Alright, back to the Gekkostate for more Eureka Seven. I’m guessing we’re still in random adventure episodes at this point, given so little of the cast has gotten much focus time yet, but that’s fine by me. Eureka Seven has established a strong platform for episodic rambling, and given the show’s enduring reputation, I assume it will probably get better over time. So let’s see what’s happening with Holland and his merry men!
Yearly Archives: 2016
Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 12
Sound! Euphonium’s nationals competition arrived, and it was… well, certainly not the episode anyone was expecting. But skipping the big concert altogether was only the first of this episode’s goofy tricks – we also got a series of fist bumps, an absurd confession scene, and some of the most dedicated Reina dunking the show has ever provided. This was a surprisingly light and fun episode, given the band ended up only taking home the bronze, but it also landed a strong sequence of key emotional moments near the end. We might not have gotten another gorgeous performance scene, but this episode still seemed just about right.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Girlish Number – Episode 11
Girlish Number had a kinda superfluous episode this week, mostly dedicated to building up Chitose’s sense of dread before she finally cracked. There were nice character moments here and there, but I couldn’t help but think this runtime could have have been put to better use giving us a more clear idea of Gojo’s feelings, so his final turn would actually carry some weight. Still, the episode got where it needed to go eventually, wasted minutes aside.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Fall 2016 – Week 11 in Review
Most of the shows I’m watching were pretty fantastic this week. Alright, I’m watching six shows, so we can more specifically say four of six. JoJo is nailing its final battle, Chitose is actually becoming a sympathetic character, Flip Flappers is pulling its story together, and March is drawing all possible pathos out of Rei’s anger and resentment. That’s a pretty good ratio! So yes, Euphonium may have dedicated a full episode to a nonsense conflict, and Yuri on Ice may still be a generally underwhelming sports production, but frankly, the standards are quite high this season. With all my shows having around two episodes left, this is still easily looking to be the best season of the year, and a season any year would be proud of. The coming winter may be a bleak wilderness, but let us remember: sometimes anime is good. Continue reading
Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins – Review
Today I reviewed the first Rurouni Kenshin live action movie, which was a generally wonderful time! I only absorbed bits and pieces of Rurouni Kenshin back in the day, but this certainly seemed to capture the spirit of what I’d seen, along with just being a generally well-composed, exciting, and surprisingly thematically rich film. As I say in the review, Kenshin mines an extremely fertile vein of thematic territory with its dawn-of-Meiji-era setting, and this film takes full advantage of that. I hope you enjoy the piece!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Nichijou – Episode 19
It’s time for more NICHIJOU!!! I was briefly worried earlier because I thought we might be approaching the end of the series, but then I realized it’s twenty-six episodes instead of twenty-two, and my emotional stability was regained. I may fall into a bleak and inescapable depression when I run out of Nichijou, but that’s still a whole half-dozen episodes from now! Either way, let’s enjoy this summer of anime comedy richness while we can, reveling in this show’s inexplicable existence. NICHIJOU GO.
March comes in like a lion – Episode 10
This might not have been March’s overall best episode, but it certainly had one of the show’s best sequences. The finale here, where Rei finally let out all the resentment that had been building over Kyouko’s actions and the odd “selfishness” of his opponents, was an absolute stunner, and the rest of the episode was very solid as well. I guess you have to really enjoy “shows about people who are sad” to get that much out of March, but it sure is a great sad person show.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Why It Works: Sound! Euphonium’s Tempestuous Muse, Part One
At last, I’m aiming a Why It Works post at Sound! Euphonium’s second season. I’ve been reviewing the hell out of this show for ANN, so it’s been hard to think of topics I haven’t already covered for Crunchyroll. But Asuka Tanaka clearly deserves many more words, and so here we are. Part One covers her understated sprinkling of characterization from the first season, where we basically only learn about her feelings in the context of unrelated conflicts. While I was certainly happy to see her get direct focus in the second season, the work done in the first is impressive as well. As I’ve said before, Asuka is a character who’s remarkably well-suited to a Kyoto Animation production – hiding her true feelings behind pleasantries and snark, the show’s close focus on body language and framing is instrumental in bringing her character to life. I hope you enjoy the piece!
Why It Works: Sound! Euphonium’s Tempestuous Muse, Part One
Ojamajo Doremi – Episodes 2-3
We’re back with more Ojamajo Doremi! The show’s first episode was very charming, and I already know these episodes are good too since I’m writing this intro after the fact, so let’s not waste any time. Doremi may not be a particularly good witch, but she’s going to do her… well, maybe she’ll try somewhat. LET’S FIND OUT!
Casshern Sins – Episode 4
Hey everybody! Casshern Sins just got a huge boost courtesy of one generous, beautiful, intelligent patron, so we’re back on for the rest of the ride. I’m very happy to be back on this one – Casshern Sins is a unique and compelling production, and the most fully realized statement of purpose by one of anime’s most underrated directors. Shigeyasu Yamauchi turns up from time to time to direct an episode or a beautiful ED sequence, but Casshern Sins is basically his only “original” production, and the first three episodes have been excellent. Let’s get right into it with episode four!