Monthly Archives: October 2016

March comes in like a lion – Episode 3

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March comes in like a lion finally spent basically a whole episode in its reflective, melancholy tone this week, and the results were predictably excellent. The show’s random tonal switches and jokes are such an isolated weakness that I actually don’t really feel that put off by them – they’re awkward, but when it comes to all the stuff that counts, March is excellent. I’m looking forward to following these characters for a long time!

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my extremely limited notes below.

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Why It Works: FLIP FLAPPERS’ Lonely World of Windows and Doors

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The nice thing about working for ANN and Crunchyroll is that I get to be as greedy as I want when it comes to writing about shows. Sure, I’ve already got three great anime over at ANN, but why should Flip Flappers have to be left out? So this week I return to Flip Flappers, and talk about some of the neat details used to construct Cocona’s internal world. I hope you enjoy it!

Why It Works: FLIP FLAPPERS’ Lonely World of Windows and Doors

Flip Flappers

Eureka Seven – Episodes 5-6

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Alright, time for some Eureka Seven! It’s been a while since I watched any of this one, so I’m very ready for some surfing robots. Once I’ve cleared up Brotherhood, Eureka Seven will probably be the biggest of the semi-modern gateway anime I really have to commit to, just to see one more big piece of anime history. So let’s get right to it!

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Nichijou – Episode 12

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Nichijou! We’re nearing the halfway point of the series, which means it may be time for some of the show’s greatest secrets to be revealed. Will Mai tell her friends about the event that keeps her up at night? Will the professor break the terrible news to Nano and Sakamoto? Will the red light-green light pair finally settle their differences and find happiness?

Yeah, I don’t expect anything like any of that to happen. Let’s watch some goddamn jokes.

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Girlish Number – Episode 2

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Girlish Number’s second episode wasn’t quite as entertaining as the first, but it had a lot more structural work to do, so I’m happy to be forgiving. My main concern now is exactly how farcically the show will present its take on the industry – too much absurdity and incompetence, and it just won’t feel like a world at all. But the dialogue is still very strong, and that does a lot of work by itself.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.

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Sound! Euphonium S2 – Episode 3

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Oh jeez, Sound! Euphonium was really good this week? How friggin’ predictable.

Yeah, this episode was great. Given a cohesive thematic center through Kumiko’s repeated reflections on competitions, full of sharp conversations featuring some as-of-yet underutilized characters, it basically did everything I’d want from a Eupho episode. And that gorgeous performance by Asuka at the end was basically a cherry on top – the show didn’t need that moment, but it’s sometimes those accidental encounters that end up the most meaningful. Euphonium is a hell of a show.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!

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Thunderbolt Fantasy – Review

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Today I reviewed Thunderbolt Fantasy, because why the hell wouldn’t I review Thunderbolt Fantasy. The show was ridiculously entertaining, easily one of the best times I’ve had this year, and thoroughly deserving of more recognition. I get the feeling the puppet style means it naturally breaks the suspension of disbelief for many fans out there, but hopefully spotlighting its strengths will convince a few more people to give it a chance. I’m sorry I doubted you, Urobuchi. Do whatever weird experiment you want next, I’m definitely on board.

You can check out my full review over at ANN.

Thunderbolt Fantasy

Fall 2016 – Week 2 in Review

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Preview week has finally concluded, and most shows are already past their second or even third episodes. This season turned out to be even more bountiful than I’d expected, meaning I’ve had to make some ruthless cuts to make the absolutely most efficient usage of my cartoon consumption experience. Magical Girl Raising Project’s second episode killed the sleepy magical girl, so it’s off the list. Keijo’s second episode only had me intermittently laughing through its first half, so it’s gone. With roughly forty or fifty weekly articles to write, I’ve been forced to cut down my list of “leisure anime” to only the fiercest, boldest, most ruthless entertainment machines on the market. It’s brutal work watching all these cartoons, but I can take solace in compressing the painstaking work of dozens of artists and animators into an offhand paragraph for your lunch break consumption. Let’s grit our teeth, clench our bowels, and RUN THIS DOWN!

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Popee the Performer – Episodes 1-4

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Welp, somebody paid for some Popee the Performer notes, and you all know what that means. All I really know about Popee is that it’s an insane CG shock-comedy spectacle and that @shinmaru has very honorably matched my dedication to Speedwagon with his own psycho clown avatar. I really don’t know what, i craft I’ll be able to glean out of this experience, but I’m beginning to suspect you guys fund these things just to see me try and spin meaning out of bullshit, so hopefully my generous benefactor will be satisfied either way. Let’s get right into Popee the God Damn Performer!

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March comes in like a lion – Episodes 1-2

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And with March comes in like a lion, we’ve got all three of my episodic shows up and running. March is very excellent so far – its tone can sometimes feel disjointed and its comedy can be pretty bad, but its characters and framing are easily strong enough to make up for those issues. Some shows can get by purely by conveying a character’s headspace as well as this show’s first episode – the fact that it seems the character development going forward will be just as strong is gravy. I’m having a great time with this one!

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode two notes below.

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