[Zel’s Anime Breakdown] Summer 2018 : Volume 3

This volume of the breakdown is going to be biased because I’ll solely be focused on my favorite episode of BNHA finally being animated.

Scene-Stealer

Dedicated to (my) best boys of the series, how can you NOT be impressed with this particular fight sequence? I’ve screamed to the heaven’s about this (on twitter), but Deku’s fancy footwork had me reeling!

 

Character Spotlight

image source

Katsuki Bakugou

Have you read my OWLS piece on Kacchan’s pride? You can find it here. My feelings about this character have changed a ton since the series has started. He started off as my most hated character to being one of my favorites. This particular fight was pivotal for me in understanding Katsuki and his particular issues. Not only has he finally opened up about his issues, he’s finally reached out to the one person who he can openly admit these to, and can also be the root of those issues: Izuku.

He’s finally expressing the emotions he’d kept locked up for so long. The metaphorical cap of his insecurities has finally blown exposing a very hurt Katsuki filled with crushing guilt and fear.

He confronts Izuku about how he’s felt that the latter was looking down on him – the biggest miscommunication and misunderstanding of them all. Would their relationship had been different if Katsuki hadn’t seen Izuku’s helping hand as offensive? Yes, probably. His ego and his pride hadn’t been checked by anybody, so why would someone less amazing than him even think about helping him unless they themselves thought Katsuki was weak.

He expresses the guilt he carries for believing he’s the cause for All Might’s retirement; something that also plagues Izuku. But Izuku had no clue that Katsuki would feel this way. After all Katsuki is Izuku’s symbol of Victory; he envies his childhood friend for his tenacity and strength and has modeled himself after the blonde. Once Izuku expresses his adoration much more clearly, Katsuki finally understands Izuku (and their interactions in the manga since this event have been relatively cute).

He also starts to question his own motivations to be a hero. Both he and Izuku idolized the same person, and while he sees Izuku as weak and powerless; All Might looked at Izuku and saw something more. Was Katsuki’s ideals of Victory and being the indisputable number 1 wrong? Why did All Might acknowledge Izuku out of all the people in the world? As All Might later explains, Katsuki is wary and afraid of Izuku’s heroic heart. Izuku’s need to save and rescue is the opposite of Katsuki’s need to win and be victorious. They’re two sides of the same coin, and if they were able to work together, they’d be incredible.

Episode Breakdown*

screencap via crunchyroll.com

 

Kacchan VS. Deku 2, Episode 61, My Hero Academia

A reprise of their first battle from season 1. The duo finally hash out their complicated feelings and misunderstandings the best way Katsuki knows how: battle. This battle doesn’t hold any real meaning other than as a form of catharsis for Katsuki.

The layers of miscommunication between this duo has been festering since they were children. Children. Let that sink in. Katsuki has misinterpreted so much of Izuku’s actions since they were toddler’s!

After the fight, the (wonder) duo’s relationship has taken on a different form, as Katsuki says, “Things will be different from now on”

One thing that I didn’t like about the episode was how they slightly changed the interaction between Izuku and Katsuki while they’re cleaning the dormitory during their house arrest. Though it is such a very subtle change, I feel that it deters from Katsuki’s character growth.

In the manga, Izuku doesn’t ASK Katsuki’s opinion about shoot style. Katsuki offers his opinon on his own accord. It showcases him reaching out to Izuku for once and initiating that change in their rivalry and actually seeing Izuku as an equal. Having Izuku ask for it invalidates that growth, because the context is completely changed in that small gesture.

There has been quite a few instances in which the anime has glossed over Bakugou’s interactions, and honestly they might make an appearance on the blog sometime soon.

General Thoughts

Hanebado

image source

The series is finally over, and as much as I loved the premise and the animation, the struggle of Hanesaki’s love for badminton was an ultimate killer for me. It wasn’t really resolved by the end of the season, despite the whole let’s do this as a team! Her personal reasons for playing badminton are not apparent. I wasn’t convinced that she really loved the sport apart from the negative affiliation she has to it via her abandonment issues with her mom.

The next two are older series’ and oddly enough they are slice of life’s that I’ve come to really enjoy.

Hanasaku Iroha

image source

A spunky highschooler’s life is turned upside down and she’s sent to live with her grandmother who runs an onsen.

I’m halfway through the series and really like this one. I haven’t watched much cute girls doing cute things, so this was a change of pace for me and was a very much appreciated change. I like Ohana’s spunky can-do personality, and her supporting cast offer diverse personalities that can be enjoyed in their own right.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori

image source

Four guys running a traditional Japanese restaurant. It’s a good slice of life, but nowhere near as cute and endearing as Hanasaku. If anything Rokuhoudou had me craving to find a japanese cafe much like this here in the bay area. Not sure if I’ll eve be successful, but if any one of my readers are an SF Bay Area resident, please let me know if you’ve found a place!

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That’s all I have to wrap up my summer series breakdown. I’m gonna attempt my Fall Breakdown soon! Thanks for reading!

What did you guys think of Hero Academia’s season? Let me know in the comments below.

Also, just as an FYI – BNHA will most likely be a huge topic around Archi-Anime, and may or may not get annoying. I’ll try to vary the content, but no promises because I’ll write what I want to write. 🙂

[Zel’s Anime Breakdown]: Summer 2018: Volume 2

Hey guys and welcome back to Zel’s Anime Breakdown! The first volume was a success, and I’m glad you all like my little spin on the “weekly” review thing. Granted,  this one is coming rather late. Sometimes time just seems to pass by in the blink of an eye and yeah. But anyways, I’ll give a more personal update soon.

The season opener of Attack on Titan Season 3 takes the cake for the next two sub-categories.

Scene-Stealer

screencap via crunchyroll

Levi’s action scene through the town, was just phenomenal. The sharp angles, the perspectives, there was just a high level of animation in this sequence that I just…I can’t. Levi has been one of my favorites coming into this series, and this scene was just as dynamic as the manga. Color me impressed really. Action-packed ending was great, despite the cliffhanger.

Character Spotlight

screencap via crunchyroll

Historia Reiss. I’ve been waiting for the longest time for this arc to be animated, and I’m just…so happy and excited. I’ve written about Historia before for a Women Crush Wednesday post, that could be found here.

She was a standout during the first few episodes because we got to learn more about who Historia is, and her facade has dropped and we see her for who she really is. She’s actually not the happy go lucky girl we knew and love from previous seasons as Christa. It’s really heartbreaking to hear how Historia was raised by an unaffectionate unloving mother who ignored her at every turn.  This scene especially was sad, she was happy that her Mother physically touched her, even if it was a shove to get Historia away from her. The look of pure joy at this gesture is just…*sigh*

Episode Breakdown*

“Class 1-A”, Episode 55, My Hero Academia, Season 3.

I have to say, as a manga reader of the series, this episode came a bit out of left field, and I had wondered why the content felt so foreign, and it’s because, it is.

The first half of the episode featuring Todoroki’s battle and Yaoyorozu’s battle were original content to the anime. It’s a bit of filler to the main story of Hero Academia, but it doesn’t detract from the main story. This episode was done fairly well in integrating these battles for several reasons.

screencap via crunchyroll

Todoroki’s penchant for going solo into battle and trying to work alone is emphasized here in the anime, and I think it’s rather important for some key elements that will become apparent as the season draws to a close. In the manga, however, Todoroki’s battle was a mere single page-showing that he overpowered his opponents alone without any trouble – which is opposite to how it’s depicted in the anime. Todoroki is strong alone, but the fact that he works alone is a deterrent to his growth – the anime wanted to emphasize that, and I think it was successful.

screencap via crunchyroll

Yaoyorozu’s battle alongside Jirou, Tsuyu and Shoji can be broken down into a few elements. It continues to show Momo’s progress in her ability to quickly think through a situation. Granted, a lot of our female cast has been cast aside for a lot of Midoriya’s improvement alongside the other boys. But when they do highlight the girls, they do it incredibly well. Case in point, Momo’s opponent’s quirk is “IQ”. I mean, the girl’s quirk is to literally think through her situation, and yet she got bested by Momo. We already know that Momo is the smartest in her class, as she is ranked number 1 in terms of grade standings.

The more important element of this battle reinforces Aizawa’s speech at the end of the episode. I personally felt that the manga speech was far more compelling/eloquent than what Aizawa actually said, so I’ll be referencing that instead.

“When it comes to class 1-A, one thing becomes obvious after watching them long enough. They probably haven’t realized it themselves, but the class revolves around a certain pair.  It’s not that they bring everyone together or serve as pillars or anything like that. In fact, these two don’t get along. But at one point or another, they infected the rest of their class with their passion and fervor.  It’s odd, but at least one of them is sure to be at the heart of every storm. So, no, Joke, I’m not worried. I’m expecting big things. The very presence of those two…raises the bar for the entire class.”

“Wonder Duo” – screencap via crunchyroll

Throughout the series, we’ve seen a number of classmates be influenced by our “Wonder Duo” (so aptly named by All Might – which the anime completely skipped on). Yaoyorozu’s battle, we see her and Shouji in a what would Midoriya do? moment.  Yes, she referred to Todoroki and Iida first, but at the end of her thoughts, it’s what Midoriya says that really sticks to her. We also, see how Midoriya’s tenacity has affected Uraraka moreso than anyone else. It’s why she likes him so much, (I’ll have to touch on Uraraka in a future episode because I find her development to be quite great). And, despite Bakugou’s rough nature, we see that he’s influenced Kaminari and Kirishima most. However, the duo in general has affected the entire class wholly, and are the baselines for achievement, and I, much like All Might, can’t wait to see what these two can do as hero’s that both win and rescue.

*note: I’m considering creating a separate post for episode breakdown just because this might be something I’d like to do for any number of series that I’m invested in. 

General Thoughts

Attack on Titan
Episode 38, 39 & 40

Kenny finally makes an appearance alongside what appears to be new and improved gear that’s meant to attack humans versus titans.  It’s clear that Kenny has influenced/raised Levi considering the level of understanding in how the other one acts and thinks in battle. However, since Levi has probably gained a lot more experience over the years of absence of the other – it’s no surprise that Levi is accustomed to adapting moreso now than before.

screencap via crunchyroll

The level of blood and gore is still prevalent, and more so humanizing now that the Military Police is going after the Scouts. It’s not just fighting “monsters” but rather the battle between humanity inside the walls that had no reason to occur prior to the uncovering of some of the wall’s mysteries.  Levi makes killing look so effortless that I’m sure it stuns a lot of the younger soldiers – especially Jean, who’s starting to struggle with the fact they have to fight other humans now instead. The internal moral debate for Jean to take another life is an important theme being explored in the series as a whole, with special regard to the newfound information that Titan’s were at some point human. Whereas Armin has already embraced that it’s a kill or be killed moment; he questions his humanity after, how easy it was to just pull the trigger to save Jean, but let’s not forget that Armin was also the one to say, “To defeat a monster, you must be willing to throw aside your humanity and all that makes you human.” Levi has to instill in them that this is the only way they’re going to survive given the new climate they face, as they are now labeled as the enemy to the crown and Military Police. He’s even said that he himself isn’t sure what’s right or wrong. At his core, Levi only knows how to survive – which is clear since he decided to team up with Reeves even though he was working with the enemy. He’s doing what he can with whatever is at his disposal to get ahead. That speaks volumes of where Levi has been.

Seeing the kids in this season again, made me realize, they look so much more different than previous seasons. They’re so much more mature looking now. Whether that’s because of the stress and trauma that have caused them to age rapidly, or just the time lapse that’s occurring in the series, it’s jarring but it’s not necessarily a bad thing at all. It’s just taking me awhile to adjust to how they look.

Again, there are some slight differences between the anime and the manga, but they’re not huge deterrents. Granted, I stopped reading the manga sometime in the following arc. It became too much for me to comprehend. LOL, I’ll have to re-visit it sometime.

Banana Fish
Episode 3

screencap via amazon prime video

Ash is in jail, and Max Lobo has been asked to “protect” Ash. However, he’s definitely not the type that really needs to be protected. Max and Ash also come to the revelation that they have a link to one another, banana fish and Ash’s brother. Max has shown remorse for abandoning Ash’s brother when he needed help, but had no idea that the guy was still alive.

The plot thickens in this episode. Especially now that Eiji has been drawn in. I find it fascinating that Ash has already chosen Eiji as the person he trusts to help him out on the outside. Given how “innocent” Eiji is, I feel like this is asking for all kinds of trouble. What exactly is Banana Fish?  Is it a person? A drug cartel? The drug itself? I guess we’ll find out the more as each episode goes on. I’m quite behind on this, show..so maybe the next volume of this series will talk more about it.

Hanebado
Episode 3 & 4

I have to say, the melodrama is getting to be a bit excessive for me. I get it Hanesaki is dealing with some issues when it comes to her mom, but it’s starting to get a little drawn out.  I’d like to see more of the sports aspect of this than the drama. Also, Hanesaki’s opponents seem to just be a tad over the top. Animation is great when they actually do play badminton, and that alone is enough for me to continue the series.

Cell’s at Work (Hataraka Saibo)
Episode 2 & 3.

Each of these episodes have been quite cute, but I am afraid it has been pretty gimmicky like I thought in my first impression of the episode. Though I think the Influenza episode was scary just because they portrayed it as a horror with zombies. I felt bad for the naive t-cell but thought his progression at the end was hilarious.

Still a cute series, I’ll be continuing to watch whenever I get a chance.

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What do you think of the series’ that you’re watching now that we’re more than halfway through the season? Have shows lost a bit of their shine lately?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

P.S. I’m also considering anime breakdowns of older series’ but still contemplating the name. Per usual, too many ideas and not enough time to execute them; so we’ll see!

[Zel’s Anime Breakdown] Summer 2018: Volume 1

Hi guys! Welcome to the re-vamped [This Week in Anime] series. I felt that my original title was too rigid, too newslike of a title for my intent for this series. I’ve become more casual in my anime viewing, since I’ve come to realize and accept that I sometimes fall off the wagon of watching shows consistently, I wanted a more fitting title, hence Zel’s Anime Breakdown, ‘cuz I at least watch a few things a week.

I tend to pick-up on certain things in scenes and that also varies in how invested I am in the series. So…yeah…, that being said this will definitely won’t be your typical “weekly” anime review.

Scene-Stealer*:

image via crunchyroll

Platelets! HOW FREAKING CUTE ARE THESE MUNCHKINS. This entire scene was just pure cuteness, little platelets doing construction work. HAHA.

*something different that I want to do is highlight a scene that stood out to me each week. 

Character Spotlight**:

image via crunchyroll

DEKU!!!!!

Okay, this segment might not be the best idea for a “weekly” re-cap. I mean, I’m completely obsessed with this precious little hero so it might be a bit hard to be unbiased.

Deku’s constantly evolving his quirk with All Might trying to teach him without giving him direct answers. Deku finally reaches his answer and my gosh, I felt so much pride for Deku, a moment for him to stun Aizawa & Bakugou with his new style. The fond knowing smile that shows up on All Might’s face just shows how much he has believed in Deku finding his answer with the right push. He knows Deku goes above and beyond All Might’s expectations every single time. It’s a knowing smile of how far Deku has come.

**on top of scene, I want to pick a character that stood out to me that week. Both are a way to break out of the whole “review” thing and look at things on another level. And this will probably help me in the long run for my end of year Anime Awards!

Episode Breakdown***

Boku no Hero Academia

Season 3, Episode 52

The gang is back in school, and they’re gearing up for their provisional license exams. Can I tell you, how PSYCHED I am for this arc. Some major character development is on the horizon; feelings are exposed, and self-doubt and self-reflection occur for a few of our favorite hero’s.

Now, I’m up to date with the manga for BnHA, and I may point out some of the slight differences in this section in the future. I’m doing it because I’m starting to feel that the anime is glossing over some of the more important interactions in the manga that are specifically THERE for development albeit it’s really subtle.

***Episode breakdown will pretty much be analyzing or pointing out some nuances I picked up on while watching said episode. But next week will be more in-depth.

General Thoughts

Banana Fish

Episode 1 & 2

What a great kick-off to the series!  I went into this series completely blind. Well, that’s not entirely true, since I’ve read Naja’s OWLS post on this awhile ago. I knew it had dark themes, but I was pleasantly surprised to see just how dark we were going, the depths of gangs and drugs.

The animation and it’s content is a breath of fresh air, especially since I’ve been bogged down in shounen shows like BNHA and Attack on Titan.

Ash, is likely to be another blonde to add to my ever-growing list of favorites. He’s smart, spunky and overall an intriguing main character. When I told Naja this, she figuratively and literally rolled her eyes for all the ladies jumping on the Ash bandwagon.  Apparently that sparked a special project for Naja, I’m patiently awaiting said project and am going to definitely link it when it comes out!

Also, for the record, as I have been properly educated by Naja, that it would be a disservice to this manga adaptation to label this as a BL/Yaoi, because it’s definitely much more than that. Granted, it’s easy to be quick to assume and label this as something akin to Yuri!! on Ice but we really shouldn’t be so quick to assume things because of this story. I was definitely in that group, but I’m going to keep an open mind and not just mindlessly group it into something it’s not.

Cell’s at Work (Hataraka Saibo)

Episode 1

I think this is the cute comedy of the summer. The anthropomorphism of cells working inside the human body like everyday professionals is kind of weird in concept, but it works so well! The characterization of each of the cells and their job types just fit them so perfectly. It’s such a creative twist for a series. But how much can you do without appearing to be gimmicky?

It kind of reminds me of The Magic School Bus, but instead of shrinking people and going in to explore the body, we’re literally seeing how the cells move and work inside the body. It’s actually pretty educational, but I’m curious as to just how accurate it is.

Hanebado

Episode 1 & 2

I’m a self-proclaimed sports anime fanatic. Granted, I haven’t ventured to watch many of the more classical sports ones. I’ll get there eventually.

I’ve realized I haven’t watched a lot of female-centric shows, as I feel there’s been a lot of “cute girls doing cute things”and that’s not really my jam, and there’s nothing wrong with those that do! Once in awhile I venture into the genre though. However, getting back to the topic. Hanebado, is wonderfully animated, very sharp and precise and it’s really one of the biggest draw-in’s for me. The melodrama is as expected, but the vague history of Hanesaki is rather intriguing.

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Also, I know you guys are probably like, wait a second, she’s missing her most important review! I’m doing a Free! collab with my dear friend Lita over a Lita Kino’s Anime Corner, and we’ll be alternating the posts between her blog and mine so be on the look out for those!

[Summer 2017] First Impressions

Just about all the premiere’s have started. And I figured I would give an update about how I feel about the ones I’ve had on the list and some of those that I picked up out of curiosity. Now, most of you know that I usually finish the anime’s that I start regardless if they’re amazing or intolerably bad. It’s possible a lot of these may end up going “on-hold” but I’ll try not to do that.  Also, I’ve found that I’m bad with doing the whole weekly/episodic review, so while I MAY attempt it, it’s most likely I’ll end up with a mid-season and a final thoughts type post.

I’ve noticed there are quite a few short form anime’s this season, and I have to say, this format is really growing on me! Anyways, this is going to be a pretty long post since I ended up watching a lot of premieres so please feel free to use the following page jumps to navigate to the ones you’re interested in. With that being said, let’s get to it!

[Watch List] Summer 2017

Hey guys! With the Spring Season wrapping up – I figured it was time to look ahead at the some of the summer shows coming and what I’m looking forward to.

If you hadn’t noticed, I didn’t really participate in watching anything during the Spring season. The only one I really watched consistently was Attack on Titan. Other than that, I have a ton in my queue to watch from spring but never started. Personally, it seems that nothing really grabbed my attention as a must watch; so a majority of these will end up being binge-watched at some point. Many of you have suggested a lot of Spring anime for me to watch in particular, I’ll have to hold on to those a little bit longer.

 

Anime Watch List!

Hey everyone! Today’s update to my “Anime Watch List” is a mixed bag. Due to my short break/hiatus. I’ve barely caught up with anime; a lot of stuff has been pushed onto the backburner for the time being. So this post will basically sum up what I’ve finished, not finished, and currently watching and plan to watch. I’m kind of continuing my format from the Winter Season, but not sure if I’ll be doing weekly posts on a show.

I need to do a bit of housekeeping on this post (graphics, etc), so please bear with me I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things here at Archi-Anime and trying to walk and not run back into the blogging world.

Spring 2017 list

I still haven’t decided what shows of the Spring season I want to watch, but so far:

• Attack on Titan 2 (season 2)
• Clockwork Planet (it horrible so far, but I’m an ani-masochist)
• Berserk

From Winter 2017 list

• Acca-13 (completed)
  
• Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Impure King Arc (completed)
  
• Fuuka (completed)
• Super Lovers 2 (completed)
• Nanbaka (completed)
• Masamune-kun no Revenge
• Kuzu No Honkai (Scum’s Wish)
• Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen

I’ll get around to watching the final 3. I swear! I’ll try to write some final thoughts on these! 🙂

MISCELLANEOUS (BACKLOG)

I’ve moved a few of my incomplete’s into here..*sigh*

• Your Lie in April (re-watch)
  I’m following along with WeekendOtaku‘s re-watch party. Your Lie in April is one of my absolute favorites, I’ve dropped a bit in the party but I’ll be more active and spamming with comments soon. lol.

• Vision of Escaflowne (in progress)
• Gravitation (completed) FINALLY
• Re:Zero
  
• March Comes in Like a Lion
• All Out!!

Anime Watch Update

I tried my hardest to catch up with my shows, I’ve gotten most of my winter line-up except for Kuzu No Honkai & Rakugo. I’m like 3 weeks behind so..please bear with me. Writing these reviews take a lot more time than I thought. I seriously wonder how I can get this to work more in the future! But here we go! There may be a lack of graphics so I apologize in advance.

I also have a special review coming up sometime soon. I watched a film that’s a bit dated because a friend (Naja) told me too, and I was utterly at a loss for words by it. That should be up soon sometime!

Winter 2017 list

Acca-13
I finally caught up. Acca has been interesting to watch with all these little twists in the plot concerning Jean. I was not expecting that revelation in episode 8. And all I can say is NINO!! Boy was I ever wrong to judge his character. I didn’t understand him, I didn’t want to understand him. I thought he was possibly the worst friend/person there was on the show but my gosh was I wrong. Nino has endured so much, and his entire life revolved around Jean, and he kept on with his Father’s duties making them his own, following the story that his father and he and created as he grew up. Ah, I feel horrible for having misjudged Nino this entire time.

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Impure King Arc
Stuff is finally happening with Rin and the gang. It was a really long set-up to get the story going. I still forget that the last half of the first season isn’t canon. You’d think midway through the season I’d finally get that stuck in my head, but nope, it hasn’t really sunk in. I noticed in the latest episode Yukio’s eyes have a flash of the blue flame associated with Satan; I’m assuming his powers may have been locked deep in hiding and due to the stress that Todo had put him under by threatening to kill him may have awakened that part of him. I’m really curious if he does get demonic powers like Rin. Also, there was a flash of telekinesis between the two brothers. I won’t like I low key wanted Rin to jump and search for his brother and save the day, but he couldn’t leave Bon. AH! I was also surprised by Bon’s reasons for being upset at Rin; it wasn’t that he was Satan’s son, but rather he couldn’t confide in his friends that he was carrying this burden alone. I’m a bit thrown off by that one character, Shima. He was really going to abandon his friends?! Ahh, I was thrown off by him completely!

Fuuka

Surprisingly Fuuka has kept my interest. I think it’s the musical aspect at this point but still, I look forward to each episode. Now that Yuu and Tama-chan are officially dating I’m more keen to see them break up and see him get with Fuuka. Because that ending with the photo of two hands clasped as a background photo has me intrigued. Whose hand is he really holding?

Super Lovers 2

I’ve been keeping up with the manga, and despite my complaints of the inconsistency of the animation I’m not gonna lie; this had me fan-griping from time to time. Damn those shojou sparkles they implement. What is it about that effect that garners fangirl squeals? I’ll have to write a post about that at some point!

Nanbaka

There’s a lot going on in Nanbaka, we recently found out a few of the back stories of the inmates, particularly Nico. His split personality is suppressed by all those medications he takes which makes total sense but seriously what’s with these prisons doing crazy dangerous experiments on the inmates!?

Masamune-kun no Revenge
I’m just about caught up with Masamune. But I’m not going to lie, this one is a struggle to keep up with. The ani-masochist in me knows I’ll finish this but I’m starting to get bored with it. I’m waiting for something interesting to happen. Aside from the introduction of this new character whose motive we’re not sure of quite yet, it seems to be repetitive week to week.

*Kuzu No Honkai (Scum’s Wish)
*Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen

FALL 2016 CONTINUATIONS

*March Comes in Like a Lions
*All Out!!

MISCELLANEOUS (BACKLOG)

*Gravitation
*Re:Zero

Winter 2017: Week 4 Re-cap….but not really…..

Per week, I’ve been arranging these reviews per order I was watching. However, I think I’m going to write them based on what I found to be the more interesting/entertaining. Fuuka has moved to the bottom while Nanbaka moved up. I’ve really only watched Nanbaka this past week.

Unfortunately this week, has been incredibly busy so I haven’t been able to watch much if anything at all. Majority of these will just be marked with my author’s note that I am in need to catch up.  This is generally why I didn’t want to do episodic reviews, but I figure this will somehow help keep me accountable for my shows while providing more content. Also you’ll notice the 3 lists were ordered by season and within those lists are sub-lists of shows that I’d have them listed in what I deemed to be more important/entertaining.

However, since I didn’t watch much from the winter season, I’ll be ranting featuring something from my backlog list that I DID end up watching this week:

Miscellaneous (the Backlog list)

Daimidaler (Kenzen Robo Daimidaler)
Over the weekend, as most of you know, I was working from home, plugging away at my computer working on some floor plans for a project deadline. I had tweeted out that I had needed something to watch in the background. shoujothoughts had suggested “Dance with Devils,” which I put on, but the bishies were blinding and distracting so I was forced to turn it off and save it for another day in which I can appreciate them.

Then my dear friend Jill, like the sweetheart that she is, decided to recommend what she deemed to be the worst anime in existence. She proclaimed:

“I needed someone else to share my pain with, it’s not fun to suffer alone” – Jill

She knew that I, an ani-masochist, would absolutely have to finish what I started as she suffers from the same self-diagnosed condition. Why would you put yourself through it if it was the worst? Curiousity killed the cat, and oh how right she was. No one should ever have to endure this pain alone. “What’s Daimidaler about?” you ask? Oh hohoho, well let me give you the rundown!

Synopsis:
The comedy centers around a high school boy named Madanbashi Kouichi who has Hi-ERo particles, the power source to operate the robotic weapon Daimidaler.

With the help of Sonan Kyouko from the mysterious Prince Beauty Parlor organization, he stands up against the Penguin Empire that troubles humanity. – MAL & ANN

This anime was quite the eye-opener. The dialogue is so hilariously bad to listen to as background noise. At times I found myself questioning myself ,“Wait, did they really just say….that?…I’m just hearing things…..right?”. Unfortunately, every time I thought I misheard something, I completely did NOT. Believe me I’ve rewound things and read the subtitles. I was not mistaken, they really said that! But alas, it was just too was hard to look away. No, really. I’m dead serious, it really was hard to look away. It was a tractor beam that kept pulling me further into into this crazy daimidaler world.  It’s the type of bad that you just can’t stop watching. So, I mean….I guess it has it’s own kind of charm? (As Naja has said).

Special Attack! Two-handed quadruple skirt-flip!

Several thoughts:

1. I’ve never seen an anime so ecchi that it should be considered a hentai. I was not prepared for the level of nudity that was involved. But I mean, what more could you expect from a series where charging up your robot means you have to do perverted things (a.k.a. fondle boobs) – and as tvtropes.org has called it “Deus Sex Machina” – a fictional element that requires sex for it to work; in this case, the robot.
   
2. And apparently “Daimidaler” translates into “Huge Slut” or “Great Slut”. I mean….not that I’m completely surprised by this revelation….
3. The cutaway shots for where commercials should appear was incredibly suggestive. Imagine a sex scene….without the male counterpart…awkward….and this was one of the more tame cuts!!!!
   
4. PENGUINS WITH FRONT TAILS. Yes, just imagine that for a second. Oh? No? You can’t? Here’s some wretched eye-candy to torture you with:AND THE PENGUINS SING THEIR OWN DAMN THEME SONG!!
5. This show is so blunt with it’s innuendo that it’s not really… innuendo anymore? Okay, it’s straight diry talk. Lewdness to the max!
   Here, let me provide you with some examples:
   • “Why is your front tail at my mouth level”
   • “Enough about their dick tails!”
   • Penguins: “She polished our front tails! On her knees no less!” The character literally did polish their tails till the sparkles.
   • “A voice as soothing as an industrial-size jar of hand lotion.”
   • “They call it a ‘blow’ because it really, really sucks.”
   • “I’m so happy you helped yourself to my tongue like it was a free breadstick”
   • “It’s like watching two emoji’s trying to mate”
   • character 1: “we’re finally breaking our dry spell”
     character 2: “yeah, but how much of a pounding can she handle?”
     (This is them referring to breaking out a new mecha model)
   • Your titties should be feared and respected!

Honestly, I could sit here all day chronicling  these terrible lines for you, they are pure nuggets of genius. Can you sense the sarcasm? I hope so. The lines are so lewd and so bad that I end up laughing till my sides hurt and crying at the same time.  There’s absolutely no plot in this story. It’s really for shits and giggles and probably poking fun at a ton of different tropes. Sure this show has got it’s own charm…I guess, but it’s not for the faint of heart or for those who can’t see the hilarity that is found in complete garbage.

You’re probably confused. Is this a positive review or a negative? She’s complaining right? This is a rant….but she’s laughing? *sigh* Believe me, I’m just as lost and confused as you are as you read this. I’m not sure how to feel about Daimidaler. Yes it’s bad, It’s really really…really…really bad. I can’t emphasize that enough. But, I just …can’t…. help but be entertained for entertainments sake.

To be fair, even though I talk about it and can laugh about it I highly doubt I would ever suggest for anyone to watch this. For the love of all things pure and good, don’t ever turn on Daimidaler. Feeling curious still? DON’T DO IT. I BEG YOU. Don’t suffer as I have in this hell!! And don’t blame me for your dead brain cells if you do!

This kind of humor will definitely kill brain cells, no lie. But I still can’t turn away! Damn the ani-masochist that dwells in my soul!! Thankfully I’m 8 episodes in with 4 to go and then I can purge my memory banks. Seriously, where’s that Men in Black memory wiper when you need it!?

*Gravitation
*Re:Zero

Winter 2017 Watch List:

*Kuzu no Honkai (Scum’s Wish)
*Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-Hen
*Acca-13
*Blue Exoricsit: Kyoto Impure King Arc

Nanbaka
Gah! Ended on another cliffhanger! The frustration is real! Finally it’s moved on into the story versus what felt like filler episodes since the season started.  Jyugo, Nico and Uno along with a few other inmates are on their way to find Hajime and Samon; while they understand what’s happening in Building 5. We also get Samon’s back story as to why he hates Hajime so much. He hesitated to capture an officer for killing an inmate because said officer was his brother. However, Hajime was able to step up and subdue the officer and effectively put him behind bars. Thus creating  I like that Hajime doesn’t take it personal but instead tells Samon he just needs to forget that Enki is his brother and realize that he’s an inmate and he committed a crime; therefore you have to put your personal feelings aside and just apprehend the guy.

*Masamune-kun no Revenge
*Super Lovers 2
*Fuuka

Fall 2016 Continuations

*March Comes in like a Lion
*All Out!!

*Authors note: Didn’t get to watch these this week; but will eventually catch up!*

Winter 2017: Week 3

I haven’t had as much time to really watch a lot this past week, but I at least caught up with the ones I’m watching this season. Anyways, here’s a recap of the shows I’ve watched this week:

Winter 2017 list

Kuzu No Honkai (Scum’s Wish)

This week’s episode was filled with lots of dark and twisted moments. I’m actually mindblown by the music teacher. Her sweet calm friendly demeanor is clearly a facade. That last scene I think shows us a glimpse of her conniving personality as she and Hanabi have their semi-confrontation. Her eyes half closed with a smirk indicating something like ‘ah, I’ve been caught..time to turn the tables in this situation.’ I think she knows who’s important to Hanabi and may use that as leverage to keep her secret about that guy she was with the night before. I was also shocked that Mugi was completely blind; no maybe he’s completely in denial about what his secret love is doing with that ex-student of hers. It could’ve been him! I like the conflict that Hanabi is experiencing; she sees the mirror image of herself in Ecchan. As much as she looks down upon those who take interest in her when she has no interest in them she’s slowly seeing she’s exactly the same when it comes it her crush. She starts to see that Mugi and her really aren’t the same, which leads me to that scene of them in his room. I’m slightly confused by what transpired when she expressed that she wanted to try to love Mugi. Was that just something she said in passing or did it really hold some meaning?  From Mugi’s perspective I actually felt bad for the guy. It seems his experiences with girls that weren’t romantic partners but more physical partners have just practically used him. I found that scene of him saying he was a toy as his lover and him go their separate ways to be quite powerful of an image as he’s depicted alone and left behind and that transitions to Hana; the newest person to treat him like a toy as she uses his body to experiment since she has never done anything physical with a boy. It was an incredibly interesting episode! My attention has been caught by this and I’m looking forward to next weeks events.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen

First off, how adorable is Konatsu’s son?? And what’s this?! Kikuhiko is smiling when he’s with this little boy! I feel like this little boy is thawing out Kikuhikos frozen heart. I would like to see another side of him! This little boy is just like his grandfather Sukeroku. He’s charming, charismatic, and great at Rakugo! Future genius in the making? If Kikuhiko would take him under his wing he’d be a great performer. Konatsu finally got to do Rakugo in front of an audience but due to her being a woman, she won’t pursue it. I know it’s a male dominated profession, but with modern times fast approaching in their timeline, it would be radical for her to pursue such a dream, but I think she’d do well and bring even more attention back to the dying art. I know Kikuhiko wants it to die out with him but with so many people willing to pursue the dream that he and Sukeroku had; he should budge. I know Konatsu hates Kikuhiko, but I wonder if she also doesn’t do the Rakugo out of respect to him and his wishes of her not performing or if she just doesn’t want to get on his bad side.

Acca-13

I’m a week behind on this one.. so this write-up is about episode 3. There’s still a lot of intrigue going on with this one. I don’t have too mny thoughts on this episode in particular. All the attention is on Jean, but he doesn’t know why until one of the 5 tell him he’s come under suspicion as to him being the one who’s involved with the coup d’etat Seems like there could be a lot of motives for Grossular and the named prince to want the coup d’etat to happen. But I’m still looking for anything that stands out. We’ll see what happens next week.

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Impure King Arc

Very little action in this episode; the conflict from last week is semi-resolved as we find out who the traitor is and some of the reasoning behind it.  However, I found the confrontation between Bon and Rin to be a bit forced. I get that Rin was triggered by Bon’s fight with his father; but per usual Rin flew off the handle with his flames and keeping his emotions in check. I get that he’s concerned for their relationship; but you can’t forve people to make up even if it’s for their own good and to prevent them from future heartache.  The season over all is off to a slow-start, I hope it picks up a bit in the next few episodes.

Masamune-kun no Revenge

This shows’ plot gets more and more ridiculous and I am loving the silliness of it. I mean Masamune is learning how to exact his revenge via shoujo manga. Priceless. And a new love interest is introduced. Of course it wouldn’t be easy for Masamune to get Adagaki so easily and this early into the plot. Love triangle seems to be a theme this season!

Fuuka

I’ve come to the conclusion that I really really dislike Tama-chan. Honestly, I feel the initial appeal I had for this so how starting to wear thin. The story is a flat one-noted plot. The blushing faces of Tama-chan and Yuu gets old really fast as well as their awkward moments. I wish she’d flat out just say she’s in love with him but of course there’s no real conflict if she’d say it upfront. It does have its cute moments and I like the music, but other than that the show is waning in terms of interest. But knowing me; the ani-masochist in me isn’t going to drop this show.

Super Lovers 2

Haru is as dense as ever to realize his own feelings for Ren. I never realized how slow Haru was in the manga, it’s a lot different seeing this story animated. Is he really that dense or is this some kind of overused trope.  I’m starting to pick up a bit more of the nuances since I couldn’t really tell by reading the manga.  Ah, a new character makes an appearance! And now I’m kinda reminded that I didn’t really like this guy to begin with. I think the more annoying characters in this story are about to appear. And don’t get me wrong I really like this manga, but I don’t know why the adaptation really irks me.

Nanbaka

Nanbaka is pure entertainment to me. The flashy colors and the over the top character designs. My favorite is actually the least conspicuous of the cast: Sugoroku Hajime. He’s a bit of a brute, bald and has a scar on his face. I mainly like him because of his brutish personality and his foul mouth. He’s the strongest in the prison and commands respect; but he cowers around the warden because she’s scary as hell. Not much really going on in this episode except that Hajime and the inmates are investigating what caused a guard and an inmate to behave so violently. I still can’t tell who’s at the bottom of this, and I don’t see it being resolved in the next episode either. Okay, so the architectural style is starting to grow on me and can foresee this being apart of Fantasy Friday sometime soon.

Fall 2016 Continuations

*March Comes in Like a Lions
*All Out!!

Miscellaneous (Backlog)

*Gravitation
*Re:Zero

*Authors note: Didn’t get to watch these this week; but will eventually catch up!*

Winter 2017: Week 2

Week 2 of the Winter season has just about ended and I’m trying my best to keep up! I noticed my posts can be graphic heavy, so I’m trying to lay off a bit and only going to choose a few scenes that stuck out to me the most per show. Not every show is going to have a compelling scene for me to screenshot. I’m also keeping this post open as I watch each episode, so these may end up being a stream of conciousness, of things I’ve noticed, picked up on, or even question. Also, fair warning: I think it’s safe to say this series of posts will be filled with Kikuhiko’s face this winter season. >_<

WINTER 2017

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen
Yotaro is in a tough position. He hasn’t found his niche in Rakugo, and now he’s got doubts about Konatsu, who he’s seen with another man. It’s become pretty clear that instead of understanding the stories he’s telling; that he’s just reciting how he’s heard it; and although 8th gen. Yakumo has told him to knock it off, he can’t deny that Yotaro has a good ear. This is problematic; how can you tell a story without understanding the context and why the story is being told? I can see why he hasn’t found his own style of Rakugo yet.
I also love the fact that Yotaro wants Yakumo, Konatsu, the baby and himself to be like a real loving family. The way he expresses it so much despite that Yakumo and Konatsu don’t get along is really endearing – especially when he brought 4 goldfish home: each one a symbol for each of them. I’m fairly certain that the black fish is Yakumo…black just like his heart /start fangirl rant, I cannot get over Yakumo/Kikuhiko’s facial expressions; he’s just so handsome with that look of disdain plastered on his face! Probably the cutest old man character ever to have exisited! He looks so regal and refined mixed with sex appeal!! >_< /end fangirl rant

Scum’s Wish
Wow, I’m floored by Hana telling Noriko to not cling to things that don’t belong to them. She’s a bit savage about it, which makes me wonder if she’s trying to stick to the making their relationship look real, or if she’s starting to feel something for Mugi – she does react a certain way later on in the episode when Mugi ruffles her hair a bit instead of kissing her, with her remarking “it’s like he’s my boyfriend”. The introduction of these 2 new characters add another layer of unrequited love. However I like Ecchan’s view-point as I’m not familiar with a girl-girl pairings in anime/manga. It’s clear that she’s in love with her best friend and Hana has no idea…but to end on that cliffhanger! What will happen between the two?  Will Hana tell Mugi what happened? Is this the development of another complex friendship? Ah! I’m so curious! Will Mugi and Hana end up falling for one another? But maybe not because, Hana believes that once you fall in love, it just has to be them. So many questions. Overall the episode was just as strong as the first, and I really hope it continues on this way for the rest of the series.

Acca-13
I don’t know why but I like this show’s “chill factor” and its art style, AND it’s jazzy OST. Jean and Nino are just two guys that are just super mellow, and I like it. But in the big picture, I guess, why is it being assumed that Jean is the leader of the coup d’etat. I’m quite curious if there’s something about Jean under the surface that we don’t know about, especially with the introduction of his friend Nino…who is apparently a double agent. What the heck?? Jean said they’ve been friends for 15 years, but Nino says to Grossler he’s known him for 30? Hmmm, I don’t know how to feel about Nino, and why are people bent on framing Jean?? So many questions!

Blue Exorcist
The plot is still being set up in these early episodes as well as the characters learning how to deal with their feelings about Rin being satan’s son.  I’m glad one of the characters already gave up on trying to give him the cold-shoulder, because what he said in the above screenshot is true. It takes more effort to avoid and ignore the issue than face it head on.

Nanbaka
The episode starts of with its usual slapstick antics, but they are starting to push the plot again. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the guard name Samon. The episode ends on a cliffhanger – which isn’t that much of a surprise I could see that coming a mile away.

Masamune-kun’s Revenge
This scene made me laugh way more than I should have, but….I feel you homie, I feel you.
Anyways, I think we’re about to see Masamune-kun fall head over heels again for the woman he vowed revenge against. I’m also curious as to what traumatic story Adagaki has that caused her to eat so much – I wonder if it’s related to him? I have a feeling it links back. Also, a new character was introduced; she looked a bit like Yoshino, but an older version of her.

Fuuka
The fight between Yuu and Fuuka seems a bit contrived, but it was kind of endearing how Mikasa resolved the situation by talking to them separately and then having Fuuka listen in on how Yuu actually feels about their fight.   Overall, I definitely like the relationship between Yuu and Fuuka that’s slowly growing – I think she’s a better match for him than the childhood friend. But boy, is she gonna be jealous when she finds out Yuu actually knows the band they both loved growing up. Not only that – the singer Tama and the bassist Nico are missing – I wonder if that’s supposed to be some kind of reflection on Yuu and Koyuki. I hope I’m reading too much into the comparison.

Super Lovers 2
This was a cute episode. Sometimes it can be a bit cringeworthy considering the age gap 16 & 24 respectively. I just want Ren to hurry up and be of age and for them to really sort their complex feelings out. Haru especially just needs to really be the adult and come to terms with what kind of relationship he wants with Ren. On another note, I’m up to date with the manga and I keep thinking about the latest chapter and how I’m completely twisted over it because it’s just one bad thing happening after another to Haru. I just want these two to be happy!

Fall 2016 Continuations

*March Comes in like a Lion (see Author’s note with * at end of post)
*All Out!!

Miscellaneous Shows (from the backlog)

Gravitation
I started watching this per Naja, Mel and Jill‘s suggestion. As our fangirl chats on LINE include spamming each other with a bunch of bishies almost daily. They said it was a must see for a BL fan. I’m into episode 3 so far, and I’m pretty into it, Eiri Yuki has already caught my eye. So far so good! 😀

*Re: Zero
I took a break from this one after binging the first part of the first season. But so far it’s been an interesting ride. I’m on the fence if I really like this one or not, but my cousin and I have been debating over it because he thinks its the best thing ever and I’m not 100% sold. What are people’s thoughts on Re:Zero?

*Author’s note: I’m currently behind on these shows but I swear I’ll continue these and write about them at some point, things are getting a bit crazy both in work and at home.*