Category: Currently Watching:

Kimetsu no Yaiba S2 – 3 [Should Have Been]

by Lenlo, posted in Currently Watching:, Kimetsu no Yaiba

Welcome everyone to episode 3 of Kimetsu no Yaiba! This week we continue our rewatch of the movie in the long wait until December for new content. So without further ado lets dive in!

This week lets skip the production talk. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it, this is a movie, it looks good. I’ve also already mentioned the pacing issues. So instead lets go right to the crux of the episode: Dreams. I mentioned last week that this was a pretty clever way to explore the characters, and I stand by that. However that’s only true if Kimetsu no Yaiba chooses to engage those characters in that way. And sadly half our cast don’t get that kind of treatment. Both Inosuke and Zenitsu seem to have been relegated to comic relief in this arc and I think that’s a shame. This was the perfect opportunity to expand on both of their characters but Inosuke especially. The guy never talks about himself, he doesn’t really share his personal feelings, and the dream was the perfect opportunity to get around that. It’s a missed opportunity if you ask me.

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Eighty Six S2 – 4 [Welcome Back]

by Lenlo, posted in 86 - Eighty Six, Currently Watching:

Hello everyone and welcome to what is perhaps the dullest episode of Eighty Six yet! Think I’m exaggerating? Then you clearly haven’t watched the episode before reading this. And if you have but still disagree? Give me until the end of this post to prove it to you. So without further ado lets dive in!

Obviously the place we have to start is with Frederica. I know that this is becoming a weekly segment at this point but I have to get this out somewhere: She is the worst part of Eighty Six. From the blatant and pointless sexualization to taking over the conversations between the 86ers and making them about herself, she’s bringing down everything that made Eighty Six good. What’s worse though is that she also isn’t bringing anything new to the table to make up for what she’s ruining. A 10 year old waxing philosophical in her little “moe” voice about life and death, am I supposed to not laugh?! How am I supposed to take this whole knight and fallen kingdom plot seriously when it’s being delivered by fucking Moe Moe Kyun? And actually now that I mention it lets talk about this “Knight” plot because it’s incredibly lazy.

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Ousama Ranking – 02 [The Prince and Shadow]

by Amunchet, posted in Currently Watching:, Ousama Ranking

Hello and welcome to my ramblings on this season’s prospective dark horse – Ousama Ranking.  Truth be told, I was looking at other shows to review before seeing the premiere of Ousama Ranking (which ended up being one of the last shows to start its run).  So far, I’m happy with my choice, but some storm clouds are on the horizon for our tiny king’s adventure.  Let’s take a look!

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Eighty Six S2 – 3 [Glad to Be Here]

by Lenlo, posted in 86 - Eighty Six, Currently Watching:

Hello everyone and welcome back to Eighty Six! I’ve been a bit positive lately, what with my coverage of Haibane Renmei and gushing over some recent productions. So it’s time to go back to being a bit of a curmudgeon and take shots at someone’s labor of love! Lets dive in.

Now I framed it humorously in the intro but I am legitimately disappointed in Eighty Six this week. From both a production and narrative perspective this episode feels like a step down. And you know what’s so surprising about it? This episode was both Directed and Storyboarded by Satsuki Takahashi, who did episodes 5 and 10 back in the first season. Those were good episodes with incredibly striking imagery! From Shin’s shot in the mirror in episode 5 to the scenic shots of episode 10, I praised them a lot! So it’s really disappointing to see him return this week and not get more of the same beauty. I can only assume the reason is the subject material he had to work with. Those two episodes were much stronger narratively and seemingly more focused in their goal. Meanwhile this episode felt… predictable. More so than Eighty Six usually is.

(Though I will say the CGI looked much better)

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Blue Period – 03 [Prep School Debut of the Dead]

by Armitage, posted in Blue Period, Currently Watching:

After years and years of wishing for it to happen, one show did finally break from the shackles of imprisonment that Netflix enforces on the shows it’s looking to produce, but sadly, it’s now caught within another nightmare: Fansubbing ;_;

It’s a pity that most anime-only viewers would be getting their first exposure to this story through awkwardly translated dialogue. But hey, at least it does make you turn back the years to the glory days of 2007!

And I would indeed suggest that if you’re interested in this series, you’d be well served to wait for the official Netflix releases which are a couple of weeks behind for the rest of the world. But hey, no pressure, of course. You do you. 

Either way, for all who’ve already watched this episode with the dodgy subs that are available for it, let’s just have a chat about it, shall we?  Continue reading “Blue Period – 03 [Prep School Debut of the Dead]” →

86 – Eighty Six S2 – 2 [Its Too Late]

by Lenlo, posted in 86 - Eighty Six, Currently Watching:

Welcome back everyone to another season of Eighty Six! If you’re reading this post you already know what you’re getting into so lets skip the preamble and jump right into it!

Right off the bat I want to, again, praise Director Toshimasa Ishii for Eighty Six’s visuals. The animation and compositing aren’t the best, Heike takes the cake in raw production values probably. But Eighty Six is making a fair go at the title for “Best Shot”. I just really love how it frames and cuts between scenes, imbuing meaning in even the smallest gestures. One of my favorites for the episode for example had to be around 7 minutes in. After being introduced to the now calm and peaceful daily lives of the 86’ers, something novel for them, we then get a short sequence of back shots. Fading between each of them as these days drag on into monotony, the music steady and unchanging but purposefully dull, without bite. It conveys what they are feeling really well! Now if only Eighty Six didn’t feel the need to verbalize it to.

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Blue Period – 02 [I’m Not Burned At All]

by Armitage, posted in Blue Period, Currently Watching:

With October finally up and running, we are now officially underway with the last anime season of the year 2021! Yes, I know, time is indeed that thing with wings.

So, to kick this Fall Anime Season into gear, I shall also be taking up the responsibilities of weekly blogging by covering the anime adaptation of one of the brightest beacons of modern manga, Blue Period!

Come join me as I spill my thoughts out on the page with the passion befitting the kind of artists that this story is about!

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Catching up with Kageki Shoujo!! – [Thoughts on Episodes 7-13]

by Armitage, posted in Currently Watching:, Kageki Shoujo!!, Reviews by Armitage

Blood doesn’t really taste like you imagine it would. It’s red, sure. But it doesn’t taste red.

It’s not sweet like the syrup mom gives you two teaspoons of, to help ease the cough you get sick with after paying no heed to her constant warnings against sleeping with the air-conditioner on with your hair still damp as you felt too lazy to sit by the vanity and use a hair dryer for ten minutes.

It’s not tart like the tomato juice you sometimes swoop out of the mixer and taste a spoonful of, while helping mom cook for your father when he’s about be back from work any moment, and would give her an earful if she takes too long in serving his lunch.

It’s not luscious like the cheapest port wine your friends smuggle into school and strong-arm you into taking a swig of during recess. Or maybe it is. You would’ve known for sure if you’d have taken up their offer.

What you do know for sure is that it tastes cold. Metallic. Which is strange because you’ve been nothing but hot-blooded all throughout your teens; getting into fights with your sister for petty reasons, getting annoyed by everything and everyone. That last bit still hasn’t changed that much, just that now you know how to disguise it behind a veil of likeability. People change, the places you call home change, blood tastes the same.
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Kageki Shoujo!! – 06 [A Glimpse of Stardom]

by Armitage, posted in Currently Watching:, Kageki Shoujo!!

Hello everyone, and welcome to the halfway point of Kageki Shoujo. This week we get more insight into the lives of a couple of other girls who are part of our class of aspiring actors. And as has been the norm so far, we also get peeks into the pasts which seem to drag them down. Though, the highlight of the episode was still the opportunity to be able to see our lead duo finally get to go out in front of an audience and display their acting chops.

Did that all these individual acts add up to form an irresistible tour de force?

Let’s find out!

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Kageki Shoujo!! – 05 [The Chosen Maidens]

by Armitage, posted in Currently Watching:, Kageki Shoujo!!

Our lovely group of girls aiming to be the top Kouka star return in this week’s episode to come back to their usual school life and all the pressures of competition that come with it. While some of them are happy to be making incremental progress, others are satisfied with where they find themselves in comparison to their peers. Someone finds a passion they want to pursue; someone else starts tunneling into a pit of extreme self-criticism.

How do all these conflicting scenarios unfold?

Let’s find out!
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