Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 8

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Sound! Euphonium had a pretty subdued episode this week, and seemed to be in something of a dramatic transition period. Mamiko’s clashes with her family were the most compelling moments here, but those generally rode on the inherent nature of the conflict or the show’s terrific voice acting more than astonishing visual execution. Certainly not an ostentatious episode, but still a pretty reasonable one. And of course, small Kumiko is very good.

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

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Girlish Number – Episode 7

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Girlish Number succeeded by almost jettisoning Chitose entirely this week, instead focusing on the frankly more sympathetic Kazuha and Momoka. Both of those two have legitimately understandable anxieties about their career, and they were smartly contrasted all through this episode. The close focus on characters that I’d hoped to see from this show is pretty much immediately coming to pass, so I don’t really have many complaints today!

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

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Planetes – Episode 17

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Planetes’ seventeenth episode begins with a shot of an open hand, as pills are shaken into it from an unmarked container. As the next shot reveals, these are Gigalt’s pills, a symbol of his fraying health here used as the very first thing introducing us to this episode. Victory and legacy and career trajectory, all pointless in the face of our constantly encroaching mortality. Gigalt is a decorated employee and a credit to his company, but at this point he’s becoming just another old man.

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March comes in like a lion – Episode 7

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This week’s March comes in like a lion felt like the first time the show was wholly in control of its more upbeat material. The show has firmly established its main cast at this point, so sequences like Nikaidou’s self-help shogi commentary play off our existing understanding and fondness for the characters. With its evocative depression-focused material matched by equally engaging slice of life segments, March now seems to be hitting just the balance it’s been striving for. Hopefully it stays this strong!

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

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Nichijou – Episode 16

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Alright alright it’s time for Nichijou! I have no idea how long it’s been since the last post from your perspective, but over on this side, I’ve taken a few weeks off from the Nichijou train to restore my nichijuices, since it felt like I was getting just a little too inured to nichijokes for the last couple. I really love this show, and I’d prefer to be in a frame of mind to appreciate it, since we are probably never going to get an anime comedy this good again. Plenty of time has passed by now, so I think I’m ready to return to this maddening world of talking cats and screaming Yuukos. Let’s not waste one more god dang minute. LET’S NICHIJOU.

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Planetes – Episode 16

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Planetes’ sixteenth episode opens with heavy, panicked breathing, thick gasps presented to us before we even understand what’s happening. That’s intentional, as we soon learn – Hachi has spun free in space, and so in order to simulate his immediate confusion, we are left in the dark as well. Extreme closeups convey the claustrophobia of the situation, mixed in with shots framed to highlight the vast emptiness of space. And the sound design remains important throughout, that breathing soon finding itself accompanied by creaking, hissing noises from Hachi’s suit. As his breathing accelerates and pulse becomes audible, those mechanical noises impress on us a constant and oft-overlooked truth – that for all his confidence and security, Hachimaki is only separated from disaster by the thinnest layer of human engineering.

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Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 7

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Sound! Euphonium really returned to the strengths of the first season this week, with a conflict that echoed that season’s key variables in both its relevant characters and its thematic substance. Haruka and Asuka make for a fascinating pair, and this episode made the most of each of them, making for a strong comeback after some shaky narrative territory. I’ve been told the third book is stronger than the second in general, so here’s to more great character drama to come!

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

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Girlish Number – Episode 6

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Girlish Number got dark in the best way possible this week, by taking a break from Chitose’s narcissism to revel in the sadness of all the other characters. Koto, Kazuha, and Momoka all got solid material this time, with Koto in particular offering some personal reflections that echoed the general poison of the anime industry. That’s pretty much what I was hoping for from this show – not pointed economic satire, but reflections on how the problems in the industry have a specific human cost. Hopefully this is a good sign for the episodes to come!

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my barely-existent notes below.

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Aikatsu – Episodes 1-3

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Hey everybody! Today I’ll be powering through the first few episodes of what’s become something of an odd favorite in my twitter circles, Aikatsu. Aikatsu is a long-running show based on an arcade card game, and is definitely far more Serious Idoldom than relative “crossover hits” like Idolmaster or Love Live. I’m not really expecting high-quality production or anything, but lots of people seem to find this show very charming, so hopefully I have a good time! I’ve also been stretching myself pretty thin for those megasized Nichijou notes writeups, so this one will be scaled back – I’ll point out interesting stuff when I find it, but I’m also gonna try to just enjoy the ride. Anyway, that’s enough preamble. Let’s get right into Aikatsu!

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Nichijou – Episode 15

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And we’re back with more Nichijou! Last episode was a bit of a low ebb for the series – having to manage integrating Nano into the regular life of the other leads made for a somewhat uneven episode, light on jokes and awkwardly narrative-driven. Nichijou can certainly handle more sentimental material, but the demands of that episode’s structural transition were definitely felt in a variety of awkward ways. Fortunately, I assume the show will return to a stronger balance moving forward, now that Nano is already a member of the class. So let’s dispense with the doom and gloom and get right into more NICHIJOU!

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