Precure Hugtto – Episode 2

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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!

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Chihayafuru S2 – Episode 25

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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!

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Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 1

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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.

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Summer 2018 – Week 9 in Review

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As we move towards the final act of the summer season’s various performances, I’m happy to say that both Planet With and Revue Starlight seem squarely aimed at tremendously satisfying climaxes. Well, in Planet With’s case this will be its fourth or fifth tremendously satisfying climax, but I was worried about Starlight at least for a while there, and this week’s episode went a serious distance towards putting my fears to rest. The story’s “villain” is now clear, the show’s internal conflicts have both the immediate dramatic consequences and larger thematic relevance they needed, and the execution of each individual episode somehow seems to actually improve over time. Revue Starlight opened with infinite potential, but it’s only recently hammered down its dramatic solidity, and I couldn’t be happier. But anyway, starting with the old favorite that’s unfortunately turned out to be the runt of this seasonal litter, let’s work our way up and run this week down!

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Princess Tutu – Episode 14

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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.

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Fall 2018 Season Preview

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Well folks, the fall season’s approaching, and I could not be happier to for once actually have good news. After two relatively light seasons in a row, it’s looking like fall will be delivering us a genuine bounty, offering a handful of obvious can’t-miss productions and plenty of other potential favorites besides. Contrary to what you might believe, I don’t really enjoy being negative about media – I’d much rather celebrate good things than sneer at failures, and this coming season offers plenty to celebrate.

As usual, my preview list here won’t be including every single coming show – you can check out anichart for that list, along with all their various synopses. Instead, I’ll specifically be highlighting the shows I’ve got high hopes for, and explaining whatever caught my attention, be that a strong staff, excellent source material, particularly impressive PV, or whatever else. The right execution can make any narrative compelling, and an intriguing premise doesn’t mean much if the staff can’t follow through on it, so I’ll mostly be leaning on production-side resources to guide me here. Starting from my most anticipated prospects, let’s run this exciting season down!

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Chihayafuru S2 – Episode 24

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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!

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Ojamajo Doremi – Episode 32

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It has been far too long since we watched some good old-fashioned Ojamajo Doremi. The show is one of my biggest comfort food projects, and I’m always happy to return for another episode. With thirty episodes down, Ojamajo Doremi has established a broad and vibrant cast, extending from our endearing and multifaceted leads to a variety of engaging classmates, family members, and other acquaintances. The cast is strong enough that the show could easily coast on its fundamentals at this point – if you described an episode as “tall tale girl, teacher, and Pop have a ridiculous adventure,” I’d already know this was going to be a great one. But of course, Ojamajo Doremi is always climbing towards something new, be it some moral point or the elaboration of an entire new magical system.

Our last episode split the difference between those two priorities, as we got half an episode of classmate drama and half an episode of more magical exams. Our girls have passed the level 5 exams now, meaning if past episodes are anything to go by, this one will likely focus on celebrating whatever impressive new magic they’ve finally unlocked. I’m sure they’ll screw it up, and I can’t wait to see how. Let’s settle in for another episode of Ojamajo Doremi!

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Summer 2018 – Week 8 in Review

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Hey folks, and welcome back to another week in review. The anime was the anime this week – one show triumphed with one of its best episodes, another show disappointed with one of its least impressive, and Planet With was as indescribably Planet With as ever. The success story this week was Revue Starlight, which illustrated a shocking revelation regarding the true nature of this competition through a beautifully realized tone piece, giving us an evocative glimpse into the headspace of Starlight’s most mysterious contender. Offering consistently striking layouts and a variety of dramatic reveals, it marked a major step up for the series in terms of narrative tension while also thrilling as its own self-contained vignette. I should probably reserve some of my gushing for the show’s own dedicated segment, though, so let’s hold off there and start with the runt of the weekly litter. It’s time to run this week down!

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Why It Works: This Season’s Greatest Hero is a Space Princess

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It is absolutely time for more gushing about Planet With. After last week’s more serious and theme-focused article, I figured it was probably appropriate to also write an article about Planet With’s sillier side. Of course, Ginko isn’t a comic relief character at all – she’s just naturally funny, like most of this show’s cast. And beyond adding a bunch of charm to the production, her story echoes Planet With’s generally fatigued-but-humanist outlook, representing a hard-fought belief in the validity of all life. Ginko is great, and I’m happy to make a small tribute to her.

This Season’s Greatest Hero is a Space Princess