Random Curiosity

「とっておきの一日」 (Totteoki No Ichinichi)
“A Special Day”

I don’t know what it is about these recent episodes but they’ve all just been so dang good. From Aya trying to deal with her feelings about Youko to Honoka and Shino letting their love of blonde hair influence all their decisions, there was more than enough to keep you from getting bored this week!

Aya is Too Cute

Watching Aya go through the motions trying to deal with her feelings for Youko has to be one of the cutest things I’ve watched all season. From awkwardly grunting over the phone to screaming her lungs out when caught off guard, these are things you’d normally find pretty annoying until you add in the chaotic mix of emotions and thoughts running through Aya’s head as it all happens. And this week was no different except we got to see the pair share a little more private time than usual.

But at the end of the day, the real question is this — Does sharing a popsicle really count as an indirect kiss? I mean Youko bit the extra piece of that popsicle pretty hard and didn’t really leave all that much saliva on there. But you can’t really deny that her mouth made contact with it…

On a different side note, am I the only one who wishes Aya would build up the courage to actually talk to Youko about how she feels? I think it’s pretty clear that Youko doesn’t swing that way but as best friends you should be able to talk these sensitive topics out, right? Alas, I doubt we’ll ever enter that territory based on the type of show this is but we can dream!

Honoka-Chan!

How can I not talk about the newest addition to the gang? Making a huge impression by showing up at all the right times, it felt like her addition to this week’s episode was a reward for sticking to her guns and refusing to let the story skip over her. Showing off some of her hidden tennis skills as well as building her relationship with Shino, Alice, and Karen it felt like Honoka became the temporary star of the latter half of the episode.

Looking Ahead and The Infamous Beach Episode

As I said earlier, Kiniro Mosaic has been on a role for nearly a month now. With fun episodes coming out week after week, I was a little nervous that the show would start running out of steam as we hit the homestretch, but luckily it seems that instead of running out of gas the show has a surplus to go through! Anyways, next week is the infamous beach episode that will either be fantastic or terrible. If I were to guess, I’d put my money on the former!

See you next week!

Omake

「Zの一番長い日 (前編」 (Z no Ichiban Nagai Hi (Part 2))
“Z’s Longest Day (Part 2)”

Shows like Kekkai Sensen are the reason I got into anime in the first place.

Blood Blockade Battlefront just keeps finding new ways to impress me. I wouldn’t say this is a great anime season by any stretch, but I do like the fact the top tier of shows span such a wide demographic range – sports (Baby Steps), epic military fantasy (Arslan Senki), romantic buddy comedy (Ore Monogatari!!). And then there’s this series, which – like Matsumoto Rie’s previous series Kyousougiga and many a BONES show – comes as close as any to simply being “anime”. There’s something elemental in shows like this one, with their relentless imagination, sense of fun and embrace of a fantasized vision of American pop culture.

As the plot of Kekkai Sensen starts to coalesce, it puts me in mind of another terrific anime, Nazo no Kanojo X. Thematically these series are obviously different, but they’re both terrific manga that would have been difficult to adapt to anime in conventional fashion, and that succeeded because of bold changes by the director and screenwriter (in MGX‘ case the same person, Watanabe Ayumu). There’s no question that the anime-original storyline here feels distinct from the canon one, but somehow Matsumoto-sensei is totally making it work – both plots are fascinating in their own right, and we’re starting to see the once parallel lines converge.

Another trait BBB has in common with many of the strongest series is that it’s intra-episodic pacing is superb. Great anime are almost always better in the B-part than the A-part – there’s a deliberate buildup over the course of the episodes themselves, and not just the series’ as a whole, and a willingness not to deliver the payoff too early. I almost invariably find myself feeling only modestly invested at the eyecatch, only to become completely engrossed in the second half of the episode. And this week was no exception.

The A-part this week was full of teasers for the B-part, both in the Libra storyline and the Black-and-White. We’re finally introduced to Raju’s other disciple, Zed O’Brien (Midorikawa Hikaru), who makes rather a grand entrance and never really slows down till he passes out. Taking down the blood breed is a team effort, with Zed and Zapp forced to join forces to set him up for Raju to knock down, and Leo using his God Eye to learn the name so Klaus can seal him. This is all pretty much a blur, the sort of fun thrill ride BBB is rather fond of (and good at) delivering. Once the deed is done, Raju makes himself scarce – leaving Zed in Libra’s hands, which neither he or Zapp are too thrilled about.

As all this is happening, Aligura, Femt and Evil Black are watching from (fittingly) an amusement park (Coney Island?), and exchanging a lot of cryptic dialogue as Femt expresses his general boredom with the Universe. But when Raju lands the big blow against the blood breed (his name is too long to type, sorry) White seems to have a major heart episode inside the hospital. And interestingly, Leonardo seems to sense it happening. The pieces are coming together here, with the help of some flashbacks. Willian and Mary are twins, and as hinted William seems to have literally made a deal with the devil in order to save his sister’s life. An interesting parallel with Leo and Michaela here – especially when we learn that what bad Black really wants is Leo’s eyes, which he promises White he’ll accept as payment for the return of White’s body. This appears to be to setup for the finale of this season’s arc, though the exact mechanics of how it will tie in with the canon storyline are still unclear.

This is all good stuff, but it’s the atmospherics of the B-part that really make this an exceptional episode. We’re again treated to some fantastic BGM, well-suited to the rather serious and melancholy turn the story takes. And the depiction of William and Mary’s childhood home, which looks an awful lot like Ireland or Scotland, is gorgeous – deep green fields, stone fences, wildflowers, sea and a sky dotted with clouds. Everything with this show is so much more than it needs to be – there’s so much attention to detail and creativity and color. It’s pretty magnificent stuff, really – about as pure an anime experience as one is going to get, especially in this day and age. Appreciate it while we have it, and rejoice in the fact that it seems to have somehow miraculously found enough of an audience to virtually ensure a sequel.

Preview

Full-length images: 01, 15, 33.

Preview

「祭りの後」 (Matsuri no Ato)
“After the Festival”

This week, in the rom-com with robots that is Plastic Memories, we see the aftermath of the dramatic confession of last episode. It turns out, we’re sticking with the rejection, and the shock of it has caused Tsukasa’s soul to flee his body. Michiru notes the same thing we did last episode; as far as anime confessions go, Tsukasa’s was about as foolproof as they get. The fact that Plastic Memories seems to be self-aware about it makes me think that the cliché was deliberate. It was a cue to the audience that by average anime standards the confession should have been a solid success, so there must be some special circumstances surrounding the rejection.

Two things at work here. Firstly is that Isla didn’t really understand Tsukasa’s confession. It is common in various sci-fi settings for robots/aliens/whatever being unable to comprehend this mysterious human quality ‘love’, but Plastic Memories has so far been very insistent on Giftia being indistinguishable from humans and is not going to let up now. So instead, Isla is just inexperienced (technically she’s less than nine years old; try not to think about it much) and is unsure about the emotions she feels towards Tsukasa and vice versa. That’s a standard rom-com development as well, and again I think that’s the point. The emphasis is on Isla’s issues as a girl first, and only then can it be muddied by the fact she’s a Giftia. Hence why so much time is devoted to characters sitting around and talking about their feelings. Isla or Tsukasa, Giftia or human, it’s simply about first love and young people muddling through it. It also gives an excuse for Isla to be variously used and abused. Hapless suffering is how you bring out the moé.

On the robot side of things, it turns out that Isla is self-conscious about her remaining lifespan, and even if that wasn’t her first reason for rejecting Tsukasa, it certainly is a reason now. Again, it’s not her Giftia-ness which is the issue here; in a less sci-fi world she could easily just have cancer or some other non-specific terminal illness for the same effect. In the same way, none of her friends and colleagues take issue issue with Tsukasa dating a robot; the focus is firmly on Isla’s expiry date. In that regard, Tsukasa does not seem to have full support from his peers. Michiru, of course, has her bad experience with her foster father, and also seems to be out of the loop, so she gets rather emotional about Isla’s forecasted death. Her approval is won over the course of the episode. Kazuki, on the other hand, already knew of Isla’s lifespan, and may have some more stubborn objections to Tsukasa and Isla’s relationship (and starts off by freaking people out by camping in their house in the dark). But she broke off with Isla long ago; is she going to be critical of Tsukasa for trying when she did not? Hers is a story of letting go too early, to contrast Michiru’s where she hung on too long. Kazuki is their boss, though. What kind of heavy hand will she be applying?

One month ~ looking ahead

Compared to other episodes of Plastic Memories, which would have world building or at least some Giftia being retrieved, this one was quite mundane. It dealt with no issues particularly exclusive to a sci-fi setting, instead focusing on very down-to-earth, human reactions to extremely possible circumstances. We are, perhaps, at our most romantic comedy as we’re ever going to be.

I continue to call Plastic Memories a romantic comedy, but just because it likes to crack Loony Toon jokes doesn’t mean it should necessarily be a comedy, at least in the Classical sense. it telegraphs, fairly blatantly, that Tsukasa and Isla’s is a star-crossed romance, and that it’s very unlikely to end happily. ‘Romantic tragedy’ doesn’t seem to be much of a genre, though. Rather, perhaps it’s neater to simply separate Plastic Memories‘ romance with its comedy. Rarely do we see the pure romance these days outside of the occasional shoujo offering, and while Plastic Memories isn’t really one of those either, it does take its romantic aspect—in this case, a doomed love—rather seriously when they get down to it, as they do this episode mainly through Michiru. Next week, we’ll see Kazuki’s no doubt different take on it. Michiru’s ends up being supportive. I don’t get the feeling Kazuki will be.

「これでも必死だよ」 (Koredemo Hisshidayo)
“In My Own Way, I’m Desperate”

If you ever thought that the game of basketball was boring, this week’s episode dumped a ton of basketball and basketball talk on us.

Seirin’s Fighting Spirit

Even after last week’s amazing morale comeback, things just weren’t lining up in Seirin’s favor. The momentum of the game just wouldn’t move toward Seirin and if anything it felt like Rakuzan was slowly starting to steal some of it back. That is, they were almost starting to steal some of it back until Seirin started to put some backbone into their plays. With the sidelines cheering their hearts out and everyone on the court doing their best supporting one another, we were graced with some fantastic teamwork and awesome plays.

The Smarts of The Team

Not getting much attention since the reveal of his awesome Eagle Spear move, it’s always nice to see Izuki back in action. Usually playing the silent fifth man in most games, I’ll gladly take any opportunity to hear some of his bad jokes any day. And as surprising as it was to finally see someone actually laugh at one of his bad puns, it was even more surprising watching him setup the perfect back-to-back points to help Seirin catch up to Rakuzan’s ridiculous lead.

Senpai Is More Than A Title

Rarely getting any court time except when there’s a dire situation, it was also a nice change of pace to see Koga out and about. And while he may be the least experienced out of the group, his ability to hone his senses and react accordingly was really cool to see. Typically known as the jack of all trades with a so-so rate of scoring a shot from anywhere on the court, how can you not be happy knowing that there’s something more behind the face that’s always smiling?

But in typical Kuroko no Basuke fashion, it never forgets to remind us that there are some things that hard work and effort can’t overcome and a gigantic difference in skill is unfortunately one of them. Luckily though, everyone on Seirin’s been studying since they’ve been able to take every single scrap of data and turn it into a tangible result.

Looking Forward

Someone in the comments pointed out how things aren’t going to get any easier — but man never did I think it’d be this draining trying to keep up with everything. That said, it looks like my heart will be able to rest a little easier knowing our reliable captain is back on the court. Hopefully he’ll be able to return all the fouls back to Mibuchi and then some!

Preview

「answer」

Episode 20 would have been hard to top, and I suppose 21 doesn’t necessarily try. Sure, there’s still some measure of ridiculous sword-slinging, and a longer snippet of the Emiya remix (a more pensive piece this time, it seems) but for the most part the pendulum has swung back to exposition and introspection. With Shirou having found his determination last week, this week’s ‘answer’ is for Archer‘s benefit (and by extension, Saber, who has comparable circumstances and has been standing around doing nothing but reflect for three episodes). Hence, internal monologue. And because Archer is Shirou’s archetype and Shirou is Archer’s prototype, Shirou finds determination from Archer and Archer finds resolution from Shirou. Archer had forgotten his roots. Yes, trying to save everyone is unrealistic, but the ideal is beautiful. For too long has Archer obsessed about results, which is why his inner world is filled with gears, while Shirou’s is a purer vision, one that may eventually redeem Archer’s.

So often is the case that redemption equals death, and Archer, having just found satisfaction, must immediately step aside. Because enter Gilgamesh (who really deserves to get shot in the face at least once, but alas) to be the Archer-replacement to antagonise Shirou. Since Shirou wants to essentially be a superhero, he needs a supervillain to fight. In true supervillain style, Gilgamesh explains his evil plan, along with what he had been doing since Fate/Zero (while… providing fanservice, I guess). Apparently, the world is too idyllic, the Grail is corrupt, and Gil wants to kill everyone. Standard megalomania, and there is none to stop him but our hero, Shirou! But sure, while Shirou and Gilgamesh are natural foils—one was the king of ancient Mesopotamia and owns an endless vault of treasures, and the other is a nobody who must project all his weapons from nothing—why did Archer entrust Shirou with Gil’s defeat? Even Saber failed to defeat him in the previous Grail War. Who can stand up to the King of Heroes?

Looking ahead

For now, what does stand up to the King of Heroes is soot. Gil leaves our protagonists be for now rather than let his clothes get dirty. Even from beyond the grave, Lancer (or at least the fire he started, which has spread out plenty since episode twenty) manages to score another point by soiling Gil’s outfit and saving the day. What a man.

Shinji, however, is not so fortunate. Even though he’s hardly a magus at all, even though he’s completely clueless, even though he’s a pathetic spot of slime, he’s been chosen for the dubious honour of being the faulty vessel of the grail. No matter how much one disliked Shinji, one must admit that his fate is most horrific. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.

We needn’t worry about it too much for now, though, because next week there will presumably be dolphins. Look forward(?) to it.

Full-length images: 34.

Preview

「再会」 (Saikai)
“Reunion”

“Izana, your mission is to infiltrate the Shadow Moses Sidonia wearing this dress.”
“!”
“ENEMY SIGHTED, SEND BACKUP!”
Izana: “@#$%!”
“AFTER HER!”
Izana: Phew* I made it.”
“WHO’S THERE! I GOT YOU NOW.“

This week on Metal Gear Izana, Snake becomes a photosynthetic human trying to infiltrate the last basti—wait, what do you mean this isn’t Metal Gear? You mean to tell me that despite all the sneaking and the prosthetic arm Izana has, she ain’t Snake? Could’ve fooled me. Next thing you know, you’ll be telling me this isn’t a romcom/harem series. (It isn’t, but it sure can go for one!)

Game references aside (if you haven’t played Metal Gear yet, you should probably get on that), it’s another week in the life of Tanikaze Nagate, and things are just fine and dandy for our ace pilot. He’s now living with three of the more desirable females on the ship, making them fall even harder for him by using suave lines without even realizing it, and even getting people to set him up on epic dates to locales he wouldn’t be able to go to otherwise. Indeed, he’s living the life of a man on cloud nine—it’s just too bad he doesn’t realize it, but that’s probably just because he didn’t get any rice balls this week (or maybe it’s due to the supposed explosive in his neck…)

Either way, color me impressed. I figured they maxed out on the amount of comedy they could fit in a single episode in the previous few weeks’ episodes, but they found a way to sneak in even more. There were more priceless reaction faces than we could ever want, multiple instances of Tsumugi just being Tsumugi, and it was just a laugh-fest through and through. At the same time, they moved the story along in regards to Shinatose’s attempt to build a proper Gravitational Beam Emitter, snuck in a few references to how some of the crew members aren’t what they seem, and even included a cameo of the TV series our crew loves so much. If that isn’t multi-tasking from a developmental standpoint, I don’t know what is, and I for one am glad that they’re not just churning through the calm before the storm without boring us in the meanwhile.

Aside from that though, there’s honestly not much to say aside from the fact that the fun times are almost over, and the real show’s about to start. Maybe. Probably. I wouldn’t mind a little more shenanigans for another episode though…

Preview

Wahrwelt:

This week’s chapter was less about any of the characters as it was about the location all the characters have found themselves in. We get to see both sides of the counter force appear at opposite ends of the new Soul King’s Palace, and I quite like the new look. For a final battlefield I think this chapter did a good job at setting up how it could be used for future fights. Obviously, the quincies have the advantage right now, and a palace that is beneficial to them is just one more thing to add to that overpowered list. If the Royal Guard have to fight for Juha Bach as well (which is my prediction) then I’m going to be seriously interested how this is even going to be a fair fight. Other than introduce the Wahrwelt and setting up what could come in the following weeks, this was yet another slow chapter with little overall progress. The past few weeks (or months, more like it) feel like we’ve been slowly building up to this final conflict. I’m still excited for what’s to come, but I just hope it starts soon.

Overview – What’s Next?:

Yoruichi’s brother’s death flag is even more massive now. He’s a sweet kid, but I can just see his death pushing Yoruichi over the edge (hopefully she has a rematch with Pernida). Shunsui’s mention of Ukitake didn’t feel like a true reflection of his feelings, especially if Ukitake has lost his life at this point. There were a few noteworthy character moments this week, but it wasn’t enough to make this chapter anything noteworthy in the grande scheme of things. The battlefield is set, everyone who is due a fight is on the scene – let’s get the match-ups started so we can finally see all those unreleased shikais, bankais, ressurections, and other powerups. If Kubo delivers some impressive battles worthy of the very last conflict of the series, then I’ll be happy. But the sooner, the better.

「望んで叶って怒られて」 (Nozonde, Kanatte, Okorarete (3.5))
“Made a Wish, It Came True, and I Got in Trouble”

Someone in the comments last week got me excited that we’d finally get to see Kaoru and Hajime’s baby this week. Instead, we went further back in time and covered episode 3.5.

The Joys of Family

Even though we still didn’t get to see the joys of parenthood, this week’s episode did a fantastic job giving us a peek into Hajime’s family life and in turn the support system that’s in place to support our favorite couple. And what was super surprising was just how normal Hajime’s family ended up being. Because when you look at their two kids and just how far they’re separated from reality, you’d think at least one of the parents would have some odd quirk. But lo and behold you have two of the most down to earth parents I’ve ever seen in an anime. With Hajime’s mom taking the role of trying to reign in her (currently) jobless son while his father seems to be supportive one (who also apparently had no faith in him!), they’re a pair of parents anyone would be proud of.

Looking Ahead

If this episode wasn’t a nod toward what’s to come, I don’t know what is. Focusing on parents and their roles later in their children’s life, it makes sense that the show would loop around to show us the other side of the spectrum, right? The side that involves new parents who are trying to manage watching over a screaming and crying bundle of joy all the while balancing their careers and sanity. Right? RIGHT?

In any case, we got another strong episode that managed to do a lot in a mere three minutes. From reminding us about the roles parents serve to just how important your extended family is, it’s times like this where I wish the episodes were a wee bit longer.

Catch you next week! (Did you notice the slight change in the ending again? All them sushi plates :3)

「オレのトモダチ」 (Ore no Tomodachi)

“My Friend”

The relationship between Suna’s screen-time and Ore Monogatari’s effectiveness is not coincidental.

This was one of the best episodes of Ore Monogatari, I’d say, and neither that or the fact that the B-part was much the stronger half is down to chance. It’s not so much that Suna is the most interesting member of the cast (though I certainly think he is) but that his involvement takes the series into directions that are just more interesting and emotionally complex. As good a romance series as this is, at heart – and I’ve said this from the very first episode – I think it’s more of a friendship story.

It seems Kawahara-sensei is playing with expectations in some subtly interesting ways here. Where Suna’s character might normally be the straightforward and predictable one and the awkward and misunderstood Takeo the inscrutable and somewhat dark one, the roles are clearly reversed. Takeo is indeed misunderstood (though almost exclusively by females), but he’s an emotional bulldozer. He plows straight ahead, undaunted, and seems constitutionally incapable of taking offense at any slight directed at him (though not at those he cares about). He’s wholly admirable and funny, but rarely surprising. Suna is a still pond that runs deep – he never reveals all of himself, while Takeo rarely hides any bit of himself (and certainly not in his new work uniform). They’re a contrast in a way great fictional friends often are, but the photo-negative of what we usually see in anime (and shoujo).

For a while here, it looks as if we’re going to get a pretty conventional lovey-dovey episode akin to last week’s. Takeo discovers (by asking directly, of course) that Rinko’s birthday is only 10 days off (June 15th). These two are so blissfully in love and Rinko so guileless that when she says all she wants is for Takeo to spend the day with her, we know she really means it. But Takeo knows enough to put himself in Suna’s hands here, and it pays off. Suna – as usual – goes above and beyond the call of duty in making things right. He gently steers Takeo away from the stuff that just won’t work (like his boot camp itinerary), suggests stuff that will, and lets his friend know that no matter what Yamato said, he needs to buy her a present (he even has some good ideas for what, based on the fact that he’s always observing).

I’ll be honest – I really love characters like Suna, who never miss an important fact about those they love, but never call attention to themselves. Suna knows a lot more about Takeo than Takeo does about him, but it’s not Takeo’s fault – that’s just how he is – and it doesn’t reflect a lack of concern about Suna on his part. So when Takeo senses that something is off with Suna, you know there must be a good reason. Suna, as ever, would just as soon keep himself to himself, and Takeo respects his desire not to share. But even as he loses himself in preparing for Rinko’s birthday, he never totally loses his nagging concern that something is up.

When I say Suna’s involvement takes Ore Monogatari in more interesting directions, this is exactly what I mean. Takeo’s giddy courtship with Rinko is sweet and fun, but he’s really more interesting as Suna’s friend that Rinko’s boyfriend. There’s some intriguing new stuff with his mom, too – she’s pregnant (it’s OK, though – she’s 40, but she “has the body of a 22 year-old”). And Takeo gets a part-time job to help pay for Rinko’s birthday rather than borrowing from Suna – at a “macho cafe“, where’s he’s paraded around in short-shorts and a tank top in front of an (almost-entirely male) admiring clientele. Japan is the mecca of theme-cafes, of course, and there’s one for every fetish – but it does seem a little skeevy (this is the second time the show has ventured into uncomfortable comedy) for a 16 year-old to be put into that kind of work environment, irrespective of the gender of either the 16 year-old or the patrons.

This is all building up to the revelation – courtesy Takeo’s mother – that Suna’s father is in the hospital. Naturally Suna hasn’t said a word, but neither has Yuriko-san – both of them protecting Takeo-kun. And on top of that Suna is alone, his mother and sister traveling abroad. The issue is a heart condition, which almost claimed Sunakawa-san once already (again, Suna never told Takeo), for which surgery is scheduled June 15th. What’s important here is the way each of the boys reacts to this all being out in the open. Takeo declares that he’ll put off celebrating Rinko’s birthday to be with Suna at the hospital, and Suna shows anger for the first time in the series in insisting that Takeo do no such thing. If he does, Suna says, that will only make him feel worse.

The reason this is such a great friendship is that we know, indisputably, that both of them are being completely genuine here. As deeply bedazzled as Takeo is, he’d absolutely set that aside to be with Suna. And Suna would absolutely hate it if he did. This is developing into one of the great bromances in modern anime, no doubt about it – both of these guys just care for each other, emotionally and practically. It’s no slight to Rinko, but this is quite simply the central relationship in Ore Monogatari – just like the looks and personalities of the two male leads, superficial appearances are deceiving. Good romances are pretty uncommon in anime, no doubt, but friendships this profound are winged unicorns. And it’s that element that makes this series really stand out as something special.

Preview

「発想と創造の協奏曲」 (Hassou to Souzou no Kyousoukyoku)
“The Concerto of Inspiration and Imagination”

Toutsuki Culinary Academy is such a cut-throat impossible school. Most schools would want their students to graduate and make a living for themselves… but Toutsuki is seriously intense. Not only does it want their students to be successful, but it wants to ensure that 100% of the students that pass are top tier chefs; even if that means that only 10% of the students actually make it to graduation. On top of all that, what happens to the students that fail? Will you forever be labeled as the person that couldn’t make it as a “great chef”? Or do you still land decent jobs because you’ve trained with the best? I would assume that even if you can’t be the top 10%, you’re still a good enough chef to own your own restaurant. Just being surrounded by these professionals and other great students should teach you a lot and even if you don’t graduate, at least you’ve improved. That’s what I’d like to think. A lot of contestants competing on cooking shows might not win, but they still come out being successful individuals so to me, the same should apply for Toutsuki.

Asides from my complaints of how the school treats its students, I do like seeing the different hoops that the anime has been throwing at Souma. I actually prefer seeing Souma try and think outside the box to impress teachers compared to seeing him compete against other students. This episode featured both which was great because it kills two birds with one stone, but if I had to pick one or the other, it’d be the former. The tasks given by the teachers during this “camp” seems to involve much more creativity and innovative thinking compared to the former episodes. I hope each of the former alumni also have their own specialities and they test different attributes of the students. That would really prove how well-rounded each of the students are; especially Souma since he seems to be the most resourceful so far. But resourcefulness can only get you so far if you’re not creative as well. I think Souma will eventually have to start learning how to use skills outside the ones he got from working in the kitchen. There’s a lot he can learn from top Michelin-star chefs like plating, using high quality ingredients and combining different flavor profiles. I’m excited to see what Inui Hinako (Noto Mamiko) will say about Souma’s dish next week and what kind of wisdom she has to impart. I spoiled myself a bit, but she’s quite intimidating when you hear about her history.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t too amused with Souma’s new rivals – the Aldini brothers. Both Aldini Takumi (Hanae Natsuki) and Aldini Isami (Ono Yuuki) were impressive chefs, but other than being Italian restauranteurs, they didn’t really blow my mind. Perhaps it’s because their personalities aren’t distinctive enough since I’m sure there’s got to be a stereotype for both of them in typical shounen manga. I wasn’t blown away by their characters, but they are also quite the smart team to find duck! Seriously, where did they even get that? From an interest perspective, I think Isami is by far more intriguing than his brother. There’s something about him being the “younger brother” that makes him seem like an underdog in this duo and I always cheer for the underdog. However, both of them seem to hold up on their own very well so I don’t doubt we’ll see more from them soon. Now I’m curious to see how Souma beats their duck dish…

Author’s Note: In case you haven’t read my previous post, I am on vacation right now and my posts will continue to be delayed for the next week (or so). Apologies in advance and thanks to all the readers for being patient and understanding =)

Preview

End Card

Full-length images: 19.

「知らない花火」 (Shiranai Hanabi)
“The Fireworks I’ve Never Seen”

Sorry for the lateness of this post. I’m currently living in interesting times, so to speak. Thankfully, it should be temporary inconvenience.

It’s seems neither of the shows I’m blogging have time for the OPs this week, though in Plastic Memories‘ case it’s merging the ED with the main episode and slotting the OP where it used to be, creating the effect that there’s actually two episodes of anime rolled into one; one regular one and another that’s only a minute long. Jokes aside, there actually are two halves to this week’s Plastic Memories, more or less, though they are related to each other.

Every time I reformat my PC it becomes something entirely different, too

The first ‘half’ is more world building, something that will continue to be necessary so long as there are new perspectives that can be shed on the society of Plastic Memories. In particular, this week introduces one Andie (the artist formerly known as Olivia), who is a multi-purposed character. She’s not of Terminal Services One, and we already know that the other departments do things rather differently, so this is an opportunity to see exactly how. Turns out, it’s nothing complicated; apparently they just run people down and browbeat them into signing forms they probably haven’t read. Surely that counts as contract under duress in whatever jurisdiction they operate under. Even if not, it does seem a lot harder than it really has to be. At some point they’ll start employing bounty hunters and before we know it we’d be on the highway to dystopian future.

Andie’s other purpose is to serve as an example of a ‘reset’ Giftia, and while her story with Eru is not exactly heartbreaking, it does give cause for introspection. I had thought Tsukasa was rather quick to accept Isla’s short lifespan, and it turns out that he hasn’t really fully accepted it at all, still looking for a ‘cure’ in his abundance of free time. Alternatively, if we assume that Plastic Memories is contemplating mortality, as usual, what Giftia go through is some weird sort of reincarnation. Some owners are evidently more zen about it than others (and the Giftia seem to be universally accepting of their lot, for whatever reasons), but the common theme is that memory is where personality is sourced (memories being important in a series called Plastic Memories? Who would have thought?). Even in the same body, Andie and Olivia are two different people. I wonder how the old lady in the opener treats her reset Giftia. A fresh start, or a rerun? A child, or a doll?

‘No! Our star-crossed love cannot be!’

On our protagonists’ part, the major event is certainly Tsukasa suddenly professing his love. In a regular rom-com where one of the parties isn’t terminal they’ve have dallied about for another 3 episodes at least before we got anywhere close to a confession. And it’s a confession by fireworks too! How cliché! Then again, this stuff is cliché because it works. Romance under the stars! Pretty lights! Somehow managing to find complete solitude through contrived circumstances! You can’t get better atmosphere than this.

And for a moment, it really did seem like it worked, because overall it was a fairly effective scene and the ED playing in the background made it seem like a done deal. I would have happily shut off the episode when the OP started playing and left it at that. Alas, gentle readers, I am committed to thoroughness for your sakes. It all seemed to go so well, and then Tsukasa gets completely shot down with no shred of dignity remaining.

Are you trying to duck, Plastic Memories? You had a good thing going there with the confession scene. It was a fine rendition of an old classic. Can’t you wait until next episode before undermining it? Is this cowardice? Backpedaling most craven, sir? Stick to your guns, Plastic Memories! Commit! Argh!

992 hours ~ looking ahead

In all likelihood Isla’s rejection of Tsukasa, to the bemusement of the audience, has something to do with awareness of her own lifespan. After all, they’ve just dealt with a woman who fell in love with her Giftia earlier in the episode, and that ended rather badly.

(It makes one wonder again, though: what exactly is SAI marketing Giftia as? Seems to be ‘emotional crutch’.)

Alternatively, it could all be some stupid fake out for some stupid reason, just to keep the episode hanging over the week. In which case, I will not be pleased, Plastic Memories. I may have to frown at you quite sternly. Neither of us want that.

「もうすぐ夏休み」 (Mousugu Natsuyasumi)
“Almost Summer Vacation”

While Karen might have gotten the short end of the stick last week, this week’s episode did a great job turning all that around. That and how can I stay angry at someone who’s as mischievous as her?!

One Smile Please

After Karen and her slightly more ojou-sama attitude last week, I was a huge fan of the return of the devilish girl who would never relinquish an opportunity to get some laughs in. Typically cracking jokes at Alice’s expense, I couldn’t get over how delightfully evil she was this week. Maybe it’s because I have a similar thought process but I know if I caught one of my friends peeking at me, I wouldn’t hesitate to mess around with them. Also, wasn’t that whole fast food scene done really well? Especially for a show that’s as fuwafuwa as this? I mean, Wacdonald type restaurants are pretty common places for characters to eat but something about seeing everyone actually eating a full meal (burger, fries, and a drink) while chatting up a storm about whatever was on their minds felt completely natural.

Summertime Sadness

While the episode didn’t really go into detail about it, something that always gets me about schools in Japan is just how relentless they are with getting their students to do well on their midterms and finals. And by relentless, I mean all the remedial classes that a student has to go through if they somehow manage to bomb their tests. I mean, the last thing someone wants to do after making it through an entire semester is spending part of their well earned vacation stuck in school, right? Then again, I can see all the merits of trying to keep students from falling too far behind which in the end creates a higher standard of education for everyone…

Blonde Hair Brigade

Not giving up her recently awarded spot as official side character, it was nice to catch a glimpse of Honoka this week. While I would have preferred not to see her hentai side since we see too much of it already, it was still pretty cute to see her fawning all over Karen.

Too Much Hnng and Looking Ahead

Even though the past few episodes haven’t managed to capture that sense of awesome we got a while back, I’ll hand it to the production team for giving us something that at worse is pretty fun to watch. That said, I’d prefer if they could tone down some of the Shino x Alice moments since you know things are getting a little out of hand when actual characters start mimicking my own expression.

With that out of the way, it looks like we’re off to the beach (instead of the sky) next week. Hopefully the studio decides to give us the proper beach episode we’ve been waiting to see since last season!

Omake