Can you keep it together, Gainax? That first episode kinda came out nowhere – apparently the source material was pretty much a more overtly yuri K-On, so you’re clearly pulling all the weight in this relationship. The direction and animation were top-notch last week, but whether that actually results in a coherent story or just a series of things that happen remains to be seen.
Episode 2
0:45 – Welp, they’re keeping up that distinctive jazzy soundtrack, at least. I approve of that, even if I’m less sold on that old “nudity-kyaaaaaa-pan to building” chestnut
1:22 – It’s weird that they use this standard J-pop OP instead of something shows off their actually unique soundtrack
2:47 – SHE IS INESCAPABLE
3:35 – They’re doing very well making our protagonist actually realistically awkward. Instead of saying actively abnormal things, she just digs for the most mundane possible questions and doesn’t really understand the flow of followup questions
4:13 – Wait, we’re seriously getting a rice ball flashback now? They’re really going that deep on this silly joke? I’m… kind of impressed
4:37 – Trimming bonsai with an airsoft gun. This I can get behind
5:05 – “Hold it without molding it.” Yes. Obviously rice balls are the spiritual core of airsoftmanship
5:22 – “Did she master this all on her own? Was she trained?!?” I love these moments where they directly parody one of the genres they’re bouncing between, be it sports shows or cute-girls-doing-cute-things ones
14:04 – I hope we keep getting new battle setups every episode. The formula seems pretty solid here – two thirds of wacky school shenanigans that slowly move the plot forward, one-third of setup and battle. It’s rote, but this show is clearly just trying to be well-paced and entertaining, so it works
18:09 – I love their campy film parodies. I hope they lean harder on that stuff going forward
19:27 – And blondie flips off the ceiling. I guess they’re just superheroes now
20:18 – “Call me Sono.” They’re leaning on the tension between these two pretty hard. Which is totally cool, if it’s actually done well and not used for cheap jokes or But That’s Forbidden Love nonsense
And Done
Still pretty good. I think the first part of this one dragged a bit because they didn’t really have much actual plot to get through, but the battle and fantasy sequences were still solid. The ending basically implied our MC joined the club specifically because she’s got a crush on Kanbaru, so I hope they don’t just go nowhere with that. Otherwise, it’s not GuP-level, but it’s still pretty good popcorn all around.