I don’t know when the season turned into “Concrete Revolutio, Miss Monochrome and some other shows,” but that’s about where I am at this point. I’m still enjoying everything else I’m watching, but those two shows are just too consistently good for me to compare them to the rest of the season’s offerings.
This week, you’ll hear a lot about my issues with the other stuff airing. Hopefully it’s at least somewhat enjoyable…
K: Return of Kings, Episode 10: No flashy animation spotlights this week, sadly (not counting the flashback to the episode one fight), but K made up for it with a lot of great character interactions. Anna and Munakata’s conversation, in particular, was enlightening and fascinating to watch. Munakata now being where Mikoto was can’t help but remind Anna of the former Red King, but we all know she still can’t really forgive Munakata for being the one who killed her beloved leader. Munakata also appears to have abandoned the stability of Scepter 4 and entirely (lamely) left his clan stuck in the mud. It’s a distinctly un-kinglike action from a man who has all but incarnated the image of a traditional king from the beginning of the franchise, and seems to me to emphasize how limiting Munakata’s particular ideal of power is. All in all, the conversation about power coming from this season of K has really sharpened in execution and conception as of late:
We got three options: destroy the slates (eliminate the power), control the slates (control the power), and unleash the slates (diffuse the power). Each comes with its own advantages and drawbacks, but I am wondering if perhaps the first option is the least feasible. Power is kind of like matter, in that you can’t really destroy it. It’s always going to exist. I wonder if K perhaps understands that and will foil Shiro’s plan. Or maybe not.
Noragami Aragoto, Episode 10: I was, truthfully, very annoyed by the treatment of the whole Hiyori in the last episode and this one. I don’t know where the blame goes exactly for this, but there was a distinct lack of any sort of concrete stakes or meaning to everything she’s gone through—the show just never allowed the idea to breathe within the story. On the other hand, Yato’s adventures this arc feel random and disconnected from everything else the story’s done to this point. Ebisu isn’t a terrible character, but he was barely set up at all to take such an important place in the middle of Noragami‘s story, and everything around him is suffering for it. And it’s frustrating because there are still clearly competent and excellent people working on this show. But for this to all end with a bunch of the Gods of Fortune storming the underworld to rescue Yato seems a distinctly sloppy way to go about things. Which is fine, I guess, because I’ll enjoy watching it—I’m just bummed out that the show won’t make better use of all the parts it has.
Haikyuu!! S2, Episode 10: I wasn’t expecting for this week to be the week where I dump out all my disappointments about the current season of Haikyuu!!, but it looks like it’s happening anyways. What is going on with this show? It’s a mere shadow of its first iteration—there’s far less interesting anime (even this week’s critical moment of connection between Hinata and Kageyama lacked visual oomph) and the series composition and week-by-week scripts are a mess. I don’t know if director Susumu Mitsunaka and series composer Taku Kishimoto have just forgotten what they were doing in season 1 or if the original manga just gets worse after the Aoba Josai game, but season 2 lacks all sense of forward motion, connection between moments, and general energy. It’s weird. And this episode was a microcosm of all of that—broken up with the repetitive, toothless cog metaphor (seriously, there are better ways to do that than just returning to the same boring image) and failing to make even the matches biggest moments exciting. This isn’t the Haikyuu!! I loved or wanted… and I’m sad.
Mecha Sunday
- Gundam Tekketsu, Episode 10: Tekketsu seems to be sticking pretty steadfast to its family theme, although it’s worth noting that this is a far different take on it than shows like Kyousougiga or The Eccentric Family have to offer. This is about building a family (rather than reconciling with family or adjusting to a loss), and a family that’s being built surely will have some growing pains along the way. In this episode, this takes the shape of individual members of the Tekkadan family trying to work out where the fall within this newly formed human community—even Kudelia has a place, she’s just got to get used to it.
- Comet Lucifer, Episode 10: While I don’t think Comet Lucifer will ever really be able to absolve itself of the inherent lack of true emotional resonance induced by poor support for critical moments (or, apparently, from generic character beats), it does still possess a whole lot of watchability when it’s doing things besides Sogo barfing out lines like “It’s all my fault…” We got yet another fantastic CG mecha fight from Orange (seriously, these guys are amazing at what they do), Kaon being awesome in supporting Felia, and even Roman having a moment as more than just a comedy character. It’s just a shame the quality of these peripheral story elements don’t carry over the the main story.
Concrete Revolutio, Episode 10: I simply can’t express how delighted I was by Conrevo‘s cavalier attitude towards the technicalities of time travel this episode. Time paradoxes and the like are generally among the most irritating elements for shows involving time travel to focus on—how it works is entirely uninteresting to me compared to the effects of it. Besides looking great again this week, Conrevo continues to focus on the fascinating intricacies (dare I say unsolvable paradoxes?) of being human and living in human society. Mr. Jaguar has his own set of complexities—and the use of his past selves to set up a kind of personality continuum and actually pitting those selves against each other is an enthralling representation of the struggle to grow and change. And this personal conflict is still taking place within the wider context of conversations on the meaning of adulthood/childhood and how we deal with evil. In short, this show is exploding with ideas, tackling them, wrestling with them, and do it all without losing touch with the humanity of living with them.
It’s glorious. I love, love, love it.
Short Takes~
- Miss Monochrome S3, Episode 10: Don’t take life advice from android idols, and that’s all I’ll say here.
- One Punch Man, Episode 10: I really don’t care much for One Punch Man when it’s busy doing set up. As fun as it was to see all the S-Class heroes, none beyond Tornado (darling trashy child) actually got enough personality to actually make them entertaining to watch. I’d like to see each of them get their own feature fight, but I doubt we’ll be that lucky.
Mage in a Barrel 
I kinda agree with you except Norgami / it was good to see Hiyori get her memory back. And The Ebisu backstory was interesting ! I also dropped down Haikyuu!! out of first to 6th Same with K has no much potential but still intersting ! Concrete Revoltio is so close to beuunf in the Top Fray ! I think it statred to be understood better late !
I actually like OPM because except for OPM / Genos Bang and some of the other Heroes mostly lower ranks CLASS S seems like a bunch of snobs ! And I jusy think OPM is the best Hero ! His banter with Tatsumaki was worth watching !
A 4 way tie for First with all having excellent showings RWVY continues to impress as a late comer! Also RWBY raising the bar on Music OST’s IMO
Any episode thoughts are pretty much Episodes of the week that follow! EOW follows !
TIER 1 TOP FAVORITES
A SHAKE UP For The Top 6 / 4 WAY TIE For First
1 Noragami Supernatural 2 / Noragami Aragato SUB / DUB EOW
1 One Punch Man EOW Moved Into 4 Way Tie
1 Seraph of the End 2 Vampire Reign FUNI SUB DUB EOW Moved Into 4 Way Tie
1 RWBY Vol. 3 EOW Moved Into 4 Way Tie BEST OST
5 Concrete Revoltio / Choujin Gensou EOW
6 Haikyuu!! Second Season EOW Still very good but a lot of anime that raised the bar
7 K 2nd Season / K Return of Kings EOW
8 Heavy Object Sub / Dub Only Recap EP
9 World Trigger / (Fugitives From Another World) [red]CR[/red]
10 The Perfect Insider / Subete ga F ni Naru EOW
11 GARO CRIMSON MOON / Garo -Guren no Tsuki EOW
12 Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note
13 Comet Lucifer
14 Kagewani series EOW
15 Shomin Sample Sub / DUB
16 Beautiful Bones Sakurako’s Investigation [red]CR[/red]
17 Hidan no Aria AA Akira’a / Sister past come to light . Both Aria and Akira are being targeted by a group called the I.U.
18 MISS Monochrome 3
19 Hacka Doll the Animation
20 Lance N’ Masques
21 Young Black Jack EOW
22 TEEKYUU 6
[b] EPISODE(S) of the WEEK 9 / 10 [/b]
These 4 ANIME / 1 OVA had what I consider excellent push episodes
The Perfect Insider / Subete ga F ni Naru EP 9 / Yellow Blind Spot
I think this is the best episode so far ! It shows author Hiroshi Mori deep knowledge of computers
The boat arrives and Sohei’s students go back but the police and Setsuko ( Moe’s nemesis )
Moe and Sohei decicde that’s it best to tell the ppolice the truth. Moe contacts her Uncle The cheif of police to hold the story back but wiil decicde to pat a vidsit that evening ! Moe has a spat with Setsuko over Sohei staying at her place when he visits Toyko. Sohey catches up with her later and tells her the locked door is the thing holding up the investigation but Moe then figures out who did it and asks Sohei to sync there watches yo 7PM as she can solve it .Then Sohei says his watch is off because of not syncing his watch because of all the glitches going on then knows the video footage( of the door ) was messed with when Red Magic was rebbooted and finds the hidden file with Moe’s amazing math skills ! Sohei / Moe know that Dr Magata was pregnant and her daughter Michiru is the culprit ! This is who Moe was talking to after the murder! But where is she hiding ?
Noragami Aragoto EP 22 / A Certain Desire
This anime has not had let up ! Yato / Ebisu are still tyrying to escape but is just keeping equal !
In this episode it is revealed Ebisu has reincarnated many times ! I will stay here and there is no exit but Yato catches up and tells him to make a new one and they try to escape but Izanami catches them. So Ebisu gives Yato the brush and decicdes to stay instead but Yato wants to save Ebisu So it continues.
Hiyori is troubled by not rembering but then smells Yukine and her memory comes back . She tries to figure where Yato is eveb discovering the Gods have other names ! They go to Kofuku amd discover a lot of the Gods are still at Takamagahara and Kazuma and Daikoku masters are still goe too! They go ask Tsuyu a sprit that Tenjin likes . She finds out where evetbody is ! The Seven Gods are getting fed-up and when they find out the main Gods want to kill Ebisu Ōkuninushi revolts giving the guards a hard time then / Kazuma / Kuraha show up releasing the Gods and Bishamon / Kuraha take off to rescue Ebisu !
Meanwhile Yukine / Hiyori are going to Yato too!
Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign EP 21 / Traitorous Allies
CHP 34 Asura’s Power / CHP 35 Traitorous Allies
This was probally the best so far as Yu actually dies! The animation / action was top notch!
After dying from taking too many pills and being kept alive by Angels Yu asks Asuramaru for more power and attacks Crowley to save Guren but the battle is stiil a draw but Kimizuki uses a spell to put Yu in a Coffin and takes him away! As the Moon Demon Co s escaping Mika tries to rescue Yu but is ready to be killed by the MDC but Shinoa stops them and fights biut her Squad backs her up an let Mika take Yu calling Mika one of their famuly too! Meanwhile other nobles arrive and Yayoi / Taro are killed!
One Punch Man OVA Road To Hero
This shows Saitama’s past / He actually has a father whow owns a Fabric / Tailor Store but is being forced to give up his store ( like all the others in the area ) to a Mysterious Being called Fish of Darkness who thrives ob the despair of the shop owners ! His dad has a Sumo contest ibn mind for One Punch who doent like it but tells his dad to hold off ! What is funny the room he has isowned by the landlady who he owns rent bit didcover all hier tentants have rewards on them and rounds them up including Fish of Darknees. But the landlady looses all her tentants and evicts him anyhow ! One Punch was on a tear with great satire lines throughout! He gets hid dad IOU note back but he wants to retire ans is really bald ! But in his last project he creates the suity that One- Punch wears today !
One Punch Man EP 10 / Unparalleled Peril
CHP 29 S-Class / CHP 30 Great Prophecy / CHP 31 From Space / CHP 32 Encounter
This was so Over the Top ! First it seems a lot of the Superhumans are conceited to say the least save a few!
OPM / Genos are at Bang’s Dojo but there is only one student left because one of them Garos beat them up. A call comes in for all S-Ranks and OPM tags alone withy Bang / Genos figuring he is the Stongest ! We get to meet Tatsumaki who looks young but is 26 years old and is like a Diva, She uses Esper powers and takes out a threat and is called To HQDRS. She meets Bang but is put off by OPM who is on y B-Rank but he puts her in her place with his comebacks!
We get to meet almost all the S-Ranks and meet Shicchi ( The Head MGR) and explains Shibabawa died while having a cough drop predicating the biggest threat so far which then is interuptted by A _ cIty being wiped out by a Spaceship Only Hqdrs survive and the Heroes go out to take them on but OPM is in the ship already taking down the invaders and meets Lord Boros !
I did a a brief recap because there is just so much !
RWBY Vol. 3 EP 5 / Never Miss a Beat
I watched this after One Punch Man which was great but then I was liked floored watching this !
First the music was amazing ! The VOL 3 OST is raising the bar!
Second I dont care what you call this anime / CG it just amazing !
Third Ruby homage to the Tinman ( Wizard of OZ ) was just so cool!
More in the Recap !
Penny / Ciel ( all Penny ) ( Ciel is like a bodyguard I guess ) win their match Ruby goes to talk to Penny who says she wants to stay at Beacon.
Weiis / Yang take on Team FNKI ( Funky ) Flynt Coal / Neon Katt in what has to be as a visual / audio delight! Music from Disco to swing Beat from Flynt who uses a Trumpet using dust ! Neon has trinkets with dust and is an excellent Roller Blader ! Flynt doesnt like Weiis because her dad put his father’s dust shop out of businees ( she had nothing to do with it ) Neon totally mocks Yang’s Hair / Phyisque etc. The match starts and the music timed with the actio scenes is brilliant ! Both Weiss and Yang arent doing well ! Flynt knocks Weiis down but before he gets to take Yang out with his music Weiss does a double knock out but Flynt survires. But Yang usees her power gloves to muffle Flynt’s Trumpet and Neon trips seing Flynt down and gets shot in the air by water and Yang gets her. But Team FNKI are quite impressed and give their resopect to them.
Cinder discovers Penny is A Robot and plans to alter her.
Oz / Qrow discuus who the new Guardian should be and it looks like Pyrrha Nikos
The REST
KAGEWANI EP 10 / Shadow Crocodile
In a seaside village a father has no money to buy medicine for his daughter1 He wants to catcg fish but the village leader wants eveybody to keave because a female traveler tells the Shadow Croc is coming ! The father goes out to sea and takes the traveler with him . The thing is the shadow you must kill and your shadfow can be in it’s shadow, He catches fish but the Croc comes and doesnt duuck and the traveler gets up her bitten off ! They get back to the village and finds his house destroyed asuuming his daughter is dead but see the shadow and wants revenge so theu he acts as decoy and he throws a lantern which the traveler shotts and sets it on fire and he slices the creature in half! But he is releived to find his daughter alive. She is a old woman when Banba interviews her ans she is surprised he bekieves her . Apparently the traveler knew and was the group that made these monsters !
GARO: CRIMSON MOON EP 9 / SHINE AND RUIN
Seimei / Raikou / Kintoki battle a Hooror that devours including Raikou Dolden Armor turning him darker ! SSeimei puts a bind on him while she goes see her grandfather even though she was banned from there ! Despite Doman ‘s objection he tells her how to save Raikou ! She does but at cost as she has to seal the datkness in her! A lot of background on Seimei
K Return of Kings EP 10 / Keystone
Munakata is no longer Captain of the Blues and Anna has him come to the Red Clan where Izumo / Yata are present too! Anna explaims Shiro’s plans to destroy the Slates even giving up her power too!
Shiro explains the plan to Neko / Kuroh > Neko gets upset when he says he wants them to be safe ! But Shiro changes the mood by giving out medallions which the clans have!
Fushimi / Gojo are fueding but Nagare puts a stop to it as he releases the Slates power!
Young Black Jack EP 10 The Gruesome Chronicle Part 2
Almost The Fugitive (TV series) Since this was set in the 60’s too!
Dr Richard Kimble and the one-armed man along with Lt. Philip Gerard
Hyakki goes after Tano / Takara and Sabame after finding out he they were the ones that got him anned from his surgery! Only Takara survies ! So Hazama goes to a Mt Temple where he finds Hyakki
The File of Young Kindaichi Returns Season 2 EP 35 / The Rosenkreuz Mansion Murders, File 4
Really elaborate set with the Roses/ their meanings / and the Rose names that match the guests up and there is the mystery of the Hotel fire ! ( Hosting the Flower Show ) I think we have more than one criminal again !
BTW lost in all of this the Hell Puppeteer and K are working together what a ploy !
HAIKYU!! 2nd Season EP 10 / Cogs
Karasuno High vs. Fukurodani Academy ( Best Team in Toyko) After the tips Bokuto gave Hinata / Tsukishima Karasuno uses them to take on Fukurodani .Kageyama hestiantly gives Hinta the feed he wants and totallly nails a kill. Kater Hinata does a fake and just lobs the ball over anf it finally gers the whole team to a new level. Very enjoyable episode!
Concrete Revoltio EP 10 / Mirage of Destiny
There was things explained better this week even with all the Time Travel it was a really good episode ! It has the sense of Govt overreach but maybe we do need the NSA more invovled again . Anyway A Group from the future caled I.Q. comes back and is killing Bad Super humans even taking out innocents if they are nearby ! The thing is Jaguar / Hyouma is headding it. But he has givem Jiro Equs to battle with his ship . In the present ther are 2 Jaguars but Kikko takes the time travel watch to Hitoyoshi to improve on it Again the the theory if you affect the past / present or future does it change things but maybe not . This reminds me of Termintor going back all the Time ! But Jaguar kills his future self but no paradox is created !
Durarara!!x2 Shou Watashi no Kokoro wa Nabe Moyou / My Heart Is Like A Hotpot OVA
Almost everybody is at Shinra’s Hot Pot Get together ! A lot of how eveybody met !
Mikado / Masaomi —- Anri / Harima —- Shizuo / Tom —– Kyohei / Walker / Erika / Saburo —- Shina tries to get Celty to tell how they met but refuses !
A Great Homage to anime with Kyogei as the lucky guy
Miyuki Shiba – Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei / Mikoto Misaka – A Certain Scientific Railgun / INDEX – A Certain Magical Index / Tomoka Minato – Ro-Kyu-Bu!
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As you’re my only fellow RWBY watcher (that I know of), let me again cheer with you that the show seems to be doing well. I wasn’t a huge fan of Yang/Weiss’ fight this episode, but that’s fine. I’ve kind of given up on the show’s action overall—it’s started to feel quite samey to me, even as they mix in new characters. At this point I’m more watching because I have a base level of affection for the characters, and just because I want to see how RT deals with this show that’s clearly an anime-inspired work.
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@Noragami: I didn’t have the problems you had, on the whole. I do think the way they handled the Hiyori episode wasn’t exactly optimal: for example, they switched scenes after kiss without showing us Hiyori’s short-term reaction, so we didn’t really have enough context for the next-day reaction. But the basics are layed out.
As for the seven lucky gods, it’s a bit more complex than storming the underworld to rescue Yato. They’re objecting to their treatment by Takemagahara. I’m not sure if this is just a show of solidarity with Ebisu, or if it’s more political: if they let this slide they might be next. Meanwhile, Yato has taken a request from this particular incarnation of Ebisu, not from Ebisu in general. And we still don’t know who Nora’s “father”, Yato’s “old man” is. I wonder if we’re not ultimately even talking about Izanagi, there? Izanami/Izanagi are basically the gods responsible for creating the human world as it is now. Noragami seems to go for a story of abandonment, here: Izanagi/Izanami abandoned Ebisu (calling him Hiruko, then) –> Izanagi abandons Izanami (Orpheus fashion)… If Noragami uses the interpretation that Izanagi/Izanami abandoned Ebisu because he was born misshapen, then they could – in theory – explain Ebisu’s sympathy for the ayakashi (phantoms) from that, which I think would be an interesting take – are we abandoning tainting souls by defeating them, and is binding them with names better?
A lot depends on the great unkown hidden player, yet.
All in all, though, I do think the Bishamonten arc was better, at least so far. But this one is, potentially, more ambitious. We’ll see.
@Haikyuu: I liked that episode a little better than most of the others this season, but yeah, this season is just weaker than the first.
@Conrevo: Yes. Show of the season. The only one this season that’s booked a sure-shot seat in this year’s top ten (there are other potential candidates, but they could be crowded out).
Random comment: I really like the playful way Lance’n’Masques draws animals, whether it’s Shirohime (the horse), that pangolin of the chief, of that camel in the post-credits scene. The animals crack me up. I’d be screenshotting them and giving them a blog post if I had a blog. ^_^
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I do agree that the basics are there for Noragami; my issues with it are almost entirely due to the execution of those ideas. This whole arc kind of feels weightless to me? Unplanned or ungrounded. Just not as sharp as I’ve come to expect from the show, and the divide between Hiyori/Yukine’s paths and Yato’s in the last few episodes has felt stilted and stiff, rather than deliberate and effective. Just messy writing, imo.
Woo, another Conrevo fan! I’m kind of collecting notes on people who like it b/c I’m so thankful they do.
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Yes, Conrevo’s great. Example: There’s this scene which ends with Jaguar leaving the office. Then Kikko disappears, and a statue appears to everyone’s suprsie. Next thing, you see Kikko standing where a statue would, and she’s confronting Jaguar. The timing in that scene change was excellent, and this is symptomatic for the show. They’ve got a highly stylised look going, but for all that the direction is actually understated, leaving the outrageous happenings to speak for themselves. It’s great to watch.
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Another Concrete Revolutio fan here, my favourite series this season. What I liked this episode was the role Kikko played in resolving the plot, after having been neglected ever since ep 1 and functioning solely as fangirl pining for Jiro.
Haven’t watched Noragami 10 yet because I don’t like this arc and its treatment of Hiyori; a disappointment after the excellent first half.
One-Punch man was decent but like the previous two-parter, you’re just waiting for him to do his thing.
Heavy Object keeps doing its thing of mixing mecha, fan service and exposition, decent enough to watch but you forget what you’ve watched five minutes after.
Subete ga F ni Naru is in its resolution phase, with the murder mystery being resolved: lots of talking and little action but it’s engrossing nonetheless
Sakurako-san/Beautiful Bones keeps up its tradition of slapping down Shoutarou, the supposed male lead, whenever he gets too cocky.
Comet Lucifer continues to disappoint with its overall plot but I keep watching for Kaon and the supporting characters.
Rakudai Kishi No Cavalry/Gakusen Toshi Asterisk/Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai: light novel series do their thing decently enough, with the occasional surprise.
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Alright! They keep showing up. It kind of seems to me like either people kept on with Conrevo and loved it, or dropped it early and now don’t know what they’re missing out on.
It seems I’ve also found someone who shares my feelings on Comet Lucifer and One Punch Man, which feels good! Still a shame about Comet Lucifer, though—especially with all the brilliant mecha action that it’s been doing.
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