We open Princess Tutu’s fifteenth episode with an entirely new tale, as our narrator tells us the story of a man who fell in love with a doll. “Perhaps the man’s love made itself felt, for one day, the doll came to life and began to dance.” This transformation thrilled the man, who believed a doll could never betray his love, and that he would now possess the world’s most pure and innocent love all for himself. “But the doll, who had been given life, rejected the man’s love and fell in love with a different man.”
Category Archives: Episode Writeup
Hugtto! Precure – Episode 3
Settle in folks, it’s time to watch more Precure! I’ve been greatly enjoying this storied magical girl franchise so far, and am very happy to continue. The show’s second episode was relatively conventional, all things considered – it essentially just served as Saaya’s introduction to the team, establishing her personality, feelings of personal inadequacy, and initial friendship with our girl Hana. As far as all that goes, while the show’s production values remain excellent, Saaya’s personality felt a little familiar to me, and I’m guessing we’ll need a bit more time for her to develop a truly convincing rapport with our main lead. Outside of seriously dedicated thematic vehicles like Madoka Magica, a great deal of the strength of magical girl shows I’ve seen has come down to their character writing, and Hugtto isn’t quite there yet with anyone outside of Hana.
Fortunately, Hana herself remains a fantastic lead, and the threats arrayed against these girls are still decked in intriguing fragments of thematic resonance. If the show keeps up its current pace, we might be formally meeting the yellow cure this week, but I’d also be happy to see the show either further explore the nature of its villains or simply put in some time developing Saaya and Hana’s relationship. Either way, I expect the show to remain joyful and beautiful throughout, so there’s really no losing here. Let’s see what episode three has in store for our young heroes!
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 2
I’ve always loved Neon Genesis Evangelion’s inventive and gleefully melodramatic episode titles, and none more so than the iconic “Unfamiliar Ceiling/THE BEAST.” Like so many of Eva’s narrative devices, the concept of an unfamiliar ceiling has become an anime trope unto itself, but here in its original incarnation, that title card feels like the essence of Eva in miniature. The first half’s title embodies Evangelion’s careful capturing of specific and alienating lived moments; the second half is the roar of violence lurking just beneath those moments’ surface. Eva doesn’t do pre-OP cold opens – it introduces its new drama directly, and its punctuation for that drama comes in the form of thunderous title drops. So much of Evangelion’s dramatic strength is a result of its utter confidence in its own tone, and these striking white-on-black mini-poems contribute greatly to that sense of solemnity and impact.
Ojamajo Doremi – Episode 33
We’re watching more Doremi, folks! I only get one of these a month, so I know I should probably try and save them for a rainy day or something, but Doremi is too good and I am too impatient and so damnit I’m watching it right now. I made a serious commitment these past few months to dive into all the Current Projects that have been waiting too long, and having nearly caught up with all of them, I have earned myself some friggin’ Doremi.
Anyway. Doremi’s last episode was a terrific example of one of the show’s most satisfying modes: immature, farcical adventure. The entire plot of that episode was basically “screw Tamaki, she sucks,” turning an ostensibly Masaharu-focused episode into a referendum on how much our main crew hate Tamaki’s guts. At this point, I’m not really sure Tamaki will ever get a true “focus episode” of her own – those episodes are generally designed to humanize Doremi’s various classmates, and Tamaki works so well as a villain that that almost seems like it’d be a waste. Then again, Nanami from Utena is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time, and Tamaki is basically just Nanami in elementary school. Brats deserve depth too, but given Tamami stole the show last time, I’m guessing we’ve got an entirely new tale waiting for us today. Let’s dive right in to Ojamajo Doremi!
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha – Episode 3
Alright, let’s get back to Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha! So far, my experience with the show has had its ups and downs, largely illustrated through the difference between the first and second episodes. In that first episode, Nanoha’s distinctive direction added lots of energy and visual appeal to a relatively familiar magical girl template. In the second, those directoral flourishes faded significantly, leaving me with a so-so genre piece notable mostly for its clear influence on future shows like Symphogear. That mix of positive and negative is a little troubling, frankly – “the production and visual energy plummet after a great first episode” is a problem shared by countless shows, whereas the show’s current narrative issues are the kind of problems that tend to persist throughout productions.
That said, there’s still a fair amount of novelty in the show’s “magical girl drama reimagined as heavy scifi shounen vehicle” premise, and some of my current complaints, like the show’s weirdly stilted pacing, are the kind of quirky issues that can often blossom into engaging elements of a show’s identity. Nanoha’s extended scenes with her family don’t carry that much emotional weight yet, but the show is clearly invested in building up her general home life, suggesting its emotional ambitions will soon move beyond “Nanoha zaps a monster and it’s awesome.” Either way, the show has established a narrative template and a wider world while also powering us through Nanoha’s first two assignments as a magical girl. Let’s see what episode three brings!
Precure Hugtto – Episode 2
Today I’m thrilled to return to Pretty Cure, as we check out the second episode of the ongoing Precure Hugtto! The show’s first episode was delightful in all sorts of ways, from its alternately silly and evocative visual design to its compelling character work and intriguing set of narrative motifs.
The show’s first and greatest strength so far is its heroine, Hana Nono. Not only is her energy and expressiveness generally charming and relatable, but her specific focus on attempting to live up to the person she wants to become felt like a particularly poignant and universal motivation. I really love stories about people who don’t think they’re strong, but essentially trick themselves into embodying a greater, aspirational strength – My Hero Academia is all about that, Madoka Magica hinges on a similar instinct, and here in Hugtto it’s being used to give us an immediate and sympathetic understanding of our beleaguered heroine.
Additionally, Hana’s focus on “who I want to grow up to be” seems to currently be mirrored by this show’s antagonists, who seem to literally represent “growing up to be an unhappy cog in some vast corporation.” I really don’t think Hugtto will be venturing into any scathing criticism of modern capitalism, but the fact that this show’s enemies are visually represented through skyscrapers and business suits and speak in phrases like “this’ll look terrible at my quarterly review” doesn’t mean nothing. The show is going somewhere with this very direct contrast of future-focused hope and despair, and I’m eager to see where it leads. Let’s see what comes next in Precure Hugtto!
Chihayafuru S2 – Episode 25
I don’t know if I can do it, you guys. I just don’t know if I have the strength in me. After roughly six straight months of always having more Chihayafuru waiting in the wings, we’ve finally arrived – season two, episode twenty-five, the final existing episode. Chihayafuru has been a genuine emotional rock for me in a very turbulent year, and watching this episode will mean it’s actually over. I’ll have to go back to a Chihayafuru-less existence.
It’s certainly been a wonderful journey. Over these fifty episodes we’ve met dozens of compelling characters, watched scores of thrilling matches, and seen our core team develop into a skilled and unified group strong enough to legitimately call themselves the best team in Japan. Chihaya herself has grown from a wildly imbalanced and emotionally fragile competitor to a thoughtful and well-rounded champion, consistently acknowledging her own weaknesses and working hard to balance her play. Taichi has gained self-confidence and finally risen to Class A, Tsutomu and Kana have proven themselves both indispensable resources and genuinely strong competitors, and even Hanano has… shown up to all her matches. And beyond our own team, we’ve come to know and care for coaches, players, and friendships from across Japan, a wide array of diversely skilled and personally charming karuta contenders.
I’m very sad to say goodbye to this crowd, but fortunately, it’s only temporary – Chihayafuru’s third season is already on the way, and so we’ll all be reunited soon. In the meantime, let’s send off this wonderful show with joy, and appreciate the time we still have left. It’s time to settle down for one more episode of Chihayafuru!
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 1
It’s a little intimidating to begin writing about a series as titanic as Evangelion; after all, few shows have earned as much critical ink over the years, or prompted such heated fandom divisions. Its own intrinsic value as a narrative and art object aside, it is easy to say, without hyperbole, that Neon Genesis Evangelion is undoubtedly one of the most important anime of all time. Produced by a relatively fresh studio at a time of great uncertainty within the industry, the show fundamentally affected not just individual narrative trends, but the industry’s overall financial and production model. The fact that anime airs late at night and is largely aimed at a specific, insular young adult audience is in part because of Evangelion; the fact that so many productions are intended not to sell discs, but advertise a variety of tie-in products is also a piece of its legacy. These trends built off industry conditions that existed prior to Eva (giant robots had been selling toys for decades at this point), but it’s undoubtedly true that without Eva, the anime industry would be a very different place.
Princess Tutu – Episode 14
With Ahiru having triumphed and Kraehe banished to the darkness below, Princess Tutu’s fourteenth episode opens with another strict recounting of the story so far. Opening with the “once upon a time, there was a man who died” we know so well, the narrator quickly shifts to describing Tutu’s own narrative, as “the prince, who had lost his heart, met a duck in a certain town. Because of her love for the prince, the duck turned into a princess and gathered together the lost shards of his heart. The prince gradually regained his feelings, and at long last, he was able to regain even the feeling of love.” This narration ends on Tutu’s inescapable “did they really have a happy ending,” but on the whole, it’s a relatively straightforward summation of our current narrative.
Chihayafuru S2 – Episode 24
Oh my gosh you guys, we are far too close to the end of this season. Do I even want to watch this episode of Chihayafuru? The show has been my most reliable, persistent joy this year, and I always enjoy stuffing myself with more karuta drama, but knowing we’re only two episodes away from the end of the season sure does put this in a somber context. At this point, I am profoundly happy I actually waited this long to watch Chihayafuru – at least now we know there’s a third season coming eventually, and all light won’t simply vanish from the world when this tournament ends.
Anyway. Sorrowful end-of-season context aside, we’re currently in the middle of a thrilling match between the two characters whose skills have been built up more than any other: Shinobu and Arata. The Master and Queen split of professional players means Arata could never actually challenge Shinobu for her throne, so their fight here could potentially be the only time they get to compete professionally. And beyond the inherent thrill of seeing their thoroughly established skills in action, this match is also acting as a full reintroduction to Arata’s skills more generally, as well as a continuation of Shinobu’s insecurity-driven isolationist act. This battle is firing on all cylinders in terms of immediate tactics, character arcs, and larger Chihayafuru themes, offering a worthy sendoff to what’s been a generally thrilling season. Let’s get to the mats and watch some Chihayafuru!