Category Archives: Episode Writeup

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Episode 13

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And the actual Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan arc comes to a close. This was a fittingly somber episode, full of rich sunset colors and slow scenes of Nagato and friends. I’ve really enjoyed this arc all throughout, and though this seems like a good place for it to end, I’m definitely sad to see this version of Nagato Yuki go. Hopefully the show doesn’t just immediately go back to being its original derpy self now, and has possibly learned something from this surprisingly compelling experience.

Here’s my full post over at ANN. Notes below!

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Sound! Euphonium – Episode 12

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Another standout episode of Euphonium this week, one which probably won’t turn as many heads as eight, but which was very nearly as good in its own way. This one all came down to absurdly consistent tricks of framing and execution, as the episode pulled as close into Kumiko’s head as possible for one more intimate episode before the big performance. More reflections, more visual framing of distance, smart use of light and shadow, strong sound design, beautiful animation… this one just had it all. Kyoto Animation are really going all-out with this little show.

My full ANN post is here. You can check out my notes below!

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Oregairu S2 – Episode 12

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With the season cooling down, we got an episode of Oregairu that actually felt more like a season one episode – that same somewhat uneven mix of archetypal stuff and really smart, poignant character stuff. Haruno is basically a big mean-spirited wrecking ball here, who seems to more or less represent what Hachiman would become if he stayed bitter and insular and emotionally distant. If Yukino and her friends were older, they wouldn’t be made so insecure by her petty tricks, but they aren’t, and so insecurities abound. I’d honestly be fine with the final episode just being Sensei shaking Haruno by the shoulders and then telling her students not to listen to her, but I’m guessing things won’t resolve quite as simply as that.

Here’s my full episode review, and you can check out the notes below!

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The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Episode 12

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Things are gettin’ weird. New Nagato (or, well, Old Old Nagato) has been firmly established now, and so the show has apparently decided it’s already time to start relentlessly messing with her. That messing was depicted in this episode through a wide array of unnerving visual tricks, along with a narrative that kept hammering in her very understandable fear of being erased by Old Nagato’s return. The show can’t stick only in this off-kilter space forever, but it’s really making the most of it so far. I’m excited to see where it goes from here, which is certainly not something I could have said a few weeks ago.

Here’s my full ANN post. Notes below!

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Sound! Euphonium – Episode 11

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Things got tense this week as the show wound its way to Kousaka and Kaori’s trumpet rematch. We got a bunch of great scenes between almost all the big character pairs, some gorgeous outdoor shots and great use of lighting in general, and one more scene that was more romantically charged than anything in friggin’ Ore Monogatari!!, nevermind Nagato Yuki. Hell, this was more romantically charged than anything in Hyouka. It was practically more charged than anything in Spice and Wolf. This show isn’t fucking around, or maybe it is fucking around, and if it is that’s just a shame for the show itself. These characters deserve better than to be used as overt bait, especially considering how much the show otherwise respects them as people. Hopefully things will work out okay in the end.

Anyway, here’s my full post on the piece, that goes deep on plenty of the characters. And lots of notes below!

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Oregairu S2 – Episode 11

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This week, we finally got something that I’ve actually been hoping for for a while – a Hayato focus episode. Hayato’s a compelling character who’s very different from the majority of the cast, so it was nice to see him given some time in the spotlight. And I definitely made the most of it in my writeup – yeah, other stuff happened, but this was Hayato’s day goddamnit! Though I do somewhat regret not being able to also highlight Iroha’s top-tier trolling this time, from interrupting Yukino’s birthday part in order to ask her about rumors to doing that ridiculous slow motion arm-flip run towards Hachiman. Iroha is pretty good.

Here’s my Hayatotastic ANN review. Notes below!

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The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Episode 11

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Another surprisingly very good episode of Nagato Yuki-chan! This one even managed the noteworthy feat of respecting the huge shift of last week’s episode while giving the show a very steady path forward. The key here was the fact that all three of our protagonists reacted to Nagato’s shift in both understandable and reasonable fashion, not drawing out artificial drama but also making the most of the drama that does exist. Nagato’s behavior in particular was pretty heartbreaking, but her friends being both reasonable and anxious in their own ways worked very well. Where the hell did this show come from.

Here’s my full ANN post. Notes below!

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Sound! Euphonium – Episode 10

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Another extremely strong episode of Euphonium this week, though I know many people were understandably disappointed. Personally, I agree that the framing so far has seemed really supportive of some kind of romantic tension between Kumiko and Kousaka, but as long as the storytelling stays this good, I’m pretty fine with wherever this all goes. All I know is this episode made terrific use of all the character development so far, playing the characters against the main ideas in a way that felt natural and dramatically satisfying. Euphonium continues to impress.

Here’s my big ol’ episode post. And lots of notes below!

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Oregairu S2 – Episode 10

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We had a lighter episode this week, as the student council issues essentially worked themselves out now that the emotional issues tying all these characters down were cleared up. It was great to see the whole team working together again, with the scenes from the halfway point onward all demonstrating the stuff that was initially so appealing about this show. Hikki and Yukino have a great conversational dynamic, and Iroha’s become a pretty natural extension of the whole group. The characters are able to honestly express that they care about each other now, meaning it feels a lot less stifling just watching them interact. It’s just rewarding to spend time with these characters now.

Anyway. Here’s my more thorough thoughts on the key scenes, and you can find my notes below!

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The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Episode 10

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Aw shit, stuff actually happened this week! Like, BIG stuff! Not “this retroactively justifies me watching an entire season of a low quality slice of life” big, but certainly “wow, this episode was really rewarding for its own sake” big. The execution just really, really stepped up for this episode’s Big Shift, and the result was one of the more effectively moody episodes I’ve seen in a long time. Great work, Nagato Yuki team.

Alright, that’s enough beating around the big spoiler this week. Here’s my full ANN post, and you can check out (spoiler-filled, of course) notes below.

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