Author Archives: Bobduh

March comes in like a lion – Episode 10

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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.

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Why It Works: Sound! Euphonium’s Tempestuous Muse, Part One

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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

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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!

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Casshern Sins – Episode 4

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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!

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Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 11

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Well, this episode kinda sucked. My review focuses on KyoAni “doing the best with the material they were given,” but apparently that’s not actually true – this whole sequence took up just a few pages in the book, and the studio crew apparently decided to turn it into a full episode of nonsense. Reina’s crush has always been a pretty silly conflict, and giving it a full episode right near the end of the season certainly didn’t help. Ah well.

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

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Girlish Number – Episode 10

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Poor, poor Chitose. This episode really did make me feel for her – she may be a brat, but the things she’s going through are just too real for me to help but sympathize with her. Girlish Number’s articulation of the fear of being left behind, and the ways we’re forced to act publicly even when we think we’re losing everything, made this a tough episode to sit through. Chitose’s burned a lot of bridges at this point, but I hope she makes it out of this okay.

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

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Fall 2016 – Week 10 in Review

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We’re coming to the close now. With 2016 ending on America electing its first Russia-approved candidate, it’s a little hard for anime to really shock me, and so I’m perfectly fine with embracing stability in my Japanese cartoons. The fall’s highlights all seem to be ending strong at this point – Euphonium has risen from a weak middle arc to some stunning Asuka-focused material, Flip Flappers is actually making a coherent transition into its more straightforward endgame, and Yuri on Ice is finally giving Victor the focus he needs. And if strong new episodes aren’t enough for you, I also made posts I’m happy with for fans at either end of the pool: a next step recommendation list for new fans, and a dive into Studio Pablo’s background work for regulars. But these posts are for celebrating the week’s anime, so let’s get right back to that and RUN THIS WEEK DOWN!

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Owarimonogatari, Part One – Review

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The Monogatari review train continues today, as I return to the Ougi/Sodachi-focused stretch of Owarimonogatari. Looked at in total, these arcs feel a little awkwardly placed in the narrative, largely because adding a character like Sodachi is both disruptive and a return to a long-abandoned Monogatari format. But Sodachi’s a reasonably compelling character in her own right, and only getting Ougi’s introduction now is actually some pretty great storytelling – though this is her first chronological appearance in the story, it feels like the natural progression from the times we’ve seen her before. I kinda doubt Monogatari will give us a clean conclusion to Ougi’s narrative, but I guess we’ll have to see what the end of the final season brings.

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

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Mawaru Penguindrum – Episode 12

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Penguindrum’s twelfth episode begins with a familiar refrain, as we hear Shoma’s bitter speech on fate revisited in Kanba’s voice. But this time, it’s tied to the hospital, and the mysterious man known only as Sanetoshi. A clear set of new symbols mark the occasion – two black rabbits with piercing red eyes, and an apple with a bullet sticker. Sanetoshi places a picture frame on the doctor’s desk, and we see it’s of some expedition to the arctic, marked with the familiar penguin logo. One man in particular is familiar to us – sharing a unique set of angular, unfriendly eyes, he’s almost certainly Kanba’s father.

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March comes in like a lion – Episode 9

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March comes in like a lion had a bit of a lesser episode this week, though Rei’s match against Mr. Matsunaga was still both entertaining and dramatically important. I continue to appreciate how thoughtfully March approaches character drama focused on someone who’s fundamentally unhappy – Rei’s daily life is full of failures, victories, and new emotional discoveries, but all of that occurs in the context of his more overarching depression. Some occasional lazy jokes are a fine price of admission to a show that handles March’s key variables this well.

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

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