Category: Weekly Summary

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” →

Mario: It’s the new week with the same hosts, the slice-of-slice devotee Mario and the isekai junkie Amun report on shows we’re still following, with more shows postponing and next season looks cloudier than ever. This week we see the last showings of Appare-Ranman and Houkago Teibou Nisshi before they hibernate, and some shows show signs of production issues, but it’s also a week where Hamefura proves to be our season’s favorite so far. Who could have predicted this at the start of the season? Well, color me surprise!

Hamefura – 04

Amun: This is possibly my anime of the season (although Kaguya is still this year’s heavyweight so far).  In the tale of the reincarnated benevolent villainess, Hamefura continually S.L.A.Y.S (steals lovers away, yes sir) as one by one, the unsuspecting enemies/interests of our hero/villain are conquered – despite Catarina being completely oblivious.  Any real tension of her actually being killed or banished is by now well dispelled (although I’m sure it’ll come back in the second half to great comedic effect).  Every week, a new excellence – this week was the battle for Maria’s home-cooked muffins.  If there’s one show that I really look forward to every week – it’s Hamefura.

Mario: My thought on Hamefura and our Catarina:

Tamayomi – 04

Mario: It’s hard when you see a TV production falling apart before your eyes. Tamayomi somehow avoids the delayed fate of many other shows, but at this rate it’s just a matter of time before they do. The quality in this episode is amateurish, with many off-model, cutting corners and inconsistencies in animation all over the place. The actual storyboard is fine, it’s just the melted animation that failed to hold things up and thus failed to leave any impact. Hopefully it avoids this pitfall later on, since there will be more baseball matches, and without sufficient production it’s gonna hurt the show a lot.

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 4” →

Mario: This recent week was rough. We all expected this to happen, but still hearing shows after shows get postponed is disheartening. It’s to the point I’m hesitant to drop shows now because I don’t think I have enough options anymore. It might be a good chance to catch up with the old stuff, I myself have been picking up Bookworm isekai again so expect it to be covered here starting next week. We have nearly a dozen shows to talk about this week (thanks to Amun for contributing half of them), so let’s run them down:

Appare-Ranman! – 02

Mario: Another show that is affected by the COVID-19 and it’s a shame because the first two episodes so far have failed to catch my attention. Heck, we don’t even see much of car racing which is its central premise. My biggest issue with the show so far is the characters, which I find bland, uninteresting and filled with bad dialogues. Even the new girl is there because the show wanted to bring up the “girl can’t race” angle, and in the season where Arte is also airing I find it to be on the face. Appare lacks the emotional investment to any human around him that I find him rather one-noted instead of interesting. In addition, I still believe that the premiere is a waste as they could just start off with this one and we won’t really miss out much.

Hachi Nan – 03 

Amun: Just because this show was derided so hard by my colleagues, I’m going to write about it every week.  Hey, to be fair, this has actually turned into a halfway decent isekai. Now, it’s a little unsporting that two other above average isekais (Bookworm and Hamefura) are also in this season – but Hachi Nan is really a decent, run-of-the-mill, escapist isekai.  I think they’ve handled the plot at a good pace – sure, there are some contrived situations, but this is to be expected in backstories. I thought the situational irony landed well this episode, with misunderstood assumptions getting worked out in the end. This is very similar to Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, which aired a few seasons ago – not going to make anyone’s top anime lists, but enjoyable while it lasts.

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 3” →

Mario: Welcome to the first edition of Spring 2020 Weekly Summary where we throw our opinions on leftover shows that don’t receive a full coverage (the orphans so to speak). There are still more shows that I will check out when their second episode’s out (like Fruit Baskets 2, Appare-Ranman and Kisutsuki and that Cute Girls Fishing show). I also have this self-imposed rule where I’ll drop a bunch of them after 3 episodes. So expect a big clean up after next week (Beware! Listeners and Tower of God and Gleinpir). Thanks Amun for contributing to this column, and readers, if you want us to give more chance to any other show airing this season, shout out in the comment section below.

Hamefura – 02

Mario: The second episode of this Otome Isekai might not be as fresh as the first one, but it’s still adorable as heck. This week our main (villain) girl Catarina conquers two more “underlings”, not necessarily with any ulterior motive. It has considerably less self-awareness than the premiere, although in this case I prefer the meta aspect. It says right there in the title, but for me the show works best when Catarina uses her game knowledge and has her little freakouts when all roads she paves indeed leading to doom. Another winning aspect in which Hamefura succeeds so far is that she gains other characters’ trust through her efforts and goddamnit she’s earned it. HameFura is a total delight so far.

Listeners – 02

Amun: If anyone can understand a single thing that went on in this episode, then hat’s off to them.  There’s a weird trio that’s apparently never been approached by a fan, a spooky bathroom, and Mu who is definitely DTHH (Down to Hand Hold) despite our protag’s best efforts.  Throw in the creepy amusement park and a random crucifixion (I think?) and this episode was Evangelion levels of confusion. That being said, it’s not like I didn’t enjoy it – I’m just a bit confused.  Looked good while doing it though, and say what you want, but this show has some characters (MC notwithstanding).

Continue reading “Spring 2020 Summary: Week 2” →

Mario: With this last week, bring the first taste of the new Spring season (or in my case, Fall season) and a lot of finale on Winter season’s shows. Sorry for the delay but I decided to finish Kuutei Dragon first to include it here. Other writers have already done a good job of giving our thoughts on the Winter season’s shows. For me, it’s Eizouken and Dorohedoro that are leagues above the rest, but other shows like Kyokou Suiri and Kuutei Dragon still are still worth the time. I still need to finish my own blogged show Jeweler Richard (yeah it will come) and Blade of the Immortals, but for now enjoy one last breath of cold Winter before we all head to the new Spring season. Enjoy.

Oshi ga Budokan – 12 (end)

Wooper: OshiBudo began its life as a satire of the idol genre – that was the impression I got, anyway, after its premiere demonstrated a willingness to mock its obsessive protagonists. After a few more installments, though, that facade gave way to a straightforward celebration of idol culture and consumption. There was a joke this week about idols not using the bathroom, which would have felt equally at home in the first episode (poking fun at purity expectations) as it did in this one (unironically espousing puritanical values). Images of Eripiyo juggling stacks of CDs, once viewed as pitifully excessive, verged on heroic in the last leg of the story. You can even put aside any tonal interpretations and look at this episode’s subtitles to see where the show’s values ended up. “I’m so happy that I’m an idol.” “The world of idols is huge, but I’m so happy that [name] is my favorite.” If the idol sphere is really such a big deal, why not write a story that depicts it as such, instead of making shallow purchases and handshake events the climactic moments of so many episodes? I’m sure there’s a good idol show out there somewhere, whether past or future, but this wasn’t it.

22/7 – 12 (end)

Mario: Out of all the finale this week, I was eagering for 22/7 the most, given how it wraps up will justify the whole season. In the end 22/7 can’t make up its mind on what it wants to be. It’s uneven in every sense of the words, both have some cynical views on the idol industry, but at the same time gives it exactly what we want as the girls get together and become independent from the Wall’s order. It’s a mixed bag but this finale does have some sparks of brilliance, so to highlight its inconsistency I will rate its moments from scale 0 point to 10 points, with 0 being the worst and 5 as the average. Spoilers ahead so skip it if you don’t want to get yourself spoiled. Let’s go:

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 13” →

Mario: Only one week left before the end of this season. We got to the finish line of a couple shows this week with Eizouken in particular ending on high note. With the world currently in total lockdown I do feel like we are in some sort of post-apocalyptic world in anime where humanity has declined. It might sound depressing but hey, at least it’s an once-in-lifetime experience, right? Stay safe, by which I mean stay home and do nothing, to save the world.

Somali to Mori no Kamisama – 11

Mario: Somali and Golem reach their most dangerous journey so far, with the “monsters” hunt down the human child and Golem is on self-destructed mode in order to save Somali, but this higher the conflict, sadly the more clumsy the show gets. There are 2 main messages the show wants to transfer across in this hunt, First, the human race brought it all to themselves since their racist behavior is the main reason other races turn against them, and second, humans taste delicious and these two thoughts don’t really mesh well with each other. Imagine the flow of dialogues moves from “It’s all human fault” in one moment, followed by “I will have her brain”, and you get the idea. The whole ambush plan has a lot of flaws as well, so you need to turn off your logical sense and just roll with it. Sure, the stake is higher than ever but sadly I am already tuned out by what was happening onscreen.

Oshi ga Budokan – 11

Wooper: Wow, that episode really just ended with a series of tweets set to a warm, uplifting string accompaniment. Is there any more appropriately vapid choice that a show about idol culture could have made to conclude its penultimate episode? Seriously though, this whole episode was a miss for me, even if you set aside the silliness of its final minutes. The series’ typically well-animated performance scenes were nowhere to be found here, with a series of panning stills replacing their practice sessions, and a miniature clip show intruding on their weekly concert. Movement was pretty limited in general, actually, except when Eripiyo was screeching about her love for Maina. Eri’s VA was at her least tolerable this week, delivering throat-shredding screams about how her favorite idol is the cutest in the universe. You know what tone of voice makes a convincing case for cuteness? Literally any intonation except that one. Even when a female coworker came over to her place to watch ChamJam’s two second TV appearance, Eripiyo couldn’t settle down. At least she’s consistent, though – that’s more than I can say for Oshi ga Budokan itself.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 12” →

Mario: With Jibaku entering its 2-part episodes, I will skip it for a week. Other than that, it’s business as usual here. We nearly reach the end of this Winter Season now, and with the coronavirus glooming around the corner, schools, works and shops shutting down, I wish you guys stay safe and maybe spend these extra free time to catch up with anime that you have missed.

RikeKoi – 11-12

Wooper: This show stopped being fun the moment it entered dramatic territory. Himuro’s jealousy of Kanade and embarrassment at breaking her present for Yukimura were both painful in their presentation. Episode 11, in particular, was so bad that I had to avert my eyes from the screen multiple times just to get through it. The explanation of Himuro’s fateful trip on the stairs (which caused the present to break) was pitiful, as well. As it turned out, everything that happened in episode 11 was according to mangaka Yamamoto’s master plan, except for the moment when Himuro slipped and fell. When Yukimura points out that her scheme would have failed if not for that coincidence, her response was, “But she *did* trip, so there!” Pretty lame for a series with a science-based gimmick. The kiss in episode 12 (and the post-kiss analysis just before the final moments) fared much better, but the lousy setup that brought the show to that point prohibited me from sharing in the main couple’s happiness. At least the show is finally over, I guess.

Oshi ga Budokan – 10

Wooper: There was some nice animation in this one. ChamJam’s comeback performance, characters swooping across the frame in anticipation of Valentine’s Day, Kumasa fretting over his secret being revealed – it all looked great. Maina’s internal monologues might be unbearably saccharine, but there was plenty of humor to make up for it, the best of which was Eripiyo’s voice-replacing whiteboard. Why don’t more comedies make use of the sore throat trope, I wonder? Having people write instead of speak presents all sorts of opportunities for wordplay, character-breaking expressiveness, inadvertent reveals, etc. On the more dramatic side of things, we got another Maki/Yumeri scene that pushed their relationship into “perhaps it’s not just bait” territory. The only way I’d watch more of this show is if those two got their own spinoff. That’s not likely to happen, but based on the next episode preview, it seems that Maki will be getting a minor spotlight next week, so I’m actually looking forward to it!

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 11” →

22/7 – 09

Mario: 22/7’s attitude towards the idol industry is amusing. Cynical, but also accepting the fact that “being an idol is all about being exploited”, this attitude, plus the fact that they are willing to be manipulated by the orders of the Wall (yeah, the Wall is a massive jerk this week), make the cliffhanger very intriguing. How these girls deal with the new order will tell you exactly the ambition of this show. As for the main story this week, well, Ayaka is the main focus this week and as per 22/7’s standard, the flashback is way more interesting than the current event. In fact, except from taking open air onsen and eating hot pot, our girls do nothing. Ayaka’s flashback though, about her chemistry to her sisters is much more well-developed. Depending on how you look at the show, 22/7 is either smarter than it lets on, or blindfolded by how it does acknowledge the exploitation aspect of the idol industry, yet does nothing but accepting it.

ID:Invaded – 11

Wooper: I’ve got to hand it to whoever is handling series composition for this show: they’re bending over backwards to tie all of its illogical developments together. Every time Sakaido said “which must be why” during his fits of mid-sandstorm rationalization, I lost five IQ points. After every reference to Fukuda or Hondomachi’s brain holes giving them convenient mental functions, I took a shot. Every time John Walker was painted as a mastermind despite the impossibility of his influence, I fell deeper into an anime-imposed stupor. After half the episode, I was dumb, drunk, and drowsy – the perfect state of being to watch ID:Invaded. But hey, we learned John Walker’s true identity and saw Kiki wearing a bio-suit in a state of suspended animation! At least the show is playing its strongest cards at the appropriate time.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 10” →

Mario: It’s me and Wooper again contributing in this column for “less popular” shows this season. Many of them are falling apart as they wrap up, but that to be expected with any season. If we’re lucky, we have golden eggs but most of the time they are forgettable fluffs. Well, enough with metaphysical nonsense and let’s scroll down to see what this week has to offer.

RikeKoi – 10

Wooper: While watching this episode, I was surprised at its level of commitment to the characters’ academic presentations. We’ve only seen two Ikeda lab members pitch their research, which means we might spend the last two episodes watching the rest of the cast do the same. Before that, however, Himuro and Yukimura will have to work out the misunderstanding that threatens to drive a wedge between them (ruining not just their relationship, but their joint presentation). Yukimura giving a cortisol-lowering hug to Kanade just before her turn was an innocent gesture, but it’s a terrible betrayal in his partner’s mind. That plot is pretty stupid when you type it out, but I did pick up a hint of interest from Kanade, mostly based on her senpai’s unflapability. Girls do love confidence in men – could Himuro have detected something between the two that they’re both unaware of?

Somali to Mori no Kamisama – 08

Mario: I’ve come to realize that Somali the show fares much better when it focuses on the side characters instead of the main leads. The reason for that, I suppose, is that Somali and Golem’s chemistry is solid but has only one shade. By focusing on their relationship it becomes repetitive and gradually loses its impact. By examining other characters’ relationship towards the human race, or towards the person they love (like last week), the show draws out more context and dimensions to the central leads’ fondness for each other. This episode is entirely in flashback from a witch’s point of view, and that segment says so much about humanity’s frailness and skepticism when it comes to accepting other races. In addition to that, the witch’s world is gorgeously detailed and becomes my favorite setting out of this show. Somali’s looking good heading to the last stretch of its run.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Week 9” →

Mario: Welcome to week 8 where we somehow only have one month left before the new season starts. Crazy, right? I still have lots to catch up on, especially Kuutei Dragons and Blade of the Immortal, so hopefully I can watch those in time for the next post. For now, enjoy our thoughts on these second tier shows.

ID:Invaded 8-9

Wooper: I had a good handle on episode 8 as I watched it. The show spent a great deal of time in Momoki’s desert psyche, which functioned as the setting for Sakaido and Fukuda’s miniature buddy movie. Moisture conservation tricks, quicksand escapes, and encouraging banter got them to their destination: a cockpit with Kiki Asukai’s name on it. Surely Hondomachi and Sakaido would meet up in Kiki’s mind this week, I thought, and get to work on another mystery. Nope! As of yesterday’s episode, this show has become Inception: Serial Killer Edition. It turns out that Kiki is really Kaeru, whose dreams play host to murderers summoned by John Walker. Sakaido is caught somewhere between half a dozen dreams, all of which take place in the past, giving him a chance to catch the Challenger before his family is murdered. There’s no time for celebration, though. His new mission is to kill all the serial killers who are conveniently attracted to Kaeru’s brainwaves. This wasn’t just a conceptual left turn – this was a deliberate swerve off a cliff. Is there any hope of coherence for the last four episodes? Guess we’ll find out soon enough…

22/7 – 6

Mario: I only had time for episode 6 of 22/7, and it’s easily my least favorite episode out of this show. To its credits, I found the show’s characterization a tad bit more grounded than typical idol shows. I suppose the reason is that they are based on real idols instead of fictional ones, there’s a ring of honesty in the characters. Like the beginning of this episode where baby Reika fighting for her life feels genuine. In addition, I’m glad we get into the conflict as trivial as this one because when you think about it, teenage girls are usually fret about these tiny little things. But it doesn’t lessen the fact that this episode is boring and insignificant as hell.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Summary: Weeks 7-8” →