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Bloom Into You Episode 2: First Impressions Wilting – Excerpt
One of the things I really loved about the first episode of Bloom Into You is that Yuu didn’t instantly fall in love with her senpai even after being confessed to. They’ve established Koito Yuu as someone who doesn’t know what it means to fall in love and hasn’t felt that emotion before. What I found interesting this week is that the follow up doesn’t discard that aspect to instantly move to Yuu falling in love (which I assume will eventually happen)…
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Karandi James
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Attack on Titan Season 3 Episode 12: And Now We Wait Until Next Year
Well, once I found out this season was going to be split in two, any hope for an actual resolution of any sort this time around when out the window so I guess I’m not actually disappointed. And despite last week being a bit of a snooze fest and this week just plunging us into a cliff-hanger with a during end-credits tease, season three has still become my favourite Attack on Titan season yet, though I’ll get more into that when I do a whole season (half-season?) review.
This week we get the higher ups talking some more and recapping things for us so that we know where we’re going next and why. Other than the over use of brown in this scene it works well enough and at least we’re clearly set on a course of action for now. That’s probably the best thing they did. Even with the gap between now and April next year when part 2 is supposed to come out, this episode gives us a clear direction which is something the end of season one and two lacked.
We get an interesting scene between Erwin and Levi that might have more significance and people who have read the manga probably know what that is but for me I’ll just file that under interesting and wait until the show chooses to maybe get back to it.
However, it was the second part of the episode that really got things going as we saw Sasha at her food craziest yet before Jean and Eren get into a ridiculous fight. It was kind of nice to see a little life in Eren even if he very nearly reverted into shouting idiot Eren. I think they played this nicely with him trying to have a bit of energy but inside he’s still kind of broken. Plus, we then got a Mikasa, Armin and Eren moment that was kind of adorable and brought us back to where these three started (as the OP has been all season) and it was just kind of nice to see this again even if it felt like tragic death flags were being raised all around (or maybe that’s just me because I’m used to this show doing that to us).
So yes, this episode works and as a mid-season point it is pretty solid. As the last episode we’re going to see this year I just have to shake my head and remind myself it is Attack on Titan. This isn’t the worst thing they’ve ever done to viewers.
Previous Reviews:
- Attack on Titan Series Review
- Attack on Titan Season 2 Series Review
- Season 3 Episode 1: Why Not Add Another Faction
- Season 3 Episode 2: Whatever It Takes
- Season 3 Episode 3: Rewriting the Past Won’t Make It Go Away
- Season 3 Episode 4: A Time For Everything
- Season 3 Episode 5: Yourself or Humanity?
- Season 3 Episode 6: So Many Puzzle Pieces
- Season 3 Episode 7: Two Things I Didn’t Think Possible
- Season 3 Episode 8: They Finally Remembered Eren’s Basement – I’m So Happy Right Now
- Season 3 Episode 9: To Kill A Titan
- Season 3 Episode 10: Choices Made
- Season 3 Episode 11: Aw, He’s Special
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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Angolmois: Record Of Mongol Invasion Series Review: The Ugly Side of War
To be honest, I’m not super into realistic historical settings or period drama style anime so when I first started Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion, I wasn’t really expecting much. Still there’s definitely something about those first episodes that grab your attention and even though the show has its flaws, I’m still pretty happy with the watch through.
Review:
For people who watch a lot of seasonal anime there’s definitely a small problem of becoming a little fatigued with seeing similar set ups and plots play out over and over again. Particularly when you follow some genres more than others you definitely start to notice a saminess to your viewing so it isn’t surprising that when something comes along that gets your attention that isn’t something from your normal genre, there’s a novelty factor that comes from watching it that makes it pretty pleasant.
And for me, that’s kind of how it was with Angolmois. Definitely not my usual kind of thing because I’m not a huge fan of period pieces, I don’t really like Samurai stories, and based on real events in history does little to really engage me. However, this anime was different enough and my watch list small enough this Summer that I decided to strap in and go for it. I don’t regret that choice but I’m kind of left on the fence about whether I really enjoyed it or whether it really was just the novelty of it that made it stand out (and for people who watch a lot of historical/samurai stories it is probably missing the novelty factor).
Ultimately, I think Angolmois is fine. There are some great moments along the way and some not so food moments. There’s some interesting characters that we learn little to nothing about. The plot is kept pretty straight forward with the Mongols invading the island and the local Japanese people trying to survive while not wanting to leave their land and the exiles who end up tasked with helping them (not that the exiles have all that much choice given leaving the island isn’t exactly an option for most of the anime).
However, fine isn’t exactly a huge recommendation and to be honest, in a busier season I probably wouldn’t bother with this one. There are just too many strikes against it so that even those moments that were really fun and engaging end up mostly forgotten by the end.
Of course, the biggest hurdle with this one is the filter over every single scene. I’m thinking they are trying to make it look historical or something, but mostly it just serves as a distraction in the early episodes and more than that, it is hideous. Character faces end up blotchy, and when we get a panning shot and the filter doesn’t move it actually made me feel a little queasy during early episodes. Admittedly, by the time you get to the second half of the season, your eyes have finally just accepted it and mostly filter out the filter but occasionally a scene will bring it back into jarring focus reminding you just how ugly this anime really is.
It doesn’t help that the majority of the characters are pretty ugly to look at as well even without the filter. Now I’m not saying that every anime character needs to be a pretty boy or whatever, but this cast is a motley collection of generally unattractive character designs and while it is likely a deliberate choice given the tone of the show, that doesn’t make it any more pleasant to look at.
Okay, I’m going to move away from the cosmetics and actually look at the characters now. Despite actually kind of enjoying the early episodes, other that Teruhi and Jinzaburou, and later Kano, none of the character names stuck. It took forever just to distinguish the different exiles as individual people and not just the ‘exiles’ and then we have the Japanese from the island and multiple Mongol armies all with characters that are thrown at us. It is overcrowded and impossible to learn anything of real note about anyone which is probably where the show stumbles hardest. It is really difficult to care about their amazing climactic battle where they linger on a death and you have to do a double take just to remind yourself whether you knew who that character was, and then you certainly don’t care.
So realistically this show either needed more episodes so we could spend actual time with these characters and get to know them, or it just needed to narrow its focus right down onto the characters who mattered. Not choosing either option means we get a very superficial look at way too many characters, most of whom will die before the final credits roll.
Like most historical anime, the characters all have their honour and rules that they live by. They regularly spout platitudes about their honour or life or whatever before doing something either stupid or brave or whatever. But again, knowing so little about the character makes these moments feel very tagged on and given we know so little about them we can’t figure out how this particular choice feeds into a greater character because it just isn’t there.
The Magistrate suffered horribly because he clearly had a code and clearly made some choices because of it, but we never had the time to learn enough about him to really understand what was driving him. By the time he died he just seemed like a silly man holding onto a handful of a sand as the wind tried to blow it away. The traitor from the exiles as well never had enough time for us to really understand why he made the choices he made and his character ended up feeling fairly shallow and inconsistent because of it and made his betrayal have very little impact emotionally even if it did drive the plot to its inevitable conclusion.
I really did look forward to this show most weeks and it isn’t as though it is a train wreck. It just comes up short in too many ways for me to really recommend it. Still, if you want a break from isekai, harem, high school, or the other standard anime types, this one might be a breath of fresh air… assuming of course slaughter and war work for you.
Previous Reviews:
- Episodes 1 + 2: Okay, You Got My Attention
- Episode 3: Ugly Filter Aside, This Is Pretty Compelling
- Episode 4: War is Ugly
- Episode 5: A Reason To Fight
- Episode 6: Division
- Episode 7: Safety?
- Episode 8: The Price of Betrayal
- Episode 9: Battle at the Castle
- Episode 10: Things Are Going About As Well As You Would Expect
- Episode 11: If Warriors Die To Learn Who They Are, These Guys Are Getting A Great Education This Week
- Episode 12: Expected Ending and Little Impact
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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Release the Spyce Episode 2: Preparation Is Key
There are a few moments in this second episode that caused me to raise an eyebrow. The explanation that the word ‘spy’ might come from ‘spice’ which is complete and utter rubbish no matter how you look at it and the show throwing out there that it is just one theory doesn’t make blatantly wrong information any easier to swallow. Then there was the ‘no honey’ symbolising a life devoid of sweetness password that really just felt they were laying things on really thick.
However, outside of those couple of moments where I was left shaking my head, the second episode of Release the Spyce is actually fairly fun. Okay, the OP is headache inducing and I won’t be watching it again this season (way too many bright flashes), but otherwise I’m done complaining and want to talk about some of the positives.
Momo, who last week was a really wishy-washy and kind of dull potential protagonist, really stepped up this week. She makes the decision to become a spy and she works really hard to achieve that end. That said, she hasn’t had a complete personality transplant, it is more she’s got something she’s determined to do and so she is moulding herself in the direction she needs to go to achieve it. Stretching the training and test period over a couple of months rather than the usual week or ten days characters have in these sorts of shows really works in the episode’s favour as it allows Momo’s transformation to feel a bit more real (even if it is still fairly quick).
I also really just liked the range of training she was subjected to. This wasn’t just physical training but also involved detecting deception, avoiding attack, being able to get close to others, it really felt like they intend to do a range of spy like activities though so far we’ve only really seen them infiltrate and fight. Hopefully these skills get used in later episodes because that could be really cool.
We don’t learn a lot more about the other characters, but the group dynamic is really nice in this episode and I’m looking forward to spending more time with these girls as the series progresses. We also get another couple of scenes with the potential villains who are of course plotting so I guess now that Momo is all trained up we’re going to have some sort of conflict to deal with.
This show isn’t amazing, but it is so far pretty entertaining and hopefully it continues to be fun.
Linked Reviews:
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Karandi James
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Friendly Talks With Arthifis: DAKAICHI first impressions
Introduction:
For those who missed the announcement for this collaboration, Arthifis and I are working together this season to have periodic chats about two anime. Over at Arthifis’ place we’ll be covering Goblin Slayer and you should definitely check out that post once you are done here because we had a lot of fun discussing that first episode as well. In about four weeks we’ll be back with an update on how we feel both series are going so hopefully you’ll join us again later in the season. For now, join us as we meander through our thoughts on episode 1 of Dakaichi (or Dakaretai Otoko 1-ni Odosarete Imasu), the events, the characters, their necks, and the music.
Conversation:
Hey Arthifis! It is great to have you on my blog today to discuss Dakaichi – I’m being harassed by the sexiest man of the year (to only be referred to as Dakaichi from now on).
Hello Karandi! Thanks for having! I’m so freaking excited to start this conversation going! I just have to say that I’m surprised with this one 😀 And, finally, just only one word to refer to the Anime show ahah uff!
So, I have to ask because you went in without knowing much about this one, what are your thoughts? You mentioned being surprised. Surprised good or another WTF kind of moment?
This time it was a good surprise ahah I went into Dakaishi with the idea that I enter any kind of Shounen-Ai anime. That it would be all kind of tropes, that someone would just be basically raped and transformed into gay person, that there would be distinctively a top and a bottom (talking about relationship top and bottom, not sexual) and all those tropes that we all already know. The only one being out was the age gap, because they clearly look adults xD.
Yes, I think I’d be out of this one if they were meant to be high schoolers. While I’m not naive enough to believe high school students don’t engage in actual sexual relationships, I really wouldn’t be comfortable watching that so the age of the characters is actually something I really appreciate.
Yeah… I know what you mean. I’m ok with love stories with high schoolers. However, I know that this one is going to be very sex heavy, so I think I wouldn’t be very comfortable watching.
The fun thing about this episode though is that more or less until the middle of the episode I was still on the dark about some of the tropes. Then I saw “the getting drunk” scene and I though, ok this is going to follow the same tropes, and then it got a pleasant turn and… I don’t know what to think anymore ahah.
What about you, do you think this is following the visual novel / manga (can’t remember which one right now) good?
I read the manga online a long time ago and while I was excited for an adaptation because I really like Takato’s character, specific details escape me. One thing they definitely changed though is the getting drunk scene because the manga took that a lot further and dove into the no-consent trope we see in so many of these types of stories.
I think the anime made a really smart decision by having Junta show a tiny bit more restraint and that gave us the fairly pleasant moment at the end of the episode where he actually asked permission. Okay, I had a really great time at the end of the episode and really loved that scene.
Thank god the Anime changed that scene then!!! It would just kill the show for the season for me…. You did? Why is that?
I just really liked the way they framed the scene with Junta down on his knee looking up at Takato… Okay, I’m hopeless and I fell head over heels in love with this couple and I want them to be together forever. I take it that the scene didn’t have the same impact on you?
Oh, no! It DID! Probably should have added a smile in the last phrase ahah I was just curious to know what were your reasons! I’m a sucker for romance, you know? What other way could be for me to be binge watching season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy if not for that? Ahahah.
However, we are already talking about the end before even speaking about the beginning xD So, let me just pull as back for a bit if you are ok with it xP.
That’s probably a good idea. Though like with most romances we get our pretty standard character introductions and initial interactions and as you said it isn’t until that mid-point with the drinking scene where things really kick off. However, I would love to know your thoughts on the OP?
Yes, maybe that’s true… And probably these are just the most bland and cliche characters from Shounen-Ai. However, since I don’t get to watch many shounen-ai/Yaoi anime shows I really liked these characters xD.
*browses anime-planet to remember the name of the guys* – DONE!
Ok, let me start with Takato. In the beginning we get this hyper mega self righteous and obnoxious character which seems to think is the best in everything. But, contrary to most Yaoi shows I’ve seen (and dropped right away) it does not take much time until we are shown that he was able to get there through hard work since an early age. Yes, he is cocky and thinks he’s the best, but, at the same time we can clearly see that he does have some small indications that he also suffers from lack of confidence. Which from there creates, from the bat, a complex character who thinks that he is in the top of the world, but, at the same time, needs his levels of popularity to actually feel confidence… Am I making sense to you? xD.
Yes, that makes perfect sense (and just so you know, when you called Takato bland earlier I nearly declared war then and there). I really love his character because he’s got this front that just oozes control and confidence all wrapped around this mass of raging insecurity. The very fact that he needs the affirmation of keeping the ‘most huggable man’ title is hilarious when you consider all of his other achievements and yet it means so much to him. He’s really interesting and I love his internal monologues during the first episode where he’s trying to figure out what Junta is actually after because he assumes that everyone spends as much time over thinking things as he does and he assumes Junta has some kind of angle.
That said, I’m not so fond of Junta. I just see him as very much someone to play opposite Takato. What about you?
Hmmm… That’s actual a nice point you said there! Yes, it’s true… Junta is just the opposite of Takato and it can be seen as the easy way to go for a romance. But, you know what, from my irl experience, I really think that opposites attract! You just need to spend a day with my boyfriend and I to see that. And, to be honest, for me it’s not a really bad thing. It just means those 2 people complete each other.
So (And remember I don’t know nothing about what is going to happen), I think Junta will still need some time further to shine. From what I’ve seen from this episode, I feel that Junta will be the person that will Takato to grow and become a happier person. Maybe it will fall out more bland because the story seems to be told in Takato’s perspective, but I just fell in love with Junto… I mean, after there was a permission involved, of course xD.
But, well… To be honest, I’m more into the Tatako side while my boyfriend is more into the Junta side… So, of course I would love Junta ahah.
For me, I like Takato because he is someone who thinks things through and where they are going. He isn’t always a nice person and assumes other people are equally as self-interested. But he is a thinker and a planner. I really appreciate that character trait. Junta, as Takato points out, is someone who reacts to the situation and the scene and just plays on his feelings. That drives me crazy being around people like that because I can’t predict where something is going. So, I think my personal bias is getting in the way of any appreciation of Junta. Though he did look adorable asking for permission.
That and I noticed you dodged my question about the OP earlier.
Ups sorry, not so much dodged, but more got carried away ahah Well, I can definitely understand that… And know that you put it in that words… I think I’m probably Junta and Takato is my boyfriend xD Although, I overthink a lot nevertheless and he is a more happy person than me xP But, well we are not characters of a Shounen-ai, so of course we are going a little bit more complex ahah.
That said, since this OTP feels a bit like home and my relationship I would say that I loved it of course xD.
Ok… Nevermind… I read that wrong, you are asking me about the opening LOLOL Hmm… Give me a sec to check (I always pass those on because of spoilers and I forgot to watch it >.<).
I’m going to be honest, I hope you don’t start a war *gulp* I really liked the music, but the visuals just seemed generic to me xD What about you?
I don’t think I remember the visuals all that much (oh yeah, the guys were crossing the street at one point). I wasn’t paying that much attention, mostly because I had a major ASMR response to the start of the song in general. It just sent tingles up and down my spine and got me really hyped for the episode. However, that will probably wear thin after the first few times listening to it so I’m not entirely sure how I’ll feel about it after the whisper power wears off.
Then again, the ED just made me smile. It was just so boppy and silly and the dancing were all just there.
Yeah, I completely agree with you! I liked both musics, and that is saying a lot because I normally don’t like op and ed songs that much (I know, kill me now xD).
On another note, I would like to ask you if you think they went too far with this episode when it comes to story. I mean, of course you already know what is going to happen, but still…
I know this is something that we are seeing more and more. With so many Anime shows coming out nowadays you need to grab people attention from episode 1. However, I feel that it would be better for the Anime (looking into an all episodes kind of thing) for them to postpone the first sex scene a little bit. We can also see this in Bloom Into You. I think I would prefer a little more back and forward between the characters, have some time to start loving them and THEN have the confession thing. This way, I just can’t help it that the rest of the show will be a game of dog and cat and turning on and off relationship, which for 12/13 episodes may stop being interesting to watch. What do you think?
Normally I’d fully agree. I’m not that big on needing to show the sex for a relationship to be a relationship in a story anyway and I’m more concerned with how the characters interact than how far they get in terms of getting physical. However, going in to something like this, it kind of is the kind of story where it doesn’t get going until these characters have entered this kind of physical relationship. And, no spoilers, but you’ve got a seasoned actor and an up and coming star engaging in a same-sex relationship when one suffers from massive insecurity and the other feels he has something to prove. I’m sure they’ll find ample conflicts to keep us entertained for at least the next 12 episodes (or let’s at least hope so).
Still, it is an interesting point that more and more anime seem to be diving into more physical aspects of relationships earlier in seasons (Citrus was another example that came immediately to mind). I mean, I get we’re all a little tired of the impossible blushy couple that don’t even hold hands until episode 26 or later but I’m not sure every romance needs to dive in full speed ahead either.
In this case I was talking about in a more general way, not only sex related Anime. At least for now Bloom Into You does not seem to go portray sex scenes… But, we never know xD
However, I think you are right! I think that it will take some time until they find some kind of balance. I do know that the Romance type of Anime I loved the most had the characters to enter into a romance more or less in the middle of the season and then continuing the story from there 🙂
But, yes, please… Between episode 26 to episode 1, I prefer the later. I don’t really have the patience for the back and forward and miscommunication formula nowadays xD
But, well, that topic can be a good theme for another post since it would take a lot to write about xD
Any other thoughts on the episode before we bring this to a close?
YES! I’m sorry, but I have to bring those necks! I mean, I know this is personal opinion, but why the hell did they thought doing neck shadows like that a good way to go!!! I mean, the animation overall is good, but those necks… Damn those necks really take a lot of it! What do you think about that particular aspect?
They are really hideous. My personal theory is that they are designed to stop too many fans falling love with the otherwise fairly attractive main characters. I have no other theory as to why they would do that. It is bad. Just bad.
Going to be honest, it will take some time for me to be able to accept them and not think about it while watching the series… It’s a bummer though! But, well, that’s the last thing I wanted to talk about xD.
Well, I had a great time discussing the episode. This is not my normal kind of anime because we don’t get this kind of anime released on a mainstream service all that often so I usually don’t get to see these until well after they have been released, so I’m actually really glad to be reviewing it with someone because it is helping me to think through my thoughts on the episode. I hope you enjoy episode two. I’m just going to give you one word – honey.
Me too! It was a lot of fun! I also don’t really discuss this type of Anime shows. Just because I would always be bias due to the tropes presented in the most of them, and for that, I already have one rant about it on my blog and one rant is more than enough xD.
It also brings a completely different light discussing it with you. As you said, it helps me to think through what I thought about the Anime, but also see things that I hadn’t seen for myself which is awesome!
Thank you! I’m really intrigued to see how they are going to come up after this episode so I’m probably going to watch it today XD I need to see if I catch up with all the episodes that have been coming out this week lolol.
Can’t wait to get back together with you in the near future to continue discussing the evolution of the show eheh
I’m really looking forward to it. Thanks.
Conclusion:
Thanks for joining us and if you would like to add to the conversation be sure to leave us a comment below and if you haven’t yet, be sure to go and check out the Goblin Slayer post over on Arthifis’ blog.
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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A Certain Magical Index Season 3 Episodes 1 + 2: That Time Something Happened to Kamijou
I’ve previously reviewed season1 of a Certain Magical Index and at the time I kind of made it clear that while I had fun enough with the show, I preferred the Railgun spin-off, in a very rare case of preferring a spin-off and that Index has some real issues. I never did review the second season individually because really it was jut more of the same. Well, back for a third season, eventually, and the first episode finally available for people in more regions and the question is what are we in for?
There’s a simple answer though; nothing has changed. We still have Kamijou wandering around Academy City harmlessly going about his business and being just really unlucky in the events and encounters he has during episode 1 of this return. On the brighter side we’re reminded quickly of the key players in the academy and they even throw a shooting into the mix just so we’re reminded that despite looking like a goofy school club anime this show actually does have some darker ideas and fight sequences in it so just wait around.
Yet they don’t make the audience wait long, or even let the plot and exposition even catch up, as we scene change to France in episode 2 where Kamijou teams up with another girl from the previous seasons, and I’m really struggling with my memory to place her, to destroy some mystic pipeline and instead they get attacked by a guy who claims to be the right seat of god.
Yeah, they haven’t eased up on throwing every term and idea they can drag out of any theology book on the planet at the audience in great big exposition dumps either so it really is business just as usual for this show. The fan-service is also plentiful with panty shots, blushing girls, and other revealing outfits coming thick and fast in these two episodes.
So pretty much if you’ve enjoyed this before, it gets right back into the same tone we left off at and it is still just kind of fun. A little head scratching at times with some of their ideas about religious organisations and the way they use some of their terminology, but still fun.
Linked Reviews:
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Karandi James
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In Case You Missed It
Well last week was interesting. So many new shows starting, lots of first impressions, and the first episode of Goblin Slayer blew up twitter and the internet early in the week before finally dying down toward the end of the week. That said my list of posts I found this week is kind of divided into cool posts I found and a selection of posts that provide a range of viewpoints on the first episode of Goblin Slayer and avoid just being rants. As always, feel free to link posts in the comments below if you feel they deserve a shout out (everyone likes finding great new posts to read).
A new blog I found this week after they followed me called For the Otaku had a great post about Perfect Blue. It looks at a couple of different aspects of it, such as the use of colour, the comment on society and the characters. A nicely detailed post, it does contain spoilers if you haven’t watched, but is a fantastic read.
Bossils on Anime Review has a review of Is It wrong to Pick Up Girls in The Dungeon. Okay I love this anime and I really enjoyed reading this review of someone who clearly had some fun watching it as well. There’s some great images shared and some reminders of some of the most epic moments which just made me want to go and watch the thing again. There are a few minor spoilers but nothing too detailed so if you are curious about the anime it is well worth a look.
Nice Job Breaking it Hero gives us a nice Halloween themed post with 5 Steps for Surviving an Ito Junji Horror. It is a great survival guide for getting through most horror stories and its written in a very amusing way with some great images to accompany it. Definitely one to check out for the Halloween season.
Standing on My Neck has a great write up discussing Planet With and whether or not it is actually a sleeper hit from the Summer. As usual, the style of this write up is incredibly interesting to read, if at time a little blunt, but it raises some valid points about the anime being discussed, the fan base, other anime that are either similar or contrast with it, and viewer expectations in general. Planet With is one of those anime I need to catch up on from last season and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Irina over on I Drink and Watch Anime brings us another thought provoking post and asks whether character tropes can simultaneously be celebratory and exploitative. I’m amazed how week after week Irina manages to come up with such interesting blog topics and they are always a delight to read.
And finally, before we get onto the topic of the week, Weekend Otaku made an appearance this week (Yay!) and wrote an excellent response piece to another article that did the rounds on Twitter. It’s called ‘The Troubling Relationship Between Anime and Western Viewers‘ and it looks at some of the claims from the original article and expresses a different point of view. I did already share this one via Twitter so a lot of my readers have probably already seen it, but if you missed it, the post is well worth checking out.
Now Let’s Round Up Some Posts on Goblin Slayer:
David from Another Anime Review, and another blog that I’ve only newly followed has a great post explaining why he liked the Goblin Slayer anime (or at least the first episode). Given the very mixed reception that first episode has gotten, it has been interesting to see some of these style posts that thoughtfully explain the reviewer’s feelings toward the show and why. This one was great to read and if you are worried the show will put you off, the explanation here will probably let you know whether or not you should try the first episode or whether it is content you’d rather avoid.
And another opinion on Goblin Slayer, this one from CS Radical, that looks directly at the rape scene and the lack of warnings or ratings on streaming services. Again, this post isn’t about insulting or attacking people with a different opinion (although it does share tweets from some people who are being a little bit flippant about things), it is a post expressing an opinion about the scene and how it was presented and a look at an issue that is actually an issue digital media and allowing consumers to make informed choices.
Cactus Matt on Anime Q & A also weighs in on the first episode of Goblin Slayer and the question and answer format allows Matt to share a viewpoint as well as to raise some of the other arguments which makes this an interesting read. By and large Matt questions whether the explicit visuals that accompanied the rape actually added anything to the scene that couldn’t have been accomplished by implication and it is an interesting question to throw into the mix of commentary around this episode.
AstralGemini on the Zodiac Room shares their view on the first episode of Goblin Slayer and mounts a defence of the show because they loved it. This one is written by a fan of the light novels so very much looks at what this first episode sets up (in a general way, no specific spoilers). I will admit, this is the post that I most connected with having also read the light novels and also really enjoyed the episode.
Now for someone sitting right in the middle, Xenodude has his first impressions of Goblin Slayer and while he found the dark and edgy a bit too much a bit too gratuitous, there were elements of the first episode (particularly the second half) that he didn’t mind. This is such a rarity of the week, a Goblin Slayer review that isn’t completely for it or against it (though I guess Cactus Matt kind of did that as well). Anyway, if you want a review of the episode that lets you know what you are in for (and does highlight some of the problems people have encountered with the content) but isn’t just a rant, this is a great one to check out.
And if you want a fairly level headed discussion about why people were upset and how the episode actually presents the rape and murder of children then I’d firmly suggest checking out WeeabroDerek’s post aptly named: Goblin Slayer is Graphic and that’s Alright, Right? This one had the benefit of coming out after a lot of the fireworks and so considers the whole situation from a wider perspective and it ends up being a pretty great read for those who either liked or didn’t like the episode.
Pick of the Week
In Asian Spices delivered another Natsume themed post this week looking at Madara and some of the legends and folk lore that may underpin the yokai in the anime. I really enjoyed their previous post looking at Nyanko-Sensei’s cat form so this was just a great follow up, really well written and informative. A must read for Natsume fans.
My Stuff
- Top 5: B Grade Horror Movies
- Feature: My Trigger, Your Trigger
- Series Review: The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar
- Series Review: Phantom in the Twilight
- Light Novel Review: Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon? Volume 7
- Episode Reviews: Autumn 2018 Week 1
- Inquiring Minds: What do you think of Chinese Co-Productions?
And that was my week, in case you missed it.
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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Conception Episode 1: We Can’t Accuse Them Of Being Subtle Here
In fairness to this anime, I knew going in that this was a harem, fantasy about a guy who literally needs to sleep with twelve girls to produce special children to save the world. I wasn’t exactly expecting much and the first few moments of silhouetted girls in awkward poses fairly much confirmed what you would expect this show to be. I also had Cactus Matt’s review read before going in so again knew more or less what I was choosing to watch.
That said, despite the fact that this is undeniably trashy, and fairly poor quality trashy as well, I didn’t hate the first episode. I’m not exactly going to mount a defence of this show as some undiscovered gem because to be perfectly frank there’s some lazy animation and short cuts going on even in the first episode that make you feel like they just don’t care (either that or they assume their target audience will watch anyway, though if that’s the case you think they’d go out of their way not to jump over the scene where they actually follow through on their premise and the guy apparently has sex with girl number 1).
This isn’t an instant drop from me because I actually kind of like the matter of fact way the main guy has taken things so far and that he does seem to actually want to look after his cousin and get her home so despite the questionable subject matter and the lewd flying tanuki who I am kind of hoping has a close encounter with a paper shredder, I’m at least game for a second episode (and believe me even I’m surprised by that).
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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Inquiring Minds Want To Know #35: What do you think of Chinese Co-Productions?
Another week and another fantastic question. I’m still seeking questions to keep this series going a little longer so if you have something you want to know, be sure to fill in the simple survey below and I will definitely get to it.
Question: What do you think about Chinese co-productions? Do you think they’re necessary for anime to reach a global community? From Aria
I honestly haven’t given much thought to co-productions either between Japan and China or Japan and America or Japan and anywhere else for the simple reason that I like stories when they are told well so I’m more concerned with the quality and entertainment of the finished product than who may or may not have been involved in its production. However, after getting this question and thinking it over, I have to admit, a lot of the shows I know to have been Chinese co-productions have been very rough around the edges (even Spiritpact which I ended up thoroughly enjoying).
That said, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the idea of co-productions. I love anime for the wide variety of stories it tells and different ways it presents them and co-productions bringing in different people from different backgrounds and cultures seems like a great way to ensure the medium continues to include a large variety of ideas. Whether or not individual co-production efforts have yielded anything good is a subjective discussion and it is kind of like discussing whether live action anime adaptations are good or bad because there will be a lot of different opinions and sure there’s plenty of evidence of ones that don’t work but occasionally there’s one that does and there’s hope that going forward they’ll improve.
As to the second part of the question, I don’t believe they are necessary for anime to reach a global community but I do think that money coming into the animation industry from outside of Japan may very well help long term given we all know there are issues in the industry and co-productions can certainly help with distribution of a title. There’s plenty of benefits from collaborating and very few benefits from assuming the closed position some anime purists might that anime much be produced in Japan by Japanese people.
Another great question and as I always, I’d love to know the thoughts of my readers so be sure to let me know in the comments below what you think of Chinese Co-Productions. And if you have a question for me, be sure to fill in the survey below.
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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