Seiren – Episode 9

Posted on by

Seiren began its third arc this week, and that’s about all there is to say about it. Shoichi’s relationship with Kyoko does seem like it’ll be a bit more believable than the last two – instead of either being unconvincingly taken by Shoichi’s non-charms or the ultimate gamer girl, Kyoko has simply been friends with him forever. Their believable chemistry could easily make this Seiren’s best arc yet, but the bar has been set pretty low, so that still wouldn’t necessarily be all that impressive. Ah well.

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

Continue reading →

Why It Works: Tanya the Evil’s Unlikely Conscience

Posted on by

I turned back to Tanya for this week’s Why It Works, exploring what was easily the show’s most unexpectedly powerful episode yet. It’s pretty tricky to make a war story that actually, successfully embodies the awful nature of war, but somehow I think the fascist loli show nailed it. Partitioning was the key – Tanya is normally a pretty fun watch, but this episode was intentionally sober and dispiriting from start to finish. It was a pretty great episode!

Why It Works: Tanya the Evil’s Unlikely Conscience

Planetes – Episode 26

Posted on by

Planetes’ final episode is one long goodbye to all the people we’ve come to know. There’s virtually no conflict in this episode – as a series of arrivals and departures and long-awaited meetings, it feels more like a family reunion than a space drama. It’s bittersweet, as everything in life tends to be. It offers as much hope as a show like Planetes could hope to give.

Continue reading →

Bakemonogatari – Episode 7

Posted on by

We powered through the second episode of Suruga Monkey this time, which was largely spent establishing Araragi and Kanbaru’s relationship. The two of them have a pretty great rapport – like with Mayoi, they’re basically immediately friends, but unlike with Mayoi, at least half of Kanbaru’s jokes involve dunking on Araragi. I can’t say I mind having her lead the story for a bit!

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

Continue reading →

Ojamajo Doremi – Episode 6

Posted on by

Alright, let’s get right back in to Ojamajo Doremi. Last episode saw Doremi using magic to “save” her first classmate, if we are going by an incredibly loose and criminally generous definition of save. She also almost got herself, her classmate, and an innocent (if questionably designed) puppy killed in the process, but hey, magic is more art than science. The main trio also discovered the wonders of capitalism, and Majo Rika was bullied into investing in a new cash register. I am not sure I understand children’s entertainment anymore.

Anyway. All of that was plenty of fun, so let’s jump right in and see what episode six has in store. Ojamajo ho!

Continue reading →

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends – Review

Posted on by

Today I conclude my journey through the live-action Kenshin films. This one was unfortunately the worst of the three, reflecting all of the dramatic sagginess you often end up with in trilogies. The film barely has a dramatic arc, and the plans of both its heroes and villains make too little sense to harbor much tension. Still, the fights were fun, and overall this was a pretty charming interpretation of the franchise. I didn’t watch all that much Kenshin as a teenager, but this trilogy definitely sold me on his world.

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

Continue reading →

Winter 2017 – Week 8 in Review

Posted on by

Anime was perfectly alright this week! No ridiculous highlights to report, but also no dramatic failures, with pretty much all my trusted shows turning in reasonable performances. Tanya apparently spent its week off meditating on the true ugliness of war, which was nice to see, while Dragon Maid recovered from last week’s missteps with a perfectly satisfying beach episode. Seiren wasn’t great, but Seiren isn’t great, so that’s not really news. And most importantly, I caught up on all of Kemono Friends, and even wrote an article over at Crunchyroll about one of the show’s various strengths. It’s been a satisfying week over here in anime land. Let’s take a look!

Continue reading →

ef – A Tale of Memories – Episode 2

Posted on by

And we’re back to ef! I’ve spent a little time away from this one, but I’m excited to continue Shin Oonuma’s big SHAFT treatise. The first episode mostly impressed through visual invention, though I did also enjoy the banter between at least one of the couples we’ve met so far. The implied melodrama of the narrative seems to match nicely with the aggressive theater of the presentation, making for a beautiful and cohesive overall package. If the writing can hold up, this could be a pretty special show!

Alright, let’s get right to it.

Continue reading →

Planetes – Episode 25

Posted on by

Planetes’ penultimate episode is called “The Lost,” and opens with the voice of our friend Locksmith reading off a list of unfamiliar names. Given the title, I initially figured these were the people lost in the battle against the SDF. But as it turns out, we don’t really care about those names – instead, this was the list of crewmates who’d actually made the cut. Six months after the SDF’s attack, Hachimaki has succeeded in his dream, and is one of the final eighteen headed to Jupiter. But instead of exulting in victory, Hachimaki seems distant. Empty.

Continue reading →

March comes in like a lion – Episode 19

Posted on by

This week’s March comes in like a lion spoiled me, offering a full twenty minutes of non-stop Shimadaservice. Shimada’s backstory immediately joined the pantheon of top-shelf March sequences, offering a poignant look at the origins of a fundamentally sympathetic man. Tethering crucial reflections on talent and growing up to some very specific childhood memories, it only strengthened the overall definition of one of March’s greatest characters. This arc has been a joy.

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

Continue reading →