Author: SuperMario

Mayoiga – 06

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Mayoiga

Back stories time! This week of Mayoiga dedicated itself for backstories of many characters. Too many characters indeed. This is for me the turning point of Mayoiga, where many facts are revealed and we seem to head to the new phase. The show now becomes much clearer and have a sense of direction. This week, Lovepon, Mikage, Nyanta, Jigoku all have their own stories to tell. Most of them ridiculous as they are (like the silicon part, or the monk, or the 12//20 mix-up, or the bullying girls, basically all of them), but they all serve their purposes. Lovepon, for example, has been a source of complaint for the last few weeks as being one-note and anime-like, but with this week’s reveals, she was also a victim of injustice, violence and her own hatred. The use of heavy symbolisms in these flashback scenes could rivals Kunihiko Ikuhara’s shows anytime, and I mean it in a good way. The devil, the silicon, the bees and the laughing train are representative of their characters’ deepest fears, their CG designs make us feel both uneasiness and alien, and that exactly what the show aims for. Those flashbacks give us a reason to care for those characters and I for once root for them when they running away from that thing. The most effective story is for me, Nyanta. Being bullied is more common than you would think and people tend to do more extreme and painful things to cope with it. In her case, this is to shoot those bullying girls with a BB gun. There is a sadness behind all that and Mayoiga (briefly) nailed that raw emotion.

So it appears that the Lost Village is a place where people have to face their darkest sides, they have to face the negative feeling (like hatred, shame) that they had buried inside themselves, which for me is very fitting. Remember all of them want to go to the Lost Village because they want to run away from their problems to make a new life there. Well they can physically escape from it but they have to face their own issues in order to really get over it. As I suspected, Masaki is the main source to all the mysteries, but I don’t think she’s a ghost yet. From what the paper says she was just disappeared, so I think she was stuck in this lost village ever since. There are two things that baffles me this week: first, how the hell that those 4 people were chasing by god-know-what but they somehow all escape from it, I originally thought they would be killed or at least be vanished. What’s else going to happen after this? Second, I find that Koharun’s habit of stop talking and then singing in the middle of conversations is a bit chilling, it’s like she’s a ghost. Hell! Mayoiga! You might be the only one show that can pull it off.

Mayoiga this week delivered all the ambitious intentions it promised since its premiere. Just for this time, I feel glad that I haven’t given up on this. Whether it going to stay this inspiring or stumble for the rest of the series is everyone guess. At least we’ll always have this episode. We’ll always have Paris.

~SuperMario~

Bungou Stray Dogs – 05

by SuperMario, posted in Bungou Stray Dogs, Currently Watching:

Bungou Stray Dogs once again goes sidetrack this week, which means that this episode is a filler one and doesn’t advance the plot at all. The main rivalry between the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia; which I originally thought to be 4, 5-episodes arc, seems to stretch out until the end of this season, or the fall season for that matter, now that they announced that the second part will premier in this October. But with all that said, this is one of the best episode Bungou Stray Dogs have ever pulled off. Look, I’m a sucker of shows that care about characters. As long as a show can take their time to focus on character’s development and character’s interactions, I will be content with it. Back in previous few weeks, I had my concerns of the supporting characters being flat with some over the top traits, well this episode is an answer to that. In fact, I am fine if the rest of Bungou Stray Dogs go with this direction.

This week is all about Ranpo with his gift Ultra-Deduction, and he makes the best out of it. The murder case is simple enough to not distract the flow of the episode. Although the case itself isn’t really coherent when you think about it (like if the two were really couple, she should have realized sooner that the guy being controlled by Port Mafia), it makes up by its emotion core and further showcase the ability of Ranpo. Atsushi becomes a sidekick this week and this is for the better. In fact, Atsushi and Dagai interactions are not the strong part of the show (mainly because they would go to the usual banters of Atsushi feeling useless and Dagai bragging about suicide), but this week it’s working since they discuss about someone else, and give more lights about that character in the process. All of the usual gags are absent, and even the part about Dagai being stuck in the net and still going on about double suicide seems funnier this week.

Now into the best revelation of this week: Out of all the characters from Armed Detective Agency, Ranpo is the only one who doesn’t possess natural gifted. The word “gifted” in fact always baffled me. Gifted means that the person have an exceptional talent, but isn’t it matter if one who does not have it to begin with turns out to be talented? People with gifted usually take their ability for granted, so they just don’t know or care that other people have to try hard to reach that level. This is demonstrated well in Ranpo. Because he is not a natural gifted, he had to try harder to become what he is now and his skill now is far more powerful than any natural gifted peers. Another thing is that “gifted” alone is not what makes them great, it is really a combination of:

”Ten percent luck, twenty percent skill.

Fifteen percent concentrated power of will.

Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain.

And a hundred percent reason to remember the name”

~SuperMario~

Flying witch – 04

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Flying Witch

Flying witch again delivers strong material this week and I actually think this is their best episode so far. Mostly because the 2 parts are well connected this week, and our new character Inuka is so natural and fit in like a glove, in addition they have an absurd and whimsical story to boost. I have to highlight the chemistry between Inuka and Chinatsu here, as they are easily the best out of this already solid episode. The back and forth conversation between them in the fortune teller corner, for example, was so deadpan and consistent. Chinatsu constantly touches Inuka’s ears while Inuka was furious about Akane is another good touch. Inuka’s panic over Makoto’s name is so well-delivered that it gets me every time. And Makoto cure portion, oh my god, it’s so hilarious. Now I get the sense that Makoto might not become a great witch after all, but that is fine by me. Flying Witch is so full of little moments that you would miss it if you don’t notice well. Cases in point, I love the way the hamster (Al) shakes uncontrollably when the black cat comes near him (with his dry “meow” no less), or the shot keeps avoiding Inuka’s real face until the very end. Boy she was so my type too! On the site note, I’m not really sure what Akame is wearing, I guess it is a Vietnamese traditional dress (ao dai) (you can view it here, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/51/1d/87/511d8711fff800a9d326e99ab4dde94d.jpg), please correct me if I’m wrong.

Flying witch is a charming show but never really a funny show, its comedic is often whimsical rather than laugh out loud. But Flying witch has a knack for comedic timing and punch. In this episode, those were executed very well (from Inuka‘s “Akame” crying to Mako’s cure portion). The visual is as lovely as ever, from the blossom trees to the festival itself, and the music, all of them help to bring atmosphere to the show. Overall I’m overjoy with this episode. As long as Flying witch continue to tell those pleasant stories, with full of little details and some deadpan humors, I’m all in.

~SuperMario~

Mayoiga – 05

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Mayoiga

We now back to the status quo on Mayoiga this week, as the group who left the village decided to come back, and the cliffhanger happened last week was never explained probably. I will say this upfront: this is not a good episode. We don’t learn much after it ends. We have even longer conversations between the cast compare to last few weeks, and even more ridiculous cliffhanger.

But we do learn a few more new things in this episode. Most interesting bit is that they perceive completely differently about the noise they heard (it could be a beast, a robot, giant wings, or a laughter). That could be a hint to the mystery. The lost village can be a place where we deal with our own problems, we see what we afraid to see. In other words, we reach to our darkness side. This could be an interesting aspect to explore but hell, Mayoiga sure doesn’t show us much of a clue here. This week spend too much time on the cast arguing with each other, and truthfully, I’m getting tired of them accusing each other episodes after episodes here, especially when they just repeating the same traits over and over again (I dare you to find a line in which Lovepon doesn’t scream “executed”). If the show indeed relies on those characters’ interactions for its mystery, then this can be redeemed, otherwise, I don’t see a reason why there are too much of this.

The other bit of information we gather is Lion’s ability to see the dead, or to be more exact, she has an ability to see people about to die. This is a good character moment for Lion and it’s not really come as a surprise, seeing her as the mysterious and quiet type from the beginning, but the reveal scene is still somewhat absurd. The cliffhanger at the end actually leaves me more annoyed than engaged, the characters just keep sprouting random names here, just like last week’s driver’s daughter, and I bet next week we learn a bit of who is this Tokimune again, only to be left forgotten for the rest of the show. Why the heck should I care then?

It looks like Masaki on the verge of revealing something to Mitsumune here. I hope they don’t take few more episodes until we get that bit of information. In fact, Mayoiga gives us very little information to work with. The worse thing is that if it keeps on dragging like that, people will start to lose interest in the mystery, if not already.

~SuperMario~

Bungou Stray Dogs – 04

by SuperMario, posted in Bungou Stray Dogs, Currently Watching:

Bungou Stray Dogs sure never get tired to showcase more new characters every week, and judging from the OP I’m certain that there are more to come. This week there are 3 more new faces and each of them is over the top in their own ways, but that turns out to be for good reason. I feel the pacing in this episode is very unstable, it was too slow at first (mostly because of the dialogues and the overused flashbacks), and then way too fast in the climax scene (we just got introduced with the villains, and then they proceeded to have a big fight with the Agency, who we didn’t have enough time to care about to begin with), but that turns out to be for good reason as well. See, because there is a twist: The Agency are all overpower human being who can easily take down the raids like a piece of cake. The twist works and for once I liked the way they built things up for that climax.

Atsushi, however, has been in an “I’m a burden to everyone” mode for 4 weeks in a row. I don’t see the point the series keep making that Atsushi truly belongs to the Agency. We already know that at the end of the first episode. Here we are now, in its 4th episode, still stuck with that same note (Atsushi cried because he felt he is in the right place). We need to move on man! I will keep this aside for now, but if in the next episodes we still see Atsushi being insecure or that orphanage’s flashbacks again, it will truly drag the show down. I would love for our main character to grow but he will need to be more substantial in order for us to care for him. Being in the same mode will not help of course.

Now this is clear that Bungou Stray Dogs going to be an action comedy show (forget about the supernatural stuffs, they feel more like an action ability anyway) and that lays many problems within Bungou Stray Dogs: the comedy is not funny at all, the action is nice but is few and far between, the transition between comedy and action is awkward and unfortunately slows the show down. The main issue with the comedy, as I mentioned in previous weeks, is because of the repetition as they do nothing to flesh out the characters. Even good joke will get pale if it was told too many times. I hope the show can learn this lesson. It might not be an issue when the main storyline kick in but boys it sure takes its time. I would say Bungou Stray Dogs is at its best when the show focuses on action, with a bit of comedy on top.

In addition, I’m not quite fond with the real-life writers references as well. Sure it’s nice to catch some humors and personality traits based on their real-life counterparts, but the way I see it, it adds nothing to the story and the series could have been the same without all those literary references. In other words, there is no reason for it to be there (except perhaps for being STYLISH). On the last note, I originally thought Yosano would become a compelling character but the healing scene totally killed it for me. Well done Bungou Stray Dogs!!

~SuperMario~

First 3-Week Impression Guide (part 2)

by SuperMario, posted in Kaleidoscope, Spring 2016 Kaleidoscope

This is the latter part of my guide, which consists of 6 (and a half) more shows:

Bungou Stray Dogs

Bungou Stray Dogs

The Verdict: The show picks up itself beautifully in its 3rd episode. Now the main story kicks in we have a reason to care for those characters, just as long as they don’t spend time for those characters’ chit chat nonsense. The visual is one of the strongest of the season though, while the action scenes where they happen, are thrilling and exciting. I have a strong hope that it will get better from now on.

Keep Following: Yes. Not because I’m covering it, but because I see this one have a lot of potential to be memorable.

Recommended: I’ll say give the third episode a try and if you like it, then yes.

12-sai

12-sai

The Verdict: This is sadly the most underseen titles on my list and I certainly can see why. But the show actually portrays quite sensitively and dare I say, maturely on what it means to be 12-years old, to find who they really are, to have a first crush, and to grow up. This is a shoujo adaptation so it means the growing process will lean more towards romance and friendship, but it’s not often we have a show that treats young kids as they are here. This is a nice little gem.

Keep Following: At least for now, yes. I will give it 3 more episodes.

Recommended: If this post by any mean a recommendation (it is), I would urge you to give it a watch. At least its 1st episode, because simple the show deserved more attention than it currently had.

Kuromukuro

Kuromukuro

The Verdict: Also known as “that Netflix anime”, this story about a samurai who wakes up few hundred years later, and finds the world starts to become a battlefield as well. I actually enjoyed the first half’s slice of life section before it all turns into battle here. Having a huge fight between two sides of which we have no idea of is not a great strategy. The main protagonist has a unique quirk and by the end of third episode, has grown into a likeable character, but very few information has been explained about the attacking side, and the main girl is just plain. The fight, by the way, is good to look at, but I don’t see it as a standout, either.

Keep Following: No. This is an easy skip.

Recommended: No. The story is still not enough for us to care, and if you want a truly epic action show, look no further than:

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

The Verdict: Just 2 episodes were aired so far (because of the earthquake), but it’s seems Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is the show that most likely becomes a big hit. The animation and background art are stunning. The production as a whole is awesome. The pacing keeps you on edge all the time and even the character designs are gorgeous. But don’t expect a subtle moment because mostly they keep putting everything into MAX. The story and the character development, on the other hand, are shaky and not consistent. But this is to be expected from an action show so I have no complain.

Keep Following: Yes. I admit this show is not my cup of tea. But even me sometimes want to watch a pure action show where my heart races and my fist bumps.

Recommended: Yes. THE-MOST-ENTERTAINING-SHOW-THERE-IS this season.

Kiznaiver

Kiznaiver

The Verdict: While I said earlier that I think Joker Game is the show I’m most certain to solid, Kiznaiver is the show that have a potential to become a standout show of the season, since this show is the most creative show (at least for me) of this season. There’s a lot to like here, when forced the characters to be honest to themselves and confess their secrets to each other, there’s a sense of real emotional bonds and we, the audience feel it as well. While the “missions” are sometimes feel forced and ridiculous, the emotional strengths overcome most of it. The style here in Kiznaiver is excellent and unique (kudos to Trigger), the characters are great so far. Well I do hope that the second half of the shows can deliver the strengths that Kiznaiver had been established so far

Keep Following: Yes! Yes! Yes!

Recommended: Yes. As I said, the most inventive show of this season.

Flying witch

Flying witch

The Verdict: Flying witch has all the elements good slice-of-life shows have. The pacing is slow but steady the cast is endearing, the atmosphere is inviting. To mix some of the magic ingredients on top, and you have a show that both celebrate the everyday life and the magical life, making it a consistent magical realism show. The background and music both complement the atmosphere without being too stand out.

Keep Following: Yeah! The execution is strong enough that I don’t mind if story is about nothing.

Recommended: This is for me the most consistent of all shows. This is a nice contrast to Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress as well. (while Kabaneri tends to go bigger and bigger, this shows really like to show little details and very light on story). I’d recommend watching this after Kabaneri to balance it out)

Uchuu Patrol Luluco

Uchuu Patrol Luluco

The Verdict: This is the only short series (hence a half) that I watched and I absolutely adored it. Trigger has a very unique style, and this series would go as wild and as wacky as ever. The short running time also mean that it won’t wear out its welcome. This runs for 4 episodes (20 minutes so far) and I loved every moment of it

Keep Following: Yes. Too good to turn down

Recommended: Yes. Common guys! This just take like 5 minutes of your time every week. I would say this is a more unique looking anime of this season.

This concludes pretty much my guide. After the first 3 weeks I would say Joker Game, Kiznaiver and Flying witch are the top tiers (which we all covered here). I hope they remains consistent throughout the rest of the season. Okay, time to watch this new week’s episodes for me and I hope you guys enjoy my reviews here. Care to tell us which shows you are enjoying or is there any note-worthy shows that we’ve missed? Tell us more in the comments.

~SuperMario~

First 3-Week Impression Guide (part 1)

by SuperMario, posted in Kaleidoscope, Spring 2016 Kaleidoscope

A quarter of the Spring season have passed, and it’s time for our 3-episode round up reviews. Usually by that time the shows have established all their ingredients and now start to kick off to their premises. The 3-week rule is a good barometer to determine whether the series can turn out to be good or not. The main purpose of this post, as a result, is to make it as a guide for you readers, now we have a better idea about those shows. My experience with anime would say sometimes it’s not the case at all (like recently Everything Becomes F started of strong and then ended completely ridiculous), but most the time this proved to be a good exercise. Even the wicked Puella Magi Madoka Magica shows its true color in its 3rd episode,

This season so far are quite solid in terms of amount of good shows, and a range of variety as well, though no shows is truly stand above the rest. we have good action/mecha shows (Kabaneri of Iron Fortress, Kuromukuro), comedy/slice-of-life shows (KumaMiko, Flying witch), shounen (Diamonds Are Unbreakable, My Hero Academia) and many usual light novel adaptation and cute girls doing cute things shows. The most impressive thing here, as I mentioned in earlier post, is the great showing of 12 year old-characters girls. Usually those girls in anime was treated more like a supporting character with no depth at all, so this is a great sign and I hope there’ll be more like this in the future.

So without further ado, here is the list of the first batch that I have watched so far in the airing order, along with my impressions on how they doing so far, LET RUN THEM DOWN!

Mayoiga

 Mayoiga

The Verdict: One of the strength in Mari Okada’s scripts is her ability to write characters that are so different from each other. They have a distinctive feature, gestures, personality that it’s a joy to see them playing off against each other. Mayoiga put it up to the MAX by introducing 30 of them, and quite frankly, having interesting traits’ characters and promising premise ain’t enough to have a good show. The story, judging from mystery aspects, is way too slow. After 3 episodes, all we get are 1) Those people arrived to the Lost village. 2) 2 of them have disappeared and 3) A body has been found floating on a river. And they are all 5 seconds before the end of each episode. The rest of the time Mayoiga stumbles around with many ideas and not that good execution.

Keep Following: Since I’m covering this one, that’s a Yes

Recommended: Sadly, no. It’s still the more ambitious show of the season so it’s still interesting just to see how it all plays out. Will it be great? I don’t think so.

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia

The Verdict: For me, My Hero Academia mostly succeed on what it sets out to be: what it means to be a hero. While shows like One Punch Man shows the other side of the spectrum: what it means to fight and save people (being in hero association is a mean to achieve this), My Hero Academia looks up on being a hero, and how it inspires others to be like him. In that sense this is more like an idol/ sports shows than its shounen origin. Anyways, the reason this shows works so far is because its heart is on the right place, it feels the pain and struggles our protagonist Izuku has, at the same time still bright and optimistic to suggest that it you really strive for it, your wish will come true.

Keep Following: Sorry but No, My Hero Academia sadly just isn’t my type of show. Being an idol/hero who inspires others is not my interest. Considering we have quite many fine shows to watch here, I will leave it aside for now.

Recommended: By all mean, yes. While the third episode slows the shows a bit, I’d consider it the calm before the storm. Next week when we reach the test, there will be much more fun to see.

KumaMiko

KumaMiko

The Verdict: Here come a sleeper hit of the season. I enjoyed the first episode of KumaMiko, but I could never anticipate that the next episodes would be that solid. They are more focus than the first one and the communication between the two leads, in particular; is very nice to watch; they bounce off each other well and the comic timing is mostly consistent. I loved the humor of the show, from its pop culture reference (most notably Uniqlo), its sometimes crude humors, to its irrelevant randomness (like when Natsu recalled when Machi got tranced when she was young, I laughed my heart out), it just all clicked.

Keep Following: Yes. This is a better comedy show than most this season, and completely took me by surprise by how consistent it is. I originally thought this is a nice little show to watch between other big shows, but now I actively look forward to watch it.

Recommended: I would say Yes, but with reservation. Humors depends on each people and some of the jokes might be too left-field for some.

Re:Zero- Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero

The Verdict: After 3 episodes (oh, actually it’s 4), we have a nice closure to the first part of the series. The cast, due to the repeating, have to deal with the same day in different situations. That way it gives different perspective to the characters, which is a plus for me. The story is just engaging enough to make use of the hook. The cast so far is pleasurable as well, albeit not that deep yet.

Keep Following: I’m really in between whether I would continue watching it or not. Everything so far just fall right in the middle: the story is decent is enough, the cast just decent enough, the hook is decent enough… that nothing really stands out. I will give it another episode to decide.

Recommended: It would turn out to be a solid show, so if you are in favors for the first few episodes here, then YES.

Joker Game

Joker Games

The Verdict: The third episode so far the weakest of the bunch, and it seems like the show will continue in that direction, that means each episode a new spy guy takes a spotlight. Each episode is very solid and I really hope those spies can show much of their humane side, while still follow the instinct of the spy. Joker Game is still one of the most solid show of this season.

Keep Following: Certainly. If you ask me right now which shows I’m most certain to become solid. It’s this show.

Recommended: A big YES

Twin Stars Exorcists

Twin Star Exorcist

The Verdict: Twin Star Exorcist manage both to embrace many of the cliché of the genre (the boy with potential talent, his tragic past, the girl literally falls into his arms, that girl ends up living on the same house with him, they fated to become together, other girl who liked him, too many to even list them all here), while at the same time being very entertaining and hits all the right notes. I have an easy watch every time, which indicates that it has good pacing and the lead actually have great chemistry.

Keep Following: No. Spending 3 episodes is quite enough. I don’t see anything truly stands out from the show.

Recommended: Although this is an entertaining piece, I would say NO since there is many more entertaining or simply better shows out there.

~SuperMario~

Flying witch – 03

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Flying Witch

Flying witch has another solid episode this week. Flying week’s formula seems to be half of Makoto the witch getting to know an everyday country life, and other half of Makoto’s witchcrafts and meeting people from that magic world. All of these stories take place mostly in a single location as well, this time are the backyard and the shrine where “no one around”. This week’s episode still maintains a slow, relax but confident pace and an endearing cast who interact well with each other. If you like the first two episodes so far, you are not going to be disappointed by this one.

The first half revolves around Makoto wanting to grow some vegetables, so they all do the gardening. Growing plants seems like a useful way for a witch to make their ingredients, thus learning about how to grow ones makes sense for me. The scene-stealer of this first half is easily the pheasant. All the jokes around him were well-earned, from Makoto being furious and chase around him, to his “bring it on” attitude, to Kei’s father doing exactly the same, except the fact that he’s a local. This first half is expectedly atmospheric, I’m happy with the way it plays out.

Watching Makoto and her friends dive into the simple joys of gardening really highlights how magical growing your own vegetables can feel — even without a wand in hand. There’s something timeless and satisfying about getting your hands in the soil, nurturing tiny seeds into flourishing plants. It’s not just about food; it’s about patience, rhythm, and a deeper connection to the world around you. Moments like these make you realize that while magic is nice, mastering the everyday wonders of gardening might be just as powerful.

Of course, having a few seasoned experts like Sugar Green Gardens on your side can make the journey even more rewarding. Whether you’re aiming for a humble kitchen garden or an elaborate backyard oasis, their team knows how to craft spaces that are both beautiful and functional. Just like Makoto learning from locals, tapping into expert knowledge ensures your garden doesn’t just survive — it thrives, becoming a place where every day feels a little bit enchanted.

In this episode, the second half for me is a better one, as Makoto’s older sister shows up and tutors her “a simple witchcraft”. I liked how the spell is very simple and folktale-like, and not Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo chants (or is it a chant for only fairy? anyway..). Makoto’s sister is also a joy to watch, having an outgoing and cheerful type, and she also interacts well with the whole cast. My only concern is Kenny the cat is white, and from what I know the witch only carries a black cat. Since there is no explanation here I guess this is just normal here. I’ve said this before but watching Flying witch is a fastest and most enjoyable 20-minutes watch of this season. I love the cast well enough; the atmosphere is well pace and the situations they are in are all endearing. Flying witch is a celebration of everyday life, with a mix of magic on top, and I still have no complain about that.

~SuperMario~

Mayoiga – 04

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Mayoiga

It’s until this week that I just noticed the rather strange part of the OP of Mayoiga, the sequence was shown in the point of view of Masaki. It starts with her, then introducing the cast and finally ends with her standing alone in the lost village. But when I think about that, only in the first episode that we kind of follow Mitsumune as the protagonist, and that is because he had the most affection towards Masaki. She was also the last person to encounter Yotsun before he went missing. All the speeches from her are kind of prophetic as well. It seems like she unconsciously aware a lot of things about the place. Now I’m not implying she’s the mastermind behind everything but now I have a strong sense that she’s the key to solve the mystery.

We also pick up two important developments this week. The first is when the group felt threatened by the mystery and more than half of them decided to go back. I’ve always enjoyed those characters talking forth and back. Most of them are over the top and ridiculous that it’s rather fun to watch them shouting at each other. In this case they have many oppose opinions on whether or not staying is safe, I know that staying with Masaki is the best option (haha!), but I can see why they decide to leave as well. It’s a small complain but Mitsumune become increasingly annoying, every decision of his was driven by protecting Masaki, staying close with Masaki… makes him a paper-thin personality. The group decided to leave the village is an interesting progression as well, as I’m pretty sure they couldn’t leave the village, I’m curious to see what happen next to them.

And then we got to the mystery near the end. It certainly is fascinating. If the lost village is a passage way between the life and afterlife, where we can meet deceased close people, then I’m all for it. But the way I see it, it seems like Mayoiga is the place where we can encounter our deepest fear/desire. If this show goes to either of these directions, it could become a very interesting show, because when the mystery related to human emotions, there’s a lot to explore and we at the same time get invested. Many episodes ago I complained about the bus driver’s shaky role in the story, but I’m happy to say that this week he had a solid progress here. Still, damn if I know what the giant Mitsumune looks like.

~SuperMario~

Bungou Stray Dogs – 03

by SuperMario, posted in Bungou Stray Dogs, Currently Watching:

This week Bungou Stray Dogs had improved a lot over its last episode, probably because the main storyline has kicked in. Look, I’m always in favor for character developments more than plot development, and one of my favorite character development is through the small character moments when the cast interacts with each other. That’s why I like KyoAmi a lot because they nailed those moments and made the characters such a joy to watch. Bungou Stray Dogs, on the other hand, is one of those rare times that I would recommend the opposite. The times they spend talking together is the weakest part of this episode. They spend times do the gags that we already know: Atsushi being shy, Junichiro keeps feeling sorry for Atsushi, Naomi keeps dominating Junichiro, Dazai keeps talking about suicide and Kunikida keeps getting furious over Dazai. And those gags were not even funny to begin with.

Things really got geared up after that, when a woman (Higuchi) showed up with a request for the organization, which ends up being a trap. While I see a lot of issues on the series’ character interactions, it’s actually the main storyline where Bungou Stray Dogs shines. The pacing is much faster and more entertainment, but more importantly, the action part sheds a new light to those characters that we haven’t had a chance to see before: Junichiro can become uncontrollable mad if someone hurts his sister. Naomi, appears mostly as a dominant incest-obsession archetype, literally shields her body to protect Junichiro, our main character Atsushi can turn into a tiger now on his own will, and Dazai is always one step ahead of everyone. The new characters introduced in this episode are a mixed-bag, unfortunately. Akutagawa is a reasonable character with just enough unique skills (Rashomon) and clear motivations to stand out on his own, but the character Higuchi is just plain and feel more like a plot device. Poor Higuchi even got slapped by Akutagawa for not completing her job. Now this is bad writing. Well I guess Akutagawa supposed to be a cold, ruthless guy but showing him slapping woman is no way justified that. Cruelty for the shake of just cruelty is terrible. But I can put that aside for now as long as they don’t repeat that same mistakes. I also love the introduction of Port Mafia gang here, albeit target the weretiger just because of the money is a bit of a letdown. But I guess there is more to it as why the weretiger attracts so much attention from all the gangs. I think the rest of the series we will learn more about it and exactly what they want to do with the weretiger.

The visual and characters design remain strong and actually at this point I trust the show on these. This is a rare compliment I would give to any shows but I believe Bungou Stray Dogs deserves this. Basically most of the second part is a step in a right direction, and if they keep going into that direction, Bungou Stray Dogs could become a very entertaining show.

~SuperMario~