Just gotta learn to deal with it. Yeesh, only two shows left. Maybe I should add Nagi no Asukura to the mix next week…
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Golden Time Ep. 17
Episode summary: At a party, Linda wonders if Banri’s going to visit his parents and brings up their class reunion. Out of nowhere, Koko insists that Banri will attend the event and the guy just goes along with it. Later, she reaffirms her love for him again. Meanwhile, Mitsuo feels insecure about his relationship with Linda. He starts digging into Banri’s past as a result.
Notes & thoughts: Mitsuo’s being an idiot, but Linda isn’t helping. I doubt they’ve had the exclusive talk or anything, but if you can’t be honest with each other even at the very nascent stages of a relationship, then why even bother? Linda had an opportunity to be upfront with the guy; she could’ve told him just the facts, i.e. “Banri and I are childhood friends, we’re going to attend the same high school reunion, and you have nothing to worry about.” But she didn’t. And sorry, lying by omission is still lying.
Look, she’s not a stupid girl. She can tell that the guy is being put off. But what happens next is a series of selfish, immature decision-making. She willingly chose to ignore his feelings. She willingly chose to mislead him by claiming she won’t run into Banri during their trip home. She willingly chose to walk away when he asked, “Why do you think I’m doing this?” Call him passive-aggressive if you want, but that was him attempting to start a difficult discussion and Linda threw it back in his face by walking away. And when you take all of her deliberate choices into consideration, you have to start wondering, “Why?” Why be secretive if Mitsuo truly has nothing to worry about. Perhaps he does have something to worry about.
And don’t get me wrong. I’m not excusing Mitsuo’s actions whatsoever. He’s being incredibly insecure, and he could’ve been upfront with Linda too. He didn’t have to grab her tickets and tease her. From the very start, he could’ve just asked her straight up, “Yo, what’s the true deal between you and Banri? I just want to have an adult conversation about it.” But he had to go and piss her off first, and even when he did get to the question he wanted to ask, he did it in such a roundabout manner that he can’t help but come off as accusatory. But still, Linda is partly responsible for Mitsuo’s behavior and she’s just not owning up to it.
It’s sad really. There is no end to the countless number of serious problems we face in the world each and every single day of our lives. So when all you really have to do is to just sit and discuss things like mature adults, why wouldn’t you? Why would willingly make the world even worse by lying or being passive aggressive? I could understand it if these were children, but they’re in college already. What I said last week about maturity being a gradient is still true, but if they still don’t have interpersonal skills by now, then I don’t know what to say. Like I’ve said, it’s sad.
But honestly, I’m just watching Golden Time because I want something to blog about after I’m done with the good shows (oh you know ones). It’s really a terrible show and you shouldn’t watch a second of it.
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Mahou Sensou Ep. 5
Episode summary: Mui and her friends still want to go out into the Ruined World in order to retrieve her brother. The school’s headmistress will only let them do so, however, if they pass an exam. During the exam, Violet infiltrates the campus and attacks our heroes with a stone golem. Through the power of teamwork, the kids manage to overcome the golem anyway. Afterwards, Kurumi goes home for winter break where she learns that Gekkou intends to enroll in the magic academy the following April. Meanwhile, Takeshi and Mui are having a training session when the latter falls ill from a fever. Naturally, he carries back to her room, and somehow ends up getting into bed with her. Unfortunately, Kurumi walks in on them just as Takeshi was about to leave. This causes a fracture in the friendship as Takeshi refuses to play pretend-couple with Kurumi any longer. Oigami, whose memories have been wiped, now takes an interest in Kurumi. Magical Warfare or Magical Love Polygon? You decide!
Notes & thoughts: Okay, let’s analyze the episode. Uh… hm… yeah… well, during the exam, Takeshi runs into an obstacle:
Mechanical bugs with mounted gatling guns. Awesome, isn’t it?
So just a bit later in the story, when they were battling the stone golem, Mui jumps into the air to shoot a fireball at it. The golem manages to block her attack, however, by simply sticking one of its palms straight out. In response, Mui exclaims:
You don’t say. And here I thought a walking stone golem was nothing more than just smoke and mirrors.
Meanwhile, the school nurse feels up the school’s headmistress because…
…why not? Yuri for everyone. Alright, I admit it. I don’t have anything to say about this week’s episode. It’s just really stupid.
Moe Sucks 
Golden Time: “So when all you really have to do is to just sit and discuss things like mature adults, why wouldn’t you? Why would willingly make the world even worse by lying or being passive aggressive?”
I have to say that I know people and have been in relationships with people exactly like this. These kinds of people are always too stubborn and, in my experience, too cowardly to just act like an adult and talk. If you feel insecure, say it. If you’re frustrated about something, say it. That’s what relationships of any kind are about: talking! But no, it becomes a game to them, a game no one enjoys playing and they can’t help but dance around the issue until everything collapses around them. Then when it’s over they wonder “why?” for a SECOND before blaming the other party. It’s never them for their idiotic dance they did around the issue bothering them.
This sad and frustrating concept makes for good drama for barely an episode before it just gets pathetic or infuriating. I’ll take your recommendation and not watch this, though honestly the synopsis alone burned me like a cross on a vampire. haha
Mahou Sensou: Stupid is not the word for it, mate. I can’t even think of a word that fits the level of a show that starts with “gatling gun spiders” and ends with feared yuri implications. haha I am a little disappointed, though. You’d think you’d get a good train wreck out of a show with gatling gun spiders.
It sorta reminds me of Miyazaki’s harsh comments: “Miyazaki explained that animating people can only be done by those who spend time observing others, something he feels the industry lacks because it’s ‘full of otaku.'” So we sit here and wonder why these characters can’t just sit down and talk like adults. It’s not like you can’t make dialogue be rich and full of depth. Maybe the people behind Golden Time simply haven’t had enough conversations.