Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Flying Witch – Episode 10

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Flying Witch stayed its easy breezy self this week, though I really liked how frontloading the humor in a constrained setting allowed the second half to feel that much more relaxed and rewarding. Nao also got to shine for once, which was nice. Her inability to perform complex cooking tasks like “cook an onion” and “hold on to a ball of meat” felt very relatable to my largely sandwich-based lifestyle. Hang in there, Nao. You don’t want to end up like me.

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

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Kiznaiver – Episode 10

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Kiznaiver got pretty exposition-happy this week, but fortunately the dull Kizna project material didn’t manage to overwhelm the strong personal stuff. Kiznaiver’s cast is established well enough that at this point, simply letting portions of the main group spend time together creates new texture through their evolving relationships. It’s a pretty crucial point for an interiority-happy character drama to achieve, so I’m glad Kiznaiver’s on schedule. The show remains messy, but a messy articulation of a great thing is still a lot of fun.

You can check out my full review over at ANN. I watched this one straight through, so NO NOTES FOR YOU.

Kiznaiver

The Lost Village – Episode 11

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We’re in the endgame now, and The Lost Village is doing its best to juggle the needs of an actual narrative with its own wilder inclinations. This episode managed that balance with relative grace; it wasn’t as consistently laugh-out-loud funny as some of the earlier episodes, but it actually did a lot of work to bring this story to a real conclusion. In fact, so much was resolved here that it seems likely the last couple episodes will be able to go big in a more satisfying way, bringing all the remaining story threads together. Let’s end this thing with a bang.

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

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One Piece – Volume 8

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The Baratie arc came to an end in this volume, concluding with as much dignity as it could muster. As before, a great deal of this volume’s weakness came down to the fact that Don Krieg is just not a particularly exciting opponent. Volume six deliberately undercut him by using him as a prop to build up a more threatening opponent, and volume seven dawdled through a series of fights with underwhelming underlings. Even Don Krieg’s theming isn’t particularly compelling – his main gimmicks are a focus on “military might” and his wide variety of weapons, neither of which serve to make him particularly threatening. Don Krieg is altogether pretty much a failure of an antagonist.

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Mawaru Penguindrum – Episode 1

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So. Penguindrum. One of the thorniest, richest anime of recent years, a show that draws on classic tales and modern traumas to craft a story full of weird textural inferences and strangely poignant moments. Penguindrum is many things, but before anything else, it is a clear reflection of the style of Kunihiko Ikuhara. Ikuhara’s only directed three original anime over the past twenty years, and in spite of that, he is one of the most lauded and influential creators in the medium. He’s also as close as a medium as collaborative as anime can get to an auteur – famously difficult to work with, his shows share a common identity that mark them as indelibly his (even when they’re lifted by contributions from his often brilliant collaborators). Penguindrum exhibits all of his core qualities, so before I get into this show specifically, let’s talk a bit about what makes Ikuhara tick.

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Flying Witch – Episode 9

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Flying Witch was its usual pleasant self this week, offering good gags with Akane and plenty of information on the myriad benefits of eating radishes. Chinatsu made the most of her screentime as always, and though there was nothing quite as compelling as the cafe’s guests, there was still plenty to enjoy throughout. I can’t imagine anyone could still be watching Flying Witch and feeling surprised by anything that happens; the show is absolutely even in its consistency, always hitting its tonal marks and offering solid jokes without ever straying from its usual mood.

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

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Kiznaiver – Episode 9

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Jeez, what an episode this was. Kiznaiver is always a very pretty show, but this episode was gorgeous from start to finish, full of wonderfully dynamic shots and great transitions making use of the show’s equally excellent sound design. The writing was a little more suspect, as always, but even there, the best moments were really worth celebrating. Kiznaiver’s not quite hitting the ceiling it could have shot for, but it’s still offering plenty to love every week.

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

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The Lost Village – Episode 10

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Welp, any fears that The Lost Village would get more coherent as it moved towards its conclusion were pretty much put to rest this week. The theme here seemed to be “let’s do every single reveal at once, thus rendering them all meaningless.” It was a bold and characteristically Lost Village tactic, and it worked like gangbusters – nothing here made sense, none of it had any impact, Mikage and Lovepon better sort this shit out. If The Lost Village doesn’t come down to a climactic battle between Lovepon and Koharun, I will be deeply disappointed.

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

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Gankutsuou – Episode 1

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There are a number of angles you could use to approach Gankutsuou. You could talk about the studio, Gonzo, although that conversation would end roughly where it begins – Gonzo have barely created a handful of noteworthy shows over their career, and Gankutsuou’s director isn’t particularly tied to that studio. You could talk about that director, Mahiro Maeda, whose career has spanned early Studio Ghibli, a variety of guest positions on shows as varied as Giant Robo and Kill la Kill, and who has seemingly joined many frustratingly talented creators at that great Studio Khara in the sky.

Or you could talk about the fact that Gankutsuou actually has source material.

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Flying Witch – Episode 8

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Flying Witch really made the most of its new setting this week, letting a sequence of unexpected cafe patrons import all the charm and whimsy an episode could need. I think the first sequence with the ladybugs must have been my favorite – the combination of Anzu’s nonplussed “oh yeah, they come here on dates a lot” and her mother’s greeting being returned with little wing-waves was just perfectly understated comedy material. But the vast majority of the material here landed well, so all I can really complain about are a couple moments of oversold jokes. Flying Witch is good stuff.

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

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