Yearly Archives: 2016

Tamako Market – Review

Posted on by

Having finished my K-On! run just a couple months ago, it was pretty convenient to have Yamada’s next series arrive just this January. Tamako Market is unfortunately not as strong as K-On!!, but that’s honestly a pretty high bar; as a general slice of life/drama, Tamako Market is a perfectly reasonable production. It’s annoying to have a show whose problems could be solved by taking out stuff, but that’s certainly the issue here – remove Dera and Dera’s whole “finding a bride” plot, and Tamako Market is actually a much better show. But I’ve heard that’s pretty much what the movie actually does, so hopefully that one gets a release over here soon as well.

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

Continue reading →

Winter 2016 – Week 2 in Review

Posted on by

And with preview week firmly in the past, it’s time to return to our scheduled week in review. So far, this season is actually turning out better than I’d hoped – I didn’t really expect most of the shows in my own preview post to actually end up doing well, and having two legitimately excellent shows in a season is basically all I can hope for from any season. Between Erased and Genroku Rakugo, we’re already there – both of those shows impressed with strong premieres and followed through with consistent second episodes. And even beyond the highlights, there’s a reasonable crop of middle-tier shows as well, depending on your own genre tastes. The season is strong enough that I’m currently deciding to be truly ruthless, and cut off both Utawarerumono and Iron-Blooded Orphans until I feel compelled either personally or through general fan noise to pick them back up again. There are too many good shows in the world to waste time watching things I’m not enjoying.

Continue reading →

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Volume 9-10 – Review

Posted on by

And so Biscuit Hammer ends, with a final volume that pays back all my investment and then some. Biscuit Hammer’s conclusion is spectacular, a sequence of battles and moments of emotional catharsis more consistently rewarding than basically anything else in the series. I still had issues with these chapters, from the awkwardly welded-on nature of Anima and Animus to the ever-messy art, but the overall effect of this finale was so strong that I can’t really complain. Biscuit Hammer will always be a messy work, but it’s a passionate and worthy one all the same. If you haven’t checked it out yet, definitely give it a try.

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

Continue reading →

Dagashi Kashi – Episodes 1-2

Posted on by

Dagashi Kashi is… watchable? It’s not really much more than that yet, but it’s a pleasant enough time for twenty minutes a week. I’m frankly a little unsure what I’ll have to say about it each episode; I feel like this first writeup sort of covers everything the show has to offer, but I guess we’ll have to see where it goes. I suppose I could always just go deep in describing exactly how the show evokes Hotaru’s candy lust each week, since that does seem to be where the show’s own staff are putting their focus. And actually, there’s always room for a formal breakdown of why manzai is bad. So yeah, probably won’t have a problem after all!

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

Continue reading →

Hyouka – Episode 11.5

Posted on by

The dog days of summer have arrived, and Hyouka wants you to know it. Establishing shots of the dry heat outdoors, the valiant struggle of a standing fan, and Oreki’s sun-crushed condition set the tone as those inescapable cicadas and Oreki’s classic “letter to his sister” song vividly create the sense of a vacation nearing its end. Days like this aren’t meant for solving mysteries – they’re meant for going to the pool or the beach, relaxing and spending time with friends. Classic OVA activities! Unfortunately, Oreki is in the mood for none of that – his usual laziness has been compounded by his recent identity crisis (this OVA actually was streamed between the airing of episodes 11 and 12, making it somewhat uniquely chronology-friendly), and now he just wants to sit around and be a lump.

Continue reading →

A Fire Burns in Concrete Revolutio

Posted on by

Aw dang it’s time for a new essay yeaaah. Concrete Revolutio is absolutely stuffed with great ideas, so the biggest issue here was really just tying them all together into a coherent piece. I’m pretty happy with the result, and hope you enjoy the writeup. The show’s only half over, but it’s already one of the richest narratives of the last few years, and I really, truly, desperately hope it sticks the landing. A good second half could make Concrete Revolutio a legitimate classic.

Anyway, enough preamble, let’s get to the writeup!

A Fire Burns in Concrete Revolutio

Concrete Revolutio

ERASED – Episodes 1-2

Posted on by

And reviews begin for the season’s big tentpole thriller! I’m really enjoying this one, and it’s frankly nice to actually be enjoying one of a season’s popular shows in general. ERASED deserves it – the direction and sound design are sharp, and the underlying storytelling is great so far. Not many shows manage to juggle the immediate entertainment value of a thriller with the long-term satisfaction of a thematic/character story, so I’m pleased this one is handling it so smoothly so far. It’s nice when you see such a clear intersection of adaptation talent and strong source material.

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

Continue reading →

Active Raid – Episodes 1-2

Posted on by

Active Raid didn’t fall apart! In fact, it actually got better! I was extremely worried this was going to end up being my obvious Beautiful Bones of the season, a show that started with middling potential and only nosedived from there, but so far we haven’t run into anything so dire. In fact, these first two episodes were actually a lot of fun to talk about – there’s all that moral ambiguity and grey character stuff that I like so much, all wrapped up in a generally pleasing visual/genre package. I don’t have sky-high expectations for this show or anything, but it’d be nice if it turned out to be a generally solid show, and so far it’s holding to that course.

You can check out my full writeup over at ANN, or my episode two notes below!

Continue reading →

Hyouka – Episode 11

Posted on by

Irisu changed something for Oreki last episode. The whole show had been moving towards his acceptance of his own talents, through Satoshi’s jokes, Mayaka’s frustration, Chitanda’s gentle prodding. When Oreki claimed he was just lucky, they’d each accept this in their own ways without truly believing it. And it’s very likely Oreki didn’t believe it himself, and was simply saying the thing that was convenient, the path of fewest consequences. But Irisu insistently told him he was special, and for once, Oreki seemed willing to accept that weight. Being special means you’re responsible – being special means you can find the truth. Oreki was ready to be special, and by the end of the last episode, it seemed like he was even beginning to like the taste of it.

Well, it turns out Oreki isn’t that special after all.

Continue reading →

Concrete Revolutio – Review

Posted on by

So yeah, I finally went back and took a second look at the one fall show everyone kept saying was worth watching, and it turns out they were very, extremely right. Concrete Revolutio is excellent – very creative and full of piercing ideas, constantly coming up with new ways to contrast its rich cast of characters against each other. Easily the best new show of its season, and also one of the best shows of the year – if I were to write my top ten list over again, I’d probably put it right above Death Parade. It’s a bit of a shame that I slept on this one while it was airing, but the experience of marathoning it was actually very satisfying, and likely helped it come off as more cohesive given its base complexity, so I can’t really complain. If you missed it too, I’d definitely check it out.

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

Continue reading →