Category Archives: Episode Writeup

The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 7

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Alright, one goddess to go, let’s get to it.

Episode 7

0:24 – What Elsie’s been up to: Established 

4:56 – I like how Keima himself has no silly pride outside of his game-mastery. Since he’s not really dealing with emotional issues any more, he’s basically just making himself a different kind of moe  for each of the girls

9:15 – His dark powers grow stronger 

10:22 – Think faster, Lelouch 

12:24 – Wow, he’s really reaching.  Well, everyone in this world is a stereotype anyway, I’m sure it’ll work out

13:19 – I figured after the last two episodes that we were done with all the wacky double-date shenanigans, but they are seriously committing to this one. But that particular romcom scenario never tends to end well…

13:55 – I don’t even…  See, normally these scenes play out with the protagonist (man or woman, this cliche is gender-neutral) simply trying to keep the two dates from running into each other. Here, he’s perfectly happy trying to seduce everyone simultaneously.  Goddamn, Keima

15:14 – This scene is amazing 

18:44 – I think he’s earned a beating this time 

18:57 – Fortunately for Keima, characters in this game-world are entirely incapable of reading moods or subtext 

And Done

Welp, Keima’s fucked. He got too ambitious and deservedly had it blow up in his face. Ayumi being an adult about the situation is going to make his secret harem ending pretty difficult – apparently dating three members of the same band is just one too many.

Great episode. It was one of the funniest of the season, both because he and Ayumi have a great dynamic and because the wacky misunderstanding double-booked-date hat trick is inherently ridiculous. That approach also answered my biggest complaint about last week’s episode, which was that it played its simple romcom narrative extremely straight – this week started off with one cliche (the sick visit), rudely merged it into another (the double-booked-date), and then had Keima actually attempt to double-win the date, which is completely insane and also extremely Keima. Better luck next time, Lelouch.

Monogatari S2 – Episode 7

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Day late on this one – it’s been a very busy weekend. Anyway. New arc today. I’m assuming we’re back on Araragi (which I’m kinda meh towards) and the arc is apparently about Hachikuji (also pretty meh towards), but this season has blown past my expectations so far, so I’m just trying to come in at true neutral. Let’s roll.

Episode 7

0:44 – Clearly a face we can trust.  

1:07 – A three second pause… alright, I’m just gonna let Isin’s dialogue do its own thing until pieces come together in a way that might make sense. The first arc of this season kind of spoiled me, but I’m kind of used to thinking of this show’s dialogue and its visuals as two separate shows that happen to run at the same time. So my notes will probably be a bit more me-focused (just jotting down details until they pull together), since I’m not gonna pontificate on what I don’t think I actually understand. So:

Traffic light metaphor. The pause where all motion is stopped, everywhere.

1:32 – “If I designed the system, I’d make sure the lights were never all green. Everyone prefers safe over dangerous.”

1:41 – They’re really grinding in a very simple statement. We’ll need a couple more reflections to triangulate an actual point, though

1:51 – “When the world is filled with green lights signaling safety, it’s more dangerous than anywhere.”

Again, basically self-notes here. The show is highlighting and underlining this concept, so I’ll want these statements written out to reference against

2:29 – “Half the lights being green just means half the risk. If you want to be safe, don’t cross sidewalks.” That’s something more, since it’s actually nonsense, and a kind of dangerous nonsense too. Hm

3:34 – Araragi, haven’t you realized yet you live in a world where half-baked semi-profundities always come back to bite you in the ass? Often literally, too

Nice shot there, by the way

4:11 – This is gonna be fun

5:01 – Her design is so bizarre. Like a non-anime fans’ idea of an anime character. It definitely helps make her seem like some kind of creepy homunculus

5:21 – Even if I didn’t already know, it’d be pretty easy to tell this is gonna be a Hachikuji story. All this crap mirroring Hachikuji’s life story and first arc. Isin can get so self-indulgent sometimes…

5:57 – That’s awesome. I’m glad she finds that phase as embarrassing as I found it annoying

6:11 – That is an incredibly good question

7:08 – I like how the absurd, empty-stage nature of their world makes this a pretty great gag

8:12 – Hm. Why is Araragi so put off by her assumption that he’s a human?

9:16 – Must every plot element mirror another one, Isin? Katanagatari is actually one of my all-time favorite shows, but in Monogatari I think he mixes it up too much between cute parallels and meaningful ones

9:28 – This one seems more relevant. Professing resurrection in a story about another dead girl

10:21 – I’d like to see a map of this town of theirs

10:36 – Seriously, I’d hire this urban planner in a second

11:06 – Seems relevant

12:42 – Oh please. Bring back Hanekawa!

14:07 – You know how I sometimes complain about Isin using his characters as self-indulgent mouthpieces? Well, I do, and Fuck This

14:47 – It only makes sense. Another distinctive shot

15:27 – Well this episode escalated quickly

18:01 – Manipulating Araragi 101: Play to his hero complex

18:26 – She takes his watch, and then once he no longer has control of it, uses it to confirm his sense of time. Hm

19:53 – I foresee no problems with this

20:25 – This conversation is actually awesome. Time travel is always nonsense, so “going forward in time takes less energy, just like salmon!” is pretty much par for the course

21:04 – And now he’s actually trying to clarify whether he traveled through time physically or just adopted his old physical self. You’d think if he were this thoughtful about time travel, he’d have asked maybe one or two of these questions before leaping through the giant scary time-gate

21:34 – Yeaah, she is being super weird about this watch

22:04 – This is extremely adorable

And Done

Welp, ya fucked around with time travel, what did you expect?

So I guess that answers the question of Hachikuji’s relevance. Are we actually right around her Time Of Death now? Eh, plot is details, let’s talk about the craft.

This episode definitely leaned into some of my least favorite Isin-isms, mainly through the extremely cute plot mirroring and self-indulgent, character-irrelevant banter. The first half just felt clunky as hell, and Shinbou didn’t really get much of a chance to strut his stuff as far as visual-plot-illuminating goes. That’s pretty much par for the course with Hachikuji stories, even though Hachikuji has yet to actually appear – there is no sexual charge to her and Araragi’s relationship, so the camera doesn’t have all that much to talk about. The second half was a lot of fun though, mainly because Shinobu and Araragi have a very endearing buddy-cop dynamic, and because time travel is just loads of fun in general, and actually improved through the presence of genre-savvy characters. Definitely not as strong a start as the first arc, but obviously it’s going places.

Uchouten Kazoku – Episode 7

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Whew. I’ve been busy cavorting with old friends all weekend, and I’m really not much of a social dude, so it is extremely satisfying to have something as calming and excellent as Uchouten Kazoku to come back to. Last week’s episode focused on that most alarming of incongruencies, the fairly blase attitude everyone takes towards tanuki-eating. As I’ve said elsewhere, while this show normally does a tremendous job of grounding its fantastical leanings in such universal conflicts and emotions that they appear almost mundane (or beautiful, but beautiful in a way that reflects all moments of sudden and unexpected beauty, not just unbelievable ones), the disconnect between these characters’ acceptance of the tanuki-eating and its inherently horrifying nature is a little hard to square. Or at least it is for the show’s two central characters – Yasaburou and Benten.

Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, the complexities of each of their feelings, and the way Yasaburou often treads around emotions and responsibilities he knows he will have to address, is one of the show’s great strengths. And considering how strong this show’s character writing is, I’m not really worried about that emotional disconnect; last week someone hypothesized that the disconnect is probably a strong indicator of where the show still intends to explore, and I’m inclined to agree.

Anyway. Enough nonsense.

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Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 6

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Rui and Hajime, finally meeting! High-Minded Ideals x Informed, Selfless Proletariat OTP. Let’s get to it!

Episode 6

2:12 – Awww, Rui walks away? What a goddamn tease that cliffhanger was

2:27 – Okay, that almost makes up for it.  Gatchaman unveiled! For a second there I was worried they wouldn’t shove the plot ten steps forward today

3:52 – Ahh, I see.  Even without actually confronting him, this kinda forces Rui’s hand – there’s no way Gatchamen won’t be considered an alternative to GALAX

5:10 – I can never get enough of their sweet pad 

5:37 – Pai’s voice is amazing. Aya Hirano is so good

6:32 – Pai can’t decide anything without a higher authority deciding it for him . No wonder Hajime doesn’t respect their rules

7:53 – These two are not the best at conversation 

8:43 – “I’m j-just following you so you won’t do anything crazy!” “Oh, that so?”  C’mon Hajime, don’t tease the poor boy

9:09 – Hajime’s lack of faith in the primacy of social networking 

9:31 – “A whim? I’m not that irresponsible.” And then that long look from him. Nice to see that misconception finally get some resolution

10:58 – Again he abuses his powers for what he perceives to be best for everyone . Constantly contradicting himself and hopelessly naive, but legitimately passionate and high-minded. I really like this character

16:09 – I’m sure Rui was quite proud of his demonstration . Everyone contributes a little bit and great things are accomplished

16:28 – Hajime always makes a point of being referred to by her name, but Rui introduces himself by his title and source of power 

18:14 – And he can’t help but seek praise for his own contributions 

20:17 – “Were all those heroes yesterday your friends?” “What are you talking about?” Don’t bullshit me . So good. I kind of don’t care if Hajime is too perfect, it’s still fun seeing her kick ass

And Done

Oh man, that was definitely as satisfying as I’d hoped. Hajime not unexpectedly sees both the strengths and failings of Rui’s plan pretty much immediately, and Gatchamen have gone public. And we get a bunch more development of the Sugane-Hajime dynamic, with Sugane finally getting it through his thick skull that Hajime’s easily smarter than the rest of them. I’d say “things will start moving faster now,” but things pretty much always move at top speed in this show. Bring on the next one!

C3-bu – Episode 7

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Alright, C3-bu. You’ve done it. You tricked me with your Gainax pedigree, you tricked me with your well-crafted first episode, and you tricked me with your totally insane fourth one. You’ve strung me along with idle promises for half a season, and you’ve successfully tricked me into just liking you for your own merits.

Goddamnit.

Episode 7

0:36 – Holy shit. Is Yura’s need for acceptance gonna drive her to start juicing with illegally powered-up airsoft guns? 

1:55 – This show certainly plays pretty fast and loose with its tone . Moe bonding to sniper fire in five seconds flat

3:51 – Illegally modified guns? Eren Yura don’t give a shit .

4:27 – Looking for more cake? Well too bad, the school festival is over 

4:50 – Well they’re certainly playing up Rin as the would-be assassin. Which of course means she was just there to protect them from the assassin or something. Unless they’re actually playing this straight, in which case holy shit, the rival just tried to kill those girls

5:11 – I’m glad they actually address her case of almost got hit by a car syndrome , plenty of shows pretty much accept “almost got hit by a car” as cause for a serious injury all on its own

6:36 – Okay, now they’ve already guessed it’s Rin, that pretty much guarantees it’s not her

8:18 – Ah, the classic “pour out your worries to your not-actually-sleeping role model”  maneuver. A genre staple

9:56 – If they keep talking about this studying thing I’m gonna stop believing this is actually a Japanese school 

Alternate joke: “Yeah, studying ass! So… so we can kick it. At the tournament.”

11:13 – And her coup is a success.  In their leader’s name their leader is abandoned. This is some Orwellian shit right here

12:26 – The transformation is complete.  Fun is dead

14:04 – Yesss, Yura.  Forget their petty complaints. It’s all for the greater good!

18:40 – This would all be more impressive  if anime hadn’t already taught me there’s nothing more powerful than a team of little girls

And Done

Wow, Rin’s a dick. Anyway, pretty slow episode today, since aside from that early sniper fire it was basically all slowly showing Yura’s descent to the dark side. Which I guess is necessary for the story, but kinda standard stuff without much flourish, so not the most exciting thing to watch. Next week should be fun, though.

Free! – Episode 6

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Hey gang! Hope you liked last week’s present, cause this week you’re getting NOTHING. That’s right, no cards up my sleeve, no conceits in reserve, I just got off a ten hour shift in my first week back from my two week vacation and I’m sipping this here beer and I’m straight-up gunslinging. Off the cuff, off the chain, no refills, no refunds. Wait, yes refills. Many such. Rei’s out getting himself drowned in the goddamn ocean and Makoto’s drowning under Tragic History and basically everybody’s drowning under the sexual tension of Haru-chan x Water-kun. Enough dilly dallying it’s time for FREE.

Episode 6

0:30 – Urobuchi approves of this plot turn. 

And seriously, I’m beginning to doubt Haru’s philosophy of playing his cards so close to the vest. If Makoto’s the only overtly competent Free!, I don’t know how any of them will get out of this alive

1:11 – Just think, this may very well be the last time .

Also not really sure how his chest is supposed to work, there. Just checked my own chest for reference, and failed to notice any carapace-esque bone structure

That’s right, downgrading from lunatic concept pieces to complaining about unflattering frames of animation. On firetonight!

2:19 – YES. OUR HERO RISES . May or may not be losing my grip on reality here, cause I don’t think I’ll be able to revert to non-Yagami  Haru at this point

2:41 – Just a moment to survey the scene,  but the conclusion is obvious. Rei’s foolish pride, Makoto’s generous heart… dear god, has my tower crumbled so soon?

I can’t help it you guys what is wrong with meee

2:50 – Boys may not go to the restroom together, but Frees sure do 

3:00 – Both dead, of course.  The grief washes over me for a moment, and is swiftly replaced by disappointment. This will surely complicate getting to regionals

3:17 – Water-kun has betrayed Haru-chan . Not sure I can watch this

4:44 – No bullshit here. I’m amazed they’ve shifted from the usual shenanigans to making this scene work , even if genre-awareness means I know Rei and Nagisa were saved by a friendly manatee or something

4:57 – “At least… we’ll always have… the doujins…” 

5:18 – AHAHA oh man trolled so hard . You want that kissu? Too fuckin’ bad 

5:32 – It really is amusing the tropes this show is playing with 

6:32 – Sure, I almost drowned… but more importantly, Makoto seemed really upset . It’s good these guys are keeping their narrative priorities straight

7:01 – Jeez Makoto, freezing up when you see your friend drowning?  What kind of goddamn sissy sad-sack are you?

7:24 – Jesus christ that body.  How old is Makoto again? Well, I guess technically we’re counting in Yoko-years 

7:40 – What is my takeaway supposed to be from this scene?  Is it just latent angry-nerdy-teenagerdom that makes me see all masculine bonding as incredibly sexual?

7:50 – Wow, way to ruin the mood  you goddamn second-string wobble-chests

8:11 – This wishy-washy male bonding shit has gone on long enough . First Makoto propositions him, now everybody’s all touchy-feely about Rei’s feelings… this is bullshit. Haru is laying down the fucking law 

8:37 – This drama is so silly. It’s a good thing nobody’s paying attention to what they’re talking about 

8:46 – 10,000 BDs or bust!  That pause actually made me laugh out loud

9:00 – DID SOMEBODY SAY HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE?!? 

9:27 – Oh thank god someone said something 

10:19 – Great work KyoAni. You are living up to your potential 

10:48 – What is this show. What am I doing with my life 

11:35 – Sure, why not. Aprons for everybody!  Get it all out, Free

12:16 – Wait, how the fuck did they find edible mackerel in an abandoned lighthouse? Goddamnit these plot holes. My suspension of disbelief is lying in tatters

13:41 – I think I’ve only just realized what “like K-On, but with boys”  actually implies. There is no end to this suffering

13:50 – And you thought they’d deny you shouta Rei! 

14:53 – Ohmygod yes HaruxWater CANON MOTHERFUCKERS 

15:37 – Seriously, is this what this genre is actually like?  I hate you. All of you. I hate every single one of you.Damnit KyoAni

17:52 – I like all of this . He wasn’t even that close to the man, but it was still an affecting childhood experience. Not overplayed, but still understandable. Nice work

19:09 – Theirs are the chests that will pierce the heavens. 

Ugh, cheap joke. Gimme a do-over

19:46 – Alright, yes, we’ve bonded.  Great work, team

20:39 – I have to admit he has lovely eyes 

And Done

Jeez, that episode was… pretty dull. Right? Am I right? Seriously, great, fisherman story, we got Makoto’s tragic history out, but… well, as I clearly stated in the user manual, KyoAni’s slice of life stuff bores me to tears. And make no mistake, this episode was slice of life as fuck – bonding moments, sewing circles, lighthearted haunted lighthouses… Goddamn, you guys, this show isn’t pulling any punches. Here’s hoping we make it out of this alive.

The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 6

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Well, last episode was funny and unique and pretty adorable. We now have two goddesses left, with in my opinion the girls from the first and second seasons’ most memorable arcs possibly hosting them. But as long as Keima keeps up his business-time Lelouch impression, I’ll probably be happy whatever this episode does.

Episode 6

1:42 – Shiori’s got some fairly understanding priorities there. Dating other men while crossdressing is pretty much fine, but breaking your promise? 

2:21 – It does somewhat strain credulity to think any of these unrealistically prim high school girls aren’t more worried about the glaring gaps in their memories . Because obviously I watch this show for its grounded narrative consistency

2:26 – Of course Shiori would get the loli goddess 

4:38 – Is Keima just pot committed to crossdressing  at this point? Or does he just feel more comfortable in a skirt now? Whatever dude, just askin’

4:43 – The ultimate betrayal.  Seriously though Shiori, I know that feel – give someone your manuscript and you expect a little goddamn courtesy

5:06 – Shiori’s arguments with herself are awesome . Like Watamote if Tomoko weren’t creepy and hateful

5:40 – Well there’s one explanation. Keima’s finally fuckin’ lost it 

6:27 – Keima timed this out well 

7:32 – Shiori hides in books, is amazed at a system that allows her to avoid human contact while ordering, and considers a good meal the best reason to be alive. This story’s starting to hit a little too close to home…

8:57 – Keima – once the distant and lofty protagonist assisted by the fawning Elsie, now proudly declaring victory in a wig, flanked by the indifferent Haqua . How far he’s come

11:46 – Don’t we all . So this is an episode about storytelling within a show that is itself a satire based on storytelling conventions, apparently

13:18 – “Writing is impossible unless I get a flash of inspiration.” Hate to tell you, Shiori, but writing doesn’t actually work that way

13:51 – Shiori’s sections are a lot of fun . This season has been such a step up from the first two in general

15:41 – Wrong attitude, Shiori . You don’t have to write about yourself, but fiction is inherently narcissistic – if you’re going to push yourself through hundreds of pages and months of editing, you have to believe your thoughts are goddamn fascinating. Don’t give me this self-pitying shit!

16:35 – “Katsuragi-kuuuUuUuuUUuuun!” Her constantly breaking voice is pretty great

20:02 – Hm. Well, Shiori, I admire the effort, but… frankly, I agree with your first instincts. Your life is incredibly boring

20:44 – Oh come on Keima, don’t patronize the poor girl . Can we get a second opinion  here?

And Done

Eh, that was okay. More of a conventional story than Yui’s, and with none of the manic energy of the earlier parts. Shiori’s inner monologue was the standout here, I think – the story’s actual resolution felt kinda bland to me, and too much like one of the routine stories this show is normally about taking apart. But Shiori’s a very fun character to follow, and I still enjoyed this episode. Onward!

Uchouten Kazoku – Episode 6

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I’ll probably be taking it a little easy on this one, since I just finished writing the Shinsekai Yori manifesto and am pretty much done with writing forever at the moment. Anyway. Uchouten Kazoku is the best, and last week’s episode was the best, and hopefully it will continue to be the best. The End.

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Attack on Titan – Episode 18

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So I’ve finally caught up on this show, and I’ve actually been really enjoying it lately. I think this second season has been much faster-paced and more full of interesting developments than the first half, and has been basically doing everything I could have hoped for – broadening the character focus, introducing multiple concurrent conflicts (the traitor, the original squad’s troubles, Eren’s own issues), and consistently adding new ideas. And I’ve got the goddamn words to prove it – if you’re interested, you can see writeups on 16 and 17 here[1] and here[2] . But screw that, I’m up to date. Let’s watch some Titan.

Episode 18

2:47 – That shot of Mikasa acting all stoic and badass always makes me wonder what she would have done if Eren had decided to be a banker or something. Would she just be running the surviving human economy at this point? I guess maybe she could do her own thing if Eren weren’t so goddamn intent on getting himself killed

2:56 – Titan is Serious Business[3]   Sorry, sorry. Sorry.

4:07 – I really think the show needs a balance between Titans as immediate obstacles and Titans as source of constant, invisible threat[4]  . I think this setup provides for a much more even horror/action mix than Trost did

4:16 – Man, Jean can get down on himself about anything[5]  , huh?

4:53 – Another war story staple.[6]   “We survived the battle, what justice is there in cold/starvation/lack of medical treatment killing us?” I’m not knocking it – knowing what sources to draw on is a key part of storytelling, and this is a good call for this kind of story

6:56 – Though this war has taken all else, moe must not die[7]  

7:17 – Moe was saved. The sun shines upon this day[8]  

7:26 – This show really is pretty funny[9]  . I think I actually love stupid jokes as long as they’re incredibly inappropriate to the tone and really stupid

9:31 – I like this.[10]   After all the chaos of the last episode, just letting us see it from Eren’s incredibly limited, claustrophobic perspective

10:09 – A nice demonstration of how much better[11]   the recon team is than the rookies we’ve seen so far. That gear is quite the superpower

12:33 – Recon team: not the best at naming things[12]  

14:09 – One of these days, Armin is gonna figure these things out[13]  

17:03 – Half-off sale at Macys you guys[14]  

17:27 – Awesome.[15]   Not only is this much more practical “intelligence” than most allegedly intelligent characters, it’s also my first rule of worthwhile criticism – assume the people making decisions aren’t complete idiots, and make deductions from there

18:24 – “Lol 2deep4u shit… wait… oh my god[16]  ”

Man, I’m being a dick tonight, huh? Apologies, I hit the bottle a little early

18:50 – And then the show provides its own counter-meme[17]  

19:44 – These titans[18]  . Reiner is not amused

I do like this strategy, though. They can use the trees to basically create a fence of titan-bait with the outlying soldiers, and reduce the fight to the best soldiers versus the female titan in the most fortuitous possible environment. I approve

And Done

Oh man, those fuckers. They dragged out that last moment there, but the female titan’s reentry was top-notch action drama. I think this episode was a bit of a step down from the previous one, but it was still exciting and propulsive – no true standout moments like the female titan’s introduction, but a lot of fun action and back-and-forth between the members of the various squads. They’ve probably got another couple episodes of sweet drama to draw from this female titan, as long as they keep shifting up the variables (like this episode’s wider squad focus and introduction of the forest, as compared to last episode’s more personal focus and introduction of the female titan). I’m still having a lot of fun with this second half. Here’s hoping they keep it up

Attack on Titan – Episode 17

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Episode 17

3:04 – This show does have some lovely backgrounds

3:48 – Solid stuff. This show is always at its best when it’s riding on action momentum

4:46 – “Don’t pee your pants!” “You too!” Goddamnit Armin he was making… never mind. Forget it. It’s just Jean being tsun again

4:59 – Okay, this is exactly the kind of shit I was hoping this show would be about

6:26 – “Thus the column can proceed without encountering titans.” Interesting. I guess the commander uses the trails to gauge where specifically the first signal came from, in case he doesn’t catch the original trail? That would make the “if you see a flare, fire as well” make sense – I assume there are more specifics to this system they’re just not explaining, otherwise I assume everyone would fire a flare as a domino effect any time a titan is sighted

7:02 – Fuckin’ sweet sequence. Titans are much scarier when it’s one horrible creature chasing a person you know, and not a wave of monsters killing a wave of faceless victims. Plus, the fact that we’ve had some breathing room helps greatly – Trost resulted in massive titan fatigue for me, with any single threat just becoming meaningless by the end

8:10 – It was an interesting choice, making the abnormals seem souncomfortable with their bodies. Definitely heightens how “wrong” they’re supposed to seem

8:49 – Wow, this job sucks. No wonder they lose so many goddamn recon troups

9:40 – This sequence is excellent, and honestly one of the first examples of truly good direction I’ve seen in this series. The whole sequence builds that “wait, something’s not right here” feeling in the best possible way – Armin’s expression, the slow pan as the sergeant gets back on his horse into the Titan in the distance, the soldiers grimly but stoically resolving to kill this one as well. All the momentum up till now has been cut out, as this scene is neither an extended Titan fight nor a series of jump-cuts as before – the very fact that they’re lingering this long on the introduction of one more titan implies something horrible is about to happen. Really, really nice

11:23 – Didn’t really want to pause for screencaps, because that whole sequence was fantastic. Great introduction, the music perfectly nailed that kind of off-kilter horror film vibe, and Armin is far more compelling to watch now that he has some confidence and resolve. It was also an action setpiece that efficiently pushed the narrative forward – the scene was visually compelling, but Armin took the time to push the dots from “Eren can become a titan and act intelligently -> that makes it likely that the other unique titans are similar -> that means they are humans as well -> what do they want,” which is ahuge progression in narrative for a show that’s so far been so miserly in its plot progression. This show is looking up!

12:20 – I mean, it looks like Annie, right? Am I supposed to think that?

12:24 – Okay, that was obviously titan-perspective, so it apparently recognized him specifically and then decided not to splat him

16:10 – Jean’s toughened up quite a bit. Not much else to say here. This exposition is fine, since it’s actually conveying necessary information, and this feels like the first time Armin’s actually demonstrated real intelligence, and not just “shounen smart one”-level intelligence. It’s not graceful, but it’s fine

16:37 – Yeah seriously though

16:47 – Okay, getting a little on-the-nose here. Goddamn is this show bad at character development

17:43 – Holy shit Armin realized Jean was insulting him

18:51 – And the show straight-up admits those two are OP as fuck

21:16 – Holy shit Reiner’s dead! Well, fuck! Two down, eight left…

21:26 – Nevermind Reiner’s fine fuck you Titan

And Done

That was an excellent episode. Some fun tactical stuff, some nice bits of direction, and several good action setpieces. I had my complaints too, but I always have some complaints with this show, and as long as it keeps up momentum in both narrative and individual scenes, any issues I have with characterization or storytelling are minimized. Those things have never been what this show does well, and when it doesfocus on what it does well (and especially when the direction gets careful), it is a damn entertaining spectacle. Definitely one of the best episodes of the series