It Might Be A Slow Burn But There’s Definitely Something Here
Cop Craft Episode 2
Cop Craft is genuinely a bit of an enigma in my watch list as it wasn’t even vaguely on my radar before the season started and I really didn’t know what to expect. The first episode wasn’t off the charts amazing but pretty solidly set up your standard kind of cop story with the inclusion of fairies and episode 2 more or less developed this set up in a fairly solid manner.
Partly this is achieved by the dynamic being achieved between Tilarna and Kei Matoba throughout this episode. While last week they were the odd couple thrown together with open hostility, this week the two establish a working relationship of sorts even though they are still both very much doing their own thing and merely tolerating a partner. I feel it is going to be fun to see the relationship develop between these two over the course of the season as there’s so much room for misunderstandings, characters falling back into old habits, as well as developing something close to respect for one another.
The case itself continues to be more a plot device than something of actual concern. While both Tilarna and Kei apparently have a personal stake in the mystery, and we saw Kei’s first hand when his partner was killed, there’s no real sense of urgency about the investigation. On the other hand that actually makes it fairly believable because in reality people sleep, they stop for food, and the funeral for Kei’s former partner actually made it clear we weren’t just going to forget about this part of the process when someone dies. Basically, for all the fairies and potential magical manipulation going on in this story, it is still very grounded in real details.
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It still isn’t amazing. There’s something really straight forward about the delivery here that makes is passable pulp within its genre but it isn’t really doing anything to distinguish itself from hordes of urban fantasy stories that I’ve read over the years. That makes it comfortable viewing as it marches a familiar beat competently enough.
However, what does distinguish this is that while I’ve seen this formula a million times in other media, I’m almost sure this is my first buddy cop anime story with a fantasy twist so to be honest this one was going to stay on the watch list for the sheer novelty of its concept. The fact that it manages to be half-decent is just an added bonus. The fact that it has the potential to actually be good if it keeps fleshing out its characters and world is truly the cherry on top.
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
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Karandi James
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Images from: Cop Craft. Dir. S Itagaki. Millepensee. 2019.
I like Cop Craft.
I’ve been enjoying it so far.
Hmmm…the more posts I read from you, the more series I am adding even though I said I wouldn’t watch seasonal anime this erm season. Honestly this sounds quite intriguing. I might just go ahead and watch this tomorrow 😊😊
Summer has started quite strong compared to the last two seasons. There’s a lot I love and a lot that will be pretty fun even if they don’t end up being great. Some of these might fall over in the mid-season or at the end, but I haven’t been so excited for a seasonal line up in a while.
haha…oh man, you are making it very difficult for me. As I said, because of my hiatus I have missed out on quite a few shows….but when I read this, I think I might just forget about those and just pick up a few of this season. And that said, it’s always nice to read a long too. Well…guess I’m going to watch this one too then 😅😅😂😂