More shows lock up their scores for the fast-approaching culling period, and now it’s time to see where they’ll stand until that time. Who’s safe and who’s teetering on the edge?
EvilBob: Finally! We can watch fewer anime!
Voyager: Huh. Yeah, a bunch of shows being locked does basically equate to a mini-culling, huh?
EvilBob: Right! It’s a bit of a break!
Voyager: Stiiiiill… catching up, next week, is gonna suck! Ahaha!
EvilBob: oi… you shouldn’t be sounding happy about that.
Voyager: Anyway, it’s that time of the week, everyone! Welcome, welcome, one and all, to the Winter 2020 Anime TKO!
EvilBob: …
Voyager: …
EvilBob: …What?
Voyager: …ya gonna do that thing?
EvilBob: I’unno what you’re talking about.
Voyager: Oh, okay. We’ll just move on then.
EvilBob: Cool.
Voyager: Cool.
EvilBob: …
Voyager: …So first up, Han-
EvilBob: BATTLE ROYALE EDITION!
Voyager: There it is!
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (85◎)
Voyager – 92
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 86
Voyager: Bob.
EvilBob: You love it?
Voyager: Sooo much! It’s funny and tense at the same time, and it looks so amazing and the character interactions are super charming and-!
EvilBob: Whoa. Whoa there, Speedy Gonzales. Easy. We get it. It’s awesome!
Voyager: *vigorous nodding*
Runway de Waratte (81◎)
Voyager – 85
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 83
EvilBob: Dude.
Voyager: You love it?
EvilBob: It’s so gooood!
Voyager: Ahahaha! I told you! They really know how to rock that Shounen hype and build tension!
EvilBob: Yeah yeah yeah! The pacing is perfect and the main two just have a great dynamic going for them!
Voyager: Yup! The emotions run high, but it really works! The adults still kinna suck, tho.
EvilBob: Oh. Absolutely.
Somali to Mori no Kamisama (78◎)
Voyager – 81
EvilBob – 80
Episode Average – 81
Voyager: Sooo… can we just call this “I told you so: The Anime”?
EvilBob: …well, it’s not inaccurate. Somali’s adorable, but god that girl’s hardheaded. At this point, the girl probably needs a bell.
Voyager: Ahaha! That’d be cute! And I… wouldn’t be even remotely surprised if Golem winds up getting her one.
EvilBob: Wonder what the wolf guy’s deal is gonna be.
Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita. (75◎)
Voyager: Locked! We’ll cover it again after the culling!
EvilBob: But episode 5, tho… hoo boy.
Voyager: So fun.
Infinite Dendogram (74◎)
Voyager – 73
EvilBob – 75
Episode Average – 74
Voyager: Ex-po-si-tion Ex-po-si-tion Rush It Out A-S-A-P! ♪♪♪
EvilBob: …Really? Ode to Joy? REALLY?
Voyager: Ahahaha!
EvilBob: Well… it least it was fun exposition. Pretty solid, overall.
Voyager: Right! Worked out pretty well. And the reporter lady’s funny!
EvilBob: And apparently stealthier than any ninja.
Koisuru Asteroid (73▲)
Voyager – 85
EvilBob – 70
Episode Average – 78
Voyager: So pure!
EvilBob: This show is surprisingly hanging in there.
Voyager: I love it! Yeah, it’s a CGDCT show, but it’s laced with some actual insight into the characters and their goals in life! It’s really thoughtful and not just cute and funny!
EvilBob: But, uh… it is adorable.
Voyager: Oh yeah! Absolutely!
Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu. (73▲)
Voyager – 79
EvilBob – 75
Episode Average – 77
EvilBob: Okay. Time for me to go brush my teeth, now.
Voyager: How dare they nerf my little Maple! I will protecc! I will protecc with every fiber of my being! You can have all my defense, you precious sweetheart!
EvilBob: Uh… yeah. So also that action scene was pretty epic.
Voyager: Yeah! It was totally metal!
EvilBob: …I’mma need you to never say that again.
Voyager: Eh? But you say it a lot.
EvilBob: I know. Just… some things are better left to the professionals.
Voyager: Heeeh?
Isekai Quartet (73▼)
Voyager – 73
EvilBob – 75
Episode Average – 74
Voyager: Funny!
EvilBob: Yup.
Voyager: That’s all we got!
EvilBob: Yyyup.
Seton Academy (71◎)
Voyager – 75
EvilBob – 70
Episode Average – 73
EvilBob: I’d really love to stop learning all these animal facts now, thanks. I really, really would.
Voyager: Oooh! I didn’t know that about Hyenas at all!
EvilBob: Hey, let’s stop talking about this. Right now.
Voyager: Eh? But it was really weird! And super interesting!
EvilBob: Right. Now.
Voyager: Ooh. That’s the threatening voice. Grawr.
EvilBob: It is. So stop talking about it.
Voyager: Nu.
EvilBob: Please?
Voyager: Uh-uh.
EvilBob: Stop it.
Voyager: Female Hyenas have-!
EvilBob: Moving on!
In/Spectre (68▲)
Voyager – 67
EvilBob – 70
Episode Average – 69
Voyager: …
EvilBob: So. How’d ya like the episode? Did anything pop out at you?
Voyager: I don’t wanna talk about it.
EvilBob: Whaaat? But there was a super cool fight and-
Voyager: I don’t. Want. To talk about it.
EvilBob: And that part where her prosthetic leg-
Voyager: You can stop now!
EvilBob: But I don’t wanna.
Voyager: And I don’t care!
EvilBob: Come on. At least be fair to our nice audience and let them know what you thought.
Voyager: …Okay. *clears throat*
EvilBob: …Wait… I may have committed a terrible error in judgment.
Voyager: The conclusion to the last part was stupid and convoluted, the time skip makes the entire first two episodes feel wholly unnecessary, the mystery of the faceless idol ghost is kinda cool, but it’s ruined by Kotoko who consistently rides the line between charmingly quirky and violently annoying and the more the show goes on, the more she leans towards the latter so I’m starting to get annoyed with the show since aside from her, Kuro has the cumulative charisma of a loaf of bread and I don’t know enough about the cop chick to really be very invested in her character, thus resulting in my individual score for this episode being-
EvilBob: Dude. DUDE. Okay! That’s enough! You can stop!
Voyager: Eh? But you wanted me to tell the audience what I thought, right?
EvilBob: You wanna have the whole wordcount here, in this one section?
Voyager: Oh.
ID:Invaded (68▼)
Voyager: Looocked.
EvilBob: Oh. Thank god.
Voyager: Oooh. That’s a pretty low score to be locked at. Yikes.
EvilBob: If only it hadn’t screwed the pooch in that last episode.
Voyager: Whoops.
EvilBob: Whoopsie!
Orphen (58◎)
Voyager – 38
EvilBob – 50
Episode Average – 44
Voyager: …
EvilBob: …
Prized Moment
Voyager: Oooh! I dunno what to say about this! The latest episode of Runway de Waratte was basically just a highlight reel of prized moments!
EvilBob: Right? How did we even decide?!
Voyager: Still. This was probably one of the better ones. Showing how the dress transforms and transforms the model, at the same time. It was great!
Choice Screen Grab
EvilBob: Look at that smile. A smile that shouldn’t even exist. And yet she was just so emotional, she couldn’t help it! That, right there, is a winning smile. So of course it should win this honor.
Top Line
Voyager: Chiyuki is an example of a character who can be a bit grating on the nerves, but when she’s right, she’s right.
EvilBob: She’s difficult to dislike. She’s just so earnest.
MVP: Somali
Voyager: This girl is so precious. All she wants is to be with her papa forever.
EvilBob: I am nooot looking forward to how this is gonna end.
Voyager: Yeah…
Voyager: And that’s it!
EvilBob: OBJECTION!
Voyager: Eh?
EvilBob: How DARE an anime get this low in the scores! I demand a recount!
Voyager: Hmmm… but that’d mean rewatching that episode of Orphen.
EvilBob: …I would like to retract my previous statement.
Voyager: Oh, it was that easy.
EvilBob: Well… I guess that just means it’s one more week until we get to officially go through the culling.
Voyager: Hm… yeah. We can push the last proper installment back a day so we can cover two episodes of Isekai Quartet at once.
EvilBob: Sounds fair. For now, though…
Voyager: Right! Thanks for reading, everyone!
EvilBob: And for letting us waste your time.
Voyager: Keep up the Awesome!
EvilBob: And Keep it Classy.
Voyager: Take Care!