Psychic damage to all the old heads out there.
The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt Ep. 10
For the cultural festival, the girls wanna do a prom, a.k.a. an American style dance party. But you know what that means: everyone intermingling… everyone possibly dancing with each other… EVERYONE TOUCHING OR DANCING UP CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER? So of course, the VP wants to rain on their parade, and Tougo is still (sadly) a stickler for the rules. I thought he learned his lesson. I thought he reflected on that one time with his childhood friend and realized that going against his wants and desires will just hurt him in the long run. Well, apparently not, because he gets into a fight with Poem about the prom. I think she’s being a little extra. She doesn’t need to literally ignore him for the entire week leading up to the dance. Their relationship is so young, and this is not how you want it to start out. But there’s no reason to fret, because this isn’t really the type of anime to have a downer ending. So whatever, just wait and see how it all plays out.
LIAR GAME Ep. 10
What a bold claim to make. But y’know, Nao’s complete naivete up until now actually works out perfectly in her favor. She’s the last person you expect to lie. Everyone automatically trusts her. Of course, you can’t rely on this strategy for too long. Eventually, even the dumbest idiot will catch on (see: Nao). But that’s fine, because she’s also a good bean. It’s not like she actually intends to cheat anyone. Nope, she doesn’t use her newfound powers to lie for greed at all. Instead, she saves the one guy who was nice to her. He gets to leave the game debt free. Everyone else can move on to the third round. Meanwhile, Nao delivers a speech about how the true purpose of the Liar Game is to overcome the temptation to lie. Uh-huh. Sure, but I don’t really wanna hear that from someone who was a complete idiot for nine episodes straight.
MARRIAGETOXIN Ep. 10
For once, Hikaru lets someone else feed him. That’s remarkable, isn’t it? I mean, it’s character development. What’s the point of getting married if you can’t even trust your wife’s cooking? Likewise, Kimie gets kidnapped again, but rather than wait for Hikaru to save her, she resolves to be useful for once. So that’s cool. What’s less cool is how she can spawn hamsters from her mouth. Yeah, not exactly kissable.
But we also get a lot of generic tropes mixed in. For example, we finally learn why Kimie is such a big Hikaru fanboy: he saved her life when they were just kids. Oh man, they love that childhood crap thing in anime, don’t they? But doesn’t this move her right to the top of the rankings? None of the other girls come even close with this much backstory.
The Water Master also makes a comeback. Apparently, Mei has her on speed-dial in case things ever go south. But with all that blushing, it looks like she might end up being one of the potential marriage candidates. Sorry, gotta roll my eyes a bit at that. I guess the writer felt like the story was missing a tsundere love interest.
I Want to End This Love Game Ep. 9
What started this? Another girl has been friendly with Yukiya, so Miku feels threatened. The nerve! How dare you speak to a boy — my boy! Anyway, Yukiya then goes and download Instagram, and she thinks he’s doing it for the other girl. Yes, it’s that stupid and petty. Normally, these jealousy plays would spur one or both characters to confess their true feelings. But instead, we’re playing a game of chicken. So what ends up happening? Meh, I bet their lips barely grazed, but this is anime so they’re going to make a big deal about it.
By the way, if you were in high school, and someone challenged you to this game, would you assume they were willing to kiss you? Well, Miku rechallenges him, so she’s pretty much giving her consent. At that point, you might as well just take it. What normal high school kid wouldn’t kiss their crush if they got permission?
Always a Catch! Ep. 11
The mean lady is just in love with Ireneo? Well, she’s also mad about him no longer succeeding the throne, so she tried to assassinate the queen. That sort of thing usually gets punished pretty harshly. Y’know, like execution harsh. But this being a light-hearted show, I wonder what will happen to her. As for Ireneo, he’s still a pathetic, shameless flirt who doesn’t know boundaries and hits on underaged girls. But I’m more annoyed with Maria for making one bad decision after another. She sees her little brother in Ireneo for whatever reason, so she keeps indulging his whims. Aw, he wants a tart. Dude, he’s a member of royalty. He can buy all the damn tarts he wants. Aw, he wants to share a drink with her so she tries alcohol for the first time ever with a person she can’t truly trust. So of course, she gets drunk right off the bat. Granted, she can defend herself, but what if he kept plying her with drinks? Even the strongest warrior can’t do shit if they’re passed out. Just stupid. But again, this is a light-hearted show, so thankfully, nothing bad happens.
Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? Ep. 10
First, there’s a contest where the students can vote on whom they think is the prettiest girl in their class. Second, there’s a fireworks event later at night where couples pair up. They say guys and girls, but it’s pride month so let’s just say everyone’s included. But I digress. As you can see, the story keeps hinting that Takuya will have to choose between Kotoko and Kei. But what’s the point? You know he won’t. And from the way Kotoko is reacting, the girls won’t be happy either if he only picks one of them. This show’s just going to go with some open-ended “the three of us will be friends forever” ending, isn’t it?
Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ Ep. 10
The cold opening starts with Hikari steeling her resolve. She tells herself that she will have a talk with Uta about Natsuki. That means she’s super serious about her “first love”! Ew, but hey, there’s no accounting for bad taste. You like what you like, you love whom you love. Even if that person is really a man going through a mid-life crisis.
But the rest of the episode isn’t about the love triangle. Instead, it’s all about forming a band with the new girl Serika and a couple of other new faces. She tells us over and over that he has a much better voice than her. Uh huh. Well, if the ED at the end is supposed to be him singing, I’m not convinced. But even if we accept the fact that Natsuki is a good singer, is there anything he’s bad at? Except, y’know, getting over a high school crush as an ojisan.
Petals of Reincarnation Ep. 10
This show just goes from one infodump to the next. All of a sudden, Alan Smithee, the weird entity with a hole where his face should be, simultaneously shows up all over the place, explains that he’s the one who bestowed humanity with the Branches of Reincarnation, but because… uh, humanity wants to destroy itself, he’s taking them back? Then before you know it, everyone’s memories have been erased. Well, almost everyone. I don’t even know what the story is going for anymore. It just keeps moving the goalposts over and over. We gotta stop the bad guys who are reincarnated serial killers and real life villains. No wait, Xiang Yu, who killed Da Vinci, is still alive, so we need to have an all-out war against him and his faction. No wait, Neumann betrayed everyone, so she’s the bad guy. No wait, Nightingale was really manipulating everyone all along and now we need to wipe out all Returners to save humanity. No wait, Alan Smithee, some mysterious being, is the one behind it all and thus responsible for this whole mess. Like what the hell even is this story? Why are we introducing an all-powerful entity at the eleventh hour (well, tenth hour, I suppose)? But then now we need to forget all of that, because we gotta save Haito! Or kill her? No, definitely save Haito, because she’s a waifu!
The Barbarian’s Bride Ep. 9
I want to focus on the plot (well, not really). I want to really pay attention to Serafina’s doubts about the expeditions (read: invasions), and the role she played in them (read: invader). But I’m too distracted by the triple moons. The most innocuous thing about having three moons would simply be how bright every single night would be. Would animals even have a circadian rhythm? But more than that, these moons must have a tremendous effect on the planet’s crust. Imagine more earthquakes and volcanoes. Well, all I’m saying is that the three moons are way more interesting to me than this show’s story or characters.
Anyway, Serafina doesn’t know if she wants to fulfill her duty and return to her kingdom with food, or stay with Veor and pump out babies. So he suggests going on a journey to broaden her horizons. But it sounds like they’re going to visit the dwarf kingdom precisely because it has hot springs. Basically, we can expect a whole bunch of fanservice pretty soon.
The way I see it, even if Serafina doesn’t go home, her kingdom will just keep sending expeditions to fight the “barbarians.” And sure, Veor’s people have never lost, but there are no guarantees in life. Maybe when Veor dies, there’s no suitable leader to replace him. This happens all the time. Great empires decline and fall to ruins constantly. All it takes is one or two mad and/or incompetent kings to take the reigns (*cough*). In other words, shouldn’t we look for a more sustainable solution that doesn’t depend on fending off constant attacks?
Scenes from Awajima Ep. 9
Dude, I had those Frog and Toad books as a kid. Huh, are they known in Japan as well? Anyway, we catch up with Wakana, who briefly became an actress before settling into being a writer. When we started this show, I got the impression that she would be the narrative throughline. Like sure, we’ll jump around and meet all these different characters, but it’ll come back to Wakana somehow. But in actuality, we barely know anything her, her time at Awajima, or her story. And maybe she just has no dramatic story. Everyone else had issues and difficulties that plagued their years at this school. On the other hand, Wakana enrolled at just the right time, a fact which Katsurako emphasizes. Unless they’re saving some sad, sob story for the last few episodes, it really does feel as though Wakana sailed through her years at the academy and get out scot-free. And now she’s speaking at one of the school’s festivals. She even has a good relationship with Katsurako. Hm. It’s just a very stark contrast.
Case in point, Wakana’s other roommate Akiho was a girl who had become jaded about love, because her celeb parents were embroiled in salacious, cheating scandals. And she would’ve stayed that way if she hadn’t met Wakana. But Wakana being the sunshine that she is kinda broke Akiho out of that funk. Kinda neat I guess. We also see Eri patch things up with her artist… friend? Wasn’t really a friend before, but I guess they’re friends now. The point is, no matter how bad things are, you’re never chained the past. The future is bright for these girls if they just keep striving for their goals and don’t allow baggage to hold them down. I guess Katsurako’s generation wish they could’ve learned that a little earlier.
Killed again, Mr. Detective. Ep. 10
When we last left off, Dmitry is supposedly dead, but there’s no body. Just a lot of blood, and hell, it might not even be his blood. Nevertheless, our detective has to unravel this mystery before Char bombs the island. But she’s here too, so maybe she’s just bluffing. Either way, we get the usual setup, i.e. the seemingly impossible nature of the murder, the slow trickle of clues, all the usual chin-rubbing investigations, etc. One piece of information sticks out like a sore thumb: for some reason, the story feels the need to call attention to the fact that Ursina once represented Spain in an international track and field meet. Watch this end up being an important clue in solving the mystery. Otherwise, it would just be a non sequitur.
Right before the episode ends, Char claims that someone killed Sakuya’s father in order to Sakuya and his immortality. She then ominously warns the teen detective that there is going to be a global upheaval, and he’ll have a critical role to play in the events to come. Why should we believe her, though? Why should we trust a damn thing she says?
The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten S2 Ep. 10
TL;DR Mahiru is ready to bang, but Amane isn’t. This ain’t Kaguya and Miyuki. But I jest, I jest. You don’t have to rush anything, which is why the rest of the episode is weird. First, Amane’s father comes over and gives him the talk. No, not about the birds and the bees. Rather, he reassures his son that they are willing to help with the costs of the wedding. Why are we talking about this? They’re high schoolers. The father even adds, “You know how precious time is for young women.” They are — I repeat — HIGH. SCHOOLERS. She’s a teenager. She’s basically still a kid. She’s not even old enough to drink. What the hell are we doing? Why are we having this conversation? Then immediately afterwards, Mahiru tells himself that he needs to get a job and save up. If he wants to simply save up in general, fine. Knock your socks off. Go get yourself some real world experience. But if he’s getting a job now just to save up for a wedding, that’s not romantic. That’s just really fucking stupid.
Snowball Earth Ep. 10
Oh, so Sagami can see the future, but his super useful ability only works if you’re organic. He can’t do a darn thing against inorganic foes. Right. What a convenient limitation. Either way, the episode follows an all-too-familiar pattern: the bad guy has the hero on the ropes until the latter suddenly makes a last second, triumphant comeback. Pretty standard, and also pretty boring. Well, the finish was really gruesome. You also get plenty of bare-naked man ass in this episode if that’s your thing. Unfortunately, it’s kind of attached to a terrible person. But that’s probably a feature and not a bug for a lot of people. I see all you Emet simps out there.
The Drops of God Ep. 9
Issei takes this round, and the official story is because Shizuku is too green. There’s much he still doesn’t understand about wine and wine-making, and he can’t simply lean on his natural talents all the time. But I suspect they will keep trading rounds until they are both tied at the end. I do not expect this show to have a definitive winner. I also wonder if at some point the show will stop featuring only red wines. And likewise, if the show will feature anything beyond fancy European wines.
Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Ep. 11
The original plan was for Hinagiku and Rosei to eventually meet up. So of course, the story pulls out all the stops to prevent that from happening. Turns out one of the Autumn people is a crazy cultist. She was an insurgent? But now she worships Hinagiku and wants to create a world of everlasting spring? Meanwhile, Rosei is stuck on the freeway, and one of his people claims that he’ll die if he heads to Hinagiku’s location. Fine, then die. Fuck it, man. I’m tired of him and Hinagiku going on and on about their feelings for each other, but never actually seeing each other. They never even talk to each other. In this damn epsiode, instead of Rosei talking to her on the phone, it was Itecho instead. It’s like emotional blue balls for a love story. It’s so damn stupid.
The first light novel cover has Rosei and Hinagiku staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. What a scam.
The strongest job is apparently not a hero or a sage, but an appraiser (provisional)! Ep. 11
Man, what I wouldn’t do for Hibiki’s copy ability. Just imagine being able to create a fresh sandwich anytime you want. Well, I can sorta do that, but I’ll eventually run out of deli meat. Everything’s just so expensive nowadays.
Anyway, the trio keeps dungeoning. Even though Hibiki should be spamming his appraisal skill left and right, he never does. So they end up in a tricky battle that eventually sees him fall into a teleportation trap. It eventually consumes his abilities and whisks him away…? Then a girl in the realm of the gods wakes up? Bah, I don’t really know what’s going on and I don’t really care. Just one more episode left, though. So at least there’s that.
Scum of the Brave Ep. 21
This episode was more about the girls proving themselves. Indo realizes she can just stab her opponents through her portals instead of actually engaging in close quarters combat. I’m not sure why Yashiro never gave her this advice. Seems kinda obvious in retrospect. In the end, Indo sorta gets her revenge on the Nephilim by beheading her opponent. Meanwhile, Sara just has to get over mental hurdles, so her fight treats us to a flashback. Once that happens, she chops off her opponent’s leg. It might seem like she spared him, but I feel like you would eventually die from all the blood loss, no?
Unfortunately, we run out of time for Jougamine so we’ll have to wait another week to see if she can beat the spear girl. I just think it’s odd if she ends up seriously injuring the girl. After all, she defied Yashiro and saved Twin Pincer. Since then, we’ve already killed Drit, though you can argue he’s a monster so he doesn’t count…? Seki is nearly dead. I dunno, it just feels a little inconsistent to me.
Akane-banashi Ep. 10
Like always, I can’t say anything about Akane’s performance. I simply can’t judge something I’m unfamiliar with, and even after two months of watching this show, I still don’t really get rakugo. As much as I like anime, a lot of Japanese culture really doesn’t mesh with me. I think jdrama acting is super hammy, but I’m sure this is a deliberate stylistic choice. Similarly, I think Japanese humor is generally super corny. Again, stylistic choice. And rakugo is kind of like a blend of both! But enough about that. Let’s just move on.
Akane’s performance started in last week’s episode, and it takes up a good chunk of this week’s episode as well. In the end, she actually takes first prize. Unfortunately, Issho is displeased. Apparently, she’s considered a pro, and this competition was really meant for amateurs and amateurs only. Well, if you feel so damn strongly about it, then put that in the rules next time!
I’m just happy ugly haircut guy lost. I don’t even dislike him because of his ugly haircut. He’s just not a good person.
Akane wins her fifteen minutes with Issho, so she asks what we’ve all been wondering since the very first episode: why did the old man expel her father all those years ago? But guess what? The show is gonna leave us on this damn cliffhanger. Of course. I would expect nothing less. Welp, see ya guys next week.
Ghost Concert – missing Songs Ep. 10
The men just sit around a table, eat food, and lore dump on us. You know all the important information and context that we could’ve used episodes and episodes ago? Well, here they are all jam-packed into one half of this week’s episode! The gist? AI + spirit power = bad! Odysseus = big bad! Cute MiucS thing = maybe not so bad? Then the second half is a trip through Reika’s life and how she met the monk, which (again) is something we should’ve learned about a while ago.
Anyway, what was with that gnarly monster the monk saw?
Mission: Yozakura Family S2 Ep. 9
The first half of the episode is pretty unserious as the family does a little spring cleaning. Basically, they tidy things up and discover embarrassing secrets along the way.
In the second half, we meet another former head, but this encounter is really just an infodump in disguise. They’re basically just explaining how Tsubomi intends to reap her descendants, and Mutsumi is the grand ol’ prize. So the new head goes bye-bye, ’cause we only have half an episode for this part of the story. Ain’t no time to give her much characterization. Meanwhile, Taiyo seemingly awakens to a brand new power? Eh. I think the half goofy, half serious pacing has kinda sapped the show of its tension.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword S2 Ep. 9
So we time-traveling now? Well, kinda. The witch sends Will’s consciousness back in time so he can learnremember why his body can store magic but not expel it. The details aren’t super important. It’s just your classic “I protected my love from death and all I got was this badass scar!” scenario. What I don’t understand, however, is why he forgot this critical moment in his and Elfie’s past. Does Wiz come with a cost? Or did whole incident traumatize him? Like what’s the deal here? Ah well, maybe I missed or forgot some prior detail. After all, I’m just casually watching this show.
Everything else about everything else:
I watched a bit of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You. Three things don’t work for me. First, smoking is just disgusting. I can’t root for anyone who smokes.
Second, the age gap is too much. Even though I’m not as old as Sasaki, I would never consider dating someone as young as… what’s her name? Yamada? Tamaya? Last but not least, is Sasaki blind or what? It’s so obviously the same woman.
What’s going on with Even a Replica Can Fall in Love? Honestly, I’m going to wait for all of the episodes to come out. I don’t wanna go from week to week, wondering if Nao’s going to get a happy ending. I’ll just check the ending. If it’s decent, I’ll go back and watch everything I missed. If it’s a downer, I don’t need that right now. Too much bullshit going on in life to get sad about cartoons.