So, this was my first full week having being under ten shows. It was nice. I’m hoping this upcoming week allows with few shows allows me to catch up on blogging about things I’ve been wanting to blog about (aka catching up on those BBB posts), but we’ll see how things go. Otherwise, I’m still trying to get used to balancing anime and blogging with work in my headspace—considering taking naps right after work to see if that helps me shift gears better. I’m a work in progress, that’s for sure!
Sound! Euphonium, Episode 8: Make sure to check out yesterday’s post on the experience of watching the episode! The further away I get from this episode, the more I like it.
Ore Monogatari!!, Episode 8: So close to actually being back on schedule with Ore Monogatari!!
Danmachi, Episode 9: There are only three episodes left of this show and I’m sad about it. Danmachi always was something of a speculative pick for me due to knowing its weaknesses from the light novel, but it’s really turned out to be a show that means a lot to me. The family themes I wrote about weeks back are still prominent, but (obviously) Danmachi doesn’t have any traditional families, just ad hoc groups of people who form for mutual benefit. The next step, though, is the important one and it’s repeated once more in this episode with Bell and Welf: if you’re open to it, mutual benefit can turn into mutual affection. As with Hestia, then Lili, now Bell’s family has grown once more from a relationship based on a business partnership into bonds than run much deeper. I think that’s a pretty cool message to be sending. Sure, Danmachi‘s writing is lazy and sure, it’s riddled with obnoxious fanservice, but the earnestness with which it pursues its ideas about growing closer together and reaching for your dreams just works for me.
Nisekoi:, Episode 8: The Magical Patisserie Kosaki-Chan segment of the episode is honest the most offbeat Nisekoi has ever been, and not necessarily in a good way. It was amusing, definitely, but there was some obviously annoying stuff that cropped up. The second half of the episode was pretty dull as well—Haru just doesn’t bring the energy to the screen that Chitoge (or even Marika!) does and the “man-hater” trope is among my least favorite ever. Turns out the Onoderas are all boring.
Blood Blockade Battlefront, Episode 9: If I’m being honest, this episode didn’t connect into the realm of emotional “liking,” staying at the more intellectual level of “liking.” I think that’ll change upon inevitable rewatch, but it’s interesting because I haven’t reacted to BBB like that…since episode 3, I guess. I’m a bit sad a number of people in my immediate circle seem to have cooled on the show, but that’s not stopping me. And, as I said in the intro, I’m hoping to start catching up on the posts for the show this week!
Yamada-kun, Episode 8: I think we all knew Yamada-kun would eventually end up running into trouble with its pacing, but this is really the first time I truly felt it. Others have noticed it earlier, but I think Noa being one of my favorite side characters and her arc containing some more emotionally charged material made obvious how, despite Michiko Yokote’s admirable work on series composition, missing the extra emotional beats and extra comedic gags really does hurt Yamada-kun‘s overall ability to be both fun and emotionally effective. Noa’s struggle and passion for helping her friends is quite poignant, but trying to build up all that emotional weight within a single episode is a tough request—one that inevitably couldn’t be fulfilled. It’s a shame because I think Michiko Yokote is good enough that with more flexibility they could have really smoothed the edges of Noa’s story. But alas. It was not to be.
Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic, Episode 9: After a weaker episode last week, Kinmoza was back in form with more Karen, more Karen, and more Karen! I suppose that is all I have to say about that, really. And what more is there to be said?
And…that’s the end? Wow, these posts are short—and I even included everything I watched! Maybe I’ll start throwing in notes on shows I’m watching out of my backlog, if you guys would be interested in them. Also, please don’t stop commenting with your thoughts on the stuff you guys are watching! Even if I’ve dropped a lot of stuff, that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in hearing what other people are thinking about them.
Finally, stayed tuned for a Super Big Awesome Crazy Announcement Thing coming later tonight. The official time for the news to break is 7:05 PM Central, but that’ll be on Twitter. A blog post with more details will go up a little after that.
Mage in a Barrel 
I’m glad your schedule has shifted to Tuesday… 🙂 Especially since this weeks Thursday is going to be absolutely insane for me, eyeballs deep in preparation for a huge event this weekend.
I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying ep9; One of the best eps of the season… “Don’t put me in either box!!”, “You really weren’t a prank!?!?” – pure comedy, character development, and feels gold.
Ore Monogatari!! ep7; Commented on this weeks post.
Plastic Memories ep9; Sigh back to the pointless and badly done rom-com. (And just why does Tsukasa have porn at work?)
Sound! Euphonium ep8; Commented on the “Special Edition” post. Though I will say, like you, I’m enjoying the ep more as time goes on and I understand it better. Though Euph isn’t going to be a classic (barring some surprises in the next few eps), it’s rep won’t be what it should be because of the depths so many people are missing.
Watched without comment, Eden of Grisaia ep7.
In other news, we wrapped up watching My Little Monster, and while I enjoyed the show the ending left me a little meh. Though it wasn’t particularly rushed to the ending (as some anime do), it felt like they ended the arc and went “Sweet! thirteen eps in the can, we’re done!”.
Yeah, I’d love the hear about the backlog shows you’re watching.
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One vote for backlog coverage!
I think I’d still like a little more “pop” from Euphonium to really make me consider it classic-level stuff (whatever that means). I think it’s fantastic, but I also think it has a tendency to be rather quiet. Which is fine, but yeah, more headlining scenes like episode 8’s closing.
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I am sidelined for awhile with some health issues. In the process of setting things not in the hospital but wiil spend a day or two soon. Nothing massive but still needs attention so I have a lot of time! I felt like week 9 was a take easy week for most not all animes before the push! I cant believe Summer season will be here! If you have any ?? I am doing thr GL forum!
I am caught up all the ongoing Manga Yona / AClassroom /Food Wars / Baby Steps / Knights of Sidonia / Coppellion / Nisekoi
BTW AC looks like its getting into the end with 68 days left before Boom!
New Manga shows / Baukon / Taboo Tattoo / and I think the sleeper/ Gate! I have a big backlog there!
So I will just post my TIER one Favorites / BTW Dropped FSN / UBW because of the ongoing overextended dialouge ( good way to kill interest)
EPISODE(S) of the WEEK
Sound! Euphonium raised a few eyebrows / Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic just continues to be good!
TIER 1 Top Favorites
3 WAY Tie for First1
1 Baby Steps 2
1 Arslan Senki / The Heroic Legend of Arslan ALSO ENG DUB
1 Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) ONGOING ALSO ENG DUB
What can I say these three are all excellent to me!
4 Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki ? They have gone the love comedy for a couple of Episodes but the calm before the storms ! Wont finish this season
5 Re-Kan! Took a little slower EP but still good
6 Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic / Kiniro Mosaic Season 2 How can a show pull off constant comedy Bottle it please
3 WAY tie for 7th!
7 Nisekoi 2
7 Shokugeki no Souma / Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma
7 Hibike! Euphonium / Sound! Euphonium
All three have had episodes of the week but my bar is high with the above
10 WORLD TRIGGER ONGOING / This has been non stop action !
11 Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon ? / As an afterthought this should move up ??
12 Show By Rock!! ALSO ENG DUB / Continues to entertain
13 Ore Monogatari!! / My Love Story / I am so on the fence with this
14The Labyrinth of Grisaia CR / The Eden of Grisaia / The first half was excellent second had a couple of pitfalls but on track again but more generic
15 Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo / Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches / The same here good but predictable
16 Triage X / I think this may move up as I enjoy this !
Numbers 10- 16 really need strong episodes to sort themselves out ! I cant see bumping the Top 9 though which have their own battles going on!
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Ah, I hope everything turns out okay with your health!
I agree with your afterthough—let Danmchi go HIGHER!
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Danmachi turned out to be the show that finally succeeded in getting my 12 year-old daughter to watch subtitled shows. She saw it on the front page of CR and was immediately intrigued. Before I knew it she had blazed through all the episodes then immediately started trying out other subtitled series like Magi. Before that she loved anime, but refused to watch anything with subtitles, so I always was on the lookout for shows available with a decent dub. (She’s been watching the dub of BBB lately and loving it.) So, thanks, Danmachi! 🙂
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You know, with all of the married peeps in my comments section, I was kind of wondering when I’d hear about your guys’ kids. 😛 Glad to hear your daughter likes Danmachi (of course I am), and about the subtitles thing. Now you can show her Kyousougiga!
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“Sure, Danmachi‘s writing is lazy and sure, it’s riddled with obnoxious fanservice, but the earnestness with which it pursues its ideas about growing closer together and reaching for your dreams just works for me.”
QFT. I’ve enjoyed Danmachi so much more than I expected to, and even in a week where I didn’t watch much (more on that in a sec), it was one of the shows that I just wasn’t willing to fall behind on, even by one episode.
Also enjoyed the continuation of Food Wars’ second arc. The cast of characters continues to expand and develop in interesting ways, and it was cool to see Soma acquire a worthy rival who’s actually not a complete jerk this time. Looks like the next episode’s going to focus on best girl Megumi, and I’m looking forward to that.
Otaku Husband had its best episode in several weeks. As soon as they went back to an episode focusing on Kaoru and Hajime instead of the secondary characters, it got its spark back. Imagine that.
So I’m foregoing my usual top five this week, because I just didn’t even get to five of my shows – those three and Eupho are the only ones I’m caught up on right now. I only found out on Thursday that Crunchyroll was discontinuing Anohana after May 31, and since that was a show that had been hanging around my backlog for quite a while, I really, really wanted to see it before it disappeared. So that’s where all my anime-watching time went this weekend, and why I’m behind on everything else. Was it worth it? Oh yes, absolutely. If I had a blog, that’s a show I’d definitely want to write a post or two about. Kanon’s still my favorite anime drama, and the one I have the most sentimental attachment to. But Anohana conceded nothing in terms of quality, and I’ll admit there were some things it did even better than Kanon.
BTW, noting your tweet about the summer season, there are only two summer shows I’m definitely picking up: Ushio & Tora (because I actually own the 1992 OVA and want to see how they update it), and Charlotte (because any series written by Jun Maeda is a must-watch for me). Plus carrying over the second cours of OreMono and Food Wars. But that’s all I’m probably going to watch unless something else gets some unexpectedly good buzz, and I’m actually looking forward to a lighter season and a chance to make a real dent in my backlog.
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You know, Anohana has the same director and writer as Toradora!, so I’m not surprised to hear that it turned out excellently. People continue to tell me I’d love it if I watched it, so hopefully I can get to it soon!
Ask.fm answer coming on the full summer rundown soon!
And yeah, Danmachi is always the first thing I watch on Fridays (sometimes, if I missed it due to being busy, it even beats out BBB on Saturdays…)
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Definitely yay to more backlog coverage.
OreMono is moving dangerously close to the fringes of my all-time favorites. I’m sure it’s going to end up as my favorite rom-com anime, at least. Arslan is picking up serious steam in the meantime; I liked how blazing fast the pacing is. The show seems to be a niche I guess, but it’s a niche (large-scale geopolitics fantasy + late 1990s JRPG nostalgia) I’m firmly a part of.
Some comment from backlog stuff in case you might be interested to check these in the future:
Stand Alone Complex – very intellectually stimulating, and even has some nice character moments to boot. The more routine procedural bits could get dreary and hard to follow at times, but even then the world-building really shines. Tachikoma rocks.
Boogiepop Phantom – this is probably the creepiest anime I’ve ever watched (not really saying much actually, but still). Very, very interesting use of narrative structure and sound mixing here. I’m not sure how invested I am in the actual overarching plot (which needs a skimming of Wikipedia for me to make sense of), but this is certainly unique stuff.
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Another vote for more backlog coverage! That’s enough for me, I guess!
Ore Monogatari!! has a ways to go to beat out some of my favorite romcoms, but that doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it!
I’ve heard good things about SAC and Boogiepop before—they’re probably relatively low on my priorities list, though…
so much stuff…
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