Well, the plot’s afoot now. Yajirou’s part in his father’s death, though obviously not anything approaching full blame, will definitely be quite the scandal for the election. Yasaburou has so far managed to indulge his ultimately compassionate and dutiful nature while still maintaining his air of aloof ne’er-do-wellhood, but this trial will likely force his hand.
Category Archives: Episode Writeup
Monogatari S2 – Episode 8
So, Araragi and Shinobu, time travelling buddy cops trying to find their way back to the future. Or, as various people have pointed out, simply waiting for the future to happen on its own, since technically neither of them actually age. But wouldn’t that result in double Araragis and double Shinobus? I guess they could always just wait until present day again and then kill their doppelgangers… or wait, no, they don’t have to, they can just wait until the extra ones (not extra technically, just them in the future-past) head back in time. And that works whether this is a new timeline or simply a point in the past on the original one. Problem solved!
I like time travel.
Episode 8
1:03 – Baiting Kizu once again. KyoAni have some competition in the troll olympics
1:56 – These two have a great dynamic. Actually, most of the characters in this show have a pretty decent rapport, outside of Nadeko I guess. One of the many things that makes this a harem-but-not-really – I mean, structurally it is a harem (well, more of a supernatural/psychological thriller in a harem shell), and everybody pretty much loves Araragi, but almost all the conversations are an even back-and-forth based on friendship, not romantic tension. In fact, many conversations seem to possess sexual tension but not romantic tension, which is much more rare in anime, or at least rarely done in a way that isn’t just fetishizing a character for the sake of the audience. And legitimately good banter is a precious thing.
3:37 – Eh, lesser OP. I wonder if we’ll get another Platinum Disco?
4:01 – For the plot to work, obviously. That’s how time travel always works.
Incidentally, holy fuck does getting precise screencaps suck in this damn stream.
5:23 – Yeah, because saving a little girl 11 years ago isn’t going to affect anything else. Araragi is not a very good time traveler. Then again, if anyone ever was, time travel stories would be exceedingly boring
5:56 – Goddamnit Araragi. For someone who was expressing questions of parallel timelines an episode ago, you sure are flippant about making massive shifts to the course of peoples’ lives. His martyr complex is not gonna do history any favors
6:13 – I can’t believe Shinobu is the one talking sense into him
7:19 – Yes. This is how the butterfly effect works
7:36 – This makes no sense literally, so I have to assume we’re digging at the theme of this arc. Much like that first conversation about red versus green lights. Which works well with Hachikuji’s existence as an apparition, an eternal red light who can never proceed. Not that they’ll necessarily take it there, but Isin tends to scatter a whole lot of relevant Lego pieces, so I generally just poke pieces into each other until they seem to fit
8:57 – Goddamnit you two stawp
9:59 – Loli Hanekawa. We have jumped the shark
10:18 – Man, Shinbou and his sweet visual gags. A montage of street signs to simulate the experience of rolling down the street. Nice
11:04 – You’re fired. You’re fired. Everyone’s fired
12:36 – If you want to stop being mistaken for a pervert, you should stop being such a goddamn pervert, Araragi
12:38 – This entire episode is just fanservice of Araragi and Shinobu being adorable together. THEY’VE FOUND MY WEAKNESS
13:15 – Very nice
13:44 – Everyone involved is enjoying this arc far too much. New team: also fired
16:26 – Our hero
16:46 – Yes, Araragi. By all means, convince her you’re no one suspicious
17:52 – This is such an insane changeup from the last arc. But I guess Hanekawa arcs are heavy psychological drama, and Hachikuji arcs are pretty close to straight comedy
21:46 – I love the shrine’s color scheme
And Done
Oh jeez, saving a life fucked up the entire present. WOOPSIE-DAISY ARARAGI. Goddamnit. You can’t express some understanding of time travel dynamics and then BREAK THE ONE FUCKING RULE OF TIME TRAVEL. Jesus. What am I gonna do with these kids
Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 7
I’ve been excited for this one all week. The confrontation has occurred, Hajime has kind of rubbed Rui’s nose in his own hypocrisy, and no hope of an alliance is in sight. Is Rui actually gonna take off his damn makeup and be honest with them? Not likely – he’s obviously very proud and he seems somewhat incapable of seeing other perspectives. Is it war, then? Possibly, though I don’t know what that would do theme-wise. Either way, I think we’re at the breaking point.
Episode 7
0:02 – Nice shot . I bet this’ll be a cheery episode
0:11 – Another really nice one . This show occasionally has animation issues, but its direction and aesthetic are extremely solid
1:07 – Rui’s losing it.
2:01 – The only other intelligent Gatchaman . He’s a good influence on these kids
4:19 – Simple trick with the lighting here , but it works nicely.
Not sure why I’m on a visual kick this week. The show has kind of set its thematic pieces in place, I guess – we know Hajime and Rui’s philosophies quite well at this point, so all that’s left is to let some dominoes fall
4:27 – Accidental pause reveals another fantastic Hajime face
5:06 – And Utsutsu is drawn into the light
5:18 – Bleh. Another too-much-information moment from Pai. Annoying to see in a show that so often assumes the viewer actually has a brain
6:52 – HOW REAL IS THIS GETTING
7:49 – This escalated quickly
8:58 – NOT THE TIME FOR A MONOLOGUE
10:19 – Hurray for leadership
10:50 – Hajime knows what’s up. She doesn’t blame people for it, though
11:29 – Awesome shot
11:41 – Rui has no trouble deciding. But that has its own pitfalls
God, I love how mixed this show’s feelings are on all its ideas. Well, except for Hajime’s uber-person-hood, I guess
12:21 – Rui’s no fool. He knew it was hypocritical, but was willing to use any means to establish a world where things like Crowds hopefully wouldn’t be necessary. Another great shot
12:42 – It’s nice having Sugane be the one who makes a connection with Rui, not Hajime. They can talk on equal ground, whereas Hajime stands above everyone, even if she is well-meaning in her lecturing
13:18 – I like Berg Katz mockingly reflecting all of Joe’s melodramatic move names. Just grinding in how old-fashioned and irrelevant this style of hero is, which works both for his character and for this show’s goals
13:42 – Oh god we got the first meeting flashback. Joe’s been throwing out death flag after death flag all show, but that’s probably the last straw
Incidentally, is there actually a respectable term for “death flag”?
14:24 – So apparently OD’s real goddamn powerful. And also an unstable risk, or something. Guess that ominous moment in the OP is relevant
14:48 – Even Pai’s suit has stubby little legs
17:32 – Dear lord . Also, didn’t want to pause it at the time, but I liked how Berg Katz was mocking him for only doing what he could as an individual human being, as opposed to being the kind of hero the show itself is so sceptical about
18:03 – Might not work this time, Hajime. Some people just want to watch the world burn
18:14 – Her favorite question.
19:31 – They’re conveying barely attached to this reality pretty well
19:42 – Something she can’t understand. That reoccuring “everyone having fun” thing points to a common humanity that Katz lacks. Hajime’s shocked for the first time
20:08 – Her faith in our nature was shaken. But it’s not always misplaced
20:40 – Rui, asking for help and advice?
21:35 – Really hammering on that “bright future”/”when is the world brightest” thing today – starting with Utsutsu’s conversion, ending here
And Done
Sooo, is Joe dead? He seemed pretty dead, but Utsutsu’s powers are pretty broken, so I dunno. Somehow I don’t think that episode-ending tea party would be appropriate if Sugane’s mentor had bit the bullet.
Anyway, sweet episode. Shit finally hits the fan, and I’m happy to see them finally turning towards Berg Katz. I like how pretty much everyone’s view of both human nature and the power of social media has been examined and discarded by the halfway point, and I’m interested to see what Rui does going forward. I particularly like how Rui finally got his act together this episode – Hajime’s accusations last time didn’t force him further into his own self-delusion, but instead made him resolve to actually attack his own hypocrisy. And when his powers were broken, he freely admitted his rhetoric had been hypocritical all along.
Bunch of other random interesting stuff. All the Gatchamen got some development, and Pai straight up abandoned his subordinates. I hope that results in some changes in their structure – Utsutsu and Sugane almost certainly have far more faith in Hajime than Pai, and even if Hajime’s willing to let this slip, I doubt Sugane will.
This show is full of fun surprises, and at this point I just want to marathon the damn thing out. Watching shows as they air really sucks sometimes.
-edit- Just realized that Pai’s early jealousy about OD being good at managing them plays well into this episode’s mini-arc of tearing down his leadership ability. So that’s actually nice, in retrospect.
Free! – Episode 7
No manic energy tonight. Very sleepy. Our glistening men will have to use those ample shoulders of theirs to carry a little more weight than usual. Hopefully that won’t be a problem – I found last episode pretty dull in spite of all its touchy-feely character-building pretensions, and I’m really just here to watch Gou be a derp and see Haru and Rin shoot smoldering looks at each other. I’d always thought KyoAni’s slice of life shows were lame, but never before had I actually witnessed a combined beach/desert island/haunted house/slumber party/flashback episode – that is like four played-out tropes too many. Get back in gear, Free. Juggle your resources like this and you’ll never make it to regionals.
Episode 7
0:15 – Wow, this rise out of the water used as much animation as an entire lesser episode of Titan
0:23 – Nagisa if you screw this up for Haru so help me god
2:12 – I kind of wonder if this is any more or less watchable for me than any of KyoAni’s other slice of life shows. I mean, the novelty of it being maleblobs as opposed to moeblobs has kinda worn off, so outside of the vaguely appropriated sports shell, I’m pretty much left with K-On with abs. I guess you fuckers tricked me.
2:52 – Nice shot
3:16 – Holy shit, I’m already liking this episode waaay more than the last couple. They’re actually building some real tension here, and all these shots are great. Are they actually trying to evoke Rin’s feeling of discomfort? Is this show trying?
Oh jeez you guys I’m sittin’ up in my chair
3:28 – Animating a fish must suck
3:48 – HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS. LOOK AT THAT OMINOUS SHOT COMPOSITION. And the split fish shadows dancing on the ground… man, where did THIS show come from?
4:12 – Oh, of course, it’s a dream. That’s perfect – those overwhelming cicadas earlier, now slowly fading into this creeping piano line… all the smudged colors, and the way reality seems to sort of crumble at the edges… alright, Free. Take the stand
4:22 – Well now I’m glad I didn’t do some theme gimmick this week. Lovely shots left and right
4:39 – This is so great. A creepy, distinctive setpiece that conveys every single thing we need to know about Rin’s past and motivation with barely a word. KYOANI WHY U TROLL ME LIKE THIS
5:01 – Why are shark teeth a thing
5:39 – Oh but it is
6:07 – Gou prattles on about her meaningless shenanigans. Haru’s eyes reside elsewhere. Soon!
6:33 – “I’ll have their individual swimming styles and data recorded by the time of the match.” Alright, again, that’s great and all, but… this is swimming. You swim your fastest, and the other guy swims his fastest, and the fastest guy wins. Not a whole lot of room for strategic interplay there
6:56 – Rin’s effect on Haru is so strong it activates his hair-tossling automatically
7:46 – Why are you doing this to yourself?! You’re going down a road I can’t follow, senpai!
8:19 – Don’t we all? There’s not a man on this team without some devastating watersports-related baggage
8:59 – Yeah, it’s basically exactly the same as K-On . Last week someone mentioned how male bonding was much more prevalent and overt outside of America’s defensive, screwed-up society, and that makes sense to me. But these characters just don’t ring as teenage males to me – they ring as children, just the way moe SoL characters so often do. It’s a really weird disconnect, and the fact that they’re using it for male characters makes me think this has just become an established rule of the escapist SoL genre. Is it working? I’m kind of blind to moe – are scenes like this successfully making people want to hold these characters’ hands and pinch their cheeks and tell them there aren’t any monsters under the bed?
9:27 – Man this is a weird effect. I’m recognizing Rei’s character so strongly – it’s a weird mixture of glasses-pusher and the direct moe parallel, the authoritative and standoffish but secretly passionate straight-laced type. And Haru is the blank-faced savant, and Rin is the tsundere, and… dear god
9:41 – Is this the plot of the rest of the show? So, more training, the club will prosper, more slice of life shenanigans, you’ll meet Rin but there will be a conflict and you won’t be able to beat him swimming solo so eventually you’ll meet near the end of the series in the relay and win for real. Did I get it?
9:51 – Not to get 2deep4u or anything, but that’s twice in five minutes that Haru has thought of Rin and then turned to watch an object fly away into the sky. Symbolism!
9:57 – “Matsuoka-senpai, you’re not taking the bus to regionals with everyone else?!” Again Free shows some less-than-graceful exposition
10:29 – This is a conflict I can actually get behind. It only required one dedicated scene to establish, but it’s fundamental enough that anyone can somewhat understand this character now
11:15 – “I’m going to see my dad.” Also nice. I like that they don’t drag this out with some trashy reveal – that flashback already told us everything, so the show can just move on.
11:24 – Here’s another iteration of that “rookies are useful for narrative” thing – one of the main purposes of Rin’s roommate is simply to give him someone to exposit and react to . Characters monologuing exposition to themselves is pretty ugly
11:54 – They are going crazy with the water this week
12:45 – Nice parallel with the roommate’s own feelings. This episode overall isn’t quite living up to those first few minutes, but it’s still a far cry from what this show was last week
13:17 – I love these shots . One of my favorite things about anime. They’re called pillow shots, I believe – they add nothing to the direct narrative, but they convey mood and a sense of space, and work wonders for pacing. A very un-western convention that carries across film, anime, and comics. In this case, they’ve significantly shifted the tone of the show throughout this episode, and here in particular they pull back the focus from the specificity and passion of Rin’s speech to the contemplative wider atmosphere of the early morning in an extremely organic way
13:36 – An absolutely lovely pan. The scenery looks more like a sketch with watercolors than harsh cells. The bird in flight adds a nice focal point to draw the eye upward and also echoes that reoccuring “object in flight” motif
What happened to this show you guys
14:07 – All of it together now
14:19 – Pff, you call those bags under your eyes? Tomoko is not impressed
15:28 – Makoto’s going for a PhD in thoughtful concerned looks
15:39 – Can you feel the heat? Cause you can jump in the pool if you want, the first race doesn’t start for an hour
15:55 – Omigod you guys regionals
16:47 – At least the show also realizes swimming is an absurd subject for a sports show
17:11 – Gou is best Free . I can’t say I’m thrilled that the moment KyoAni adopt a more angular and less moefied design style, they use it for The Swimming Anime
17:42 – He’ll be publishing his thesis any day now
18:35 – Oh no he didn’t
18:56 – Oshit they dropped the bass. Now you KNOW It’s On
19:19 – Makoto stop your body can’t take the strain
19:28 – Nice shot
21:32 – That’s right. ALL the water
And Done
Oh man, intense ending, huh? I guess Haru’s gonna have to start giving a shit if he wants to get on Rin’s level.
Anyway, that episode wasn’t the funniest, but it handily made up for that by being far more visually inspired than I ever remember this show being. New episode director? Either way, I’m all for it, and I’m looking forward to the aftermath of Haru’s sweet, chlorinated tears. If you want to get serious, Free, I am right there with you
The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 7
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
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
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.
Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 6
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
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
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.