As we enter the second half of winter, this season’s diverse anime titans only continue to impress me. I actually don’t really know if there’s anything I’m missing – I normally desire a pretty balanced mix of fantasy/action, thematically rich stuff to dig into, and psychologically compelling character drama, and this season is offering all of that in spades. To be honest, even if nothing were airing but Mob Psycho 100, this season would still be filling out all those categories with ease. Basically the only category I care for that it doesn’t shine in is “goofy, warm-hearted palate cleanser,” and as it just so happens, this season also features a Tsutomu Mizushima show. The anime is fun, the anime is great, I’m sure you’re all tired of hearing me stretch for preamble. Let’s dispense with the formalities then, and get right to breaking down another week in anime!
Author Archives: Bobduh
Why It Works: Reigen Arataka and the Ideal Anime Parent
Today on Why It Works, we’re exploring the messy yet surprisingly thoughtful relationship between Mob and Reigen! Though Reigen isn’t truly Mob’s dad, his time spent teaching his young employee has felt more true-to-life and poignant than many overt parental anime relationships, and it’s been a thrill to watch this season expand on their bond. Let’s get to the piece!
Reigen Arataka and the Ideal Anime Parent
Princess Tutu – Episode 21
Princess Tutu’s twenty-first opening monologue commences with a familiar line: “once upon a time, there was a man who died.” This is the same line it used to open its first monologue, before introducing the founding myth of the prince, raven, and Tutu herself. In that monologue, after describing the story, the narrator went on to speak of how the characters lived beyond their author’s death, and ultimately escaped their pages – only for the author to ultimately reappear and signal his approval. So how does this new version of the tale compare to that first story?
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha – Episode 13
Time for the endgame, folks! With the assault on Precia’s fortress in full swing and Precia herself having fallen into some ominous dimensional crevice, it’s time at last to conclude the first season of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. This show has been a ride that shifted from intriguing but uneven to consistently thrilling, and at this point, it’s no surprise whatsoever that Nanoha inspired an entire franchise. So before we dive into this last episode, let’s do a brief overview of Nanoha’s strengths so far.
First off, there’s Nanoha herself, and her firm bond with Fate Testarossa. Nanoha has proven herself to be an exceptionally competent protagonist, which might feel a little odd in the abstract, but which works perfectly to build her up as a foil for Fate. And the situations surrounding these characters has felt unusually well-observed on both sides; Nanoha’s relationship with her family is illustrated through copious convincing incidental scenes, while Fate’s time with her “mother” contains some of the most brutal and immediate illustrations of both familial abuse and its psychological aftermath that I’ve seen in anime. And both of these situations have benefited from Nanoha’s signature stylistic trick, its tendency to extend certain scenes far beyond their theoretical “narrative necessity” in order to create a more convincing illustration of a genuine lived experience.
In aesthetic terms, Nanoha isn’t the most beautiful show out there, but it certainly has its strengths. Shinbo’s love of striking full block colors aligns very well with Nanoha’s focus on energy attacks over action choreography, and the show’s often surreal backgrounds and consistent fisheye shots do an excellent job of creating a sense of unease throughout. And finally, Nanoha’s underlying worldbuilding feels ripe for exploration and expansion – its techno-magical world has the key quality of feeling like it exists outside of Nanoha’s own story, full of wild tales we haven’t yet experienced. With all that said, let’s see how the first season of Nanoha comes to an end!
The Woman Called Fujiko Mine – Episode 5
Alright folks, let’s check out another episode of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine! This show has been steadily winning me over all throughout its early episodes, with its unquestionable stylistic strengths, clear thematic aims, and general narrative polish giving each of its first four episodes a strong fundamental appeal. Along with Saya Yamamoto’s terrific aesthetic vision and contemplation of female power, the show’s most recent episodes have been further buoyed by a sense of humor and vulnerability that’s given it a clear emotional appeal. That’s been great news for me – while I certainly respected the craft of Fujiko Mine’s first two episodes, its heavy focus on ornamented style and hard-boiled noir storytelling didn’t really give me much to invest in emotionally. For me, character vulnerability is my avenue towards engagement, and both Fujiko and new friends like Goemon have given the most recent episodes a welcome emotional touch. Fujiko herself is a fascinating badass whose fatigued negotiation of an inherently male-oriented world feels more sadly relevant every day. Let’s see whose butts need kicking or jewels need stealing in episode five!
Winter 2019 – First Half in Review
Well folks, we’ve finally arrived at the winter season’s halfway point. Last year’s winter season turned out to be that year’s best by far, and though I don’t think this year is quite measuring up to that standard, it’s still been a terrific season by any metric. The crown jewel of the season is clearly Mob Psycho 100, which has actually improved substantially from its already-terrific first season, but we’ve got great continuing shows, great anime-originals, and a pretty diverse genre distribution on the whole. For better or for worse, the age of CG has arrived, and though shows like Kotobuki and Kemurikusa aren’t necessarily the most visually impressive, they’ve consistently demonstrated that fundamentally strong storytelling always shines through. I’ve personally fallen off The Promised Neverland for the moment, but that’s not really a knock on its quality – its production just seems pretty specifically aimed at new viewers, with its focus on cliffhangers over atmosphere making it a little slow for someone who’s already experienced this story. And with JoJo powering through one of its strongest segments altogether, I’m basically guaranteed that any given week in anime will at the very least not be boring. It’s a bumper crop this year, and I’m happy to take stock of the highlights so far. Let’s get to it!
Why It Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Has Crossed the Line
Today on Crunchyroll, I’m celebrating one of JoJo’s strangely iconic qualities – those times when its solution to some particular narrative riddle is so absurd or convoluted you just have to say “no JoJo, that’s bullshit.” I genuinely love those moments, and feel JoJo tends to pretty gracefully dance between sequences that are given enough tactical grounding to feel genuinely tense, and sequences that are so laughably ridiculous they’re entertaining purely as fantasy. Let’s get to celebrating some of JoJo’s most absurd turns!
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Has Crossed the Line
Bloom Into You – Episode 8
GUYS, WE GOTTA WATCH MORE BLOOM INTO YOU. I’ve been enjoying this show ever since the first episode, and it’s had consistent peaks all along, but HOLY CRAP episode seven. That episode by itself jumped this show from “extremely good character drama” to “turn on the next episode you fuckin’ nitwit,” neatly illustrating both the consequences of oppressive social assumptions, and the counterbalancing necessity of mentors or representational figures that validate your identity. In one neatly composed episode, Bloom Into You demonstrated one of art’s highest callings – weaving an intellectual argument into an emotional narrative, and through doing so making the consequences of some political reality tangible in an immediate, felt sense.
It is one thing to be told “gay people are harmed by a culture that solely embraces limiting, voyeuristic media portrayals of people like them,” and another to see Sayaka living with the consequences of that culture, doubting her own feelings and desperately wishing she were someone different. Most people just aren’t that great at imagining the lived experience of people unlike themselves – through media like this, that lived experience can be made clear, with sympathy hopefully ensuing. Without ever feeling didactic or insincere, Bloom Into You thoughtfully illustrated the close relationship between our media environment, our support structures, and our own sense of self, building Sayaka up as a genuine emotional force in the plot all the while. I can’t wait to see what this terrific show does next!
Ojamajo Doremi – Episode 49
Settle in everybody, the Doremi train is about to get moving. We’re actually right near the end of the show’s first season now, with the two-parter finale just ahead of us. Doremi has been a wonderful ride so far, offering charming and sympathetic characters, surprisingly nuanced narratives, plenty of unexpected dramatic turns, and a beautiful, highly expressive aesthetic to bring it all together. The show approaches its young intended audience with profound respect and honesty, and the result is a show smart, pretty, and poignant enough to appeal to any audience.
Great, family-friendly children’s entertainment doesn’t have to divide its focus between simplistic narratives for kids and occasional gags for adults – as long as the emotional throughlines are clear, it can craft narratives relevant to all people, and reflect on topics as heavy as the lingering scars of divorce, our limited ability to truly impact the world, or even coming to terms with death. By portraying such tales with unvarnished honesty and world-weary perspective, Doremi regularly eclipses the emotional and philosophical reach of more violent or escapist anime, all while maintaining an inherent sense of joy and a clear sympathy for its heroines. At this point, I’m mostly just sad this show apparently never received a dub – it genuinely feels like one of the best piece of kids’ media I’ve witnessed in any language, and its lessons are timeless. But I too can only do so much, so I’ll do what I can to raise the profile of this wonderful, utterly heartfelt show. Let’s explore another episode of Ojamajo Doremi!
Hugtto! Precure – Episode 6
Folks, it is absolutely time for more Precure. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this journey through one of the modern anime institutions, and am eager to see how the dynamic shifts now that Homare has joined the team. I frankly don’t know how that dynamic is going to shift – Precure is a franchise that has established its own rhythms and assumptions over close to fifteen years now, but as a newcomer to the franchise, I’m basically in your care in terms of getting to know this series. Is there a specific pattern to acquiring team members? Will we experience a few episodes settling the dynamic before filling out the roster? Like with my Nanoha watch series, it’s very fun for me to finally get to experience works that so many of my friends and readers have such a strong attachment to, especially a work so earnest and kindhearted as this one.
So far, Hugtto’s fourth episode has been the clear standout so far, elevated through gorgeous compositions and plentiful fluid animation that all helped bring Homare’s story to life. I’ve been informed that can be credited to Yuuta Tanaka, one of Precure’s premiere directors, but the show in general has demonstrated a compelling aesthetic sensibility and a surprisingly keen eye for composing fight scenes. Hugtto’s manipulation of scale and momentum during its big battles puts a lot of straightforward action shows to shame, and I’m excited to see how these battles shift as our heroes grow into a real team. Let’s see what awaits us in another episode of Hugtto! Precure!