Mo’ anime, mo’ problems.
The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt Ep. 6
BL or not, I think it’s messed up to stick actual people you know into your work without their consent. It’s not quite as bad as making deepfake porn of your friends, but… eh…
This student council president reminds me of the student council president in Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro. Y’know, sexualized for no good reason. Why is she wearing such a revealing bikini? Togo manages to pass his exams, so that means we get a beach episode next week. That’s just how it works.
LIAR GAME Ep. 6
I thought Akiyama would reveal that he and No. 15 had been working together all along, but nope. There’s still a chance, however, as this round still isn’t over. I feel like they really drag these out.
In the final voting round, I felt like the other characters (minus Akiyama’s secret partner) were being deliberately stupid. Fukunaga tore up Akiyama’s yes vote, so the latter can’t back out of his no vote, right? Even so, Akiyama remains utterly confident that he will win. The only reason he can act this way is if he’s secretly working with someone. But do the other three discuss this possibility? Nope. They argue instead on how to split up the prize money. Sure, one of them is in cahoots with Akiyama, but c’mon, the other two are being complete idiots about this.
MARRIAGETOXIN Ep. 6
Nobody ever dies even though this is a show full of hitmen and people who hire said hitmen. Does Hikaru finish off Genya? No, of course not. Even though the latter was aiming to kill Shiori, which required him to endanger a bunch of campers in the process, suuuuure, suuuuure, we can just let this guy go. It’s no big deal! Same thing with Shiori and her aunt. This woman tried to get her killed over an inheritance. That’s psychotic. But sure, suuuuuuuure, let’s just work together and let bygones be bygones.
But that’s not even the part that truly ticked me off. Rather, it was Hikaru bailing on Shiori without even exchanging contact info. He reasons that the last thing the girl needs right now is to get married. Fine, I can agree with that. But I thought we were about making friends. Wasn’t that the new goal? Wasn’t that the conclusion he came to after spending time with Kyoko? Plus, Shiori is still a shy girl who still struggles in social situations. Has she made significant progress from the first time we met her? Yeah, but she still needs friends. It feels cold to just ditch her.
Well, Shiori chases Hikaru down, so they still spend a night hanging out (with Mei as the third wheel). Afterwards, she asks for his contact info and kinda implies that she might already have a crush on him. Well, too bad for her, ’cause our hero’s moving on!
I Want to End This Love Game Ep. 5
Look at the giant spoon. Look at this house’s strange architecture. Yeah, that’s all I’ve got for this week’s episode of Temu Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. What’s the main difference between the two shows? Kaguya-sama has an infectious energy mainly derived from the wacky scenarios it puts its characters through. On the other hand, Yukiya and Miku just do normal romcom things, and we’ve seen it all before.
Even a Replica Can Fall in Love Ep. 6
This episode almost feels too ordinary after what we’ve been through. To save the literature club, the kids team up with the drama club in order to perform a play and thus sell 100 zines. Somehow, this involves roping in a couple of new characters, Suzuki and her childhood friend Shun. There’s a bunch of slice of life stuff. Aki openly flirts with Nao. Sunao treats Nao much better nowadays. They even plan out their schedule so the latter could spend time with Aki. It all feels… too happy, too innocent, too undramatic. No doubt Suzuki and Shun will play bigger roles as the arc develops, but at the moment, I can’t imagine what.
The only bit of weirdness in the episode is the rather ominous flyer pictured above. Someone is scattering them all around the school. But hey, it could be referring to anybody. Who knows how many doppelgangers are out and about in society. The whole world could be full of them. As a result, Aki tells Nao to just ignore it.
I guess a question I have is whether or not we still have an interesting story to tell. Episodes one through five feel self-contained. Sure, there are extant questions about the logistics of a world full of doppelgangers, but you could honestly package those five episodes up and turn them into a movie. The conclusion feels satisfying enough. The story could’ve ended there. As a result, I feel a bit weird going into this new arc. It’s like we’re looking for trouble just to keep the series going.
One last thing: we saw a girl in a hospital bed at the end of last week’s episode. Unless I completely missed it, I saw no mention of her in this episode. Hm.
Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home! Ep. 6
I can’t pretend to tolerate this anymore. Haruma kisses Rinko out of the blue, which should’ve pissed her off but it doesn’t. He’s done a lot of things that should piss her off, but she still worships the ground he walks on. Meanwhile, she finally admits to herself that she has feelings to Akito, but she won’t do anything about it. Even when Akito confesses to her directly, she’s too tipsy to take it seriously. I’m not rooting for Akito, mind you. I think he’s boring. I’m just rooting against Haruma. But they’re going to drag this out, because this show is made for people who enjoy these love triangles. Well, I don’t so I’m calling it quits. This is not how I would ever live my life. This is not how I expect adults to communicate.
Most of all, I just can’t buy Rinko as an adult woman with her own apartment and her own career. She acts like a child, and I don’t think a child should be hooking up with either of these men.
Always a Catch! Ep. 7
Remember how the village chief’s daughter went missing? Well, Maria conducts a goofy, little infiltration to try and save the girl, but it was all a misunderstanding. The bad guys are still the ones that look like bad guys. And that’s pretty much it. If you enjoy seeing Maria and her hijinks, I guess this episode would work for you. Personally, however, I find it completely pointless. It doesn’t move the story forward nor does it really reveal anything interesting about the characters. Wow, Renato can throw a punch. Yawn.
Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? Ep. 6
Typical of anime, Kei’s mother doesn’t look a day older than her. Anyway, in the first half, Takuya has to do a wedding photoshoot with Kei. The whole situation is ridiculous from the start. I thought maybe Kei had some modeling experience, but nope, she’s never done a photoshoot before. Why would you pick two complete amateurs to do the job?
Meanwhile, Kotoko’s portion of the episode is plain and ordinary. She and Takuya just hang out and do a little shopping. Pretty boring.
Last but not least, we have a summer festival with yukatas and everything. To this day, Yusuke from Persona 5 is the only boy I’ve ever seen to ever get dressed up. What’s up with that? Why is it okay for most anime protagonists to put in so little effort?
When the fireworks start going off, Kotoko gets drunk on the mood so she confesses to Takuya… but then she walks it right back. Pathetic. More importantly, nothing interesting ever happens.
Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ Ep. 6
First things first, Natsuki challenges Miori to a one-on-one game of pickup basketball. Really? Again? Seems like a popular storytelling device all of a sudden. Just to be annoying, beating someone one-on-one doesn’t mean you’re necessarily a better basketball player. I’m sure Kevin Durant could score on Lebron in a straight-up contest, but does anyone actually think that Durant is the better overall player? Nah.
Anyway, Miori developed the yips for passing, which is… I gotta say, that’s a new one for me. You get the yips for things like shooting free throws, kicking a field goal, making a putt, etc. Do you see a pattern? These are generally high pressure moments where you’re put on the spot. Passing isn’t typically associated with that. Yeah, yeah, Miori’s beefin’ with her teammates. But we also see her have issues passing to Uta, who she isn’t beefing with. But hey, this is nothing that an anime protagonist can’t solve in a single afternoon! Look, I’m just sayin’… where the hell is the coach?
In the second half of the episode, Natsuki hits up a summer festival with just Uta. He doesn’t have feelings for her, but he still accepts this totally date-like invitation. Tch. Maybe I’m being too mean. After all, he’s just a 30-something year old soul desperately pining for a minor while also stringing along another minor. What’s the big deal?
Petals of Reincarnation Ep. 6
Big ol’ flashback about Seiya, i.e. Touya’s brother. Basically, Touya had the wrong idea. Seiya wasn’t some natural, talented genius. He was just a Returner! Wait, does that not count as a natural talent? Eh, whatever. Point is, Seiya wanted world peace and cooperations with the Sinners, but then a Sinner attacked Touya, so then he half-heartedly wanted to wipe out all the Sinners, then Xiang Yu killed him, blah blah blah. Just your typical anime tragedy crammed into a single episode, so heavy moments get glossed over. The whole confrontation between him and Xiang Yu had no impact on me whatsoever. I watched everything unfold, and all I felt was just, “Oh, okay….” So what now? Touya’s gonna be a reformed good guy now, because he learned the truth about his brother? All those years of bitterness and resentment are just gonna go away?
Back in the present, Xiang Yu warns Touya about Neumann, but I dunno… didn’t we already settle on the fact that Nightingale is the true bad guy? Also, Caesar shows up with a berserked Haito in tow. I guess Touya’s gonna have to snap her back to reality with the power of love or whatever.
The Barbarian’s Bride Ep. 5
Serafina is bored, so she spars with the boys. Afterwards, she goes hunting with the boys. As you can see, it’s all about the boys. As I’ve mentioned before, the story constantly reminds us that the barbarians capture defeated women warriors in order to propose to them. So where are these women warriors? Are they all just back home, pumping out babies?
A priestess from the west crashes the party in this week’s episode with her company of knights (all men). She’s on a mission to rescue Serafina, but, well, our bride-to-be is in no rush to escape her future husband. Anyway, the priestess wields divine-like magic, which also drains the land of its vitality. As a result, the woman ends up attracting the blight to them. Hm, tentacles and nuns… where have I seen that before? But to get back on topic, what’s up with that? Is the blight only a thing in the east? The west has never had to deal with it?
Scenes from Awajima Ep. 5
Hm, the first story with Asami is tough. Where do you draw the line between “legit” religions and cults? Just broad appeal? I mean, that’s what it comes down to, right? Let’s say… I’m a Buddhist, but i grow up in a small American town full of Christians. Am I the cultist now? I only say this because Asami’s parents don’t really seem that weird for cultists. When you think of cultists, what do you picture in your mind’s eye? Maybe those weirdos death cults that try to drag everyone down with them. Or maybe the leader is some egomaniac trying to sleep with all the women. You might picture a paralyzing groupthink that restricts your freedom and agency. And sure, Asami wasn’t allowed to go to a shrine with her friends, and all of her achievements are attributed to this mysterious “sensei.” But this doesn’t feel all that different from people thanking god after a bit of success. So yeah, I dunno… ultimately, distancing herself is the right move to avoid breeding more resentment. But I also don’t feel like her parents are really doing anything wrong either. They also supported her dreams through and through.
I don’t have anything to say about the second story. It was really short and straightforward. Girlie got to meet her idol, so good for her, I guess.
Killed again, Mr. Detective. Ep. 6
Another wacky ass episode. Our genius detective dies when his mysterious assailant clobbers him with a cast. Meanwhile, sixteen people mysteriously die on a ferris wheel. No, wait, wait, they all died within one revolution of the ferris wheel. They all died from different causes, too. Some people were stabbed. One couple was just foaming at the mouth. Last but not certainly not least, we have a freaking dog detective. Yeah, that’s right, the dog is on the case, and it even has a human interpreter. This show, man…
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten S2 Ep. 6
Honestly, I’ve never found it comfortable to rest your head in someone’s lap or the other way around. Thighs don’t make great pillows from my experience. And heads are heavy, man.
Anyway, the drama of the involves Mahiru’s father. Yeah, the deadbeat dad suddenly wants to know how she’s doing. But of course, he won’t contact his own daughter directly. He’s a deadbeat, after all. So instead, he reaches out to Amane. This is really just an opportunity for the male lead to be all protective, ’cause the story gives us nothing to work with. Why has Mahiru’s father neglected her all these years? ‘Tis a mystery! Is he going to try and mend those bridges! Nah, not really. So what was the entire point of him swinging by? Again, I can only conclude that this helps Amane look good, ’cause Mahiru’s old man contributes nothing else to the narrative.
Snowball Earth Ep. 6
The guy attacking the mall? Just another shitty adult beefing with a kid. Essentially, he was humanity’s “savior” (well, he wasn’t having much luck) until Tetsuo came along and stole his thunder. Since then, he has been scheming to take Tetsuo down. He’s even got a cadre of brainwashed kids. Does Sagami seem like an interesting villain so far? Not really. He just seems cartoonishly evil to me. A bad guy who who wants show up a kid doesn’t exactly get me excited to catch the next episode.
Anyway, I feel like Ao and her kaiju are gonna have to fight, because it looks like Tetsuo has his hands full.
The Drops of God Ep. 5
Here’s a fun little tidbit about this series:
When the manga was translated into French in 2008, French wine producers had another sales boom. Chateau Mont-Perat, for instance, was one of the vineyards memorably featured in the manga. Demand soared to a point that it could raise its normal price of 15 euros (S$22) per bottle to 150 euros, and ramp up production to 50,000 cases from 25,000.
The French government was so grateful that it awarded the manga creators, sister-brother team Yuko and Shin Kibayashi, the Order of Agricultural Merit in 2011, and subsequently the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2018, for Drops of God’s spectacular impact on the French wine industry and wine appreciation among young people. (source)
I guess it goes to show you that silliness and fun are super effective… assuming that your customers can afford wine in the first place. In this current economy? Hah. As an aside, I think I would enjoy a live action jdrama of this show more, because those tend to have really hammy acting.
Anyway, in this week’s episode, I was rooting so hard against the dad just for this alone. But he does reconcile with his daughter in the end, so… nah, fuck him anyway.
Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Ep. 7
What’s the difference between a bomb and a missile anyway? Bah, it doesn’t matter. The point is, they literally tried to blow the Agent of Autumn up, but she still isn’t dead. In fact, she seemingly has the ability to heal herself ‘though it might come at the cost of another person’s life.
For once, something happens. Unfortunately, it happens at the end of the episode, so we still get plenty of repetitive navel-gazing beforehand. Hopefully, this is a turning point for the story, but this week’s episode still kinda sucks.
I just learned that the person behind this show also wrote Violet Evergarden. Oh, that makes sense. That makes perfect sense. Now I understand why I’m not vibing with it.
The strongest job is apparently not a hero or a sage, but an appraiser (provisional)! Ep. 7
From what I can gather, this Anastasia lady split her soul up and stuck them in all sorts of places. Ivel wanted to kill Claude just for that reason alone. Why? Shrug. What’s going on with the gods? Shrug.
As for Emalia, she finally returns home to learn that her father intends to marry her off. As a result, she’s leaving. Welp, that was pointless.
Scum of the Brave Ep. 17
Hmm, Jougamine might be a zombie revived by E4, but I’m too distracted by this horrible 3D render of a car. Every episode, they drip feed us details about what Coffin Count is up to, but I’ve completely lost interest in that subplot. I know Yashiro still wants to get back at Half Dragon for killing his bud, but I’ve lost interest in that as well. We never explored that friendship on a deep enough level to sustain such a long, protracted subplot. So what’s left? Just Yashiro and his students. This is the only plot thread that has any heart. Yashiro trying to figure out how to balance being a tough, cynical asshole with also wanting to protect the three idiots under his wing. Too bad it’s also getting a bit long in the tooth.`
Akane-banashi Ep. 6
What’s the big moral of the week? Akane can recite a story, but she doesn’t really understand them. As a result, she needs to crack open a book for once! See, kids, you gotta stay in school!
Ghost Concert – missing Songs Ep. 6
Yeah, I still don’t really know what’s going on. It’s clear that the monk created MiuCS with his former partner (probably dead), but why? His partner said, “Now songs that kill people won’t be created.” What?
The good guys try to bring MiuCS down in this week’s episode, but since we’re only halfway through the season, this is a clear sign that MiuCS isn’t the true villain. As a result, we have this… Act Pluto organization running about. They seem to be the true puppetmasters. So what conclusion does this show want us to draw? That AI isn’t really bad? It’s just the person behind AI that’s bad? Aw, you don’t need to make a shitty, convoluted anime to tell me that! I already know this! Again, the problem with this show is its obsession with stupid historical, battling ghosts. Maybe if they didn’t waste time on that nonsense, they could focus on telling a better story.
Mission: Yozakura Family S2 Ep. 5
Taiyo passes, but he didn’t get to humiliate Kyoichiro, the worst character in the series. This was a disappointing hatewatch.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword S2 Ep. 5
Oh no, a shitty person just made a good point. Anyway, it’s the dreaded denouement, and as I suspected, the bad guys just fuck off into their portals. Meanwhile, everyone else yaps. Boy do they yap, and sometimes, they yap cryptic shit. I hate this sort of storytelling.
Ultimately, Will not only gets to graduate, but he’s one of the 50 distinguished students with permission to climb the tower. If you ask me, this is kind of a weak reward. Again, he saved everyone’s ass. They should be throwing him a parade! He should get the key to the city!
Even now, however, Ed is a massive hater. Look, I get his point, but like most messed up anime characters, he needs to get therapy. Even if Will crashes and burns like Ed suspects, that’s the kid’s choice. Why is Ed projecting so hard?
My other problem with this scene was Sion being the first person to clap for Will. Yeah, I get it. The other massive hater finally puts his personal feelings aside to cheer Will on. It’s character development. But why is he the first to clap? Why not Workner? Why not Colette?
Everything else about everything else:
Dropped Mistress Kanan Is Devilishly Easy, ’cause there’s no story and I’m tired of looking at the ugly character designs.
Ugh, this has been a tough week. I have been prepping non-stop for interviews and technical assessments. When I did one last Sunday, I was so mentally drained from it that I didn’t feel like doing any blogging. I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but again, if you’re wondering why I haven’t covered the latest episode of NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE, this is why. I’ll get to it when I get to it.
