Seasonal Anime Episodes
I guess we are almost on the halfway point and not every show has gotten their yet. So a lot of room for shows to step up with their best material. Or fall flat. I’m that the later doesn’t happen to any of these shows because I want everything to just be good. But that unknown is kind of the nature of seasonal anime, I think. We watch stuff not knowing what to expect for the next episode.
Love Live Superstar!! Season 2 Episode 3
A lot of building tension in this episode. Especially since Leila is once again going to the festival they went to last year, but as a full idol unit and the last group performing. With all the pushing and doubts about themselves with Kinako still not there yet, they end up with the special prize. Resident gundam antagonist in middle school, Wien, who keeps calling out Kanon, won and declares herself a rival and a winner to Love Live already. That was only part of it.
There is a lot of parts in this episode about passing of legacy. Leila was picked by Sunny Pashion to be there only rival and it has put so much pressure on them to perform at their best. Especially since they doubt that their results from their work are coming through. After all of this time, finally some good Kanon and Chi time with Chi being supportive as usual. Or just with everyone besides maybe Ren. Even some of the side characters show up to have fun.
I am very out of order with my thoughts on this episode, but there is just so much good stuff to process. Especially the ending with Yuigaoka coming together and generally not caring if they win or not. Perhaps Kanon forgot what its like to have fun as an idol after all the stress Sunny Passion put into them. The concert at the end feels like an extension of the idol of just singing to sing. So yeah, just a good episode over all.
Tokyo Mew Mew New Episode 5
Visually the worst episode of this anime series from an animation stand point. Lots of really quick cuts, still frames, and stock footage like a lot of older anime series. But in general, I still really liked this one. Very interesting ways to explore Mint’s character as the rich girl who hasn’t stepped outside of the world bowing down to her yet. Great o see Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding great some chaos as her estate. Then Quiche had to show up and ruin a moment by showing up and enchanting a poor dog. Man. Still great for Mint’s own character little development though. Very simple and good episode.
Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 5
This episode man. The frightening feeling of all of it just continues. But some of the lighter stuff first. Even if Made in Abyss is not known for being light ever. But the mystery behind Reg has been pulled a little closer to use. Reg met another being like him with the flying arms that calls both of them an “Interference” unit while fighting off creatures of the layer very easily. It really is cool knowing that each layer used to have one of these, but Reg is the one moving around from one layer to another to discover some data on himself and the world. A lot of things to consider.
The biggest things were focused on Nanachi and Riko. We don’t see that anything happens with Nanachi after she sees Mitty in front of her. But Riko has a journey from learning a bit about the language to speak to the other holos. She also moves to the bottom of the city to where Vueko is who has been there since the start of the city apparently. Some good lore and Riko is able to break her out and got her dressed to allow her to stick out in the city. The biggest thing that happened was Mitty was alive and Nanachi was either passed out or not alive at all.
So that since of value is there once again. Nanachi spending her life on freeing Mitty and now Riko has the question of sacrificing some major part of her and her gear to bring back Nanachi to consciousness. The Abyss really does change people or make people lose their humanity and now Riko has a hard choice while Vueko is outside and Reg is on his way back. I really do wonder how this stalemate or situation was resolve itself. Something tells me that this situation will probably not end well for at least one party or another. Good episode though. Incredible episode if anything doing things that Made Abyss is going to do.
Call of the Night Episode 5
I liked this episode quite a bit. It really did play a lot with the usual formula of Call of the NIght in a way that it really needed it. For instance seeing how Nazuna wakes up or what she does with her life. Perhaps even how she gets money by giving people massages or other treatments. Kou even being shocked by a different looking Nazuna from the bath was a lot of fun too. Or Kou being pushed into giving a new customer that showed up a message by the tired Nazuna after he got one himself from her. It really does turn things around in ways that I like quite a bit. Just good fun all around in this episode.
Devil is a Part-Timer Season 2 Episode 4
I don’t know, there is something about this episode that didn’t click like the last three. Or maybe I was trying to be too positive on the last few by finding things about them that I like. This episode started out in a way that I like. Emi, Mao, and Alas actually having some family moments. That is the kind of thing that I want from this show. Seeing the relationship between “hero” and “villain” played out in this sort of domestic life because of the cute Alas in between it all. Even some reflection from Mao about what he possible did something wrong. In his past life.
The episode got worse when Gabriel showed up and woke up the three in Mao’s apartment. I don’t know, the sense of lore there was kind of just boring. I think it didn’t help when there was almost no flash in the fight at all. Not even Alas with her Gohan moment really helped anything at all. No good choreography, just things happening. Its such a downturn from the first season where the fights looked incredible. Because of that fact, the lore didn’t really hit at all. Maybe the emotional moment of Mao losing Asa for a little bit says something, but nothing really hit.
Shadows House 2nd Season Episode 5
Another Kate focused episode once again. That is never going to be a bad thing though. Especially when Emilico is still in it and as cute as ever. Very fun and chaotic opening regarding the science lab that John broke the wall of. I love the small bits of time of learning about that crowd with the small and silly experiments that Emilico was apart of too. Plus, Kate and Shaun learned some more things about who the hooded figure could be based on a lot of the scents and perfumes with some other hints. Just a lot of great dynamics in that episode too.
The second half of the episode with Kate, John, Richard, and Louise meeting and having some fun was great. Especially when remembering the one girl who didn’t make their debut. There was an obvious goal in Kate’s mind of finding this friend group that they all could trust each other. So Kate did both of those things and genuinely had fun doing it too. I do not think that Shadows House is capable of making great episodes because this was yet another one of those.
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer Episode 5
This is once again a sad wish that Biscuit Hammer had the animation prowess of something like My Dress Up Darling, because the magical girl scenes that Yuuhi and Shinonome were watching just didn’t look good. You know, like the rest of the show. But the writing is still solid for the most part. Just some cute moments in the first half with Samidare and Yuuhi going out on the date and the presence of Samidare’s father wondering around there too. A cute birthday moment for her, even though she knows the reason why she won’t last long on this Earth. She has good goals too.
But the back half with Shinonome was pretty rough. You know, for a lot of reasons. The first one is kind of obvious because its very lacking for animation. Especially when a golem showed up. But there were obvious death flags because we learned about Shinonome’s backstory about wanting to be a hero. Of course he is going to die soon even if he wants to train Yuuhi. So the golem attacks happened and none of them are attacking Samidare. It’s Yuuhi and this guy against the world and Shinonome died saving Yuuhi. Talk about a major emotional power. So writing wise, very solid episode. Once again, it needs that My Dress Up Darling prowess.
Aoashi Episode 18
Oh, that was a different team. No wonder the big muscled guy from the previous episode didn’t show up. But yeah, the team pulled out a win. Aoi is still discovering himself and has finally found some cool sorts of plays to his friends while being allowed on the attack to the win the game. What makes this interesting for me is that after all the good plays, which he could have scored himself but allowed Takashi to do it. That was his limit though as he was useless for minutes after the play. So while he has evolved a bit, his endurance isn’t the same.
This was already a good episode, but what really sold this was for me was the drama and mystery from the other characters. What is Fukuda’s plan, because he didn’t put Aoi into the defense back position just to play it right? There is obviously a lesson that Aoi needs to learn by being put into that spot. Or the further drama played by the uncertain Tachibana who hasn’t been performing as expected and is facing his former team soon. A good amount of mystery and tension going forward and I really dig that. This show is just that good.
Yurei Deco Episode 6
As one would expect for this show, the plot kind of comes in under the radar. A drone shows up with no memory and wants to find his master. That’s it, that’s how its done. The biggest change was the little girl Smile was interested in the case two. It was her and Berry on the case backed by Hank himself. What we did find out was not only Smile’s identity and what Grandma44 represents or does, but how the drone was owned by Hackitt who designed the Phantom Zero game. A crazy twist, but one very simple and emotional in its own way. Such a fantastic episode.
Fuuto PI Episode 2
I really wish this show was interested in showing every inch of Tokime’s body to the audience, because Shotaro is looking away, because it really is way too much. Especially when see her dressing herself one piece of clothing at the time. I get that its for the show itself and can be considered connected with a “dressing down” sort of moment, but man. It’s not self motivated in the story like My Dress Up Darling, it’s just there and its kind of annoying to me. What is interesting is that the fanservice I’ve read more Kamen Rider People being interested in is the Kamen Rider Henshin sequence between Philip and Shotaro at the end. I’m not that much of a nerd for Kamen Rider yet, but I kind of agree because it was really cool and dynamic.
Yeah, I say this about Tokime and the bit too far fanservice in general, because the mystery around her is simple and yet also captivating. It is the kind of mystery that you want to have for the first arc of a detective story like Fuuto PI where you want to see every component of Narumi Detective Agency Working. How does Philip’s connection with the universe count? What does Fuuto look like? What is the romantic, not romantic chemistry between Shotaro and Philip like? What role does Akiko play in the thing? Tokime’s appearance really does show that. Plus, she is still has a mystery around her that will guide further plot ideas and concepts.
And it’s obvious that Tokime is not the person at the heart of killing people across Fuuto, right? The evidence did point to that direction for a while, but the last piece of showing her Gaia Memory, devices that give people special powers, was damaged was enough to show that. so that led to two suspects before the Philip and Shotaro henshin sequence started. Two that reason to be there in the story itself, but were motivators for why and how the mystery was occuring. It’s really good writing that is obvious but pushes her characters around. I really liked this episode, once again, for the most part.
This Week’s Episode Ratings
Last year, I started a small graph system that I used to rank the weekly episodes I’ve watched. I’m going to bring it back for this season and see how it goes. I just want to make my opinions a bit more clearer other then “I really like this anime episode that did those things?”. If this helps at all.
Now, this doesn’t mean that the episode on the bottom is bad. Just that that it wasn’t as good as the others. That’s it really. In the end, this is all arbitrary after all just like most of what I blog anyway. It’s just another thing, what is the difference?
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
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