Author Archives: Bobduh

Further Words on Fanservice

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Here’s one of the many interesting exchanges the Nise writeup provoked, on the nature and merit of fanservice, as well as the presumption of evaluating art:

 

OP:

I think the amount of effort you put into this analysis shows. It’s obvious that you like the show quite a bit, and dislike fanservice quite a bit. Maybe this is your way of reconciling the two?

Anyway, I can follow your logic, but I think you’re falling into the trap of trying to attribute things to the director or creator of the show that are purely a product of your mind. Obviously, analysis is about how you viewed the show, but you’re framing it as though you have some kind of special insight into what was going through Shinbo’s mind while the show was in production. You don’t. While I’m sure you enjoyed the show believing what you wrote, I’m just as sure there are fans who enjoyed the show because it had fanservice.

I take issue with the idea that fanservice is bad. Ultimately the point of a show is entertainment value. This can be done through various means. You seem to be saying that some of the means to entertain the viewer are inherently better or truer than others. That using these other means of entertainment is making use of some fault in the viewer, and that any entertainment they provide should not be considered in the show’s actual worth.

Why is one stimulus worth less than another other? Because you said so? Demeaning the audience? Give me a break. You’re the one demeaning various forms of entertainment because they don’t mesh with your rigid ideals.

Regarding the bit you wrote on intimacy, I agree. In fact, I think most fanservice is a sort of emotional porn, and it’s not limited to intimacy. Even if it’s just a character cameo, it’s eliciting an emotional response in the viewer. In fact, I could analyze any scene from any show you consider useless fanservice and contrive some narrative or emotional value from it by projecting my own ideas on to the characters.

Bobduh:

Regarding your first point, all I can say is “there is strong evidence for my theory within the show.” Most scenes support my interpretation, and there are a number of scenes where a character relationship or conversation shifts, and the camera angles used immediately shift to reflect this change. I honestly think it’d be pretty hard to argue the camera choices in this show are totally meaningless.

Second point. When I say fanservice is “bad,” the implication is that it is damaging/irrelevant to the goals of a show. There is nothing wrong with entertainment, but it is certainly not the only possible goal of media – media can seek to inspire, to illuminate, to cause an emotional reaction, to evoke a time and place, etc etc etc. And when a show has a clear artistic purpose, but deviates from that goal to offer some random other commodity to some subset of the audience, it hurts the show.

This sounds like a pretty big and esoteric assumption, so as an example, many shows with random fanservice simply have goals like “make the viewer empathize with these characters and then tell a story with them.” Sure, there are normally other themes in the background, but this is a common base. When fanservice enters a show like that, I dofeel demeaned – it’s like the show is saying, “these characters that we were trying to make you empathize with? They’re objects for your voyeurism now, because that’s what you really wanted.” I don’t like that implication, and I don’t like that the fanservice damaged what the show is trying to do the 95% of the time it’s not being about fanservice – create an emotional investment in these characters. As my original last paragraph regarding this said, if the show doesn’t respect its characters, why should I?

I am not saying portraying sexy things is bad. I am saying a show hurting its own storytelling or themes is bad for that work as a conduit for that story or those themes.

Your last point is an interesting one. I don’t know if it’s possible or justified to say one work is “worth more” than another, but I think it’s easy to say one work is more artistically valuable than another, if we can all agree to respect the standards and metrics of artistic value that have been formulated and refined over hundreds of years. I’m very aware personal taste influences our love of media, and that’s only natural – but I personally respect that there is a difference between things I love because they reflect my media preferences, and things that are extremely successful and praiseworthy as artistic works.

 

Further Clarification on My Definition of Fanservice:

I should probably have included a point in my conclusion that makes it clear I don’t really think this show has much fanservice at all.

“Fanservice” as a term implies something added for the audience that exists outside of the narrative/emotional needs of the story/themes, and since this is a show largely about sexuality and the visual portrayal of relationships, it wouldn’t actually work or say any of the same things if the characters weren’t portrayed the way they were.

“Fanservice” doesn’t even have to be about sex – it’s more like “if this scene/shot were removed, would it negatively effect the story, characterization, themes, or resonance of this work?” If not, it’s probably fanservice. Then again, I should probably replace that “story, characterization, etc…” list with “what this show is trying to do,” because not all shows are interested in that stuff, and sometimes, the fanservice is the point.

Red Data Girl – Episode 2

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This one isn’t my full writeup format, so I was a little hesitant to put it up. Let me know if it’s worth it to include things like this:

 

Man! I think this episode definitely maintained the “developed by smart people who know how to tell stories” promise of the first episode. A whole lot of information was revealed, and the scale of the world is coming into a bit sharper focus.

I like the general creepy mood that the various elements establish. There was the physical presence of the shadow creatures, the way they played with technology and lighting to heighten the powerlessness of the protagonists, the general music and cinematography, and particularly that big reveal conceit – being held as a vessel for possession is just not a fun concept, and throws her relationship with everyone around her into an extremely uncomfortable light.

I like that while the various concepts of their world are becoming more clear, the actual motivations of the various characters certainly aren’t. Whether her family, her original caretakers, Yukimasa, or Wamiya are friends or enemies is all unclear at this point, though at least our main two wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Another thing I liked is the way they introduced so much of the fantastical stuff from Izumiko’s perspective. I like that we were introduced to this girl who lives in sheltered fear for some reason, and then slowly we are introduced to the world around her as she deals with it. This way it’s not an exposition dump of fantasy rules and ideas – it’s a person whose nature was crafted by that world, and every element of it is just an exhausting but accepted piece of her world already. The stuff at the end was much more direct, but the fact that we were given that much information makes me think there’s a great deal more left to explore.

This isn’t exactly my kind of show (it’s really heavy on mood and mystery, and character/theme has been downplayed), but I think it’s doing its thing quite well. It remains to be seen whether it can maintain intrigue while drawing us closer to the characters – I think the next couple episodes will show whether they can define these protagonists as unique people worth caring about, or merely devices in the story they wish to tell.

Attack on Titan – Episode 2

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Attack on Titan! So.

I’m probably gonna be cutting down my posts on this one, because frankly I suck at describing why action works or doesn’t work, since I’m more a story/character guy. Plus, this show is basically all about pure, visceral entertainment, and where’s the fun in picking that apart? But I’ll keep it together for this episode, just to see how it goes.

I thought the first episode was entertaining, but this director’s tendency towards melodrama basically turned any moments that should have been tragic or harrowing (the mother learning her son is dead, the other mother becoming titanfood) accidentally hilarious. I don’t think he’s going to get better at that, but I do think the show might just start being more about action and less about drama, and so I hope the nature of this story downplays this director’s weaknesses as a storyteller. Let’s see!

Episode 2

0:32 – They’re making it extremely overt in this prologue, but I feel like, in general, the contrast between the vivid backgrounds and the very sharply defined, stylized characters results in the characters looking almost noticeably two-dimensional within their own world. I actually really like this effect – I don’t know if it does anything for the story or mood, but it certainly looks pretty cool

2:13 – Man, this OP is so much fun. Someone in one of the other threads mentioned it reminded them of old 90s action OPs, and I agree completely. More JoJo-esque OPs plz

2:54 – The Titans have that exact same creeping dread that zombies provoke. They’re slow, and they’re not smart… but they never stop coming. Wherever you run, wherever you hide… they will get you.

3:49 – Maybe I underestimated this director. This whole sequence of flight was much more effectively handled than the SUPER BRUTAL scenes from last episode – maybe he really can add some tact and pathos to these totally metal proceedings

8:37 – Not wanting to let them breach a second gate and devour at least a third of all remaining humans? Yeah, personally, I’d argue that’s a perfectly reasonable excuse for letting people die right before your eyes

13:38 – Man, the drama is being handled so much better in this episode. Fewer epic screams with frantic action lines, fewer hysterical musical accompaniments, a lot more enraged brooding. This episode is proving better than the first one in the way I least expected but can most appreciate

14:45 – Wow, that flashback was intense. Not only was that really well-done as a single scene, but I think it also shows an improvement in the storytelling over the manga. Foreshadowing this stuff only improves the overall structure, and makes some plot twists later on less “where the fuck did that come from?” than “oh, that’s what they were doing!”

18:20 – Thank you, Mikasa, for setting this fool of a Took straight

And Done

Damn! At least for me personally, that was a huge improvement over the first episode. I thought the pacing was solid throughout, the visuals and action stuff still compelling as ever, and, critically, this episode added both a great deal more practical world and scenario-building (mainly through framing the Titan attack from the perspective of refugees), as well as some well-directed drama. There was much less of the “Oh my god this is so intense RAAAH!” melodramatic sound/visual/voice-acting problems that undercut last episode’s drama for me – this was much more understated and much more personal, and the one major universal dramatic setpiece (that first series of shots as the Titans attacked and that preacher rambled) was given a feeling of inevitable, pointless tragedy, not RAAAH THIS IS SO TRAGIC RAAAH.

I really liked this episode, and it definitely improved my hopes for the show in general. If it keeps up like this, this show is going to be pretty damn good.

Suisei no Gargantia – Episode 2

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Dear lord. Four hours late, and the thread is already this huge. Clearly the cost of maintaining any social connections whatsoever is far too high.

Why would they do this to me, anyway? Why would they put two of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season (and also HenNeko) up on Saturday night? Just to prove my commitment, I guess.

Welp, I’m here now. Beer in hand, episode at the ready. I guess I’ll just have to apologize in the only way I know how.

Episode 2

1:59 – Now this is interesting. Chamber deliberately lying to Ledo?

3:57 – Just realized her eyes are supposed to be the color of that sea/sky horizon. Ermahgerd it’s almost like his future connection with her will represent his breaking away from faith with his rigid hierarchical society or something. Also, this is the most un-Urobuchi opening I’ve ever seen.

(That was a lie. The camera still respects the female characters, it could definitely be less Urobuchi)

3:26 – Aw yeah. Thought my visual symbolism stab was reaching? Check out the exact shot this OP closes with.

4:25 – I like that the Earthlings have their own prebuilt vocabulary for mechs that they refer to Chamber with. One of the thousand nice touches writers can use to imply a world and a history without wasting narrative space

5:46 – Another nice parallel here, though I don’t yet know what it will amount to, is that even on earth itself, humanity has been reduced to scattered peoples only kept alive by their fabricated mini-worlds. I don’t know how that will become thematically relevant, but I doubt it’s a meaningless choice

6:20 – “Conditionally agreed.” Does that mean Chamber has the authority to override Ledo if he disagrees? It would make sense – in a society that treats humans as worker bees, there’s no better worker bee than an actual programmed machine

6:25 – Goddamnit does Urobuchi load his dialogue well. “We thought the sun’s unusual activity had turned it to a frozen wasteland, but look around us.” That sentence both explains the Alliance’s position and the current state of the earth while also furthering the immediate conversation.

7:00 – I like his little physical gestures explaining how his weapon works (clicking through settings to weaken the beam) while Chamber attempts to convince him to cede control of the situation by reentering hibernation. I think, if anything, Urobuchi is only becoming better and better as a storyteller. He really is on another level from most people in the industry – even if other people make great things, the finesse of craft and economy of storytelling on display here is remarkable

13:17 – There’s something really funny about Chamber describing himself as “super strong.”

Also, I really hope they remain as dedicated to the language barrier between Ledo and the Earthlings as they’ve been so far. Both the compromises of understanding that forces, as well as the potential for conflict when Ledo’s motives possibly begin to diverge from his only interpreter, are rich veins for drama.

14:20 – We’re probably gonna need an Amy “AI’s are awesome” dance gif

17:24 – “Extensive contact with the abnormal is profitable to no-one.” I don’t know this guy yet, but it sounds weird hearing such a direct reflection of Chamber’s likely soon-to-be position coming from the other side.

21:25 – That is one weird-ass propulsion system. Some kind of energy source that continuously draws the mech towards itself?

22:00 – Holy shit, they just killed so many people.

And Done

Promising first episode justified! Not that I doubted it would, what with Urobuchi and all, but still, the craft and care of each element of this show certainly outdoes Pyscho-Pass on a moment-to-moment basis, both in being more distinctive and accomplishing more at once, plus the characters are a little sharper. Not only that, this show exists in a world far removed from his usual sensibilities – though those last few moments prove he’s still not the most cheery of guys. But yeah, this episode did great work in establishing characters, relationships, and a variety of potential conflicts – Ledo versus Chamber, Amy versus the whims of the Gargantian command, Ledo/Chamber’s efficient problem-solving versus the idea of mercy as a thing that should exist… etc. It was also beautiful, and there were tons of moments that accomplished one neat thing visually while adding another narratively. Much like Madoka, this seems like it’s going to be a show I can look at and marvel at the beauty of a gifted writer at the height of his powers.

Aku no Hana – Episode 2

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You ready, shitheads?

That first episode was fantastic. Great direction, incredibly organic dialogue, sweet visual style, great “music,” great pacing. Everything worked together to create a massively unsettling and somehow very raw and off-putting atmosphere. I haven’t read much of the manga, so at this point I just have to hope that the story is as smart as this adaptation team is – or that, failing that, they were smart enough to make something great out of its raw ingredients.

Aku no Hana – Episode 2

2:58 – Man, the music in this show is so good! So much tension from the sound alone, though the pacing and our “hero’s” acting certainly help

5:41 – I like how they keep coming back to the same location shots to establish scene changes – they act as touchstones to localize you to whatever else happened at that location, which helps keep you grounded with what the characters themselves must be considering.

6:38 – Wow, this lingering shot of his jaw tightening as he sees Saeki enter is fantastic. There are so many ways this show grounds you in the characters’ emotions and enhances the creepy, uncomfortably intimate mood at the same time.

7:34 – It’s funny to me that the right-hand window seat furthest to the back is actually just missing. Sorry fellas, it ain’t that kind of show!

18:32 – Her face is terrifying.

Sorry I’m not commenting. My comments are: everything perfect. Jesus christ. Unpausing now.

And Done

JESUS CHRIST. My shoulders are tense, my teeth are grinding involuntarily… that was so stressful! I didn’t know shows could do that!

This show’s mastery of tone is just, just, I can’t even talk about it. They are so far beyond my ability to analyze and quantify all the ways the music, the cinematography, the rotoscoping (and this is, at this point, easily far and away the best use of rotoscoping I’ve ever seen – it doesn’t seem like it was just an artistic choice, it seems like the showcould not have worked any other way), the pacing, the running nervous monologue…

This show is incredible, but I’m glad there aren’t any others that are that good at this. My heart couldn’t take the stress.

OreGairu – Episode 2

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I loved the first episode. Its characters rang absurdly true for me, and good character writing/dialogue is pretty much my kryptonite. Let’s get right to it.

OreGairu – Episode 2

2:24 – I said this last time, but I think what separates this guy from other “I’m above it all, high school is for fools” loner characters is that the author has completely thought through his philosophy. It’s not just an anime-only front, it’s a fully articulated, though extremely narrow-minded and naïve, worldview. For instance, I really loved Hyouka, but Oreki’s initial “low energy philosophy” never really felt like something a real person would articulate – he’s certainly characterized well beyond that, but the disconnect between anime-reality and reality-reality there was somewhat off-putting to me initially. But this guy I can believe in completely.

3:03 – Hopefully this episode mirrors the last, in that its worst moment is a dumb cliched spinster joke that we can get out of the way in the first five minutes.

4:55 – Oh my god, that feeling – waiting for a pause in the conversation, not having the social clout to actually steer the conversation towards your needs, standing awkwardly off to one side. This shoooow.

6:52 – Hah! Yesss. I was a little worried our protagonist would actually be effective here. Nope!

10:05 – I guess this is the kinda stuff (“You could tell me if you thought my laugh was gross” – “No, I don’t like talking to you when you’re gross”) people were comparing to Monogatari? I don’t really agree with that one – Monogatari is all word games, dancing around your meaning, highly stylized vocal affections, and a hint of sadism. This is just two abrasive, over-analytical people having a conversation

10:20 – This is a great ending to this confrontation. Her friend uses the power dynamic to her advantage when she knows Yui is too upset to fight back, and demands she speak frankly. But now, when the dynamic has shifted and Yui is able to speak frankly, her friend immediately gets on her phone, pretends to only half-listen, and is only able to reaffirm their friendship with a “yeah, whatever.” Shields all around

13:14 – The direction and soundtrack didn’t really add anything in that first episode, but they’re doing a lot of work as Chuunibyou-enabling accomplices here.

15:06 – That notebook is amazing. “Called me gross 15 times today. Treated me like some sex predator. Tried making a joke, but she ignored me.”

16:58 – Wow, the Gungnir Hammer, eh? Man, they’re not being subtle about this one. Although I did like the “What’s Chuunibyou?” –show cuts away, because everybody in the fucking audience knows what Chuunibyou is–

18:22 – “Kill the bitch yada yada” – I can understand people not wanting to be friends with this asshole; I mean, obviously. He’s an insecure, dickish, narcissistic high school student. But not all good characters have to be either a version of you or a version of your best friend, and it’s refreshing to me to see a character the show is unafraid to paint as petty and dickish but still fundamentally empathetic and human.

18:33 – Okay, now I know this show is pandering to me specifically. A storytelling critiquing session within my romantic comedy? I don’t know who loves me up there, but thanks

20:55 – “Will you read my writing again?” Yeah, this show is just absurd. There was a little bit about this topic in the last episode with the “people use excuses like not having talent to give up without the effort needed to succeed at anything,” and here it comes up again – the core requirement for success in any art form is never, never, never talent. It’s perseverance. You’re going to suck. You’re going to suck for a long time – years, frankly, regardless of your rate of improvement. If it’s writing you’re attempting, you will suck for at least a thousand pages. But it’s the only way, and the only thing that separates a writer from an amateur is the willpower, self-hatred, or lunacy necessary to shove through them all

And Done

I can understand people not liking this show all that much. If you’re not interested in these very specific character portraits, in the way it goes deep on social dynamics and insecurity, and in a kind of snarky awareness of storytelling form (this show constantly plays bait-and-switch in small ways while still maintaining a classic narrative), then there isn’t that much else there. The romance is non-existent so far, the characters are nearly all somewhat unlikeable (because they’re, you know, insecure self-righteous teenagers, who are never fully realized people in the way most anime likes to pretend they are), the issues are mundane, the jokes are kind of mean-spirited, and the visuals are middling.

But I’m pretty sure this is going to end up being one of my favorite shows of all time.

It’s honest, it’s smart, it’s viciously true to life, and it actually does have a lot of heart and passion: for these characters, for the trials of youth, and for, apparently, writing as an art form. If it can keep it up, this will be the romantic comedy I’ve been waiting for.

Kakumeiki Valvrave – Episode 1

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Valvrave. Honestly, this one’s a little borderline for me. Code Geass was a very fun ride, but never more than that – and this show seems more interested in how super awesome giant robots are in and of themselves, whereas they were basically treated just as useful forces of brutality from Lelouch’s perspective (I think my favorite line of that whole show was his “fucking jocks!” as he failed to sprint up the bell tower). But these people can polish, and these people can entertain. Let’s see what else they can do.

Kakumeiki Valvrave – Episode 1

1:03 – Dear lord this show looks expensive.

6:57 – This has all been rote setup so far, but here’s an actual line.

“Happiness isn’t something you can divide in half.”

It’s a bold and provocative stance, reflective of more than a few very pressing global conflicts, and makes me think this show might actually be about something. They had my curiosity before, but, for the moment, they now have my attention.

8:17 – I hope this girl doesn’t get the Shirley treatment. Partially because Shirley was an awful presence who seemed almost designed to be wished dead by the audience, but also partially because she was pretty indicative of the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to Code Geass which resulted in a whole student council’s worth of pointless side characters. Ooh, and also because love triangles are just cheaper, less realistic drama than two characters actually working out their disagreements with each other, not just being divided for artificial drama’s sake.

11:13 – Tshaaaaw! Pew pew!

14:42 – Maaaan. Why did I have to jinx her by invoking Shirley? Goddamn fridged love interests.

19:00 – Eh. On the one hand, the Neo surgical-training thing sure is plot-convenient. On the other, the process of learning this stuff is generally pretty compelling material. Hopefully they’re skipping this because the plot has bigger fish to fry, not because someone being good at roboting is more awesome than someone being terrible at it.

21:01 – Okay, now this is a really interesting idea. Have him go public immediately, and actually integrate the social media sphere’s response and perspective on him into the main narrative of the show. Lots of interesting, unexplored potential there. Compelling Idea #2.

24:11 – HAH! Now that THAT’s how you write an end tag. Tune in next time, fuckers!

And Done

Alright then! That episode was pretty much on the borderline of interest for me to keep watching – most of its elements were pretty rote (concept, characters, plotting, dialogue), and budget honestly does nothing for me, but there were a couple nuggets of interesting ideas stuck in there, and enough hints at the way the elements of the world are going to start working together that I’m definitely intrigued. I feel a show like this really needs a few episodes for the many characters and factions to actually click into place anyway; it doesn’t have that Geass spark yet, but I’m willing to give it a chance to get there.

Hataraku Maou-sama! – Episode 2

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Good comedies don’t really lend themselves to storytelling and character-writing analysis (well, unless they’re Community, but sadly only Community is Community), but this one is still smart and distinctive enough to possibly warrant real posts. I’ll see how it goes.

Hataraku Maou-sama! – Episode 2

1:55 – It’s weird to see a comedy work so well off direction and pacing alone. Here, the entire “joke” is basically just the overwrought tribal/operatic soundtrack, but it works perfectly.

3:27 – The war against the Demon King enters a new phase. Its first casualty: Umbrella-kun.

5:45 – How does this work? One of my primary worries regarding this series was that there wasn’t enough material in the premise to support a full series – but them just playing their lower-class domestic squabbles entirely straight isfantastic. I think I’m just a huge sucker for dry, understated humor.

7:20 – Ashiel’s look of delight at being praised for putting sauce on tofu cubes is adorable.

9:09 – “All I need to do is keep excelling at this job, and soon I’ll take over the world!” The joke is capitalism allowing for advancement in economic class. 🙁

Also, music once again the MVP of this show, and everything Ashiel does is fantastic.

15:16 – So her house is somehow related to the presence of magic in this world. I see the stirrings of a plot here. Just need a couple more details now. 

16:48 – DULLAHAN, NO! When will this senseless violence END?!?!

18:33 – This show really knows how to ride that Girls und Panzer line of “matter-of-fact in the context of pure absurdity.” I really like how their argument seamlessly jumps from a magical sniper assassin to the two of them bickering about part-time scheduling conflicts.

19:50 – And now, Ashiel as overprotective father figure. “A hero? At this hour?” He gets all the best bits

21:10 – It’s nice that they respect her characterization enough to show her actually torn up over a situation this demeaning.

And Done

That was great! I was worried going into this episode that they’d pretty much played their own gag out, but the show has risen well above on the unlikely strength of its characters. Hero is still playing pretty much within the standards of her character type at this point, but both Maou and Ashiel have proven to be endearing comedy goldmines. This show has that genuine affection for its characters that all my favorite comedies possess; everything is funnier if it’s happening to someone you care about, and whole realms of jokes are only available if you already know characters well enough to anticipate and appreciate their reactions to new situations. Plus, it plays with its conceit incredibly well, because it takes their current living arrangement even more seriously than their epic fantasy one – if their current lifestyle didn’t seem achingly believable, nothing else would land as well. It doesn’t lean on any one thing (another hallmark of great comedies) – it’s just a set of likeable people who happen to each be two separate people living in two separate worlds/genres, which the dialogue, music, and direction all support.

I don’t think I found this episode quite as funny as the first one, and Hero still has yet to really impress me, but I find myself actually more satisfied by this one than the last, because I think it proves this staff can actually make this series work.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge – Episode 2

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My fucking roommates are out joyriding to McDonald’s, hopped up on Mali and adrenaline. I’ve been keeping time with beer and gin to at least exist in the same hemisphere, despite the fact that eight hours of proofreading drudgery await me in the near future, and twenty hours of my last forty have been spent doing the same. My fingers are burnt from guitar and grungy from subway syphilis, my brain is half-fried, and my temper is being willfully maintained at a low simmer.

It’s time for some fucking Crime Edge.

Is it wrong for me to so look forward to the worst show I’m watching? I contemplated this question often while watching Sakurasou. Is it some failing of my character that I enjoy destroying things, that one of my greatest pleasures is seeing passionate creators fail in spectacular fashion? That it brings me such unreasonable joy to laugh at juvenile yet heartfelt narrative, incompetent yet well-meant drama?

These questions are beyond the scope of this writeup. Tonight, there is only me and

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge: Episode 2

0:53 – Worlds collide. Paradigms are upended entirely. The Hair Queen’s hair has been motherfucking cut. Rei-esque villain #372 desperately texts her sister this shocking revelation. Our heroes watch, nonplussed.

1:22 – Are these lyrics real. Is this the real world. “A tragic destiny befell her” – hair, you mean. Hair befell her. “…and she could do naught but flail her arms.” I wish more shows were so honest about their protagonists.

1:49 – This show respects you too much to demean you with mere lesbians. No, it is lesbian imoutos that we are dealing with here.

2:30 – Man, how does this show expect us to keep being seduced by that lasciviously endless hair? The dude cut it in the first episode. We’ve all seen her professionally groomed. There ain’t no sexy hair mystery left.

3:40 – You ain’t weird, Iwai, don’t worry. I think I speak for all of us when I say everyone’s fetishized that elementary school backpack at some point.

3:50 – This is kind of weird. Why is this actually sexy to me? Hair isn’t…

What has this show done to me???

4:14 – Okay, that reference is great. I’ll admit, I’ll give bonus points to any show that can make “platinum mad” make sense in context. I guess I’m easy that way.

4:25 – Her mind races. The infinite implications of a hair-shorn Hair Queen, the devastating possibilities of a Hair Queen ingratiating herself at school, the sheer unfathomable terror of an opponent who possesses the raw power necessary to Cut Hair… bowels clenched, she desperately jabs at the phone: “what to do”

5:02 – I honestly forgot they were called Killing Goods. Is there any possible combination of words less likely to promote fear, and more likely to promote hilarity? These guys make an amateur out of me.

5:12 – Wait, a single one of these weapons is referred to as a “Killing Good?” That not how English work, Crime Edge.

6:08 – OOC: This little bit of exposition is actually pretty sweet. I like both ideas: “They are an idealized form of the weapon they represent,” and “They inspire a lust for use and violence in their wielder” are both solid ideas with great inherent potential for drama and storytelling. This point goes to Crime Edge.

6:55 – Rei-chan’s losing her kuudere cool pretty fast here. Look, we all know how hard it is not murder someone for eight hours straight. Keep it to-fucking-gether, sis.

7:12 – “You and your injection of eternal sleep, which is the secret weapon you possess that the audience should know about,” she exposits.

I guess making jokes about this show’s inability to coherently weave its character traits into its narrative is kind of a low blow. This calls for another drink.

7:49 – Apparently the exposition has only begun. It’s time for a lesson in ridiculous storytelling, courtesy of Rei-chan.

8:28 – “Cut it out” – I see what you did there. And I’m impressed – this may be the most dramatically inappropriate stupid pun of all time.

10:48 – I guess she’s just super into that licking thing. That’s cool, we’re all friends here.

11:17 – OOC: Even I can’t help but think a fight between a syringe and a pair of cutting shears is badass as hell. They’ve got me on this one.

14:03 – THIS SHOW. OKAY, I GET that you’re all about your sex metaphors. But THESE AREN’T METAPHORS. THESE ARE JUST SEX FACES.

15:03 – That’s the third time this episode the show has had a good idea, so I’ll give up on the OOC conceit for now. The character development that went on during my riffing blackouts was honestly pretty effective – if I can accept the Killing Goods (yeah, that phrase just doesn’t get any less ridiculous) as a conceit, the show’s explanation of their effect and consequences is actually pretty great stuff. A Mirrai Nikki-esque situation where everyone is driven not by inherent ludicrous craziness, but by unavoidable addiction, is a pretty solid premise.

15:36 – Aheheheh. The joke is he’s a pervert! I’d have a lot more faith in this show if it had a damn clue how to create intentional comedy.

15:44 – Just when you thought it was safe to… go back to the… hair salon.

Alright, I admit it. I find her character like 45% more interesting with the crazy hair. I am but a man!

16:59 – The Hair Queen is the original cause of the Killing Goods? What a hair raising revelation!

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Oh my god please forgive me.

18:07 – Is it even funny to point out when this show introduces an absurd cliché in the most incompetent way possible anymore? “By the way, I happen to be part of an evil organization that delights in orchestrating murders, particularly when they are related to centuries-old hair-related murder curses.” Goddamnit Crime Edge.

19:24 – How does she fill her time? I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just find it difficult to… okay, I know we’re talking about Crime Edge here. I know every single thing about this show is ridiculous. But still, her curse is:

  1. Has a lot of hair.
  2. Can’t go to school, because embarrassed re: hair.
  3. Lives in a lavish mansion where all her needs are provided for.

What part of this curse demands she kill herself? Seriously, this sounds like one of the most convenience curses ever invented. “Sorry, I can’t go to school today, my hair’s been really acting up lately. I guess I’ll just spend all dayvegging the fuck out in my absurdly exorbitant accommodations.” Take up a fucking hobby! Learn the upright bass and start a wicked folk-punk band! You are living the LIFE.

Anyway. I guess that’s just my opinion. Moving on.

20:30 – I mentioned this in the first episode, but it bears repeating – these two really do manage to sell that “hair as sex metaphor” conceit. They are adorable together, and the hair cutting stuff couldn’t be more blatant, yet somehow it just comes across as appropriate. Maybe I’m just into that kind of thing

And Done

Crime Edge is pretty cool, he cuts hair and doesn’t afraid of anything.

I’m enjoying this show. Let me know if you are enjoying all of this elaborate bullshit – it certainly doesn’t make watching this derpy-ass show any easier, but it’s kind of rewarding in its own way. I am your humble Author.

Brief Note on Critique and Areas of Love/Expertise

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Question:

As a new anime critic, how should I decide what I choose to critique?

Answer:

Honestly, I think it should depend on what shows you watch where something in them strikes you personally, and you feel compelled to elaborate on it. Personal insights on shows you have a passionate response to will always be far more interesting than general reactions to shows that don’t grab you as specifically, whether they’re current or not.

For example, you didn’t seem to care for OreGairu, but I actually found its dialogue and philosophy on high school incredibly insightful and true to a very specific teenage mindset that I personally remember all too well. So I’m going to probably be doing more consistent/thorough writeups for that one, because something in it strikes me as fundamentally true to my own life experiences, and so I’ll have something to reflect on and share my own specific perspective on each week.

Also, I try to let my personality and my own passions (character writing, storytelling craft) dictate what I cover and how I talk about it. So I’m much more likely to have a strong, distinct opinion on a character-based romance than an action-based visual spectacle, because that’s the kind of thing I’ve spent years both consuming and studying.