Well. This… happened.
EvilBob: This is the day…
Voyager: Hooo?
EvilBob: You’re losing, today. You’re losing hard, today.
Voyager: Mmm pro’lly. Hey, let’s make it a good match, though!
EvilBob: …Seriously, can you let me have nothing?
OPENING THOUGHTS
EvilBob: Medhi… ’nuff said. She finally snapped and, hoo boy, that was something. I mean It’s still the same fun romp but they’re gonna have to beat a dragon, somehow. And I think her mom will end up changing her tune after this. So she won’t be the one I want to punch in the face anymore. At least we shouldn’t have any permadeath tropes in this show… that other show, however…
Voyager: Hmmmmm… pass.
EvilBob: E-excuse me?
Voyager: Pass.
EvilBob: You… you can’t do that!
Voyager: Sure I can!
EvilBob: But! But!
Voyager: Next!
Voyager: (files nails) …
EvilBob: Uh… hello?
Voyager: Yeah?
EvilBob: You… wanna make your case?
Voyager: Hm? Nope. You can have this point. I’m good.
EvilBob: O-okay? something is very wrong, here…
Voyager: You gotta tell ’em why you won, tho.
EvilBob: Oh! Right. Because the characters of Okaasan Online still do a great job of standing out and the performances are a large part of that. All the frustration, the joy, the compassion, all of it comes across really well through the seiyuu’s great performances. And the expressions and the like really help with that. The characters all have really fun personalities and dialogue that helps them “pop.” So it’s no wonder they win.
Voyager: (playing a videogame) yep.
EvilBob: Are you…? SERIOUSLY?
EvilBob: Uh… dude?
Voyager: (reading a comic book) Huh?
EvilBob: Presentation?
Voyager: Oh. Yeah, I’ll take that point.
EvilBob: Oh, well oka- WAIT. Excuse you?!
Voyager: Yeah. The action in my show was fine. Mostly. And the effects keep getting better, from one episode to the next. Oh! But your show’s still really pleasing to look at, Bob! It totally doesn’t matter that it’s hardly ever using those nice visuals for anything really impressive!
EvilBob: …Are you praising or insulting me?
EvilBob: Okay! THIS category is MINE!
Voyager: (watching a movie) Yep.
EvilBob: Where are you finding the time?!
Voyager: Hmm. It’s really a shame about my show, taking the lazy route to character development, though.
EvilBob: …uh.
Voyager: I mean using a character’s death to motivate another character? How totally lame, right?
EvilBob: Err… Yes?
Voyager: I guess it might’ve been a liiittle better if we’d gotten to know Ana a bit more. But she was a bit character who existed exclusively to die, anyway. And that’s the worst kind of writing. Almost like the person behind the story was so unbelievably deprived of any original ideas that they went back to the lowest common denominator they possibly could, and wanted to shoehorn the message in, so they rushed it onto a character who got about one episode of cumulative screentime.
EvilBob: Dude, are… are you oka-
Voyager: And, of course, it was a girl, right? Because the hero man always has to save the pretty lady. We can never forget that time-honored trope, even in a series where literally every other female character, so far, has been some kind of badass. Nope. Failing to save the pretty lady is the thing that always does it. Well, that or a family member. But for that to work, you’d have to be Uncle Ben or something and that death would have to be symbolic of something. But nope. Just a maiden who he couldn’t save. He even said, earlier, that she wouldn’t die as long as he was around. Of course, that was the moment that I knew she was basically dead on arrival. Ah, but that totally makes it worse, doesn’t it? I mean, I saw it coming a mile away, so I just kinda tuned out and decided not to expend any energy on it. Not like something of this nature is exactly worth the energy.
EvilBob: What is this? I sense… an aura of pure malice.
Voyager: And they even used that whole thing about Taichi’s powers needing intense emotion in order to summon. Emotion I’m sure he’s never going to have to go through again, because all power-ups work like Super Saiyan. So it was basically meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. Not to mention that that just makes it even more apparent that Taichi was kind of an arse if he didn’t get equally as angry at any point when his actual best friend/not-girlfriend was in mortal danger. No, he could never get angry over something like that. That’d be totally silly. Oh, but the point was that he needed this to happen so he’d take things more seriously. Hm… but doesn’t that just make it even worse that he didn’t seem concerned with Rin’s possible demise? Or maybe I’m just thinking too much into this. After all, it was just a stupid part of an otherwise fine show. No way it’ll repeat a stunt that unbelievably dumb. I’m worrying too much. Oh. Also, his character’s story was pretty good, too. Medhi, was it? Yeah, her. (returns to watching a movie)
EvilBob: …Okay then. Um… I’ll just be taking my point, now.
Voyager: (changes channel) Yep.
EvilBob: Well, uh… I guess I’ll-
Voyager: Oh, hey! I’ll take this point!
EvilBob: I… y’know what… yeah. You, uh… you can have this one.
Voyager: Heh? Why’re you shaking like you just had an encounter with a Dark Lord? You cold?
EvilBob: N-no. *ahem* J-just take the point.
Voyager: Hm? ‘kay. Well, my world’s way more fleshed out and stuff, anyway, so it makes sense. The world of Okaasan Online exists, but it’s basically just a backdrop. You can’t exactly replace it with any other world, but the world, itself, doesn’t strike me as sort of a character of its own. So yeah.
Voyager: (surfs the web)
EvilBob: You’re… not taking this remotely seriously, are you?
Voyager: Hm? Oh. Ummm… this one’s yours.
EvilBob: Really? I mean YES! Ha! Haha! Another point for me! It should be obvious, right? The downright oppressive atmosphere Medhi’s mom gives off plays a pretty huge role in the episode, overall. And those core emotional moments – Medhi’s angst and her sorrow, mixed in with her despair in the end. It was all really well set up. And, for once, the show knew when to pull back on the humor and let things really slide into a more emotional place. Really solid stuff, overall.
CONCLUSION
EvilBob: HA! I’ve done it! I beat you! Again!
Voyager: (applauding) Yaaay! You did good, Bob! Gold Star!
EvilBob: Seriously! Why are you not worried?! You should be a lot more worried! I just put up a point against your show!
Voyager: Yeah, but I already have two!
EvilBob: So? That just means it’ll go to a tiebreaker if I win the next-…
Voyager: (smiles)
EvilBob: Wait… Yooou…
Voyager: Ahahaha! You’re making a funny face, Bob!
EvilBob: Despicable. Two-Faced. EVIL-!
Voyager: Hooo! Next season’s looking stacked! Can’t wait to see how that’s gonna go!
EvilBob: Pay attention to me, dang it!
Voyager: Hm? Oh, we should be wrapping up now, huh? Okay! What about you guys? Do you think Okaasan Online probably earned this?
EvilBob: *grumbles*
Voyager: Booob. We talked about this. You’re supposed to use your big boy words.
EvilBob: I hate you…
Voyager: Ahahaha! You’re good at telling jokes. Anyway, let us know what you think, down below! Later guys! Keep up the Awesome!
EvilBob: Bye…
Voyager: Take Care!