Hello again! For this week’s Why It Works, I focused on a roughly three minute scene from the latest March, and basically unpacked it into an investigation of Rei’s personality and the nature of teaching and media salesmanship. It’s always nice when some offhand element of a show gestures towards a larger topic like this, and I had a bunch of fun writing this one. I hope you enjoy the piece!
Why It Works: March comes in like a lion Explains Shogi
Planetes’ seventeenth episode was an oppressive demonstration of the inhumanity inherent in the exploration of space, and of the corporate institutions that erect themselves to foster and defend that inhumanity. That was a heavy episode, and was itself following an episode focused on post-traumatic shock, so it’d make sense for the debris crew to finally got a break this time. And in fact, they do end up getting a break: a permanent one. The debris section is disbanded. You’re all fired.
Natsume’s Book of Friends has long been one of my shortlist shows – the shows whose reputations are so strong that I essentially know I’ll get to them, and so it’s just a matter of when. Of course, the “when” is its own serious hurdle in my case, since I’ve moved from being so slow about getting through backlist that it barely moves to so overwhelmed by other things I literally need to watch that it doesn’t really move at all. I get through a handful of personal watches a year at this point, which makes it a great relief when someone decides to support something like Planetes, or Nichijou, or Natsume’s Book of Friends.
Sound! Euphonium had a pretty subdued episode this week, and seemed to be in something of a dramatic transition period. Mamiko’s clashes with her family were the most compelling moments here, but those generally rode on the inherent nature of the conflict or the show’s terrific voice acting more than astonishing visual execution. Certainly not an ostentatious episode, but still a pretty reasonable one. And of course, small Kumiko is very good.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!
Girlish Number succeeded by almost jettisoning Chitose entirely this week, instead focusing on the frankly more sympathetic Kazuha and Momoka. Both of those two have legitimately understandable anxieties about their career, and they were smartly contrasted all through this episode. The close focus on characters that I’d hoped to see from this show is pretty much immediately coming to pass, so I don’t really have many complaints today!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Hell yeah I reviewed the Girls und Panzer movie. Mizushima’s Tank Fight Extravaganza turned out to be exactly what was advertised: awesome tank action from start to finish, basically no filler whatsoever. I’m sure my general preferences in anime make it seem like I’m not really a fan of action at all, but action instilled with an actual sense of fun is great. Also, you have to, you know, be good at constructing satisfying action scenes. Girls und Panzer excels at both of those things, so the movie was a blast. Check out my full review below!
It was very clear this week that many of this season’s shows took careful notes based on my first half in review post, and adjusted their content accordingly. Normally it takes at least a few weeks for shows to shift gears based on my exact preferences, so I was happy to see the response time so accelerated here. Shows like Girlish Number and Sound! Euphonium clearly took my complaints to heart, and as we all know, being able to accept constructive criticism is an admirable quality. I’m glad we can all agree anime turns out better when it listens to me specifically.
Alright, impossibility of my writing affecting anime production in any way whatsoever aside, this week really did see many shows directly tackling some of my existing complaints. Girlish Number dug in to its cast, Euphonium emphasized the variables that had worked in the first season, Yuri on Ice offered its most well-earned and best-composed personal material yet, and Flip Flappers was just fantastic in all regards. The fall season continues to impress in new ways, so let’s start with those flip flaps and RUN ‘EM DOWN!
Planetes’ seventeenth episode begins with a shot of an open hand, as pills are shaken into it from an unmarked container. As the next shot reveals, these are Gigalt’s pills, a symbol of his fraying health here used as the very first thing introducing us to this episode. Victory and legacy and career trajectory, all pointless in the face of our constantly encroaching mortality. Gigalt is a decorated employee and a credit to his company, but at this point he’s becoming just another old man.
This week’s March comes in like a lion felt like the first time the show was wholly in control of its more upbeat material. The show has firmly established its main cast at this point, so sequences like Nikaidou’s self-help shogi commentary play off our existing understanding and fondness for the characters. With its evocative depression-focused material matched by equally engaging slice of life segments, March now seems to be hitting just the balance it’s been striving for. Hopefully it stays this strong!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
On this week’s Why It Works, I finally found an angle for digging in to Girlish Number, one that basically highlights the show’s favorite things – insults and character writing. Girlish Number isn’t a fantastic show, but it certainly has strengths worth talking about! Hopefully next season offers some reasonable critical fodder – I’m already wondering exactly how I’m gonna fill my column without JoJo to always lean back on. Oh wait, Rakugo is coming back, nevermind. There’s always something to cover!
ANYWAY. This article’s about Girlish Number. I hope you enjoy it. Here’s the piece!
Why It Works: Girlish Number’s Insult Crossfire
