Mecha and Science Fiction Weekly Watches: 10/15/18

Well, I thought this was going to be a busy week. Apparently not, because the machine I was using for work was down for most of the week. It makes me a little nervous for my project, because it’s not advancing as much as it could, but I think everything should be ok. This just means more time for research papers and things.

Anime watching has been good this week, so I don’t have anything to complain about. Just nervous about this week because I have another test, but I think everything should turn out ok. Oh, I might not have one of these for next week. If it does, it’ll be late. I’m going on a trip from Friday to Sunday so that will hurt things a little bit for me.

-Episodic Levels-

Space Battleship Tiramisu S2 Episode 2

This show’s methods of injecting usual mech stuff with mundane comedy always intrigues me in some ways. Having the protagonist’s father be this old scientist that is acts sickly after spam email that he keeps clicking on for some reason or because he old is a very interesting twist decision wise on the sickly scientist character. There are other forms of comedy that bother me because Subaru was about to launch out in his new mech, but then it gets weighed down by the comedy of “clean your cockpit, you spelled your food.” I think these episodes are interesting exploring different people’s tastes in comedy.

RErided Episode 6

Well, this was an interesting cool down episode. It came from Graham (the car with an A.I.) having an engine problem and the two bounty hunters going into town to find a replacement part. The rest of the episode is Derida performing time experiments on him having travel small bits in time and seeing the results from how Yuri sees him. Rerided is interesting so far, but I’m always thrown off by realistic kids somehow reading and understanding complex scientific theories most adults don’t understand.

SSSS.Gridman Episode 2

I can’t help myself from loving this so far which is a big deal for considering that I am not a fan of works that come from Studio Trigger. I love the grounded atmosphere and the fact that learning that the pause during the volley ball hit last week meant something because the girls who tossed that ball last week are gone from existence. This episode introduced Gridman’s villain and it happens to be a girl that will take people she doesn’t like out with monsters that she creates in her room. Also, the action of Gridman vs Kaiju is still fun and I like how the show works hard to make sure nothing feels the same as the last time by adding upgrades to Gridman.

Armored Trooper Votoms: Episodes 34-36

Despite the fact that this set of episodes was very upfront with its action when Ypsilon and the Balarant forces return to fight and/or capture Chirico, these episodes are very slow and meaningful towards Chirico again. By the return of Chirico’s friends in episode 34, we finally get how Chirico has changed since he has left Kummen. He’s become colder and more machine like, which is not something we would get unless those friends who have known him since the beginning of the series. Also, the effects of Chirico’s backstory are felt in a character that had everything destroyed by a Red Shouler’s unit, even if Chirico was never apart of the attack on this planet.

-Binge Level:

Dragon Pilot (Completed: 12 Episodes)

I loved how creative this show is. Flying in dragon stomachs and performing ceremonies for a giant flying dragon to be turned into a piece of land are incredibly fun and not stuff you see very often in anime these days. At first I wasn’t too happy about two of the dragon pilots falling in love, but it wrapped up pretty well and I was happy with it. This show is lovely and I can’t wait to write more about in the future.

Aura Battler Dunbine (Completed: 49 episodes)

Well, this show was interesting. Was a mixed bag of good plots that made sense and was intermixed with annoying side plots that would eventually come to something worthwhile. I think this show has too many characters, because there are endless strings of episodes where some characters don’t show up until they are needed. I will go into more detail in a post that will appear in Mecha March.

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003): Episodes 6-10

The more I watch this show, the more shocked about how different it is from Brotherhood. Not just in tone, but how different events like Shou Tucker, how Scar is introduced in the story, how Barry the Chopper is an actual character before things happening to him, and how Ed passes his alchemist exam. All of these are used effectively to show how much of a nazi regime Amestris is and how young and smart Ed and Al are. It’s very realistic and slow story telling that I can’t help but love.

I suppose I don’t have much to talk about here because I think most things I watched were pretty good. I think I covered everything I wanted to talk about here, so this is a place holder.