Random Curiosity

「Absolution; 容赦」 (Yousha)

Our first cour of Accel World comes to a close with the end of Chrome Disaster’s arc and I think it’s a very fitting way to lead into the second half of this series.

The natural reaction to how much work went into this post.

Welcome, one and all, to my special series of retrospective posts on the sci-fi / fantasy epic Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon. In the following two posts, I’m going to give you everything you need to know in order to enjoy this wonderfully complex series, including background information, character bios, detailed summaries and impressions for every episode, and a giant final impressions section that explains exactly why I felt compelled to write so much about this series. In the end, these two posts are going to cover the entire season – all 13 episodes – of one of the most vibrant and detailed worlds that has graced our screens in years.

In this first post I’ll be talking about the basic premise, the world, the factions, the characters, and many of the other fiddly little details that might trip you up. Then, just to get the party started in earnest, I’m going to go ahead and give you summaries and impressions for the first six episodes. If you have any questions, whether you haven’t watched this series yet or suspect you might have missed something on your first time through, this post may very well contain the answer.

「七夕飾り/パンダくんの願い」 (Tanabata Kazari/Panda-kun no Negai)
“Tanabata Decoration/Panda’s Wish”

“When you wish upon a star  
Makes no difference who you are.  
Anything your heart desires  
Will come to you~”

「計算をこえるもの」 (Keisan o Koeru Mono)
“Something Beyond Reckoning”

Virgo sure knows how to dance!

「プラトー・オブ・ミラー／mirror of the world」 (Puratō Obu Mirā)
“Plateaux of Mirror”

If you want intrigue and mystery, this episode of AO should be your one-stop shopping for the week.

「あの瞬間…俺は…」 (Ano Shunkan… Ore wa…)
“At That Moment…I…”

I stated in last week’s episode that I thought they ended the main “issue” prematurely and that left very little story to be told for this week…

With this amazing spring season almost entirely in the rear-view mirror and summer’s crop of shows rapidly approaching, there’s no better time for the second installment of the Random Curiosity Podcast than now.

「万人の死角」 (Banjin no Shikaku)
“What No One Noticed”

What started as a simple mediocre amateur movie project is slowly turning into a path of self-discovery — and I have no problems with that. What I do want to point out before we dive into this episode is that for anyone who’s on the fence about Hyouka should really tune in for this current arc!

「終わらないナツヤスミ」 (Owaranai Natsu Yasumi)
“Endless Summer Vacation”

So it comes to an end. After only a few repeats, the endless summer came to a close. Lessons were learned, tears were shed, and life moves on once again, as it always must.

Final impressions included.

「オール・ブルース」 (Ōru burūsu)
“All Blues”

Whatever else you might think of the final episode – or of the eleven that preceded it – I think it’s hard to argue that Watanabe-sensei isn’t a directorial genius of the first order.

「海賊会議」 (Kaisai! Kaizoku Kaijin)
“The Pirate’s Council”

As the series heads to the finish line with a strong wind at its back, I can’t help but hope that the end of the course will be pushed back for another season or two.