The season is ending, the thrillingly nice weather of autumn is starting to hit the Midwest with consistency, I’ve moved back over to MAL, and it’s time to talk about this week’s anime. A couple of my shows have already ended, with the rest of them set to conclude between now and Saturday—then we get a shockingly short break and the new season will be upon us. But let’s not think about that yet. We’re still in summer…at least if you live by seasonal anime…
Gakkou Gurashi, Episode 11: I’ll admit it—this episode didn’t really hit me as hard as I was expecting it to. With things continuing to fall apart around this cast we’ve been given the opportunity to really come to love, I was expecting more of an emotional watershed, but I think the show’s need to actually move story pieces around ended up working against its emotional effectiveness—particularly because things are happening in so many places. That said, I was a huge fan of the way the episode handled Yuki’s return to reality. It was gentle, soft, and kind…just like Megu-nee. I was predicting the worst (tears, screams, what have you), but instead Megu-nee, even in death, guided Yuki back towards what she needed to do in a way only Megu-nee could. And that was lovely. In all honesty, I wish the episode had been more of that and less of the “literally everything is awful” gambit we got with Miki, Rii, and Kurumi (oh gosh Kurumi please live I won’t forgive this show if you go full zombie).
Classroom Crisis, Episode 12: Who knew Classroom Crisis‘ most biting critique of Nagisa and the corporate mentality he’s represented for most of the show would be articulated by the show’s weakest excuse for a character, Yuji? Of course, the irony is that Nagisa’s corporate persona has really been a facade all this time, in service of the passions of sentimentality—revenge and intense loyalty. Elsewhere, the episode was fun, if somewhat empty. Aside from the aforementioned moment, Classroom Crisis‘ strongest character/theme work was in the simple image of Mizuki trying to dry her tears of worry before getting to work. It was nice to see Angelina back in action (oh gosh Hattori please live I won’t forgive this show if you die), but in the end the whole Nagisa fetch quest just involved too many characters that haven’t been shown to have a legitimate investment in him as a person. Instead, both A-TEC and the workers from the first episode are kind of faceless, if energetic, forces doing what was necessary to get Classroom Crisis in position for the final episode. (Also, the production took a big hit this week, which was a bummer.)
Gatchman Crowds insight, Episode 11: This was a hard episode to watch. I haven’t had much of a chance to talk about just how much I love Hajime this season, what with her being mostly inactive and silent, so the painfulness of watching her in action this week might not be something I can quite communicate. Just trust me when I say it was hard. Hajime’s “We’re going about this fight all wrong,” and the subsequent mock battle (read: execution) of “Gelsadra” (who I believe was actually Hajime in disguise) felt like the darkest Crowds has gone in all of its two seasons—and it’s gone some pretty dark places. As far as I’m concerned, Hajime’s the light of this series, and so to see her very nearly extinguished and on the brink of literal death is…well, it’s awful. It’s heroic, but it’s awful. But that’s the reality of the social elements of humanity—they possess the capacity for engendering great light and great darkness.
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, Episode 12 [END]: And thus ends the divine queen of this season—for now. You all have heard me praise Shirayuki-hime time and time again on here, and I’m actually a bit disappointed in myself that I have no new praise to heap upon it. But that’s just how this shows does things. Solid. Strong. Beautiful. Moving, yet in the smallest of ways. Suffice it to simply say that I”m overjoyed that we can expect more from Masahiro Ando, is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he is capable to a stunning degree of making incredibly good shows that seem to appeal specifically to me. Furthermore, the huge distance between what Blast of Tempest was (overblown, towering, raucous) and what Shirayuki-hime is (quiet, gentle, delicate) demonstrates what a huge talent this man is. All that remains is to be thankful for what we have now and thankful that there’s more on the way.
Short Takes~
- GATE, Episode 12 [END]: I finished GATE. It was a show I watched. Lelei is the best. I also just wrote about it yesterday in a way that kind of sums up my overall feels on it, so maybe go read that if you haven’t yet!
- Ushio to Tora, Episode 12: Like Ore Monogatari!! before it, Ushio to Tora appears to be cruising towards a mid-show drop. I’m still of the opinion that this is a show by a competent people who just can’t quite get out of the shounen structure rut. I keep telling myself it’s not because Ushio to Tora is just a show from an older era, and it’s my prerogative to continue believing that since I liked the show a lot early on.
- Miss Monochrome S2, Episode 12: Thank goodness this show is coming back, I do adore it and its self-effacing humor so.
- Durarara!! x2-2, Episode 11: Okay, but seriously, how much more can the spool be wound up before someone finally lets it go? Will it happen next week with the cour’s end? At least a little bit?
- Working!!!, Episode 12: The calm before the storm. The storm being my wrath is Takanashi x Inami is not solid as a freaking canon-ball by the end of next week’s episode.
Mage in a Barrel 
Interesting that you mention the “literally everything is falling apart” bit: it’s one of my complaints regarding the show as an adaptation. Kurumi’s plight and the school falling apart happen as two separate arcs in the manga, and I really wonder why they didn’t just do the same for the anime. They definitely had enough time to cover everything up to vol. 5 of the manga, had they not spent too much time on things like the pool episode.
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Well, the pool episode is basically even more of a wash now. Woot.
And yeah, Kurumi’s plight and the school falling apart I could see working very well separately. Together, it’s just too much.
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Some really great episodes towards the end !
Weeks 11 / 12 Split
Episode (s) Of the WEEK
Non Non Biyori Repeat EP 11 / “I Became a Pampered Child”
Starts slow but quickly gets into it !
Komari wants to try Konomi ‘s Cell PHONE but only gets a signal outside Konomi’s house ! Konomi sends a E-Mail to Candy Store gets a reply but Komari wants to reply but cant use the keypad so easily / then she is too short to get a signal so Hotaru has to lift her up !
Renge VS Hikage ! Renge is maling New Years Cards and Renge wont let let her see until done ! But of course Hikage tries all kinds os sneak peeks but gets taken down by Renge who is anime OP ! BTW Nice background touch of a Plaque Renge got for writing ! A Serious award !
Hotaru acts very mature until she gets home and becomes like Umara (Himouto! Umaru-chan) !
Seiyu’s Life! EP 11 / “Self Care”
I was kinda hestiant at first but this weeks’s VA guest pushed me over ! The first half with Futaba was the better with her trying to keep up with Ichigo and Rin is wearing her out ! Not only that she a more regular in an anime that has Ryoko Shiraishi ( voice of Hayate / Hayate the Combat Butler ) But on the first recording session Futuba gets ill but Ryoko gives her good cough drops and advice ! Futuba gets better and does really good! Ryoko walks with Futuba and tels her she was in a voice acting unit too ( True Fact ) and tells her you have to take health-wise!
The 2nd half Earplugs get a concert but have only 3 songs and will have to do covers . Besisdes doinfg promptions they are practing hard but Ichigo gets hurt !
Tribute song “Happy Material” (from Negima! Magister Negi Magi)
BTW Ryoko voices Kaede Nagase / Negima!
Ryoko Shiraishi Some VA Roles ( of many )
Hayate Ayasaki / Hayate the Combat Butler 2nd Season
Kazue Takanashi / Working
Macaron / Amagi Brilliant Park
Quin / Death Parade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryoko_Shiraishi
School Live EP 11 / “Scar”
I knew this was coming but still was very intense ! I actually feel scarred after the darkest EP so far ! Just the OP scene where Miki is alomost bitten by Yuki’s classmate ! Yuki is actually snapping out of it ! Miki and and Megumi meet ! Yuri is not doing well with Kurumi getting sicker ! To make matters worse the zombies have gotten to the top floor and then the power system gets destroyed! Miki finds the mediceine and Megumi’s note ! Yuki knows she has to save everybody by using the P.A. system and Megumi guides her until Yuki knows it’s time to say goodbye ! That was a touching scene . I am really drained !
Oh Miki used Kei’s Cd player tp distract the zombies !
Go read the manga and see what a great job of writing again!
Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace EP 11 Final / ” The Daydream ! ” FINAL
Another Dark Episode from Lerche on Thursday ! This is about as darl as they come ! I dont condone suicicde / venegance to protect inncocents but when criminals walk or go unpunished this was the result ! Namikoshi is going to commit suicicde along with Kobayashi and 10 victims to push his agenda and has many foolwers to help even in the gov’t ! As per M.E. Minami when a guard gives her poision to kiil herself ! Akechi / Hashiba must stop Namikoshi and get some help from Shadow Man and two of Black Lizard’s gang to get The Twenty Faces followers out of the way ! Namikoshi stops the 5 remaining victims from jumping but still wants Kobayashi and himself to jump but Akechi / Hashiba rescue both but Namikoshi slips out of Akechi’s hand but his body is not found !
Even though the anime had some weak episodes the last few have been pretty good ! When it pursured the ctimes and Twenty facees it exceelled ! Some content diidnt feel right but not a bad anime!
Castle Town Dandelion EP 12 Final / “Who Will the Crown Shine Upon” FINAL
Wow I didnt know this until this week ! Akane Sakurada / Kana Hanazawa
A nice final for one of the nicest families in anime ( like Summer Wars ) ! More of a reflection on how the siblings grew and thev King’s reason for having the election ! Oh It was nice to see Aoi take a stand and be independent which her dad and mom approved even admiring how she did not use her power! I was not too keen on the Airship malfunction as an episode ploy but everybody gave it all ! Shuu was crowned King and the family follwed their paths wit some leaving the house!
I enjoyed this anime great slice of life / close family / life lessons ! / cool powers that weren’t abused and some good laughs ! I will miss this show and a Big Thanks !
Ushio & Tora EP 12 / “The Road to the Touno Youkai Battle (Part 1)” This is just getting going for me ! Ushio is on his quest for his mother but the other yokai want to stop him because of his mother Sumako provides help ?? to Hakumen no Mono the monster the yokai fear ! Tora is funny wanting to ride the bus!
Ultimate Otaku Teacher EP 23 “The Job Try Out Girl” With Kagami getting fired ? from Hiiragi by Koyomi ( Options lots of ?? about her yet ) he is working at the K lab with his former partner Yamato ( The Anywhere Door ) but still being pursued by Lynn / Cerm . Yamato btings in a One Day Trial intern named Reiko (Kana Hanazawa) who is actually a student at Hiragi. She is super smart and can remeber anything very quickly! She even finds the Higgs particle that the lab was working on! But Options send her there to learn out to be amused because she was at an instituation because of her brilliance but lacked personality ! He gives her a huge manga to read and is done in 2 hours ! They get together and have lots of fun but only copies him ! He tells her to stay in the room until you be amused by yourself ! Neanwhile sneaky Lynn breaks down the labs computer security and tries to steal the research and Yamato / Kagami cant stop it ! Reiko disobeys and shuts down the hack but is afraid of having disobeyed but that was the lesson to think for yourself !
The cast is very good !
Hiroshi Kamiya / Kagami
Yato / Norgami
Levi / Attack on Titan
DRRR / Izaya Orihara
Himself / Seiyu’s life
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi_Kamiya
Suzuko Mimori / Koyomi Hiiragi (Options)
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes all / Sherlock Shellingford
Teekyu / Kanae
Kamisama Kiss / Nanami
Majimoji Rurumo /Rurumo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuko_Mimori
Kana Hanazawa / Reiko
Durarara!! – Anri Sonohara
Binbougami ga! – Ichiko Sakura
Psycho-Pass – Akane Tsunemori
Teekyu – Marimo Bando
D-Frag! – Roka Shibasaki
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior – Ritsu Kawai
Nisekoi – Kosaki Onodera
Tonari no Seki-kun – Yokoi Rumi
Jokamachi no Dandelion – Akane Sakurada
Prison School – Hana Midorikawa
Gatchaman Crowds insight – Gel Sadra
Gatchaman Crowds Insight Episode 11 / Trade-off
To get of the Kuu-Sama The Gatchman just cant handle all them all so they make a plan to capture Gel-San with permission from a phone survey ! They are given the OK and make a plan to kill him but wait it’s a fake and with the atmospher changing the Kuu- Sama are gone ! But Gel-San is Hajime in disguise and gets wounded quite badly ! Just Gatchaman at it’s best!
Symphogear GX EP 12 / GX
The world is in grave danger and Maria / Shirabe / Kirika try to destroy Chateau’ with the help of Dr. Vers ( who knew ) but have to fight a fake Fine ! Meanwhile Hibiki / Tsubussa / Chris fight Carol ! The inside team at Chateau gestroy the program and Dr Vers is dying and wants Marie to tell the World he is Hero but Marie says a “Rotten One ” They join the outside team fighting Carol who as a last resort usees her memoreis to cause destruction ! The girls all combine their powers “GX” as one final defense. More action again in obe EP than other animes for the season!
Working 3 EP 12 / “Working Girl?”
Just doing a great job of finishing touches ! Kotori / Sota stiil doent feel comfortable around Itami as a guy! Popura is a main storyline in this EP ! Yamada is actually getting better at her job much to everybody’s surprise ! Of course funny as always ! But quite a jolt Yachiyo is going to quit Wagnaria to evertbody’s sadness but Popura will take over ! She has and always been capable but Popura feels it the most ! And Popura tells Sota to settle things with Inami ! Sota asks Inami which does she prefer Kotori or Sota ans she wants Sota ! Jut one more obstacle his mom hiding in the storage room! Just outstanding season and one of the best period for its genre(s)
Gangsta.EP 11 / “Absence”
Some didnt like this episode but it gave great backstories and lots of violence by the Hunters ! I wiil do some highlights as there is a lot going on !
The Hunters are taking out tags and setting off smoke Bombs because the ilights can smeel them ! Sig and Striker Hunyers are taking out Twilights and Colt ( Mortally ? ) wounds Doug who wants to tell Chad ( police ) ! Delico wants to confront Erica ( sister / hunter ) Yang is kinda funny trying to stop him but wans to go along being with Delico / Erica in the orphange !
Meanwhile Galahad finds Doug and Doug gives him his Tags ( kinda touching since they do go back together! And the scene is great / sad with fadeout !
Sig and Colt arrive at the Guild to take on Gina ( she is the wild card in all of this ) Colt tries attacking but Ginger deflects it ! Sig wants to fight and says the Crorsica are ready to take over but Gina says she rather sleep ! Emilio blows another smoke bomb and tells then it’s not the time to attack the guild !
Now this is intiguing Constance after leaving Marco runs into Beretta who asks for cigarettes which Constance was going to give for free but Constance takes her ! Marco hears abot the hunters anf worries about Constance ! The thing he is A Super Normal ( Hunter) and was once part of them with Striker and Beretta ! This is just great story telling !
The Heroic Legend of Arslan EP 24 / “The Decisive Battle”
Excellent episode all around ! Last EP Arslan was confronted bt Etoile / even though she remembers him she tries to attack nut Elam steps in and is wounded ! After she escapes Arslan orbids attack instead having Alfreed follow her ! They discover a cave which Narsus decicdes she and a band will go into the Castle Saint-Emmanuel and open the Gate which is a success Daryun and Arslan know they must try to reach Silvermask !
They all meet up in Barcacion’s Chambers where Darum / Hermes sure off and end up in one of the best Sword Fight in a anime ! Not to forget all te te other gret baatlles going but Narsus forbidding slaughter / no pilliang etc !
Oh Farangis just be more than a Homan / does she have the blessing of Temple of Mithra walking through those arrows like Joan of ARC
Arslan tries to reason with Barcacion whe now even thinks Arslan may be a Kind King but wants to comimit Sucicde like the Priestess out of the tower Arslan tries to stop him bt fails and falls out the window as Etoile walks in ans sees him holding Barcacion’s knife and attacls again ! Arslan deflects the blow and her helment comes off revealing she is a girl! But is then arrested !
The Darum / Hermes ends up with both wounded Hermes disappears with Bajon ( the Necromacer ) actually is in hisory of Persia !
SPECIALS
Kamisama Kiss / “Kamisama, Kako ni Tobu” (God, Leaps Into the Past),
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Suzuko Mimori is also Umi’s (Love Live!) seiyu!
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I have to say My Rankings are much more Stable than last week’s College and PRO football games ! I should do the talk shows as the pro annoucers have no clue with the X and O’s !
Again I am doing two posts between episodes of the week and The Rankings !
Kinda sad to say good bye to a lot of good shows ! / But still a lot to finish up especially my 4 way tie for 2nd !
And so many had really good finishes too !
SUMMER 2015 FAVORITES Current 45 shows
Dropped Chaos Dragon: Sekiryuu Sen’eki / Suzakinishi: The Animation [blue]SHORT [/blue] ] No NEW EPS / Chu Feng: BEE No New EP’s
EPISODE(S) of the WEEK Seperate Post This Week / See Above EOW Next to show
TIER 1 Top Favorites Weeks 11 / 12 Split
1 Non Non Biyori Repeat EOW
4 WAY TIE for 2nd
2 Gangsta. EOW
2 Working!!! 3 / Wagnaria!! 3 EOW
2 Gakkou Gurashi! READING MANGA EOW
2 The Heroic Legend of Arslan EOW
6 Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX / S3 EOW
7 GateREADING MANGA / END
8 Jokamachi no Dandelion / Castle Town Dandelion END EOW
9 Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma READING MANGA One more showdown! Hoping for more
10 Durarara!!×2 Ten / Very nice setup episode
11 Gatchaman Crowds Insight EOW
12 Akagami no Shirayuki Hime / Snow White with the Red Hair Waiting to see Final
13 Sore ga Seiyuu! / Seiyu’s Life EOW
14 Baby Steps 2 READING MANGA END / ?? about another cour?
15 World Trigger Behind witth PPD last week Spinoff for Fall
16 Himouto! Umaru-chan / I am hoping for more !
17 Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace END EOW
18 Ultimate Otaku Teacher EOW
19 Rin-ne [red] CR Wed [/red] [green]ONGOING[/green] New SPRING 2016 Cour
20 Aoharu x Kikanju (Aoharu x Machinegun) Dropped a little felt unfinished END
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I think it makes sense your rankings are more stable now that it’s the end of the season! By this point, most shows have really settled into their grooves and have set up your expectations of what they’re going to be. So, yeah, seems about right to me.
Looking forward to seeing how many shows you manage to tackle next season haha!
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Shirayuki-hime does feel quiet. I hope it wouldn’t be a detriment to the upcoming 2nd cour. Without relying on loud and explosive developments, it needs to have something brilliant that can keep the audience’s attentions.
This whole season has been able to do that. It draws me in and I yearn for more and more each week. However towards the end, episode 12 in particular, does feel a bit lacking the in attention-keeping department. Still enjoyed it though, their faith in the path that both Shirayuki and Zen chose is refreshing.
Gakkou Guraishi. Here comes the final episode that will determine the whole experience that we have been going through. I hope it is a good one.
Between these 2 shows, I can’t decide which is my number one anime of the season.
Oh there’s also Working!!!, which is still a joy to watch. Happy that it turns out well despite my doubts after the first episode.
One thing that I’ve noticed, these are the shows that fill in the gap for few of the best shows of the previous seasons. Working!!! for Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Shirayuki-hime for Yona. Although they might not be as good as those shows, still fills the craving neatly for me.
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Personally, I think Shirayuki‘s brilliance is in its quietness. But that’s just me.
Always nice to have things drop into your needed slots, though! A well-balanced season can be better than a season with a few peaks here and there, honestly.
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Yes! I think it’ll be a really different show (or at the very least the feel of it) if it is loud.
Would you compare Shirayuki‘s quietness to the quietness in Slice of Life shows, particularly something like Non Non Biyori?
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Yep, it’s fall here in Pacific Northwest too… we’ve already put a second comforter on the bed, and my winter ballcap is in rotation more often than not. Photographically, it’s one of my favorite times of year… we don’t get the spectacular colors so much since most of the trees are pines and firs, but fall and winter yield wonderful morning fogs. (And we’re far enough North that sunrise occurs at a reasonable hour.)
I took this a couple of years ago not far from my house;
Anyhow, though some shows are finished, my Summer season (by the anime calendar) doesn’t close out until the Overlord and Sore ga Seiyu finales air next Tuesday. I’ll discuss the final episodes that have aired, but I’ll hold off seasonal discussion and rating until next weeks wrap-up.
And now – the weekly wall;
Akagami no Shirayukihime ep12; (Finale/Season ender) I was a bit disappointed the school festival episode… And learning of Zen’s jealousy was a bit disconcerting. And what’s up with Obi? Is he declaring his fealty and support to Shirayuki, or throwing his hat in the ring and declaring he’s seeking the nomination for her heart? But the final scene was the payoff, last week Zen laid his sword and heart at Shirayuki’s feet, declaring his love and fealty. This week, Shirayuki knelt at his feet and reciprocated with Zen by kissing his hand. A rare bit of meek conformance to sexual and cultural stereotypes on Shirayuki’s part, though that may be driven by her awareness of the vast gulf between their social standings.
Gangsta ep 11; Last week’s lack of action was made up and then some this week, plus some extra gratuitous blood and gore for good measure. Sadly, once again, most of what passed for plot this week focused almost exclusively on not well developed secondary characters.
Gate ep12; (Finale/Season ender) As with last week, mostly a snooze fest dedicated to infodumps and moving the chess pieces into place for the next cour. Central to what passed for a plot for this week was one of the most annoying inconsistencies in the show- who needs translation and when. Almost off hand they gave us a glimpse of what’s becoming the most interesting, Princess Pina playing her own side game.
The IDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls Second Series ep10; A rare truly character based episode, done better than most even though it centered on one of the common tropes of idol anime. (The unit member who lacks confidence and/or skills going into a funk because she thinks she’s dragging her fellow members down and who has to be reassured that she’s not all that bad, and that with ganbatte and the support of her loving fellow members, all will be well.) Despite the many times I’ve been exasperated by this show, it seems to be doing it’s best to make up for all that as it turns onto the home stretch.
This one will run past next week it looks like, so it’ll probably end up getting it’s own (late) separate entry on the wrap-up post.
Million Doll ep11; A continuation of last weeks ep (though not a true two parter) with the various idols declaring their intentions for the future and setting up the competition between Mariko and Itori. Unless they cram more than seems possible in a short next week, this would be setting up for a second season I can’t really see this show getting.
Miss Monochrome 2 ep12; Mostly assorted silliness setting up the cliffhanger for the finale next week. Still, as usual, Miss Monochrome entertains just by being her own self.
My Love Story; On hiatus this week as the final ep was delayed a week.
Non Non Byori Repeat ep12; (Finale/Season ender) Some shows sprint across the finish line, others slink across hoping you won’t notice. NNB crosses in it’s own inimitable fashion, ambling along and enjoying the day without a care in the world. At first it looked like it was going to be an overly sentimental clip/memory/rehash episode, but they quickly disposed of that and got on with the business of everyday life. Two scenes stand out… Leaving the camera focused on the porch of the Koshigaya residence as the girls wandered in and out of the frame was pure cinematic brilliance. The final scene, leaving the girls picnicking beneath the radiantly blooming branches of a sakura tree, the site of the closing scene of the first ep of the first season, well words just fail me. (Those who read the Wall on a regular basis will know this doesn’t happen too often.) Even in a show and a season filled with incredible cinematography, NNB goes out with a bang. (Also, almost offhandedly, they confirm what many have long suspected – though the timeline is a bit messy, S2 takes place in parallel with S1.)
Overlord ep12; You’ve heard the joke about banging your head against the wall because it feels so good when you stop? Overlord is starting to make me feel like that, as the end of the season approaches with almost bleak relief. They managed to make an episode even more painfully slow than last week… the entire episode was Ainz and Shalltear hurling spells and monologues at each other. Some on the forums called it “action filled”, I call it BOOOORING.
Sore ga Seiyuu! ep12; A departure from the usual format of insecurity and life lessons – the girls, particularly Futaba (who finally grows a spine) take all those lessons and put them to good use in making EARPHONES first live concert a success despite Ichigo’s injury and the girl’s worries over their lack of material and experience. The concert sequence, though no classic for the ages, is actually one of the better done of the genre and well worth watching the episode for (you won’t need any context, so long as you watch the entire ep). Horie Yui makes a second appearance as the weekly experienced voice of wisdom. And now… the odd part. Though this felt like a finale, there’s another episode to go. I can’t really see what they’re going to do with it.
Wakaba*Girl ep12; (Finale/Season ender) Nothing spectacular, just another day in the life and another new experience for Wakaba, a snowball fight with friends. This isn’t really as much damming with faint praise as it seems, it’s the basic nature of the show.
Wakako-zake ep 12; (Finale/Season ender) This week, roasted ginko nuts and lots of sake… and for the first time interaction with others in the itzakaya. Another quietly competent episode.
Working!!! ep12; A bit of filler actually, but nicely done. Yamada Aoi, who has previously gotten closure for her personal life, get closure for her work life. Yamada Kirio pops in for a final bow and the revelation that he knew who and what Kotori was all along. Kotori herself also gets a bit of closure. Popura advances a level at work due to Yachiyo finally cutting the apron strings entirely. There’s still some dangling bits, but I’ll be mightily peeved if in the finale they overshadow the almost offhandedly set up ACTUAL DATE between Takanashi and Inami. Yeah, it’s bottom of the ninth, two down two on, three and two – they’ve got one swing of the bat left and they better get it right.
In other news;
Finished watching Nana, and I’m left… I dunno, a bit confused? It maintained it’s usual brilliance as it set up for the finale, and then botched it all to hell and gone. It’s almost like the Kitauji High School concert band club ended their performance in the preliminaries with everyone sounding their instrument at once – massive discordant cacophony. I didn’t find out until after that they stopped short of the manga (which was still ongoing at the time) in order to avoid filler, so maybe the explanation is in there… But I still think it could likely have been handled better.
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(re: Nana)
As I understand it, the manga didn’t go that much further and had to be put on hiatus because Ai Yazawa (the mangaka) got very sick and hadn’t written anything ever since AFAIK. The manga stopped at 2009 just after a huge game-changing cliffhanger, and there don’t seem to be much hope anytime soon to see it continued due to Yazawa’s condition.
(and even with that, I’d still recommend the series to those who haven’t experience it; it’s that good).
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Oh indeed, absolutely no argument from me there – overall the series is brilliantly done. I meant to make that clearer…
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That is a nice peaceful picture ! I hope you were not close to the very bad fires that occurred!
A question about Gangsta.Are you watching the DUB ? For myself it changes the show in a very dramatic way ! The backstories / revelations / emotions seem so much easier to follow ! Ant I cant remember but it seems they added some more insert music to make it more moody ! I know Japan has it’s Yazuka but with all the Italian family names it feels better in English ! I have nothing to gain by talking about the dub but again I think it helps viewers who dont understand everything ! I just watched the infamous Nic rampage at Worick’s mansion and it just seemed I missed a lot with the sub!
I dont diasgree with you about the Hunters but they are a big part of the story I wont spoil I did some reseaerch and things are more related than you think Too bad it’s only 12 EP !
The Hunters have their own story manga which expains a lot !
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Thank you! If you click through you can see some more of my work.
No, the fires were not close, though the Puget Sound basin was filled with smoke for a week at one point. The whole western half of the state was covered in smoke to some degree at one point or another over the summer… There was a lot of angst? (for lack of a better word) on many local photography blogs, we were getting wonderful sunsets – but the cause was so sad.
I’m watching Gangsta in sub, not dub. What you’re saying about it only being 12 ep kinda agrees with what I’ve suspected… they didn’t choose well with what to adapt into the anime. Sticking too close to the manga plot lines rather than compacting and concentrating on the major characters. In their defense however, adaptation is a tricky business – half the reason for the anime’s existence is as a commercial for the manga. You’ve got to rope in new readers (without disappointing/confusing them when they come from the anime to the manga) and also not annoy existing customers too badly…
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Whoo boy, that’s a pretty picture alright. Thanks for sharing!
And yeah, Gate‘s consistency on the whole translation thing has been a mess since almost the beginning of the show—hasn’t bothered me too much because I never expected anything better from Gate, but amusing in how poorly planned it was nonetheless.
And AWW MAN HOCCHAN BACK AGAIN IN SORE GA SEIYU?? GUESS I’D BETTER HEAD ON OVER TO FUNI’S WEBSITE.
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This was a very light week for me. I’ve been pet/house sitting, so my free time was less than usual (I’d forgotten just how much work taking care of a dog can be!), and then Food Wars pushed its finale back a week, which reduced my list even more. So my “wall” is going to be more like a half-grown hedge this time.
Wakakozake 12: Yeah, what Derek said, basically. Overall I’d put this series on a similar level as Koufuku Graffiti, but while that series focused on the social side of a meal and the pleasure of cooking for others, the focus of this series is primarily on the food itself and the pleasure of eating it. Both are very much feel-good shows and nicely relaxing to watch, though.
Sakura Wars (TV Series): Sakura Wars was originally a video game (a strategy RPG with some dating sim elements, to be specific), and this TV series was adapted from the game by Madhouse in the year 2000, near the peak of the franchise’s popularity. The gist of the series is about a group of women and their male commanding officer – the player character in the game – who work as a musical theater troupe in their day jobs, but are also secretly a squadron of mech pilots fighting to protect Tokyo against a group of demon-summoning wizards. Overall it’s a very solidly entertaining mid-tier series, and while it’s definitely going to appeal more to fans of the game series (I have Sakura Wars 5 for the PS2, the only installment that was ever released in North America), it’s not impossible for a total novice to pick it up and enjoy it as long as they don’t mind the learning curve. It also makes a couple of refreshing changes from the usual formula for this type of series. Most notably, it changes the viewpoint character from the bland player stand-in to one of the women, the much more engaging and personable Sakura Shinguji, and it disposes of the game’s harem trappings entirely, keeping the commander’s relationships with all of the women strictly (and refreshingly!) professional. That alone was worth some extra points in my final grade. One word of caution: if you ever decide to watch this, watch it subbed. I’m not one of those anti-dub people by any means, but this dub is frankly one of the worst that I’ve ever heard. Plus, you’ll also miss out on Michie Tomizawa’s wonderfully infuriating voice work as Sumire Kanzaki, one of the best performances of a “rich bitch” character that I’ve ever heard.
Current series list ranking: I don’t have my list in front of me as I’m writing this to slot it exactly, but probably somewhere in the mid to low 30’s.
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Like I Can’t Understand What My Husband is Saying, I suspect I’ll someday feel the urge to watch Wakakozake and then burn through it in a day. Such is my relationship with shorts.
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I’m also glad Gakkou Gurashi didn’t go for an overly dramatic and/or hysterical tone this week. I’m a little wary of how the show’s going to end – I don’t think it’s realistic to have some kind of the-world-is-saved, happily-ever-after ending, and I’m certainly not looking for one – but so long as Gakkou Gurashi can remain as comparitively subtle and understated as it (usually) is, I’ll probably be okay with it.
Oh, mind if I friend you over on MAL?
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Please do! 🙂
And yeah, I think a lot rides on what Gakkou Gurashi does with its finale. Frankly, some sort of return to the status quo (perhaps + a reality-facing Yuki) seems like it would be the most appropriate way to end the series.
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Awesome, thanks! Apart from using it to keep track of what I’ve watched/am watching, I find MAL quite useful for other things as well. I often check out how my friends rated certain titles that I haven’t yet seen, and use that as a kind of baseline for how much I might enjoy a show. It looks as though we have a pretty high anime compatability rating, so I’ll probably be checking your list out the next time I’m on the lookout for something to watch that’s already finished airing. 🙂
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-Insight is very high on my watch list, and it’s interesting to see how divisive the show seems to be. It seems people (ANN’s Chapman, in particular, really eviscerated it) have problem with Toshiya Ono’s writing style, and I can see why. Even in Tsuritama, his most character-driven show thus far, there’s an… elevated zaniness that made his characters a few degrees removed from how actual human being operates and perhaps mitigated the thematic impact it could’ve had. I also find it a bit off-putting at first, although I eventually get used to it. Used to be really confused by Hajime too before tolerating her by the end of S1 once I ‘got’ what she’s supposed to be, and I suspect I would even like her in S2.
(apparently Ono is going to write the adapted script for Everything Becomes F, one of my most anticipated shows in the upcoming Fall)
-Shirayuki’s also on my watch list after all the warm words, although I’m somehow still not sure what it’s about (besides that Shirayuki and the white-haired boy are very into each other). Seems like a long series? Just saw volume 11 got published in my place.
-Back then, I dropped Wagnaria!! after just two episodes of the first season, the humor and characters just didn’t work out for me. Have to admit that I really have low tolerance for over-exaggerated shyness, too (see also: that character in Shirobako). Maybe I should give it another chance and see if the characters would eventually grow on me, but honestly that’s not high on my priorities.
-BBB’s final episode got an airing date! Feels like a perfect time to catch up now for me.
-On shows I’m actually watching: all of Gakkou, Arslan, and Gangsta seem to fall into the “flawed shows with promising start that ended up feeling like extended ad for the manga” category. I rated Gakkou slightly higher than the other two because of its more unique genre blend alone, plus episode 3 (the one from Megumi’s POV) outdid anything the other two has ever done.
(by the way, the very casual mention of Kurumi’s house in the last episode also brought up a crucial issue; how come these kids seemingly have spared so little mind about their family/house condition throughout the show? Seems like a glaring oversight there.
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Re: insight—I’m honestly still baffled as to why Crowds is as controversial as it is, besides a handful of pretty intelligent arguments I’ve seen from people. I don’t want to get in a critic slapfight with anyone, but Chapman’s criticisms of Crowds have always seemed unsettlingly detached from the reality of the show and what it actually is. I just cannot for the life of me understand why she hates the show so much. I won’t go so far as to say I think you should erase her critiques of it from your mind to actually give the show a fair shake on its own terms, but….maybe…think about it?
Working!!‘s a show I think is not for everyone, so don’t feel bad about it not working for you.
I’m also planning a rewatch of BBB in preparation for the finale. Looking forward to it a great deal!
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I like Gatchaman Crowds Insight / I had a couple of Episodes of the WEEK . It is in my TOP 20
(11th) which is a tribute with all thec shows I watch ! It was slow at times but its picked up nicely ! The cast is kinda eccentric but it makes the anime fun ! I have no problem with the story at all .
Now The ANN reviewers they were actually better for the most part but I still dont take(respect ) them as seriosly as Mage / Random Courisity . They seem to more anime fans !
And nothing against college majors but there is couple of Newbies at ANN who are writing / film majors and maybe using their education to be overly critical ! Almost arrogorant in a way ! A college education doesnt make you an expert ! Give anime fans credit we tend to know wgat’s good / bad etc > We may not agrre but there to seems more consensus than not !
As part of the above different people like different genres (Working )/ I rather see this is not for me than a rant why it’s bad ! In my previous post I am a Big Fan of Working !
AH yes BBB it will be 46 mins long and Funi (Dubble talk) said they will air it Sub / Dub Dont ask When
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Just a little different take on Gakkou/ Arslan/ Gangsta / Wagnaria. Actually the Gakkou anime has been rewritten from the manga with I think was a good job ( I read the Manga )
All of the latest Arslan episodes are original anime as the manga is not caught up ! Just the Sword fight between Daryun and Silvermask was worth it !
Gangsta is much better in Dub feels like a different show !
But 4 of the shows you mentioned are in my TOP 5 and Episodes of the week ! / just showing my love for them / Why I like them and any review I read was postive ! Reposted some of my above post !
Just my thoughts everybody is different !
TIER 1 Top Favorites Weeks 11 / 12 Split / All 5 were episodes of the week EOW
1 Non Non Biyori Repeat
4 WAY TIE for 2nd
2 Gangsta. EOW
2 Working!!! 3 / Wagnaria!! 3 EOW
2 Gakkou Gurashi! READING MANGA EOW
2 The Heroic Legend of Arslan EOW
Non Non Biyori Repeat EP 11 / “I Became a Pampered Child”
Starts slow but quickly gets into it !
Komari wants to try Konomi ‘s Cell PHONE but only gets a signal outside Konomi’s house ! Konomi sends a E-Mail to Candy Store gets a reply but Komari wants to reply but cant use the keypad so easily / then she is too short to get a signal so Hotaru has to lift her up !
Renge VS Hikage ! Renge is maling New Years Cards and Renge wont let let her see until done ! But of course Hikage tries all kinds os sneak peeks but gets taken down by Renge who is anime OP ! BTW Nice background touch of a Plaque Renge got for writing ! A Serious award !
Hotaru acts very mature until she gets home and becomes like Umara (Himouto! Umaru-chan) !
Gangsta.EP 11 / “Absence”
Some didnt like this episode but it gave great backstories and lots of violence by the Hunters ! I wiil do some highlights as there is a lot going on !
The Hunters are taking out tags and setting off smoke Bombs because the ilights can smeel them ! Sig and Striker Hunyers are taking out Twilights and Colt ( Mortally ? ) wounds Doug who wants to tell Chad ( police ) ! Delico wants to confront Erica ( sister / hunter ) Yang is kinda funny trying to stop him but wans to go along being with Delico / Erica in the orphange !
Meanwhile Galahad finds Doug and Doug gives him his Tags ( kinda touching since they do go back together! And the scene is great / sad with fadeout !
Sig and Colt arrive at the Guild to take on Gina ( she is the wild card in all of this ) Colt tries attacking but Ginger deflects it ! Sig wants to fight and says the Crorsica are ready to take over but Gina says she rather sleep ! Emilio blows another smoke bomb and tells then it’s not the time to attack the guild
Now this is intiguing Constance after leaving Marco runs into Beretta who asks for cigarettes which Constance was going to give for free but Constance takes her ! Marco hears about the hunters anf worries about Constance ! The thing he is A Super Normal ( Hunter) and was once part of them with Striker and Beretta ! This is just great story telling !
Working 3 EP 12 / “Working Girl?”
Just doing a great job of finishing touches ! Kotori / Sota stiil doent feel comfortable around Itami as a guy! Popura is a main storyline in this EP ! Yamada is actually getting better at her job much to everybody’s surprise ! Of course funny as always ! But quite a jolt Yachiyo is going to quit Wagnaria to evertbody’s sadness but Popura will take over ! She has and always been capable but Popura feels it the most ! And Popura tells Sota to settle things with Inami ! Sota asks Inami which does she prefer Kotori or Sota ans she wants Sota ! Jut one more obstacle his mom hiding in the storage room! Just outstanding season and one of the best period for its genre(s)
School Live EP 11 / “Scar”
I knew this was coming but still was very intense ! I actually feel scarred after the darkest EP so far ! Just the OP scene where Miki is alomost bitten by Yuki’s classmate ! Yuki is actually snapping out of it ! Miki and and Megumi meet ! Yuri is not doing well with Kurumi getting sicker ! To make matters worse the zombies have gotten to the top floor and then the power system gets destroyed! Miki finds the mediceine and Megumi’s note ! Yuki knows she has to save everybody by using the P.A. system and Megumi guides her until Yuki knows it’s time to say goodbye ! That was a touching scene . I am really drained !
Oh Miki used Kei’s Cd player to distract the zombies !
Go read the manga and see what a great job of rewriting
The Heroic Legend of Arslan EP 24 / “The Decisive Battle”
Excellent episode all around ! Last EP Arslan was confronted bt Etoile / even though she remembers him she tries to attack nut Elam steps in and is wounded ! After she escapes Arslan orbids attack instead having Alfreed follow her ! They discover a cave which Narsus decicdes she and a band will go into the Castle Saint-Emmanuel and open the Gate which is a success Daryun and Arslan know they must try to reach Silvermask !
They all meet up in Barcacion’s Chambers where Darum / Hermes sure off and end up in one of the best Sword Fight in a anime ! Not to forget all te te other gret baatlles going but Narsus forbidding slaughter / no pilliang etc !
Oh Farangis just be more than a Human / does she have the blessing of Temple of Mithra walking through those arrows like Joan of ARC
Arslan tries to reason with Barcacion whe now even thinks Arslan may be a Kind King but wants to comimit Sucicde like the Priestess out of the tower Arslan tries to stop him bt fails and falls out the window as Etoile walks in ans sees him holding Barcacion’s knife and attacls again ! Arslan deflects the blow and her helment comes off revealing she is a girl! But is then arrested !
The Darum / Hermes ends up with both wounded Hermes disappears with Bajon ( the Necromacer ) actually is in hisory of Persia !
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The plot summary for Shirayuki from Anime Planet… “Shirayuki is a spunky pharmacist with bright, apple-red hair unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Even the prince of the kingdom she lives in is entranced by her locks, and demands that she become his concubine. Not wanting to be viewed as an object prized purely for its novelty, Shirayuki flees civilization and heads towards the forest. Here, the girl meets the charming Zen, who rescues her from Prince Raji’s clutches and reveals that he is a prince as well. The two become close friends, and Shirayuki decides to return to Zen’s castle with him, to pursue her dreams. But becoming a palace pharmacist isn’t easy, especially since her unusual hair color and close relationship with the prince tend to draw unwanted attention…”
It’s reasonably close, and it’s somewhat better than the barebones summary might lead you to think.
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Here are my thoughts on some of the shows I have watched:
Gangsta: Doug’s death does not have any emotional impact on me as someone who has not read the manga, so sorry about that. The main duo are nowhere to be found, which is disappointing. Nevertheless, the fight scenes are quite decent and animation has improved greatly from previous episode.
Charlotte: Flame bitch is gone now. Good. I hate her to the bones. So Yuu decides to save everyone by absorbing all of their power? My guess is that, the ending will be like in Evangelion where Yuu rants at the audience for 20 minutes about what he learned during his adventure.
Prison School: It was very hard for me to get through all the boring-as-shit fan service from Meiko. Been there, done that a million times already. But I did get through it, and when the show gets to the part with Hana and Kiyoshi, things get insane. Medusa coming from her ass, LOL. An intense episode, if not a bit slow.
School-Live!: Much like Prison School, the atmosphere is making my heart race, but the pacing seems a bit dragged. Very good episode with decent amount of action, suspense and drama in it. I like the character development so far: Yuri and Kurumi are normally the most productive members, but when shit is going down, it is Miki and Yuki who will save the day.
Overlord: All the build-up eventually lead to the epic fight between Ainz an Shalltear. The direction is great, but crappy animation makes me unable to enjoy it to the fullest.
Snow White with Red Hair: The finale is alright. It goes back to the safe zone and is less exciting compared to previous two episodes. The Snow White was blushing too much in this episode, which kinda contradicts with what her personality has been built up so far.
Rokka no Yuusha: RANT COMING UP HEAD!………. This episode is 1 minute of the traitor escaping and 5 minutes of creepy evil laughter. That is it. Anti-climatic is the least of what can be said here. This is an absolute insult to anyone who expect the solution to the mystery would be the solution to the anime’s biggest plot point. There is NO FINAL FIGHT! Not single fight scene in this anime has significant outcome; the characters are just fighting for the sake of fighting. And just as you thought it could not get any worse, they introduced yet ANOTHER BRAVE. The tattoos are so cheap this day that anyone can go to the shop, get one of those and go to fight the Daemon King (or ruin the effort of all others who try). This is technically Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (the weakest entry of the franchise) with bad animation and poor characterization of almost every supporting character.
Gate: It is pretty decent this time. As soon as real world politics is put back, I can enjoy it. Just not a huge fan of the Dark Elf’s design, though.
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Haha yes, I heard about Rokka‘s ending—made me glad I had eventually given up on it and thus spared myself the frustration of its pathetic ending.
And I like that point you made re: Miki and Yuki saving the day when normally it’s Yuri and Kurumi watching out for them. Just goes to show how much they’ve grown!
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I recently started up an account on anime-planet (rather than MAL) and being sick this past week sat for hours in a zombified state browsing the anime lists and identifying 275 anime I want to watch. Yeah, that’s going to take a while.
So I finished 3 shows this past week.
Castle Town Dandelion I went back to one afternoon when I was bored after having dropped it for a while. And I’m glad I did. I found the idol stuff with Hikari tedious and boring and I really hate Hikari’s cutesy voice. But the Scarlett Bloom story was THE BEST. OMG, Akane was so cute. I thought the ending of the series was well done. It has a sense of closure and yet of also being open to infinite possibilities. I like that like of ending. And (other than Hikari) I really love this family. They are all wonderful.
GATE I was disappointed to realize this was the last episode for now. Honestly, I love the way the show presents itself mostly from the point of view of a few exceptional individuals caught up in the larger machinations of their worlds. I think that the way these individuals make their choices and take their worlds in unexpected directions is the whole point of the show and I really enjoy it.
Rokka no Yuusha I hastily caught up with this weekend and finished. Perhaps it’s because I was already aware that this series only covered volume one of a multi-volume LN that I wasn’t upset by the ending. After reading some of the reactions on the CR forums I was expecting it to be a lot worse, but I ending up feeling pretty positive about it. I thought the last episode wrapped up the current mystery quite well and laid the foundation for further mysteries to come. Which is the point of the story, it seems. But the series didn’t do well so I’ll just have to read the online translation to get the rest of it I guess.
Unlike you, I LOVED this week’s episode of Gakkou Garashi. I thought it was thrilling and emotional and tense and beautiful. (I think I took 150+ screenshots.) Also, it made my daughter cry for like 45 minutes, which I count as a win. (Best mom ever!) I don’t see anything negative about the amount of things going wrong right now. The suspense is high, which is kinda the point of these kinda of shows, isn’t it? If this is a change from the manga, then I would chalk it up to the difference in medium. Anime can handle this many tense situations better than manga, I would think. And just, the amount of character development in this episode for Miki and Yuki was fantastic. I didn’t especially like either of them at first, but they have so grown on me. I’m rooting hard for the both of them now. I know they can save everyone! I just can’t wait for tonight’s episode.
Also watched: Overlord (this show is starting to ruin the “trapped in an MMO” genre for me, and after such a promising start too), Prison School (loving this show feels so wrong and yet so right), Actually I Am (oh no, Yoko is kidnapped by her giant bat father before Asahi can confess! I love how bizarre this show can be) and Gangsta (a less personal conflict is less interesting, but still interesting enough to keep watching).
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The more I hear about Dandelion and Classroom Crisis (both of which I dropped), particularly the former, makes we wonder if I shouldn’t find time and go back and check them out.
And hey, I’m not the only Anime-Planet user!
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Oh boy, when I moved back over the MAL, I used it as an opportunity to lessen my backlog’s weight. I guess it all had to go somewhere…
And, oh geez, I see you talking about Gate here and I agree! I wonder if we’re thinking along parallel tracks about this show, just informed by different starting points. I’ll be very interested to see what you think about my coming post on it—as I’ve said before. ^_^”
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Fall teases us here with cool mornings, and summer elbows its way in by afternoon with temps in the mid 90s. But the hints, fortunately, are growing less subtle.
So, about this:
” Furthermore, the huge distance between what Blast of Tempest was (overblown, towering, raucous) and what Shirayuki-hime is (quiet, gentle, delicate) demonstrates what a huge talent this man is. ”
Sometimes you condense things so economically. Makes me smile.
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🙂 Thanks. That’s a very nice compliment, and hey! I wasn’t really thinking about it when I wrote it, but I guess that’s not a half-bad sentence, huh?
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