, depending on the relationship, there are some interesting dynamics in play, yet those same dynamics can also be rather flat depending on which one it is.
Honestly, this week is one where I wish I had more to watch. Again, I'll be in no internet land by the time this report is released, so I can only do so much. There's a lot in this series to like, there really is. The fact that is does resort to teenage love angst is a mix of frustrating and intriguing depending on the character and the story. This doesn't mean the entire series suffers because of it. In fact, it's better to get Tsubaki's major development out of the way now instead of saving it for later on. And with Kaori as the trigger for that, it just seems logical to do so. Next time, however, things will get really interesting as Kousei heads for his competition and we get introduced to two other characters that seem to have a vendetta against him.
Solid Recommendation
Yuki Yuna is A Hero
David O'Neil
The first of the last two episode's didn't exactly quell this feeling, basically being 22 minutes of slice of life with not much happening and the same pattern of "everything is great!" undermined by a creeping feeling of "everything actually isn't great!". It ended with a twist, but one that everyone in the entire world could have seen from a billion miles away, and didn't really clarify all that well where the show was going. The most recent episode on the other hand, may have finally sold me on this show. In episode 8, Yuki Yuna is a Hero finally stops tiptoeing around darker territory, and to my surprise it didn't jump in head first, but instead just dipped it's foot in the pool. While that may sound bad, I actually found it refreshing. Yuki Yuna is a Hero's latest episode doesn't go for empty shock value, but instead goes for subtle, and almost frightening revelations. While the reveals brought up in the new episode were hardly surprising, the way they were presented was genuinely unsettling and dark. The show managed to finally face it's darker aspects without totally destroying the tone that it'd spent all of this time creating, which is an impressive feat. It didn't go as far as I was expecting, but still managed to really grab my attention for the first time since the first two episodes.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero hasn't changed a whole lot, but for the first time it feels like it's starting to move forward to where it really wanted to go with its premise. And impressively, what it seems to be doing seems to explore the creepier implications brought up previously in the show, and doing so with well paced, progressive exploration rather than relying on jarring, sudden twists like lesser shows might. It feels like the show should have gotten here sooner (two episodes sooner at the least, to be honest) but now that it is here, I'm liking what it's doing.
Strong Recommendation
Second Opinions
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Stephanie: Well, it's about damn time that the team comes together and has an understanding. And all it took was Ange to be sick to get the point across. Not only that, but Momoka is now reunited with Ange so she has a little bit home with her in this crazy place. Now, if only, we still didn't have that brother to deal with cause, from what it sounds like, Sylvia isn't doing so well. Strong Recommendation
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Stephanie: Well then, this series is really starting to deviate from the original one. If I recall correctly, Shinji was dealt with before we meet Caster and Assassin. Though it's been a while and I may have forgotten. I think it's still going strong, all things considered. However, we keep starting something and then it's just put off for the time being. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Strong Recommendation
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Stephanie: I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I love the theme songs for this show. Pretty sure this is the only series that I can't skip either theme and can't watch without humming along to it. Also, cat gods make me happy cause I love cats. Also also, Kokkuri turning into a woman makes me giggle along with the tanuki hitting on him. SUCCESS!! Solid Recommendation
Magic Kaito 1412
Stephanie: Welp, I wished for an appearance by Jimmy Kudo and I got one!! YES!!! It's about friggin time! I'm very happy to know that the series is taking full advantage of it's own universe and bringing in a familiar face to help give it a tiny boost. Now if only Kaito and Aoko would kiss already. That's my next wish. MAKE IT HAPPEN!! Strong Recommendation
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
Stephanie: I only get to see one episode this time around and it's a damn recap episode. Ugh... I honestly don't see the point in having one, but considering the series is apparently going to be only twelve episodes, I guess it makes sense. But now that I know it's only going to be twelve episodes, how the heck are they going to manage that?! But my recommendation this week is really just based off of the recap episode. I'm sure it'll get back to being better next time.
Editor's Note: We've gotten some reports that the twelve episode count doesn't include the recap episode. We'll know more in the future. Weak Recomendation
Shirobako
Thomas: Before I
watched Bahamut this week, I decided I would watch Shirobako, which says
something about how quickly the series has become a favorite. As a
member of the working world, it's really great to see a slice of life
series take on something besides high school, something I don't remember
all that fondly anyway, and instead focus on something more immediate
to my own experience. While the show has previously been cute and funny,
the last two episodes focusing on poor newbie animator Ema and her
struggles with succeeding at a high-stress, low-paying job have been
especially rewarding. While I hope Shirobako has a happy ending for
everyone involved (even Tarou), seeing struggles like this portrayed in
anime is heartbreaking but valuable. I love this series. Strong Recommendation
When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace
Stephanie: I should have picked up on this pattern sooner. We're letting Andou spend time with each of the girls in the literature club. This time it's Sayumi. I didn't have as many laughs in this one episode as I have previously, but I still did enjoy what I saw. It seems like we still aren't getting huge supernatural battles like the title would indicate, but I don't care. It's honestly a better show without constant battles. Solid Recommendation
Yona of the Dawn
Stephanie: One of these days, Yona and Hak are just going to end up dead from all the danger they end up in. Holy crap. Ah well, we did get a little more time with Soo-won before and during his coronation as the next king. And now we're starting to meet individuals that will join Yona and Hak in their journey throughout the series. Today was a good day. Solid Recommendation
Comments
Post a Comment