Author: SuperWooper

Kaguya-sama S2 – 03-04

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Comedy, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai

In opting to cover three series this spring, it seems my eyes were bigger than my stomach. The whole self-quarantine thing increases free time, but it also decreases motivation, at least in my case. In order to get back in the saddle, I’m going to start with some low-hanging fruit and make a list post, ranking the six segments in these two Kaguya-sama episodes from worst to best. It’s very possible that my ordering is just the inverse of the conventional one (since I’m indifferent to, or simply dislike, the parts of the show for which others go gaga). If you’re prepared for Wooper’s Kaguya-sama Catch-up Session, hit the jump and get to readin’.

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Yesterday wo Utatte – 03 [What Is Love?]

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Yesterday wo Utatte

If Rikuo and Shinako were the main characters of episodes 1 and 2, respectively, then it’s only right that Haru got her turn with episode 3. I’d say this installment was the most laser focused so far, with Crow Girl being present in nearly every scene. Only the Rikuo and Shinako ‘sick with a cold’ bits distracted from Haru’s story this week, and they still fed into her failed movie date later in the episode. Honestly, those back-to-back colds gave me the impression that distant chapters were combined in order to achieve this timeline, but maybe late 90s manga just leaned on illness for everything. Either way, the show pulled it off thanks to its measured, dialogic storytelling – in Yesterday wo Utatte, everything falls into place if you put the characters’ conversations at the front of your mind.

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Kaguya-sama S2 – 02

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Comedy, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai

Kaguya-sama’s second season is off to a good start after two episodes, but of all the positive signs we’ve gotten thus far, my favorite is that Masayuki Suzuki returned to sing the OP. The man’s voice has a magical quality to it, to the point that even a brassy opening theme like “Daddy! Daddy! Do!” sounds as smooth as silk when he’s on the track. Suzuki is known as the King of Love Songs in Japan, so when each episode of Kaguya-sama opens with his voice, it’s a reminder that underneath all its exaggerated antics, the show has a romantic heart. That’s a reminder I sorely needed this week, since a lot of this episode’s caricaturish behavior rustled my jimmies (I’ll try to dedicate no more than a paragraph to explaining why). On the whole, though, I’m very glad that the show is back, and looking as fresh as ever – hopefully it survives the current wave of TV anime delays and finishes in June as scheduled.

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Yesterday wo Utatte – 02 [A Blind Alley]

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Yesterday wo Utatte

Ah, this episode hit the spot. Lots of good character animation, a strong introduction for the fourth member of the love rectangle, a tragic flashback, and plenty of interplay between past and present events. What I appreciated most about this one was the focal shift from Rikuo to Shinako – both episodes have had an ensemble feeling to them, but Rikuo was clearly The Protagonist of the premiere. A second, slightly tweaked version of “convenience store worker waffles between two women” would have felt terribly self-indulgent, but pivoting to Shinako’s point of view made that a non-issue. There’s so much to process regarding her character, from the death of her teenage love, to her regret over Haru’s suspension, to her real feelings for Rikuo. Most crucially of all, though, we must ask ourselves: what’s the deep meaning behind her new haircut?

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Some Quick First Impressions: Kaguya-sama S2, Argonavis from BanG Dream!, Kitsutsuki Tantei Dokoro

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai 2

Short Synopsis: You already know what this show is about.

Lenlo: What is there to really say here? It’s Kaguya Season 2, if you have seen the first, you know exactly what to expect and what you are getting here. There will be gags, romantic comedy, Chika will be an idiot and along the way we may get to the point where actual romantic developments occur. The only real difference is the production, which was without a doubt stepped up here. I have no idea if they can carry this through the rest of the season, but its animation was definitely a contender for best of these first impressions. As far as criticisms… Only one I really have is that it felt rushed in places, pacing wise, since it covered 4 chapters and that the animation was actually rather distracting in some places. I don’t expect either of those to keep up though, so ultimately, it’s a pretty easy recommendation.

Potential: 80%

Mario: This premiere does a decent job of reminding us why we love Kaguya-sama in the first place. It has this ridiculously high stake mind game between Kaguya and Shirogane (and other cast members, as the show playfully reminds us in the first segment). In fact, each segment establishes many groundworks that played as the series’s strengths, and ones I expect them to follow up for the rest of the season. We have a couple of supporting casts who receive their spotlight (segment 1 & 2), we have fun games when the core cast spend time together where Chika’s unpredictability drives our main duo insane (segment 3), and we have their usual mind game that ends in an unexpected way. The production is a clear step up as well, with great building up and the narration is pretty sharp. My minor complaint (AKA not really complaining but bragging) is that the show tends to go overboard with Chika’s cartoonish expressions. I know it’s purely fan-service but… I need to find these gifs asap.

Potential: 75%

Argonavis from BanG Dream!

Short Synopsis: Aspiring singer joins bishie band in 3DCG hell.

Mario: Haizz Sanzigen. I remember liking their early efforts including BBK/BRK, ID-0 and Arslan Senki (they just partly produced the latter but still…), but recently they followed the golden prospect of idol anime and they went completely off the mark. Argonavis is in the same universe with their BanG Dream (well, you can see it in the title), and the first episode is a fairly standard story of how the members form a band together. It’s filled with cliche plots, underwritten characters and really really bad CG production. I do think that the studio is in a dire situation, given that the production looks cheap. It’s nothing offensive in its story but it’s the kind of story that I’d forget as soon as the ED hits.

Potential: the worst premiere

Wooper: “I aM fOnD oF sAnZiGeN gIvEn HoW tHeIr ChArAcTeR dEsIgNs ArE aTtRaCtIvE aNd ThE cG lOoKs RaThEr DeCeNt”

Potential: lol

Kitsutsuki Tantei Dokoro

Short Synopsis: A genius poet opens a detective agency to help pay the bills.

Wooper: This show isn’t on the same level as Rakugo Shinjuu, but it’s clearly inspired by it. Both are historical pieces that involve a specific artform; both begin in the present before embarking on a serialized flashback; and both focus on the friendship between two men, one of whom has died and left the other alone in the world. Kitsutsuki Tantei Dokoro is less elegant and more matter-of-fact than its predecessor, throwing Ishikawa into his new detective gig by the end of episode 1, but it’s admirably directed. It focuses on small details, like hanging nails or stuffed bookshelves, that gain new meaning once they reappear in a later scene, having changed in some small way. The backgrounds are strikingly geometric, creating an attractive picture of Tokyo City as it existed in the late 19th century. I really like the show’s use of color, too – the palette is muted, with lavenders and olive greens giving it a vaguely romantic air. The contrast between the city’s orderly layout and earthy appearance results in a nice atmosphere, which helps counteract the sting of the series’ lackluster animation. The characters haven’t sold me yet, but they’re based on novelized versions of real life tanka poets, which sounds neat. And they’re going to solve mysteries, too? Count me in for another couple episodes, at least.

Potential: 60%

Mario: Another stylish detective anime of this Spring season, it’s a style-over-substance show where it has “cool” factor written all over it. While Fugou Keiji rocks you hard on characters’ over-the-top traits and its crazy, wild ride, Kitsutsuki is more concerned with refreshing background arts, the blue character outline and how the main character trolls everyone around him. The show’s style is pleasing with attractive character designs and a nice soundtrack. The actual case is passable with some leaps of logic but at least the plot constantly moves forward. It’s the characters that I am most worried about. Main guy is fine and indeed he carries the whole show so far, given that the other characters are pretty unmemorable at the moment, especially Watson-kun. Because of that I don’t find any chemistry whatsoever between these two so the ending doesn’t work for me. In addition, comparing detective work with poetry is interesting, but frankly I don’t see the links between these and this is more about my lack of class when it comes to poetry but the poems the main character often recites fall flat for me. Still, I can see the appeal of watching this and Fugou Keiji back to back every week to see which one tops the other in terms of stylish ridiculousness.

Potential: 30%

BNA – 02 [Rabbit Town]

by SuperWooper, posted in BNA, Series which were Dropped

Trigger’s latest attempt to Save Anime has arrived, complete with a two-tone color scheme and an unorthodox release schedule. While it was still one of spring’s most anticipated shows (placing second in our season preview poll), the half-cour Netflix rollout and resulting lack of official subs has reduced awareness of the series in broader circles. That didn’t stop me with Dorohedoro, though, and it won’t stop me now. I’m not a big Trigger fan, but my favorite work of theirs was created by Yoh Yoshinari, who’s also directing BNA, so I’ve got a reason to be optimistic here. The show isn’t blowing me away yet – in fact, I have a fair number of criticisms, which we’ll get to in a bit – but since we’re just two episodes in, my patience is still intact. And hey, being so short and so grounded in its own alternate reality, the series probably won’t have time for a groan-worthy trip to space just before the end. Amen to that, eh?

(Note: I’m following Asenshi’s weekly releases, not the batch of six episodes that are already making the rounds online. Don’t expect to see a flurry of BNA posts any time soon.)

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Some Quick First Impressions: Yesterday wo Utatte, Bungou to Alchemist, Gal to Kyouryuu

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Yesterday wo Utatte

Short Synopsis: A recent college graduate who lacks any real ambition in life gets stalked by a high-school girl and her pet crow.

Armitage: Oh, boy. This is a tricky one. Don’t get me wrong now. There are a lot of positives here. Be it the refreshing choice of a college graduate for a protagonist in Rikuo, the complicated nature of the relationship between him and Shinako (it falls somewhere in between one-sided crush and mutual fondness) or the general tone of the series which seems wholly drenched in nostalgia (the sombre OST has to be credited for that) while feeling very realistic. Plus, the ED song is definitely my favorite for any series this spring. It’s evident that there’s a lot to love. But my main qualm with it comes back to Haru, who is a walking red flag. Her behavior so far in the series just comes off as a bit obsessive and from what we got to know about her in the premiere, I couldn’t really justify her actions. Though it’s still early days and as more layers of the characters’ lives get peeled in the coming weeks, my opinions may change completely. Unfortunately, Doga Kobo has a track record of ending their one-cour series with big flashing ‘GO READ THE MANGA!’ signs and considering that the source material is over a 100 chapters long, I can see this series succumbing to the same fate. What I can say for sure is that I do find myself interested in knowing where this story is headed and will be following it to the end, even if it crashes and burns by then.

Potential: 75%

Wooper: For a story about a mellow convenience store worker, life sure comes at the viewer fast in Yesterday wo Utatte. We’re barely given a chance to understand who the main character is before his meet-cute with a crow-taming girl, who then appears four or five more times throughout the episode. His recent graduation is mentioned only minutes before his college crush waltzes back into his life, and his confession/her rejection happen shortly thereafter. In fact, all the show’s cards seem to be on the table as of the premiere’s end. We know about Rikou’s past with Crow Girl, her personal history and lack of family, the link between the two female love interests, etc. So why am I looking forward to the next episode? Well, it’s got a male protagonist who doesn’t trip over his own tongue at the mere sight of a woman, which is a welcome surprise in anime land. Plus there’s a melancholic atmosphere to it that I like, even if the show ventured into navel-gazing territory with Crow Girl’s monologue at the end. Rikou’s interest in photography could take the story to some interesting places, as well. That’s a strong enough toolkit for me to pick up this series, at least temporarily.

Potential: 60%

Bungou to Alchemist: Shinpan no Haguruma

Short Synopsis: Historical authors enter stories gone wrong to set them back on the right track.

Lenlo: What the hell even is this? Are we in stories? A fantasy world? The modern world? What is with Japan’s obsession with putting novelists in anime, as if just throwing names in there adds depth? Everything about this just reeks of mediocrity and it doesn’t even have the good will of a decent production. I grew bored and wanted to turn it off by the time the OP rolled, to say nothing of the ED. Long story short, skip this. Even Bungou Stray Dogs does a better job with the “Authors as heroes” concept, and I don’t even like that show.

Potential: 0%

Mario: It’s a pretty bad idea to throw us in the middle of the story without any context and then introduce the twist. It’s like they pull the rug out when we haven’t even put our feet on it. Dazai and Akutagawa are interesting historical figures, but that doesn’t necessarily make them an engaging anime leads to follow. The core concept is easy enough to follow, these writers serve as heroes going inside the fictions to destroy “Taints”, who want to corrupt the story, but it’s not a fresh idea by any measure, and the show loses me hard once Akutagawa’s character enters the story. Our mains are over-designed, loud and thinly written and I find it hard to have any kind of investment in them. An easy skip.

Potential: 0%

Gal to Kyouryuu

Short Synopsis: A fashionable young woman starts living with a dinosaur after drunkenly inviting it home one night.

Wooper: Having read a few chapters of the manga before this episode dropped, I have to say I prefer Gal and Dino in book form. The dinosaur is cute in both versions, but having the freedom to drink in its various facial expressions at your own pace works much better than the TV version. There were many spots in the anime, especially during the Dino Channel segments, where the show held too long on a shot of its mascot, which brought some scenes to a screeching halt. The live action segments suffered from a separate problem, stemming from the cartoon sound effects that accompanied the dino’s movements. I’ll admit to chuckling the first time I heard the airhorn and raising an eyebrow at the lightsaber sounds, but the more ordinary squeaks and boings were applied far too liberally. Despite my nitpicks, the series did have a trump card that entertained me, and that was the recreation of its first chapter with human actors, where a middle-aged man played the role of Kaede. I got a big laugh from this gimmick at first, but I doubt it’ll be enough to keep the show fresh for 12 episodes – Pop Team Epic this ain’t.

Potential: mlg_airhorn.mp3/10

Amun: Uh, this isn’t entirely animation. I mean, there was an animated short for about 5 minutes, followed by some claymation…and then some live action? With an old dude? Who had a heart attack? Like – what is going on? The anime bit was fine, I guess (not a huge fan of dino’s design), but there’s just so much more to this show. I guess I’m extremely curious not where this goes plot wise, but what the actual media is…?

Potential: 5% (Just because I’m curious if this is an actual anime)

Some Quick First Impressions: Arte, Listeners, Sakura Wars the Animation

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Arte

Short Synopsis: Tired of being held down by societal norms and traditions, a girl decides to leave behind her aristocratic roots and carve a new life for herself as an artist.

Lenlo: Unlike Armitage, I knew nothing about Arte going in and only barely knew that Artemisia, whom Arte is based on, existed. Yet even with no knowledge, Arte is the first series of this season to actually hold my complete attention all the way through. Similar to Runway de Waratte, the initial premise of a character striving in an industry they are unfit for and whom the industry is biased against is a good one. Right away it sets the entire world against the lead, and Arte doesn’t look like its going to shy away from the technical aspects like Runway. It’s only made better by the setting of 16th century Florence, which I at least have never seen covered in anime before. The backgrounds are beautiful, and as someone who has actually been to Florence, it’s a joy to see it rendered in such a stunning way. And the commitment to the setting seems to go beyond the flavor of the backgrounds, with hard labor in place of modern conveniences for the art and a focus on the actual living conditions of the times too. My only quibbles are actually very similar to Armitage, those being the comedy falling flat or the animation not being all there. Still though, it’s the first series to really catch and hold my eye yet. And the fact that Armitage is blogging it means I get to just sit back and relax with it to!

Potential: 80%

Armitage: Arte is a story, loosely based upon real events, which follows the titular character on her journey to becoming a painter in 16th Century Florence. The manga serves as a fitting companion piece to Blue Period (another phenomenal manga, though we’ll talk more about it when that anime eventually comes out) but while both are about individuals trying to pursue their passion of becoming artists, Arte distinguishes itself by not only being a story about art and the sacrifices that go into pursuing it for a living but by also serving as a criticism of a history of unfair gender biases that prevail almost every profession. I am already familiar with the source material so, all I hoped for while tuning in to the premiere was for a competent enough adaptation. And I got just that. While the animation itself was nothing too spectacular, the backgrounds bringing to life Renaissance-era Florence looked absolutely stunning. The voice actors for our main duo are both apt and Maaya Sakomoto’s vocal return for the OP is always welcome. The one thing I can point out as a minor quibble is that the comedic gags didn’t all land as expected but that’s a shortcoming on the manga’s part and not the anime. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better start to this story. I shall be returning next week for full weekly coverage. Hope you will join me too!

Potential: 100%

Listeners

Short Synopsis: Audio nerd makes advances on mysterious girl, but gets too caught up in his love of gear to actually get any.

Amun: Really the studios doing Listeners and ToG should switch – I feel like each’s visual style is way better suited for the other. This show looks great – the CGI integration makes sense, the world has good details, it feels like a world of junk and burned out tech. The characters are well introduced with their obvious traits at the front but also with adequate room to grow. Where I’m a little hesitant is the obvious service that’s going to play into this show, and I’ve always found Japan’s portrayal of rock and roll a little…mismatched. That said, I like what I’ve seen so far – this kind of seems like a music mech version of Tsugumomo (also airing this season), which I’m a fan of (see what I did there). I’m here for at least a few more gigs!

Potential: 65%

Mario: Concept-wise, Listeners has a lot to write home about. It’s a musical and mecha hybrid in a distinct setting (at least in this first episode) with gorgeous character designs, expressive animation with a plot that knows where it’s heading. At the same time though, it sweeps through an array of cliche development and tired dialogue that it feels new and old school on equal measures. The soundtrack reminds me a good deal of FLCL, anyone who is familiar with Dai Sato’s past works will see lots of familiar factors here, and boy meets girl who is a perfect match for him with a convenient amnesia? All checks. Even the gags revolving around Mu misreads Echo’s advance is so dated it’s hard to overlook. But Mu’s outgoing personality plays out as a neat contrast to Echo’s personal traits and they have a pretty solid chemistry already. The battle at the end successfully embraces Listeners’ appeals: mecha ⁺ solid action ⁺ rock & roll. In addition, I enjoy many references to the real world’s music. Listeners’ premiere might be on a cliche side, but it does it with its utmost confidence, just like Mu herself.

Potential: 40%

Sakura Wars the Animation

Short Synopsis: A team of Taisho-era actresses moonlight as mecha-piloting peacekeepers.

Wooper: I knew this show was going to be bad, but I missed the fact that it was animated by Sanzigen, one of the worst 3DCG studios in the business. The first scene took place in darkness, so its ugliness was largely disguised, but the rest of the episode looked straight outta 2013. From simple dialogue to more complex theater and combat scenes, this thing is hideous to watch. The story isn’t much better, being a fusion of the fantasy, idol, and mecha genres that feels like it was made for nobody in particular. The enemies are lizards that look like robots, but are actually demons, and the suddenness of their appearance renders the ensuing battle scene totally lifeless. But hey, at least the main characters got to reintroduce themselves and deliver their shitty catchphrases before charging into battle. Yes, this is *that* kind of show – made solely to familiarize a new generation of waifu-seekers with a media property that they can sink their money into. Don’t watch this.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Unlike Wooper, I am fond of Sanzigen given how their character designs are attractive and the CG looks rather decent, but Sakura Wars looks trash and feels trash. All the characters look stiff and emotionless. It doesn’t help that the personality traits are nothing to write home about, with the worst offender being Sakura herself. Clinging to the only boy in the show, she’s just a pain to watch. The plot is filled with cliche like that girl that has amnesia or how we can tell miles away they are going to be under attack when the only man isn’t around. I know it’s a reboot of a franchise so there’s a market for it, but otherwise I see no reason to pick up on this. It’s unremarkable on all fronts.

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: BNA, Tamayomi, Tower of God

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

BNA

Short Synopsis: Trigger re-writes Beastars in traditional Trigger style.

Helghast: Due to how Netflix releases things either too late or too early, the entire first half of BNA is out for your viewing pleasure. I’ve watched the first three episodes to balance it out and Studio Trigger hasn’t failed to entertain me yet. This time it’s Zootopia meets Kill la Kill and if you were expecting another Beastars, think more along the lines of the brustling fire-conscious city of Promare rather than the intricate layers of society. With the director of Little Witch Academia and the guy who scored Megalo Box being behind this production, it has been a fast-paced and wild ride through Anima City. The animation is an absolute riot in portraying the comedic violence and the characters of Michiru and Shirou drive the story with their different senses of discovery and justice. Being a Studio Trigger show, I expect this to be a smash hit or at least implode unto itself in a spectacular fashion.

Potential: 80%

Lenlo: Well one thing is for sure, you can tell this is a Studio Trigger production right from the get go. It’s flashy, bright and has a sense of style. Whether BNA ends up as anything more though we will have to wait and see. Because initially, its story isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, especially from Trigger, who seem hooked on this same core narrative. Some kind of class system in place, down-trodden, etc and the heroine comes in to fix it. That said there is some promise, a hint of a mystery, in just the first episode. Which gives me hope that there is more to BNA than just Triggers stylistic flair. Even if I am wrong though, if nothing else, BNA will be a party to watch. That’s for sure. With any luck, we may even go to space by the end.

Potential: 80%

 

Tamayomi

Short Synopsis: Two childhood friends reunite in high school and become a softball battery.

Lenlo: I feel betrayed. I feel lied to. In a word, I feel upset. Because the PV’s and Key Illustrations leading into this promised me strong women with strong thighs. And Tamayomi gave me neither. Just look at these thighs, all bland, detail-less and samey. It’s almost as if their character designs have little actual differences! Meanwhile, the animation on these thighs is also lacking, as they move like slow blobs of jello. I can’t even appreciate flashback thighs, which is criminal considering how many there were! Flashbacks I mean, not thighs. Long story short, as far as a “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” sports show goes, neither the girls nor the thing they are doing, are cute. And so I can only say it fails.

Potential: No Thighs/10

Wooper: This premiere was, in a word, boring. It took 22 excruciating minutes for the main character to meet several of her classmates and throw a few practice pitches to her childhood friend, with a couple middle school flashbacks to break up the monotony. Every bit of the episode felt padded, from the slow upward pans whenever a new person was introduced, to the internal overreactions whenever a character did something mildly surprising. The comedy revolved around identically-designed anime girls being kind of ditzy, which is nobody’s cup of tea when it’s done this predictably. Speaking of their designs, they’re so simple that it’s a wonder that animation isn’t better. Everybody looks like Kirito with a more feminine haircut, yet the episode’s few moments of full motion struggled to keep things consistent. The main girl has a magical curveball that initially heads right for the batter’s head, then darts into the catcher’s glove at the last second, and… You know what, I’m not going to waste another word here.

Potential: 0%

 

Tower of God

Short Synopsis: Young boy enters a Tower themed Death Game in search of the only girl to ever talk to him.

Amun: I read the first couple chapters of this webtoon and I was decently hyped….first episode has pretty well killed that. Unlike Lenlo, I do not like the rough line – I think it disrupts what should otherwise be a spectacle of scenery. Instead, we have shallow depth, low effort backdrops with characters parading around in PowerPoint animations. The story is a mess too – had I not read the source material I would be completely lost. As it is, I’m only halfway lost. What I’m seeing is the very definition of amateur hour – which makes me sad since I’m rooting for the Crunchyroll sponsored projects to succeed. Oh well, better luck next time, I guess.

Potential: 1%

Lenlo: Tower of God is a weird one. Visually, I like it. The rough line work stands out and the animation is good enough with that line work to keep me interested. It looks like nothing else airing this season, really. However having read the original WebToon, I can say with utmost certainty that if you had no idea what was going on this episode, you won’t moving forward either. Narratively it’s a bit of a mess, as the author figures out what kind of story they want to tell. So all I can really say at this point is that I am looking forward to some good animation, some good fights, and if it can adapt some of the best scenes of this first volume, it will at least be a good time. Nothing phenomenal, but hey. Sometimes I just want some popcorn you know?

Potential: 50%, popcorn flick