Fruits Basket - Episode 35 [Review]

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Fruits Basket - Episode 35 [Review]

Don't look now but Fruits Basket just dropped a major reveal. There is no longer any ambiguity about the nature of Akito's power over the Zodiac. From the kids' unquestioning obedience to Shigure's fawning, the Sohma family's dynamic now makes a simple, terrible sense. Low lighting and rainy nights amplify Akito's power in a physical sense this episode, but the tense, melodramatic storytelling offers room for hope. Amidst a grandiose, violent gesture to lord his power over Tohru, Akito doesn't realize that he's actually given her ammo against him. Since the beginning, Tohru has brightened her found family's home through kind words and acts of service. But now that Akito has clued her in, she's found a higher calling: to break their curse.

Look up “emotional vampire” in the dictionary and you'll probably find Akito's picture. The Sohma family head is a pro at sucking all the joy out of any situation, even a fun beach retreat. His toxic personality is so outsized that even though the last episode was supposed to be about Tohru and Kyo, I spent most of my review talking about him. It helps that this tyrant is surrounded by enablers, the most disturbing of which is Shigure. The laid-back, always-joking dog of the Zodiac has emerged during this summer vacation as a surprise agent of chaos in Akito's court. In an unsettling, almost incestuous scene in a darkened room, Akito chides Shigure for being cold to him and commands a return to the days when “you looked only at me.” This scene is set in a timeless traditional Japanese room, which serves to distance Akito's twisted realm from the real world.

The divide between Akito's inner court and the beach house where the others are staying with Tohru is further emphasized when Akito changes from a kimono into Western-style clothing in order to make an impromptu visit to “that woman.” It's raining, it's the middle of the night, and yet Akito feels compelled to wake up Tohru and give her a piece of his mind. Akito's most self-aware moments are whenever he realizes that Tohru is a threat to his hold over the Sohmas—but these are also the times he is most dangerous. It's no surprise that this encounter culminates in assault. But before Akito literally digs his claws into Tohru, he drops a few shocking truths. Missing, however, is what exactly marks Akito's godhood over the Zodiac—is he an incarnation of the original god, like the others are incarnations of each animal? Is his pull over the Sohmas merely psychological, or supernatural? For such a major discovery, I was hoping for concrete details. And another bomb: Tohru now knows that Kyo is going to spend the rest of his life in confinement. Though Akito may think he's crushing her spirit here, he's actually giving her strength. Tohru's mission changes as a direct response to this conversation. Up until now, she's worked to cheer up the Sohmas. But after Akito's threats, Tohru no longer questions her place in the Sohma family. Now she knows she's there to break Akito's hold over the people she loves.

Though Akito loomed over this episode like a dark shadow, it was Momiji who was the MVP. The childlike rabbit of the zodiac proved he has wisdom beyond the innocent front he usually presents. At the beginning of the episode, Tohru overhears a conversation between him and Kyo, in which Kyo puts two and two together: the kids are all spending their days with Akito because if they refused, they'd make Tohru more of a target. Later, Momiji gets a chance to defend Tohru directly, taking Akito's punch rather than bring him to her. And in the end, it's Momiji who gets the others to defuse the situation. When Hiro asks why the two of them are injured in the fireworks scene, Tohru lightly conceals the truth and presses her forehead to Momiji's in a sisterly gesture—he protected her, and now she's following his lead. I think this marks a turning point in Fruits Basket. From here, the story becomes her hero's journey, documenting her efforts to break the curse.

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Gleipnir - Episode 10 [Review]

There are a lot of good romances currently airing. Kaguya-sama's uproarious second season easily solidifies the series as one of the funniest comedies of the past few years. My Next Life As A Villainess is a feel-good and refreshing take on both anime harems and otome games. Only Gleipnir, however, is brave enough to test the mettle of its main couple with a literal war crime.

This story has so far relished in the over-the-top grotesqueries of its body horror and ultraviolence, but this episode quite deliberately reigns itself in to articulate the subtler and more familiar terrors that slither under Gleipnir's flamboyant surface. Clair herself explains it best: “Special powers, incredible strength — these things aren't scary. What's scary are the people who use those powers.” While we all know by now that great power comes with great responsibility, Gleipnir takes this idea a step further and interrogates the inherent horror of such responsibility. Shuichi has been attacked by all kinds of monstrosities, and he himself contains a monster he still doesn't fully understand. In fact, every one of the gatherers has a deeply embedded desire that informs and defines their transformations. An iceberg, no matter how intimidating its tip appears to be, hides most of its goliath form in the dark water of the ocean. Beneath every bizarre ally or enemy is a person who decided to use their powers, and a person's resolve can be both beautiful and terrifying.

It's extremely appropriate, then, that the villain of this arc is Madoka, an enemy whom Gleipnir refuses to color with black-and-white morality. He's obviously not a good person, but he's not a moustache-twirling villain either. As we saw last week, he behaves like a natural and charismatic leader with a strict set of codes and a genuine sense of duty when it comes to fellow pieces of shit like himself. His self-identification as a loser is important, and I really like his off-the-cuff remark that he only discovered his first chip because he had gotten so used to staring at the ground instead of looking at other people. The very nature of this game seems to select for outsiders. Madoka's frustrations from his prior life inform his creation of a collective where outcasts like himself could band together and earn everything that society had denied them. Like many groups that define themselves by a mutual sense of indignation, it gets filled with a lot of unsavory and selfish characters, but that desire for camaraderie is not intrinsically toxic.

It's similarly appropriate that the peril Sayaka's group finds themselves in is not a result of any one gatherer's special powers, but a simple matter of being surrounded and outnumbered. And the choice Madoka gives them is just a variation of the good old-fashioned trolley problem: is it more ethical to choose a sacrifice for the survival of the group, or for the whole group to go down together. Yota is quick to bark some shonen-flavored bombast about overpowering Madoka's team with pure moxie, but Gleipnir refuses to let our heroes off that easy. In fact, Clair takes the reins of the conversation and Socratically tears down the other members' attempts to rationalize their way out of the situation. There's a kindness in her cruelty, however; she wants these people to understand that they are fundamentally unequipped to handle a person like Madoka. Luckily for them, she is.

Clair's statement about the frightening people behind these powers is a bit misleading. She's certainly talking about other gatherers — especially smart and ruthless ones like Madoka — but she's primarily talking about herself. It's ironic that, despite having no powers of her own, she's been able to survive and thrive in this world better than most just by utilizing the powers of those around her. It's an irony that doesn't escape her, and it foments the kind of self-hatred that compels her to see herself as frightening. Her way of coping is to turn that into her strength, to become the cold, calculating, Machiavellian anti-hero behind some of the series' most outrageous moments. That's a genuine part of who she is, and it's part of what makes Gleipnir so much fun to watch, but she's a much more three-dimensional character than her menacing Glasgow grin. The wistful pain on her face as she asks Isao to grow the oleander says it all.

Clair's playing the role she believes is expected of her. She takes the yoke of villainy to spare others the pain of wrestling with their own morality. She does so with the knowledge that she will be feared and hated for it. It's a terrible burden, but despite her depressive impulse towards self-flagellation, it's not one she has to bear on her own. This whole episode is built around this one moment where Shuichi repeats the words back to her about the two of them being one, followed by a long embrace that allows Clair some momentary yet momentous emotional release. It's the single most romantic gesture in the show to date, and it's about our heroes enabling each other to commit a literal war crime. This is why I love Gleipnir.

Love is powerful. Even swept up in the swell of emotions brought on by Shuichi's conviction, Clair ruminates how that kind of love and support will only further foster her ruthlessness, but she respects him for it all the same. After all, Shuichi does here for Clair what Clair was unable to do for Elena back when she received her first chip. Elena might be stronger than the two of them, but she also doesn't have anybody to share or relieve her of her own burdens. That will likely be the deciding factor when and if the two sisters confront each other again, and it also may be Clair's own personal undoing. Whether she and Shuichi can channel the strength of their bond into something healthy and sustainable remains to be seen, but for the time being, it's weird, passionate, and exactly what they need to survive.

This proves to be Gleipnir's most compelling episode yet, letting its character drama do all the heavy lifting while solidifying its main couple as the fascinating and delightfully problematic emotional core of the series. In other words, I wanna see these two depressed horny teens do even more war crimes together. There's a liberating toxicity to their dynamic, reminiscent of why I couldn't help but root for Nakamura and Kasuga in Flowers of Evil, despite their inevitable self-destructive destination. That's a very tough needle to thread, but Gleipnir has no fear of getting messy, and that continues to be its greatest asset.

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Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 2 - Episode 9 [Review]

This week, Kaguya-sama: Love is War changes things up a bit by taking a small break from the two leads and devoting two-thirds of its runtime to supporting characters. Although viewers have become well-acquainted with the show's supporting cast, we seldom get a chance to see how they function outside of the usual setting and away from Kaguya and Miyuki. While the vast majority of the series' humor stems the main duo's ongoing conflict, it's nice to get the occasional reminder that Kaguya-sama's world is populated by other characters who are funny and fascinating in their own right.

The first segment finds Miko, who's considering a departure from the student council, unloading her anxieties on Kobachi. From Miko's perspective, she's a tragic heroine, and the student council is made up of oppressive bullies and depraved perverts (with the exception of Chika, of course). However, since her friend has an overactive imagination and is prone to jumping to conclusions, Kobachi posits that Miko has simply misinterpreted the gang's words and actions, prompting Miko to carefully reflect upon her recollections of recent events. After thinking things through, Miko once again allows her imagination to run wild and concludes that Kaguya is the primary cause of all the student council's chaos and is hellbent on wresting the presidency from Miyuki — effectively replacing one misguided train of thought with another. Newly enlightened, Miko goes on the offensive against the unsuspecting vice president, only to find herself on the losing end of the episode's battle when Kaguya reacts unexpectedly to Miko demanding to know how she feels about Miyuki.

Miko's extended fantasy sequence and knack for exaggeration demonstrate that she's a much better fit for the student council than she thinks. She's partial to flights of fancy and has a very specific plan for how things should be — but she's not necessarily able to execute said plan to her liking. Still, it's strange that she's been established as a stickler for the rules when her deepest desire seems to involve revolutionizing a strict, out-of-touch student council and becoming the student body's hero. Her desire for adoration fits well with her character, but standing by her principles seemed to be central to her personality as well. Perhaps she thinks she knows the ideal level of discipline, and the student council of her fantasies have simply become too strict — which, again, is odd, considering her belief that the gang has no respect for the rules.

Picking up from the conclusion of last week's installment, the second segment finds Kaguya unable to face Miyuki following her bout of lovesickness. To help make herself less nervous in his presence, Kaguya develops a calming ritual that involves touching her left cheek with her right hand. However, when Miyuki grabs her right hand and insists that she explain why she's been so evasive, Kaguya is unable to use her new ace in the hole. More flustered than ever, Kaguya violently throws Miyuki to the ground, thereby freeing her hand and enabling her to perform her ritual. Unfortunately, her calmness quickly dissipates when she realizes how badly she's injured Miyuki, though it may have been virtual reality, judging by the brief scene of her in VR goggles at the end.

Fast-paced and laden with winning gags, this segment is the sole portion of episode 9 that centers on Kaguya and Miyuki, and it truly makes the most of its brief runtime. Presenting Kaguya's confrontation with Miyuki as a fighting game is both a funny visual choice and accurate portrayal of ballooning embarrassment and out-of-control emotions. It's also surprisingly hard to take sides this time around, as neither party is trying to coax a confession out of the other or engaging in emotional blackmail. Both Kaguya's desire to avoid embarrassing herself and Miyuki's concern for Kaguya's wellbeing are malice-free, which makes for an interesting change of pace. Kaguya achieving mental clarity in Miyuki's presence — but only for a few seconds — serves as yet another darkly comic reminder that true victories are rare in this series.

In this week's final story, Ishigami decides to come out of his shell and join Shuchiin's cheerleading squad in the hope of becoming a “normie.” However, after seeing how gung-ho and extroverted the rest of the squad is, he quickly comes to regret this decision. For the school's upcoming sports meet, the squad decides that all male members will wear female uniforms, and all female members will wear male uniforms. While the prospect of borrowing a uniform from one of the girls on the student council fills Ishigami with dread, Kaguya proves surprisingly sympathetic and volunteers the use of one of hers. (Although she intentionally botches his makeup job in response to him claiming that the chest area is too tight.) Energized by Kaguya's support, Ishigami decides to honor his commitment to the cheerleading squad, and the narrator promises that his story will continue next week.

This story provides us with our first extended look at Ishigami on his own, giving us a chance to see how he interacts with peers outside of the student council. In spite of his usual antisocial behavior and judgmental observations, we learn that he harbors a genuine desire to grow as a person and step outside of his comfort zone. Having unfairly looked down on the cheerleading squad in this past, he wishes to right this wrong and possibly become a better-rounded person in the process. The segment also shines a light on the evolving relationship between Kaguya and Ishigami. Although he still claims to be terrified of her, Ishigami is receptive to Kaguya's help and is quick to confide in her. For Kaguya's part, she no longer appears to regard Ishigami with the same level of disdain she had for him at the outset and doesn't hesitate to provide assistance after being briefed on the situation. Among this segment's stand-out jokes are Miyuki becoming jealous by the level of physical contact between Kaguya and Ishigami, and Miko reacting to the sight of Ishigami in a dress with detached indifference instead of her usual panic.

This week's Kaguya-sama: Love is War starts strong and manages to entertain throughout. Miko shows that she's more at home on the chaotically dysfunctional student council than she might think, Kaguya continues to tackle the physical symptoms of her lovesickness, and Ishigami makes baby steps towards self-improvement. For a series whose central gimmick largely depends on the status quo being upheld, this episode contains a fair amount of character development.

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Plunderer - Episode 22 [Review]

“In which a love goes unrequited but might actually save the world.”

Most of this episode is focused on bringing Lynn and Licht's relationship to its final conclusion. Lynn has been in love with Licht since he saved her back in episode 3—despite his constant sexual harassment. Yet, ever since Hina re-entered the picture, Lynn has been a bit of a third wheel. When Licht needed someone, it was always Hina who rushed to his side. And this is why Lynn's relationship with Licht was doomed to never move beyond a crush.

Lynn fell for Licht because he supported her when she needed it. But Licht isn't looking for people to rely on him. In fact, that's the thing he wants the least. After all, the last time that happened and he took on all the responsibility, it ended with his friends dead and him in a catatonic state. He's Looking for the opposite: someone who could support him.

While Nana tried to be this, her guilt, self-loathing, and shared history with Licht made this impossible. Hina, however, just steamrolled in, determined to give him unconditional support. She didn't see the man he was, she saw the man he could be—and was prepared to help him become that. Lynn never really had a chance.

But while she couldn't win Licht's heart, that doesn't mean she hasn't touched the lives of others. Lynn may be a klutz and not the sharpest tool in the shed but no one in the series exhibits the heart that she does. And in her lowest moment, as she's bleeding out and unable to rouse Licht, she gets proof of this. Seemingly out of nowhere the villagers she befriended arrive to bandage her wounds—giving her a chance to convey her feelings and bring Licht out of his coma. She may not be the love of his life but her connection to him is more than strong enough to save those they both care about.

The rest of the episode is mainly about Doan: He is not the high school bully we remember. He's not motivated by some survival of the fittest mentality—exploiting the weak to get a comfy life. The war changed him—and it's obvious that he did as much killing as Licht with his talk of killing women and children. However, that doesn't mean he's proud of what he did. He merely thought that it had to be done.

However, now Licht has decided what they did wasn't worth it. Doan can't accept this. The only way he was able to get through what happened—the abandonment of his friends, family, and the rest of humanity on the barren planet below (in addition to the killing)—was to hold onto the idea that the alternative was worse. Either everyone starves together or some live happily while others starve.

Over the centuries, he has clung to this idea as his personal dogma. He is enraged that anyone, even Licht, would seek to undo what has been done and make their sacrifices moot. He would even kill his classmates from long ago to stop the destruction of the world—and the fact that they have an original ballot implies they are planning to do just that.

However, deep down he knows that his world is built upon the lesser of two evils—and the lesser of two evils is still evil. This is why he holds out hope that Licht is not dead—sparing Hina and the others till morning. He wants Licht to prove to him there is a better way after all this time—regardless of what that means for his conscience. Unfortunately, the bad guys have an additional leash on Doan: Sonohara.

Back in the past, Doan claimed that he bullied Sonohara to keep her safe. Whether that was true at the time or only became true as the war went on, he certainly cares for her now. He is dismayed to see her under the control of the drug again but feels that on the baddies side with him, she will be safe.

And so Licht is set to fight a battle he has little chance of winning—with the lives of Lynn, Nana, Hina, and Pele hanging in the balance. Good thing there's a hero on the way that's more than able to even the odds.

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Tower of God - Episode 11 [Review]

Just who is being tested this week on Tower of God? Bam and Rachel have been cleared to take the Administrator Exam, but all they have to do during the test is sit tight and trust in their friends. “Underwater Hunt (Part One)” gives our protagonists time to reflect in a bubble while everyone around them risks their lives. As usual, an initially simple test premise gives way to a convoluted tangle with plenty of places for contestants to slip through the cracks. Even a Princess of Jahad could find herself in danger here. All this action keeps the story chugging along even as the plotline becomes confusing to the point of unknowability. I'm starting to perceive the anime as an exciting companion piece to the webtoon, because the further it delves into politics and intrigue, the less I can understand it on its own.

Being surrounded by gorgeous glowing schools of fish only serves to emphasize the flat color and crude line art that make up Rachel and Bam. It's really not fair that they're the ones who are ostensibly being tested, yet get to reminisce about old times in a quiet undersea bubble. If I didn't know better, I'd say that the pair are finally about to make amends. Even though Rachel clearly doesn't feel the way about Bam as he seems to about her (while he acts like her tough protector, she ruffles his hair as if he were a child), they seem to be coming to an understanding. Little do they know that all around them, hell is breaking loose.

The competitors' team mission feels like one of those logic problems where you have to transport grain, chickens, and a fox all in the same boat. They need to protect the dolphins, fight the earthpigs, avoid the goblins and worms, and there's also a superpowered freak of nature called the Bull? Luckily Khun's there to coordinate everyone into a plan, because I have no idea how they'd strategize around all those working parts. This is definitely one of those places where the complexity that lends richness to the webtoon struggles in animated form. It clearly was designed for pages of explanation, not an easily-digestible half-hour of TV.

But even with so much going on, Tower of God manages to develop its characters through their relationships and dialogue. Parasol—I mean Paracule has quickly become a member of Rak's formerly one-man comedy troupe. Shibisu and Khun, two completely different character types, acknowledge each other's strengths as equals. And Anaak and Endorsi both prove that they have more strength than smarts as they completely ignore Hansung Yu's warning about the Bull and eventually pay the price. In each of these scenes, it's riveting to watch the tone flash from comedy to life-threatening suspense within seconds.

The episode concludes on a cliffhanger with nearly everyone in danger, and Tower of God's bloody track record suggests that at least some characters will face real consequences. There's definitely more afoot in this test than we know about—it includes secrets that Hansung, Ren, and perhaps Lady Yuri alone comprehend. But I'd probably have to read the webtoon to know for sure what's going on, and that's an adaptation problem. While I don't envy the staff's task at distilling a massive webtoon season into 13 episodes, I do think that for it to be a success, it needs to be something even a newcomer can understand.

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