Author: SuperWooper

Fall 2021 Summary – Week 5

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Wooper: Just me again this week. Our State of the Season post will replace this column next Tuesday, and it’s looking like a heated one – lots of conflicting opinions on the fall’s anime so far. I’ll be back on the 23rd with impressions of one or two new things, hopefully with a friend or two in tow.

PokeToon – 6-7

PokeToon is an anthology project consisting of short pieces set within different regions in the Pokemon universe. There’s tremendous variety between each episode’s art and animation styles, which is the sort of thing I love – all the more so when the perennially underrated Studio Colorido is involved. Their work on last year’s Twilight Wings established them as the go-to group for vignettes in this world, and they’ve only improved their batting average here, handling four of PokeToon’s seven episodes thus far. That includes episode 6, an adorably spooky tale about a girl who turns into a Gengar while exploring her school after dark. I found the story’s climax to be genuinely suspenseful, and then surprisingly emotional once the tension had been resolved, thanks to the age-old ‘character steps from darkness into light’ trick (bolstered by Colorido’s standout lighting, which is second only to KyoAni’s). Here’s a link to [I Became a Gengar?!] as part of a playlist with the earlier episodes. Be advised that it doesn’t contain the most recent one, a less impactful but still attractive story about a trio of boys who rescue an abandoned Snorunt. Its shorter runtime and limited animation make it one of the series’ minor offerings, but its art design, which borrows from felt and paper cutout animation, is worth seeking out if you like those styles.

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Heike Monogatari – 08

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Heike Monogatari

Biwa’s role in Heike Monogatari is a strange thing. Despite having been introduced as our main character, she’s operated mostly as an observer since the third episode, and with her recent banishment from the Taira clan, she’s less connected to the main story than ever. It seems clear that screenwriter Yoshida intends her to be the Tale of the Heike’s author, hence all the parallels to the white-haired lute priest, who has recited snippets of the poem as though it were already written. Divorced from the action as Biwa is, she’ll need to rely on her supernatural eyesight to compile the tale, which explains its inclusion as a character trait. Yoshida has all her bases covered, then, but it still feels odd for our one-time lead character to be such a tagalong. Biwa bookended this week’s episode in the first and last scenes, but apart from those appearances, she showed up just twice. I’d be quicker to criticize the show for this issue if its plot didn’t span 15 years of Japanese history (wherein most potential protagonists died partway through).

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Fall 2021 Summary – Week 4

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Wooper: It’s a solo recap post for your boy this week, which I’m fearing may happen more than once this season (despite my practice of pestering my co-writers). I’m trying to give my impressions on at least one unique anime each week, so titles like PokeToon, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Super Crooks, and Aggretsuko S4 will likely appear in this column as the fall season stretches on. Even if there’s something new to talk about every Tuesday, though, it helps to have some-one new to talk with me. Know what I’m saying, fellow authors?

Deji Meets Girl – 1-5

There are dozens of full-length anime series, particularly comedies, whose airy senses of humor would work better in short form. On the other hand, most shorts wouldn’t benefit from longer runtimes, as their premises are bite-sized to begin with. Deji Meets Girl is a notable exception to that second rule, because it’s trying to build a legitimate relationship between its main characters – an Okinawan part-time worker and a teen idol on vacation – but it keeps running up against the restrictions of its format. It’s unfortunate that this clash keeps occurring, because I like a lot of things about this show. The thick linework grounds the characters in reality even as they experience supernatural happenings (plus it reminds me of Gal & Dino, which I love to the moon and back). The animation is strong (especially in the premiere), the color palette shifts to match the new phenomena introduced in each episode, and all the teasing in the script is executed in good fun. At just 90 seconds per episode, though, it’s too chopped up to build anything substantial between its two leads. That’s too bad, because if Deji had gotten five minutes to work with each week, it could have fought for a spot on my year-end list.

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Heike Monogatari – 07

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Heike Monogatari

The year is 1181. Not long after achieving political dominance in western Japan, the Taira clan’s power has already begun to fade. Their move to Fukuhara is short-lived, and the capital returns to Kyoto a mere six months after its relocation. Interpreting this return as a sign of aggression, the warrior monks of Nara engage the Heike in combat, but suffer a great loss when their temples (as well as a massive Buddha statue) are burned in the course of the Heike’s retaliation. Kiyomori, who gleefully welcomes news of the burning, is struck with karmic payback in the form of an unquenchable fever, which ultimately leads to his death (and condemnation to the lowest level of hell). His son Munemori, by the anime’s account a rat-faced sycophant, intends to succeed his father and honor his dying wish: to have the head of enemy commander Yoritomo hung before his grave. But provinces to the north, east and west are all allying themselves with Genji forces, painting a bleak picture of the Heike’s military prospects, and indeed, their continued survival.

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Fall 2021 Summary – Week 3

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Lupin III Part 6 – 2

Mario: Sherlock goes full Kingsman mode in this second episode (they missed their chance of using an umbrella instead of Sherlock’s walking stick but that’s just me) and yes, he manages to kick all the Lupin team’s asses. This episode is light on plot as it concentrates heavily on action set pieces. Lily is indeed the daughter of poor dead Watson and the last thing she remembers is that Lupin killed her father. Of course this is a red-herring but that is enough for Sherlock to confront Lupin and get his former partner’s daughter out of danger for good. The set pieces are fun and awesome and for that I’m looking forward to more Lupin to come.

Kaguya-sama S3 – PV

Wooper: Most anime PVs are pretty barebones, featuring a few bits of animation and a bunch of character intro stills matched with voicework from their respective seiyuu. A handful of PVs each season are fully-fledged trailers, pulling impressive cuts from a show’s first few episodes and smartly stringing them together to create a picture of how the anime will look and feel. And then there’s Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai, which just dropped an entire ten-minute episode to promote its upcoming third season. As if that weren’t enough, its story revolved around Ishigami and Shirogane’s excitement at their favorite manga adaptation getting a third season; I don’t know what the most self-referential anime comedy of all time is (Gintama? Osomatsu-san?), but Kaguya-sama just gave it a run for its money. This PV was a big surprise, and a very welcome one, given its hilariously authentic look at concealing your love of anime to escape the judgment of your non-otaku friends. The resolution, in which Shirogane proclaimed all people who have ever seen a single anime to be otaku, had a great handle on the sort of comedic hyperbole necessary to sell that sort of breakdown. Kaguya even made a reference to the classic WMT series Anne of Green Gables, confirming her Best Girl status once and for all. Great stuff all around – looking forward to season 3 in April of next year!

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Heike Monogatari – 06

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Heike Monogatari

Heike Monogatari returned this week to the more character-oriented stories of its first two episodes. The renewed focus on Shigemori’s children saw Biwa come back in a major way, and the introduction of Atsumori’s naïve character was handled with detail, giving the show a strong symbol of innocence that it can corrupt at its leisure. Kiyomori’s hoarding of wealth and power was contextualized by his abhorrence of aristocratic decadence, and his grandson’s continued military struggles received further consideration. (I’m still not totally happy with Koremori’s arc – why does the show continue to limit his screen time outside of military settings? – but I won’t spend a second post lamenting Heike’s shortcomings here.) Even retired emperor Takakura (now on his sickbed) got to share a tender moment with Tokuko, framing their relationship in a much warmer light than previous interactions. Much darker was the revelation that their son, the newly crowned Emperor Antoku, “starts crying when he hears the waves.” How’s that for foreshadowing the fate of a future drowning victim?

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Fall 2021 Summary – Week 2

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Wooper: New fall season, same old column recapping the last seven days in anime. I’m glad to be joined by Mario and Lenlo for the weekly summary’s return – join us as we express our pleasure and disappointment (mostly the second one) with a bunch of second episodes, plus a handful of summer leftovers.

Sakugan – 2

Mario: While in the premiere I complained about Sakugan’s rushed pacing, in this second outing it suffers from the exact opposite problem: it just wastes way too much time on the battle between father-daughter mecha and the kaijus. As a result, many better elements from last week were omitted – the backgrounds are blurred, the world-building is non-existent. To its defense, the CG models and fights aren’t too distracting, and Gagumber and Memenpu (what bad sounding names) make up for an unlikely but energetic duo to watch. There’s an implication that these kaijus target them specifically, which suggests that they might consider Gagumber as a threat to them. Now, it marks the end of the introduction arc as the duo leaves their town and embarks on new adventures. And hopefully it still engages me so I can follow along.

Love Live! Superstar!! – 9-12

Wooper: Well, I did it. I finished my first Love Live anime – and perhaps my last. It finished on a high note, with a series-best performance in “Starlight Prologue” (those piano chords during the final chorus had me jamming), and I loved that the final ED featured the whole group singing all the way through, rather than as individuals. After a nailbiting loss at the Tokyo tournament, the girls’ resolution to win next year opened the door for a potential sequel – but I don’t know if I can handle another string of episodes like the ones that led up to the finale. The comedy took a big hit for me over the last month, going from fun showcases of group dynamics to disasters like episode 9’s embarrassing livestream. A lot of the drama surrounding Sumire and Kanon’s lack of confidence was driven by scripts that had nothing else on their mind, leading to scenes like Sumire leaping into some bushes to catch a tiara (a symbol of Keke’s confidence in her) which had been blown away by the wind. If you read that sentence without raising an eyebrow in disbelief, you’re much more suited to this show than I am. There are lots of things to enjoy about Love Live – fun characters, creative storyboarding, smart fusions of 2D and 3D choreography – but its emotional logic is beyond me.

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Fall 2021 Coverage & First Episode Awards

by SuperWooper, posted in Uncategorized

Seasons change, but Star Crossed Anime stays the same… is what I’d like to say, but things are changing around here, too. SuperMario, one of our veteran contributors, has decided to take a step back from episodic posts beginning this fall. He’ll still be assisting with season previews and first impressions on a quarterly basis, though, and we’ll be glad for his continued presence on the site. The rest of us will be plugging away at a sneaky-good batch of fall anime, plus a new Throwback Thursday series after Lenlo’s coverage of Haibane Renmei wraps up in a couple weeks. The results of our First Episode Awards can be found after the jump, as well, so click through for our early read on the season’s offerings. Will any of our picks land in the Anime of the Year post this January? You’ll have to stick around to find out!

Fall 2021 Lineup

Lenlo
– 86: Eighty Six
– Kimetsu no Yaiba S2
– Throwback Thursday

Wooper
– Heike Monogatari
– Weekly Summary column

Amun
– Ousama Ranking

Armitage
– Blue Period

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Fall 2021 First Impressions: Ousama Ranking, Gyakuten Sekai no Denchi Shoujo, Deep Insanity: The Lost Child

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Ousama Ranking

Short Synopsis: Studio Wit’s The Little Prince.

Armitage: Recently, Studio Wit made public the accounts of their financial struggles that came both as a surprise and a terrible premonition of the future of this animation studio as a whole. Which is a damn shame, really. As for my money, Wit have been the most consistent studio in the industry for quite some years. Lately, they have tried to shed their reputation of just being the AoT studio by branching out into more artistically brave properties like The Great Pretender and Vivy. Still, with their backs pushed against the wall, you’d expect them to maybe return to basics and make something “safe”. But what did they choose to do instead? Make a show like Ousama Ranking.

The kind of show that you simply cannot find in today’s anime landscape. A tribute to the classics that came out of the World Masterpiece Theatre from the 70s – a time when creators used to tell stories through anime just for the love of it all – while having the production qualities only possible with the technological advancements of modern animation. A revelrous marriage of whimsical art with honest storytelling – a picture-book brought to life. A kind of work that’s so authentic and uncommercial that it could be described as nothing but a labour of love. This is hands down my favorite premiere of the year and it would be a tragedy to have a show like this go underseen. If you care even a little about the medium of anime, please don’t let that happen.

Potential: 100%

Lenlo: If I’m being totally honest Ousama Ranking has an uphill battle for me. Visually it’s gorgeous, one of the best (if not the best) shows of the season. I give Wit a lot of crap, deservedly so I think. But the storybook presentation of Ousama Ranking along with the bright colors and fluid movement really is a treat. Narratively however I remain unconvinced. The first half of the episode was a lesson in patience because I found the entire segment between Bojji and Kage to be dull and uninteresting. The only thing that kept me going was the aforementioned visuals. Luckily the second half made up for that by putting everything established in the first to good use. Combine that with mentions of this being a Seinen rather than a children’s story and I’m really interested to see where it goes. Just give me more of Bojji interacting with his family/people and less of being pushed around by Kage and we will be good.

Potential: 70%

Gyakuten Sekai no Denchi Shoujo

Short Synopsis: Guy who doesn’t like wearing specs gets into an UwU robot.

Wooper: I thought I detected a whiff of promise from Gyakuten’s PV back in September, but my nasal passages must have been clogged, because this thing stinks. It’s not completely devoid of appeal, since the concept of a parallel Japan conquering the original could have gone in a variety of interesting directions, but the one we got here was a boring mess. Rather than giving us a multifaceted look at how life in this alternate future had changed, the episode hyper-focused on an unlikeable host who stumbled his way into a mech. The second part of that setup is familiar, at least, but it’s usually a kid you can root for doing the stumbling, not a grouchy fraud who has nothing to do with the overarching story. He links up with a partner inside his VR cockpit and, after spending far too long talking about fighting spirit, they team up to…escape from their opponent? I’m all for misdirection, but when you dedicate something like eight minutes to a drain-circling conversation about doing battle, you need to deliver some sort of payoff. The last-second reveal of his VR partner’s real life form was probably the best part of this premiere, if only for her cute character design. The rest of the episode? Not worth the time it took to get there.

Potential: 10%

Armitage: In the same vein of iconic Mecha shows with meaningless two-word titles when taken out of context (see: Gurren Lagann, Code Geass), we have Rumble Garanndoll. But that’s just about where the similarities between these shows end because this one is just an incomprehensible mess of generic plot devices (some all-powerful thing to be found in a particular city), a generic MC and worse than generic character models which the animation team doesn’t even bother to draw faces on, half the time. I don’t know why the twee mascot character is there but honestly, I don’t care. Same goes for this show as a whole.

Potential: 5%

Deep Insanity: The Lost Child

Short Synopsis: New recruit is tricked into fighting underneath Antarctica by his favorite voice actor.

Mario: Despite its bold title, Deep Insanity isn’t that deep or that insane yet. It has a fun concept: a near future where a mysterious disease claims the lives of many, and where a lost underground world surfaces in Antarctica. Where the show suffers is everything else. Just look at the first 90 seconds before the credits roll where it spills things just for the sake of exposition. Its main character is bland, serving more as the viewer’s POV than an actual character. And the show looks a tad bit too grim and dull for my liking. What this first episode focuses on – apart from giving us first-hand experience of the MC’s job – is its attitude towards the fear of death and, in turn, accepting it. Although the show did undercut its message with a simple “dangerous mission”, it also hinted at other characters’ traumatic pasts and why they fight, creating my favorite moment of the episode. Don’t expect a hit out of this, it belongs more towards the middling “sci-fi / mecha” pack this season (Shikizakura, Kyoukai Senki, Rumble Garanndoll, Tesla Note…). Pick one that you fancy, you don’t need the rest.

Potential: 30%

Amun: The only anime based on a mobile game that I’ve enjoyed is Mysteria Friends (although I was confused the entire season) – Deep Insanity doesn’t seem likely to add to the list. There are some interesting points: I liked the current events tie-in with masks and perpetual understaffed complaints. The introduction of our audience-vehicle certainly could have been worse; his “heroic” antics seemed a bit unlikely, but who knows – survival bias I guess (kill enough newbies and maybe one of them is a genius, sure). The premise is at least trying to be interesting, but I’m with Mario – this seems pretty grim. I’ll probably end up dropping it around the middle of the season, like I did with Scarlet Nexus from a few seasons back.

Potential: 30%