Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Sound! Euphonium 2 – Episode 9

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Hoo boy was this a stunner. I was feeling a little down on this show after last week’s fairly mundane episode, but then Ishidate had to show up and just blow the doors off Asuka’s story. This was one of the best episodes in either season of Euphonium, a stunning tribute to one of the show’s most enigmatic and compelling characters. Asuka is a terrific character, and sometimes it feels like this is the only studio equipped to handle her. Euphonium continues to be full of wonderful surprises.

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

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Girlish Number – Episode 8

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Girlish Number continued with its excellent parent-focused material this week, using time away from Chitose to let Kazuha and Momoka have some of the show’s most emotionally effective material yet. I’ve been enjoying these vacations from our lead terror, but I’m hoping the show will able to grant her some of the sensitivity it’s offered her friends in the final act. Chitose may be a gremlin, but she’s our gremlin.

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

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G Gundam – Episode 2

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Alright, time to watch G Gundam’s second episode! I’m assured by my feed that the show actually takes a while to get good, but my feed is full of liars and filthy robot-likers, so I am not fooled by their conniving ways. G Gundam will have to live or die on its own merits, based on my stringent and robot-suspicious dramatic senses. PROVE YOURSELF, G GUNDAM!

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Planetes – Episode 18

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Planetes’ seventeenth episode was an oppressive demonstration of the inhumanity inherent in the exploration of space, and of the corporate institutions that erect themselves to foster and defend that inhumanity. That was a heavy episode, and was itself following an episode focused on post-traumatic shock, so it’d make sense for the debris crew to finally got a break this time. And in fact, they do end up getting a break: a permanent one. The debris section is disbanded. You’re all fired.

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Natsume’s Book of Friends – Episode 1

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Natsume’s Book of Friends has long been one of my shortlist shows – the shows whose reputations are so strong that I essentially know I’ll get to them, and so it’s just a matter of when. Of course, the “when” is its own serious hurdle in my case, since I’ve moved from being so slow about getting through backlist that it barely moves to so overwhelmed by other things I literally need to watch that it doesn’t really move at all. I get through a handful of personal watches a year at this point, which makes it a great relief when someone decides to support something like Planetes, or Nichijou, or Natsume’s Book of Friends.

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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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