Well, that was unexpected.

Dantalian no Shoka continues to evade any form of established story in favor of darting between various storylines with minimal overlap.  And with the entire episode lacking our normal heroes, or any character from any previous episode, it seemed like another random episode with no connection to any previous content.  But that might be wrong in the long run.  The sixth episode of Dantalin no Shoka did provide a chance to introduce two other sets of keykeepers and libraries allowing us the chance to discover who will be playing the roles of good, neutral, and evil in perhaps the eventual story of this anime.

Rather than watching another episode where Huey and Dalian get caught up in someone stranger’s misadventures with archaic tomes, this episode revolved around two entirely new characters with completely dissimilar personalities.  Hal, the keykeeper of the Long Lost Library, is a determined and industrious Libricide Officer whose duty is to destroy Phantom Books and those who come into contact with them (wonder if that even includes those using them for positive purposes, too).  His partner, Flamberge, is an untamed, unrestricted, and inappropriate deviant who often teases Hal frequently on sex and women.  However, she’s shown flashes of seriousness and sociability when needed and within her lies the Long Lost Library.  Quite a contrasting pair of personalities compared to Huey and Dalian although it depends on your scope of judgment.

It’s almost certain that this pair will fulfill the role of neutral.  Hal’s purpose was clearly stated in this episode, saying that he will destroy Phantom Books when found, eradicate their abusers, and indirectly solve the problem at hand.  While confusingly noble, Hal and Flam fail to be identified as ‘good’, likely due to their motives and, to a lesser extent, their personalities.  Hal and Flam do not see Phantom Books as good or evil but rather as targets for destruction.  As a result, they will most likely see Dalian and the evil library as enemies since they, themselves, are archives of Phantom Books.  But they aren’t necessarily evil, even if they face off against Dalian since they are doing it to prevent problems rather than misuse the books for absolute power.  And when considering their personalities, the characters are hardly saintly.  Sure, Hal and Flam solve the problem at the village but they pay no attention to the after effect of their actions.  A true champion would’ve stayed to make sure Patricia, Mabel, and the others were going to be alright rather than abandoning them once their one mission was completed.  Plus the brash and unruly attitude of Flam is hardly anti-hero and more rogue.

And if one couple of keykeeper and library weren’t enough, we also saw a glimpse of the evil twosome of this anime.  Again, we see an older gentleman and young girl paired together.  Hardly anything is known about these two though as their appearance was entirely within a flashback and a quick line was mentioned Hal near the beginning of the episode before we knew what he was referencing.  Their physical appearance will be obvious when we see them since we know the young maiden has an eyepatch (the opening sequence also reveals that’s where the keyhole is, too) and the gentleman wears a ponytail.  And while that’s hardly enough to determine they are the ‘evil’ group already, their behavior during the flashback and subsequent effect should be enough to formulate a verdict.

The ‘Eyepatch Pair’, as I will now call them, happened to create the entire problem in the village due to their actions and are likely responsible for other Phantom Book catastrophes in rural England.  While watching the Germans bomb a military complex near the end of the First World War (I would’ve assumed zeppelins but biplanes are okay), Mabel cannot believe her eyes seeing her beloved village go up in flames.  Enjoying the view alongside the grieving lady are the Eyepatch Pair, remarking on the contradictory and asinine behavior of man.  Feeling the need to intervene, the Eyepatch Pair hand Mabel a book as the village is consumed by flames.  The purpose of the book was to recreate the village by bringing puppets to life to replace those who died in the bombings.  And the plan worked greatly.  However, the village was a mere illusion preventing the survivors from moving on, trapping them in their former pleasant memory of alcohol, industry, and whores.  Also, the dolls were defective and began killing people.  And all those things are bad.  So the Eyepatch Pair should be labeled as such, seeing they were the source of this plith and could be responsible for other calamities across the English countryside, especially if they hand out a Phantom Book to everyone in emotional distress or other issues that prevent irrational thought.  Oh, and they were smiling like bastards when they handed her the book knowing exactly what was going to happen.  They’re so evil.

And there you have it.  Fairly soon we’ll likely see Huey and Dalian cross paths with the two other couples which will undoubtedly result in conflict given their ideologies on Phantom Books and their personalities.  This could also be the first sign of a central plot in the anime, especially if the malign magic man Melgar of last week fails to frequently reappear to create a meaningful story and build tension.  However, that idea needs to wait until we see how the three pairs interact with each other since all three have been isolated from each other.  If this is indeed the first step toward a main story, then I am very impressed and definitely pleased with this episode and its new developments.  If not, then I still enjoyed this episode for a completely unexpected change and new perspective on Phantom Books, Libraries, and other characters in the world of Dantalian no Shoka.

Transformation sequences in anime are often scenes used to transition between forms of a character while showcasing expert animation, snazzy special effects, and music that alters the atmosphere for the following scenes.  Sequences such as these are used in Dantalian no Shoka whenever a library is being opened and a new Phantom Book is being used, so they’re not exactly transformation like you’d see in a mecha or magical girl anime.  In the sixth episode of Dantalian no Shoka, we were able to watch as Hal opened the Long Lost Library from within Flam, complete with impressive sequence.  And wow, was this ever impressive.  It was another level above Huey and Dalian, largely due to the brutal nature in which Flam’s body ruptures across her abdomen.  That alone makes the whole sequences somewhat painful, emotional, and all the more exciting to watch.  And the vague romantic undertones of Dalian’s transformation (looking into each other’s eyes, faces closing in, Huey reaching into Dalian’s heart) were all absent.  Without those subtle details, the transformation seems more business-like between Hal and Flam, which feels appropriate given their personalities, duties, and relationship.  It’s just something I prefer in that sequence over Huey and Dalian’s.  The third transformation sequence should be something else entirely, seeing as the lock is over the young maiden’s eye and that they’re evil.  Probably going to be the best of the three, hopefully showing more pain and emotion than the two that we’ve seen.

When you’re watching an anime you love, you experience a range of emotions depending on the delay between episodes.  A standard week between episodes is manageable but sometimes it feels too long.  When an anime takes a week off, it’s normal to replace the length of the episode with sufficient raging and ranting but then you go back into ‘standard week’ mode again and return to normal quickly.  Waiting a month between episodes lies somewhere in the fuzzy area between punishment and torture, but it just feels that much more satisfying when you finally get the episode.  So what of the 43 days that separated the exceptional, spellbinding tenth episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the indescribably anticipated two episode finale that would air together?  That topic will be the focus of Day 11 in my 12 Days of Anime series.

Like any other anime, Madoka aired every seven days and things were fine.  Since the start of the season, Madoka had established an impressive and impressed following and was, without a doubt, one of the most popular anime of recent years.  Then, on March 10^th, episode 10 aired.

We had become accustomed to a darkening and depressing adventure for nine consecutive weeks but instead, we got something completely different.  Madoka reverted to an entirely unique perspective, exploring the history and transformation of Homura while providing innumerable surprises and even more answers to the hottest of questions.  Plus it was the first episode to actually feature Puella Magi Madoka.  Everyone was completely stunned, then euphoric, then yearning for next week’s Madoka.  The episode was a legendary success and it became a brilliant reinforcement for the anime that would set the stage for the grand finale in episodes 11 and 12.

But then in the midafternoon of March 11^th, disaster struck off the coast of Japan in the form of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.  While the earthquake only lasted a few minutes, the catastrophe had just begun.  The following tsunami caused unimaginable death and damage to Japan’s eastern coastline and the nuclear disaster that lingered for months afterwards proved to be incredibly costly, both in terms of costs and reputation.  The entire nation, nay the world, was alarmed at such a calamity and an international recovery effort began to aid Japan in reconstructing itself.  Going back to anime here, the stations and studios began to delay some episodes in the days following the earthquake which was completely justifiable.  But Madoka ended up being delayed for more than a week and the air date for episode 11 was unknown.  Other anime aired and concluded and even the Spring anime season started up.  When would we get the continuation of the beloved episode 10 and see the awesome finale to Puella Magi Madoka Magica?

The fanbase for Madoka stirred with speculation, rumors, and most memorably criticism.  Fans remarked: ‘This is a mistake!’, ‘It will have lost its magic.’, and ‘This wait is completely unnecessary and retarded.’ Others, with a more positive outlook commented: ‘It will be worth the wait.’, ‘They’re just making the finale that much better with this extra time.’, and ‘You’ll love it again once you start episode 11.’  Theories arose that the series was going to wait until the actual holiday of Walpurgis Night (April 30^th) which would overload the series with some form of inexplicable but heavy and undeniable symbolism and meaning.  Others proclaimed the creators were using this time to reevaluate and recreate the ending to Madoka and use the current energy and enthusiasm to their advantage.  And again, others took this time to bash the series for making a mistake of putting the anime off for way too long.  And then an announcement came with a set air date and another surprise, too: episodes 11 and 12 would air together on April 21^st.  Another wave of excitement and anticipation reverberated through the Madoka fandom.

The 43 days between episodes 10 and 11 of Madoka ended up being one of the biggest memories of the year for me.  The main reason is because the anime began to grown larger than life, full of diverse emotions, ideas, and speculation.  The waiting for Madoka even became bigger than other anime that were concluding or airing, too, for that matter too.  During that lengthy duration with everyone discussing, debating, theorizing, and arguing over Madoka.  And not just the anime, too, there were numerous topics about the waiting for Madoka, talking about people were coping or their plans for once the finale aired.  Everywhere you looked throughout the Winter, there was something on Madoka.  But during the prolonged delay, there was a sense of passion, eagerness, and electricity behind these words.  Madoka had become emotional for many and had similar but lesser effects on countless others.  The month-and-half long wait built up so much energy and emotion that it had become something itself.  And it was made possible by the series as a whole, especially starting with the awe-inspiring and magnificent 10^th episode.  As the days grew closer, the emotion and excitement grew steadily closer, almost like spark heading along a cartoon trail of gunpowder toward a comically tall and unnecessary pile of dynamite.  And then, on April 21^st, Madoka 11 and 12 aired.

And boom goes the dynamite.  The rest, from that point on, is history.

There were so many, almost too many, moments in Madoka this year that could’ve been used in place of this post, from Sayaka’s battle with Elsa Maria, to her eventual death, to episode 10 itself, to the two episode finale pack, to a half-dozen other minor but impressionable scenes.  But this waiting is unique for all anime and was made into a success through its influence and its fans.  I doubt any other anime would’ve been successful through this lengthy of a wait besides Madoka, dominating the anime community as a topic of interest throughout the entire time and then becoming as celebrated and renowned as it is.  It’s something only Madoka could’ve pulled off and it did it magnificently.  Or, think about it this way: one of my top anime moments of the year wasn’t anything from the anime of Madoka itself but the time between episodes of Madoka.  That is how magical this moment was.

Continuing along with my senseless nomenclature for this anime, this week’s episode is hereby dubbed ‘Lost Exile’ which appropriately describes how Millia, Fam, and Giselle were marooned in the barren tundra of Glacies.  The whole episode revolves around our trio of heroes interacting with Rocket Fighter pilot and native to Glacies, Dian, and repairing their wrecked vanship before departing to the home base, the Silvus.  But before going from point A to point B, the episode exposed a vast schism in cultures, customs, and philosophies between Glacies and the rest of nations neighboring the Grand Lake.  Thought the episode did minimal to advance the plot, its exposition on world building was exceptional and it enriched the setting in a way I admire: thought character action rather than narration or guesstimation.

What continues to impress me through each episode of Last Exile is the diligence of the elaborate setting, not only through its tireless details in every scene but through the way the characters use the setting to tell themselves and tell the story.  This episode was all about the setting and specifically on a subsection we knew little about and seen ever less of.  We knew Glacies was a faraway landscape eternally blanketed in snow, below unhappy gray skies, and home to spiffy-looking airships that would patrol their boarders like an attentive guard dog housed in junkyard.  Oh, and they speak Russian, so there are subtitles translating their tongue into something the subbers understand.  But that was it.  They always felt like a foreboding and intimidating country that the characters dreaded.  We were even reminded of this soon after the episode began when Fam likened Dian to some sort of ogre that would club them and eat their bones.  But in reality, we saw something completely different.

Dian is our ambassador to Glacies, representing her entire nation’s cultures, traditions, and beliefs throughout the episode.  That’s not to say Dian is the embodiment of Glacies through and through, she does have some individual qualities that separate her from the rest of the Rocket Fighters and elevates her to this role, but for the purpose of the episode Dian is a living, breathing representative of Glacies to our heroic trinity and to us, the audience.  Through Dian’s interactions with Millia and the others, we can begin to learn about the last relevant nation in the world.

Aside from the language barrier which was the most obvious dissimilarity, perhaps the most significant between the two were their airships and their philosophies about flying in the skies.  The airships of Glacies completely encapsulate the pilots in their cockpits and show various screens brimming with data and information.  Because of this engineering design, Dian has never felt the wind until she piloted Fam’s vanship after it finished being repaired.  Just imagine how this new sensation and new perspective influenced her view of flying, feeling the freezing air against her face and seeing the world through her own eyes rather than various computerized screens.  Must’ve been something else for her.  Probably gave Dian something else to think about when she criticized Fam and Giselle’s flying philosophies earlier in the episode.  Dian had trouble understanding why someone would fly without weapons and assist others in the sky when all she is familiar with, and the isolated nation of Glacies too, is patrolling her boarders, protecting her people, and killing those who threaten her sovereignty.  Certainly flying in Fam’s vanship helped give her some idea on why Fam does what she does and loves what she loves.

And for Millia, Fam, and Giselle, they were able to experience Glacies, meet its people, and survive through their efforts.  Through Dian and the others that helped them during their stay, they began to realize that Glacies was not as intimidating and threatening as they first imagined, despite the image from all the patrols and battles they must see or hear about.  And Fam’s fear of imprisonment and death were quickly dispelled when Dian showed them her compassion and warmth.  Likewise with Dian’s philosophy of flying disturbed by Fam’s line of thinking, the others were exposed to a side of flying without love for others or itself, that it was special but not special.  While it doesn’t seem like much was gained for the story or the characters themselves though these exchanges, it did create a new and comprehensive image of Glacies for us.

What really impressed me with this episode was not what Glacies was developed into but how we saw the development of the setting take place.  That is, we saw it though Dian’s actions instead of through a myriad of other, lesser options.  The two languages really created a divide among the cast as they attempted to work together to repair the vanship and was effective, not only in creating hardships to overcome, but to show how different Glacies and the rest of the world is.  It’s not often you see something like this done in anime.  Usually the two different cultures will speak Japanese and rely on lesser devices to show the difference in culture (clothes, food, body language), so showing us the two languages and the characters finding difficulties communicating made the difference in cultures much more effective and significant.  Seeing the two sides learn about each other’s aircrafts through dialogue and later, thorough experience, really drove home the fact that these two nations have vastly different approaches to aviation and the purpose behind flying.  Had the two just discussed it back and forth (not questioning each other) it simply would not have been enough.  By doing it the way they did it, we were able to visualize the differences and see the reactions of Dian and Fam to the new knowledge.  Through these and other actions, we were able to understand the world of Last Exile even further and experience this new knowledge along with the characters of these lands.  The setting has always been a favorite aspect of mine in Last Exile largely due to its appeal but through developments like these, I appreciate it that much further and enjoy it that much more.

Since when did the Ades Military branch join up with the Department of Infinite Money to build all those airships?  At one point, I counted around 240 on screen during one shot this episode.  That’s absolutely absurd and unbelievable.  Seriously, these airships all must cost a fortune, not only to construct, outfit and maintain, but to pay for the crew that operates them, the military onboard, the food and supplies for everyone, and ultimately upgrade.  And they have thousands of these.  This war must be incredibly costly for the people of Ades and for what gain?  They’re not doing much with the ruins of Turan now after decimating the capital to rubble.  But it doesn’t appear they know or care what’s going on, they just cheer wildly because someone somewhere established a link of this war to Augusta and, like the blind and uneducated masses they are, they go wild and give it their full support.  I don’t understand how this war is finaced or how its backed by its people but whatever, I could make this argument in any anime and still get the same answer every time: shrugged shoulders.

This week: a change of perspective in Mouretsu Pirates, a question about the transformation process in Zetman, an imperfection of Medaka in Medaka Box, and some concern over anatomy in Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD (Episode 6) – I’m uncertain whether this is a positive or a negative with Zombie but I can’t help but notice there’s nothing down there for Ayumu.  There’s no bulge or lump or any sign there’s anything in his panties.  It’s like he has no junk; it’s like he isn’t a dude.  It is a bit alarming and concerning that our protagonist is anatomically incomplete like this, you almost feel sorry for the guy.  But at the same time, you wonder if there’d be any disgust or fury toward panty shots that include the male anatomy properly covered.  They kinda already do that for jokes in shows where guys don speedos at the beach or pool, so why not here when Ayumu’s shimapan are used for cross-dressing or embarrassment jokes?  I do sorta feel bad for Ayumu already but I feel even worse for all the girls who are chasing after him who don’t know this terrible, terrible secret that he’s been hiding.  Ugh, maybe I’m thinking too much into this…

Lupin III: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna (Episode 6) – Though it always seems that Lupin wins in the end and is always in a cheerful and lighthearted mood, you have to wonder how he’d take it if he learned the girl he’s trying so hard to obtain has already done it with his archenemies, Zenigata, a few times already.  It’s a bit contradictory to think the one thing Lupin cares strongly about is the one thing he can’t win from Zenigata and the detective completely passes off the privilege as nothing more than a way to try to capture or kill Lupin.  It’s somewhat funny how Fujiko is this wildcard in their rivalry and the one thing that gives Zenigata advantage over our hero.  You’d have to wonder Lupin would react to such news but you already know he’d pass it off as some joke, swipe something valuable, and piss Zenigata off even more.

Medaka Box (Episode 6) – Though Medaka is some extraordinary being who’s able to solve everyone’s problems with her super abilities, confidence, personal philosophy, and above all, optimistic attitude, she doesn’t seem to have much modesty for how she dresses or presents herself.  I suppose it is a part of her confidence that she doesn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed when she’s naked, minimally dressed, or showing off her boobs, but it seems a bit contradictory compared to how she’s always concerned about how others think and feel and accommodating their problems.  You’d think she’d recognize how she makes Zenkichi feel uncomfortable when she’s walking around in her panties or wearing a bikini that’d probably be censored by giant beams of light if this weren’t a late night anime (but that’s also Zenkichi’s problem, too). I can’t help but think that her lack of awareness about how others feel is one area where Medaka is far from perfect.  I expect to see this change as the series continues but I wouldn’t be surprised if she never gets over her mantra of forcing her ideals and philosophies on others and assuming that she’s always right.  If I’m wrong, well then, I’d still be happy because we get more fanservice.  Hurray!!

Mouretsu Pirates (Episode 19) – While Marika is a fantastic space pirate captain and is a suitable lead for this anime, I can’t help but always wonder how the series would’ve played out had Ririka, Marika’s mother and former infamous pirate, had assumed the lead of the Bentenmaru and sailed among the stars again.  Well, for starters, the involvement of the school girls would be drastically reduced since Ririka’s connection with them would be only through Marika and I’m sure they’d be merged into the series somehow.  Still, this entire schoolgirl arc would be non-existent.  The most noticeable difference I’d assume from switching Ririka for Marika would be that we’d see Ririka interact with a number of other space personalities more, such as other pirates, space forces, governments, and various important members of the intergalactic society.  I’d prefer that since it would give a more complete image of the piracy business and perhaps put more emphasis on how special the Bentenmaru is since those are two areas, besides the space adventures and authentic piracy, that I feel are lacking with Mouretsu Pirates.  However, I do understand that Marika is a better character to lead an anime series since this anime isn’t all about getting drunk, firing lasers, and looting ships.  There’s more to Space Pirates than space and pirates, and I’m thankful the series is able to do that.  Still, I can’t help but wonder how things would be different…

Space Brothers (Episode 7) – I can’t help but enjoy myself whenever I see America get illustrated in anime.  Ranging from hilarious to just flat out wrong, it’s refreshing to be given a setting that isn’t the tired and overused standard of modern, urban Japan.  Perhaps my favorite aspect of seeing America in anime is what they get right and what they get absolutely wrong.  In Space Brothers, the architecture and environment deserve some praise since it’s able to capture a much different feel than that of Japan.  Rather than having everything packed and built up like what we see in so many anime, you can see the difference in how everything is spacious and level.  For an actual example, look at how Hibito’s rambler (I suppose since it is Texas, it would be a ranch-style) and his yard compare to any other home in anime that’s in Japan.  But beyond the good is the bad, which Space Brothers seems to have an abundant supply of, and beyond the bad is the hilarious which is pretty much made clear by whatever is on the TV.  An extensive list could be made that details all the little mistakes that Space Brothers makes about America but that’s forgivable since this anime isn’t about showing what America really is like and a number of these mistakes are things you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t in America.  But those TV broadcasts, that newspaper, and those radio programs are something else entirely.  I can’t help but be amused by the way these things are shown and think to myself that is how Japan perceives our media and entertainment.  That Texas News Network or whatever that was shown in the car was the capstone for this just given how awesome and wrong it was at the same time.  I hope the series continues to say in America for a few more episodes since it is rather amusing but I don’t think the series will see any significant progress in its story until Mutta returns to Japan and begins training at JAXA.

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (Episode 6) – Well, that was something completely different.  What I realized with this episode of Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is that this series can be good when it wants to be good but it doesn’t always choose to do so.  Not that the previous episodes that dealt with high school hijinks weren’t good, they all had magnificent directing, provided some fun and character development, and progressed quite nicely, it’s that they were rather boring or full of overused clichés.  This episode, however, bucked the trend and showed an entire story with new characters and built up the setting and the atmosphere to higher level.  It introduced new elements to the series, as well as a new character, and used that content in a way to provide some insight into how the school views Yuuko and its ghost stories.  It shouldn’t hailed as a turning point in the series, however, since the series will likely revert to the school tropes and terrible romance that it enjoyed before, but this is an instance where it shows that this anime can be good when it chooses to do so.  I’d be happier is the anime retained these qualities and narrated stories like this in its overall goal to resolve Yuuko’s mystery.

Tsuritama (Episode 5) – So we’re in agreement that Haru and Koko are aliens who’ve come to Earth to educate teenagers about how to fish.  And while their true intentions are unknown (I still believe that story at the beginning explains everything but doesn’t supply us the details), we know that they have a fascination with fishing and water that brings them to Enoshima.  But why do they like fishing so much when Koko is able to turn herself into a fish like she was shown at the beginning of the series?  You’d think that if she and Haru were aliens who could turn themselves into fish that they’d be against fishing since they can understand what the fish are going through.  Unless their goal is to save the people of Enoshima and rescue the fish in the ocean from a monster or something, I fail to see why they’re so enthusiastic about fishing.  I’m also a bit curious about how they’re able to turn into fish or if Haru is even able to do such a transformation (so far only Koko has been shown to do such a metamorphosis).  Likewise, I’m also curious about how their mind-control water gun works but I think the fish-thingy is more important or intriguing now given that the two sibling aliens love fishing so much.

Upotte!! (Episode 6) – Whether it’s her cat ears and bushy tail, her unrefined and jovial personality, or the fact that she has some of the best humor in this series already, Galil is amazing.  Seeing her stay at the school while Sako, the sadist elf, moves on to easier targets makes me pleased since the better of that pair is staying and the one that gave me problems is gone for the foreseeable future (hopefully for good).  But I wasn’t prepared for how cute Galil would be, attempting to open the bottle of juice with her teeth (looked rather painful) or awesome she’d be when she sprayed everyone with her juice like she couldn’t see that joke happening from the moment the bottle appears on the screen.  I figure she’ll pop up in the series whenever AR18 isn’t with FNC or anyone else but I can’t help but think she’ll be used for nothing more than comic relief and be removed from any of the story or combat for the time being.  Still, her comedy and visual appeal are great additions to Upotte!!

Zetman (Episode 6) – Despite being given explanations on how Jin transforms into Zet and after watching it happen for the past few episodes, I fail to understand how this whole system works.  We’re given unsatisfying answers to this question with some sort of super gum that accelerates the process and monitors and machines that measure his evolution each time but it seems completely arbitrary until he needs to transform as a requirement for the story and readily does.  I almost wonder what the point of all these devices are if he transforms just later than expected.  It’s like the anime is creating weak drama for us by saying that Jin isn’t transforming fast enough when we already know he’ll eventually transform and defeat whoever he needs to defeat.  I’d rather the series do away with these silly things and just show them tracking Jin’s movements and actions rather than having some machines that gives completely random numbers that have no real effect on Jin or Zet.  Maybe soon he’ll master his transformation process and the series can do away with these details that add little to nothing to the series.

Whoops!  Looks like you were last Madoka!

The scene gets me to laugh every time I watch it.  I love cute farewells like this and has inspired me to do the same with friends on a number of occasions.  And when thinking about scenes like this that occurred over the course of the year that were both amusing and touching, this one wins.  No, there isn’t much meaning or inspiration to me from it, but it’s something simple yet surprisingly effective, especially in terms of emotion and comedy.  It’s a lesson a majority of anime should learn in terms of characterization and storytelling.  Fortunately, Rinne no Lagrange nailed it with this scene which is easily one of my favorite and one of the most brilliant and unforgettable of the year.

This week: questions about who the real big bad in Psycho-Pass could be, some thoughts on why I continue to watch Little Busters!, social cliques in character pairings in Senran Kagura, and some earth-shattering omissions in Maoyuu Maou Yuusha.

As I do at the midpoint in every season, I reverse the order of anime in this list, so that’s being done in this post.

Best episode of the week: Chihayafuru 2

Anime trending up this week: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai

Anime trending down this week: Kotoura-san

Zetsuen no Tempest (Episode 18)

So, who do you root for in this anime?  Given the progression and recent developments in Zetsuen no Tempest, the various factions have seemingly merged and the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ has faded into varying shades of grey depending on your perspective.  What was once a story with two clear sides going against each other, Tempest now features a rather complex network of partnerships that barely reflects the relationships from the first half of this anime.  Furthermore, the stances and motivations for these characters have changed, too.  If you were rooting for a specific character or a certain side during the first half, you may not necessarily be choosing the same now given how different they are and how the situations have changed.  The difference and disparity between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in Tempest has blurred to the point where they’re almost indistinguishable now and, provided the variety of perspectives and opinions of the audience, it’s become rather abstruse to choose a definite side or character to root for in this anime.  Actually, I really appreciate that in an anime like this and find that the way the story is evolving to be beneficial to how Tempest wants to narrate its story.

Tamako Market (Episode 6)

There are a number of distinct and individual personalities in Tamako Market.  You have characters like Tamako, Anko, Kanna, Shiori, and Dera all having strong, developed and definable personalities.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the shopkeepers and vendors of Tamako Market.  Instead, the various merchants and store owners of Tamako Market share a collective group personality which happened to be the focus of this episode.  Although each character within this specific group has their own appearance and separate personality, these characters share a surprising number of similar qualities and characteristics to form this ‘shopkeeper group mentality’.  Not only did they all share the same worries about the haunted house and share in the same gags throughout this episode, but this entire season has shown these characters share the same enthusiasm for the common marketplace, all be friendly and welcoming to Tamako and her friends and partake in certain defined roles in conversations or jokes (usually being straight-man or an onlooker with a funny reaction).  In fact, it seems as though the shopkeepers are a specific personality in this anime that just rotates between a number of replacement characters depending on what shop the girls happen to be in front of.  It’s as if the anime sees these various characters for one specific role like we see for Tamako or Dera or Kanna.  Because of that and because of the sixth episode of Tamako Market, we can consider all the shopkeepers in Tamako Market as one personality comprised of a bunch of similar characters.

Space Brothers (Episode 45)

Receiving the uniform is always a huge deal.  Although Mutta successfully passed a rigorous series of tests and exams through JAXA, enough to be hired on as an astronaut, no one would realize it or recognize him just through his appearance alone.  However, by putting on the special blue jumpsuit provided by JAXA, anyone who looks at him and his uniform will immediately recognize his new occupation and his recent accomplishments.  That’s why obtaining the uniform is so rewarding and so cherished; it’s how other people see you and how they recognize you.  And now for Mutta, people will finally recognize him as an astronaut almost immediately (or so we hope).

Shin Sekai Yori (Episode 20)

During the scene where Saki was blown up into the sky and falling to the Earth below, I found it odd that the entire valley was covered with farmlands that were all plots of green with some grasslands and forests out in the distance before the small mountains.  In fact, the only thing that wasn’t green besides the river and the irrigation canals were the lone field of sunflowers in a secluded corner of the valley.  And though the fields were divided by simple dirt roads, there was not real clear organization to the crops being grown or even clear indications to what crops were being grown.  Although I imagine their cantus is enough to plow and plant and irrigate, I’m now increasingly curious about their agriculture practices, what crops they’re growing and what foods the characters eat.  And only now did I realize how little we’ve seen the characters eat, especially compared to other anime where you see character snacking or eating meals or going to restaurants and whatnot.  It’s rather surprising how little we’ve seen in the way of food in this anime but, after gazing at these green landscapes and simplified farmlands, it’s pretty clear that this anime doesn’t seem too concerned with food or its physical setting considering how lazy these landscapes were.

And for what it’s worth, I’m imagining all those fields were growing mint.  So they have several tons of mint every year for no reason.  Well, mint and sunflower seeds.  Yup, that’s their nutrition in Shin Sekai Yori.

Senran Kagura (Episode 7)

Although the main protagonist cast of Senran Kagura is only five girls, they seem to have developed into specific cliques.  What this means is that we often see the girls in specific pairings or groups.  Two of the most obvious are Ikaruga and Katsuragi and of course, Yagyuu and Hibari.  There are some variations between them and with the other characters but the anime does not seem to concern itself with making the characters interact with everyone and making the group feel as one.  Although Asuka does converse and talk to all the characters, you never see Katsuragi talk to Hibari nor do you see Ikaruga start a conversation with Yagyuu or vice versa.  And given that there are only five characters, it seems incredibly strange and unlikely that the characters would be paired off and seemingly segregated from each other but that’s an unfortunate reality with Senran Kagura.  I almost wish that we saw the character groupings switched in this episode with the Ikaruga/Katsuragi pairing and Yagyuu/Hibari pairing broken and flipped so that way we’d see genuinely new character bonding and development in this anime.  In fact, you see that with the cast of villainous characters who seem to function more as a group of five rather than a group of two, two and Asuka.  But on the flip side, the pairings as they are currently are logical and appropriate, and they probably are better than just randomly mixing characters together just to see what they’re like.  Still, I’d love to see the character pairings mismatched for some time just to see how they interact with each other, especially since I want to see how the other girls would respond to Hibari’s constant dependency and timid nature.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai (Episode 6)

Wanna know why this was the best episode of Sasami-san@Ganbaranai?  Yup, it’s because there was no brother character.  By removing the incestuous, aggravating and worthless brother character, Sasami-san immensely improved as an anime.  Hopefully the anime learns from its success and effectively reduces his role to… well, in a perfect world, to nothing.  Too bad we know that won’t happen but, yeah, might as well enjoy Sasami-san when it’s at its best right now.

Pscyho-Pass (Episode 17)

With the revelation that the Sibyl System is a mass collection of various brains functioning in sync to immediately observe, judge and control the population, you have to wonder if that’s a system in control of these brains that overruns everything.  What we’ve seen of the Sibyl System in a throng of brains in their own individual containers being moved and connected to various computers to interface with the world and run the Sibyl System as form of a legal justice system.  But what runs the computer?  Who decides which brains to use for which purposes?  Or maybe, who designed the machine so that it would function the way it does?  I really wonder about the collection of brains being the ultimate top in Psycho-Pass given how the system is employed and that the machine ultimately dictates which brains go where and which ones do what.  I’d love for it to turn out that someone is controlling the machine for their own purposes or that the machine has a mind of its own and runs the Sibyl System according to its own sense of justice but it doesn’t seem that Psycho-Pass is heading down that path.  Oh, wouldn’t it be grand for there to be another bad guy above this level like a super computer or another villain of some sort?  Better yet, have the guy running the Sibyl System computer system be someone viewed as ‘good’ or ‘ethical’ to be the ultimate antagonist of the series.  Now that would be an appetizing and satisfying twist for the end.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (Episode 7)

The earthquake scene in the seventh episode of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha was absolutely unanticipated and inconceivable.  No, not because of what it was but because of what it wasn’t.  How could Maoyuu have an earthquake and not dedicate one full scene or even a single shot to Maou’s boobs bouncing all over the place?  I mean this is a golden opportunity for her breasts to jiggle again and you didn’t show it off during the earthquake scene?  This is a mistake of seismic proportions.  You have to wonder whose fault this is.  My world has been shaken by this one motion on Maoyuu’s part; you couldn’t even predict this from happening, and just when I was getting some good vibrations from this anime, too!  Well, maybe it’s for the best that this anime didn’t dedicate a scene (or knowing Maoyuu, scenes) to some unnecessary shaking, but man… giant earthquake… massive boobs… I wonder if they realize the magnitude of this oversight.  And sorry for all the puns, they made this episode review kind of a disaster.

Little Busters! (Episode 19)

Although I complain and complain and continue to complain about Little Busters!, I continue to watch and enjoy the anime for one simple reason: the girls.  Well, that and there are a few other things, but I keep finding myself enjoying the episodes of Little Busters! thanks to its cast of amiable and amusing characters, their comedy and when they get together to have fun and play baseball.  You know, if the anime weren’t so concerned with its shoddy, half-hearted drama, the anime would be pretty fun as a pure comedy and a pretty decent anime overall.  In fact, due to the time and budget constraints on this adaptation, the comedy has been the best aspect of this series since it has been uncompromised throughout.  The girls are shown to be much better and much more enjoyable through the comedy scenes than through their drama scenes.  And because of that, I continue to watch Little Busters! and enjoy it as best I can.

Kotoura-san (Episode 6)

You know, since Haruka has no control over her mind-reading, psychic powers, shouldn’t she be constantly bombarded with thoughts at any public place?  Like, shouldn’t she be hearing the unceasing voices of hundreds of students when she goes to school every weekday?  And on the weekends, whenever she goes to a store or crowded public space, shouldn’t there be a constant noise in her head from all the voices going on and on and on about whatever is on their minds?  Unless Haruka has developed the ability to tune everyone else out, I have trouble imagining how or why she’s only able to read the minds of her friends and only at select times, too.  Not only that but is there a range or any specifics on how to read other people’s minds?  I think we’ve already established that she doesn’t need to look at them but she always needs to be near them but at what distance?  And since proximity seems to be factor in reading minds, you really have to wonder about how she managers herself in crowded areas with tons of people broadcasting their minds to her brain.  Well, maybe there’ll be an explanation later but I kinda wonder if she’s like Yukuhashi from Medaka Box Abnormal or a similar character.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Episode 19)

So falling for 5 seconds equates to 3 minutes of fighting, thoughts and dialogue in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure?  Well, I suppose that this is necessary considering all the development and action that occurred during that situation, but it just seems hilarious considering that it is given a time limit and then goes over it by about four thousand percent.  Then again, it’s not like JoJo’s is the only offender when it comes to this rule considering that just about every action or fighting anime does the same, especially since it’s just bending the rules of physics to perform its primary function: to tell a story.  I mean, the whole purpose of JoJo’s or any anime or any show for that matter is to tell a story, so when placed in situations like these, it’s perfectly alright for time to be distorted for the situation to be fully and, most importantly, properly explained.  Still, it is hilarious that so much time occurred in the anime when in reality, only five seconds of time was supposed to pass.

Chihayafuru 2 (Episode 6)

The comments that appear above the characters, just those quick little messages that pop up near the sides of their heads, is a lovely touch in Chihayafuru that helps explain or reinforce a character’s reaction in a subtle but humorous way.  The choice of message can be diverse from something simple, like showing a character mildly irritated with some accompanying silent words or complex enough to explain a character’s motivations which remain mysterious to the other character or counterintuitive given the recent dialogue or the character’s personality.  Either way, the comments that appear with these characters is a wonderful inclusion to the anime because it has a purpose and is also entertaining.

This week: how transitioning focus away from the cantus has strengthened Shin Sekai Yori, how the diversity of settings in Battle Spheres reflect on the characters in Senran Kagura, the brilliant cinematography utilized in Tamako Market, and finally realizing what’s important in Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo.

Best episode of the week: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Anime trending up this week: Senran Kagura

Anime trending down this week: Kotoura-san

Zetsuen no Tempest (Episode 22)

Given these flashbacks of Aika, before she joined Mahiro’s family, I find a striking similarity between her and the older version of Hanemura.  For whatever reason, it seems that both mages began as appearing to be weak, shy and timid personalities.  Another interesting tidbit is that they both grow into their roles and become strong, resilient and independent characters, especially with Hanemura’s rampage against Mahiro and Yoshino in this episode.  I can’t help but wonder if people destined for the role of the Mage of Exodus are generally people who have yet to ‘awaken their power’, in terms of personality and magic.  Given that we’ve seen two characters follow somewhat similar paths, at least in terms of their personality and character development, it might be by design that the mages go through this process, not only to develop their abilities with magic but to allow their personality to grow and mature.  And even if it wasn’t by design, I still find the similarities between Aika’s growth as a character and Hanemura’s growth as a Mage of Exodus to be remarkably analogous and fascinating.

Tamako Market (Episode 10)

Whoever was the episode director for the tenth episode of Tamako Market (it’s Taiichi Ogawa, who also directed two episodes in Hyouka), I like their style.  The cinematography in this episode really grabs a hold of your eyes and your attention in a way rarely used in anime.  Perhaps the most distinctive use of cinematography in this episode was the use of jump cuts throughout, showing a passage of time to accentuate and draw attention to the characters on screen.  What this did is emphasize how much time was spent on one scene or at one location, like the girls having fun together planning their performance or to show how much stress and pressure Midori was facing at home.  Jump cuts are an effective way of harnessing the attention of the audience since characters and things appear and disappear in the matter of moments.  And in this episode of Tamako Market, the director utilized these sudden and atypical transitions to spotlight the passage of time and the emotions or feelings of the characters.  In addition to that difference, there were also a number of feature shots used throughout.  At times, there’d be an extra-wide shot placed in the middle of a scene (Midori running through the market) or peculiar close-up shots (that extended shot on everyone’s kneesocks during a conversation) or even varying angles to provide varying perspectives (Dera looking up at the girls).  And while it isn’t noteworthy to see these things individually, it’s the frequency and variety of these cinematographic techniques that really help this episode (and this director) stand apart from the rest.  To me, I’d love to see more anime explore and experiment with cinematography like this and I’m hoping to hear of this director’s name again in the future.

Space Brothers (Episode 49)

Yup, Space Bros is still carrying on… almost like this march through the desert.  The two are similar in a number of ways, really: for most of the series, you have a lot of downtime where nothing really happens, then something happens for a moment, and then it goes back into its same, tired routine.  The survival trek goes at a slow, steady pace, parallel to how the story of Space Bros progresses, which are both pretty demoralizing at this point in the anime.  Oh, and the characters look tired too, similar to how I imagine everyone associated with this anime feels, especially the audience.  What’s making these astronaut training episodes as boring as they are is because it’s taking way too long to narrate its story, much in the same way Space Bros is taking way too long to narrate its own story.  All it is is just fluff that draws out the series for no legitimate or reasonable answer.  You know that there’ll be a few more of these episodes on the survival march, which is only part of the large astronaut training arc, and then there’ll be some more stuff with Hibito or someone’s backstory and then there’ll be more training for a basic space mission and then a moon mission and by the time Hibito and Mutta are standing on the moon with each other, it’ll be 2044 and everyone in real life will have been to the moon at least twice.  And even then, Space Bros will still be carrying on…

Shin Sekai Yori (Episode 24)

The cantus is arguably the most distinguishing and remarkable aspect of this anime.  Not only is the cantus fundamental to the setting, the characters and the advancement of the plot, but it manifests itself in a way that’s simultaneously peculiar and fascinating.  Seeing these humans use their psychic powers nonchalantly, like it’s an everyday occurrence, akin to us using a cell phone or a door knob, certainly is enough to pique our interests in it while brilliantly enhancing the anime.  However, this final arc has seen a distinct shift in its focus from the cantus (a primary concern in the first and second story arcs) to the politics of the humans and queer rats.  And with this transition, the pronunciation on all things cantus has faded, too.  Although Saki, Satoru and the others are still using their cantus constantly throughout, there is no real emphasis on it anymore.  So while it may be out of our minds that the psychic powers are powering the submarine or helping them evade the pursuing queer rats, Saki and the rest are relying on their cantus to survive this horrifying ordeal.  What this does, the shift in focus away from emphasizing every use of their cantus, is that it helps strengthen and solidify the cantus as an essential aspect of everyone’s life and that using it in these abnormal or crucial ways is commonplace.  As I said before how the use of cantus reinforces the unique setting and characters of Shin Sekai Yori, so too does the process of moving on from this central characteristic help improve the anime.  Essentially what is has done is that it has successfully integrated this charming gimmick into the anime and has moved on to develop the other areas of Shin Sekai Yori.

Senran Kagura (Episode 11)

The assortment of Battle Spheres, the names given to the various private battlefields summoned by the ninjas for one-on-one fights, helps provide a bit of diversity in the backgrounds of this anime while also helping stylize or define an apparent or subtle attribute of the characters that use them.  Just to name a few of these different battlegrounds, we’ve seen a snowy Stalingrad lookalike (Mirai), a bright wrestling ring (Katsuragi), a ninja warzone (Homura), a rugged mountain badlands (Ikaruga), and many that resemble a character’s thoughts or fantasy.  These select fighting areas help to infuse new color schemes and environments for the anime to use, allowing the anime to progress in a different direction for each fight, to help augment the action and fanservice, or to elaborate on a character or character pairing as we saw in this episode explaining all the Serpent Academy girls.  Not only that but the backgrounds themselves silently reveal certain aspects about the characters themselves.  For example, Homura’s Battle Sphere looks like a classic battlefield from Feudal Japan which fits her personality perfectly.  It’s the same with Hibari’s candy-filled, pastel-colored comfort zone or Katsuragi’s flashy wrestling venue.  As for Yagyuu, her desolate landscape seems to symbolize a bit of a cold and empty personality which is revealing of her without Hibari.  It also mirrors Mirai’s Stalingrad-like setting, considering that she wants to protect her friends at the Serpent Academy much like the Soviets were protecting this strategic location from succumbing to Nazi control.  And yes, I’m probably reading way too much into this considering that this is a fun, fighting and fanservicey anime but I really do find these personalized battle areas to be somewhat remarkable and entirely fascinating.  You know that there was some thought put into these specific settings, so trying to read into it and understand how it applies to these characters and the series leads to some interesting realizations and a better, more comprehensive understanding of the anime we’re watching.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai (Episode 10)

I absolutely love how Tama-in-Sasami was drawn in this episode.  Although the body remained the same as normal Sasami, the way her face appeared in this episode was both amusing and exposing of Tama’s personality.  Instead of that everyday Sasami face, we were gifted with giant, round eyes and that big, dumb smile.  Frequently, we’d see Tama-in-Sasami close her eyes, smile and speak and act with a bit more pep and energy than usual.  It was outstanding and fantastic, both in terms of entertainment and displaying Tama’s personality while disguised as our heroine, Sasami.  I can only hope we see more of this wacky display before the series concludes in a couple episodes.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (Episode 22)

First, I’m glad that the characters realized that the tearing down of Sakurasou is not the issue at hand but rather keeping the group of friends together as best they can.  With that in mind, you have to wonder why Sorata and the others aren’t doing what they can to keep in touch with Jin and Misaki who are both graduating and leaving the dorm regardless of whether it’s standing or not next year and Nanami, who’ll be forced to move back home due to a prior agreement with her parents on schooling and finances.  Even if Sakurasou is exempt from destruction, the only people who’d be there next year are Sorata, Mashiro and Ryuunosuke.  I wish the characters would realize that their efforts are best spent on each other rather than their dilapidated (and probably dangerous) dormitory.  Hopefully with the revelation in this episode, the focus shifts to the characters working to keep each other together rather than trying to save Sakurasou from destruction.

Pscyho-Pass (Episode 21)

Although it seems like Makishima has the Psycho-Pass script in his hand, or at least it seems this way judging by how he’s able to accurately predict everything that happens (preparing that bomb, that mirror, all his escapes, etc.), you can’t help but wonder if he knew that Kougami would leave the Public Safety Bureau and pursue him as a rouge, outside the lines of the law and justice and Sibyl itself.  You figured from what Makishima knew of Kougami’s character prior to and during the story that Kougami was one who respected and upheld the law while attempting to carry out his revenge.  And for the most part, Kougami remained within the law, even at the supposed end-point when Makishima was captured in the Ministry of Welfare’s Nona Tower.  However, after that point and after Sibyl turned on Kougami (while also allowing Makishima to escape), Kougami decided to leave the force and chase this harrowing criminal on his own.  So did Makishima plan for this to happen or was this just simply the outcome after a cascade of events?  Maybe we’ll find out in the finale…

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (Episode 10)

Though the human character in Maoyuu are integral the Maou’s plans on transforming the world into a better place for humans and demons alike, they really can’t function well without her constant oversight, planning and understanding of the situations.  It’s like the brains of the operation were removed and now the brawn is left with trying to decide on what to do while carrying out these actions.  It’s no surprise that without Maou around to direct the characters that things have gotten slightly messy and is teetering toward chaos and war.  It helps emphasize just how vital Maou is to everything that is occurring and has occurred in Maoyuu and that she really is the driving force for improving the lives of everyone around her.  Hopefully Maou has already planned ahead for these such events to occur and will be able to address them when she’s able, but for now, it’s rather amusing to see how different things are without Maou around than when she’s controlling everything around her.

Little Busters! (Episode 23)

Another character story ends without any character development or a resolution to their problems.  Yup, that’s Little Busters! in a nutshell.  And yeah, no, you don’t get to teleport metal objects through space and time (yeah, time was fucked up too in that scene since it was clearly night when Kud got the item and day when Riki sent it) and call everything okay.  And why is there always some necessary amount of magic involved in solving these problems, like with Mio’s story, too?  Like, really, the fucking deus-ex-machina magic is the most interesting part of this anime, why not cover that?  I’d love for the twist at the end to be that Kyousuke is a fucking wizard and he’s causing all these problems for these characters in order for him to evaluate Riki and, when Riki fails, he uses magic to make everything better.  There, in one sentence, I just make Little Busters! a thousand times more interesting than it already is.  Yup, that’s how bad these stories are.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Episode 23)

Man versus machine or man-machine versus man-machine?  It’s obvious that Stroheim is part-man and part-machine, but what about Cars with his retractable blades?  Considering that none of the other Pillar Men have any other sort of human-technology associated with their characters (besides clothes, thank God), it’s strange to see Cars have such a sophisticated weapon-system as part of his arsenal.  Did he implement these modifications to himself or have they always existed?  Either way, he’s similar to Stroheim in that regard, being both man and machine (while also appearing to be immortal, just how many times will you make a comeback, Stroheim?)

Also, on another topic, considering the weakness to sunlight that the vampires and Pillar Men share, doesn’t it strike anyone else as odd that Cars has the power of light?  Cars is able to produce it from his blades to blind his opponents, but what makes this light fundamentally different than that of the sunlight that causes these villains to die?  Maybe there are certain wavelengths or frequencies that cause more harm than others to the Pillar Men and that Cars does no produce them when creating these dazzling and intense lights?  Or maybe he has developed a tolerance to them overtime and he is able to protect himself when using these attacks?  Either that or that helps explain why he points the blades away from himself when using his power of light.  Whatever the reason or the explanation, it’s strange to see someone have the powers that corresponds to their one true weakness.

Chihayafuru 2 (Episode 10)

One area where I wish Chihayafuru would improve upon is showcasing the other individual matches during team play.  During these matches, it seems all our time is spent on Chihaya and her specific match with whoever her unlucky opponent is or Taichi should he be the focus of the episode.  This reflects heavily on the fact that Chihaya is the protagonist of this series and that the anime is shown mainly through her perspective, but that doesn’t mean we have to completely ignore the other three members and their matches (although it seems during karuta games, Chihaya does ignore the other games going on).  For example, with this episode, we were given a brief update on how Kana was using her memorization of the poets and poems to her advantage, yet she ended up losing by two cards at the end.  With Nishida and Tsukuba, it was the same albeit slightly different problems and outcomes.  Why is it that these other matches are always neglected or ignored when all five matches are integral to the success and victory of the karuta team?  Despite Chihaya and Taichi dominating their opponents at the ends of their matches, Mizusawa barely won with a 3-2 result.  We never really had any clue that the other matches would end up going 1-2, especially since Kana had the advantage against her opponent and his erratic and haphazard formation of cards.  I just wish Chihayafuru spent more time showing how the other characters were doing than being left in the dark until the final card is claimed.

This week: difficulty with the ambiguities, interpretations and inconsistencies with the games in No Game No Life, the mounting evidence on why I think Yuuki has more problems than Kaori in Isshuukan Friends, envisioning what modern science and medicine would uncover about the mushi in Mushishi Zoku Shou, and looking at the differences between the late-90s and now with Ping Pong the Animation.

Best episode of the week: Mushishi Zoku Shou

Anime trending up this week: Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Anime trending down this week: Captain Earth

Akuma no Riddle (Episode 6)

The assassins in Akuma no Riddle aren’t very bloodthirsty. Nor are they really creative. Nor are they really good. Nor do they really seem to care. Even at the prospect of performing an ordinary task and being granted a wish, the girls seem more content spending time with each other in the classroom and performing Romeo and Juliet. The general malaise and apathy expressed by most of the characters thus far illustrates these characters more as everyday schoolgirls and not cold-blooded assassins. And with this general indifference in their attitude, it makes it challenging or awkward to see them suddenly as the opponent-of-the-week when it’s their time to fail at killing Haru. I realize the anime wants to paint these girls in such a way to show this dichotomy (otherwise, there’s no point to the whole classroom/all girl setting), but it would certainly help their characterization if we witnessed the girls assassinating other people in the meantime before watching them suddenly transition from a pleasant and polite acquaintance to a world-renowned killer. To me, the transition is the most difficult, since we expect there to be some bloodlust, some creativity and some skill to these assassins, but you would never guess otherwise based on what we see in the classroom. The only hint we ever get that there’s more to their schoolgirl charm is when they have those evil grins with jagged shark teeth. Then again, maybe the girls are enjoying a simple life as a student and aren’t in a rush to complete their mission objectives. If that’s the case, then maybe the whole point of this anime is to soften up these assassins rather than to kill Haru.

Captain Earth (Episode 6)

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Hitsugi no Chaika (Episode 5)

Mysterious, white-haired anime girls with awkward speech patterns are always clones. Always.

Okay, maybe not always, but it happens more often than not. And these girls are often paired along with scientific/medical experiments or something magical/spiritual to make their characters even more mystifying. It shouldn’t be terribly surprising to see another Chaika in this anime given the storyline and the frequency of these parallel developments in other anime, though it is refreshing to see the stark contrast in the personalities between Red Chaika and White Chaika. Pretty soon we’ll be introduced to a whole rainbow of Chaikas with an every wider array of diverse personalities. Still, the girls will all have a few things in common and that will be their mysterious nature, their white hair and their unique speech patterns. That’s just how it works for these magical white-haired clone girls in anime.

Isshuukan Friends (Episode 5)

Considering the perspective of the anime, you might think Kaori has the most problems of any of the characters. But if you think that, you’d be wrong. Clearly, the character with the most problems is Yuuki. Yuuki’s insecurity and preoccupation over everything Kaori is growing to be borderline scary. Not only does he do everything in his power to spend every day with her, such as attempting to avoid a conference with his teacher over his failing grades to now stalking with her when she’s out with a friend for the first time. His obsession is growing worse and worse every day and is slowly developing into a predator based on this behavior. What makes this situation even worse is that Kaori is inexperienced with friends and identifying these abnormal behaviors. What’s gonna happen if Yuuki asks Kaori to go out on a date and she declines? He’s not gonna take ‘no’ for an answer, like with what we saw with the missing diary episode (episode 4). Fortunately for the series, it is a lighthearted and innocent romance, so we shouldn’t see Yuuki develop any of these darker traits that would see him turn into a criminal. But still, this obsession and now stalking is getting borderline creepy. Hopefully the anime can address Yuuki’s mania over Kaori before the end, especially if his behavior continues to get worse.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 6)

Say, given the frequency of Stand Masters in the present-day in JJBA and given that there’s quite a few ‘normal’ people with them, one has to wonder if there were Stand Masters all throughout history, or at the very least, during Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency. Back when Ripple was the primary method of fighting, there could have been others around the world who possessed Stands that weren’t connected with the story and therefore, were just unknown to Jonathan and Joseph at the time. After all, we know that Stands are derived from Ripple (Stands are written in kanji as ‘ghost ripple’) and that Ripple is an ancient form of martial arts that has been practiced for centuries. Additionally, Stands in other time periods could have been used for methods other than fighting, especially if they were exclusive to monks during these two arcs. Still, the fact that Stand Masters were introduced in this arc and the fact that Joseph developed a Stand of his own (one that’s new to him now and not from Battle Tendency) seems to point that these are new and novel concepts, unique to this time period. Still, considering their connection to Ripple, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some Stand Masters throughout various points in history. Right now, there’s just no way to confirm whether it’s true or not.

Mushishi Zoku Shou (Episode 6)

What would modern science think of mushi? That is to say, what would science be able to uncover about mushi to us, from performing tissue extraction, DNA sequencing, and applying the principles of modern medicine, pharmacology and pathogenesis? We’ve seen mushi afflict ailments and disease and oddities on people, much to the same way bacteria, viruses and fungi affect people, so what would science have to say about the pathogenesis of mushi? Additionally, we’ve seen mushi cure these infections in various people, so what about properties of these mushi are used to combat these illnesses? What if there was a tablet that could cure some of these ailments or, even better, a vaccine or other form of preventive medicine. Then again, considering the stories of Mushishi and how the mushi are symbolic of the humanistic struggles, there might not be a cure or application for every mushi in existence. Still, I’m curious to learn the genetic and chemical make-up of these various mushi and would love to learn what modern science would have to say about these beings. Then again, given the setting and the characters, I suppose Ginko’s explanations are the closest we’ll get to molecular biology, biochemistry and phase III multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

No Game No Life (Episode 5)

The games in No Game No Life are a double-edged sword. While I did rave about the idea of bending the rules with traditional games two weeks ago, I failed to mention the opposite: normal games would be mundane or boring. With the fifth episode of No Game No Life, we were treated to the traditional game of blackjack, which turned out to be pretty tame and uneventful. Furthermore, the rules of the game were left to be ambiguous, something that played to the advantage of the spectacular chess match but cheapened this card game. For example, the rule of winning back two-and-a-half times what you bet isn’t always true with one-and-a-half being the most common. Additionally, if Sora and Steph were playing by casino rules, Steph probably would’ve had eight decks of cards in a sleeve to prevent Sora from counting cards. And even if we ignore those two details and Sora wins two-and-a-half of what he bet in that final round, Steph would still have some chips left over and the game would not be over. You know I’m getting pretty petty when I’m counting poorly-drawn poker chips in an anime and arguing about how it’s unfair, but that’s the level of boredom I reached when watching this match. I couldn’t enjoy the game in this episode; it was ordinary. And instead of enjoying the wacky, silly game-of-the-week in this episode, I was too busy focusing on the flaws and realism instead of immersing myself in this delightful fantasy setting. I suppose the point, if there really is a point to this long-winded review, is that the games are what will make or break No Game No Life. These events and scenarios are a double-edged sword that will elevate the anime to greatness and sink it into monotony. However, with characters like Steph, Sora and Shiro guiding the way, I’m willing to place a bet that the games of this anime will finish with more wins than losses.

Ping Pong the Animation (Episode 5)

The manga for Ping Pong ran from 1996 to 1997. It took almost two decades for the manga to be adapted into an anime. And quite a bit has changed in the world between the final chapter of the manga and the first episode of the anime. Think about all the changes in technology, from cell phones to video games. Think about the different corporations and their logos. Think about even the changes in the rules of international table tennis, a significant rule change that occurred in September 2001 when they changed the scoring of matches from 21-point games to 11-point games. As a result of all these changes, and many more that were not mentioned, Ping Pong the Animation is probably quite a bit different than Ping Pong the manga. From scoring to cell phones to video game systems to the internet and even to Pepsi’s logo… are all updates from the 90s that reflect the world we live in today for Ping Pong. The manga may have taken place in the 90s and many attributes reflect it, but the anime is taking place in the present based on the observed technologies, corporations and how table tennis is played. It shouldn’t be terribly concerning to see an anime of this caliber updated after such a long break between the manga and anime, but it’s something worth pointing out for people who never paid attention to the differences between Enoshima in the late 90s and Enoshima now.

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (Episode 5)

While Nanae Island is hailed as a paradise for teenagers, an impressive technological marvel where teenagers are a commanding majority of the population and a significant force on this floating metropolis, there are some major issues with it. And actually, when factoring in everything together, Nanae Island kinda sucks. The island is incredibly isolate and features limited transportation opportunities, meaning if a disaster strikes (massive tidal wave, typhoon, fire), then the students are stranded there and it would take quite a long time for other rescuers to respond and reach the island. The island is also probably ridiculously expensive, considering all the space is 1) limited 2) modern/new construction and 3) floating in the ocean (just think about the transportation costs of shipping all those materials/people/food/fuel/products). The cost of living on Nanae Island must be the highest in the world. Furthermore, the demographics of the island are probably not ideal either, especially when school is not in session and all the students leave to return to their families in Japan. Much like what happens in small college towns in the US, I could see the population of the island decrease by 75% during school vacations. Imagine the immense shift in employment and purchasing power (for example, how to staff restaurants or stock grocery stores) over those periods of time. And let’s not forget the poverty that we saw in this episode, likely a result of these and other social factors occurring on the island. To put it plainly, who would want to go there and spend maybe over $60,000 a year to go to school there on this troubled island versus going to an equivalent school in mainland Japan? I guess whoever is crazy enough to hunt Nanana’s Collection is a good enough answer for me.

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (Episode 6)

Considering Nike’s ability to control the weather and summon rain at will, why aren’t all the princesses of the Rain Principality sought after as prizes? Imagine what the princesses could do for arid farmlands or cities where water is scarce and a resource more valuable than gold. Think about how they could travel the world and help end droughts that cause starvation, turmoil and violence. Imagine what they could do to prevent rain from occurring, by diverting floods and storms elsewhere to save the lives and property of countless people. Imagine what they could do to the world and the lives of everyone in it. They would be among the most valuable and powerful people in the world. However, they girls are all severely underutilized, with three of them residing in a small principality and the other married to the Sun King. You’d figure that with such an outstanding power that the princesses would regularly tour the world and use their magic to make the world a better place. We see it somewhat with Princess Nike helping out the people of the Sun Kingdom, but what about the other three and all the other issues going on in the world today? What’s the deal with them?

A couple weeks ago: understanding that Mushishi Zoku Shou is about how problems find Ginko, not Ginko finding problems, Kaori having the most amount of friends in Isshuukan Friends, Captain Earth finally trending in the right direction, and looking at wizards using the most modern weaponry in Hitsugi no Chaika.

Best episode of the week: Mushishi Zoku Shou

Anime trending up this week: Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Anime trending down this week: No Game No Life

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Nike was a princess in the Principality of Rain, right? So why is she needing to go through all these courses to learn how to behave as royalty? You’d figure that growing up as a princess, that she’d learn these things in her home country and be competent when she marries the royalty of another country. I can understand her studying the history and culture and foreign relations of the new country, but why does she also need to learn table manners, the fine arts, and how to ballroom dance?

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (Episode 7)

Something to think about: the most memorable aspect of Nanana will likely be the ubiquitous and persistent use of real video games and real anime (Star Driver) as auxiliary enjoyment. The anime could’ve gone the route of so many others and just shown blank screens or made-up video games (like what Smile plays in Ping Pong). But no, instead, Nanana utilizes actual video games and actual anime as a part of its story. And given how mediocre the anime is overall, there’s no doubt that doing something like this will be the lasting memory of this anime, provided it doesn’t do go bananas in the last episode.

Ping Pong the Animation (Episode 7)

Something to think about: we’ve seen how Koizumi coaches Tsukimoto and how their personalities conflict, but imagine for a moment if the roles were reverse and Koizumi was the personal ping pong tutor of Hoshino. I have no doubt that someone who loves the game as much as Koizumi would find it difficult to coach Hoshino but the differences in personalities and the contrast would be vastly different. Not only do the two have similar bouts of energy and excitement, which would be perfect for comedy between the two, but the professionalism of Koizumi and the laidback style of Hoshino would clash like nothing else in this anime. We’ve seen a few instances of Koizumi and Hoshino together and can guess at what a long-term relationship between the two would be like, but imagine if the anime evolved in such a way where Koizumi was Hoshino’s personal coach instead of Tsukimoto’s personal coach.

No Game No Life (Episode 7)

Something to think about: No Game No Life has spent an exceptional amount of time on its setting from explaining the history of the world to the various countries to the cultures to the magic to the games and much, much more. However, for such a vibrant, innovative and stimulating setting, we really haven’t seen much of the world besides the Kingdom of Imanity. That is to say, for all the setting that has been explained to us, we’ve only seen a small fraction of the world’s geography. I suppose at this point in the story, we don’t need to see what the other countries are like due to their hostilities toward Imanity, but it’s something to think about considering everything we’ve been told but haven’t seen.

Mushishi Zoku Shou (Episode 7)

Something to think about: virtually every episode of Mushishi is a tale of how problems find Ginko, not about Ginko finding problems. Think about it this way: every episode, Ginko is wandering around the world aimlessly without a specific issue or destination in mind. Whenever he comes to a village, he uses his keen senses and understanding of mushi to detect abnormalities or oddities. From there, Ginko invests himself in solving the issue and then, once everything is complete, he moves on to the next area. There have only been a few rare episodes where Ginko actively seeks a specific issue or person or mushi; almost every episode of Mushishi has occurred by coincidence. That is to say every episode of Mushishi is a spontaneous and serendipitous event, one born out of Ginko’s wayfarer behavior, his profound sense of helping people in need and his uncanny luck of stumbling onto the wrong problems at just the right time. It’s something fascinating to think about and one of the reasons why I am so engrossed in every episode of Mushishi.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 8)

Something to think about: what if Jotaro and the others went a different way? What if, instead of trying to fly to Bangkok and encountering Tower of Gray, what if they flew to Beijing or Singapore or London before continuing to Cairo? Or what if they took a different flight out of Japan? You have to figure that Jotaro and the others are star-crossed, that their ill-fated luck has caused them to run into assassin after assassin just because of some poor choices and Dio’s curse. But still, imagine how uneventful everything would be if Jotaro and the others got to Cairo after flying unabated for a few days without any fights or challengers or dangers along the way.

Isshuukan Friends (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Kaori now has more friends than Yuuki. Think about it for a second and it’s actually quite amusing to see a girl with no friends now have more friends than anyone else in the anime. Of course, the anime is narrow in its scope, but Kaori now has Maiko and Ai as friends, in addition to Yuuki, Shougo and Saki. Yuuki has just Kaori, Shougo and Saki. You kinda feel bad for Yuuki but it’s more a testament to how Kaori has grown as a person and a character, to say she has more friends than anyone else in the anime now.

Hitsugi no Chaika (Episode 7)

Something to think about: Chaika and Selma are the only characters who use modern weaponry. With everyone else using swords, knives, hammers, needles, and whatnot, Chaika and Selma stand out as distinctive due to rifles. Even more curious is the fact that their rifles are mediums used for casting spells as both characters are wizards. Wizards are often associated with more classical or olden items, like wands or staves or books or relics, so it’s somewhat odd to see the wizards in this anime use the most modern weaponry, especially without any sci-fi element to the series that usually accompanies gun-wielding magicians. It makes you wonder if there are normal guns out there that shoot bullets instead of consuming magic fuel since the intricate design of these weapons lends itself to that idea. Still, at this point, it looks like guns are only used by wizards.

Captain Earth (Episode 8)

Something to think about: Captain Earth is finally doing what Captain Earth needed all along. What was missing from the anime were characters that actually did stuff and more robots fighting each other. Although Teppei and Hana are essential to the story, neither character really amounts to anything remarkable in each episode and just stands around and spouts exposition. Neither are characters of action or excitement, so by adding a new villain, Zin, Captain Earth finally adds another character with value to the anime. Additionally, we finally had a satisfying robot battle for the first time in forever and the battle animation was pretty snazzy, too. With the anime shifting its focus from space battles to land battles and introducing five new villains, I think Captain Earth is finally ready to correct a number of its faults. What this will do for the anime long-term remains to be seen, but it’s moving in a positive direction now.

Akuma no Riddle (Episode 8)

Something to think about: we’ll never get to know what Shiena’s wish is. Every assassin has had their wish revealed whenever they attempt to take Haru’s life, something that has been used to develop each character with a central and integral theme related to their personality. Shiena, however, never had a chance at her assassination attempt with Hitsugi poisoning her after finishing her assassination notice. As a result, she was incapacitated and taken to the hospital, never having a chance to kill Haru within the time limit. Because of this sudden development, her wish was never revealed and her character still largely remains a mystery. So unless something happens at the end, she’ll remain the most enigmatic character of the cast due to these unforeseen circumstances.

During the twelfth week of the season: my reflections on why Ping Pong the Animation had an excellent ending and why Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin had an appropriate ending but one that left me unsatisfied, an analysis on the finale of Akuma no Riddle with a focus on Tokaku’s and Haru’s relationship (*Spoilers*), and thoughts on the utilization of the setting and the background art in Mushishi Zoku Shou.

I don’t often have common themes between multiple reviews in the same post, but given that it’s the one of the last weeks of the season and a number of anime are finishing this week, I’ve decided to focus some of these reviews on and about the endings themselves.

Best episode of the week: Mushishi Zoku Shou

Anime trending up this week: Akuma no Riddle

Anime trending down this week: Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (Episode 11)

Wouldn’t it be awesome to see the Sun Kingdom go to war with the Principality of Rain after what transpired during Nike’s trip back to her home country? Sure, everything ended peacefully because everything in romance anime are all ‘just a big misunderstandings’, but after trying to kidnap the queen and brainwash the king, I wouldn’t be surprised to see warship and soldiers attempt to overthrow the weak Principality as a result of these heinous acts. Then again, this anime has disappointed me time and time again, so I’m not too surprised that everything ends up happy and unrealistic.

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (Episode 11 [Finale])

You can tell they want to make more Nanana. Never mind the fact that source material for this anime, the award-winning light novel, is still continuing, that the light novel has already spawned three different manga adaptations, and that the franchise has spun off Tensai’s own light novel series, all in addition to this 11 episode anime. The way the anime ended is a clear indication that they want to continue this series. They spent the entire ending song sequence hinting at future events that the light novel has probably already covered already, somewhere between volumes 3 through 7. They showed the unexplained and presumed dead Saki with glowing red eyes and cryptic red mark on her neck at the end, too. And also, the final shot of the anime was a mysterious treasure, one shaped like a sword, falling into a shadowy chest marked 777 in some unknown dungeon. There were also hints in earlier episodes too, like the background character that sorta looked like Masakaki Willy Wonka sitting on a bench with brightly colored clothes. And let’s not forget the main story of the series which is one that centers around Nanana’s death, something that the anime is far from finished exploring. So in that sense, the anime set itself up perfectly for more episodes to continue should this series ever be picked up again… but that doesn’t mean the ending was all that great.

My favorite types of endings are ones where the series is wrapped up completely and with a short, focused epilogue that shows the repercussions of the series and where the characters go with their lives. To put it in a sense, Nanana failed at providing me this closure. But instead of attempting at something impossible provided where the source material is going and what they want to do with continuing the series, they went with the open-ended finale that most anime series opt for. It’s like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle with an unknown quantity remaining. It just feels incomplete, to step away from something like this when we’ve still got so much to do. So while I understand what A-1 Pictures is doing with this series and why this is a great ending for what they did, I still can’t find myself satisfied or happy with an ending of this caliber. Then again, I’m not sure what the series could’ve done different to please my tastes while also leaving the series open for more episodes later. I suppose the ending for Nanana was fated to be this way given the structure of the series and the source material, and this pattern is true for most anime that are based off concurrent manga and light novels. The trend of open-ended, ambiguous or vague endings is all too common in anime. They do serve an appropriate purpose, especially if the series is to continue in another season or another year, but they are unsatisfying conclusions to an anime series. These endings are highly appropriate in most instances but they are still one of my least favorite ways for an anime to finish.

Ping Pong the Animation (Episode 11 [Finale])

On the contrary – and that only makes sense if you just finished reading the Nanana review – Ping Pong the Animation showcases the ideal way for an anime to end. Of course, Ping Pong is rather special among anime these days as it is an older manga that finished years before the anime ever started. With most anime based off concurrently running manga or light novels – 6 of the 10 anime in this post are based on currently published material – Ping Pong is able to conclude its anime with the conclusion of its original manga. And by wrapping up the series, tying all the loose ends together and providing closure to every reasonable question, the series feels gratifying, like you’ve just completed something really rewarding. Additionally, because the anime knew it was ending at a specific time, it was able to develop its characters and bring its story from beginning to middle to end and provide its message all in a timely manner. This is why anime that are based off completed materials, video games or original anime often have better endings than shows that are based off materials that are still being published. These anime benefit from having an end in sight and a way to produce everything within a specific limit. Ping Pong is a highly successful anime in many areas, but being able to finish the way it did is a massive positive for the anime and an area where many anime fall after preforming so well. However, unlike those anime that wavers and falls at the end, especially in the event of an anime original ending, Ping Pong had everything planned out and was able to accomplish everything before the end. The ending wasn’t rushed or felt abnormally different than the rest of the series. Furthermore, the anime even had time to put in an epilogue at the end to show the ramifications for everyone we saw and learned in the series. We were able to see the outcomes of their growth and maturity and how the complexity of their relationships resulted in everyone being happy and content with their lives. And you know what… I felt the same at the end of Ping Pong; I am incredibly happy and content with this anime and with this finale.

No Game No Life (Episode 11)

Makes you wonder, does it? Makes you wonder how and why the Werebeasts were able to recreate Tokyo in their virtual game. And not only recreate Tokyo, but to put in such an accurate amount of detail that Sora and Shiro were unable to distinguish it from the real Tokyo that they left behind when they decided to go over to Tet’s place and play games. It’s not a question of whether they were able to get a map of the city and a few pictures and then build it, but they know where everything would go and even put in the details to make wards like Akihabara look like Akihabara. It makes you wonder what their intelligence is like and how they were able to obtain or derive that knowledge. There’s an obvious connection between the two worlds, evident by the fact that Sora and Shiro were able to arrive in their world through Tet’s abilities, but accurately defining what that knowledge or information is might be a ways away. It might reveal more about the mechanics of the series and what is really going on with Sora, Shiro and Tet, but it does hint at the possibility that this is all within the realm of our earth or in the minds of Sora and Shiro. But at this point, who knows for sure what’s going on. All that we can do at this point is speculate and wait for another season of No Game No Life.

Mushishi Zoku Shou (Episode 10 [Finale])

Well, unfortunately, for now, Mushishi Zoku Shou is over. Due this August will be a pair of the unaired episodes that were intended to air this Spring and the series will begin anew in October with the latter half of the series. So rather than focus on the details of the episode and how Mushishi always ends its seasons with Ginko-centric episodes (like this and the two from the first season), I want to put an emphasis and draw your attention to the setting and the background art in Mushishi. As a die-hard advocate of settings, especially how settings are utilized and how they influence the stories, I found this episode to be spectacular in how it employ its setting to be exceptionally meaningful in addition to also being remarkably beautiful. The entire episode was based on a lonesome mountain, requiring itself to rehabilitate following the devastating landslide. The missing ingredient that the mountain desperately needed was some kouki which is how Ginko found himself in yet another adventure. So in that sense, I was satisfied in seeing the setting have a significant impact on Ginko and the story as a whole. But part of that impact comes from the visuals of the setting, and Mushishi did a phenomenal job of depicting the environment, illustrating the stress of the natural disaster and the winter, and showing the splendor and magnificence of the mountain and the spring when life began again at the end. Mushishi is one of my all-time favorite anime because of how well it develops the setting in each episode, chiefly on how the people interact with their environment and how nature responds to them or their internal conflicts. Furthermore, Mushishi is one of the more picturesque anime there is and the upgrade in art between this season and the previous one was on display in this episode. That’s not to say the first season was not one of the best but that this season was able to improve upon something that was seemingly perfect and flawless before. It makes you wonder what the series will do next with its settings and nature when series begins again.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 12)

Why does this season of JJBA feel inferior to the first season? Could it be that our current JoJo (Jotaro) doesn’t have the charm and robust personality of the previous JoJo (Joseph)? Is it the fact that the fights are now between Stands rather than between characters with Ripple? Is it the indirect nature of the story, with Jotaro and company still thousands of miles from their objective whereas Battle Tendency had multiple objectives that were performed one after the other? Each of the previous questions touch upon a valid point regarding the series and each has its own merits in evaluating the two halves of the same series. However, to me, the biggest deficiency between the two parts, and a significant reason why this season is below the first JJBA, is that it isn’t fabulous enough. That’s right, the flamboyancy and extravagance is absent. There are no more ultra-ridiculous poses. There is no more of that loud, brash, and witty humor that made Joseph so charming. There just isn’t anything flashy or bold about Jotaro. Sure, the two different protagonists are completely different people, just as Jonathan is different Joseph and Jotaro, but it’s still a factor that’s missing in this season. That fabulous and stylish factor from Battle Tendency is gone and it was a substantial reason why I feel in love with the franchise when I did. I’m still enthralled with the series and eager to see where this is going, but it’s just a fact about this series that makes it different from Battle Tendency. That’s not to say Stardust Crusaders is doomed to be forever below Battle Tendency, but that it is below the other series at this point. With three more seasons to go, a total of nine more moths of JoJo’s ahead of us, there is plenty the series can do to make up for the decrease in flamboyancy. However, it is worth nothing that the decrease in that style and personality is a factor on why this series is not at the level of Battle Tendency.

Isshuukan Friends (Episode 11)

Ever wonder what Kaori writes in her diary? Ever wonder how much detail she uses in her daily logs? Or whether she draws pictures to help solidify her memory? Maybe cute faces to express emotion to each line, so she remembers if something was super exciting or if she was confused or surprised about something? What’s her word choice like? And does she ever change or delete anything? I’ve always wondered what Kaori does whenever she opens and writes in her diary and I’d be curious to see what the contents hold. I also wonder how personal the diary is to her and if she’d be willing to let others read it too, as a window into her mind and her personality. Hopefully, before the series is over, we’ll get a glimpse to see what’s in Kaori’s diary.

Edit: Since writing this review, I’ve watched the special that accompanies the BD/DVD released of Isshuukan Friends and found that it is a short video from her diary. We’re able to witness Kaori’s thoughts and feelings in the written form and see what she reads every week in order to understand her past, her current friends and plan her future. I always enjoy watching the specials that come with these discs and I’m estatic to see that these videos are on Kaori’s diary. If you watched the anime and enjoyed it, then they’re well worth your time.

Hitsugi no Chaika (Episode 11)

With Tooru teaming up with Vivi and Zita, could this be a foreshadowing that the two sides will join forces before the end of the story? It certainly seems that way with these characters putting aside their differences in order to achieve a common goal. With the trio of enemies now working together inside this massive, hovering fortress, it certainly seems like the two pragmatic characters (Tooru and Zita) would be able to expand their alliance beyond just escaping this flying dungeon. Perhaps, at the end of the series, another Chaika will be doing something dangerous and Zita will need to sway her side to join with Tooru and white Chaika. Or maybe Tooru seems something that will doom white Chaika and persuades her to join with Vivi and the others to fight a greater evil. Whatever the reason, it just seems like the two sides are too good for each other and they work too well together. I figure that before too long, we’ll see the two run into each other again in a more normal situation but that they’ll talk things through rather than fight like they did last time.

Captain Earth (Episode 12)

I’m happy to see anime characters not overreact over a simple kiss. And that’s all I want to say for Captain Earth this week.

Akuma no Riddle (Episode 12 [Finale]) **Warning: spoilers below**

No doubt, the best aspect of the ending to Akuma no Riddle was to see the various reactions of the people who watched this anime. Most of the responses to this finale ranged from stunned to dumbfounded to upset, displeased and even to disgusted. Of course, many fans were fine with the ending, and I, for one, came out rather happy with how everything finished with a conclusion and pleasant epilogue. Generally, most of the reactions focused on how all the girls lived, especially Hitsugi and Chitaru who were stabbed in the chest and drank poison to end their episode. But as I figured early on, I believed that none of the girls would die in Akuma no Riddle, so that sense of confirmation the ending provided for me gave me an uplifting feeling. That and all the girls I liked that seemed to ‘die’ where fine in the end, so that’s something else that’s positive, too.

Anyway, the subject for this episode’s review was supposed to be on the ending for Tokaku and Haru, so that previous paragraph is somewhat on topic – I just wanted to get that out there and this was the only platform for me to do it. So the ending of Akuma no Riddle finished with Tokaku and Haru together, going out to deliver the diplomas to all their friends who tried to ruthlessly murder Haru during the past few months. It’s clear that now, after surviving the Black Class, that Haru is free from the immediate threat of assassination attempts and now must live her destiny where she has to fear for her life due to her position within the clan and her ‘Queen Bee’ status. So it makes sense that Tokaku is still with her because there is still the threat of assassins trying to kill her and the thought is that Haru was able to survive the Black Class because she was paired with Tokaku. However, the ending doesn’t make it really clear what the relationship is like between Tokaku and Haru. Yes, the two are together at the end, but that could be because Tokaku realizes Haru’s life is still in danger, even with the Black Class completed. There was the issue of Haru’s ‘Queen Bee’ influence working on Tokaku, but the series generally played that aspect off and that the feelings between the two are genuine. But really, the ending does nothing to deny or confirm it, much like it did with the deaths or not-deaths of the assassins throughout the series. Akuma no Riddle enjoys the grey area a bit too much and leaving certain scenes of the series up to its viewers. If you’re a fan of yuri relationships, then sure, Tokaku and Haru will enjoy an innocent yet passionate love for the rest of their lives. And if that’s not you’re thing, then sure, why not, they’re business partners and Tokaku will be Haru’s bodyguard for life.

To be honest, I wish the anime had a more solid ending for both Tokaku and Haru. I always enjoy an anime with a definite ending and a satisfying epilogue (if you’ve read the whole post, you can see it’s the general theme of this week), so I was thrilled with this episode of Akuma no Riddle. The short, little sequences with each of the girls was a beautiful touch, especially showing how many of them progressed as characters and began solving their own issues (Haruki working at a construction site and earning an education to provide for her family, Kouko abandoning the assassin orphanage she grew up in, Mahiru coming to terms with her dual personalities), but it was really a non-ending for Tokaku and Haru. In fact, the situation that they’re in is the exact same as the middle of the series where the two were together in a somewhat ambiguous and platonic relationship. The ending doesn’t really show the progress in their relationship or the development that occurred after learning about queen bee syndrome. It’s the only part of the finale that I really have a problem with. But again, it goes back to Akuma no Riddle living in the grey area and leaving up these things to the viewers. So I guess, in a sense, it wants to make everyone happy, which is probably why it let all the girls live and gave us fanservice scenes in a majority of the episodes. Still, I would’ve been happier with knowing that the relationship between Tokaku and Haru was growing at the ending. It doesn’t need to be anything like a kiss but there needed to be more than the two linking arms in the finale scene. So in that sense, I’m a little upset. Then again, the manga is still ongoing, so maybe the final answers will be revealed in the future. In the meantime, I guess we just have to speculate (or fantasize).

I am terrible at staying up to date with these posts, but whatever. Back during Week 5: concerns with the directing and storytelling in Tokyo Ghoul, considering the depth and complexity of Hanayamata despite its appearance, curiosity about the different perspectives in Yama no Susume Second Season, and wondering all the other things you could do with a Stand in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders.

Best episode of the week: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Anime trending up this week: Hanayamata

Anime trending down this week: Tokyo Ghoul

Akame ga Kill! (Episode 5)

I’m not sure if Akame ga Kill! is the most shounen anime ever, but it’s the most shounen anime that I’ve ever watched. Everything from the character archetypes to the secret assassination organization to the forgotten story lines (when was the last time Tatsumi thought about his village and how he wants to save it?) to the unrealistic villains and especially to the overly dramatized and unmemorable fights, Akame ga Kill! embodies every shounen stereotypes like they’re collectables or antiques or something. And though I often decry anime for being “too shounen” (look no further than Tokyo Ghoul), there’s some entertainment and enjoyment from watching an anime that’s this shounen.

Aldnoah.Zero (Episode 5)

We know that Mars doesn’t have liquid water now and, judging from the recent battles in Aldnoah.Zero, Mars doesn’t have liquid water in the future either. If the red planet did have water, then you’d figure the engineers and machinists who developed these mecha would have designed these robots to survive in water and be adequate in aquatic combat. But no, they’re completely awful when in the water. Water is the one true weakness for Martian technology as it has proved twice in being the debilitating flaw against the supreme mecha that are otherwise impenetrable. You’d figure that when planning to invade Earth, a planet that’s blue for a reason, that they’d figure ways to prevent these liabilities from occurring, such as having an automatic shut-down for the beam sword when it’s engulfed by water. But no, apparently, they missed that slightly important detail and are now down two mecha as a result. Don’t be surprised to see water make a return later in Aldnoah.Zero as it has twice proven essential for the Inaho and the Earthlings to defeat these awesome robots.

Glasslip (Episode 5)

P.A. Works often features a singular, yet distinctive animation style with comparable character designs and background art. It has helped create an image for the studio based on detailed and vivid landscapes and cute moe girls who make cute moe expressions. If you need examples, take a look at Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Iroha, Another, Tari Tari, Red Data Girl, Nagi no Asukara, or even the promotional material for their next anime, Shirobako. P.A. Works is virtually defined by this visual style, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you enjoy the design. That being said, I think I’m starting to find myself growing tolerant or bored with the style. Glasslip is the eighth anime I’ve watched from P.A. Works, and the unique visual style of P.A. Works is becoming more commonplace and less characteristic with each new anime. When watching shows like Hanasaku Iroha or Tari Tari, the visual appeal was real since it was new, fresh and original. Now, I can’t necessarily say the same, especially when there’s only one new innovative technique on display in Glasslip. That isn’t to say that I will stop watching anime from P.A. Works since I don’t enjoy the style as much anymore, but I do feel that having the name P.A. Works attached to an anime won’t make it special anymore.

Hanayamata (Episode 4)

Hanayamata is probably the deepest anime about cute girls doing cute things. While the genre is typically shallow, focusing on mundane comedy and everyday slice-of-life adventures, Hanayamata includes a narrative about each of its characters and the issues in their lives. Hanayamata isn’t groundbreaking or philosophical, but the anime has solid characterization and splendid writing to bring out genuine reflections and introspection. Tami’s realization that her time is better spent smiling with friends than smiling alone is an outstanding example of how Hanayamata features complexities that seem foreign to a show of this style and this story. Hopefully the anime will continue this trend and allow the characters to grow as the story continues, especially for Tami, Yaya and Naru who all are making progress, but are nowhere near done maturing as characters.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 18)

Oh, just think of all the things you could do with the Sun if you had that Stand. Imagine starting your own solar power company and using the Sun to generate massive amounts of energy, able to make millions and solve the world’s energy crises. Imagine using the Sun to ward off deadly winter storms, by using heat to dissipate storm clouds or melting snow and ice in the aftermath. Imagine using the Sun as a means to light areas at night when light is necessary, such as in search-and-rescue situations where rescuers need to cover an extensive stretch of geography or accelerating the growth of plants by providing continuous energy for photosynthesis. Or even using the Sun as a source of entertainment, allowing summertime or sunlight activities to continue into the winter or into the evening. Imagine all the things you could do better with the Sun than becoming an assassin. Or think of all the other things you could do with these Stands than fight each other. Just think.

Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Episode 4)

Whatever happened to the archeology/excavation subplot? Remember back in the first episode when Koutarou was working at that dig site, fell into a mysterious underground passage, activated some statue who turned into a multicolored hair goddess and… and then this chaos at the apartment happened? Has Koutarou not mentioned that to anyone? Has he already forgotten what happened soon after he moved into his new home? Have the viewers or the production team forgotten about that, too? I’m kinda curious to see what comes of that since it was the first significant detail of the story of Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? and something obviously meaningful to Koutaoru and his story. However, since the anime doesn’t seem to be too concerned with itself at this point, I’m guessing they’ll save those details for the very end and use it as a way to conclude this first season of Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?

Sword Art Online II (Episode 5)

Isn’t it ironic that Kirito was saving the lives of everyone in SAO and is now murdering everyone in PvP in GGO? Well, you could argue that Kirito needs to fight against the masses in order to save people from DeathGun (in turn, saving the lives of everyone in GGO), but it’s amusing to see how different the situations are between the games.

Tokyo ESP (Episode 4)

How selective is Rinka’s intangibility/phasing ability? From what we’ve learned, Rinka is able to move effortlessly through solid objects and even allow weapons like bullets and swords to pass through her. We’ve also learned the only matter that she can’t go through is other people, such as when someone is punching her. But how much control does she have over her ability? At first, we saw her sinking through the floor of her apartment, which is consistent with her ability? How come this doesn’t happen to her all the time? And what about her clothes or objects that she’s holding? Shouldn’t all her clothes fall off every time she activates her ability? And whatever she’s holding, shouldn’t that fall out of her hands, too? Maybe the question will arise later in the series when the antagonists try to fight against Rinka and use her ability against her, but for now, these are simple questions that will likely go unanswered since they’re not relevant to the story.

Tokyo Ghoul (Episode 5)

There are too many jumps in the content and story of Tokyo Ghoul. Not only does it feel like scenes have been dropped entirely, such as the transition between episode 4 and episode 5, but flashbacks and parallel scenes have been placed at questionable times, such as the one documenting Nishiki’s backstory. This style of directing has become such a problem that it is having a significant and negative impact on the storytelling. The narrative bounces back-and-forth between these scenes, creating a lull or valley or pausing the present, like the one during the battle sequence with Tsukiyama. Yes, the content from that flashback was necessary for the story and character, but was it right to place it in the middle of the fight? Was it imperative to include it there and not to fragment the scenes to build up to something or recall Nishiki’s past at the end of the battle? One way to grade an anime adaptation from a manga or other source is in how it fits material in an episode appropriately. Since the mediums are entirely different, adapting a manga without accounting for these modifications can lead to some awkward scenes as the methods may work better in one medium and not in the other. Situations like these are where I find legitimate criticisms with Tokyo Ghoul, rather than the normal bitching and moaning that this isn’t the anime for me. I am curious to see if this situation improves as the anime continues or if we’ll see a rush of material toward the end… or even worse, an anime original ending.

Yama no Susume Second Season (Episode 4)

Yama no Susume has exclusively been told through the eyes of novice mountaineer, Aoi Yukimura. Every episode has been an adventure where we learn about mountaineering through her eyes and her experiences. We follow her every step and every event through her perspective. In that sense, the anime is able to educate its viewers about mountaineering and allowing novice mountain climbers to experience these events through someone they can relate with. However, with three other characters always around Aoi, you can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever see the anime through their perspectives. Each character brings something different to Yama no Susume, and it would be very beneficial to see the anime through the eyes of someone experiences like Kaede or someone who takes greater pleasure in nature and the environment, like Kokona. We do earn some glimpses of their perspective when the other girls offer advice or recommendations to Aoi, but we rarely venture inside their head to see what they’re thinking, how they’re enjoying the mountain climbing or what their experiences are like. With the anime ending in December, we have plenty of time for the anime to explore the different perspectives for all the characters, though it’s a question of whether the anime wants to part with Aoi’s mind when the anime has been so successful with her as the sole protagonist.

Zankyou no Terror (Episode 4)

Are there too many riddles in Zankyou no Terror? Why do the police insist on continuing to solve the riddles, and only these riddles, and not try to stop the terrorists themselves? All we’ve seen the police do in this anime is contemplate the answers to various questions. There has been little to no action elsewhere, even in sensible areas such as expanding the force, increasing presence and surveillance or even enlisting the help of other agencies to track the terrorists down. It’s like they’re treating the symptoms but failing to address the underlying disease. Maybe soon we’ll see the tactics of the police change as the series is reaching its midway point since I doubt the series will sustain itself on mysteries and riddles alone.

Back, during the Summer anime season, for week 11: defining acute mountain sickness and understanding its role in Yama no Susume Second Season, why I absolutely love the development of Asseylum in Aldnoah.Zero, questioning the balance of character development and death in Akame ga Kill!, and thoughts on changing the name of Hanayamata to Hanayamatasa.

Best episode of the week: Yama no Susume Second Season

Anime trending up this week: Tokyo ESP

Anime trending down this week: Tokyo Ghoul

Zankyou no Terror (Episode 9)

“So your plan is to put a bunch of bombs on an airplane and drive it into the terminal of an international airport here in Tokyo?”

“Yup.”

“And you think this will bring out the terrorists who we’re going after?”

“Of course it will. I don’t see how there are any flaws with this plan.”

“And you’re planning to play a game of chess with them once they get to the airport as a way to capture them and arrest them?”

“Yeah… about that… so when am I getting these bombs?”

“…”

~sometime later~

“So your plan is to strap a bunch of bombs to this girl, put her in a Ferris wheel and wait for the terrorists to show up and save her as a means of finding out where the atomic bomb is located?”

“Yup.”

“And if they don’t tell you, you’re planning on letting the bombs detonate, killing them and leaving the bomb somewhere in Tokyo?”

“That’s my plan! So, where are the bombs?”

“…”

My main question, nine episodes into Zankyou no Terror, is who is supplying Five for all these crazy missions, and who is allowing her to do so?

Yama no Susume Second Season (Episode 10)

Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is an ailment that occurs when people living at low altitudes ascend to higher altitudes at rates faster than their bodies can acclimate or adjust to the new environments. The cause of AMS is due to the decreasing partial pressure of oxygen (O₂) at higher altitudes, meaning there is less oxygen absorbed in the body each time they breathe. In addition, strenuous physical activity like hiking demands a lot of oxygen in the body, so there is a greater need for oxygen at these high altitudes, too. Since there is less oxygen per breath and the bodies of the hikers are in dire need of oxygen (hypoxia), people will begin to breathe heavier and faster (hyperventilation). This hyperventilation causes more carbon dioxide (CO₂) to be expelled from the body, especially with the low partial pressure of carbon dioxide at high altitudes. Carbon dioxide plays an essential role in determining the pH of the blood (in the form of bicarbonate) and breathing off too much carbon dioxide will cause the pH of the blood to rise (respiratory alkalosis). Additionally, there are other changes going on in the body, such as increased cardiac output, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased production of hemoglobin, and other physiological changes. These changes can manifest themselves in a number of symptoms, but primarily as headache, fatigue, and lightheadedness. This is what Aoi is experiencing right now on Mt. Fuji and why Kaede recommended she stop and rest at the inn. Now, you may be wondering why the other girls don’t have altitude sickness and why Aoi is the only one. In reality, all the girls are facing the same struggle as Aoi, but their bodies are acclimating to the difficult environment better or they are in better fitness than Aoi. Kaede, Hinata and Kokona are all dealing with the same environment as Aoi and may have milder symptoms than her, though we aren’t able to see it directly in the anime. Additionally, we also know that Aoi had difficulty sleeping the night before and that can contribute to AMS.

Acute mountain sickness is a very common disease in hikers, and I’m thrilled to see it used to such a dramatic effect in Yama no Susume. Seeing Aoi, and only Aoi, experience this now, while on the ascent to the top of Mt. Fuji, is going to do wonders for the anime. It’s creating a divide between the characters, between Aoi and her friends, and causing her to fail at her goal when everyone else could go on to reach the top. This moment will define Aoi’s character moving forward, not only for how she feels about herself and mountaineering in general but how Aoi feels about her friends who did not have as severe a case of AMS as she did. It’s heartbreaking to see Aoi go through these struggles because it will have a lasting negative impact on her character. Yes, even after her AMS is gone and she’s bright and cheery again, this moment will cast a shadow on her character until she finally reaches the summit of Mt. Fuji.

Sword Art Online II (Episode 11)

I know that Sword Art Online is an anime about virtual reality massive multiplayer online role-playing games, but when was the last time we saw the real world? Everything we’ve seen recently has been the BoB tournament in GGO and Kirito’s harem in ALO watching it. Everything has been within a game for the last few episodes now, and the scenes in the real world do little to contribute to the overall story line or Shino’s debilitating fear of guns.  Compare that to the previous arc of SAO (ALO) which featured a number of scenes in the real world to develop the relationship between Kazuto and Suguha and for them to create drama with Asuna’s sleeping body. I’m not saying that this focus on GGO is necessarily bad, but it’s incredibly different than ALO and more akin to SAO when they were trapped in the VRMMORPG with no escape. It’s just an interesting transition between the three games with SAO and GGO being much more similar to each other than ALO.

Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Episode 10)

I was never ecstatic with the main storyline of Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?, being about the four girls trying to take over apartment 106. And I’ve never been really happy with the individual character stories that have taken over the anime with each girl getting their own arc to develop their characters and strengthen their relationship with Koutarou. However, these stories fulfill more to the series than playing silly games and never making progress with who is taking over the apartment. Yes, the various games they played were more fun and entertaining, but the really didn’t add to the series like the way these character arcs do. Now, we’re seeing a purpose to these characters and understanding why they are where they are now. They’re becoming meaningful and helping us relate to their problems and why they need the apartment so badly. And with that knowledge in place, now it’s time for the games for each character to take over the apartment. Now is the time for the anime to go back to the silly story about each girl wanting to take the six tatami mat apartment for themselves. Unfortunately though, I doubt this anime will receive a sequel since now is the time for the anime to shine with its various games about deciding who gets to keep that special, little residence.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Episode 24 [Finale])

The biggest issue with this season of JJBA is the lack of a true villain. While it’s true that Dio was sending every assassin he could find to kill Jotaro and friends, we never really saw the mastermind of this arc. Dio was relegated to a minor role thus far and his brilliance as a character was muted as a result. Instead, we had a lengthy series of secondary antagonists each week that never really built up to anything. Compare that with Part 1 and Part 2 where each fight was building up to Dio or Cars. Compare that to now where the final scene was everyone getting out of their car and posing in the Egyptian desert. With that in mind, I am anticipating the second half of Part 3 to be much, much better than this first half.

Hanayamata (Episode 10)

We know why Hanayamata is named Hanayamata – Hana, Naru, Yaya, Machi and Tami – all two character Japanese names – but why couldn’t the anime be named Hanayamatasa (or some variation) to include our favorite club supervisor, Sari-sensei, who also has a two character Japanese name. Yes, the anime is named after the girls who dance in the Yosakoi Dance Club, but Sari is an essential character since the club couldn’t exist in its current form without her as a teacher. She’s proven her worth to the club too, time and time again, especially in this episode by securing a spot in the Hanairo Festival after registration ended. And Sari has warmed up to the club itself, too. As she continues to spend more time with the girls, she’s become engrossed with yosakoi dance and has even practiced with the girls when she isn’t sexually harassing them. Sari might be the sixth most important character, at the very least, but she’s still an integral person to the club, the girls and the anime. I can understand why her name is not included in the title of the manga and anime, but I strongly believe her character has done enough to warrant a spot… you know, if the mangaka ever decided to change titles or make a sequel (can we get a sequel, please?) or something.

Glasslip (Episode 11)

Hina is the best character in Glasslip. No, it’s not because she’s a particularly great character but because everyone else is rather flat or tame as characters. Hina is the only character right now that brings any type of energy or performance to the screen. She provides value through her entertainment and quickly improves the scene through her humor. Everyone else in Glasslip is calm except for Touko. It’s like everyone is hiding their emotions or having trouble expressing them. And while it does work to prevent the anime from being overly dramatic or artificial, it just feels empty. That is to say, you’re not going to see characters bawling or fighting or overreacting in Glasslip (thank God), but you’re not going to see anything resembling drama either. And in this lackluster environment, Hina thrives as a character thanks to her bubbly personality and comic relief. It’s easy to see why Hina is the best character in Glasslip, though there isn’t much, if any, competition from the other cast members.

Barakamon (Episode 10)

Seishuu is a jerk for leaving like that.

Aldnoah.Zero (Episode 11)

I particularly enjoy the development of Princess Asseylum. When the series started, she was naïve, idealistic and weak. She stood on the sidelines and watched. She talked, but her words had no weight. And at first, she was fine with that, wearing a disguise and pretending to be someone else – someone who wasn’t important. She figured they would end the war with her having minimal involvement (once they see that she’s still alive, they’d stop attacking, right?). But as the war dragged on and more and more lives were lost, Asseylum chose to change her ways. She wasn’t forced to change at this point, but chose to take a more active role in ending the war. He began to act like a princess instead of a pedestrian, and discarded her disguise. And as a result, her character began to develop a little, but she was still the naïve, idealistic and weak princess that we saw at the beginning of the series. Now, with the United Earth HQ being bombarded after her plea for peace was rejected, we’re seeing Asseylum experience genuine character growth. For the first time in the series, we see her become angry at the weakness of her character and the rejection of her ideals. She’s realizing now how little weight she has despite being in a position of power and that her longing for peace means nothing to the people around her. So she’s changing. She’s taking an active role in the story now. She’s even getting in a kataphrakt and heading out into active combat. Asseylum isn’t there yet, but you can see she’s getting there. And with a second season in the near future, we can hope to see more of this Asseylum rather than the one we saw throughout this first season. Unless, of course… you know… unless something happens in episode 12…

Akame ga Kill! (Episode 11)

Akame ga Kill! has a high turnover of its characters. People appear, people die, you move on to the next antagonist or nakama. Sheele and Bulat? Who? Don’t you mean Chelsea and Susanoo?

However, the question with any character that’s given a face, a name and a few lines is how well they serve a purpose in the series or how well they’re developed as characters. For Sheele and Bulat, we understood their role in the anime and had a couple minutes with their backstory to understand their motivation and purpose. And then that was it. For Dr. Stylish, we had even less. And for many other characters, they didn’t even last an episode. Is this adequate for these characters? Is what we’ve seen enough to make us feel bad for when Sheele and Bulat die or for us to feel satisfied when villains like Dr. Stylish dies? It’s hard to say given the massive number of characters and the limited time for each, but it feels like all these characters that keep appearing are a little empty. It’s like the series realizes a character will die soon so they go over their history to try to make them seem deep or complex. But that’s not really good storytelling or character development; in fact, in a series like Akame ga Kill!, it’s a harbinger of death or the opposite of how you want to develop a character. But then again, if these are all just throw-away characters, why even bother to develop them when they’re just gonna die anyway? I am torn on the subject because I want to learn more about each character, yet I know that 90% of the cast will be dead before the anime is over, and there’s no point in spending too much time on a person when they’re will only have a chance to impact the series for a few episodes. The happy medium, and what I truly want from the series, is better storytelling when trying to develop these characters and understanding how to better utilize each person early on rather than waiting for their final moments before adding purpose to their character. Really, the only one I’ve been happy with so far is Bulat, but his development as a character never really satisfied me, especially early on when all he was known for was being gay. Hopefully the series continues this pattern and begins to develop the characters early after their appearances since watching underdeveloped characters like those mentioned at the beginning of this post is never really substantial or noteworthy.

This week: deliberating about the setting and what we’ve seen about the city of Ergastulum in Gangsta., curiosities about continuing delusions in Gakkou Gurashi!, noticing and appreciating the music in Rokka no Yuusha, and a statement about disposing drugs down the toilet with Durarara!!x2 Ten.

Best episode of the week: Working!!!

Anime trending up this week: Rokka no Yuusha

Anime trending down this week: Classroom Crisis

Charlotte (Episode 3)

Why are scientists never ethical in anime? Why are they always able to get away with capturing people, conducting experiments against their will and being able to get away with it? You know, if a hundred or so people go missing in a city, I think there might be a couple investigations going on, and probably a few sting operations, too. What’s so hard about having scientists design experiments, be approved through an ethics board, recruit willing participants, and gather information that way? I’ll never understand why scientists are always portrayed as unethical in anime, especially the ones in Charlotte.

Classroom Crisis (Episode 3)

So the ATEC program has recruited some of the best and brightest students from all over Mars(?) to study and develop under the roof of Kirishina Aerospace Heavy Industries, one of the most respected space flight companies in the universe, and the response to this is to crash the program, and disband it? Yeah, sure, the program is costing an unreasonable amount of money, but there are other ways of handling the program rather than screwing them over and driving the future of your company to your competitors (these are the best and brightest, after all). Why not do what many student researchers do and have each one join a specific lab for them to develop their skills, or intern with a leader in their field within Kirishina? Hell, you could still keep the program but have the students focus on their own individual projects within these labs, or, if they wanted to build a new racing engine like we see in the anime, why not have it under the direct supervision of a number of relevant engineers? Like, I know we’re supposed to believe these people are the best businessmen in the world because the anime has told us that in every episode, but there are probably a thousand better ways to handle this situation than what they’re doing in the anime.

Durarara!!x2 Ten (Episode 3)

In Durarara!!x2 Ten, we saw Akabayashi flush some illicit drugs down the toilet to dispose of them. However, flushing drugs down the toilet is not a proper method of disposal. Putting drugs in the toilet is a key method of introducing them to the water supply and this has even been linked to traceable amounts of antibiotics, hormones, hypertension medications, narcotics, and others in the ocean and in our water supplies. Additionally, water treatment plants aren’t able to completely remove these small amounts of pharmaceuticals, meaning they’re able to make it into our drinking water. Instead, there are other harmless methods of disposing medications that do not cause potentially adverse effects. That being said, there are indeed some medications that are safe to flush down the toilet, but these are controlled medications that can be harmful, or potentially fatal, if children or pets ingest them. If you have questions about the disposal of medications, contact your local pharmacy for more information.

Gakkou Gurashi! (Episode 2)

Since we are now fully aware of Yuki’s delusions, now we can play the game of what’s real and what’s not. Specifically, we can play the game of whether the dog (Taroumaru) and the teacher (Megumi-sensei) are real or not. At this point, I’m inclined to believe the dog is real but the teacher is not. The evidence I’ve gathered thus far that supports these conclusions is that the other characters, especially Miki, react to the dog. The fact that Miki looks disappointed after Taroumaru turns away from her and that Yuuri holds Taroumaru help convince me the dog is real. As for Megumi-sensei, no one has actively reacted to her presence besides Yuki. At the most, they’ve acknowledged her presence, but they could be doing that because it’s Yuki’s delusion. You also wonder if she’s real or not because she was on the other side of the barricade in the school, ahead of the girls, meaning she would’ve been wandering around with the zombies alone at night. And when the girls found Yuki hiding from the zombie, they were only immediately concerned about her safety and not Megumi-sensei, thus leading me to question if she was really there or not. However, there was a plate of curry in front of her at the beginning, so I’m not sure if that was part of her delusion as well or not. Either way, I’ll be curious to see what happens to these two auxiliary characters, to find out whether they’re real or not.

Gangsta. (Episode 3)

“If you stay in this city too long, you’ll end up not being able to go anywhere.” –Worick

The city of Ergastulum and the setting of Gangsta already fascinated me by the first episode, but it was Worick’s line about the city at the end of the third episode that captivated my interest to understand how it’s depicted and what he really means. To date, all we’ve seen from the setting of Gangsta seems to be a nondescript Sicilian city of Ergastulum. We have yet to see where the city is located though, and what environment it’s in. We have no information about the biome, the climate, the plants and animals, whether the city is by the ocean, in the plains, surrounded by forest, or settled in the mountains. To date, we’ve seen nothing but Ergastulum, a city where all the buildings and alleyways are homogenous with no sense of location or direction… and this might be by design. Worick’s line means that once you stay too long in this city, you’re unable to leave it. And because Gangsta is told through the eyes of Worick and Nicolas, the two “Handymen”, the anime is only able to show us Ergastulum because they have stayed too long and are not able to leave it. To them, Ergastulum is the only world they have. And as a result, the anime has only shown us the city of Ergastulum because that’s all that’s there for them. It isn’t much, but details like this about the setting facilitate hope for me with Gangsta. I’m not completely convinced that this is the reason we’ve only seen Ergastulum, but Worick’s line and how the city and setting have been shown to us has enchanted me.

Joukamachi no Dandelion (Episode 2)

For an anime with essentially nine primary characters, splitting the episodes into multiple acts is probably the most ingenious way of properly distributing air-time for the characters and allowing each to have proper time to develop and contribute to the anime. In fact, I wish more anime took this approach since it helps break up the episodes into shorter, more concise, more focused narratives that are character driven. And hey, if it’s a story about characters you don’t like or don’t care about or is boring, at least it’ll only last 6 more minutes before it changes. I really, really like that about Dandelion, and am thrilled that the anime is presented this way.

Ore Monogatari!! (Episode 15)

Probably my least favorite part about Ore Monogatari!! are the size inconsistencies with Takeo. Although the inconsistencies weren’t as egregious as previous episodes (or as hilarious), it bothers me that Takeo is constantly shown to be different sizes in almost every shot. For example, in scenes where he’s walking with Rinko, their waists are shown to be the same height… meaning Takeo’s legs are as long as Rinko’s. Or their knees are at the same height… meaning their shins are the same length. Other times, Takeo’s waist is up to Rinko’s shoulders. There are also times where Takeo’s arms change from skinny to ultra-muscular. And yeah, I get that this is an anime, and there is bound to be variation in how the characters are drawn in each shot, but for an anime where a number of jokes and storylines are dependent on his physical appearance, it seems haphazard for there to be so much variability in how he actually appears. And because of that, the constant changing of Takeo’s appearance is the most bothersome aspect of Ore Monogatari!!

Rokka no Yuusha (Episode 3)

I am terrible at appreciating the music in an anime, so if I notice the music in an anime, that means it’s either really good or really bad. For Rokka no Yuusha, that’s a good thing since I find the music to be one of the best this season, if not this year. Not only does the music do an outstanding job helping to establish the mood and atmosphere in it scenes, but the music swells with emotion and personality. And who doesn’t love orchestrated tracks, especially for a fantasy anime? Michiru Oshima is the composer for Rokka no Yuusha and has composed the music for a number of memorable and remarkable anime, such as Full Metal Alchemist, The Tatami Galaxy, Zetsuen no Tempest, Sakasama no Patema, and many more. I need to keep an eye out for his name in the future since he is probably one of my favorite anime composers and I don’t give her enough attention and respect.  Just go back and rewatch the final scene of the third episode and focus on the track playing during Adlet’s reunion with Nashetanya. Not only is it a beautiful song, but it is perfect for the passion, the excitement, and the drama of the scene. Really, if I’m taking the time to write about the music in an anime, you know that it’s left a positive impression with me.

Sore ga Seiyuu! (Episode 2)

For an anime that heavily depends on its cuteness as its main appeal, Sore ga Seiyuu! does a number of things right. And when talking about the cuteness of an anime, chibi and comical faces are of the utmost importance. And for that, look no further than Ichigo, who undoubtedly leads Sore ga Seiyuu! in this department. Ichigo’s character seems to demonstrate the widest degree of emotions, which makes it easier for her to have a higher number of cute facial expressions, especially compared to Rin who is rather quite calm. Notable examples of Ichigo’s expressions in the second episode are when she learns of her audition at the food prep factory and when eating strawberry shortcake at the diner with Futaba and Rin. Those scenes are noteworthy because they don’t provide much substance or depth to the anime or characters – in fact, they’re actually quite dull – but they’re charming because of how Ichigo is depicted, with cute, chibi expressions. The cuteness of Sore ga Seiyuu! helps support these slower scenes with some entertainment value, helping to keep the anime watchable throughout, and Ichigo does an excellent job for this considering that she seems to be the least serious of the three primary cast members.

Working!!! (Episode 3)

What? It’s not even the final episode of the season and Maya already has an appearance? And LINES? And she’s not the punchline of a joke, too? Wha… what’s going on?

Maya is my favorite character in Working!!, so to see her do something outside the final episode is an encouraging sign, especially since she now has had two episodes that have developed her character. Although it’s routine to see her in the background being “normal” and never associate with the staff, she does seem to have a pretty decent relationship with a number of the other female employees, like Yachiyo, Popura, and Mahiru, so hopefully she can continue to make appearances and have decent comedy this season. And though Maya doesn’t want to associate with the staff at Wagnaria, as we saw, she’s willing to make an appearance and joke for the advancement of being normal and normalness. Someday, I wish it’ll be normal for Maya to be included in normal episodes of Working!!.