Wooper: There are just a couple of these posts left to be published before we proceed to a new decade and a new season. I rebooted this column because Fall 2019’s offerings seemed like a stronger-than-average bunch, but I don’t know if I’ll feel the same about this upcoming winter. I might keep it going, or another writer might take up the mantle, or it might disappear until another bounteous crop of shows surfaces deeper into 2020. That decision is still weeks away, however. For now, here are some thoughts about some presently-airing, rapidly-concluding anime from this fall season.

Assassins Pride 10

Amun: Unexpected show discussion alert! Assassins Pride initially faltered in the low-stakes Hogwarts mini-arc but has picked up steam….and randomly bounced between locations. I think the settings of this show really make it interesting – the characters are okay, but ultimately one dimensional. What I really love is the crater, the candlestick, and now this spooky library. The giant spider fight was underwhelming, but a nice try. The biggest takeaway is how improved future backgrounds will be for anime – freeing up the animators to work on characters, fights, etc. As for this show, I get the feeling there will be a lot of political intrigue, then a rushed finale here in the near future.

Mugen no Juunin: Immortal 11

Wooper: After last week’s ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ approach to conflict between sword schools, episode 11 narrowed the show’s lens to focus on a fight between two men. Neither Magatsu nor Shira can boast Hyakurin’s complexity, but what they lack in charisma and backstory they make up for with stamina. They’ve got sufficient stamina, in fact, to survive the numerous fatal wounds that they inflict on each other, which made the whole battle feel rather implausible. Most people who pass the time by watching a blood-soaked seinen about an immortal swordsman aren’t bothered about realism, though, and neither was I. The episode moves along at a good clip, never spending too long on dialogue-driven pit stops before launching back into the action. The background art was as pretty as ever, especially during Manji’s temporary farewell to Magatsu in the forest near the start. The swordplay looked much nicer than usual, as well – probably the best since Makie’s spotlight near the series’ beginning. I’m sure that manga readers are unhappy with one aspect of this episode or another, but I can find few things to criticize.

Continue reading “Fall 2019 Summary – Week 11” →

Wooper: With the Winter 2020 preview under construction, and piles of anime to cram before AOTY season arrives, it’s sometimes a miracle these blurbs are written at all. Still, fall has been good to us in terms of variety, so it’s only fair that we repay the favor. Here are our weekly thoughts on the shows that didn’t make the blogging rotation.

No Guns Life 9

Amun: NGL had a bit of a quieter week – I’m surprised to see the transition to another arc. I’m assuming this will be the final arc of the cour plus cliffhanger for the eventual second season (I think it’s done pretty well, so I’m hopeful). Necessary new character introductions, bust size joke, and some Juzo trauma for the Beruhumahumahuma executive – all perfectly serviceable as a setup for the big finale.

Kabukichou Sherlock 9

Wooper: I’ve lost my patience with this show. Irene’s abrupt death and Kirisaki Jack’s utterly forgettable appearances aren’t the final straw, but they’re pretty close to it. I know that Irene is very likely alive, and it might not even be Jack under the mask, but the show ought to imbue these sorts of deceptions with more weight. When a Sherlock-themed show ends on a cliffhanger that questions Moriarty’s involvement in Irene Adler’s murder, and it can’t even bring you to care about the answer, that’s when you know the whole thing is a wash. Watson’s whining about his lack of usefulness to Sherlock was pitiful, as well, unless it was some metacommentary on his irrelevance to the plot as as whole. And can somebody explain the purpose of the swoopy-haired detective’s bungling romance subplot? The girl is in it for the money one moment, then making things official the next, and riding him in bed two scenes after that. The only way this show can recover is if she ends up being Kirisaki Jack herself.

Continue reading “Fall 2019 Summary – Week 10” →

Wooper: Even as much of the West plunges into the madness of the holiday season, Japan keeps pumping out the good stuff week after week. Mario and Amun are still high on their favorites of the season, but one of my early frontrunners might not survive as part of this column much longer if it keeps slipping each week. That’s alright, though – our attention will soon shift to season previews, first impressions, and AOTY discussion. For now, though, here are some thoughts on a few seasonal shows we’ve been digging!

Hi Score Girl II 6

Mario: It all comes down to this. After Haruo x Hidaka match, after Oono x Hidaka challenge, it’s fitting that the final showdown between Oono and Haruo is going to end it once and for all. It’s also very fitting that this final match will be a SFII tournament in Osaka, when Haruo won but utterly felt that he didn’t deserve it. It takes witnessing Hidaka hugging Haruo for Oono to strengthen her resolve regarding Haruo, and it takes seeing Oono’s sad expression for Haruo to be honest with his feelings. Despite all the teases, Haruo has a good number of good people who are behind his back, but ultimately it’s between the main players now. The stakes are higher than ever (even without Haruo knowing it, they’re high for him as well). I also really enjoy the way Oono’s sister behaves when she finds out about Oono leaving soon. She’s the most outspoken character of this cast but we can sense a lot of feelings flowing through her at that time: guilt that she dumped all the responsibility on her sister, the sadness on Haruo’s behalf, her own sadness as well. It’s hard not to root for them all (and maybe scream at Oono’s parents for being dickheads. :))

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun 9

Wooper: Ever since Iruma acquired the Ring of Solomon, there’s been a question of how his character could evolve without falling back on its all-powerful magic. This episode answered that question with a training arc dedicated to dodgeball, of all things. Rather than present Iruma with an obstacle that would require a magical solution, it created a clever mythology for “execution cannonball,” a modern version of an archaic contest once held by demons. Even though the game is essentially a human one, Iruma still struggles to master it due to his skill at dodging things. So we watch as he dodges, and dodges, and dodges, then finally catches a ball in his practice sessions – and that’s the majority of the episode. Apart from that fun initial concept, the actual meat of the thing is overcooked and unseasoned. I much prefer this show when it’s in comedy mode, instead of worrying about Iruma’s rank at school, but his conversation with Ameri last week hinted at a shift toward the latter. We’ll see rather the show can achieve a good balance to close out 2019.

Continue reading “Fall 2019 Summary – Week 9” →

Wooper: It’s Thanksgiving and Black Friday week in the U.S., but we’ve got a new site to promote, so the flow of fresh content must proceed. Lenlo is off someplace being a responsible adult, but the rest of your weekly summarizers are on the case, this time with some bonus dual-writer impressions. Enjoy!

No Guns Life 6-7

Mario: Okay, I took over the writers board for No Guns Life this week. These two episodes focus on the new arc of Over-Extended assassination and for me this arc so far embodies many core aspects of NGL to great affect, from its body vs machine theme to the conspiracy behind using these Over-Extended as tools for war. As with most new arcs, the show introduces many new characters and although I’m not too fond of their designs, they are a bunch of interesting characters. You can see the CG models here and there but overall I think the show does a decent job of animating it. It’s a constant surprise for me to see that NGL still holds up week after week. Here’s hoping that it can land the ending soundly.

Amun: Much love to Mario for chiming in! I agree with everything he says, especially about the CG – I’m loving Cronen though. He started off a bit flat, but he brings an element of professionalism and rule following that the rest of the underworld cast has been lacking. Like Juzo, I agree that the major strength of the season has been the consistency of each episode – also have my fingers crossed for a good landing!

Mugen no Juunin: Immortal 7-8

Wooper: Oh lawd, that dog scene at the end of episode 7 was Not Good. Immortal’s cold opens present objects and symbols that are important to each story (the dog, in this case), but there’s no way those dirty rainbow filters and bouts of manic laughter were justified after the decapitation came to light. Hamasaki’s version of the story thus far has been a tone piece, but this just seemed tone-deaf. Even putting the dog aside, these were the show’s most brutal installments yet, largely because of Shira’s violence against prostitutes. The girl in the first one receives an especially tragic death, due to the symbolism of her glass ornament and the way it was positioned between the camera and her corpse. Watching him immobilize and then rape the second woman in episode 8 was nauseating, but there was something more than shock value at play there; Shira’s psychotic display forced Rin into action, even though he’s an ally in her fight against the Itto-ryu. Her thirst for vengeance has seemed absolute in the past, but now she’s willing to cut down someone like Shira, even if it lowers her odds of bringing Kagehisa to justice. Unfortunately, Rin isn’t a strong enough fighter to finish him off, but I have faith that she’ll get there before the series concludes.

Continue reading “Fall 2019 Summary – Weeks 7-8” →