Monogatari S2 – Episode 9

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Well I’m certainly ready to see this kick into high gear. This arc hasn’t been as tedious for me as the first Mayoi one (which is still easily my least favorite part of the series overall), but personally Isin’s comedy is kinda hit-or-miss for me, and not really what I’m here for. So I’d say an apocalypse or something is definitely in order.

Episode 9

0:02 – Nice establishing shot 

0:18 – Sweet, they weren’t kidding. This is a lovely series of shots, too. This one in particular is very interesting – all these shots possess much more detail than Monogatari’s usual highly stylized and flat aesthetic, and here we see the telephone poles’ usual appearance (a solid block of color, usually white) shift into more color as they reach the point where the corruption/natural overgrowth has reached them. Like the normal aesthetic is representative of the clinical, controlled environment these characters normally live within, and destroying that world also destroys that aesthetic

0:24 – God damn that’s nice 

0:40 – There’s one for the “inappropriate OP transitions” highlight reel

2:17 – Another beautiful composition. Love the use of shadow here – those ominous power lines reflected in black

2:27 – Back to the flat colors. Araragi’s house has escaped the destruction

3:01 – More great shadows. Really enhances the ghost town feel

3:39 – Shinbo gets to have so much fun with composition. I get that not every show would be appropriate for such a stylized approach, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a lot more of it

5:30 – So Shinobu’s obviously got some kinda secret. Good to know!

6:16 – Seems trustworthy 

6:39 – They keep changing the color palette of this place 

6:55 – Ermahgerd this show’s design. They are really going all-out today. It’s like the characters, the talisman, and the background have all been pulled from disparate worlds

7:25 – They are making it very hard for me to get through this episode 

7:47 – God, look at it. I love the consistency of the color trick – not only does the overall image fade from green to red, but you can see the individual trees in the distance do the same. It might be stylized, but it’s like the colors themselves are the ecosystem

8:02 – The green has spread significantly since they entered. Not yet sure what to make of that

9:09 – Well this is different. Their shifting, cut-paper texture kinda reminds me of Madoka

10:09 – Today is a good day 

10:47 – And to think I was complaining about this arc. This episode’s an embarrassment of riches

11:39 – Well I can see why she had trouble telling him. Wonder where they’re going with this…

12:26 – “Me that isn’t myself.” Pointing to some common Isin topics here. Links easily enough with fate, but there’s not yet enough pieces to tie it into the red light/green light stuff

13:32 – Jeez, that’s a morbid way to reference that 

14:39 – I like that this is more of a Shinobu arc than a Mayoi arc. Shinobu secretly being a possibly unbalanced world-shaking power is something the show generally breezes over, and keeping it relevant makes the Araragi-Shinobu relationship more interesting

17:08 – An interesting play on “true self.” Shinobu isn’t actually reformed, this is just a new version of her self, and that other self still exists

19:50 – Hanekawa reforms by embracing the various interpretations of her ‘self.’ Shinobu reforms by denying hers 

20:45 – I like pretty much every shot of this episode, but here’s another particularly nice one 

21:23 – He’s even at the playground? Jeez, I wonder who they’re gonna run into

And Done

What a great episode! Goddamn. Excitement about this season = renewed. Beautiful shots throughout, digging at some interesting stuff about Shinobu’s character, and who doesn’t love a good zombie apocalypse, particularly in Monogatari’s fantastic style? Still not sure of everything this arc is really about (though Shinobu’s little “you can’t always be pessimistic and wait for things to happen” speech at the end seems suspiciously relevant), but as long as the ride is this beautiful and exciting, I’ll remain happy to find out.

Summer 2013 – Week 9 in Review

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Fell behind on some shows this week, and haven’t had the time to catch up. I’ll update this with C3-bu and Monogatari whenever I get around to them. And hell, maybe I’ll even catch up on the handful of Titan episodes I’ve been too apathetic to watch.

Uchouten Kazoku 9: Best show yada yada beautiful art yada yada resonant themes yada yada incredibly naturalistic storytelling etc. As always, the grace of this show’s composition and dialogue fall well beyond my ability to articulate, so I guess I’ll just say that this week’s episode finally brought the scale of the show’s final conflicts into focus. The election of the Nise-emon and the Friday Fellows’ New Year’s bash are clearly going to be tied together in this final arc, most likely through whatever secret plan the Ebisugawas are plotting. Once again, Yasaburou proved himself the begrudging but undeniably best-qualified leader of the family, his easy nature making him the perfect diplomat when it came to the Fellows, the professor, and even Kaisei. I’m eager to see how Benten will figure into this conflict, but at this point I mainly just want this show to be finished so I can buy it and force everyone else I know to watch it. Why do I watch anime? Because every year we get a handful of shows worth talking about and maybe one or two of these.

Gatchaman Crowds 8: Quite an episode this week. After the tumultuous showdown of last week, they follow it up by… visiting a preschool. That kind of works, in a thematic way. Which is how most of the stuff in this show works – it often feels like Hajime is having a direct conversation with the audience more than she is with any of the characters around her. Her actions make much more sense given our fuller context, her smaller choices are often reflective of the show’s overarching ideas, and she’s so flawless outside of her communication difficulties that her alignment with the show’s philosophy often verges on (and you could easily argue fully veers into) didactic storytelling.

But anyway, theme stuff. Visiting the preschool and appearing in human form is pretty much perfectly Hajime – she values communication between equals above all else, and uses this opportunity to redefine the Gatchamen as just another group of people trying to help out, like firemen or policemen. She also uses the media presence to take the power of crowdsourcing out of Galax’s hands and publicly announce what’s going on and how people can help out (credit to tundranocaps for pointing this one out). And then Sugane and OD have their whole on-the-nose conversation about the egoless play of children being like the joyful horizontal society Rui’s so goddamn excited about. So we push the story forward while also talking about all the show’s favorite ideas. Good stuff!

Incidentally, people are getting all excited about the first few hours of Gatchaman’s appearance on Amazon or whatnot, but it seems a little premature to be celebrating that. Honestly, I’d be pretty surprised if a show this completely dedicated to such esoteric ideas finds wide success, particularly since its visual aesthetic is so unabashedly anime, which I’m guessing is pretty off-putting to most people interested in discussing crowdsourcing, gamification, and the false prophet of leadership. But then again, Utsutsu of all characters recently came in the top four of a Japanese summer “best female character” poll, so perhaps once again the right show will get big sales for all the wrong reasons.

TWGOK S3 9: TWGOK is not really my kind of show, but at this point I’m extremely happy I’ve watched the rest of it, because the improvements in this season are just insane. Keima’s always been an entertaining protagonist, but this season has forced him to actually take his Lelouch-powers seriously, and this was the episode where it all came to a head. His denial of Chihiro was some legitimately devastating stuff – normally I get uncomfortable whenever anything haremy attempts to take its characters emotions’ seriously (because if if I’m taking them seriously, I also have to take seriously the fact that harems are fundamentally fucked-up, dehumanizing power fantasies with all kinds of demented ideas about relationships and power dynamics), but this episode actually let the hammer fall in a way no other harem would. No funny gags here – Keima’s actions, while ultimately intended to help people, have completely toyed with people’s emotions, and when you do things like this you suffer the consequences. This has been coming for a long time, but I was honestly shocked by how effective it was, and the strength of this moment by itself raised my estimation of the show overall. Congrats, Season 3.

Free! 9:

Yep, still watching Free. This week’s episode was actually one of the best (which admittedly isn’t saying much), with a bunch of great gags and some quite effective dramatic moments. My enthusiasm for this pretty lousy show kind of dwindles the more information we get on the fall show seemingly determined to prove what KyoAni are actually capable of, so for the sake of leaving my children a full set of derpy comedy writeups, I’m hoping it keeps up the pace.

Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 9

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Oh man am I excited for this one. The Gatchamen have had their first semi-formal press conference, Hajime has pretty much completely taken over leadership of the group, and Rui has specifically been called out to collaborate with them. Hajime has no time for Rui’s careful backroom machinations, and she’s ready to draw the world kicking and screaming into a flatter future. No more secret heroes – we public now.

Incidentally, I was late on last week’s episode, but I didn’t skip it. That writeup’s here.

Episode 9

0:10 – Take THAT, idealism! 

0:31 – Oh my god these two I can’t take it 

And yes, she does indeed got him now. The Hajime always wins

0:45 – Of course Sugane’s all freaked out 

1:05 – All this Reiservice . Hell, even Uchouten Kazoku had a bathhouse episode that was all dudes. SEXISM IS OVER!

Editor’s note: sexism is not over

1:29 – Pai is the clear choice for public relations manager.  Also his phone charger is also a panda yes

1:44 – Yep! An excellent way to keep Pai busy 

3:25 – This OP is always so damn good. What style this show has

3:45 – Utsutsu’s certainly changed 

4:19 – Yeah, the internet is goddamn scary . They’re not sugarcoating it, and they’re portraying its ability to destroy the idea of personal space very efficiently

4:32 – Jeez, I can’t imagine anyone thinking that! 

4:45 – This is amazing . “Is Hajime retarded or something lol”

Lol indeed, internet. Lol indeed.

5:13 – Not a fan? Hajime don’t give a fuck .

Well, this is probably the first and last time I’ll see an anime character directly mock their own internet hatedom. Nice work, Hajime

5:24 – Light and dark yada yada.  Hurray for visual motifs

5:30 – Really like this shot.  Discussing the dark heart of human nature while being reflected in the black screen behind which hides the internet. That is a classy little metaphor

5:44 – Behold the glory of Hajime’s interior decorating. 

5:52 – And there’s the light.  Not sure what depth to draw out of the contrast. We’ll see where they go with it

7:01 – Again, limited budget is not a strike against a great visual aesthetic . Love the rough watercolors feel. Again they draw the contrast extremely sharply by portraying the brightly lit school of last episode in grey darkness

7:15 – Not just change, but recognition 

7:55 – Hey, Katze just wants to make everyone a superhero, right?  Equality! Unfortunately, not everyone is Hajime or Rui

8:18 – Heeey, waaait a second 

9:05 – This is clearly the best use of opera-dubstep there has ever been . This soundtrack you guys

10:13 – Ah, I get it.  The light/dark stuff perfectly mirrors the mask/invisibility/transparency stuff. Hajime’sphilosophy centers on equal transparency – she does not want to hide what she does, she communicates directly with people, she values showing her face and meeting in person and speaking frankly. Everything she does is thusly fully “lit” and transparent. Katze and 26 (and Rui, initially) use masks, obscurity, invisibility – they set themselves apart from others, and cloak their intentions, and force change instead of opening dialogue. So the light/dark isn’t about good/evil, it’s about honesty/dishonesty, equal dialogue/forced change, transparency/obscurity.

10:33 – Very smart of Hajime to act quickly.  It’d be much more difficult to pin this as the act of an exterior party after the fact. And in spite of Hajime wanting to have everyone work together, people knowing the Gatchamen exist will definitely reduce panic here

10:48 – They’re really focusing on these candy . Maybe just a visual subtheme of this episode – Katze scatters candy carelessly, Utsutsu is given a single sweet by Hajime, which she carefully sets aside with her Note

11:49 – This is all some very pretty destruction 

12:37 – As if I needed  more reasons to love this show 

But yeah, that’s pretty much the ultimate example of our misplaced faith in higher powers, ain’t it?

12:55 – Vertical bonds are not strong enough 

13:58 – Utsutsu lays down the law . Her voice is too adorable

14:16 – Hey look the sun came out oh well that’s probably a coincidence 

14:30 – Even computer programs are not immune to Hajime’s pro-dialogue optimism 

14:56 – YES HAJIME YOUTUBE CHANNELS WILL SAVE THE WORLD 

16:03 – He’s a changed man, Katze . He’s seen… okay, I’m not gonna say it

17:09 – Galax isn’t the enemy.  It’s just one manifestation of an inevitability. Very glad they haven’t simplified this conflict

17:47 – Is she intentionally abusing how incompetent he is to humanize the Gatchamen,  or is she just a huge troll?

18:16 – Can we rely on you? No, you probably shouldn’t . But we’re on the same side

19:07 – Very excited for this.  You guys seen those suit images? Much style

20:05 – Rui’s prior honesty with X may save him now 

21:07 – GO SUGANE. KILL YOUR GODS 

And Done

Oh man, what a sweet conclusion. This world doesn’t need mysterious benefactors dictating justice from on high – not anymore. Brilliant.

Agh, this episode was so good. It’s all coming together so well. My fears from last week were happily unfounded – social media isn’t good or evil, it just Is. It’s powerful, and it’s here, and it changes the dynamic of human relations. It can be used to obscure truth and cloud human relations, but it can also be used for honesty and genuine connection. And that stuff about gods… yeah, I’m a big fan. This was maybe the best week yet, in fact. This show is absolutely killing it.

Free! – Episode 9

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Alright you fucks it’s time for Free. It’s been a love-hate-tolerate-resent relationship for me and this show – the novelty lasted about 2.5 episodes, so when it’s not being funny it’s either K-On with abs or Girls und Panzer minus the girls, the panzer, and the actually kinda good writing. Even the animation and direction can be somewhat inconsistent – Yamada’s episode was great, but outside of that it doesn’t really feel like KyoAni have been applying their A-game to this one. Which is honestly fine by me, because if their A-game isn’t here, it’s probably busy over here, which is an arrangement I am perfectly comfortable with.

But anyway. Free. Yeah, this is a kinda crappy show, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. And yes, it lacks Crime Edge’s gift for the whimsically absurd that made even mocking that show a kind of friendly gesture. But hey, at least it’s got… well, upper bodies. It’s got plenty of upper bodies. And I guess that’s something we can all be thankful for.

Episode 9

0:30 – Swimming: still a non-interactive sport 

0:32 – But I do love the girls being silly 

0:55 – One more time! 

1:22 – Get your filthy paws off him, Nagisa 

1:28 – Well this episode isn’t wasting any time 

3:06 – I am extremely uncomfortable with this episode title 

3:58 – And occasionally this show is really great.  This song is fantastic for the job here – upbeat and mid-tempo and nostalgic. The heavy filter obviously implies the meaning for Haru. Looking out the window to reflect on memories is a cliche, but it’s a fine one if used effectively. And this pushes Haru into a new plot arc, where he actually enjoys the full experience of swimming with his friends (I’m guessing), without having to over-explain anything. Nice sequence

4:24 – Well I guess remembering he has teammates is still a work in progress 

4:45 – Fuckin’ Gou doesn’t even realize this is 1-cour 

4:52 – Rei assumes his battle stance 

4:59 – Oh my god every 

5:00 – frame 

5:01 – is a gem . Gah, works better in motion. Rei you are ridiculous

5:32 – Oh, don’t mind me 

6:05 – NO HARU YOUR SECRETS THEY CAN NEVER KNOW 

But what did it matter if they knew, anymore? The tournament had been a failure, an unmitigated disaster. Rin-chan had… changed.

No.

No, that’s a damned excuse of a lie.

Rin hadn’t changed – Rin had standards. And I had failed them. I had failed him. The truth hung heavy in my throat, not even the rich chlorine musk clouding my nausea. My presumption. Like I had earned him. Like he was something to be won. What did it matter if they knew? I deserved to fail.

6:11 – Gou asked the obvious question, but then, suddenly, Makoto covered for me.  He knew – of course he knew, how could I have hid my obsession, my love, from eyes as sharp and good-naturedly half-open as his? But what did he have to gain from protecting my secrets?

6:22 – What did he want from me?  I gazed intently at the water, as if one more entreaty would reveal its wisdom. But in truth, the water in my eyes held no chlorine. Why wouldn’t he just let me be shamed?

6:29 – Stupid stupid gah why are you such an insensitive PRICK?  Why would I push him away?!?

6:33 – Oh god it’s him.  Of course the coach would bunk me with the most emotionally fragile child in the school. Guh, fine, time to act aloof and senpai-ish

6:42 – Look, I get it, you’re pissy because you lack any and all talent.  Kind of having a moment here, guy

6:47 – Great. What a relief 

6:57 – The kid may have the grace of a manatee , but he’s not stupid

7:14 – Move on?  But… but…

7:28 – Really? We’re actually getting a festival episode?  KyoAni you’ve outdone yourselves

7:46 – That was the moment  I resolved to never, ever have children

8:06 – I was seriously about to make this joke . Can’t even believe this show sometimes

8:13 – And Nagisa even catches it.  Brilliant work, Free

8:42 – All flavors are but ash to Rin now. Even candy apples 

9:05 – Rei’s acting clingy again.  Lucky for him I’ve tired of hating him

9:24 – Because seriously, they will get themselves abducted or killed 

9:49 – I just now realized Nagisa and Rei are wearing yukata, but Haru and Makoto aren’t . Yeah, I’m sure that was an accident

I really hope someone writes the article discussing gender roles in shows like this or UtaPri or whatever versus classic moe shows. Personally I generally only find these shows interesting on a cultural/psychological level, so if someone else wants to do the work…

10:38 – Seriously if I drowned him would anyone even notice 

10:59 – Oh god what are these idiots gonna do 

11:23 – Oh no our brilliant plan 

12:02 – Wow they just ripped this wholesale from a crappy romcom . This may be the best/worst episode yet

12:42 – This is amazing . I guess I’m a sucker for stupid, self-aware genre tricks

13:00 – YEEEEESssssss 

13:06 – Ermahgerd he even did the sasasasasa

13:33 – Jeez, this episode’s doing ALL the romcom cliches 

13:44 – Yeah no question this is the best episode yet . As I said initially, this show can really stick a comedic landing when it wants to

14:06 – That’s fine. I’m only here to drown you anyway 

14:26 – Again, brilliant . Rei is kind of becoming a breakout character at the moment

14:56 – So yeah, they’re doing a whole thing Haru learning new forms of motivation blah blah blah 

16:21 – Good scene. Using the chain  as a kind of visual/aural percussion works to both highlight the contrast between the two scenes and is obviously a pretty on-the-nose but effective visual marker of Rin’s attempts to reclaim what cannot be reclaimed. Someone should get a bonus for this one

17:51 – Finally, the men get a moment alone 

18:49 – Very lovely.  Also once again a great song choice for this moment. This episode has been less impressive on a direction level than Yamada’s one, but likely more effective on a composition/storytelling level. I like how focused the story really is on Haru, Makoto, and Rin – Nagisa and Rei are essentially both comic relief, so whenever a big emotional moment strikes, they pare it down to the critical group. This has been quite a good episode

20:08 – This moment is pretty damn cute.  Maybe it’s just the beer, but I think they’re nailing this one

20:55 – Aw man, they even underscore the character turn by bringing back the goldfish?  Jeez, Free, ya shouldn’t have

21:34 – Oh jeez, who could have predicted this WaCkY PlOt TwIsT???  Not that I’m complaining, I mean, what else was the show gonna do?

And Done

Damn! Satisfying episode! One of the very funniest and also one of the most polished on an actual dramatic level. Really didn’t see that coming! I’m certainly happy to see what comes next, though, and how they’re gonna characterize Haru beyond “dude loves swimming” now that he’s experienced his big turn and everything. Exciting times!

The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 9

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Who’s ready for some tears? I’m ready for some tears. Keima’s been getting away with this date-juggling for too long, and I think it’s time for the hammer to fall. Bring on the waterworks.

Episode 9

0:12 – It begins!  You might not like what you find, Ayumi!

2:49 – Oh god that expression.  Yeah, I know that feeling.

Chihiro is maybe the only capture-girl Keima actually seems to have real conversations with, and not just lines from that archetype’s script. I guess that’s the consequence of her being defined as the “normal” girl

3:07 – Jeez, this scene is really good.  Most romantic comedies that actually want you to care about the romance can’t pull together scenes this refreshingly grounded and honest

…yeah, you know what I’m talking about 

3:47 – NO!  BAD Katsuragi! We do not shove girls onto benches!

3:59 – Keima seems even more shook up than usual.  And look, he’s learned about consent!

4:15 – ABORT. ABORT.  Man, now I don’t want any delicious tears. These two are actually pretty adorable together

5:37 – HOLY SHIT KEIMA YOU TREMENDOUS ASSHOLE.  Keima plz no

5:59 – NO it is NOT oh my GOD be a decent person 

6:37 – She actually likes Katsuragi , and not one of his endless variations on debonair MC-kun. A new experience for him

7:42 – Ermahgerd this is such a good direction to take this.  Keima’s greatest challenge – a girl who likes him for him

8:35 – KEIMA NO FORGET THE GODDESSES THIS IS TRUE WUV 

8:40 – Keima no stop u breakin my heart 

8:55 – KEIMA WHYYYYY 

WHYYYYY 

WHYYYY 

WHYYYokay I’ll stop 

9:56 – Seriously holy shit this scene.  That was awful.

10:22 – Don’t even try it Keima . This is gonna be one satisfying slap

10:35 – Aw man even better.  HIT HIM AGAIN

Incidentally, I realize Keima’s working for the ostensible “greater good” here, but… fuck it, HIT HIM AGAIN

10:55 – Aw, Keima.  His position really is pretty terrible

11:58 – Oh goddamnit Diana , can’t you see Keima is not in the mood? 

12:23 – This is actually how goddesses think love science works 

13:03 – This scene is pretty great . Diana is a bad friend

14:00 – Is Keima even going to be able to go back to games after this arc?  Chihiro has pretty definitely shown the consequences of toying with people like this

14:16 – Suffering yesss 

20:50 – Oh right the plot has to go somewhere once we’ve found the goddesses 

21:35 – IT’S ALL CONNECTED . I actually love the silliness of these deductions

21:57 – Brilliant! 

And Done

Christ. That was even more tragic than I could have imagined. Goddamn was that Chihiro scene exhausting.

It’s nice to see Keima actually cracking, and also being forced to do some legitimately horrible things for the sake of the mission. Apparently toying with people’s emotions isn’t all fun and games after all!

Uchouten Kazoku – Episode 9

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I can’t image this show getting any more tragic than last week. That episode was focused wholly on the grieving process – but as Yasaburou stated at the end, this shared loss has ultimately pulled the family together. With secrets revealed (the only remaining threads being the identity of the last couple Friday Fellows and Kaisei) and the election looming ever closer, the time has probably come for Yasaburou to make some hard calls. He knows he’s the inheritor of the Idiot Blood, and he cares far more than he lets on. I’m not expecting old-fashioned heroism, but I am expecting results.

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Gatchaman Crowds – Episode 8

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I’m hearing all sorts of crazy nonsense about this episode. Let’s just get to it.

Episode 8

0:32 – No mincing words today! 

1:32 – This is kinda interesting.  Well, first, I love all the quirky little details of their apartment, and this shot is a great example of that. But more critically, this line sort of points to how OD has consistently been cast as both the one actual hero in the old model (as in, someone the characters could completely rely on and surrender individual agency to if the situation became desperate enough), and also as the central father figure among the cast (though Joe performs this role for Sugane), which may amount to the same thing. OD’s protection is able to shelter them, but Hajime’s meeting of equals allows Utsutsu to become self-reliant

Also yeah that’s a pretty ominous line for him to be saying

2:21 – Is OD attempting to perform Hajime’s role? 

2:35 – Yerp 

3:07 – One blunt line from Sugane is worth three Pai-OD conversations. 

3:22 – Again, we’ve covered this,  but “having fun” is Hajime for something closer to “achieving your purpose,” and is generally tied to the kind of social connection and service Hajime idolizes (though Katze has his own priorities, obviously). Great related post by /u/SohumB from last week

4:01 – She’s never thought much of Pai’s leadership, but now she’s ignoring it completely 

4:34 – Oof.  Double blow for Rui

6:20 – Well, Rui’s problem is obviously that he centralized power in his own way, and now he’s paying the price for that.  But X being a central intelligence is less interesting than X being an automated process used only to facilitate natural social and civic connections. The question of whether Rui’s ultimate goal is flawed or not can’t be engaged merely by abusing his admittedly hypocritical means. Kinda disappointed about that

8:32 – Fortunately Hajime always keeps things interesting 

8:35 – Pai’s pretty much already surrendered leadership 

9:04 – Joe continues to play from a hero’s journey script  decades behind the times

9:12 – But like Utsutsu, Sugane has learned not to rely on mentors/superiors 

10:03 – Hajime finally gets her wish.  Rui’s plan might work out after all, though not with his tools

13:12 – Sugane’s great with the kids 

13:47 – It seems like Berg-Katze wants people to distrust and destroy each other, so I guess Hajime is pre-establishing that this discord is coming from an outsider?  Announcing the Gatchaman also works to reduce their own mistique as untouchable heroes, which somewhat weakens Katze’s body-stealing (since that’s more powerful the more important the stolen body is, as shown with Rei)

14:13 – Oh she’s just getting all kinds of value out of this 

15:34 – Well there’s really no helping that 

16:36 – LITTERING?  THAT’S THE LAST STRAW

19:49 – They’re going a little deep on the fun theory here.  So I guess he’s thinking Hajime’s society taps into a kind of honesty of communal spirit and happiness best exemplified through the even ground of childhood

And Done

Interesting episode. At the moment, the show seems more down on the social networking than I’d figured it would be, and siding largely with Hajime in emphasizing the power of equal, face-to-face connection. I kinda hope not all the pieces are in place at this point – Rui’s ideal world is fascinating, so I’m hoping GALAX won’t just be pure antagonist from now on.

The difference between 26 and either Hajime or Rui is still pretty interesting. Hajime and Rui both use that “fun” argument, talking in terms of the inherent satisfaction and good-feeling of collaborating and building a better future. In contrast, this episode 26 was basically talking about his work in terms of compensation for services rendered. The show’s philosophy seems to lean towards this being the wrong way to frame improving the world, but as with last time, the situation just isn’t that simple for him – he’s not just greedy, he has a kid and a mortgage and is far past the point where he could simply start over. Influencing the next generation through reaching the children is nice and all, but it doesn’t fix his world, and the distance between Hajime or Rui’s ideals and the practical realities of many of the people they’d wish to have adopt them is something I’d love to see the show continue to address.

Summer 2013 – Week 8 in Review

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Because both story structure and the 1-cour system are kinda inflexible, this week pulled the interesting trick of having almost every single show I’m watching put their protagonist through the emotional wringer, questioning their very base motivation and bringing them as close to “defeat” (relative to each story’s stakes) as possible. Fun times!

Uchouten Kazoku 8: Jeez, you thought last week’s episode was heavy? This week dove directly into the grieving process, exploring the brothers’ father more fully than ever before through a series of quirky and moving flashbacks. Yajirou’s relevant backstory was fully laid out, culminating in the beautiful image of a rail car terrorizing downtown Kyoto and fading with the haunting shot of the family standing on the roadside, waiting for their father to come home. Even Yasaburou was forced to reflect on his relationship with his father, and possibly acknowledge that he must take up the mantle of responsibility simply because no one else can. Still on track to be the fourth anime in my list of basically perfect shows.

Gatchaman Crowds 7: Another doozy. Hajime pointing out Rui’s hypocrisy pushes him to Do The Right Thing and directly confront Katze. And so his Hundred are murdered, he’s nearly killed himself, and the Gatchamen’s chain of command is shattered. Only Hajime is able to save them, and even then only because her intelligence and philosophy amuse Katze. But even she is shaken by the appearance of a character who seems to put the lie to her fundamental faith in our common goals and desire for connection and understanding. Rui chose to forego his own ideals in order to hopefully create a future worthy of them. Will Hajime be forced to do the same?

Monogatari S2 7: Man, I act all cool and brooding about this season’s two Anime Worth Discussing, and then we get to Monogatari which was all derping around with loli Hanekawa and making terrible decisions about time travel. So far, this new arc has been much more comedy-focused than the first, which is fine as long as the comedy is good, and Araragi/Shinobu still have a fantastic dynamic. This episode was entertaining for what it was, but I’ll be happy to get into the meat of this time travel nonsense next week, and discover exactly how badly these idiots have fucked everything up.

C3-bu 8: Back to frowntown for this one, as Yura’s incredible insecurity has led her to first prove her worth to the team at any cost, and now seek victory in the same way. Cheating? Why, I never. I find pretty much everything about this show outside of Yura’s character development pretty flat (routine plotting, workmanly direction and dialogue), so it’s fortunate that they’re doing such solid work with her arc.

Free 8: And wrapping up my “everything sucks for everyone” roundup, this week featured Haru feeling really sad about not winning at swimming. Aaand not much else – the very distinctive direction from last week has been tuned down again, so once again it’s mainly watchable because I make silly jokes the whole time. I sure am excited for KyoAni’s next show…

TWGOK S3 8: I think this show’s turn will come next week, when Keima’s overt two-timing blows up in his face, but this show has always been more episodic anyway. Regardless, this particular week was mainly a rearrange-the-board style episode, setting up pieces to be knocked down in the next couple episodes. That’s fine, that’s sometimes necessary, but it’s not the kind of episode that shines in a weekly context.

So yeah, kind of a downer week overall, but the shows I’m invested in are still doing their thing with aplomb. As long as 2-3 shows continue to impress me, I’m happy.

Free! – Episode 8

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Well here we are again. Last week’s episode kind of blew my mind – first, by being actually kind of really good (excellent, atmospheric direction, a bunch of beautiful shots and some actually effective drama), and second, by almost certainly being good specifically because they brought on the director of K-On and Tamako Market. Holy shit you guys. Up is down, left is right, moe isn’t garbage. Well, I mean, I guess being well-directed can only do so much – I gave each of those shows the fair three-episode shake, and as far as I’m concerned a gifted director tied to that genre will generally create a masterfully directed, evocatively lit version of watching paint dry. You can’t squeeze blood from a blob. A blob that is made of stone, that is. And by blood I mean thematic richness, or… look, it isn’t a perfect metaphor.

Alright. Enough regret – why fret over past misjudgments when I’ve still got so much time to make new ones? Let’s Free!

Episode 8

0:17 – Oh no!  What will Haru live for? Seriously, what else will he oh wait I forgot 

1:55 – Hey guys, how can we drain this episode of any dramatic tension? Oh I don’t know, maybe by naming itRevenge in the Medley . Not that the entire world hadn’t already guessed that plot development, but seriously, people

2:00 – I can also envision that splash as the fountain of dollars necessary to make water look this good 

2:11 – I’ve been trained to feel tension because they’re the only two adults in this world . A rule since literally forever ago 

2:25 – The Frees are uniformly disgusted by the thought of heterosexual tension 

2:52 – Haru seeks solace in the arms of his lover . It wasn’t supposed to be like this!

3:06 – Haru’s plan relies heavily on nebulous metaphors .

Holy shit, I’m actually kind of blind to the fanservice in this show now. I look at an image like that and only think of its wibbly-wobbly thematic implications

3:48 – Speaking of non-romantic tension . Man, anyone not on the male-bonding train has it pretty rough in this world

4:29 – In case you find this outlining of the show’s last act tedious, here are some free chests 

4:48 – “Who forgot to take out the trash?  Shit, did I say that out loud? We cool, guys?”

5:03 – Oh the tears.  The sweet, delicious tears 

5:17 – Between this and C3-bu, I’m beginning to wonder if sports shows have any other conflicts 

5:54 – “Am I just a substitute Rei?!”  “Of course not, Rin. You also have glasses!”

6:20 – KyoAni sure loves its fans 

6:25 – And a liiittle more 

“This time, it’ll be manservice. And there’ll be a beach episode – no! TWO beach episodes. NO- A BEACH SEASON.”

7:07 – KyoAni you think you’re so cool . you are so cool kyoani let me hang out with you

7:34 – I actually love this guy.  In fact, him, Gou, and the teacher are all great. KyoAni tends to nail it with the side characters… well, with a few exceptions 

7:41 – Seriously Rei you fuck this up we’re bringing in the next sub 

7:46 – Haru suddenly realizes he is not his own entire team 

8:33 – This episode’s quite the bounty, eh? 

9:33 – That’s encouraging, because frankly you look like shit.  Now let go of those glasses and win the heat, you damn freeloader

10:29 – It’s okay, you tried your best.  Now give me your goggles, your jacket, and your towel. You’re walking home

10:33 – Yeah, you beat your last time of ‘holy fuck are you unconscious’ 

10:37 – And on the bright side, the goggle thing drew attention from your shit swimming 

10:56 – Aaand he forgot them again 

11:28 – A nice little shot . This episode’s less impressive than last week, but that’s okay because I’m feeling funnier than last week. Win some lose some

11:46 – No there isn’t. You just swim fast and don’t fuck up your goggles oh my god someone smack him 

12:17 – Gou’s meddling strikes again 

12:20 – Pardon me for gendering a little, but didn’t this trip anyone else a little?  I feel like “woops, I signed all you girls up for something super-embarrassing or unexpected” “EHHHHH???” is so established that it’s immediately noticeable seeing the thing reversed. It normally works as a “let’s embarrass these characters because fuck you moe rules” kinda thing – it’s like a variant of the tsundere power-dynamic appeal (where you’re seeing a character reveal their secret side/vulnerability, thus hnnngghh)

12:45 – WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK  alright I’ll stop

12:59 – Tasty.  Man, I could cover my walls with this season’s bounty

13:55 – That’s something . It’s no Tasogare Otome pool , but it’s something

Incidentally, if you want my Tasogare Otome x Amnesia review, it’s a mediocre romcom with a flacid male lead and hearteningly pro-sex female lead lightly speckled with a few images as gorgeous as that one

14:14 – Seriously dude I don’t know you’re kind of a weird guy 

14:27 – Rei I am going to shove my fist so far up your ass it will break your nose 

14:58 – I’m sure this is how Haru imagines they spend all their time  when he and Makoto aren’t babying their asses

15:46 – I like this gag.  I also like that Makoto let them do their whole three stooges routine before mentioning it

17:14 – And the message ends. Don’t you see now, Haru?  It’s about togetherness

That was pretty adorable, though

17:49 Heeeeey  I remember this shot! Except now it’s all bright and… oooh. You’re a sneaky one, KyoAni!

18:04 – Please acknowledge Rei’s butterfly pajamas 

18:52 – “Yeah, sure… who are you, again?” 

20:12 – Rin is positively swimming in emotions right now .

Sorry. sorry

20:26 – Could anyone?  This show is the best kind of silly. Weeeell, maybe second best  (RIP Crimu Edge)

20:52 – THANK you 

And Done

Well, that certainly was an episode of Free. Less visually inspired than the last, but certainly more satisfying than the slice of life set. Races have been lost, teams have pulled together, and Haru has resolved to… figure his shit out later, I guess. That’s cool! Right there with you, buddy. Swimming is complicated (no it isn’t).

The World God Only Knows S3 – Episode 8

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Oh right, I knew I had something important to do today. Watch a silly harem comedy and overanalyze its self-aware takedowns of genre craft.

Episode 8

0:10 – This show is extremely silly . Was Haqua and Elsie’s entire graduating class female?

2:13 – Man, Keima does so much work to make this more watchable than your garden-variety harem. Most harem leads are such milquetoast self-insert “nice guy” nobodies that it immediately strains credulity that a handful of girls would all suddenly fall in love with them. It makes the power fantasy angle kind of overwhelmingly evident, it makes for a set of totally unbelievable female characters, and it results in regularly stilted and repetitive banter. Keima, on the other hand, always works to make himself some kind of bizarre anime-negaverse brand of charming, and he always knows exactly what he wants. That lends itself to more distinctive little dramatic arcs, better banter, and much more believable romantic progression.

Plus the show both doesn’t get caught in static love drama and also draws great humor from the distance between anime character psychology and human psychology. Which is kinda key, since taking any of this seriously as actual romance swiftly leads to dark places .

3:19 – What self-respecting Hell government bureau doesn’t have a gift shop? 

6:37 – Why is that doll so funny 

6:48 – Life is suffering for Keima 

8:42 – Well this is different 

9:57 – Thank god for Keima’s anime-logic universe . If this were the real world, he’d be screwed

10:30 – Man, these wings keep getting easier and easier

13:27 – Nora’s doing  a great Varys impression 

16:31 – His strategies are almost immediately defeated  by any girl who isn’t introverted/isolated. Kind of a limited power

16:42 – Meaning the goddess isn’t inside Chihiro, and things are going to get extremely messy 

19:33 – TWGOK keeps it classy 

20:05 – Oh god, this is gonna be so bad. He’s gonna make some big play, and it’ll actually work, but she won’t have a goddess, so gaaahhhhh man I’m uncomfortable just thinking about it

And Done

Welp, this is gonna end miserably. Brace for impact, folks