Category Archives: Episode Writeup

Free! – Episode 1

Posted on by

Alright! Back from work, food recklessly consumed, beer at the ready, gin waiting in the wings. LET’S GO SWIMMING.

…is all I want to say, but I should probably note at least a tiny bit of my perspective here.

I don’t really care about the manservice thing. I find the insecure and embarrassing complaints hilarious, and I’m all for equality in show demographics.

That said, the advertisements for this show have pretty obviously focused on showing a lot of half-naked men, and fanservice doesn’t really do anything for me regardless of what gender it’s aimed at. In my mind, it basically just objectifies characters and makes it harder to take them seriously – but it seems like this show is gonna have some fun with that, so we’ll see how it goes.

As far as KyoAni in general is concerned? Hyouka, Chuunibyou, and Disappearance are three of my all-time favorite anime. But… well…

I dropped K-On. I dropped Lucky Star. I dropped Tamako Market. I need my shows to do something, to saysomething, to mean something – and while I think that isn’t incompatible with the Slice of Life genre (Yotsuba and Genshiken are two of my favorite manga, after all), I do think KyoAni’s interpretation of slice of life generally equates to “utter escapism, no reflection on our world, no sharp edges or truths.”

So there are plenty of landmines lining the distance between current me and a me who actually cares about this show. And I honestly hope that our sculpted, majestic heroes glide effortlessly between them. And I’m just warning everyone right now that if things turn K-On-ish, the only way I’ll be getting through this is with a heaping plate of mocking derision.

But either way, it should be a ridiculous ride. And hey, I’ve got a beer!

LET’S GO SWIMMING.

Episode 1

0:00 – Seriously, even if this sucks, I have had a huge smile on my face all day just because it exists and /a/ has to deal with it. You go KyoAni

0:03 – Ah, the single water droplet on the still pool. A deft choice; taking an iconic image indicative of classic psychological dramas, and subversively applying it to our story of brotherhood and chiseled abs.

Full disclosure: I have already switched to gin.

0:27 – Goddamn are KyoAni shows beautiful

0:49 – Omigod as soon as that synthy music jumped in. I can’t help it. Jesus christ KyoAni you give so few fucks

1:22 – “Stop calling me Haru-chan already.” So he’s gonna be the Mio, huh?

1:54 – “I only do freestyle.” That’s right, mysterious stranger. Haru-chan rides alone

Is it sexist of me to find these classic, rote genre tricks so amusing when applied to men whose physicality is being so emphasized? Is this what this entire genre is like? Maybe it’s actually sexist in the other direction, since I just find it tasteless and offensive when a genre shell exists to sell female bodies, but here I just find it… oh shit, that’s stepping into MRA territory ABORT ABORT. Uuugh, now I gotta go wash that sickly fedora taste out of my mouth

2:18 – “I JUST WANT TO FEEL THE WATER.” “Yeah, there was some funky stuff going through my head back then.” Dear lord, is this show going to be intentionally funny, too? I might actually love this

2:34 – “When you’re ten, you’re a prodigy. At fifteen, a genius. At twenty, just an ordinary person.” That’s both a great line and probably a better summation of the false prophet of talent than… ohoho, you almost got me, Sakurasou! Making me repeat my material, you cheeky bastard! Alright, let’s instead say that’s a nice, sharply felt counterpoint to OreGairu’s “People who don’t try have no right to complain about those with talent”

Also, this guy’s first actual line reminds me of all the KyoAni protagonists I actually like (Oreki, Kyon, Yuuta – yeah, they’ve kinda got a type, don’t they?), so that’s a good thing

4:22 – You know, the difference between male and female fanservice might really be enough. When a show like K-On has its characters act inhumanly clumsy and incompetent, I actively disengage and think “man, it is a truly, deeply problematic thing to find that helplessness attractive,” but here I just see the bare chests and laugh and laugh

4:34 – His hand is three times the size of that cat . Can someone explain Yaoi Hands to me?

5:07 – Hair sweep with cascading water  count: 2

On another note, I feel like one of the indications of how male-centric most anime are is that I immediately notice the presence of multiple equally confident and prominent male characters – normally there’s just the one central dude and a bunch of less-present side dudes or unthreatening comic relief characters (even KyoAni does this), the better to self-insert into the relationship drama with. Unless we’re talking action shows or whatever, which can often be homoerotic in their own way

5:20 – That’s right, let’s just leave the camera right… there .

5:37 – Who knew getting AotY was this easy? 

6:16 – “I hope it gets better soon so you can swim.” “HMM…” I guess that makes bighands Ritsu, then?

7:05 – “Want to eat on the roof?” “He needs to get a clue.” I love how in a normal show the tone would side with Haru-chan, but here there’s that upbeat synthy music playing and the show’s all YES. ROOF LUNCH FOR TWO DO IT

7:47 – “I don’t think I saw you after the club shut down.” “Yes, because I went to a different school.” Normally I’d complain about the hackneyed exposition, but… okay, yeah, sorry, that’s pretty damn hackneyed exposition

8:18 – “We’re not little kids anymore. Things aren’t the same.” Do all sports anime have literally the same plot? I mean, I understand that most artistry (lol) is in execution, and I actually like some sports stuff because of that (Cross Game, Girls und Panzer), but…

8:40 – “How about a hot springs club?” That’s nice. I like that genki just wants to be friends again, and isn’t immediately pulling the “but swimming WAS YOUR LIFE!” card

9:38 – “You live by yourself, Haru-chan?” Welp, that fills out MY anime cliché bingo card

10:53 – Years ago, on that day… they made a pledge beneath the sakura tree.  THE TREE REPRESENTS CHANGE

11:09 – “If you swim with me… I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before!” Not rising to that bait. I’ve made it this far, I can weather this storm

12:08 – Holy shit, we’re getting a haunted house in the first episode? How many bingo sheets am I gonna fill out?!?

13:10 – “Romantic, right?” Yeah man, romantic as fuck. This episode’s structure is honestly pretty solid, though – it’s a classic skeleton (reconnecting with an element of the past through combining reminiscence on a younger narrative with a series of current touchstones… there’s more to it than that, but you know exactly the kind of episode I’m talking about), but they’re executing it professionally enough. Community‘s a big fan of it

14:30 – This show is a gem.  I promised myself I wouldn’t do anything as difficult and stressful as a comedy-style writeup again after the exhaustion of Crime Edge, but this show’s raising a compelling counterargument

15:19 – I was about to make the “Jeez, Rin-chan sure has changed!” cliché joke, but then genki just straight-up says Rin-chan has kinda changed

15:24 – Precious detail: a scene transition that makes the screen wobble like water

17:21 – Oh, she’s dark and stormy’s sister? Right, the hair. That’ll be cute

18:48 – Goddamnit is Mio dere about swimming. Also, I really like this song

19:30 – “Can’t you wait?!” Swimming might come later, but that’s no excuse for Mio not to take his clothes off

21:20 – #3, and it’s a beauty 

Also, skinnydipping. Why not? That scene actually worked for me, so fuck the haters

21:50 – WHAT is this ED

22:08 – What

22:13 – I don’t even

23:01 – Yeah okay 

Seriously, this episode has had me laughing more than anything I’ve seen in the last few seasons. Goddamnit KyoAni

And Done

Goddamnit KyoAni. You assholes. This could not be more ridiculous. I can’t even… what… WHAT…

Agh, fuck it. See you next week.

Dog and Scissors – Episode 1

Posted on by

I’m not actually covering this, but there’s nothing else going on and I might as well open a page just in case. Morbid curiosity demands I check out anything with a title as ridiculous as Dog and Scissors.

Dear god it’s Dog Scissors

2:07 – What in all that is holy is this OP

3:13 – I already get the feeling this is the kind of show you only watch after losing a bet

3:53 – ‘Oh, he’s got his own apartment. Does that mean he’s actually an adult?’ “The winter of my third year of middle school, my entire family moved away…” Right. Of course.

5:21 – “I can’t die without reading that.” And the female MC is the author, and he dies and gets reincarnated as a dog? Okay, looks like we know the whole plot now

9:07 – Alright, “can’t die without completing last wish,” I get. But how that exactly translates to being reincarnated as a dog…

10:30 – “Yeah, I’m a dog, but more importantly I haven’t read anything in weeks!” Taking his doghood in stride. I like it

11:18 – I also like a story where the MC’s passion is reading books instead of, you know, panties or anime or erogames or whatever

11:39 – I would not sell a live animal to a woman who keeps a pair of scissors in a thigh-holster

11:47 – “Sorry to keep you waiting. The protagonist has appeared.” Ooh, are we gonna get all storytelling-meta here? By all means

16:35 – This show is pretty stupid, but that dog has great expressions. Particularly like his Is this nigga serious? face

18:01 – Alright, reincarnated dogs I’ll believe, but a novelist living in the top tax bracket? Pffff…

18:59 – Hah. Fan hysteria lasts for three seconds, then “hurry up and write the book I want.” Great

And Done

Well, that was about as silly as I expected.

Suisei no Gargantia – Episode 13

Posted on by

This show is making these writeups pretty tough. Not because it’s difficult to suss out the various levels of this show – I think a second viewing would help elaborate the arcs of the different thematic points (the fear of entering society, the definition of humanity and the individual, the purpose of society, the roots of human conflict), but I also think I’m doing okay at noting a good number of them as they pass by.

No, this show is tough because I really like it and a lot of critics really don’t. I think it’s full of interesting ideas, I think the tricks it pulls with pacing and tone are very compelling, and I love the overall world it creates. The usual Urobuchi complaint is certainly in full effect here – that the characters and narrative work in service of the themes, and are thus somewhat weaker and more archetypal for it. But I don’t really have a problem with that; Ledo’s the only fully-articulated character, but not every show has to be about characters, and making this story’s cast and specifics more critical and distinct would make its ideas less universal. I also think it’s built to a pretty compelling finale here, and that the Kugel-being-dead reveal is a pretty effective way to complete Urobuchi’s diagnosis of the Alliance’s all-in society. I’m hoping Gargantia’s Stairway to Heaven doesn’t simplify everything, but I’m also excited to see another episode directly written by Urobuchi. Bring on the new Eden.

Episode 13

1:38 – “I am their support system. That is to say, I am the presence called God.” I guess it helps when the lines Urobuchi draws in the sand are the same ones I’d be prone to draw

2:27 – “One who abandons thought and decision-making deviates from the definition of ‘human’.” Yeah, this show is super-unfocused and lacking in clear themes [RES ignored duplicate image][1]

Sorry, I’ll stop throwing stones. It’s aggravating, though

3:11 – Striker’s getting a little Mwahaha here, but I actually really like how Chamber is the one articulating the nature of humanity, not Ledo

3:53 – “In this foreign environment, you have continuously made the correct decisions and maintained your humanity. As a result, I have not been corrupted.” This is an interesting line depending on how you’re interpreting the purpose of the robots. I’ll have to think about it

4:06 – “Let’s take it down.” “I am in full agreement.” #1 Bromance Spring 2013.

5:15 – “When we left Gargantia’s protection, we chose our own course. We can’t back down now.” Nice that they complicate the assuming adulthood idea a little, but still have Pinion himself back them up, who has already been interpreted through this lens earlier (when he was having doubts and the mechanic girl told him they all supported him)

6:20 – Pinion’s sticking to the path he’s chosen. His hero’s death was pretty heavily foreshadowed last episode, but it’s nice he gets a last moment with his crew

9:00 – And Chamber reaches full power by merging his will entirely with Ledo’s. Society is about the bonds we choose – it is not weakness to rely on each other, but it must be a willful, independent, human choice

10:47 – Hah! Their secret weapon is the bottom segment of the space elevator? Awesome

15:18 – “Goddamnit, quit it with the hero’s death monologue and let me save you!” Cute

19:02 – “A noncombatant is not allowed in the cockpit.” CHAMBER NO YOU ARE BEST BRO

21:17 – It makes sense thematically that the system which had coddled him had to die for him to enter society.That doesn’t make me feel any better

And Done

Whew! Man, that ended way more optimistically than I’d expected. I’d figured the Stairway to Heaven would cause some terrible repercussions, or at the very least that Pinion would die, but this show is fundamentally very optimistic, and all of its themes regard seeking our better nature and taking risks, so I guess punishing the characters for their attempts to fulfill their destiny or help each other would work directly against that. This last episode made the robots seem more or less entirely sentient, which I’m fine with – though I thought Striker’s elaboration of her society was pretty ham-handed and didn’t really make the most of the “optimal societies all work efficiently towards a central goal” and “happiness is narrowing your viewpoint till there is only one correct path and following it” stuff, which I found much more compelling. Overall, the show is clearly Urobuchi as fuck – it demonstrates a tremendous cynicism towards the influence of larger systems, and a tremendous faith in the power of individual agency and ambition, as well as individual, willfully chosen connections. I think it was Chamber’s speech about how the Hideauze’s evolution didn’t change the nature of their conflict that made me like him as a “character,” but he was awesome here, and I guess I’m just a sucker for these ideas and this world, cause his last stand really got to me even though it wasn’t fundamentally different from many similar speeches and battles. I am extremely satisfied.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru – Episode 13

Posted on by

Guys I don’t even know. Can I take this? Will tomorrow even be worth living through? I’ve suffered a lot in my life, but this, this…

OreGairu is ending, you guys. What am I gonna do.

I’m not gonna get all weepy now – I’ll save the histrionics for the review. I know the actual show is pretty much already over, and that this final episode is an anime-original. It’s almost like they knew I’d need one more nostalgic adventure with these characters. This episode also marks the original light novel writer’s first time collaborating on an anime (I think). This is a good thing, because I want him writing all of the shows from now on, and he has to start somewhere. Hopefully in a few years he will work at all the studios and write everything.

Doing my best to stay objective here. Oh god. Here come the tears. Fuck it, roll the episode.

Episode 13

0:37 – “If everything is worth experiencing, then there’s little doubt that the feeling of not experiencing something is, in itself, worth experiencing.” -Sniff- I’m gonna miss you, buddy

0:52 – “The worst part is how convincing he is despite not being consistent at all.” So damn cute together. And once more the show outright says that Hikki’s philosophy is nonsense, something most of the criticism aimed at this show seems to miss entirely. The feeling of not experiencing something may be worth experiencing, but the feeling of not experiencing OreGairu seems like a pretty big loss for those guys

6:45 – It’s funny seeing an actual legitimately energetic person make Yui as weirded out as the misanthropes

8:10 – Also funny seeing how into this project Yui is getting. This is basically a fanservice episode, but fanservice in this show is just the characters being themselves around each other

10:50 – I say that, and then we actually get Yui in a Saber costume

11:47 – And Hayama takes the gold. I’d be perfectly happy if the rest of the episode were just a Hayama being awesome montage

12:57 – And then there’s nice callouts like remembering Silver’s weakness is fashion, or finally pairing the two otaku together for an episode

13:55 – “The starting shell has been blown!” This episode is completely insane

17:50 – “If it’s for you, I can handle way more than this!” My god this episode. That rallying speech was hilarious too. I didn’t think such a derp episode could be so satisfying

19:27 – “Did you really think I’d leave you unmarked?” Of course Hayama’s also totally buying into it. I think this probably all works for me because after the trials of the series, it’s just really satisfying to see these characters have fun together for once

21:23 – “You were watching too?” “I-I just happened to see it.” Thirteen episodes in, and we have finally arrived at the tsundere starting line. Life is tough

And Done

Well, that was surprisingly fun. I figured it’d be pretty much a write-off bonus episode, and it kinda was, but they ran with that and had the characters actually cut loose and be comfortably silly together. Definitely nice to see the brighter life they’ve earned through the course of this series.

Hataraku Maou-sama! – Episode 13

Posted on by

And so we find our shift coming to an end.

Hataraku Maou-sama! has been a number of things over this season. It’s been a takedown of the fantasy genre (briefly), an everyday slice of life sitcom (frequently), a backwards jab at our current society (very occasionally), a character-focused comedy (constantly), and an action/drama (when it really feels like it). No show has forced me to adjust my expectations so often – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. There were moments when I thought it was getting pretty damn ambitious, but ultimately I’m happy enough with it settling for being well-written, smartly paced, and endlessly likeable. It couldn’t be a more obvious choice for a second season, so I suspect we’ll be seeing these characters again soon, but even still, I hope this last episode gives them the sendoff they deserve.

Episode 13

0:56 – “I have to return to Ente Isla. I’m sorry.” I love when this show just plays a dumb genre scene completely straight. It’s like the joke is “we don’t have to make a joke here, these stupid overwrought anime parting scenes are a joke already.” If you find boob size jokes more funny than this, I don’t know what to say to you

1:45 – Chucking Sariel through the gate by his foot is a nice gag. I also like that they’re just summarizing the aftermath this time, and that they’re starting the episode off with the underlying question of whether the status quo will end. This show is always solid on the fundamentals

3:47 – “Truly, we are star crossed lovers…” The joke isn’t great, but the musical accompaniment is. This show’s soundtrack is almost as good as its expressions

7:00 – “Just checking up on him? Isn’t it about time you two stopped making excuses to one another?” I AGREE. How many light novels is this series, again?

I know, it’s somewhere around eight. Don’t remind me – goddamn serial entertainment…

7:17 – “He slaughtered my whole village – I can’t forgive him for that.” Oh come on. I have waited NINE EPISODES for this goddamn conflict to progress, and they decide to remember it now? You are a cruel bastard, Maou

Again, I know, serial entertainment and all that, but I can’t help feeling that aside from introducing Suzuno, we might as well just now be reaching episode 6 actual-narrative-wise

8:23 – I love how Emi coming in doesn’t make Maou feel guilty at all, but as soon as Asriel enters he realizes he’s being fawned over by two girls. Asriel truly is best general

11:58 – This episode’s getting some good mileage out of actually subtle dramatic expressions. Nice to see they can use their facial powers for good as well as evil

17:53 – “Why is a demon general getting worked up over working for an evil corporation, anyway?” Aw man. They were doing so well, and then they had to explain the damn joke. Tragedy

20:21 – I really didn’t expect this last episode to be entirely dedicated to Lucifer falling for an internet scam, but it’s somehow kind of appropriate

22:23 – Love this ED singer’s voice in all her stuff

23:12 – Cute circle – befriending Emi cost him his umbrella and befriending Suzuno cost him Dullahan, but here Emi is getting his back

And Done

Hah! That’s all we get. Well, they certainly are confident in that second season – this one didn’t resolve shit.

Anyway, kinda funny and random final episode – Someday in the Rain level of anticlimax there, where it’s just another day in their meandering lives. It certainly wasn’t a highlight, but it wasn’t trying to be. I think it worked.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge – Episode 13

Posted on by

I’m tired, boys and girls. These old bones have seen too much; too much pain, too much hardship, too much hair and bruises and bodily fluids. I’ve done the best I can, and I’m proud of every damn minute – proud of all of you. I wouldn’t take this bizarre and sexually confusing journey back for the world.

We began as humble explorers, keen on striking out for new horizons. A compelling soundtrack, a few strange and irreconcilable visual details – these were our clues, the breadcrumbs that led us to this winding, treacherous path. How could we have known the perils to come? The lines crossed, narrative rules broken or fundamentally misunderstood, yearnings awakened, never to slumber again? And yet, each turn of the screw held its own strange and rarely mentionable pleasures. Hair as sex object – haircut as virginity proxy. A deaf piano tuner. A moe needle addict. A witch named Witchy. A loli assassin. Each new tangle in the weave added subtleties to the glossy sheen, braiding itself naturally into locks fortified by random misappropriations of genre conventions and a fundamental certainty that everything happening could not conceivably be any more erotic.

My friends, tonight our journey comes to an end. But let us not dwell on that – nay, let us consider it a new beginning; a revision of the world we knew, now colored by our common pilgrimage. For the moments we have shared will stay with us, connecting us like shimmering ebon tresses no matter the distance. Though our paths may diverge, our common ends will never split. Though our time together may be shorn, no Goods may sever the time we had.

Let rise the curtain, friends. Let our final hour be bright and soft as silk.

Episode 13

0:25 – The Hair Queen gazes at the loli, at the flames, at the loli. Gritting her teeth, she comes to a decision. To hell with Gossip and all the rest of them. She has her principles

0:53 – Really? Greyland is in the House? I mean, I know you never intended to be classy, Crime Edge, but…

Gah, fine. Whatever. Raise the roof, Greyland is in the house

1:11 – “Hey, Lolino. Now that you’re delirious from blood loss and unable to actively murder me, I figured we could have a bonding moment.”

1:38 – I had to backtrack to confirm he was wearing half a pair of glasses. Ain’t give a damn.

2:07 – “As for how or why she was found, most members of Gossip don’t have a clue.” The joke is that there are actually people who care about the exposition and world-building in made-up nonsense stories like these ones. I had an argument yesterday with someone mad that the technology in frikkin’ Gargantia doesn’t make scientific sense. Because clearly that makes the point of that show come tumbling down

2:20 – “He was looking for something miraculous… something that could cut my hair.” “Dear god, let me find a tool to cut my daughter’s relatively inconvenient hair!” Fucking first world problems…

2:44 “I was jealous… and so I decided to end your life.” “I see.” Man, Iwai is just #1 at bonding with people who try to murder her. It’s the shounen protagonist gift

4:34 – And it all comes down to this. Can the love of such a pure maiden tame the savage beast?

Wait. Iwai isn’t pure in the slightest.

Well, we tried

5:02 – Is it just me, or does Kiri’s berserker crab walk look exceptionally silly?

Also, while we’re here, might as well mention that this whole “spirit of the killer” thing is taking the sex-fetish-as-addiction thing to staggering new depths of creepiness. At this point, any attempts to say this show is a metaphor for anything will probably make it come off as more rapey than it already is

5:42 – Yep, things are getting pretty weird

6:17 – “Savagely, like a wild beast… he violated my hair.”

There it is, folks. Pack it up, get the gear in the van. Not sure where we can go from here

8:54 – Aaand her hair starts growing again.

I mean, does the show want me to actually articulate the idea it’s getting at here? Regarding how the Hair Queen thing is a metaphor for her comfort level with her self and sexuality, and how her relationship with Kiri has changed and subsequently regressed that sexual identity? I’m not gonna do it. This show just said “he violated my hair.” It has lost all analysis privileges

9:27 – Well, it’s nice to see Iwai and Emily are getting on like a forest on fire in which someone’s hair was just violated

10:02 – SERIOUSLY? We are SERIOUSLY following up that scene with a bath scene starring Iwai and Lolino? Crime Edge, you don’t give a single fuck. And by that I mean take a seat right over there

10:07 – “I lost my motivation. I wonder what I was hung up on all these years?” Well it’s nice to know your desire to murder an innocent girl wasn’t just an errant fancy or anything

13:32 – “It’d be easy for me to say killing is wrong.” On the one hand, what the fuck, why are these characters naked for this entire fucking episode. On the other hand, it’s refreshing to see a shounen protagonist admit that people have different circumstances, and sometimes moral high grounds are just convenient disconnects from the world. On the third, fourth, and fifth hands, why are these characters naked for this entire fucking episode.

Maybe it’s a metaphor for my fist in the author’s face

15:16 – “This hospital is run by Gossip.” Yes, that makes sense to me

16:28 – More exposition. This isn’t even pretending to be a last episode. Fuck you, Crime Edge. You can’t keep doing this to me. I’m under no obligation to cover your goddamn second season

17:17 – Why does she keep attacking him with her boobs when she knows he’s into Iwai? Shouldn’t she be smothering him with her hair or something?

19:27 – Dat piano ballad OP arrangement

19:41 – “You will fight many more enemies…” Wait, what? We’re getting the ending speech now? They haven’t even fucking made up yet! You can’t do this to me, Crime Edge! You fill your last episode with random nudity and pointless exposition and don’t even have the main characters share a conversation GAH, CRIIIIIME EEEEEEDGEEEEE!!!!

20:33 – Wait, final haircut appointment? Oh thank god

21:50 – His shears sing out, cutting softly, deftly, like a gentle breath of wind. It feels good. It feels right. -FIN-

22:45 – Except for this montage of batshit insane images from the extremely presumptuously expected sequel

And Done

Well.

Jeez, I don’t even know.

Was it good for you?

That show, guys. That show. When it wasn’t incoherent it was offensive, when it wasn’t offensive it was inept, and when it wasn’t inept it was actually kind of touching. I dunno. It’s too stupid to be problematic. It’s too strange and personal to be satire. It’s too Crime Edge to be anything else.

Our story ends where it began, with two young lovers sharing the innocent joy of cutting hair, changed by their journey and yet somehow still the same. Their path has led them through many trials and a rogues gallery of memorable acquaintances: Sharktooth, Fishwoman and Sis, Ragemaiden, Lolino, Glasses-pusher, and all the rest. They’ve learned… well, they haven’t actually really learned anything, the themes have been pretty incoherent all along. They’ve learned cutting hair is sexy. I guess they already knew that. I guess the sexiness was inside them all along. And that’s something we should all take care to remember.

Anyway. I enjoyed this demented little shounen-drama-mystery-romcom-erotica. It was weird and disjointed and sometimes troubling and always extremely honest. I think honesty is a good thing to strive for in art. And in the spirit of practicing what I preach, I’d like to honestly say it’s been a pleasure writing these, and hearing that some of you enjoy them has meant a lot to me. Thanks for reading. Fuck you all if you think I’m covering another season of this lunacy.

Regards and love and all my shears,

Bobduh

Attack on Titan – Episode 12

Posted on by

Alright, finally got some time for Titan. It’s definitely earned a fair shake this week – Pixis’ focused and theme-outlining speeches from last episode definitely helped renew my interest in this show, and partially made up for the pretty terrible pacing and lack of meaningful action that have recently brought momentum to a standstill. It’s also just nice to see someone displaying actual competence in this universe – getting down on humanity for their panic and weakness is great and all, but it’s kind of an empty message if your portrayal of humanity is all babbling strawmen like the bearded officer. Pixis displayed actual charisma, got straight to the point when necessary, and used a handy dash of psychological warfare to rally troops in the face of terrifying odds. We know a recap episode is coming soon, so hopefully this episode will ride the current momentum into a fast-paced and eventful conclusion.

Episode 12

4:08 – “We must win this battle.” It still seems crazy to me that they’re betting both Eren’s power and the entirety of this fighting force on Eren’s powers maybe working the way they hope they do. Sure, losing the buffer wall puts them in serious danger, but potentially losing both these resources seems far more risky.

I think I’d be more accepting of this as a necessity to keep the story moving quickly if the story actually weremoving quickly in general, or if this show didn’t place such an emphasis on plans and tactics. As is, it’s a little harder to suspend my disbelief

4:58 – Mikasa versus the Titan. That’s a great image and a great moment

8:05 – “Unlike us, he’s an irreplaceable resource.” Thank you.

8:29 – It’s Jean! SAVE US, JEAN!

9:07 – “Minimizing losses is the correct tactical choice. The bosses are in the right!” Jean always best character – I love seeing his strong understanding of strategy and absolutely terrible understanding of people slam against each other. Nice pep talk, Coach!

11:08 – Is this the screencap you fuckers wanted? [1] Pretty adorable, admittedly

12:07 – Well, we’re halfway through the episode, and so far Eren has successfully hit himself in the face and fallen down. Not exactly what I was hoping for

12:15 – “During training, instructors will sometimes intentionally cut trainees’ cables to gauge their reactions.” That’s pretty brutal! I’d say a mean little detail like that is worth a dozen terrified reaction faces

16:02 – “Back then, Eren emerged from their weak point. I’m sure that’s a clue about what they really are.” And clearly that’s a clue about where this story is heading

17:05 – “Eren, get out of there!” Eh. This is the exact same dramatic trick they pulled when Eren was basically comatose in front of the firing squad – and it wasn’t very satisfying then, either. It’s not about accomplishing some heroic task, with specific, defined obstacles (the way their raid on the gas supplies was, which is in my mind the only really successful action setpiece so far) – it’s about them dragging out moments while we wait for Eren to wake up again. Maybe this works in manga format, but here each “panel” is several seconds of the camera zooming while the show attempts to build tension around a binary conflict (will he wake up, yes or no) we’ve seen before and pretty much can guess the ending of

I think that’s all pretty obvious, so for the sake of making this writeup interesting, let me at least think about how I’d handle a moment like this. Well, first of all, I probably wouldn’t be here – I don’t think “everyone slowly gets themselves killed while Eren, the one truly relevant factor, either succeeds or doesn’t succeed” is a very good use of this show’s resources, so I’d probably have spent an episode integrating Eren’s abilities in some dynamic way and then set up a mission where both his part and the part of the regular squad were meaningful and interesting in their own right. If I were in this particular moment, I’d say we need something to add relevant tension to the conflict. I’m guessing the best way to do that would be to run with that little flashback Eren had, and have a thematically relevant flashback to accompany Eren’s awakened resolve – his inability to accept the complacency of the other humans has always been pretty key to his character, and maybe remembering that could also be the key to his ability to master the Titan. This would also make for a nice symmetry with Mikasa and Armin’s own resolve-discovering flashbacks this arc

17:37 – Oh look, they’re doing that. That’s good

21:11 – “Deserts and oceans and massive tracts of land!” I’d make a Holy Grail reference, but I’m pretty sure “massive tracts of land” is just Commie being Commie

And Done

So it’s looking like only incredibly strong primal emotions (“I can’t die here!” “I have to protect them!” “I was born into this world!”) can actually guide the Titan? I guess that works.

Otherwise, pretty meh episode. I liked the stuff with our main trio’s squadmates, but I pretty much always like their brief relationship-building exchanges. Otherwise, more redundant we’re-all-gonna-die stuff from the peanut gallery, and the conflict with Eren was pretty much an exact copy of the second time he became a Titan. I’m assuming next episode will finally bring an end to this conflict – hopefully the next arc won’t drag its story out to the degree this one has been doing.

Suisei no Gargantia – Episode 12

Posted on by

Welp, I’m late, but in my defense your face is stupid. Two episodes to go. Gargantia in the crosshairs. All themes primed to explode.

Let’s talk about that for a second. I assume this and the next episode will probably settle these ideas a bit, but right now, this show is fucking crazy-rich in interpretations. My own focus has been on how Gargantia, Ledo, and the Galactic Alliance explore the purpose of society and how society relates to individual identity. I think that’s a pretty sweet interpretation! But you could also make a strong case for the Alliance system representing the classic and now-decaying Japanese ideal of entering a corporation upon leaving education, rising in an utterly linear fashion within that organization, and being protected by it until the day you die. Or you could talk about the specific historical philosophies our sides are representing – Kugel’s pseudo-Randian theocracy, Gargantia’s lightly capitalist collectivism. Or you could hone in on the theme of entering society, focusing on the way Ridget and Pinion have dealt with their emerging responsibilities, as well as what Chamber and the cockpit might represent. Or you could talk about the show’s layered views on human nature and the inevitability of conflict. Or its much more straightforward but still solidly articulated views on the military-industrial complex. Or the 1984-esque perspective control, focusing on Ledo’s early inability to translate the purpose of Gargantian society and Kugel’s recent redefining of happiness.

So yeah. By all means, take your pick. The show is a rich goddamn tapestry, and even if many of these ideas are relatively straightforward in their expression, that expression is still generally well-articulated, and the summation of all these ideas is a vivid, compelling, and multifaceted world. This show’s a gem. I hope it finishes strong.

Episode 12

0:51 – Pinion’s like a kid in a candy shop. Which I guess is a part of what he represents – humanity’s hasty bravado and careless glee in creating newer and deadlier weapons

1:57 – In order to plea on Gargantia’s behalf, Ledo leaves Chamber, preferring to represent himself in person

2:46 – You know we’re in the shit when there’s no time for the OP

6:31 – Aw maaan, is Kugel gonna murder a bunch of senior citizens because they’re a drain on society? Well, I guess they’re really hammering in what a saint Ayn Rand was. Utterly rational societies, everyone!

8:29 – Jeez, nicely done. Hammering the point home or not, that wave of bodies falling is a chilling image. As is the rain washing away Pinion’s temporary allegiance. And there we have it – Ledo chooses the way he wanted to contribute to Gargantian society over the most efficient role chosen for him by the Alliance

8:54 – I also like that Pinion’s hair has been let fall loose now that he’s given up on the titles and bravado. When I watch this show for a second time, I’ll probably be on the lookout for more efficient visual cues like that or the symbolic colors

10:20 – “Combat policy formulation is in your hands, Ensign.” Awww yeah, fucking fist pump. It’s really hard for me to not treat Chamber like an actual character – he really does seem to have a genuine connection with Ledo. But hey, that fits perfectly in line with his role as teacher/parent in the Japanese society metaphor, and that could be the right one, so who knows?

10:35 – Ledo joins the rebellion in the space of one smirk from Pinion. Pretty efficient storytelling!

13:40 – “He’s gonna turn against an old friend to protect us, and we’re just going to leave him?!” Not if the “entering society shouldn’t be frightening, we’re all there for each other” camp has anything to say about it!

18:24 – I didn’t want to pause during this holy shit viva la revolucion finale but my damn roommate interrupted me so I might as well say I think the sound design here is fucking dynamite. And also all of the other things that are currently happening

21:27 – Oh man, Striker was indeed on autopilot. A society so rational it governs itself!

And Done

Man, that whole “squids have rejected their humanity, and thus are no longer human” argument is looking pretty threadbare when the alternative is a corpse in a machine. But anyway, fuck yes that episode was awesome. The first half of two straight episodes of dramatic and thematic dominoes tumbling down. Pinion’s turn was surprisingly satisfying, Chamber’s defection to Ledo’s orders was confusingly heartwarming, and the finale was pretty goddamn epic. Great music, it bounced well between the various smaller conflicts, there were some really nice visual touches like their cannons parting the sea of mist – the plot and themes are still being respected, but this was also just a sweet freaking episode in all the best pure-entertainment ways. Nailing it, Gargantia.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru – Episode 12

Posted on by

Hey guys. OreGairu time! But before that, let’s talk about… romance. 

In many of my rants, I’ll talk about how characters lack chemistry, or how they have an unequal relationship, or whatnot. This is honestly a pretty big problem in anime – if we’re not being told-not-shown characters are in love, we’re often getting those unequal, moerotic-based relationships between a man and a mental child .

OreGairu says Fuck That. We’ve seen Hikki and Yuki grow to respect each other through actively helping and supporting each other. Their banter has always been strong, and reveals the many places their philosophies match or compliment each other, as well as their clear status as intellectual equals . And the reasons they respect and even admire each other are perfectly clear – Hikki’s bluntness, insight, and ultimate loyalty, Yuki’s ambition, confidence, and refusal to back down. Romance doesn’t exist in a vacuum – you can’t just create two characters and add romance by saying they love each other . OreGairu knows this, and really couldn’t be handling it better.

That said, last episode definitely went a little too well for Hikki and Yuki, and I have a sinking suspicion this episode’s going to break my heart.

…fine. Let it be done!

Episode 12

0:41 – OreGairu once again writes the book on actual sibling dialogue. His sister’s deadpan ‘wow, so cool’ is pretty perfect

2:51 – I’m not the authority on OPs, but I really do love this one. Great wistful tone, perfectly appropriate lyrics

3:50 – “I’ll have you know I rate Sis quite highly. I wanted to be like her after all,” Well jeez, isn’t Yuki acting self-confident and honest all of a sudden. It’s almost like the last couple episodes have directly focused on strengthening her trust in Hikki and developing their relationship in a completely organic way or something

3:55 – “You’re fine as you are.” YES HIKKI GO

Sorry. You know I’ve always been a sucker for this show, and it hasn’t even focused on the romance before now, and good romance is actually my great weakness, so not just giggling and clapping here is gonna be pretty tough

5:07 – “Could you perform one more song?” Hayama’s a goddamn superhero. It’s funny that this show is accused of pandering to people who relate to Hikki, because Hikki and Yuki are the ones being regularly portrayed as immature, and Hayama’s the most realistically flattering portrait of a put-together popular guy I’ve seen

5:38 – “I’ll go look for her!” “That’s a terrible idea, and it won’t help anyway.” Nice little jab at the classic “oh jeez, we need to find them – let’s run around and search randomly!” anime trope. I’d call out a specific example, but I think this writeup’s already had enough Sakurasou-bashing 

5:55 – “But you didn’t say it was impossible” while actually smiling. I told you, you guys. These two…

6:24 – They’re wrapping up a lot of character conflicts here – Yuki asking her sister for help is a big step (and her kinda dickish sister lets her know it)

7:10 – Aw man, God Knows-ing it up. Goddamn do I hope Hikki gets to see it

7:47 – Speaking of resolving character conflicts… “Yui, can I rely on you for vocals?” Ba-dum-psh.

8:37 – I mean, she’s gotta be on the roof, right? They’re always on the roof

9:00 – “Roof of the special wing.” Some things never change…

10:09 – And now Hikki’s doing his best to live up to the trust Yuki’s put in him. They grow up so fast…

11:02 – Oh my god, that’s fucking brilliant. Hikki can’t be someone other than himself (kinda neatly foreshadowed with Yuki’s ‘that’s who I’ve always been’ and Hikki agreeing with her earlier), but Hayama is the perfect man for the job

11:22 – “Everyone’s waiting! Don’t worry – they all did their best for you!” God, could you imagine Hikki trying to handle this role?

13:03 – Man Hikki, you are so damn mad . Normally he doesn’t care this much – is he just furious at what she put Yuki through? Or is this him actually trying to be his most true self, to match up to Yuki’s example

13:50 – “Why is that the only way you know how to do things?” YES. FUCK. YES. DROP THE FUCKIN’ AXE, HAYAMA. ‘Yeah, you may see the worst instincts in people – but you don’t have to fucking work that way. It doesn’t make you special or insightful – it just makes you alone. Grow the fuck up, Hikki.’ Hayama for president.

17:37 – “There are people who’d get hurt by watching you get hurt. You’d be wise to realize that soon.” You’d be wise to realize a lot of stuff soon, Hikki. You need to hang out with Hayama more often

18:16 – “You pickin’ a fight?” Pretty close to the first thing he said to her, right?

19:07 – “Great minds think alike, huh?” Oh man, these two are so adorable it’s almost insufferable. So much love

20:02 – “Nah, feel free to lie. I lie all the time.” And that concludes our last narrative thread, right? Oh god.

22:00 – “Even this pointless chapter is one I’ll someday lose.” Oh man, getting super-overt about the intended audience for this show

And Done

Oh GOD DAMNIT. The last one is gonna be some bonus episode one-off or something, isn’t it? You know, considering this episode resolved every single conflict perfectly and whatnot.

So yeah. Fantastic episode. Hikki sticks to his guns on his personality but directly expresses his admiration for Yuki, Yuki gets ridiculously overt in her flirting, and Hayama lays down the fucking law. The drama is resolved handily, we get resolution to Yuki’s conflicts with Hikki, Yui, her sister, and even kinda herself, all the characters seem much more comfortable being themselves, and it ties it back around perfectly with a return to the initial dynamic, even making callouts to their very first conversation. The main relationship progresses in a way that remains true to the original characters while reflecting both their growing maturity and clear mutual affection. Hikki gets one more absolutely brutal analysis takedown. There are more honest smiles than in the rest of the series put together.

In other words…

Oh my god you guys this show is so good.  So, so good. That was perfect. Holy shit. So happy. Love these characters, love this writing, love these ideas, love this bulletproof narrative structure. The source material is obviously fantastic, and this series composition guy clearly outdid himself as well. Goddamn. So satisfied. Nice job anime you did it A+.

Hataraku Maou-sama! – Episode 12

Posted on by

Pretty close now – only two episodes left. Is Maou-sama gonna pull it off?

Probably – Maou pretty much nailed the dismount of the first arc, and I have no reason to suspect it won’t repeat that accomplishment this time. The dramatic stuff has never been the problem with this show – the characters are decently developed, the writing is sharp, and the direction is always pretty damn good. No, the problem Maouactually suffers from is a fairly common affliction, a little disease I like to call “Why Most Anime Comedies Suck-itis.”

Early on, the unique concept and good character chemistry offered ample fodder for humor – and this show mined it. It mined the fuck out of it.

And at a certain point, it struck solid rock.

So we got boob comparison jokes. We got “Lucifer sucks, laugh at him” jokes every episode. We got “Alsiel makes funny faces when he’s sick” for five episodes straight.

I don’t get it, you guys. [1] I’ve seen these jokes a thousand times. They were barely worth a chuckle the firsttime.

So yeah, that was kinda disappointing. Early on, the character relationships moved much more quickly, and thus new opportunities for humor constantly presented themselves – but when a show reaches a point of narrative and character stability, unless the jokes are really sharp or creative, the humor has a tendency to suffer diminishing returns. And that certainly happened here, at least for me.

But why am I being so down now, of all times? We’re actually in the middle of what this show does best – being a winking, fantastical semi-drama that undercuts itself with perfectly timed humor. Episodes 1 and 5 nailed the shit out of this formula, and I’m eager to see how this all resolves. Despite my complaints, I actually really like this cast – I like Emi’s personal struggle, I like the contrast between Maou’s helpful optimism and utter obliviousness to the horrors he’s created, I like Chiho’s unusually mature take on the usual upbeat girl archetype, and I like what they’re currently doing with Suzuno. I’m ready to see Maou save the fucking day. Let’s get to it.

Episode 12

0:10 – And of course Alsiel ends up in the hospital. This show always does have a way of naturally bringing the characters together when it really counts

0:40 – Oh Alsiel, so loyal. I know he’s my husbando and everything, but it’d be damn tough for them to make any of his conflicts work beyond comic relief at this point – they’ve burned those bridges pretty thoroughly

2:15 – Mm, this OP. I’d say “I really am gonna miss this show,” but it’s doing great in sales and there’s plenty more LN material, so I guess I’ll just kinda miss this OP

3:40 – “This is Heaven’s consensus.” So it seems likely the angels are just another self-interested bureaucracy

6:11 – Why do no other shows understand the power of a good reaction face? [2]

7:02 – And off with his shirt! I find this recent cross-studio realization that girls watch anime and like fanservice too pretty amusing

7:25 – “In what universe would a lovely lady suddenly move in next to a bunch of guys and take care of them?” There’s gotta be an otome adaptation for that – the reverse-Clannad setup

7:38 – “It stinks of sacred powers, but food is food.” Fantastic. This is what I was talking about – snappy jokes that come up naturally but don’t break the flow of whatever else is going on

8:13 – Maou chastising Suzuno. I hope they actually address the hypocrisy of him acting morally superior here

11:17 – “I’ll examine your body later.” Well this episode turned super-rapey super fast!

13:06 – “Heavenly Sliver of Progress,” eh? Hm…

14:17 – Are they gonna blow up the moon? Please tell me they’re gonna blow up the moon

20:10 – That rescue is pretty adorable. “Eh, I don’t have the energy to be tsun right now. Just put me down.”

21:40 – Okay, Alsiel repeating his “sorry I’m late” speech but actually missing the whole fucking thing this time got a serious laugh out of me

And Done

When are these villains going to realize that big, public displays of magical power are perhaps not the best way to defeat someone whose powers are based on frightening pedestrians? Jeez, guys.

Anyway, that conclusion was kinda tidier than I’d hoped it would be, but it was a snappy episode overall, and I think the jokes in general work much better when they don’t draw as much attention to themselves – I found Maou starting his victory speech, being yelled at by Emi, dropping her off, and starting the speech over without missing a beat pretty funny, for example. And his startled but kinda resigned expression when Sentucky started blowing up buildings he was gonna have to clean up was great, too. I wish the girls had a bit more to do here, but it was fine – I probably wouldn’t be complaining if the episode didn’t have another pile of boob jokes. Overall, I don’t think this arc’s conclusion was as satisfying as the first one, but I was definitely entertained.

It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the last episode – at this point, they’ve resolved basically none of the show’s actual underlying conflicts (Emi, Maou, and Chiho’s personal conflicts, the political shitstorm in Ente Isla), and I don’t think anyone’s expecting them to. This show’s in a pretty comfortable position regarding sequel potential, so it’s most likely going to be a few minutes dedicated to sending off our Team Rocket villains, a few minutes not-resolving the Chiho-Maou relationship, a few minutes of showing off the normal SoL dynamic, maybe one minute of Maou-Emi tension, and then maybe a last-second introduction of a new conflict to set up the next season (that or a joke where a seemingly personal moment ends up resolving with Maou being focused on his job).

Okay. Maybe I’m a little cynical.