Minami-ke Tadaima - Episode 13 (Completed)
...and allergies for others. While pollen is the most widespread course of allergic reactions in the springtime, it seems that Chiaki has a rather unique cause for an allergy of her own - none other than Kana, whose overbearing nature are general idiocy are enough to cause the youngest Minami sister all sorts of problems. Not that Kana doesn't have some problems of her own however, as Fujioka's instinctive habit of kicking everything in sight (apart from the one thing he probably should be kicking) on account of his place in the school's football team makes her life - then again, what do you expect when you turn the whole thing into some kind of scientific experiment?
Meanwhile in the wonderful world of Hosoka, peas are his new obsession - a fascination which even indirectly trickles down to Chiaki to give her a rare bout of craving vegetables. (In other news, peas are the best vegetable, and I'll broach no argument on this) Finally, aside from some chatter about accidentally walking into the wrong toilets, Kana experiences the power of the secret first-hand, and decides to abuse this power to make all and sundry come to the flower viewing she's been looking forward to so much - a strategy which works wonders, it seems.
So ends another season of Minami-ke, and it certainly does enough to end the series on a high with just the right blend of dumb jokes and silly slapstick to be thoroughly enjoyable for the most part. Although it hasn't always hit the proverbial nail on the head, Tadaima has managed to prove itself one of the better, if not best, series of Minami-ke, which has manages to keep a franchise which should be running out of ideas by now surprisingly fresh without losing any of what made it enjoyable in the first place. Anime comedy is usually a case of being "good enough" rather than consistently fantastic, and Minami-ke certainly falls firmly into that "good enough" category to have been well worth watching.
Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 12
Indeed, even Akashi's ace Megumi seems to be taking the semi-final for granted, commenting that she'd really rather get straight on with playing in the final. Certainly, her confidence seems to be in keeping with her abilities, as she makes a rapid start to put opponent Chihaya on the back foot while tactically doing all she can to also keep her on the defensive.
During the course of the episode, our focus shifts here and there, giving us some background into Megumu's rise as the centrepiece of the Akashi team after an unspectacular start as well as the origins of Megumu's "fan club" (are Madhouse practicing for Photo Kano already?), while also getting some insight into the ties between Kana and Chihaya and how they have a part to play in ensuring that the Mizusawa team works well as a unit.
If there was one problem with this week's episode of Chihayafuru, it was that meandering focus - we never quite had long enough engaging a specific subject to be drawn fully into it before our attention was flitting off elsewhere in an attempt to cover numerous elements in a single episode. It isn't very often at all that this series gets its pacing wrong, but this is perhaps one of those rare occasions - not a fatal misstep, and there were still some really nice moments, but it does feel as if more could have been made of such a big match (although of course there's still more to come before this semi-final is over).
Vividred Operation - Episode 12 (Completed)
Such is the power manifested in this "final boss" that it seems as if absolutely nothing can stop it, not even our fully equipped heroines. With this last Alone all set to fuse with the Manifestor Engine's energy and cause a reaction which will blow the planet to smithereens, is there anything left to be done? Yes there is in fact, as it soon becomes clear that Rei is alive and well within the behemoth attacking the planet.
With a renewed determination to save their friend (and maybe the Earth to boot), and in spite of assertions that they have absolutely no chance of victory, the quartet set off to give it all they've got in tackling the Alone, looking to break Rei free of her current prison. Of course, the relationship between Akane and Rei might also just prove to be the key to overall victory and saving the planet...
After a great couple of opening episodes, Vividred Operation's biggest problem was frequently its predictability, and it was this issue which also reduced the effectiveness of its finale, which felt telegraphed from the first moment to the last. Although it never quite descended entirely into "monster of the week" territory, there weren't enough twists and turns to add anything significant to the show's narrative, and its characters were never quite strong enough to pick up that slack. Ultimately then, Vividred Operation could be looked at as "Strike Witches without the charm" - not a bad series by any stretch, but one which stepped away from any number of interesting directions it could have traveled in to leave us with a fun but somewhat vacuous anime.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT - Episode 12 (Completed)
Instead, Hasegawa finds himself befriending (although of course he wouldn't call it that) members of the student council, helping them out at every opportunity and using his presence alongside them as an excuse not to spend time at his designated club. Nobody can hide from their problems forever though, and eventually everything catches up to him...
The necessity of facing up to the situation within which he is embroiled is brought home in a decidedly physical form by Rika, who attacks him both physically and verbally in an attempt to make him see sense - something which seems like it isn't going to work but ultimately proves potent, and not just for Kodaka either. Thus, both Rika and Hasegawa finally admit that they've made themselves some friends, Kodaka also comes to the realisation that he has to answer Sena's feelings somehow, and Yozora... well, Yozora really doesn't take the whole scenario very well.
The biggest disappointment of this finale is that, despite seeming willing to tackle the big points of drama surrounding its cast (in a way which was weird, meta, and weirdly meta), at the end of it all we fall short of actually resolving anything much - it's been obvious to the viewer that this group are friends for eons now, and the more important points which branch off from this surrounding Sena, Yozora and even Rika, still aren't addressed directly to any satisfying degree. This leaves with an unspectacular ending to an unspectacular series that never really did anything much to succeed in sticking in my mind; it certainly never managed to rekindle the entertainment value of the early days of its first season, which is a real shame. Would anyone bet against us receiving a third season of Haganai after the ending we've been served here? I certainly wouldn't.
Tamako Market - Episode 12 (Completed)
Of course, the appearance of the prince in the flesh has only exacerbated this problem, as everyone in the marketplace is now alternating between cooing over Tamako and cooing over the new arrival while skirting around the big question. It's not surprising that even Tamako herself is distracted, all things considered.
Eventually it's up to Dera to force the issue and be blunt in terms of asking Tamako what she's going to do about the situation, and there's no real surprise about what her final decision proves to be, to the ultimate relief of many around her. Not that any of this matters anyway, because it turns out that the entire thing about Tamako being a prospective bride was just a misunderstanding anyway, so effectively the entire series was a pointless waste of time. Hurrah!
Although those words might seem harsh, they pretty much do justice to my big problem with Tamako Market - it introduced a curiously interesting premise and some potentially juicy character hooks, and then did absolutely nothing with them for twelve long, laborious and often painfully trite episodes. If it wasn't for one good episode (set around, of all people, Tamako's dad), the entire thing would have been a complete disaster, but it seems like this series couldn't even get being utterly mediocre right. But hey, at least it isn't all bad news - I can now safely say that Nichijou is no longer Kyoto Animation's worst series.
Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World) - Episode 25 (Completed)
In short, with the Pyscho Buster lost and with it seemingly all hope, Saki channels Shun's thoughts to find an elegantly simple solution to the problem at hand, using the Ogre's upbringing to turn the "Death of Shame" on its head and thus end the Ogre's life, albeit with a hefty sacrifice made in the process.
From here, the episode focuses entirely on the aftermath of the rebellion, with Yakomaru captured and put on trial as he vehemently argues that he and his kind are humans and should be treated as such - words which fall on death ears as the ringleader of the rebellion is sentenced to suffer the worst punishment imaginable. Although his words angered most of the remaining populace, they hang heavily over Saki and Satoru, who between them come to realise that Yakomaru's argument isn't entirely without merit, and that in fact the differences between humans and Monster Rats have simply been enforced upon the latter by the former in an attempt to subjugate them. It's a chilling realisation, but can it allow Saki to shift humanity towards a better world? Well, that's a question that has to be left to our imagination.
All of this makes for a terrific ending to Shin Sekai Yori - a series that was tremendous when it got things right, but stumbled and lost its way too frequently to be considered any kind of classic. Putting its missteps aside however, its story as a whole is a fascinating one that ultimately does a fantastic job of holding a mirror up to humanity, prejudices and all. Perhaps the most impressive part of how these themes are woven into the story is that they're done in such an even-handed way - both sides in its eventual conflict, and the build-up towards it, are heavily flawed are blindly idealistic in their own ways, making this anything but a straight fight between good and evil. It's these shades of gray, coupled with intelligent characters and world-building, that set Shin Sekai Yori out from the pack, and even though it wasn't always a success at what it attempted I'm incredibly happy that they at least tried and, more often than not, managed to get it right.
GIRLS und PANZER - Episode 12 (Completed)
With the appearance of what appears to be Kuromorimine's trump card, the behemoth known ironically as the Maus, things certainly aren't looking good for Miho and company, but then again we all know how the fight between David and Goliath ended... with this in mind, Oorai still have some impressive tricks up their sleeve, making full use of the tanks at their disposal with a view to turning the tide in their favour and taking out that pesky Maus.
From here, Miho has a clear plan to take the match into its end-game, and of course this involves manipulating the match into a clear-cut, one on one stand-off between Miho and her sister. With this achieved, does Miho have what it takes to surpass her family's much-vaunted style and win on her own terms for both herself and her friends? Of course she does, silly!
So ends Girls und Panzer in perfect fashion to close out what has been an almost perfect series - it might not have the emotional or story-telling depth of an Evangelion or Madoka, but it's still soomething of a masterpiece in its own by taking what is ultimately a rather ludicrous concept and crafting it into a beautiful ballet of massive weapons of destruction, humour, action and tension, and sprinkling it with enough character to make it compelling. In an age when so many series pour all of their focus into the characters, its been refreshing to see a series where the characters are often secondary to the real stars of the show, that being the tanks themselves. It's a risky decision but one that paid off massively here - the biggest question for me is whether I'd like to see a second season of the show; a question to which my heart answers yes, but my head responds with "it couldn't ever be this good a second time around".
Bakuman Season 3 - Episode 24
As a result, this brings us back to a potential sticking point between artists and editors, as Takagi continues to insist that the series needs to end and end soon as his story works hard to be the best it can be, no matter how brief. With only a couple of months worth of material left to run, it's time for Hattori to go to the chief editor with this news, and needless to say it doesn't go down too well, especially given that this means the manga will end before the anime adaptation even begins.
With the editorial department adamant that the series can't end so soon, Mashiro and Takagi are left with a choice - defy the chief editor and end the series at their own pace, or elongate it to keep him (and the magazine) happy. After some waxing and waning on the idea, it's Takagi that makes the decision that he simply can't try to make Reversi run any longer - not least because he wants to create a perfect ending that will allow Mashiro to get married while holding a place as the number one manga artist. Thus, Reversi's grand finale is unveiled, and it seems that Ashirogi Muto can tick another item from their "to do" list.
Having thrown so much drama and tension at us across its three series, it's inevitable that these final episodes will see a lull along those lines as the show dots its "i"s and crosses its "t"s - sure enough, this penultimate instalment is far more of a feel-good story than one of exquisite twists and turns. Not that this is a criticism - it's a fitting end to the show and the journey it's taken us on, and I'm sure nobody can begrudge it a suitably happy ending after all the blood, sweat and tears we've seen toiled by its main cast throughout. Hopefully the final episode can provide a fitting ending to the Bakuman story outright.
Little Busters! - Episode 24
This time around, the unusual letter attached to the tail of Lennon the cat implores its recipients to put on a puppet show - an odd request, until not twenty feet from the duo an argument breaks out between a bunch of younger kids which revolves largely around - you guessed it - a puppet show. It's Rin who steps in to offer to do this show herself the very next day out of a determination to complete the task set before her - but can she really do it?
Of course, anything is possible with the help of the other Little Busters, and so the entire group set about trying to create a story suitable for a puppet show, with... well, let's just say not entirely brilliant results. Ultimately, it's Komari who steps up to the plate to help Rin, offering up a story she has written and illustrated herself while also helping to create the puppets themselves just in time for Rin's big performance. But just who is writing these mysterious notes, and how do they seemingly know the future?
After all the fraught and heavy drama of last week's episode we probably needed a change of pace from this week's Little Busters, but that doesn't really hide the fact that this was also a return to mediocrity for the series - some mild amusement on a couple of occasions aside, the story didn't have as much heart or interest as it clearly wanted to have, and the whole thing ended up falling rather flat. It also didn't feel much like a late-game episode for a series that surely still has some important things to wrap up, which didn't help in terms of this installment creating the right impression either.
AKB0048 Next Stage - Episode 12
With our without Chieri however, taking back Akibastar continues to be
Tsubasa's primary concern, meaning that there's no let up in training
for the other members as they can only hope that Chieri comes back
on-board in time. As Tsubasa's frustration at the abilities of her
charges boils over, the collective memories of those involved regarding
their journey so far seem to be just what is required for their Kirara
to react with the Dualium crystals, taking them on a brief journey not
entirely dissimilar to that experienced by the disappearing Centre
Novae, it seems.
Indeed, in Nagisa and Chieri's cases their "trip" is virtually identical
to those experienced by Yuuko and previous Centre Novae, albeit in a
rather more brief form than the more permanent disappearance of their
peers. If nothing else, this proves that the plan to take back
Akibastar can succeed, and thus off we head to see if AKB0048 can retake
their home planet. As their concert begins however, their welcome is
entirely less warm than they might have been expecting...
When I start using phrases like "Kirara reacting with Dualium crystals",
it makes me realise just how much nonsensical bullshit I've bought into
over the course of this series, but regardless it seems as if the
series has set itself up nicely for a finale that will (hopefully)
explain everything and bring us one final epic concert/battle. Having
expected their concert at the tail end of this episode to be a
triumphant return, I'm actually quite pleased to see the series proving
itself happy to do something a little darker and perhaps more realistic,
which in turn makes for what could be another interesting turning point
for the show. If nothing else, all of this certainly helps AKB0048 to
feel more well-grounded and confident in the importance of its own
universe than some of its stumbling earlier steps perhaps suggested at.
Space Brothers - Episode 50
Although Nitta is prepared to turn tail and walk back alone, leader of the day Mutta is having none of it, and in a rare assertion of his authority he takes control of the situation entirely, insisting that the group travel onwards to their next food ration drop-off point and setting up camp before returning to look for Nitta's phone. Despite Nitta himself being far from happy with this decision, it's clear that this is the smartest course of action for all concern.
Thus, once camp has been set up, Nitta and Mutta retract their steps to find the missing phone - a situation which also gives Mutta, and us, an opportunity to learn about the all-important phone call which Nitta has been waiting for and expects tonight. In short (and as hinted heavily at a few episodes back), Nitta does in fact have a brother - a brother who is something of a genius when it comes to his knowledge of space, but this is a knowledge that is being wasted as Kazuya is both a drop-out and a shut-in, refusing to leave his room or speak to anyone. With Kazuya having promised to call his brother at long last after having not spoken to him for two years, can Nitta retrieve his lost phone in time?
Perhaps the biggest problem with this particular plot point is - if Nitta hasn't spoken to his brother in two years, why wait until a week where you're trekking across the desert to suggest that said brother call him? Putting this to one side, this week's episode of Space Brothers was mostly enjoyable on account of Mutta's role in charge of his group - for all of his frequent depictions as something of a bumbling eccentric, it was nice to see him in a position of power taking charge of the situation and getting things done in the most effective manner to add a little extra depth to his character. I just hope we don't get too overly caught up in Nitta's current situation, as I get the feeling that the series has far more interesting fare that it could be bringing to the fore.
Minami-ke Tadaima - Episode 12
From here, the episode meanders here and there, pondering where some of Kana's friends have been over the New Year break, although it seems like half of them can't even remember despite picking up either the dialect or units of measurement of their host locations, and a visit to the indoor swimming pool with the sole purpose on berating how her recently laziness has turned her summer washboard stomach into something, well, decidedly less so.
It's off out into the snow at this point, as Kana and Chiaki both find themselves dragged out from under the kotetsu to make full use of the snow, although it seems that this mostly means just ganging up on Kana in a snowball fight. Speaking of which, don't mess with Haruka when it comes to snowballs...
In terms of purely providing comedy, this was perhaps the weakest episode of Tadaima thus far - a lot of its setups felt like they were stretching things a little too thin, and there was a real struggle to derive any particularly original comedy from any of the scenarios on show. Still, even at such weak points there's a certain amount of gentle fun to be had from Minami-ke, so it isn't a complete disaster but rather a distinctly non-memorable episode from a series that can do much better.
Sasami-san@Ganbaranai - Episode 11
This is just one of the problems facing Jou Edogawa - the other, of course, being that pesky penis, although this no longer seems to be an issue by the time we reach this episode. With Sasami continuing to make use of Tama's body to enjoy her trip remotely on account of catching the 'flu, our protagonist's number one goal seems to be to make friends with Edogawa - a line of pursuit which Edogawa herself seems to view as some kind of threat or challenge.
Whatever you do, never challenge Edogawa to a freestyle rap battle
There's also another problem with Sasami's efforts, that being that they're succeeding in making Kagami exceedingly jealous. It's an issue that Kagami wrestles with and ultimately loses to, storming off in a huff at the start of a festival that the group are visiting, required some conciliatory behaviour from Sasami which in turn leaves her unable to seal her friendship with Edogawa.
Having set up some seemingly important things in last week's episode (and the tail-end of the episode before that), I'm rather struggling to figure out whether there was actually any point to a lot of this episode beyond its mixture of fan service, comedy and relationship-building - all worthy reasons to put together a story arc admittedly, but not quite what was initially advertised I feel. Still, there was some fun to be found here - the suggestion that Edogawa is some kind of "chuunibyou" cracked me up and there were a couple of other decent moments; just not enough to make up for the fact that this series continues to live under the shadow of that first episode no matter how visually alluring it manages to be.
Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 11
As he storms off to the canteen to comfort eat while berating himself for upsetting the apple cart at such a pivotal moment, it's left to the others to make a decision as to what their line-up should be. Surprisingly, it's Chihaya who takes the lead here, deciding that they should stick with the selection that has worked for them so far, and thus ensuring that Nishida's anger at Tsutomu doesn't dissipate. Once engrossed in the match however, the full extent of Tsutomu's hard work as a pivotal member of the team becomes clear - every member of Mizusawa has been fully appraised of the quirks of their opponent, leaving them ready to face down and capitalise on what should be the strengths of their opponents. Furthermore, Chihaya has realised how exhausting this data collection must have been for her team-mate, hence her quite correct decision to leave Tsutomu out of the line-up.
With another victory in the bag, it's on to the semi-finals, which sees Mizusawa having to rely on Sumire's "unique" notes - even here, Tsutomu is impressive, making full use of her notes about fashion styles, accessories and names to effectively make a psychological profile of each opponent to figure out who they are and what might be expected of their playing style. From there, it's time for the big game to start... but are Mizusawa's latest opponents underestimating them?
Although I feel as if I must sound like a broken record in saying it, this week was another wonderful episode of Chihayafuru - its drama managed to feel natural enough, and led to another opportunity for our lead characters to develop both as individuals and a team. Even when the depiction of the matches themselves aren't set up to generate any major tension, there's still a real thrill and sense of enjoyment to be found from watching Mizusawa's accomplishments that never seems to ebb. No doubt we'll be focusing more on that in-game tension next week, but once again we've been reminded about how proficient Chihayafuru is at everything it does, from comedy to character-building and far beyond.
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