Mario: Welcome to the first edition of Spring 2020 Weekly Summary where we throw our opinions on leftover shows that don’t receive a full coverage (the orphans so to speak). There are still more shows that I will check out when their second episode’s out (like Fruit Baskets 2, Appare-Ranman and Kisutsuki and that Cute Girls Fishing show). I also have this self-imposed rule where I’ll drop a bunch of them after 3 episodes. So expect a big clean up after next week (Beware! Listeners and Tower of God and Gleinpir). Thanks Amun for contributing to this column, and readers, if you want us to give more chance to any other show airing this season, shout out in the comment section below.
Hamefura – 02
Mario: The second episode of this Otome Isekai might not be as fresh as the first one, but it’s still adorable as heck. This week our main (villain) girl Catarina conquers two more “underlings”, not necessarily with any ulterior motive. It has considerably less self-awareness than the premiere, although in this case I prefer the meta aspect. It says right there in the title, but for me the show works best when Catarina uses her game knowledge and has her little freakouts when all roads she paves indeed leading to doom. Another winning aspect in which Hamefura succeeds so far is that she gains other characters’ trust through her efforts and goddamnit she’s earned it. HameFura is a total delight so far.
Listeners – 02
Amun: If anyone can understand a single thing that went on in this episode, then hat’s off to them. There’s a weird trio that’s apparently never been approached by a fan, a spooky bathroom, and Mu who is definitely DTHH (Down to Hand Hold) despite our protag’s best efforts. Throw in the creepy amusement park and a random crucifixion (I think?) and this episode was Evangelion levels of confusion. That being said, it’s not like I didn’t enjoy it – I’m just a bit confused. Looked good while doing it though, and say what you want, but this show has some characters (MC notwithstanding).
Nami yo Kiitekure – 02
Mario: Two episodes in and I’m still very much on the fence about this show. On one hand, it has an interesting female lead who is quirky but grounded. She’s a ticking bomb just about to explode at any moment but she’s also multi-dimensional and relatable, so following the events happening through her unique headspace is a treat (the way she thinks of an unnecessarily detailed backstory of her boss’s grandson is a highlight). The issue I have with the show so far is everything else. We have some insights into the radio industry but so far nothing really sticks with me. The show doesn’t spend much time on other characters so they appear plain to me. The humor is also a hit-or-miss for me, it’s full of small chuckling details, but when they go for big moments the comedy falls flat.
Hachi-nan – 02
Amun: There were a lot of isekai haters among the other writers and our 8th binbo boi bore the brunt of their burns. That said, episode 1 was a bit generic, but episode 2 surprised me, much like ToG. Maybe this is the season of second episodes! This is an entire training arc summed into an episode, with a little emotional trauma thrown in for good measure. I actually thought it was nice and tidy – I didn’t actually expect the teacher to be fully undead, that was a bit of a surprise. Also, looks like we’re going to leave chibi hachi-nan (his full name is a pain) with a timeskip next episode. I think this has a real chance to be the B-tier isekai of the season (you know you always have one, don’t front. Some seasons it’s even been Black Clover, you can admit it. This is a safe place).
Tamayomi – 02
Mario: Tamayomi won’t break any ground rules and this second episode serves as a standard “getting more members” episode where the girls have 4 more members joining the club. But I’m not lying to say I enjoy this episode all the way through. Tamayomi tends to introduce new characters as pairs, that allows us not only to know each individual by their personality traits, but also their prior chemistry with the other as well. All these characters feel like a good fit for the team (which is a plus when it comes to sports show), and while I could argue that their conflicts are resolved a bit too quickly and easily, I think it fits the light tone of the show. Tamayomi remains a serviceable mid-tier sports anime.
Gleipnir – 02
Mario: With this episode I admit that the overtly horny fanservice in the series has its reasons to be there. The whole “enter other’s body” affair can be seen as a metaphor for sex if I ever see one. Heck, Gleipnir doesn’t go subtle about it at all, and for me it’s just as stupid as Darling in the Franxx’s attempt. There is another aspect that I am much more forgiving, though, and that is the destructive relationship between Clair and Shuuchi. The fact that she doesn’t even blink when killing someone is chilling enough and I like how that takes a toll to Shuuchi. Being said that, I don’t find the overall premise of them trying to figure out the role of the coin, and Clair’s quest to find her sister engaging, and the characters aren’t that interesting to care about. Next week is going to be a decisive week to whether or not I’ll continue to follow Gleipnir.
I made it to episode 2 of Hamefura, and it is pretty cute so far. But I only have one complaint about that episode: The way Alan confronts Catarina about her friendship with Mary, straight up accusing her of trying to “seduce” Mary. This happens when they’re children. First off, how in the world would a nine-year-old boy know what the word seduce means, much less enough about it to accuse another girl of trying to do it to Mary? It’d be one thing if he accused Catarina of stealing Mary from him, as that makes more sense because a child does know what the word steal means, and it can also be used for people as well. I find it really hard to believe that a nine-year-old child would know what a word like seduce is, and it’s just baffling that Alan, a child, upon hearing his fiance go ga-ga over making a new friend, would just come to the conclusion that said friend is trying to seduce her. How did he even come to that conclusion to begin with? No child I know would ever think like that or use that kind of wording. I myself didn’t know what the word seduce meant until I was in early high school, so this just baffles me to no end.