Paranoia Agent – 9 [Etc.] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Paranoia Agent, Throwback Thursday

Hello all, and welcome to a very… odd episode of Paranoia Agent. Which, knowing this show, is saying something. This week we tackle public gossip, the inconsistencies that come with it and if there is any truth to it. Lets go!

Starting off, let’s talk about the execution. Normally here, I talk about animation and production, but Paranoia Agent has been pretty consistent on that front to this point. Giving me little to talk about without repeating myself. So instead, how was this executed? In my opinion, it was very interesting to watch. You could never tell, at least at first, which pieces of gossip were real or not or how much so. With how crazy Paranoia Agent has been up to this point, this line of what is or is not believable was pushed very far back. So in that sense, this episode did a fantastic job expanding on the world while staying true to its weird/eldritch roots. That said, just like last week, this feels rather fillery. It doesn’t move the plot forward. At best, it tells us Shounen Bat is more prolific than we though.

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Kemurikusa – 11

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Kemurikusa

At long last, we have an entire episode in flashback and explains much of its Kemurikusa’s rich settings. Even at the risk of over-informed us with details, all the information we learn this week is both unexpected, and makes total sense. Before we get into the details, (AND WHAT A MAJOR REVEAL), I feel the need to mention the soundtrack/ score of Kemurikusa. The score isn’t flashy by any mean, but it fits very well to the tone of this world. TATSUKI is the person of praise here, as you can see the pure authenticity, the total control towards this indie project. While normally characters writings (and their dialogues) aren’t his forte, the way he builds up his world-buildings – details upon details, to the point you can see every bit in its world is there for a reason – is amongst simply masterwork. More than any other episode, this week sweeps viewers away by a flashback story between Wakaba and the First Person, which turns out to be a resurrected child name Riri, at the very start of it all. And Kemurikusa manages to close the episode seamlessly when it cuts from the cliffhanger to the extended ED that just by looking at the ED alone, you’d learn the entire context of what had been happening. Beautiful. This week certainly the best episode of Kemurikusa so far, to the point where it singlehanded raise the show up a notch for me.

So the first major drop is Riri herself, whom who soon learn is “saved” by Wakaba the researcher. The show distinctly points her as the only human in this cast (leaving Wakaba as an alien. We will get to that later). She does have a talent of mixing/ creating kemurikusa, and she’s the one who creates red toxic kemurikusa out of her goodwill. The irony is certainly there as she only wanted to make it just so that Wakaba won’t overworked. I certainly appreciate the art direction of this flashback, especially in regards to the red/blue hybrid post-apocalyptic world these girls are in now. The settings are drawn with dull (and much less aggressive) color palette compared to the current world. In addition, with only little screen time, the flashback does a decent job of selling us the chemistry between Wakaba and Riri.

The reveal certainly answers many questions, but in turns it brings another one: who and what exactly is Wakaba the present? His former self is an alien scientist who studies about Kemurikusa and making islands. He is indeed the Captain of these white bugs, and lastly the Kemurikusa technology is entirely man-made and unnatural. But what about his current self? I believe he’s Wakaba’s clone who inhabits his personality but not his memory. It’s pretty much up in the air whether the original Wakaba is still alive or already bite the dust.

Lastly, we have a pretty firm context regarding the origin of Kemurikusa girls (and how each of them inherits one of the First Person’s sense), and the content of the blurry text. By combining all Kemurikusa leaves and splits into multiple red hair girls, she gives up being a human with her mission is to save Wakaba. It certainly feels bitter how these girls have been struggling (and even lost their own objective) ever since. At this point I am almost certain that we won’t see other sisters again, and hopefully, Rin and Wakaba can take Riri’asbody back. I feel pretty much rewarding that I stick to Kemurikura’s ride until now, because this episode is simply a blast that reaffirms everything that comes before it.

Winter 2019 Summary – Week 9-10

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Weekly Summary

Another two weeks have passed, and Summer Season is coming in sight. It’s the time where most shows get busy as they reach their final arc. Mob Psycho 100 ventures into its shounen roots,  Run with the Wind does extremely well in its last leg, literally, and Kemurikusa girls part way emotionally. Let’s see how these 4 shows below perform in this last 2 weeks.

Gotoubun no Hanayome (ep09-10)

While this class trip provides many more opportunities for Futaro encounters (and improves) his relationship to the sisters, in a bigger scheme I’d prefer if there’s no overarching arc at all for Gotoubon. The fun here for me is how he tries to get closer and helps them in some ways, not about how he has to choose “the one”. I still enjoy it though how he find himself in the damnedest situation: either dance with Ichiba (and the whole Miku’s mess) or pretends to be a delinquent boy to dance with best girl Nino. The whole Nino and blonde dude situation is admittedly silly, but one that I don’t mind. This show has never shy away from rom-com tropes, and fan-service on top of it, but it’s the case where the creator knows exactly where it’s going. As a result, it’s mostly well-executed and the situations are snappy enough to land before another jokes come in. While I still regard the first half of Gotoubon is better (learning about the girls are so much fun), let’s hope this dance – which by itself will be a focal point of this cour – ends on a high note.

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Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai – 09/10 [The Vagabond Leader/ The Aggressive Bombers]

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Action, Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

Welp, Kotobuki is getting really good. Normally this is the time where shows reach its final overarching arc, and sometimes it loses a bit of it magic because of that (like what I currently have with Gotobun), but with its tongue-in-cheek manner and its main storyline that is totally unexpected but weirdly fit to the narrative, I’m all in for this final ride. Needless to say the first half of episode 9 is an unusually quiet moment for Kotobuki, now that the Squadron is out of mission so that the members are taking side jobs. Again, it isn’t the story but the presentation that makes Kotobuki such a fascinating show to watch. All of these are colored by their casual conversations carried by a member of Kotobuki squad and some stranger that you could immediately tell these characters have known each other for a long time. They only leave Kirie behind the office and of course the eccentric Kirie isn’t too fond on the idea of sitting around. I’ve come to certain that Kirie is a perfect protagonist for Kotobuki the show. The show relies on rapid fire conversations, goofy but likable characters and well-choreographed aerial battles and Kirie fits the bill extremely well. Just see how she reacts when playing dead at the end of episode 9 you would understand the way she can shine in small moments like that.

And then the plot suddenly kicks into gear as Kirie takes Allen (Kate’s brother) on a sightseeing trip. He then informs about the holes that once let through the Yufang have opened up at other places and that Isao is trying to monopolize the city so that he can take full control of that hole. It has been established several times before about this hole (during the first time we meet Allen), but to think that the story would head this way is totally unexpected, but one that is welcomed. Of course, as soon as they find the hole they get ambushed by dozen air jets where they managed to shoot down some before biting the dust themselves. Allen proves that he knows more than he lets on here and proves to be a good addition to the case. By saying that nothing can beat the introduction of a new character IN FREAKING EPISODE 10 (but she’s awesome so…), Naomi, who was in a dogfight with Kirie several times before, and who is then revealed to be a pupil of Old Sab. This old dude sure is popular.

Regarding the big bad overarching plot, Julia is forced out of the council for being against Isao and she seeks asylum from the Kotobuki Squad. There are two interesting plot threads going on right now. First, what is the significant of this hole? We have witnessed it sucking the entire bombs and vanishing like nothing happened. There is a rumor where it sucks out the entire sea. What is going to happen when they go inside the hole? Will they get transported to another world (isekai material right there!!). Second is the very motive of the charisma Isao. He appears as a goofy loud character and so far he acts like a true tyrant (bombing, monopoly and whatnot) but that all has to do with the hole. So what is his relationship with the hole that he’d risk everything, even bombing the cities, to achieve? I guess in the next event he might team up to the Kotobuki Squad when the girls learn more about the hole. And that’s not a bad development at all in my book.

Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019) – 15/16 [Overdrive: The King of Distortion 2/3]

by SuperMario, posted in Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019), Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense

The nightmare never seems to end. During episode 15, we have three separate segments of characters stuck in their own dreams: Makoto’s mother, Sakiko and Kentarou. Play into Boogiepop’s strength, these characters have their own drama and each of their story explores different aspect of this phenomenal, all related to the King of Distortion himself. More impressively, these segments still have a progression. From passively in the case of Makoto’s mother to Kentarou who eventually tries his way to fix it himself. So far, more so than previous arcs, this “King of Distortion” arc is much more surreal and psychological, which very much within my domain. What Boogiepop does right in these individual segment is how it can draw out the drama, the “struggles” in the past these characters can’t get pass even to this day. One thing that both these characters aware is that they’re in a dream and the person they talk with is the King of Distortion. It’s interesting to note that he’s only there as a listener for these characters to confront their own traumatic past, and he appears to do nothing beyond that. He’s just there to open that hole that others hide in their heart. Boogiepop themselves is uncertain whether he’s a foe and not. It’s more that this strange phenomenal serves as a catalyst to something more destructive.

Tracking down the events of these three segments, we have Shizuka, Makoto’s Mom, who reveals that she’s pregnant by an unknown father, which she thought might be Teratsuki’s (although Teratsuki isn’t human hence he can’t impregnate a girl). I like what Shizuka was going through there, she’s a whirlwind of inconsistencies and that makes her utterly relatable. A sheltered girl with insecurities, for example. The way she keeps hanging on Teratsuki and her relationship with her son Makoto. Not until episode 16 with the revelation of Zooragi and what it means for Makoto should we know how her decision impacts him in a profound way. Then we have quite a sad story of Sakiko and her deceased childhood friend Hinako, whom she was looked up to, and was jealous of. Unlike other segments where these negative feelings were much more sinister and uglier, the trauma both Shizuka, Sakiko and Kentarou go through are more of a regret, of something they should’ve done better in the past and that lead to how they become the way they are in the present. For Kentarou, he has a crush with the awesome Nagi, and he immediately realises that the world he is currently experience is within his memory. Well, until he meets Makoto and learns that multiple dreams have merged anyway.

And the we come back to Nitoki’s perspective during the first half of episode 16. She has been a fascinating character to me. She knows about the true existence of Boogiepop, and she does her own research about multiple personalities. Suema does a perfect job of confusing us more by assert her theory that “there is no multiple personalities because we can’t really prove it”. While I don’t necessarily agree with her theory, it informs the attitude of Boogiepop the series – that all these psychological abnormalities, and at large all these supernatural recurring, are all come from within one’s mind. I certainly feel the deadpan remark of Boogiepop when they hand out the bento Touka made for Takade to her rival (and she indeed eats it). Nikoti then concludes that King of Distortion is her alternative personality (that would explain why it functions as a memory) but whether that means in a big picture is still up in the air. The King of Distortion himself refers to all this as an “experiment”, and I have a great sense that none of the character, even Boogiepop and King of Distortion, know how this experiment going to pan out.

All that lead to the big reveal where pieces start to fall neatly into its assigned place. Zooragi the monster. As the Moon Temple starts crumbling by an unknown force, we soon learn that it’s Zooragi who goes berserk. We know about him in the very beginning of this arc, but now we know his significant. He was Makoto’s painting about his father. This single detail can inform you how Makoto feel about the father he has never met or known. It’s interesting to note that Zooragi acts in accordance to Makoto and it’s Makoto who is on the verge of totally losing control. So we have the final showdown between Boogiepop and Zooragi, where they apparently chops Zooragi’s head off, so that Makoto can control himself and falls back to sleep. All this is, after all, just a product of human psyche, just like the King of Distortion himself.

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru – 22 [Embrace Your Loneliness]

by Lenlo, posted in Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru

Hello all and welcome to the penultimate episode of Kaze Fui! This week we see King’s struggle, Kurahara takes off and Sakaki becomes a little less hate-able. Lets take off running, we have a lot to cover!

In terms of animation and production, Kaze Fui surprised me this week. I didn’t think that, after Yuki last week, that it would do anything new. I assumed we would get some more of Kurahara’s running through dimensions bit, which looks good, but isn’t new at this point. What was new though was King’s facial expressions and Kurahara’s stunning shedding of his earthly concerns. The first was just funny. It meshed well with King’s story and helped lighten the tone a bit, so the shift isn’t so sudden when we go to Kurahara. Meanwhile Kurahara’s bit was just beautiful to look at. Like an animated Buddhist enlightenment, it was like Kurahara was shedding his earthly concerns and just dedicating himself to the run. For someone who started such an angry boy, it really struck me then how far he had come. But we will get to him later, onto spoilers!

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Kemurikusa – 08/09/10

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Kemurikusa

Welp, I don’t think I have taken that long break before since I started blogging. My life has been busier than usual lately and I also feel a little bit burnt out from blogging lately. Writing can be a pain sometimes. Hopefully this is just a temporary slump because I’m not intending to stop blogging anytime soon. Now let’s get back to the last three episodes of Kemurikusa where the world-building remains just as intriguing, the characters getting slightly better and we still have absolutely no idea where the whole journey is going to end. I was certainly taken aback by Kemurikusa’s decision to skip over the big cliffhanger at the end of episode 7. There were an army of Red Bugs and the sea of Red Mist after all, and all it took is 3 seconds into episode 8. Now, upon reflection, while that skip is definitely jarring and affects my suspension of disbelief quite a bit, it does fit with the kind of story Kemurikusa is trying to tell. It’s more about the characters’ relationship and how they figuring out that worldbuilding together, not about them fighting red bugs. Wakaba has gotten full trust from the girls right now, but the star(s) of episode 8 are those little white bugs. They themselves have their own sad stories: products that no longer have any purpose, a bunch of sad sacks who live because they can’t die. Just for a 5 minute duration, these adorable bugs sacrifice themselves because at least they die knowing that their lives have a purpose.

In episode 9, Wakaba encounters the other 2 supposedly-deceased sisters, Ryo the fighter and Ryoku the tsundere scholar. These girls’ personalities are fun and distinctive enough that they make a good impression and clearly stand out on their own. Ryo is hyperactive and has an acute sense of smell (the five sense motif is running strong here), whereas Ryoku is the mind, the one with knowledge (and a written diary). One interesting fact is that these girls are from the same body in which one personality emerges at the time. This could mean that either they are just a hallucination of Wakaba (the others haven’t seen them at all), or they are using the same leaf right now, and for whatever reasons they don’t want to meet their sisters (my big guess is simply because they can’t). In episode 10 we also learn an important detail: the flashback through the point of view of the First Person, who turns out to be a child as well. Whatever written in the memory leaf, or moreso, whatever erased in the leaf written by the First Person, will serve as a big revelation for these next few episodes.

As their journey has gotten into its last leg, it’s almost unavoidable to see the team members apart. I mean, it fits neatly to the hopeless tone of their situations and the dark grim nature these girls are in, and although I could see where it was going with all the “this is the last time” scenes, the time where they part way is still goddamn heartfelt. Rin and Ritsu have their final farewell when Ritsu reaffirms how glad that she is Rin and Rina’s older sister, and the part where they decide to stay behind while slowly withering away strikes the right chore emotionally. In a wasteland world where there’s only destruction and everything resembling life will eventually vanish, it’s the fondness and the love from the sisters that will always remain. Even for Rin, imagine saying goodbye to the home she used to and the very people she wanted to protect. The journey continues, but the presence of those lost souls still remain.

Dororo – 11 [The Story of Banmon, Part 1]

by Lenlo, posted in Dororo

Lets skip the preamble this week and just dive in to Dororo! On this episode our plucky pair explore Daigo’s city, fight some fox spirits and get in a bit of a pickle. Lets go!

Startin off, Dororo had some interesting visuals and colors this week. With the Fox Spirits and the Crazy Woman sticking out to me the most. Both had some great colors and unique styles to them. The Fox Spirits for instance had some fantastic greens and blues, really selling that other-worldliness in a series that is mostly natural greens and browns. They really brightened up their scene and drew the focus. The crazy woman on the other hand had some nice blending. With the green/black drooping from her eyes nicely accenting her sickness. It’s a simple effect, but one I loved. So overall while Dororo is not the most visually impressive series in this season, I can say it has established its style. Unlike Mob Psycho, which changes every scene almost, Dororo is really sticking to its older aesthetic and that sets it apart, similar to what Megalo Box did.

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Mob Psycho 100 S2 – 11 [Guidance ~Psychic Sensor~]

by Lenlo, posted in Mob Psycho 100 II

Hello and welcome once more to the Mob Psycho 100 blog, where I gush about Mob Psycho 100! This week see’s an old villains return, multiple defeats and more of Mob’s growth. Lets dive in!

Now, at this point I feel like a broken record when talking about Mob Psycho’s animation. But the fact is, Bones is killing it this season. Yeah there are parts that look iffy as still’s, sometimes when the action slows down Mob Psycho’s style is off putting. But this is anime god dang-it, its meant to be viewed in motion, and Mob Psycho looks unparalleled in motion. All three of the fights this week could be another series finale, with the scale and prowess that went into them. This isn’t even mentioning Mogami, who seems to be Bone’s excuse to get weird every time he shows up. Combine this with the tracking camera, inventive use of space and liberal interpretation of the word “adaptation” and you have enough animation to take over Sakugabooru every week. Still, none of this is new to you, so lets just get to the spoilers.

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Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai – 10

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Romance, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai

There are times when I judge anime series based on the number of screencaps I’m compelled to take per episode. This was one of those times. After closing the video and taking a look at my desktop, I was unsurprised to see it littered with mpv-shot files, all featuring distinct facial expressions, poses, and situations that were instantly memorable to me. The point I’m belaboring here is that this was a great episode of Kaguya-sama, even though it continued to explore a plot point from last week about which I wasn’t too jazzed. Though the consequences of the “sick in bed” plot were in focus for two of these three chapters, the show was packed with fun details and moments that had me smiling or laughing periodically throughout. Take the first segment, where Kaguya and Shirogane’s frustrations cause them to enter a gigantic argument over a piece of cake. Recognizing the need for de-escalation, Ishigami flees the room in search of Fujiwara, whose face (surrounded by sunflowers) balloons towards the camera like a scene transition from a retro American cartoon. The contrast between the heated fight in the council room and Fujiwara’s status as a comedic icon was too delicious not to play with, but the show pushed it even further than I expected with that silly logo. Kaguya and Shirogane’s rage marks popping like balloons was another neat touch, perhaps foreshadowing their anger evaporating once they took the other’s position into account.

The second chapter took a less conflict-driven, more thoughtful approach to the characters’ feud, with the president and vice president becoming advice seekers (rather than the advice givers they’ve been in past episodes). Kashiwagi and Ishigami give typically female and male answers to their inquirers’ questions, but also prompt Kaguya and Shirogane to think more deeply about the situation. Kaguya’s desire to have been touched is a tricky one to navigate (especially given her lack of sexual knowledge), but I think the show managed it with some grace, since her affection for the president is more than physical. What’s particularly interesting about the resolution of their fight is that Shirogane’s apology dovetails with the fulfillment of her wish, lending a sort of destined feeling to their romance. After Kaguya’s moment of reciprocity, the whole thing ends with an even playing field, but also the sense that some progress has been made between them. To me, this is the best way such a story could have possibly concluded, so bravo to the mangaka for providing a perfect blueprint for the anime. Also, Ishigami deserves a special mention for unconsciously (and hilariously) pouring all his frustration with women into his conversation with Shirogane. Their bro session nicely sets up a moment they share in the week’s final segment.

Free from the shackles of its sexless sleep session, Kaguya-sama revisits the idea of our characters taking a trip together, since summer vacation is quickly approaching. They quickly settle on a summer festival, which excites the fireworks-obsessed Kaguya in the episode’s cutest moment (pictured above). The layout of that scene was perfect, with the prospect of pyrotechnics proving so enticing to the VP that her enthusiasm forces even the bubbly Fujiwara out of the shot. Each character was used to great effect in this scene, with Ishigami acting as a unifying agent for the rest of the student council. Fujiwara temporarily adopts his role as the one to leave the room under the influence of some social trauma, but my inner theorist wonders whether this is just an excuse to get her out of the way for a bit. With the number of festival attendees down to three, perhaps some sort of romantic triangle will develop around a yukata-clad Kaguya? After an episode this good, I’m excited to see how the show’s summer vacation pans out, regardless of my ridiculous speculation. Kaguya’s in her right mind – all’s right with the world.