So, I misread things last week – the smooth talker from Black Team wasn’t the big monster; he was in the scene already. In the first couple of seconds, said big oni proves itself final boss caliber, however, as it swallows the core of the defeated Shinja and one-shots Kakeru out of the fight, crackingContinue Reading... Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 9Continue Reading...
Dec 5, 2021 • Subscribe
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Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 1
Well, a new season is here and despite the fact that some previous Selections are continuing (namely Scarlet Nexus and 86), it’s time to pick one of them…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 2
“The one where we actually integrate the main character into the setting” is an important plot beat for a lot of shows, particularly ones in the Urban Fantasy…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 10
This episode is again a very needed beat in the story, serving as the hero’s darkest moment before turning things around at the climax, and it comes at…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 3
I won’t say that Shikizakura exactly did well, but it did display a basic understanding of the facts I was talking about last week. To its limited credit,…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 5
We’re back to standard form this week with a jolly beating of hard realities into Kakeru’s thick head, which oddly enough has things looking up for the show,…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 6
All things considered, this show can be kind of charming. True, just about anybody who’s engaged with any sort of media has seen this plot a million times…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 11
Because it wouldn’t be a traditional action climax without a big twist and a moment when it looks like all hope is lost… here’s all those things I…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 4
What the hell? So, in this 3D CGI Anime about people fighting demons by using power suits that may also be demons, we have this episode, fully 2D…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 8
So, for those who wanted a darker and more serious episode out of Shikizakura, we have this one And, compared to the bits earlier in the show that…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 7
So, after the big turn of last episode, it’s time for downtime! Actually, I think it is kind of the correct time for this… or at least, a…
Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 12 (End)
While by no means one of the all-time great climaxes, I will credit the ending of Shikizakura this: it’s exactly the sort of end you’d want to see…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 9
The time for the great battle against Shin’s brother’s Shepherd form has come. The episode “feels” short, consisting essentially of two extremely powerful scenes rather than a lot…
Seasonal Selection – Metallic Rouge Episode 9
Visiting the Visitors
Seasonal Selection – Hell’s Paradise Episode 9
After a week’s break, Hell’s Paradise is back and we’re fighting flowers.
Seasonal Selection – Chainsaw Man Episode 9
Reports of certain deaths may have been exaggerated. We see Himeno give up her body to the Ghost Devil again as Aki slowly bleeds out. Ghost Devil gets…
Seasonal Selection – Ex-Arm Episode 9
Speeches everywhereFriendship, revenge, blah, blah, blahPacing is a lie. This episode is mostly focused on getting Alma back. The fight in the tunnel is as badly choreographed as…
Seasonal Selection – Sabikui Bisco Episode 9
Rocks fall, everybody dies. The episode starts with Milo’s near-death experience, followed quickly by a heartfelt scene between Milo (currently blind) and Bisco (Treating him with the anti-rust…
Seasonal Selection – KamiErabi God.app Episode 9
Another one bites the dust.
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode Episode 9
Follow the convoy To a PVP grudge match Soylent Red is Brains Once again, we have an episode basically dedicated to a single set piece event. For the…
Seasonal Selection – The Gene of AI Episode 9
This week on Gene of AI we’re back to vignettes around characters we’ve (mostly) never seen before and will probably (mostly) never see again, wherein Doctor Sudo gets…
Seasonal Selection – Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys Episode 9
The calm both before and after the storm is our theme this week. Most of the episode is dedicated to the cleanup of Kyoto, and looking at how…
Seasonal Selection – Management of a Novice Alchemist Episode 9
Suffering + Distance = Comedy. This week, we find that, with the demand for cooling hats dying off on account of the seasons changing, it’s time to farm…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 5
So, to an extent, I was wrong. Shin’s brother got a more detailed address than I was expecting, even if, no, it wasn’t the crux of another transformation.…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 1
So, this season we’ll be taking an episode-by-episode look at 86. Because this choice was kind of last-minute, it’s not really a show I’ve researched or know anything…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 4
86 continues to impress with its humanity, but to an extent much of what was had and needed this episode was highly predictable from the last. That’s not…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 10
No Lena this week. For much of the episode, not really much talking either. This one is very much on the artistic end, trying to convey an experience…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 7
The pace of 86, at times, makes it difficult to talk about, or at least to start with. At the bare minimum for the week’s episode we saw…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 8
So, this episode is all pretty much ‘gearing up’ for what would seem to be a final confrontation. The Spearhead is down to five, and they’re being sent…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 3
I hope you enjoy slow burn drama over any general expectation of action. Frankly, I kind of appreciate the approach… at least when there’s been a second cour…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 11
The final episode of the cour (special pending) and if you told me this was the absolute final episode of the show and anything related to 86, I…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 6
We spend most of this episode with Spearhead, oddly enough including an extended flashback scene to when the formation was first formed, having a fun cookout together. One…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 2
Plot 101: Introducing some more of our main story. Honestly, one thing I’m enjoying about 86 is how it’s been building up the world. In the first episode,…
Seasonal Selection – Black★★Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall Episode 9
Is it just me, or is this show getting remarkably more competent? This week, we have an episode that’s split heavily between backstory and plot movement, with heavy…
SHIKIZAKURA – Episode 1
If you're in the mood for a very safe, very standard, CGI shonen anime that tackles every trope in the genre, than look no further than SHIKIZAKURA, a…
Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 20 (S2E9)
Last week, the show was (apparently) preempted by a holiday broadcast, so after a break once again, we’re back with Shin and company talking about their feelings as…
Seasonal Selection – Metallic Rouge Episode 3
Let’s build the world while we let Rouge fly solo for a bit.
Seasonal Selection – Sabikui Bisco Episode 8
The daring rescue goes about like daring rescues do… and look at that! Answers. So, last week I mentioned that Kurokawa (the thug governor) needed a better explanation,…
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode 23
Scenes that don’t connect Like a game, leading us to Trippy Flashback Crypt So, yeah… this episode is scenes. They don’t exactly weave together, much like all the…
Seasonal Selection – Chainsaw Man Episode 2
I’m still not 100% sure what the show is doing in terms of its story structure, but I am enjoying it. Part of that is the fact that…
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode 10
Every side is bad, And everywhere you’re outlawed Time to change venue So, the point of this episode is to get both main groups headed to Togetsu, a…
Seasonal Selection – Metallic Rouge Episode 11
Just let them put the action set pieces into play.
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode 19
Kagero, confess! Turns out he didn’t do it. Leia is Luke’s sister?! We’re kind of back to oldschool Scarlet Nexus bloat, using the lead-in on recap as well…
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode 3
Oh crap, boss monster. Everyone playing both sides. The pace is awful. So, we start by finding out what weird way Naomi was going to ‘die’. Turns out,…
Seasonal Selection – Sabikui Bisco Episode 2
My level of concern is now higher than it was after episode 1, and as we get into how this episode has fallen out, I will explain why.…
Seasonal Selection – Sabikui Bisco Episode 5
We spend most of this episode on two lines: one with Milo and Bisco held captive by a bunch of kids, while on the other Pawoo rescues a…
Seasonal Selection – Metallic Rouge Episode 2
Few answers, but fewer new questions makes this feel like a slow-burn affair. Despite that, we still got some impressive action and solid world-building.
Seasonal Selection – Scarlet Nexus Episode 16
Human Others fight A message sent to the world Time and Death abound So, this week we follow up with the comment about the human-derived Others being moved.…
Seasonal Selection – Hell’s Paradise Episode 6
Attack on That Big Guy. So, Mr. Hungry Giant turns out to be a more formidable foe than the tree-topping giants of the island. Gabimaru, who intercedes quickly…
Seasonal Selection – Ex-Arm Episode 6
Haiku summation: Animation gets better, The writing gets worse. Live reaction audio and details after the cut. So, this time we start with Skeletor creating his spheres of…