Mario: Doesn’t matter where you are right now, the last three months have been atypical to say the very least. This is the season we have more time than ever to burn and less shows than ever to follow, so catching up with old series seems like a logical step. I’m actually busier than ever but that doesn’t stop me from having dumb fun with anime and anticipating how all current season shows wrap themselves up. The results were mixed, Yesterday wo Utatte had one hell of a terrible finale that disregards every it built up in the first 11 episodes, BNA is too busy with itself and Kakushigoto’s ending feels a bit disconnected with the rest. Read on to see how these shows reach the finish line, and we will see you in the next season.

Hamefura – 11-12 (END)

Amun: We did it everyone!  We survived all the doom flags, AND avoided committing to any romance.  This last episode was busywork in the first half, and a treat to wrap up the series.  The one good point I’ll give the conclusion of spooky emo boy is that Hamefura was honest to the end – Catarina is like, yup, I really can’t fix your childhood trauma or the fact that your mother was murdered right here….but I can take your hand.  That…was actually nice.  Too many shows try to power through trauma or hurt like it can all be overcome by the power of friendship.  At least Hamefura acknowledges that there isn’t much to be done, except small steps in the right direction, starting now.  I respect that.  The second half is Catarina being Catarina…right up to the point she concludes (as only she could) that they’ve reached the “friendship” end.  Which, of course, they haven’t at all – she’s just managed to create a new end of partial-yuri-reverse-harem.

Hamefura was a bright star in a dismal season.  Although there were a few missteps in the middle, Hamefura was a fresh setting, fresh take, excellent characters, top notch VAs, and compelling enough gimmicks to make it one of the shows I looked forward to every week.  While there isn’t much rewatch value or any real depth/life-changing takeaways, Catarina and crew adorably fought their way through pampered royal high school – and I thoroughly enjoyed tagging along for the ride.

BNA – 10-12 (END)

Mario: As a whole I still consider the second half of BNA much better than the first half. The plot has urgency, characters weave better towards the overarching story, but the ending for me still feels rushed and a tad bit underwhelming. The main themes of the show are about 1) human vs beastman racism and 2) Michiru’s quest to go back to the human world – but then along the way in the climax, the human component goes off the rail and Michiru’s first conflict is being ignored. As a result, the show feels lackey and unfocused. I also have a qualms with Michiru’s special abilities and the fact that not a single side character thinks her ability is abnormal. BNA is stylish and fun to watch, sure, but like most of Trigger’s output the writing, especially the character writing and the worldbuilding are not detailed enough to sell me about the world.

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 11-12” →

Mario: My apology that we missed out last week. Since the restriction relaxing in my hometown it has been even more hectic and busy for me lately, to the point that I am busier than I was before the lockdown. Anyways, we are here for anime and while the whole anime industry is suffering at this point (with next season looks even grimmer), the easing of restrictions in Japan’s main cities is an encouraging sign – hopefully the anime industry picks up its pace soon.

BNA – 7-9

Mario: Okay, the first half of BNA might be a little shaky (the baseball episode was pretty meh to me), but episode 7 through 9 the show seems to get a handle on framing the big overarching act, as the main players are all in places now and these three episodes provide some twists and turns. Not all of them are effective but now BNA has a sense of knowing where it goes, unlike the first half when it fails to enrich the Anima city worldbuilding. We know about the true reasons behind Michirou’s beast ability (many see this coming), the true identity of Ginrou (it’s not hard to see this coming too), Syvasta’s roles so the next three episodes where the show wraps up can build up to an exciting climax. Hopefully it sticks the landing.

Hamefura – 9-10

Amun: Hamefura got back on track this week!  After two below average (and I’d like to point out the average for this show is very high) outings, episode nine gets back to Catarina winning hearts and minds – this time of her troubled maid.  This was heartwarming, in character, and a wonderful re-perspective of the high class hijinks of whatever this academy is called.  Also the end story, where everyone gets her the exact same thing, had me rolling.  Simply top notch.  I want to point out another interesting tidbit: her parents (father in this episode, but mother in the past) are quietly supporting her shenanigans (despite her mother’s anguish at her gardening).  Nice little detail thrown in there.  Next episode looks like a confrontation, so I’m hyped – I would just recommend weapons (axes or hoes) instead of the magic trip hill.

Mario: Just chime in here for my general thoughts about Hamefura in this second half run. It wasn’t as great as the first few episodes for me, unfortunately. The issue I have with it so far is that it overplays the supporting cast’s affection towards Catarina every single freaking time. Episode 9 adds another side character whom Catarina “changes” for the better. As their love for Catarina grows, it’s hard to distinguish the cast from one another because all they have in mind is Catarina, and it’s kind of the same feeling as the show keeps beating that dead horse. Episode 10 introduces a villain who hated her gut, which for me is a nice change of pace but… is Catarina going to save his soul like everyone else? AGAIN?

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 9-10” →

Mario: So a few weeks has passed, and this thin season has gotten thinner and thinner with shows affected by the pandemic and people died left and right, sometimes NOT because of the COVID-19 (like the devastating news that Zac Bertschy over ANN passed away. Rest in peace man). Anyways, all this sad news makes me more appreciative with shows that are still in the running. We’ve been slacking a bit here with a couple shows I have yet to follow up, but rest assured that next week we’ll be back in full steam.

Kakushigoto 4-8

Mario: So about Kakushigoto, I enjoyed the episodes as I was watching, but when it comes to the plot details, unfortunately all these gags muddle and I have a hard time recalling what was happening. I guess the reason for it is because of its gag-based nature. At its best, all the gags set up some unexpected situations. At its worst, it feels random at times. From episode 6 onward however, the show improved remarkably as the episode has connected stories. Episode 6 deals with Gotou both doing the fan meeting and going out with Hime while making sure that Hime doesn’t find out about his job and episode 7 is all about adopting the dog and heritage which I think is a pretty nice theme. The show still holds its cards close in regards to the flash-forward 18 yo Hime (Gotou is still out of the picture in that timeline). There’s also a lot of gags about the manga industry and Gotou random harem but the beating heart is all about Gotou and Hime bond.

Hamefura 6-9

Amun: Man, I know it’s lame to use COVID-19 as an excuse, but it has just sapped all my energy in regards to writing (about anime or otherwise).  Feels like Hamefura is suffering a bit from the midseason doldrums as well.  These episodes were certainly not bad, but they definitely seemed to be putting the brakes on the armada of ships heading for Catarina.  That said, I’m all about Royal Magic Academy Hijinks: Catarina Edition (or, fine, “Princess Lover” if you want to use the canonical title).  These little slices of life are endearing and fun – AND there’s even a little plot progression (meeting her friend from a previous life was really quite sweet).  I’m also dying at how everyone in this show be thirsting, while our girl Catarina is just proper hungry ^_^.   Also, hats off to Mary being the jealous fiance…except she’s jealous that her fiance is spending time with Catarina!  Nice twist there.  Overall, still top tier for this season, but I do feel we’re slowing down just a hair.  Probably getting ready for the epic finale – with candies and comradery (and probably little to no actual romance).

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 6-8” →

Mario: I’m here this week feeling a bit more optimistic about anime than last few weeks, after reading a news where they confirmed that a lot of shows, most notably the ones that have been outperformed this season (though, it makes perfect sense) have already finished production: Yesterday wo Utatte, Arte, Hamefura and Bookworm Isekai with Tower of God, BNA and Kaguya-sama are nearly finished. In the midst of such unstable time it’s certainly impressive that these shows manage to be ahead of their game. In movie news, Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu (A Whisker Away) will scrap its theatrical release for Netflix-exclusive streaming on June 18) – a move that I think other anime movies will eventually follow.

Kitsutsuki Tanteidokoro – 02/03

Mario: I know the fourth episode just came out this morning but it makes more sense to group episode 2 & 3 together as they are in the same arc. Episode 2’s case was weird… having the main cast as the main culprit in a Rashomon style and whole cast of side characters (based from actual writers of the period) just pop up and have a round table regarding the murder. It’s certainly not something you see very often, and I still enjoy its attractive arts and detailed backgrounds. It’s certainly risky to portray the main characters as unreliable narrators, given they are our eyes and ears to that world. The resolution makes sense in that aspect, as it successfully gives the reasons why there are gaps in our characters’ testimonies. The biggest thing that put me slightly off, however, is how the show treats death/ murder too easy. A girl dies in the scene, but all we got is the bunch of wannabe “detectives” sitting around the table and dissect the event of the murder. You could argue Ishikawa showed some sympathy towards her death, but let me remind you that more than anyone he could’ve saved the girl – even if she was already sick, would you let her die in such a horrid way? And yes, Ishikawa is a jerk.

Ascendance of a Bookworm – 19

Amun: I’ve been surprised at how consistent Ascendance of a Bookworm is.  Most shows go up and down, but wow, has Ascendance remained absolutely constant.  Definitely not the highest highs (although the first season’s magical smackdown of the high priest was pretty good), but with almost no full episode misfires, Ascendance is just solid.  This week sees Main stepping into her role of orphanage director, some political drama, etc.  All that’s well and good, but most interesting to me is that she’s found a fruit that can absorb mana (which coincidentally is really helpful for her paper) – what will happen next?!  I’m not clairvoyant (or have read any source material), but 19 episodes in, I can confidently say Ascendance is a known quantity – and a good one at that.

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 5” →