Yojou-han Shinwa Taikei – 02




Oh, I love this. This season, I’ve paid a lot of attention to good acting. That’s also why I ended up blogging the most solid series. However, then this series comes along to prove that originality isn’t dead. I love it when a series comes along that is in no way afraid of trying out new things, and avoiding the safe, tried and true.

As it turns out: this series pulls an even more extreme version of Higurashi: every episode rests and tarts right from the start of Watashi’s entry at university, where he just joins different clubs. This time: the movie club. The similarities and differences are fascinating. While in the Tennis club, he was a complete loser who just liked to destroy others’ relationships. Here however, he actually does something: aside from playing as a punching-bag, he also made his own array of weird and stupid films along with Ozu, who is still with him. Akashi is also present.

Central in this episode are again that promise that Watashi made to Akashi, but instead he isn’t jealous of other couples, but rather the weird and fetishist captain of the movie club. In this episode, rather than causing trouble for everyone, he brings this guy’s weird habits to light. Again he blames Ozu, but even more than last episode it’s something he did on his own. The cake also returns, but plays a completely different role. Oh, and what’s up with those straps? Am I the only one who is reminded of Maromi from Paranoia Agent?

Also, the animation is truly excellent again. I could hardly spot any still frames. A ton of stuff was moving, and while it may not have been as smooth and detailed as with Sarai-ya Goyou, the other visual effects definitely made up for that. Masaaki Yuasa’s typical simple characters may seem a bit strange at first, but he really uses them in order to be able to animate them better. I also don’t think that there was any CG here, and if it was there it was really well used. It really has some excellent visuals.

And on a side-note: I loved that poster that showed Ozu as some sort of weird monster.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

5 thoughts on “Yojou-han Shinwa Taikei – 02

  1. I think what you forgot to mention is that dialogue and visuals aren’t as clashing in this episode as it was in the first one, it was definitely far easier to follow.

    As you’ve noted Watashi did blame Ozu again for his problems, and this time with a new club. I think I’m on the same page at starting to suspect the reliability of Watashi’s narration, I have a feeling he’s quite at fault for his own fall from grace but he’s using Ozu as his scape goat. Same with his indecisiveness with Akashi, I have a feeling he’s just a loser who can’t help but blame others for faults he can’t admit to. Will be ineresting to see different takes of this, assuming the show does go in that direction. I’m excited to see that experiment, well not its a ‘new’ technique for those who’ve seen experimental stuff already XD but hey still refreshing from the norm.

    I’m definitely more interested in the series thanks to this episode. I just do hope visuals and dialogue won’t often go to the spectrum of the first episode.

  2. Loved this episode, the similarities and differences were interesting to say the least.

    I went back to watch the last part of the previous episode, and it seems like Jougasaki(?) was highlighted as one of the people clamouring for Ozu at the bridge. There was also another guy highlighted as well, makes me wonder if he’s going to be the “antagonist” in the next episode ^^

    I agree with Machi, the lead character has the tendency to blame Ozu. While Ozu definitely led the way, it is his own choice to fall into Ozu’s “trap”.

  3. this episode is interesting. it raise a question how many deja-vu episode would it be. I doubt it would be just simple as it seem right now.

  4. This episode was a little disappointing for me, but don’t get me wrong, I love the show, I find its comedy witty and hilarious.

    It’s just the first episode made me fall in love with the characters and had me very exited about what kind of story they create with them, and I think it’s a shame we’re not gonna see them develop and progress their relations (I hope I’m wrong and it’s just too early too tell) but just see different contexts with the same characters which don’t go beyond what we’ve seen from them.

    Also even though this ep had me cracking up several times, I think watching some of the same events we’ve seen already but on a somewhat different context is not as entertaining as the producers seem to think it is, and some of the comedy suffered from that IMO.

    @ves:
    I hope as few as possible, but that seems very hardly the case, I really wish you are right about this show not being as simple (premise-wise) as it seems right now…

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