Grisaia no Kajitsu – 02

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:

The grisaia visual novel was by no means perfect. In fact if I was to summarize it as concisely as possible I would deem it a mixed bag. Some great moments but quite a number of bad storytelling decisions. Still there was hope for this anime adaption. After all the Steins Gate adaption managed to cut out the weaker elements of the source material and managed to make it shine through highlighting its strengths. I hoped that with the right hands the same could be done with this.

At least…that’s what I hoped. The result has so far been not up to my lowest expectations. The art is decent, the animation fairly bare and the treatment of the story abysmal. Notable examples being the use of chibi character models for two scenes in this particular episode. This was a cheap money saving tactic for the visual novel and it is disappointing to see it used once again in the anime adaption. I spotted a large amount of still frames and face close ups. When there is movement it’s good, in particular Yumiyo’s attack at the beginning of the episode looked like it had some weight in it. Despite the minimal amount of time the protagonist has spent at the school the anime makes it seem like he has been there a lot longer. In the words of a friend who watched this with me “It feels like I just skipped a huge chunk of the story.” Which was exactly my sentiment. To us the viewer Yuuji has been there for only a day. Yet all the girls are acting overly familiar. To top it off this episode ended with a montage of how these girls entered this school. Such an event would normally be placed at the middle or end if a series. Many of these girls have barely had ten minutes screentime. One hasn’t even had five. Is the viewer supposed to be sentimental about characters we barely know? Transitions between scenes are jarring, often switching randomly without warning. One scene switched to a flashback and it took me a full five seconds to figure out it was a flashback. Even then I wasn’t certain I was correct. But most importantly the pacing is far too fast. Dialogue felt like the characters were on fast forward, trying to get the scene over with.

The saving graces are the moments which turn harem tropes on there head and a rather unusual protagonist for this kind of genre. You have no idea how refreshing it is to have a harem lead who does not light up red at the slightest hint of female intimacy. He may not be the most expressive or interesting character but I take this any day over the standard wooden plank we get. If harems had more protagonists like this then at least we could have some fun with this old tired genre.

To top it off I have heard unconfirmed information about this being a one cour(12/13 episodes) anime. This would certainly explain the rushed editing. Let me say this, with one cour this will not end well. A shame as recently a kickstarter was made to bring the Grisaia visual novels to the west. Something which I do approve of. But if this anime is supposed to show us why we should check out the visual novel then it better get its act together. Fast.

Parasyte-the Maxim- 02

by K-Off, posted in Parasyte

Before I continue reviewing this anime, let me put up a disclaimer: I will be discussing the anime of Parasyte, not the manga. If you want to talk about spoilers, I recommend you go to a site that will talk about those things. Don’t be an ass and discuss spoilers down in the comments, because I will delete them immediately. It’s been a long time since I read the manga anyways. Thanks.

Now, this episode focuses on Izumi’s character and gives further insight into Migi’s idiosyncrasies, while attempting to show Izumi’s exponential dehumanization. However at this point, it’s much too early in the series for me to take Izumi’s “dark side”seriously, because we still don’t know enough about his normal personality in order for us to really care about the change. However, this episode does do a pretty good job of showing the symbiotic relationship Izumi and Migi have been forced into, and I can very much see Migi becoming my favorite character of 2014.

Either way, this second episode was definitely weaker than the first, because although a lot of things did happen in this episode, nothing really occurred that really progressed the story. We get some drama with Izumi’s character and see yet another Parasite, but it just lays down the thematic elements this show seeks to talk about, like humanism and the concept of duality, nothing more. To its credit though, the directing was well done, and the animation complements the campy premise quite nicely, turning the story believable and rather immersive.

Overall, although this episode was weaker than the first, it isn’t a bad episode by any means, I want to make that clear. If Madhouse can keep up the solid work and tweak the issues that I listed, this can easily become my favorite show of the season.

Some Quick First Impressions: Grisaia no Kajitsu, Trinity Seven and Inou Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:

Grisaia no Kajitsu

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist joins a school that has five troubled girls in attendance.

AidanAK47’s impression: Grisaia has all the elements to cause many to write it off as a typical harem anime. Protagonist who only wants a ordinary life? Check. Joins school with several female beauties? Check. Panty shots? Sigh…check. The usual line-up of haremettes such as the loli, tsundere, maid and kuudere? Double check. However beneath the shallow premise lies something a little more interesting. For one, despite our main character edging close to gary sue, it is delightful to see him brush off harem clichés with cold indifference. Any man that walks in accidentally on a girl changing and says “Who called me a stripper? Its not my birthday today.” has my respect. Plus props to the girl for not shouting baka, not resorting to abusing the man who only walked in because of her negligence to lock the bloody door and even laughing it off. The end of the episode also hints at darker things to come. I for one hope it proves to be something more than harem show no.56302.

Potential: 60%

Trinity Seven

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist goes to hogwarts.

AidanAK47’s impression: Nothing new to see here. While it did have some mild interest going in the beginning with the black sun, soon it used every cliche in the book. School setting, protagonist who happens to have huge potential for power, haremettes, accidently grope, the walk in while girl is changing/bathing… You have seen it a hundred times before and likely a hundred times again. I say if you need a time waster this season it’s not a bad show to settle on but frankly there are shows more worth your time. I would also like to point out that trinity refers to three, yet there is seven people in this so called trinity. So the title is contradictory.

Potential: 25%

Inou Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist is in a club with cute girls with superpowers.

AidanAK47’s impression: You would never guess this was studio trigger. Yes, that studio trigger. The makers of Kill la Kill, little witch academia and worked on Gurren Lagann. Here is their next show and it’s about a guy in a club with cute girls. Alright I wouldn’t give Trigger grief for this one. If it’s one thing that trigger needs, it’s money. Kill la Kill suffered because of a lacking budget so I certainly cannot condemn these men for making something for the money. That said having watched it I can say that I didn’t hate it. I am ashamed to admit that I may have even enjoyed it. That said I thought that one of the main draws of this club stories is how the club gathered and was created. However here the club is already created and our members gathered. On top of that they all seem to be romantically interested the protagonist. I honestly question how they will fill up the rest of the season when they have pretty much cut out the starting material. Well all I can say is that I hope this makes a ton of money, so trigger can put it forward to something more worthwhile. (Like say….Lucifer and the biscuit hammer, hint hint.)

Potential: 35%

Akatsuki no Yona – 02

by ninjarealist, posted in Akatsuki no Yona

In the first impression I said I didn’t expect Akatsuki no Yona to succeed if it went down the serious drama route. However, after watching the second episode, I’m starting to think I might have been wrong about that. There were still a lot of moments that felt corny or derivative to me, such as the stand-off between Hak and Soo-won in the middle of the episode and the flash-forward at the very end (I don’t really think the flash forwards have been very effective as a narrative device), but the writers made some inspired choices with the main characters that left me feeling encouraged about the direction this show is headed. I really like how they’ve handled Soo-won’s character. A story like this can live or die by the quality of its villain. If the villain is too sympathetic it can lighten the dramatic heft of the narrative, which can be really bad news for these type of operatic, character-driven, period pieces. If the villain is too sociopathic they can rapidly wear thin. However, the character of Soo-won strikes a nice balance between this. He’s a very cold person, to be sure, and it’s hard to empathize with his methods, but his motives honestly feel pretty reasonable to me. It’s easy for me to imagine the bitterness he would feel looking at Yona’s peaceful castle life and knowing that it was built on the violence and subterfuge that killed his father. I mean maybe we’ll find out later in the show that Yona’s father didn’t actually kill Soo-won’s father, but I hope the writers don’t go that route because honestly, it feels like a very believable backstory in my opinion. And it’s a backstory that really forces you to think about whether Yona is actually in the right here. If what Soo-won said is true, then perhaps Yona bears some form of guilt by association? I also like how we see moments of remorse peeking through Soo-won’s cold facade, like when you can see him wince momentarily after Yona tells him how she planned to confront her father about denying Yona the chance to marry her. It shows that there is a feeling person under there but those feelings have been buried under mountains of circumstances. And it makes for an interesting dynamic between him and Kye-sook, because even though Soo-won seems to be firmly in control of his fate, you can tell that Kye-sook is a Lady Macbeth type of character, prodding him to be more and more ruthless.

I also like how they handled Yona’s character in this episode. Often times, when shows portrays these types of “Princess forced out of the castle” situations the writers struggle so hard to make the trauma seem intense that the protagonist can seem unbearably histrionic or downright schizophrenic in their inconsistent and constantly changing reactions. I thought Yona went through a very nice and clear transition from initial shock at learning her father was killed, to denial of the situation, to fear that her own life was in danger, to anger and frustration that her osananajimi had betrayed her, and finally to a near catatonic breaking point as the fatigue and despair begin to set in. Throughout it all, her responses felt very natural and understandable for someone in her position. And the writers didn’t overdo it with the screaming and crying. I felt like most of the time Yona just seemed lost in her thoughts, almost unable to comprehend what was going on around her. Indeed, rather than being a player in the events of this episode, Yona is mostly just swept along in the torrent of events. I like this understated approach because it makes for some really powerful moments when Yona’s emotions come to the surface. I mean that hug at the end was so powerful and heart-warming. The entire episode Yona is just buffeted about by various people objectifying her and trying to kill her for reasons that have nothing to do with her personal life. You can see that by the end her sanity is about to break entirely because she feels just completely helpless and alone in a world that has completely changed for her in the span of a few hours. And then Hak, who despite his white knight persona had been pretty business-like towards Yona throughout this episode, lets down his own defenses to give Yona a moment of warmth and vulnerability with that hug. It was as if he was trying to say to her, “Don’t worry. Even if everyone else is treating you like a political figurehead, you’re still a human being to me.”

My biggest gripe with this episode, which was also a gripe I had with the first episode, was the terrible fight scenes. And I’m sorry if you liked them, but from my perspective after two episodes they’re just downright bad. I don’t mind that the fight scenes are short, or that the main characters don’t shoot fireballs out of their swords (at least not yet). I think those were both great choices. The problem is that the fight scenes just don’t feel real. Sure, there is blood and screaming, and loud sound effects when Hak swings his glaive around, but it just feels cartoony to me. I chalk a lot of this up to the fact that, although other aspects of the fight choreography feel more grounded and realistic, the actual physics of how the weapons impact and how the corpses are tossed through the air like volleyballs, is just comically unrealistic. And in spite of how well animated most of this show is, the animators do a really uninspired job with the death animations of all those nameless grunts that are constantly getting killed off. It makes the fight scenes feel like you’re watching someone play Dynasty Warriors (and no that’s not a compliment). The big issue here is not that the fight scenes themselves are bad, it’s that the bad fight scenes and comical death animations really take you out of the moment and just kill the serious atmosphere that the creators have otherwise done a great job building with the excellent soundtrack and cinematography.

Still, this was a good episode that really left me encouraged about where this show is going.

Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis- 02

by K-Off, posted in Shingeki no Bahamut

This episode devotes its entirety setting up the characters as well as the journey coming ahead, and it does so very well.

Here’s the thing-this season, we have a ton of shows packed with great style, animation, and direction, but none are as stylistic as Shingeki no Bahamut. I remember a few months ago when I watched the premier of Blade and Soul, and I was genuinely impressed with it- the pacing was solid, the art was decent, and the characters were mildly interesting…. However, starting with episode 2, I lost all interest and moved on, and I never bothered figuring out why. But, after watching this episode, I now know why that was. Unlike Blade and Soul, this show knows not to take itself too seriously. The completely serious Amira turns into a very light-hearted, rather amusing character who really lightens up the entire episode, and Leone/Kaisar’s bouts are, once again, very entertaining to watch.

The highlight of this episode was, without a doubt, Amira, because I did not expect her character to change as abruptly as she did. It’s quite astounding what adding a little flare to a character can do, because although I still don’t give a crap about her background, she manages to give depth to our little maverick in a way that didn’t feel overly cheesy or dull (I won’t spoil). This show has found a way to be charming whilst completely avoiding cheese.

I’m always keeping an eye out for great artists who keep trying out different things, and with Keiichi Sato, Mappa has struck gold. Now, we can only hope that he will keep this passion of his, and keep landing jobs as a director for non-mecha productions like this. His mecha productions may be quite notorious, but he hasn’t really produced anything worthwhile since Tiger and Bunny anyways, so it’s time to move the hell on. He has the potential to really make this series shine.

Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Bladeworks – 01

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Bladeworks

First things first. To those of you coming into this anime from the prequel anime Fate/zero I suggest that you do not expect another fate/zero. Fate/zero and fate/stay night are two different beasts. If I was truly pushed I would say that Fate/zero is the more mature series whereas Fate/stay night was the more shounen series. However that does not mean that the latter is weaker than the former. Both have their strengths and weaknesses and it’s best to enjoy what you get rather than lament what you don’t. If you intend to experience this as a different kind of story then you can get the most enjoyment out of it.

So to recap. This is not a remake of Studio Deens 2006 Fate/stay night. The original visual novel had three routes. These routes could be considered alternate tellings of the same story. Same characters, same setup but a different way that things turned out. The routes are named Fate, unlimited bladeworks and heavens feel. This is the unlimited bladeworks route so our main heroine has changed from Saber to Rin. To provide a simpler explanation, think of the 2006 anime as Full Metal Alchemist and this new anime is Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. Both may start the same but end up completely different stories. Our episode begins to retell the events leading to the climax of the prologue. However this time from the perspective of Shirou Emiya, our main protagonist. (Yes I am sure many hoped it would stay with Rin but bear with me.) The first thirty minutes deal with Shirou’s daily life of helping fixing broken objects at school, cooking at home, and small touches foreshadowing the things to come. To new viewers this may not be very interesting but to those of you coming from the visual novel or prequel anime, the slight subtleties are bound to interest you. Then upon witnessing two figures fighting at school our main is quickly stabbed in the heart and left for dead. But thanks to mystery helper from last episode manages to heal and walk back home. But his previous killer is coming back to finish the job.

Lets talk about Shirou for a minute. He’s been called a sexist pig, a stupid idiot and a outright annoying useless whiner. To those of you coming from the source we know these things are simply not true. This is a misconception spawned by a lacking adaption and…by some questionable things in the source itself. Withhold your gasps and outcries my kin. This is coming from someone who is currently re-reading the source. And yes there are some rare questionable “stay in the kitchen” moments that no amount of monologuing justify. This moments are only present in the fate route however and seeing his actions in the other two make Shirou being sexist not add up. The reason I bring this up is because gentlemen this is UFOtables greatest hurdle. Of this anime the main, if not most important element is to fix this years held misconception of Shirou. Because this is his story and if you do not care for this character then all the pretty animation in the world won’t get you invested.

How are they doing so far? I say, fair. The fact is that a lot of his character is in monologues and those are things which do not mix well with a visual focused medium such as this. There are moments where they are attempts to turn his inner monologues in dialogue though I argue that the result is a little bit unnatural. Considering what was omitted from the visual novel I say one of the most important ones was the battle between Lancer and Shirou. This was bypassed pretty fast. A pity as it was a strong character moment. Speaking of Lancer I am fond of the business like manner displayed when killing Shirou. In another anime this would have some psycho hyena with a half moon smile yelling how awesome killing is and how he can’t wait to get home to drown kittens, punch babies and worship satan. But with Lancer there is none of this. Just a bored sense of duty firmly disappointed in having to perform the act. It’s nice and shows that he is not someone without a heart. His second attack was also notable. At first trying to end the kids life quickly but seeing him put up a fight giving him a decent chance to defend himself. I like that. And do I even need to speak on the Lancer vs Saber fight? It’s UFOtable level animation, quite frankly it speaks for itself.

Lastly, one thing I find rather irritating is that if you judged this based on the opening then you would assume that Saber is once again the main heroine. She isn’t. Sabers had her story and she shouldn’t be so prominently featured in someone elses. But once again Type moon seems reluctant to change their poster girl. By the way I know my kin well so I will say this. Guys keep the talk of future events and lore out of the comments. No spoilers, even if they are asked for. Because gentlemen we didn’t need someone at our side shouting how awesome this series is to recognise it’s value. Let them see for themselves.

Gugure! Kokkuri-San- 02

by K-Off, posted in Gugure! Kokkuri-San


Now, TMS Entertainment is a studio that covers a wide range of different shows, and over the years, I’ve known that they can make good shows-but they just weren’t making them like they used to. However, I can safely say that it is different with this one. Despite their most recent failures like The Pilot’s Love Song, Yowamushi Pedal ( which I actually liked the first 2 episodes of), and SeHa Girl, it’s a good thing that they managed to pull off a comedy series like Kokkuri-San well enough to keep me interested.

The point is, this episode was funny. What makes Gugure! Kokkuri-San enjoyable so far are the interpersonal relationships between all of our characters, and this episode had a lot of that, by introducing us to yet another interesting person from Japanese folklore. Unlike the first episode, which was a rather mixed bag, this episode was far superior in terms of comedy, and the animation brings it out really well. This anime was directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike, director of the first season of Wagnaria, so no wonder this show was executed so well this far.

The dark humor really works in this series, and finally, it’s about time we got another one. Now, don’t get me wrong, this show isn’t dark enough to be considered a true dark comedy, but hell, it’s been too long since Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei and I need my dark humor fix. It’s a very nice way of bringing out the heavier tone that a premise based on the children’s game this show is based on brings along, while managing to stay humorous and putting a twist on folklore in a way that isn’t annoying as f*ck. That’s how you turn your Japanese folklore into comedy.

Some Quick First Impressions: Amagi Brilliant Park, Psycho-Pass Season 2

by ninjarealist, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Amagi Brilliant Park

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist is kidnapped by an emotionless girl with a musket.

Ninjarealist’s Impression: A bitter and narcissistic ex-child star, a creepy and falling-apart theme park whose few visitors are outnumbered by vermin, a cast of characters named after American hip-hop stars: these are just a few of the bizarre elements that make up the first episode of Amagi Brilliant Park. And if you’re unable to imagine how all of that could fit neatly into one show, let me reassure you: this debut episode is laugh out loud funny. Comedy is probably the most subjective of genres, but what sets Amagi Brilliant Park apart from the crowd is that it’s quite clever. For example, the choice to name the main characters after hip-hop stars. It’s an inherently funny choice, but a lesser series might be content to simply play this for cheap jokes. But in Amagi Brilliant Park these names are actually used as ironic commentaries on the lead characters’ attributes. The emotionless girl, who is constantly shooting at people with a musket, is named after famed stoic and shooting victim, 50 Cent. The self-absorbed child-star protagonist takes his name from renowned narcissist Kanye West. That’s the type of subtle humor that this series uses. It doesn’t just stop at the usual manzai jokes (although it does those very well), it utilizes the bizarre setting and strange characters to play with the viewer’s expectations and force us to laugh at the morose absurdity of it all. In this way, Amagi Brilliant Park reminds me more of a show like Humanity Has Declined than the typical KyoAni fare that many expected this series to be.

A lot of what makes this show work so well is the excellent direction, which fleshes out the setting with lifelike visuals. Much of the humor in the first episode is driven by the surroundings, a theme park so poorly-maintained that it feels more like a haunted house than a place to unwind. And what really drives this home is the director’s use of short but intricate scenery shots that direct the viewer’s eyes to important details, which might be missed if they were placed in the background. Crows eating from a spilled trashcan, aging animatronics struggling to speak outdated lines, a bored child sitting with his parent in an empty auditorium, playing video games, as the uninspired show girls struggle to feel relevant: brief shots like this make the setting feel almost like another character in the show. This is gracefully mixed in with the comedy and never bores the viewer or verges into scenery porn. Much of these exposition shots are jokes unto themselves.

Amagi Brilliant Park is by no means a perfect show. There’s plenty of dumb fanservice and, while the dialogue is usually quite funny, it can sometimes feel extremely corny and derivative. That’s what worries me the most about this show. While I loved the first episode, it showed unmistakable signs that it might devolve into something less unique than what we see in the first episode. The use of dramatic flashbacks late in this episode suggests that this show intends to get serious at some point. And I have some doubts about whether this series can pull off drama as well as comedy. Still, this is was an impressive first episode and I’m excited to see where they go with it.

Potential: 70%

Psycho Pass Season 2

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist is a cop hunting criminals in a “Minority Report”-style dystopia.

Ninjarealist’s Impressions: Full disclosure, I really liked the first season of Psycho-Pass. The show had a lurid, hollywood, feel to it that made it seem almost as much like an American action movie as an episodic sci-fi anime. And as much as it pains me to say it, I’m just not really feeling as much of either influence from Psycho Pass 2, which seems much more rooted in modern anime. The main characters have gotten cuter, the soundtrack has cut down on the orchestral instruments and upped the amount of electronic ones, and the script, no longer written by Gen Urobuchi, doesn’t quite have the same edge to it. That’s not automatically a bad thing, but something seems like it’s missing from this sequel. Akane is still a badass, the premise is still great, and the setting is still super cool, but the show sort of feels like some of the life has been sucked out of it. There’s just not a whole lot in this first episode that compares favorably to the original series. With all of that being said, I still liked this first episode. While I’m disappointed that the staff seemed to be making a concerted effort to up the number of cute girls, I do like Shimotsuki’s character and I like how they’ve set her up to be so antagonistic towards Akane. It’s essentially the same relationship she had with Ginoza in the first season, but in reverse. And maybe that sounds boring to some of you but I for one am excited to see how Akane deals with an upstart who questions her authority. The new villain is also an obvious retread of the villain from the first season, but again, they’ve made some interesting choices with him that should provide some serious challenges for the main characters. If viewers can get past the fact that this show seems to be a downgrade in quality from the original Psycho Pass, I think they might find something to like here.

Potential: 65%

Some Quick First Impressions: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

by K-Off, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso 

Short Synopsis: Our lead character plays/played the piano very well.
Impressions: We get shows like this every few seasons. You know, the ones that are generic to the core, yet they do the generic shit pretty well? See, this episode was very formulaic: we have our genius with a troubled past, our main character’s best friend, childhood friend, and the mysterious new girl who our protagonist will most likely end up banging. I could compare this to Bokura wa Minna Kawaiisou from Spring’s lineup, but that wouldn’t do this show very much justice-because unlike Kawaii Complex’s premier, this first episode wasn’t a total piece of shit. In fact, it was consistently solid, and A-1 Pictures seems to have done their best with the crappy premise handed to them. If the story and characters weren’t so much of a damn cop-out though, I could see myself enjoying this anime for what it is: a teenage angst drama. This is the first time Kyohei Ishiguro is directing a show by himself (Unlike Psycho Pass, My Little Monster, Amagami SS+, Hourou Musuko, Kyokai Senjo no Horizon, & Fairy Tail, where he was an episode director), so I guess I have to congratulate him for making this episode decent at the very least. However, if I learned anything from the past few years, it’s that generic shows like this quickly fall apart.

OP: Generic, nothing to see here.

ED: Generic, nothing to see here.

Potential: 40%

Some Quick First Impressions: Akatsuki no Yona and Donten ni Warau

by psgels, posted in Currently Watching:, Some Quick First Impressions

Akatsuki no Yona

Short Synopsis: Our lead character is a young princess of an important country.
Impressions: I started out as a fan of the shoujo genre. That unfortunately changed after the entire genre suddenly deteriorated after a point. I’m not sure what happened, but at a certain point, all shoujo series just became dry, one-dimensional and bland; full of fanservice and pandering. Only once in a while you had something like Kamisama Hajimemashita, but even that in the end boiled down to a romantic comedy, instead of series that packed real punches like Ashita no Nadja, Glass Mask or Kaleido Star. With Akatsuki no Yona though, we finally have another seemingly good shoujo adventure. At the very least, it manages to push a lot of the right buttons in its opening episode: it starts off with a younger version of the lead character and shows a bit of character-development right from the start. The acting for once isn’t bone-dry but instead the characters are fun to watch. I especially want to give the creators props to the way they portrayed the female lead character: the way in which they delivered the energy that goes on inside the mind of a teenaged girl, including how she feels about love, was quite addictive. The show does look sloppy right from the start, which is why I fear that a lot of people won’t give it a chance, but that changes pretty quickly once you see it in action. Now: keep this up! Have a story to tell that fits the pacing of an anime, instead of goofing off for too long. This episode didn’t introduce all of the side-characters yet, but make them count.
Potential: 80%

Donten ni Warau

Short Synopsis: Our lead character ferries criminals during the Meiji-restoration.
Considering that this is only a shounen-series, I can see that there’s something good buried underneath. This episode itself was sloppy, but for a series of its genre I’ve seen much worse. The thing is dhat Donten ni Warau opened with an episode that had absolutely nothing to do with its plot. Or at the very least, the beginning of the episode and ending of the episode threw around hints of this epic storyline, and yet most of the episode here focused around the usual shounen brat acting on his own, and this really weird piece of comic relief in which a character who seemily had nothing to do just started cross-dressing for no reason. This was meant to be a character-building episode for the three main characters, but their problems are all pretty basic: you have an older brother who is really strong, a middle brother who wants to be acknowledged but who is weak (and who probably is the main character here), and the youngest brother who is just still a kid. You can make quite a few predictions based on this set-up. Where this show scores points is its setting: for the villains to be the samurai who are discontent with pretty much losing their identity after Japan’s westernization: that’s actually a very good base for a villain. It’s something different from those “I want to save the world so I need to destroy it first”-villains.
ED: SO many characters appear here who made no appearance whatsoever in this episode. The ED itself is also not bad either.
Potential: 35%