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「デビューと焦り」 (Debut to Aseri)
“Debut and Impatience”
And once again, Bakuman’s pacing feels like it’s moving slower than a turtle. After checking to see how much material they covered in this episode, I couldn’t believe only one chapter was covered! With some parts feeling extremely stretched out, while others felt ridiculously short, I suppose the only good thing to come out of all of this was Hattori and Azuki getting a ton of screen time.
Gauche or Noir?
「おかえりなさい」 (Okaerinasai)
“Welcome Home”
This was mostly a heartwarming follow-up to the long-awaited reunion last time; however, the unsettling feeling that Gauche may still be Noir that I got from the preview last time prevented me getting too absorbed into the emotional outpouring from Lag and Sylvette.
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「死者の魂が難破船をおしあげる」 (Shisha no Tamashii ga Nanpasen Oshiageru)
“The Souls of the Dead Raise a Shipwreck”
And so, the classic mystery format begins, with your token screaming girls, writings on the wall, people getting killed, and in the center of it all, an unfazed gothic loli. I think I’m hooked.
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「Pandora Mode」
Any consideration for me covering the widescreen censored broadcast of this series was quickly dismissed after I realized how unwatchable it is when the entire screen is black for a lot of the scenes. While it makes perfect sense to cover up the nudity, the gruesome depictions of Pandora getting cut up and their limbs dismembered were deemed inappropriate as well.
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「水の都」 (Mizu no Miyako)
“City of Water”
If you felt this season was a bit short on fan-service, then a certain magical index may just make you feel otherwise. All that stuff about magic and science clashing and a story beginning? That’s just a cover-up to get sisters out of their nun habits for all to see. Stab Swords and Croce di Pietros don’t have anything on this kind of religious taboo.
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「夢もキボーも」 (Yume mo Kibou mo)
“Dreams and Hopes”
While I know people are going to be disappointed with the lack of navel this week, you’ll get development instead, explaining a little bit more about the situation, and introducing a slew of new characters.
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「出会い」 (Deai)
“Encounter”
After director Yamamoto Yutaka made a big fuss about putting his career on the line with this original anime project, the start of Fractale may come off a whimper to most. For me, the immersion into a fantasy world and the visual introduction to what I’ve read about has me looking forward to what’s in store, with the only real disappointment being that the series doesn’t look anything like the promotional art.
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「クラス代表決定戦！」 (Kurasu Daihyou Ketteisen!)
“Decisive Battle for Class Representative!”
As the title indicates, this second episode was all Ichika’s IS battle with Cecilia, yet the absolute highlight for me came from his interactions with Houki. He’s not a complete pushover and treats her like the childhood friend that she is, which leads to some interesting scenarios in the face of her tough and seemingly cold demeanor.
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「それはとっても嬉しいなって」 (Sore wa Tottemo Ureshii Natte)
“That Would Make Me Really Happy”
Instead of striving to be that “cute” show that tries to capture your attention with fan-service or using mystical devices, Madoka flies past the competition using it’s ability to change the atmosphere on a whim. By switching between a light hearted scene to a serious one, and making it flow smoothly, a sense of tension starts to build even though nothing is actually happening on screen. Something other shows only dream about doing.
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「おんなのこって なんでできてる？ ～01＊Roses are red, violets are blue～」 (Onna no Ko-tte Nande Dekiteru?)
“Girls, What Are They Made Of? ~01*Roses are red, violets are blue~”
On the surface, it seems like the uplifting calm palette and art style of Hourou Musuko will tell a tale of happiness, life, and a little bit of love. While the latter two might still be true, happiness is nowhere near to be found for the protagonists in this series, leaving only a growing desperation for acceptance.