Author Archives: Bobduh

Kill la Kill – Episode 8

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I think last week’s episode is pretty unbeatable, so I’m not gonna worry about that. Almost every episode so far has been wildly different from the one before, and we’ve barely got anything resembling narrative momentum, but for this show that’s actually worked out just fine. Reading people’s impressions of the show so far has been kind of interesting, because it’s easy to see where people’s various complaints are coming from. If you don’t like the show’s sense of humor, the show is not going to do much for you. If you’re too put off by the show’s clearly problematic sex issues, the show’s not going to appeal to you. And if you’re looking for actual narrative momentum or an intelligent thematic core, we really haven’t gotten there yet either. Kill la Kill is sound and fury for its own sake – well-directed, visually distinctive, energetic noises designed to dazzle, shock, and astound. It’s popcorn, salted and buttered to perfection, served on a gourmet platter in a cavernous ballroom. And as much as I normally prefer the hefty steak of… strong character articulation and thematic resonance (this metaphor’s kinda getting away from me), the art of popcorn-making is a storied and worthy craft as well.

Man, I wish I had something to eat other than this tin of old pineapple chunks. Shoulda gone grocery shopping last weekend. Fuck.

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Kyoukai no Kanata – Episode 8

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Welp, it’s Wednesday night again. At this point, I’ve pretty much got a tradition going – Wednesday is the night of the show I begin with optimism and finish with some good-natured head-desking. It’s been  an action-packed night  for a few seasons now, and it seems like the year will be finishing strong . So let’s have a call to order  and have some fun watching KyoAni do what they do best, in addition to several things they don’t do very well at all.

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What Makes Fandom So Great/Terrible?

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Question:

How do you feel about labeling/defining yourself as a dedicated “fan” of a show or creator? How about the preaching of shows, or the nature of hype/anti-hype?

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Monogatari S2 – Episode 20

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Welp, time for the grand finale of the… undoubtedly worst arc of this season. That’s a shame, but I guess it was kind of bound to happen – as long as Araragi’s the ostensible main character, there’s going to be an arc with a lot of aimless Mayoi banter and pedophile jokes. Personally, I’d be all for dumping Araragi – as the first and third arc revealed, this series is actually a lot more interesting when he’s just there on the fringes of the story. His arc is done (or is at least shifting at such a glacial pace that it appears to be standing still), he’s not particularly complex, and he’s far more prone to Isin’s wandering digressions than most of the cast. Death to the half-vampire!

But hey, at least the second episode was great, and the third episode was certainly pretty. Plus, even the worst Monogatari arcs have a tendency to finish strong – when the plot actually kicks into gear, Isin knows how to pull together a satisfying finale (or at least satisfying to me, regardless of whether you’re a fan of his death-by-monologue theatrics). And this is supposed to be about the Shinobu-Araragi relationship, which is legitimately interesting.

Okay. Sufficiently amped. Let’s do this.

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Kill la Kill – Episode 7

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Mako time motherfuckers. The gods of Trigger have promised us Mako, and the lesser gods of staff list info have indicated this episode’s possibly being directed by the director of Death Billiards (which was great and only one episode, go watch it after this). In spite of what various deviants and bottomfeeders would have you believe, Mako is the best goddamn thing about this show, and logic thus dictates this will be the best goddamn episode. Grab the whiskey, pass me the gin. Let’s Kill la Kill.

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Kyoukai no Kanata – Episode 7

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Well, that was fun. Last week turned out to be a pretty good moment to stop giving a fuck about this show, since KyoAni apparently felt the same way. Stinky Idol Apocalypse was great, but it’s looking like we’re going back to serioustown this week. Not that this changes my resolution – as far I’m concerned, KyoAni and their half-assed commitment to legitimate storytelling can both go to… wherever aesthetically impressive but emotionally sterile shows go. I waited a year for KyoAni to stop twiddling their SoL thumbs and engage, and this is what I’ve got to show for it. I’ve got a stacked roster of shows with legitimate merits and barely one fuck left to give. With tracks or without, I’ll ride this last train to the end.

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Fall 2013 – First Half in Review

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Welp, halfway through the season. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve found new favorites and forfeit significant respect for old ones. Overall, this season easily eclipses the last three in terms of purely watchable shows, though its top tier is fairly similar in size to last season’s. But then again, that “watchability” level might just be a sign of my entertainment standards dipping, so I guess I have nothing valuable to tell you! On that note, let’s run down the list.

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Kyousogiga – Episode 5

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Alright, time for the best show of the season. My evangelizing has already begun in earnest – last night, I ended up watching the first two episodes again (1 and 2, skipping 0) with one of my housemates. Which, first of all, let me notice a few more nice details in this very well-designed piece. Yase’s lines in the first episode are great, and gain a retroactive poignance given the events of her own episode – when asked if she likes it in the Mirror Capital, she says “Yeah! I love being with Mom, and fun stuff happens all the time. Like that train station that just opened!” Ouch. Koto’s fox-father also wears a mask strongly reminiscent of the one worn by the priest who banished the first Myoe, and at this point it seems beyond question that her fox is Myoe himself.

But beyond seeing more clever details, just letting the show do its thing this second time really ground in exactly how strong this overall production is. There’s just no comparison – if most shows are daytime television, this is film. The aesthetic, the writing, the direction… it’s all great, and the show makes no mistakes.

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Monogatari S2 – Episode 19

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Can Monogatari top last week’s thrilling twenty-minute monologue? It seems difficult to imagine, but I guess we’ll see. Personally, I’m kind of set for this arc – that episode was impressive enough to cover my “wacky formal experiments” quota for the moment, and it also focused on one of the most interesting and emotionally charged relationships in the show. So I guess I can accept it if Mayoi has to go and regain consciousness or something.

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Kill la Kill – Episode 6

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Holy shit you fuckers, it’s Thursday. Time for friendship and violence and the power of questionable empowerment. Last episode was great, Ryuuko and Senketsu’s friendship is beautiful, and Mako was glorious as always. I am ready to be dazzled. 

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