Let’s just… let’s just do this.
EvilBob: Sooo. Ready to lose?
Voyager: *groooooan*…
EvilBob: Um… is that… is that a “yes” or…?
Voyager: Just. Start. The battle.
EvilBob: R-right! Opening Thoughts, first!
OPINIONS
EvilBob: This third episode was fun although I could still do with less fan service involving Mamako. Wise’s mother was the highlight for me. The way she was depicted as being a boss character was hilarious though it does appear she’ll be filling that role in the next episode. It’s amusing that Wise’s mom is as bad as she claimed or at least she appears to be. Overall all this was pretty standard for the show so far with lots of fun character moments and even some surprisingly heartfelt ones.
Voyager: OOC for a minute. While I certainly do loathe this show’s choice of starting point, I do find that the sheer extent to which it’s being beat on is a mite bit unwarranted. I certainly wouldn’t call it good, but the deluge of outright bottom of the barrel awfulness claims? Yeah, no. I’ve seen worse. Much, much, much worse. That said, this episode was basically just… fine. At this point the skipping of the intro doesn’t hurt things overly much. Though its decontextualizing of the lead does somewhat hurt the relationship he has to Yue. To a point, anyway. And some of the dialogue is really suspect. Also, that action sequence was terrible. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It was nooot good. And grinding the episode to a dead halt so he could recap the events of the first episode to us when they could’ve just… done a jump cut to Yue’s crying over his story just tells me that whoever in charge of this production reeeally has no concept of narrative flow.
EvilBob: So. I got me a new character, this time! Wise’s mom has been revealed and, um… hoo boy is she… something. Hey, you kinda got a new character this time too, right?
Voyager: Technically, Yue showed up last time…
EvilBob: Yeah, but this is the first time we’re really seeing much personality out of her, riiight? So? How is she?
Voyager: Frankly? She’s the most amusing thing about the episode, so… there’s that. Though hardly anything she says or does is honestly all that significant. Basically just acting all attached to Nagumo and all that. Because love… or hunger. Probably both. Would explain why she felt the need to strip in order to leech him when they finally got to chill. She seemed to be managing just fine without it, up to then.
EvilBob: I see, I see. And, uh… how’s Nagumo doing, these days? Pretty much the same?
Voyager: . . .yeah.
EvilBob: Ah! So totally shallow and devoid of everything that made him interesting in the source material, then!
Voyager: And your merry squad of morons?
EvilBob: Still as entertaining as ever, thanks for asking! Their character chemistry is still great! There’s this especially funny moment. Hotsprings scenes aren’t usually my thing, but I can’t lie. It was hilarious. Also, Wise’s mom is… fun. Plus, they even have some genuinely good character moments with Wise, about her mom and general family situation that gives her a lot more depth than I was honestly expecting from this show. It really contextualizes a lot of her character and behavior.
Voyager: …you’re rubbing it in.
EvilBob: I most certainly am not, sir!
Voyager: You are absolutely rubbing it in.
EvilBob: Never!
Voyager: You’re rubbing it in and you’re full of it.
EvilBob: I am not full! I haven’t even eaten yet!
Voyager: …How in the blazes have you survived this long?
EvilBob: Sooo.
Voyager: Please don’t.
EvilBob: You uh… you had a lil action sequence there, buddy?
Voyager: Stop.
EvilBob: Whaaat? And you had that awesome CG too! It looked so clean and crisp!
Voyager: Bob.
EvilBob: And that monster looked just like something out of my nightmares too!
Voyager: You’re enjoying this.
EvilBob: Oh, absolutely.
EvilBob: So, um, Voyager. Would you say it’s fair to suggest that in order for a story to be good, it needs to have at least competently set up characters?
Voyager: …yes.
EvilBob: Because a story is basically just the chronicle of a character’s growth or the effect on the world around them, right?
Voyager: …(this bastard’s been reading my articles, hasn’t he?)
EvilBob: So! How’s your story comin’ along?
Voyager: Just take. The stupid. Point.
EvilBob: Gladly!
CONCLUSION
EvilBob: Whaaat? What is this feeling? And that fanfare? Could this be? Is this… is this what it means to win?!
Voyager: Oh, bite me.
EvilBob: Haha!
Voyager: (this friggin’ guuuy…)
EvilBob: Looks like I’m still in this race. What was that about my feelings hurting real soon?
Voyager: Keep laughin’, Staypuft.
EvilBob: Okay! Ha! Haha! Hahahaha!
Voyager: Idiot. Anyway, what do you guys at home think? Does Arifureta rightfully take this L? Or should it have been Okaasan Online to venture closer to the chopping block, this time? Let us know, down below.
EvilBob: Thanks for letting us waste your time, people.
Voyager: And thanks, as always, for reading. Keep up the Awesome!
EvilBob: And keep it Classy.
Voyager: Take Care.
I’m not enjoying Okaasan-online as it really isn’t my kind of humour and the characters don’t appeal. However, objectively, I’d still have to say it is doing better than Arifureta as an anime and that kind of hurts.
Yeah. They’re basically the weakest shows (left) in our lineup for the season. I don’t really mind Okaasan as I have a soft sport for comedies of its ilk. But Arifureta is causing me actual physical pain, here, in some regards. And the worst thing is knowing it shouldn’t be struggling this much.
Yes. Arifureta could have made for an amazing anime however they are more or less demonstrating how to make the worst decisions possible when adapting a light novel.