Beastars – 09

Beastars again ups its games considerably this week, offers a darker and deeper takes to its themes. While there is a lot going on in this episode, they’re all interweaving and heading towards the same direction. It’s such a smart move, for example, to delve into Louis’s troubled past at this point of time. Not only we have a great grasp of his character and why he is the way he is now, we can also see the difficult choice and sacrifice he has to make, between Haru the girl he loves and his life goal. This flashback sure is cruel and terrifying – as terrifying as the current day’s plot – Louis remembers his past as a caged prey waiting to be butchered. Although unable to speak nor write, he holds his dignity high and that impresses his later-adoptive father (still, a cruel way to test his resolve). It’s the past that Louis’ trying to forget, but it’s also the past that ties with him and makes him the way he is now: full of pride, determined to be on top.

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Beastars – 08

Beastars is in pretty good shape this week, as far as the narrative is concerned. We have a great amount of scenes between lovestruck Romeo & Juliet Legosi & Haru in this episode, and Beastars tangles its chemistry web by exploring the chemistry between Louis and Juno. I will start first with what I feel didn’t work too well this week, Juno’s development. When Louis comments that she’s overconfident, my immediate reaction was “nah”. We first saw her literally being bullied just 2 weeks ago, and the way she’s falling for, and declaring her love to Legosi is way too quick. I don’t see any chemistry between her and Legosi, although it’s by design since Legosi doesn’t really think much of her (but Hidaka in Hi Score Girl is basically the same role and she has such strong chemistry with Haruo and she’s the best girl, so…). 

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Fire Force – 18 [Secrets of Pyrokinesis]

I realized that while Fire Force has had many of the shounen troupes (some ad nauseam- see Cat girl), it’s been missing a training arc.  We had a tournament really early on (that got kind of derailed), we’ve had fanservice, fights, enemies-turned-friends….but we haven’t had a good, ole-fashioned, protag powerup.  Well, this week, we get it – and with the strongest Fire Soldier too!
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My Hero Academia – 69 [An Unpleasant Talk]

My first post on the new, shiny site!  Big shout outs to everyone who worked to get it up and going – Lenlo especially for shouldering the brunt of the technical issues and migration.  Everyone pitched in though, and it was a great feeling seeing everything come together!  Now we can stop playing with WordPress and get back to watching great anime!  Like MHA!
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes Die Neue These – 17-20

We have our second batch of LOGH episodes and while the previous batch focused on the stirring of rebellions within both civilizations, this batch has the focus of those coup d’etats being executed and the consequences therein. I find the contrast between the two to be fascinating as both governments are undergoing the same problem but the perspectives are quite different. The Lippstadt alliance being the former privileged upper class attempting to reclaim their status all the while preparing to backstab each other if they succeed. Meanwhile the National Salvation Military Council are the very definition of the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” as they certainly have the best interests of the people at heart but their methods are more or less a repeat of the very thing that birthed the Goldenblum dynasty in the first place. It’s hard to claim that you are here to provide salvation while pointing guns at the people you claim to save.

I truly feel sorry for Merkatz in the Lippstadt alliance. He’s a man that clearly doesn’t want to be there and sees exactly how the whole thing is going to turn out. He wouldn’t even be there if he wasn’t blackmailed into participation yet he still tries to do his job to the best of his ability. Yet despite this the nobles of the alliance pretty much seem determined to rush into their own demise. Merkatz is the sensible man trying to herd a bunch of entitled selfish brats into saving themselves. He let them lose a battle on purpose hoping that would teach them some humility and get them to finally take Reinhard seriously. But instead they double down on their pride and fall straight for Reinhard’s traps, congratulating themselves all the while. Merkatz pain and frustration is all too visible when having the leader of the alliance walk straight into a trap, having to save said dumbass and then have that dumbass yell at him for not coming sooner. It’s a sad fact that this very thing echos current times far too well with people forced to make stupid moves all because of some incompetent man-child at the top of the command chain. The nobles of the Lippstadt alliance are a cautionary tale of just what is produced when someone is fostered under a social class of unearned privilege. Truly it’s almost a joke with how the Lippstadt Alliance more or less falls apart due to its own incompetence. Reinhard almost doesn’t have to do anything, the nobles do all the damage for him. From shooting their own ships to make an escape to killing one of their most loyal generals due to suspected treachery orchestrated by Reinhard. Continue reading “Legend of the Galactic Heroes Die Neue These – 17-20”

Beastars – 07

With this episode I have a good grasp of how to approach Beastars: it’s that of a grand star-crossed Greek play. That would fall neatly in place with the drama performance within the show, and explains Legosi’s heightened expression of love and jealousy at the end. This week, Beastars goes through the love quadrilateral and informs us about the chemistry between each pair. Everyone, especially Louis, encourages Legosi to go out with Juno, and certainly Juno has some affection towards our main boy. Legosi, however, turns her off with his talk about biology (it’s more like chemistry to me) and it’s quite clear that he only has Haru in his mind. Poor Juno who is already lost in a battle before it even starts.

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Psycho-Pass 3 – 04 [Political Strife in the Colosseum]

Sibyl isn’t everything but episode four has me nearly convinced with its balance of investigation, action, and social commentary that it is on par with the first season of Psycho-Pass. Wrapping up this case answers the case’s immediate questions like what makes Komina tick, but only more questions crop up like who is the First Inspector and what is Bifrost’s ultimate goal. With the season already half over, its beg the question of how they intend to wrap up all the plot points from this and previous seasons. Continue reading “Psycho-Pass 3 – 04 [Political Strife in the Colosseum]”