Category: Finished Series: Romance

Horimiya – 02 [You Wear More Than One Face]

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Horimiya

I intended to cover Back Arrow this season instead of Horimiya, but then I rewatched that show’s premiere to get a better handle on its terminology and worldbuilding, and had to pause to take notes every 30 seconds (also it’s a two cour show, which is something of a commitment). So I jumped ship to a comfy romcom – one with which I have a bit of prior experience, having seen the OVA that began in 2012. That version still gets updated every couple years (with two new episodes due this May), though its web manga art style is much more limited than what the TV adaptation has delivered thus far. That’s not to say this new version is a visual stunner, as its plain backgrounds and hair-swapped character designs are perhaps its biggest failings. Everything else is great, though, so let’s talk about it.

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Yesterday wo Utatte Review – 72/100

by SuperWooper, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Romance, Reviews by SuperWooper, Yesterday wo Utatte

How much weight should a poor conclusion have in the final analysis of an otherwise well-executed series? Should you take a mathematical approach, calculating which percentage of its episodes didn’t meet an average standard of goodness? Or should you work based on feelings – the degree to which your memory of the show is stained by a lousy ending? Personally, I’d say that either method is fine, so long as you factor in the strength of the series before its implosion. In Yesterday wo Utatte’s case, its first 11 episodes were better than its finale was bad. That schizophrenic bus monologue and badly-timed confession can’t erase the heartache of Shinako’s backstory, or the show’s excellent supporting character work, or its vivid sense of nostalgia. This is an anime that stood atop the spring season for most of its run, then punted its crown in week 12. That doesn’t mean it joins Shachou, Battle no Jikan desu! and Shadowverse at the bottom of the seasonal barrel; it just moves down a couple spots on the winner’s podium.

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Yesterday wo Utatte – 11-12

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Yesterday wo Utatte

You’ve already heard the news by now, I’m sure, but the idea of this series getting an 18-episode order was a faulty bit of reporting by The Internet’s Most Trusted Anime News Source. Those six phantom episodes, once thought to be full-length TV offerings, actually referred to the short webisodes that followed half of the show’s regular installments. The last of those webisodes is available here, but you’d be forgiven for regarding it as insufficient closure; I doubt there’s a universe where a two-minute animated postmortem could fix what went down in episode 12 of Yesterday wo Utatte. Even as somebody who fully expected a Rikuo/Haru endgame, the conclusion I saw last Saturday was pretty damaging to the show’s overall reputation. But the final episode shouldn’t bear all the blame here – 11’s handling of the Rikuo/Shinako relationship set the stage for its sequel’s failure. If you’re wondering how that could be, hit the jump to see what I mean.

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Princess Tutu Anime Review – 91/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Romance, Princess Tutu, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday

I am not a Mahou Shoujo fan. The first one I ever watched, like many, was the Sailor Moon dub while growing up. It was fine enough, but as I grew, I eventually came to just ignore and tune the genre out. It wasn’t for me, it was silly girl stuff. In recent years, having met new friends in the community and traded recommendations, I was reintroduced to it. Whether it be watching Hugtto Precure or Symphogear for the r/anime awards or Penguindrum via contract, it’s the most Mahou Shoujo I have seen in years. And I hated almost all of them. They were either so sweet they gave me diabetes or had their head stuck incredibly far up where the sun don’t shine. The last one I remember actually enjoying was Madoka Magica, which is hardly an accurate representation of the genre. And then came Princess Tutu.

On paper, going by its title and promotional art, I should hate Princess Tutu. Directed by Junichi Satou, the man behind 2018’s Hugtto Precure, and made by Studio Hal Film Maker, it looks like everything I should hate about the genre. And yet as I watched Princess Tutu, it became very clear to me that this was nothing of the sort. Everything from its direction like a ballet to its tragedy-soaked story and characters felt so much richer than any Mahou Shoujo I had seen before. So much so that I don’t mind spoiling where this review will go by saying right here at the top that Princess Tutu is the best Mahou Shoujo I have ever seen. So as someone who self-describes as “Shounen Trash” and is routinely dismissed as such, please listen when I say: stop reading and give Princess Tutu a shot. You may be surprised.

Without further ado, let’s talk details, and strap in because this is going to get wordy. Also fair warning this review will contain spoilers for Princess Tutu. So if you haven’t watched it… fix that.

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Carry on.) Continue reading “Princess Tutu Anime Review – 91/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Princess Tutu – 25/26 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Princess Tutu, Throwback Thursday

Welcome one and all to the finale of our Princess Tutu watch! It’s been a long and surprising road for me. I thought this was going to be another bargain bin Mahou Shoujo. And here we are, an ending where the guy doesn’t get the girl, the heroine loses and the villain walks off without a care in the world. And I loved it. So let’s dive in! And remember, a poll for the next show to watch is at the bottom!

First up, lets talk animation and production, because this isn’t normally an area Princess Tutu excels in. It’s not bad by any means, Ahiru can be quite expressive when she wants to. But most of the time we are treated to stills and a more “postcard memories” treatment. While that’s a perfectly valid, and often times better, method I still want to give praise where it’s due. Because this week Princess Tutu had quite a bit of good animation. Most of it involved Mytho, from his flight on the petals to his combat with the Rave. But a fair a bit, and what I generally preferred, involved Ahiru. Her dances, how she flew about in the wind or got knocked around among crows. It was all unexpectedly polished and made for a great finale. I wish we had gotten more sooner, but in this case, the wait was worth it.

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Yesterday wo Utatte – 09-10

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Yesterday wo Utatte

I’m not the sort of person who chooses #teams while watching love triangle plots, but after this pair of episodes, if you put a gun to my head, I’d pick Haru. She’s received much less screen time than Shinako, but that only makes scenes like her hug with Rikuo on the apartment landing more rewarding. Their contrasting heights and levels of enthusiasm made for a great shot, and their follow-up conversation was one of the best the show has orchestrated in weeks. Even if we still don’t really understand why Haru likes this dude so much, she’s straightforward about her feelings! She keeps stopping by his apartment because, in her words, it’s “more fun than waiting” for him to contact her or reciprocate her crush. She’s clingy, but she’s also way more honest than either Rikuo or Shinako, who keep dancing around each other like teenagers (ironically, Haru is the only teenager among the three of them).

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Princess Tutu – 23/24 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Princess Tutu, Throwback Thursday

Welcome one and all to the penultimate edition of my Princess Tutu watch. Everything comes to a head this week! As Fakir rescues Ahiru, Kraehe learns the truth about the Raven and Mytho succumbs to the blood. Will Ahiru get the happy ending she wants or will Drosselmeyer win in the end? Well its time to dive in and talk about it.

Starting off we have episode 23, Marionettes. In recent episodes Princess Tutu has been really focused on the more story based aspect of its setting. Going in on things like authorship of stories, the responsibilities and power authors have with their characters. When the focus is on Fakir this can be a rather uplifting and positive notion, as he doesn’t want to abuse this power. This week though we see the other side of this power in Drosselmeyer. Where Fakir doesn’t want to control or abuse, Drosselmeyer will only be satisfied with his story and his ending. He is all about control over the story and forcing it to fit his desires. Going so far as to stop the story entirely by taking Tutu out of it until she bows to his control. Simply put, he wants a tragic ending of his own design, without caring what his characters want.

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Princess Tutu – 21/22 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Princess Tutu, Throwback Thursday

Ladies and Gentleman, this is the time when Princess Tutu starts to get weird. As this week we upend almost the entire story. Who is the main antagonist now? Protagonist? Are we even in the same story anymore? And the best part is, I still love it, so lets dive right in.

Right off the bat, before we get to far into the details, I want to say that things got weird. Princess Tutu turned the whole story on its head this week, all by simply changing the main antagonist. I am of course talking about Drosselmeyer and the Raven. You see, while Drosselmeyer has never exactly been a good force in Princess Tutu, he has never really hindered them either. All he wanted was a good story, a tragic one, and that coincided with Ahiru’s desire to save Mytho. So for the longest time he was this vaguely threatening neutral party, with the Raven being the main evil force. This week though, and Princess Tutu has built up to this well, he takes center stage and the Raven doesn’t even show up at all. Had there not been such a focus on fairy tale stories, i’d be annoyed. Instead, i’m excited.

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Princess Tutu – 19/20 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Princess Tutu, Throwback Thursday

Welcome one and all to another week of Princess Tutu! This time we cover episodes 19 and 20, where we tackle “Love” in all it’s forms, across the entire cast. From Mytho and Fakir to Rue and Ahiru, none are safe, not even the side characters. So without further ado, lets dive in!

Starting off we have episode 19, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Being named after one of the most famous plays William Shakespeare ever wrote, it’s connections should be obvious. Everything within this episode is a callback to the play in some form or another. From the overarching theme of love, loves lost and loves ignored, to the very names of our side characters: Hermia and Lysander. Were this a western work I would almost call it to on the nose, with how blatant these references are. However, and I don’t know Shakespeare’s prevalence in Japan, this depth and understanding of the work feels so unique for anime. Most of the time we get schlock like the recent *Boarding School Juliet*. Thing’s that take the base premise, toss it in a school setting, and call it a day. Yer Princess Tutu does so much with the original work, and I love it.

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Yesterday wo Utatte – 08 [Innocent Blue]

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Yesterday wo Utatte

How could you screw up this badly, Rikuo? Shinako just got finished telling you to be more assertive in episode 7, and now you bail at the first sign of hesitation after she’s invited you up to her apartment? I know you’re both awkward as hell, but all the situation called for was a reminder of her earlier request. Just teasingly say, “You’re the one who said I ought to be pushy,” give her a smile, and you’re probably golden. Even if you can’t manage that kind of line, at least generate some conversation as she’s leading you upstairs. For Pete’s sake, do *anything* other than what you did at the start of this episode!

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