Time for another quick round of one-line impressions! Hooray for cumbersome external workloads!
The Winter 2019 season is now three-quarters of the way to its conclusion. And a LOT of the shows are beginning to ramp up into their endgame. Though some shows have been… less so inclined.
ANIME TKO REVIEWS
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (Episode 8)
This show really needs to hurry up and get to an actual antagonist because a random dragon zombie being used to instigate such an otherwise weighty moment is kinda cheap. Junk Food.
Mob Psycho 100 II (Episode 8)
Aw, Mob’s really come a long- WELP… someone’s ’bout to die. World’s Finest
NON-TKO REVIEWS
Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (Episode 8)
The tiny little teases of these characters being more than just the surface are appreciated and make the comedy that much more delightful. Super Effective
Date A Live Ⅲ (Episode 8)
And there’s the reveal I was waiting for… even amidst the still mostly ‘meh’ animation. Super Effective.
Black Clover (Episode 72)
Oh, hey, a hot springs episode that not only does actual character building, but somehow manages to be genuinely funny in places! Super Effective.
Toaru Majutsu no Index III (Episode 21)
Accelerator is still best boi, even in an episode that’s 90% setup. Super Effective.
OLDER ANIME REVIEWS
It occurred to me that the Noragami Aragoto reviews were somehow desynced. So two episodes, this time.
Noragami Aragoto (Episode 7 – 8)
Yukine sure has grown, but Hiyori once again proves that she is unequivocally best girl.
Aha! The plot thickens!
ACHIEVEMENTS
Overall Episode Medalists
Date A Live brought in the Gold, this week. Despite the animation woes, the episode delivered two things. A lot of best girl and a strong dramatic core that drove everything forward, surrounding Origami’s obsession. Toaru Majutsu no Index III brings in the Silver, almost exclusively on the back of more Accelerator and the development he showed in his interaction with the recovered Misaka Worst. Black Clover takes the Bronze because it managed to be honestly funny, for the first time in a while, largely because it didn’t solely rely on the more tired jokes of such an episode premise, instead throwing in a few curveballs… and even delivering the tired parts in a somewhat amusing way. What’s more, Asta leveled up again (that was… fast) and Noelle got even more character building… kinda. Nothing amazing, even by this show’s overall low standards, but still decent.
MVP: Origami
Ordinarily, Origami is my least favorite of all Shido’s haremettes. And not just as a haremette, but as a character, overall. She’s amusing enough, and certainly lends herself to some fairly decent dramatic moments (Episode 3 of the series, overall, is still friggin’ fantastic and she’s a huge part of why) but this episode lets her really shine. As the emotional center of these events, Origami knocks this one out of the park, carrying the episode on the back of a really gut-wrenching performance where her pain and obsession are laid bare. Even having known, ahead of time, how this arc was going to go, those moments revolving around her really came to life… though they’d have come even more alive if the animation wasn’t so stiff and they didn’t keep cutting corners.
Unique Achievement: Most Relatable Segment
This bit spoke to me on a spiritual level…
Unique Achievement: Cringe Points Avoided
Seriously. It may have devolved into a typical “peeping” plot by the end, but Black Clover managed to honestly swerve from that one in a handy and admittedly amusing way, given both Yuno and Asta’s absolute lack of interest, netting one of the funnier non-conclusions this show’s been able to deliver after all that buildup.
CONCLUSION
Okay! Hopefully, the next one can actually be on time so I can work on getting it to full-length, again. But, in any event, what’d you think of this week? Let me know, down below! Thanks for reading, as always. Keep up the Awesome!
Take Care,
Voyager