Love Live! Superstar!! – 1
Wooper: After holding out for a good eight years, this was my first time viewing a Love Live anime, and wouldn’t you know it, my cognitive functions are none the worse for wear. It did feel a bit like watching a commercial, but I’m so old and grumpy that the majority of anime gives me that same feeling. It was a well-made commercial at least, with some of the prettier backgrounds I’ve seen this season, full of springy greens and sakura pinks that somehow managed to coordinate themselves with main character Kanon’s orange hair. Kanon is the main reason I enjoyed the episode as much as I did – she’s occasionally moody and defiant, as befits her age, but she overcomes those emotions to help a new friend whose idol ambitions might otherwise be crushed. There was a real connection between the song of the week and Kanon, who authored it years ago but wasn’t able to perform it until now due to stage fright. The episode’s direction highlighted both her fear and her brash personality by mixing up its framing, putting her off to the side in some shots and front and center in others. Visuals, music, emotions – they all worked harmoniously in this premiere, so I’ll hope for the best and pick up Superstar as soon as it returns from its Olympic hiatus.
Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi – 4
Wooper: Hot damn, this series is on a roll, at least in aesthetic terms. Background characters are still well-drawn, fight scenes are stuffed with flurried fists and elemental beams, and color design pushes the envelope but always manages to create a few standout moments per episode. This week my favorite sight was the shot of demigods Ysley and Paula walking on the seafloor to avoid detection from enemy submarines. Would a trip to the bottom of the ocean be as colorful as Idaten made it out to be? No way, but stylish exaggeration is the show’s bread and butter, and I’m all for it. The story is starting to take shape, as well, with the demons moving humans about the Earth like pawns on a chess board, and Ysley doing a fair bit of manipulation himself. The series’ primary concerns are still carnage and mayhem, as evidenced by the three showdowns promised in this week’s cliffhanger, but with Prontea’s introduction and Maou-sama receiving a new body, the cast is slowly getting beefed up in preparation for something bigger. If that future looks anything like the show’s present, I’ll gladly stick around to see it realized.
Re-Main – 5
Wooper: Re-Main is turning out to be the little sports anime that could, sort of like last year’s Taiso Samurai. That one ended up belly flopping in the second half, and there’s a very real chance that Re-Main could do the same, since they’re similarly mediocre at depicting their chosen sports. But they have the same strength, as well: telling offbeat stories to further our understanding of their characters. This episode’s oddity was the reveal that Eitarou had fabricated his past friendship with Minato, whose missing memories made it impossible for him to spot the other boy’s lies. Re-Main has continually surprised me by keeping Minato’s amnesia relevant from week to week, rather than using it as a one-and-done reset button, and this was one of its best applications yet. Frankly, I wish this story had been a little gayer than it was on the page – Eitarou strikes me as the type, and the methods he used to befriend his water polo idol seemed more than athletically driven, at least to me. In any case, their confrontation at the shrine featured some strong layouts, and their subsequent reconciliation was solidly written. Having cleared the landmine of Eitarou’s potential resignation, the team is still together – let’s hope their next match goes better than their recent 18-0 defeat.
Great Jahy – 02 [DROPPED]
Amun: My enthusiasm for the great Jahy proved short-lived. Truthfully, I haven’t even finished this episode – I gave up about halfway through. My issues: all the wrong lessons were learned from the spiritual predecessors of this show. Basically, the central character needs to be a demon in name only – there needs to be redeeming qualities and humanity present. Jahy is completely missing that – I do not like any of these characters, even remotely. This introduction of the previously abused underling, now living the high life does nothing for me. At least Dropkick my Devil was funny (and not really mean-spirited). Jahy is just…lacking an identity. It can’t even decide if the service should be type A or B…I’m done.
