Author Archives: Bobduh

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s – Episode 3

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Alright folks, we’re strapping in for another furious episode of Nanoha! Though to be honest, I can’t imagine this episode being any more furious than the last, which was easily the most action-packed episode this franchise has offered yet. Building upon the first season’s relatively concise vocabulary of magical combat, that episode saw Nanoha taking massive strides towards the diverse, cacophonous action madness of spiritual successors like Symphogear. Nanoha has always come off as a negotiation between magical girl drama and mecha action, but its apparent embrace of “signature weapons” this season has drawn its battles even closer to the giddy appeal of Gundam fights. Though the last fight was more a series of reveals and introductions than tactical exchanges, I’m already excited to see how the show marshals these tactical resources going forward.

And of course, there’s all the themey-wemey stuff. Nanoha’s first season had a few core themes, but the ambiguity of familial bonds was definitely its most central. Through the contrast of Nanoha and Fate, the show demonstrated the diverse influences our families can provide, along with the assurance that ultimately, we have the power to choose who we see as family. The first season had plenty of “can’t we all just get along” argumentation courtesy of Nanoha, but ultimately, its moral perspective wasn’t particularly ambiguous. Fate’s mother was a manipulating abuser, Fate was a victim of circumstance, and those who could be redeemed eventually all shuffled over the side of righteousness.

Here in season two, Nanoha seems to be testing its philosophy with an antagonistic family who are just as loving and supportive as Nanoha’s. Though they’re clearly up to some shady shit, Hayate’s family also support and care for each other, exemplifying what this show has consistently defined as its most central value. “What happens when personal moral conviction and professional obligation collide” is the root of endless dramas, and I’m excited to see Nanoha tackle a direct challenge to its conflation of familial love and moral righteousness. Let’s get right to it!

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Something Good Will Happen: Forgiveness and Spirit Circle

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From the beginning, Koko has clearly seen Spirit Circle as a kind of revenge narrative. She must get her revenge on Fuuta, and hopefully break the cycle in the process, but the revenge part at least is paramount. Of course, simply punishing this boy who doesn’t even know what he’s done wouldn’t be particularly satisfying – so first, she must make him understand the weight of all the suffering he’s caused her. It’s an instinct almost anyone can relate to; revenge is in large part about wanting someone else to understand and pay back the pain they inflicted on you, and if we could simply share our pain directly, then we might not lash out through other means.

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Spring 2019 – Week 2 in Review

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With preview week stretching well into this week’s set of episodes, a great deal of this week’s shows have already been covered elsewhere, and then also again for my retrospective, and possibly even a third time for Why It Works. Not all of them, though – the season’s most punctual contenders are already on their second episode, and JoJo’s momentum has continued unabated all through the premieres. Given all that, we’ve got a relatively small collection of episodes to break down today, but the Week in Review will not be deterred. Starting with one of this season’s most promising new properties, let’s break down one more week in anime!

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Why It Works: Nick’s Anime Picks for Spring 2019

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For this week’s Why It Works, I wrote up my traditional slew of recommendations for Crunchyroll-specific properties. All four of this article’s properties genuinely seemed pretty darn great to me, and though I probably won’t be sticking with all of them, they’re certainly fine entries in their own genres. Let’s get to it!

Nick’s Anime Picks for Spring 2019

Spring 2019 – Virtually Every First Episode Retrospective

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Well folks, the time has come again. With basically every spring premiere on the books, and me having watched them all in some misguided pursuit of cartoon enlightenment, we can at last run down the hits, misses, and egregious humanitarian crimes of the spring anime season. Though to be honest, the international tragedies were actually in pretty short supply this time – this was a premiere season defined by consistency, and low on outliers in either the positive or negative direction. That’s not to say there’s nothing worth watching, though; there’s actually a pretty wide array of respectable premieres in all sorts of genres, along with a couple genuine gems.

As usual, I’ll be breaking down my evaluations into a vague tier list, and keeping my blurbs fairly brief, while also linking to all of my lengthier reviews over at the preview guide. This isn’t meant to be an authoritative ranking of quality or anything – I mean, these are just first episodes, pretty much any of these productions could surprise us (except for AFTERLOST). In light of that, I’ll be returning to the most simultaneously telling and useless of evaluation metrics – silly anime gifs, the only true currency in our apocalyptic age. Starting with the best of shows and happiest of anime gifs, let’s run this whole damn season down!

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Run with the Wind – Review

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Well folks, I’m still trying to manage the flood of new anime premieres, but today I’ve also got a review of one of last season’s very best shows. Run with the Wind impressed from its debut all the way through its recent conclusion, and I was happy to celebrate this terrific production. Here’s my review!

Spring 2019 – First Impressions, Part Two

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New anime have been tumbling down the pipe every day this week, and today I’ve returned with another bounty of fresh previews. So far, the main thing that seems to be defining this season is its middle-of-the-road consistency – I’ve rated nothing above a four and only one show below a two, but nearly everything I’ve seen has been pretty competently executed on the whole. In light of that, this season is full of properties that are at least worth investigating, and seeing if their particular strengths gel with what you’re seeking in a show. Per usual, you can check out the full list of reviews right here, or scroll below for my own scores and links to individual reviews. Let’s break down some anime!

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Why It Works: Surviving this Bizarre World: JoJo’s Bizarre Survival Guide

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Today on Why It Works, I return to JoJo with another mostly nonsensical article about bizarre adventure best practices. While it’s true that JoJo is full of incredibly bullshit abilities that will kill you for the most preposterous of reasons, the seasons so far have also established a clear catalog of actions that will pretty much always get you injured, killed, or otherwise punished for your foolishness. Today we break down just a few of those classic mistakes in JoJo’s Bizarre Survival Guide!

Surviving this Bizarre World: JoJo’s Bizarre Survival Guide

Spring 2019 – First Impressions, Part One

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Well folks, the seasonal deluge is well underway, and the preview guide bulwarks are only barely containing the flood. I’m needed back on the preview front lines, but I felt it about time to send this message home, and let you all know the course of the battle. The first wave of spring shows has actually been very solid so far, with a fine scattering of recommendation-worthy shows across an array of genres, and basically nothing that actively lessens my faith in humanity. As usual, you can check out the full list of previews here, or scroll below for my own scores and links to individual reviews. Let’s run down the season so far!

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Land of the Lustrous – Episode 1

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“As long as we collect enough parts, we can be put back together.” That’s the promise that Rutile makes to our protagonist Phos, while explaining the unique nature of their crystalline bodies. It’s a true statement, and a source of comfort for Land of the Lustrous’ stars, but its implications also speak to the fundamental question and hope of this entire narrative. “As long as we collect enough parts, we can be put back together” we tell ourselves, as the world chips at us, and our bodies betray us at every turn. We can be fixed. We can be remade. Perhaps, one day, we could even be whole.

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