Category: Currently Watching:

Goblin Slayer – 09[There and Back Again]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Goblin Slayer

We reach the end of the water town arc and Goblin Slayer killed some goblins. I am not sure what else I expected. I must say that animation wise for a series heavily focused on action, the action itself is rather static. Sadly some of the more impactful panels of the manga were cut from the adaption and I find that whenever Goblin Slayer kicks into gear, the action itself is rather flaccid. Take note that this is mainly whenever the Goblin Slayer himself starts fighting as when other characters fight the action is fine. The conclusion to the final fight is rather simple with Goblin Slayer causing a cave in and using the gateway mirror as a shield to protect them. I felt that he could have at least killed the champion orc just for finality sake as this does feel like a bit of an anticlimax to the whole arc with what could be considered the main villain getting killed offscreen.

So that last conversation between Goblin Slayer and Sword maiden was a confusing one and likely an explanation is needed as even I had trouble following it. The basic rundown is this, the demon lord sect, the one that was previously shown being defeated by the hero in a previous episode, set up a mirror under water town which would transport goblins under the town. The only killed some women in the town to gain the attention of the Sword Maiden. Now if it was known that the women in the town were killed by the demon Lord sect then that would mean that Sword maiden would be forced to go into the sewers to confront the goblins and due to Sword Maidens PSTD she was absolutely terrified of goblins. So Sword maiden blamed the killings in town on Goblins, hoping this would push the army into mobilizing against them. Unfortunately the army deemed that goblins were not worth dealing with which left Sword maiden in a bad position. She set her familiar(The alligator) down in the sewers to prevent adventures from stumbling into the place and stop Goblins from advancing further. Then she heard of Goblin Slayer and set about hiring him to take care of the goblins for her.

This whole conversation was certainly misleading as on hearing it myself I was mistaking it for Sword Maiden placing the mirror down in the sewers in order to show people the threat of Goblins? When in reality it was just Sword Maiden admitting to lying about the demon sect just so she would avoid facing goblins. This would be a first where I say that White Fox messed up in regards to conveying the situation. But I will say that Sword maidens fear and desperation were portrayed a lot better her than in the bedroom where she finds solace in the Goblin Slayer promising to always be there to hunt goblins, even in her nightmares. Well we are reaching the final arc of the series and to give an early verdict on it, it’s fine. I appreciate White Fox’s efforts to tone down the rape aspect but frankly the story itself is just a bit too simple for my liking. There is only so long I can watch a man kill goblins.

Thunderbolt Fantasy 2 – 10 [Demonic Swords/Holy Swords]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Thunderbolt Fantasy

This week, Thunderbolt takes a left turn to resolve side conflicts, or even new minor conflicts it thought of, mostly to boost up the status of our main cast. It’s still enjoyable, in an admittedly predictable way. We have a guy literally flirting with his sword, a yaoi love where a guy willing to put his life at stake to save his partner, and a backstab where we have this ridiculous line as a climax: “These are… swords!!!!!”. First off, I hope Enigmatic Gale scheme against Dirty Cop goes beyond this humiliation as it’s underwhelming at best. It’s true that it takes guts for him to trick the Dirty Cop in a factor that he was most confident in: his special glasses. It’s the scheme goes right in front of his eyes, but he’s too arrogant to realize the trick. Freak-out Dirty Cop is nice and all, but I hope this is only a warning from Gui Liao.

Lang Wu Yao, on the other hand, is on his way to the suicide mission. This must show how much he cares (in an unhealthy way, that is) for Shang Bu Huan since I don’t see the reason why they would just join forces to beat the enemy. Isn’t two head is always better than one? This leaves Shang Bu Huan the opportunity to sneak out to his other boyfriend, Gui Niao. The moment I see the man having enough time and pleasure to go fishing again with the glasses on no less, it gives me such joy.

Finally, Di Kong, under a new alias Lou Zhen Jie, basically goes through episode talking about how much devotion he is with his sword, and further demonstrates how he isn’t necessary a vessel under her power. I must say the subplot regarding these guys from the Sen Chin Fortress a bit unimportant, especially at this late in a game. But it does offer an interesting scenario: the holy swords wielded by these guys versus this massive evil sword. I’m a bit disappointed that Seven Blasphemous Deaths loses its cool the moments it sees its krypnotye – by her power it should be more excited the more powerful the opponent has. But the Fallen Monk proves once again he doesn’t need the power of the sword to triumph, as he destroys the holy swords by his bare hands. The only take out from this turn of event is that it isn’t the sword, but Di Kong himself, will prove to be the final threat for Shang Bu Huan and the gang. Hopefully, Enigmatic Gale finds someway to be relevant with this feud as well. He’s hardy connected to the main plot, given he himself hasn’t met Di Kong, nor the Evil Sword, onscreen at all.

Zombieland Saga – 07-09[But It’s Zombiemental SAGA/Go Go Neverland SAGA/Though My Life May Have Ended Once by Some Twist of Fate I Have Risen, and If Song and Dance Are to Be My Fate, Then Carrying the Memories of My Comrades in My Heart as I Sally Forth Shall Be My SAGA]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Zombieland Saga

Zombieland Saga is a confusing show to me. It’s been on a decline since episode 3 which it chucked out it’s rather unpredictable but beautifully chaotic nature for what seems to be a formula closer and more sincere of an idol show. It’s jumping between modes wherein the show can be wacky and surreal yet wants you to take it seriously. Mizuno was struck by lightning while performing, which is absurd yet the story treats her trauma regarding lightning very seriously. Miyu is a trap who died from shock after finding a chin hair, yet the anime treats his death with absolute genuine heartbreak with it even hinting that while his/her death may be silly the circumstances of overwork and mental stress leading up to it most certainly were not. Meanwhile Saki died from playing a game of chicken and driving off a cliff yet the effect on her best friend appears to be a deep rooted trauma. These elements cannot coexist as they just clash too much for it’s hard to truly feel the sadness of the situation when the nercomanager can just pop in and Hououin Kyouma it up to high heaven.

I miss the freestyle performances and while the lightning giving them magic autotune was rather novel, I just find these idol performances to be poor replacements for the creativity of the first two episodes. The only saving grace is that they have appeared to abandon CGI for 2D performances which may be less animated but at least don’t detract from the experience. I am disappointed that Zombieland ultimately went the route of glorifying the idol industry while ignoring it’s dirty underbelly of exploitation. They made one joke about how the girls being undead meant that they can literally be worked to death without worry but other than that it’s been the usual piel of idols giving people hopes and dreams with all the sugar coated nonsense. I thought the girls encountering old relations would bring some new interest to the series but sadly they have decided to have the girls keep things secret and pretend to be unrelated. I still advocate that the show isn’t bad but if the beginning episodes were a 9/10 then we have dropped down to a 6/10.

At this point the zombie thing has become a bit of a gimmick while the show has more or less begun to follow idol show formula of having an individual episode on each girl coupled with a character song. Sure in this case the girls episodes generally have to due with their untimely passing but overall the episodic nature has made the show more predictable. We know that manager is going to have a scene where he pep talks the team, we know there’s going to be an idol song, we know that each episode is going to focus on a specific girl. At this point the only things keeping this show going is the small jokes it nails and the mystery regarding just what Tatsumi’s goal or motives are in all this. And I have to say that I am not quite interested enough in those things to be heavily invested here.

Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara – 09 [Wandering Words]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara

Another episode, and my disappointment keeps raising up. Irozuku has come to the point where it has to creates its own conflict (all these romance drama), but it’s the development that we already tracked down back in episode 2, and it does a poor job of convincing us to care about these characters. This is all about Shou’s confession this week. Predictably, Hitomi freaks out; predictably, she finds the courage to say no to him and predictably, here he is at the rooftop, screaming his heart out in a typical anime fashion. Irozuku is a show that has solid themes, and has great visual to boost but it has no proper plot to carry the narrative. As a result, more often than not we see the cast doing their usual club activities that could easily interchange with each other, and worse the cast functions more as a single united mind, where passively supporting Hitomi is their default mode.

I blame Hitomi’s insensitive nature in all this. She’s not only clueless about Shou’s interest in her, but she also doesn’t take hint about Asagi’s crush and talks to her about it instead. Great job, Hitomi. So, Shou takes Hitomi out alone for a shooting session, and clumsily (the reason I put it that way is because Irozuku messes up the pacing in this confession scene) asks her out, in which she does the worst possible way, running away from all that. It’s hard to say no to the guy she always looks up to, and it’s also an opportunity for her to really knows who she likes better. Speaking of that person, Aio is a real mess here as he does absolutely nothing, he doesn’t put up a fight, nor does he acknowledge that he also has a feeling for Hitomi. After the rejection, Aio admires Shou for having a ball to confess, and receive rejection and his courage to crying out loud. Both Hitomi and Aoi have a problem of truly expressing themselves, and I figure that the final arc to be them embracing their own feeling to confess to each other.

Not that it’s a high stake to begin with. But for a show that quite literally nothing happens (a criticism that I don’t give very often), it’s a realistic reach for Irozuku. As it stands, I could compress this show into half, or even ⅓ of its length (which is a feature-length film), and it could strengthen the show much better. Irozuku has a clear beginning point A and finishing point B, but it doesn’t know a clear path to go from one point to its destination, so that it wanders around, with a magic wand in one hand and camera in the other, taking aimlessly monochrome pictures as it goes along.

SSSS.GRIDMAN – 09 [Dream]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, SSSS.GRIDMAN

Before this episode, I was thinking that it must take a full bag of magic to make me care about Akane, being an irredeemable bitch as she is. Episode 9 did just that, and then some, in its own fashion no less. It’s by the strength of its visual storytelling that show us how desperate she wants our characters to like her, and how ultimately let-down when she fails to do it. With a show that is so strong about its visual identity, a bus full of passengers suddenly feels off. What is a better way of displaying Akane hitting rock bottom (and her God-like power) than this single sequence? I can’t remember the last time I see the image and sound of the train crossing line symbols each dream segment? Heck, this episode is on its way to be my favorite GRIDMAN’s episode so far, and that says a lot. Not only it flirts around with dream/reality boundary that is one of my jam, it also deepens Akane’s narrative in most unexpected way.

The most genius part for me happens right in the beginning, when Yuuta wakes up and finds Akane in Rikka’s home. It’s a rehearse to the premiere with Akane now is in place of Rikka, and acts in a total Akane-way. That sequence is more screwing with us audience than it does with a confused Yuuta, since we have a knowledge that this happened before. The same things happen the same with Shou and Rikka, as they meet Akane in their separate dreams and can’t get out of such dreams. It’s masterful of GRIDMAN to start all the dream sequences in Yuuta, Shou and Rikka’s point of views, respectively, before pulls out to reveal that they are tangled in Akane’s manipulation. As for their dreams, it’s interesting to note that, while with Shou and Rikka, Akane choses the moments when she is alone with them in the “real timeline” – or put it better, the timeline where we has been following – with Yuuta, it’s the beginning where Yuuta wakes up from his amnesia, with the knowledge that normally Akane can’t possibly know. This detail further confirms that 1) Akane is indeed the goddess of the world we have been following, and that like our Hero team comes to suspect, that world might be entirely Akane’s dream to escape the real world and 2) unlike his friends Shou and Rikka, Yuuta might no be a real person. He has no memory before the event to begin with, which makes him a boy without a past.

But it’s interesting that as hard as she wants her followers to wordship her, the three comes to their sense because they reject this ideal world. “It’s all too good to be true”, Shou said that at one point. Yuuta looks at his reflection over the tomb he and Akane visit, which the kanji characters form into his tear, Rikka push stop button when she wants to get out of the dream – the moments speak more powerful than any conventional mean, and fittingly they cut to Akane’s pride the deepest. The more desperation she tries, the harder they pull out. The harder the pull out, the bigger blow she receives. I also enjoy Gridman’s reflections towards every single reflective things out main cast see. Those sequences, where Akane standing on top of the giant crane, above everyone but ultimately alone, best summarize her own struggles towards creating the perfect world, and fails to convert the people that she cares the most.

While the main plot of kaiju vs Gridman takes a backseat this week, they still offer plenty of fresh take on that formula. It’s the first time that this kaiju works in more… deceptive way. The kaiju puts Yuuta, Shou and Rikka to sleep and keep them hostage in their own dreams. What makes it all the more dangerous is that it can be seen, but can’t be touched by this realm of reality. It’s the first time where the Squad forms a version of themselves without the main host, Gridman, and it further reveals that Anti is more than just a regular kaiju. Now that I think about it, Anti might not be Akane’s creation and he’s more along the same line with the kaiju girl that Yuuta met in previous episodes. The animation, in addition, really bring the characters to light. It’s one of the rare time where both the animation and character design (especially Rikka) are looser than normal, hence the movement is much more expressive. From what I heard, this episode is storyboarded by Kai Ikarash, a newbie but the quality certainly has my attention. There’s just too many alternative routes GRIDMAN can take at this moment, and I mean it in the best possible way since for while some time that I feel this intriguing about a show at this stage: both revealing just about enough thematic depth, at the same time as vague and open as ever for more surprises on the horizon.

Goblin Slayer – 06-08[Goblin Slayer in the Water Town/Onward Unto Death/Whispers and Prayers and Chants]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Goblin Slayer

I know my coverage of this series has been quite sporadic(My coverage of anything this season has been rather lacking in general) and I can say that is in part due to my current work which has me less inclined to blog as I work enough as it is. But another part of not covering this all too well is also due to the simple fact that there really isn’t much to comment on here. Goblin Slayer the anime has lived up to it’s name of being about slaying goblins. But well, that’s it. The characters are pretty base though their interactions can be amusing and the plot mainly seems to be of GS slowly learning to warm up to people and his posse of adventurers going into dungeons to kill Goblins. That can be enough for people but for me I just find myself lacking interest for this is what this show is and this is what the show will be in the future. I just don’t see anything changing with the premise being what it is. As such while it is watchable, I don’t hold any strong feelings towards this series. not hate or love or much interest. I can stick it on, watch it for twenty minutes and leave without it having much of an impact. It’s popcorn really, something to have to pass the time but not having any real opinions or feeling towards.

For those who watched the crunchyroll broadcast you may be wondering just why episode 7 ended on a minute of a half of a birds eye starting at the screen. As it turns out that was supposed to be a credits roll but someone messed up at crunchyroll and had it blank with the normal ending tacked on. On this note, who here believed Goblin Slayer was dead? What? No one? Yeah, me neither. It’s not much of a cliffhanger to have the main character seemly die when he has plot armour considering that the show itself is named after him. I will admit that if he did die this would be a hell of a way to go out, going berserker on a goblin champion and scaring goblins so much that they all run terrified from him. The situation itself was certainly a lowest point for the party with high elf nearly raped, priestess getting a chuck ripped out of her and the guys…actually thinking of it Lizard and dwarf got off rather light in this engagement.

In episode 8 we see how Goblin slayer survived the encounter and it was one of those eye rolling moments that show Goblin Slayer’s light novel origins. He was revived with healing magic that basically required him to sleep sharing a bed with priestess and Sword Maiden. Sword Maiden was needed to cast the spell and Priestess was needed due to the spell requiring a virgin which Sword maiden wasn’t due to having been raped by goblins. My short time googling can’t confirm whether there is an actual D&D spell like this but honestly I found the whole scene just asininely pandering. Oh boy isn’t it cool that Goblin Slayer slept with two hot chicks in a bed last night? And now Sword Maiden is talking suggestively to him with nipples that could cut diamond. It was either cold as ice in that room or Goblin Slayer just emits an invisible aphrodisiac that it renders any woman weak in the knees. Overall i just found it distracting how Sword Maiden talks of being raped by monsters and her voice and the camera angles seem to be suggesting that I should be very turned on by this despite the content talking of how traumatised Sword Maiden is.

I do like that the treat of the goblins is mainly due to how much they distress Sword maiden who can fight demon lords and dragons no problem but is so deeply traumatized with her experience with goblins that she cannot relax knowing they are so close by. But it’s rather hard to take her seriously when while she is explaining it she rolls her hands down her chest causing her massive assets to jiggle. It’s a bit like watching a woman talk about her suicidal tendencies while pole dancing. Only other things I can mention is that it is rather novel for this show to have a beholder and refer to it as “The beast that must not be named” for that monster was one of the few that Wizards of the coast(D&D owners) copyrighted. And word is that they are pretty hard on enforcing that copyright so Goblin Slayer had to skirt around its name in other to not be sued. Also due to the shifting around of material a small plot hole has opened up but I suppose White Fox will skirt around that as well.

Thunderbolt Fantasy 2 – 09 [The Path of the Strong]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Thunderbolt Fantasy

As soon as our Princess Cruelty has her redemption moments, I immediately realize this might be the last we see of her. This proves to be the case, well, this is Thunderbolt world we’re talking about – the strong survives and the weak dies, but I believe Thunderbolt gives her characters just about enough growth. She had gone through one hell of a challenge as the prideful evil Sword berates her and nearly uses her blood as a sacrifice (well, it’s another kind of physical and mental abuse if you think about it). While her short duel with Shang Bu Huan doesn’t really change anything – she knows the guy is much stronger than her – I enjoy the moments in many ways. First, unlike Thunderbolt’s other duels so far this sword fight is short and sweet. It takes just one move for Shang Bu Huan to defeat the Princess. Second, like what Shang Bu Huan comments, it’s rather impressive that Princess Cruelty can shake off the evil sword and fight in her own will. She mentions how using the powerful sword makes her realize how weak she is, but in truth the person who can realize their own limitation goes a long way. Thunderbolt has always addressed the quest of becoming invincible by the means of swords, and this Cruelty plot further demonstrates this quality to great extend. You’ve done well, Cruelty.

In the other side of the battle, admittedly with a much lower stake, Dirty Cop ‘asks’ Gui Niao (not very nicely) to make a deal with him of swapping “stolen goods” and sell them with high price. Well, this Dirty Cop sure is corrupted, but points for him for stripping down all the pretense. Still, his puppet’s teeth gonna give me nightmare, I swear. Gui Niao is playing along with his scheme for now, but I won’t be surprised if the man is waiting for a right opportunity to turn the table.

And finally, the evil Sword has a new sword-wielder. Can’t say I’m surprised with this new turn of events, but I’m sure with the guy as amoral as this Monk, his combination with the Seven Blasphemous Deaths makes him a formidable threat. His new design is certainly awesome and moreover, it’s interesting to see how the evil sword and him will play out. This guy is not the type who can be easily controlled for sure, so whatever the case he will this sword: as a tool, or as a soulmate, or as a master, it remains to be seen. But I’m sure hyped for how Shang Bu Huan and his partner can overcome this powerful beast. The lesson Shang Bu Huan needs to learn here, is to listen to your goddamn partner, dude. This Ginger Singer knows best.

SSSS.GRIDMAN – 08 [Confrontation]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, SSSS.GRIDMAN

Is it just me or Akane’s face is too pink this week?

GRIDMAN doesn’t break its formula this week. Structure-wise, it’s another first-half minimalist building up and second-half grand battle between kaiju of the week and Gridman. It’s up the stage for sure, this kaiju is promised to be the strongest one yet, and it’s the first time where Gridman manages to get all the boost-up items at once. But by all means I still enjoy GRIDMAN greatly. After all, repetition is the game here. These last episodes it has been opened itself up a lot to reveal many crucial points. This week, it’s a reveal from Akane that Rikka is created in a way the she can’t possibly hate Akane, by her kaiju no less. Well, I take all Akane egotistical view with a grain of salt, but it begs a question on how real everything is. If Rikka – the only cast member who acts like real human – is fake, then what about Yuuta (who has amnesia) or Shou in general?

Gotta say I really enjoy the way GRIDMAN counts down the cultural fest. It builds up a sense of anticipation, although with the main cast it has little to do with the fest itself. Akane challenges the Gridman’s team head-on by announcing her plan of kaiju’s attack on the day, in which our team responses by attacking first instead.By doing so, the students are forced to evacuate before Akane does the real damage. It’s still hilarious to see the scale-down Gridman against the giant monster nearly double his size and the real battle is GRIDMAN’s most over-the-top set pieces so far this season. There has been an ongoing claims over GRIDMAN’s blatant plagiarism from its inspiration but I don’t buy it. One of GRIDMAN’s aim is to pay homage to its source, from Gridman franchise to NGE so it doesn’t surprise me if the show uses many of its inspiration’s iconic scenes.

Meanwhile, Anti shows up at the gang’s hang out looking for Rikka. While he missed her this time, it bounds for a development between them since it marks the first time where Anti looks for someone else other than Akane, and that he doesn’t join the battle to kill Gridman. Is it a change of heart of a temporary retreat? I suppose it’s a latter but I won’t be surprised if Rikka can change him. Now that Akane is lost for an x time, and that we reach to the point where both Akane’s kaiju and Gridman are in their best form, I guess it’s time where they end this Gridman vs kaiju stage and reach to the next stage with a new final boss.

Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara – 08 [Fragile Fragments]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara

The moment teen-Kohaku came to the picture few episodes ago, I knew that she’d be the one who forces the plot forward, for better or for worse. After a few episodes where she had been just eccentric, this week, indeed, she drives the story by forcing Hitomi and Aoi together to see if it triggers Hitomi’s color sight again. That’s Mari Okada’s level of emotional manipulation there. Well, even I had prepared for it, I’m still a fair bit let down that Irozuku goes to that fashion. That disappointment aside, this week marks the first time Irozuku frames the narrative through Kohaku’s perspective, which further gives us her motivation, and at large her responsibility of sending Hitomi back to her timeline. The problem with it is, nobody, especially Hitomi, knows what they want. As such, the main narrative now feels like a cow running in circle looking for a way out.

This week involves Kohaku who comes to the conclusion that the reason for Hitomi’s colorblind is that she unintentionally casts a spell to herself. That’s a legit reason by all means, and she tries hard to not only resolve her granddaughter personal issues, but also restore her safely back to her world. It’s Hitomi, however, who enjoys this world so much that she doesn’t want to leave yet. This week, the club gives her a chance to take her own picture. If you’re like me, these club activities become somewhat the same now that it’s boring and repetitive. I know I have addressed this issue every week but it’s bear repeating that Irozuku doesn’t have much in terms of actual plot to tell.

Not only Hitomi, there’s another person who isn’t sure of his own feeling. It’s Shou, the Photography president who clearly has some attachments over Hitomi but can’t open his mouth to say this. Regarding this is P.A Works show, this kind of development doesn’t surprise me much but I just wish they tackle it more intimately. There’s just not much character acting, or even character depth in any of these developments. And that’s where Irozuku falters since I feel detached from these characters, as a result I don’t care much whether or not Hitomi can regain her color view. Okay, she will eventually see the world in full colors, so what? Not a big deal at the end of the day.

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai – 08[Wash It All Away on a Stormy Night]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai

This was certainly an interesting arc and quite different from what I usually find from light novel affair. Generally in light novels the girl of the arc has her problems solved by our protagonist jumping in to either give a rousing pep talk or punch whatever is making their life hard. Thus leaving them “fixed” and with a love that will most certainly be unrequited. But this arc pretty much throws away all of that and instead we have a girl with a multifaceted problem that can’t be punched or talked down. Futaba’s problems as it were dealt with her own split in thinking with her dealing with the worry that with Sakuto and Yuuma having girlfriends that she will eventually be left behind, being confident in her body while at the same time hating it for the unwanted attention that it draws and a love for her best friend that she knows will be rejected outright if she ever conveyed her feelings.

The is no villain to defeat and Sakuto having a girlfriend means that he can’t just solve her problems with romance.(Kirito needs to take note of that) Nor is the end of this arc a definitive solution for Futaba’s problems as it’s less about changing herself and more about coming to terms that her problems are part of who she is. I really like Sakuto’s approach to this as he plays the role more of a support for Futaba, reminding her that she has people who care and will go out of their way for her as well as reassuring her that one does not necessarily require to love oneself.

For this to come from the most grounded of the cast is certainly a surprise as she shows that mentally she may not be as strong minded as her appearance may suggest. Well in spite of that she’s strong enough to speak her feelings clearly to her friend during a fireworks show, even subverting that cliche of not being able to hear a confession over fireworks by her repeating it. Got to say I was somewhat hoping that he would accept it even if it would make Futaba’s conclusion to her arc weaker. Maybe later down the line that girlfriend of his gets an arc that makes her less deplorable. I got to say that it certainly was surprising to see just how much Fubata was thrown off balance by someone on the internet starting to try and blackmail her over her twitter photos. it really showed just how dangerous things can be with playing around on the net and seeing her just get so scared that she couldn’t be alone afterwards. As a few last notes, I hate that they are pulling this thing with Mai not being allowed to date even if it is a realistic part of the industry. It’s good that Mai consulted Sakuto on it but it is a bit annoying if it leads to her screentime getting cut down.