Category: Currently Watching:

Thunderbolt Fantasy – 05

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Thunderbolt Fantasy

This week’s Thunderbolt Fantasy runs a much slower pace compared to last week, which has only one main development: Sha Wu Sheng the Screaming Phoenix Killer agrees to join the band, as we can probably figure out last week. That’s my only complaint though, because the episode still provides a lot of gold moments. I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous “it is already a sitting fight before the sword fight” situation or campy lines like: “I thought as much. I knew you’d be the one who come”, because when you really think about it, our main character is the LEAST likely person who would’ve come. It will be more reasonable if Gui Niao pays a visit to the guy, or the three who fought him in last episode. Even Dan Fei would make more sense if she’d come. Prior to this episode, we see the story through Shang Bu Huan point of view- a somewhat ‘normal’ guy, compared to an eccentric cast around him, and I come to really love his stunning reaction whenever something absurd happens. The world around him is too crazy for him to comprehend, apparently. But it’s nice to see that he has a lot of room to develop this episode, and he actually turns out to be a very sincere guy at heart who decides to turn up because he doesn’t want to see his new friend getting killed the next morning. At first I thought he and the Screaming Phoenix Killer knew about each other, judging by the way they already anticipated the moves of the opponent, but it was not the case. Shang Bu Huan hints that he come from Xi You (the other side of Wasteland of Spirits), which apparently is impossible to cross over. Well, at least we know now that he is not an ordinary guy, his skills are even on the same level as Sha Wu Sheng. The fighting scene, although brief and anti-climax, is still very impressive.

You see, the band heading to the Seven Sin Towers with very different goals in minds; Dan Fei has to achieve the legendary sword; Xing Hai the demon necromancer concerns about that sword that might affect her world; Juan Can Yun the spear wielder wants fame. Sha Wu Sheng wants revenge and Shou Yun Xiao the archer follows the gang because he just wants to help out Gui Niao (I know it’s a lame reason but in the world of wuxia, where you are skilled and you have nothing to do beside screwing around, make yourself useful by helping your friends out surprisingly makes a lot of sense). It’s the more dangerous that we don’t really know the motive of Gui Niao. Seriously, he’s the worst allied friend you could ever wish to have in your team. He really needs to keep Shang Bu Huan on the team to the point of offering his head to the Screaming Phoenix Killer, despite that our main guy doesn’t have much role on the plan. But in fact, everyone here pretty much has pretty solid purpose in this journey: The demon girl for The Village of the Dead, the archer for The Valley of the Doll, the Screaming Phoenix Killer for Labyrinth of Darkness; Dan Fei retains a part of the sword and Juan Can Yun for killing the enemy guards. What role would it be for our main character then? My guess would be Gui Niao needs him to be the one who control and wield the legendary sword when the parts are finally in place; so that he could kill the main antagonist and everyone on the way, including Sha Wu Shang and save his head at the end of the day. Sounds sinister, right? But it might not be as far-fetch. Next episode is called “Seven Comrades”, which will be about our seven characters head towards the Seven Sins Tower, and we will have seven days to wait for that journey; and now I’m head off to drink Seven-Up.

~SuperMario~

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World – 19

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World

I certainly am glad that we got positive Subaru back, he’s finally getting on track and using his head. Now that he is not acting like an insane madman, things are going well. Too well in fact. This is somewhat of a personal gripe but I am not too fond of just how fast things are working out. The past episodes made the crisis facing Subaru into an insurmountable task and yet with a few logical moves everyone that belittled him in previous loops is suddenly looking at him with respect. All the praise Subaru is getting almost seems like an apology to the viewer for the excessive suffering and to me it feels a little patronising as well as cheap. I think giving a few scenes with Rem and Subaru brainstorming a plan could have remedied this issue and made Subaru’s sudden wit less out of the blue. For one the anime leaves out a very important detail which left likely others as well as myself confused. Before Crusch mentioned that Subaru has no power to promise anything to her and yet here he is making deals with mining rights with both Crusch and Anastasia with no trouble. What was left out is that Rem wasn’t just at Crusch’s house to help with Subaru’s recovery but was in fact given right by Roswaal to negotiate for help as he suspected that the cultists would come to attack his manor. When Subaru asked Rem for help she gave him the right to negotiate thus allowing him to put forward mining rights as a bargaining chip.

Wilhelm got some development here as we learn he has a deep seated grudge against the white whale for killing his wife. I am wondering if some Moby Dick symbolism might come into play here and possibly lead Wilhelm to his death. It seems he’s not the only one affected as a number of knights seem grateful to Subaru for giving them an opportunity to strike back at the White Whale. You may be asking how they can have a grudge if the White Whale erases people’s existence but that is another detail unfortunately left out of the anime adaption. Apparently if the White Whale eats you then it erases your existence, however if it kills you then it just takes your name. Hence why Crusch said during her speech that the number of graves that they cannot even inscribe with names will only rise. Hence the reason why Wilhelm’s wife is only referred to as “that master swordsman” who wasn’t Reinhart as I initially thought. Rem continues to prove herself to be the best female character, and while you might think it presumptuous for me to declare that I have heard news of Rem body pillows being delayed due to overwhelming demand so perhaps that sentiment is shared by many. Still seeing her have moments with Subaru is always heartwarming though worrisome as she has essentially become the pillar of his mental health. If she falls in this battle then I see Subaru falling fast with her. Also her getting jealous over a ground dragon getting close to Subaru was quite funny. Yeah…I may be fond of this character a little too much.

The last scene with the white whale showing up was excellent as they even managed to make the silly ringtone of Subaru’s phone feel foreboding and grim. Some funny trivia about that ringtone is that apparently there was a big argument over which ringtone Subaru’s phone would have and it was resolved by the studio buying the exact model of his phone, looking through the default ringtones and recording it from the phone in the studio. The ringtone itself is the opening theme of “A Dog of Flanders” anime TV series made in 1975.(Link to opening here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_wm4KmrDH0) Considering the ending of that anime, this could be a rather foreboding sign(The Dog of Flanders ends with the boy and his dog freezing to death in a church. Considering episode 15…) Distorting it the moment the whale came on screen was also an excellent choice in showing just how the army was reacting to the creature. I got to say that it is quite a feat to make a giant flying whale look like a genuine terrifying threat. They have built up the fight quite nicely so i think we might be in for a spectacle next episode. However the question is that if the white whale is killed, how does Subaru plan to get Crush and Anastasia to take on the witch’s cult afterwards?

~AidanAK47~

Berserk(2016) – 06 [Nighttime Feast: Burning at the Stake]

by Bam, posted in Berserk(2016), Currently Watching:

The episode picks up where the last one left off, with the lakeside haunting of Casca and Nina. We see the brand attracting ghouls followed by the Demon Child warding them off. For those who might be unfamiliar with the franchise, the Demon Child is Casca’s infant, and it’s been corrupted by the Godhand form of Griffith, Femto. The child’s powers were never clearly explained, but it’s safe to assume that he takes a bit after his stepfather. This will be further explored in the coming chapters.

The next scene marks the return of the Skull Knight. I’m definitely disappointed that we didn’t get to see the fight between Guts and the Wheel Skeletons. It’s not really a crucial scene, but given the iconic design of the monsters it is still a letdown. Skull Knight warns Guts of the significance of the ‘hawk dream’ which apparently was shared with him as well. Guts calls him “old man” which is a bit of an understatement, given that he’s at least a thousand years old.

Speaking of millennia, the Skull Knight explains that an Eclipse-like event is about to unfold, which takes place every thousand years. It’s unclear if he’s referring to the general descend of the Godhand, or specifically to the rebirth ceremony. It is widely believed that the he is the psedo-apostle form of another character in the Berserk universe called Emperor Gaiseric. He supposedly united the nations of Midland over a thousand years ago. Later in the episode we learn that the emperor imprisoned a man that refused to deny his sins. The prisoner must’ve been in the possession of a Behelit, as his trial ends with an Eclispe. This occurrence causes the empire to crumble, and earlier in the story we see the remains of branded bodies in the tower where Griffith was being held prisoner. It’s unknown if Gaiseric ever became a Godhand and then later reborn, or gained his powers from a separate source.

The scene comes to a close with Guts asserting his intention of saving Casca, no matter what gets in his way. I have to say that it’s refreshing to see this defiant side of Guts again. His resolute attitude and disregard for warnings and danger is a core part of his personality, and one of the main reasons why he’s such a beloved character. He fights on against all odds, and his neverending struggle is symbolic to the spirit of survival that keeps pushing all humanity forward. This charming arrogance is sorely missing from some of the new chapters of the manga. Readers who are staying up-to-date probably know what I’m talking about. He has been portrayed uncharacteristically timid in the newer installments. This might be due to character growth, but I’m hoping that it’s temporary, and that we’ll soon get to see the true berserker in action.

We switch back to the Tower of Conviction, as a doubtful Farnese is reflecting on the state of affairs. There is a subtle juxtaposition of the relative prosperity of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, set against the hunger and famine that continue to ravage the land outside. If you’ve been paying attention, there are frequent close-up shots of Farnese throughout the series. I realized that the reason for these is most likely because the close angles hide the uncanniness of the CGI, and create a more drawn look to her face. Moving on, we get to see the prostration of Mozguz, and him reassuring Farnsese of her faith, by an appeal to blindly following the divine authority. Even in reality, blind faith is often used to give purpose to those who are distressed by uncertainty. It’s also explained how Mozguz targets the social outcasts and uses their ostracization as a tool for recruitment.

We then head back to the campsite, and are introduced to Nina’s thirsty lover, Joachim. He’s mostly used as a plot-device for the viewers to get to see the other side of Nina, as she invites him to their secret gathering. As I expected, the episode includes the infamous cave scene. Similar to the manga, the gathering is a plethora of psychedelics, sex and cannibalism. I guess now we know where Nina caught that nasty little STD. Among the storm of hedonism it seems that some curious nipple-theft is taking place, and nobody’s the wiser.  It’s surprising that so much nudity is included, especially given the fact that they were well aware of their limitations due to censorship. It’s not really a big deal, but it’s seriously distracting. The orgy scene itself is drawn minimally and awkwardly, giving it a clean and sterile look that detracts from the sense of grotesque that they were going for. No matter how much they distort the images, and draw characters off-model, this still doesn’t look all that hellish. The cannibalistic imagery might be the only aspect of it that is slightly unnerving. We also get a glimpse of the Goat Head, who serves as the leader of sorts to the cult. I’ll be discussing him in more detail in the upcoming episodes.

The party is interrupted when Joachim is chased out of the cave, leading to his fall into the ravine. He’s later found by the Egg-Shaped Apostle, which will be playing a crucial part in what’s to come. It’s always good to see Luca, as she takes no nonsense from Nina, and promptly starts scolding her for her stupidity. Their reconciliation doesn’t last long, as Casca’s discovery leads to an attempted rape by a group of impressively aerodynamic men, which itself is interrupted by the manifestations of some more ghosts. This scene is very awkward, since the few models they had were reused so many times, in some instances standing almost next to eachother. The saving grace is that the scene is brief, as the Demon Child yet again dispels the apparitions.

Similar to episode three, this one also has an extended post credit scene. We get to explore the backstory of both Farnese and Serpico. Farnese is engaged in almost Lady Melisandre levels of pyromania, and it is shown that this is deeply rooted in her childhood. Serpico again demostrates that he’s a sympathetic fellow, and it’s his tragic past that has brought him into the Vandimion fold; that among other things. This episode in whole was rather plain looking, and primarily used as set-up for the next one. I understand that there was no way to exclude this whole section, but I hoped that they portrayed it with some more energy. The grey muddy colors are really tiring, and at this point I can’t wait for the Eclipse to bring some change in the scenery. The next episode is called “The Black Witch” so at least we know it’ll be racist. I jest, in reality we’re going to get a big reunion, but not a particularly sweet one. Things always seem to pick up when Guts enters the picture, and so the next one is going to be a more dynamic episode

~Bam~

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei – 05

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei

I guess this is the hot spring episode and as the fanservice escalates I am beginning to have second thoughts. That generally feeling when the thing you thought was great might not actually be all that great is seeping in. Sort of like the anime adaption of Parasyte which was strangely underwhelming despite the source material being so good. Though I think this at least will be the last of the fan service for a while and we will be returning to action next episode. Though I don’t know what’s up with that face the Ainsworth head is making to Miyu in the preview, I really hope Silver Link don’t add something that insinuates that direction. So todays episode introduces a little girl who’s the daughter of the Ainsworth family head and Gilgamesh puts a hot spring on the roof of the school. Gate of Babylon truly has everything though I wish they kept Gilgamesh in the scene as he added lines like trying to make the hot spring match Japanese customs so it didn’t seem that weird and out of place. Plus more Gilgamesh is always a good thing. It’s still poor reasoning to have a hot spring scene but hey it’s better than just having a hot spring randomly on the roof of a school.

Tanaka gives some insight into herself with her hate of Erika which seems to be her recognising that she was an Ainsworth instinctively. Her memory seems to begin at the moment she met Illya which seems to suggest she gained self awareness the moment she ran into her. I still think she is a counter guardian and by rule of thumb they generally work without awareness. The unlimited bladeworks series somewhat contradicts that by showing Archer as a counter guardian being aware of his surroundings but  in reality he learned of what he was doing then by getting a peek at the Akashic Records. The question of what exactly is she is another matter, I doubt she’s some form of ancient hero but she does remind me a bit of the human form of Ciel’s weapon from Tsukihime which was called Nanako.

Gilgamesh seems to know more about what is going on than he is giving away and duly noted by Chloe trying to get some exposition out of him. I am not too fond of this episode with all things considered but I do like how they introduced the main villain. Darius comes across as a silly doting father before revealing his true colours and it gives him more personality rather than just being the arcs villain. Some comedy worked here though Tanaka and Erika’s back and forths got somewhat tiresome. Erika I find to be a more interesting character as this arc goes along though here her main gimmick is playing a game of extreme reverse psychology and that is somewhat charming at first but begins to wear out it’s welcome by episodes end. Not a lot happened here so I don’t have much to say and I would have preferred they just get a move on with the main plot.

~AidanAK47~

Mob Psycho 100 – 04

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Mob Psycho 100

As Mob Psycho continues I believe it is slowly getting better as the introduction of more characters helps to round out Mob’s emotional range. With last episode we got the introduction of Dimple, the cult leader spirit who has now decided to follow Mob around in an attempt to find a chance to possess him. This character looked to be quite annoying from the opening sequence but he actually plays a good role of a voice of common sense for Mob. This main conflict of today’s episode is a battle between school delinquents and Mob ends up getting tricked into being kidnapped. Mob may be an extremely powerful esper but he’s also innocently gullible to a fatal degree. But that is a quality that separates him from his counterpart Saitama in that Mob is a honest and childish person at heart and that makes him quite endearing. Though it’s worrisome as well as I am certain that sparing Dimple will come back to bite him later on.

This looks to be the first main villain for Mob and he plays an interesting contrast to him. This guy is under the belief that he is the main character in his own story and acts entitled due to his psychic power. Whereas Mob wishes only to be a normal person and his tremendous psychic power makes that a difficult task. Mob’s brother seems to be envious of his brothers powers while Mob is envious of his ability to be popular. They both want what the other person has and don’t truly appreciate the value of what they have got. Mob’s brother brings up an interesting point that when growing up with Mob, his expectations were put on an extraordinary level and thus he isn’t satisfied with simply being a normal person. Mob on the other hand has grown up on an extraordinary level which has caused him to be ignored by society, thus he has come to desire a normal lifestyle. When you are normal you want to be extraordinary. When you are extraordinary you want to be normal. So put in simple terms, you always want what you don’t have and come to appreciate what you did have when you have lost it. Human nature in a nutshell.

The body improvement club remain a solid cast of good people despite their overly aggressive design and as I heard this being pointed out, they seem to be the only characters who aren’t trying to use Mob for their own benefit. Mob has no real stamina or strength for bodybuilding and yet the club is nothing but supportive of his efforts to improve himself. Meanwhile Seigan is using him for money, Dimple wants to possess him and the telepathy club wanted him to join just to have a place to goof off. Thus the nicest people in the show are the guys who look like a violent grunt from Jojo or Fist of the North Star. Animation remains stellar though admittedly that may depend on your taste in animation. I however find it rather charming even though it can get a bit too liberal in exaggerating movements. There are still frames but these are often used for comedic purposes like one of the screenshots above, were they are often over detailed and make for some great reaction images. I think we have gotten past most of the slow start of Mob Psycho and perhaps after this is where the show will truly shine.

~AidanAK47~

orange – 05

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Orange

This episode sets the focus squarely on Suwa and his secret/ not-too-secret affection for Naho. Suwa is actually the one who always look after Naho, and he would do anything to make the girl safe and happy, even if it means he will eventually end up losing her. Normally I never buy that kind of love, simply because I believe if you truly love someone, you have to be a little selfish. You would want that special someone to yourself only. All that to say Suwa’s sadness is just so damn appealing that it’s hard to fault him for being too nice. Naho, on the other hand, takes his kindness for granted and she’s just too occupy about her feeling towards Kakeru to really notice everything around her. This episode gives her moment to really takes a step back and looks around, so that she could notice the efforts of everyone around her, Suwa especially, and moreover she has to acknowledge that. The two developments from Suwa and Naho come together nicely in the last scene, but I’m not entirely happy with its execution. There are 3 consecutive scenes where the show basically repeats the same message. In the first scene we have Kakeru asking Suwa if it’s alright for him to go watch fireworks alone with Naho, then the next scene the group teasing Suwa on the girl he likes, just so that the insensitive Hagita bluntly speaking out loud. The very next scene we have the girls confront Suwa again, asking him directly if he will help supporting Naho and Kakeru, in which he agrees. Those scenes are variation of the same things: Suwa has a felling for Naho and everyone but her notices that, but Suwa decides to steps down and being a supportive player. I get it but sometimes repeating the point too much and it lost its impacts. While I personally think the last scene is rewarding and effective, I also feel the story drags down too much in that middle part.

This week orange mentions time travel for the first time and honestly I don’t really care much about that. After all, the time travel element in the show is just the setup to progress the story, there’s no point to delve much into that. When the teacher goes for the technicality of time travel; about how it could produce alternative timelines, my mind wanders right back to Steins;Gates; which is very fitting because the director Hiroshi Hamasaki was the director of Stein;Gates. The topic of time travel was then explored nicely by the discussion between Suwa and Kakeru: “Would you go to the past or future if you could time travel”. It’s interesting to note that Kakeru really wants to go back to the past to fix his regrets, which is exactly what the future-self Naho has been doing. The conversation also hints at the insecurity of Kakeru, which further evident by his message towards Naho asking who she sent her chocolate for on Valentine Days. He hides his feeling well from his friends, but he is the one who always looks back to the past, feeling regrets with what he could do and refuses to look ahead to the future.

This episode still has an awful lot of still frame and the animation itself is a huge step down compare to the first three episodes. Let’s take a look at one of this week’s screenshot and you can see the quality of the animation was dropped to the point their faces are slightly deranged. While I can accept it last week as an illustration for Naho’s feeling hangover, there is no excuse this week and I start to think that this is more of a budget thing. Sadly, if it’s true then I have to come to terms with the animation quality. Overall, I think this is my least favorite of orange so far, both because the story could have been neater and more impactful, and the animation quality has decreased significantly. It’s not a disaster yet but I really hope the show can pick up itself from here.

~SuperMario~

91 Days – 04

by AidanAK47, posted in 91 Days, Currently Watching:

Todays episode reminded me a lot of an off kilter episode of cowboy bebop. Speaking in terms of plot progression it was rather poor, seeing as all we really get is that Avilio learns there is another person responsible for his family’s death. This was a fairly enclosed episode as an antagonist is introduced and shiftly defeated by episodes end. However that doesn’t make this a bad episode. I would like something with more meat to it but we did have some nice character moments with Avilio and Nero. As well as a nice action sequence. For a small change of pace this episode is fine. Assuming of course that the remaining episodes don’t take a similar format. I need some mafia in my mafia drama after all. Vanno may be dead but his presence hasn’t left the show yet. In this episode we have a flashback of him getting drunk and depressed over his sister getting married. That looks to be the reason why he was so confrontational at the wedding in the previous episode and no doubt he wouldn’t be happy about his sister being married off to a enemy mafia family to keep a truce. I have a feeling she won’t take her brother’s death well and could throw a wrench into Avilio’s plans for vengeance.

I like the way Nero interacted with the kids as it shows that despite the sins of his past, he is still a good man. Even Avilio I think is getting somewhat swayed by his charisma. I still think he is cautious of Avilio but this episode certainly doesn’t show it. The two make a good duo with Nero being the charming outgoing and Avilio the strong silent type. I adore the fact that despite having high intelligence, Avilio is a terrible driver It added some nice comedy to have him straight faced as he nearly crashes the car. Plus him holding a grudge against the signpost man outside the camp zone and scaring him when driving out was so childish and petty of him that it made me smile. Really, these two have great chemistry and it’s going to be a shame when Avilio moves to kill him. Why he hasn’t killed him yet hasn’t been made clear though perhaps he wanted to get more information about the murder of his family. Nero confessed that he was the one who nearly shot Avilio when he was running away from the house that night which should be quite disastrous for him seeing as Avilio is back to enact revenge count of monte cristo style. One interesting detail is that it appears the letter that was sent to Avilio left out a person who was also there that night which could be the person who sent him the letter in the first place. I am fairly certain that someone is trying to have Avilio do the dirty work for them.

The opening of the series is something I think has great visuals but I am not keen on the band they used. Maybe because it reminds me too much of Psycho Pass whom this band did the opening for. I would have personally prefered something along the lines of Baccano’s opening with a more melancholic tune. It might be the singer I am not all that fond of as they have a an exasperated way of singing. Ultimately I don’t think it fits the show. I really can’t let this episode go by without mentioning the Assassin sent after the two. He has the same quality of Fango in that he is very much out of place with the nature of the show. However unlike Fango I don’t quite reject his existence so heavily. He reminds me heavily of “the Cousins” from Breaking Bad in that he is almost a eternal near supernatural inhuman threat. Perhaps a greater comparison would be Pierrot le Fou from Cowboy Bebop as they hold the same level of being outwardly silly yet dominantly mencing. He at points turned this episode into a comedy, in particular when Nero and Avilio escaped the pub and ran him down with the car. All that was missing was the benny hill theme but the music got close to that. It was a nice reference to David and Goliath with Avilio using a sling to fling cans at the man though I don’t understand why he thought that would be more effective than a gun. I say this was a nice little side story to help endear the characters but next episode needs to get back to the main story. While Nero and Avilio’s excellent road adventure sounds like an interesting show in it’s own right, I think the main plot has too much potential to be sacrificed for that.

~AidanAK47~

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World – 18

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World

I suppose I will start by saying that according to word of mouth, this episode was a complete 1:1 adaption of the source material. Meaning that every line of dialogue, every action is exactly the same as the source material. For an adaption that is quite a feat but in ways it can be a detriment. There are those who believe that as long as an adaption stays as faithful as possible then it will just be as great as it’s source material and truthfully I thought this as well before. However there are many other factors to take into account with an adaption and if it doesn’t adapt the source material for a another medium then the results can feel lesser. I think a perfect example of this is the Watchmen movie, which if you disregard it’s changed ending, is a very faithful adaption of the comic. However despite this it’s considered a weak movie and a disappointment to its source material. Why? Because reading something and watching something are two entirely different experiences. From the New World is a good anime example of something which is hindered by it’s original format as it’s exposition heavy and to me feels like a journey to find the next thing to spout more exposition. For a book that’s fine, but for an anime it’s painstakingly slow and cuts away one for the greatest assets of a visual medium. The ability to show someone a story instead of telling them one.

You may wonder why I am talking about this but I want to try and explain why this episode gave me a mixed response. From a narrative standpoint I like what was accomplished. Subaru looks to finally be snapped out of his rut and this marks the starting point of his long awaited redemption. I certainly am glad for that as if his issues continued further than his character would become completely unsympathetic. However I feel the journey to his revelation was all too long and while I am hesitant to use this word as I feel it is rather harsh, this felt somewhat…contrived. I admit I am certainly not fond of drama where characters recite perfectly a long seemly previously arranged upon script and shout till some sort of revelation. It at often points just feels like a story beating around the bush till the point where it’s reveal could have the most dramatic gravitas. This is why I lost so much patience with Kiznaiver, as an adult i have come to value my time. Thus I have less patience for a show that is evidently wasting it. I feel that some of this conversation was somewhat redundant, yet at the same time it felt necessary. It’s confusing for me, basically I am trying to say that I think this whole thing could have been handled in a manner that would have made it less…dialogue dependent I suppose.

The bulk of the episode was focused on a single conversation between Rem and Subaru but there was some interesting aspects before that. Subaru died once again by Pucks hand but Puck mentioned quite a number of interesting things. One was that his contract with Emilia details that if she dies then he will end the world. For such a saintly figure like Emilia that’s a rather grievous claus to take up, makes me wonder just why she agreed to it. This means that Subaru didn’t just save Emilia in the first arc, he saved the world. Puck also refers to the white Whale as Gluttony which does fit. Does this mean that cardinals of sin need not be human? Upon facing down Betelgeuse he means that he would need at least half the dark hands of Satella to take him down which does seem to suggest that Puck faced Satella at some point. Finally Puck did what everyone did and pointed out just how Subaru had failed.

So having just been told off by the entire cast what solution does Subaru come to? I honestly thought he was starting to get it when he talked before putting forward his proposal. But then he says he wants to run away with Rem. She of course rejects him on this offer but for those interested there is indeed a If story written detailing just what would happen if she accepted his offer. Thus after a long twenty minutes of talking does she convince Subaru to try to fix things again with her fully supporting him all the way. One thing I am concerned about is whether this “fixed” Subaru for good. I have said before that I don’t think Subaru’s problems are something that can be brushed aside with some pep talk and a forehead kiss. It such be a long process of fixing his issues and considering that there is more arcs to come it’s possible that will be the case. If Subaru is essentially going to toss aside all his mental hangups and become a perfect hero then his downfall these past few episodes will feel very cheap. You need to carry that weight with you Subaru and you yourself have shown to be aware of your failings.

I want this to be a bandaid for Subaru’s problems, not a solution. Much like Emilia’s lap pillow in the previous arc, this should be a temporary fix to get Subaru on the right track. I really did like Subaru acknowledging his screwups in the previous episodes and one thing he said that really struck a chord with me was him saying that before coming to Lugnica, he did nothing. That felt like a real jab at those who self insert characters were created for. His claims about being empty almost felt like a meta moment of him coming to see his existence as some self insert light novel protagonist. I also have quite a bit of respect with him for putting it out that he loves Emilia and flat out rejecting Rem. Again that certainly seems to be a trait of light novel protagonists to lead on other girl’s affections without pointing out that they already have someone they care for.(Isn’t that right, Kirito?) I wasn’t quite happy with this at first but I did read an interesting opinion about Subaru falling for Emilia in the same way that Rem fell for Subaru. In that they were both saved by those they desire. Well before this gets any longer I might as well wrap this up by saying that Subaru it was good that you told her and that you are absolutely goddamn insane to reject such an embodiment of pure perfection that is is Rem! Bloody hell.

~AidanAK47~

Thunderbolt Fantasy – 04

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Thunderbolt Fantasy

Wow, this episode is way better than I would have expected. Remember last week I mentioned that the demon girl might have a deep appreciation for Gui Niao (I called him Lin Xue Ya previously, but consider that he himself prefers to be called as an alias Gui Niao, I will stick with it from now on) and I expected the clash of light and dark arts between the two girls? Well, I couldn’t be more wrong this time, since the show went in a completely different fashion. Xing Hai hated his guts, because she felt manipulated by him in their last encounter. Many people suggest that it was a romantic tension but I don’t buy that at all. She quickly changes her mind though (way too quickly) after she heard about Tiang Xing Jian sword; and guess who’s the only one she gets along well? This is none other than Dan Fei. I really enjoy how the characters bound off each other, particularly the skeptical remarks from Juan Can Yun the spear wielder to the demon girl, and the venomous words from herself towards Gui Niao. Those arguments actually raise an interesting point about the very notion of hero/villain in the show. The two addition members this week (Xing Hai the demon lady and Sha Wu Sheng the Roaring Phoenix Killer) could very well be the ultimate villain in another series, yet here they will have to become “good” guys, joining up with the group to kill a villain. Gui Niao is another perfect example of this concept, we see him as cool and excellent strategic thinker, but we don’t know his motives in this quest at all. He mentioned that he is acquainted with the antagonist Mie Tian Hai so he feels responsible for stopping the guy, but he might as well just want to get control of the sword himself. Both Xing Hai and Sha We Sheng despised him to the point of hunting him down, plus the fact the he has little remorse when hearing about his master was killed because of him. I say this ambiguity makes his characters somewhat compelling and I can’t wait to see how far he plan ahead and what his true intention will be.

Another bit that goes against my expectation come from the second half. When we heard about the master who has a magic flute, plus the fact that he’s a skilled swordsman, we immediately think he could be a great addition for the group, using his wisdom as a voice of reason for the group to avoid any potential danger, right? WRONG. He was immediately killed off by the Roaring Phoenix Killer Sha Wu Sheng, who his purpose was simply to hunt down any connection to Gui Niao, in order to find him and kill him off. This development takes me completely off-guards, kudos to the writing of Gen Urobuchi. The Roaring Phoenix killer is by far the most skilled and deadliest character we encounter so far. Judged from him having the magic flute that the group desperately needed, I don’t know for sure what will happen in the next episode. Will the gang fight him to death to get the flute? Will Gui Niao negotiate with this guy so he would join the group? God knows. Finally, to the “most whimsical lines this week”, we have Xing Hai hesitating to enter the temple because the “smell” was too offensive. I guess being devil is not easy to get along, even if they really try to. If the show can keep up with those qualities that made it so refreshing: its elegant characters; its campy sense of humor and its stunning fights, I think Thunderbolt Fantasy is up there as one of the most entertaining show this season. The fun just about to begin and I really can’t wait for the next episode.

~SuperMario~

Berserk(2016) – 05 [Tower of Conviction]

by Bam, posted in Berserk(2016), Currently Watching:

Episode 5 Starts off with Isidro, and some half-assed attempt at levity. This is really harmless, but it highlights an issue that has become apparent from the first episode. It’s widely understood that the inclusion of Puck was done to bring some light-heartedness to an otherwise grim story. But yet again this proves the point that manga and anime are widely different mediums, and what works in one doesn’t necessarily work in the other. A manga is a very fluid format. The style and design elements can be altered to communicate different concepts. It is not at all uncommon to have characters portrayed in chibi or exaggerated forms to correspond to the situation. They can also include footnotes and other remarks to clarify and explain certain things. These techniques can’t really be done the same way in an anime adaptation, or when attempted could seriously backfire. The medium of motion pictures revolves quite extensively around immersion, and things that can hinder that immersion are best to not be included in the first place. This is not to say that the combination of serious subject matter and comedy can’t be achieved,  for example,  Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon, Welcome to NHK and Kemonozume have all done this to varying degrees, but doing so requires a mindful approach and a delicate touch.

Thankfully the farce is soon interrupted by the Kushan hunters. Here we get another action scene, which similar to the ones up to now was just alright. There are some interesting angles and framing, but the quick cuts in editing and the unnecessary rotation take away from the action. This is exacerbated by the drops in the frame-rate. I researched the reason for this back during the first season of Knights of Sidonia, and apparently this is due to the cel shading that is done on top of the CGI. In these types of animations when the camera pans the animators need to draw in the details in almost every frame, causing the process to become seriously long and costly. The solution they came up with was to limit the number of frames, so the required number of overlay shading could be reduced. My question is that knowing their limitations, why do they include so many panning shots that aren’t even really necessary? Well the upside of the action scene is that we get to yet again hear Hirasawa’s excellent track Hai yo (Oh Ashes).  I instantly light up every time the track kicks in and the pipes swell up. He truly understands Berserk, and given his close friendship with Miura, it is not at all surprising. I only wish that he had composed the entirety of the OST.

Next we get the reintroduction of Silat and his Bakiraka clansmen. If I’m not mistaken this is the first time since the movies that he has made an appearance. Silat is an interesting case, since he’s one of the handful of characters to endure in the story past the Golden Age Arc, and although he continues to play a part he is still usually delegated to the sidelines. He was understandably removed from the 97’ adaptation, as there was no reason to include him so briefly at the end of the series. He also made an appearance in the movie trilogy in a slick action scene, but the third film failed to correctly portray the complexity of his character.  We will see how much they will develop him in the new show.

I want to point out how newcomer unfriendly this adaptation truly is. To those who have only gotten into Berserk with this new series Silat won’t be making any sense. A lot of other factors are exactly the same, with them only resonating with fans of the manga or the previous iterations. Liden Films have failed to properly communicate that this is a continuation of the movies, and yes, this is linked to the movies and not the old show, as there are flashback scenes that include segments and music directly taken from the trilogy. This might be due to some licensing issues with Studio 4°C who made the films. I am personally fine with this, as I am very familiar with the material, and the last thing I wanted was for yet another developer to go over the Golden Age Arc. I still can see a lot of new viewers passing on this show due to their confusion, and it would be a shame for people to avoid the Berserk franchise only due to this series’ lack of quality; which is the most damaging aspect of this adaptation.

The next section switches back to Albion, as we get to see Mozguz engaging in an uncharacteristic act of kindness. It doesn’t take long for the audience to be reassured of his depravity, as he moves on to torturing the mother of the child he just saved. I’m not really a fan of these sudden outbursts which are accompanied by severe character deformation. I understand that they suppose to be somewhat shocking, and aim at creating tension in the scene, but they are often just distracting. This brings to my mind a certain scene at the end of the first episode of Akame ga Kill, which has a little girl suddenly exposing her messed up nature. In fairness this isn’t as abrupt as in AgK, since Mozguz is already shown to be vile and ruthless. What I admire here is the daringness of the series, which doesn’t shy away from sex and violence. They have included things that I was certain will be dropped, so the producers are at least adamant on keeping the dark edgy side of Berserk. However I do realize that this might be done more for the sake of publicity, and not purely out of artistic integrity. I wish that the same approach was applied to the more subtle tone and subtext of the Berserk story.

Speaking of daringness, we get the return of the nippleless women, this time in the form of Luca. They should either go all the way with it or not include nudity at all, but I guess there are restrictions that are out of their control. Some suggest that these would be fixed in the Bluray release, but considering that they have to go over and draw it in every frame causes me to doubt that. We get to see a scene with Luca entertaining Jermore, a minor member of the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Luca is an interesting character, and despite being a prostitute she is still portrayed as a strong woman, who not only knows how to take care of herself but also the rest of her camp. It’s good to see a working lady portrayed in a sympathetic light, and she manages the group with almost a socialist methodology. There is also a brief exploration of wartime economics and upheavals. The kingdom of Midland doesn’t seem to catch a break, with the Kushan invasion happening on the heels of the recent conclusion of the hundred year war with the Chuder Empire. The passing of the king has only added to the social instability, and this can be seen by the ubiquity of famine and poverty. For most people hope seems to have faded, and they all do whatever it takes just to survive. The stoning scene shows how ruthless people have become. Being from the Middle East myself, I know how average people can act in horrific ways. When individuals are themselves under pressure they find catharsis in having any sense of control. It is probably not by chance that such crisis has consumed the land, setting up the stage for a certain someone to make his return. There is also a brief introduction of the rest of Luca’s group, but Nina is really the only one of any importance. We get to see her plight, and it’s implied that syphilis is now commonplace.

The episode ends with a scene between Guts and Isidro. Despite being a goofy little brat, it’s clear that Guts sees a bit of himself in the kid, persuading him to let Isidro stick around. After the so-called “epihpany” at Godo’s house it appears that Guts has calmed down a little bit, causing him to warm up and let go of his constant rage. It’s interesting to see how close they’ve been following the manga in the recent episodes. Looks like the sporadic script of the first few ones might’ve been growing pains, and they have now found their groove, and are now simply attempting to tell the story. The next episode is “A Nighttime Feast: Burning at the Stake” implying that it might be multi-episode chapter. I’m getting the sense that we might be getting the ‘cave scene’ after all. The majestic Skull Knight is also making his reappearance. Berserk 2016 has serious issues, no doubt, but I would be lying if I’d said that I’m not enjoying myself to some extent. It is a treat to get a new Berserk at the end of the week, and unfortunately when anticipation rises the wait for the next episode only grows longer.

~Bam~