BNA – 04-06 [Dropped]

It’s been nearly a week since Asenshi released episode 6 of BNA, but I’ve delayed in writing this post because I wasn’t sure how to approach it. If you’ve read the title, you know I’m dropping the series – but I wondered about my lead-in paragraph. Should I beat the dead horse-shaped argument of completing anime versus dropping it? Should I caution against studio worship, given that Trigger’s reputation caused many viewers (myself included) to set their expectations for the show too high? Or should I lay into the series for being a disappointment on its own terms, which would demand a more thorough breakdown of each episode?

As the week dragged on, I realized that it didn’t really matter what I led with. Most people won’t remember this show in three years, and they’ll certainly have forgotten my posts about it long before then. I haven’t enjoyed the series since its second episode, and I don’t want to watch it or talk about it anymore. This post just needs to be farted out so I can forget about BNA, and continue enjoying the few solid anime this virus-stricken spring season has to offer. So, in the spirit of abandonment, here are my brief thoughts about episodes 4-6.

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BNA – 02 [Rabbit Town]

Trigger’s latest attempt to Save Anime has arrived, complete with a two-tone color scheme and an unorthodox release schedule. While it was still one of spring’s most anticipated shows (placing second in our season preview poll), the half-cour Netflix rollout and resulting lack of official subs has reduced awareness of the series in broader circles. That didn’t stop me with Dorohedoro, though, and it won’t stop me now. I’m not a big Trigger fan, but my favorite work of theirs was created by Yoh Yoshinari, who’s also directing BNA, so I’ve got a reason to be optimistic here. The show isn’t blowing me away yet – in fact, I have a fair number of criticisms, which we’ll get to in a bit – but since we’re just two episodes in, my patience is still intact. And hey, being so short and so grounded in its own alternate reality, the series probably won’t have time for a groan-worthy trip to space just before the end. Amen to that, eh?

(Note: I’m following Asenshi’s weekly releases, not the batch of six episodes that are already making the rounds online. Don’t expect to see a flurry of BNA posts any time soon.)

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