Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 - Episode 8
While Kirino is very much keeping her council after her brother announces that he's dating her friend, Kuroneko is pulling out all the stops from creating new outfits to ensuring that Kyousuke learns as much about her as possible... indeed, it's almost a little creepy how much of their relationship Kuroneko already has mapped out. Maybe she should change her name to Ringo...
As the summer persists, so the pair spend as much of their time as possible together, despite some potentially interference from Kuroneko's sisters and the uncomfortable feeling that Kirino is now little more than a spare wheel in proceedings - not good news considering that Kuroneko seems determined to ensure that Kirino and Kyousuke end up happy in one another's company. But what lengths is Ruri willing to go to to ensure the happiness of her friends?
The answer to that question seems to be "incredibly crazy lengths" judging by the final scene of the episode, which is a bit of a downer after a really enjoyable instalment - Ruri's sisters (and the family's middle sister Hinata in particular) were great, and Kuroneko herself did a lot to ensure the episode's entertainment value in spite of some odd behaviour on her part. I'm intrigued to see how this behaviour is explained, but I fear I might not like it - still, I'm not going to let that eclipse perhaps the most fun episode of this second season of Oreimo so far, that finally managed to seem to remember how its characters are supposed to act.
A Certain Scientific Railgun S - Episode 7
While Misaka goes on a controlled rampage of each and every facility
associated with the Sisters project with a view towards bringing it to a
halt, our focus for this particular episode instead shifts to Kuroko as
she sees her friend and dorm-mate spending all of her time away "taking
care of some stuff" while clearly bothered by something that she feels
unable to talk to those around her about.
As Kuroko ponders what to do about this whole situation, her short-term
solution is ultimately to throw herself into her work as news builds of
fire at laboratories across Academy City. Whether Kuroko puts two and
two together between these incidents and Misaka's behaviour is unclear,
as she instead finds herself wrapped in a spin-off of the earlier cash
card incidents via a child who is looking for a "lucky" card to give a
friend who is about to move away. With an understanding of what such a
close friendship entails, Kuroko ultimately ends up helping said kid in
achieving their goal, albeit in a less dangerous fashion than searched
dark alleyways for cards.
Although I appreciated the focus upon Kuroko and her emotions in the
wake of Misaka's ultimately rather selfish behaviour, that still doesn't
mean that this was anything other than rather a fluffy episode that
simply kept us away from some of the most interesting material to come a
little longer - it's hard to get fired up about searching for a
four-leaf clover when Misaka is running riot around the city, and
without Mikoto's place within the main cast's dynamic there's something
of a gap left in her wake. Still, I guess that means we can sit back
and wait for what should be a stellar episode next week....
Hataraku Maou-sama! - Episode 8
Lunchboxgate continues as we begin this week's episode of Hataraku
Maou-sama, with Chiho continuing to fret over the homemade lunch
provided for Sadao by Suzuno - a concern not helped by the fact that she
and Emi visit Sadao's home to find Suzuno cooking for them.
Chiho's mood isn't exactly helped by Sadao suggesting to Suzuno that she consider working with them both at McRonalds to make ends meet, seemingly oblivious to how his diminutive yet large-chested friend might feel about that. Thankfully, Chiho at least has the guts to eventually set him straight and pour out her feelings about Sadao to him... although she perhaps wasn't intending to do so right in front of Suzuno.
It's Suzuno herself who becomes the focus of the second half of this week's episode - aside from her hilarious attempts to get used to life in modern Japan, we finally learn of her true name and purpose. Needless to say, she's an inhabitant of Ente Isla, and with a real name of Christia Bell and a mission to ensure that Emilia the Hero isn't now working alongside the Overlord. There's only one way to definitively prove that she hasn't defected of course; to work with Christia and kill Maou. It's a request that Emi manages to brush off in the short-term, but it's an issue that will surely raise its head again - assuming that Sadao hasn't become too deeply embroiled in the escalating battle with Sentucky Fried Chicken, that is.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, once again this week's Hataraku Maou-sama was a huge amount of fun, blending its elements wonderfully to offer up plenty of comedy in some shape or form while still pushing forward the show's narrative substantially. Suzuno's character has already managed to integrate into the rest of the cast's dynamic nicely, so the series shows no signs of losing its footing, and with some great potential for comedy and serious business on the horizon it looks like there's still plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Chiho's mood isn't exactly helped by Sadao suggesting to Suzuno that she consider working with them both at McRonalds to make ends meet, seemingly oblivious to how his diminutive yet large-chested friend might feel about that. Thankfully, Chiho at least has the guts to eventually set him straight and pour out her feelings about Sadao to him... although she perhaps wasn't intending to do so right in front of Suzuno.
It's Suzuno herself who becomes the focus of the second half of this week's episode - aside from her hilarious attempts to get used to life in modern Japan, we finally learn of her true name and purpose. Needless to say, she's an inhabitant of Ente Isla, and with a real name of Christia Bell and a mission to ensure that Emilia the Hero isn't now working alongside the Overlord. There's only one way to definitively prove that she hasn't defected of course; to work with Christia and kill Maou. It's a request that Emi manages to brush off in the short-term, but it's an issue that will surely raise its head again - assuming that Sadao hasn't become too deeply embroiled in the escalating battle with Sentucky Fried Chicken, that is.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, once again this week's Hataraku Maou-sama was a huge amount of fun, blending its elements wonderfully to offer up plenty of comedy in some shape or form while still pushing forward the show's narrative substantially. Suzuno's character has already managed to integrate into the rest of the cast's dynamic nicely, so the series shows no signs of losing its footing, and with some great potential for comedy and serious business on the horizon it looks like there's still plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Devil Survivor 2: The Animation - Episode 8
With three teams dispatched to see off these threats, humanity certainly has individuals capable of seeing off their opponents, but these landmine-like enemies prove to be decidedly tricky foes thanks to their ability to regenerate, meaning that they can only be defeated via a concerted and co-ordinated attack on their three disparate cores simultaneously. It's a goal which is within the grasp of those tasked with carrying out the attack, but perhaps inevitably it isn't achieved without some further losses....
These deaths are perhaps as of nothing compared to the greater threat about to face mankind, as Alcor reveals more about his nature to Hibiki as a rather unique Septentrion who has a central role in overseeing the trial facing humanity and set up by Polaris, the entity at the true heart of the devastation we've seen so far. As the true severity of the Void and what its spread means for mankind come to light (or rather, to darkness), it seems that all eyes are on Hibiki and the choices that he has to make with the entire planet's potential disappearance hanging in the balance.
The first half of this eighth episode of Devil Survivor 2 perfectly demonstrates everything that this series has been good at thus far - fast-paced and well-presented action that movies at an engagingly enjoyable clip but without glossing over any of its important moments. Naturally, this sense of speed drops off in the episode's second half as the episode takes on a more thoughtful tone that doesn't suit its premise quite as well, but still succeeds in raising the stakes for what is to come. It's just about enough to work around the largely uninteresting cast of characters, provided you can swallow the show's action without caring about those carrying it out too much.
Red Data Girl - Episode 8
Of course this show would be even more dull if the answer was "no", so there is of course one possibility - to channel the power of the Himegami to reach Manatsu and persuade him to return. Although Izumiko isn't entirely sure how to go about it, she nonetheless manages to make it to this other plain, where she meets Masumi and is pointed in the direction of her missing friend's location...
...or is she? As she attempts to reach and rescue Manatsu, it seems that all is not as it seems with this scenario, and Masumi is actually using the situation as a possibility to engineer his escape to the real world, bringing with him the entity of which he is part. Even though this plan is foiled, it doesn't stop the entity in question from breaking out of its cage; something which can only be halted using the full power of the Himegami. How fortuitous then that a person able to wield that power has arrived at just the right time.
So, how do I sum up this week's episode of Red Data Girl? Hmm, I know, how about "packed from start to finish with conveniently sculpted bullshit in an attempt to drive the story arc's plot"? This entire episode feels horribly written and delivered, with twist after twist and development upon development delivered in a way that screams out "who gives a shit?" - none of it feels satisfying, none of it particularly makes any sense, and the upshot is one of the most terribly forced episodes of anime I've watched in a long, long time. We're now at the point where I think I'm just watching this series so I can poke fun at it each week - there's certainly little entertainment to be found here beyond that.
In case you haven't guessed from the previous paragraph - this series is becoming increasingly terrible by the week.
Flowers of Evil - Episode 7
If you're expecting Nanako to spout off a tear-filled explanation of why she was off school and how Kasuga was at fault for the whole thing however, think again - instead, she calmly asks Kasuga what he thinks a relationship should consist of while asking him if he's hiding anything from her. Missing an opportunity to come clean on all or some of his misdemeanours up to this point, he insists that he has nothing to hide - something which Saeki duly expects.
All of this is enough to send her protagonist into another headspin, to the point where he begs for Nakamura to tell Saeki about the whole gym clothes incident so that he can "atone" for his sins. Sensing this moment of weakness as an opportunity for some more enjoyment at Kasuga's expense, she insists that he meet her at midnight before leading him on a jaunt to their school classroom with a view towards making him admit to his deeds by way of a written confession on the blackboard. This isn't exactly what Kasuga had in mind when he imagined freeing himself from his guilt, but after another manic rant from Nakamura it seems that her lunacy is rubbing off on him somewhat, and before we know it the pair of them are trashing the classroom in what can only be described as the throes of near-orgasmic delight.
Every time I think that Flowers of Evil has reached its high point, it raises the bar a little further, somehow managing to make the ever more insane goings-on feel natural and in keeping with its cast of characters, and even making you doubt your own sanity as you begin to detect threads of common sense in what Nakamura is saying at times as she berates Kasuga for looking for an idealistic escape from his guilt. The entire thing remains fascinating to watch scene by scene, and by the end of the episode its final scenes stand as a perfect embodiment of the mixture of emotions which come from adolescence, be they emotional, sexual or some noxious blend of the two.
Attack on Titan - Episode 7
While elements of rebellion within the ranks begin to surface, the more pressing problem for those on the front lines is that, quite simply, they're running out of gas - given that Titans are also currently over-running the supply building that would provide more of said gas, most of those still alive within the breached city walls are resigned to their fate and seemingly without hope.
When word reaches Mikasa about Eren's death, you'd be tempted to suspect that her resolve will also be broken as a result, but far from it - instead, she attempts to rouse her comrades into a final do or die assault before racing off to take her pain out upon any Titans in her way. Such is her fervour however that she quickly runs out of gas, leaving her at the mercy of the Titans herself. Cue a moment of clarity as she regains her will to survive, followed by a moment of sheer, exhilarated confusion as a Titan appears and starts systematically attacking and murdering its own. Perhaps all is not lost for humanity after all...
Every time I worry that Attack on Titan might run out of gas (do you see what I did there?) it somehow manages to find more life - Mikasa's "promotion" to protagonist has worked better than I might have expected, and given the insanity of the show's entire premise throwing in a Titan-killing Titan seems within the realms of plausibility. This leaves the floor open for another episode of outspoken emotion, shocking violence and bursts of slick action, all given a lift by that striking aesthetic and insistent soundtrack. No matter your thoughts on it, Attack on Titan is certainly an experience, week in and week out.
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet - Episode 7
As far as the inhabitants of Gargantia are concerned, the creature in
question is a whalesquid, but even salvaging partner Bellows can do
nothing to prevent Ledo from going all out and quite literally crushing
the life out of the creature. The trouble is, the whalesquid is seen as
a sacred beast by many within the fleet, which means that Ledo once
again is the subject of much suspicion amidst the residents.
If you think this will give Ledo pause for thought, think again - no
matter the local opinions on the matter, he's determined to exterminate
anything and everything that has anything to do with the Hideauze no
matter what, and DNA analysis of the whalesquid only serves to further
drive this agenda in the face of everyone else around him. His concerns
even look like they may be justified for a moment as a horde of
whalesquids approach the fleet, although they pass by safely with nary a
scratch upon its craft. The whole commotion has, however, awoken the
opportunist in some members of the fleet, and let by Pinion this
close-knit community could be on the verge of breaking up before our
eyes.
All of this makes for an excellent instalment of Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet -
as over-the-top as Ledo's reactions towards the whalesquids/Hideauze
might be, you can also appreciate the logic and emotions behind his
reasoning, while the entire affair also brings up wider questions about
whether these creatures simply are passive Hideauze which could rise up
and attack at any moment or not. What's more, there are more
fascinating times ahead, as it seems that the fleet itself is now in
danger of splitting into factions, which makes for another intriguing
facet of the episodes to come. With so many tantalising possibilities
on the table, this series seems to be getting better by the week
presently.
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 - Episode 7
Amazingly, Kyousuke decides that he needs some time to think over the prospect of becoming Ruri's boyfriend (really, what is there to think about here?!), and so goes off to ponder matters with a deadline of giving her his answer by the end of their reconvened post-Comiket party the next day. Not that there's any shortage of advice for Kyousuke to mull over, as the school rumour-mill seems to work much faster than our protagonist's head, ensuring that everybody is already up to speed with what's going on.
With relations between Kyousuke and Kirino back to normal and the latter all-but giving her blessing for her brother to accept Ruri's confession, the pair finally go ahead and become a couple. But what do they do now, exactly? It's that question which ensures a sleepless night for them both, although thankfully while Kyousuke's head is filled with more... well... physical questions about what is to come, his girlfriend has a more practical and romantic view on proceedings which looks likely to set them down the right track.
Although it's still missing some of the magic that seemed to have been worked upon its first season, and while Kyousuke still has moments that feel entirely out of character for him, this was nonetheless another pretty fun episode of Oreimo as the series continues its recent trend of improvement now that it's settled down somewhat. Now that Kyousuke and Ruri's relationship seems set to take centre stage, hopefully the progression into new pastures will give this second season the injection of life that it needs to strike out and make its own mark.
Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 19
With the end of the match in sight, this week's episode of Chihayafuru ramps up the tension to eleven, pure and simple, starting with a focus upon Taichi as he eschews some of his teachings and goes for broke to force his way back into his game - something which he manages to go with a mixture of mind games and (unusually for him) blind luck.
Meanwhile, Chihaya has finally gained the upper hand against Rion, and she forces home her victory to make it 2-1... not that she has time to celebrate when there's sleeping to do. With Nishida also coming back from the brink in his game, we're suddenly all set for a nightmarishly tense finale, with the two deciding games coming down to the final card and a luck of the draw face-off. Given their previous experiences however, this time around Mizusawa have done everything right to put themselves into as healthy a position as possible - from there, it's just up to the heavens to decide on which way the drawing of cards should fall.
You really couldn't ask for Chihayafuru to bring this particular tournament to an end in a more compelling fashion than this - much like onlookers within the episode itself, I could barely watch the final moments before the game came to a close, and the outpouring of emotion when it was all over was also something I ended up sharing with the on-screen cast, such was the power and thrall it had held over me. As I've mentioned previously, when it wishes to do so this series can engender emotions that fans of any game or sport will be able to recognise, and it's this ability which is one of Chihayafuru's strokes of genius, bringing us the equivalent of a penalty shoot-out and dragging us into all of the tension and emotion that goes with it. It's stupendous stuff, and it works wonders on a pure, emotional level. What other series could make you cry at the end of a game of la-di-da Snap?
Space Brothers - Episode 58
Bold being Bold of course, the drive to the bar where this pair are scheduled to meet Pico is in itself a challenge for Mutta, as Vincent tries to unnerve his guest with his trademark fast driving (which doesn't seem to faze Mutta at all), while quizzing him on who he considers to be an "enemy". In Bold's case, it seems that anyone who isn't willing to accept that manned space flight is important is an enemy, which confuses Mutta somewhat as he sees anyone with a genuine interest in space as being on the "right" side.
All this aside, much of the episode concerns itself with looking into the past of Bold and Pico - of course, the two of them are childhood friends, and we delve into their time building rockets together in their youth with another mutual friend. While this is all well and good, it still isn't seen as a worthy of pursuing as a career path by either Vincent's parents or anyone involved with the group's school, as they are encouraged to set more achievable goals. Of course, we know how this ultimately pans out, for two of the trio at least...
Just as things were getting interesting, I'm a little down-hearted to see us headed off into another arc that concerns itself with filling in back stories - I can't help but feel that Pico and Bold's presents are more interesting than their pasts beyond some cursory examination of how they reached this stage in their lives, but instead it seems that this is going to be covered over several episodes. That said, the episode's damning view of the pair's parents and school in their disdain for the two of them having lofty dreams struck a chord with me - I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who was told time and again that I'd never achieve any of my desires or career goals, yet here I am having achieved them all. The idea of not giving up on a dream is an important message that it's nice to see Space Brothers espousing, if nothing else.
A Certain Scientific Railgun S - Episode 6
Thus, having seen her "sister" brutally attacked by the centrepiece of
this project to create a Level 6, Misaka understandably loses her cool
as she goes all-out against said clone's assailant. However, this only
brings about a scenario which our Level 5 is rather unaccustomed too -
one of relative weakness, as even her most powerful and vicious attacks
don't so much as scratch her opponent, and indeed most of them are
simply deflected right back at her. "Why would somebody with so much
power already search for more?", she wonders aloud, to which the
response is a chilling one.
With nothing left in her arsenal, it looks as if the game is up for
Misaka - but then again, there are benefits to having thousands of
siblings, as the Misaka Network brings the cavalry to rescue her, if
only physically. Mentally, the entire experience has left Mikoto
battered, defeated simply unable to comprehend what she should do next,
although another meeting with Shinobu at least regains her resolve to
fix the problem. As her friends rally around her in spite of not
knowing exactly what's going on, it's time for Misaka to try and put an
end to the Hell unfolding around her.
Having brought such harrowing final scenes to close out last week's episode, this instalment of A Certain Scientific Railgun S ensured
that it made the most of its emotional payload, leveraging all of the
time we've spent with its protagonist and her usual confident, breezy
nature to really hit home the emotional toll of the cloning project that
originated from her own DNA. This also leads us nicely into what
should be some action-oriented episodes to come alongside that emotional
turmoil, as this series continues to do a thoroughly accomplished and
entertaining job of adapting its source material.
Hataraku Maou-sama! - Episode 7
Well, we learn this girl's name for ourselves soon enough, but beyond
that little is known about Suzuno Kamazuki aside from a recommendation
from the landlady to get any help that she needs from Maou after moving
in from "somewhere far away". With Emi continuing to stalk.. sorry,
"stakeout"... Maou's every move, she too is curious as to this newcomer
to the neighbourhood and her exact intentions, before deciding that she
seems to be nothing more than yet another innocent girl who has
mistakenly fallen in love with our demonic protagonist.
With that issue put to bed in Emi's mind, both herself and Maou find
themselves with new rivals to contend with. In Maou's case this takes
the form of the opening of a new fast food restaurant across the street
(Sentucky Fried Chicken - come on guys, you aren't even trying here)
which coincides with his first shift in a management role, while for Emi
her staking out of McDonalds sees her caught up in an attack which
initially seems to be a robbery but soon turns out to be something
entirely more personal. While Maou and Chiho have matters of the heart
to contend with, it seems that Emilia is the target of some nefarious
characters this time around.
Once again, the disparate elements of this series come
together magnificently to create a hugely enjoyable whole, with frequent
laugh out loud moments and a great cast of characters that bounce off
one another beautifully with the kind of dynamic that is usually the
reserve of a top-notch sitcom. There really isn't much more to say
beyond that - the storylines which keep the series moving are almost
secondary to the sheer joy of seeing the cast interact and go about
their business, while still holding enough to keep things interesting in
their own right. I keep expecting this series to go off the boil, but
every week Hatarku Maou-sama continues to defy me - at this point in the season, I really hope it never stops.
Devil Survivor 2: The Animation - Episode 7
Perhaps more important than Yamato's unexpected late appearance in the fact that the mysterious Alcor also seems to have popped along to enjoy the show, bringing with him some demons that he can chat with and control without having to use a mobile phone. Just who or what Alcor is remains shrouded in uncertainty, and what he has to say seems to fall largely on deaf ears as news of the next likely Septentrion attack means that it's going to be all hands on deck, with an assault expected on three cities at once.
In light of this, even Ronaldo has to concede some ground for the time being and agree to help out JP's forces along with the rest of his men, as manpower will be all important in the coming battle. Before all that however, we get a little downtime - or at least as close as the current scenario allows, as those about to engage in this latest skirmish along with the remaining JP's employees have to sit down for a routine medical. With Hibiki and his friends tasked with repelling the next attack aimed at Osaka, we look all set for a return to action next time around, although it seems that Io suddenly has more to concern herself with than everyone else...
Given how breakneck its pacing has been up to this point, I suppose it's about time that we were served up some slower, more light-hearted fare before ramping things up for the remainder of the series - although this leaves us with an episode that had little to write home about, the show as a whole continues to keep a few intriguing concepts in the air, with more than enough uncertainty as to some events and the driving force behind certain characters to make me want to keep watching. It might not be highbrow or genre-defining, but for a slice of slightly mindless streaming fare Devil Survivor 2 is still doing everything that it needs to ona weekly basis.
Red Data Girl - Episode 7
As per prior episodes of Red Data Girl however, any sense of tension is relatively short-lived, as the situation is soon diffused by a moment of insight from Izumiko which brings this "contest" to a close. Of course, Mayura was only testing her new friends; never mind that this seems like an incredibly bitchy thing to do. With thoughts returning to their current camping trip, bad news soon strikes Manatsu, who leaves as word reaches him that his horse Tabi is gravely ill.
Calling up the excitable Masumi to take over Manatsu's role at the camp causes Sagara in particular all kinds of headaches, but this is little more than light relief as Manatsu and Mayura's concerns about their horse takes a troublesome turn in light of the worst possible news about its fate - the resulting conflict of emotions set Manatsu off on a path which leaves his sister mortified and distraught.
Try as I might to care about all of these goings on, I simply can't do it - for me, Red Data Girl now feels like a show where things most certainly happen, but none of them leave me with any attachment to, or interest in, either the scenario or its characters. I'm not sure whether it's due to this or simply sloppy story-telling but the whole thing feels jumbled and without direction to boot, leaving me stuck within a vicious circle of apathy. In fact, this series is probably a perfect example of what it does badly, given how it spends much of its running time almost literally flogging a dead horse...
Space Brothers - Episode 57
With the group having problems with both navigation of their rover and those pesky parachutes about which Pico knows so much, Mutta once again impresses his overseer with some real technical ingenuity to solve one of their many problems - such is the impression left upon him that even Pico can't resist chipping in with some advice on their design, while also pointing out the flaws in a rival group's plan that our team were left cooing over for a while.
With some radical design changes planned out, it's montage time as the team work tirelessly to affect these changes, and their relationship with Pico thaws as time goes on - all of which is set against the backdrop of a change in personnel on the Moon, with Hibito due to come home, a journey which will of course involve the deployment of Pico's parachute design. In particular, Mutta and Pico seem to have developed quite an understanding, leading to our protagonist gaining on opportunity to learn more about Vincent Bold into the bargain.
All of this adds up to a simple but effective episode of Space Brothers - watching the group tackling the engineering challenge set before them and making progress with them is vicariously satisfying in its own right, and when that is spiced up with some wonderful character development and genuine emotion bubbling under the surface it showcases so much of what this series does so very well.
Flowers of Evil - Episode 6
Ignoring the whole water incident and the fact that, from the outside
looking in, Kasuga and Saeki's first date looked disastrously bad, all
seems to be well in the fledgling relationship between this unlikely
couple - indeed, even a mixture of rumours, teasing and exclamations of
disbelief aren't enough to put Nanako off the idea of admitting that
yes, she is dating Kasuga.
Thus, everything is rosy in Kasuga's proverbial garden... at least, it is until he sees Saeki talking to Nakamura, which immediately sets off alarm bells. However, it seems that even this isn't a big deal, as the two girls simply seem to have become friends, with Nakamura offering her support for the couple's relationship with earnest. Maybe she's turned over a new leaf?
Yeah, right... of course this is only the next stage in her plan to terrorise Kasuga at every turn, asking Saeki what she's do if her boyfriend turned out to be a pervert over lunch in front of Kasuga before later torturing him with suggestions that his pure and perfect "angel" might just be dying for a roll in the hay with him. It's the most delicious kind of conundrum for Kasuga to confront, but perhaps his bigger problem is a more direct one - the fact that Saeki has seen him and Nakamura at close quarters with one another during one of these sessions of bullying before getting the wrong idea entirely. Given a chance to go and see Nanako at her home thanks to one of her friends after she takes the following day off sick, perhaps this is a chance for him to set the record straight; an opportunity which could prove difficult thanks to the ever-present Nakamura and her wicked way with words.
For all the enjoyment of this series that I've had so far (and I use the term "enjoyment" in a decidedly twisted way given the show's proclivities), this feels to me like the best episode of Flowers of Evil so far. As well as more wonderfully uncomfortable moments and conversations and the agonising realisation of what Nakamura is up to while Kasuga prefers to think positive for once, the real genius of this episode is the way Nakamura hits a bullseye in exposing the hypocrisy of Kasuga himself. On the one hand, he places Saeki on a pedestal of purity and innocence (essentially denying her nature in the process), yet on the other... well, he's a teenage boy, so the rest writes itself. Even ignoring the duality of his attitude and how that could so easily be tied into the hardcore of otaku-dom, be it towards anime or idols, it's still a scathing exposure of some very human traits - it's that which makes this episode another uncomfortable yet hugely enjoyable slice of drama to watch as its concepts seep into your brain.
Thus, everything is rosy in Kasuga's proverbial garden... at least, it is until he sees Saeki talking to Nakamura, which immediately sets off alarm bells. However, it seems that even this isn't a big deal, as the two girls simply seem to have become friends, with Nakamura offering her support for the couple's relationship with earnest. Maybe she's turned over a new leaf?
Yeah, right... of course this is only the next stage in her plan to terrorise Kasuga at every turn, asking Saeki what she's do if her boyfriend turned out to be a pervert over lunch in front of Kasuga before later torturing him with suggestions that his pure and perfect "angel" might just be dying for a roll in the hay with him. It's the most delicious kind of conundrum for Kasuga to confront, but perhaps his bigger problem is a more direct one - the fact that Saeki has seen him and Nakamura at close quarters with one another during one of these sessions of bullying before getting the wrong idea entirely. Given a chance to go and see Nanako at her home thanks to one of her friends after she takes the following day off sick, perhaps this is a chance for him to set the record straight; an opportunity which could prove difficult thanks to the ever-present Nakamura and her wicked way with words.
For all the enjoyment of this series that I've had so far (and I use the term "enjoyment" in a decidedly twisted way given the show's proclivities), this feels to me like the best episode of Flowers of Evil so far. As well as more wonderfully uncomfortable moments and conversations and the agonising realisation of what Nakamura is up to while Kasuga prefers to think positive for once, the real genius of this episode is the way Nakamura hits a bullseye in exposing the hypocrisy of Kasuga himself. On the one hand, he places Saeki on a pedestal of purity and innocence (essentially denying her nature in the process), yet on the other... well, he's a teenage boy, so the rest writes itself. Even ignoring the duality of his attitude and how that could so easily be tied into the hardcore of otaku-dom, be it towards anime or idols, it's still a scathing exposure of some very human traits - it's that which makes this episode another uncomfortable yet hugely enjoyable slice of drama to watch as its concepts seep into your brain.
Attack on Titan - Episode 6
Of the group that we were following towards the end of last week's episode, only Armin has survived, although even he is hardly psychologically intact even if he's escaped physical injury. He isn't the only one either, as most of those on the front lines are in pieces in some shape or form it seems.
Not so Mikasa however, who is seemingly in her element and not in the last bit daunted as she swoops and zooms around, slashing and killing Titans as though it were the most natural thing in the world. What kind of upbringing could have created this individual, one of her colleagues ponders. Well, we soon find out, flashing back into Mikasa's childhood, the gruesome death of her parents as Mikasa herself is kidnapped to be sold into slavery, and how her relationship with Eren was first forged in the bloody aftermath of said kidnapping.
It's this delving into the back story of Mikasa that really confirms the dark, blood-stained depths that Attack on Titan occupies - a world alarmingly preoccupied with death, murder and horrific violence. The concern here is that this is beginning to stretch towards the edge's of the show's credibility - Eren's ability to fend off and kill two grown men with no explanation as to how or why is tough to swallow even in a show featuring giant, man-eating humanoids. Still, for now there's no doubting the power of the show's narrative thanks to its bleak outlook, so the questions as to whether this can sustain it in the long run can be left for another day in the face of another episode that was compelling in spite of its gratuitous nature.
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet - Episode 6
With a festival about to start, it seems that this is the perfect time to learn a little more about spending money for pleasure - not only that, there's also an opportunity available for Ledo to join the ranks of fishermen aboard the fleet, although it seems that trying to pilot an archaic Yunboro without any AI assistance underwater is a little too much for our protagonist after years of training with top-notch technology.
Leaving it to Chamber to try his hand at catching fish, Ledo instead finds some time to take in the pleasures of his current locale, whether it's the local cuisine or Amy's part-time job as a stripper... well, kind of. Such are Amy's charms that they're enough to distract Ledo from talk of money, food and the possibility of working with either Bellows or Pinion doing salvage work, and his personal reverie is only interrupted by the appearance of the Hideauze... or rather, the delivery of some octopus to his table. Whether it's a genuine error or the Hideauze are somehow related to aquatic life on Earth, it's a sense of confusion that kicks in to the full once Ledo begins his work performing undersea salvage with Bellows...
Trying my best to ignore its increasingly over-bearing insistence on injecting fan service into the show wherever it can (Amy has a nice body, I get it already!), this was another hugely enjoyable episode of Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet - it's really very simple in its mechanics of allowing Ledo to roam around this strange culture and try to come to terms with it after a lifetime of vastly different experiences, but somehow it works wonderfully, and watching him grow and mature as a character from week to week provides much of the delight to be had from the series. Come the end of this week's instalment, we also have an intriguing scenario to propel the next episode forward to; more good news for a series that seems to be hitting a lot of the right notes.
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 - Episode 6
Well, what we do know about Kouki is that he works as a model and designer for the same company that have been pursuing Kirino of late, and that he's also an otaku who is selling some of his wares at Comiket. Beyond that, the exact status of the relationship between himself and Kirino is rather vague, but they certainly seem to be getting on well enough. It's an issue which troubles Kyousuke, albeit perhaps not quite as much as being handcuffed in Ayase's bedroom and quizzed on why he was out on a "date" with Kirino.
It's matters of the heart which loom large over this entire episode, as an interrupted confession to Kyousuke by Ruri is followed by Kirino unabashedly unannouncing that Mikagami is, in fact, her boyfriend - a revelation which causes chaos in the midst of what should have been the gang's Comiket after-party. When Kirino invites said boyfriend to meet her parents, things inevitable come to a head - never mind her father's drunken ranting locked away in his bedroom, Kyousuke's initially cold treatment to Kouki followed by a proclamation that he isn't going to let just anyone take away his little sister is the moment that breaks the dam between the two siblings, allowing them to vent their frustrations and return everything to (relative) normality.
Although I'm all for Oreimo making the most of its characters to dramatic ends now and again, boy was this week's episode overblown, with layer after layer of needless conflict brought about simply because the series was capable of doing so rather than with any real sense of character development in mind. Speaking of which, I continue to feel let down by Kyousuke's character in this second season at times, as he vacillates jarringly from the normal guy who we knew and loved from the first season into a creepy wretch whenever Ayase is involved. In short, I miss the days when this series was mostly played for laughs, and the drama was just the window dressing for the series. Y'know, like you did in last week's episode, which managed to be the best instalment of this second season so far by a country mile.
Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 18
As the match rumbles on, so this grand final is told in a generally personal fashion, taking each match-up and the characters involved with them on an individual basis, as they face up to their various faults, worries and foibles to battle against their own psyche just as much as their opponent across the tatami.
Throw in other elements such as Chihaya's hand injury, which seems to be increasingly problematic for her, and some glimpses into Shinobu's back story and why she loves to hate team karuta, and you have yourself a heady mixture of an episode which once again manages to cover a vast amount of ground over a large number of characters without ever feeling too fragmented or "messy".
Of course, sitting tightly beneath all of those narrative elements sits a good old-fashioned sports anime, which does a superb job of relating the tension of this final in a way which is palpable and lending an edge of the seat quality which accompanies the more cerebral elements of the show. With Mizusawa's current state in the game teetering on the brink of failure, it's fair to say that this episode succeeds at leaving me teetering on the brink of my chair as I once again contemplate waiting until next week to see what happens next.
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