Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 1

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Well, the art looks stylish. That’s a good enough reason to check out a show, right?

Episode 1

0:24 – Aaand… whaddayaknow, the art looks stylish in motion too. Only actual expectation = confirmed

1:21 – “Target is on the move.” On the one hand, I love it when shows just drop you into their world with no explanation, expecting you to pick up the pieces. On the other hand, “it is as stated in the prophecy” is probably the single line most likely to make me drop a show

2:19 – The hair, eyes, and lush color palette all remind me of Katanagatari, which I just finished and is probably the best thing a show could hope to remind me of at the moment

3:55 – “Gatcha gatcha gatcha…” So our protagonist is Osaka? 

5:56 – “So I guess you just pulled a notebook out of my chest. Hey, can I keep this?” I very much appreciate how few fucks this protagonist gives. If we’ve gotta get through this rote genre setup stuff, it’s nice to not be slowed down by “That’s impossible!” and “How is this happening?!?”

7:07 – “Gatchamaaaaaan!” This song is awesome. As is that bad guy design

8:07 – “I think I somehow became a Gatchaman today. Nice to meet you!” Still loving this protagonist’s attitude. Kinda reminds me of Saki, except this show might actually be good 

8:22 – And now she’s actually singing the theme song that apparently she also heard. Actually kind of already in love

9:43 – Goddamn does that OP have style. Style seems to be the name of the game here; style, confidence, and a refreshing lack of self-seriousness

9:53 – I like that he just carries his sword around even at school

10:27 – She really is making a strong argument for best MC 

10:47 – Again, we know how this work, the show knows how this works, it’s not gonna bother taking itself all that seriously. “Time to visit our secret base.” “Seriously? Sweet!” Normally I use self-insert as a negative term, but this MC’s unflappability and glee over being dropped into a superhero genre piece clearly puts her on the audience’s side in a good way

11:12 – “That’s the last we’ll see of your antics.” I seriously, deeply doubt that. I also like that he’s chastising her for not being more of a cliche – the fun these creators are having with this derpy mythos is both apparent and infectious

11:58 – I like the guy just posing melodramatically  in the background

13:39 – “The note is our soul? SWEET! SUPER COOL!” Seriously, Sayaka, it’s not a big fuckin’ deal

15:24 – It’s nice that they’re getting all this silly exposition out of the way so efficiently (which, again, is helped by our MC being so perfect). It makes me wonder where they’re actually going with this series, since the pacing here is so snappy

18:03 – #1 at silly poses 

20:40 – These songs are all great

And Done

Oh man, that was so much fun! The MC had about as much respect for this genre nonsense as I do, and they just totally rolled with it, barreling forward on energy and style and utter lack of respect for the proclaimed seriousness of this made-up situation. Tons of energy, great visual flair, and I couldn’t ask for a more fun character to build such a series around. This show was entirely a wildcard, but it could very well be my third tentpole series of the season

C3-bu – Episode 2

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Can you keep it together, Gainax? That first episode kinda came out nowhere – apparently the source material was pretty much a more overtly yuri K-On, so you’re clearly pulling all the weight in this relationship. The direction and animation were top-notch last week, but whether that actually results in a coherent story or just a series of things that happen remains to be seen.

Episode 2

0:45 – Welp, they’re keeping up that distinctive jazzy soundtrack, at least. I approve of that, even if I’m less sold on that old “nudity-kyaaaaaa-pan to building” chestnut

1:22 – It’s weird that they use this standard J-pop OP instead of something shows off their actually unique soundtrack

2:47 – SHE IS INESCAPABLE

3:35 – They’re doing very well making our protagonist actually realistically awkward. Instead of saying actively abnormal things, she just digs for the most mundane possible questions and doesn’t really understand the flow of followup questions

4:13 – Wait, we’re seriously getting a rice ball flashback now? They’re really going that deep on this silly joke? I’m… kind of impressed

4:37 – Trimming bonsai with an airsoft gun. This I can get behind

5:05 – “Hold it without molding it.” Yes. Obviously rice balls are the spiritual core of airsoftmanship

5:22 – “Did she master this all on her own? Was she trained?!?” I love these moments where they directly parody one of the genres they’re bouncing between, be it sports shows or cute-girls-doing-cute-things ones

14:04 – I hope we keep getting new battle setups every episode. The formula seems pretty solid here – two thirds of wacky school shenanigans that slowly move the plot forward, one-third of setup and battle. It’s rote, but this show is clearly just trying to be well-paced and entertaining, so it works

18:09 – I love their campy film parodies. I hope they lean harder on that stuff going forward

19:27 – And blondie flips off the ceiling. I guess they’re just superheroes now

20:18 – “Call me Sono.” They’re leaning on the tension between these two pretty hard. Which is totally cool, if it’s actually done well and not used for cheap jokes or But That’s Forbidden Love nonsense

And Done

Still pretty good. I think the first part of this one dragged a bit because they didn’t really have much actual plot to get through, but the battle and fantasy sequences were still solid. The ending basically implied our MC joined the club specifically because she’s got a crush on Kanbaru, so I hope they don’t just go nowhere with that. Otherwise, it’s not GuP-level, but it’s still pretty good popcorn all around.

Free! – Episode 2

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God damn. Last season was rough on me, guys. I started out covering six shows and ultimately dropped to four, but even that was an insane project. So I set some ground rules this season: no covering comedies, no covering any shows that don’t provide their own material, and NO FUCKING CRIME EDGE. And by Crime Edge, I mean any show where the material itself is basically non-existent, and I’m instead doing my own comedy routine.

But here I am. Covering Free! A show that has displayed essentially zero intellectual merit whatsoever, and seems designed to be as semi-intentionally funny of a rote genre exercise as possible. A show whose biggest claim to fame is fetishizing the gender KyoAni isn’t traditionally known for fetishizing.

And to make things even worse, this shit plays on Wednesday night. Last week was a holiday, so I was perfectly within my rights, or possibly even obligated, to get considerably drunk. I can’t do that every week. I have work tomorrow you fuckers.

But, I mean, KyoAni are super talented. Their animation is always top-notch, obviously, but even their storytelling is good when they feel like having good storytelling. And Chuunibyou proved they can even be intentionally funny (again, if they feel like it). So let’s do this.

Episode 2

0:00 – Okay. This is good. I got this. Sure, following Crime Edge Wednesdays up with Free Wednesdays might be more or less turning me into an alcoholic, but sometimes you just gotta take one for the team and sabotage your mental and physical health to entertain a few anonymous strangers on the internet. Roll with the punches.

0:12 – Dat dubstep. Dose mucles. Why was I worried?

0:21 – “And you’re as cold as ever. You really piss me off.” If gay tsunderes are the herald of that cliché archetype’s end, so be it

0:47 – “Rin has a stronger kick – but Haru’s stroke is stronger!” See, I was wondering about this. If this truly is going to be a sports anime, how are they gonna get around the fact that swimming is like the least interesting sport imaginable? There’s no interaction whatsoever, you’re just racing the clock and hoping your training and technique makes you move in a straight line a little bit faster than the other guy. Where’s the dramatic turns and shocking turnarounds in that?

Granted, if Chihayafuru made freaking karuta compelling, I guess swimming should be no problem…

2:30 – And they cut from the beginning of the battle to Rin pensively staring up at his bedroom ceiling. As if the countless thematic parallels to Evangelion weren’t already abundantly clear

2:40 – Oh wow, he lost? Jeez, so much for the Australian swimming gulag.

2:46 – Yeah, that’s not exploitable at all 

3:53 – It is incredibly strange seeing that KyoAni archetype staple  being applied to a male character. Normally the non-threatening male accomplice is obsessed with girls while only existing as full comic relief (Sunohara, Isshiki, even Kyon’s old friends from Haruhi), but this guy is adopting a role normally filled by one of the female characters. It’s interesting to see the ways their clearly well-established and formulaic (in scenario structure, not plot development) system maps itself to something like this

4:42 – Gou led Rin to the pool? So she’s essentially playing matchmaker for her brother and his childhood friend. This plot is developing fast!

5:00 – “Let’s start a swim club!” KyoAni mantaining a perfect batting average on school-club-centric anime

I need another beer and another bingo card

5:05 – “Let’s ask Haru!” And of course he’s just waiting in his bath

5:16 – Wow.  That’s actually an awesome gag – him being basically naked as per the usual, then one beat with the character who’s maybe a little uncomfortable about Haru-chan’s unstoppable Free!

5:58 – WHAT. WHY IS HE WEARING A SHIRT UNDER THE APRON?

6:45 – “He came back every New Year, but never told us?” Haru grimaces, but says nothing. He keeps the pain tucked deep inside

7:36 – “And Haru-chan can be the vice president!” Wow, Haru-chan is such a natural vice president it’s scary

8:39 – “We heard you had a job that involved swimsuits.” Oh man, Genki’s got a sly side. I like it

9:11 – “Traps and pecs everywhere!” Goddamnit Gou, keep it in your pants. This is hard on all of us

9:58 – “There’s nobody named Matsuoka on the swim team.” Oh shit, the plot thickens! And becomes less wholly predictable, which I am so completely in favor of

10:44 – “You’re not allowed to run away.”  KyoAni’s sense of visual comedy and comedic timing is definitely one of their saving graces. It doesn’t make their SoL’s watchable for me, but it’s apparent in all their shows

11:10 – Oh my god are we seriously getting a Let’s Clean The Pool synth montage? Goddamnit Free

11:16 – Haru-chan you have a serious problem 

11:21 – This poster is actually amazing 

13:01 – Haru-chan you have a number  of serious problems 

15:00 – “Damn! I can’t shake him!” I’d guess that’s because you’re both going in straight lines in the same direction. Because, you know, this is competitive swimming

15:36 – “I’ve felt it before… this sensation.” Oshit Haru’s about to unleash his final form

17:15 – “Please let me join!” Yes! I am all in favor of more screentime for KyoAni’s new, less chipmunk-based female characters

18:01 – You know what else is great? Seeing these characters don’t live in a school club vacuum 

20:10 – “That’s why he quit swimming. He hurt Rin.” Seriously? Is this degree of emotional oversensitivity attractive? Because c’mon, Rin’s ego is clearly made of glass here – I don’t think Haru giving up the one thing he loves because Rin can’t lose gracefully is the sign of a nurturing male figure.

20:27 – Goddamnit KyoAni, you and your breathtaking background work 

20:47 – “I’m n-n-not doing this to swim with you guys or anything!” It’s okay Rin, we believe you

22:?? – There is no escape 

And Done

This show is very silly, you guys. Extremely silly. I just want you to know that.

See you next week.

Watamote – Episode 1

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I don’t think I’ll be covering this. Christ, I don’t think I could be covering this – cringe humor makes my teeth hurt, and comedies generally have a hard time impressing me in the first place. But the buzz is going in the right direction and it’s kind of our version of Event Television, so I’ll at least be checking it out. Plus, it kind of amuses me to think that this is OreImo as a blunt satire instead of a wish fulfillment fantasy. Not that I’m expecting this to compete with Welcome to the NHK or OreGairu or anything, but… well, we could always use more of that genre. And I’ll also try to avoid unfairly comparing it to OreGairu, which I’ll admit is made slightly difficult by the fact that I still think OreGairu deserves more credit and apparently zero other critics actually got the intent of that show and seriously do I have to explain the very concept of an unreliable narrator and Okay maybe getting off topic here a little bit but

Anyway.

Let’s get to it.

Episode 1

2:46 – This VA is pretty perfectly chosen. Her voice sounds… scruffy

3:01 – Also, this OP is so perfectly EveryxTragicxHighxSchooler it’s kinda scary. Great choices so far

3:55 – I’m also just always in favor of meta-jokes that don’t have to explain themselves, like that OP. Though I guess this entire show is inside her head, so there never really is gonna be a straight man to tell her how ridiculous she is. Which is probably one of the core differences between this and OreGairu, in that Ore wanted you to empathize with their position by having it explained and then shaken, while this will probably be more concerned with either cringing or pointing and laughing

But again, the very existence of so many totally unironic shows proves that OP’s point is a very relevant one

6:22 – “Can’t this school be occupied by terrorists?” Man, she’s like the very worst of my most adolescent thoughts all rolled into one continuous wave of vile awkwardness (well, I didn’t wish terrorists upon my classmates, but still)

7:43 – “Well, I can talk normally with my mother…” This is actually pretty frank stuff. Was it really us that got this show produced? Good job, us. We need more of this

10:43 – Hey, anime? This Death Note thing is how you do a parody. You don’t just mention another show, you fit in an element of that show where it’s both relevant and highlights the absurdity of the source material. I just… I wasn’t sure you were aware of that

Granted, it also helps that Death Note was directed by Japanese Michael Bay…

11:22 – Is there a single person in the known universe who actually finds duckface attractive? WHY DO PEOPLE DO THAT?

12:59 – “You wanted me for something, right?” “Converse with me.”

Comedic timing and direction are both nailing it – this show is really killing my expectations. Apparently they’ll be using her brother as the straight man, which is all kinds of amusing

13:07 – “So talk with me an hour each day for rehab!” Oh come on Watamote. No audience would put up with such a contrived device as that

16:57 – “While I’m on a roll…” Oh god, she’s doing so just-short-of-normal. What horrible thing is going to happen to her?

More props to this VA, by the way, she’s doing a lot of work here

17:36 – “A place like this where everyone’s worse off than me isn’t so bad.” Must… shake… her…

19:35 – OH GOD HERE IT IS CLASSMATES PANIC PANIC

And Done

That was remarkably better than I expected! I think stringing the various skits into a full narrative/day made it seem a little less mean-spirited, though obviously our protagonist is a sad little brat. But a lot of the jokes landed, the overall satire is very sharp and true, and the direction was surprisingly excellent. I’m on board.

Uchouten Kazoku – Episode 1

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I’m actually very excited for this one. The director’s pretty untested, but the source is the original writer of Tatami Galaxy, and the series composition is being handled by someone who wrote scripts for Serei no Moribito and GitS: SAC, along with handling series composition on a fun little show called OreGairu. That’s a goddamn dream team as far as I’m concerned, and easily qualifies this show as the only one likely to wrestle with Monogatari for the “most artistically compelling” award this season. I really hope it does – Free! seems like it’s going to be the silliest possible version of itself, and Danganronpa’s first episode disappointed me, so I’m hungry for another show to really sink my critical teeth into. The PV was also vibrant and stylish, though the synopsis tells me virtually nothing. That’s fine. I’m ready to be surprised.

Continue reading →

Sunday Without God – Episode 1

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Let’s watch derpy anime: Sunday hangover edition. This PV and synopsis looked extremely Crime Edge to me, which I am comfortable with. I won’t be covering this one (if anything, this season’s comedy writeup will be Free!, though that show’s joke might be very killable if I overdo it), but basically everybody is getting a first episode writeup because fuck the police. Let’s DO IT.

Episode 1

0:17 – Oh no, our village is under attack by the Dark Flame Master

Very pretty, though

1:27 – One minute in and we already have a “lolis kicked” count. I like where this is going

2:07 – “Good luck getting over your mother’s death. By the way, from now on you’ll be burying people for a living”

4:12 – Does that shovel actually have a scoop side, or is it just a spear? How do shovel work

5:58 – Heaven too crowded, so the dead no longer die? That’s a kinda neat premise

6:42 – And the gravekeeper thing could actually lead to some ideas about mortality and the value of life. Not that I think this isn’t just a flavorful shell for a standard battle/fantasy thriller thing (that OP really seemed to lean in that direction), but it could go places

I generally dislike these “start with the ending then rewind and lead back up to that moment” intros, though. Not much suspense when we know exactly where this is going; now I just want them to get on with it

7:17 – “Please do not feed the gravekeepers.” This is pretty funny stuff. The self-serious tone before helped the “alright, be dignified”-“here, have some candy” 1-2 punch land. Having a decent sense of humor seems like one of the hardest things for an anime to pull off, so this is a good sign

13:48 – Wow, they actually acknowledge how ridiculous her father’s name is

14:48 – “We were fated to meet!” “You have no intention of holding a conversation with me, do you?” Of all the things I expected from this show, it having an actually well-articulated sense of humor was pretty low on the list. Pretty impressed

18:00 – Huh! I thought that whole sequence was pretty well done – particularly the ways they hid while actually highlighting the man’s injury, culminating in that grotesque attempt to cover it with his hood. Also nice to see them actually using the “people don’t die anymore” in an unsettling way.

23:07 – Oh god dat Engrish ED make it stawp

And Done

That wasn’t bad! I liked the humorous parts, I liked the background design, and the world could maybe have an actual point to it. The tall dark stranger’s outfit and shtick were about as cliché as they come, and it doesn’t have Crime Edge’s signature weirdness, but it could turn out to be actually good, if the snappy humor keeps up and the plot goes somewhere interesting. Sunday Without God survives the first pass!

Monagatari S2 – Episode 1

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Ah, Monogatari.

After two seasons, three additional episodes, and a film, I’m still kinda not sure how I feel about this series. I mean, it’s got a lot going for it, to be sure. The direction is always distinctive and occasionally pretty brilliant. The writing is uniquely Isin-ish and occasionally focused. It arguably has a lot to say, even if it sometimes feels like Shinbou’s weird brand of feminism is directly competing with Isin’s strange form of sexism (or vice versa). It’s basically the opposite of a show like Madoka, where everything works together towards a single focused goal – in Monogatari there is rarely narrative focus or anything resembling pacing, ideas bounce all over the place, and it will twist and turn in whatever directions it wishes, focusing one episode on a single joke extended way too far and another on the fundamental nature of family and human connection. It also indulges both these very driven creators in some of their worst instincts – Isin in his tendency towards losing character in favor of his own self-indulgent voice, and Shinbou in his tendency to make the direction itself the point (which, admittedly, sometimes works to actually counteract the Isin problems – I’d probably like Nise a whole lot less if Shinbou were playing it straight). It’s strange. It’s unique. It’s sometimes problematic, sometimes pretty subversively progressive. It’s Monogatari.

Episode 1

0:35 – HANEKAWA’S THE NARRATOR THIS ARC? Wow. Fantastic. Couldn’t have asked for a better choice

1:20 – “This is a story of betrayal for you to all be disappointed in me.” Hanekawa has often come across as a superhuman cypher, which, while extremely true to Araragi’s perception of her, isn’t really helpful as characterization. I’m very happy to see an arc from her perspective. (Incidentally, this is also why Senjougahara isn’t normally that interesting to me – Araragi’s skewed, idealized perspective of her makes for awesome unreliable narration, but much less coherent humanization)

3:32 – I love how people unfamiliar with anime claim it all somehow looks similar. There is no goddamn way you could confuse a Monogatari series with any other series – its visual style is so freaking distinctive. That clean, shining, almost clinical look, the incredibly flat color contrasts, the overbearing brightness of day and overbearing gloom of night. It’s (intentionally) staged like an elaborate but un-lived-in theatrical stage, a decision that perfectly accompanies the hyper-stylized dialogue and extended, monologue-focused scenes that drive the story forward. I have a number of complaints with this series, but goddamn do we ever need more productions this committed to their unique aesthetic

4:01 – “I finished breakfast, changed clothes, and left the house immediately.” I like how instead of Araragi’s elaborate over-explanations of everything physically occurring, Hanekawa’s text frames are extremely matter-of-fact bullet points of her day

7:00 – Goddamn Shinbou you are so good. I can’t really stop and point out every great thing he does, but this tiger scene definitely draws attention to itself that way. The quick jump cuts between her nervous ticks and panicked thoughts underlined by her breathing really trap the viewer in the claustrophobia of the moment

9:00 – Senjougahara advices Hanekawa to overcome her hesitance and call Araragi, but her eyes jump constantly from Hanekawa’s lips, to legs, to skirt, etc. She is terrified of their relationship, but her words would never betray that

9:10 – Hah! Then Hanekawa tries to make eye contact, and sees it all. I thought Neko Kuro was kind of a step down for this series, but this episode is putting its best foot forward

10:27 – “I can die together with you, at least.” A private joke? How much did Araragi actually tell her about Golden Week?

11:24 – “I’m probably completely unable to ask for help from another person.” Oh really, Hanekawa? I wouldn’t have guessed

12:10 – “It was like I was trying to strike out all the contradictions. This was very like me.” Reordering perspective to make her life liveable seems like a pretty persistent theme of Hanekawa’s stories. Fits nicely with the opening shot of a vacuum automatically cleaning up the stray loose ends of her home life, until it bumps right into her and forces her awake

12:39 – “Did I just skip a chapter? Oh well.” Speaking of erasing unwanted loose ends… yeah, that’s probably not gonna come up again

14:36 – “You don’t have to call people like that Mother and Father, do you?” Senjougahara is pretty goddamn over paying lip service to traditional family definitions. Hanekawa could learn something from her

15:45 – I like how they contrast “I now see that what I did was crazy, I wasn’t thinking it through” against a pan across all the clothes and materials she had prepared precisely because she’d thought it through, and given the fact that asking anyone for help was utterly impossible, this course of action seemed perfectly reasonable

16:26 – Staying at Senjougahara’s house. Oh god, I’ve heard about this. Hopefully Shinbou’s steady hand will steer Isin’s overtly fetishistic nonsense into something purposeful

17:00 – “Almost feels like my home.” In that it’s barely one at all?

17:49 – Aaaand clothes off. You could say this scene is Senjougahara asserting that she’s not intimidated by Hanekawa’s sexuality, but I dunno if I’d buy it

19:20 – “Let’s take a shower together.” See, it’s so far beyond normal it feels like it has to mean something, but Isin is such a goddamn perv it could just be his boner talking. But he’s also such a gifted writer that it could also be Senjougahara trying to counteract both the vulnerability she felt in her first scene here and the necessary admission of their relationship (or at least Hanekawa’s importance to Araragi) that this whole letting-her-stay thing implies, by way of making a big aggressive front of not being intimidated by Hanekawa physically. Which would certainly fit in with Senjougahara’s big, defensive, often ill-thought-through gestures in the past. Which makes me think the camera here is Senjougahara’s intent being shown, as she metaphorically growls and gnashes her teeth at the threat Hanekawa represents

19:30 – “No, wait a minute! I sense a threatening atmosphere.” Oh good. I was right. I really prefer shows impressing me to shows disappointing me

20:30 – “I didn’t expect you to say yes.” “It won’t look good if I distance myself from the girl who slapped me while she was crying.” A BATTLE FOR THE AGES. It’s funny that this is essentially no different from characters fighting over a man in a normal harem, but, you know, not written by idiots

21:47 – “But that means we have to handle the tiger here by ourselves.” PLEASE YES. SENJOUGAHARA AND HANEKAWA, SPIRIT-FIGHTING DETECTIVES

One sign of a good show: it’s just as compelling when the main character isn’t even there

And Done

Bam! Strong showing right out the gates by Monogatari. This episode was certainly very, well, very Monogatari, and featured a clear return to the focused direction I was so enamored of in Nise. Making Hanekawa the protagonist was also an awesome choice – Araragi’s dominant position in this world can be almost overbearing, and it’s nice to see how the character dynamics work in his absence. The pair of Senjou and Hanekawa in particular is fantastic – the way their rivalry expresses itself, through Senjougahara’s brittle and barely-hidden insecurity and Hanekawa’s offhand, absolute confidence, makes for funny and utterly true-to-character drama and conversation. The minutes kind of flew by with this one – it seemed to combine the sharper narrative focus of Neko with the ostentatiously intelligent direction of Nise. If it keeps up like this, it could easily be my favorite Monogatari yet.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou – Episode 1

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Full disclosure: I’m mainly just checking this out to be thorough.

Points in favor:

PV had plenty of visual style.

Anime-originals generally get to have more focused and purposeful production/stories.

Madoka also hid its goals in its advertising.

Points again:

PV still looks pretty standard magical-girl-ish.

Madoka was a collaboration between Gen Urobuchi and Akiyuki Shinbou. This is a collaboration between the series composer of Ro-Kyu-Bu and… well, the director of Ro-Kyu-Bu. And Dog Days. And Sekirei. Sure, Nanoha’s in there too, but… seriously. Ro-Kyu-Bu.

So yeah, not holding out for much here. But I’d love to be surprised – and it’s not like there isn’t precedent for it. I think C3-bu was even lower on my expectations list, and that’s the show that’s most impressed me so far this season. So let’s give this thing a shot.

Episode 1

0:59 – Alright, so that “I’m late-must help pregnant woman-I forgot I was late” is efficient if obvious characterization, and I like the character’s coherent visual theme.

2:42 – Pretty standard OP, but again the purposeful, stylized designs and really dynamic color palette are both good signs

3:33 – Tarot’s a pretty distinctive and well-established system to base magical rules on. If battles are actually going to have dramatic weight for reasons beyond thematic ones (unlike Madoka), an established system of rules will be necessary, and tarot seems like as good a system as any

4:36 – I like the contrast between these fortune teller’s distinctive and kinda wacky character designs and their laid-back conversation. I’m liking a lot here visually, actually

6:18 – “There’s no doubt. The Wheel of Fortune has started moving.” Bleh. Dumb anime and their dark mystery-conspiracies that all end up the same

9:11 – Avoiding mention of her hobby, declining to have her fortune read… that Fuyuna must be into some serious shit

10:40 – They laugh at your academic focus now, Fuyuna, but that tarot bubble will be popping any day now. Soon the last laugh will be yours

11:51 – “If I thought about all the positive and negative consequences before I started, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. And I’m not gifted, so this is the best I can do for people.” Surprisingly grounded perspective for a fortune teller

12:15 – Is this seriously going to be the third show in two seasons with scissors as a weapon? What is going on over there, Japan?

12:41 – “You’re always so bright like the sun.” Her visual motif is so obvious even in-universe characters notice it

13:14 – I GUESS YOU DIDN’T PREDICT THAT TRUCK, DID YOU?!?

13:40 – “The tower! Misfortune and trouble!” “But depending on how you look at it, you could rise above it and start something new!” Oh really, you can interpret any result in either a positive or negative direction, and it could basically mean anything at all? I guess fortune telling is kinda tricky like that

Man, mocking fortune telling… I am REALLY going for the low-hanging fruit today…

14:30 – Those screen distortion tricks are pretty neat

17:11 – Holy shit! A body count already?

18:05 – And then she’s just erased? That’s even worse. Goddamn, show!

18:44 – Ahaha and now they burn the building down. Obviously

21:04 – Well, they certainly didn’t waste any time introducing the whole magical girl team

And Done

Well… hm. I liked the visual design throughout, and I’m sort of interested in that whole erasing-her-cousin thing, but that’s about all that’s grabbed me so far. The plot itself looks pretty standard, and I’ve had enough of generic dark prophecies to last me a lifetime. I don’t really find magical girl shows interesting just because they’re “dark” (I mean, aren’t there plenty of shows like that? Madoka wasn’t good because it was dark, it was good because every element of its production was fantastic), and while this show didn’t confirm my worst suspicions, it also didn’t rise to the point where I feel that compelled to push onward. I think I’ll probably hold off and see what the buzz is like in a couple episodes.

Danganronpa – Episode 1

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Dear god you guys it’s Dangan Ronpa. You don’t even know. We are in for some crazy, hilarious shit.

I’ve discussed adaptations before, but I think this game might just overcome the usual hurdles – mainly by virtue of basically already being an anime that you had to keep clicking on to continue. The game (well, at least what I read of it) had a very distinctive visual aesthetic, a fantastic soundtrack, a stellar and intensely wacky cast of characters, great wit, campy self-awareness, and a propulsive storyline. This director doesn’t have a particularly impressive resume (his main credits being some comedies, a couple poorly-received videogame adaptations, and Angel Beats), but honestly, this game kind of adapts itself. A little directorial flare would certainly help, but the material should carry us.

Let’s get to work.

Episode 1

1:10 – And there are those aesthetic strengths immediately showing themselves – the unique, demented soundtrack, the distinctive, stylized hyper-2d visual design. This should be a fun ride

1:50 – “I only got in by sheer dumb luck.” I never trust a statement like that! Not that I actually know whether or not he’s significant, but if a main character downplays their connection to the central narrative, it’s a pretty decent bet the show just wants to make a reveal of it

4:29 – Well, I guess maybe they don’t have time to actually gracefully articulate everyone’s title, but these freeze-frames really aren’t doing it for me. I guess you’re not really supposed to be totally invested in the characters, but highlighting the videogame roots just increases the disconnect for me. I don’t want to watch a videogame, I want to watch a show. It’s a style choice, but not one I agree with

5:10 – Also weird is the fact that all of them are standing in the same direction facing the MC while they discuss matters between themselves, like… well, like a videogame. I said this work wouldn’t require that much adaptation, but the director could at least try

6:26 – “Do you plan on flirting all day?” Togami immediately takes charge. #1 Glasses Pusher 2013

9:34 – “Only students who have killed someone can live.” I love how quickly and offhandedly the show sets up its demented conceit. Battle Royale did the same thing (in the film at least, which I thought was fairly superior to both book and manga) – don’t linger on this stuff, we’ve already suspended our disbelief that much, and it’s not what we’re here for

13:18 – Dat soundtrack. Dose classy stills. This director seems about as hackish as expected, but the game’s got so much style it’s covering the lack of flare pretty well. Still makes me annoyed we don’t get to see what a Shinbo or whoever could do with material this style-driven

19:22 – They’re burning through material very efficiently here. I’ve been railing on the director, but the series composition seems quite strong – this episode is essentially one long infodump, but they’re pacing it well and bouncing the characters off each other to both add a little conflict and establish their personalities in the most efficient strokes possible, which is pretty damn important with a cast this large

20:24 – “I have to say that for an entitled generation…” They’re really hammering in the Battle Royale parallels, aren’t they?

And Done

Well, that was… fine. Honestly, it’s kinda disappointing to see this being so carried by the energy of the original – choices that worked well in the videogame format come off as kinda hollow here, and the direction is at best serviceable and at worst distractingly inept. I know the game itself rides on style too, and doesn’t expect you to take its characters all that seriously, but making this adaptation so overtly arcade-y definitely hurts any potential investment. The soundtrack is still obviously great, and it’s definitely going to pick up speed in the episodes ahead… but I would really, really have preferred it if this adaptation took a couple more risks. Maybe tightening the focus and not being stuck up on giving every single character their requisite number of lines would have done it, or something… the fact that full conversations have been condensed to only the necessary text means the characters come across as even more tropey than in the game, so if this show wants me to care about it, it’s gonna have to do something to make up for that lack.

Anyway. Hopefully the episodes ahead get a little more room to breathe, and the direction opens up to allow for a little mood development instead of just beat->beat->beat. We’ll see.

Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu – Episode 1

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Welp, Danganronpa subs still aren’t out, so I guess I’m watching Gainax bet whatever portion of their reputation remains on cute girls doing airsoft things. If this ends up being Girls und Panzer-esque (in that it isn’t just random moe nonsense, it’s actually a well-paced and self-aware sports drama or something), I will be ecstatic. But I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping my initial expectations somewhat low.

C’mon Gainax, you can do this. You mustn’t run away.

Episode 1

1:20 – Well, we’ve gotten up the steps. Progress

2:30 – Damn she’s awkward. I feel that cringe.

5:14 – Well, this OP is Panzer as fuck, and clearly emphasizes the action element over the derping teatime element. The show has added another three minutes to its drop clock, and will almost certainly outlive Servant x Service (that one survived about 11 minutes)

6:42 – And the current club members all seem to have both strong personalities and a powerful streak of insanity. Add three more minutes to the clock!

7:58 – And now they’re daydreaming about assaulting the student body with mock firearms. I think we’re getting somewhere!

9:12 – Rambo reenactments: moe as fuck

9:46 – Noooo, don’t bring out the cake! We were doing so well

10:07 – “They just drink tea and do nothing actually club-related.” What subtle jabs, Gainax

11:26 – “It goes Bam and everyone goes Woooo!” It’s kinda weird seeing the classic Gainax loose, evocative character animation style after all these years, in a show like this. Nostalgic, I guess

12:17 – “She’s already found a friend.” I like the way they use the muffled voices to drive home the barrier between her and other people. A good trick of perspective

13:05 – These semi-fantasized flashbacks also make use of some good tricks of visual style. This show’s not there yet, but it’s definitely exceeding my expectations

14:48 – “Please try out our mock battles!” Is it just me, or does that VA just have a constant note of near-insanity in her voice?

Also, her isolation stuff continues to be handled well. Not only does the sound design work hard to show-not-tell you her experience, the disconnect between her actually pretty lively private personality (the rambo stuff, her self-directed outburst about enjoying high school) and the fear she feels in public makes her a much more interesting and alive-feeling character than an eternally timid one would be

16:02 – Oh man, and they’re actually gonna set up real battles with rules and distinctions and everything? I was basically kidding about this show aspiring to GuP levels of unexpected excellence, but now I’m not so sure!

21:46 – Couldn’t pause it during that setpiece. Fantastic music, the direction cut well from each character’s perspective to the next movement to maintain a coherent flow and understanding of the fight, the internal pacing was great and amped up confidently throughout. You had my curiosity, C3. Now you have my attention

And Done

Whew! That last act certainly made an impact. The direction and character work was well above the standard for this genre throughout, which admittedly isn’t a very high standard, but that setpiece was legitimately impressive. I enjoyed this episode, and I’m definitely on board to see where this goes.