Fumetsu no Anata e – 03 [A Small Evolution]

by SuperWooper, posted in Fumetsu no Anata e, Series which were Dropped

I’m still withholding my assessment of Fumetsu no Anata e’s forest makeover, as it feels like this chapter won’t reach its climax for a while yet. There was plenty of action this week, capped with the rescue of a young girl bound for death, but it all segued so smoothly into the next plot point that my emotional receptors never woke up. There’s no time for catharsis when everyone is immediately recaptured and carted off to Hayase’s village. (There’s also no need for it when March proves herself to be the mildest human sacrifice in the practice’s history.) Even the payoff to the previous episode’s “Arigatou” scene landed kind of sideways, since Fushi saved March due to instinct rather than gratitude. He’s an extraordinary character in what is quickly becoming an ordinary adventure series, and I feel a bit of a disconnect there. That said, it’s probably in my best interest to let go of the reins and just be a passenger in Fumetsu’s wagon, at least until its protagonist grows enough to start shaping the story (rather than be shaped by it).

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86: Eighty Six – 3 [I Don’t Want to Die]

by Lenlo, posted in 86 - Eighty Six

Welcome back to another week of Eighty Six! I was pretty critical last week as many of you noticed. Whether you agreed or disagreed though I think we can all agree that this week was better. If only for the clever directing. So without further ado, lets jump into it!

So, what do I mean by better? Basically that this week encapsulated all that is good, and bad, about Eighty Six. Take the Lena’s multiple conversations with the 86ers for example. This dialogue was tight and conveyed a lot of information about both sides. On the 86ers side we saw a lot of disagreement. Arguments about how to treat Lena, about whether or not they should bother talking to her, and a lot of underlying tension in their relationship with her. Some characters were accepting of her, others dismissive, others still indifferent to the whole thing. And we got to see it all play out through dialogue and character interaction rather than having it outright explained to us. Most of the time at least. What really makes this scene work though is how Eighty Six juxtaposes it with Lena’s side of the very same conversation.

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Spring 2021 Summary – Week 4

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Super Cub – 03

Wooper: Is it just me, or did this episode feel like the conclusion to a three-part OVA? Koguma’s closing monologue neatly closed the book on her lonely Cub-less life without creating the need for a sequel. It was nicely-written, especially her reflection on how it felt to receive a classmate’s phone number versus a motorcycle license, but there wasn’t much of a “tsuzuku” vibe to it. And yet we know, thanks to the magic of the Internet, that there’s another main character who’ll be introduced at some point during the next two months. I’m looking forward to it, especially since she might be unfamiliar with motorbikes, giving Koguma a chance to pass on what she’s learned to a novice rider. That would be great for her self-esteem, which has grown bit by bit during Super Cub’s first “arc,” but is still miles behind where it could be. She doesn’t have the guts to claim use of the microwave at lunchtime, and she’s still hesitant to call Reiko a friend, even though they eat together every day at school. That timid personality continues to receive good visualization, since Koguma’s movements are slow and deliberate – I just wish the CG bike scenes would ride into the sunset and never return.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song – 05

Helghast: Is Vivy going to have a different animated OP every week now? That transition from her concert to the opening just hits in such a smooth and delightful way. What is more pressing is the fact that their successful exploits within this timeline have only accelerated the evolution of AI to the point where the coming conflict of the future may be not too far off. The existence of the Metal Float that draws parallels from the Nation of Zero One in the Animatrix is proof of that. It does a good job in presenting itself as a pretty benign and well-intentioned place in serving humanity as shown by the cute little WALL-E robots. The little time that the show spends on them is enough to make me feel bad for what happens in the final minutes. Seeing M’s dream of tending to children being shattered by Vivy was heartbreaking to say the least. I think that seeing Vivy slowly realizing that she must destroy the dreams of other AIs in order to realize her dream of bringing happiness to everyone through her song is such an interesting theme going forth. Just how will the rest of the world react to the island of AIs actually preemptively wiping out the human attackers and what the hell did that virus do? There are so many ways that this can all end and that’s the fun thing about original shows. I just don’t know what’s going to happen next.

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Megalo Box: Nomad – 4 [Si la flor del alma florece, el amor no se perderá]

by Lenlo, posted in Megalo Box

Hello once again, I am back with another episode of Megalo Box: Nomad! Apologies for the wait, I went to go and see Demon Slayer: Mugen Train this weekend and that sort of held me up. Eighty Six should also be coming out tomorrow for those looking for that. In the meantime though we have a lot to talk about with Nomad so lets get right to it!

Starting off let’s talk about the production troubles Nomad has. Just like the first season of Megalo Box, *Nomad’s fights don’t look good. Part of this of course is the weird upscaling, we’ve talked about that. But the other is that they just aren’t animated that well. A lot of the blows lack impact and characters move like stiff cardboard cutouts. In the first season this was a major hinderance, basically every episode was a big fight of some kind. But Nomad’s shift in focus is doing it a lot of favors here I think. The fights are no longer the important set pieces they were in season 1. Now they are closer to important character moments than action sequences. So as long as Nomad can nail the emotions of the scene, which it generally has, then the lackluster fights aren’t that big an issue. Hopefully it stays that way.

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SSSS.Dynazenon – 04 [What Is This Thumping Heart?]

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Action, SSSS.Dynazenon

Whenever an anime protagonist gets taken out by a Japanese cold, the resulting episode tends to be lower-key than normal, and that’s exactly what happened in “What Is This Thumping Heart?” Yomogi wasn’t taken out of commission entirely, but he spent the bulk of his screen time either zoned out in public, recuperating in bed, or coughing during his last-minute contribution to the fight against Majima. That didn’t stop his preoccupation with Yume from being a central point this week, though, nor did it prevent several other characters from stepping into the space he had vacated. The most notable riser was Chise, who took advantage of his illness to claim the position of Dyna Rex pilot, though she needed to be bailed out during her fight kaiju battle. If she’s indeed more sinister than she lets on, as I (and surely others) am predicting, then she’s adept at playing the long game – the question is, what is she waiting for?

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Spice and Wolf Season 1 Anime Review – 81/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Romance, Reviews by Lenlo, Spice and Wolf, Throwback Thursday

Ah the late 2000’s, I remember you well. For those that remember what anime conventions are like, at least before the world shut down, there’s always a yearly fad. 2019 had Demon Slayer haoris, 2016 had My Hero Academia classroom outfits and 2013 was the year of Attack on Titan jackets. Of course the 2000’s were no different. From Naruto to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya there was no escape. Today I want to talk about one of those fads. Originally written by Hasekura Isuna, directed by Takeo Takahashi and produced by the since silent studio Imagin, I bring to you one of the titular works of 2008: Spice and Wolf. So without further ado, lets jump into it!
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Fumetsu no Anata e – 02 [A Rambunctious Girl]

by SuperWooper, posted in Fumetsu no Anata e, Series which were Dropped

I’m mixed on nearly every aspect of To Your Eternity’s new direction. The story? An indigenous ‘virgin sacrifice’ drama, time-tested but lacking in flavor. The human characters? Dutiful vessels for their roles, but they don’t leave much of an impression. The art? Serviceable, but lacking any potential to inspire (a single scene notwithstanding). The music? Worth a round of golf claps for its avoidance of J-rock, I suppose, but you’ve certainly heard its ‘brass-less orchestra’ approach elsewhere. I have no intention of judging the whole 20 episode series by its second installment, but it feels like a manga of Fumetsu’s magnitude ought to be receiving a stronger adaptation.

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Spring 2021 Summary – Weeks 2-3

by SuperWooper, posted in Weekly Summary

Wooper: With the Spring 2021 season now in full swing, we’re watching quite a few shows that aren’t receiving regular coverage, so here’s a column to run them down. High school club shows, sci-fi originals, Taiwanese puppetry – this post has it all, including a blurb from Helghast. If that sounds like your kind of thing, let the blitz of second (and third) impressions commence!

Bakuten – 02

Lenlo: Bakuten had a solid 2nd episode this week. Not only was the production crisp and clean with some great gymnastics shots but the actual character and narrative work was nice too. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before of course but after last season’s 2.43 I’m willing to accept something solid and uncomplicated. The relationship between the main duo is quite nice so far and I look forward to learning whatever family troubles are keeping him from staying after practice. Meanwhile the group dynamic is fun, I like the shared experiences that keep them all together even if they have only known each other for a few days. Hopefully it can stay solid until the end, I would love for one of these seasonal sports shows to not shit the bed.

Bishounen Tanteidan – 02

Mario: Guess I underestimated NisiOisin’s ability to go wild as a writer. When I heard about this case I was preparing for the solution to be something like “the star is within your eyes” – that would make sense since the show makes no secret of admiring the girl’s “beautiful eyes like the stars.” Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the plot to involve military satellites burning up in the sky and all that jazz. NisiOisin is more than capable of twisting the audience’s expectations, at least, but now I am looking more for human drama. One of the main reasons why shows like Monogatari had such a massive impact on me is because they’re first and foremost about their characters’ growth, and so far I see very little of it here. I guess the true test to see whether this show is worth following will be next week when it wraps up this introduction arc.

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Megalo Box: Nomad – 3 [Si deseas la dañina pudrición de las raíces, no bloquees la boca del ánfora]

by Lenlo, posted in Megalo Box

Welcome back to another week of Nomad! A lot happens as Nomad kicks it into high gear, sprinting through the tournament. Meanwhile the hostility between the locals and the immigrant community has escalated to new heights! Without further ado, lets jump into it.

Like I said, Nomad is moving way faster than I expected. I figured this tournament would be the entire season and that the final match would, well, be the finale. Yet Nomad has sprinted through the first 2 rounds and we are already facing the final round next week. I love it! The pacing is great and this really opens the door for where Nomad has to go. Will Chief win and buy the land the community is on? Even if he does, how will that resolve the growing tensions between them and the locals? And what about Joe’s growth as a character, does this mean that he is going to return to the city and reconnect with Sachio? I have no idea but the options are limitless now that Nomad isn’t constrained to this one tournament in bum-fuck nowhere.

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