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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86 – Eighty Six – 2 [Spearhead]

by Lenlo, posted in 86 - Eighty Six

I’m back and this time with another new Spring 2021 show, 86 – Eighty Six! God that’s a confusing name. Almost as confusing as the setting! That’s right I have a bit of a bone to pick with 86 so strap in. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Before we get to the meat and potatoes of 86 though we first half to talk about the production. And surprisingly, I’m rather positive of it! The CGI model spider tanks are off of course, CGI integration with a 2D work is notoriously hard. But enough work went into the composite that you don’t really notice until they start to move. And even then this is still better than the 1st episode where the first person shot looked like a cheap Michael Bay movie. All the explosions and jumping around, it wasn’t good. I also like how the two sets of tanks are differentiated. The clean crystalline style works well for the opposing AI and sets them apart from the grungy 86ers. My hope is that 86 will take these clear styles and focus more on wide still shots, making full use of the backgrounds, rather than the janky action.

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Wonder Egg Priority – 9-12

by SuperWooper, posted in Currently Watching:, Wonder Egg Priority

Wooper: When it comes to original works, Wonder Egg Priority was the most inventive and audacious anime that the winter season had to offer. Whether it be girl-driven social commentary, grotesque monster designs, or a veritable puzzle box of a story, this show had a lot going for it coming into its final stretch of episodes. Even during those last few weeks, as production issues and narrative twists threatened to swallow the series whole, Wonder Egg maintained its must-watch status – and still maintains it now, with the finale having been delayed until late June. We weren’t about to wait over two months before mentioning the show again, though – this is a series that practically demands discussion, so Lenlo and I have teamed up to do just that. Read on for our thoughts on the triumphs, failures, and oddities of Wonder Egg Priority’s final month on the air.

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Spring 2021 Coverage & First Episode Awards

by SuperWooper, posted in Uncategorized

Wooper: Spring has finally sprung, and with it comes one of the biggest anime seasons in a long while. Over the past two weeks, we’ve published our thoughts on 30 different premieres, but there were a dozen others that we skipped for the sake of time and/or self-respect. Despite those omissions, however, I feel pretty good about our new lineup. We’ve got follow-ups to a pair of 2018’s best shows, adaptations of a beloved manga and an acclaimed light novel, and a promising original project that’s managed to fly under the radar thus far. Lenlo’s Throwback Thursday column will continue uninterrupted, and our weekly recaps will return as a home for everything we’re watching that isn’t receiving full write-ups. We’ve got the results of our First Episode Awards after the jump, as well – that’s our way of saying goodbye to the limbo of first impressions season, and hello to the grind of weekly-ish blogging. Wish us luck!

Spring 2021 Lineup

Lenlo
– 86: Eighty Six
– Megalo Box S2
– Throwback Thursday series (vote here)

Wooper
– Fumetsu no Anata e
– SSSS.Dynazenon

Amun
– Odd Taxi

Mario / Armitage
– On hiatus

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Spice and Wolf S1 – 13 [Wolf and a New Journey] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Spice and Wolf, Throwback Thursday

Welcome everyone to the finale of the first season of Spice and Wolf! It’s been a surprising season of Throwback Thursday for me, I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I have. If you want the full explanation about that though you’ll have to wait for the final review in a week or so. Until then lets talk episode 13! And remember, there’s a poll for what we watch next at the end of the post so read on to find it!

Starting off, lets talk about that finale because its a rather weird one. Not in it’s content, though I have some small bugbears there. Rather that it doesn’t… feel like an ending, if you catch my drift. On one hand it does complete all the arcs of the season. Norah, Lawrence and Holo getting to know each other, etc. The only outstanding plot threads are well… the large over arching meta plot of getting to the north. On the other hand though, as is obvious by the 2nd season, the story doesn’t actually feel finished. It’s like the end of a book and the last page reads: “Volume 2, Spring 2022!”. Knowing that there’s a second season alleviates this somewhat but I do sort of wish the ending was most substantial. That it was less of a cliffhanger than the courtyard scene. Still, what we did get wasn’t bad.

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