And so Tsuki ga Kirei comes to an end. Like the show itself, this episode was imperfect but unbelievably charming, a soothing balm in a very harsh world. Tsuki ga Kirei let its lovable heroes enjoy their happy ending, and even spoiled us with a charming credits sequence of their life down the road. I’m gonna miss these awkward kids.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below.
Let’s get back to Ojamajo Doremi! Last episode saw Doremi and the gang returning to the magical world, where they just barely passed their Level 8 exams and even ran into the queen of all witches. It was a surprisingly fantasy-focused episode for a series that generally just uses magic to illustrate pretty mundane personal problems. That’s certainly not a bad thing, though – the show’s premise is loose enough to facilitate episodes using as much or little magic as they need. Let’s see what Doremi’s latest adventure brings!
The Eccentric Family came to a relatively satisfying close this week. While this finale pretty much unavoidably lacked the perfectly threaded cohesion of the first season’s ending, it still offered fun individual scenes for almost the whole cast. Benten and Nidaime got to act like the bratty siblings they are, Yasaburo and Kaisei were adorable, and Yaichiro finally got the happiness he so richly deserves. Sail on, brave tanukis.
You can check out my full review over at ANN.
Alright, let’s get back on that Aikatsu train. My most recent experiences with Aikatsu have been… well, less than spectacular. The fourth episode just wasn’t particularly interesting, and the fifth episode was actively aggravating, so our relationship is a little strained at the moment. The show’s aesthetics are just plainly not very good, and I’ve given up on expecting anything approaching Doremi’s thematic cohesion and character work, so it seems like I’m basically just here for whenever this show Gets Weird. Please get weird, Aikatsu. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do with you.
Alright, that’s enough moaning and groaning. LET’S GET THIS AIKATSU STARTED!
And we’re back with more Casshern Sins! Last episode saw Casshern reuniting with an old foe, while the overarching narrative pulled us ever close to the apparently still-living Luna. Casshern and Lyuze have settled into a solid traveling rapport, and things seem to actually be moving towards a conclusion now. I’m kinda missing the show’s episodic vignettes from the first half, and I feel the show can drag even by its own terms when it hangs too much on the mythic, basic variables of Casshern’s, er, sin, but there’s still plenty to enjoy in this very unique adventure. Let’s get right to it!
Penguindrum’s seventeenth episode is titled “The Unforgiven,” a meaning which only becomes clear in its final moments. But unlike many of its recent episodes, this episode isn’t really “about” any one specific thing. So far, we’ve spent the show’s second half establishes the diverse and incompatible motivations of this world’s side characters, from the desperate loyalty of Yuri to the rigid persistence of Masako. There are few secrets left in this place, but that doesn’t mean we’re any closer to arriving at solutions. The still enigmatic Sanetoshi seems to understand this, musing idly on how all humans pursue individual ideals of truth to the point of self-sacrifice or destruction. Penguindrum’s human players have all established their truths, and now “the war is about to break out.”
Management: I apparently forgot to post this back when the review actually went up. Woops!
This week’s Eccentric Family was… well, not the best. This season has had a variety of small issues keeping it below the level of the original all along, and this episode both leaned into those problems and also just wasn’t that interesting structurally. A show of Eccentric Family’s length and pedigree can’t really afford lull episodes, so I wasn’t happy to see this one, but I don’t really see it becoming a trend, either. Ah well!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Things got pretty wild in this week’s Eccentric Family, as secrets were revealed and battles were fought and dramatic declarations were made all up and down these twenty minutes. For all that, I found myself somewhat unsatisfied with how this season is resolving, but my article covers all that. This season of Eccentric Family definitely isn’t as strong as the first, but hey, Eccentric Family is Eccentric Family.
You can check out my full review over at ANN.
Let’s dive right into some more Ojamajo Doremi! With Nichijou behind me, there are few shows that give me more consistent joy than Doremi these days. Upbeat and visually charming and stuffed with heart, Doremi and her friends ably demonstrate why us true anime patricians have migrated over to children’s television. I’m not quite at Pretty Cure yet, but I’m sure my conscription into the anime cabal is progressing at a steady clip nonetheless.
Doremi’s last episode wasn’t exactly a highlight, but it did see Doremi and her friends becoming more comfortable using magic to help others. Let’s see where the wands take them this time!
Natsume’s twelfth episode opens with a shot of a half moon, hanging silently in the sky. We’re given no context for this moon at first, but eventually, it comes to feel like a kind of clock, ticking away Natsume’s remaining hours with each slice removed. In this episode, Natsume is cursed by a youkai, and his arm branded with the “Five Day Mark.” Natsume must fight back against a creature that only wants to destroy him, and must enlist new allies to survive his trial.