Random Curiosity

「Chapter.30 月光 / Chapter.31 自我のカタマリ」 (Chapter.30 Gekkou / Chapter.31 Jiga no Katamari)
“Chapter.30 Moonlight / Chapter.31 Lump of Ego”

I’m so happy we finally got an episode that gave us some more insight into Kyouko.

Your Sister(?)

The struggles of being the unsuccessful child in a family is a god awful feeling, especially if you’re the eldest. The thought of failing your parents and being unable to accomplish the hope and dreams they set out for you can drive even the toughest people off the edge. Which is exactly why I left this episode with a completely different opinion of the “evil” older sister that spent her time making Rei’s life more difficult than it needed to be. Honestly, when you try to see things from Kyouko’s perspective, it’s not too hard to see where all that nastiness comes from and how it isn’t necessarily all her fault. At a young age, can you imagine the pain of letting down your shogi obsessed father while simultaneously watching all the passion you thought was coming your way now being directed at your adopted younger brother? In one fell swoop it’s like your world was turned completely upside down without even giving you a chance to prepare for the fall. But you know what the worst part of it all is? Judging from what we saw in that flashback when Rei announced he’d leave home instead, it really feels like their dad tried his best to adjust his expectations in a failed attempt to prevent all this from happening. Like Rei said, his father loves all of his children and even if Kyouko can’t see it, there’s no denying their dad wouldn’t want his children to find their own form of happiness even if it didn’t involve shogi.

Anyways, what I’m trying to basically get across is just how fun this show can be when we get some great moments that help define or redefine the characters we thought we knew. And in this week’s case, it gives me hope that Kyouko might turn into a positive force that’ll help Rei find the answers he needs to move forward.

Shogi Battle!

Man, who would have thought that the final matches of the tournament would be so intense? With Gotoh and Shimada bringing out their A-game, I thought it was a nice tough to add some dramatic sound effects every time they brought a piece down. Honestly, the whole thing would probably have been even better if I actually understood what was going on — but then again I guess it goes to show you how interesting something can become with the right use of angles and sounds!

Looking Ahead

With various plot points about to veer straight into one another it looks like we’re going to be in for a big episode sometime soon. From Kyouko and Gotoh to Rei’s confidence and our favorite three sisters badly needing some air time, wouldn’t it be nice if this all somehow came together to the point where Rei actually manages to win big time? Anyways, I’ll see you guys next week where Rei hopefully does enough catch up work to graduate on time. See you then!

Preview

「ナイトフォール」 (Naitofōru )
“night fall“

It seems awfully like a bait, but should I bite? Should I talk about it? Should I talk about Twilight?

Sure, let’s do it.

For those of you who missed it, Stephanie Myer’s Twilight series was one of the more divisive novels of our time. Unless the similarly unexpectedly wildly popular Harry Potter, which is almost universally loved and to speak ill of it tantamount to heresy, Twilight created two rather vocal and diametrically opposed camps. There’s the diehard fans that will ceaselessly evangelise their love of the books, and there’s the counterculture warriors who decided Twilight was the worst thing ever and made their opinion known whenever possible. And the internet made both sides sound a lot louder than they actually were.

Obviously, the night fall series from this week is an expy of Myer’s novels (though mercy on our souls if there ever comes a time when there’s a Twilight instalment for every day of the year). I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this. On one hand, this episode could be interpreted as a strawman defence of Twilight, and I’m more aligned with the side that considers Twilight to be banal drivel. On the other hand, I mostly agree with the overall message of the episode, about the importance of love and passion, haters be damned.

I like to think that I have fairly balanced perspective here (though everybody thinks that about themselves). I’ve actually read the first book of Twilight, because when something’s this popular it’s behoves one to find out what the fuss is all about, and also because one can get awfully bored at an airport. After long and careful consideration I concluded that it was truly terrible, sure, but I could also sort of see why it could gave appeal with its demographic. How healthy or deserved that appeal is must be a debate left for another time. Bottom line is, there is some merit there, and that should be enough for us to let it go on its way.

Sure, you can argue that it’s the dullest kind of escapism. You can argue that it preys on vulnerable egos. You can even, like me, almost resent it because you can list a dozen better authors who ‘deserve’ the success more. But we should not hold any of that against the fans. Love is the most subjective thing. Who knows, maybe it helped them through a tough time, as stories do. Maybe it’s the vehicle for them to connect to others. Maybe they’ve just invested huge amounts of time into it. Whatever. Nerds will be nerds. I think we should encourage people to channel their passion into something positive, and we can worry about the exact direction later.

The same thing goes for the creators, I suppose. If they invest a lot of love and effort and detail into their work, and that gets through to their fans, more power to them. Sure, the night fall described here sounds, frankly, like a bit of a trainwreck, but if it’s a well considered trainwreck we can still appreciate the spectacle. Perhaps it’s all a metaphor for Little Witch Academia, as well. If one stares at LWA a bit too hard they might come to realise that the script is actually kinda flaky. But it’s obviously made by a bunch of folks who love their anime, and the love, effort, and detail show. Perhaps, one day, LWA may become as ridiculous as vampires in space. But with enough love, vampires in space isn’t stupid. It’s awesome.

「高橋鉄男は守りたい」 (Takahashi Tetsuo wa Mamoritai)
“Takahashi Tetsuo Wants to Protect”

Another adorable and heartwarming episode!

Go Hikari GO!

Before anyone goes and screams out that this week’s episode was a little unrealistic, I’ll acknowledge that if things went that smoothly in real life I don’t think society would say that teenagers are troubled children. Getting back on track, I personally loved what went down between Hikari and the two girls who were badmouthing Yukki. It’s tough to describe in words, but the sense of pride I felt when I realized that Hikari wasn’t calling them out only for badmouthing her friend but doing it because of how she wants to conduct herself really hit me straight in the feels. Like, can you imagine how difficult it’d be to muster the courage to tell off not one but two girls when the norm is to ignore it and keep moving on? It was so moving that any feelings of the scene feeling exaggerated or to cliché completely disappeared as Hikari kept pushing forward even as the other two girls tried to deflect and put the blame elsewhere. As an added bonus, because of whatever I was feeling during Hikari’s moment, Yukki’s talk with the two girls nearly pushed out the tears that were forming under my eyelids. Something that, even though I knew was coming, never expected such a strong reaction to.

One Big Family

Even though something like this was probably inevitable, it’s nice to see that Takahashi-sensei has finally taken the initiative to formally create a group for our girls (and Satou-sensei). While it may have felt a little superfluous since the three are already pretty good friends, from an adult and educator’s perspective it makes a lot of sense to formalize everything while adding another point of contact just in-case. If anything, what probably caught me most off guard was that Satou-sensei wasn’t already helping out her fellow demis. Minus her short conversation with Machi last week, you’d think she’d have been out there keeping a watchful eye over Hikari and Yukki!

Demi Lover?

Okay, let’s just get this out there — Takahashi-sensei ends up getting himself in some pretty interesting situations when we’re talking about a student-teacher relationship. Luckily, this isn’t the type of show that’s trying to exploit that relationship with cheap humor. That said, I’m sure there are some people out there who’d try to call our beloved sensei out on some of his behavior and Himari was probably the best person to do so. With a unique perspective of a human whose sister is a demi, it must have been hard growing up and dealing with all the stares and questions from people around Hikari and her. Which is why I had no issues with the way she was grilling Takahashi-sensei — can you imagine how many creepers probably have attempted to befriend Hikari simply because she’s a vampire? Luckily, it looks like she managed to satisfy herself (and any suspecting viewers) of Takahashi-sensei’s intentions and hopefully she’ll also become a driving force to help out the Demi-club.

Looking Ahead

Man, week after week we’re getting some fabulous episodes that have been pushing the plot at such a nice pace that I’m not afraid to ask for more of what we’re getting. With just the right amount of humor packed in with all the heartwarming moments and just a little bit of random to round things out, what more could you really ask for? That said, it looks like the story is about to hit its first major point where a shift could occur since it looks like Yukki is the last demi to have her story told.

Anyways, no matter where things do go, you can bet I’ll be here to cover it! See you next week.

Preview

「復讐」 (Fukushuu)
“Revenge”

Well it only took four episodes, but we finally got something definitive in Zestiria. I always expected Rose’s assassination moonlighting to come out into the open eventually, but I did not anticipate it being this quickly. In a way though it makes sense, Sorey is incredibly naïve regarding certain things and willing (usually) to take anyone at face value. If Rose walks and talks like a merchant, she must only be a merchant in his eyes. Here, however, Sorey’s curiosity/concern finally gets the best of him, sending Edna Mikleo off on a fact finding mission that reveals far more than they ever anticipated.

Although surprising, having Zestiria’s moral dichotomy theme being tested between Sorey and Rose is welcome because it’s the first conflict in a show where not much has happened thus far. We can see how far Rose is willing to go for her form of justice, while catch of glimpse of Sorey’s maturing idealism. My primary annoyance is how impulsive Sorey is here. He goes full white knight, attempting to save Rose from a situation he does not fully comprehend and lacks complete information about. Sorey’s refusal to even consider the validity of Rose’s actions and his brash desire to preemptively stop her is the stereotypical form of justice which many a main character possess. It’s particularly aggravating in this instance given Sorey has previously shown a willingness to learn and identify the existence of morally grey situations. You would imagine this newfound openness would have Sorey try taking stock of the situation before confronting Rose, but I guess that was not meant to be.

On the other side, thankfully Rose lacks the annoying traits and sticks nicely to her development. Although Prince Konan and the history of betrayal came out of nowhere, at least it fleshes out the remaining holes in Rose’s backstory and gives reason for her actions. How she reconciles her past with Sorey will be interesting, particularly if Sorey grows out of his current “must never kill” mantra. If Sorey manages to find some decent character development from the experience, all might be forgiven. My only concern is what it will provide in the long run. For all that I like this theme exploration, Zestiria has been noticeably lacking on plot development, with no movement whatsoever on the fight against the Lord of Calamity. If this wasn’t a two cour show I wouldn’t be worried, but there are only eight episodes remaining—seven if next week is entirely a Sorey-Rose reconciliation—and a significant amount (from what I understand) of story left to adapt. I really hope the show doesn’t finish up with an annoying cliff hanger or anime original ending, but if Zestiria continues at the current pace, it’s hard seeing any other end. Unless a third season is in the cards of course, you never know.

Next Time: It’s all about Edna

While I dislike Sorey’s current state, I will be very disheartened if he managed to stop Rose from killing Konan. Hopefully that cliff hanger ends the right way so we can get Sorey’s first true taste of moral ambiguity and return to the most important thing: Edna. Well, that and the main plot, but you cannot go wrong with more Edna.

Preview

「背信棄義」 (はいしんきぎ)
“Act of Treachery”

This week’s episode had a very important lesson that we all could learn from.

Father and Son

Ever since the start of the season, I think it’s been pretty clear that there’s been a heavy focus on the relationship and bond between father and son. From prominent flashbacks between Rin and Shiro to Suguro having a ton of issues with his dad that stem from even deeper problems that have gone on for years, I think it’s pretty clear what message the show is trying to tell us. Something which I’m honestly really happy to see since I think this show is at its best when we get to see the emotional side of things in-between all the action.

Seeing how the focus revolved around Suguro and Rin this week, I almost started choking up as the show decided to show us Shiro’s last moments right after having a bout with Rin. I can’t imagine the difficulities a father must face as their children grow up right in front of them, but I’m sure that even after years of practice it must hurt when your children say they hate you. No matter the circumstances, even if they may not be your flesh and blood, I think we all know just how much our parents have done and will do for us.

Which is probably why I was really hoping Rin would have landed a few more punches on Suguro before their little “confrontation” was broken up. As bad as it was for him to reveal his flames to the entire congregation in the Kyoto branch, I think there’s something to be said for an MC who dives head first into bad situations when his heart tells him it’s the correct thing to do.

All-in-all, I thought the way the story weaved in some emotions with all the talk to advance the plot was fantastic. Honestly, I don’t think I could have asked for a better episode to help get things kicked into acton!

Looking Ahead

With most of this week’s episode serving as a setup for what’s to come next week, I felt pretty invigorated after watching it. The traitor within the Myoda sect was revealed, we finally have the plot advancing, and now we get to see how people react to Rin and whether or not I want to flip tables for people making accusations without getting to know someone. Anyways, I’ll see you guys next week. See you then!

P.S. I loved how Rin went and pulled out the “I didn’t choose to be Satans son” card. It’s about damn time he used it and it felt so refreshing that he used it for such a selfless reason. Good on you Rin!

Preview

「仲間!」 (Nakama!)
“Friend!”

There’s a fine line between a harem and a bunch of girls just crushing hard over the same guy. Somehow, I think Fuuka has managed to straddle that line without falling over to either side.

Love Square?

Man, who would have thought there’d be another person to fall under Yuu’s dopey but loveable spell? But even more surprising than the addition of another person, who would have thought it’d be someone so perfect for Yuu? With matching personalities and a ton of history together as Twitter followers, it was a pleasant surprise to see that Sara (Komatsu Mikako) wasn’t a cold beauty that Yuu needed to win over. Because as common as it is for the MC to do something that jeopardizes the progress he’s made with the girl he truly likes in order to set the friendship flag for a new member of the group, it was refreshing to watch the entire process get skipped in order to keep things moving quickly while giving us a different but plausible way for Yuu to befriend his senpai.

Anyways, getting back on track, doesn’t it feel like it’s getting a little hot in here? With Fuuka, Koyuki/Hina, and now Sara all gunning for our dopey MC, it feels like just about anything could happen at this point. Luckily, it looks like only one of those girls has really been going on the offensive which has kept things pretty tame, but I can’t imagine just how crazy things might get if everyone started competing all at once. That said, I’m personally waiting to see just how well the plot handles the metaphorical pot boiling over since from the little that we have seen when things go awry, it’s always ended up feeling pretty good.

The Band!

I was wondering how the story was going to account for a group of newbies forming their own band and I must say I wasn’t too peeved about what happened. With everyone besides Yuu being somewhat proficient with their instrument (but Yuu putting in twice the effort to keep up) and Fuuka providing stellar vocals to wrap it all together, you could really feel the enthusiasm and pride oozing out of that short performance right at the end.

Looking Ahead

Man, things just keep on trucking along with no end in sight! Luckily, it feels like things are all going in the right direction for the story to hit a big climax. And while it remains to be seen whether or not that’s in the romantic department or the action department, I think it’ll be a fun watch in any case.

Anyways, I’ll catch you guys next week where things feel like they’re going to spiral out of control. See you then!

「#04」

It happened! Konatsu performed rakugo! I’ve been waiting for this moment since the very first episode and it feels so, so rewarding to watch her take centre stage and have an audience in the palm of her hand. I loved this episode because I love Konatsu, but not as much as she loves rakugo. Cast your mind back to the later episodes of the first season when we saw child Konatsu, when we witnessed the fierce passion she had for the storytelling medium. She worshipped her father’s ability and performed in inns for the pleasure that comes with performing (as well working for her failing father), but she had rakugo in her darkest moments, and it’s clear that affection she has for it has not dwindled. Yakumo doesn’t partially love the art form, Yotaro wants to improve and adapt it to the times, but I think it goes without saying that no character understands and loves rakugo as much as Konatsu.

I had the pleasure of watching rakugo for the first time at last year’s Edinburgh Festival and one of the stories the performer told was Jugemu. Anime fans have likely heard of it before (most likely from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood), but watching it in person is a joy, so this episode was already high in my expectations when it became the main story of the week, performed by Yotaro at first and then Konatsu. It’s pure fun, filled with energy and allows you to try to attempt the tongue twister for yourself (and likely fail) before the performer spits it out over and over, faster each time until you’re dizzy from their talent. As it was shown in Rakugo Shinjuu, however, it was slowed down for the children who are fond of this particular tale, which allowed for Konatsu to take her time and put character into every syllable. Her exaggerations and expressions come naturally to her, but the moments where she broke character to soak up the audience’s love for her rakugo were the most satisfying of all. Both when she first stepped out and when she took a breather before the final part, that’s when you see her dreams happening before her eyes and makes for the most heartwarming viewing.

This is one of the key plot points I wanted addressed in this second season, so I’m glad it happened so early. I don’t want to ask for too much, but I sure do hope this isn’t the end of her rakugo career. She repeats back the fact that rakugo is a man’s profession as it’s been drilled into her over the years (likely from Yakumo). I expect he wouldn’t approve of her becoming a master for herself, but that storyline would be a goldmine of oppertunity, so I hope that is the direction we go. Konatsu can say her well-practised words all she wants, but her true feelings are apparent. She loves rakugo. She wants to be a rakugo performer. And most importantly, she deserves to be one.

Since this episode jumped ahead several years we see Shin is now in kindergarten, and he is every bit as talkative and likeable as Sukeroku. He’s a charming little kid who shares his mother’s early passion for the profession, and clearly his doting parents approve of the talents he shows. It’s his relationship with Yakumo that stands out to me, however, as his grandfather holds him close and refuses to scold him. I expect if there will be one person in the world to convince Yakumo that rakugo deserves to advance and grow, it will be Shin. He likely reminds him of a young Sukeroku, which brings him back 50 or 60 years to the times they shared as kids. This is show and tell at its finest, and yet another example of the multi-layered drama. These important interactions and conversations serve their purposes to move the story forward, but they also call back to earlier times, tragedies, and further develop characterisation that almost no other anime of this length matches. Yakumo may be a stubborn conservative who rips up blueprints for the future of rakugo – a man who seems determined to bring this art form to the grave with him – but he is a truly fascinating character in every scene he’s a part of. Knowing the life he’s lived, it’s impossible to hate him, even as he acts as the antagonist for our protagonists in one way or another.

All in all, this was the most positive, heartwarming, joyous episode of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, which is a rarity. I don’t expect this to happen often (or ever again), but I loved it while it lasted. All four episodes of this second season have been nothing short of stellar, and if this doesn’t shape up to be the best anime of 2017 then there must a masterpiece production waiting on the horizon. But for now, Rakugo Shinjuu stands alone as one of the greatest anime of this decade, while the competition rivals of the leftovers.

ED Sequence

ED: 「ひこばゆる」 (Hikobayuru) by Shibue Kana

Preview

「常木耀 最終章 ホシゾラ」 (Tsuneki Hikari Shuushou – Hoshizora)
“Tsuneki Hikari Final Chapter – Starry Sky”

That got super weird.

There’s no two ways about it: if this be the end of the Tsuneki Hikari arc, Seiren did not stick the landing. And since the preview moves onto the new girl, apparently it is! So that’s fun. Let’s dissect the ways this arc went wrong.

If there’s one truth that undergirds nearly all human fiction, it can be summarized in one word: conflict. Whether it be martial, internal, interpersonal, or metaphysical, conflict drives narrative. What did the conflict end up being in this arc? Damn if I know. Hikari suspected her friend of ratting her out, but she brushed it off. What kind of a twisted friendship is that, when you’ll tolerate your “friend” getting you out of the way like that? Suspecting Shouichi didn’t go anywhere either. There was some junk about Hikari’s parents, and her goals for the future, but those appeared all of a sudden when a conclusion was needed. They were hinted at, broadly, but just mentioning that her parents were strict doesn’t mean that little factoid means anything to us. It all just came out of nowhere, and wasn’t earned.

Of course, it’s not helped by how Shouichi remains as interesting as a wet piece of cardboard. He totally wussed out at the end, and let’s be clear, I’m not saying that he necessarily should have pushed to date now. (Though they were both being dumb. Why are you thinking so far ahead instead of enjoying a year and change of dating? Just date, you stupid kids. Life is too short for adolescent nonsense.) It takes two to tango, and if she doesn’t want to dance, an honorable defeat it is. He was just so whiny about the whole thing. Makes it hard to root for the kid.

Then Shouichi decides his future career because of a girl, which probably isn’t wise. Then she shows back up with notes about how she’s good at cooking omelettes and venison now? Ugh. Too cute by half, Seiren. This arc feels like it was written by someone who doesn’t understand how conflict, drama, or romantic fiction is supposed to work. Maybe they were trying for something new, but if so, it didn’t work. The fundamentals weren’t there. This, despite some genuinely promising character work with Hikari early on that could had led to somewhere. The arc faceplanted, and is already sliding out of my memory with all the other passable stories I’ve read in my time.

Ah well, such is life. Fortunately we have two more shots to see if there’s a writer worth their salt among the Seiren crew. Next up is gamer girl, which I’m sure is bound to please many. Hopefully it develops to something this time.

Random thoughts:

• Rabbit baby play? Weird, but you do you. Taking baths in uniform? Now that I don’t get. It seems like the subversive joy of someone who’s secretly boring, and who doesn’t have to do laundry (at least that jives with established facts!). The fetishes remain all over the place. Do better, Seiren. You’re fucking it up.

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for exclusive content. At stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: Fire, further; Fire; Starting a story with a bang—and when not to; and If my mother was a politician.

Preview

「Show Me Love (Not A Dream)」

Just when you think things couldn’t get any more complicated… it does. And not in the plot twists Re: Zero type of way, but in the emotionally deep, heart-wrenching type of way. Starting with Sanae and Hanabi’s relationship right after Sanae confesses that she loves Hanabi. It wasn’t much of a surprise after last week’s cliffhanger, but it certainly complicates the relationship between the two girls now. I’ve never personally been in a situation exactly like Hanabi’s before, but I understand what it’s like to have someone confess to liking you and not knowing what to do about it (my expression was probably exactly like that too). It hurts because you can either go about it two ways… the first is telling them that you can’t accept their feelings because you don’t feel the same way or try reciprocating their feelings by “giving it a shot” or “giving it some time”. Ultimately, it’s a huge load to carry someone else’s feelings on your shoulders when you’re unsure if you feel the same way and in Hanabi’s case, it’s taking a toll on her because she doesn’t feel the way. She likes Narumi (her “brother”) but at the same time, she doesn’t want to ruin the friendship that she has with her only female friend. No one wants to ruin a friendship by taking the next step (whether you’re confessing to a boy or a girl) but I think it’s just as hard for the person receiving those feelings. When Hanabi goes running to Mugi for some comfort, it’s her way of occupying her mind with other things and trying to sort out her own feelings for both Mugi, and Sanae. It’ll be an emotional ride for Hanabi from here on out – trying to sort out just how to speak to Sanae again and all I can say is this that… I empathize with her; although, avoidance has never been my way of dealing with issues.

Mugi gets a spotlight in the latter half of the episode as well and his past is definitely more interesting than Hanabi’s. Just because I think his past is more realistic to what teenagers might experience in their teenage years in school. Losing your virginity, sex and secrets… it’s like an episode straight out of Gossip Girl but without the drugs and alcohol. Mugi experiences just that – he loses his virginity to his senpai – one of the hottest girls in school and while this is going on, we learn that Mei and Mugi aren’t necessarily having sex because they’re “making love”, but rather because Mei is lonely. She reminds me of many high school girls that are lost, unsure of themselves and a lot of people find that self-assurance with the physical reassurance of someone else. Mugi, is the person that still puzzles me (even having read the manga). He’s growing up – I get that – he’s experiencing things just like everyone else and kind of gets dragged along with what others want but for once, I wish he would simply do what he thinks is right and not just what his d*ck wants. But hey! I have no right to judge teenagers when I’ve been there too making bad choices. I think it does help ground the audience as to what Mugi has already experienced though so it’s not a surprise when you see him with Hanabi.

Speaking of Mugi’s lovely surprise in the morning, Hanabi stops by for a visit just in time. The rest of the episode is spent developing their relationship as well as some new developments with Akane. Spotting her at Denny’s Banny’s late at night and then the next day with yesterday’s clothes?! I told you that this show is about sex and scandals. Whereas Mugi and Hanabi’s relationship is progressing in the right direction (for a couple that’s just experiencing a lot of things together for the first time), I think Akane’s take on men will prove to be very interesting as well. Her character is not all that it seems to be and when it’s explained (next week?) what her true intentions are, you’ll see what I mean. Is it bad that I actually giggled with Hanabi and Mugi were in bed together? Hanabi is so innocent and seeing her kind of awkward and unsure of how to handle the situation was sort of cute but comedic – from a viewer’s perspective though. I’m sure it’s anything but hilarious to Hanabi and Mugi. When Hanabi confronts Akane at the end though, you see that she’s also very observant and aware of what kind of person Akane is but just unsure of how to address the situation. You’ll see later on just how the two girls duke it out; it’s actually one of my favorite dynamics in the story.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: Wow, can’t believe I actually kind of giggled at this scene. Not because I’m immature, but it was so innocent and awkward =3 #KuzunoHonkai’s pacing is right on par with what I’d expect. Loving the adaptation and it hits all the right notes without dragging on…

Author’s Note: On another note, Happy Lunar New Year to all the folks that celebrate the Lunar calendar out there. Time to stop washing your hair and cleaning… ha ha ha… but seriously, I hope you all have a wonderful week! I’ll see you all in the next season if I don’t cover anything else this season because Pancakes will be picking up my slack =) thanks buddy.

「キャンパス・ライフ」 (Kyanpasu Raifu)
“Campus Life”

Hard imagining a war show without any shooting is it? Youjo Senki tests that belief this week with a relatively laid back transitory episode, where Tanya finds out to her horror that you can indeed be too smart for your own good. It was all about that cutthroat, selfish personality this week, and how even ruthless opportunism can meet its match.

Part of what fascinates me about Youjo Senki is Tanya herself. This one is arguably a true antihero, wholly committed to her desires and completely uncaring towards the consequences. Yes Tanya might keep such thoughts secret, but there is a no holds barred attitude surrounding their pursuance. What makes her personality work well is the inherent duplicity behind it. The treatment of the captain this week is indicative, where for a moment you think Tanya might actually have a heart after all, only for the actual purpose to reveal itself following the captain’s absence. Tanya’s speaking skills enabled her to both eliminate the poor captain from contention in the promotion track and turn the man into a supporter. For all that it is demonically wicked, watching Tanya outright manipulate people is no less fun.

Where the manipulation becomes truly enrapturing though is when Tanya overextends and starts digging herself a hole. The discussion with Operations Chief Satou Zettour is the obvious example here, where Tanya unknowingly signalled herself out out as Zettour’s target. This bit was quite amusing to watch because of the unspoken jousting behind it. When Zettour calls certain aspects into question, Tanya quickly identifies a new train of thought and runs with it. Such verbal prowess is not a common feature among smart characters, especially in anime, as it can be difficult to visually show. Here, however, Tanya’s internal monologues and facial expressions make the whole thing and showcase just how smart she is by being able to control the conversation.

The problem of course is when your opponent is as equally skilled and possesses their own agenda. While Zettour did not speak much, he clearly was herding Tanya into a specific position, giving her just enough rope to figuratively hang her objectives with. Tanya believed it was all a theoretical exercise, surprisingly never considering the possibility that others may have different ideas in mind. Especially hilarious too is how Zettour is setting her up as a scapegoat. Remember the scene with the legalities concerning battle plans going awry and the blame resting on the commanding officer? Tanya in her new role has no commanding officer, should she screw up, she receives the consequences. I never expected someone else mentally similar to Tanya popping up, but damn it makes things interesting—Zettour is definitely one to pay attention to going forward. God certainly isn’t the only threat to Tanya’s dream of a comfortable, easy life now.

Next Time: A Fighting We Shall Go

With the dreams of a staff job thoroughly crushed, it’s back to the front for our sadistic blondie. While it may be with new responsibilities, obligations, and an increased risk of death, at least Tanya can take solace in knowing Viktoriya is back to help. Never hurts having others to take care of the superfluous duties.

Random Tidbits

I love how Tanya’s age is emphasized often. Case in point that high chair hilariously featured.

Not entirely certain which fascist Tanya is referencing, but given the context the quote likely originates from Hitler or Goebbels. Need to do some digging on that one.

Preview

「今そこにある危機」 (Ima soko ni aru kiki)
“Clear and Present Danger”

I must admit it’s pretty nice of MnR to support my blogging decision this season. Just when I think I’ve made a grave mistake covering four shows, here comes this episode to relieve all that uncertainty. The reason for this of course lies in the material, where Masamune—after making great strides in the seduce Aki plan previously—is now faced with the challenge of sealing the deal. You’ve got the girl’s attention and she’s obviously attracted, so what happens next? For Masamune that is the conundrum.

Watching Masamune flounder around the question was hilarious, particularly because his central premise—building intimacy and rapport—was correct. Aki is crushing hard on him, only makes sense solidifying that infatuation through a reciprocal show of affection. Masamune’s big problem was the timing of that affection. As Masamune learned the hard way, cheesy romantic lines and declarations of overbearing love–particularly those sourced from manga–are best reserved for intimate moments, not randomly chucked out on a moment’s whim. Messing the timing up only serves to crank up the creepy meter, especially for girls like Aki.

Thankfully for our Casanova, however, Yoshino saved the day. I’m really thinking Masamune named her right with the Master title, because Yoshino once again provides factual advice. Her pullback encouragement is a form of hot-cold/push-pull in the pickup world, where pulling back your attention is meant to catalyze an outpouring of interest by the girl. It’s designed to shock the girl into showing interest for you by inducing a fear of losing your attention. Naturally this only works if the girl is already interested (and usually playing hard to get), but Aki’s romantic fall is obvious to all but her so the gambit pays off in spades. Kind of funny how those cheesy lines work when organically spoken in the heat of the moment isn’t it?

What really gets me though is Aki herself. Her growth out of the tsundere state into something more “natural” is surprisingly interesting, particularly given her reactions to Masamune’s seduction fit her personality so well. Being all tsun on the surface she cannot admit her infatuation, so naturally doubles down on the tartness and lashes out—half-heartedly—from frustration at her own emotions. The poor girl has fallen hard for Masamune, but is only now realizing it, with a little help from Yoshino of course. For such an initially repulsive character, Aki has certainly turned into someone capable of being cheered on. After all she lacks any romantic experience, eliminating suspension of disbelief, and her fear of pain provides a reasonable explanation for her attitude. That tsundere personality could easily be a defense mechanism for example, as evidenced by the quick rejection of Yoshino’s Masamune’s letter and Aki’s repeated denial of infatuation. There’s something serious missing from Masamune’s known history with Aki, and that thing will likely throw the whole revenge plan into question.

While that thing may be unknown, at least we know where this story is going next. With a new girl entering the arena it’s clearly love triangle time, and the first serious test for Masamune’s seductive skills. No idea how our Casanova will get out of this one, but I’m definitely looking forward to the results.

Now that every show has had a few episodes to make its case, it’s time to tell you what we’ll be blogging this season. This is Random Curiosity’s Winter 2017 blogging schedule.

As always, this is a tentative overview of our plans for the new season . . . is what we used to say, but with multiple episodes under our belts, we’re pretty confident in our picks. Will some of them blow up in our faces? Probably. But this is what we’re going with.

In staff news, we’ve got a few writers taking the season off, some because they’re busy, some because nothing grabbed their attention. Fortunately our oldest and newest bloggers, Takaii and Pancakes respectively, are stepping up to be the heroes of the season! And to forestall the inevitable question, yes, we may very well recruit another writer ahead of spring. Maybe. Honestly, that’s Future Stilts’ problem, and that guy’s an asshole. Screw him. Let him figure it out.

In show news, we only had one carry-over, and yuusha Takaii is continuing with 3-gatsu, so all is going according to plan. I probably didn’t need to waste time with this paragraph, honestly. Such is life.

That’s all I’ve got this time. Thank you for reading as always, and for joining us for another wild and wacky season of anime. Banzai!

「この迷宮の主に安らぎを！」 (Kono Meikyuu no Omo ni Yasuragi o!)
“Peace for the Master of This Labyrinth!”

I can’t believe it. Aqua was actually useful today! …I don’t like it. (But it was funny!)

This episode is probably the best example yet of how our protagonists could so easily be a functional team of companions who look out for each other and have untainted victories, but their personalities don’t allow it. Aqua spent the entire episode being actually useful, from seeing in the dark to purifying souls to fighting off undead by the trainload, which should have raised her esteem in Kazuma’s eyes. Heck, they wouldn’t even have been able to get the reward, probably, if Arch Wizard Keele (Tobita Nobuo) hasn’t awoken from his slumber due to her overwhelming divine aura. This should have been Aqua’s triumph in Kazuma’s eyes!

But, no. Not only did he realize that she was attracting all the undead again, but he abandoned her to a good drubbing when the last wave attacked. You or I, we would have run with her or Lurked with her, even if we were cursing her the whole way. Not Kazuma. Like Aqua hilariously laughing at him every time he considered thinking better of her, he’s incapable of functioning properly. Self-sabotage is the name of the game, and it’s fun to watch!

Actually not a whole lot to say this episode. Probably my other favorite moments were bribing Dust (Majima Junji) with a succubus ticket, and then the entire final scene, especially all the Yunyun and all the Chris. Chris clearly best girl! After Megumin, of course. And somewhere around Wiz and Yunyun and Eris and THERE ARE A LOT OF BEST GIRLS OKAY!

But not Aqua. Even in an episode where she was actually useful, she’s still the worst. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Random thoughts:

• Good thing Aqua didn’t look into that rustling too much, eh Kazuma? :X
• Kinda feels nice how, despite the other adventurers not being the most reliable of allies, they do seem to like Kazuma & co in the end. D’aaaww! (Drink!)
• I can’t wait until next episode. Can’t wait. Darkness is baaaaaack!

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for exclusive content. At stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: Fire, further; Fire; Starting a story with a bang—and when not to; and If my mother was a politician.

Preview

「新生活、はじまる！（もちろんうまくいきません）」 (Shin Seikatsu, Hajimaru! (Mochiron Umakuikimasen))
“Start Of A New Life! (That Doesn’t Go Well, Of Course)”

This episode really knocked it out of the park.

Family Life for The Hikikomori

While it’s tough to make comparisons since we haven’t seen much of Kobayashi’s life before Tooru (and now Kanna) entered her life, I think the story is doing a fantastic job at illuminating the shift she’s made with the way it’s intentionally leaving out certain pieces of information. Based off of what we’ve seen, I think it’s pretty clear that before Tooru entered her life, Kobayashi probably spent more of her time slaving away at her job and using whatever time she had left to put back a nice cold beer with or without company. Without an interest at finding a romantic partner, she probably was someone who was simply focused on herself and probably fell into a pattern of just doing the same thing over and over.

But after seeing the “transformation” she’s had over these past three episodes, I think it’s clear that she’s become more of a well rounded human being that’s learned a lot from the experiences she’s been forced to deal with recently. From her slight hesitation to having a dragon named Tooru become her maid to the girl that let an cute and adorable baby dragon (at least in her human form) come live with her because of extenuating circumstances, Kobayashi somewhere along the line turned into the best “motherly” type of character we could have asked for. And as funny as it would be to credit everything to the fact that dragons have entered her life, it’s tough not to say that dragons had some influence on how she’s been changing. And while it remains to be seen just how much more things like this will continue to influence her, you can bet I’ll be waiting here when we’re suddenly hit with a super emotional moment that manages to knock some tears out of her face.

MY BOY IS FINALLY HERE

After some sentimental writing let me snap back into reality by taking a few short minutes to talk about my boy. Ever since we heard the magical voice of edgy Ono Daisuke, I’ve been waiting for Fafnir’s debut — and boy did it not disappoint. With the show being spot on with his personality while retaining the jokes that made him a funny character I was left feeling pretty content by the end of this week’s episode. And if you have no idea what got me, tell me, when was the last time you saw a dragon who loved video games but couldn’t overcome their natural instincts and kept dying in game?

A Quick Random Thought and Looking Ahead

With the third episode finally upon us, I think it’s fair to say that Maid Dragon has done a fantastic job at figuring out just what it wants to be — especially after a rough episode one. Since then we’ve watched the show find its pace as it struck a fine balance between being cute, funny, and sometimes overwhelmingly heartwarming. All the while maintaining an overarching story that not only helps keep track of the movement of time (characters growing) but blends the monotony of life with the crazy antics of magical beings into a stew of fun times. Not too shabby for a show that some people pushed aside because of Tooru’s chest in the PV!

Anyways, let me end the post here before it gets too long. I’m not a fan of having gigantic posts, but thanks to everyone who’s been coming back week after week and leaving comments down below. In any case, I’ll see you guys next week where it looks like Kanna is finally going to start school and MORE FAFNIR!

P.S. As hypocritical as this is going to sound, I loved the sound effects the show used with Kanna. I know it’s not the same as how they used the jiggle for Tooru since the sound effects were specifically there to enhance the narrative, but I just had to quickly point out just how ADORABLE they were. Okay bye.

Preview

「城にただよう噂の煙」 (Shiro ni Tadayou Uwasa no Kemuri)
“The Swirling Smoke of Rumours in the Castle”

In theory, monarchy isn’t that bad of an idea. Power is centralised for swift decision making. Everybody knows the guy to listen to is the one with the fancy hat. An entrenched royal lineage produces leaders who are groomed from birth to command the nation and can devote all efforts to preparing for that role. Plato envisioned the enlightened rule of philosopher kings. Machiavelli wrote of the brutal effectiveness of the prince. In practice, though, relying on the lottery of birth does not always work out. Every few generations you just know one of the heirs is going to turn out to be an arrogant fop, and then the whole country goes south. Even the best-intentioned of rulers are still mere mortals (as much as some historical monarchs have tried to claim otherwise) and can be swayed by whims and emotions. And what about that royal lineage? Clear heir or not, there’s always those who wish to defy the rules of succession to get the top job. The messy civil wars actually lead to the Ottoman empire adopting a bonus rule: once a clear heir is chosen, all his siblings are promptly murdered. No more fights. Yeah, that’s what it took.

More on the subject of good governance later, I’m sure. It’s just something to think about as we watch the political intrigue unfold in ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka, and rumours of a potential coup swirls.

Three episodes in, I can safely say that ACCA is definitely the kind of show for me. But I love political intrigues. I love watching all the little schemes hatch and eventually collide, I love rooting out the complex motives behind every subtle action, and love the feeling of mystery and suspicion around every corner. Okay, ACCA may not be quite so intense, but it sure is fascinating. Nobody is actually evil or villainous, not even the crown prince who wishes to dismantle ACCA. His buffoonery aside, it is a familiar conflict, of a ‘visionary’ who feels confined by the machinery of government, of leadership against bureaucracy, of the court against the mandarins. As for the rest of the players? Even though there is this rumour of a coup, and nobody seems to want one, they are all fighting for control in their own way, and ironically it’s that fight, in the midst of an invented coup, that may ultimately destabilise the country.

Meanwhile, the king, seemingly just a kindly old man, seems only concerned whether everyone is eating well. Always, the food.

And so the general gist of the story is laid bare. Our protagonist, Jean, is uniquely positioned in the middle of the great web, being the one charged with keeping the country honest, being able to travel everywhere and meet everyone. Sure, he claims to have no interest, and to know nothing, and have no connections, but perhaps we shouldn’t take his word for it. He’s shown himself to be sharp enough, and influential enough, and important enough. And once more: who’s sending him all those cigarettes?