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هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار من ... از درون من نجست اسرار منCaligula - Episode 3 [Review]
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Caligula - Episode 3 [Review]
Caligula's third episode takes an interesting approach following μ's revelation from last week, by choosing not to address it at all. In the end, maybe two or three minutes of this episode are devoted to Ritsu aimlessly wandering the city until he finally decides to meet up with Shogo and get an explanation out of him. The other twenty minutes eschew all that to hone in on Mifue, as her own search for answers about her missing mother places her smack dab in the middle of a rather twisted take on Alice's mad tea party. As a standalone story, Mifue's trip down the virtual rabbit hole has some merit, especially in how it takes advantage of Mobius' elastic and ominous properties as a setting. As a piece of Caligula's increasingly jumbled rising action though, episode 3 is a mess that leaves me with some pressing concerns about the direction this anime is headed.
The story starts off strong, as Mifue follows some conspicuous ads to join up with SweetP and her tea party from hell, where she's forced to wear cutesy clothing and put on saccharine affectations in order to communicate with the goth-lolita princess and her off-putting cronies. This lengthy sequence is well-directed, doing a good job of communicating Mobius' unease and SweetP's particular brand of maniacal charm. Also invited to the tea party is the obsessive blogger Naruko, and I appreciated finally seeing her get involved in the action. SweetP herself serves as a convenient introduction to the series' set of antagonistic fashionistas, the Ostinato Musicians. We still have no idea what their goals are, outside of working vaguely to oppose our protagonists, but the presence of more traditional villains helps provide Caligula with a stronger narrative foundation.
However, the episode takes a turn when SweetP and her cronies begin grotesquely indulging in mountains of food, with the underlings becoming more engorged and misshapen as they wolf down bowls of ramen and cakes. This leads to Mifue completely breaking down, as she angrily raves against not just the girls in front of her, but all fat people in general, as she finds them inherently disgusting. We also learn that she inadvertently wished her gaunt and sickly mother away, since she was sick of being unable to eat comfortably around her. It's still unclear whether or not the sickly mother was just as much of a fake as the replacement, but otherwise this jarring character turn does make sense on paper, despite being presented so poorly.
The Persona influences remain obvious here, as Mifue's story feels right at home with the introductory dungeons of games like Persona 4, which used the psychological nature of their dungeons to set up the main cast of characters. The main difference between Caligula's approach vs. Persona's has to do with economy of characterization. Mifue's story isn't given enough time to be properly established before we see the cracks in her personality show; outside of her issues with her mother's eating disorder, we've gotten to know almost nothing about her personality or life before this week. Because of this, her disdain for obese people makes her incredibly unlikable, where it might have played differently if we had seen how her relationship with her mother and anxieties over her own body image might have led to these issues. There's a line or two from SweetP that suggests Mifue might be overweight in the real world, but it just isn't clear enough to pay off emotionally yet.
The conclusion of the episode rings false too, as SweetP is herself revealed to be an overweight and unpopular male blogger, but only because Naruko conveniently remembers some of the real SweetP's tics and catchphrases. This makes SweetP's embarrassment and retreat feel both unearned and lacking in context. What did SweetP stand to gain from any of this? What have she and the other Musicians lost in their defeat? Mifue seems to have learned nothing of importance this week; she's already figured out that she lives in a digital construct of a world and that her mother has been taken from her due to μ's meddling. Everything beyond is lacking too much context to feel worthwhile yet.
By the time Ritsu makes his way to Shogo at the end of the episode, it feels like remarkably little has been accomplished. We know a little more about Mifue, but that knowledge doesn't shed light on anything meaningful just yet. Naruko has bumbled her way into the plot, but it's difficult to get excited about adding new members to the cast when the ones we've already met still haven't had the chance to do anything important. There's still time for Caligula to pull its disparate pieces together into something more cohesive, but this kind of haphazard plotting is never a good sign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_VNI2ENlQM
Tokyo Ghoul:re - Episode 4 [Review]
Tokyo Ghoul:re - Episode 4 [Review]
It's the night of the big ghoul auction, and naturally the plans the CCG laid out carefully last episode go belly-up immediately. Mutsuki finds himself alone and powerless on the stage, while the rest of the CCG find themselves embroiled in another large-scale brawl against Aogiri Tree. Oh, and there's also some clowns. Can't forget those clowns.
This episode of Tokyo Ghoul:re shifts the focus away from the Quinx Squad to instead give us more insight into the world of the ghouls, as we see several different factions interacting at the auction house. First, I am sad to admit that not even monstrous cannibals are free from capitalism. The captive humans fetch exorbitant prices from the wealthiest of ghoul barons, and it's mentioned that there are multiple ghoul-run conglomerates with profits in the billions. Members of Aogiri Tree are also in the audience, but they're providing security detail, not contributing bids. In fact, Ayato expresses contempt at the ease with which the rich attach prices to other people's lives. He doesn't go so far as to sympathize with the people being sold, but it's another good example of ghouls, even the villainous ghouls, not being a monolithic community. They're all still people with wildly conflicting sets of values beyond their biological need to consume human flesh.
Among the bidders is Kanae, the young protégé of the gourmand Shu. He cares very much about helping his master, so he jumps at the chance to buy him a present when it's revealed that Mutsuki is another half-ghoul like Kaneki. While he appears to at least have some financial alliance with one of the billionaires, his true allegiance is only to Shu, and for better or worse, he also seems to have absorbed many of Shu's mannerisms (albeit replacing the gratuitous French with gratuitous German). Shuu's exaggerated fayness was the not the most considerate part of the previous seasons, so I'm not exactly eager to see that caricature trotted out again, but I am interested to see how Kanae will fit into the show's larger theme of a younger generation inheriting the problems of their forebears.
Speaking of exaggerated caricatures, we also have our first significant interactions with the Clowns, another mysterious faction of ghouls. They're the masters of ceremonies for the auction, and they're led by a familiar face (or familiar set of neck tattoos anyway) belonging to Uta. We don't have much information on them beyond that; they look like clowns, they like to fight, and they're pretty good at juggling eyeballs, but that's about it.
On the CCG side, I was really looking forward to learning more about Mutsuki this episode. He's a sweet kid trying his best, and his first major assignment seemed like a good opportunity to explore his character. However, everything goes to hell and leaves no space to give introspection to our poor boy. He almost immediately gets separated from Juzo, and then finds himself the target of at least four different ghouls who want his body. It's a rough episode for him! He nearly gives into despair at the thought of being alone and helpless but thankfully puts up some fight in the end. Maybe next episode he'll actually be able to use his kagune.
While Mutsuki does his best to survive, Juzo wastes no time burying a flurry of knives into the faces of the ghouls in attendance. As strongly hinted last episode, Big Madam is revealed to be the ghoul who previously owned and tortured him. Juzo's come a long way since then, so it's satisfying to see him stand strong and confident enough to look dead straight into the eyes of his former captor.
Much of this episode is spent watching various CCG grunts get sliced and diced, as is wont to happen in this show. Investigator Washu, who's leading this operation, explicitly states to the audience that his primary goal is eliminating ghouls, not preserving the lives of humans on the ground. And unfortunately, ordinary CCG units aren't equipped with the tools to protect themselves against ghouls with any decent combat training. At two points in the episode, we're privy to the thoughts of a normal grunt, one young and one old, as they fight. The young investigator is brash and leaps into the fray with contempt for his elders. He dies. The old investigator reflects on how the young have surpassed him, but that he accepts this enough to be content in doing what he can. He also dies.
The world of Tokyo Ghoul is cruel and unfair, and the war between humans and ghouls has escalated far past the abilities or comprehension of normal people on either side. Tragically, it's only the people who've already been warped by this war who have the power to end it, but they've been so changed by this violence that they're compelled to propagate the endless cycle further. Kaneki/Sasaki's new lease on life, the most peace he's ever known, still embroils him in one battle after another. The Quinx Squad have permanently weaponized their bodies in order to fight their own demons. Arima's a godlike warrior, but that's been his life since he was a child, so he might not be aware that there's any happiness outside of it or if he's happy at all. Even Akira, the closest thing to a moral center that the (living) human cast has, struggles against the legacy of her maniacal father that still burns inside of her.
We get plenty to think about this week, but ultimately this episode is another victim of Tokyo Ghoul's ambitions. It's juggling so many (eye)balls in the air that we get no time to pause and reflect. On the plus side, jumping from scene to scene and faction to faction with breakneck pacing makes these 24 minutes come and go in a flash, but the lack of focus detracts from the execution. I noticed a bunch of odd and jarring cuts that made it seem like the director was trying to cram as much into the episode as possible. Also, despite the action-driven meat of the episode, it's pretty light on animation. More importantly, this pacing allows no space for any of the powerful character moments that really make Tokyo Ghoul shine. Instead, it just feels like the show is putting pieces into play for a more interesting conflict next week. The previous two seasons were no strangers to episodes like this, and in the long run it could work out fine, but for week-to-week viewing, this unfortunately results in a lackluster installment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzt3JblVHBs
Black Clover - Episodes 28 & 29 [Review]
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Black Clover - Episodes 28 & 29 [Review]
After taking a week off, I assumed that I'd have two episodes of Black Clover to digest, which I was honestly looking forward to, but to my dismay the second episode in this batch is yet another clip show. So functionally, I've only got one episode to review! Guess I can't complain about my timing.
Episode 28 has the makings of a filler episode (it's not), by virtue of not moving the plot forward and instead focusing on throwing the characters into a wacky sitcom scenario. Finral, the ladies' man of the Black Bulls, has organized a mixer with some local women, dragging Asta and Luck along with him since they seemed like they'd be the least intense company and therefore least likely to scare the girls away. In practice, this proves to be true by only the tiniest margin.
As a comedy episode, this one is kind of great. Asta and Luck being obviously unfit for their environment allows for plenty of great jokes, and they're bouncing right off the girls who churn out lots of deadpan humor as a result. Shonen tends to be more fun when its most colorful cast members are forced to contrast with the more normal world around them. This trio of girls does their best to keep the conversation going, and there are brief glimmers of hope that the guys' better qualities will start to shine, but it's all inevitably upended by some joke about how violent and socially clueless they are. My favorite joke is when the girls are almost impressed by Asta's story about fighting at the Royal Capital, but then he shows off his battle wounds and they're so gross that the show has to digitally blur them out. The pacing and energy is generally good, ensuring that humor can come from around any corner.
Eventually, everyone else at the mixer starts to hit it off, leaving Asta alone with the redhead Rebecca, who goes from being the coldest in the group to really opening up once the two of them are chatting about what it's like to have younger siblings. As the episode transitions from funny to sweet, it's all blushing girls and talk over what a great guy Asta is. There's kind of no way that this series can sell Asta as a potential love interest to at least three girls, but if you can swallow Black Clover's unrelenting approach to romance, I think it comes off well this week. There's also Noelle spying on the whole thing and acting jealous, just in case you weren't sure this show was going to triple down on that element.
It's a real bummer that episode 29 is a recap, because that's the kind of thing that forces you to acknowledge these shows as products designed to fill time slots first and foremost. Black Clover now has a higher episode count than most anime these days, and yet so little has actually happened. There's some new content in the framing devices for the clips, but beyond learning about Gordon's alarmingly creepy diary about Asta, there's not much worth checking out.
We're beginning a new cour, which likely means a new arc is on the horizon. For now, I think it's worth mentioning that the new opening, 'Black Rover' by Vickeblanca, might be the series' best one yet. The song's cool, but the visuals are shockingly beautiful, full of movement and neat ideas that I think would have me coming back to this show if I was a teenager watching this. It's not like I don't enjoy most of this show's cast and world-building, so there's always going to be chances to keep me invested moving forward even if the story is moving slow. I don't know enough about what's coming to say that I'm entirely excited to find out what's next, but as usual the show can offer some harmless fun while we wait to find out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwr9wX1aIW4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPm7JE0qS2g
My Hero Academia - Episode 41 [Review]
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My Hero Academia - Episode 41 [Review]
Episode 41 = Season 03, Episode 03
So the big fun fact going around this week's episode is that it was storyboarded by Blood Blockade Battlefront's Rie Matsumoto. I think even without that knowledge, my immediate response to these past few episodes has been jaw-on-the-floor awe at how spiffy they look. My Hero Academia's always been a really attractive show, so I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that it seems to just be getting better and better. Even these small-scale transitional episodes are firing on all cylinders.
For as strong as the visual direction continues to be, I'm not quite bursting with the same optimism that I was last week, if only because we've gone from a fun and complete-feeling introductory episode to more of the same, and now we're gently coasting our way toward a conflict that finally rears its head at the end of the episode; not that this is a bad thing.
What this episode doesn't deliver in story, it makes up for in humor and interesting character interactions. This is a training arc, so we montage our way through the challenges that each student must face as they strengthen their spirits and their Quirks. Since every member of Class 1-A is so different in personality and power type, the show manages to give each of them a unique chore and move from character to character in a way that feels fluid and engaged. Once it's time for dinner, we see them all working together and using their powers in creative ways to get everyone fed. This sequence ends up being a fantastic demonstration of how well-written this cast of characters is, with playful and refreshing interactions. It's a big group of kids, so getting the audience accustomed to how they bounce off each other is something the series will always wrestle with, but it comes across so effortless this week.
We also get to meet the remaining two members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats in Ragdoll and Tiger. Tiger's kind of the odd one out since he's a big burly dude on a hero team of idol girls (supplemental materials from the manga describe him as a trans man, so that's cool), but the whole group is full of winners, and their Quirks seem really fun and practical. Also, I may be kinda-sorta crushing on Pixie-Bob super hard. The story also continues to press Kota on his issues with heroes in a heartfelt scene between him and Midoriya, but I don't think we're quite ready for significant character movement from this kid just yet.
Once the League of Villains shows up and starts threatening the peace, I find myself almost worried that I'm starting to anticipate the character antics more than the action, which hasn't always been the case with this show. I don't know what to make of all the new faces in this "Vanguard Action Squad", but I know to keep my eye on Toga and Dabi. We'll have to wait next week to see what's in store for our little heroes-to-be now that they're facing off with villains again.
While this episode doesn't have the strength of cohesion that last week's did, nor does it move the plot significantly forward, the execution on this new season of MHA continues to be top notch. It's a beautiful episode from beginning to end, full of interesting compositions that keep your eye exploring the frame and discovering new little artistic fingerprints. The cast is so big and saturated, and episodes like this know how to take advantage of that fact to keep giving the viewers at home something to chew on. It's still blowing my frickin' mind that a long-running shonen is getting this kind of treatment, now more than ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcZRNFDJKB8
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Episodes 1 ~ 3 [Review]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMwstsrN0c
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Episodes 1 ~ 3 [Review]
The original Legend of the Galactic Heroes anime is a storied series, known as much for the amount of time you have to put into it as for how rewarding it is when you do. At a whopping 110 OVA episodes, the original adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's novels would seem comprehensive in its existence already. As such, the major question for Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, is what it can bring to the table at all.
‘A new coat of paint’ is the obvious answer, but the impact of this show's shiny new production values shouldn't be understated. Production I.G are a natural fit for the style of the show to begin with, and they bring a sharp sensibility to its aesthetic. LOGH is dry by nature most of the time, so the modern sheen will be welcome for new viewers who might find the old look of the original intimidating. The massive spaceship armadas and their intricate battles are rendered in CGI now, which actually works in the design's favor, letting the battlefield be seen in all its full glory. The battles themselves are a treat in the portions we get to see of them, where smaller fighters zip between larger ships as the camera follows them dynamically in ways the original series could only dream of due to the limitations of its own short space-battle cuts.
However, LOGH fans know that the direct action of the space battles aren't the main draw of the series. Rather, it's the strategic work of the high command in their flagships that draws the most focus. LOGH is a very big-picture series, where the outcome of battles is calculated by their raw number of participants, and ace pilots in more typical space-action anime wouldn't make a bit of difference at this scale. It's in this regard that the first issues of LOGH:DNT's presentation crop up, mostly in the first episode.
The first two episodes of this new series cover the same ground as the first two of the original series, at The Battle of Astate. However, the events are re-ordered so that the new first episode focuses entirely on Reinhard and his command of the Imperials. The idea is seemingly to demonstrate Reinhard's overwhelming tactical strength, which lays the groundwork for Yang's appearance in the second episode to have more dramatic impact. In practice, this likely would have worked better with both episodes airing at once in a ‘one-hour premiere’ fashion, since the first episode on its own quickly becomes interminably dull. Even with the slicker production values and cuts to acrobatic spaceship battles, there's almost no excitement to be had in Reinhard blowing through Alliance fleets, taking advantage of their own incompetence and bloviating on his obvious strategies with his skeptical subordinates and devoted right-hand-man Sieg. Without any context for the other side, anyone new to the franchise would wonder why we have to focus on Reinhard at all, since he's only characterized by being doubted by crusty old guys, and that isn't really enough to be compelling.
The second episode throws that presentation into sharp contrast by introducing Reinhard's Alliance nemesis Yang Wen-Li and rolling back the clock on his own actions during this battle. It helps that Yang is much more engaging as a focal character, coming across more like an everyman with a knack for observation and strategy than a calculated prodigy like Reinhard. This new take on the material even slips in some pre-planning communication maneuvers by Yang that make him seem more strategically savvy than before. The time-jumping buildup between the two sides works so that when we get the big payoff of Yang's plan against Reinhard's charge, it lands in a dramatically solid way. The glossy production values finish the job, showing the absurd circular ship-battle formation in a manner that's equal parts breathtaking and hilarious in a way the original series could only hint at.
As the second episode's pacing rolls in to cover for what the first was setting up, there still are some noticeable cuts. This introduction dispenses with the full explanation of why the Imperials were invading the space around Astate, and it passes with barely a mention of the neutral Dominion of Fezzan (whose maneuvers are known to be quite important to the events of the story). On top of that, much of the lower-deck elements featuring crew members used for detailed world-building have been jettisoned as well, which is especially noticeable in the parts focusing on the Alliance. To some degree this would be expected given the condensed length of this new series compared to the original, and it does help to make the story feel more focused on the core characters. However, it also reinforces that detached procedural feeling, the biggest issue of the series so far.
After the first two episodes cover for each other, the third episode brings some background details to fore. This one skips to the flashback of Reinhard and Sieg meeting as children and becoming friends, and how the events in that early part of their lives set them on their current paths. At least for the Imperial side, this episode is peppered with that welcome world-building, from a chief of staff's cybernetic eyes and subsequent description of the Empire's history of eugenics, to the flashback giving a tour of how the layers of the Empire function. It's wrapped up in some solid personal drama for Sieg and Reinhard, as we get inside their heads and see their goals for the future.
There are some notable shake-ups in the presentation in episode three, and the new thesis of Neue These starts to become clear as a result. One divergence that most stood out to me occurs when young Reinhard fights off a pack of bullies. In the original we saw his action, a pragmatic kick to the offending kid's loins followed up by him grabbing a rock and bashing him in the head, before he was stopped by Sieg. In this new series, the focus is pointedly on Sieg, who runs into Reinhard having already chased his assailants off, dropping the rock on the ground with mere implications. The original version clearly showcases Reinhard's strategy-drive mind as well as his willingness to jump to brutality. The new version marks him with the mystique of confidence and victory to his enamored new friend. It's a significant directorial choice that's certainly different compared to the original.
That willingness to diverge in a distinctly more dramatic direction brings what we've seen of LOGH:DNT so far to new light. Its shiny new look indeed suits the tweaked tone this series is shooting for; it's less comprehensive and explanatory in its storytelling and more cinematic and intense. The adaptational changes, both obvious and subtle, gel more as the third episode concludes. Reinhard and Yang not knowing about each other until the Battle of Astate in the opening episodes makes for a more dramatic reveal in the moment. Similarly, Reinhard having his epiphany of disgust with the Empire's system of nobility while going through military academy allows that revelation to happen more effectively than seeing him suddenly become disillusioned after crashing a single garden party. Die Neue These is looking to be the big-budget Hollywood adaptation to the original show's History Channel documentary.
Granted, this shift in priorities isn't perfect. The biggest casualties of this approach thus far are any main characters who aren't Reinhard. The affable Yang has only properly appeared in one episode, and even Sieg's influence is dialed back noticeably. That's frustrating, since the script still plays up his status as a tempering influence on Reinhard's conscience, but because the show hasn't gotten the chance to actually show us those moments, it feels like exposition that hasn't been reinforced in action. It's the biggest weakness of moving around the flashback's events; in this version, Reinhard's sister Annerose has to describe him to Sieg as metaphorically falling off a cliff, while in the original we got to actually watch him fall off a cliff.
However, these shortcomings compared to the original are a natural result of its reshuffled priorities. Taken on its own, it's notable that Die Neue These's second and third episodes are far more engaging than its dry premiere. Its focus should make it approachable for newcomers, while prior fans may be able to appreciate its tonally distinct take on familiar material. If you've already watched through the original recently, you might just have the time on your hands to check this one out.
https://cdn.animenewsnetwork.com/thumbnails/max300x600/cms/episode-review/130531/logh022.jpg
BEATLESS - Episode 14 [Review]
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BEATLESS - Episode 14 [Review]
One thing that BEATLESS is better at than most anime is asking provocative questions about mankind's relationship with technology. It has done so consistently over the past several episodes, and this episode quickly shows that it's not going to change that pattern. For the first time, the police have directly come into the picture, with reasonable suspicion based on incomplete information over Arato's involvement with a number of big recent incidents. They reinforce the standing perception that Arato is pretty gullible and further indicate that they are aware Kengo was involved with the antibodies. They even answer the question about why they haven't questioned Kengo, because they're concerned about the bigger picture, correctly speculating that things haven't been covered up better as a result of dueling hyper-intelligent AIs countering each other's moves. The unspoken question is where mankind gets left in such a conflict.
This theme is also brought up in Watarai's final words, which he recorded before his death to whomever might hear them, unsure of whether or not mankind would even be around anymore. His words provide valuable new insight into the development of the Lacia-class hIE by clarifying that Lacia was designed first but finished last, since the practical tech to make her as the AI Higgins designed didn't initially exist. That casts Methode's claims about being the strongest and most refined into doubt, as it implies that Lacia has unrealized ultimate abilities that required finishing Methode first to develop; I wonder if Methode is aware of that? Watarai's explanation that he let the hIEs loose because he felt that they could only achieve their full potential among humans also explains why all of this is happening in the first place. Of course, it's left unanswered what Higgins' ultimate goal with Lacia might be; my suspicion is that he actually wanted to make a true artificial human and not just an hIE, but we'll see.
The way this information is presented could be considered an info dump, but the justification for its existence is stronger than most such cases. Watarai making this kind of recording is absolutely in character, and some scenes in retrospect seem like setup for this moment. The Ryo/Shiori relationship also gets the development it needs, revealing that the two have been nowhere near as close as Arato and Yuka and exploring the tension that results from their situation. We also see how Ryo cut a devil's bargain with Methode and that the resulting pressure has left him feeling strung-out. Combine that with the earlier police scenes and the story is tightly covering all its bases. The gathering at the end hosted by Erika gives the series a chance to show off the key characters all dressed up while also establishing where Erika stands; she's not particular about how things will change, but she wants to see change happen. It makes sense for someone who was in cold sleep for most of a century and provides a tense cliffhanger for next episode.
The one weak part of the episode is the banter involving Arato, Lacia, and Yuka at home, with Yuka now regarding them as a couple, eliciting distress from both siblings when Lacia admits that sexual acts are possible once Arato turns 18. As silly as the sequence is, I think it's the first time that the series has explicitly acknowledged that hIEs could be used for sex, which plugs another hole in our understanding of the series' world. That may not entirely be a rabbit trail either, especially if Higgins' goal was to make a true artificial human. Disappointingly, the artistic effort falls apart during this scene, but at least it picks back up to standard BEATLESS levels afterward.
And that's all we have for now, as I leave weekly coverage for this series to write about the bigger titles of spring. BEATLESS has had plenty of interesting developments, so I intend to finish it and write an overall review at the end of the season. Until then, this humble science fiction series remains promising, even if it never quite got the attention that it deserved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxIJAJQ-v0I
BEATLESS - Episode 14 [Review]
https://cdn.animenewsnetwork.com/thumbnails/max300x600/cms/episode-review/130419/beatless-ep14.jpg
BEATLESS - Episode 14 [Review]
One thing that BEATLESS is better at than most anime is asking provocative questions about mankind's relationship with technology. It has done so consistently over the past several episodes, and this episode quickly shows that it's not going to change that pattern. For the first time, the police have directly come into the picture, with reasonable suspicion based on incomplete information over Arato's involvement with a number of big recent incidents. They reinforce the standing perception that Arato is pretty gullible and further indicate that they are aware Kengo was involved with the antibodies. They even answer the question about why they haven't questioned Kengo, because they're concerned about the bigger picture, correctly speculating that things haven't been covered up better as a result of dueling hyper-intelligent AIs countering each other's moves. The unspoken question is where mankind gets left in such a conflict.
This theme is also brought up in Watarai's final words, which he recorded before his death to whomever might hear them, unsure of whether or not mankind would even be around anymore. His words provide valuable new insight into the development of the Lacia-class hIE by clarifying that Lacia was designed first but finished last, since the practical tech to make her as the AI Higgins designed didn't initially exist. That casts Methode's claims about being the strongest and most refined into doubt, as it implies that Lacia has unrealized ultimate abilities that required finishing Methode first to develop; I wonder if Methode is aware of that? Watarai's explanation that he let the hIEs loose because he felt that they could only achieve their full potential among humans also explains why all of this is happening in the first place. Of course, it's left unanswered what Higgins' ultimate goal with Lacia might be; my suspicion is that he actually wanted to make a true artificial human and not just an hIE, but we'll see.
The way this information is presented could be considered an info dump, but the justification for its existence is stronger than most such cases. Watarai making this kind of recording is absolutely in character, and some scenes in retrospect seem like setup for this moment. The Ryo/Shiori relationship also gets the development it needs, revealing that the two have been nowhere near as close as Arato and Yuka and exploring the tension that results from their situation. We also see how Ryo cut a devil's bargain with Methode and that the resulting pressure has left him feeling strung-out. Combine that with the earlier police scenes and the story is tightly covering all its bases. The gathering at the end hosted by Erika gives the series a chance to show off the key characters all dressed up while also establishing where Erika stands; she's not particular about how things will change, but she wants to see change happen. It makes sense for someone who was in cold sleep for most of a century and provides a tense cliffhanger for next episode.
The one weak part of the episode is the banter involving Arato, Lacia, and Yuka at home, with Yuka now regarding them as a couple, eliciting distress from both siblings when Lacia admits that sexual acts are possible once Arato turns 18. As silly as the sequence is, I think it's the first time that the series has explicitly acknowledged that hIEs could be used for sex, which plugs another hole in our understanding of the series' world. That may not entirely be a rabbit trail either, especially if Higgins' goal was to make a true artificial human. Disappointingly, the artistic effort falls apart during this scene, but at least it picks back up to standard BEATLESS levels afterward.
And that's all we have for now, as I leave weekly coverage for this series to write about the bigger titles of spring. BEATLESS has had plenty of interesting developments, so I intend to finish it and write an overall review at the end of the season. Until then, this humble science fiction series remains promising, even if it never quite got the attention that it deserved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxIJAJQ-v0I
Steins;Gate 0 - Episodes 1 & 2 [Review]
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Steins;Gate 0 - Episodes 1 & 2 [Review]
Steins;Gate 0 occupies the wonderfully weird kind of space that only time-travel stories can, in that it is both an alternate universe what-if story that diverts from the original series' ending and and a precursor to the events of Steins;Gate Prime. So on the one hand, S;G0's place in the grand scheme of franchise continuity is a foregone conclusion. Eventually, Steins;Gate 0's version of Rintaro Okabe is going to be the one that reaches out to the Okabe of Steins;Gate episode 23 and convinces his past self to take the necessary steps to save the life of Kurisu Makise. On the other hand, Steins;Gate 0 seeks to sidestep the pitfalls that stymie other series' prequels and AU spinoffs by establishing a story that feels fresh and exciting, even to fans that have watched through the original series multiple times.
In the season premiere, the show took the time to catch viewers up on the world line where Kurisu was never rescued from her bloody fate, and Okabe has grown as weary and cold as we've ever seen him. He's abandoned his old mad scientist moniker of “Hououin Kyouma”, and he never stops by the Future Gadget Lab anymore. The show has really run with Okabe's grim new perspective, employing a slower pace and dynamic camera angles to reflect its protagonist's inner torment in a manner that feels appropriately muted without crossing the line into suffocating dourness.
While the first episode did an excellent job of reorienting viewers to this new Kurisu-less reality, the second episode ironically sets the main plot into motion by bringing Kurisu back – or rather, a simulacrum of Kurisu brought to life by the Amadeus AI system that Alexis Leskinen and Maho Hiyajō introduced last week. What I especially enjoyed about this turn of events is that S;G0 never plays coy about what a bombshell this would be for Okabe; after spending some time developing a rapport between Maho and Okabe, the diminutive researcher takes our wary hero to meet a program that has the face, voice, and memories of the woman he watched die in his arms. For anyone who was invested in the original Steins;Gate's primary romance, the moments leading up to Okabe's pseudo-reunion with his lost love contain a palpable sense of dread. Even Maho can feel it, despite only being able to guess at the true depths of the relationship she's helping to reanimate.
Leading up to Okabe's fateful meeting with Amadeus, S;G0 does an excellent job of establishing these new characters, who slide comfortably into Steins;Gate's universe. Maho is especially likable in these episodes, and I'm glad to see that the show doesn't lean too much on her stature to characterize her, instead setting her apart from Kurisu as a whip-smart scientist in her own right; I hope to see her interact with the rest of the Future Gadget Laboratory as the series continues. Aleksis is also an interesting addition to the roster; these episodes establish him as an affable man who just wants to see the late Kurisu's work flourish, but this being Steins;Gate, I'm sure there's more to him than meets the eye.
Ultimately, the highlight of episode two is Amadeus Kurisu's big introduction, which immediately recaptures memories of the original character's effortless likability and tsundere charm, while still sowing the seeds for the digital doppelganger's place in the larger story. While the production values are rough around the edges compared to Steins;Gate, S;G0's writing is in top form, and this one scene captures the skillful character chemistry and intriguing sci-fi themes that made this series successful to begin with. All of the big emotions and big ideas are present, from Maho and Amadeus Kurisu's cute back-and-forth to Okabe's frazzled attempt to separate the Kurisu on the computer screen from the one who helped him survive his eternal summer.
This is where I got the most excited to see where Steins;Gate 0 is headed, as Maho warns Okabe: “She's not the girl you became friends with, and she's not alive.” Many science-fiction stories in the past have dealt with the ramifications of replicating a real human's consciousness in the form of an AI, and it's reassuring that S;G0 has the wherewithal to address those tropes head-on. Maho and Okabe are both all too aware of how dangerous it could be for Okabe to start treating this virtual copy of Kurisu as the real deal. “The more you talk with Amadeus, the more that truth will sting,” Maho says. “You'll realize that she's gone forever, and there's nothing you can do about it.”
Except for Okabe, and those of us who followed his journeys across time, that isn't true at all. If the scientist formerly known as Hououin Kyouma has learned anything, it's that there are an infinite number of ways to potentially bring Kurisu back. Even knowing this, it's the deeper cost of time travel that Okabe is no longer willing to tamper with. While the Okabe of Steins;Gate 0 will eventually change his mind, we don't yet know what must happen to get him to that point. If the brief glimpse of this future we got back in 2011 is any indication, things are about to become much more complicated for the members of the Future Gadget Laboratory, and I can't wait to watch it all play out.
One Piece - Episode 832 [Review]
One Piece - Episode 832 [Review]
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When it comes to Eiichiro Oda, fans are always ready for that other shoe to drop. What we're never quite ready for, however, are the five or six other shoes he seems to keep tucked under his arm at any given time.
Truly unadorned build-up aside, the conversation around this episode begins and ends with one main scene; the moment of truth during Sanji and Pudding's wedding, when it's time for the groom to kiss the bride. All the various evil plans are designed to intersect at this time, so obviously what will happen must be a surprise, right? As a manga reader, I've been anticipating seeing this part of the story adapted because it was a massive turning point in my experience with the Whole Cake Island arc, as well as a rather controversial one among my group of friends. In a matter of days, it will have been a year since this twist debuted in the manga, and I've continued to digest my feelings since then.
Charlotte Pudding is a roller coaster of a character. There's a real magic trick at play with her and the millions of twists surrounding whether she's "good" Pudding or "evil" Pudding, and just when you think the answer's been handed to you on a silver platter, that's when the story hits you with the next surprise. When we first met "good" Pudding, we were suspicious of her. She seemed way too nice. Then, we got to know her a little more and the idea of her tricking Sanji and the crew stopped making sense. And then BAM, malevolent three-eyed actress Pudding revealed herself! All right, everything's on the table now. What else could we possibly learn about her?!
And then her diabolical plan to shoot Sanji's brains out after he lifts her veil falls apart, because rather than recoiling in disgust at the sight of her third eye like she expected, he blushes and calls it beautiful. It's certainly something. There's a significant presence of "female villain defeated by love" tropes in One Piece, which I go back and forth on when I think about it. Many people do not like it. Hell, I don't like it most of the time, but Pudding is a case where I'm kind of infatuated with it. Problematic warts and all, I think Pudding represents so much of what I find compelling about Oda as a writer.
However, I feel the need to say that I don't think this episode actually does the scene justice. It's extremely straightforward in its adaptive choices, to the detriment of a quality I think is present in the source material. The manga version is fairly bizarre, opting out of any connective tissue that could have added some tenderness and made this romantic gesture seem more grounded and human. Instead, possibly to keep the pace of the story moving, it plays out as a series of big moments. Even with Sanji doing a very Sanji thing, we can't get inside his head at all during this scene. Was this his genuine reaction to seeing her eye up close? Did he recognize something familiar in her ahead of time, and now he's making a calculated decision to speak to that? Pudding's emotional breakdown at the compliment feels right at home with the sudden bursts of crying we see in this series all the time, but in the context of this scene and the general touchiness of the trope being employed, it easily reads much more tawdry.
These are problems that the version of this scene that I like in the manga was already dealing with. That said, I do appreciate the way that the manga leaves the tone open for interpretation, all while sticking to its broad and wacky style of tackling human emotions. Watching it play out in the anime, which is almost lifelessly faithful to the pacing and structure of the manga version, started to sway me in the other direction. I began wondering if I was reading too much into the scene this whole time, that maybe it really was as shallow and tacky as it seemed at face value, but writing my thoughts out is drudging up old feelings again.
More important are the snippets of Pudding's backstory that unravel as a result of this, where we see her being ruthlessly bullied for her third eye. This is the point where the crude selfishness of Big Mom and the people of Totto Land goes from being an amusing characterization to the entire point of the story. Everything about Whole Cake Island is a lie; the promise of safety and racial harmony is nothing but an appeal to a monster's ego, and the deliberate and inescapable cycle of abuse becomes crystal clear. The country's motto is "Leave or Life." Make Mom happy and die slowly, or stand against Mom and die now.
And then there are the obvious parallels between Sanji and Pudding, who are now both unambiguously victims of their own families: two peas in a pod, just like their fake relationship began. The series aimed for a similar scene back in Dressrosa, when it was between Sanji and Viola. There's a clear desire to take the joke of Sanji's chivalry and weakness for women (something villains have historically been able to exploit) and turn it inside out to give him a win. I found the Viola example embarrassing and insincere, but here in Whole Cake Island it threads into the larger story in a more compelling way. Whole Cake Island is about how our parents—biologically or otherwise—create us. It's about how the flaws that we're born with or get bred into us impact our ability to understand each other. Sanji's relationship with his mentor Zeff is hugely important in understanding what motivates him, and what allowed his weaknesses to occasionally become strengths, and I assume we'll learn something similar to be true about Pudding's relationship with her big sister Lola.
At the time that the manga version of this scene came out, my relationship with One Piece had simmered in the wake of the Dressrosa arc, but it was this moment that brought the passion roaring back. It felt like there was something ambitious in the works, a desire to string one of the more eyeroll-worthy elements of the series into some kind of poetry that would pay off as the arc fired towards its climax. At a time when the audience is already expecting the wedding to explode in spectacular ways, this direction feels the most like a crazy gamble, committed to sympathizing with a character who's designed head-to-toe to be unlikable. But I do like her! I find the whole "embarrassed by romantic affection because you're used to acting a certain way around family" thing a little too relatable, and from this point forward I'm invested in finding out where the rest of her character arc goes, because what we've gotten so far is bananas.
So I've got a lot of feelings about Pudding and what Whole Cake Island becomes as we continue to move into the second half, because the weirdness is far from over. For what's such an important chapter to me, I don't think the anime does a satisfactory job adapting it. It's already a challenging story to review, since it's worth breaking down all the ways in which it's going to be unpalatable for a lot of people, but my own response is so passionate and warm regardless. I don't think this episode's direction quite delivers what I see in it, but it's got that One Piece fire in my belly flaring up all the same.
High School DxD Hero - Episode 1 [Review]
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High School DxD Hero - Episode 1 [Review]
Note: DxD Hero's episode 0 was covered here for our Spring Preview Guide. Ratings for that episode can be made on that page.
After the part-replay, part-retcon episode 0, this first episode is about as stereotypical for the DxD franchise as you can get. Take generous doses of fan service-laden harem shenanigans and mix them with action sequences and a wonky interpretation of metaphysics from across various mythologies (Valkyrie devil school?), and you more or less have the High School DxD experience. The episode opens with a practically obligatory fan service scene in Issei's bed that starts with one girl and winds up with all of the main love interests, but since they all have their clothes on, it's bound not to make much impression in a franchise that's previously opened seasons with rampant nudity. Issei later gets more individual snuggle time with Koneko as part of his healing from using Juggernaut Drive, reinforcing that keeping other girls off Issei is practically a full-time job for Rias these days. He does get some naked time with Rias later, in a scene that's more suggestive than most previous instances of them being in bed together.
The bulk of the episode to follow is a low-stakes fight scene, with Issei matching up against the powerhouse Sairaorg, who was previously described as the most powerful young devil, and he's Rias's next opponent in the Rating Game. As a prelude to that, Sairaorg challenges Issei to some “light” sparring, which results in surprisingly dramatic back-and-forth combat; some of the serious fight scenes in previous installments aren't as crisp as this one. It's a good match-up for both, since they have similar fighting styles. More importantly, Sairaorg isn't the arrogant blowhard that most of Issei's diabolical opponents have been in the past. The writing does a good job of showing that the two could easily be friends if they weren't on rival sides, and Issei certainly seems to have more in common with him than with Gaspar or Yuto. But it looks like some action is going to take place in Kyoto first – because isn't there always trouble when characters in supernatural anime go to Kyoto?
As I noted in the preview guide review for episode 0, the change in staff has resulted in some tweaks to the character designs. While this isn't a big problem, I'm still not comfortable with Rias's visual update, as she seems to be lacking some of the imperious air she's always had. A softer portrayal of Rias just makes her feel like any other busty anime girl, rather than the dynamic leader she's supposed to be. Asia also looks bustier than normal in a couple of shots, which would not be a welcome change since she's long filled the niche of the more modestly-proportioned girl in the cast. It's also possible that the artistic inconsistency problems which plagued the third series are already starting to show here.
On the whole, the series is settling in nicely – if also unexceptionally – for its fourth season.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations - Episode 54 [Review]
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Boruto: Naruto Next Generations - Episode 54 [Review]
Boruto -Naruto the Movie-'s small-screen adaptation rolls on this week as Sasuke reveals danger on the horizon and Boruto begins learning his father's signature technique. In addition to rooting for Sarada in the upcoming Chunin exams, Sasuke the eternal wanderer returned home to deliver a scroll he obtained from Kaguya's palace to Naruto. In order to escape the palace with the scroll in tow, Sasuke had to duke it out with Momoshiki and Kinshiki. Meanwhile, frustrated with his inability to master the Rasengan in a timely manner while training under Konohamaru, Boruto begins using the revolutionary new invention provided by Katasuke (who's clearly been possessed by an unknown enemy), which enables him to effortlessly produce the Rasengan. Although Sasuke agrees to take Boruto on as a student, he's quick to take notice of the mysterious device on the young man's wrist.
Episode 54 is notable for featuring an abundance of top-shelf visuals and animation. Although Sasuke's frenetic, fluidly-animated battle with Momoshiki and Kinshiki serves as the highlight, the general aesthetics and character movement are of fairly high quality throughout the episode. Since the current arc is reasonably important, even if this is its second anime adaptation, it makes sense for the series' A-team to oversee game-changing episodes. While it's doubtful this level of quality will be present in each subsequent chapter, perhaps this week's outing is indicative of what we can expect from upcoming battle episodes.
The episode also does a good job of illustrating the similarities Boruto shares with his old man, as well as the things that make them different. Even though Boruto makes surprisingly rapid progress in learning the first phase of the Rasengan, he's unsatisfied by Sasuke's lack of praise, prompting him to use Katasuke's invention. Even Sasuke, who's constantly critical of Naruto, opines that he wishes Boruto were more like his father, despite the fact that he has more natural talent and a higher aptitude for learning. In all likelihood, Boruto is being set up to learn a lesson about hard work and perhaps even come to respect the work ethic that takes Naruto away from his family so often. While this is certainly a lesson befitting a children's action series, it doesn't quite fit Boruto's personality as established in the TV series. Sure, he's not the most studious member of the cast, but he's never seemed outright averse to hard work.
Boruto's vulnerable side is also on full display this week. At the beginning of the episode, he has no qualms about venting his anger toward his father in front of Sasuke, someone he's just meeting for the first time. When Sasuke seems unimpressed with his progress on the Rasengan, he runs away while forcing back tears. Although it's meant to provide the “ah-ha” moment for his training, the scene in which he makes pancakes with Himawari is a touching example of the familial love that drives many of Boruto's actions. He may be quick to anger and rude to Naruto and Sarada, but he does care deep down, and he'll go out of his way to make those he loves happy. He's never embarrassed about how much he cares for his sister either, as many boys that age are in other works of fiction.
With Sasuke reappearing in the Hidden Leaf, the Otsutsuki clan lurking in the shadows, and Boruto electing to take the easy way out, the stage is being set for an action-packed emotional rollercoaster. The perpetually rocky relationship between Naruto and his son has been swept into the background in recent arcs, but it looks like things will come to a head in the coming weeks. Though brash and impatient, Boruto is also shown to possess deeper levels of empathy this week, making him an easier character to root for.
Tokyo Ghoul:re - Episode 19 [Review]
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Tokyo Ghoul:re - Episode 19 [Review]
When the ghoul eats your eye
Like a big pizza pie
That's amo:re
Apologies for that awful introduction, but love is surprisingly in the air in this episode of Tokyo Ghoul:re. It's a weird way to follow up all those clown murders from last week, but at this point Tokyo Ghoul's narrative has grown too big and too fragmented for me to expect anything resembling tonal or thematic consistency across its run. I've accepted that, and I actually appreciate that we're finally seeing threads—some from way back in the first season of the first anime—getting tied together. These are the first signs that we're gearing up for an honest-to-god conclusion, even though I shudder to think how the anime is going to wrap everything up in 5 episodes. That's a problem for future me to wrestle with, however. Today, we're talking about love.
Before we get to our main couple, there are a few other smaller romances explored in this episode. This is another place where my ignorance of the manga comes through, because I don't know if all of these subplots happened simultaneously there as well, but if not, I have to commend the anime for at least trying to condense things in a way that makes some thematic sense. We open on Akira and Amon, which is a short but sweet scene because I don't think there was ever any doubt they'd get together. That said, it's awfully convenient how quickly she's able to go from being a professional ghoul slayer to kissing the hunky half-ghoul Amon. The steps in between are there, but we just don't get the time dedicated to them outside of a line or two of dialogue. Her journey has been one of the more interesting ones, and I hope she gets more of a conclusion beyond “becomes Amon's girlfriend.” I want to see what her life looks like now that it's free of her hatred of ghouls. Elsewhere, Mutsuki is caught between his love and hate for Kaneki, so Tokyo Ghoul decides to make him go full yandere. Everything to do with Mutsuki this season has been eyebrow-raising, and I don't have much to say that I didn't already say last week. He basically just shows up to permanently shoo Kaneki and Touka out of her coffee shop, and I can't say I'm looking forward to the future of this love triangle.
Of course, Kaneki and Touka are the focus of this episode. They've been together since the beginning, with plenty of ups, down, fights, lies, and bouts of amnesia complicating their journey. They're old friends at this point, and as proof, Touka manages to bring out some sides of him we haven't seen in ages—specifically, the big awkward dork side. Yes, he's been psychologically broken countless times, gotten tortured to hell and back, and he's currently leading an underground resistance army, but he also spits out his coffee after being asked about his virginity. Despite all the ways Kaneki has been forced to grow up, there are plenty of areas where his development remained stunted. Naturally, one of those areas is sexuality (and we'll get to that soon), but another area is his sense of self-worth and preservation. Thankfully, Touka recognizes this and pulls him back before he leaps into another battle without thinking. It's as simple as telling him that his life matters to other people, but it's something he still needs to be told. He can't do everything by himself, but hopefully by the end of the series, he'll be able to love himself as much as people like Touka love him.
Now we arrive at this episode's centerpiece: Kaneki finally gets laid. This is probably a consequence of this season's heavily condensed pacing, but it's amusing how quickly Touka and Kaneki progress from barely managing to brush their pinkies against each other to jumping straight into the bone zone. To its credit, the scene is uncharacteristically tasteful for Tokyo Ghoul, focusing more on their bond than on lascivious shots of Touka. In fact, we get some pretty good looks at Kaneki's sinewy build, and I have to give the animators credit for not taking the coward's way out and actually drawing his nipples. The scene is a little cheesy, peppered with flashbacks of their time together, but the lovely insert song does a lot of work to make it feel like a sweet and cathartic moment. Kaneki even cries at the end, and who can blame him? He's finally found someone who loves him back, which is in many ways what he's been searching for all this time.
The post-coital shenanigans are a little more head-scratching, but this plotting waits for no one. There's some unintentional hilarity in how Touka suddenly realizes she's pregnant in the middle of scarfing down a giant burger. The timeline gets fuzzy here, but since everything is crammed into one episode, it seems like it only took that one round for him to knock her up with his powerful ghoul jizz. (Practice safe sex, kids!) Nishiki's oblivious fumbling of the truth and Kaneki's awkward attempts at talking to Touka about it are adorably cringe-worthy. It feels like it's been a long time since Tokyo Ghoul let itself be this goofy, and even though the pacing makes it feel like a shotgun wedding, I'm truly thankful for this respite of lighthearted romance. Ghouls having their own culture separate from humans, complete with symbolic gestures and traditional wedding garb, seems like a weird thing to only just now introduce, but it's good to see these characters living it up. They have to enjoy the calm before the storm while it lasts.
Meanwhile, troubles continue to brew in the CCG. Furuta stands atop a pile of dead ghouls while issuing a threat to Kaneki's crew on live TV. Juzo and Urie try to avoid dealing with their department's slide into fascism because they don't otherwise know how to stop it. Mutsuki commands a merciless squadron of investigators who drive motorcycles off rooftops (which was the most I've laughed in a long time, thank you Tokyo Ghoul). Nevertheless, frightening times always have their share of normal moments, so Takeomi finally marries his sweetheart Yoriko too. In case you forgot (because I sure did), Yoriko was best friends with Touka early in the series. Unfortunately, Furuta seems to know this, and he intends to use her past affiliation with a ghoul as leverage for some reason. We don't know anything about what he's trying to do, except that he has a giant green glowing egg now. I'm sure that'll be fun. The most positive development surrounding all this is Saiko finally putting her foot down and refusing to follow the CCG's orders anymore. It's a shame she doesn't get more focus, because she's one of the few Tokyo Ghoul characters with a consistent moral compass. Thankfully, she sways Urie too, who didn't need much convincing. They can tell something is afoul among the CCG's top brass, and when Saiko is right, she's right; it's better to be a NEET than a fascist.
Despite its bumps in the road, this is a shockingly pleasant episode of Tokyo Ghoul:re, giving Kaneki and Touka's romance some space to blossom before the looming horror inevitably swallows them back up. Because I know Sui Ishida, I can't be too happy about Touka's pregnancy, and I'm hoping against hope that nothing horrible happens to their child. Similarly, I hope Touka and Akira continue to be important characters, since shoving them to the side once they've settled down with a man would be pretty eye-rolling. I don't know if I'd call myself optimistic about the rest of the reason, but this episode was at least a nice reminder that Tokyo Ghoul isn't always a constant barrage of despair. Now to take a big sip of coffee and wait for the next episode to arrive.