As you can kind of tell, I felt a lot better this week because I wrote more longer entries in this post. Last week, I couldn’t keep my attention full on here so I just wrote short entries to get this post out the door. Boo sickness, yay more quality things?
Pet Episode 3
With this episode, we dig into a time when the Chinese mafia shows up and Katsuragi wants to stop them. With Hiroki watching over a pet store while Tsukasa is still working with Katsuragi, Tsukasa abuses his ability to get a costumer’s boyfriend to look ugly to her. Ok, shallow but maybe that was at a mental level? All of that happened while Tsukasa looked into the mind of a male bodyguard for the Chinese mafia and seeing his past where his grandmother forced him to be a girl. So in the end, the guy killed his mafia friends who allowed him to be a guy (symbolized through the baseball bat) wearing make up, so his peak and valleys must have been switched.
So yeah, this episode wasn’t even close to being a visually interesting as episode 2, but the homoerotic subtext is back and way turned up here. You know, the emasculation of the mafia member and now Hiroki being used as Tsukasa’s pet in the future. It’s always used in a negative sort of way too, which makes me wonder about the manga and mangaka behind this anime, because they must have been going through some things. At least the show is interesting. I think this was the better and more thought out episode, just wonder if there is a cross over between animation and story telling here and if we will find a balance eventually.
Chihayafuru Season 3 Episode 15
Read my review from yesterday here.
Blade of the Immortal Episode 16
Finally, the day has come for the shogunate themselves to know of their wrong doings of stealing tons and tons of males from minor crimes in order to do nasty immortality science. In a secret location, the smell of death can’t be mistaken for anything but corpses and mindless immortal zombies are wandering the corridors of a dark tunnel as Rin and Doa go out to rescue their men. That and there are a large amount of wives out there wanting their wrongfully prisoned husbands back.
All with Doa’s strong relationship with Ikasu being on display in the beginning before he’s inevitably found dead. I hope that Rin saves Mr. Manji before having to suffer through another torture or almost rape session. She’s been through too much at this point, I’m surprised she’s able to function sometimes. I’m also glad that in this position, it’s Rin saving Mr. Manji again. This time it’s for real. Mr. Manji can’t die, but he’s still human.
Bofuri Episode 3
It’s becoming more clear that I don’t also enjoy Bofuri for it’s shenanigins, but because I need something to cool down with after watching something bloody like Blade of the Immortals. It’s kind of the magic in the way that Bofuri has this consistently fun and optimistic atmosphere that I just can’t help enjoying even if the show is just “things happen to these girls or these girls go out on an adventure in a video game and things happen.” It’s that literal fluff that you can’t help but enjoy.
But this episode really sped through a lot of things. The first one was that maple’s devouring technique was nerfed to where she can only do it ten times now which also comes to some benefits to where she can be more offensive. In this part, Maple and Sally also get a speed spell in a scary house after Sally healed it and they visited a magical restaurant all before Maple got her new shield and the treasure hunt is about to begin. Oh, they also fought a forest boss before Maple got knocked out and Sally fought it herself again.
That actually scene was pretty great yet again. I’m glad to see with all that going on that they’ve built a strong reputation amongst people in that game. That only makes sense considering that these two are pretty ridiculous. I hope they gain more friends in the future. Or Kaede notices Risa’s advances. One or the other.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 3
In this episode, Golem had to get a job in order to fund his small trip across the desert. He becomes a restaurant waiter for a while in a mole hilled city while Somali teams up with the restaurant owner’s kid. We know that Golem has a limited amount of time with Somali, but Somali reads that as Golem doesn’t want to spend more time with her or get rid of her quickly.
So with Somali and Kilili finally leaving the restaurant for a little bit, they travel to get a flower in a trench in the middle of the city which is fabled to connect people together forever. Unfortunately, the fox guy from early spots Somali and follows them. Somali is saved for now, but to what end? What a beautiful and easily done episode with realistic kid characters, an interesting city, and Golem dressed as a waiter. He cleans up well. What can I say here besides I’m worried about Somali and hope she and her friends turn out ok and hopefully Gollem will save her.
Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun Episode 3
Well, that was a pretty freaking scary episode. For a show that doesn’t how much animation to it, because it’s more of a power point to it with simplistic character designs, this show really knows hot to use style and direction to get you into the dread zone. With Nene’s friend Aoi completely disappeared away from the real world, she, Hanako, and the exorcist guy who is an after thought, drop into the spirit realm acquiring body parts to move to the next gate and meet her.
Also, Nene ran into a hot guy who put a paper crane in her pocket and there was the classic “oh no, he’s hot” moment. I wonder how all of this will pay off because there is a lot of dread going on here with a mysterious women calling them on what to choose next. I’m possibly excited, who knew? Yay threats of people dying and disappearing from the world in a horrible manner?
Haikyu!! To The Top! Episode 3
This was the big Hinata growth episode. Also there is some side bits where Karasuno lost against Date tech in training without three of it’s newbies and Kageyama obviously missing Hinata at his own little training camp. In the camp that Hinata broke into, he’s training his reflexes and way to look at the ball through out all of this. It’s pretty cool to see him learning how to read people’s serves and strikes. Even some of his previous tennis experience is helping him also. Pretty cool to watch. Kind of excited to see what Tsukishima is planning next week. Or maybe I already know .
My Hero Academia Season 4 Episode 15
Maybe I have been a little angry and frustrated at My Hero Academia for taking a really long time to get somewhere this season, but I can’t help checking my watch sometimes. Still, Saint Seiya had an entire episode where the villain just laughed through most of it until the end, so at least MHA hasn’t been that bad. This first half of the episode still focused on a lot of the fall out from the last arc with Deku talking to Mirio about “do you want these powers” and Mirio being cheerful and saying no. Plus Deku, Kirishima, Tsuyu, and Uruka returning to the 1-A dorm, relishing in the fact that they went through something dark, could have done more then they did, and 1-A just being kind and warming to these four returns. Oh, there is also a titan in the woods that will probably attack 1-A during this next arc. Fun.
Will, except Bakugo and Todoraki who went to bed earlier out of jealousy and guilt for their own provisional licenses hero examinations. They haven’t been able to explode as much as Deku, so I don’t blame them. Plus, I do like the change of focus to Todoraki and Bakugo for the second half. Partially because I missed them, but also partially because it’s something fun and different. Bakugo and Todoraki have a fun dynamic between the two of them which is interesting. I also like that we get to see other heroes from the provisional license exams too here who I’ve missed a lot. I only remember Camie with her flirtations toward Todoraki, but the others are fun too. Also, All Might and Endeavor are going to talk. Uh oh.
Magia Record Episode 3
This episode feels like the main selling point of this series for me and it still puts me in that “this is good and fine, but not fantastic”. Especially these are girls we’ve only kind of met last episode and only have a minimal connection to. Kind of like our connection with Iroha because we know she has a reason to be here in the show, but we don’t know much about her at the moment. With that said, this episode was about finding Kaede who was captured by a chain witch.
After Iroha met more magical girls and the jerk from episode 1, everyone writes their name on the friendship stars, Rena eventually apologizes, and the girls defeat the chain witch so Kaede is back. Small Kyubey was there and allowed these girls to find their weaknesses, Rena and Kaede have an honest heart to heart, and it’s possible that the witch is something else sinister considering there wasn’t a grief at the end of this witch den. Also, Mami is going to be here apparently. Honestly, I’m really excited about that fact. She’s good. Iroha has clues her sister existed so she’ll be back in this city.
So yeah, Magia Record is still running on the very cool visuals and atmosphere that Madoka is known for here with some alright character stuff going on in the background for me. I do think that the characters are passable and their trials are decent, but Mami will add an extra energy to the show that it probably needs for me to enjoy it more I think. I like her being those side characters. Also, have Madoka’s magical girl designs gotten hornier then what I remember? I think they have.
Fate/Grand Order Babylonia Episode 14
Today was the set up episode, the character building episode before the last conflict at hand, and the start of the end of the line. It’s a very formulaic episode, but one that I couldn’t help loving because of just how well executed it was. I liked seeing this alliance planning work arounds to the Three Gods Alliance fun. That moment between Gilgamesh and Merlin was just a moment, but it meant a lot. Same with Fujiwara finding out that Ana has helped an old lady with her flowers and during her “death” where Ana cared more about humans which she thinks she still hates. Ana has really come into herself here. Same with Fujiwara and Merlin moments too.
Then the battle happens in which Kingu and Quetz happens which Kingu just has the floor wiped under him. Very fun and well animated action scene. Same with Quetz throwing the giant axe at Gorgon’s temple. Very cartoony moment, but I couldn’t help watching this woman throwing a tower sized axe at something. Same with Ana’s finally revealing herself as a younger medua/gorgon. Something nobody who has watched any Fate at all should be shocked by on any level. There is just a lot of good things here. How are they so well ahead of production here? The animation is just stunning and loveable.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken Episode 4
The presentation of this group’s animation becomes a thing in this episode. You know, after all the characters still suffer through the limitations of their product. Mainly Tsubame who only has worked on a small amount of animation cuts in a timely manner for the presentation and really needed to get used to new animation techniques and technologies. All while Midori was working on coloring everything and Sayaka was asking around other people like the art club for help and trying to move the product forward in a timely manner. Yay compromises I suppose.
The fun of this episode came from the presentation itself. After arguing with the student council, they got to play their little film and it blew everyone’s minds. Well, except our animation friends. We generally knew what their psuedo daicon film was like, but it’s amazing how they could use animation to show the crowd getting invested in what they’ve seen. The tank shell that landed on the ground, the tank going through the screen, and everything else. The three got their budget approved without question and it’s kind of awesome. You know, besides the hellscape world they had to survive before then.
ID:Invaded Episode 5
This episode directly followed last episode in which our cast goes after the grave digger. Hondomachi mentions seeing Kazuta (and that she kissed her) to her older partner, so they travel somewhere to question a witness. A witness that she eventually and correctly calls as the grave digger in which you can kind of feel that way because of how she reacted around Hondomachi’s wound and some other character attributes. All while Sakaido was investigating the ID hole of the grave digger which is eventually revealed what we’ve seen on screen with classic detective work and cops get caught in the grave digger’s gasoline trap and probably die from being burned alive.
So yeah, this was a episode that took some animation short cuts, had some still frames that built tension with character words and drama, and now we get to see how everything unfolds now. I honestly don’t think the ID well was necessary because of Hondomachi’s investigation skills and such which is probably a lot of the ID well was skimped in animation, but the message got across though. Sakaido does symphathize with the killer in a way her because she’s a girl that wants to be protected. Can’t wait to see how the cliff hanger plays out.
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
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