Spring 2017 Anime!

[Mouse2010]

I am too lazy to describe all of this season's shows, but I thought we should at least have a thread to talk about what we're watching. Here's MAL's list of the Spring 2017 season. https://myanimelist.net/anime/season/2017/spring

I'm so glad to see that Cruncyroll has Attack on Titan Season 2. Haven't seen the first episode yet, because we're actually in the middle of rewatching the first season. There's a lot I'd forgotten!

[MangaRocks!]

Yay! Thanks for posting this thread, Mouse!


So far, I'm watching 4 shows this season: The Eccentric Family 2, KADO: The Right Answer, Natsume's Book Of Friends S6, and Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul. (...Also keeping an eye on Tsuki ga Kirei; might dive into that later depending on what I hear.)




The Eccentric Family 2 ep.'s 1-2:

Ahhhhh, it's so good for this to be back! <3 S1 was charming, amusing, moving, beautiful, and really just plain awesome, so I was practically ecstatic when I heard that there was going to be a second season-- and these first 2 ep.'s definitely did *not* disappoint! So far, the first new character ( SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Akadama's estranged son) is very interesting, and it's also quite interesting to see Yasaburo's interactions with him (and the other SPOILER: Highlight text to read: tengu). As for the other new character-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: an apparant human escapee from (the fictional version of) hell? -- I'm not quite sure what to think about that yet, LOL , but I'm sure it'll all come together in due time. So, yeah, cannot wait for more!




KADO: The Right Answer ep.'s 0-2:

...First things first: Not sure why episode "0" (a.k.a. "Ninovo") was split off into an OVA, as it's a pretty necessary intro. I mean, yeah, it was a bit boring until the end; but, precisely because of that, if the very synopsis of the show hadn't spoiled me on that twist , it would've been a pretty decent one, and anyway it fleshes out the MC's. As for visuals, the 2D/3DCG mix was... a little odd (seriously, just pick one! ), and it's certainly noticable (especially with the characters' movements), but it's surprisingly tolerable nonetheless (and, to be fair, the Cube looks incredible-- that detail! {...Which is where I assume most of that 3DCG budget went, LOL }). Anyway, I haven't quite pinned down my opinion on this yet: On the one hand, aside from all the visuals (apart from the Cube ), I did have to suspend my disbelief a couple of times, and the pacing is pretty bad (...oh, and was it just me, or was I detecting some slight slash-bait vibes buried in there on occasion, too? ); on the other hand, though, the other-dimensional being (and the "KADO" thing) is actually fairly interesting in a classic sci-fi sort of way (especially in ep. 2)-- indeed, I have to admit that he is pretty much the only thing keeping me curious about this show right now. We'll see how it goes...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 1:

Whoa... they're really skipping around-- they jumped past 3-4 volumes to get to this story (in fact I just read this story in the newest volume, LOL). Don't get me wrong, this was a great season opener and I absolutely adore this chapter (as well as the one they're doing next ep.-- oh man, I'm gonna tear up again... <3 ), but I was just surprised because there's a few things I think they really need to adapt this season (a really awesome bit of character development with Natori + finally a hint SPOILER: Highlight text to read: about Natsume's grandfather {!}, plus one of my all-time favorite Natsume stories-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the only one where a human-yokai couple actually works out, at least for the most part) that happen 'before' this (volume-wise). But this adaptation has never let me down yet, so I guess I'll just trust it and enjoy!




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep.'s 1-2 + the two Rage Of Bahamut: Genesis - Short Story 9-minute short connecting OVA's beforehand:

Rage Of Bahamut: Genesis was a surprise hit when it came out (indeed, I was very pleasantly surprised at how great it was!), and this second season already has me just as hooked! First: Despite the apparent 10-year timeskip afterwards, the two short OVA's actually perfectly connect the end of the first season to the beginning of the second one here, including even a little bit more backstory/character development of a few characters plus a (partial) explanation of why Favaro hasn't shown up in the new season just quite yet. As for the second season itself: Nina is great (and really amusing ), terrible king is terrible , SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Azazel is apparently a vigilante now, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: OP kid is OP (and another hybrid, it seems?)-- not complaining though , Rita is as awesome as usual , and the tone as well as the visuals and music are all as great as ever. (Plus, it's apparently going to be 2-cours! ) In short, I already love Virgin Soul just as much as Genesis, and am really looking forward to the rest!

[EventualDay]

Yay Spring thread <3

I am watching SukaSuka so far and that's it. It's definitely going to get dark later--maybe a sleeper hit show? Regardless, I like the idea of father-child relationships that I hope to see developing (ideally, above any romantic relationships...) Or, maybe this will become something a little like Re:Zero? That's the vibe I'm getting so far, anyway.


Later I'm planning to try Tsuki ga Kirei, Re:Creators (which as a writer I am super excited about... I've heard good things already), and maybe Alice to Zouroku. I have a feeling a lot of these this season (and year, really!) are actually going to be decent, so even if I don't keep up with them now, I plan to get to them eventually...

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 3:

Ah... so it was an SPOILER: Highlight text to read: illusion of hell that the guy had been under; that makes more sense. And what a pleasant surprise-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Benten is already back! I hadn't really expected *that* until near the end of the series, but of course having that happen now makes things even more interesting. And oh my goodness, the dramatic music/framing when SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Nidaime was ironing was hilarious. Also: Nidaime is very interesting in his own right-- part of him is kinder <3 , part of him is more devious, and part of him is *far* more reckless than I expected (oh my gosh, when he just casually SPOILER: Highlight text to read: dumped *Benten* of all people off the couch onto the floor ... dude is seriously asking for trouble, LOL! ). Really looking forward to the next ep.!




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 3:

...Okay, I'm warming up to this a little bit more now. I mean, yeah, the visuals are still the same, the pacing is still bad, and there's still a bit too much reliance on 'coyness' in the information-reveals (plus recap narration!) ; however, little things like the reporter triumphantly exclaiming SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "I love you, alien!" upon hearing that zaShunina wanted the talks to be publicly broadcast are kinda endearing , and the sci-fi aspects are truly fascinating (meaning both zaShunina himself as well as his goal{s}). So while this is still not a *great* show (nor do I expect it to be any different going forward after the first 4 episodes all had the exact same standard of quality), there's still enough here to keep me interested for the duration, I think (as long as it doesn't go off the rails at some point in the future, LOL), so I will be continuing it for now.




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 2:
Oh my goodness, this ep. was just as perfect as I expected-- the humor, the beauty, the emotion... <3 So good!!




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 3:

Aha, so sometime during the timeskip between the mini-OVA's and this season, Favaro SPOILER: Highlight text to read: somehow ended up 'teaching' bounty hunting to Nina? Quite curious as to how he got mixed up with the dragon village... but considering that this season will have 2 cours, there's plenty of time for them to tell that story at some point. The arm-wrestling sequence was great, too ( SPOILER: Highlight text to read: ...the king though... ). And the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'holy child' is getting more and more intriguing... Also: Rita saying essentially saying that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the hand was her and Kaiser's 'child'-- ROTFL!!

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 4:

Oh man, the tension in that opening scene... And as for the shogi tournament: Haha, *that* went well... Also: That SPOILER: Highlight text to read: little romance for Yaichiro is so cute (and even everyone in the story ships it! ). Plus a clever little explanation of why tanuki can't transform when SPOILER: Highlight text to read: caged. And then that ending... Looking forward to the next ep.!




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 4:

...Welp, that went pretty much exactly as expected-- mainly because it's depressingly realistic, LOL. Y'know, the U.N. being completely untrustworthy, almost everyone wanting to keep the energy under 'strict control' , resorting to military force when that fails , etc.-- pretty much exactly as in RL (unfortunately). Less realistic but still-also-expected was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Hanamori getting chosen for that extremely powerful position + SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the goofy science girl apparently somehow being the person that can help bring the Wam to everyone on the planet or something , but whatever. I'm not really taking this all that seriously anyway...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 3:

What can I say? This was yet another wonderful episode. <3




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 4:

WHOA-- that fight sequence in the beginning looked amazing (the budget for this series must be unreal, LOL)! As for Nina: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Interestingly enough, despite what she thinks, she's not entirely 'out of control'/without conscious decision-making when in her unleashed-dragon form, since she did actually recognize Kaisar and pull back from attacking him. And oh my gosh, I literally LOL'd at Azazel's... *ahem*... SPOILER: Highlight text to read: proposition (both because of his utterly casual tone/not understanding why it was a big deal + Nina's reactions, as well as the implications of what would actually happen *well* before that could even occur { SPOILER: Highlight text to read: ...seriously, Nina can barely even *LOOK* at a cute guy without transforming, and a hug transformed her immediately. She'd transform long before sleeping with her could ever happen, LOL}). Also: Holy crap, that was quite the bombshell of a plot point dropped at the end there... SPOILER: Highlight text to read: What in the world happened between that scene with Jeanne in the prequel OVA and this? Was Michael really the 'father'? I mean, it makes sense, but... wow. Cannot wait for the next ep.!

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 5:
OH MY GOSH I ADORED THIS EP.!! Akadama-sensei being like the best matchmaker ever-- and not only once, but *twice*-- + completely bypassing SPOILER: Highlight text to read: any cliché drawn-out drama ( ) was wise and extremely heartwarming all at once. <3 Also: ROTFL, Benten SPOILER: Highlight text to read: stealing the chaise was priceless. Wow, though-- that entire sequence SPOILER: Highlight text to read: from when Nidaime showed up to the end was a bit surprising in a number of (good) ways. Can't wait for next week~!




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 5:

Hmm... the 'scientist' girl is getting a bit annoying now (or, rather, who the heck would have the first reaction of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: trying to *EAT* the dude's hand? I mean... *what?* ). And this ep. was really kinda boring overall as well. That said, that little reveal at the end about SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the Wam's shape and giving that out, etc. was definitely unexpected by me, so that was a nice little surprise. We'll see how this goes from here...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 4:

*YES* -- this is one of those two stories that I mentioned desperately wanting to see adapted this season (the one with Natori)... and it's even a 2-parter, just like the chapters! So happy~ <3




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 5:

LOL, oh my gosh, poor Rita... (Actually, TBH, I had always kinda wondered a bit about that ship possibly happening at some point, but for her to actually have been considering it as well, and then getting inevitably disappointed due to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kaisar's personality {...in fact, I'm really becoming rather convinced that he's actually asexual or something, because IIRC he's never actually shown even the slightest hint of that sort of attraction-- or even the slightest hint of any consciousness of it-- to anyone, ever...}. Don't mind what happens with that either way, though, so long as it's written well {and it has been so far}, so whatever. ) Also: LOL, so Nina really thinks that Mugaro is SPOILER: Highlight text to read: a girl? I thought for sure they mentioned that he was a boy (but then again I wasn't actually listening out for any gendered words in the actual dialogue at the time, I was just looking at whatever the subs said, so I'm not entirely sure). But hey, crossdressing is actually a really good disguise (considering that that one angel walked right past Mugaro without recognizing him{?}), so why not? Finally: Oh my gosh I laughed way too hard at Bacchus' SPOILER: Highlight text to read: super-girly almost-scream at the end-- that was priceless. Really looking forward to the next episode!

[MangaRocks!]

...Whoops! Forgot to post last week, LOL.



The Eccentric Family 2 ep.'s 6-7:

Ep. #6: Wow... was not expecting SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Soun to show back up again, no less be perfectly willing to commit SPOILER: Highlight text to read: actual cannibalism out of revenge, etc. I mean, yeah, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: murder is one thing, and it's certainly bad enough; but willing to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: literally eat his own kind? I was a tad surprised that this went there, to be honest. Though, that *does* set up a great villain menace (and boy was he menacing). On another note: The little jaunt into the painting was a tad odd, but points for genuine uneasiness + humor + SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Benten handily kicking some oni backside just for fun. And Ep. #7: Wow-- this took a hard left turn *twice,* and I did not see either twist coming! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: First was that after Yasaburo tried to save the teacher, Benten casually uprooted everyone's plans by suggesting that Yasaburo join instead of Soun (and the leader accepted). I mean, I kinda suspected Yasaburo's plan wasn't going to work out quite as expected, but not that it would backfire so spectacularly, LOL. And then I was *really* stunned at the fact that Soun was actually killed off here. And the whole tone of that scene, too... just masterfully done. (Also: I was already pretty heavily suspecting that the leader of the Friday Club was a tengu, but now I'm 100% convinced that he is. Dunno if there will ever be direct confirmation in-universe, though.)




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 6:

...Oookay then. All the complicated restrictions for SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the Cube's movement, etc. seemed pretty overly contrived, if you ask me... Also, I've read and watched way too much other sci-fi to just trust that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: not sleeping is a good thing, even if it seems like there's no downside at the time, LOL... ...And there was no ep. 7 this week, but a *recap* instead. (Umm... a recap after a mere six episodes? Pretty serious production troubles, then, eh... )




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep.'s 5-6:

Ep. #5: ...Whoops! I forgot that *this* one with Natori was actually the *precursor* to the one I was really talking about with Natori, LOL. But hey, that's a good sign! (And I love every story anyway {including this one}, because they're all awesome. <3 ). Speaking of which... Ep. #6: Ahhh, I had (also, LOL) completely forgotten that the stories about Nishimura and Kinomoto hadn't been animated yet-- so glad they did! <3 (This show, too good... )




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep.'s 6-7:

Ep. #6: Wow, that date was surprisingly adorable. (Does SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the king have a split personality or something? And I'm not being flippant here-- it really is like he's an almost completely different person when he's in his SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'king' mode, so... ) Also: Wow at that animation of the dance...! The budget for this season must be off the charts! Finally: Uh-oh, after the date, Nina could SPOILER: Highlight text to read: not only be relatively okay around the king now, but could actually look Azazel straight in the face without even a hint of a blush-- so methinks his scheme to use her is going to go horribly wrong... And Ep. #7: ...Yep, that went pretty much as expected (though the scene where SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Azazel tries to make Nina transform was actually a lot funnier than I was anticipating ). But holy crap, the pacing of this episode was fantastic-- it literally only felt like about 5 minutes long (I was actually shocked when the credits hit, LOL-- luckily there was an after-credits scene to connect it up with the opening one; though still a cliffhanger, of course~ ).

[Mouse2010]

Sorry for being absent from my own thread for so long!

So, the only thing I'm watching this season is Attack on Titan. And since I wanted to rewatch the first season before hand, it's taken me quite a while to get started. (I still think that was the right thing to do, though, since season 2 picks up immediately where Season 1 left off.)

But now I'm about four episodes into Season 2 and, well, wow. THIS SHOW IS SO DISTURBING. I don't just mean the often graphic violence, but I also feel like each new development is more creepy or disturbing than the last. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The episode where Connie goes back to his hometown seems to be suggesting that the residents of the town have all been turned into Titans, which might explain where all the Titans inside wall Rose are coming from. My guess is that the Beast Titan can somehow turn humans into Titans and then control them. If so, that is seriously creepy.

Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying this. But this show is not for the faint of heart.

[GeneD]

Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep 8
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: FAVAROOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I've been waiting a long time to say that. Finally! I was getting worried he wouldn't show up at all or just get a cameo this season.
Needless to say I've been enjoying this a lot.

Biggest surprise of the season though has been The Royal Tutor, which so far (I've seen up to 7) has been funnier, cleaner and more thoughtful than I ever would have dreamed.

I read the manga for My Hero Academia and AoT, but MHA has been a lot more fun to watch than the latter, which I might drop or put on hold, I'm not particularly motivated to watch it right now.

I'm also watching (and am behind on) Re:Creators, Sakura Quest and Eccentric Family. Eccentric Family is love.

[MangaRocks!]

^ The Royal Tutor manga is steadily climbing towards the top of my "need to read soon" list...!

(...Also, whoops, skipped a week of posting again, LOL... )




The Eccentric Family 2 ep.'s 8-9:

Ep. #8: This episode was fantastic. From finally seeing Yashiro's lab (LOL ), to Yajiro's temporary transformations, to the sweet little family moment <3 , to the both funny and beautiful sequence depicting the elimination of the feud (!) , to Benten and Nidaime's *very* charged little chat, to Yajiro's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: planned journey and Yasaburo's consequent freak-out/sulk at all the rapid change/encroaching responsibility, to-- most of all-- the big reveal at the end, which was a complete surprise but actually made absolute perfect sense... man, this show~ <3 And ep. #9: Aww, the beginning with Yajiro was so heart-tugging. <3 And oh man, it's always so fascinating and so much fun to watch the interactions between Yasaburo and all the tengu, even when it gets tense (as it does whenever Benten and Nidaime are mentioned to or meet each other-- and SPOILER: Highlight text to read: boy was it tense here, especially with all that stuff going on under the surface of both their characters...). Oh, and the twins were hilarious. In other words, this ep. was at least as good (if not better) as the previous one, and I can't wait for next week!




KADO: The Right Answer ep.'s 7-8:

Ep. #7: ...And despite apparently having an extra week to polish this (with that random and utterly pointless recap ep., which I obviously didn't condescend to view, being aired last week instead -- seriously, who the heck needs a recap after a mere 6 ep.'s?? ), this still has bad pacing. (They really need a better editor... ) Anyway, the festival bit was kinda weird at first but also kinda funny (as the alien becoming more humanlike and more curious was admittedly kinda cute ); really, though, the one truly interesting bit was with the reporters + consequently getting more info on the no-sleep thing, which was creepy, cool, and very intriguing all at once. Shindo said later on in the ep. that it's still *possible* to sleep, it's just not *necessary,* and that it doesn't seem to affect health or lifespan. Still, while it seems harmless, and I have no doubt that the alien has good intentions, I can't help but be suspicious of its effects nevertheless. And ep. #8: Welp-- on the one hand, the editing was as bad as ever, the 'visit to the parents' was utterly predictable, and I really kinda resented the whole evolution/'nobody made it and nobody's will was involved' speeches (for the obvious reason) ... yet on the other, the bits with the reporters were great, I was very pleasantly surprised that they actually SPOILER: Highlight text to read: went through with the broadcast to its completion (I was totally expecting a cliché SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'MC changes his mind and interrupts' sort of thing, but no, they actually did it, and to massive effect, no less!), *and* that last shot was the first time that I found the alien to be just a bit creepy... (And since there was a general feeling of unease throughout the last sequence, I'm certain that was intentional.) See, this is why I keep watching this series-- even though the writing, pacing, and editing could do with being *MUCH* tighter, and the presentation isn't the best, there's that classic underlying sci-fi plot and these little points of intrigue that still catch my interest...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep.'s 7-8:

Ep. #7: Ah, this one, where we get another glimpse at Reiko and her circumstances/personality, plus a really sweet 'personal update' from the yokai relating the story. <3 And ep. #8: YEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!! This is the one!! The one I was desperately hoping that they would adapt! The one that features SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the only yokai/human romance to ever (mostly) work out in the entire series so far! And it was just as beautiful in animated form as I'd expected. <3 <3 Aaaaah, this show~!




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep.'s 8-9:

Ep. #8: Welp... I guess that's pretty much the only way I expected it to end SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (with literally everyone {except Rita, of course } being captured by their respective pursuers), but it was still pretty depressing, LOL. (Well, at least until the after-credits scene, where SPOILER: Highlight text to read: FAVAROOOOO finally makes his grand entrance! ) Also, that 3-way fight in the beginning was awesome, as was Nina's very-accurate and very-well-deserved rant to the king. And, of course, now that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Favaro is back, things are going to liven up considerably... And ep. #9: Much of this was amusing and cute, as we finally get the backstory on what SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Favaro was up to and how he knew Nina. Next week: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Jailbreak time (with help from Rita)~!

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 10:

There being SPOILER: Highlight text to read: no fight actually makes a lot of sense, given how that went the last time , and SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Benten's words about kindness were very interesting. The whole bit with Yasaburo and Gyokuran was great (and insightful). The flashback scene with Yaichiro and SPOILER: Highlight text to read: their father + his own talk with Gyokuran were both really sweet. <3 And the girl Yajiro met was cute ... but ohhhhh crap, between the unnamed guy in the other room saying SPOILER: Highlight text to read: that the brother returning was a 'funny story' + Kaisei's own explanation, I think I know what that was implying, and it's not gonna be good for the victims of the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: imposter's plot. Speaking of which: HOLY CRAP THAT ENDING (!) -- and SPOILER: Highlight text to read: while they aren't dead yet (only wounded so far, but of course that's plenty bad enough ), with Kaisei there Yasaburo can't transform, just like his father couldn't in the presence of Benten! Ahhhhh I need the next ep. NOW, help!




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 9:

OH SNAP. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Yep, the creepiness at the end of the previous episode was indeed intentional. Actually, this was *mostly* a very good ep. for the show-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: zaShunina finally revealed his desires, and yep, I was right to be skeptical of his 'gifts.' Granted, it's not a very original plot point in and of itself, but the reasoning behind it was unexpected. ...That said, there *were* three things that bugged me: The slightly-too-long spinny scene; the use of the "everyone's in love with the MC for no apparent reason!" cliché (Shindou now has no less than 4 people who are into him, and two of those characters are guys ... {guess I wasn't wrong about detecting some slash-bait earlier on, then... Though, I'm 100% certain it's going to stay as just bait, given that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the one human guy who expressed love for him assumedly knows Shindou doesn't swing that way, since he never said anything and apparently doesn't intend to, either; and the second guy is zaShunina, and that is clearly going nowhere after the stunt he pulled in this ep., among other things. Still... }); and finally the reveal that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Tsukai was an alien, too. I mean, I get that it makes sense for there to be an observer/'admin' of a sort for each 'cocoon'; it's just that I don't like *her* being the one. Oh well; we'll see how that turns out, I guess...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 9:
Ah, the faithful mask. <3 Every story is just so perfect~




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 10:

Wow. This whole episode was just Jeanne telling Nina the rest of her SPOILER: Highlight text to read: and Mugaro/El's backstory, and it was completely gripping (and heartwrenching </3 ).

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 11:

Hee, I *thought* there were shippy hints between the new girl and Yajiro~ <3 Seriously, though, this whole ep. was emotional, edge-of-your-seat, and oddly comforting all at the same time, and I loved every second of it. I'll be sad when this is over, but I can't wait for the finale!




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 10:

Aaaaand the clichés suddenly got way worse. I could literally see that entire sequence with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: zaShunina attacking, and then Shindou pushing Saraka out of the way and thus getting a mortal injury, and then zaShunina being confused/sad/etc. but still carrying out his plan, and then Saraka healing and kissing Shindou, and even the 'copy' of Shindou going along with whatever-- all of it-- from MILES off. Every beat was so minutely predictable that it became quite irritating that there wasn't even the slightest attempt to put even the mildest twist on any bit of it. Also, I did not need 5 whole minutes of the runtime taken up by a montage of the universe supposedly evolving, thanks. And LOL, even Saraka couldn't explain why her clothes were completely gone (and Shindou himself was half-undressed) after SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the healing was complete, especially since it seemed to be healing fine when they were both still fully-clothed ... (I mean, seriously, what the...? ) Plus, of course, the bad-as-always pacing and editing on top of it all. I've been very patient with the show's many flaws until now, but nope, sorry, this episode was the last straw. I'll still finish this out because there's only a mere 2 ep.'s left to go, but man, has this show turned out disappointing overall in comparison to what it could have been...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 10:

...YES again-- this is the first half of that (second) two-parter story with Natori that I had also really wanted adapted (because of all the excellent character development for Natsume, Natori, and the friendship between the two of them that features in it, *plus* the first hint about SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Natsume's grandfather {!}, which will appear in next week's ep.)!! And it's the perfect story to close out the season, too. <3 Can't wait for the next ep.!!




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 11:

Welp, the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: awakening was slightly less dramatic than I had been expecting, but it looks like SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Mugaro/El is going to go along with Gabriel's plan (at least for now; let's hope he's only playing along). Nice to finally SPOILER: Highlight text to read: hear him speak, though! As for the stuff in the prison: Rita's (and Rocky's!) SPOILER: Highlight text to read: entrance was pretty much the best thing ever :LOL: , and Nina & Jeanne's own SPOILER: Highlight text to read: escape attempt was pretty BA itself. Holy crap, though-- the king inciting both the new war with the gods and the humans' riot about it (and then putting down said riot) plus all that attempted manipulation of Jeanne, on top of all his horribleness shown previously... I cannot believe that there is any (believable) redemption for that dude at this point. And then for him to have the sheer audacity to still SPOILER: Highlight text to read: ask Nina to dance with him again after all of that, and apparently expect a positive response (!)... he is seriously delusional. And whatever it is that he's building can't end well, either...

[Mouse2010]

The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 11:

Hee, I *thought* there were shippy hints between the new girl and Yajiro~ <3 Seriously, though, this whole ep. was emotional, edge-of-your-seat, and oddly comforting all at the same time, and I loved every second of it. I'll be sad when this is over, but I can't wait for the finale!

So, I'm off work for the summer and spending a lot of time home with a new baby and I'm looking for new anime. Can you give me a good overview of The Eccentric Family? I can see that you like it, but what is it, basically? Supernatural slice of life? Comedy? Both? Is there an overarching plot, or what? I haven't seen season 1, so if I do start watching, I'll have to start with the beginning.

[MangaRocks!]

So, I'm off work for the summer and spending a lot of time home with a new baby and I'm looking for new anime. Can you give me a good overview of The Eccentric Family? I can see that you like it, but what is it, basically? Supernatural slice of life? Comedy? Both? Is there an overarching plot, or what? I haven't seen season 1, so if I do start watching, I'll have to start with the beginning.

Congrats!! And yes, you'll definitely want to start from the first season. It's a very heartwarming series about a quirky bunch of shapeshifting tanuki and the humans and tengu they are acquainted with. There is certainly a lot of humor, a little slice-of-life, and a bit of folklore-fantasy, yet it also has some definite danger and heart-tugging at times, and a quite decent overarching plot, along with excellent character work. Indeed, it is very character-based (all the family feels~! <3 <3 <3 ), and it's one of those shows that, overall, just makes you feel warm and happy after you're done with it (or, well, it did for me, at any rate, LOL ). Also, neat art style and some really lovely directing, too.


Speaking of which...




The Eccentric Family 2 ep. 12 (end):

Wow, the beginning of this ep. was quite... *ahem*... explosive -- but very good, and I grinned my way through every adorable second afterwards, too. What a wonderful second season to a wonderful show. I know a third novel is in the works, and there were certainly a few things that could be expanded on, but after this I have no complaints whatsoever even if the adaptations stop here (though on the other hand I would of course be the first one to watch a third season if it ever does get made ). Absolutely satisfied. <3 <3 <3




KADO: The Right Answer ep. 11:

Ugh... as much as I was not looking forward to this episode, I still had to wryly laugh at it (and I don't mean because of any intentional humor-- I mean because it's bad, LOL ). The apparent endgame 'couple' has no chemistry whatsoever, and the (very forced) 'romance' seems tacked on just so there is one (though one or both of them will likely SPOILER: Highlight text to read: die in the finale anyway, so who needs chemistry, amirite? ); poor Hanamori is treated badly right to the end SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (genders aside, why the heck he ever fell in love with Shindou in the first place is beyond me... actually, the reason Shindou even has a harem to begin with {no less an evenly-mixed-gender one } is beyond me, but whatever ); and... y'know what, I don't even have the energy to write out everything else. Just go back to my previous post and look at my review for last week's episode because it's basically just more of the same. This show has derailed big time ever since the previous ep., and it's not even an entertaining trainwreck. Thank goodness there's only one more ep. of this...




Natsume's Book Of Friends S6 ep. 11 (end):

Like The Eccentric Family 2, I am absolutely satisfied with this, and cannot recommend the entire series highly enough! <3 <3 <3




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 12:

Not much to say here except that this had some very-one-sided fighting thanks to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: god-mode Mugaro/El (just as expected-- nice going, there, king... ), escaping + meet-ups SPOILER: Highlight text to read: except for poor Azazel, whom everyone has apparently forgotten about ), and the setup for the use of the ol' SPOILER: Highlight text to read: doomsday device or whatever the heck that thing is (which will obviously not end well...). Methinks next week's ep. is going to be a big one...

[MangaRocks!]

KADO: The Right Answer ep. 12 (end):

Ha! Well, at least no one can say that the utter implosion of this show over the past few weeks (culminating in this finale) was not (atrociously) spectacular. Seriously-- not only did this ep. hit every possible cliché (and in the worst way) , and have terrible characterization, and have poor explanation, and have a number of gaps in logic (it was so disjointed it was almost painful, and it only gets worse the more you think about it), and have plot 'twists' (actually just pulls from you-know-what) that come out of almost nowhere at the last minute with no proper development even with the 'hints,' *and* even throw the show's own originally-purported theme(s) right out the window... to top it all off, it *also* actually made the whole thing completely pointless to begin with because everything just ended up resetting back to the way it was before it started (minus SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Shindou dying for literally no good reason at all once you think about it for more than about a millisecond and poor Hanamori's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: now-lost 16 years {him being used awfully *again*} )!! ...Welp, thanks for nothing, KADO...!




And Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul ep. 13:

This was a mostly great episode; however, I'm... not quite sure where exactly they're trying to go with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Nina and the king. I mean, I get Nina's reactions-- you can't just turn off how you feel at the drop of a hat, obviously, and she's clearly not happy with him now despite said emotions-- yet even in this episode the king never stops being an utterly arrogant-as-all-get-out you-know-what, and still acting as if this changes nothing about their 'relationship' (...plus that bonus little feel-up when he caught her-- that hand placement {with the ungloved hand, no less, and while she was unconscious, too} *had* to be intentional on his part, the scum ). Anyway, the point is, he hasn't changed one bit this whole time, and I don't know how he even could anymore with any believability; so at this point them being an endgame couple would be both a very unhealthy relationship and a very disappointing element in an otherwise-great show. I'm really hoping that doesn't happen. Looking forward to the next ep., though!


...Oh, and although Bahamut is continuing for another cour, this will be the last post I'll make about it in this particular thread because I'd probably be the only one posting anything in here, LOL; so any further comments I have on that series as it goes on will be posted in the general watch thread instead.