[Manga Musings on Mondays] Let’s Talk About Ethics. – Review

by Armitage, posted in Manga, Manga Musings on Mondays, Reviews by Armitage

 

Hello, one and all!

As you must be well aware, all the shows airing this season have been adversely affected in various stages of production which has led to multiple delays or a considerable decline in quality. These are not the most exciting of times for following seasonal anime but on the flip-side, it’s a great time to sit in the comfort of our homes and read up on some manga!

And so that we can read along together, I shall be starting a new weekly series: Manga Musings on Monday. As the title suggests, every week, I would be going through a manga and posting a write-up with my thoughts on it on, well, Mondays. The manga I’d write about would be decided on the basis of a poll at the end of each post (scroll down to see the one for next week). The poll options would be a mix of series from my personal TBR and your suggestions (feel free to comment down below the series you’d like me to cover next and I’ll make sure to add it to the next poll).

Though, there are some ground rules put in place.

 

Firstly, due to the self-imposed constraint of posting the write-up every week, I would also have to finish the manga I start each week before the following Monday, at the latest. So, it would be preferable if you would recommend and vote on shorter series. Over time, I do plan to cover series like Kingdom, Holyland and Psyren but that will have to be done in chunks (maybe a few volumes per week) and for the time being, I want to put my best efforts into making MMOM a weekly feature.

Secondly, I would not be covering massively popular series like Demon Slayer, MHA or Yakusoku no Neverland. Instead, my main objective behind starting MMOM is to highlight lesser-known and under-appreciated gems of the medium. Also, I don’t dislike any particular genre but have a soft spot for josei, seinen and stories with dark, psychological undertones. So, covering something along those lines would be right up my alley!

Alright, with that all said, let’s dive in to the first manga!

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Kakushigoto – 02 [Beach Sandals and B4/ Don’t Place, Don’t Draw, Don’t Finish Up)

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Kakushigoto

As the one who finds his Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei and Joshiraku hilarious, I was certainly looking forward to Kakushigoto. The premiere informs us that Kakushigoto is pretty much a Kouji Kumeta’s joint, it has his signature brand of gag-based humor of absurd situation comedy and extreme wordplays. Despite enjoying the first episode, I have my share of concerns towards how the show takes off from there. The premise of him trying his mightiest to keep his occupation away from his daughter ensues some hilarity but it would get pale pretty fast. The fact that it’s a gag-based show also means that the jokes can be random and most of all, I’m not too sure how Kakushigoto will handle the central relationship between Gotou and his daughter. This second episode is a step up from the premiere for me in that it gives an emotional resonant at the end that I feel lacking in the week before.

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The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Anime Review – 71/100

by SuperMario, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by SuperMario, The Case Files of Jeweler Richard

It’s nice to see some rare gems like Housekishou Richard-shi surface in anime medium once in a while. It’s about a niche subject matter that is gemstones, and how these jewelries reflect the quality of its owners. The show also builds up a solid relationship between the main duo Richard and Seigi, although it remains ambiguous till the end whether their relationship could qualify as “romance”. The cases vary in its delivery and quality and frankly my biggest issue with the show is that I find a real lack of engagement to the main characters, each has traits that I found unrelatable.

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BNA – 02 [Rabbit Town]

by SuperWooper, posted in BNA, Series which were Dropped

Trigger’s latest attempt to Save Anime has arrived, complete with a two-tone color scheme and an unorthodox release schedule. While it was still one of spring’s most anticipated shows (placing second in our season preview poll), the half-cour Netflix rollout and resulting lack of official subs has reduced awareness of the series in broader circles. That didn’t stop me with Dorohedoro, though, and it won’t stop me now. I’m not a big Trigger fan, but my favorite work of theirs was created by Yoh Yoshinari, who’s also directing BNA, so I’ve got a reason to be optimistic here. The show isn’t blowing me away yet – in fact, I have a fair number of criticisms, which we’ll get to in a bit – but since we’re just two episodes in, my patience is still intact. And hey, being so short and so grounded in its own alternate reality, the series probably won’t have time for a groan-worthy trip to space just before the end. Amen to that, eh?

(Note: I’m following Asenshi’s weekly releases, not the batch of six episodes that are already making the rounds online. Don’t expect to see a flurry of BNA posts any time soon.)

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Arte – 02 [A New Life]

by Armitage, posted in Arte, Currently Watching:

Hello, Everyone! The Spring Season is officially underway and with that, I’d also like to announce that I shall be resuming my full-time duties as a blogger here at Star-Crossed Anime. And for my long-awaited homecoming, I have decided to blog the adaptation of a manga which is very near and dear to my heart: Arte. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

This week we saw Arte trying to adjust to her new life as an art apprentice. Master Leo agreeing to take Arte under her wing had come as a shock to the prominent artists of Florence and a pleasant surprise for Arte herself. But this week, she realizes that her battle has only just begun. Leo-san assigns her the task of getting together supplies to renovate the shed she has to live in, while being under his apprenticeship. So, she heads out to do just that. All the people she meets shrug her off or put her down just because she is a girl and they don’t approve of her doing things which they believe are only suitable for men. She gets disapproving looks from both men and women when they see her dragging a cart full of chopping-wood along. Seeing her struggle to carry her heavy load, one upstanding gentleman going by the name of Angelo Parker, decides to help her out. He cleans up her wounds and in a gesture of good faith, offers to help carry the wood as he realizes that a job like that was too difficult for a girl. And that’s when Arte reveals itself to give a glimpse of the story it actually intends to tell.
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Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia Anime Review – 65/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by AidanAK47

I am certainly a bit late with this review but forgive me as the Fate/Grand Order mobile game decided that now was a fine time to drop the first chapter in the second big story arc of the game and laziness due current circumstances of which you are no doubt aware. Considering the number of Fate adaptations we have been getting in recent times, I wouldn’t be surprised if that new Fate Grand Order Chapter got an anime adaption in the future but well that is something for another day. This anime is yet another spinoff to the Fate series and if you know anything about spinoffs you would know that Fate is a bit rocky when it comes to their quality. From the boring Fate Extra Last encore to the mixed bag of Fate/Apocrypha to the weirdly excellent Today’s menu for the Emiya family to the sadly disappointing Lord El-Melloi case files. Many a Fate adaptation we have gotten and even as a Fate fan I wouldn’t say they were particularly good. Still what we have here is an adaption of a story from the Fate/ Grand Order mobile game, otherwise known as the emptier of Nasufan wallets. Not the first adaption as we did get an anime adaption of the prologue of the game in Fate/Grand Order First Order which yeah, wasn’t really much good. In a strange twist of fate this adaption is not really the continuation of that OVA but the seventh story chapter of the game, basically skipping the previous six(Well there are a series of three movies which will cover the sixth chapter Camelot)

 

To make things clear from the onset, if your question is “Can I start the Fate Series from here?” the answer is a solid no. For anime only fans you will likely have to watch the holy four(Fate/Zero, Fate(No anime adaption at time of writing), Unlimited Bladeworks, Heaven’s feel) and the First Order OVA but even then this likely wouldn’t give you everything you need to enjoy this anime to the fullest. Quite frankly, this anime is a fanservice anime and in that I do not mean the kind with panty shots and breasts that jiggle at the slightest drop in room temperature. (Though there is some fanservice of that degree as well.) I mean that this is an anime made by fans for fans, that namely being fans of the mobile game. Fate GO Babylonia does not hold your hand and instead barrels forward with it’s plot regardless if you are on board or not. There is only the bare minimum to try and allow the viewer to catch up on six chapters of missing content but it more or least assumes that you not only know what has happened but even know the gist of what is going to happen. There are plot points which will fly over your head if you don’t know your lore and even the main villain’s motivation needs some knowledge of mesopotamian creation myth.
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Some Quick First Impressions: Houkago Teibou Nisshi, Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited & Appare-Ranman!

by SuperMario, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Houkago Teibou Nisshi

Short Synopsis: A city girl moves to a seaside town and learns the joys of fishing and the outdoors with her new club.

Lenlo: For those that are new here, CGDCT (Cute girls doing cute things) isn’t really my genre. I don’t have anything against it, I just find them boring more often than not. Houkago doesn’t really break that mold, it’s exactly what you would expect. But it feels like there is a level of care, a solid foundation, behind that at least makes it tolerable. That makes it feel like an actual show with reason to exist beyond selling merchandise or appealing to weebs with cute girls. It feels like there might actually be a story here to tell, even if it’s not necessarily one for me. So if you like CGDCT, I see no reason why I wouldn’t enjoy Houkago. If you don’t like the genre, I doubt this one will change your mind on it.

Potential: 25%

Mario: The cute girls subgenre is more physically active this season (ironically since this is the only time where the world hibernates), with Tamayomi about baseball and this one Houkago is about fishing. Houkago is much more typical CGDCT as this episode does nothing to break its usual formula. We have the main girl being unfamiliar to the subject, getting dragged by her new senpai to join the club, doing the activity in question and realizes how much fun that is. So in other words, all the usual affairs. What makes it slightly better than average is the pleasing backgrounds of blue beach, and even their clubroom brings a cozy, warm feeling. The girls are fine, with Hina barely passing my test of endurance… but why includes an off-putting tentacle attack? I do love the haiku at the end, though, so it evens out, I suppose? I like CGDCT in general so I have a fun time watching it, but it isn’t on the same level with, say Yuru Camp, so for those who don’t care about cute girls being cute then you won’t miss out anything. 

Potential: 30%

Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited

Short Synopsis: A multimillionaire solves crimes with the power of money in the most ridiculous ways available.

Lenlo: Holy-comedic-timing Batman. Fugou Keiji was a ride from start to finish, and I don’t want to get off. It’s just so ridiculous, as if Batman had more money, more snark and no cape. I am all in on Fugou Keiji, a show where the lead character’s superpower is money. Need a car to chase a criminal? Buy it. Damages incurred during the case? Pay double market value. Pay for a position on the police force? Get the one on the front lines as much as possible. Partner left hanging from a bridge after the criminal is caught? Not your problem, smirk as he falls into a river. This show is unapologetically balls to the wall stupid, without a serious bone in its body, and I love every second of it. Style oozes from everything from the characters to the animation. Also the ED is straight fire. Anime of the Season, calling it now. Daisuke Kambe, I love you, you ridiculous man.

Potential: 100%

Armitage: Okay. So, Lenlo apparently LOVES this. And that was one of the reasons I went into it with high expectations. But to be honest, I wasn’t that sold. The show’s aesthetic seems to be reminiscent of ACCA, another anime with similar themes which aired a couple of years ago. From the jazz soundtrack to the crime-solving nature of the plot, the two share a lot of similarities. But the main difference is that unlike Jean, our protagonist Kanbe came off as a rich, pompous, cigar-smoking brat with apparently an ‘unlimited’ credit balance and who seems to be anime’s take on Bruce Wayne. He has anime Robin as a partner for now but a future Catwoman appearance was also teased in the OP. Which would explain why the premiere played off as a cheap knockoff of the plotline from Dark Knight Rises, complete with anime Batman going after the truck which is carrying a ticking time bomb and having it blast off in the water. Sure, you may like all these things and the show itself has every chance to improve over the coming weeks, but the premiere by itself, was kind of a let-down. (PS: The ED is indeed incredibly fun and reminiscent of the Kokkoku OP, which was quite a thing a couple of years ago. It is also almost just as catchy.)

Potential: 55%

Appare-Ranman!

Short Synopsis: A genius inventor and a gutless samurai cross the Pacific Ocean and land in Los Angeles.

Armitage: So, who’s pumped for Steel Ball Run’s anime adaptation! I mean it’s the wackiest JoJo part so, I can’t wait to see how all of the crazy goodness gets adapted to screen. Huh? What do you mean it’s not Part 7!? I mean, there’s a race set in the American Wild-West with goofy looking characters and all, of course it’s JoJo’s. You wait till Gyro shows up! Wait, who’s this Samurai guy? Where’s Johnny!? The pink haired girl is a dude? I mean, sure. But why are there SO MANY characters? What is it you say, this is a PA Works original with the setting for SBR just slapped in as a PR strategy? O… kay, I guess. It should still be a fun watch, right? There’s no way that they can screw up such a distinctly unique and interesting premise. *20 mins later* Wow, I can’t believe they screwed up such a distinctly unique and interesting premise. Why, PA Works, why? You had one job! All we wanted was to see some racing action and devilish looking cars blasting each other off to shreds. Who needs backstories when the hook by itself is this gripping? Didn’t you guys see Redline? *Sighs* You really got to know your audience better.

Potential: 30% (75%, if they add stands and poses) 

Wooper: If anyone was hoping for wacky race action beginning with episode 1, Appare-Ranman has some bad news. This premiere was a prologue to the cross country shenanigans to follow, and the involvement of so many characters who are now an ocean away from the plot feels like a waste. Character building is important, so learning that Appare is the black sheep of his family was all good, but the vindictiveness of Kosame’s lord wasn’t necessary. In fact, his character could have been cut out of the story completely – Kosame could have served Appare’s father, and been charged never to leave his side. That would have provided a much sturdier reason for him to get stranded at sea, and saved a bunch of time to boot. The scene where Appare broke himself out of jail with a screwdriver didn’t feel right, either (why was he allowed to keep a tool like that while locked in a cell?). The script doesn’t feel watertight, is the point I’m getting at. It does the job of landing the main characters in America, though, and the rest of the show will assume a different form, so I’ll write off my issues for now.

Potential: waiting for ep. 2

Tower of God – 2 [3/400 (Three Four-Hundredths)]

by Lenlo, posted in Tower of God

Welcome one and all to the beginning of the Spring 2020 season, and the first Tower of God post! This week we get into the story proper as Bam meets his crew, we get a small info dump, and the tests begin. Lets dive in!

Starting off, let’s talk about the art and animation. I mentioned it a little in the initial impressions post, but I actually really like Tower of God’s art style. The lines are inconsistent, fading in and out, though they are bit thinner than i’d like. However I still find it preferable to the almost to clean and perfect linework of most anime. Even though its produced digitally, it gives a very handmade feel to the whole production that pairs well with the effects work. In a way, Tower of God’s production is very similar to Mob Psycho 100’s, in that it tries to mimic the original author’s style. Similar to Mob Psycho this looser style should, in theory, give it more freedom when animating. So far though we haven’t really seen that, as Tower of God has been rather inconsistent. I can only hope it improves moving forward.

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Princess Tutu – 5/6 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Princess Tutu, Throwback Thursday

Welcome all to week 3 of Princess Tutu! A bit early this week, but that ain’t so bad. There’s a bit of a global emergency going on right this moment, but thats no reason to forget the little things. And this week Princess Tutu did a great job of distracting me from this crazy world with 2 more really good episodes. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Starting off, I want to commend Princess Tutu for just how quickly it is moving. That might seem strange to some, considering how often I harp about pacing here, but let me explain. I was fully prepared for Princess Tutu to become an episodic monster of the week. Where every ep we recover a new heart shard and return to the status quo. Only really moving forward big plot points every 10 or so episodes. So when I mean Princess Tutu is moving unexpectedly fast, I mean that its moving at all. Because so far, every episode has not only had the episodic heart shard, but also noticeably advanced the plot. Whether it be Rue meeting Tutu, Fakir and Rue competing for Mytho, or just explaining Ahiru’s predicament a bit more. Every episode we have gotten more than I expected. And I really like that.

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MHA Season 4 Review – 80/100

by Amunchet, posted in Anime Reviews, My Hero Academia, Reviews by Amunchet

My Hero Academia is the forerunner of modern shounen – the descendant, if you will, of Bleach, HxH, One Piece, and Fairy Tale.  With 2 movies, 4 seasons, infinite merch and cosplay, MHA is a force to be reckoned with. With that in mind, Season 4 proved to be a transitional season, with our lead Midoriya moving forward in the world of heroes and All-Might fading, set against a backdrop of a world trying to cope. 

(I’m also part of the movement to make 50 the new average score, not 70.)

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