The time is upon us, my friends (no, I’m not going to do an entire writeup in a McCain cadence, and who would even find that funny?). It’s been a long, mediocre, and inconsistently entertaining ride, but all moderately watchable things must come to an end. There were ups and downs, trials and gags, but through it all, Free held close to its strongest conviction – upper bodies are worth celebrating. Apparently this powerful message struck a chord with the people, for lo, Free has sold many thousands of BDs, and proven once again that KyoAni does indeed find a way. Though tonight we will be parting, this is not a time for sadness – for all those who held to the call of upper bodies this summer, let these sales numbers be consolation that some day soon, KyoAni will once again return to this fairly stupid show. It’s been a long paddle, Free. Let’s close out with the modest sum of dignity you’ve always managed to assemble.
Author Archives: Bobduh
What’s Up With All These Incest Shows?
Management: Yeah, this one’s kinda merciless. What can I say.
Question:
What are your feelings on the apparent increase of shows centered around brothers, sisters, and incest?
Bobduh:
This… might get a little cynical. Fair warning.
The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 12
Keima you better not fuck this up I swear to god. Although I don’t know how he can avoid screwing this up – Chihiro’s basically demanding he give up on the system he’s relied on so far, and actually falling in love with the girls isn’t necessarily any better than his usual shenanigans. Plus screw Ayumi who cares about her anyway. Alright. Gotta maintain some distance here. Can’t let this shit get to me. Gotta stay cool.[1]
Agh can’t do it Chihiro better win. I know the manga is ongoing, and they still have to actually resolve the goddess stuff (though at this point it’s pretty clear the point of this arc has been merely to complicate the standard structure, not actually replace it). But I don’t give a crap about any of that. Keima and Chihiro are funny and adorable together, and she’s the only non-demon he seems comfortable being his usual abrasive self with. I know this show’s largely a comedy, but give me a hint of real romance and I will not be satisfied with anything but. Pander to me, show. PANDER TO ME.
Attack on Titan – Episode 22
In my continued quest to put off watching more Fate/Zero (yes, I am determined to antagonize every anime fan, thanks for asking), it’s time to continue catching up on Titan. Last episode was awesome, and I mean that in the least ironic way I’ve ever used the term (meaning “only lightly tinged with irony”) – the action was sweet, the deaths were unexpected and fairly chilling, and the action was sweet. Though I know episodes like that are paid for in a whole lot of episodes like #19, here’s to hoping this show continues to do what it does best – spend money like a motherfucker.
Attack on Titan – Episode 21
Welp, time for episode 21, or as I’ve surmised from reactions around the internet, “The One They Spent All the Money On.” Sweet! My body is extremely ready to see a lot of money turned into a lot of animation. How will they handle the spy?!
Uchouten Kazoku – Episode 12
No time for foolish preamble! It’s time for Yashirou to save the day!
Incidentally, I just posted a review of the Uchouten writer’s other work, The Tatami Galaxy, so when you’re done slavering over how good this week’s episode is undoubtedly going to be, you can always head over there for more writer-adoration. Anyway!
The Tatami Galaxy or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ride
Hey guys, it’s Bobduh. New review today! Hopefully a little less overwhelming than the last, since I have no grand argument I wish to prove on this one. I just watched a really great show and want to talk about it.
The Tatami Galaxy or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ride
The Tatami Galaxy is a dizzying spectacle of an anime. Adapted by Yuasa Masaaki (the extremely distinctive director behind Mind Game, Kaiba, Kemonozume, and recently Kick-Heart) from a novel (a real novel, not just a My Light Novel Can’t Be This Pandering and Derivative LN) by Morimi Tomihiko (the writer of Uchouten Kazoku, which is currently my choice for best show of the year), it’s basically perfect. Not gonna slowroll that – this goes on my list with Madoka and Katanagatari of shows that I couldn’t see meaningfully improved. It’s already there.
Monogatari S2 – Episode 12
New arc! Man has this season been some good Monogatari. I think Neko Shiro is probably my single favorite arc of the show to date, and Araragi-Shinobu: Time-Traveling Zombie-Fighting Buddy Cops isn’t far behind. I’ve written more about this goddamn series than any other by a fairly significant margin, but it’s generally been a show I found more interesting than fully coherent – the style of storytelling was very unique, and the tricks of direction were extremely compelling, but it didn’t necessarily gel into a cohesive production. This season has blown that complaint away, telling vivid and compelling stories that don’t lean on either Isin’s wordplay or Shinbo’s cinematography, but instead make best use of each of their strengths in tandem. And now we have the Nadeko arc.
This is gonna be interesting. In Bake, I felt her arc was basically a biting, caustic comment by Shinbo, but Nadeko herself didn’t really have any presence. These first two arcs have been well-written and well-directed, but they’ve also had the benefit of leaning on two of the Monogatari universe’s strongest variables, Hanekawa herself and the Araragi-Shinobu relationship. Since Nadeko is so loosely define, this arc could go basically anywhere. So let’s go on an adventure.
Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 11
I don’t want to ramble, I want to see this show’s final thoughts! Loved that scene with 26 and Katze last episode – this stuff was alluded to earlier with the childhood pictures of Rui and Hajime, but the internet’s dark heart is aterrifying place, and Katze is stabbing right at the core of of it. But that’s a deflection, of course – as Katze continuously reminds us, he (and the internet itself) are not some malicious outsider, imprinting dark instincts on us – they are merely a reflection of our own maliciousness, of the way anonymity and freedom from consequences allow us to demonize and destroy each other. Hajime wields transparency as a force for good, as the prerequisite to honest communication that allows us to respect each other and accomplish great things as a community. Katze and the Neo-Hundred have chosen anonymity as their weapon, but as 26 demonstrates, when you’re relying on misdirection and anonymity to be your weapon, anonymity also has to be your shield. For him, when the screen is unplugged, he is left naked, defenseless.
Not sure where I’m going with all this. This show is stewing a whole pile of awesome ideas, and I’m basically just having great fun seeing how all the pieces fit. Let’s get a little bit more of the jigsaw.
C3-bu – Episode 12
Last act guys. Will Yura finally learn to accept herself, or will this all turn out to have been one continuous delusion? The line between fiction and reality seems kinda shaky in her tortured-ass head, and this episode is being directed by the same guy who handled #4. After this fantastic last act, I get the feeling this show is going to end extremely strong, so let’s just get to it.