2011 Anime Retrospective: THE iDOLM@STER & Usagi Drop

by SuperMario, posted in 2011 Anime Retrospective

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Before we get to the reviews this time, there’s something that I forgot to mention in the first few posts. In order to come up with the shortlists, I used the information mainly from anichart, MAL’s seasonal anime and this very site’s monthly summaries from psgels, along with some first impressions over ANN. Turn out the most informative source out of these was psgels’ summaries, given not only he covered a large amount of shows, but I can also keep track with how he felt about these shows over time (if you’re still reading this blog psgels, you have my gratitude). The other sources miss out many shows (imagine my frustration when I realized Gosick isn’t listed over anichart). It would help me greatly if any of you readers know some reliable sources concerning anime shows that air in every year. I’ll be very appreciated.

psgels only checked out the first 3 episodes of THE iDOLM@STER, so here is his review for Usagi Drop. Let’s the game begin

THE iDOLM@STER (A-1 Pictures)

Arguably one of the finest specimen when it comes to idol anime, THE iDOLM@STER takes almost no time to introduce us a whooping… 13 rising idol girls, each tick the box of your typical anime archetype and there are several insert songs within an episode, so that there’s always something for everyone. Mild sarcasm aside, this is a show whose appeals are too clearly-defined that just by first few episodes you can easily tell if it’s for you or not. In term of quality, it has fair shares of good and bad. Some might point out the refreshing documentary-style the first episode employs, but for me it further underlines many of the show’s core issues. The said documentary style where the girls answer to some text questions further reminds me of its gameplay mechanics. In addition, the show introduces a very plain self-insert male character who only goes by the name “Producer” and if you take away his eagerness towards helping the girls out, he has no distinct characteristics. The 13 female idols (well, more like 12 + 1, you’d know what I mean if you watch it), on the other hand, may seem overwhelming at first, but each of them has their own personality and has their own growth to develop. These growths can be small for some characters, but most of them are well-developed and in the end, just watching those girls bounce off each other and give some interesting different dynamic when pairing different girls make all their time together such a fun time to watch.

THE iDOLM@STER divides neatly into 2 half, first cour about the 765 Pro when they are at the bottom of the food chain and the latter half about them when the girls are already famous. There’s one thing that you need to know that THE iDOLM@STER plays more like an… idolized version of becoming idols. There are issues and hardships along the way; but noting is as dark as Perfect Blue and the show tends to resolve those conflicts by the sheer optimism power from the main cast. In THE iDOLM@STER, you can see those girls doing many idols activities beside singing like joining a cooking show, having their own air show, or even playing with children. The main theme is not much about following your dream (which it has a fair share of, but Love Live claims the spot there), but more about seeing these team idols as family members and the studio as a home to go back to. At that, it produces some nice, warm moments where the cast, despite their busy schedule, still tries to make time for each other. There are some character-focus episodes that leave more impact than others, chief among them the wedding-photoshoot turns runaway bride madness or the air show that put our idols into some pretty hilarious moments.

The show falls apart, however, whenever the main villain shows up and gives 765 Pro a hard time. He’s the kind of antagonist that the show doesn’t need and the way the show frames him as overly cruel make him a badly-written character all the way. I find myself quite surprise that I enjoy the last arcs when the show goes a tad bit more serious because those reflect the characters’ issues quite well without betraying their own developments. In terms of production, while the actual animation is just average, it more than makes up for it with expressing character expressions and the flat-out impressive hand-drawn performance sequences with many earworm songs to enjoy. Makes me clearly see the difference with today idol shows where they try to cut down the cost with those CG dance sequences. THE iDOLM@STER is, without a doubt, a production that is created with a lot of efforts and cares. While it’s pandering with the mainstream’s taste for mainstream attention, its appeal is so well-defined (I reckon its appeal is similar to K!On) that if you don’t mind 13 girls coming at you at the same time, you’ll have a good time with it.

Rating: 74/100

Usagi Drop (Production I.G)

In a medium that a bit too obsessed with high school settings and teen romance, the topic of raising a child is rare, and to be as good and realistic as this is nothing short of extraordinary. It takes two complete strangers starting on a new phase of their lives together to underscore what parenting and childcare really like. While I have some minor qualms about Usagi Drop: the show ends inconclusively, many life-to-life issues are deal with, but quickly get aside once they resolve the issues (like Daikichi’s job or Rin’s daycare issues) and mostly the financial situation is never a big issue, those complaints are quickly tossed aside compare to the show’s strengths. The main, main, main weapon of Usagi Drop is the solid dynamic of Daikichi and Rin – two lovely individuals in their own rights – and witness how they begin to trust each other and enjoy the time together. Rin is pure bliss. She’s mature, well-behaved and smart for her age, but she isn’t without her own personal problems. Abandoned by her real parents (in one of a grounded depiction of immature mother in the medium), she always has a fear being left alone in the world. And for a girl her age she faces those issues surprisingly well.

But Usagi Drop also nails it at depicting how Daikichi evolves as a father figure. He handles the situations like an adult, he sacrifices many things so that it can work out better for him and Rin. In addition, since he’s inexperienced with this whole raising-a-kid thing, he’s panicking over littlest things. A cold from her makes him nervous, every small aspect that he has no idea to he’d call over his relatives for help. It’s hard to raise a child, that’s for sure, then you realize that every parent has been through those very same situations, and it adds a lot of extra weight. This show, in a way, is a celebration of parenting, of every father and mother out there who deal with nameless listless jobs every single day, most of their efforts never get noticed.

Visual-wise, the pre-opening segments use a crayon-tinted style, which really fits the nature of this show. The atmosphere it produces is strong and solid, plus its resemblance to real-life parenting that make Usagi Drop one of the best slice-of-life show this genre has to offer. The cast all act so natural that you would see these kinds of characters in your real life. In this heart-warming world, not only Daikichi learns from his peers and his family to deal with all the situations, but he also learns from Rin, and likewise, Rin learns from him, and they grow a great deal together. The fact that it ends open-ended also speak a lot to its theme, that parenting is a work that can’t finish in a day or two, but it’s a lifespan process, and both Rin and Daikichi are just in their beginning of the process.

Note: Despite knowing what infamously happens in later volumes, I’ve made up my mind to read the rest of the manga at some points in the future. The time jump might very well contaminate my feeling for Rin and Daikichi, but I don’t want to be the one who says I’m uncomfortable without reading it and seeing for myself first. So yeah, at least I’m prepared for whatever comes, let it come.

Rating: 91/100

With these reviews done, I regret to say that this 2011 Anime Retrospective will be on hiatus for a foreseeable future. I’m enjoying watching and reviewing them by all mean, but lately, I’ve been thinking about making a movie blog, given my root has always been about cinema. If it ever happens, rest assured that I’m not leaving this site. I’m still pretty much up to weekly reviews, but side-project like this will have to put into the sideline. Currently, I want to do some movie projects first before coming back to this one (I know, BIG TALK since the blog doesn’t even exist yet. It’s just me and my blind enthusiasm at this point). I’ve received healthy responses from you guys for this project – which I am very grateful – so, thanks again for supporting this project after all this time. I’m still intended to come back and finish this so until then, I suppose. Arigatou.

Hinamatsuri – 06 [Nitta-san Has a Dandy Dad]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Hinamatsuri

This week in Anzumatsuri Hinamatsuri, the show proves once again that it does have something up its sleeves. Rarely a show does the drama effectively to the point of winning me some (manly) tears, let alone a comedy show in nature like this, but Hinamatsuri more than earned it with a nice emotional story for Anzu. Keeping up with its tradition, this episode spends the first half on Nitta and Anzu and the second half on one of our golden girls. The expansion of the cast for me steps up to be one of Hinamatsuri’s strong point. Usually, this show introduces the supporting quirky cast that they manage to stand out through their colourful characteristics; and watching them bouncing off with our mains is always a pleasure. This week, Nitta brings Hina home to meet his mother and that quirky little sister (who loves to drink) and we witness how Hina failing miserably with her little act and how Nitta covers up the truth by tall tales upon tall tales. Here’s when I admit the comedy isn’t as sharp as it has always been, mostly because Nitta’s mother and sister believe him almost too quickly. But what it lacks in humor, it makes up by showing us that Hina tries (fails but damn, she tries) and reaffirm the central chemistry between Hina and Nitta. He might lie that Hina is his real daughter, but now he sees her as one, and it’s certainly important.

The real winner, however, comes from the second part of Anzu saying farewell to the homeless gang. It’s not that unexpected, and the old men accept their fate as it comes. But it’s sad (and a bit hurt) that Anzu is the only one who doesn’t take this issue lightly. She was all about to go all out to protect their homeland, to what she feels as her true home and family. It’s compelling since the emotions she gone through are relatable. She sheds her tears when she realizes it’s not worth it (or more, the old geezers don’t think it’s worth it) to keep this base. Moreover, it stings when she knows that they won’t be together ever again. All the people she’s grown fond with, all the people who teach her all these small things. And then, when she has a delicious meal she can’t help but thinks of the others, and wonders if she deserves such nice meal. It’s empathy that she has learned the long way from the people who seemingly has nothing to share, yet it’s the care and the love they share that reach her and will stay inside her. The two new caretakers do a good job of pointing these things out for Anzu. That is, frankly, quite a touching and satisfying message Hinamatsuri manages to pull off here.

It helps that the show nails it in keeping these emotions intact, visually. There are many strong framings that fuse immensely with the emotional weight of the story. I have two scenes that come to mind. First, the image of Anzu in her tent gathering up her items, a hammer, an empty can, a stuff bear and a string, with her back facing towards us. It’s as lonely as it can get. The second, Anzu’s wide awake early morning, and just realizes that she now doesn’t have to pick up cans anymore. It rings hollowly true at depicting a person coping with their new strange environment that – although I suspect we don’t get more of this anymore – I can hardly have any complaints with this segment whatsoever. The past episodes have shown us that Hinamatsuri is great at comedy, this one reminds us that they have a knack at moving us to tears as well.

Steins;Gate 0 – 5 [Solitude of the Astigmatism -Entangled Sheep-]

by Lenlo, posted in Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Steins;Gate 0

Another week another new character added to Steins;Gate 0’s roster. This time we have a new scientist lady, more lovable “English” and answers to already obvious mysteries. Lets dive in!

So right off the bat there are some small things to mention. Like how Moeka clearly suspects Daru for his time travel work, or the clear connection she still has with Mr.Braun. She wouldn’t be introduced so early, nor would the camera frame her and Braun the way it does, if she wasn’t going to be trouble in the future. Viewers who have not seen the original Steins;Gate may be confused, so let me once again recommend you just binge the original and come back to S;G 0 once your done. We also have Judy Reyes, another new character. Based on how she was introduced, I am convinced she is a villain of some kind. Her intro started with a creepy stalker sequence and panicked phone call to Okabe. If nothing else I need her to be evil because we have to many lovable good guys already.

Continue reading “Steins;Gate 0 – 5 [Solitude of the Astigmatism -Entangled Sheep-]” →

Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel – I Prestige Flower Anime Review – 90/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by AidanAK47

We have seen an influx of Fate adaptations over the last year and sadly each has proven to be disappointing except for a cooking slice of life short series which is weirdly better than it has any right to be. This movie was the last of the Fate adaptations that I needed to see but sadly remained out of my reach due to screenings being nowhere near where I live. So I waited and now with the Blu-ray release I can finally experience it and by god it’s perfect. This is only the first of three movies covering the Heaven’s Feel route of the original visual novel. As for what that means to the uninformed, the original first visual novel of Fate/Stay night was a choose your own adventure style game where the story could turn out one of three completely different ways. The first path where Saber is the main heroine is called Fate, was adapted by Studio Deen in 2006 but while the only adaption of this route it is considered lackluster. The second route is called Unlimited Bladeworks where Rin is the main heroine and has been adapted by Deen into a movie and again by Ufotable into a TV series. This movie is the very first adaption of the previously unadapted third route called Heaven’s Feel where Sakura is the main heroine and more or less is the grand finale of the original game. When compared to the other two routes Heaven’s Feel is generally considered darker in tone and quite a few consider it the closest thing to a true sequel to Fate/Zero. Take that statement with a grain of salt however as it certainly isn’t intended to be a sequel but rather a conclusion to the original game. As a long time fan of the series I was curious as to how Ufotable would handle the adaptation and if this first movie is an example of what the full trilogy will be I would consider it a prefect adaption. Not only did this first movie cover the important points of the beginning of the route but actually improved the pacing and story with extra scenes.

In the visual novel it was briefly mentioned how Sakura started to come to Shirou’s house to help out but Ufotable actually shows it right from the start which I feel was a great introduction for her. The expanded action scenes and original scenes of things that happened outside of Shirou’s perspective really added much needed context to the story while giving justice to characters whom in the visual novel were sent off less ceremoniously. If there is a character that truly benefited from the animated adaptation it’s most definitely true Assassin. It’s nice to see a master who uses an Assassin class servant as they were intended to be used and despite being an antagonist you could always see how under powered he was when compared the powerhouses that are other servants. The animation really shows Assassins fighting style of avoiding direct confrontation and relying on traps and tricks to catch servants off guard. Even Shinji was given more context which made him more understandable though obviously still not likeable. The small nods to Fate/Zero help continuity better than the original story did as of course Zero was originally made after it. Animation of course was fantastic as this is indeed Ufotable with a movie budget and clearly no expenses were spared in making this thing as gorgeous as humanly possible. The fight scenes are absolute works of art and exhilarating to behold. Soundtrack was also quite excellent and despite my misgivings with Yuki Kajura I found this soundtrack quite effective and only remembered it was Yuki’s work when the choir jumped in at the opening credits. Through admittedly I wasn’t quite paying attention to the soundtrack but that in itself is a sign of grown from Kajura as her soundtracks had a tendency of stealing attention away from a scene whereas here the soundtrack worked more in tandem with the visuals.

Out of the original three routes, Heaven’s Feel is considered the darkest story and for good reason. As dark as Fate/Zero? Not certain if it’s that level but we are dealing with some pretty heavy stuff here. For one it’s clear that this version of the Holy Grail war has far more collateral damage than any other. It was said in the background that accidents where happening and people were dying in the background of other series but here it’s gotten to the level of being a massive concern. The people of Fuyuki know that something is going on and more and more incidents are happening. Shirou’s friends are no exception to this as even they are victims of the war. On top of which we got this mysterious creature floating around draining people into comas and the movie certainly shows how eerie this thing is as well as how dangerous. With Sakura being the main heroine as well we glimpse the abuse she has to endure at her home. This is a pretty heavy story for both the servants and the masters with bleak prospects to come.

The movie of course isn’t without flaw. It assumes you have at least seen the Unlimited Bladeworks adaptation and makes no effort to ease in newcomers as it quickly montages things previously covered. Small references to Fate/Zero have been added by Ufotable too so some knowledge of that can help. Despite efforts to improve the pacing of the story there are points of this movie which feel rather slow and rely on it’s atmosphere and soundtrack to carry it. The CGI while well done can be distractingly noticeable at times such as the scene between Lancer and Assassin on the truck. I would even go so far to say that maybe Ufotable over polished it. Also indeed this is a film for Fate fans so those who couldn’t get invested in previous iterations most likely won’t find anything here to change their mind. Naturally as well this film is only one third of a story so it doesn’t end conclusively and only is one part of a story. But for a Fate fan such as myself I loved it and thought it was the best it could ever be. If the other two movies are as good as this we could very well see the Fate anime to call Fate/Zero’s undisputed position of best Fate Adaption into question.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes Die Neue These – 6[The Capture of Iserlohn (Part 1)]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Legend of the Galactic Heroes Die Neue These

Thus we have the introduction of the rozenlitter, the badass close quarter combat specialists of Yangs party lead by the suave Walter who’s looking rather different in this adaption. He certainly looks a lot fierer here as opposed to his more charismatic look in the OVA. I suppose this new look matches with his demeanor in combat with is up close and personal but it doesn’t quite mesh with his womanising side. So not much to say about this episode as it’s mainly Yang preparing to take on Isoldon fortress and it being pointed out just how much of a ridiculous order it is. We got Greenhill introduced who’s judo throwing a guy just to show that she don’t need no man but yeah expect her role to mainly be Yangs secretary.

It’s great seeing the Rozenlitter and pointing out them to be former members of the Empire and thus rather untrustworthy due to the betrayals of the force in the past. However I notice the severe lack of battle axes in the training they are doing which is disappointing because those axes are what made the Rozenlitter so badass. I hope they haven’t replaced them with standard laser shootouts but it could just be because they are on earth instead of space where the axes are more relevant. It’s generally a bad idea to use lasers in spaceships due to the danger of compromising the atmosphere of the ship, hence the return of good old melee combat.

Honestly this was something I was worried about when covering this series, namely that at times there may not be much for me to comment on. It’s not that nothing happened this episode as quite a bit did. But rather it’s difficult to comment on it because it’s generally fairly straightforward planning. Yang had to talk a bit about his aspirations to Walter in order to get him on his side and i noticed that Walter was very much probing him to see if he was gunning for glory. Only to be shocked at his general declaration that he wants to grab Isolron to help set up a peace treaty between the empire and FPA so he can retire with a nice pension. Considering the FPA general attitude towards pacifism it is likely surprising to Walter to hear a high ranking officer talk about alternatives to sending millions to their death for glory. With the next episode we shall see how this whole gambit turns out.

Darling in the Franxx – 16[Days of Our Lives]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Darling in the Franxx

After the action packed last episode of Franxx, we return to the birdcage for a easygoing episode of the squad learning to be self sufficient after their caretakers suddenly stop providing for them. A change which appears to be at Dr Franxx’s request and I find myself wondering about this man’s objective is. From the flashbacks he seems to be of rather questionable character what with him torturing Zero Two and erasing memories. Yet when taking into account what he is doing in the present it almost seems as though he is trying to help the squad mature as people. It’s hard to determine if this is some attempt to redeem himself or if their is some hidden dark agenda to his actions. Or if Franxx is just neutral in general and prioritises scientific progress over any kind of morally so how good or evil he is depends on which choice brings the best experimental results.

Despite the episode for the most part being rather easygoing and uplifting with even Zero Two making a rather jarring change in personality, this episode just feels foreboding throughout. The fun and games may be sweet on the surface but under that is a cynicism over what the future has to bring. Several characters make statements which tempt Murphys Law such as Goro remarking about how they feel without purpose with the leaders putting them on standby until further notice. Above all Hiro saying the ultimate death flag by claiming that he and Zero Two will always be together which is almost comically timed with a small rumbling of the ground right after. Miku has white hairs on her head signalling premature aging, Zorome stating that they shouldn’t bother praying to father before eating and even Futoshi revealing he has an eating disorder. That last bit about Futoshi was quite a surprising one as he was always the lighthearted fellow who played to the usual trope of being the fat guy who eats a lot. But I wonder if his condition is the result of the standby orders or something that developed after Kokoro left him. Though sadly I do like how Kokoro and Mitsuru’s relationship is developing. She seems remarkably aggressive which might be a product of that baby book she picked up before maybe?

But with that comes back a particular flaw that I remarked about earlier in the series. Namely the jarring switch from easy going fun times to serious drama. Franxx has always had this problem interchanging between the two but it hasn’t reared its head in a while because the last few episodes have mostly been serious affair. But now we have a sudden shift with Zorome trying to force Futoshi to eat playfully at first only for him to start getting aggressive and reveal that he knew Futoshi wasn’t eating. It certainly is a change when you consider that this is in tone with his usual bratty self but actually being concerned over Futoshi. Admittedly he’s handling it in a terrible way what with outting him in front of everyone but you can as least tell it’s not out of malice but a genuine want to help him. But this dramatic shift just didn’t feel natural and was more the product of making things more dramatic for the sake of drama. I look at how Full Metal Panic naturally resolve a personal dilemma with care and find Franxx’s approach to be far too grandstanding. You don’t need a shouting match followed by a group hug to make drama. Really acknowledging that there is a problem and it’s not something that can just be “fixed” is a more mature approach to storytelling. Maybe not quite as visually impactful but meaningful in presenting the characters better. On a last note the new ending appears to confirm that Ikuno is indeed gay. On one hand it’s good to get confirmation but I also feel a little disappointed that the internet’s shortsighted assumptions were proven correct.

Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory – 04[On My Own]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory

Damn. I mean damn. You would think bringing back an old series like this would begin to show its age but Full Metal Panic looks to have aged like fine wine. This episode really pulled off the desperate struggle Sousuke was going through and hit hard with action and the new serious tone it’s been going for. WIth this episode we finish animating the seventh volume of the series and it ended with quite a bang. The last few episodes have been a pure destruction of the school setting and lighthearted antics of Full Metal Panic. Nothing quite makes that hit home more that seeing Kyouko, almost the symbol of that side of the series, pierced through the stomach with debri. It looks very much like she will live but the moment she turned around and seeing that wound caused an emotional reaction in me I can’t quite explain. I wouldn’t even consider her to be a character I particular cared for in the original series but seeing that was akin to seeing a child mascot get mowed down in a hail of gunfire.

It most likely is a product of the nostalgia gathered after 12 years but that moment made you feel the exact same way as Sousuke did. Almost a desecration of something sacred. Though we did get one small callback to funnier times when the student council president references the dangerous gas of Fumofu’s last episode to get the school to evacuate. In the novel the villain actually remarks that it would be impossible to evacuate a school that fast and for any other school this would be true. But this school knows Sousuke and therefore when they say he’s done something insane then it’s time to run.

This episode was a confirmation that this series will completely abandon the lighthearted tone of old as Sousuke leaves the school to chase down Chidori. It’s admittedly a bit of a cliche for Chidori to give herself up to the enemy in order to save Sousuke but in this case I allow it as we got to see Sousuke lose badly for the first time in the series. This was him battered to the brink, with Arbalest destroyed and left down to nothing but a pistol, but still firing it in vain. On that note, the mecha CGI was beautiful, Belials animation makes look remarkably cool and you can truly feel the weight of these machines in their movement. Also in this episode we got the reveal of Wraith whom, to be blunt, I completely forgot about. It’s not that unbelievable to do so seeing as Wraith never really showed up until second raid and there she didn’t reveal herself and mainly fought on the sidelines. But I certainly did a double take seeing her disguise herself as a the teacher and suddenly kick all kinds of ass. I was half believing that the teacher was an undercover operative this whole time. The Tuatha de Danaan ramming a behemoth was also superb. Overall I am very satisfied with how Xebec has handled the adaption and I hope they can keep this up.

Golden Kamuy – 05 [Race]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Golden Kamuy

I’m particularly worried about the pacing of Golden Kamuy, which is as messy as it gets. The pacing has no problem speed through the action chases to the ridiculous level, then slow down several notches for more cooking in the wilderness, Asirpa’s crazy face and Sugimoto surprisingly uninjured face after got skewered. We get to see more of the madness (awesomely madness) side the duo’s foes, from Captain Tsurumi with his melted brain and manages to run straight after got kicked out by the horse and rolled several metres or Hijikata who is just happy to chop people’s heads, enjoying the snowy wind and preparing to shake things up to die… and now we even have a small team of hunters who isn’t after the gold but to hunt the last Japanese white wolf on Earth. I’m not so sure about the last gang and how it’s relevant to the main plot, but my main gripe so far of Golden Kamuy besides the pacing is the side characters. The twin, as expected, is pure cold-blooded bastard. The guy with the hammer forehead has no real deep or role except whenever he spells out Hijikata’s plans and motives.

The main chemistry between Sugimoto and Asirpa remains strong, despite the fact that they act mostly like a lover’s quarrel this week. Last episode, we know that Sugimoto left her behind because he cares about her well-being, and this week, we got an answer from Asirpa’s point of view. Screw it. She’s taking the role knowing full well about its risk, and the one who acts up and screws up is Sugimoto himself. It’s as strong a response as you can get, and I don’t mind the new member of our crew – the Escape King who so far is portraited as a comic relief. I would rather have him as a laid-back guy who lighten the mood than having eating sequences that for me just feel so out of place. We also get to see more about Hijikata and his gang, and the only thing we learn so far is that he isn’t the one to be messed with (and he’s both master of sword and gun huh?). Well, despite it’s a plot-heavy episode the whole content lacking in actual engagement, as it serves more of building up the gangs into the great battles. At least after this episode I can safely say that all the players are in place, so the next moves are going to be vital.

Hisone to Masotan – 04 [They Came to Gifu]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Hisone to Masotan

With this episode the main plot thread of HisoMaso starts to emerge. Not only we have a new character this week, but all three of the remaining cast joined in in spectacular fashion. And befitting with the oddball personalities of both Hisone and Nao, they are a bunch of eccentric characters whose characteristics are all over the place. We have Ririko (codename Jimmy) – a shy and introvert girl, Hitomi (TAC name Morris) – a kind-hearted soft spoken big (and lazy) girl and Eri (TAC name Penguin) – a self-serious and overachiever. Looking at this cast, one has to wonder how unfit those girls are in military context. I mean, army is supposed to be uniform, consistent and those girls are as faraway from those as possible. But maybe that’s the point, that driving (AKA massaging the inside of) dragon is a job that only oddballs can do (And to think that Nao now is the one being left out – 4 dragons and 5 girls, seriously?). I’m still not very convinced about the characters of Hitomi and Ririko so far, given most of the time HisoMaso play their weirdness mostly for laugh.

It’s Eri who takes the main stage in this episode and she’s responsible for HisoMaso’s first real thematic depth: whether to regard themselves as pilot or dragon caretaker, thus regard the dragon as their friend/pet or as the airplane. With a show that been dancing around its theme so lightly so far you’d know what their solution is. Eri’s point has her merits, she wants to be the first big female pilot in the military force and she’s determined to make the boys recognizing her talents, or in the broader sense to make military women more than just an object/ a weakness, but by doing so she’s objectifying her dragon as something no more than a tool. The fact the dragon is too tense that he remains in aircraft mode even after the flight is sad as hell. As a result, he goes over his limits and transforms into the dragon form when Eli pushes him harder.

Again, Hisone nearly ruins the mood of her new comrades by saying mean things as they are, but in some way there’s always a charm in her meanie thought-out-loud. There’s no chemistry between her and the rest of the cast whatsoever, but that’s precisely the joy to see this band of misfits doing missions together, arguing over the most meaningless things while inside the stomach of dragons. The girls’ facial expressions remain as expressive as ever and the visual is certainly top-notch and gorgeous. I’m not too sold with the new cast so far, mostly because it’s Eri-centric episode but I reckon I’ll warm up with the other two as time goes by.

Hinamatsuri – 05 [Three Heads Are Better Than One]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Hinamatsuri

At this point, I’m done delving on what the main thread of Hinamatsuri is. What appeared at first as the buddy/parental relationship between a yakuza and a psychic girl has evolved into something else, with Hitomi and Anzu slowly taking a central stage. This episode 5 in particular, they follow up on what I feel their weakest sketch (the plot A) with their most hilarious segment I’ve seen this year, bar none. The main reasons why the plot A doesn’t work for me mostly because it confirms many issues that I felt last week: Anzu and Hitomi keep overshadow Hina, there’s little wacky Hinamatsuri-signature sense, and Nitta and Hina relationship rubs me the wrong way for the first time (money can’t buy everything, mate). There are still two main takeaways from this first half, however. First, it has a sad undertone that the main reason Anzu does all this is because she wants to buy a video game to play with Hina and second, Hitomi and Hina help the blonde kid in their own ways, both end up with some mishaps that turn their plans upside down) or in Hina’s case, she makes one up as she goes). That’s the “friendship” that Anzu always looks for but hasn’t realized yet, and the rewards end up being not the money they earned but the efforts they spend to help her.

But my dissatisfaction for the first half is quickly replaced the magnificent of this little investigations from Hitomi’s friends. I suspect the main ingredients for its success are the expanded cast, with each of the new character more than light up the screen and I don’t remember falling for a new character (Aizawa) as quickly as this 10 minutes. She has her manipulating side, and God she’s clearly enjoying messing with Hitomi just to see her “adorable” reactions. The animation does a good job to animate Hitomi’s excessive movements here (is it just me who think that there’s some yuri affection from Aizawa to Hitomi? If so, I’d welcome it). She skeds the fine line between enjoying manipulating her and care for her own good at the same time. Likewise, the two boys walk the fine line between innocent-as-kid (the way they imagine the affair, with the caption: I can’t fantasize anymore or they still behave like kids playing detective) and their affection to Hitomi. Hina plays her role well here is a clueless mascot who most of the time doesn’t get what is going on. This is the situation-based comedy as its most inspiring as the misunderstandings just keep building up slowly and Hitomi behaves just like a wet cat get herself caught in the kitchen’s corner – she’s an adorable kitty, I swear. Look, I don’t even care anymore if this show slowly becomes Hitomimatsuri but I still hope there’s more supernatural wackiness along the way.