[Winter 2015] Season of Battles

[skreyola]

Rolling Girls Ep. 1 - uhhhh... nothing here is really piquing my interest, so I'm most likely not going to follow this one.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 3:

This episode slayed me.

"The 27th of Every Month is Pretty Boy Day," BWAHAHA!!! (Someone please make that a thing... ) And the priceless dialogue was even more priceless this episode, with lines like SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "I love it. Seeing it and showing it!", "Well? Won't you arabesque with me?", Ryuu bragging about being surrounded by 100% girls when there are literally no girls at all at that school (nor a girl even seen in the show, yet!), "The point is, there's value in being a man loved by men!", Atsushi's reaction to Yumoto's yakuza-film statement (I actually had to pause the video at that point, I was laughing so hard ), Yumoto's "I hate thinking" line, and the (purposefully) hilarious-out-of-context "Would you get to the Love Making already?!", LOL. Plus, the restroom and "big brother" scenes were hilarious. And I almost fell off my chair when it was revealed that this week's evil plan of the evil green hedgehog from Planet Evil was to literally SPOILER: Highlight text to read: turn everyone gay so that there'd be no more kids! As for the minion-of-the-week: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Not sure if ballet-guy's evil-form was supposed to be a Princess Tutu reference or if it was just a reference to the actual Swan Lake ballet, but either way, it was fitting. And as for the ending: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Of course, Yumoto was the only one unaffected by the feather-'love'-inducing-attack because he's too much of an airhead to understand such things, LOL; and while his usual ridiculous 'speech' actually started off sounding rather sincere, it (also-of-course) devolved into randomness at the end that not even the other guys could understand. And finally, that next-ep. preview: Oh my gosh-- TOO CUTE!!! <3



Death Parade episode 2:

Well, this was not what I was expecting, LOL (but that's a good thing). SPOILER: Highlight text to read: For one thing, I was not expecting a literal 'behind-the-scenes' ep. (well, at least this early on, I mean), nor that it would actually spell out so much information so plainly; but I liked it. As for what was revealed: LOL at the hanging things literally just being dolls. I should've known. Also, while I was apparently right in thinking that the wife was lying about who she loved and all that during their breakdown at the end of the game (as Onna also deduced here), the afterlife-theory I had latched onto last week went right out the window-- because it apparently turns out that the reincarnation/void was exactly what it originally sounded like, masks and stuff notwithstanding. Oh well. At least this ep. pretty much proved I was right about Decim's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: slight changes over time-- because, at this point in the story, even he is in 'training,' so to speak, and it looks like Onna's job as an 'assistant' is actually to provide him with some human perspective. (Although, I do have to admit that the training period seems a little bit cruel to the 'mistakes' ... but maybe that'll be addressed at some point?) And that three-month 'term' that was mentioned was an interesting thing-- is that 'term' for Decim, Onna, or both? And what happens after that? I'm also curious about the book Nona was reading, since those little dolls on its cover are the same as the ones that Onna's holding in the OP... So yep, looks like it'll indeed be a mix of the 'games' and a little bit of an ongoing plot/character-development thread with the 'bar'-residents.



Rolling Girls episode 2:

LOL that just about everyone knew about Maccha's real identity , LOL at the 'roller coaster to hell' SPOILER: Highlight text to read: just getting crazier and crazier before the actual hole in the lines , and LOL at Nozomi's dad. (Also, apparently even Maccha's throw-up is magical, ROTFL! ) I was also amused for some reason at the little detail of 'Crocodile' blushing when the others were clinging to him and asking if he was okay after he was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: punched. As for Maccha herself: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: It didn't go where I suspected it might, despite all the seeming death-flags in both the previous episode and this one-- however, she *is* going to be out of commission for several months. And then there are those 'moonstones,' which are pretty obviously what makes a 'Best' a 'Best'... It should be interesting to see where this goes.



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 3:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread, as usual. )

[skreyola]

Koufuku Graffiti Ep. 2: Second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse. There were some fun bits, but the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: foodie fanservice and static patterning of moving clothing is getting old quickly.

[KazeShiki]

ep3 rule thoughts

Aldnoah S2: I'm not sure if I even care enough to criticize this anymore. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The "war" has yet to really be explored at all. There was some operation this last episode and "everyone get out of the cannon firing range," and then everyone forgot about it because Slaine. Nice to know the entire Earth's forces are apparently not important in any degree besides our mechanical eyed hero.

Death Parade: It's good but also failing to do what the OVA managed to do (which isn't really its fault...the idea was a one trick pony).

Jojo: episode 27 was amazing. Like, as a standalone episode I would probably watch it and find it moderately entertaining, but in the context of the past 2 cours, it was brilliant.

Junketsu no Maria: wow so this is not as bad as I thought it'd be (yet). It does have its share of sexual jokes but as far as actual visual content, it hasn't been too bad (examples exist but relative to your average ecchi harem anime, far less). Story-wise is perhaps far more interesting than you would first give it credit for, and religion-wise, it has honestly impressed me. The church and Maria being a "heretic witch" plays a large part, and while it hardly is an accurate portrayal of Christianity, it does bring up topics in ways that I do appreciate. Ex: If Maria is trying to stop war, why does the church label her a "heretic"? I won't say the verdict is solidified since ep3 has only just begun the whole "save her virginity" spiel, and again, it still is a horrible representation of actual Christianity (it seems intent on making heaven the "bad guys"), but well, potentially the biggest surprise of season.

Isuca: this aired late, so only 1 ep out. Oh my goodness that was far worse than I expected. Fan service everywhere, annoying voices and characters, and the archer girl who reeled me in isn't even good at archery. Dropped.

KanColle: don't think anyone besides me actually plays the game. Well, besides cute girls doing cute things, episode 3 insisted on staying true to history (as a reminder, Japan lost WWII).

Koufuku Graffiti: uh it's okay. sol+ SHAFT eating. Getting tired of it already. Waiting for Souma next season.

Rolling Girls: still fairly fun. Chiyo-chan is as adorable as ever.

Yatterman: this show is attempting to be comedic and serious at the same time, and it has not been doing a good job at either. Might drop it.

Yuri Kuma: ughhhhhh Ikuhara I don't think I can do this.

im@s: cute idols. best producer. that's all.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 4:





Death Parade episode 3:

I *LOVED* this episode! First of all, it was so nice to have a bit of a 'breather' ep. here, in that (while the whole SPOILER: Highlight text to read: ball temperature-and-heartbeat stuff was plenty creepy {as usual, LOL}) this actually wasn't grim/intense at all, as opposed to the first few. For example: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Decim didn't even have to threaten them with the hanging dolls, the game did not induce pain, the two characters actually had quite a lot of fun playing (after the initial creepiness wore off ), and the flashbacks made for a merely bittersweet (with more emphasis on the sweet, even!) story instead of a dark one. Plus, the way it ended not only neatly cleared up one question I'd had with its portrayal of the 'judgments' so far-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: namely, that it's not an either/or thing; they can indeed both have the same fate, if that's what the arbiter decides-- but was actually even hopeful SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (in that they not only had a beautiful time together at the end <3 , but they were also *both* reincarnated {meaning there's at least a chance they can meet again, on top of that})! And oh man, I officially love Onna's character now (the way she SPOILER: Highlight text to read: grabbed/shook Decim, both when she wanted to know what was going on and when she was {deservedly } chewing him out for that "5 minutes" line, was priceless ), as well as Decim himself (oh my gosh-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he actually made a joke!! I was not expecting that at all. That made me go from actually tearing up a little bit to genuinely laughing out loud within the space of a second there ). <3



Rolling Girls episode 3:

Interesting-- so, as I suspected, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Nozomi was originally supposed to get the power stone, then (she said here that she gave it to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Masami). (And apparently birds really like the stones for some reason...? SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Plus, Chiaya can understand them! ) Also: Tokyo is now a cosplay/cute merch paradise? Sign me up! Now, I do have to note that I wasn't really a fan of the misunderstanding cliché (even though it was obviously coming), but it was actually handled fairly well (and set up what seems to be a rather important plot point with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Chiaya's mother gathering the stones and sending them off somewhere... ), so whatever. And the rest of the episode was good, anyway.



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 4:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread, as always~ )

[skreyola]

Koufuku Graffiti - ep. 3: Much better than the first two, and it deconstructs one of the big anime conceits. That was fun to watch.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 5:

OH MY GOSH THAT WAS A FOR-REAL SPOILER: Highlight text to read: PEANUTS REFERENCE!!! That was too awesome. And oh man, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the mold + etc. bit and the "HE'S NOT BREATHING" bit, I just can't. Also: The 'press club' apparently also having their own agenda, combined with that really suspicious fish... do I detect a third alien-led faction here?



Death Parade episode 4:

Yep-- I figured that this would get dark again after that really nice previous ep., and it did, just as expected. Anyway: Ah, so here is where we start to see Decim's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: compassion begin to emerge? SPOILER: Highlight text to read: And hmm, that device...



Rolling Girls episode 4:

This wasn't as good as the series' previous ep.'s, but it was still decent. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Aw, she did the right thing in the end. Also: The montage during the credits was amusing, but surprising...



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 5:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread! <3 )

[MomentOfInertia]

Rolling Girls #--4:
Cant wait to see what trouble they get into next week.

Durarara!!x2 Shou #--4:
So good.

Military!! #--5:
This show annoys me. It's mildly amusing so I feel like 3:30 is about what it's worth. Its humor is more crass/fanservicey than I want but, at 3:30 a single episode can't offend me enough to declare it dead.
...
yeeeah it's not good. but I spend more time watching the commercials for an ep of Rolling Girls sooo.... dunno I guess it's like looking at comments on youtube. you know they're stupid but you keep looking in the hopes that something funny will appear often enough to justify the time.


---
Why did I write the most about the show I like the least? I guess it's because I'm conflicted about it, whereas the other two my opinion quickly boils down to

[skreyola]

I don't think I got through a single episode of Military! I didn't even know it was only 3:30 long. So, reading that, I'm not sorry I didn't pick it up, though.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 6:

So much win. The bit with Yumoto's brother , the club room's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: smell , the whole SPOILER: Highlight text to read: trying-to-disband-the-club-via-various-means trope (including a test score rule and attempting to steal one of the club members ), the baddie-of-the-week talking to himself all the time and creeping everyone out , no one doing anything at first when he caught Ryuu because he was just tickling him , Gero's hair not being obscured with the privacy filter thing (how do they not recognize that, LOL ) + the trio introducing themselves and then just walking away while (Evilly) laughing , and the 'press club' lurking menacingly in the background...



Death Parade episode 5:

This is another episode that I really loved-- although for completely different reasons than the sweet ep. a few weeks ago. This time, it was the shattering of the formula + the really interesting interactions and conversations between the arbiters (including some rather ominous-sounding hints about the system) + a little more info on Onna SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (and Decim's reasons for keeping her around <3 ), and a bit of insight into that doll storybook SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (which is sort of a combination of creepy, sad, and cute...? Can't wait for more!



Rolling Girls episode 5:

Ah, now this is already much better than the previous little mini-arc. For one thing, it's nice to finally see some guys with powers, too. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: And aw, biker-captain gave the stone to Himeko... <3 (BEST INTERRUPTION to their reunion, too. ) Also: LOL at the rest of the biker gang being completely unintelligible (due to engine-revving) except to whomever it is they're directly speaking to ; and what the heck, is Chiaya somehow an octopus?!



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 6:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread~! )

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 7:

...Oh dear. I fully expected the inevitable 'beach episode' to be completely, ridiculously OTT, but IDK about this. Some of it was really funny, yes; but a good portion of it also unfortunately missed the mark... That said, the bit where they were all discussing if one of them SPOILER: Highlight text to read: liked Io (and then were uncomfortable about their room space + the usual tropes happening during the 'courage test' afterwards) was fairly amusing-- including the "You claim to love women, but I've never actually seen you with a woman before!" line (AHAAAAA, they actually pointed it out! )-- and, actually, everything from SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the teacher (only temporarily ) regaining life onwards was quite funny. IDK, though; the rest of it was a bit much. I'll be glad when it goes back to 'normal' next week (if it does).



Death Parade episode 6:

Well, that was... unexpected. (Not complaining, though. ) Along with the already-shown differences in personality/philosophy shown last week, this episode made it even more easy to see why Nona prefers Decim over Ginti (as well she should )-- dude doesn't have any respect or sympathy for humans at all; they're simply there to 'entertain' him, in his estimation, since he's completely bored and annoyed with the whole judging process otherwise. Indeed, he has a very flippant, and even sadistic, attitude overall (...at least until both of his 'guests' happen to surprise him-- Mayu in particular ). And oh my gosh, that post-credits scene-- ROTFL!! (EDIT: Basically, all of this. { <-- Full, unmarked-spoiler warning! }) Can't wait for next week!



Rolling Girls episode 6:

Ahhh, the beginning of this ep. was so cute and sweet! <3 SPOILER: Highlight text to read: They have each other's heart-stones... <3 Also, holy crap-- so it's confirmed then that Chiaya SPOILER: Highlight text to read: either is actually an octopus-thing or can at the very least shapeshift into one? Because with her having woken up freezing and all, that means she was indeed inside the fridge... And LOL, so apparently only the vice captain is unintelligible. Also: Bwahaha, I loved the entire sequence where Tomoki-- after going through SPOILER: Highlight text to read: two different motorcycles-- finally ended up using an actual SPOILER: Highlight text to read: bicycle, yet it still moved just as fast because of the stone! (And, of course, then promptly fell to pieces from the strain. But hey, it got him there-- destroyed bridges and such aside. ) As for the end: It's quite obvious now that the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: heart-stones appear to people who are having strong, heartfelt feelings at certain special times. Now, since there was only one stone that fell to the roof there at the end, the question is-- whose was it? Was it a replacement for Tomoki's stone, which is now in the possession of the protagonists via the trade with Himeko? Or...? This episode was great, and I look forward to the next.



And the ever-fantastic Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 7:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread, as usual! )

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 8:

Yep, it's back to normal. Oh man, that bickering when En-chan got turned tsundere by the 'friendship destroyer'... (Also: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'Menopause,' ROTFL! ) This episode also provided a nice little change of pace at the end, because SPOILER: Highlight text to read: while Yumoto originally *found* the monster, the final battle was IMO the most entertaining one yet because it actually built up En and Atsushi's characters while at the same time finally sidelining Yumoto, who literally didn't do anything there-- En and Atsushi did it all, even the 'finishing moves' and the little speech. <3 Oh, and I like that they mentioned the destroyed roof, bwahaha. And En and Atsushi's endless apologizing at the end for everything they've ever done was both amusing and kinda adorable.



Death Parade episode 7:

WHOA. This episode was awesome!! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: First things first: HOLY CRAP, THE ARBITERS ARE (SENTIENT) DOLLS. (Not to mention the bodies of the people who are being judged!!) HOW THE HECK DID I NOT GUESS THAT?! The foreshadowing/hints for that (combined) reveal were all there, I just hadn't put any of them together. And that's just the really big one-- on top of that, we had Ginti's confusion at not being able to judge Mayu (and his supreme agitation at not only that + her, herself + but also because that means he's sort-of becoming a tiny bit more like Decim in that regard {...Also: The part with the cat! <3 }), Onna finding that storybook + realizing that she's dead, Decim revealing what's up with the dolls he keeps (Onna's reactions to which were hilarious -- although it actually turned out to be very touching and sweet when he fully explained it <3 ), the fact that Decim is an unauthorized experiment by Nona-- who gave him human emotions, Oculus being (rather creepily) suspicious of Nona, more ominous hints about the system (including people needing to be judged at such a rate that the memory-sorters are being overwhelmed {and consequently not doing all that great of a job in the process...} , as well as some sort of time limit?), and more. And then there was that cute eating bit at the end... <3 (Also: I'm quite curious as to what's going to be so 'special' about the next pair that Nona's going to use to test Decim...) So much goodness!



Rolling Girls episode 7:

Hmm... I'm a little miffed that they didn't properly close off the previous story (all they mentioned was that Nozomi gave the stone back to Himeko, which was certainly no surprise). What happened to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the stone that fell on the roof at the end of the previous ep.? Who was it for? Did Chiaya take it, or what? (Also, no closure with Himeko and Tomoki...) Now, I did like the specific Rock theme of this episode, as well as the fact that the stones rain down after a good concert (because what's better for drawing out emotion than great music enjoyed in company with others? <3 ). Also, it was interesting that despite that, the people there don't keep them because they're said to be 'jinxed'... However, other than that stuff, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the band showing up , and the precious few seconds of (music-themed) fighting, this episode was really all over the place. Protags were utterly useless (I mean, granted, they never really did *much*, but before, at least they were trying; here, it was like... wow, why are they even in this ep.? ). And that dialogue ... was that weird speech pattern in the subtitles supposed to indicate Kansai-ben or something? (Though the only way you'd really know that is if you've been into {subbed/raw} anime for a long time, or you're learning the language/dialects, or both-- and even to me it just ended up being rather annoying; so that was a bit of a fail on the localization there, Funi... ) Also: What was up with that really random explanation on the stones' properties by Yukina? Not that I mind the explanation itself (although it wasn't actually necessary, since we all knew that the stones enhance their bearers right from the beginning); but what, now she's somehow suddenly an expert? That came out of nowhere... So, yeah, this was definitely not the greatest ep. of the series...



And OH MY GOODNESS Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 8:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread! )

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 9:

This episode! <3 I loved the 'scholarly' enemy, I loved the fact that he wanted to talk/give riddles/ SPOILER: Highlight text to read: try to lure them into a trap instead of outright fighting, I loved how much time they spent interacting with him, I loved the fact that Ryuu just SPOILER: Highlight text to read: looked up all the answers to the riddles ( + even more melon trivia) on the internet , I loved Yumoto's sneaky little photobombing when Ryuu was trying to prove to his (supposed ) lady friend that he wasn't in town, I loved how they just breezed through all the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'traps' without even a pause in conversation , I loved how they calmed down the enemy without fighting (silliness included ), I loved the fish's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: evil grin (I KNEW IT, LOL ), and OH MY GOSH did I love SPOILER: Highlight text to read: En-chan's mocking reaction to Yumoto's enthusiasm in the middle of the ep. (BWAHAHAHAHA!! )!



Death Parade episode 8:

Oho, so that's why this next duo was special-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: as stated in the beginning of the ep., at least one of them was already a killer when they died, and by the time they're part-way through the game, both of them had the intent to be. (And while some of the 'guests' have certainly attempted to 'kill' each other during the games, until now Decim's never had to judge anyone who was already a full-fledged murderer before they died, no less this... ) It was interesting having one of the 'guests' be a detective, too, simply for his reactions to everything. And then, of course, there was that after-credits revelation when Onna was granted the privilege of seeing the pair's memories, as well... Plus, the very subtle and very slow buildup of tension in this ep. was excellent. So yeah, this was really good.



Rolling Girls episode 8:

Well, this ep. was definitely better than last week's. First things first: I wonder what's supposed to happen once the moon becomes full...? Also, whoa at that 'camera' ... and LOL at SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Chiaya's octopus form being a hindrance to the would-be 'thief.' Also, geisha-mom was surprisingly great, and the entire ending-- concert + energy-beam cannons in the stage + flying buddha missiles exploding into fireworks (did I just write that sentence? LOL ) + double guitar and shamisen solos + that grand finale-- was pretty ridiculous/awesome, LOL.



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 9:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread, as usual! )

[Mouse2010]

Kamisama Hajimemashita (sp?) 2 -- This is the only simulcast I'm currently watching, but I'm really enjoying it. It's much more plot-driven than the previous season. I'm finally caught up all the way through episode 9, and am now left wondering what's going to happen next, plot-wise. Also, speaking of episode 9, it was really nice to see Nanami being a bit badass. I feel like they were underusing her SPOILER: Highlight text to read: new barrier against evil power. It was nice to see her get to use it effectively. I'm particularly happy about seeing SPOILER: Highlight text to read: that annoying Brother Jiro get taken down a peg or two.

[Mullet Death]

KanColle episode 6: I'm a little irritated at best by all the yuri (There's one girl who's especially not my thing who's apparently madly in love with some girl named　Kitagami) and 中学生 fan service, and obviously it's as weird as ever. I can't say I DISLIKE the show however. I like weird things; I don't know.　Incidentally, anyone know if the DMM game this is evidently based on is worth playing?

Saekano episode 8: Sure, there were a few moments of uncalled-for fan service and sexual themes, and somewhat like Nisekoi, all of these characters are embarrassingly stereotypical. But so far (probably because I haven't gotten around to checking out Durararax2 or Kamisama Kiss season 2) I think this is my favorite of the season. It genuinely made me question my life choices, and reconsider my position in life as a "consumer" rather than a creator or doer. It's quite funny and every character has something going for them despite being aggressively tropish, if for no other reason than the talent of their voice actors and the comedy itself, with our "Main Heroine" Kato standing above everyone else with her deadpan delivery of her lines. It's not anywhere close to perfect or deep, but I'm enjoying the ride.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 10:

"Love is glasses," indeed! There were at least four separate tropes running here, all centered around Yumoto, and the whole thing was quite amusing. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: LOL at En-chan's expression when Yumoto's brother was getting dramatic , LOL at all the comments about how Yumoto's character changed, LOL at the secret doors behind the cases (and oh man, I just had a thought: It would be totally hilarious if that was actually the only time they ever showed up and were never explored or mentioned again... ), and ROTFL at everyone (eventually even including the other Defense Club members) suddenly finding Yumoto super cute. On a (slightly) more serious note , despite how awesome Atsushi and En-chan were together during the 'friendship-destroyer'-enemy ep., in the end Yumoto really is the group's leader, motivator, and game-changer, and they had a tough time when those qualities of his weren't present. Also: The 'speech' this time was not only short and sweet, but for once it actually made sense (and was perfectly applicable), LOL! Finally: As probably everyone watching (including myself, LOL ) had called a long time ago, the Press Club's resident 'fish' was indeed another alien. The nice little twist on it here, however, was that (at least, so I assume given the next-ep. preview) the hedgehog is actually working for the fish-- and the fish is most likely the end boss.



Death Parade episode 9:

Wow. This episode... That was dark, intense, and excellent. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The detective's (non-)reactions to everything/'teaching' to the younger guy were really interesting at first (though obviously misguided), but then holy crap, it spiraled from interesting to chilling to downright psychopathic in a masterfully-done way. And oh man, the entire ending, from Onna's snapping point all the way through the credits, was really powerful. (Plus, I honestly was not expecting the younger guy to go the same exact route as the detective in the end {even with the latter's prodding}, especially once he moved the knife away from the discs the first time. Just, wow.) And Decim was just left completely stunned there after all the truth Onna dumped on him-- he definitely has a lot to think about after that... This show is great, and I'm quite looking forward to the final few episodes!



Rolling Girls episode 9:

Um, yikes-- the attempted character 'drama' here didn't work at all (IMO). Even the 'revelation' that Chiaya is SPOILER: Highlight text to read: an alien has been so obvious for a while that it didn't have any impact whatsoever. In fact, pretty much the only interesting thing about the ep. was the raid on the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: heartstone storehouse at the end, and even that wasn't very much so. Not that this show hasn't been (mostly) decent enough overall, but I do hope the last few episodes make up for this one...



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 10:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread! )

[KazeShiki]

Incidentally, anyone know if the DMM game this is evidently based on is worth playing?

Considering how many hours I've sunk into it, it's definitely fun in my view. But it really depends whether you like this kind of game or not. First problem is it's pretty rng heavy, so if you can't handle the cruelness of random bad luck, stay away. On the flip side, there are also people who breeze through the game because Lady Luck loves them. Second, the game is very micromanagement orientated so while all the battles are random, you spend a lot of your time optimizing equips to minimize the rng effect (alternatively, there are strategies which rely on rng), managing your resources properly especially planning for events, and then crafting better equips/ships (which may go very smoothly should luck be on your side). It's definitely very repetitive so you may get tired of it fast, but that comes with the territory of a game so heavy on optimization. The devs have kept constant updates so I haven't run out of things to do yet, and there's also a monthly ranking reward system to keep you motivated in playing, if that's your thing. I think the most "addicting" part is how much you can afk in the game due to 1) running expeditions which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 80 hours and 2) ships being fatigued or damaged, which take time to recover. There are ways to work around the downtime, but it's just so easy to run it in the background, come back and play for 15min, then afk again for however long you need.

In other news, after a kind of slow build up, Junketsu no Maria has gotten really great again with its Christian commentary. I mean, it's arguably all negative, and I do think it goes overboard with saying stuff like "these are the words of God!" buuuut considering the standard for Christianity in anime, it's very impressive and poses questions which are very relevant to faith. This is also pre-Reformation period so there's that to consider about it being more accurate for its historical setting rather than accurate of Christianity itself. I really don't think I can think of any other anime that has Christianity play such an incredibly important role in the plot while still being so accurate (again, some very obvious flaws but relatively better than basically any other anime).

[Mullet Death]

In other news, after a kind of slow build up, Junketsu no Maria has gotten really great again with its Christian commentary. I mean, it's arguably all negative, and I do think it goes overboard with saying stuff like "these are the words of God!" buuuut considering the standard for Christianity in anime, it's very impressive and poses questions which are very relevant to faith. This is also pre-Reformation period so there's that to consider about it being more accurate for its historical setting rather than accurate of Christianity itself. I really don't think I can think of any other anime that has Christianity play such an incredibly important role in the plot while still being so accurate (again, some very obvious flaws but relatively better than basically any other anime).

Hmmm. I had been interested in Junketsu no Maria, but after reading your comments and this article:

http://mageinabarrel.com/2015/01/19/the ... tholicism/

I think I'm gonna give it a pass. It sounds like precisely the sort of content I try to avoid. >_>



Saekano 9: This episode hit rather close to home because I once abandoned a friend in an attempt to save face. This show is such a masup of absurdity and believeable dialogue and situations that I'm left totally unsure what to feel. Also, yet more fan service because reasons.

[ForeverInspired]

Yona of the Dawn Episode 22

...It was the greatest thing EVER. Seriously, the visuals, the music, the characters, and everything is so spot on and perfect. Also, that last confrontation scene just sent chills up my spine. Seriously, it's all perfect, and from the preview, it looks to get even better. This is when it kills to be an episode behind on crunchyroll due to not having full membership. Anyway, please let there be a second season!

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 11:

This was a great intro for the finale. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Bwahaha, the comedic timing on the Press Club's entrance there was perfect. Also: Oh my gosh the 'cold storage' sleeping bag for the poor (dead{-ish}) teacher... And LOL, I just *knew* that break-of-friendship between Atsushi and Kinshirou was going to (purposefully, of course) end up being something really, ridiculously trivial... and, sure enough, it was-- curry. (Actually, that whole silly curry thing being the start {and end} of it all makes a tad more sense out of all the show's many other food references now. I mean, not like it actually needed any explanation, LOL, but it's funny that it got some. ) As for the aliens' world-domination campaign: Heheh, so it was officially 'cancelled,' but they're still going for it anyway... (Or does the fish mean like TV-show cancelled? Which, actually, could very well be the case, given the fact that his minions are the Press Club... ) And 'BAKA POWER,' LOL! Oh, and they actually *did* use the doors, and in a great way, too. Speaking of which: BWAHAHAHAHA, Kinshirou's second-level-form has lipstick and mascara! That is so perfect, I just can't. And the fighting in this was quite fun, too. Finally: That "Are they planning to do the same thing again?" line... Is Goura a mahou shounen, too? (Running in with an axe, though... ) And was it just me or was the ED song slightly different for this ep.? Looking forward to the finale.



Death Parade episode 10:

Another fantastic ep.! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Decim doubting the judging system, the explanation of the 'time frame' (Onna's going to disappear and turn back into a plain doll if she stays much longer ), the wife of the old guy from the Death Billiards short being one of the 'guests' (!), and Decim's decision to judge said lady and Onna *without* that selective pre-download of their memories *or* the darkness-inducing elements of the games! <3 (Also, LOL, them playing "Old Maid" was so perfect. But also quite interesting, too, of course, with the different things on the cards and such. I just had to laugh at the appropriateness of the name {and hey, even the lady herself joked about it, so... }.) Also, I loved the fact that she ended up not only being a great Death Billiards tie-in, but also a really awesome, calm, and sweet character in and of herself. <3 Also, we now finally have the reveal of Onna's name , and I'm really interested to see whether her *complete* (unedited) memories are for her, or for Decim (or both)? Also: Decim's conclusion at the end... <3 Finally: Oh dear, Oculus and Ginti being creepy (especially the former)... Anyway, that aside, this was a really nice, calm ep. before the final two. Really looking forward to seeing how this ends!



Rolling Girls episode 10:

Well, this did indeed make up for the previous ep., LOL. The little alien backstory in the beginning was just enough; that tax collector was hilariously perfect ; and most of the rest of the ep. was good, too. The only thing that bothered me was Nozomi SPOILER: Highlight text to read: having a stone-- that's just plain confusing. Because either I missed something, or she's had it the whole time? So why isn't she SPOILER: Highlight text to read: a Best, then? Anyway, that rather weird moment aside, this ep. was good enough. Let's see how this ends...



And Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 11:

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread! )

[KazeShiki]

How is Rolling Girls so good? I don't even understand how it's so awesome myself. Ozawa Ari is now 2/2 between this and Nozaki-kun. Clearly the greatest seiyuu ever in the making.

[skreyola]

Koufuku Graffiti ep. 10 - We finally SPOILER: Highlight text to read: meet the girl downstairs Too bad there are only two more episodes to enjoy that. OTOH, I don't think I'll be sad when this show is over. It's not among the top 10 shows I've seen in the last year.

[MangaRocks!]

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! episode 12 (end):

ROTFL!!!!! *I KNEW IT*!!! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Yep, Gora was indeed a previous 'hero' (a hilariously awesome/OP one, too! )... and to top it all off, the whole thing was, indeed, a TV show! Oh man, that entire bit (especially the aliens' argument after the explanation!) was hilariously fantastic. (Also, oh my gosh, that 'kabuki' rule was so on-point, LOL! ) And ha, that punch to the face of the Press Club guy was *so* deserved... And while (minus the SUDDENLY ROBOTS bit, ROTFL ) the rest of it played precisely as expected, of course (i.e., the whole turning Gora into a baddie thing, how Kinshirou came to his senses, Dark-Gora's interruption of the "Love Attack," everyone's 'good' second-level form {although I was not expecting that name, bwahaha! "More Better," I just can't... Also, I loved the fact that Arima, who was never even given a one-liner motivation like most of the others, just said "I don't really know" when everyone was saying what they were fighting for })-- which, also of course, was on purpose-- but it was so well-done that I was grinning my way through all of it. Finally: HAHAHA, that VERY IMPORTANT NEWS at the end... about the teacher. I certainly don't regret watching this silly and amusing parody series.



Death Parade episode 11:

...WOW. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: First things first: Ah, of course-- Chiyuki was an ice skater! (And her outfit was indeed lovely. <3 ) The whole SPOILER: Highlight text to read: skating sequence (until that inevitable ending) was absolutely *beautiful* in all respects-- visually, musically, and emotionally (not gonna lie, I teared up just a bit there). <3 <3 SPOILER: Highlight text to read: That said: The instant that fake skin flew off of her knee, I knew exactly what that flaked-off bit on her wrist was going to mean... Also: Holy crap, Ginti, that was brutal. I mean, sure, Mayu and Harada sort-of melding together into one there is probably the best possible outcome for her, terribleness of the void aside; but the way he accomplished it... yikes. (...LOL at that picture he showed her, though-- Light from Death Note, is that you? And is that why they said so many people were dying so fast recently? ) Looking forward to the finale!



Rolling Girls episode 11:

Well, that was a bit anticlimactic, LOL (both the very first opening fight-- which I was pretty much expecting-- but also the little reveal about the 'tax collectors,' LOL). That said, the rest of the episode was entertaining enough, I suppose. (Also: LOL at Ai apparently SPOILER: Highlight text to read: becoming a #2. And ah, so SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the alien-scientist-dude's escape pod didn't get back to the moon after all... ) Not sure what would make for a satisfying conclusion to this, since there were only ever the barest threads of a story in this show to begin with; but I guess we'll find out next week...



And the awesome Durarara!!x2 Shou episode 12 (end, for now... next stop, July! ):

(Comments on it in the dedicated DRRR!! watch thread! )

[Mouse2010]

Finished up Kamisama Hajimemashite season 2. I really liked this season . . . right up until the last two eps, which just didn't do it for me. The first season was mostly stand-alone eps or very short arcs, but it had what I thought was a strong ending with a fair amount of closure. This season was the opposite: it had longer, more complicated story arcs (which I liked), but the ending didn't really seem to resolve any of the things I thought it might resolve. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: For example, I thought there'd be more closure to the Akura-oh plotline. Instead, all we got was a tantalizing hint that he actually cares about "his" mom. That was interesting, but it was hardly a resolution, you know? On the whole I felt that this ending was just setting things up for a third season.

So I'm a little disappointed by the non-ending, but I'm hopeful that it isn't the real end of the show. The show isn't brilliant, but it is good, and I'd be happy to see more if more is produced. I may end up seeking out the manga, too.

[skreyola]

[wrong thread]

[MangaRocks!]

Death Parade episode 12 (end):

WOW. What an excellent end to an excellent show! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: First: I was a bit surprised that Oculus backed off and didn't do anything to Nona after she dodged his first attempt, but I certainly didn't mind. Also: Ginti's cat leaving him spoke volumes, wouldn't you say? All that said, though, the prime focus of this ep. was Chiyuki and Decim, and holy crap, man, the feels. That entire thing between them was just expertly done-- their actions, emotions, thoughts, and resolutions were just beautiful. (Yeah, I teared up. ) I'm glad I watched this.



And Rolling Girls episode 12 (end):

......Well, that was sufficiently underwhelming. Everything just kinda fizzled to a halt-- from its animation (still frames, reused footage, and highly-unimpressive sky 'battle,' ahoy!), to the 'resolution' of the last 'arc' (so... what was the pirate-girl's motivation, again?), to even the series' overall 'plot' points-- despite the fact that there were very few of them to even deal with in the first place (...so, if the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: heartstones actually didn't have anything to do with the Bests' powers in the first place, what on earth was the point of all the dialogue/'plot' explaining that they were {down to the molecular level, no less}? Added to that: Masami and Nozomi's reunion was about as nonexistent as possible while still being 'there'... and the reasons the other girls joined in on the original trip in the first place were unbelievably lame {it would've been better to just *not* explain them, IMO}... and wait, wait, wait-- the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: alien professor dude stayed on Earth there at the end instead of going on the ship? Whatever for? SPOILER: Highlight text to read: He and Haruka had far more chemistry in 30 seconds combined than he and {whatever-motivation'ed-}pirate-girl had in three entire episodes. And what's with the utterly random SPOILER: Highlight text to read: new alien 'President,' which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever? Or was that actually SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Haruka with just a different hair color/style + wardrobe or something? And, if *that's* true, then why SPOILER: Highlight text to read: did *she* stay, as well, when it sounded pretty clear that she was going with Chiaya? And if, in turn, *that* is true, meaning that *both* of those original aliens decided to stay {her and the professor, albeit separately}, then why the heck were they even sending Chiaya back to the moon in the first place {*by herself*, on a trip that had been proven to be extremely unreliable *twice* before now!}?? Good grief. ). So, yeah-- basically, this series was a mess. Granted, a very pretty-looking and very good-sounding mess; but a mess all the same. (Oh well... at least the *other* shows I watched this season lived up to {and, in some cases, even surpassed} my expectations. )

[GeneD]

Last Episode Impressions

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!
This was a perfect ending episode. It was absolutely hilarious, had me in stitches several times, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the TV show twist. The "More Better Love Making" I DIED! And yay Goura got to do things.

And was it just me or was the ED song slightly different for this ep.?

Yeah both the ending song for ep. 11 and the OP as ED in this ep. was taken from later parts of each song.

Aldnoah.Zero
Well at least there’s no more yet. Anyway not much to say here; meaningless, bad-to-mediocre series I couldn’t decide to drop.

Durarara!!x2 Shou
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kida what are you doing? Mikado what are you doing? Weakest point this season was the relative lack of Kida and I’m not sure I followed all the mafia manoeuvring but yeah, definitely makes for good re-watch value. The Shizuo/Vorona face-off at the end was spectacular. I definitely appreciated this more than the 1st season, to the point that I’m sure I should go re-watch that and give it another chance, maybe for the next new bit comes out...

Tokyo Ghoul √A
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: So they killed off my “favourite” character, Hide. And nothing really got resolved but yeah. I’m still probably gonna check out the manga and I know this wasn’t a very faithful adaption. Best part was hearing Unravel (S1 OP) again.

Death Parade (Last 2 episodes)
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Why is Light from Death Note here?! Intentional or not, that was so weird. I thought the Mayu/Harada story wrapped up rather abruptly, I was under the impression Mayu had stayed behind and Harada went back in the elevator? Cause we saw her a few times after their focus episode and no sign of him, was there? Anyway, the whole thing with Nona and Flower-Hair Guy (that was freaky) also felt unresolved, though I don’t really know what they could have ended it otherwise. Overall I think I wanted to like the show more than I did and wanted it to be better than it was, not that it’s by any means bad. Also it gets points for being the first show in a very long time my brother watched with me.

Rolling☆Girls
I feel less harshly about this episode than MangaRocks! seems to, though I agree this last arc was all over the place. Parts of it was sweet and I bought into those. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: From what I understand, Chiaya is unrelated to both her “mom” and the professor and was a stowaway on their ship, that’s why she was sent home and they stayed, as per their original purpose(?) I feel like the show suffered from a one-a-week release and for anyone planning to re-watch or watch for the first time, they should at least watch it in arcs, if not marathoning it altogether. Overall it’s extremely pretty, I liked all the music, but it didn’t really live up to my expectation/its potential.


Season rankings ( I like lists)

1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Egypt arc (ongoing)
TIE for #2. Durarara!!x2 Shou
TIE for #2. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!
TIE for #3. Death Parade
TIE for #3. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (ongoing)
4. Rolling Girls
5. Tokyo Ghoul √A
6. Aldnoah.Zero 2nd Season

Dropped Koufuku Graffiti and Yuri Kuma Arashi and came close to dropping A/Z at least twice.

Favourite OPs

1. Death Parade - Wins hands down and IMO falls in the “better-than-its-show” category.
2. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!
2. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu - This might be random but I relate on a personal level to a part of the lyrics, so that pushed it up the list.
3. Durarara!!x2 Shou
3. Rolling Girls

I intensely disliked the Tokyo Ghoul one at first, probably because I love S1’s so much and was expecting something great, but it grew on me a bit at least.

Favourite EDs

1. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!
2. Durarara!!x2 Shou - One of the cases where I like the short version better than the full song.
3. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu
4. Rolling Girls - All of them
5. Tokyo Ghoul √A - The art was particularly great

[skreyola]

So, let's see how the season went:
Durarara!!x2 Shou
Well, I guess it's either this or watch more shows that came out earlier. I guess I could do worse than DRRR.
I didn't end up watching this; I caught up on more earlier shows.
Junketsu no Maria
I am veeeeeeeery leery, but a tiny corner of my mind thinks there's a chance, however slim, that I wouldn't be forced to run screaming into the night after only one episode. I'll keep an eye on the reviews before wading into this show.
Reviews did not convince me to give this one a try.
Koufuku Graffiti
Girl makes food and people eat it and are happy. No really, it's actually just about cooking and eating.[/quote]
I will probably watch this.
I will probably continue in my initial reaction: sadness that the title was not Mixed Vegetables.
I was right on both counts. I watched it, and my final reaction is the same as my first one: I wish it had been an adaptation of Mixed Vegetables, instead.
Pankis! 2-jigen
But what is it? And will it all be done chibi?
I never found this.
The Rolling Girls
The characters look interesting, but what's it about? Just girls on (motor)bikes?
This show was so disappointing, I dropped it after 1-2 episodes. On top of everything else, there was a severe lack of motorbikes.
Other shows I completed this season:
Emma ssns 1-2
Log Horizon ssn 1
The World Is Still Beautiful
Your Lie in April (continued from last season)
Yona of the Dawn
Shirobako (continued from last season)

Graffiti Girl ep 12 - This was a little confusing and disappointing. I guess the biggest disappointment was that there was no Taberuu song at the end. The recap of most of the foodie fanservice from throughout the season didn't make up for the lack of dubiduba. That said, the episode itself was decent... just not stellar. And there wasn't enough of downstairs-girl.