Heartfelt Moment Undermined By ‘Humorous’ Conclusion

Posted on by Karandi
Kaguya Sama: Love is War Post Title

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 12 Review

For the first half of this episode I thought this was an absolutely brilliant way for this series to go out. Really was loving it. And then… well, then we got to the second part. See the whole way through this series I’ve really loved the moments where the characters have been allowed to just be characters and interact rather than the contrived matches between the main pair, so seeing Shinomiya genuinely upset by not being allowed to go to the fireworks and Shirogane and the others rallying to help her was really a great emotional moment with a lot of pay-off.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 12 - Shinomiya crying

This was each of the characters at their best. No forced humour or awkwardly intrusive narration. Just a girl upset and the overly dramatic solution with her escaping her house and then her frantic rush to reach the wharf in time, only for it to end in failure. That was so incredibly sad and they held that moment just long enough before Shirogane turned up and delivered such an incredibly overblown line and yet it was utterly perfect for the moment.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 12 - Shinomiya and Shirogane running

Watching them run together, meeting up with Fujiwara and Ishigami and getting in the taxi. Even the taxi driver going all out and probably breaking multiple road rules in order to get them to their destination in time all just worked. It was a well paced, well executed, fun and emotional climax to a series that I’ve found very hit or miss.

And I haven’t even talked about how on point the music was during this episode or how beautiful the fireworks were.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 12 - Fireworks

And then…

Well then we go back to school.

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The president is freaking out because he thinks that he acted foolishly in the moment. Shinomiya is all nervous because she wants to say thank you. The narration is back. The forced conflict is back. Its all just awkward and painful to watch and really about as far from amusing as you can get without actually just sitting in a room full of socially awkward people avoiding eye-contact for ten minutes.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 12 - Shinomiya and Shirogane crossing paths

For a brief span I thought episode 12 was actually going to be the episode that made me think overall I liked the series more than I didn’t. But that second half reminded me of everything I find irritating about the entire set up and mostly while there are some great moment overall I’ve mostly found this one misses the mark for me. I’ll be going back through my episode notes and thinking about my final review of this series a lot, but the bottom line is going to end up being that this just isn’t my kind of show.

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No Love, No War, No Real Interest

Posted on by Karandi
Kaguya Sama: Love is War Post Title

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 11 Review

What is worse than two supposedly smart characters facing off on childish mind-games that seldom amount to anything?

Apparently episode 11 where the two don’t meet and we get a skit of Shinomiya moping about the house and learning to use Twitter, another one of those random stories where someone turns ramen eating into some kind of high art form which just goes on far too long, and then another story where both Shirogane and Shinomiya are moping and end up at the school but not at the same time.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War

Sigh.

If it wasn’t for the post credit sequence where Shinomiya was summoned by her father and clearly they are setting something up there I’d say this was an entirely skippable episode. Unless of course you really have some desire to watch Fujiwara eat ramen while some random side character narrates the ‘correct’ way to do so. Is it just me or are there too many of these ramen perfectionists scattered throughout anime? And do such people really exist that they feel there’s only one correct way to enjoy a bowl of soup and noodles?

Fujiwara Kaguya Sama Love is War

Ramen philosophy aside, there’s little entertainment in watching Shinomiya mope and her attempts at using twitter are just this side of pathetic. I honestly wanted Hayasaka to just put her earphones in and enjoy her bath because watching a character sleep in the bathtub was honestly more entertaining (words I never thought I would type).

Kaguya-Sama Love is War - Shinomiya is banned from Twitter

Summer holiday sequences are a staple of high school based anime, and while many fall back on the standard tropes of bikini clad girls playing beach volleyball before splitting a watermelon, at least there’s a little amusement to be found in that. I’m just not sure what, if anything, we were supposed to get out of this mope fest other than annoyed at both the main characters for continuing to be idiotically stubborn.

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Though, at least visually it didn’t drop the ball toward the end of the season as a lot of other anime have. The visuals and animation (what little animation there was), were as on point as always.

Shirogane - Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 11

Anyway, one episode of this to go.

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Passing The Olive Branch

Posted on by Karandi
Kaguya Sama: Love is War Post Title

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10 Review

Back to the three story format this week however the first two skits in episode 10 of Kaguya-Sama Love is War deal with the fallout from Shinomiya’s cold last week. Realistically though, I’m going to end up with Ishigami on this one. In the second story, Ishigami was forced to listen to Shirogane as he meandered his way through the story about the girl a friend of his had apparently offended. Ishigami just summed up the whole situation perfectly when he said it ‘pisses’ him off.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10 Ishigami

Realistically, we once again have two socially inept characters who after a minor misunderstanding spend one third of the episode squabbling over who will eat a piece of cake and then find someone who will listen to them whine about how misunderstood they feel. I’m certain the comedy is meant to be in how exaggerated and overblown it all is, but mostly I just wanted to push the cake into their faces in story one and in story two I really wished Ishigami had spoken up sooner.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10

Then we slide into story three where Summer vacation is coming up again. I almost groaned aloud thinking we were going to have to endure a rehash of a previous fight, but mercifully the story went in a different direction. For the first time Fujiwara ended up on the losing side and once again we have Ishigami to thank for actually sounding like a human and pointing out that it wasn’t fair for her to go off travelling but to expect that they wouldn’t go to a festival just because she was away.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10 Kaguya

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Needless to say, if I took on the role of the narrator for a moment, I’m awarding Ishigami as the episodes MVP and literally just want all the other characters to disappear or grow up at this point.

Now, so that it doesn’t sound like I’m just throwing rocks at it for the fun of it and ignoring all the good in this series, the visuals this week were up to their usual standard. Story one used colour particularly well to show the duelling personalities and story two kept cutting between Shinomiya and Shirogane as each one was telling their story and it was actually really nicely put together even if the subject matter was frustrating.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10 blue vs red

So once again, this is a beautifully produced anime that is utterly missing the mark for me because I’m just not finding it particularly amusing. However, with two episodes to go I’m sticking through to the end of the season and hopefully next week I’ll find something to smile at.

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The Love War Flat-Lined

Posted on by Karandi
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Kaguya-Sama Love Is War Episode 7 Review

This might be a terminal case for this anime as Kaguya-Sama Love is War pushes another three skits our way and for once not one of them really stuck with me. While I’m not the biggest comedy fan and the premise of this one didn’t do much for me, each episode has given me something to enjoy, some exchange of dialogue or character moment that has hit its mark sufficiently to leave me with an overall pleasant feeling at the end of the episode.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 7

That is until we get to episode 7. I’m teetering very close to deciding to simply drop Kaguya-Sama however there’s already another episode out so I’ll watch that before making a final decision. The main point being that 8 episodes in I’m unlikely to drop it regardless of what it does though this one is fast becoming the show I’m only really watching just to finish it.

What was wrong with episode 7? Nothing really. Visually it is every bit as impressive as every other episode. I still have no complaints at all about the presentation of this anime, or the sound for that matter. These are some real production positives.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 7 Shinomiya

Yet as I watch Shirogane given advice about hand-holding, hear an argument about club funding followed by a joke about a guy being overheard commenting on girls’ breast sizes followed by one of the girls smacking him around the head repeatedly with a fan that she took the time to fold, and it all gets capped with a run-on weiner joke that just gets run straight into the ground, I found almost zero reasons to laugh or even smile at this episode.

The Fujiwara moment with the fan could have been amusing. I was kind of reminded of Kaname in Full Metal Panic and her often repeated joke of slapping Sousuke with a fan at school when he did something really out there. But in those cases it was generally a well timed single smack and then the story progressed and moved on. Fujiwara’s careful folding and taping of the paper was a nice touch to the joke, showing her commitment to really landing one on the guy, but then the repeated swattings just proved that repetition does not always make a joke work better. It all just dragged it out, robbing the moment of comedic timing through a general lack of restraint.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 7 Ishigami

As for the rest, it just isn’t the kind of thing I find overly amusing so mostly I just kind of watched and waited for the next skit hoping it would improve and then each skit seemed to get more worn than the last. I get some people are really enjoying this, and as I said, from a production point of view there’s almost no faulting it, but for me it just isn’t working and episode 7 more or less highlighted everything I dislike about the show.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 8 Review

Right, so episode 8 of Kaguya-Sama Love is War kind of picks things up a little bit from episode 7. While the first story of Shirogane’s sister showing up is kind of average, though she is pretty cute, the following stories of Shinomiya and Shirogane competing at the exams and then Shinomiya helping Ishigami passing his exams are both reasonably entertaining with some fairly good character moments scatted throughout.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 8

That said, for once it felt like the build up was neglected. As Shinomiya and Shirogane both pretend not to be concerned with studying last minute for exams and play down how hard they are working, it kind of felt like this could have gone further as the two both secretly prepared for battle. The end result is amusing enough, with a nice exchange between the characters, but lacks any real bite.

Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 8 Shirogane

The stand out story belongs to Ishigami as Shinomiya ‘helps’ him prepare for exams. Again, Shinomiya gets her best character moments when Shirogane is entirely absent and it was nice seeing her in this more natural role rather than in the usual antagonistic one. If we had more moments like this one and the one where she helped the girl walk to school, I’d probably enjoy her character a great deal more.

So yes, episode 8 has saved this from hitting my dropped list but realistically I’m still very much finding it pretty hit and miss in terms of a viewing experience.

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It Isn’t Paranoia When She’s Really Threatening To Kill You

Posted on by Karandi
Kaguya Sama: Love is War Post Title

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War Episode 6 Review

Much like another anime title this season, Kaguya-Sama Love is War opted to use episode 6 to drop another character into the mix. While Ishigami has so far been relatively entertaining, the dropping him into the story and then treating him like he’d always been there was just a bit off and felt like the author was kind of desperate to expand on the basic concept. I wouldn’t have minded a new member of the council recruited, but after introducing Ishigami he’s just literally always in the student council room even though for five episodes he’s been nowhere to be seen.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 6 Ishigami

That’s ultimately a minor problem, but it is a little jarring as they just try and play it like ‘of course he’s always been here’ and you are left wondering just how much he’s overheard if he actually just sits under the desk all the time (which in itself is a weird thing to wonder, and why was he under the desk).

Kaguya Sama Episode 6 Ishigami talks to Shirogane

Whichever way, Ishigami adds a new element into the anime which so far has been Shinomiya vs Shirogane with Fujiwara essentially disrupting their battles either through design or happenstance. More importantly, Ishigami has seen Shinomiya without the smiling and perfect mask, which makes you wonder why? Given how often Fujiwara has earned Shinomiya’s ire, why did she only drop her guard with Ishigami and clearly threaten him? It seems like a foolish move considering Ishigami does tell Shirogane, even if he does dismiss it. That potentially could have been game over for Shinomiya right then and there.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 6 Shinomiya

I guess I should probably look at the events this episode at some point. They sit in the council room and talk. Bad visual pun. Some fairly solid colour imagery. Terrible personality tests. And then painted nails. Yeah, I think that covers it.

Kaguya Sama Episode 6 Fujiwara

Needless to say, this one still isn’t dazzling me, but unlike the other anime that dumped new characters on us in the mid-season, Ishigami actually does add a lot to the mix of personalities here and the double impact of Ishigami and Fujiwara basically diluting Shinomiya and Shirogane is actually making this much easier watching. I’m not sure that I’m really giving this one much praise in saying that, but despite the plot being pretty shrug worthy I actually did find myself enjoying parts of this episode and the whole thing just kind of flowed along.

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FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES
FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES

All’s Fair In Love, War, And Welcoming Parties

Posted on by Karandi
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Kaguya-Sama Love Is War Episode 4 Review

The French are coming, or at least French students, for reasons unexplained and unimportant given this is literally just the most recent backdrop for the antics of the student council in Kaguya-Sama Love is War. I actually kind of liked that all of the skits kind of connected this week in this overall story even if we were still decidedly in the set-up and deliver punch-line kind of format we’ve come to expect from this anime.

Kaguya Sama Love is War Episode 4 Shinomiya

The first skit was cute. Not actually funny, but it had both Shinomiya and Shirogane in cat ears at one point and both desperately trying not to admit that the other was cute and to be honest it was adorable to watch. Ultimately completely pointless given the conclusion of this is that no one in the student council is allowed to wear cat ears anymore but there are worse things than seeing anime characters in cat ears for a few minutes.

Kaguya Sama Love Is War Episode 4 Fujiwara

We then move on to a game to decide who will go shopping for the gifts for the students at the party. Shirogane determines to lose to Fujiwara but beat Shinomiya so that he and Shinomiya will go shopping but he won’t lose to her. It works out that way but more because Fujiwara actually outwits the both of them. Again, I didn’t find this section particularly amusing, but I definitely appreciated Fujiwara’s character more after it.

Kaguya Sama Love is War Episode 4 Shinomiya and Shirogane

What follows is Shinomiya wanting to message the President but getting all worked up about the first person to text. This section kind of annoyed me. It is like watching someone play the ‘You hang up first’ game where the only solution is to walk over and snatch the phone out of their hand and hang up – or flee the country, whichever seems less problematic at the time. Though, the punchline here isn’t exactly expected so I kind of had to give it points for that.

Kaguya Sama Love is War Episode 4 Shirogane and Betsy

The highlight of the episode though is the party itself where clearly the guy pulling the Student Council strings is playing his own games and sics the French vice-president on Shirogane. He, however, doesn’t understand French so her insults more or less roll over him like water off a duck’s back. They don’t however pass Shinomiya without raising her ire and seeing her genuinely defending Shirogane may be the best moment she’s had yet in this series.

I will say this is my favourite episode so far. No annoying narration at the beginning setting my teeth on edge with its warped philosophy on love. Limited narration during the skits. An overarching plot loosely tying the segments together. Then Shinomiya actually acting on emotion rather than calculated planning. So yeah, best episode yet. Still not a huge fan but if it continued on like this I’ll probably end up low-key enjoying this series each week.

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Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 2
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 2

Natsume’s Book of Friends Volume 8 Manga Review

Posted on by Karandi
Natsume's Book of Friends Volume 8 Manga Cover

Encounters with friends, yokai, and the past all fill these gorgeous pages in volume 8 of Natsume’s Book of Friends.

As I’ve reviewed each volume I’ve tried to think of an appropriate theme to bring the stories together. In most cases it seemed fairly obvious but I will admit it took a second reading of this volume before it came to me. That isn’t actually a problem given each story is pretty solid entirely on its own, but it just makes the volume as a whole more cohesive if I find the thematic thread that draws each story together.

In this case I came to the conclusion that fear was the common factor across all the stories. However in typical Natsume fashion fear is turned around through friendship and connections and once again we have a truly magnificent volume on our hands. Natsume is really the story that just keeps on giving.

Chapter 27 – Natsume Participates in the Culture Festival

Here we have a charming story about Natsume involving himself in what is one of the more normal Japanese school events (at least if anime is anything to go by). However, while Natsume is longing to spend some normal time with Kitamoto and Nishimura, both of whom have had an active role in helping Natsume to adjust and to open himself up at school and in the community, a yokai rock is determined to get in Natsume’s way.

Natsume Yuujinchou Volume 8 Chapter 27

In what becomes another bit of a theme for this volume this story also features Nyanko Sensei in a more heroic role and not being coerced to help but genuinely looking out for Natsume’s well being. When we throw in Taki and Tanuma also coming to Natsume’s rescue at one point, this story really brings us a clear picture of the full life Natsume has built for himself since being taken in by the Fujiwaras.

However, with all these connections comes the fear of losing them and while Natsume still has that fear, he isn’t willing to let go of the friends he’s found.

It is a fantastic opening story for the volume and one I enjoyed reading more than I enjoyed the episode in the anime.

Chapters 28 and 29 – Reflections

This one is an amazing story that I loved in the anime. Tanuma gets a solid role in this story and ultimately ends up possessed by a yokai that wants its mirror back and it is up to Natsume to locate all the pieces. There’s a bit more direct action and even a little violence in this story as we have a yokai with a hammer also determined to get the mirror and he’ll break whatever or whoever he has to in order to get it.

Natsume Yuujinchou Chapter 28

However, while there’s more action than normal, the main story focus really is on both Tanuma and Natsume and their friendship. Tanuma is worried about Natsume and about Natsume being on his own whereas Natsume desperately doesn’t want to drag Tanuma into the world he sees because he fears for his safety. They are both well-meaning and both incredibly awkward but the beauty of this story is Tanuma does get a small glimpse of the world Natsume sees and the two do get closer to an understanding.

I find it interesting that the mirror story is more or less resolved off screen as the attention is very firmly on the characters and while Nyanko Sensei turns up at the end to resolve the story-line it really feels like the side-plot compared to the character journey unfolding. It’s a beautiful story and I love these two characters so much and wanted to give them both a hug.

Chapters 30 and 31 – A Place To Belong

There is a special episode after this one, but this is essentially the last story of the volume and while I thought ‘Reflections’ was great, this one is a personal favourite from the anime. We find out how Natsume came to be with the Fujiwara’s and see a fairly traumatic incident from his past involving a yokai. With that yokai returned and out for revenge against Natsume potentially endangering his new family, every fear Natsume has ever had in his dealings with the yokai comes to the surface.

Natsume Yuujinchou Chapter 30

But like the previous story, there’s a touching character story here. We see how far Natsume has come from the frightened child he was and we also see the deep bond between Nyanko Sensei and Natsume. Nyanko Sensei may play down his feelings for Natsume, but this story, more than any other in the volume, makes it clear where Nyanko stands.

This is also one of the rare occasions I’ve come across where the yokai is depicted as a monster in the dark (previously the yokai chasing Taki and the one in the cave with Matoba are about the only other two that have been framed so negatively from the beginning – at least as far as I can remember). Even the hammer yokai from chapters 28 and 29 gets more lit scenes than this one. It is a stark reminder that Natsume faces real danger and that those he loves are also at risk. Still, he’s strong enough now emotionally not to run from that and while he still worries for those around him he isn’t willing to give up the family he has found.

A very solid Natsume story and overall volume 8 was just a fantastic read.

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Natsume Yuujinchou Go Episode 10

Posted on by Karandi
natsume10

 Natsume Yuujinchou Go Episode 10 Review: 

Seems Natsume Yuujinchou Go is determined to be characterised by giving our support cast their back story. Not that this episode was bad. Focussing primarily on Touko and how the Fujiwara’s ended up deciding to take Natsume in this told a story we knew before and had seen some pieces of from Natsume’s view, but gave Touko’s impressions.

The result is a sweet episode that kind of captures the overall spirit of the show and leaves you with a smile when you realise that Natsume has in fact given away that he sees things to Touko and she’s such a sweet person she doesn’t accuse him of lying or even really question it. While I would still like to see some of Reiko’s story, it would be great if this season ended with Natsume having a stronger relationship with his foster family.

The image this week isn’t from the episode for many reasons.

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