It's crazy how quickly this season is going by. It feels like it was only a week ago that the spring season started and we're already a third of the way through. We've got ten shows to cover and I'm very tired after watching them all in a row, so let's get right into it so I can get some sleep.
Dororo
| Even when being held hostage, Dororo just doesn't care. |
Holy shit, Hyakkimaru was barely in this episode. That's awesome! I've been waiting for a chance to see Dororo do something more to contribute to the plot, and seeing an entire episode dedicated to her and her personal nemesis Itachi work together is a good way to do that. Especially since they, and let's be reasonable about this, KILLED A GODDAMN SHARK!! That's freaking hardcore! I haven't been this excited by a show of badassery in anime since Sugimoto punched a bear in the face! It's also really nice to see that Dororo has grown from her travels with Hyakkimaru, being more confident and resourceful after having been so close to so many demon battles that a giant shark barely even fazes her. I'm not sure how I feel about being so close to the treasure already, since there are still 8 more episodes left in the series, but I trust this show to be good all the way to the end at this point.
Sounds of Life
Up next is Why Don't You Just Use a Metronome, You Idiots? In episode 4, thanks to their dedicated practice, Kudo and the others have mastered their individual parts for the upcoming performance. However, when it comes time for the group to practice together, things start to fall apart very quickly. The group has trouble playing in sync with each other, constantly confusing the tempo and failing to blend their sounds. Hozuki gets overwhelmed by her failure to teach such an abstract concept until Takezo breaks up the tension by suggesting a team bonding trip to a monja restaurant. As the boys reassure her that they will still accept her even if she doesn't know everything, the group brainstorm about ways to keep time in a piece with no percussion and what the meaning of the piece may be. The group continues to make incremental progress even as the rest of the school thinks that it's just a bunch of delinquents using Takezo as their errand boy, and Kota tells Hozuki about Kudo's past.
This show may be the new Price of Smiles, starting off a bit iffy and then slowly improving with each episode to become something special. It may be my own nostalgic bias talking, but the struggle of a group of talented musicians learning how to play together is a compelling one for me, and hearing a trio of characters who had originally joined the club just to impress a cute girl inject their own personal meaning and experiences in a piece of classical music hit me hard. That calls back to my days in high school band in a way that not even Sound Euphonium could. I used to get into a lot of fights when I was a kid, and moving to a brand new high school where I didn't know anybody gave me a chance to reevaluate the kind of person I wanted to be. Band and drama gave me a chance to channel my anger and depression into something creative and was a catalyst for making some lifelong friends. I know it's not fair to use personal experience to review an episode, but I maintain that if a piece of art manages to evoke such memories in me that it's a good reflection on the art's quality. Besides, it's my blog, so shut up.
RobiHachi
Next up is Deadliest Catch. In episode 4, as the gang makes their way to Haccone Warp Station, they become concerned when they notice a group of ships tailing them. The ships don't belong to Yang, however, and they decide to make a pit stop at the water planet of Odwarla while they wait for their tail to pass them by. After eating lunch at a local restaurant, Hatchi realizes that the ships are tracking his spending, and thus claims to be broke and works off the debt at the restaurant instead. While there, he learns about a rare fish that fetches a handsome price on the market, and he and Robby team up with a merman named Gyo to catch the fish and pay for Gyo's wedding. Unfortunately, Robby didn't consider the effect that water pressure would have on Hizakuriger, and they barely escape with their lives. But luckily, the rare oarfish ends up trapped in Hizakuriger's cockpit anyway, and the profits they earn pay for both Hizakuriger's repairs and Gyo's wedding, so everything worked out okay in the end.
Okay, so you read the main plot of this episode and it was pretty okay, but none of that matters because we got backstory for Yang's goons! And it's as hysterical as I hoped. Seeing Yang win Aro's loyalty with just a comb and a meal was hilarious enough, but then seeing Aro try to win over Gura with the exact same lines (ignoring her gender) only for it to fall flat because he lacks Yang's sheer charisma and she was too busy listening to her headphones was so damn funny I had to pause the episode for at least two whole minutes from laughing so hard. Even better, though, we get hints that Yang may be romantically interested in Robby and that that is the actual reason he is pursuing him to the ends of the universe. If so, that is an interesting reveal, and not just for the comedic subversion of expectations. Anime doesn't have a lot of out and out queer representation, and the examples it does have tend to be a bit problematic and rape-y. And still, unless the show is explicitly a queer romance, they tend to be shoved in the background as minor comedic characters who exist purely to make the main characters uncomfortable with their flamboyant nature (think Leeron from Gurren Lagann) or as sexual predators designed to provide a tragic backstory (think Donovan from Berserk). But Yang isn't either of those. He's an antagonist, sure, and being a loan shark means he probably isn't the friendliest of characters or a great role model, and he is a bit of a joke with how campy he is, but the fact that he may be attracted to another man and that that is just an incidental part of his character and the core of it is still something else. It's barely commented on, and just serves as another facet of his colorful personality. It might have been better if Yang were a purely heroic character who happened to be gay, but it's still interesting representation that doesn't demonize or trivialize his sexuality. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, who knows? The point is, the hints are there and I found that interesting.
Fairy Gone
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| She's the best part of this show because her name is Patricia. |
I know this is going to sound negative when I say it, so I'm going to preface my thoughts with the conclusion that I still liked this episode. It had fun action scenes and I enjoyed the chance to see more of Marlya and Veronica as children. But everything just felt kinda off. The same energy that was in the previous three episodes of turning everything up to 11 and going as nuts as possible wasn't really here this week. The payoff for the big cliffhanger of Marlya being injured felt anticlimactic as she still defeated Bitter Sweet fairly easily, and the down time between that scene and the fight against the assassins felt more like pointless fluff than anything else. We already knew that the scholars were connected to Veronica, so what purpose did a scene about them lying to Marlya serve? Once the action gets going everything gets really good, with the claustrophobic underground tunnels and the atmospheric ruined church really building up the tension as the assassins Patricia and Jonathan attack our heroes, but it takes too long to get there and ends on another cliffhanger. Next week had better be a full episode of fighting these assassins because they are awesome personalities and it would be a waste to throw them away so soon.
Fruits Basket
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| I'll be honest...I wasn't expecting that. |
Next up is Awkward Flirting: The Animation. In episode 4, the shy girl is Kagura Soma, and she has been in love with Kyo since they were young children. The sheer passion she feels for her beloved occasionally manifests into violent impulses as she attacks Kyo for leaving the clan without warning for several months. Interestingly, members of the Soma clan don't transform when opposite gendered members of their family hug them. Kagura continues to shower affection upon Kyo, cooking him (and coincidentally everyone else) dinner, but the attention makes him uncomfortable, and when their antics cause the meal to be ruined, she sadly leaves the house. Tohru goes after her and helps her buy groceries to salvage dinner, and the two of them connect after she assures her that she has no romantic interest in Kyo. After the two girls cook dinner and Kagura spends the night, an accidental collision with the paper boy reveals her animal spirit to be the boar. Later, Tohru receives a phone call from her grandfather, and what she hears shocks her to her core.
So, first of all, I was wrong about Kagura's form. I guessed that she was going to be a sheep, but it turns out she's a boar. More importantly, this episode was really good. Kagura is an amazing character, able to make me laugh and cry at the drop of a hat (no I didn't literally cry, but I came close) and she is a great embodiment of the idea of loving someone as a person without ignoring their flaws. I did find it surprising that Tohru said she feels no romantic feelings for Kyo, but I'm inclined to take her at her word. Her primary concern for the past few episodes has been helping Kyo and Yuki get out of their shells and live harmoniously as a family, and I think she just sees them as close friends.
On top of all the great character development and hilarious antics (seeing Kyo get the stuffing kicked out of him never gets old), we had some interesting new plot developments. I think that the phone call Tohru got from her grandfather was news that the renovations are done and she has to move back in with him and leave the Somas, but I've heard at least one person theorize that the grandfather is actually dead, leaving her well and truly homeless, so who knows? Additionally, what the hell is the deal with Kyo's "true form"? Kagura let those words slip and all the guys freaked out. Does this have something to do with Kyo's banishment from the clan? Is Kyo some kind of demonic beast? That's the theory I'm currently going with.
Senryu Girl
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| This is my new favorite reaction image. |
Up next we have Silence of the Schoolgirls. In episode 4, Eiji cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching him, and it turns tout that he is right. A girl named Kino was attempting to return his dropped student handbook to him, but was unable to approach him due to her own crippling anxiety and his intimidating appearance. Kino is a lot like Nanako, almost completely nonverbal and only able to express herself through her sketch pad, and the two become fast friends. The two invite Kino to the Literature Club, and they spend the day drawing instead of actually doing anything literary.
At first, I was nervous that having another character so similar to Nanako would be a bad decision, but Kino is a good character that adds to the dynamic between our two leads, as their impromptu drawing competition gives them a great flirting opportunity that Nanako takes advantage of in the cutest way possible. Not to mention that she seems to be a lot more outgoing than Nanako, and the actual drawings lend themselves to some good comedic moments that had me laughing every time. I get the feeling that as long as she is used sparingly, she'd be a great addition to the cast. Besides, even if Kino turns out to be a bad fit for this show in the long run, it'd be worth it just for the scene of her and Nanako having an entirely silent conversation through manga art and poetry. If that doesn't endear you to these characters, then I don't know what will.
We Never Learn
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| Ohhh, deaaarrr.... |
I'm not sure if I like the whole "let's give each girl her own stand alone story" structure this episode adopts, for three reasons. First, it leaves the episode feeling fractured and confused, with events just sort of happening without any real transition between them or narrative throughline to make them feel relevant to the overarching story. Which would be fine if this were an anthology series like Kaguya-sama or Takagi-san, but it hasn't been presented as one. Second, if each girl needs her own story for the episode, that means that each individual story has less time to develop and engage the viewer. I couldn't care less about Fumino's weight problem or Takemoto forgetting to wear a bra because they just feel like jokes that don't matter, and neither of them were funny enough to justify being a stand alone gag (though Takemoto's voice actress does a really good job selling flustered and embarrassed). Rizu's story is much better, though, and the hint that she actually was a bit bothered by Sekijo's questioning Nariyuki on his philosophy on romance but was more focused on keeping it together so as not to undermine her own commitment to the humanities was a great character moment.
Finally, while the whole structure is a good way to keep the characters in check and balance screen time, it ignores the fundamental appeal of harem anime in the first place. I mean, yes, obviously the implications that you can project yourself onto the protagonist and imagine all these sexy anime girls tripping over themselves to spend time with you is the main appeal of these shows, but the defining aspect that makes the good harem anime stand out in the crowd is getting to see all the different girls' personalities bounce off each other. A well-written harem is a group of characters second and a collection of living body pillow ads second, and seeing these characters interact provides even more chances for comedy, drama, and character growth. I thought this show understood this, but this episode has so few scenes of the study group hanging out together in favor of one on one scenes between Nariyuki and an individual girl. It makes the whole thing feel disjointed, like three separate anime got bought out by a western licenser and slammed together into its own Frankenstein's monster of a show, a la Beast King Golion and Armored Fleet Dairugger being turned into Voltron. This was a surprising miss from a show that had been firing on all cylinders up until this point, and I hope that We Never Learn can bounce back soon, because these characters are too good for this kind of mediocre storytelling.
Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu
In episode 4 of Boruto: Bocchi Next Generations, even though two months have passed and her friendship with Nako and Aru has made socializing easier for her, Bocchi's anxiety and aversion to small talk hasn't gone away. If anything, it's only gotten worse, if the way that she tries to avoid her neighbor and the crossing guard on her way to school is anything to go by. But upon being spotted while trying to blend in with a crowd of pedestrians in order to avoid the crossing guard, Bocchi is cornered by the beautiful foreign exchange student Sotoka (though with a name like that, I'm not sure where she's supposed to be from if not Japan) who excitedly asks if she is a ninja. When she tells the truth and says she isn't one, Bocchi is surprised to see her fall into a state of depression. Hoping to cheer her up, she throws a paper shuriken with a friendship letter at her, but Sotoka misunderstands the situation and takes it as a sign that she really is a ninja. With seemingly no other choice if she wants to befriend her, Bocchi agrees to act as Sotoka's sensei, training her in the art of ninjutsu.
What the hell did I just watch?
No, seriously, this whole ninja thing is so out of left field compared to the down to earth slice of life stories we've had so far that I'm genuinely confused. The whole thing feels so out of place that none of the jokes about Sotoka can even make me smile, and the fact that the ninja running class didn't have the girls Naruto running is baffling. I'm glad that Nako and Aru still have their reliable quips about the situation's absurdity; seeing as the bulk of this episode traded the relatable comedy in exchange for outlandish characterization and how Bocchi enables it by being such a doormat, their believable reactions of confusion and exasperation are the only things that make this episode even slightly tolerable. I was already kinda on the fence with Bocchi before, with every positive feeling I have being balanced out by a negative one, but with Sotoka being so out of place with the tone of the show, I don't know if this will survive much longer.
Demon Slayer
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| Look at how damn pretty this is! |
For our penultimate anime of the week we have Pretty Colors and also occasionally Demon Slaying. In episode 4, with his training complete, Tanjiro heads off to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps Final Selection Exam. At a special mountain covered in wisteria flowers year round, several live demons are sealed away by the flowers' magical properties. In order to pass the exam, the candidates must survive in this open air prison for demons for a total of seven days. Thanks to his training, Tanjiro makes short work of the smaller and weaker demons, but he then stumbles across a demon that was captured by Sakonji 47 years ago and had been taking its revenge by eating his disciples during each Final Selection Exam that happened since, including Sabito and Mokomo. Even though it originally appears that Tanjiro would share in his predecessors' fate, the reminder that he has a sister counting on him helps him keep his focus and defeat the fifty year old monstrosity.
It's funny, but even though this episode is the most action packed yet, I found myself more interested in the aesthetic details than anything else. I mentioned it back during my coverage of episode 1, but it bears repeating: Demon Slayer has some of the best color design I have ever seen in modern anime, contrasting bold colors in the foreground with muted backgrounds to create some striking effects. While this is most obviously seen with the character designs and the water effects trailing off Tanjiro's swords, it's the haunting beauty of the wisteria flowers and the red and white palette used to depict Sabito and Mokomo's deaths that had really had my jaw drop. I feel like, more than anything else, the use of color is what sets Demon Slayer apart.
Also, and I can't believe I've never mentioned this before, the soundtrack is awesome. It has that typical orchestral feel when things get grand and climactic and a clever blend of traditional string instruments and choral chanting when things get tense, and the dynamic way it shifts from one track to another in this episode in particular was really well done. I know that I usually talk about story beats and character development in the roundup, but this was more a straightforward demonstration of how far Tanjiro has come than anything else, so a discussion about visual and sound design has more substance into why the episode is great.
Cinderella Nine
But alas, all good things must come to an end, and since I forgot to continue my gag of using the names of other baseball anime as my fake title last week, allow me to list all the baseball anime I would have used had this show been good enough to make it to the end: Ace of the Diamond, The Big Windup, Mix, Touch, Major, Major 2nd, Little Busters, Star of the Giants, Cross Game, Taisho Baseball Girls, and Gurazeni. Anyway in episode 4 of I'd Rather Watch Gurazeni than This, Tsubasa tells the team about the little league game she played against Shinonome years ago. Though her team was originally very far behind, unable to score a single run, Tsubasa's optimism and support was infectious among the team, and they rallied for a comeback victory over Shinonome's fractured and hyper competitive team. Afterward, however, Tsubasa quit baseball, accepting that there was no future for her in a male-dominated sport. But with Tomochi's prodding, she changes her mind and decides to form her own girls' baseball team. Back in the present, the team surprises Shinonome by cheering her on at her club team tryouts, and though she did not make the cut, she appreciates the gesture and decides to join their team in order to keep active and polish her skills.
The worst part about this show is that it's actually getting better. I know that makes no sense, so allow me to explain. If Cinderella Nine was just a consistently terrible show, I could drop it with no regrets. But since it's actually trying to improve its story over time, adding backstory and character development, I still partially feel like I should keep watching in case it actually gets good. Because, and let me be clear about this, this show is still not good. It's definitely trying its best, but everything about this show is, say it with me, bland. It's boring to look at, the baseball games are frequently cut away from and unengaging, and Tsubasa is the only character who consistently stays interesting and unique. Nothing filled me with more dread this week than seeing Shinonome embrace her failure and, in her own way, sing the praises of friendship and cooperation at the end of the episode. now instead of 7 interchangeable supporting characters we have 8! Hooray! Yeah, consider this dropped. At least Mix is still good...
And that is going to wrap up this week's roundup! What will happen next week? Will Hyakkimaru find Dororo? Will the koto club master their song in time for the performance? Will the mysterious pursuers catch up to Hatchi? Will Veronica defeat Jonathan? Will Tohru be forced to move out of the Soma household? Will Nanako write Eiji an epic love poem? Will the headmaster give Nariyuki another insane ultimatum to keep his scholarship? Will Bocchi teach Sotoka how to use the Rasengan? Will Nezuko wake up from her slumber? Find out the answer to all this or none of it, next week!
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