Category: Weekly Summary

Wooper: With the low-output Summer 2020 season in the books, our weekly summary posts are going back to their roots: talking about currently-airing shows that aren’t receiving full episodic coverage. There are a bunch of extra shows we’re following this fall, and though some will surely wear out their welcome before the year’s end, the present freshness of the season has us in the mood to chat about them. It looks like it’s just me this time around, but I expect that some of the other writers will chime in over the next 10 or 11 weeks. For now, you can scroll down for one man’s thoughts on a handful of the season’s more underrated shows.

Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken 02

Wooper: I know we’re only two episodes in, but this adaptation of Dai no Daibouken isn’t letting up on the gas. Princess Leona’s introduction flew by in what felt like minutes, thanks to her companions’ betrayal arising so quickly. Her magic tutor in particular turned out to be the sort of unhinged villain you don’t see too often in modern anime, which meant that his fight against Dai turned into a yelling match within the first few seconds. On the plus side, the CG during their battle was used to tremendous effect, showcasing Dai’s acrobatic abilities as he ran circles around the tutor’s mech before delivering the crushing blow. Despite the script’s efforts to paint him as an untalented mage, Dai’s physical strength and instinctive use of spells in high pressure situations make him way, way stronger than the average shounen protag. He may be the Chosen One, but I hope the story chooses some more powerful opponents to put in his path pretty soon. We are meeting new major characters with each passing episode, though, so for now I’ll patiently await Popp’s introduction and see how things progress from there.

Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle 02

Wooper: After a wild premiere that jumped between four different rap groups, Hypnosis Mic settled down with a single trio (the Buster Bros) this week. I’ve got to say, the results were better than expected – even though the younger siblings’ idolization of their older brother Ichiro makes for tiresome conversation, the show does make a convincing hero out of him. He always shows up to save the day, he defends innocent people during a hostage situation, and he’s got so much love for his little bros that all his rap verses celebrate their partnership. The hip-hop numbers are still the best thing about the series by far, bursting as they are with cool poses, dynamic colors, on-screen lyrics, and song-ending explosions. Even when the Bros aren’t conducting their musical onslaughts, though, Hypnosis Mic can be pretty fun. The moment when a stick-up artist pulled back his jacket to reveal a bunch of illegal microphones – which the cops treated as though they were guns – cracked me up. You love to see a ridiculous show like this one embrace its gimmick so wholeheartedly.

Continue reading “Fall 2020 Summary – Week 2” →

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” →

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” →

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” →