Okay, so if last week being down was the requisite condition for this week, I am so very okay with that—because these week was an absolute stunner. Three episodes of genuinely amazing romance, one triumphant episode of super heroes, one bleak and finely executed thriller, and a smattering of fun. This may sounds silly to some, but it’s weeks like these that make me feel I’m not wasting my life away watching a bunch of foreign cartoons. There’s beauty and meaning and goodness and truth in all of this.
Gakkou Gurashi, Episode 10: Well. We knew something was going to happy. Go us. After last week’s mucking about doing nothing, we finally got back on track as our cute little moe show brought the pain, agony, and heartache that I think I always knew was coming but really wanted to pretend I wasn’t seeing in the future. But this is the reason we watch stuff like this? We want to see what happens when all the pressure builds up, when things really start to unravel, how the oasis becomes polluted—and what humanity can do in the face of all of it? Will coming back to reality break Yuki, or will she be strong? Can Rii-san hold onto hope and faith in Miki long enough to stay her knife? What will it take to get Miki off the floor and back into action to save Kurumi? And what of the storms from inside and out that are coming for them? Gakkou Gurashi‘s not a particularly fun show to watch. This is not a genre of stuff I generally enjoy experiencing. But at this point my investment in these characters is overriding (just barely) the part of me that’s like, “That’s enough. I’m out. I don’t want to know what happens.” So, I guess we’ll see each other next week…
Classroom Crisis, Episode 11: Take one – emotionally ambivalent to the point that I don’t know what to say. Take two – and now this is a good episode.
Let my experience be a warning to you all. Trying to watch emotionally-charged episodes of anime (or, really, anything) when you’re in a bad mood is not a good idea. It makes it tough to engage with the show’s own emotions, which can sour the experience. But, let me tell you, Classroom Crisis sure did its level best to work on me despite my emotional state, and the excellence of this episode became even more clear when I rewatched with a clear head and heart. That is to say, I don’t think there’s any question this is the best the show has ever been. It was beautifully structured, every conversation meaningful and well-written, and the emotional lynchpins of the 25 minutes (Nagisa’s conversation with the CEO and his conversations with Mizuki and Kaito) were executed splendidly. In particular, I adored the audio editing in the moment immediately after the CEO reveals he’s known all along Nagisa wasn’t the real Nagisa—the movement from environmental silence to a true lack of noise was stunning and powerful. Like, you know, the rest of the episode.
Working!!!, Episode 11: ONE SHIP SAILED. ONE MORE TO GO. ONE SHIP SAILED. ONE MORE TO GO. I won’t say I don’t believe it, because I always had hope, but I can barely believe it. Satou and Yachiyo are really a canon couple. Working!!! has taken nearly three full seasons of jokes, romantic playfulness, and general warmth and directed the full force of it all into a single fantastic episode. From start to finish, this episode was an absolute delight, winding humor, cuteness, and some actually legitimately romantic stuff together in a way only Working!!! can do. And with both Yachiyo and Satou saying directly to each other, “I love you,” there’s no room for ambiguity or take backs. This has happened, but in the most Working!!!-esque way possible. First there was the almighty joke of Satou’s first confession, as the entire staff’s interest in the scene played out in the background. Then the real confession in the storage closet (complete with references to jokes from prior seasons). The Satou’s hilariously in-character absence and Yachiyo’s subsequent visit to his house. It was funny. It was adorable. It beautifully depicted everything that makes the Satou x Yachiyo ship good (and viable as a relationship!). It’s resolved. One ship has sailed, and now we only have one more to go.
Gatchaman Crowds insight, Episode 10: The winds have shifted as the atmosphere’s target changes to Gelsadra, yet the one constant wind—Gatchman Crowds insight being good—hasn’t changed. This episode was an absolute cracker, quickly paced and sharply on point (as usual) with its critiques and ideas about the social realities that shape our world. Yuru-jii’s paralleling of the current state of Japan with the events of World War II, the almost acidic way the show uses Millione’s (notably Kuu-sama-less) influence to direct the shift in mood, and Rizumu and Rui’s ever-conflicting beliefs about humanity…it was all there. And, besides, it was a supremely triumphant episode, as we watched both Rui and Tsubasa get back on their feet and join the Gatchaman team for some good, old-fashioned fighting. Meanwhile, Gelsadra comes to his own personal revelation, and it seems peace is within our grasp. Except…with Riziumu out there and two episodes to go, I’m sure we’ve got at least one more pile of humanity’s darkness to sift through. At least we can go back to chanting G-G-G-G-Gatachamannnn, instead of Gelululululu.
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, Episode 11: Frankly, I haven’t got the foggiest idea about what I should say regarding this episode. Especially that final conversation. I mean.
…
It was good? It was raw and honest and incredibly beautiful? I’m tearing up just recalling it? I dunno. I dunno.
…
This is on my shortlist of candidates for my favorite anime of the year. I can’t believe this show is real. I can’t believe the two key creative staff members from my favorite anime of all time are working on it. I feel incredibly blessed to be in a place where I can watch and enjoy this show.
Short Takes~
- Ushio to Tora, Episode 11: A weird episode in the overall structure of the show, honestly. But it was worth it to see Asako once more. Ushio to Tora is always toeing the line of “this show respects its female characters y/n,” and this episode was a little closer to that line that I would’ve liked. Not too close, but enough to worry me a bit.
- Miss Monochrome S2, Episode 11: The fact that Yayoi tripped over the wire TWICE is enough to prove that Miss Monochrome‘s sense of humor ranks up there among the best anime has to offer.
- Durarara!! x2-2, Episode 10: We’re basically still in the build up stage, but it looks like the hit and run on Kadota will be the final shake of the bottle. All that’s left is to pop the cap and let the chaos roll.
- Gate, Episode 11: Just a newsflash that I am indeed keeping up with this highly entertaining BS. It’s a far, far cry better than Mahouka in terms of just being fun to watch, mostly because the way it executes its ridiculous politics is actually energetic. Which I appreciate.
Mage in a Barrel 
Oh my, I think you mean Satou and Yachiyo (or Todoroki), not Kyoko-san. What a disturbing image that is! 😉
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Oh whoa, that’s a weird typo to make! Hahaha I definitely need to fix that!
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Well, I finished K this week and watched the movie, K: Missing Kings, right after. I really, really enjoyed the series. It did a great job of telling a satisfying, contained story with an ensemble cast no less that still has massive potential for more. Obviously, since there are about a million manga spin offs. The art was spectacular and the themes of the power and responsibility of Kings was a subtle but meaningful thread running through the whole thing (the symbolism of the Sword of Damocles was just so well done). I cannot wait for season two. I’ll definitely be blogging about it on tumblr.
I also got caught up on Castle Town Dandelion. The last couple episodes have been really good. Akane’s turn as magical girl Scarlett Bloom was wonderful. There’s been development with Shu and Kanade and their relationship and reasons for wanting to be King. I’m still not sure I get Aoi though. She does nothing, but is still consistently the most popular candidate? She doesn’t really want to be King but she doesn’t tell anyone that? The election is going to happen next episode. I’m still hoping there’s going to be some kind of twist ending, because wacky premise aside, is it really a good idea to make one of these teenagers the King?
I’ve started getting caught up with Rokka too. Watched 3 episodes last night. Some interesting development. I think I actually like the relationship between Adlet and Fremy. They’re certainly my two favorite characters. Maura seems a bit too… fanatic. Chamot is just creepy. So is Nashetania. Her whole personality feels too much like a facade. Goldov is just stupid to hang on the princess like that. Hans has increased in my estimation since he started believing in Adlet’s innocence. He turns out to be a loyal comrade once he’s convinced. I still think the 7th is Nashetania.
That Working!! episode… it was just too good. It was so perfect. And Souta has finally admitted to himself that he likes Inami. Now he just needs to do something about it! This show makes me so happy. I’m so glad it’s getting a proper resolution.
And School-Live! Unlike you, I’m reveling in all these dark events. I love some good tragic drama. This show is top candidate for my anime of the season.
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I’m still holding out hope that Adlet is the 7th because I don’t really like him. I wish Hans were the hero of Rokka haha.
And yeah, K is jam-packed with interesting ideas and concepts. I’m not of the opinion that it fully capitalized on all of them, but they certainly gave it their level best. Like you, I’m quite excited for the coming S2.
Please, Souta-kun. Make it happen.
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[These anime are too good that I have nothing to say.]
Also I heard that the shipping industry is flourishing right now.
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Seriously, they are all amazing. I am so very pleased.
I did get a nice package in the other day…
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For me personally it was a very good week ! This is just my takes and not to stir anything up! I hope you do watch Non-Non Biyori because EP 10 will just leave you with a why isnt more anime like this !
POSTED Seperate as it is longer this week
EPISODE (s) of WEEK 10.5 / 11
Monday 9 / 7 was amazing !
Non-Non Biyori Repeat EP 10 / “I Practiced Really Hard”
SPECIAL NOTE / Not only the Best EP of the anime / but the summer season / and one of my favorites ever IMO
Renge goes over to the Koshigaya’s where Konomi is helping help out in the garden but Renge thinks she is molting because of her clear gloves thinking also she is a monster but Konomi plats along by doing the hidden thumb trick ! Renge wants to become a monster so Konomi tells her she has to do special training (math ) which Renge is really good at! Then Renge gets teased by the Koshigaya’s when they get home !
In the secons segment Renge finds out she been had ! But then overhears that Natsumi / Komari wants to ride to MT 2 train stations away by bike as to not pay a fare ! Renge wants to go but is too far with training wheels . So she asks Kazuho to take them off but everybody is busy so Rene gpes to see Kaede / Candy Store to each her but she is watching the store so she tells Renge ride in front of the store but goesfurther and crashes a lot much to Kaee’s concern ! She tells Renge to stop but she is a trooper and wont stop ! Finally Candy Store takes a peek outside ans sees Renge all scraped up and bandage her and sends her home.
In the 3rd segment Renge is sick and and Candy Store calls Kazuho to tell her an order came in and she bring it over tommorrow but after finding out Renge id sick closes the shop and brings Renge snacks. But Natsumi teases her and even sais she brought the order item over which she didnt The girls leave but Candy store stays to help out ! Renge wants her to read a book but says it the same one but gives in anyway. Candy store wants to help with supper but Kazuho takes care of it and tells Kaede to take a nap ! Renge shes her sleepimg and finds out why she is tired d puts a coat over her !! Renge feels better and goes to Candy shop which which is closed but Kaede is outside and wants to teach Renge ! she usees a field first then the road and finnaly at dusk Renge gets it done !IDK if Candy Store thinks Renge as a daughter / sister because she cares about Renge a lot s in the net day shehelps renge get candy she couldnt reach ! The Renge leaves the girl in a cloud of dust to go to the MT wearing her band-aids like medals !
Snow White with the Red Hair EP 10 / “Inexperienced Heart, Going Deeper”
Shirayuki meets Kiharu / herTrained Bird Popo who has come to Clarines to have a meeting with Zen and Viscount Blaker ( landlord of Kiharu’s island) The Viscount inheriated the land and is shooting the birds which help the islanders finding minerals and fish with their hearing ! They use a whistle and bell made our t of the ore to guide them ! The meeting doesnt bode well for Kiharu since the Viscount has property rights even though Zen wants to help ! But Shirayuki comes with a plan to protect the birds by usiing them as message couriers So a test is planned using Popo and Shirayuki ( chosen to use the bell ) at a lake watchtower with her Obi three of Zen’s soliders and the Count who insists he wants to go too. Zen approves ! Then at the tower he wants the plan to fail by bribing Shirayuki with soceity privelages but she refusses and throws the bell in the lake and locks her in the tower. That dont stop her as she promptly dives out of the window into the lake to lool for the bell ! Obi sees that and jums in too and the soliders arrest the Viscount regardlees of threats. The Duo cant find the beel untill Popo dives at the lake showing where the bell is . The test had 25 mins abd yet Popo makes it back in time with the Bell and the signed MSGS! But Zen finds out what happened and goes out to the lake out where the unexpected kiss happens !
Seiyu’s Life! EP 10 / “Future Plans”
I was saying to myself that had a similiar emotional feel to Non-Non Biyori episode this week ! Well Rin’s friend Sayo is voiced by Ayane Sakura / Natsumi Koshigaya. For a young VA she has quite the resume ! BTW I had this impression before any research like I do on this anime becuse of the guest VA’s
So Rin hasnt had a normal school life / in fact she has been absent a lot and is suggested she apply to a school that is more flexible ! The big problem her real only friend is Sayo since childhood and is a big heartbreak if she has to change schools!
That is not the only problem she has landed a big movie role that will be seen all over Japan as sister to the Resume heavy VA Hiroshi Kamiya ( EP 2 also) But being so busy as A VA / Earphones etc she hasnt gone to festivals and does come off as regular 15 year old ! But Hiroshi Kamiya gives some advice about how many people spent a long time to get to this time !
Well Rin makes her decision to transfer and tells Sayo who is quite supportive ( those heart eyes slayed me ) I kinda tear up when they both but promised to be friends and finished that huge Parfait that never do! Just a great episode !
Tribute song “Rondo – Revolution” (from Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Ayane Sakura ( Just 21 ) Some Highlights
Psycho-Pass – Mika Shimotsuki
Aquarion Logos – Maia Tsukigane[
Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA – Akari Mamiya
Charlotte – Nao Tomori
Kantai Collection – Nagato, Mutsu, Sendai, Jintsū, Naka, Kuma, Tama, Shimakaze
Knights of Sidonia – Mozuku Kunato
Miritari! – Second Lieutenant Haruka
Nisekoi: – Haru Onodera
Unlimited Fafnir – Tear Lightning
Ultimate Otaku Teacher – Sachiko Tanaka / The Aloof manga author truant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayane_Sakura
Hiroshi Kamiya / What a resume (partial)
Bakemonogatari–Nisemonogatari–Monogatari Series Second Season (TV) / Koyomi Araragi
Angel Beats! / Yuzuru Otonashi
Attack on Titan (TV) as Levi
Captain Earth (TV) as Teppei Arashi
Durarara!! (TV) as Izaya Orihara
Fate/stay night (TV) as Shinji Matou
Noragami (TV) as Yato
Noragami Aragoto (TV) as Yato
Prison School as Kiyoshi Fujino
Ultimate Otaku Teacher (TV) as Junichiro Kagami
Wagnaria!! (TV) as Hiroomi Souma
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=5902
School Live EP 10 / “Rainy Day”
Those who were too happy about the fanservice episode they tricked you ! I think using the “best episode’ so far when it’s the darkest more tragic ! But this is what blends the happy withe sad !
BTW I read the manga and how they held this turn of events until now is just brilliant ! All the spectulation can be put to rest about Megumi and Taromaru is now fact.
Just the OP with Miki telling how the book she read is sad especially about the dog dying !Then Yuri recalls that day when Megumi saves the girls by locking the door! Yuri admits it time for them to move on with supplies running low and the Zombies increasing ! Just so much this episode ! From the flashbacks with Kurumi / then when Kurumi has to go look for Taromaru ( now infected ) and getting bit by Megumi really drives this episode ! Even Yuki has it together ! But Miki finds there is some hope where Megumi is ! Then Yuri pulls out Kurumi’s knife ! What an episode and cliffhangar !
Lerche Put out two dark tragic episodes first with School Live / then Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace !
Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace EP 10 / “A Desire for Transformation
In the aftermath of the failed attempt by Akechi to stop Twenty Faces crimes and the reveal of Namikoshi still being alive the backstory of Twenty Faces come to light !
In the confusion of EP 9 Kobayashi is kidnapped by Namikoshi to complete his Chaos Theory which has a Fatal Flaw ! He and Kobayashi must die!
But we see how Namikoshi is abused by those around him except Akechi who defends him ! They develop the CT program together but when Akechi is threatned Namikoshi takes care of those who started the problems ! Parents bullies even the teacher mean their demise ! Akechi finds out and wants him to stop the program but Namikoshi fakes his death ! Back to the cliffhangar is Kobayashi a goner ??
Gatchaman Crowds Insight EP 10 / “SEEDS ”
This was exciting ! Rizumu hatches a plan to show what the Kuu-sama are up to ! He rescues a girl ( S1) whose father was eaten and is caught on Tape ! At first The Gatchaman are opposed by the public but then get support for to rid the Kuu-Sama ! Hajame has to to rescue Gelsadra and covinces to let go of the ballons and return to a child if he wants to stay on > Meanwhile Tsubasa visits Yu who sees she is ready to move on doing a remberance about the War and his brother !
Rui even snaps out of being soothed by the Kuu-Sama withe the prodding of X who says it wiil battle w/oRuy if neccessary !
Working EP 11 / “The Love and Reminiscencse of Something”
First things are getting settled with Yachiyo / Jun and Kyoko gives the OK for the couple and others if they have a relationship! All that is left is Takanashi / Inami
First very nice season and a great job of finishing well which a lot of animes dont or do poorly ! One of my all time favorite franchises ! One more to go and I will be kinda sad !
The Heroic Legend of Arslan EP 23 / “The Battle for the Keep of Saint Emmanuel”
Another anime that let the story play and having plans on both sides unfold ! Very good battle scenes and personal fights such as Daryun / Xandes ( son of Kharlan) and Kishward / Sam. Etoile wants to fight and goes out but sees Elam and tracks him to Arslan’s camp wanting to take his life but she finds out Arslan is Arslan ! and is stunned after their previous encounters ! Is she the key to bring peace !
CASTLETOWN DANDELION 2 EPS 10 / “Search Light’s Method” and “Onii-chan Facing Big Brother” —- / EP 11 / “Goodbye Scarlet Bloom”
I like this anime a lot despite it’s flaws ! It is funny / caring family members and not just for themselves / and often overlooked very good life lessons !
Walking near any kind of steel beam is dangerous in this anime !
EP 10 :
“Search Light’s Method”
Even though the Idol cliche is so overused in anime I give some credit for the life lessons Akane / Hikari / Sacchan. Hikari nowing she likes being an idol a lot and being upset about hiding her identity from Sacchan ! Sacchan saying that the Royals wouldnt have to work hard to do anything but upon finding Searchlight is Hikari respects her for working so hard and misunderstanding that she wants to quit ! Akane for seeing how hard Hikari / Sacchan work and knowing there is tension between the two! But things get resolved ! Life lesoons for all !
“Onii-chan Facing Big Brother”
But Kanade still fretting ovev Shuu / and her reason to become King comes to a head ! She is going shopping ( Aoi finally got a break ) Just that the family is not pampered and has to act as a family is a big life lesson! But after spotting Shuu / Sato she tries to avoid them ! She relects on back to that day when the accident occurred and been regetful since then! But Shuu appears after sending Sato home because od weather and they have a fight why she wants to be king ! She runs off and resucued by Shuu from the steel beams He chides her for her reason to be King ! Finally ending her saying she lets go !
“Goodbye Scarlet Bloom”
Yes having the family together made a great episode how far have they come ! They are a close nice family like “Summer Wars ” Able to act in time of a crisis !
I rwally like the backstory about why Aoi became shy ! Whwn she was young she had to be escorted by Bodyguards abd wanted to play with Karen but diidnt want her secority team to scare her so Akane gives them the slip by using her power ! But when they get to Karen’s house byrgalars are there and the Alake’s power reminds me of “Home Alone ” But antway after being a hero she fells threathned by everybody looking at her ! As Kanade finishes the story they get news about their father !
Soichiro gets hurt by trying to carry Satsuki ! He has many presiin matters so the family is assigned to differeent tasks ! Documents , Oficials visiting and a mudskide isolating a village ! So Shuu/ Akane and Teru go ! The road is blocked so Teru starts to unblock it and Shuu / Akane teleport to the village where Shuu and Akane just being there is a big help and when the first thing they need is water so Shuu teleports teleports and brings back a tanker truck which makes everybody laugh and the road is cleared! Akane does al kinds of beeds big and small bet after rescusing a cat a girl gives her the glasses she dropped. Knowing she dont need them Saus goodbye to Scarlett Bloom ! As the girl holds her hand she remebers that day with Karen!
To the end the polls are very close but does Haruka know the winner ( Aoi ?)
Gangsta EP 10 / “Land of Confusion” This episode was worth the week off ! Some more backstories / current situations / and a betrayal ! But the majority deals withe aftermath of the Corsica Superhumans (Destoyers ) attack on the Cristiano’s club and other Twilights !
Alex learns more about Twilights and the Dangers of Celebrer. Also Constance is quite promient in this EP / from her realtionship with Marco and warning Alex not to stay there!
BTW Constance is voiced by Ami Koshimizu / Kill la Kill (Ryūko Matoi) of which the author is a big fan!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ami_Koshimizu
Also Sig(Destoyer) is a sicko!
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Indeed… Ep 10 of Non Non Byori was one of the highlights of the season, if not of both seasons.
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You’ll be happy to know I’ve slowly started making my way through Repeat (done through episode 3 now). It doesn’t have quite the same feel as S1 yet, but supposedly I’m about to hit the first powerhouse ep of the season and I’m really looking forward to it.
And yeah, Hiroshi Kamiya is a phenoenal voice actor. I always appreciate his distinctive cadence, even if it leaves some of his characters sounding kind of samey.
And oh dang, Utena homage in Sore ga Seiyu? May have to check that ep out as well, since I’ve already watched the Yui Horie ep with no context.
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Despite my meltdowns with Rokka and Chatlotte ( Note many hated EP 11 Charlotte ) a lot of good episodes of the week and a very solid Top Twenty ! KInda sad we have only 1 or 2 episodes left ! Losing a lot of good 2 cour shows an some single cour summer shows ! Summer will have a tough act to follow. ! I will my final thoughts on is this my favorite season until the smoke clears !
PLEASE NOTE / POSTED— EPISODES of the WEEK seperate as it is long / EOW
TIER 1 Top Favorites
Weeks 10 / 11 Split
1 Non Non Biyori Repeat / SEE EOW /
SPECIAL NOTE / Not only the Best EP of the anime / but the summer season / and one of my favorites animes ever IMO
3 WAY TIE for 2nd / You can argue Pros and Cons / but I like this !
2 Gangsta. / See EOW / A lot of backstories / more reveals but dont feel rushed !
2 Working!!! 3 / Wagnaria!! 3 See EOW / This may be the Final show (s) but another anime that is finishing loose ends ! / nice to see one couple commit / i more couple to go!
2 Gakkou Gurashi! READING MANGA See EOW that was a very dark Episode bur what a great rewrite as events actually happened earlier
5 The Heroic Legend of Arslan See EOW / Amother anime that let the pieces fall on place / some first battles and Etoile gets to meet Arslan as Arslan! Is she an important piece to settle things !
6 Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX / S3 / Almost an EOW but stiil high level !
7 Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri READING MANGA / a quiet EP but very enjoyable
8 Jokamachi no Dandelion / Castle Town Dandelion See EOW 10 and 11 / Now this how an anime fiils the missing pieces in / great family / great life lessons / Still underated IMP
9 Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma READING MANGA /
10 Durarara!!×2 Ten / A good soild EP
11 Gatchaman Crowds Insight See EOW / Now we get going
12 Akagami no Shirayuki Hime / Snow White with the Red Hair See EOW / That was good but maybe too late with the other shows at a high level
13 Sore ga Seiyuu! / Seiyu’s Life See EOW / Nice backstory about Rin
14 Baby Steps 2 READING MANGA / Still like nut sometimes slow pace
15 World Trigger Misiing an EP because of content gets a rumbs down / at least let U.S. watch !!
16 Himouto! Umaru-chan [red]CR Wed [/red] Still very funny / and nice touches
17 Aoharu x Kikanju (Aoharu x Machinegun) Underated IMO
18 Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace See EOW / finishing stronger
19 Ultimate Otaku Teacher INTO TIER 1 / Another underated show / very funny lots of life lessons
20 Rin-ne INTO TIER 1 New SPRING 2016 Cour / Very underated and super funny / should have done this sooner!
SPECIAL NOTES
21 Classroom Crisis Dropped Out of Tier 1 / Not a big drop but others deserved a Top 20 for being consisent
32 Charlotte EP 11 was A Train Wreck / Was in MY TOP 12
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Some thoughts on latest episodes of shows I have the (dis)pleasure of watching:
Gangsta: This one is going to the dogs. Animation has hit the all time low and we got to see new rivals come out when the anime is about to end. This is way far from the Godfellas I expected and much closer to a gritty DC comic superhero stuffs. Not all superheroes have powers, but the way the fights and character designs are executed, this anime does look like it.
Rokka no Yuusha: And the traitor is…. Until next time. OK, so people are fighting each other and tension is high and some of it is quite dumb. I am just going to stick till the end to see if there is an epic fight where the Braves team up against the foul traitor.
Charlotte: Very rushed and unexciting. Nao was hardly doing anything in this episode. She got caught and got saved and….nothing else, really. This episode also goes into torture porn territory, which I am not a bit excited about.
Aoharu x Machine Gun: It has some funny moments, but poor pacing and lack of content are destroying this anime.
Snow White with Red Hair: It’s beautiful. That’s all I have to say for this one, really.
Overlord: That German dude is the only thing I like about the latest episode.
School-Live!: Holy God! Shit is getting real here. Everything is falling apart in this one hell of an episode.
Gate: More build up this time. Not a fan of the dark elf’s design. I play Warhammer and Heroes of Might and Magic and in those games, dark elves are extremely pale instead of dark-skinned.
Prison School: Somebody just used Darwinism to compare boobs vs ass. Lol.
Overall, a rather dull week. With some shows about to end soon, I expect more from this. While School-Live! and Braves look as good as ever and are on their way to a great conclusion, I am worried about Overlord, Aoharu, Charlotte and Gangsta.
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I’m glad to see I’m not the only one disappointed in Gangsta… Not just this ep, but how overall it’s drifted from it’s initial presentation and premise.
Overall, this season has been a real mixed bag for me with no real standouts. Nothing on my watch list appears to be primed to move over to the re-watch list.
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Noooo Charlotte you can’t go objectionable on me, I have to watch you. Pleaseeeeeee.
And I heard Mamoru Miyano voiced a character in the latest Overlord? Assuming it was the cited German.
School-Live!‘s definitely been the greatest positive surprise of the season in a season with more bad surprises than good ones.
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Good that you have an exciting week. For me, it was rather the opposite, because most shows that I watch aren’t performing well. I don’t watch Classroom Crisis or Working, unfortunately.
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Well maybe you should watch the good shows I’m watching instead of the bad shows you’re watching! 😛 (I kid)
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Sleepy this morning, so second cup o’ joe in hand and the tab with the game I’m currently addicted to (the Protector series of flash games) firmly closed… it’s off to build the weekly wall.
Akagami no Shirayukihime ep11; Other than the lame time filler scene in the offices of the herbalists and a few tropes in the working-up-to-a-confession department, yah indeed, a fantastic episode that I ( like Bless) can’t really say much else about – it was just good.
My lady and I however seem to be the only ones creeped out with Zen courting Shirayuki at the same spot he used to play with the kid who tried to assassinate him. Thematically brilliant in closing the circle and tying the threads of Zen’s loneliness and happiness together, but still creepy.
Gangsta ep 10; Not much action, mostly talk-talk-talk and flashbacks. As we turn the corner to the end of the season, the show increasingly leans on it’s weak points (exposition and politics) rather than playing to it’s strengths. The last few minutes, setting up next week, were interesting though… I’m guessing that even in a town filled with ultra violent superhumans, axe wielding sadistic monsters are something worth noting.
Gate ep11; Mostly a snooze fest dedicated to setting up the next arc. Given his quiet competence at every damm thing (as we were given yet more evidence of in the conversation over Tuka), I’m starting to think of Itami as Gary Stu. At first I thought Princess Pina’s political process was off base given her worries about the overwhelming power of the JDSF… but yeah, she’s actually right. Stabilizing the Empire is a necessary first step. Other than that, I’m looking forward to seeing the JDSF in action action against a giant monster again.
The IDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls Second Series ep9; I was grumbling about this show as I headed back to the computer room to watch it, and my lovely lady asked why I hadn’t dropped it… I paused, thought a moment, and said “though they’ve tried, nobody yet has managed to make an idol anime so bad I’d actually drop it”. I mean, I even made it through both seasons of that collection of plot holes and deus ex machina that is AKB0048. Though between Cinderella Girls and Million Doll, lord knows they’ve tried my patience this season…
But… brace yourselves… I actually liked this weeks episode, which was all about a live performance (and all the emotions that go with it) with the corporate intrigue and half baked character development left in the background. I’ve yet to see an idol anime fail this aspect, though with it’s constant jerking about CG certainly tried to set it up to fail.
The heart and best part of the episode was this performance by Triad Primus. These girls can actually sing, and the producers make wonderful use of the harmony of their voices. (Something you rarely hear, at least in idol anime.) Go ahead, give it a listen, you won’t regret it. I’ve done so three times while writing this entry… It’s definitely in, say, my top five anime idol performances.
Million Doll ep10; Though mostly more mucking about, as an idol anime it provides an interesting bookend to this weeks Cinderella Girls. The core of the episode is at the end where Mariko (already full of self doubt) falters in her performance when she sees her top fan (and one of the main characters) moping at the back of the venue rather than enthusiastically being in the front. But when she hears the rest of the fans supporting her and cheering her on, she vows to continue to reach higher and higher (and by implication recapture his support).
Miss Monochrome 2 ep11; I actually thought, in opposition to Bless, that this was a pretty weak episode. The main gag was funny enough once, but wasn’t quite good enough for an immediate encore.
My Love Story ep 23; We reach the penultimate episode, and our lovebirds once again face a major trope – someone actively trying to break them up. (Which is different from the earlier trope, in which someone confessed to one of them.) As usual, the strength of the show is Takeo’s earnestness and Yamato’s cluelessness, and they play them both to the hilt. We end on a double cliffhanger – both in the episode itself, and the finale being delayed a week.
(Update, just finished a fourth run through of Triad Primus’s performance in the background. Just read the rest of this imagining me playing it in the background in another tab now and again).
Non Non Byori Repeat ep11; Some bits good, some bits not so much, but still worth a watch this week.
Overlord ep11; Even by the standards they’ve set so far, this was a painfully slow episode with most of it being dedicated to Ainz pontificating externally and Momonga monologuing externally.
We do learn a few more interesting things about the NPCs and what essentially amounts to a religion they’ve built around the Supreme Beings (the PCs). I almost wish someone would make an anime around just that concept… it wouldn’t be easy to do and if well made it would almost be painful to watch (Angel Beats type painful in that it makes you think and feel) but worth it.
Sore ga Seiyuu! ep11; A fun episode… the usual insecurity and lesson of the week is disposed of early on, and the bulk of the episode turns it’s attention to EARPHONES and their upcoming concert… and there’s anxieties a’ plenty to be had. Their producer, as usual, over reached himself and booked a hall ten times larger than he should have and planned for a concert much longer than they have material for. The girls however are energized to do well despite his muckups. Despite being one of the better episodes of the season, they break stride at the end by reaching for one of the most overused tropes in idol anime – Ichigo injures herself in a freak accident while preparing for the upcoming live event.
Wakaba*Girl ep11; A bit of a phone in, as the action once again centers on Wakaba’s innocence about the world outside of her formerly isolated world. Yeah, that’s the point of the show, but they’ve done it better and with more energy in earlier episodes.
Wakako-zake ep 11; Pshushushushuuuuu… Frankly, one of the best eps this season. Though not quite up to the standards of I Can’t Understand My Husband (which frankly set an insanely high bar)… it still amazes me how much character and story they can pack into a short when they try. This season’s other shorts, Million Doll and Wakaba*Girl, haven’t done so well in that respect… Million Doll‘s cast is just too big for a short, and Wakaba*Girl is mostly a one trick pony.
Working!!! ep11; WOW. They finally did it. They finally and brilliantly committed to a ship. There’s only one ep, one ship, and one arc left to go… And with the exception of the whole deal with Takanashi’s mom, they’ve set themselves some high bars over the course of this season (in retrospect even with the not-quite-an-actual-resolution of Yamada’s story). If Wagnaria accepted reservations, I’d surely be getting myself a table to watch the final ep.
In other news;
Nana has taken an unexpected turn. What started as what seemed to be a lightweight romantic drama and coming of age tale has turned much heavier and darker – but it all flows brilliantly and inexorably from the brighter portion. No deus ex machina, no sudden whiplash, without shoving it in our faces they foreshadowed pretty much all of it. My lady and I both noted a certain tone to the opening and closing voice overs (mostly by Nana O. but sometimes by Nana K.) and now we know why.
Even though the show is almost a decade old (and the manga older than that), I can see why it still comes up on the forums now and again. Unless there’s a real surprise in the remaining cour, I can’t see why it’s not better known.
I should stop a moment and mention and credit my lovely lady who comes up quite often in the weekly wall… I’m lucky to have a wife who is also an otaku, and it’s great to have someone to discuss episodes with in real time. An awful lot of what I write each week in the wall springs from her observations or is born of those discussions. Yes, I send her a link each week to this entry. No, I’m not buttering her up – after twenty five years she knows me better than that. I just thought she needed to get her due and y’all should know.
I really need to come up with a way to show what we’re watching together and what I’m watching along though… at the risk of complicating each weeks post though.
I’m also contemplating starting my own anime blog… but I don’t know what I’d do with it, most of the content would just be a repetition of the weekly wall. I could do a bit more with screenshots than I can here, and address some stuff that doesn’t fit well within the weekly wall but I don’t know if that could carry a blog on it’s own. I’ve started several on various topics over the years, but they never last… The wall has persisted longer than any other in a large part due to the weekly prompt and the quality of the interaction, I’d hate to move out – this is such a comfortable place and neighborhood is good. Maybe I should just stay a blog NEET/hikikomori. (This isn’t a call for support or anything, just this week’s thoughts, comment or not as you see fit.)
Bless, do you have a link anywhere to the markup used in comments?
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That should have been “Ainz pontificating externally and Momonga monologuing internally.”
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NICE.
And I do hear you re: the creepiness factor of the location of Zen and Shirayuki’s relationship, but I think the thematic importance—finding someone who needs him for who he is instead of from his position—far outweighs any ancillary details.
(PS Itami has been a Gary Stu the whole time, they just disguised it via the otaku thing :P)
Cheers to your wife! I, for one, am quite grateful to her indirect contributions to the comments section here! And whatever you choose re: the blog thing, I will wish you the best. Obviously, I quite enjoy having you around here, but I’d hate to be so selfish as to tell you to stay just for my own gratification. But I do agree the company’s good! 🙂
I’m assuming you’re referring to formatting. You can use either html or Reddit style markup. I unfortunately don’t have a link or anything, but maybe that’s helpful?
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I took care to mention the thematic brilliance… 🙂
Yes, formatting. That was very helpful, I know HTML and can google Reddit markup. I was just thinking of ways to break up the wall o’ text and make it a little more attractive.
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Well I’ve also toyed with starting a blog at some point, though not anytime soon – too busy with important real-life things right now. One thing I have been doing for a while, though, is making notes on things that come up that I’d be interested in blogging about, whether that’s certain series I’d be interested in doing episode reviews for, or certain anime topics that I’d want to discuss, or personal stories that I could share – anything that I don’t already have an outlet for here or on other sites. Doing that both gives me a sense of how much I would actually be able to talk about if I kept a blog, besides the regular weekly streaming stuff, and it gives me a ready-made list of ideas that I can put to use should I ever get around to actually starting one.
If you ever do start a blog, though, let us know – I’ll definitely subscribe to it.
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That’s pretty much when the thought of starting a blog occurs to me too, things that don’t fit here or elsewhere. The question is, as always, is that enough material? Will it sustain a blog? And most importantly, can I sustain it?
Though balancing against the idea… I’m currently having a rough time building traffic to two FB groups as well as an FB page, and have the idea for a third group that I’m planning on starting next spring. I can only spread myself so thin.
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Running down my week:
Food Wars ep. 23 – Lots more judging. As I predicted, Souma and his biggest rival are both saved for next week. I’m gonna miss this series once its over.
Wakakozake ep. 11 – Who knew that eating fried mackerel could be such a nostalgic experience?
Back Catalog Stuff:
Love Live Season 2 – Very similar quality to season 1. I think I may slightly prefer season 2 just because the drama side felt like it flowed more naturally from the story development. The comedy was still just as good, and getting the secondary cast more involved was also nice. Rank it at #28 on my series list, one spot ahead of the first season (though they’re essentially tied).
Love Live Movie – Not gonna spoil anything, so don’t worry. Just going to say that I may have actually enjoyed this more than both seasons of the TV series. It was a lot of fun, and a strong sendoff for the original cast. The whole audience seemed to be having a really good time with it. Each of us also got a shikishi with one of the girls on it as we were leaving, and mine has Maki. It looks pretty nice!
BTW, since I know you want to know, Honoka’s my best girl, and Kotori and Nozomi are my seconds.
Ai Mai! Moe Can Change! – I reviewed this as my spotlight short this week. It’s a one-episode OVA spun off from a mobile game where you can “raise” and develop your own personal moe girl character. The OVA is mainly a gag comedy that takes a couple of the pre-existing girls in the game and puts them in situations where everyone gets to have a lot of fun fooling around with the game mechanics, like magically changing each other’s clothes at the push of an app button. It’s not the best thing out there, but for a short comedy it’s not bad, especially if you’re in the mood for moe girls and cosplay.
Iblard Jikan – There’s an artist named Naohisa Inoue who’s created a bunch of surrealist-impressionist paintings of a fantasy world he calls Iblard. Miyazaki is a big fan of Inoue’s work, and in 2007 Inoue and Ghibli collaborated on this anime, which is basically a 30-minute slideshow of Iblard paintings with some digital animation added to each one. There are 8 sequences of paintings, with each sequence set to a different piece of music. There’s no dialogue and no real story here, it’s all just about the sensory experience – the whole thing is very meditative. Basically, it’s the perfect kind of anime to watch if you’re just looking for something to relax with for a while.
Fumiko’s Confession – Watched this after you mentioned it in your Aniwords column last night. This has an abundance of that classic old Looney Tunes spirit, and I loved every bit of it.
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Speaking of girls and artwork… did you see this announcement about Saekano? They’re releasing character goods with the girls in kimono, and Megumi as you’d expect is hopelessly cute.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-09-11/aniplex-unveils-illustrations-of-saekano-girls-in-kimono/.92778
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You got a Maki? Niiiiice. But hell yeah, Honoka a best! Rock on, dude. You’re a best, too, with opinions like that. Thank you for not spoiling the movie! The closest showing to me was a 3.5 hour drive and I totally would have made it, except…both of them were on weeknights (last night and tomorrow night). I was pretty bummed. Hoping maybe CR will get it for a streaming event or something so I can watch it legally. I like Love Live! too much to go and torrent the movie already.
And yeah, Fumiko’s Confession is great. Such fun in such a small package!
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@derek: Sweet! And fittingly, the best girl gets the best kimono, too. I love that outfit!
@bless: Well I definitely wanted to know as little as possible going into it, so I figured you’d probably be thinking the same. I’m a little surprised no one in your area picked it up though. I always thought St. Louis was a decent anime town, with the Anime St. Louis con every year and whatnot. Out of curiosity, do you know yet if anyone’s going to be screening Anthem of the Heart in your area, either, when that comes out? Our same theater that showed Love Live (and Expelled from Paradise last year) already confirmed they’re screening Anthem in early November.
Maki’s looking adorably tsundere, as usual
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