Well, this is a bit overdue but better late than never.  As like the previous seasons, after hitting the midseason point, the order of the anime in this post have been flipped meaning it starts with Rinne no Lagrange and ends with Another.  Though it isn’t much, it does change the perspective by putting the anime in a different order, at least for me if not anyone else.

This week: looking for a better word than ‘pirate’ for Mouretsu Pirates, something else you can do with your diary in Future Diary, and a growing problem with the cast of BRAVE10.

Rinne no Lagrange (Episode 7) – For whatever reason, I continue to have doubts about Rinne no Lagrange feeling that at some unknown episode the series will begin to crumble and reveal itself to another mediocre mecha/fanservice anime.  But these past few episodes, with the focus of introducing and developing the main trio and initiating the story, have been excellent, even beyond the presentation, writing, and directing.  Rinne no Lagrange may have done the best job of any anime this season in these few episodes by showing the depth and complexity of the main trio and integrating it into the context of the story.  I feel some magnitude of connect with the main trio that is above that of any other set from any other Winter anime.  And that, something as essential and significant as properly introducing your characters and providing immediate development, is worthy of some praise.

Persona 4 the Animation (Episode 19) – Persona 4 has the satisfying custom of assimilating serious or meaningful scenes into episodes primarily intended for comedy and fun and still getting the most out of them.  Many anime often attempt this approach, usually early on in their seasons, but run into either one of two problems.  The first is that they just don’t mix at all and they end up as discrete entities with all serious and all comedy separated by a scene transition and new location.  Other times one theme becomes overpowering and dominates the other, even to the point where it completely masks it with inferior theme going undetected.  Not true with Persona 4.  This episode was able to integrate a social link, some development on Rise and her rethinking her career choice, and some comedy with an awkward group date scene and a hilarious crossdressing and almost-miraculous (why didn’t Naoto walk out on stage???) beauty competitions.  The outcome is an episode that is both entertaining and meaningful and shows why Persona 4 continues to be my favorite of the season.

Mouretsu Pirates (Bodacious Space Pirates) (Episode 7) – So we’ve seen Marika and her crew perform their jobs two times now and I’m beginning to wonder if something is off here. ‘Piracy’ just doesn’t seem like the best word to use for what they do.  It’s an appropriate word since they obviously participate in piracy: sailing on a ship, hijacking other vessels, pilfering valuables (which they keep!), and dressing up in awesome costumes among other things.  But pirates aren’t contractors nor do they put on performances for the sake of their clients.  They’re supposed to be rogues who do what they want to do or work for whoever pays them the highest price.  It often seems like Marika and her crew are a traveling act who specialize in pirate-themed performances and entail an unfathomable price tag.  But ‘acting’ or ‘drama’ aren’t the best word either since there is some truth behind each of their attacks and I’m sure there will be serious pirating and adventuring before too long.  No, perhaps the best word to describe what Marika is currently doing is ‘privateering’ which I and other bloggers have mentioned to this point.  But in regards to the title of this anime, I’d have to say that Pirates works much better than Privateers (and Miniskirt Privateers might send the wrong signals for this fine anime).

Future Diary (Mirai Nikki) (Episode 19) – So I’ve had this question from near the beginning of Future Diary but haven’t really amplified it or really even mentioned it since then.  But what bothers me about Future Diary and the concept of these diaries is, why not use from for more than playing in this survival game?  Yuki knows enough of his diary that he could easily become a millionaire or more in the matter of hours if he utilizes his diary to its fullest.  Yuno, always knowing everything about Yuki, could really have him anytime she wants, if she plays her cards correctly.  It’s true that she failed before in the past but honestly, fix a few mistakes that you know about this time and no one is stopping you this time.  Minene could go on a crime spree or do whatever she wants, so long as she follows her diary’s escape routes and doesn’t overdo it.  And I’m sure some of the other gimmicky diaries could do other things, too, but you get the general idea.  I’d love to see the players use their diaries for more than killing each other or surviving their competition but, to be honest, it’s not what the anime is about and it’d just drag the story on further than it needs to go.  Still, something would be nice.

Chihayafuru (Episode 19) – If I weren’t so lazy, I would’ve found a quote about teams coming together after doing some ultimate test about competing against themselves and posted it here but this sentences gets across the idea of what I want to talk about while saving me probably an hour of searching and selecting someone’s famous words.  But yeah, the fact that both pairs of competitors were able to look at each other and continue to share their friendship highlights the strength of their relationships.  Though Taichi had it the hardest out of anyone, losing, not advancing, and failing to achieve his goals for the tournament, it was challenging for everyone, including Chihaya who merely spectated the two matches.  Seeing everyone come together after a pair of taxing matches like that is probably the aspect I adored the most from this episode.  I really hope this theme continues throughout when everyone tries to do their best in the next team tournament.

Brave 10 (Episode 7) – At first, the one or two gimmicky characters in BRAVE10 were fine since they contrasted the excessively serious Saizo, the bipolar happy-go-lucky and woefully depressing Isanami, and the rest of the ‘normal’ cast of the anime.  Now, with the addition of Benmaru, the orphan boy who’s adept and explosives, traps (not that kind!), and trickery, to the trio of Kamanosuke, Sasuke, and Miyoshi, it’s gotten to the point where there are too many gimmicky characters.  Worst off, their behavior is rubbing off on the best characters of this anime and they’re starting to act silly, too, like when Isanami commanded Miyoshi around to be her personal slave.  It’s fine for episodes like these where the entertainment aspect is the biggest angle but it doesn’t bode well for the story as a whole or when the characters are in a grim situation.  Though I’m not particularly fond of the story to begin with, it could still do without these one-dimensional, one-joke secondary characters.

Another (Episode 6) – Remember those dolls in Another, always appearing between transitions to absolutely murder any impact the prior scenes had?  Oh, how awful that was.  Or when Mei and Kouichi would meet up and it always happened to be DOLLS! in that creepy basement of that doll museum?  Well, their sudden absence from the series has been a welcome change to the anime.  Removing these scenes has allowed the anime to make strides in its story by providing better connections between DOLLS! scenes so the anime flows seamlessly rather than having abrupt breaks DOLLS! that annoyed more than anything else.  Although I do wonder what role the dolls played (I continue to think they represent people, strengthened after the scene where the doll fell from the shelf the same episode Sanae died in DOLLS! the elevator shaft), I am thankful they’ve been removed from the anime in its current state.  I continue to hope it stays that way until maybe the finale where they explain the dolls with a footnote or something.

A story is expressed through the perspective of the storyteller.  In Sakamichi no Apollon, the perspective of the story is shown through Kaoru’s eyes, meaning every event or occurrence is shown through him.  As a result, we’re allowed access to his thoughts, emotions, idea, and impressions and these influence how we view the story and the other characters.  But because of this inflexible perspective, we’re essentially limited to see the story through the eyes of only one character.  Sentarou and Ritsuko both have their own personal perspectives and would tell the story of Sakamichi no Apollon differently despite seeing and experiencing the same events and characters.  So how would switching the perspective to these two other characters influence how the story is told and impact the story itself?

Weighing and comparing the perspectives of the characters not only enhances each event adding more than what we saw but it can also explain certain scenes or expand a character beyond what we are intended to see.  Certain scenes may have a specific effect or magnitude for one character but an entirely different one for another and lead the emotion or impression of that scene to be dissimilar than the one intended.  By substituting the normal narrator with another character, we experience the same story in a somewhat new but entirely different way.

However, there must be some level of assumption and guesswork added to these perspective changes since we never do see the anime through their eyes.  Without actually seeing the anime through their perspective, it will always carry some level of uncertainty with it.  There is another bit of weakness in this exercise, too, since the characters we see are already through one perspective (everything we see in Sakamichi no Apollon goes through Kaoru first), so these examples already have some angle or lens to them.  There certainly is room for error or debate given each viewer’s own opinion on how they interpret the character, too, so this isn’t a complete version but rather a means to generate thinking about how the other characters are experiencing the story of Sakamichi no Apollon and what goes through their minds through each event in the story.

Perhaps the juiciest or most remarkable scene to re-experience would be the group date in the middle of the episode though a number of other candidates, such as Kaoru playing for Ritsuko in the basement or Sentarou waiting in the basement before jamming with Kaoru, would be valuable given the time.  Through Sentarou’s perspective, the date was entirely about him and Yurika, his recent crush.  No matter what Kaoru or Ritsuko said or did, his attention was solely honed in on Yurika and there was little that could happen that’d change it.  Though he did respond to the others when prompted, they were all preceded by Yurika in some form or another.  Seeing the group date through Sentarou’s perspective would have pushed Kaoru and Ritsuko away and provided more detail on Yurika’s character which would’ve helped explain the scene near the end when Sentarou and Yurika were alone in the art room.  However, in doing so, the impact on Ritsuko’s character would have been missed.  We would’ve seen her leave crying but we would’ve missed the powerful shot with her in the woods, alone with her two streams of tears, that reinforced the scene and strongly influenced Kaoru’s character.  Through Sentarou’s eyes, we would have sacrificed the impact on Kaoru and Ritsuko’s characters and romance for the continuation and progress of his and Yurika’s budding relationship.  The direction that would have occurred thereafter would’ve lead the remaining half of the episode to an entirely different route but the growth of their love will remain concealed for now.

Seeing the scene through Ritsuko’s eyes would have also left a different impression on the group date, too.  Though her expression never explicitly showed and as she tried to hide it as best she could, the whole date was extremely hard on her for seeing the man she loved be close to an entirely new girl.  Without even knowing it, the boy she grew up with had already moved on without any opportunity for Ritsuko to defend herself against the sweet Yurika.  Since we saw the scene through Kaoru’s eyes, we never really noticed when it turned from paradise to pain for Ritsuko nor could we listen in on her thoughts throughout every shot until it culminated in her fleeing the party and weeping in the forest.  Of particular interest would’ve been seeing her before the group date, too, and being able to see what she expected for the outing and how her dreams were ruined by the new girl.  Seeing this scene through Ritsuko’s perspective would have cast a negative shadow on the entire group date despite the successful development of Sentarou and Yurika’s relationship.  There also would’ve been little insight into Kaoru’s character, too, since she largely ignored him to focus in on the close couple, so the development of Kaoru’s feelings for her would have gone unnoticed.  Without that added sense of Kaoru around, the disclosure of his feeling near the end of the episode would have had the added effect of feeling impulsive and more influential (though I assume most of us would’ve known when he invited her to a private session in her basement).  Viewing the group date through Ritsuko’s eyes would have left and entirely different impression of the group date in our minds than what we saw, switching the emotion from frustration and failure to missed opportunities and sorrow.  However, the scenes thereafter would have shown Ritsuko’s recovery and the strengthening of her character and resolve which is something I honestly would’ve loved to see.

The exercise could continue onto Yurika’s character and explore what her thoughts and impressions would’ve been and how they’d influence and direct the scene but her character is rather unknown at this point and her connections with the characters are rather simple, so there is not as much to gain through her than with the other two main characters.  It would, however, show more insight into what Yurika thinks about Kaoru since she believed it was he who invited her (and thusly likes her) rather than only Sentarou.

Examining other scenes would be the next logical step but that can be reserved to one’s own time and pace rather than extending this post further than it needs to be.  There will continue to be scenes like this in every episode that brings everyone together for an important event that affects the characters each in their own personal way.  And these effects would continue on to impact the audience had we the opportunity to experience the anime through their eyes rather than the singular pair that we use.  By doing this, we might be able to explain or explore more about these characters, their relationships, and even their love of jazz or Christ or whatever and get more out of the story than what we are currently provided with this anime.

Similar to a love triangle, a love square has formed in Sakamichi no Apollon that places the four central characters of this anime in their own corner.  However, such a shape would have never developed had for one scene gone differently in this episode.  Had Sentarou not fumbled around his opportunity to invite Yurika on the group date, there would be no misunderstanding on who invited the beautiful sophomore out on a picnic.  Doesn’t help that Sentarou confused the situation further by claiming it was Kaoru who was inviting her out, too.  How differently would the romances develop in this anime had this scene gone differently and how would the story progress from here?  Such a seemingly inconsequential scene is going to have a colossal impact on the remainder of the anime now.  With this screw-up, however, a stable love square has formed where each character chases another until an event decides where it stops and who ends up lucky and who ends up not.  For the purposes of drama and storytelling, a love square is more fascinating than immediately resolved relationships or whatever the outcome would’ve been if Sentarou had stayed on script.  It’s amusing to think what would’ve been had just a few lines gone differently but that’s what happens in life and we must deal with the consequences of our actions.

Though the frequent skirmishes, provocative action sequences, and persistent use of modern weaponry are the principal attractions of Jormungand, it is actually the business of selling weapons that drives this anime.  And though there is this constant reminder of how the effects and influence of guns are what shape the world, there’s that required step of currency prior to weapons that permits that philosophy to be true.  Yes, while often indirect or merely overlooked, Jormungand boasts a surprisingly robust industrial and fiscal side that suggest that this is quite the economic anime among its numerous other strengths.  The commercial side to Jormungand is an essential characteristic to the series; it is used to explain how and why Koko encounters and connects to everyone and everything.  Just as it is the guns that influence the world in Jormungand, it is the trade of weapons that controls the story of Jormungand.

Although the business of dealing weapons is imperative to the story of Jormungand, there are a variety of alternative methods for managing a story with virtually the same core and major themes as we see currently.  For example, replace the job title of Koko from an adept and esteemed weapons dealer to that of a rogue and stealthy mercenary. With that as the storyline, Jormungand could feasibly retain all the comedy, action, and themes as the real anime does.  Another example would be to make Koko an enigmatic and intellectual spy who spans the globe searching to answers.  Really, there is any number of ways to create a background for an action and comedy anime as we’ve seen in Jormungand, so the fact that it’s about weapons dealing indicates that there’s something special about it.  The fact that the business has been involved as it has throughout the anime further reinforces this point.

So what is it about the weapons trading business that Jormungand needs for it to tell its story?  Perhaps the best explanation comes from what we’ve learned about Koko and her ambition to establish world peace through the sale of deadly weapons.  This obvious hypocrisy is attractive as a theme in the story as it seems contradictory that the increase of devices that lead to death would be what ultimately leads to less conflict.  The theme would be reduced in the other examples since those have Koko as the direct user of weapons rather than the indirect.  This difference is significant because being a direct cause of death, destruction, and conflict, it’d be impossible for her to follow her dream.  Koko believes that selling weapons intelligently and tactfully will be what achieves her dream.  There are other examples through the aspects of industry, too, though not as definitive as Koko’s desires.  Jonah’s story also shows how significant the business side of Jormungand is with his vendetta against Kasper for selling the weapons that slaughtered his village and destroyed his life.  Rather than being content with murdering the enemies who actually performed the cruelties, Jonah won’t be satisfied until the business of murder is addressed, too.  This also ties into the hypocrisy, too, in that Jonah is using a weapons dealer to get back at a weapons dealer and doing something most would identify as contradictory, too.  Whatever the reason, the business elements of Jormungand are necessary for the story and the characters that we see.

Now that we can understand why the occupational characteristics of Jormungand exist, it’s important to see how it is utilized in the story to allow it to progress.  Through seven episodes, we’ve seen Koko and her band deal with rival weapons dealers, clients, allies, and avoid assassination.  Each storyline in this anime has had some direct connection to the fact that Koko is a weapons dealer.  Each confrontation and each association thus far is a result of Koko’s employment.  Though the story could easily be rewritten to include all these events with Koko being a mercenary or spy, it would fail to match the ambitions of her character in that she wants a world with no conflict.  This demonstrations that it would be possible to preserve the same episodic content as we’ve seen but the connection between each story, the weapons trading industry, could be different and consequently, the message of the anime and the link between episodes would unquestionably be different.  That is also why the business elements of Jormungand are some of the most essential to the anime.

Going beyond these simple storytelling devices and attempting to explain the importance of why the author gave Koko the occupation she has, the business traits of Jormungand correlate to a certain message about money in the anime.  Although the fiscal elements of Jormungand have been nominal to date, briefly mentioned by Koko that she didn’t want to sale weapons to an army with no money and how Scarecrow only cares about obtaining money, the importance of business means the importance of currency.  We have yet to see any trade of bank notes, handoffs of briefcases crammed full of cash, exchanges of weighty brown bags with comically large dollar signs printed on them, or ordinary credit card transactions, we know money is flowing in every episode of Jormungand or that the events in these episodes have the potential to drastically alter or halt the currency stream.  While it is the guns receiving all the attention, the guns are ultimately fighting over the money that is at stake in every episode.  It shouldn’t be surprising considering the themes for this anime but it’s always a fun exercise to examine how money and monetary gains are represented in an anime such as this.

However, our understanding of the weapons trade industry is still incomplete and thus, our understanding of Koko is likewise.  Information, explanations, and clues here would do wonders for developing our heroine, her team of bodyguards, the story, and even other areas of the anime, such as the setting and perhaps other characters, too.  Fortunately the anime seems to be self-aware and is transitioning to Koko’s HQ where we’re certain to dive into even more business aspects of the anime.  Though it may sound boring to those who readily dismiss economic-themed stories, these details will indeed be essential to Koko’s character and help illuminate her motivation for being a weapons dealer.  How the visit to HQ will affect Koko and the direction of the series, especially after covering the commercial elements of the anime in this post, will surely be remarkable.

The action sequences in Jormungand have always been a bit wonky but this week’s duel between Valmet and Karen was especially difficult.  While the action and brawls are glorified to the point where they become entertaining and thrilling to watch, the enjoyment begins to diminish when it becomes too unbelievable.  Upon seeing Valmet literally outrun bullets fired from roughly a meter away by a proficient assassin is a bit much.  Compound that with the fact that Valmet lost all her bloodlust and emotions when Lehm simply talked to her and unwelcome questions begin to sprout regarding the motivation of Valmet or even necessity of the scene.  Though still enjoyable to watch, the action scenes in Jormungand have begun to slip recently.  What’s going to solve this isn’t any more over-the-top action where humans in a realistic setting defy the laws of physics but rather some simple, yet intense sequences where the action is relevant to the story or vital in developing the character.  Something like, especially with someone like Koko or Jonah, would really hook me back on the action in this anime again.

This The previous week: the wonderful minimalistic approach to romance in Hyouka, calling into question the usefulness of the secret treasures in Sengoku Collection, wondering about the difference between split and continuously running anime with Rinne no Lagrange, and easily my favorite scene in Sword Art Online.

Sword Art Online (Episode 11) – I think that piggyback riding scene will be my favorite moment of SAO.  Even with another season ahead of it, I don’t think anything will beat out this cute scene between Kirito and Asuna.  It doesn’t make up for the steady decline of the series to date but damn was that scene adorable.

Sengoku Collection (Episode 24) – Though the secret treasures are phenomenal manifestations of talent, aspiration, and the greatest of powers, life is pretty okay once they’ve been stolen by Nobunaga.  As seen with Tokugawa, the success of her life has remained unchanged without this abstract power and she’s continued to strive to reach her goals which have no changed to match and surpass Rosary.  As she said, she’s achieved her original goal of becoming the top idol in Japan and now has her sights set beyond the borders of the country she loves dearly.  Seeing this determination, resolve, and success helps call out the purpose of the secret treasures beyond the ability to send one Sengoku-era general back to their appropriate time.  Are these secret treasures just indicators that the character has reached a certain level of power or do they play any special role in making the general a better or superior person?  With Nobunaga having collected several already, she doesn’t appear to be any stronger, more talented, or a better person, so perhaps these treasures are worthless beyond being the chosen currency by animal-earred shrine maidens for time travel.

Rinne no Lagrange (Episode 23) – Being split into the Winter and Summer seasons, Rinne no Lagrange is one of the few anime experimenting with this trend of showing one serious continuously with a season off in the middle.  I often ponder about how much this changes an anime from being shown continuously through two consecutive seasons as do most of the anime with more than one season planned do.  What I tend to believe is that the season off allows the series to take a break, research what it did well and what didn’t, and allow the series to put its efforts into restructuring the series and making the second half better or more enjoyable than the first.  However, that break effectively destroys the momentum and consistency that the whole first season built up, thus making the return of the series somewhat of a gamble given all the other anime and real life endeavors that happened between the two episodes.  I suppose the differences are minimal or variable among the population of anime fans, but I can’t help but feel that I would’ve enjoyed this anime more had it been two consecutive seasons and not split between the Winter and Summer.  The reasoning here is that I failed to enjoy the opening episodes of this season despite loving the end of the first season and having high hopes for the return of the series all Spring.  I probably would’ve felt the same disappointment given the first few episodes of this season but at least I wouldn’t’ve had all that time to hype the series as I did over the long Spring break the series had.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous (Episode 11 [Finale]) – Well, that’s kinda a depressing ending.  Seems like everyone in the series is dead now and Shimao still wanders the face of the Earth without any redemption or chance of finding peace.  Makes me wonder how long he’ll be destined to walk the world as an invisible ghost and what he’ll do.  Perhaps he’ll monitor the progress of his grandchildren and watch closely over his flower shop, but you figure there’s not much else for him to do now that his love and rival have passed on.  Thinking about this perpetual and never-ending loneliness is certainly a frightening prospect, but the series seemed to downplay it with him floating happily up to the sky.  But it’s not like he’s going to heaven or fading out of existence, he’s still as there in the end as he was when at the series began.  If that were the case, the series would’ve shown that but no, he’s still there as the series fades out and the credits roll.  Yeah, he’s still a ghost, lost on Earth, without a chance at finding peace now.  Pretty haunting when you think about it.

Hyouka (Episode 22 [Finale]) – I have to applaud Hyouka for taking the minimalistic approach to romance, not only in its finale, but throughout the series.  Though the elements were obvious and ubiquitous from start to finish, the anime never overplayed the complicated relationships into something grandiose or unnecessary but kept it a confusion yet realistic friendship between two pairs of students.  What helped explain this approach were the revelations presented by the two male characters in these two final episodes, one in which Satori expressed his worries and perception of his relationship and Houtarou choosing to remain the energy conserver he has always been rather than jump at the chance to spend his life with Chitanda.  Seeing these two speak their minds helped solidify the minimalistic approach to romance the series, at least from the view point of the male characters.  I wish we saw the same exposition from Chitanda and Mayaka, too, as their perspectives are equal to those of the guys in this anime, though I can’t help but feel they’d be less interesting and more normal given their personalities and behaviors throughout the anime.  Doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t have some significant or amusing story to tell regarding their perspective on their romance but it didn’t seem to be something noteworthy for the anime to go over and thus, a point that was ignored.  Still, I appreciate an anime sticking with its minimalistic approach to romance for the duration of the anime and for doing an outstanding job with it, too.  I know others would’ve rather seen a warmer, happier ending, one where Houtarou and Chitanda hook up, but dammit, these are the kinda romance endings that I like, so let me have this one just once!

This week: appreciating the evolution of Akane’s character in Psycho-Pass, thoughts on how others face anxiety and pressure in Chihayafuru 2, the perspective and surprise of tricks in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and thinking about the story going full circle in Zetsuen no Tempest.

Best episode of the week: Psycho-Pass

Anime trending up this week: Shin Sekai Yori

Anime trending down this week: Tamako Market

Zetsuen no Tempest (Episode 23)

It’s rather amusing to think back to the first half of the series with what Samon and the Kusaribe Clan were doing, attempting to revive the Tree of Exodus and bring it against the Tree of Genesis.  Now, after twisting and turning through the plot that is Zetsuen no Tempest, we’re nearly back at our original starting point albeit using the conflict against the Tree of Genesis.  Considering how similar these two plot points are, one could consider that the anime has gone full circle, especially with the original plotline for Mahiro and Yoshino being completed just a few episodes ago.  Wouldn’t it be something if Samon’s original plan was the correct course of action all along?  I think so.

Tamako Market (Episode 11)

So the entire operation of finding a bride for the esteemed prince of this island country, one that needed to be initiated during his teenage years well before he ascended to the throne (a sense of urgency) and would significantly impact the direction and future of this country were left to a, what, 9-year old soothsayer and her klutzy, unreliable bird?  Like, who okay’d this?  Who even thought this was a good idea?  Hell, even if it was tradition or something, you’d figure there’d be someone out there to oversee the whole operation to make sure everything goes smoothly, not to mention is done in an acceptable timeline.  If you were ever wondering why it took so long for this tiny island nation to find a suitable bride for their young prince, look no further than the child and her pet being sent alone on an expedition to lure a girl back home to an island she’s never heard of to marry a stranger she’s never met.  Yeah, this is probably the best way to decide the fate of the kingdom for decades to come.

Shin Sekai Yori (Episode 25 [Finale])

Rather than going on about the ending, how the line between humans and queerrats is a blurry one and how the final scenes inspired themes of hope and perseverance, I want to take about 24 steps back and question the education system in Shin Sekai Yori and how the kids were learning about advanced genetics and literary research techniques.  The main reason why I have this question is because everything we saw the kids do in school was related to strengthening and developing their cantus and learning about fiends and other scary things.  The schools never showed scenes where the kids learned the basics of mathematics or the fundamentals of language nor did we see them do any advanced schooling which both Saki and Satoru seems to have displayed in these final scenes.  Besides the field trip that the five children participated in during the infancy of this series, we never really saw the kids do anything besides play around with their cantus all day.  So just when did the kids learn about everything else like math and science and language and arts?  What about topics like law and medicine?  And considering that most of the technology and knowledge was retracted from this society, just how much do they know about concepts like genetics and evolutionary biology?  You know, as satisfying an ending as this was, I still have a thousand and one questions remaining about the setting that I fear will never be answered.  Ah, ‘tis the sorrow behind anime and storytelling in general.

Senran Kagura (Episode 12 [Finale])

I always wondered why the girls wore their bikinis underneath their battle uniforms after a Shinobi Transformation.  You’d figure underwear would be more comfortable, more supportive and be easier to move around in than those really awkwardly shaped and skimpy bikinis.  And considering that this is a fanservice anime where the amount of clothing lost is directly proportional the amount of damage received, you’d figure it could get away with a high number of pantyshots and whatnot considering its style, its themes and its target audience.  But for this episode, one following the conclusions of all the final battles, ones where all the girls lost pretty much every article of clothing, it makes sense for them to run around in their bikinis rather than their bras and panties.  For one, it’d be a bit too much for this franchise, in terms of fanservice, to have 10 girls be running around in their underwear for the entire 24-minutes.  Senran Kagura seems to be only mildly to moderately ecchi in its presentation and styling and having everyone in their underwear the entire episode would be a bit much for even then.  It’s still quite a bit of fanservice to have the girls run around in their swimsuits for 24-minutes, too, much more than you see in any beach episode of any anime, but that’s about the limit for Senran Kagura.  Another reason seems to be is that when the game first came out, bikinis were the standard attire under the battle uniforms, too.  As the franchise has released more and more games with more and more costumes, it seems that it has developed its fanservice a bit more and added more in the way of bras and panties, so it seems like these are more recent developments in the franchise than swimsuits under clothing.  So yeah, after being confused and curious about the choice of underwear for these girls all season, after watching the finale of Senran Kagura, it seems to make a bit more sense why the girls are going with bikinis instead of bras and panties… they can at least keep some of their modesty when completing their missions, even if they’ve been stripped naked by their enemies.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai (Episode 11)

The letter ‘J’ is invaluable to Sasami-san.  The characters Juju Tsukuyomi and Jou Edogawa were introduced in the middle and the latter parts of the series and both proved to be tremendously positive additions and significantly elevated the series beyond my initial expectations and preliminary assessment with the series.  Since I’ve already detailed my thoughts on Juju, I figured that this review could be geared toward Jou since she has recently become a favorite for me in this series, especially with episode 11.  Her character really compliments Sasami’s in that she provides a burst of energy rarely seen outside of Tama and a perverted Tsurugi.  What this does is it helps break up some of the monotone scenes in Sasami-san and making them a bit more meaningful and entirely more entertaining.  Not only that but Jou has some interesting friends and an even more interesting perspective on people.  Her behavior and reactions to everyone, always treating Sasami as a suspicious rival and acting all villainy around her, really created a lasting, positive impression of her character on me.  Not only did she enter the series later than she should have and have an extremely positive effect on the series like Sasami’s mother but she really carried the weight of the comedy in the second half of the series and made these final few episodes enjoyable and amusing to watch.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (Episode 23)

Through the series, Sakurasou focused on the tenants of the decrepit dormitory, showing their dreams and struggles and conflicts and emotions.  These final few episodes have effectively turned the focus toward their home and the sudden struggles to keep it standing following the end of the school year.  These last few episodes have shown how the residents of Sakurasou have been working tirelessly and endlessly to save their beloved home with discouraging results.  However, throughout this process, Chihiro-sensei has been working her tail off too, to support the students behind the scenes and in a way that only she, as a faculty of the school, could perform.  And really, she’s been working hard for the students throughout the entire series but never really had any focus on her character nor her actions.  Really, Chihiro-sensei has played an essential and necessary role throughout all of Sakurasou but never has received the recognoition or thanks for what she has done.  It’s rather sad to note that we never really will know the extent of her kindness and efforts but at least we can now appreciate her role in everything that’s occurred at Sakurasou and how she, like all the other residents, is a part of Sakurasou, just as much as anyone else.

Pscyho-Pass (Episode 22 [Finale])

Although I’m fascinated with just about every aspect of Psycho-Pass, undoubtedly my favorite is the evolution of Akane’s character.  Throughout the twenty-two episodes that comprised Psycho-Pass, we saw Akane grow from a young, naïve and scared rookie to a seasoned, mature and respected detective.  This was highlighted in the final scene of the finale, illustrating the contrast between her former and current self, shown openly when Akane met Shimotsuki Mita, a rookie like Akane in the first episode.  However, what makes the story of Akane’s character and her development one of my favorite is that she still retained her humanity and her responsiveness after everything she’s been through.  It isn’t hard to see a character change as an anime goes one, especially a protagonist, but seeing Akane go through all these challenges and all these trials, with some success and some failures, it’s great to see Akane remain ‘human’ and, perhaps most importantly, to remain ‘Akane’.  I figured by the end of the series that Akane would be similar to how Ginoza was throughout the anime but, with our understanding of Akane’s character, you know that she’ll remain herself for some time to come.  And unlike other characters who develop with new attributes overlapping or replacing old ones, Akane’s character developed by structuring everything around her initial self.  Whether it was erecting new qualities and fashioning new traits, Akane’s character build upon itself to give us the fantastic character that we saw in this finale.  Really, there may be a number of fascinating details or intriguing stories or a functional and developed plot in Psycho-Pass, but the story of Akane growing up and developing in an astounding, magnificent character is absolutely the most remarkable, and my favorite, part of Psycho-Pass.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (Episode 11)

Have you ever wondered how different Maoyuu would be had the Mage, Onna Mahoutsukai, been present the whole time?  Or better yet, how much easier everything would’ve been for Maou and Yuusha in implementing their various plans and developments around the various villages and kingdoms?  The lack of magic besides Yuusha is rather stark in a series like this, so it means the trio of female mages is that much more valuable and desirable.  Not only would Yuusha be able to assist Maou in certain capacities but the three mages would use their magic to assist the serfs or merchants or whoever with their awesome and seemingly limitless power.  And not only that, but considering how awesome those three characters are, you can’t help but wonder how much better the anime would’ve been too had they been around the whole time.

Little Busters! (Episode 24)

As I’ve mentioned previously, I believe Rin would make a much better protagonist to Little Busters! than Riki does.  This episode further reinforces my thoughts on the matter considering how it showed Komari to be the perfect lead female… erm, lead supporting character for which to augment and facilitate the development of Rin as the leading character.  Had Rin been the main character of Little Busters!, the series could have focused more intently on the friendship between these two girls, how Komari was able to overcome her crippling depression and how Rin was able to and is still conquering her distressing shyness.  The two work well together, fantastic even, and having the series spend more time with these two together, especially with how well they compliment each other and allow the other to grow and mature as a character, would certainly improve the series as a whole.  You know, rather than being a straight adaptation of the popular Key visual novel, I wish this anime had a twist so that Rin were the one solving everyone’s problems, including her own.  And if that wouldn’t work, then I wish we had crossdressing Riki the whole time instead or normal Riki because then Riki wouldn’t be so boring.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Episode 24)

In anime and storytelling in general, the audience is often allowed to see various events and objects that the characters are unable to see.  This is frequently used in ways to show the beginnings or hints of a trick or misdirection that will befall an unsuspecting character.  However, in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you often never really see these hints or clues when Joseph Joestar is playing the trickster.  What this does is it places the audience on the same level as the villains, thus creating an authentically surprising and a substantially more satisfying conclusion to the trick, too.  It has been developed in recent episodes, especially with Joseph taking a more central role in the fights, so there has been in increase in the need for the series to take a generalized perspective in order not to spoil the stunning or shocking tricks that Joseph is able to pull off.  It has really helped enhance the fighting in this final arc of Battle Tendency while also highlighting JoJo’s intelligence and ingenuity.

Chihayafuru 2 (Episode 11)

Given that the Mizusawa Karuta Club faces drama and anxiety before and after every match, you can’t help but wonder if all the other teams face similar circumstances before all their matches too, just that the electricity and tension occurs off-screen.  We’ve seen it happen with the Hokuou Academy Karuta Club earlier in the series, either in the form of Kinashi selecting their line-up or with Sudou placing an uncomfortable burden on the members, but almost all the other clubs appear to be calm, cool and collected before every match.  Hell, the most drama we’ve seen in this tournament outside the Mizusawa team was the international school trying to speak English for whatever reason.  And you figure with such a weighty and important tournament going on, that there’d be more drama and excitement going on with the other teams.  Well, given that we’re nearing the championship for the team tournament, we might see the drama escalate rather quickly, especially with the opponents being given actual backstory and development unlike the past few challengers.  It’s clear that the pressure will expand as the tournament comes to a close but the question remains whether we’ll see it manifested in the characters playing against Chihaya and friends.

Last week: appreciating the dramatic visuals of Chihayafuru 2, the use of bright, dazzling colors in Suisei no Gargantia, the divergence of Chiho’s life in Hataraku Maou-sama!, and the sudden emotions and expressiveness of Mikasa in Shingeki no Kyojin.

As always, since we’ve reached the halfway point of this season, the order of the shows will now reverse, now starting with Railgun 2 and finishing with Chihayafuru 2.

Best episode of the week: Shingeki no Kyojin

Anime trending up this week: Chihayafuru 2

Anime trending down this week: Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S (Episode 6)

Although you wouldn’t expect an anime to present and debate various issues in the field of medical ethics, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S does a fine job of raising the question with the role of Misaka’s DNA and the purpose of the clones in this Sisters story arc.  The part in particular I found fascinating is when Shinobu found Misaka sitting silently on a street bench and the two began discussing the Sisters Project.  What surprised me about Misaka’s character is how she seems to be more intent on getting revenge against the researchers who lied to her and used her DNA for cloning purposes rather than ending the project and saving the 10,000 clones of her that are schedule to die.  Of course, she’d love to stop the project herself if she could, it’s just surprising to see that her mind starts off with that subject first rather than saving the clones of her that are specimens in this experiment.  Of course Railgun doesn’t go much further or explore the topic of medical ethics in greater detail, but it does provide some discourse for the topics relevant to the story, presents it in a way that’s easy to understand and does it in a way that doesn’t force the audience to feel one way or another.  It’s rather distinctive and fascinating to see an anime present something in this field without making the issue one-sided or having the villains be cartoonishly evil.  It’s actually rather respectable how the series presents a subject of a stimulating nature like this, and I certainly hope to see more ethical questions as this Sisters arc continues.

Suisei no Gargantia (Episode 7)

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet is an anime of colors; bright, vivid and happy colors.  That is until this episode which ditched the otherwise sunny mood of the previous episodes and featured a number of serious and intense scenes between the characters and their potential alien threat.  As a result, the change in the atmosphere shifted the anime from its cheerful, easygoing self to one that was somber and serious. And of course, the dazzling colors were affected too, being dampened and darkened to reflect this change.  I’ve always found the use of colors in Suisei no Gargantia to be expressive and demonstrative of the mood and the general feel of the characters, presenting Gargantia and its cast as simplistic and relaxed compared to Ledo and Chamber who exist merely to defeat the Hideauze.  In fact, that’s why I believe Ledo’s and Chamber’s color schemes are so neutral and plain compared to the vivid and colorful cast.  However, with the Hideauze being located on Earth and Ledo seeking to restart his mission of eradicating this threat, the series lost some of its intensity and brightness and turned to something darker and something much more serious.  As the series continues to progress toward its climax between Ledo and the alien invaders, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the dazzling colors fade away, especially if there’s more conflict and emotion between the characters to reflect his mood.  That’s not to say that the brilliant display of colors and the visual appeal of the series will be lost as we reach the second half of the series but that the feeling of this series has gone from sunny to cloudy, possibly approaching stormy, and that Gargantia has seen its colors change accordingly, becoming muted and nowhere near as vivid or vibrant.

Shingeki no Kyojin (Episode 7)

Mikasa has always been a quiet, stoic character, choosing to remain calm and collected rather than showing her emotions like every other character in Attack on Titan.  However, the seventh episode of Titan showed a dramatic change in her personality and how she responded to various stimuli.  In fact, it can all be traced back to the moment she learned Armin that Eren was a delicious appetizer for some random Titan.  Ever since that moment, Mikasa has showed a range of emotions on her face, contrasting greatly with her previous self and becoming more like the other characters of the cast who express their emotions so well.  The whole episode is really demonstrative and expressive of Mikasa’s character and how much Eren and her family means to her.  Not only that but she responded to emotion from others as well, something that wasn’t necessarily evident in previous episode.  Still, this might be a momentary hiatus of her character as she vents and unleashes all her emotions as once, only to return to her resigned and peaceful self thereafter, but I’d love to see this Mikasa endure for the remainder of the series, especially with how effective and rousing her emotions were in this episode.  Not to say that I didn’t like the old Mikasa who was always stoic and emotionless but that this is an improvement on her character, be finally validating her emotions and actions in an appropriate and satisfying manner.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai. 2 (Episode 7)

Waiting this long to have Sena finally appear and have a part in an episode is criminal.  Criminal, I tell ya!  At least she’s still as hyper and horny and excited as ever, so that’s still fine.  That and it took forever for something to happen to Kuroneko too, although you figured it was only a matter of time in this sequel.  Still, you really have to wonder about the direction of the series when the content thus far has effectively removed the two best characters of the series for so long.  Well, at least now it seems that OreImo 2 is on the right track, so let’s hope it stays this way from here on out.

Kakumeiki Valvrave (Episode 6)

Seeing as Module 77 is floating around aimlessly in space (or so it appears), you have to wonder why Dorssia or the ARUS are having trouble with it.  Think about it for a second and the solution seems really simple for either side.  Imagine Dorssia attacks Module 77, much like it did in this episode, and baits the Valvraves away from the ship to fend off its attackers… why not then have another ship approach Module 77 and hold it hostage?  It’s not like Module 77 has any way to defend itself, especially if the Valvraves are pulled away to fight somewhere away from their home base.  Hell, it shouldn’t be this hard for the most powerful force in the universe to fight a highschool with giant robots.  Of course, we can’t have imagination or creativity on the part of the antagonists in this series because it would otherwise end the series at episode 6, well before the entertainment and value of the series is delivered.  As for the ARUS, the nation that has pledged to protect Module 77 from JIOR, why not have them steer Module 77 toward their territory?  After all, with Module 77 floating around in space, it shouldn’t be too hard for a few ships to steer it toward the ARUS’s Dyson sphere or Earth or wherever.  It’s not like the kids will be able to do much about it, especially since they wouldn’t want to start a war with the ARUS while already needing to fend off Dorssia’s frequent assaults and occupation of JIOR.  Not only that but I’m sure there are other methods for either side to turn the war in their favor and to force Module 77 and the Valvraves to cooperate with their side.  You figure something will happen that will eventually break this stalemate, though you have to figure it’ll be Dorssia given that they’re the aggressor in this current situation.

Hataraku Maou-sama! (Episode 7)

Consider the challenges and difficulties in everyone’s lives.  Whether it is attempting to conquer two realms, trying to slay the world’s greatest evil, or finding the simplest route between two dimensions while conserving as much magic as possible, everyone faces some unique burden that makes their life stressful, strenuous or, at the very least, problematic.  Oh, and then you have Chiho, who goes to school, has a part-time job and an obvious crush on the cute guy at work.  To say her life is simple would be wrong to ignore all that she’s going through as a budding teenager, but, by shifting perspective and comparing her to everyone else in Hataraku Maou-sama!… yeah, her life is simple in light of all those zany characters.  And really, the contrast between her and the rest of the cast is rather quite stark.  Not only does she not have to worry about finding her way back home, or at least not through crossing dimensions with unfathomable amounts of magic, but she doesn’t have to worry about fighting or fending off mysterious assassins, so long as she still is friends with Sadao and Emi.  Oh, and unlike the characters that migrated here from Ente Isla, she never had to look for a home or find a job to survive.  What’s more, since she’s receiving a formal education by going to school, she’ll have access to more jobs that are easier and earn better pay in the future.  And in addition to that, she probably has plenty of friends in Japan too, so she doesn’t need to rely on a tight circle of otherworlders from Ente Isla.  It is rather amusing to see how different her life is when compared to the rest of the cast in Maou-sama!, especially since she is one of the main characters of the series and spends most of her time with Sadao or Emi.  Of course, because of that, you figure she’ll be tied up in some of their crazy situations as the series goes on, possibly even making the trip to Ente Isla in the near future.  But even so, Chiho is easily the most fortunate of this anime by leading the easiest and simplest life in Hataraku Maou-sama!

Devil Survivor 2 the Animation (Episode 7)

Finally, some humility!  After virtually the entire first half of the series flipping between too heavy and melodramatic, Devil Survivor 2 introduced some lighthearted entertainment, fun and fanservice in the seventh episode to show that it doesn’t take itself as seriously as it once did.  Although this episode did dabble in questions of saving mankind, what defines a human or humanity, and all that jazz, this episode also played around a bit with the required physicals and the cast just having some downtime together without any of the Septentriones around to bother anyone.  Not only that but it helped expand some of the newer, better characters too, like Otome, Joe and Airi.  Perhaps the series needed to wait until three of its better characters showed up but it’s finally capitalizing on its cast by having them differentiate parts of the series to make it more fun, endearing and definitely more enjoyable.  Although we shouldn’t expect this transition from serious to fun for much longer, especially with the next impending attacks, it does provide some hope for more lighthearted fun and entertainment in the future, especially with the climax still a few episodes away.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge (Episode 7)

Given the budgeted time and bulky story that is Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge, I can’t help but wonder how Kiri and Iwai spend their time when they’re not preventing the next attempted murderer from obtaining their wish.  Although each episode focuses intently on developing the Killing Goods and the few central characters of the series, quite a bit of time has passed since Kiri and Iwai met on that fateful day.  And though we know that Kiri gives Iwai those daily haircuts at no charge, the rest of the time has been omitted.  We can assume that the two lead characters see each other during this time given their proximity to each other in the series and the need for Kiri to be present, with Crime Edge, to give Iwai her necessary haircuts.  But do they go out together as a couple?  Do they stay indoors, in the mansion, and play Uno all day?  I’m really quite curious about the extent and reality of their relationship outside these various killing sprees by the other characters and how their relationship has evolved in the eyes of their friends or the public in general.  I suppose that with the limited number of episodes and the extensive story that is Crime Edge, we won’t be treated to any episodes that explore this subject adequately, but there have been plenty of hints in the previous episodes to suggest one solution or another.  Still, with one of the most pivotal and interesting aspects of the anime being the relationship between Kiri and Iwai, I wish there was some more dedicated material to the subject rather than another episode of “criminal-of-the-week-with-murder-weapon-that-is-something-stupid-that’s-gonna-lose-to-Kiri”.  Fortunately for me, it seems that this formula is about to end, at least with the anime approaching the climax in the upcoming weeks.

Chihayafuru 2 (Episode 19)

Just about every aspect of Chihayafuru is outstanding and I could go on and on about virtually any subjective or objective trait of this anime.  This week, I want to highlight the its excellence in how it arranges and presents its visuals, particularly the shots where several characters are positioned together in relation to a moment or scene.  Like the main image of this review, a scene showing the anxiety of the audience moments before the final card is claimed, these shots are rather quite frequent and always remarkable.  What makes each of these shots visually appealing is how everything is arranged, with the characters placed as such with various contrasting colors and enhancing filter, and how you’re able to witness the character’s expressions while simultaneously seeing what causes them to have these emotions.  It communicates the scene effectively and expresses the emotions, or in this case, the passion suitably.  Even if you already felt the anxiety, this shot reinforced that feeling for the audience by echoing it with the spectators.  And though this is just one example, there are many other shots like this where you have the characters staged in such a fashion that really emphasizes the mood or the moment.  It’s really quite fascinating to see these shots in anime as they are saved for only the most dramatic or shocking of moments.  And when given the opportunity here, Chihayafuru makes the most of it with how well it presents these images, aesthetically and demonstratively.

This week: social commentary on social media in Gatchaman Crowds, questioning the ability of transformation in Uchouten Kazoku, realizing how Tamayura ~more aggressive~ is beginning to feel more like Aria and wondering what else Monogatari Series Second Season could’ve done with an older Hachikuji.

Best episode of the week: Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!

Anime trending up this week: Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-bu

Anime trending down this week: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya

Uchouten Kazoku (Episode 10)

Transformations are integral to a tanuki; something as inseparable to them as wings are to a bird or Cheetos are to a D&D session.  To tanukis, the ability of transformation is what allows them to walk around Kyoto without any human or tengu suspecting otherwise.  It even allows them the ability to hide or escape in times of danger.  So why doesn’t anyone in the Shimogamo family use their intrinsic ability to escape from these cages?  Why are they unable to do a simple transformation when they’ve been ‘transformed’ (as humans) for the entire series?  Are these cages made of Seastone or something?  Or maybe they’re submitting to their death, eager to be boiled in a hot pot for humans to dine upon?  Or maybe they’re just stupid?  Whatever it is, it feels inconsistent with the rest of the series.  I really don’t see the reason why these cages are able to imprison them, especially since we’ve seen others transform into objects as small as frogs or a wallet which would easily squeeze through the bars and allow for escape.  Well, maybe there’s something going on that wasn’t explained or hasn’t been explained yet?  There’s got to be because it doesn’t make any sense otherwise. So whatever it is, I’m curious to learn what the ‘kryptonite’ is for tanukis, something that prevents even the greatest of tanukis from using the greatest of their abilities.

Tamayura ~more aggressive~ (Episode 10)

Considering that the original creator of Tamayura is Junichi Satou, director of Aira, one of my all-time favorite anime series, it shouldn’t be surprising that this anime has some of the same vibes and feelings as Aria.  However, I never really felt that way with the OVA or first season of Tamayura.  So now, when I’m watching Tamayura ~more aggressive~, I’m surprised to note that this season feels a lot more like Aria than anything previous for Tamayura.  I’m not sure what changed or happened but there’s that sense of calm, comfort, maturity and humor.  There’s that sense of characters are not only living but growing upward and outward, too.  And then there’s that sense episodes that are extremely well written, hitting everything I want to see in an episode in terms of storytelling, character development and series theme.  Of course, it isn’t at the level of Aria nor will it ever will be, but this season of Tamayura reminds me more of Aria than just about any other anime I’ve watched since.

Stella Jogakuin Koutouka C3-bu (Episode 10)

Although I continue to reiterate my fascination with Yura’s character in most of my C3-bu posts, I can’t help but pass up the opportunity to go over the joy and delight I have when seeing the complete contrast of Yura’s character to everyone else.  Even with a change of venue, now under the direct care of airsoft/survival game legend and enthusiast Rin, Yura is still unhappy with her situation and much more obsessed than her new teammates.  It consumes her.  And even when given the chance to befriend her new teammates, Yura focused on herself and her winning instead.  Her obsession consumes her so much, it’s just so intriguing and entertaining to watch.  And to expand on that, it’s even more fun to see what Yura was at the beginning of the series.  Her character development has never been pretty, especially considering her various hardships and social anxiety, but it’s certainly more fascinating than the stereotypical anime protagonist who continues to improve without much in the way of setbacks.  And it’s a couple thousand times better than just an anime about a club of girls doing stuff together.  Really, I love Yura’s character.  It’s the most mesmerizing part of C3-bu and really the only reason why it’s one of my favorite anime this season.  You could even say I’m obsessed about Yura’s obsessions.  And as such, I just hope the ending doesn’t mess everything up for this anime by tearing down everything that’s been built up for Yura’s character, beginning with a blank slate and turning her into one of the most complex characters of the season.

Monogatari Series Second Season (Episode 10)

The brief visit with the teenage Hachikuji is the very definition of the word ‘tease’.  For only a few minutes and a couple dozen lines, we finally saw what Hachikuji would be like if she was given the opportunity to grow up.  But it was over before it started.  It was just a cameo, an appearance.  It was the ultimate tease since seeing her grow into an adult was basically the point of this story arc and of this timeline.  But alas, it was not meant to be.  Then again… what would we have done with an older Hachikuji?  For one, this Hachikuji wouldn’t have the same memories or personality as the loli ghost version that we’re so familiar with.  Furthermore, it’s not like this anime would’ve stayed in this timeline considering the desolate and declined state it was in.  And if we saw her for more than what we did, what would she have done for the story or the series as a whole?  What would you do with Hachikuji?  What could you do with Hachikuji?  Really, as much as I dislike the fact that we only saw this Hachikuji for a little more than the interval between blinks, I have to admit that her appearance in this episode of Monogatari was very meaningful and applicable despite being unfulfilling.  And I guess a quick cameo like that is a nod to the fans of the franchise who wanted to see her like this, especially since you could easily remove this encounter from the story and leave the legend of an older Hachijuki unresolved.  Man, just think of how unsatisfying that would be.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou (Episode 10)

I don’t have much to write about this episode, except that Luna is much hotter now than she was before.  Who knew transforming a girl into a naked half-werewolf demon girl would be so awesome?  Additionally, her character’s personality is much more proactive and aggressive, something that draws more attention and action to her character than before when she was the secluded background character that had a somewhat disturbing crush on Akari.  The only bad thing about this new, hotter werewolf Luna is that she won’t be around for too much longer considering that her only outcomes now are being saved and reverting back to normal or just simply dying.  And we both know that no one wants either of those outcomes, right?

Gatchaman Crowds (Episode 9)

The influence that social media has on Gatchaman Crowds is obvious.  Not only is it ubiquitous throughout the story with Galax and Crowds but it even pops up in areas of character development and as a primary means of communication.  It’s apparent that this anime couldn’t or wouldn’t exist 4-5 years ago when social media was still in its infancy and growing considerably.  Now that it has developed and become an everyday component of our lives, whether we would like it or not, it feels appropriate that Gatchaman Crowds could deliver such insightful and entertaining material regarding social media.  And it’s also very apparent that this anime is a form of direct commentary on social media too, showing its portrayal in various ways to highlights its positives, its negatives, its promise and its limitations.  It’s fascinating to see this commentary too, since it does take a look at one of the futures of social media rather than taking an existing platform (like Twitter in Valvrave or NicoNico in literally every anime ever) and incorporating it as a simple and often overlooked component.  I can only wonder what the final message will be regarding social media in Gatchaman Crowds since, to me, it’s the focal point of this anime more than anything else that we’ve seen.  So considering that, you figure the message will be perceptive and reflective and, above all, meaningful to the audience.

Danganronpa the Animation (Episode 10)

Although this completely goes against the story of Danganronpa, I wish the entire cast of characters were still around.  Now that the series has dwindled down to a mere handful of characters, I’ve started to realize how much I miss some of the other characters that existed in earlier episodes.  I keep wondering, “If so-and-so were around, how would the series be?  How would they impact Danganronpa?”  It’s too bad we’ll never know how things would be different, but considering that this anime is a murder-mystery and that it exists solely to kill off its cast, I suppose I really can’t complain; it’s just wasn’t meant to be with Danganronpa.  Then again, maybe this is something an OVA of sorts could solve…

This week: focusing on the main character for its story being the right move for Nobunagun, genuine relationships as a strength for Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta, determining Satone’s role in Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren, and quietly building hype for Natsuna’s character in Wizard Barristers – Benmashi Cecil.

Best episode of the week: KILL la KILL

Anime trending up this week: Noragami

Anime trending down this week: Hamatora

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren (Episode 3)

With the arrival of Satone to all the chaos and fantasy of Chuunibyou, one has to ask where this newcomer fits into the series.  Without a well-defined role as of yet, unless you count love rival one of the essential roles missing from Chuunibyou S1 (which it isn’t), Satone is stuck in a bit of a limbo.  She’s not filling in for anything that was absent from S1 which featured a respectable and balanced chemistry.  The series didn’t really need anyone to antagonize or encourage Rikka’s chuunibyou since Dekomori fulfilled that role and the switch from a romantic couple to a love triangle probably won’t do too much in terms of improving or augmenting the comedy.  It’s like they’re doubling Dekomori but adding in a love interesting and taking away her exceptional relationship with Nibutani.  And if that’s the case, how does her character impact Dekomori and her screentime?  So while Satone is an essential character to the manga version of Chuunibyou, I have to wonder what role she’ll play here in the anime.  With S1 of the anime being successful without her, you really have to wonder if her inclusion will actually make the series better considering there’s no well-defined role for her to fit in now.

Hamatora (Episode 3)

So what do the rest of the cast members do?  After three episodes of Nice, Murasaki and Art, all I know about this anime is Nice, Murasaki and Art.  The rest of the cast has yet to do anything besides eat food, complain, hit on girls or do anything of relevance.  Do these characters also have super powers?  If so, what do they do?  And how will they help out Art, Murasaki and Nice?  I’m really beginning to wonder what type of role or purpose these other characters have considering they’ve been present but failed to participate in anything of merit.  Hopefully this changes soon because I really don’t like dead weight in anime.

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha (Episode 2)

Although Inari’s brother has had a minimal amount of screentime, I find his character fascinating.  Not only did he have an intriguing moment at the end of the first episode, staring down Uka-no-mitama-no-kami but his sudden outburst against her in protection of Inari sparked a unique subplot that’s certain to be captivating.  His antagonistic qualities against Uka-no-mitama-no-kami will certainly put Inari in a bind, considering she loves both characters and will be split by their differences.  It’ll be interesting to see why he’s against Uka-no-mitama-no-kami since she seems like a fine and fun character and one that truly cares for Inari.  That and I’m curious to see how Inari will react since this will be a basis of some appealing character growth.

KILL la KILL (Episode 15)

Satsuki doesn’t appear to be that great of a fighter… though that speaks volumes of how excellent of a fighter Ryuuko is.  But the point is still the same, Satsuki hasn’t won a fight in the present of KILL la KILL.  Even though Satsuki is revered and towers above the students of Honnouji Academy, she’s never decisively defeated Ryuuko in battle with this episode showing a pivotal defeat in her part.  In fact, the only other battles we’ve seen her in have been flashbacks and other memories where she’s decimated the competition and had much more impressive victories against Gamagoori, Inumata and Sanageyama than Ryuuko.  But still, from what we’ve seen, Satsuki has been less than remarkable since the moment Ryuuko showed up.  And considering some of the other players in this series, it’ll be interesting to see how she ranks when the series is over, especially if she’s not able to overcome her mother or some of the other unknown fighters in this series.

Nobunagun (Episode 3)

Although Nobunagun promises an extensive cast with ~14 characters featured in its OP, the series has decided to focus solely on its main character, Shio.  And because of this emphasis on developing the main character (before throwing her in the fire), the audience has had a chance to develop an understanding and rapport with our protagonist.  As a result, we’re seeing that this anime is about her and her character rather than about aliens or DOGOO or other secret organizations or everyone else.  Really, I couldn’t care less about that stuff since it’s basically what you get in any other anime.  In fact, if that’s what Nobunagun were about, I’d probably drop this anime.  But since Nobunagun has been about Shio and only Shio for three episodes, I’m enjoying the anime.  Of course, this might change as she powers up and joins the other fighters but, for now, I’m pleased with what we’ve been given.  And as long as Nobunagun is about Shio for the most part, this anime will grade out pretty well.

Noragami (Episode 3)

Who is the main character of Noragami?  Is it Yato or Hiyori?  You could make an argument for either the male lead or the female lead being the main character of this anime, but neither is strong enough to win out and they counter each other with seemingly equal force.  With Yato, you’re dealing with the story about a minor god who dreams of making it big and has his own sidekick in the form of a Shinki named Yukine.  We’ve been with Yato since the start of the series and it’s up to his character where we go, who we see and what happens.  With Hiyori, you follow her character around more than Yato, you’re able to listen to her thoughts and see her alone more often than we’re alone with Yato.  Furthermore, her story could be viewed as the main storyline, too, since it’s about her recovering from her accident and ending these catgirl Astral Projections when her soul leaves her body.  It’s never quite clear with Noragami on who the true main character is since the two leads share the qualities usually reserved for the lone protagonist of an anime and that they’re together more often than not.  So, with that said, who is the main character of Noragami?  With it rather unclear and ambiguous at this point, it’s difficult to say.  That being said, how the series develops might provide us with enough context and material to show a change in the anime and lead us to make a decision on this tricky question.  But for now, there really is no main character… or is there?

Samurai Flamenco (Episode 14)

Although I’m still furious and loathing the decisions and direction of Samurai Flamenco, I… I hate to admit it, but I am curious to see where it’ll go.  I’ve reached the point where I’m finally over all the terrible, terrible offenses that Samurai Flamenco has committed since it decided to be a bad parody of the Sentai genre… that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven the series, but I’ve accepted that this is wants to do and this is where it’s going.  And because of that, I’m curious where it is going.  I’ll admit I’m still intrigued by what this series has to offer since it’s still full of twists and turns that make it entertaining, and I’m wondering what it all will mean when the final episode rolls around.  So while I’m still not happy with Samurai Flamenco, I’ll probably stick with this series to the end.

Silver Spoon S2 (Episode 3)

What would Silver Spoon be like without Aki?  Not only does Aki’s character fulfill the romantic interests of Hachiken, but she’s a driving force that moves the anime forward and leads Hachiken toward new, unknown frontiers.  Or when it’s Hachiken taking the initiative with something new or strange, it’s usually Aki who teaches him or assists him where he’s inexperienced.  Aki’s character acts as a mentor to Hachiken and helps him get from point A to point B.  Without her, there’d be a void in Silver Spoon.  Although the other characters could step up and help Hachiken, there wouldn’t be that one character that he depends on like he does with Aki.  Furthermore, there aren’t any other girls who turn Hachiken on like Aki does.  And while the romance in Silver Spoon has stagnated like an old tractor that’s on the last days of its life, it’s a nice touch to have for Hachiken’s and Aki’s characters moving forward.  I couldn’t imagine Silver Spoon without Aki’s warm personality and, considering her irreplaceable impact to Hachiken, I’m not sure what Silver Spoon would be without her.

Space Dandy (Episode 3)

I love how QT is a robot that expresses human emotions and reactions.  Whether it’s looked distressed after dodging an errant laser beam, expressing anger over Dandy’s and Meow’s antics or just changing its eyes and voice in response to whatever, QT expresses a wide array of diverse emotions much like any human would.  It’s remarkable to see a robotic character perform this well since they usually act robotic or monotone in this form or, if they’re to have human emotions, they actually look like a human.  Instead, QT looks like a classic cute robot but functions like any human sidekick would.  She’s not the best robot or the most capable robot but her pairing with Dandy aboard the Aloha Oe is ideal.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta (Episode 3)

Often times, relationships in anime feel artificial or forced.  In The Pilot’s Love Song (or whatever the English title is), the relationships feel genuine, like they’re between two humans rather than two anime characters.  There’s no ‘he’s-my-brother-but-we’re-not-blood-relationed-so-it’s-okay’ incest, oblivious male lead in harem, stupid love triangle or perverted male otakus in this anime.  Instead, the characters feel like people and act like people.  Whether it’s the familial relationship of Kal-el and Ariel, the romantic relationship between Kal-el and Claire or any of the numerous friendships that have developed recently, these bonds feel natural and authentic.  Of course, there are times where they feel a bit anime-ish, but for the most part the relationships and chemistry of this anime mirrors real life.  What makes these relationships feel appropriate is that they’re born through seemingly plausible events, sincere personalities and a feeling of camaraderie born through people working together and living together.  The bonds between the characters have been outstanding thus far in this anime and have helped elevate this anime to the top of the season for me.  Furthermore, I’m interested to see how these relationships will change as the series continues and Kal-el’s identity and Claire’s identities are discovered by each other and everyone else.

Wizard Barristers – Benmashi Cecil (Episode 2)

Besides Cecil, the only character building any hype is her rookie counterpart, Natsuna.  The other first-year lawyer seems to always carry a bit of focus away from Cecil when they’re in the office together, largely due to their similarities as novices and that Natsuna holds a grudge against Cecil for already being better than her despite her personality and behaviors.  With this, you can see some pressure or exciting developing for Natsuna’s character despite having done little to nothing yet.  And with this rivalry brewing, you wonder if Natsuna’s antagonistic qualities will drive her away from the Butterfly Law Offices and over toward the prosecution where she can go against Cecil head-to-head.  And while that’s the predictable outcome, I’d rather see Natsuna’s character mature and learn to accept Cecil for who she is and what she does… seeing them work together would be a start, but I’d love to see the two characters become friends before the series is over.  But before that can happen, we’ll need to see what Natsuna’s all about and hopefully we’ll see her in court sometime soon.

This week: why the self-indulgent nature of anime and manga is mitigated in Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha, how the art style of KILL la KILL exhibits importance and extravagance, curious about the ending for Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren, and why 12 episodes is too short for an anime like Noragami.

Best episode of the week: KILL la KILL

Anime trending up this week: Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha

Anime trending down this week: Sekai Seifuku – Bouryaku no Zvezda

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren (Episode 6)

Considering the direction and progress in this season of Chuunibyou, one might beg the question if or when Rikka will ever outgrow her playful, delusional state.  With Satone appearing to make a terrible love triangle and the romance actually progressing for once, I figured we’d see Rikka mature significantly in this season but it’s actually been the opposite.  In fact, it’s Yuuta’s character who’s changed the most with him becoming more comfortable with Rikka’s antics (notice how frequent he hits her compared to season 1) and even playing along now.  Whereas I thought the finale would be a mature Rikka and Yuuta spending their days happily together, I now foresee an ending where both are obsessed with their made-up fantasies.  Although I’d prefer the former, I feel as though the latter is the more likely outcome at this point.

Hamatora (Episode 6)

When anime characters draw anime-like characters… are they actually drawing anime characters or are they drawing what they see as real people?  And if the second point is true, how would an anime character draw an anime character?  Or how would they draw real people without it looking incredibly strange to them?  I’d love to see the rationale behind both sides of this conundrum.

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha (Episode 5)

Anime and manga are self-indulgent media based on how frequent you see these media refer to each other or borrow ideas and trends from one another.  Not only do you see characters talk about anime or manga or games but you’ll revisit common themes, patterns of storytelling and other novelties, like school swimsuits and idols and chuunibyou.  And while Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha is guilty of being self-indulgent, it doesn’t bother as much as most other anime.  These references and tributes seem more honest or genuine than most, perhaps largely because they seem to be cameos rather than points of emphasis.  You hear that Marutamachi draws manga and Inari’s father is a manga artist, but we haven’t spent much time on that besides pointing out a similarity.  Then you have Marutamachi wearing her school swimsuit, but you don’t have anyone obsessing over her wearing it (thank God for that).  I suppose that what makes Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha so great is that its flaws are minimized or negligible.  Without these being major concerns, every episode has been a continuous series of positives and other strong points.

KILL la KILL (Episode 18)

KILL la KILL is a brilliant and dazzling anime thanks to its dramatic visual style and appropriate level of detail and aesthetics.  Although the comedy scenes often rely on a minimalistic style and presentation for effective entertainment, the serious scenes and the fighting scenes demonstrate magnificent cinematography, outstanding lighting effects, and marvelous textures (for lack of a better term, those thin, short black lines often seen on character faces and in backgrounds) to stress the importance and grandiose style of KILL la KILL.  Really, the meat of the series is found in these scenes, and the visual style and aesthetics display them with such flavor and richness that every bite is more irresistible than the last.  With such passion and enthusiasm, the art of KILL la KILL brings out the best in this series and is a significant reason why it’s one of my favorite anime of all-time.

Magi: The Kingdom of Magi (S2) (Episode 19)

How does pushing the Reim army back to the ocean correlate with the army withdrawing and retreating?  Wasn’t the army largely useless and the Fanalis corps doing all the work?  Why not just have the army stay at the beach and have the Fanalis army break through the barriers and then open a pathway for the normal soldiers to march through later?  I mean, just have everyone gang up on Aladdin and the war is over.

Nagi no Asukara (Episode 19)

Is it just me or does Shioshishio going into hibernation seems rather dumb and silly by now?  After five years of sleeping with the fishes, the argument between Shioshishio and Oshiooshi seems rather trivial, especially when putting the magnifying glass over the relationships and families affected by their petty bickering.  And knowing that when the residents of Shioshishio wake up, the arguments will still be fresh in their minds, just like it was yesterday and will likely resent the residents of Oshiooshi for it, despite these people having moved on for five years since.  It just seems silly at this point that such an argument lead to such a drastic and unnecessary outcome.  It’s really hard to justify why the whole village of Shioshishio went into hibernation and makes you wonder if they overreact to every little thing that happens in their village.

Noragami (Episode 6)

What’s hard about anime like this with a lengthy and developed story, an extensive and enjoyable cast and a relatively warm and positive reception is that 12 episodes are nowhere near long enough to be satisfying.  Although I’m thrilled a manga of this caliber was adapted into an anime, I know that by the time the 11^th and 12^th episodes roll around, I’ll be left unsatisfied by the incompleteness of the story and the characters… or worse, be left fuming at an anime original ending.  It’s difficult to watch a series like this knowing that the anime will be too short and that if a sequel is produced, if we’re lucky, that there will have been too long of a lull between the two and the enthusiasm and excitement will likely be lost.  Then again, it’s difficult to know which anime will be a success or not during the early production phase, but I do wish anime that were good like this were at least 24 episodes to start instead of the somewhat standard 12 to 13.

Silver Spoon S2 (Episode 6)

I have nothing intelligent to say about this episode except that Aki is incredibly hot in her Equestrian Club uniform and I’m using this space to show a few screencaps.  Yup, that’s all for this week.

Space Dandy (Episode 6)

While Dandy and Meow are thankful to have landed on the appropriate sides of the planetary war between Undies and Vests, I can’t help but wonder how the episode would have progressed if Dandy landed on the Vest’s side and Meow landed with the Undies.  It’s a dynamic that would’ve changed the story of the episode completely, especially if the two were held prisoner and the two aliens tried to use them as leverage in their war.  You can’t help but wonder if things might’ve turned out differently for everyone involved… but I suppose that line of thinking is true for any anime where you change the dynamic that much.  Nevertheless, it’s still fun to entertain the idea of how an anime would be different if you made simple switches like these.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta (Episode 6)

With the rather surprising amount of school-life episodes in Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta already occurring, I’m hoping this signifies that we have plenty of time to completely explain the war and explore all the characters.  Whereas these school episodes are largely filler material and could be cut if necessary, the war, the character development and the romance are all essentials to the story of this anime.  And considering that we’re about halfway through the series, I figure we’ll have plenty of time to complete all those story elements before the series is over.  I certainly hope the anime didn’t make the mistake of sacrificing these essential elements for more time at school and with friends, but an anime of this caliber and intelligence shouldn’t succumb to such a silly and unfortunate mistake.

This week: thoughts on whether to dislike or sympathize with Yukine in Noragami, why the confession scene in Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha was exceptional, why Silver Spoon S2 works better as a sports anime, and recommending The Princess and the Pilot (Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku) for those watching Pilot’s Love Song (Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta)

Best episode of the week: KILL la KILL

Anime trending up this week: Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta

Anime trending down this week: Hamatora

Wizard Barristers – Benmashi Cecil (Episode 7)

Whenever an anime travels abroad, like with Wizard Barristers traveling to the US and Canada, I find myself excited knowing that the episode will likely be hilarious and entertaining.  The reason for this is unparalleled amusement derives from how the anime always depict other countries.  For whatever reason, I always find myself nitpicking on how details are missing or incorrect or how the built environment is wrong and that’s not how roads or buildings look.  And as the quality of the anime gets worse, the entertainment gets better… for obvious reasons.  You usually don’t see too much of an issue with this in regard to better anime or shows that are set in international countries.  It seems this unique form of comedy is usually restricted to shows that travel abroad for an episode or two, as we are seeing with Wizard Barristers.  So thankfully for me, I see the best of both aspects with Wizard Barristers traveling to the US and Canada for a couple of episodes and the series being a bit short on quality and intelligence.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta (Episode 8)

If you’re watching and enjoying Pilot’s Love Song, then I strongly recommend you watch The Princess and the Pilot (Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku) become finishing this anime.  This anime movie debuted back in 2011 and takes place in the same universe as Pilot’s Love Song.  The two anime are written by the same author, Koroku Inumara, and share a number of parallels, themes and motifs.  The two anime really go hand-in-hand with each other and anyone enjoying one will be certain to fall in love with the other.  Of course, there are a few differences between the TV series and the movie and not just in terms of the runtime or better art/animation.  What the movie lacks in exploring the world and the setting, the TV covers with adequate detail and where the TV series lacks in action and fulfillment, the movie is more than enough.  Furthermore, for anyone who watched the movie previously already knows that there are some references that occurred in this episode.  So I figure, with the TV series entering the final stages of the story, there is no better time than now to watch The Princess and the Pilot.

Space Dandy (Episode 8)

Throughout all but a handful of minutes, Space Dandy has followed the adventures of Dandy, QT and Meow.  But at the very beginning, the series was just Dandy and QT.  Although the series features a better dynamic with Dandy, Meow and QT together, I do wonder what life was like before Meow joined the crew and it was simply Dandy and QT wandering aimlessly through space hunting for new species of aliens.  Even if it were an episode or two with just Dandy and QT alone would be fine for me, and it could even be something cliché like how Dandy met QT or something along those lines.  Still, the series is fine as it is with its presentation and style and comedy.  I don’t expect there to be much in terms of developing a history or consistency when many of the episodes feature Dandy or Meow or both dying.

Silver Spoon S2 (Episode 7)

One reason why Silver Spoon S2 has progressed better than Silver Spoon S1 is that it’s more of a sports anime than a school anime.  Although Silver Spoon is still technically a school anime and all the scenes are still related to school in one way or another, the sports aspect of Silver Spoon have flourished in recent episodes.  Perhaps this is because there are multiple sports featured in Silver Spoon, although in reality, it’s just baseball and equestrian events.  Still, the balance between the two and the uniqueness of horseback riding certainly bode well for Silver Spoon, and alternating between baseball and equestrian provides the audience with a break and some diversity.  Rather than focusing too intensely on one sports, like what we see with most sports anime, Silver Spoon lets us see characters with differing personalities find something that they can enjoy.  And to differentiate the sports setting from the school setting, I’d say the sports aspects in Silver Spoon are a bit more exciting and passionate than the school side, save for a few choice scenes.  To me, Silver Spoon is better as a sports anime than a school anime because of these reasons.  That and I tend to rank most anime genre ahead of the school genre anyway…

Noragami (Episode 8)

I can’t tell if we’re supposed to dislike Yukine or sympathize with him.  On one hand, the kid is a brat and has a negative personality, never willing to accept responsibility for his destructive actions and showing a lack of willpower and restraint.  You see the pain and suffering he’s caused for Yato and the hardships he’s placed on Hiyori.  Furthermore, you never really see him be thankful for what he’s received… which might not be much but still much more than he received as a tiny, little snowflake of a ghost.  So on this hand, you’re supposed to detest Yukine.  On the other hand, however, you’re dealing with a deceased and troubled teenage who obviously doesn’t know how to handle the situation he was forced into.  Yukine had no choice about his death and his forced ‘resurrection’, nor does he have the choice to be the servant of an unpopular and impoverished god who has little to no luck on his side.  Furthermore, Yukine has his own pain and suffering when seeing everything that he’s lost or unable to attain.  And Yukine has no place to besides Hiyori.  So on this hand, you’re supposed to sympathize with Yukine.

But to me, I don’t see it that way.  Or, perhaps more appropriately, I see the dislike hand to greatly outweigh the sympathy hand.  To me, I dislike Yukine’s character for what he’s done and how he acts.  I can understand and empathize with his hardships, or at least as much as we’re able to through the story, but his actions are reprehensible and appalling, especially toward Yato and Hiyori.  I can understand if he doesn’t like Yato and wants to fondle Hiyori’s boobs, but he should be more grateful to his new master and his only friend.  After all, it’s not like they’re going through their own difficulties and hardships too, with Yato struggling to survive (not to mention a deadly war with Bishamon) and Hiyori searching to reunite her soul with her body.  So to me, I can’t sympathize with Yukine… at least not now.  If he has a change of heart and realizes his mistakes and takes responsibility for his actions, then maybe I’ll change my opinion of Yukine.  But for now, I dislike him.

KILL la KILL (Episode 20)

I always love it when people switch sides.  Absolutely love it.  KILL la KILL really knows what I want from an anime and it delivers every episode.  What more can I say when I gush and glow about it every week?  Or rather, what more do I need to say in order to express my admiration and gratitude for KILL la KILL?  I think this will do just fine.

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha (Episode 7)

The confession scene in Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha was outstandingly brilliant.  The duality of the scene is a stunning example of exceptional anime writing and the expression of Inari’s character was genuine and honest.  The fact that we saw her confess while disguised as another classmate might not count as much progress in the story… but that’s not what the point of this scene was.  We finally saw Inari confirm her emotions and be honest with herself.  Prior to the scene, it seems as though Inari had a simple crush, what is a relatively weak attraction in terms of a romance anime and something unfortunately common within the romance genre.  Here, however, Inari is able to put her feelings into words in front of the boy she loves and is able to articulate her love into something tangible.  Additionally, the fact that she does it in the form of another girl speaks volumes about her compassion and responsiveness toward others.  Although we don’t know how Inari would have reacted had Kouji accepted the request, we were able to see another window into Inari’s character and her selflessness toward others.  What makes a great character into a phenomenal character are scenes like these.  Witnessing this character growth and watching Inari mature as a human has really made this anime one of the best of this season.  It’s a shame that the series isn’t centered around Inari more and has to deal with Uka’s problems because the strength of the series is in Inari’s character and how she’s able to positively influence the lives of the characters around her.

Hamatora (Episode 8)

Of all the anime with fanservice in them, I strongly believe that Hamatora has the worst fanservice.  Or at the very least, the fanservice is always bad or disappointing.  With this as the beach episode of the series, featuring girls in bikinis and… well, just girls in general, Hamatora was somehow never fulfilling or rewarding.  Sure, there was a lot more skin and some fanservicey situations, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary for anime.  In fact, the most racy shot was Honey’s bikini top coming undone but… nothing happened.  And in previous episodes, the fanservice has always been rather tame or boring.  It’s like they wanted to include sexy fanservice but missed the point of it being actually ‘sexy’ or ‘service to the fans’.  Still… as bad and unfulfilling as the fanservice has been in Hamatora, it’s still far better than the atrocious comedy.

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren (Episode 8)

How does Yuuta, Rikka and everyone else always find these other chuunibyou people to do battle with?  Or rather, when these battles are happening, what do these other characters do?  To me, seeing all these other people with chuunibyou in the series just lessens the importance and distinctiveness of Rikka’s character.  The series is supposed to be built around Rikka’s delusions and childish behavior as what makes her character and this romance different.  But when you have a dozen other characters like her in the series, what’s left to make her stand out from the rest?  Besides her eye patch, I really fail to see how Rikka is different than Dekomori or Satone or the Maple Hill Siesta Club or even this new ‘fake’ Mori Summer.  After all this, I’m beginning to see Rikka as somewhat normal in this universe or, if not that, more normal than when we saw her for the first time.  It’s somewhat unfortunate to see the luster of Rikka’s character disappear from this season of Chuunibyou Ren, but it does mean for more beautifully animated battles in phantasmal or fantastic wonderlands… so I’m alright with this trade-off.

A couple weeks ago: understanding that Mushishi Zoku Shou is about how problems find Ginko, not Ginko finding problems, Kaori having the most amount of friends in Isshuukan Friends, Captain Earth finally trending in the right direction, and looking at wizards using the most modern weaponry in Hitsugi no Chaika.

Best episode of the week: Mushishi Zoku Shou

Anime trending up this week: Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Anime trending down this week: No Game No Life

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Nike was a princess in the Principality of Rain, right? So why is she needing to go through all these courses to learn how to behave as royalty? You’d figure that growing up as a princess, that she’d learn these things in her home country and be competent when she marries the royalty of another country. I can understand her studying the history and culture and foreign relations of the new country, but why does she also need to learn table manners, the fine arts, and how to ballroom dance?

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (Episode 7)

Something to think about: the most memorable aspect of Nanana will likely be the ubiquitous and persistent use of real video games and real anime (Star Driver) as auxiliary enjoyment. The anime could’ve gone the route of so many others and just shown blank screens or made-up video games (like what Smile plays in Ping Pong). But no, instead, Nanana utilizes actual video games and actual anime as a part of its story. And given how mediocre the anime is overall, there’s no doubt that doing something like this will be the lasting memory of this anime, provided it doesn’t do go bananas in the last episode.

Ping Pong the Animation (Episode 7)

Something to think about: we’ve seen how Koizumi coaches Tsukimoto and how their personalities conflict, but imagine for a moment if the roles were reverse and Koizumi was the personal ping pong tutor of Hoshino. I have no doubt that someone who loves the game as much as Koizumi would find it difficult to coach Hoshino but the differences in personalities and the contrast would be vastly different. Not only do the two have similar bouts of energy and excitement, which would be perfect for comedy between the two, but the professionalism of Koizumi and the laidback style of Hoshino would clash like nothing else in this anime. We’ve seen a few instances of Koizumi and Hoshino together and can guess at what a long-term relationship between the two would be like, but imagine if the anime evolved in such a way where Koizumi was Hoshino’s personal coach instead of Tsukimoto’s personal coach.

No Game No Life (Episode 7)

Something to think about: No Game No Life has spent an exceptional amount of time on its setting from explaining the history of the world to the various countries to the cultures to the magic to the games and much, much more. However, for such a vibrant, innovative and stimulating setting, we really haven’t seen much of the world besides the Kingdom of Imanity. That is to say, for all the setting that has been explained to us, we’ve only seen a small fraction of the world’s geography. I suppose at this point in the story, we don’t need to see what the other countries are like due to their hostilities toward Imanity, but it’s something to think about considering everything we’ve been told but haven’t seen.

Mushishi Zoku Shou (Episode 7)

Something to think about: virtually every episode of Mushishi is a tale of how problems find Ginko, not about Ginko finding problems. Think about it this way: every episode, Ginko is wandering around the world aimlessly without a specific issue or destination in mind. Whenever he comes to a village, he uses his keen senses and understanding of mushi to detect abnormalities or oddities. From there, Ginko invests himself in solving the issue and then, once everything is complete, he moves on to the next area. There have only been a few rare episodes where Ginko actively seeks a specific issue or person or mushi; almost every episode of Mushishi has occurred by coincidence. That is to say every episode of Mushishi is a spontaneous and serendipitous event, one born out of Ginko’s wayfarer behavior, his profound sense of helping people in need and his uncanny luck of stumbling onto the wrong problems at just the right time. It’s something fascinating to think about and one of the reasons why I am so engrossed in every episode of Mushishi.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 8)

Something to think about: what if Jotaro and the others went a different way? What if, instead of trying to fly to Bangkok and encountering Tower of Gray, what if they flew to Beijing or Singapore or London before continuing to Cairo? Or what if they took a different flight out of Japan? You have to figure that Jotaro and the others are star-crossed, that their ill-fated luck has caused them to run into assassin after assassin just because of some poor choices and Dio’s curse. But still, imagine how uneventful everything would be if Jotaro and the others got to Cairo after flying unabated for a few days without any fights or challengers or dangers along the way.

Isshuukan Friends (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Kaori now has more friends than Yuuki. Think about it for a second and it’s actually quite amusing to see a girl with no friends now have more friends than anyone else in the anime. Of course, the anime is narrow in its scope, but Kaori now has Maiko and Ai as friends, in addition to Yuuki, Shougo and Saki. Yuuki has just Kaori, Shougo and Saki. You kinda feel bad for Yuuki but it’s more a testament to how Kaori has grown as a person and a character, to say she has more friends than anyone else in the anime now.

Hitsugi no Chaika (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Chaika and Selma are the only characters who use modern weaponry. With everyone else using swords, knives, hammers, needles, and whatnot, Chaika and Selma stand out as distinctive due to rifles. Even more curious is the fact that their rifles are mediums used for casting spells as both characters are wizards. Wizards are often associated with more classical or olden items, like wands or staves or books or relics, so it’s somewhat odd to see the wizards in this anime use the most modern weaponry, especially without any sci-fi element to the series that usually accompanies gun-wielding magicians. It makes you wonder if there are normal guns out there that shoot bullets instead of consuming magic fuel since the intricate design of these weapons lends itself to that idea. Still, at this point, it looks like guns are only used by wizards.

Captain Earth (Episode 8)

Something to think about: Captain Earth is finally doing what Captain Earth needed all along. What was missing from the anime were characters that actually did stuff and more robots fighting each other. Although Teppei and Hana are essential to the story, neither character really amounts to anything remarkable in each episode and just stands around and spouts exposition. Neither are characters of action or excitement, so by adding a new villain, Zin, Captain Earth finally adds another character with value to the anime. Additionally, we finally had a satisfying robot battle for the first time in forever and the battle animation was pretty snazzy, too. With the anime shifting its focus from space battles to land battles and introducing five new villains, I think Captain Earth is finally ready to correct a number of its faults. What this will do for the anime long-term remains to be seen, but it’s moving in a positive direction now.

Akuma no Riddle (Episode 8)

Something to think about: we’ll never get to know what Shiena’s wish is. Every assassin has had their wish revealed whenever they attempt to take Haru’s life, something that has been used to develop each character with a central and integral theme related to their personality. Shiena, however, never had a chance at her assassination attempt with Hitsugi poisoning her after finishing her assassination notice. As a result, she was incapacitated and taken to the hospital, never having a chance to kill Haru within the time limit. Because of this sudden development, her wish was never revealed and her character still largely remains a mystery. So unless something happens at the end, she’ll remain the most enigmatic character of the cast due to these unforeseen circumstances.

I am terrible at staying up to date with these posts, but whatever. Back during Week 5: concerns with the directing and storytelling in Tokyo Ghoul, considering the depth and complexity of Hanayamata despite its appearance, curiosity about the different perspectives in Yama no Susume Second Season, and wondering all the other things you could do with a Stand in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders.

Best episode of the week: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Anime trending up this week: Hanayamata

Anime trending down this week: Tokyo Ghoul

Akame ga Kill! (Episode 5)

I’m not sure if Akame ga Kill! is the most shounen anime ever, but it’s the most shounen anime that I’ve ever watched. Everything from the character archetypes to the secret assassination organization to the forgotten story lines (when was the last time Tatsumi thought about his village and how he wants to save it?) to the unrealistic villains and especially to the overly dramatized and unmemorable fights, Akame ga Kill! embodies every shounen stereotypes like they’re collectables or antiques or something. And though I often decry anime for being “too shounen” (look no further than Tokyo Ghoul), there’s some entertainment and enjoyment from watching an anime that’s this shounen.

Aldnoah.Zero (Episode 5)

We know that Mars doesn’t have liquid water now and, judging from the recent battles in Aldnoah.Zero, Mars doesn’t have liquid water in the future either. If the red planet did have water, then you’d figure the engineers and machinists who developed these mecha would have designed these robots to survive in water and be adequate in aquatic combat. But no, they’re completely awful when in the water. Water is the one true weakness for Martian technology as it has proved twice in being the debilitating flaw against the supreme mecha that are otherwise impenetrable. You’d figure that when planning to invade Earth, a planet that’s blue for a reason, that they’d figure ways to prevent these liabilities from occurring, such as having an automatic shut-down for the beam sword when it’s engulfed by water. But no, apparently, they missed that slightly important detail and are now down two mecha as a result. Don’t be surprised to see water make a return later in Aldnoah.Zero as it has twice proven essential for the Inaho and the Earthlings to defeat these awesome robots.

Glasslip (Episode 5)

P.A. Works often features a singular, yet distinctive animation style with comparable character designs and background art. It has helped create an image for the studio based on detailed and vivid landscapes and cute moe girls who make cute moe expressions. If you need examples, take a look at Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Iroha, Another, Tari Tari, Red Data Girl, Nagi no Asukara, or even the promotional material for their next anime, Shirobako. P.A. Works is virtually defined by this visual style, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you enjoy the design. That being said, I think I’m starting to find myself growing tolerant or bored with the style. Glasslip is the eighth anime I’ve watched from P.A. Works, and the unique visual style of P.A. Works is becoming more commonplace and less characteristic with each new anime. When watching shows like Hanasaku Iroha or Tari Tari, the visual appeal was real since it was new, fresh and original. Now, I can’t necessarily say the same, especially when there’s only one new innovative technique on display in Glasslip. That isn’t to say that I will stop watching anime from P.A. Works since I don’t enjoy the style as much anymore, but I do feel that having the name P.A. Works attached to an anime won’t make it special anymore.

Hanayamata (Episode 4)

Hanayamata is probably the deepest anime about cute girls doing cute things. While the genre is typically shallow, focusing on mundane comedy and everyday slice-of-life adventures, Hanayamata includes a narrative about each of its characters and the issues in their lives. Hanayamata isn’t groundbreaking or philosophical, but the anime has solid characterization and splendid writing to bring out genuine reflections and introspection. Tami’s realization that her time is better spent smiling with friends than smiling alone is an outstanding example of how Hanayamata features complexities that seem foreign to a show of this style and this story. Hopefully the anime will continue this trend and allow the characters to grow as the story continues, especially for Tami, Yaya and Naru who all are making progress, but are nowhere near done maturing as characters.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 18)

Oh, just think of all the things you could do with the Sun if you had that Stand. Imagine starting your own solar power company and using the Sun to generate massive amounts of energy, able to make millions and solve the world’s energy crises. Imagine using the Sun to ward off deadly winter storms, by using heat to dissipate storm clouds or melting snow and ice in the aftermath. Imagine using the Sun as a means to light areas at night when light is necessary, such as in search-and-rescue situations where rescuers need to cover an extensive stretch of geography or accelerating the growth of plants by providing continuous energy for photosynthesis. Or even using the Sun as a source of entertainment, allowing summertime or sunlight activities to continue into the winter or into the evening. Imagine all the things you could do better with the Sun than becoming an assassin. Or think of all the other things you could do with these Stands than fight each other. Just think.

Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Episode 4)

Whatever happened to the archeology/excavation subplot? Remember back in the first episode when Koutarou was working at that dig site, fell into a mysterious underground passage, activated some statue who turned into a multicolored hair goddess and… and then this chaos at the apartment happened? Has Koutarou not mentioned that to anyone? Has he already forgotten what happened soon after he moved into his new home? Have the viewers or the production team forgotten about that, too? I’m kinda curious to see what comes of that since it was the first significant detail of the story of Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? and something obviously meaningful to Koutaoru and his story. However, since the anime doesn’t seem to be too concerned with itself at this point, I’m guessing they’ll save those details for the very end and use it as a way to conclude this first season of Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?

Sword Art Online II (Episode 5)

Isn’t it ironic that Kirito was saving the lives of everyone in SAO and is now murdering everyone in PvP in GGO? Well, you could argue that Kirito needs to fight against the masses in order to save people from DeathGun (in turn, saving the lives of everyone in GGO), but it’s amusing to see how different the situations are between the games.

Tokyo ESP (Episode 4)

How selective is Rinka’s intangibility/phasing ability? From what we’ve learned, Rinka is able to move effortlessly through solid objects and even allow weapons like bullets and swords to pass through her. We’ve also learned the only matter that she can’t go through is other people, such as when someone is punching her. But how much control does she have over her ability? At first, we saw her sinking through the floor of her apartment, which is consistent with her ability? How come this doesn’t happen to her all the time? And what about her clothes or objects that she’s holding? Shouldn’t all her clothes fall off every time she activates her ability? And whatever she’s holding, shouldn’t that fall out of her hands, too? Maybe the question will arise later in the series when the antagonists try to fight against Rinka and use her ability against her, but for now, these are simple questions that will likely go unanswered since they’re not relevant to the story.

Tokyo Ghoul (Episode 5)

There are too many jumps in the content and story of Tokyo Ghoul. Not only does it feel like scenes have been dropped entirely, such as the transition between episode 4 and episode 5, but flashbacks and parallel scenes have been placed at questionable times, such as the one documenting Nishiki’s backstory. This style of directing has become such a problem that it is having a significant and negative impact on the storytelling. The narrative bounces back-and-forth between these scenes, creating a lull or valley or pausing the present, like the one during the battle sequence with Tsukiyama. Yes, the content from that flashback was necessary for the story and character, but was it right to place it in the middle of the fight? Was it imperative to include it there and not to fragment the scenes to build up to something or recall Nishiki’s past at the end of the battle? One way to grade an anime adaptation from a manga or other source is in how it fits material in an episode appropriately. Since the mediums are entirely different, adapting a manga without accounting for these modifications can lead to some awkward scenes as the methods may work better in one medium and not in the other. Situations like these are where I find legitimate criticisms with Tokyo Ghoul, rather than the normal bitching and moaning that this isn’t the anime for me. I am curious to see if this situation improves as the anime continues or if we’ll see a rush of material toward the end… or even worse, an anime original ending.

Yama no Susume Second Season (Episode 4)

Yama no Susume has exclusively been told through the eyes of novice mountaineer, Aoi Yukimura. Every episode has been an adventure where we learn about mountaineering through her eyes and her experiences. We follow her every step and every event through her perspective. In that sense, the anime is able to educate its viewers about mountaineering and allowing novice mountain climbers to experience these events through someone they can relate with. However, with three other characters always around Aoi, you can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever see the anime through their perspectives. Each character brings something different to Yama no Susume, and it would be very beneficial to see the anime through the eyes of someone experiences like Kaede or someone who takes greater pleasure in nature and the environment, like Kokona. We do earn some glimpses of their perspective when the other girls offer advice or recommendations to Aoi, but we rarely venture inside their head to see what they’re thinking, how they’re enjoying the mountain climbing or what their experiences are like. With the anime ending in December, we have plenty of time for the anime to explore the different perspectives for all the characters, though it’s a question of whether the anime wants to part with Aoi’s mind when the anime has been so successful with her as the sole protagonist.

Zankyou no Terror (Episode 4)

Are there too many riddles in Zankyou no Terror? Why do the police insist on continuing to solve the riddles, and only these riddles, and not try to stop the terrorists themselves? All we’ve seen the police do in this anime is contemplate the answers to various questions. There has been little to no action elsewhere, even in sensible areas such as expanding the force, increasing presence and surveillance or even enlisting the help of other agencies to track the terrorists down. It’s like they’re treating the symptoms but failing to address the underlying disease. Maybe soon we’ll see the tactics of the police change as the series is reaching its midway point since I doubt the series will sustain itself on mysteries and riddles alone.

For Week 5: analyzing the role of the ‘colorless’ background characters in Durarara!!x2 Shou, a tribute to the border security girls running the checkpoints in The Rolling Girls, issues with how the fights end in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc, and wondering about a future business opportunity for Shinku and the others in Dog Days’’.

Best episode of the week: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc (S2)

Anime trending up this week: Yuri Kuma Arashi

Anime trending down this week: Yoru no Yatterman

Aldnoah.Zero (S2) (Episode 17)

Was Aldnoah.Zero originally supposed to only be a 12-episode anime? Given the lack of substantial content since the ‘dramatic’ non-end to the first season, the woeful reset to start the second season, and the insertion of several new character (most of who were never even mentioned in S1), I’m beginning to endorse the idea that the original concept for Aldnoah.Zero was 12 episodes. This entire second season has done nothing to advance the story and has done little to show character development outside of Slaine’s inconsistent representation. It’s just fluff now, making us wait through weeks of non-story to get to the end where we’ll probably find ourselves facing another disappointing conclusion to another season of Aldnoah.Zero. Fun, isn’t it?

Death Parade (Episode 5)

I’m actually rather happy the series told us, unprovoked too, that Onna is a dead human. To me, it means that this isn’t the big reveal at the end of the anime. To me, it means that there’s more to the series than telling us that Onna died on Earth and is not of the same mystic origin as Decim and Nona and Ginta and the others. It means that the anime has a narrative that doesn’t culminate in a shocking twist. It’s a signal that this bit of information is merely another puzzle piece to the viewers, and that the anime has a narrative of greater substance and significance than one character’s roots.

Dog Days’’ (S3) (Episode 5)

Since the governments of Flonyard have seemingly perfected the dimensional portal technology that allows Shinku, Nanami and Becky safe passage between Earth and their magical realm, why not consider the possibility of starting a tourism business on Earth where humans pay outrageous prices to go to a world where everyone is a cute girl with animal ears and an animal tail? I mean, imagine the demand; imagine the money they’d make. Shinku, Nanami and Becky would become millionaires overnight and never have to worry about going to school again. And imagine all the new foods, technologies, industries and whatnot that’d benefit the citizens of Flonyard, too. I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before one of those kids enters business school and puts two and two together.

Durarara!!x2 Shou (Episode 5)

The monotone background characters in Durarara!! help create a division in the anime between the meaningful characters and the mass of others who populate the streets of Ikebukuro. Without these background characters filling the streets, the restaurants and the other public areas, the hustle and bustle of the dynamic Ikebukuro would feel empty and lifeless. There needs to be a constant presence of others to make the crowds we always see, to showcase and highlight the spectacle that the special characters of Durarara!! always seem to create. They’re a bunch of nobodies in the world of Durarara!!, but at the same time, they’re somebodies given the role they have in creating a living, breathing city. However, the choice to color them a monotone grey is also appropriate given some of the content of the series.

True, if the throng of grey, monotone background characters were colored normally, it would take away from the visual draw that the main characters have. The use of a constant grey takes away from their presence and gives a stronger emphasis to the acting characters in Durarara!!. But there’s more to it than that. In Durarara!!, the gangs all have specific colors… except, of course, for the Dollars, which are frequently cited as the colorless gang. If you remember back to the first season, to episode 11 of Durarara!!, it was that mass of colorless people who revealed themselves to all be members of Dollars. At that moment, they were wiped of their “colorlessness”, and they each revealed their true colors. Turns out, that each person in this crowd had their own unique colors, their own unique appearance, but were all one part of a greater cause. Now it doesn’t mean that everyone, everywhere in Ikebukuro is a member of Dollars, but it does give a bit more significance and meaning to the grey background characters that reside in this borough of Tokyo. Combine all these elements together and what seems to be a simple aesthetic decision for a single palette for background characters suddenly means so much more when looking at everyone, everywhere in Durarara!!.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc (S2) (Episode 29)

As Stardust Crusaders has progressed, the stands have become more creative and more intimidating. As a result, the battles against them have become more intense and noteworthy, with Anubis being one of the best battles yet in Part III. However, the comedy at the end, as has been the case recently, really undermines the greatness and sensation of the fights. Although this style of humor is a staple of JJBA, the endings to fights like these disagrees with me, by giving me a sudden change in flavor when I’m still enjoying the achievement of defeating a powerful, and above all, serious enemy. It works perfectly fine for comical battles, like those between Khnum and Tohth, or most recently with Bastet, but I would’ve preferred a more thoughtful tone to Anubis’ demise than what we saw.

Kantai Collection (KanColle) (Episode 5)

So Admiral is reshuffling his (or her???) fleet, and is again matching each ship into cohorts of 6. Again, six; no more, no less. But since this isn’t exactly the browser game of Kantai Collection and there are no specified spots to order the girls, I wonder what would happen if Admiral tried to put 7 ships together. It’s not like there’s anything stopping Admiral from wanting 7 ships together. Or 8. Or really, any number other than 6. Or, what’d happen if another ship tagged along with some friends on an expedition? Does the universe implode if there are more than 6 ships together at a time? Has it ever occurred to Admiral that there’s enough water in the blue, blue oceans for more than 6 ships at a time? I’m really beginning to question the merits of this Admiral when most of the anime are about these ships struggling with school, eating sweets, and going on wacky adventures.

Shirobako (Episode 17)

One of the loveliest aspects about this second half of Shirobako is the new personality Musani Animation has thanks to its new employees. Andou, Satou, Kunogi and even Hiraoka add to change the dynamic of Musani Animation’s office, helping bring new energy and individuality while also impacting the roles and responsibilities of the returning characters. For example, Aoi’s personality has shifted as a result of her new job, especially in regards to how she interacts with Andou, Satou and Hiraoka. Ema, who is still a new keyframe artist, has taken Kunogi under her wing and is providing support and help whenever she needs it… which seems to be all the time. It also helps that some of the established characters are missing too, such as Honda, Yano and even Ochiai. What this does is it gives this second season of Shirobako a fresh, new flavor in addition to all the other changes with switching over from Exodus! to The Third Aerial Girls Squad. It’s just another impressive detail that has a profound effect on the anime as a whole, helping us see another side of the industry that can only be observed through contrasting the first and second halves with each other.

The Rolling Girls (Episode 5)

The checkpoint girls in The Rolling Girls might be my favorite characters in this anime. Thus far, we’ve seen three very similar, yet slightly different, girls managing three different checkpoints. Given how significant the independent nations are in The Rolling Girls, these border girls are an essential aspect to the setting, and it’s no coincidence that we’ve met with three already. Although their names aren’t mentioned in the anime, they’re all named Banko (ばん子). And although each one has a similar appearance, wears the same uniform, and speaks with an unusual accent (since they’re from other countries within this fragmented Japan), there are slight differences between each girl. The one managing the boarder in northern Tokyo (episode 3) has orange bows with white polka dots in her hair and a Band-aid over her nose. The girl at the western Tokyo border (episode 4) wears green bows and has a small bandage over her left cheek. This episode’s Banko, as you can see above, owns yellow bows and has a large bandage on her right cheek. Otherwise, if it weren’t for the bows and the bandages, we wouldn’t be able to differentiate between the Bankos. And though these girls are mainly played as a joke, especially with their accents, they provide some refreshing humor and useful information about the areas that set the foundation for each episode. The Banko girls won’t play a significant role in The Rolling Girls, but they’re a delightful running gag in this anime if nothing else. And even though their roles are small and infrequent (although Banko narrates the episode previews for The Rolling Girls online), I hope we continue to see these girls appear in the series… and maybe even see a couple of them get together.

This week: why Hibike! Euphonium, a school club anime, feels more ‘school club’ than ‘anime’, the background art as an indicator of quality and personality in Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, how the scarcity of direct fights negatively affects JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc, and inherent positives with 3D animation in Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki.

Best episode of the week: Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV)

Anime trending up this week: Hibike! Euphonium

Anime trending down this week: Nagato Yuki-chan no Soushitsu

Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) (Episode 16)

The background art is an essential component of every shot in every anime, and it can be used as an indicator for the quality and personality of an anime. Not only does the style and amount of detail matter, but so does the content of the background (scenery, skies, built environment) and how these shots are used within a scene. For Fate/stay Night, the backgrounds are frequently highly detailed with clean designs and exquisite detail. There is diversity in the content of its shots, too, helping to not only establish the locale of the scenes, but using the sky and lighting to denote the time of day while also helping establish the mood. Fate/stay Night also does an excellent job of using utilizing detailed backgrounds during scenes, too, especially scenes heavy in dialogue. Here, the backgrounds are particularly useful because, while the actual writing of the anime is characters standing around and talking, the shots can be diversified to show a variety of angles with few repeats. It’s a sign of excellent directing to avoid repeats in scenes like this since it is constantly providing new perspectives for which to view the scene. The example I’m thinking of is when Lancer approached Shirou and Rin at the abandoned church. Watch that scene again to get a better idea of what I’m talking about and why I believe the backgrounds to be a reliable marker of quality and personality in an anime.

Hibike! Euphonium (Episode 3)

While most ‘school club anime’ feel like an anime first and a school club second, Hibike! Euphonium is a school club anime that feels like a school club first and an anime second. To me, there is a considerable difference in Euphonium’s conduct and elegance that differentiates it from the rest of its school club anime brethren. For one, the structure of the club and the roles of the characters feels right. Perhaps most importantly, the president of the club, Haruka, actually feels like a reliable leader who would be elected the head of a club, especially from the way she presents herself among her peers and how she feels pressure and shame for the band’s sorry performance. In fact, when Noboru, the new music teacher, responded to Haruka, you could feel her character respond to the magnitude of the situation and feel the tension in the air. Oh, that’s another one too, there’s actually a faculty member present in the club. Noboru’s presence, although infrequent, helps in keeping the club aspect realistic, in how he doesn’t brush off the bullshit going on and tries to hold the club accountable for their actions. Not only is his presence here a plus, but his personality plays a significant role in keeping this more school club than anime. One last point about why Hibike! Euphonium is unlike the others in this genre is that it is developing its story around the school club and not solely dependent on comedy or nonsense. Having a story with substance related to the club goes a long way in supporting the school club feel of the anime. Overall, Hibike! Euphonium has the same sensation as some of my favorite school club anime, like Chihayafuru or Hyouka. If it can keep up this approach and quality throughout, who knows, maybe Hibike! Euphonium will join those two as one of my favorite school club anime of all-time.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc (S2) (Episode 40)

One area of criticism for Part III has been the lack of direct fights between Stands and Stand Users. While Parts I and II were dependent on the characters fighting each other to the death, Part III seems too comfortable with all these indirect fights. And while some battles have turned out great with indirect fighting, namely D’Arby the Gambler, most have not. And while variety is appreciated, I feel that the value of having more direct fights would dominate the value provided by the diversity in all these different styles of indirect fights. Now, that isn’t to say that I am not enjoying this battle fought on a video game console (because I am actually really enjoying it), but it doesn’t have that same lasting impression or emotion as would a direct fight would. Then again, many of these Stands are not designs or capable of surviving a direct fight between Jotaro and the others, but it’s something I miss from Parts I and II and why I feel that those areas of JoJo’s trump Stardust Crusaders.

Plastic Memories (Episode 4)

The more I watch of Plastic Memories, the more I understand that these writers have no clue how a business works or even how most of the real world works. There are just so many inherent errors and inefficiencies with this office that I spend most of the episode thinking of how, if I were manager of this department, I would completely gut the office and rework all its policies. Nothing about this business makes any sense and the fact that all of these errors are correctable makes it even more irritating. I do hope the anime begins steering away from its office setting and back towards Isla dying from Robot Alzheimer’s, but that also has some major issues, too.

Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki (S2) (Episode 3)

Since it took me forever to catch up on Sidonia, I never had the opportunity to talk about it as it aired last Spring. However, with its sequel airing this season, I now have the time and platform to write about it. What I appreciate the most about Sidonia’s 3D animation is that it always consistent and that the appearance and animation with the characters is dependably good. Although I still prefer 2D animation over 3D, I do appreciate that there are no variations or dips in the quality of art and animation with the characters. If you know how one characters looks once, you know how they’ll look throughout. Additionally, with the 3D animation, the camera is able to do more and the anime can incorporate more cinematography than most anime. With the increased budget of this sequel, Sidonia has done just that, with more shots incorporating cameras rotating, cameras following behind characters, and performing other difficult maneuvers that would otherwise be nearly impossible with traditional 2D animation. Of course, 3D animation will never surpass 2D animation for me, but I do enjoy the inherent advantages of 3D animation with Sidonia, and I feel that for an anime of this style and caliber, that 3D animation works well for its story, its characters, and its setting.

Back during Week 9: the symbolism of clothing in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, questioning whether anyone else is ‘special’ in Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, praising the tsukkomis in Dagashi Kashi, and posting pictures of Clarion from Koukaku no Pandora because why not?

Best episode of the week: Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Anime trending up this week: Osomatsu-san

Anime trending down this week: Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (Episode 9)

Fashion and apparel in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu has been used brilliantly as symbolism to both connect and contrast Yakumo and Sukeroku. Given that anime is a visual medium, clothing has always played a significant role in defining characters and is often used to enhance them by supporting or augmenting their personality, profession, or general appeal. In Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, the clothes play an important yet reserved role in the relationship between Yakumo and Sukeroku. Yakumo has adopted a modern, sophisticated, chic western-style wardrobe, as seen by his clean dress shirts, charcoal grey suit, and black tie. Sukeroku, on the other hand, wears traditional Japanese clothing, such as his typical jinbei. Another inherent difference between the styles is the impression that these clothes give, with Yakumo appearing to be wealthy and upper-class while Sukeroku appears as an ordinary commoner. Not only does it symbolize a contrast between their personalities, but their clothes also denote the success that Yakumo is realizing in the world of rakugo whereas Sukeroku appears to be crashing, especially with the developments in this episode. And while their casual outdoor-wear shows great, significant contrasts between the characters, clothing also unites these characters together. When performing rakugo, Yakumo and Sukeroku wear the same haori and hakama. Not only does wearing the same clothes connect them both to the profession they love, but it connects them to each other, as best friends. That is to say, while they are different in just about every category, they are the same when it comes to their passion for rakugo. And you can clearly see it, visually, with their connection via their same clothing when performing rakugo together.

Koukaku no Pandora (Episode 9)

I have nothing new to say about Koukaku no Pandora, but I wanted to post pictures of chibi Clarion so that I can find them easily online.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (Episode 8)

With Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! ending in two episodes (the finale has already aired, whoops!), I will admit I am kinda sad we didn’t see more of the characters before their star-crossed journey together. What I mean is, I wish we saw how much of a dick Aqua was prior to meeting Kazuma, how Megumin was shunned by society due to her name, behavior, and explosive magic, and how everyone felt weirded-out by Darkness before she was accepted by Kazuma and others. However, given that there is a second season already announced, this topic is really a moot point now since we’re likely to get some backstory for these characters whenever the next season airs.

Durarara!!x2 Ketsu (Episode 9)

Given the immense size of the cast and the length of Durarara!!, I am curious if I missed cameos in the original seasons of characters that were formally introduced during these latter seasons. And though many of these newer characters have vibrant and obvious designs, I still wonder if I may have missed Chikage standing in a crowd, Akane walking by on the street, or Mikage waiting outside her dojo for Mairu and Kururi. Part of me wants to go back and scan around a few of the episodes to search for these fascinating Easter eggs, especially since there have been numerous instances of actual characters being a part of the crowd throughout the series. But, realistically, I don’t think it’s worthwhile given that such brief cameos won’t hold any significance to the story or their own development. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed how Durarara!! has incorporated these individual characters as functioning parts of Ikebukuro and have featured them throughout, even when their time in the spotlight has long been over.

Dagashi Kashi (Episode 9)

One of the very most essential aspects of a comedy anime, or at least in a manzai or gag anime, is that the tsukkomi (or straight man) does not scream or shout or yell too much. Thankfully, Dagashi Kashi meets that necessity with Kokonotsu and Saya being entirely reasonable tsukkomi with their reactions and punchlines. Dagashi Kashi really seems to understand how to use their personalities and comedic timing well, as the anime has a pleasant balance between normal and loud jokes. And, because of that, Dagashi Kashi has really started to grow on me despite having virtually no experience or understanding of what it’s like to grow up with these candies and snacks.

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Episode 9)

Will Satoru’s time traveling ability ever be explored? Or rather, and what interests me the most, does anyone else have the ability to go back in time, too, to fix their mistakes like how Satoru saves the lives of others around him? For example, does the killer have the same ability as Satoru and the two are using their two time traveling abilities to counter each other and do their best to save or kill as they please? I’m expecting something else from Boku Dake ga Inai Machi given that Satoru has been able to ‘Groundhog Day’ himself three times now, and am curious if someone else (the killer or maybe Kayo) has something unique going on with them as well.