Secrets abound in Planetes’ tenth episode. There is one secret we know of, and that is being consciously held by Tanabe – Mr. Gigalt’s failing health, which he asked Tanabe not to share with Hachi. There is one secret who even its holder isn’t aware of: Hachi’s shifting feelings for Tanabe, a truth he is unwilling to admit to himself. And there is one new secret, the secret of Yuri’s past, which is slowly unspooled across the course of one more melancholy adventure.
Tag Archives: Anime
Planetarian – Episode 5
Planetarian ended in likely the most easy way to predict, but that’s not a bad thing – it was a tightly designed narrative and it rode to a satisfying and well-earned conclusion. I even got to be surprised by how well the show pulled off a legitimate action sequence, elevating through smart plotting and sound design what it couldn’t sell entirely through animation. Looks like I can finally say I’m a fan of a Key work!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my final notes below.
Mob Psycho 100 – Episode 4
Mob Psycho was as consistent as ever this week, offering plenty of unique visual highlights while also further exploring the sad contradiction of Mob’s character. Mob’s insecurity is the heart of this series, and the fact that we now have a foil who basically represents everything Mob cannot be is a nice complement to that. Mob Psycho is just damn good entertainment – like Love Live, it’s the kind of high-quality popcorn I’d be happy to munch on every season.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!
Shonen Hollywood, Season 2 – Review
Shonen Hollywood is back and, well, pretty much the same as ever. Same subdued character work, same cynical edge, same pretty-much-crap visual execution. If you’re one of the five or six other people who watched the first season, you know what to expect here. Shonen Hollywood is always a fun watch, and based on the end of this season, it looks like there may be even more coming down the pipe. Who knows what minor disappointments might next await our eternally disenchanted heroes!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below.
Orange – Episode 5
Orange continued to chart its steady course this week, although we did finally get to see the show somewhat engaging with its own time-travel conceit. I don’t have much interest in this show’s thoughts on time travel, but that interlude fortunately didn’t take up too much time, and the rest of this week was pure “oh my god Naho what are you doing oh no Naho don’t do that yes Naho more of that please NOOooo” goodness. This girl is going to kill me.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!
Why It Works: The Rolling Hills of Morioh
Time for my second Crunchyroll column! This time I take a stab at JoJo, investigating its art design and love of horror classics and all that good stuff. Morioh is a wonderfully terrible place.
Why It Works: The Rolling Hills of Morioh
Wandering Son – Episode 4
Episode four opens with another perfect venue for body-related insecurity – swimming class. The light-filtered outlines that give Wandering Son such a storybook feel are here perfectly suited to evoking the summer heat, as Nitori watches Takatsuki fretting over his very visible body. But more than emphasizing the unhappiness we already know, this scene mostly serves to demonstrate that all of these students are struggling with the disappointments of their uncovered selves. Chi’s friend Momoko articulates this directly, as she bemoans her lack of “womanly” features while stuck between Chi and Takatsuki. And Takatsuki is isolated in the frame, positioned first as stuck in the spotlight above his laughing peers before he retreats to the only place he can, deep beneath the eyes of his classmates.
Planetes – Episode 9
Even Hachimaki was a rookie at one point, and in episode nine, we’re finally introduced to the man who taught Hachi everything he knows. A month of security inspections prompts the return of Gigalt Gungulgash, a veteran debris hauler turned OSA agent, now here to make sure the Half section have got all their security-related affairs in order. And so we spend an episode looking both back at the past and on towards the future, in a present moment that reflects both our old triumphs and long-standing regrets.
Planetarian – Episode 4
Yumemi and the Junker ventured out in the rain this week, in an episode that basically put giant sirens on both their heads to announce the emotional contrast being drawn. That’s perfectly okay, though – the show isn’t unsubtle in a way that at all harms its storytelling, and Planetarian’s clear focus is actually one of its greatest strengths. While I do tend to prefer shows that give their characters time to come alive through texture, archetypal stories like this told well are also a fine type of storytelling.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!
Mob Psycho 100 – Episode 3
Mob Psycho 100 actually managed to up the ante this week, by coupling its usual visual splendor with a far more focused and incisive look at Mob’s insecurities. The new-age cult backdrop was a perfect setting for a story focused on peer pressure and the meaning of fitting in, and Mob’s feelings helped him feel constantly vulnerable in spite of never actually being in danger. Mob Psycho is pretty much everything I’d want from a concept like this – yeah there’s some stupid humor, but Mob’s powers are consistently grounded in an absolutely human place, creating a sense of tension regardless of how strong he is. Damn good stuff.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my episode notes below!