You’re right about the volume vs. time thing.
I still have a bunch that I already knoware good on my TBW (Violet Evergarden, Mushishi, Ping Pong: The Animation and Oshi no Ko just off the top of my head) and I have no doubt that there are that many more that I don’t know about and just haven’t stumbled across yet.
Still though, it surprises me every time I wander into something like Vivy not knowing what to expect, and come away that impressed.
I’m glad to hear that. I’d love for it to succeed, and I already love the manga, so my opinion of the adaptation is sort of irrelevant anyway.
Darn… that was disappointing.
I love the manga — it’s easily in my all-time top 10, and probably even top 5. And this adaptation just didn’t do it justice at all.
It’s obviously low budget, but that could’ve been okay, since there’s no action to speak of. The weirdest and most disappointing thing is that the manga actually has better comedic timing, and that seems like it shouldn’t even be possible.
The manga has to essentially imply the timing by using beat panels and gimmicks with the panel layout and such, and it consistently nails it - that’s one of the rhings I love about it. But I expected that, even as good as it is in the manga, it couldn’t help but be even better in an anime, since they can actually control the time between lines and get it exactly right.
And somehow they mostly failed. I don’t even know how they managed it, but the timing was awful, so a lot of the jokes fell flat.
I’ll keep watching it, if for no other reason than that they haven’t done any of my favorites yet (Wada at the crane game, Yamamoto’s story about the boob squeeze, Wada’s doppelganger, the reason they both sit on the same side of the table, Wada’s monologue about fighting off wildlife…) But I’m not very hopeful.
Oh well…
Delving back into the past again, I watched Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song last week, and it was amazing - easily one of the best series I’ve ever seen.
In one way, it reminded me of Frieren - it’s a completely different setting and characters and pretty much everything, but like Frieren, it has no real weaknesses. Everything about it is high quality. It’s an engaging story that doesn’t pull any punches, the characters are well-developed and believable and all of the material aspects of it - art, sound, voices, music - are top-notch.
The thing that really grabbed my attention though is that basically every single episode had a jaw-dropping finale. Starting with the first episode, it just went along, unfolding the story and adding details and introducing new things and building the tension and then BAM! In the last minute or so, it pulled it all together into an amazing, shocking, unexpected twist. Then in the next episode, it did it again And again in the next, and again in the next, and so on.
And each episode started off so simply and straightforwardly that even after I figured out that that was what the series was doing, I’d still get lulled into complacency. And then BAM! - it’d do it to me again, and leave me shaking my head and muttering, “Holy shit… This series…”
And none of them were deus ex machinas or just there for shock value. They were all vital plot points and bits of background information and they all made sense in retrospect- they were just so cunningly revealed.
The ending was terrific too. Like the individual episodes, it was dramatic snd unexpected and surprising, but slso like the individual episodes, it fit.
I don’t know why I don’t hear more about this series, because it really was great, from start to finish.
I’m going to be keeping an eye on this one, but I’m going to be pleasantly surprised if it turns out really good.
So far it seems sort of derivative - kind of a cross between Hitoribocchi, Gabriel Dropout and YuruYuri, and it especially reminded me of Gabriel Dropout, since Yuu’s sort of a cross between Vigne and Satania.
If the characters are handled well and the writing can stand out a bit, it might be a good one. But it’s more likely it’s going to be sort of meh. Here’s hoping.
Years ago, I was working at an art gallery, and we had one customer who would come in every few weeks with the latest vaguely renaissance-looking oil painting he’d found at a yard sale and spend an hour or two tediously pointing out and explaining the artfully hidden brush strokes or initials or subject matter or shapes in the clouds or what-have-you that proved that it was actually a Rembrandt.
I had forgotten all about him until just now, when this essay very forcefully reminded me.
And on another note, it also managed to Streisand the Galverse. I didn’t even know there was such a thing until just now, but now I’m going to go track it down.
That ending was absolutely brilliant - sort of low-key and open, but hilarious and appropriate too.
And the whole shampoo hat scene made me laugh hard - that was a great callback.
And with that, I say the series is a winner, from start to finish (and I’m already planning to rewatch it all the way through, maybe even starting tonight).
It has an odd tone, because it often feels sort of dark and sad and scary slong the way, but in the end, Yachiyo’s (and later Ponko’s) indomitable spirit and determination win out. Nothing comes easy for Yachiyo and the Gingarou, but she doesn’t give up. She just keeps plugging away, and it works out — maybe not in the way that she wanted or expected, but in a way that does work.
And now I’m just that much more certain that the oddly dissonant OP was very deliberate, and I don’t think I’d want it any other way. It says it’s okay if things aren’t quite what you’d expect or prefer — you can just set aside your expectations and enjoy it anyway.
I came into this thread already planning to not mention any upcoming anime because, as usual, I haven’t paid any attention. I prefer to let a new season go for at least a week or two, then see if anything catches my eye.
But in browsing the thread, I saw that City is getting an anime, so that’s one already that I will be watching.
Last season, I only watched two series - Apocalypse Hotel and Maebashi Witches.
Apocalypse Hotel has been excellent, and is finishing up later this week, and I’ll likely have something to say on the thread for it
Maebashi Witches though… it’s unsurprisingly never gotten its own threads in the first place, and I’ve never seen any mention of it at all (other than a couple I made), so I want to take this opportunity to say that it’s really pretty good all in all, and some of you should watch it.
Its target demographic is definitely young teenage girls - the “witches” of the title are five girls who get roped into becoming sort of combination magical girls and idol singers, operating out of a magical flower shop, the door to which appears in front of whoever needs their help.
But it’s not quite that simple. This isn’t like Madoka level deconstruction - not even close - but there is a hint of that. Things don’t ever work out quite like the girls naively believe, the whole magic thing is revealed to not be quite the unalloyed good they thought it was going to be, and it turns out that granting people’s wishes isn’t necessarily what they need, or even what they actually want.
And the characters are dealt with a bit unexpectedly as well. The girls are all more complex than they initially seem, and though their task is to help other people, a lot of the focus ends up being on them and their struggles to deal with their own issues, and especially how that affects their attempts to help other people.
It’s neither high drama nor deep philosophy, but it does have more of both than one might expect.
And the one thing I can unreservedly say in its favor is that the animation and music are very good.
So… yeah. This isn’t something I’d recommend to just anyone, but if the basic outline of wish-granting magical girls/idol singers doesn’t immediately turn you off, this one is worth a watch. I enjoyed it.
Frieren’s an odd thing.
I had put it off for a while, and finally watched it all the way through about 7 or 8 months ago. And while it’s not my favorite anime (I don’t think it’s even in my top 5), I’d say it’s definitely the best anime I’ve ever seen.
Others generally stand out, if they do, for some specific things — great characters or a great story or great art or whatever. Frieren isn’t like that though. The characters and the story are notably good, but they don’t really stand out that much in and of themselves, like they might in orher animes, because the real strength of Frieren is that every single aspect of it is top quality. There’s nothing you have to overlook - nothing that’s only so-so but that’s okay because something else makes up for it. Whether you’re talking about the plot or the pacing or the characters or the drama or the humor or the art or the music or the voice acting or… anything really, it’s all excellent. And that’s pretty damned impressive.
I mentioned this in passing a couple of weeks ago, and this episode really drove it home - I think the overall theme of this series could be said to be “earn your iyashikei.”
It is an iyashikei in the long run - it’s comfy and soothing and heart-warming. But none of it’s just handed out for free. You (and Yachiyo) have to work for it.
The hunt for a replacement part got genuinely scary for a bit there, and then the way she finally found it was sad and touching and beautiful. And that’s more or less the way an awful lot of the series has gone - things end up relatively comfy and soothing and heart-warming in the long run, but it’s rarely easy getting there. But in a way that just makes it that much more satisfying.
I really love this series, and I suspect it’s going to remain a sentimental favorite for years to come.
Single episodes:
Little Witch Academia - the original OVA. There isn’t a single wasted frame - it’s just 23 minutes of pure genius. (And as a matter of fact, I just rewatched it again last night).
Sword Art Online S01E04 - The Black Swordsman. The introduction of Silica and Pina and just a great, warm, funny, satisfying standalone episode, and particularly because it’s sort of an antidote to S01E03, The Red-nosed Reindeer, which is arguably better, but so emotionally devastating.
YuruYuri S01E05 - When Akari and the Cicadas Cry. Kyouko drags Ayano to Comiket, Chitose discovers yuri doujins, and Chinatsu kisses Akari. Funny and cute even by YuruYuri’s lofty standards.
86 Episode 23 - the last third of this episode is quite simply the most beautiful and touching thing I’ve ever seen, and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
Akudama Drive Episode 12 - It seems like it should be tragic, but it just kicks so much ass. " Serves you right."
Non Non Biyori S01E10 - We Watched the First Sunrise of the Year - I just love the dynamic between Kaede and Renge
Movies:
Spirited Away Duh. How could I not?
Ghost in the Shell (1995) Still the most concise visit to that universe. I like much of the rest of the franchise too, but that movie stands above them all.
The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi Just a great movie from start to finish. “John… Smith!”
Redline Buried under the stylish carnage and sensory overload is a satisfying tale of honor and redemption, and a surprisingly cute love story.
Series:
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Even after all these years and all these rewatches, it just grabs me by the throat and drags me along.
Kemurikusa - Low budget done right. Great mysterious setting, good characters and satisfying story.
FLCL - I especially like episode 1 and episide 3, but it’s short enough and there are enough other good moments that I figure I might as well watch it all, so I do.
And a couple of recent additions: Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na! and Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! Eizouken is an unabashed love letter to anime with wonderful characters, and Makeine is a great multi-genre whatever-it-is, and Anna in particular is a terrific character.
Just a quick note on this season: Maebashi Witches is better than you probably think it is.
Just caught up with this one last night, and it might even beat out the Harmageddon episode as my favorite so far. It was just wonderful - happy and sad and charming and bittersweet and chaotic and touching and, when all’s said and done, contentedly optimistic…
And Yachiyo got her body back.
Her reaction when she first learned of the engagement was telling, though nobody really pointed it out. That was an emotional outburst at the thought of losing Ponko. I think she’s a lot more human than anyone realizes.
SAO was excellent here and there (Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, The Black Swordsman, Mother’s Rosario) and was at least decent all the way through.
It was just one of those series that became so commonly loved by normies that advertising one’s hatred of it became an easy way to gain instant edgelord cred.
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We got some great animation with the random sentai group that showed up.
That was especially awesome, and it impressed me that they manged to be appropriately stereotypical without matching specific recognizable individuals/franchises.
Then finally, a really touching gesture between two very non-emotional creatures to end it on.
And with Ponko enthusiatically shipping them the whole way.
I’m really liking this, and this was arguably the best episode yet…
I originally expected this to be an iyashikei, but (starting with the oddly dissonant OP) it sort of shifted from what I expected, and started to feel more threatening and somber than that. And this episode started out the most threatening yet. But then there was such a complete and rewarding shift in tone from start to finish that it made it ultimately just that much more warm and uplifting. And to the degree that this has a central theme, that seems to be it.
This is essentially an iyashikei - it’s just that it’s not naturally or automatically that way. It’s made that way by Yachiyo’s kindness and courtesy that’s tempered by quiet determination and a sharp sense of right and wrong. She’s unstintingly kind and courteous, right up until the moment that someone steps beyond acceptable behavior, at which point she immediately shifts to brutally honest and unreserved condemnation, which lasts exactly long enough to clearly convey her opinion of things, at which point she just as quickly and easily shifts back to unstinting kindness and courtesy. And it works. It’s made clear, even to someone like Harmy, that she bears no ill will at all - that her kindness is entirely sincere. It’s just that she’s also entirely honest and fair-minded and fearless, and when somebody deserves a figurative smack upside the head, she will deliver it. And they all come to respect and even admire that.
As do I.
Started off this week with the rest of Mekacucity Actors, which ended up being mediocre all in all (early on, I didn’t think it’d even manage that). In the later episodes, it mostly set aside the tedious Monogatari-style pop philosophy monologues set against geometric abstract liminal space backdrops and got down to some actual character development and exposition… It wasn’t particularly compelling or even coherent character development and exposition, but at least it was something.
Then, sort of wandering around aimlessly, I happened across a currently-airing series of a genre I’ve never bothered to watch before and what-the-hell gave it a watch, and that’s how I ended up catching up on and following Maebashi Witches. On the surface, it’s just cute and cheery, with pleasantly high quality animation and music and endearing characters and surprising emotional depth, and that might be all it ends up being, which’ll be fine. It’s surprisingly enjoyable just as that. But there’s also some room there for something else. Nothing is quite what it appears to be - they aren’t really “witches” in any recognizable sense, the mascot character who recruited them is revealing himself to be a smooth-talking and dishonest hustler and the deal they’ve made with him keeps getting more complex and its completion further out of reach. I don’t expect anything close to Madoka out of it, but there does seem to be a similar hidden agenda and while Keroppe is no Kyubey, he definitely isnt telling them the entire truth.
In any event, at worst, it’s cute and endearing and pleasant, and I’m enjoying it.
Then I sort of bulldozed my way through Sora no Otoshimono Forte, which I’ve been idly threatening to watch for years now, but I expected it to be similar to the first season, which is to say little bits of brilliance scattered here and there among lots of tedious and cringey trash, which is pretty much exactly what it was. Tomoki spent about 90% of the series super deformed and doing that “Kek kek kek” laugh while the rest of the cast just played their assigned one-note roles, but it wasn’t all bad, and the handful of serious moments were actually pretty good. So about what I expected.
Then I capped the week off with a real gem - Planetarian, which was absolutely glorious. It’s heart-warming and beautiful and tragic and uplifting and somber and deeply, deeply moving, and it made me smile and tear up at the same time and I loved it. I ended up watching both the series - Chiisana Hoshi no Yume and the movie/sequel - Hoshi no Hito, which tells a condensed version of the series plus some additional content after the events of the series. They’re both worth it.
And I already grabbed a Yumemi screenshot that’s my new wallpaper.
It told me to not expect anything original - to just settle in for the same insipid, contrived edginess they’ve already beat to death in the Monogatari series
Huh. You might well be onto something there.
It seemed watching it almost as if they weren’t even trying to do any comic timing - instead, most of the dialogue was at the same slow, trudging pace. And that especially stood out to me because it’s clearly conveyed in the manga that one of the characters is sort of manic and talks much faster than the other one. And yeah - overall it just felt slow to me.
And I’m fairly sure there was less dialogue overall - that the monologues from the manga were shortened. Which would also fit in with low budget and dumb corner-cutting.