Category Archives: Uncategorized

Beautiful Bones – Episode 9

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This week’s Beautiful Bones was really solid! I know, I’m surprised too. But it seems like whenever the show is able to slow down on the overt mystery plot, it does a much better job of making its characters feel like people. That’s what elevated the first half of the Cursed Man arc, and it’s certainly what worked here. Instead of being preoccupied with establishing a bunch of new mystery variables, this one focused on two tiny linked mysteries that were really just avenues to discuss the various characters’ feelings on love and loss. It was understated and thoughtful and just pretty strong all around. Nice work, Beautiful Bones.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!

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The Perfect Insider – Episode 4

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Welp, we’re in full murder-mystery territory now. And as far as that goes, The Perfect Insider isn’t really the best – its variables are kind of hokey, from the nature of Magata’s laboratory to hackneyed twists like the fact that she has multiple personalities. There are still a number of interesting little clues, though, and I still like everything around the mystery. In this case, that mainly comes down to Moe and Magata’s pasts – the show is drawing constant parallels between the two of them, and I’m interested in seeing both how they eventually come together and if Moe ever gets to have a second meeting with Magata, or whatever form Magata might now take. Perfect Insider isn’t making all the right moves, but it’s still an interesting show.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below!

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The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan – Episode 5

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And so Nagato’s valentine drama resolves in the most predictable way possible. This whole arc was definitely a bit of a disappointment, and as I said in my review, it seems to demonstrate the limits of this show’s dramatic reach. Hopefully I’m mistaken, but there are far more tired and rote shows than there are unique and engaging ones, and this episode did not give me much hope for Yuki-chan. We’ll have to see.

My full review is available here. Notes below!

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Log Horizon II – Episode 23

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Pretty low-key episode of Log Horizon this week, with Isaac and Iselus getting a moment in the sun while the whole cast kind of vaguely ruminated on the possibility of going home. It certainly doesn’t feel like this is a show that could possible end forever in two more episodes, but hey, Log Horizon’s doing its thing. I guess we’ll have to see where they decide to wrap things up.

My full ANN post is available here. Notes below!

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Parasyte – Episode 19

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Parasyte shifted into cop procedural mode this week, leading to a few scenes that were kind of accidentally hilarious in their genre-standardness. In spite of that silliness, it was definitely an easy watch, and it’s nice to see the show finally escaping from the slow, repetitive drama of its middle act. It’s weird for me of all people to be cheering for a show to toss away its character arc and thematic focus and instead simply revel in action and plot, but Parasyte’s character and theme stuff has just not been its strength. I’m happy that all resolved well in the end, but I’m even more happy to get on with the final act.

Here’s my full ANN writeup. Notes below!

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Shinobu Time – Review

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It’s time for more Monogatari! It’s time for… well, probably the weakest arc of season two, and also one of the weakest arcs of the entire series. When Monogatari focuses on Araragi and Mayoi, bad things tend to happen, and this arc is no exception – fortunately, the arc’s stellar conclusion and beautiful visuals do at least some work to lessen the sting. And hey, at least this gives me the opportunity to take some acid shots at Monogatari’s “witty sense of humor.” No, I’m not petty.

My full ANN review is here. Copious episodic notes on nice shots and character work below!

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The Staggering Weight of my Filthy Lies

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To anyone it may concern: I know I indicated I’d be archiving all my writeups on another site this spring season. I have not been doing that. I am sorry. I am bad at internet, fixing the formatting issues annoys me, and frankly I already spend a kind of insane amount of time watching each episode (the writeups have turned 23 minute episodes into 50 minute episodes). But I am better than that, and you deserve better than that, and so here we go. All of this season’s writeups, all nice and tidy. Enjoy.

-The Management