Monthly Impressions – June 2015

Samu: World Trigger has finally reached its peak. I knew it was coming, but the climax of the invasion arc has arrived, and honestly, it exceeded my expectations. When I read the events in the manga, I was thoroughly invested in the race against the clock and the sacrifices that Osamu was willing to make in order to get Chika to safety. But over the course of this adaptation, I was worried that Toei wouldn’t be able to adapt the end of the arc with any decency. However, they proved me wrong (for one episode at least). Overall, the invasion arc has been a mixed bag: it was bogged down by slow pacing and poorly animated fights, but by the end it did feel like it was worth it. The enemies are real now, and Border is reeling from their attack. It’ll be interesting to see how the PR team deals with the causalities and how that affects Border’s image, but at the same time I feel this would be the best place to end the World Trigger anime. If we’re still getting 50 episodes, I feel we may have an anime-original ending on the horizon.

Stilts: From the Lord of Kashan Fortress to Peshawar Citadel—a lot happened in four episodes, even though it strangely doesn’t feel like it. That’s because much of it, to be honest, came to a head in episode thirteen. The latest thread Arslan Senki has been picking at is the question of Arslan’s legitimacy, and the strength of his claim to the throne. That all came roaring to center stage in the latest episode, when Silvermask—increasingly loose at the lips, and filled with even more rage than usual—reveals his true identity. There was also the incontrovertible proof that magic exists in this world, power struggles among the Lusitanians, and the introduction of Alfreed, who is already hilarious for flustering Narsus, of all people. I’m glad that Arslan made it to Peshawar, and that Kishward is are loyal a man as he always seemed. Things are look up, perhaps—though there are some barbarians at the gates who would beg to differ. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Poor Arslan!

Cherrie: I think I’m still in shock over the first half of Grisaia no Rakuen that its finale seemed too tame for my books. This last month of Grisaia no Rakuen tied out the end of Yuuji’s story – very neatly I might say, so there’s definitely no potential for another season. However, if it were up to me, I think the ending could’ve called for something more dramatic or impactful to the audience. There’s a lot of irony in the last episode, but nothing with the same shock and awe level as Grisaia no Meikyuu (perhaps I’m just desensitized now). For anyone that was a fan of Yuuji’s harem, they’re finally back and there’s even a few more girls now. Yuuji’s harem has only grown, but in my heart, I think he only has his eyes set on one individual – which is how it should be. The ending is more lighthearted and slice-of-life-like than I would’ve preferred, but given all that’s happened in Yuuji’s life, this is what he deserves. Honestly, I enjoyed this sequel more than Grisaia no Kajitsu and that’s rare for any sequel in my opinion. My recommendation is that if you’ve seen the prequel, you have nothing to lose by finishing this off.

Stilts: What is there to say about Kiniro Mosaic? It has been a remarkably consistent ride. I can only think of one episode this season that was “off,” and it wasn’t one of the last three. The beach episode was roundly entertaining, though my favorite part was actually the senseis having a little summer fun of their own; the Honoka-centric episode was funny, even if I get the feeling she’s a mish-mash of elements other characters are doing better (most notably, Shino’s blonde hair fetish); and the final episode, which mostly took place in England, was both a nice change of pace and a good bookend to the series. There’s really not much else to say; Kiniro Mosaic just keeps doing what it does best, steadily, reliably, and with plenty of heart. It’s not a shocker, but it’s always cute and fun.

Cherrie: Hibike! Euphonium ended up better than I expected with a realistic end to all our characters’ struggles and determination. Our little band club got what they deserved and this final month really focused on each of the characters’ abilities as a band member and what it means to be a good friend. Going into Hibike! Euphonium, a lot of people compared it to K-ON!, but I think it deserves its own recognition now since it’s so unique and different. The animation is better than I imagined and the cast of characters is huge – yet manageable because they each get their own time to be individuals. The drama is high in this one (and sometimes too melodramatic for me) but you don’t have to be a music lover to understand what each of these club members are going through. They each have their own hurdles to overcome and the anime takes the time to explore each of them; across all grade levels and instrument players. The anime also sets itself up for a second season and the potential is there… so we’ll just have to see if we get more of Kumiko and crew (mainly Reina, she’s my favorite!).

Cherrie: For so long I’ve complained that there needs to be more anime about being in a relationship and not just the chase to get there. Romance doesn’t have to end as soon as you land the girl or guy. Ore Monogatari!! offers all that on a very innocent level and I think it’s refreshing to see the issues that Gouda and Rinko go through. From simple things like wanting to be next to each other and finding that balance between spending times with your friends vs. your significant other, these are real struggles that most first couples will go through. Ore Monogatari!! creates all these situations and dilemmas for Gouda and Rinko, but in different settings and situations each week which I find a pleasure to watch. As important as the focus is on the main couple though, Suna still stands out on his own as a great friend. I can’t help but feel like he has a much bigger story ahead for him, but we’ll have to see what that is. He’s much more than your typical good-looking friend; he’s sensitive to others’ feelings and thoughts before they’re even aware themselves and I would love a man like that.

Stilts: Punch Line didn’t do it for me in the end. It started out wacky and nonsensical, and that was … well, to be honest, it wasn’t ridiculous enough to hold my attention based on that. Had it gone all in on zany, I might have loved it. But it tried for a plot too, which I respect—and is why I finished watching it, even when my interest waned—but alas, it didn’t work. The plot made a certain amount of sense, but I never connected with the whole Pine/Chiyoko/Guriko plot line, nor did I ever get a good handle on why Guriko was doing the things (s)he was doing. There were some nice friend moments in the last few episodes, as everyone banded together to save the world, and it all made sense … but making sense isn’t the same as being interesting. Punch Line is a show that never really found its footing, at least with me. It did end up being different than I expected—it wasn’t a “fanservice show,” even though there was ample pantsu-related fanservice—but what it was didn’t work more than it did. I liked the ED, though.

Stilts: I agree with Takaii; it feels like the second season cheated us. Not that it was bad, by any means, but because it took until the last three episodes to get back to Kaoru’s pregnancy! I know why they did this, of course. They wanted to end the first season on a note (the pregnancy announcement) that would ensure that people would tune in for the second. The problem is that the second season ended up underwhelming since they spent so much time seemingly faffing about (i.e. going back and using all the material they skipped over). The last three episodes did give some of what I was looking for, though. I liked Kaoru and Hajime’s squabble over the name of their child, and how they picked the name—it was very “them.” But surprisingly, that wasn’t my favorite bit. It was Hajime correctly guessing that Kaoru was worried about not being needed at work if she kept taking it easy. Even if they don’t understand each other in some ways, if they can nail things like that from time to time, I think they’ll be all right.

Zephyr: Continuing on its previous episodes, Oregairu’s second season culminates with our cast’s realization that the search for genuine relationships may be harder than any of them ever expected. Each member of our main cast have individual issues that need to be solved before they can truly move on, and the fact that everyone has realized their feelings for one another only adds to the complications. The desire to remain together looms large as an ending that might no longer be possible, and the finale in particular illustrates the impasse they face and the need to take steps to rectify the situation. Yui’s indirect “confession”—it’s more of a self-sacrifice to force Yukino into action—to Hachiman sets the stage for this to happen, and it’s the beginning of the end for the series in general. The problem is, what we’re left with is a major cliffhanger to a final arc that likely won’t be adapted for a long time—we’ve caught up to the light novels—and with only 1-2 volumes left in the series, it’s questionable if we’ll receive a conclusion and/or in what form we’d get it in. Either way, Zoku ended up being a worthy complement to its first, and although it left some viewers confused due to adaptation omissions, there’s no denying the additional depth it gave its characters or the significance of the development they received.

Stilts: In the finale post I wrote for this series, I labeled it a series of “life-affirming ghost stories.” And that, I think, is what they were in the end. These last few episodes featured the first multi-episode arc—that of Hibiki, her mother, and the loss of her supernatural powers—which also featured a few of the best moments of the series. Sure, it was clichéd when Hibiki “just happened” to run into all those she helped, but I can forgive much for seeing Hibiki and her mother spend a few long, overdue moments together—and there wasn’t much to forgive. But what I might have liked the best was the last episode. It felt like a reward, a mostly fluffy happy episode, with a focus on friendship, fun, and a little bit of yuri love. The series told us stories about how the living and the dead still impacted one another, and left us off with its characters smiling. This was an understated gem, a slice-of-life story that was more than just fluff and cute girls doing cute things. I had something to say, a thoughtful message for anyone who took the time.

Stilts: This past month focused primarily on two battles: Chantez vs Victoria, and Corona vs Einhart. In the former, I love Chantez! She’s a ton of fun to watch, from her trickery, her taunting, the constant aces up her sleeves, and her gratuitous underboob (because she’s a church sister, and that makes sense). Not that Victoria didn’t completely deserve to win—the battle was a roundly strong one. Better still was Corona versus Einhart. Once again, my favored character lost, though it was done so well I’m not disappointed. Corona proved herself to be smart, clever, and cool under fire in a way that none of the other members of Team Nakajima can match. But Einhart still deserved to win, because no matter how much Corona planned, Einhart was still stronger than her, and she was clever and perceptive as well. The rest was all wrap up of the first cour, along with the awaited introduction of Lutecia’s new rival, Fabia Crozelg. This series found its own pace better once it started being a martial arts anime rather than nostalgia bait, and I’ve been enjoying it more sense. Hopefully that will continue in the second cour, whenever it airs.

Cherrie: So I mentioned before that I just didn’t understand the appeal of DanMachi and I tried… I tried really hard during this last month to like it. And there are parts of it that I think are atypical in anime these days which I appreciate. First of all, Bell as the protagonist was fun to watch because he’s not a know-it-all or overpowered MC just because he’s the MC. He starts with nothing and grows before your very eyes; plus, he’s a sweet guy with a strong personality to be a hero. I can see why he has a growing harem around him (which wasn’t my favorite part of the anime, but it’s there). The secondary characters also grow very quickly around him to include more than just females, but other adventurers and skill workers and that’s what makes this feel more like an adventure anime to me (than a game). I don’t want to compare it to Sword Art Online because the plot points are different (and so are the protagonists and women) but it does resemble a game with levels, skills and floor bosses etc. The ending leaves more to be desired, which is always a good thing because it welcomes a second season (maybe?).

Cherrie: It’s over already?! No way. I honestly didn’t even know that episode 22 was the finale. It felt like any other arc with a challenge for Koro-sensei’s students, but nothing they couldn’t handle. It surprised me who the individual was that hired these assassins, but other than that, it ends with a “and life goes on” feel. As much as I enjoyed Ansatsu Kyoushitsu at the beginning, I felt that it started losing its novelty midway through its run. It started becoming repetitive with the new students, new assassins or just new ways to kill Koro-sensei. I wanted either more character development or plot advancement to gain back some urgency of needing to kill Koro-sensei before the end of the year. Unfortunately the end of the series never provided that for me and although each individual episode was interesting to watch, the overarching story is a bit weak. Luckily though, a second season has been announced so I hope it makes use of this first run and builds upon Koro-sensei more. Where did he come from and how will the students kill him? Those are the answers I want and I hope I get one or the other next season.

Zephyr: When it comes down to it, there aren’t many series around like Sidonia no Kishi these days. In many ways, it’s an ode to Sci-Fi mecha series from a previous age, with a focus on epic action scenes and the lives our characters lead in between. Compared to the first season, Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki had a more of the latter than the former this time around, but it manages to be just as good regardless. The fact that Tsumugi arrives as arguably the best heroine contributed largely to this, as did the fact that the series brought things together when it counted. The last few episodes were some of the most epic to date for Sidonia as a whole, and there aren’t enough words to describe how epic it was to see engagements with hundreds of Gauna multiple weeks in a row. The arrival of a newly upgraded Tsugumori and the Hayakaze Mobile Armor added a brand new dimension to humanity’s offense and the return of an old enemy only added to the excitement, and there are few series that can get the adrenaline pumping as much as this one does. The finale was just that damn good, and it only helps that they ended things with a nostalgic tribute to the first season. I’ll say, the third season can’t come soon enough.

Cherrie: We’re halfway through Shokugeki no Souma now and it feels like I’ve run a marathon already. The story just never stops (in true shounen anime fashion) and each arc just seems to introduce new characters and challenges for Souma to beat and overcome. This month probably featured one of my favorite moments for Souma, Megumi and Kojirou so far. Each of them learned and gained something different during their ”shokugeki” and I thought that arc was a good indication that Souma has a lot of development left. He’s not perfect and neither is anyone else, so there’s always something that can be improved. Souma reached out to help Megumi (so much ship!) and the story shifts its focus on secondary characters in the process. Even Erina has gotten the spotlight in recent episodes so I’m glad that she’s being tied back to the story. Erina neither makes or breaks the show for me though because I just don’t see the hype around her character yet. Someone like Hinako though is so cute and hilarious – I would love to see more of her (and Kojirou? Ship!) in future episodes.

Cherrie: We’re getting closer and closer to the end of Sailor Moon Crystal which means that I’ve been blogging this show for a year now… holy sh*t. This last month spends the extra time to develop Small Lady/Black Lady and I can’t say many positive things about her character or her motives. Seeing the awkward scenes between her and Endymion are very off-putting. However, as we’re nearing the finale, it interesting to see just how many loose ends there still are. Not only are there two forces fighting for the Legendary Silver Crystal, but there are four individuals that want it for different reasons. As for the animation quality… unfortunately I have no good news on that front. About the only improvement that I’ve seen lately are in the pivotal scenes which have added shadow and consistency in the characters’ faces. After more than a year of following Sailor Moon Crystal, I do wish that Toei invested more in its finale to make the journey worthwhile. At this point, I can’t say that this remake has blown my mind or made me reminiscent of the original series. It should really be treated as its own separate series.

Cherrie: This last month was full of surprises from Owari no Seraph and they weren’t what I was expecting (which is a good thing!). It also leaves a huge handful of cliffhangers and open-ended questions that you know aren’t going to get answered until the fall season (planned release for the second-cour), if at all. However, despite all that, it was a fun ride from beginning to end. I think the series lagged a bit too long after its premiere, but it’s understandable that the story needs to set itself up with explanations and a bit of history on our main cast. Being a fan of vampires myself, I loved seeing their side of the story (and Mika’s), but it seems like the more interesting race is definitely the humans. This final month reveals more about the human race than I thought and it goes to show that the audience isn’t meant to have the full picture yet. There’s some conspiracy going on here and that’s what pulls me into season two. This actually reminds me of Shingeki no Kyojin (also a Wit Studio production!) but not as life-threatening and a tad more juvenile with Yuu as our lead.

Stilts: After what was perhaps the best single episode in the entirety of High School DxD anime season, episode nine, it’s only fitting that the final three episodes dive face first off a cliff and shatter on the rocks below, destroying nearly everything we loved about the series. Er. Maybe that’s not fitting, but it’s damn sure what happened. They ended with an anime original plot line, and it was a mess. I don’t think a series always has to follow the source exactly, but I don’t know why they opted for such a shoddy ending when there were clear good ending points from the plentiful source material. Rias turning on her friends was completely out of character, and her stealing Issei’s Balance Breaker didn’t make sense, even within a series whose main characters can talk to breasts. The end of season three was a complete and unmitigated mess, and if there’s ever a fourth season, they’re going to have a lot of clean up to do. But at least we got a mediocre ending with no relevance on the rest of the plot, right? Siiiigh.

Cherrie: Where do I begin with this one… For starters, I had high expectations for this adaptation coming into the first season (and second). It started off with a bang and I’ll admit that despite some lulls along the way, I thought Fate/stay night UBW did a great job in the first season. Animation was just… so much eye candy! And it was building up for bigger and better things, I just knew it! Then second season came long and I wasn’t let down, but it was different than I envisioned. The dialogue could’ve been improved and I thought there were areas that the pacing was either too fast or slow. All in all though, I can nitpick all I want but stepping back, Fate/stay night UBW is a solid anime throughout. It’s far better than its previous counterpart and it features my favorite girl – Rin. I didn’t think the final episode was value-added since it just gave a lot of characters cameos and elongated the epilogue, but hey! I shouldn’t complain if I get more Rin. It’s a good follow-up to Fate/Zero and pumps me up for the Fate/stay night Heaven’s Feel route so overall, I’d say it deserved its hype.

Zephyr: In the grand scheme of things, life is a story about meetings and partings; the best and worst of times; about living, leaving your mark, and passing on. In a world where few things are absolute, our mortality remains a hurdle we may never overcome, and it’s here where many find value and meaning in the lives that we lead. Needless to say, Plastic Memories was a series that focused on the aforementioned—asking its viewers what they would do given a limited lifespan and whether or not one would be able to live their lives to the fullest if they knew it would end soon. Along the way, it gave us a touching relationship between two people that chose to cherish the time they had left, leaving us with bittersweet feelings and tears in our eyes. This was a heartwarming story if there ever was one, and more importantly, it knew exactly what it wanted to do. It could’ve been something more, but there’s a certain charm to a series that sticks to its guns, and there’s no arguing that the end result was more than satisfactory. Ultimately, the series’ message is simple: life isn’t all about the negatives or our mortality. It’s about what we choose to do with the time we have.

Cherrie: Given the circumstances concerning Kekkai Sensen’s final episode, I’ve decided to hold off on writing a final impression for this one. For anyone not aware, episode 12 (the final episode), has not aired yet and was scheduled for this weekend but has been delayed again until further notice. Apparently it requires a timeslot longer than its original 30-min run, so be prepared for a longer finale! Therefore, instead of writing an impression for only one episode and jumping to conclusions, I reserve judgment before the final episode of Kekkai Sensen. I’m hoping for good things!