Married couple, by the way.
The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt Ep. 8
I think for the first time ever this show actually managed to kept my interest from start to fini… okay, not exactly from the start. But a good chunk of the episode honestly held my attention. Why? Because Togo actually reflects on his feelings. Introspection, man, introspection! Most of the time, the show tries to be funny, but the comedy doesn’t land. Meanwhile, the characters suffer, because they often don’t act like normal people. Togo is an extreme stickler for the rules, Poem is a mega tsundere, the health freak is a health freak, so on and so forth. None of this shit feels real. All of a sudden, however, the characters stop being caricatures. Togo has a quiet conversation with Poem as they walk down a bridge. For once, Togo carefully considers how it pains him to lose out on an opportunity to spend more time with her. This is nothing original, but it’s at least relatable. So yeah, I kinda enjoyed this episode.
Anyway, he confessed. Now the ball’s in Poem’s court. She better not fall back into being a mega tsundere, but she probably will. I shouldn’t expect too much from this show.
LIAR GAME Ep. 8
New week, same shit. Nao never learns, so it gets boring. It gets tragically boring. Maybe I would be sympathetic if she showed even the slightest bit of character development, but nothing has changed after eight damn episodes. Fukunaga tricked her last round, they trick her again in this round. I don’t mind underdogs, but if they never learn or their circumstances never change, then what’s the point? I don’t care anymore.
MARRIAGETOXIN Ep. 8
We have a new girl, and she’s a huge dork. She’s a member of the Beast Clan, but barely. While everyone else can summon dangerous, ferocious animals, she can only summon hamsters. But hey, she’s already a huge fan of Hikaru somehow.
Also, the Hitman Hunter is not really a bad guy? Rather, he’s a weirdo extremist who wants his girlfriend’s cafe is a huge success. To ensure that, he’s been taking out all the hitmen. Right, but who hires said hitmen? Did you ever think of that? The only reason why hitmen exist is because someone desires their services. Get to the root of the problem, bro.
Uh, the big bad might be someone from the Beast Clan, but I don’t really care about that. In fact, I don’t really care about any of the action. They’re well-animated, but action is still mostly boring.
I Want to End This Love Game Ep. 7
I kinda want that shirt. Other than that, this episode was bullshit. At one point, the kids have a frank discussion on whether or not they should continue their love game. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to continue being honest and confess their feelings. But of course that doesn’t happen. Instead, they’re just going to play the love game even harder.
Even a Replica Can Fall in Love Ep. 8
Every school festival episode feels the same. Nao even has to put on a maid costume. The episode also wasted a huge chunk of its time on some haunted house hospital attraction. All to show me what? That Nao is a scaredy-cat? I dunno, I feel like this show has gotten incredibly ordinary. What drew me in — the existential nature of the replicas — has been mostly replaced with generic slice-of-life fluff. Well, I’ve got better shows for that. Sure, we still have the Mori subplot. The replica has this strange compulsion to sacrifice her all for her original without really understanding why she feels this way. It’s not a bad extension of the show’s themes and ideas, but the problem is that she’s a completely new character. I have no emotional connection to her. They didn’t do a good enough job building up to her crisis. They just kinda dropped her into the story and expected me to care, while also trying to balance Nao’s saccharine sweet high school romance with Aki. It doesn’t really work. I spend half of these recent episodes bored, the other half feeling cold and distant from Mori’s breakdown.
Always a Catch! Ep. 9
It’s been a while since we’ve seen either Aida or Placido. Now that the former is no longer engaged to the latter’s brother, they’re free to be together! And yet they’re not. So what’s the problem? Oh, the optics. Well, I agree that it would look bad. On the other hand, she’s already being badmouthed openly (by a prospective fiancé, no less). At that point, you might as well just do what you want and marry whomever you want. So after Placido tries to defend her honor by challenging this jerk to a duel, Aida finally agrees that she wants to be with him no matter what. All’s well that end’s well in a single episode. What’s even left for this show? The two besties are marrying the brothers they love. Nothing left stands in their way. So now what?
Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? Ep. 8
What’s wrong with the MC? Well, he’s horny. His two gyaru friends are showering together (I guess friends just do that), and he can’t stop thinking about it. Luckily, his Glittermon buddies are here to kill all his carnal desires. Nothing wilts a boner better than a kid’s anime…?
Towards the end of the episode, Amane opens up about why she hides her otakuness. This should be a sweet, genuine moment, but it doesn’t really do anything for me. This show has the same problems as My Dress-Up Darling where the MC finally meets a girl with niche interests, but she also has to be drop-dead gorgeous. She also has to be a model that turns heads when she enters the room. It’s hard not to be cynical when the MC gets to have his cake and eat it too. Oh sure, sure, what really counts is on the inside… but the outside is also perfect! My Dress-Up Darling tries to mitigate this somewhat by giving Marin some flaws (although it’s subjective if you consider them flaws). She’s not just into anime. Nope, she’s weirdly obsessed with an eroge. She eats really unhealthily before Gojo came along. She’s enough of a weirdo that it distracts you a bit from noticing how she’s pure “drop-dead gorgeous supermodel who is also a huge nerd” wish fulfillment… even though My Dress-Up Darling is still totally wish fulfillment. On the other hand, Amane doesn’t have that same depth of character. She gets bad grades, I guess…? Maybe the real problem here is the show splitting its focus between her and Kotoko. If you add them together, maybe you get an interesting character. But on their own, the girls just feel painfully generic. A year from now, I’m simply not going to remember anything about these two. Meanwhile, I doubt I’ll ever forget Marin getting freaky with the body pillow featuring her favorite character from an eroge called Slippery Girls 2.
Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ Ep. 8
Hikari stays the night without Natsuki’s parents finding out, ’cause Japanese parents are conveniently never around. This part of the episode is just tropey nonsense. For example, Natsuki walks in on Hikari changing. Why do people not do this in the bathroom with a lock, I’ll never understand. The show is also all dramatic-like when Hikari emerges from the showers in a simple tshirt and shorts combo. Ooh la la, a girl in her natural state! Be calm, my heart!
The kids understand that they can’t just run away from their problems, so they formulate a plan to try and convince Hikari’s father to be not so controlling. The key? Hikari’s book, apparently. This is where the timeline of events feel a little too rushed for my liking. They suggest edits in no time flat. Hikari proceeds to make those changes in a single night. Before her father can even pick her up, Natsuki has read the changes and approved them. Wow, so fast!
Nevertheless, Hikari finally gets to speak her mind. Her father isn’t really an antagonist with much depth. He’s just your prototypical domineering parent. So honestly, there wasn’t much catharsis to be had here. This whole arc was hastily put together, and it looks like it’ll be hastily resolved. Hikari’s backstory is nothing new, nor is told in an interesting way. She kinda just rambles on and on to Natsuki in his room. Plus, what is Hikari gonna do with her newfound freedom? Date a loser like Natsuki? Bleh.
Petals of Reincarnation Ep. 8
Good lord, there was a lot of infodumping in this week’s episode. Infodumping in a classroom, infodumping when Touya discovers an AI version of Neumann on his phone. Infodumping some more when some Returners are acting despite the three-month grace period. This episode only has two notable points of interest for me. First, Haito is awake, but what was up with that ominous stare of hers at the end? Second, Einstein makes contact with Touya before the credits roll. So… uh, is she okay? Touya makes it sound like the missing soldiers aren’t dead, and that he can still save them. So what is she doing with them? Simplest answer is making a scene to draw Touya’s attention, but eh…
The Barbarian’s Bride Ep. 7
This episode makes it sound like the fiend that attacked Malcius only showed up in response to her magic. Y’see, her magic works by draining the… uh, “will” of the land around her. So in return, the fiend showed up and drained her of her memories. If Sera hadn’t saved her, she would’ve become… what? A fleshy shell who can’t think or speak? Or would she just have complete amnesia? Either way, it sounds like a defense mechanism. But Veor and his allies have been combating the fiends for a long time, right? So how do they normally show up? Or is it, like always, a response to some unnatural usage of magic? I’m not sure if the story has been clear on that, but I’m also not watching this show super closely. I mean, it’s kinda generic (and a little sexist).
To make a long story short, it’s your typical “you must respect and live harmoniously with nature” message. Not a bad message by any means, but this has been done far better elsewhere.
Scenes from Awajima Ep. 7
I feel like this show requires multiple rewatches, because I could barely remember Saori and Kayo. They had a really short focus back in… episode four, I think? So amidst the drama concerning Katsurako and Emi, and the people connected to them, it’s hard to remember two random ladies from weeks ago. Well, this whole episode is all about them and their sickly friend Mikako. Just one story from start to finish, and as always, it is a bittersweet one. They dreamed of being onstage together, but one would get sick so the other would replace them, and vice versa. All the mixed feelings, the disappointment, the resentment, the undue expectations. Mikako thought her mom desperately wanted to cheer for her onstage. In reality, her mom just wanted her to be healthy. It’s interesting how our brains work. When the woman apologized to Mikako for giving birth to such a frail child, the latter somehow thought her mother was disappointed in her. Only now as an adultcan she look back at this moment with razor clarity. Well, that’s just classic Awajima at this point… going through tumultuous teenage years then reflecting upon them later with the maturity of an adult. This time, at least, we get a slightly happier ending than usual.
Killed again, Mr. Detective. Ep. 8
It’s the start of a new mystery, so we get the typical setup episode with a bunch of new faces and a gruesome death at the end. I’m actually surprised Sakuya didn’t die this time. He usually bites it at least once before or just as the mystery gets underway. Maybe we’re saving it for later. Well, he did almost die when he fell overboard at the start of the episode, but a mermaid seemingly saves him. A mermaid with green hair. Hmm… the owner of the island has green hair and can’t walk.
It’s a little disappointing to get sidetracked like this. I thought we were headed for Char’s island to learn more about Sakuya’s father, but I guess that can wait. Bit of a momentum killer, though.
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten S2 Ep. 8
This was what Amane was afraid of other guys seeing? This? Bro, she’s completely covered from head to toe. This is like the mildest of french maid costumes. In any case, these outfits look hella expensive. Where would you even get them tailored? Unless they’re actually much cheaper than they look, I dunno how the average high school class would be able to afford them.
This week’s episode honestly surprised me at one point. Itsuki’s father shows up briefly, but refuses to go into the classroom. Y’see, Chitose is from a lower social class, and that’s a big no-no for the asshole. So why even show up? Like, if you’re not going to go see your son, what even come in the first place?
More importantly, however, are we actually discussing characters other than Amane and Mahiru? Are we allowed to do that? Is that legal?!
Snowball Earth Ep. 8
The mall and its inhabitants are a lot more resourceful than I had initially assumed. I thought they would be sitting ducks with both Tetsuo and Ao away. But nah, they literally have an anti-kaiju barrier. All thanks to Hagane’s mother, too. It doesn’t last forever, but it holds out long enough for everyone to escape and Ao to make her grand entrance. Guess she and the dozing chicken will get to fight too. Hell, I think she and her kaiju straight up torches one of the attackers. Sayonara… uh, what was your name again? Riko? Alas, we know nothing about you. I guess that’s my major beef with this show. The bad guys are just so uninteresting. Sagami, for instance, throws a tantrum because he thought this would be a walk in the park. Ugh.
The Drops of God Ep. 7
The gang doesn’t have enough money to try all the wines out there, so Robert sends them to be dishwashers at a school doing a massive wine-tasting event. On the one hand, that’s a clever way to taste as many wines as you can. On the other hand, uh… ew? Those mostly empty glasses might have backwash or whatever germs their drinkers left behind. Needless to say, I would never put my mouth to a stranger’s glass. Also, why is he holding the glass like that? In the end, they went through all that trouble just for this bartender to pour them the exact wine they’ve been looking for. Bro, maybe the bartender should be the protagonist of this show.
But whatever, they find the magical wine that manages to lift Miyabi’s childhood friend’s depression. What was he so depressed about? His former high school girlfriend mocked the watch he had given her. Instead of coming to the obvious conclusion that she was just a shitty, shallow person, he decided to wholeheartedly embrace the idea that brand names trump everything. Until now, of course. Welp, it just goes to show you that rich people can often be huge dumbasses. I mean, I would normally try to be a little more sympathetic, but he was ready to walk away from the competition before actually drinking the winning wine. He was going to force Miyabi to switch careers just like that. Miyabi had to beg him to try it. So fuck that guy.
Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Ep. 9
Hmmm, I wanna say I’ll believe it when I see it, but it’s already the ninth episode. We’ve got about a month of story left? So if they’re not going to take action now, then when? As a result, the characters resolve to rescue the Agent of Autumn from the evil, bad insurgents! Rosei even contacts Sakura! Yeah, that’s right, he contacts Sakura, not Hinagiku, the girl he loves. What’s his deal anyway? All this crying, all this “I LUV HINAGIKU,” but he still doesn’t go see her. He can’t even talk to her. We’re nine fucking episodes in. What the hell, man? For a long time, I thought Sakura was being overprotective and preventing him from seeing Hinagiku, but she admonishes him this episode for this very reason! So what is it? He feels guilty? He’s too ashamed? Pathetic.
Anyway, I’m just glad these characters are gonna do something other than sitting around, moping about their feelings and regrets like they’ve been doing all damn season.
The strongest job is apparently not a hero or a sage, but an appraiser (provisional)! Ep. 9
I zoned out at one point, and when I finally remembered that I was watching the show, they were fighting zombies for some reason. Well, Ivel is still trying to kill Claude, so she’s using, uh, a magic mirror to ring a bell that attracts the undead. Wait, why can’t she just attack him directly? Meh, no matter. Our heroes win, the end. Oh yeah, is Emalia still even in this story?
Scum of the Brave Ep. 19
I couldn’t even enjoy seeing Yashiro get his ass kicked, because they skimped on the budget. You can barely follow the action, and what action you do get is pretty shoddily animated. I think I’m supposed to be invested in the idea that Braves like him are always a fine line away from becoming E3 junkies like the bad guys. That’s where the tension lies… supposedly. But it’s not doing anything for me. Hearing the salaryman yap about how the drug lets him feel superior to his victims just comes off as pathetic.
Ah well, I just hope the girls are alright. Jougamine is like… some weird monster thing, so she’ll be back on her feet in no time. Assuming she isn’t tied up, that is. Indo can teleport. Sara, though… her powers aren’t super remarkable in a direct fight. Anyway, the girls probably are fine, but you can never be too sure.
Akane-banashi Ep. 8
This episode is almost all about the guy with the bad haircut. I don’t like him, so I’m not gonna bother learning his name. Basically, what he lacks in technical skills, he makes up for in creativity. He adapts his stories for the modern audience, which really gets most of the crowd going. They just love it. Personally, I don’t get it, but I’m not the target audience, which, apparently, is how Issho also feels. The performance doesn’t make the old man laugh either, but he surprisingly praises bad haircut guy anyway. Not completely, mind you. It’s clear that he doesn’t completely approve of the modern adaptation, but he can see some positives in it. But then what separates this performance from what Akane’s father did? What was so bad about Akane’s father’s performance on that fated day that he needed to be expelled completely? Maybe the old man has soften his stance over the years, but… eh, I dunno. I thought the audience loved Akane’s father’s performance too. I still have a hard time understanding why it was deserving of expulsion.
Looks like the rival girl is up next. I don’t hate her like the guy with the bad haircut, but I’ve been grinding leetcode all day, so you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t recall the name of every single anime side character. Anyway, if we’re doing a character an episode, we might not see Akane pull out all the stops until episode ten?
Ghost Concert – missing Songs Ep. 8
Nero wants Seria to teach him how to sing. Settei is pretending to work with Nero, but he wants to save Seria. But when Seria tries to greet him, he completely ignores her. Also, something about Edison? Riu sees Riku enter a tent where there is a massive orgy taking place. Within this tent, Riku officially becomes a witch. There are witches now? But then Riku lashes out against Marie at the end… wait, who is Marie again? Riu is determined to save Riku, but I didn’t even know they were close. Actually, I don’t know anything about this show. I’ve completely lost the plot. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just random shit happening onscreen.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mission: Yozakura Family S2 Ep. 7
Hm, back to mostly comedy. There’s an encounter with Lady Ninomae near the end of the episode, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Futaba gets her moment in the spotlight, the manor crumbles, so Ninomae magically teleports away. Um, okay? Nice to meet you, I guess?
Anyway, Mutsumi talks a bit about her father. She mentions how he came to meet her one time, and she just knew that he had no ill-intent. There’s probably going to be some future twist where everything Momo has done is actually for the benefit of the family. I dunno, would that be too predictable?
Wistoria: Wand and Sword S2 Ep. 7
Once again, Will’s progress is halted because he can’t cast magic. Kreutz forces Will to take yet another test. This time, he has to fight creatures that would die instantly to any spell from a wand. As you can see, this is a huge problem for Will. Progress, obstacle, progress, obstacle. Viewed from a high level, this storytelling pattern is fine. This is what you expect from any story. But the problem here is that the obstacle is always the same: Will’s lack of wand-specific aptitude. And no amount of heroics or achievements will ever stop this obstacle from barring his way. We’ve had this since day 1, episode 1. It’s just tiring. This series treats his inevitable reunion with Elfie as the final destination and not just one step — a major step, mind you — in the grand journey that would be his life. Are we okay with that? I mean, wouldn’t you rather see Will finally join up with his girl and see them do things together? Conquer challenges together? Defeat the bad guys together? But I feel like the author is scared of change. They don’t want to switch up the dynamics of the story, so they’re going to keep dangling this “will he, won’t he reunite with Elfie” carrot in front of viewers for eternity. All I can say is that this is gutless writing.
Oh well, at least Julius is willing to help him out. I guess at least one of the characters is making progress.
