Outside of a very few exceptions, I have come to despise the isekai genre with its predominantly self-inserted overpowered male protagonists, massive harems, fan-service bait and overused fantasy settings. Youjo Senki is none of those things and it has gained a very special place in my heart where it features the combined arms of a magical World War One/Two, realistic military environment and a villainous main character. Aside from character title cards and a couple of very brief flashbacks, the movie expect you are familiar with its television series as it goes straight back into its worldwide war. Continue reading “Youjo Senki Movie Review – 85/100”
Category: Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction
DanMachi2 – Army’s Advance (Rakia)
DanMachi is sliding down a muddy hill. That’s both a summary of what happened this episode and the state of this season’s quality in general.
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Dr.STONE – 12 [Buddies Back to Back]
Welcome to another good week of Dr.STONE, this time tackling a chapter I have been expectantly waiting for. As this week Senku and crew confront the dangerous side of science, Ginro finds his courage and we take another step towards our cure-all. Let’s get right to it!
First and foremost I want to talk about my personal favorite aspect this week, that being Sulfy-chan. It’s easy to see why she came in at #15 on the Dr.STONE character popularity poll. Despite the fact that she isn’t actually a real character. All that said though, Dr.STONE nailed her presentation this week. Really trying its best to harness the horror of the scene and the building dread of an enemy you can’t see. There are places of course that I think the manga did it better, but that is simply down to Boichi’s stellar art. I think that TMS translated it to motion well, foregoing some of the greater detail for slick animation. Such as her face melting, or her spinning into the bottle like a Proton Pack. So just as good, just in different ways. So credit to TMS there this week.
DanMachi2 – Episodes 9/10 (Berbera/Argonaut)
DanMachi, you’re making this hard.
Overall, this season has been incredibly disjointed…the latest episode (10) is a perfect example of that. It’s like half the animation team is working on one fight, while the interns get the other (and debatably more important one!) In the same episode!
Continue reading “DanMachi2 – Episodes 9/10 (Berbera/Argonaut)”
Dr.STONE – 11 [Clear World]
Ladies and Gentleman who actually read these posts, this is an important week for Dr.STONE. As this week we meet Kaseki, perhaps the greatest old man of the season. Dr.STONE doesn’t stop there though. Introducing us to the wonders of glassmaking and giving us another heartfelt moment of technological progress. Enough of that though, in we go!
Starting off, Dr.STONE once again makes us appreciate the modern world through technological advances. The whole thing with Suika’s glasses was, in my opinion, beautiful. From discovering her issue, to making it clear this isn’t a defect or flaw. Dr.STONE really sells how much of an issue this would be in ancient times. Then, when it comes time for the grand reveal, the series knows when to hold back. No one says a word when Suika puts the helmet on. Letting her facial expressions and the scene itself sell the moment. Rather than telling the audience how to feel, it shows us. As someone who needs glasses in their day to day life, I loved it. It’s Dr.STONE once again slow-rolling the audience, without ever really screaming in our face, “APPRECIATE TECHNOLOGY”. If anything, the series sort of throws that at us back with characters like Kinro.
Dr.STONE – 10 [A Flimsy Alliance]
This is a tough week for Dr.STONE, as it has to follow up the brilliant “lightbulb” of last week. However, for as much as it serves as cool-down episode, I think this week succeeds. As Dr.STONE temporarily closes the book on Tsukasa, introduces a new antagonist for the Village, and a great alliance is formed. Let’s dive in!
Now as I said, this week was for the most part slower than last week. As it spends its time establishing new threats and having Gen make a decision. Yet, enough happened outside/around that, to make it feel like a lot happened in a short amount of time. The big one though that really broke up the episode was Magma’s reappearance. Oof, how was that for a surprise? It effectively broke the episode in two. Ending the jovial nature carried over from last week, for a more focused one with the upcoming Grand Bout. It also had some of Dr.STONE’s most brutal animation. Really selling Gen’s assault and setting Magma up as a villain. Even as a manga reader, I had forgotten what had happened between the Lightbulb and the Grand Bout. A pleasant surprise for me. Now though, onto the details.
DanMachi 2 – 8 [Killing Stone (Ephemeral Dreams)]
Hi everyone. Everybody okay after that episode? I think everyone who watched this week’s DanMachi needs to take a moment and have a circle hug. Just some nice pats on the back, some nice happy thoughts.
Alright, if everyone’s feeling a little better, let’s talk about this episode a bit.
Continue reading “DanMachi 2 – 8 [Killing Stone (Ephemeral Dreams)]”
Dr.STONE – 9 [Let There Be the Light of Science]
This was a good week for Dr.STONE. A personal favorite character of mine was introduced, science progressed and everything just came together perfectly at the end. So let’s jump in to my favorite episode of Dr.STONE yet.
Starting off, this week introduces Gen, one of if not my favorite character of the series. Unlike Senku he isn’t terribly smart, and unlike Tsukasa or Taiju he isn’t terribly physical. Simply put, the only thing he can really do is talk, but boy does he talk well. However what makes him my favorite isn’t his personality but rather his place in Dr.STONE’s story. Gen is, more than anyone else, an audience stand in for the technology. He doesn’t know how the things Senku makes works, but he does appreciate them. Gen is there to stand in awe of the technology and to be the reference point for us the viewer. Seeing these impossible things brought back in a stone world. You really only need to look at his reactions to see it. The stunned silence and watering eyes. Dr.STONE does a good job showing his sheer joy.
Continue reading “Dr.STONE – 9 [Let There Be the Light of Science]”
DanMachi2 – 7 [Fox Person (Renard)]
I respect when a show doesn’t treat the viewers as idiots. What that means in practice is not writing out easily contrived situations where someone acts illogically, just as a plot device or to get out of a pinch. This week on DanMachi, I would say everyone acts logically as the episode comes down from the night in the Pleasure Quarter.
Continue reading “DanMachi2 – 7 [Fox Person (Renard)]”
Dr.STONE – 8 [Stone Road]
Everyone, this week is a big week for Dr.STONE. A lot of important things happen. We meet Suika, Senku creates Ramen and most important of all, Dr.STONE gives us our first major roadmap. Let’s jump in!
Starting off, let’s talk about the ever so important roadmap. We will be getting a few of these as we go through the series, and they act as arcs of sorts. Detailing our end goal and what Senku has to accomplish to get there. I have always enjoyed these roadmaps myself. Showing a bunch of the little details involved, yet never really downplaying how difficult these steps will be. While I can’t speak for the validity/exactness of the science, the general idea behind it seems sound enough as well. It would be very interesting to get an actual scientists interpretation of it all. Overall though I think it’s a novel idea on how to structure an arc. Not around a villain, but a goal with a clear end and pathway. The only question being how the characters will accomplish each goal.