Mario: It’s time for another weekly summary. Geez, time sure flies fast. We’re nearly at the midseason already, can you believe that? Seasonal shows this week are… decent, I guess? Often the time this is a low period in seasonal anime, where anime studios rush and try their best to stay in schedule. We have a new show featured this week, and Lenlo is off to play volleyball rather than watching one. Enjoy!
Oshi ga Budokan Ittekuretara Shinu – 04
Wooper: All this talk about Cham Jam “believing in their fans” and the glorification of unhealthy lifestyles lived in the name of idol appreciation are too much for this normalfriend to handle. I can tolerate sincere otaku fandom in small doses, but OshiBudo puts it front and center. This episode starts with a dramatic flashback to an encounter between Reo (during her time as a filler member of her previous idol group ‘Melty’) and Kumasa, her biggest fan. We’re talking “omit a key line during the conversation so that it can be revealed during the episode’s climactic moment” levels of drama, here. It ends up being a request for her to believe in him, which Reo passes on to Maina so that she’ll believe in her biggest supporter, Eripiyo. Meanwhile, Eripiyo is running herself ragged working three part-time jobs so she can buy dozens of Maina’s CDs and bump her numbers in the group’s popularity poll. That’s right, this week’s plot circles around to a popularity contest where supporting your favorite girl is viewed through an impossibly noble lens. The show still takes the odd dig at its dead broke otaku heroes here and there, but never with enough sharpness to puncture the balloon of idol worship at its core.
Kuutei Dragons – 02
Mario: After one third of the season done, I just remember a little show with no sub in which I enjoyed its premiere, Kuutei Dragon, so I decided to check the second one out, even with the 60 fps fan version (my first experience with 60 fpr and I still don’t get why people do that). Gotta say I still find this show charming. Whereas in Dorohedoro the characters share their chemistry by their love of food, in Kuutei Dragons it has only two things in mind: dragon hunter and dragon cuisine. The quest to enjoy this mystic beast’s meat is strong and it’s fun to watch. I also like its tongue-in-cheek humor and it has the same appeal of The Magnificent Kotobouki last year. I will check out the next episode, and if it proves to be as entertaining as the first two, then I’ll be happy to hop in for the ride.
ID:Invaded – 06
Wooper: ID:Invaded continues to be more interesting to think about than it is to watch. The episode direction isn’t as tight as it needs to be for a story this far-fetched to go down smoothly. There’s a lack of tension during the gun vs knife fight in Inami’s apartment that hamstrings the whole scene, which makes the unbelievable outcome even more preposterous. There’s a five minute deduction/exposition scene at a funeral between a bunch of side characters which must have been a throwaway segment in the storyboard artist’s mind – it’s nothing but long stills and flapping mouths. A piano ballad eases itself into the background at the end of Inami’s interrogation, but our lack of familiarity with her character makes such a sensitive tune a poor choice as a murderer’s swan song.
And yet, there are some cool reveals and story beats here. Hondomachi’s double-edged promotion cuts deeply because her partner’s recommendation that she get the job was totally self-serving. Add to that the fresh heartbreak Sakaido experiences in Inami’s subconscious this week, and Hondomachi is set to join him in a very dark place going forward. The knowledge that John Walker is connected to the murder of Sakaido’s family, too, could set us up for a longform finale beginning as early as episode 7. I’m scared for these characters, but excited to see what’s next. If only the presentation held a bit more water, this could have been a wide-reaching hit.
Somali to Mori no Kamisama – 04
Mario: Somali again has its heart in the right place, but it ultimately offers little else. This week we see how Somali and Golem express their care and love for each other in their own ways, and like in any relationship their action doesn’t always transfer across. Somali, with the help of the new Master and her friend Kikila, picks a wish-fulfilment flowers in hope that she and the Golem can stay together forever. Golem, however, hangs up on the fact that she breaks her curfew time. It’s neat to see that despite being together for like… forever, they still have those little insecurities regarding their relationship. The rest of it is still the same note for me, unfortunately. That makes it hard to talk about the show sometimes.
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun – 04
Mario: This new Misaki stairs mini-arc is resolved and overall I like the presentation. While its mixing between spooky supernatural elements and teen comedy remains mixed to me, when this episode delves into the backstory of the Fox spirit, it certainly delivers. The show’s gorgeous art styles strengthen the narrative, and it helps that this new character is more compelling (her design is pretty cute, too) than our three leads. Credits for Lerche studio as they bring the right aesthetic feel to this anime.
22/7 – 04
Mario: This week is 22/7 most conventional episode, as in it’s a character-focus episode. The foreign girl Sakura is the main spotlight and overall I enjoy what the show does to her character. Her connection to her Grandma is nothing earth shattering but the way the trip is specifically designed for her makes her strange relationship to the cherry blossom there paid off at the end. I don’t mind if 22/7 goes character-specific episode, and looks like we know who’s gonna be next after seeing the after-credit.
