Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Bakemonogatari – Episode 2

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Today I return with the second episode of Bakemonogatari! This one ended up being another tome of an episode review, but we’re still in the period where I have to kind of establish “how to get the most out of Monogatari,” so I assume things will get more reasonable shortly. Particularly since we’re about to embark on Mayoi Snail, which should offer a nice opportunity to really dive into my love-hate relationship with the series. But as for now, let’s explore the second half of Hitagi Crab!

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

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Ojamajo Doremi – Episode 4

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Hey everybody! I’d say it’s right about time for a bit more Ojamajo Doremi. The world is a scary place, and sometimes it’s hard to bear with all of it at once, so it’s nice to take a breather with a show with such an upbeat tone and such positive intentions. I remember how when I was an emo teen, I’d scoff at media that embraces positivity as thoroughly as this, since I felt it was “lying” in some unacceptable way. At this point I’ve accepted how crucial it is to bring our own positivity to the world, and great children’s shows are one wonderful way to do that. So let’s dig right in and see what’s going on in Doremi’s world of kinda crappy witches.

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March comes in like a lion – Episode 14

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March had another middling episode this week, which it feels sad to admit is what I’ve come to expect. The show’s fundamental material is still strong, but it could certainly have used a more courageous adaptation. Sequences like this episode’s first half clearly didn’t demand a full half episode in adaptation form, and the show’s visual motifs are starting to feel kind of abused as well. Still a fan, but it’s certainly not the show it could be.

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

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Seiren – Episodes 1-3

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Today I start my streaming reviews for this season’s weirdest of harem-things, Seiren. Seiren isn’t actually good, but it’s at least pretty strange, which is certainly better than boring. I do wish these shows would start including protagonists who have at least a smidgen of personality, but I suppose that would limit their usefulness as audience proxies, so this is what we get. I’ve certainly watched worse shows!

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

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Nichijou – Episode 22

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The Niching Hour has returned again. See, it’s like the Witching Hour, but for Nichijou. Look, you don’t pay me for great puns, you pay me to say “WHAAAAA YUUKO NOOOO.” And I take that responsibility very seriously!

Anyway, yes, it is time for Nichijou. I’ve only got five precious episodes left, but I’m honestly feeling more at peace with that than I did before – after all, Nichijou seems like one of the most rewatchable comedies imaginable. Comedy in general relies heavily on the element of surprise, but Nichijou’s comic fundamentals are so strong that I’ll certainly still enjoy it even knowing where skits are going. Just need to pace myself!

But for now, let’s savor one more episode fresh out of the oven. Adjust your collars, fluff your pillows, and sit back for one more NICHIJOU.

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Planetes – Episode 21

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Planetes’ twenty-first episode is called “Tandem Mirror.” It’s an appropriate name for this episode, which focuses on both Locksmith’s great invention in an overt narrative sense and also on various other mirrors in a metaphorical one. Both the gleaming new Von Braun and the tandem mirror of the original, wrecked craft come into play this episode, but this episode also investigates how members of Planetes’ cast mirror each other in a variety of ways. How Hachi and Tanabe still have so much in common, even as they’re drifting apart. How Hachi is still haunted by his own reflection, in spite of succeeding in getting on the Von Braun. And how Hachi isn’t mirrored by those he’d once believed in, like his rival and ambiguous friend Hakim.

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Bakemonogatari – Episode 1

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This season, Classic Reviews return with one of my all-time favorite series! I’m betting it’ll be a lot of fun to revisit Bake after all this time, and the first episode didn’t let me down. Bake’s premiere is strange and confident and entirely its own thing, offering many fragmented hooks while seemingly ignoring many other pieces of important information. It’s a solid statement of purpose, and I had a whole bunch to write about it.

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

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Casshern Sins – Episode 6

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I think we may be in it now. Last episode saw Casshern Sins embracing narrative continuity for the first time, bringing back a handful of characters from earlier episodes in order to answer a couple questions and set up some dramatic dominoes. The nature of Luna is still unclear, but Casshern’s nature is becoming a bit more concrete – he was used as an agent of violence, he could not necessarily control his actions, and his tendency towards violence seems to take over his body altogether.

That episode also saw Casshern represented as a figure of both ruin and salvation, bringing Ruin upon this world but also standing ready to sacrifice himself to pay for his crimes. This show’s symbolism often feels more concrete than its narrative, so I’ll be keeping an eye on everything I can as we continue our adventure into ruin. Let’s get to it!

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March comes in like a lion – Episode 13

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March had a pretty shaky episode this week, both in terms of its structure and its visual execution. The actual material being covered was fine, but the show’s adherence to its chapter-by-chapter format and creaky animation didn’t really do this block any favors. I’m probably enjoying the show more than I would if I’d read the manga – since this is my first time enjoying this story, I can accept some sloppy execution.

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

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Planetes – Episode 20

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Having passed the first round of testing, Hachimaki has successfully isolated himself from the world and home he once knew. Even Planetes’ opening monologue seems to know it – instead of the classic explanation of space debris, the narrator now speaks solemnly of the course of space travel, and the mighty grasp of humanity in the current age. The narrator doesn’t play coy about the consequences of this shift, either – the economic partitioning that has underlined so many of the show’s episodes is directly referenced, and the monologue ends on “the Von Braun is about to set sail, carrying with it humanity’s hopes and dreams.” We’ve already seen that exact vision dismantled by Hachimaki’s father, making its appearance here an intentionally grim irony. Planetes is not pulling its punches.

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