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「けふここのへににほひぬるかな」 (Kefuko Kono E ni Nihohinuru kana)
“Now Bloom Inside the Ninefold Palace”
If you were worried that Chihayafuru was getting a little too melodramatic after episode 5, this week’s effort should be a welcome change. It’s a return to the innocent, childlike exuberance of the first three episodes – and damned if it didn’t actually get me interested in Karuta a little bit, too.
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「Dubious move」
The fourth episode of Last Exile: Fam tries awfully hard to please. I think it would be well served to try a little less hard as it develops.
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「ボイスメモ」 (Boisu Memo)
“Voice Memo”
It was a big episode for Yukkii. He’s finally come to realize that Yuno is the perfect girl, except for that one nagging flaw – she’s a stalker and her house is full of bodies. I feel you, Little Brother – haven’t we all been there?
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「クロの家出」 (Kuro no Iede)
“Kuro Runs Away From Home”
If you’re tempted to skip over this OVA as a superfluous extra – don’t. It might not be essential to the overall plot, but it’s highly rewarding just the same.
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「素顔の家」 (Sugao no Ie)
“House, Unmasked”
Now that was more like it. Building on the strong first half last week, UN-GO delivered a conclusion to its first two-parter that was exactly what I hoped this show would be – smart, funny, dark and extremely interesting.
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「よはのつきかな」 (Yoha no Tsuki Kana)
“The Sight of a Midnight Moon”
This was the week Chihayafuru left the kid stuff behind and ventured into altogether more depressing territory. But I have a suspicion this was a change-of-pace and not a trend.
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「手書き入力」 (Tegaki Nyūryoku)
“Handwritten Input”
Purely in terms of development this was certainly the most important episode of Mirai Nikki yet. It was also the first time I felt the anime’s version of events lacked a little bit of the punch the manga packed.
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「Light square」
You’ll have to forgive me if I begin this post with a “Danger: Hazardous Curves Ahead” sign after last week…
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「覆面屋敷」 (Fukumen Yashiki)
“Masked Mansion”
Based on the last two cases, in terms of pure mysteries I’m beginning to suspect that UN-GO is a cut above the likes of Gosick, Kami-Memo and Dantalian.
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「しつこころなくはなのちるらむ」 (Shizukokoro Naku Hana no Chiruramu)
“A Whirlwind of Flower Petals Descends”
As fascinating as it is to see just how different 10th-graders are from 6th-graders, it’s abundantly clear in the case of Chihaya and Taichi that these are still the same people at heart. Of course that leaves Arata out of the equation, but we’ll get back to him in a minute.