Mario: Hello everyone, this week I decided to drop Appare Ranman. It did have what I consider its best episode (episode 7) a few weeks back, but I feel no desire to watch any more of the race so I figure it’s best to leave the show on the high note. Wooper is not joining us today, and that means that this week’s content will be mostly overlooked classic stuff – but to my delight they – the classic ones – all deliver (Well, Japan Sinks still sinks deeply). Let’s break it all down:

Japan Sinks – 07

Mario: It’s another uneven episode of Japan Sinks. It raises some interesting issues, naming how the Japanese authority deals with the situation. Saving people based on their national ID in the manner of lottery calls is intriguing, and Japan Sinks isn’t shy about showing the mixed effects of that implication to the citizens. But then along the way we get an unconvincing story of Ayumu refusing to board that ship (hey, her leg’s wound!! Anyone?), of Onodera again using his Morse code to save the day (but his backstory is never quite clear – was he a hostage back in Shan city? Does anyone in that city know about him being Onodera?). Everything happens with the extremist group and the ship of the old man just happens too quickly like a fever dream. And like a fever dream, we’re there to experience and not trying to look any deeper because the whole thing can (literally) fall apart just as quickly.

Aoi Hana – 06/07

Mario: It’s the conclusion of the play and the episode consists of Sugimoto introducing Fumi to her family. It might be two very different episodes, but group it together as we, the viewers, can see another soft and spoiled side of Sugimoto, in which once again the show does it magnificently. When the sisters and mother of Sugimoto enter that room, it strikes me hard that Aoi Hana is at heart a love story about girls/ women written by a woman with an almost-entirely female cast. And within these few scenes all the personalities of the sisters and Mom are clearly defined. It might be extreme but for me you can’t find a more authentic feminine voice than this.

And how Aoi Hana focuses on Sugimoto’s immature, vulnerable side in these two episodes is masterclass. First we see her perfect, carefree facade breaking down when the teacher (her previous crush) compliments her for the play. And then on the next date where she brings Fumi to her home to announce their relationship to her family. That’s a bold (and encouraging) move, but her sisters throw her off immediately. That might be harsh from the sisters, but then again they know how to tick her little sister off and just makes Sugimoto realize how childish she is. There’s a lot going on here. Sugimoto brings Fumi home to announce their relationship and ends up breaking up with her – but in Aoi Hana fashion everything proceeds quietly and soberly. 

And I just love the motifs of Aoi Hana’s characters stroking their (or other’s) hair. It feels as if they express their inner feelings through those gestures. 

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 8” →

Houkago Teibou Nisshi – 07

Wooper: This episode was a reaction face gold mine. As Hina gets more comfortable around her new friends in the Breakwater Club, she’s less cautious about letting her feelings show on her features, which means her hero worship of Oono and disdain for Natsumi have become obvious to everyone. This week’s stories shone a different light on each of those characters, however, poking a hammer-shaped hole in Oono’s athletic image, and revealing the booksmart side of Natsumi’s personality. Though there was nothing visually noteworthy about Hina visiting her friend’s house to study, it was still my favorite of the two halves because of how it treated their friendship. The reveal that Hina had never visited a friend’s house before was thankfully a casual one, but I’m sure she appreciated the chance, and Natsumi’s pre-midterm helpfulness and interest in her friend’s handicraft hobby were really kind. Now that we’ve seen this side of both girls, I’d like to see a softening of their teasing dynamic during club meetings and fishing outings – though I’m sure the relationship will work either way going forward.

Japan Sinks – 06

Mario: This episode wraps up the Shan city arc and ho boy, it’s not great. I see a lot of lost opportunity here in this arc, and I question the roles of many characters here as well. Take Daniel, for example. His placement in this arc feels really odd for me. Is he supposed to be an outsider (his nationality) to signal the Mutoh family about how he has no place to return to? Then why does he fit the living style in Shan city like a glove? And then the cult leader. Are we supposed to take her superpower seriously? What is the meaning behind exploring the cult’s strange activities and worships and then proceed to end it with an earthquake? And then the poor boy who just says that one line before the huge rock falls over his head. I don’t know if we are supposed to feel shock, but there was good comedic timing right there.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary – Week 6-7” →

Mario: Like I said last week, with this thin season, it’s a good opportunity for me to check out some lost gems – one of those shows that are lost in the sea of forgotten anime. Click down to see what those two shows are. I want to pick up one more so if you have some recommendation you can shout out in the comments. Conditions apply: you can only recommend shows that aren’t considered as “classic”, or maybe better that you recommend the ones you enjoy that need more attention. The older the anime the better. Now, let’s run them down.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi 5-6

Wooper: Another week, another pair of Cute Girls Catching Cute Fish episodes (that’s CGCCF for short). The show has gotten a little louder since the introduction of Kotani-sensei, sponsor for the Breakwater Club, which wasn’t to my tastes. In addition to her duties as club advisor and school nurse, she’s an obnoxious drunk – hence the loudness – but even high volumes levels could ordinarily be forgiven. What’s unforgivable is her regular hijacking of the girls’ seafood snacks, which they catch and fry with their own blood, sweatdrops and tears! Add Natsumi’s regular teasing of Hina to the mix, and there were moments where these episodes grated on me, which isn’t what you want from a slice of life club show. Thankfully, we ended on a nice story where Hina heads out to catch some horse mackerel for her family’s dinner, and learns a few new things after Natsumi tags along. It’s always nice to see noisy anime characters prove their worth as main cast members.

Japan Sinks – 02-05

Mario: I know my fellow Lenlo already gave a full review on this and trashed it like crazy, but if you want a weekly tracking on how Japan Sinks stinks then this column is the perfect chance to do so. And after the first half, I am still pretty much on board with how things progress so far. The event that happens at the end of episode 2 is really a game changer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I did find the Shan city segment a bit overlong, and there’s this growing sense of something deeply wrong with this cult town, but I am not sure how the show will deal with it. The same growing sense of something wrong can be said for our characters as well, as Ayumu’s wound is open and no one seems to care. In addition, for a character that appears right at the beginning, Haruo doesn’t really add anything to the table. It remains to be seen how the second half of this will be.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 5” →

Mario: As Wooper noted, our last 9 posts are about 9 different shows, which is something worth cheering for. The rest of the seasonal shows look quite slim, sadly. These shows below either fall apart after the first episode, or not even that interesting to begin with. At this moment I consider following only Appare-Ranman, and in a normal season I wouldn’t give it another chance. If that’s the case, next week I’ll look into some older forgotten anime and give them another try. We will see.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi 2-4

Wooper: After being delayed three months due to the COVID pandemic, Fishing Girls has returned to supply us with half an hour of feel-good angling action each week. “Action” might be a strong word, actually; these episodes have been fairly serene affairs, despite the characters’ colorful personalities. This show is the latest in a recent string of hobby-related anime that have nicely developed their central female relationships. It follows most closely in Yuru Camp’s footsteps, with the same emphasis on pretty backgrounds, rustic soundtrack, and educational content. Several moments thus far have managed to put a smile on my face, from Hina’s promise to catch lots of fish for her dad to eat, to the simple pleasure of eating orange slices on a shopping trip with her clubmates. It’s the diverse instrumentation that gives all these scenes their individual flavors; from ukuleles to marimbas to tin whistles, Houkago Teibou Nisshi plays host to a plethora of playful and soothing sounds. With every episode, the show deepens both Hina’s fishing knowledge and her new friendships in rewarding ways – I’m glad to be watching it this summer.

Kanojo Okarishimasu – 02

Mario: WHAT A PATHETIC MALE LEAD! Are we really supposed to root for this sad sack? He’s so pitiful it’s not even funny anymore.

DROPPED.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Weeks 2-4” →