Hourou Musuko – 11 (Final)

Episode 11 Final – Forever a Wandering son ~Wandering son’s progress~ – 放浪息子はどこまでも～Wandering son’s progress～

This episode brought some rather relaxed, yet satisfying, closure to this series. The character development in this series has always been particularly strong, but the closure this episode brings to some of them is really great to see. From Saori moving on from Nitori, to Nitori gradually accepting his status as a boy, to Anna’s relationship with Nitori, almost all of the main characters have had some very strong development in the past few episodes, including this one. Aside from the great character development, though, the story this time around did a nice job with the pacing, and leaves off on a rather well thought out, open ended note.

The great thing about this series as a whole is that it did an amazing job with fleshing out it’s characters. The characters all started out as flawed individuals, with some very typical drama of their age. The way in each character was so thoroughly developed, from Nitori’s growth from a shy little boy into a rather direct, upfront individual, to Saori’s growth from the conflicted girl she was into a rather accepting, more mature person, to Takatsuki’s growth as a schoolgirl, each character had some great stories that crafted some very realistic, and at times easy to connect with, characters.

This episode brought some rather nice closure to all of it, including side characters as well. We got to see a rather emotional scene between Nitori and Anna, which really does a great job at portraying the rather intriguing relationship between the two. Saori and Takatsuki’s scene does a nice job at reflecting how they have slowly matured over the course over the series. Saori arguably matured more than Takatsuki has, though, with her moment with Nitori in her room really telling of her change in perspective on things. Even Doi, the bully that you would figure as the typical bad-intended guy, turned out to have much more complexity to him than meets the eye, especially with regards to his rather awkward relationship with Nitori.

Somehow, in the course of 11 episodes, this series did an excellent job with creating a very human, at times very compelling, coming of age story with some rather unique twists. In the end, how the episode leaves off, with Nitori approaching (yet accepting) of puberty, as well as his more mature prospect on life after his cross-dressing incident, really spoke volumes about far things have come since the beginning. There have been some pacing issues throughout this series, and at times, the drama was a bit too much for my tastes, yet overall this series has turned out to be a rather charming coming of age story.

Final Impressions

Animation/Art: 8.5/10

Music: 8.0/10

Characters: 9.5/10

Story/setting: 9.0/10

Overall Enjoyment: 8.7/10

Screenshots are later in the post.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka – 12 (Final)

Episode 12 – Yes, It will Still Continue – はい、まだ続きます(Hai, Mada Tsuzukimasu)

Hmm, what a rather odd choice Studio Deen had in mind for the final episode of this series. While I had hoped that this show would somewhat return to the comedy setup of some of the earlier episodes of this series (which were arguably the best of this show), instead we got a rather odd fanservice episode. There were some nice moments in the episode, such as the moment where Eu took to the stage and began singing, and the last few scenes to this episode, but the rest of the episode felt messy. It’s probably because of how the entire episode just felt like a giant advertisement for a bunch of songs that I found the episode a bit lacking. That, and the fanservice killed a lot of the comedy and jokes thrown around here, which doesn’t really help in the long run.

The fanservice scenes pretty much dominated the episode for the most part, and even then, the fanservice felt rather poorly integrated into the overall plot. There’s two types of fanservice; one that tries to stay relevant to the plot, and one that just feels completely out of place. A lot of the fanservice here felt more like the latter, with moments such as the random undressing on stage, as well as the “magic to change everybody’s clothes”, feeling a bit awkward. They were over the top enough to get a few laughs out of me, yet a lot of them were more like those awkward laughs you get when you watch something really embarassing or absurd.

Humor is a very subjective thing though, so putting my sense in humor aside, this episode did have a select few serious scenes that did provide some closure to this show, though the vast majority of the episode kind of contradicted that. The moments where Eu took to the stage was a nice way to show her character development, more specifically, how she has come to trust and love those around her, and that in itself was a nice moment. The ending sequence with Ayumu’s monologue did leave a “conclusion” feeling behind, and although it sounded serious, it wasn’t really out of place. It would have been nice if this show took itself as seriously as it did in this final scene a few episodes ago, because it was that lack of focus on seriousness that kind of made the past few episodes feel lacking.

In the end, this episode was a decent way to wrap things up. While I don’t really appreciate the fanservice (which took up a majority of the episode), the few moments that were worth watching were rather nice. In the end, the series as a whole feels like it kind of lost it’s direction in the second half, which certainly is  a shame.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

Final Impressions

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka really had a slightly off-tune, quirky atmosphere to it, but it was that same atmosphere that made watching this show rather fun. In fact, the entire first half of this series had some great mix-up of comedy and action, with a hint of seriousness thrown in here and there. The buildup was, at times, surprisingly good for a comedy series, and certainly did get my hopes up for this show. In contrast, the last few episodes of this series turned out much more disappointing, with what I feel was a lack in direction for this show.

The plot started to take a turn for the worse in the second half, and while the show never turned out terrible, there was a fundamental change in the latter episodes in terms of humor, which was definitely one of the strengths to this series. As generic some of the characters for this show were, they all definitely had their own little quirks and charms that kept me watching this show. While I don’t necessarily think of the cast as an amazing one, for all the cast’s faults, they were always enjoyable to see interact with each other. Character development was rather lacking for some characters, but there were some good character developments from time to time as well.

I guess the best way I could describe the second half of the show is that the story felt “aimless”. Aimless in the sense that the creators weren’t quite sure of exactly how they wanted to make each episode, resulting in a odd mix of too serious moments with out of place comedic moments. There are shows that do use this idea very well, but unfortunately, for Kore wa Zombie Desu ka (which had up until this point built itself up as a comedy) it didn’t quite work out as well. Sometimes it worked, but for most cases that didn’t really happen. Also, quite a bit of the plot twists could have used a lot more elaboration and explanation, which may be the reason why some of the story events felt a bit too sudden or absurd at times.

Either ways, this series ended up being a rather entertaining show to follow. While it does have it’s ups and downs, and it’s fair share of problems, at the same time this show proved to be a decent comedy. I personally did love some of the characters for their little charms and quirks, but characters aren’t really everything. To be fair, you shouldn’t really go into this show expecting a well structured plot anyways; I mean, this show is a comedy series, and comedy anime series tend to have a lot of quirks and oddities to them in the first place.

Animation/Art: 8.0/10

Music: 7.0/10

Characters: 8.0/10

Story/setting: 6.5/10

Overall Enjoyment: 7.5/10

Screenshots are later in the post.

Level E – 12

Episode 12 – Half Moon…!

It looks like Yukitaka and the rest of the cast from the first arc are back for the most part, and this final arc with the Prince’s potential marriage certainly has turned out interesting (and fun at times too). There were some jokes that parodied typical cliche scenes from anime (such as the walk into the shower scene, etc al), but overall the comedy was toned down this time around. Considering the slightly more serious nature to this final arc, I don’t really mind how the comedy has been executed, and as usual the characters are as entertaining as ever. I guess the major flaw to this series would be how, due to the brevity of each arc, each character individually doesn’t get quite as much character development as you would hope (excluding the Prince and his lackeys, of course), but they all still have their own inherent little charm, which keeps this show entertaining.

There were some notable funny scenes that really got me laughing this episode (such as the Yukitaka’s reaction to the “prince is a demon” description), but overall the episode was much more heavy in tone. With the whole idea of running away from marriage, shoving responsibility onto his younger brother, spy devices, and even entire galactic armies floating behind a optical illusion in the stratosphere, there certainly isn’t a lack of seriousness to the situation. Of course, tension in the atmosphere here is virtually nonexistent, courtesy of Prince Baka.

There are also hints that the princess might not exactly be fully revealing her intentions to everybody around her, though the hints at this are very subtle. The only exception here would be in the actual next episode preview, which was rather blatant at hinting that she may have deeper intentions than you would think. The one odd thing about this arc is that Yukitaka and Miho don’t feel 100% integrated into the plot here, though their presence certainly is nice to have.

Either ways, this episode had some rather decent comedy, yet at the same time tries to maintain a slightly serious atmosphere. The odd thing is, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka attempted to introduce a serious atmosphere, kind of similar to the situation here. Level E has a better execution on it, though you could argue that the “seriousness” of this show is far more lax in comparison.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 13

Episode 13 – There’s No Way My Junior is This Rotten – 俺の後輩がこんなに腐ってるわけがない (Ore no Kouhai ga Konna ni Kusatteru Wake ga Nai)

With Kirino no longer around, it was obvious that we would be getting some much needed relationship development with the rest of the female cast of this series. This time we got an episode focusing in on Kuroneko (as well as Akagi’s previously mentioned sister). There were some pretty funny moments here, though at the same time some of them were distastefully over the top. In the end, the humor here was more hit or miss than I would’ve liked. Aside from the comedy, though, we did get a decent look at Kuroneko’s social life (which isn’t very lively, predictably). The episode does touch upon the issue where Otaku tend to be more antisocial in Japan (or so the stereotype goes), so seeing Kyousuke try to help out Kuroneko was admirable in a sense. That, and the somewhat subtle hints at some deeper feelings Kuroneko has for Kyousuke was a interesting little touch. We did get some character development for the two, courtesy of Kirino leaving for America, and seeing the character development between the two was probably the most enjoyable aspect to this episode.

The central focus of this entire episode was on Kuroneko’s inherent anti-social behavior towards her classmates, and instead gravitating towards the few friends she has (Kyousuke, Saori, and Kirino). It started with her rejecting an offer to hang out with some classmates, but when it reached the point when her classmates ditched cleaning duty on her (or at least, certainly weren’t helping out), it was quite obvious that something was amiss. Kyousuke’s concerns and attempts to help her are admirable in a way, but it’s questionable as to how much help he is being. At times, though, it was rather obvious that Kirino’s departure had definitely left it’s mark upon Kyousuke and Kuroneko’s relationship, especially during the moment where Kuroneko outright accuses Kyousuke of trying to “replace his sister with her”.

The episode’s humor was as loony as ever with the funny antics courtesy of Saori, as well as the introduction of the boy’s-love obsessed fujoshi, Akagi Sena. Seeing Saori tease both Kuroneko and Kyousuke (and at times, in the most daring way I could have imagined), was pretty funny. If you think about it though, Saori’s silly antics may also have been her way of trying to cheer up Kuroneko and Kyousuke, who were both impacted by Kirino’s cold, sudden departure without informing them. Akagi Sena’s introduction was a bit too over the top comedy for my tastes though; I often found myself half-heartedly laughing at the scenes involving Sena, though Kuroneko’s reaction to Sena was pretty hilarious. In the end though, Sena’s introduction was probably meant to be a way for to both figure out Kuroneko’s status in her class, as well as introduce someone who could potentially be her friend. Sena’s presence in itself is a rather blatant hint at the resolution to this entire conflict revolving around Kuroneko, which probably takes place in the next episode.

In the end, as much as I love Kuroneko as a character, this episode felt a bit uneventful. Then again, this episode is buildup towards the wrap-up for Kuroneko’s arc in the next episode, so in that sense, this episode did an admirable job of, at times subtly, building up some tension. There were some subtle hints at Kuroneko’s feelings for Kyousuke (though there were also some blatant hints as well), and while the idea of a relationship between the two feels a bit awkward, the character development for both of them this episode was rather nice. There were also those moments where you can tell that Kirino’s departure has, indeed, left a large impact upon the two, and the bits of insight into both Kyousuke and Kuroneko’s personas from it was certainly enjoyable to watch.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

Screenshots and ED theme are later in the post.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka – 11

Episode 11 – Yes, Stay with me! – ああ、オレの所にいろ! (Aa, Ore no Tokoro ni Iro!)

Once again, the main flaw to this episode would be it’s attempt to mix serious with comedy. This is definitely better than the previous episode that tried to attempt the same thing, but overall I’d say the execution is a bit meh. The comedy kills a lot of the momentum build up in the serious parts of the episode, though I’ll admit the comedy was a bit better integrated this time around. Aside from that, there certainly could have been more things explained (such as why there were vampire ninjas dressed in maid outfits playing violins) and such. The plot wasn’t well thought out with regards to certain points, such as Eu’s sudden change in heart in letting that older zombie go off to the underworld, but that may just be a detail that was lost in translation from the light novels to this TV series.

The first half of this episode, with Ayumu in depression mode and eventually being snapped out of it by Haruna. As expected, the situation there cleared up rather quickly, and the story led up to another confrontation between Eu and the other zombie.

This here got crazy rather quickly, with Ayumu’s serious “rant moments” mixed in with over the top moments such as the combo Mystelltain kick of the Haruna x Ayumu Masou Shoujo combo, and not to mention, the random maids fighting floating whales and ghosts by playing violins and triangles on top of the Tokyo Tower. I’m glad that the comedy ended rather quickly in these scenes, only because comedy does not fit very well at all in the serious tone of the situation overall as a whole.

The reasoning behind why Eu didn’t want to kill the other zombie was a bit puzzling though. Did she really change her mind after the other zombie realized that he “didn’t understand Eu”? Why did she change her mind after she had been so adamantly refusing to do so for what I’m assuming was for an extremely long time. The fight scene between Ayumu and the antagonist zombie was rather brutal in appearance, but the whole “zombies can’t die” aspect kind of kills any sort of tension from all the blood and beatings between the two.

I’ll admit that I was satisfied with the final few moments this episode with Eu finally talking though; as much as of a flawed episode this was, her finally speaking certainly was something I enjoyed seeing. Now my only question is, wasn’t the world supposed to be in big trouble if she talked or something? Where are the armies of giant flying whales from the sky here? You’d think that considering how much she talked, Megalos would be swarming the place by now.

Either ways, this episode was certainly a flawed one, where I think it would have been much better if certain plot elements were better integrated with the overall story. At least we know for sure now that the next episode will return back to the comedy-oriented story that this show is much better at.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.7/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Dragon Crisis – 12 (Final)

Episode 12 Final – Engage – エンゲージ (Engeeji)

Ugh, talk about a lackluster finale. Then again, at this point I’m not really watching this show expecting a good plot or it’s premise. I had half expected something along the lines of what happened in this episode, but seeing it all unfold right before your eyes really does leave a bad taste in your mouth. The episode had a ton of  cliche lines, a terribly predictable final “battle”, and not to mention, a ton of absurd ongoing events; this episode would probably be the definition of unintended comedy.

The first half was cliche, but it was cliche within reason with the whole “Ryuji debating his decision” moment that is very typical of this kind of show. Of course, as predicted, it ends up that Onyx wasn’t telling the complete truth (totally had me fooled /sarcasm =.=; ). And as expected, Ryuji goes off to be the hero and rescue Rose. At this point, this was your stereotypical stuff that would be in a finale for a show like this.

And here’s where things got too absurd for my tastes. For one, what was the point of the amnesia for Rose? The amnesia lasted literally a min or two in terms of the episode airtime, and even then, it was completely unnecessary to have her lose her memories. The amnesia was complete superfluous material that wasn’t need.

Not to mention, there was a ton of other absurd and unnecessary stuff going on here. Seriously, they took over an entire airport, iced the runways, smashed a car AND a helicopter into an airplane, had characters pop up from the middle of nowhere (like Ai), and to top it all off beat the big bad guy with a giant, lovey-dovey purple heart…? Oh, and let’s not forget how our main characters didn’t take a scratch of damage, and the “battle” was so one-sided and dull that I felt kind of bad for Onyx; it was pretty obvious everything was just out to stop him from succeeding. There was a real lack of tension and uncertainty in this “final battle”, which is definitely why the end felt lacking. To top it all off, the final scene with Ryuji’s entire harem showing up in school (where more than half of them don’t belong, such as Ai and Eriko) just got facepalms out of me.

Seriously speaking, this episode’s plot mediocre at best, and went beyond my imagination of what I could have imagined as bad. My ranting aside, I guess I did like how Ryuji and Rose finally seem to be an official couple here, but that progress isn’t really important at this point in the story (it is the final episode after all). Sigh, and it’s hard to believe that this show had a ton of potential early on…

Overall Enjoyment: 2.2/5

Final Impressions

Well, what could I say here? This show was probably one of the most generic and cliche, forgettable series of this season. There was a severe lack of good character development, especially with regards to our main characters Ryuji and Rose. To top it all off, the two-episode-per-arc format really killed any sort of buildup around certain characters, and the writing for each arc’s story was pretty bad. I never thought that a show could surprise you with how much more worse it becomes, but Dragon Crisis somehow managed to make each successive arc worse than the previous, which I guess is an accomplishment in itself (definitely nothing to be proud of though…).

Admittingly, the setting and premise initially seemed to have potential, but in the end it didn’t really help much. Any strengths to this show were wasted away, with plenty of flaws in logic, plot progression, and terribly thought out antagonists really killing any potential this show had. The characters were really bland as well, each with very few memorable personality traits. What probably hurt this show more is the weak production values, which led to some rather weak animation.

Either ways, Dragon crisis is one of those shows better left off being forgotten. I guess it had some entertainment value, but little beyond that. You’d be better much, much watching a certain other show with a Ryuji and girl voiced by Rie Kugimiya.

Animation/Art: 5.0/10

Music: 6.5/10

Characters: 4.0/10

Story/setting: 4.5/10

Overall Enjoyment: 5.0/10

Screenshots are later in the post.

Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto – 24

Episode 24 – The Eastern Maiden – ひが日死の巫女 (Higanishi no Miko)

Wow, this was one very well done buildup episode. The tension in the air was powerful in many aspects, including the revelations from Kanako, the Sugata x Keito moments, the uncertain direction of the relationship between our trio, and of course, the magnificently epic yet foreboding entrance of the emperor Cybody, Samekh. The foreboding remarks throughout the episode, along with the next episode preview, did a terrific job at upping the tension and sense of chaos in the air. Kanako ended up playing a surprisingly much larger role than you would think here, and even the Sarina’s brief appearance reinforced the foreboding notions to this episode. At the same time though, you do get a sense for the complexity of quite a few of these character relationships, and not to mention, feel as if there is an air of closure surrounding some of the character dynamics. The pacing definitely feels extremely fast, though, which just proves how the creators for this show are kind of rushing to fit in everything in these last few episodes. Character development is a bit strange here and there, but still good overall.

There are a few big questions brought up here, though, especially with regards to Sugata and Head. Sugata is probably the biggest question mark here, mostly pertaining to why he joined the Crux Brigade in the first place, and what his true motivations for his actions. It’s easy to see how Sugata seems to have some more deep reasoning and thoughts behind everything he is doing, with his moments with Keito serving to reinforce that. Aside from not knowing why he joined the crux brigade, we don’t really know how he truly feels about Keito, Wako, and even Takuto. My guess here is that Sugata is trying to end this entire Cybody system in his own way, and if that is the case, he does have proper motivations to do so. For one, he is worried about Wako’s safety, and another would be to allow Wako to finally fufill her dream of being able to leave the island. If this is the case, he certainly is placing a lot of trust and faith in both Takuto and Taubarn, because I do get the feeling that Sugata has come to respect Takuto in his own way.

Head also brings a ton of questions to the table, with his ominous commentary about “seeing a wonderful dream” after receiving a new mark certainly question-inducing. Shingo’s wods here as he return to consciousness certainly did strike a chord with regards to Head’s situation, with his tragic commentary a rather interesting way of describing Head’s situation. In a way, Shingo’s little story almost makes it seem as if Head is actually a tragic figure that is merely trying to seek out happiness, but has failed to do so in his journey for power.

We do also get some rather nice insight on several other characters in this episode, such as Keito and Kanako. Kanako’s role in this episode served to both increase the tension in the atmosphere, but it also served to emphasize how all the Zero Time events that would occur would have a real, and potentially devastating, impact on the surrounding world itself. Her plan of action and resolve to prevent any sort of tradgedy is certainly admirable in many ways, and clears up quite a bit regarding her actions. Keito is more of an odd existence in the story here, with her borderline obsessive love with Sugata certainly an oddity here. Sugata’s reaction to Keito’s confession also smells very suspicious, and Kanako’s commentary about Keito certainly makes me wonder about her.

One of the more subtle moments here, though, would be the moment where Wako and Takuto are strolling alongside a beach together. Aside from the strong parallels with the opening scene to the very first episode of this series, Takuto’s comment about how he wonders if the relationship between the trio will hold together is strikingly similar to Sugata’s comment a few episodes back. Their comments reflect a lack of confidence in their relationship, and how well it will endure through conflict and turmoil, and that in itself is a tremendously ominous message.

Either ways, this episode was an excellent way to build up towards the final episode next week, with the next episode preview arguably just as interesting as the entirety of this episode itself. There are huge issues with pacing and plot twists here and there, but at this point I’m pretty much just enjoying the buildup this episode had. The fact that all the star drivers (even those with fake marks) are shown being involved in the conflict with Samekh reflects how the Crux Brigade may not necessarily be the evil antagonistic group they’ve been portrayed as. There’s still the questions revolving around Head and his intentions. And to top it all off, we got a tremendously foreboding comment from Wako, who says that she “it would have been better if I (Wako) had never met you (Takuto)”. Talk about tension.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.3/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Bakuman – 23 + 24

Ep 23 – Tuesday and Friday – 火曜と金曜 (Kayou to Kinyou)
Ep 24 – Call and Eve – 電話と前夜 (Denwa to Zenya)

What’s been rather nice about the latest episodes of Bakuman is that their pacing has improved significantly, with the events surrounding the Golden Future cup really doing a great job with furthering the plot. What has really turned out great for this series is the introduction of all the new mangaka and editors into the story, whose presences do a great job with upping the tension and competitive atmosphere. Seeing how everybody is both very friendly with each other (almost like companions for a cause) yet at the same time intense rivals, really gets you to cheer on the characters in your own way.

The interesting change to this series is how the pacing feels like it has improved immensely. Seeing the change in the rate of passage of time (where sometimes a few months and weeks pass, and other times only a few days) is a rather odd, yet at the same time very effective, way of developing each of our characters. From seeing the hot-blooded Fukuda, to the innocently optimistic Nakai, and the eager Mashiro and Takagi team, these past few episodes have been great at making the characters feel like… well, characters that you can actual come to like and care for. I guess you could say their motivation and eagerness really does shine through, almost to the point where it’s infectious.

The big thing you shouldn’t forget here is how even the editors have their own unique motivations and drive to do things. The unique dynamic between the editors, the aspirational mangaka, and the inherent tension between their relationships really produces a unique dynamic that has turned out to be rather likable. Even the romance has reached the point where it’s not as corny and overbearing as before (though it’s still a bit too sugary for my tastes). Also, the scene between Yujiro and Hattori towards the end was a nice little added touch to the story.

Either ways, there are a few anomalies to these few episodes, such as the random eavesdropping guy that has been frequently been popping up, and how the Koogy side story feels kind of…well, side lined. Aside from those, though, this episode proved to be a rather interesting way to showcase the charms of the entire main cast, which has grown rather large in recent episodes. There is a second season announced for this series, which I certainly hopes maintains and improves upon this mangaka dynamic we’ve been seeing so far.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.1/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

To Aru Majutsu no Index II – 23

Episode 23 – Before the War – 開戦前 (Kaisenmae)

Erm, what is exactly going on here? For the episode before the finale next week, this week’s installment of Index II is rather weird. I mean, there is seriously just too much going on at once here, and the pacing is a complete and utter mess. The little mini-stories in this episode had very little relevance with each other, and some of the stuff going on felt rather meaningless. For buildup towards a “war” between Academy City and the Catholic church, this episode felt really really weak. From the brief 4-5 minutes that Hyouka crying her eyes out, to Accelerator being recruited for some weird mission, to Touma getting randomly punched and invited to a Sukiyaki party, this episode felt all disorganized and all over the place.

The first event that stood out to me was how Hyouka was all depressed and feeling down at the beginning of the episode. I’m sorry, but while you may be crying up a sob story about how you’ve “hurt everybody around you”, I can’t muster up any sort of sympathy considering we didn’t see her hurt them, nor did we see her feel forced into hurting them. This moment was very, very poorly executed, with a major lack in details and explanations for her little sob story, which made the entire situation feel extremely out of place and lacking.

And then there’s the weird “slapped by Himegami” moment, and the random invite to a sukiyaki party. Considering the serious tone the direction of the story seemed to be going at first, the slapstick comedy moments just killed any sort of built up momentum. Touma’s extremely awkward “english” joke (it was a joke, right…?) just further reinforced the whole “out of place humor” feeling to this episode.

Then we got another completely unrelated plot twist, with Accelerator, Kondou, and Mitsuki out to hunt some skillouts. Besides the sudden change between each story, there is a lack of explanations for everything going on, as well has how in the world everything going on here is related to each other. The story feels really messy right now, and I’m assuming it’s because this TV series was pretty much tailored to the light novel readers (which I am not one of).

Honestly, this episode makes me wonder if JC staff is even trying anymore with this series. The episode was poorly thought out and executed, and feels rather out of place in the whole “war” story that this series has been hinting at (Aleister’s ominous presence certainly helps with regards to the war issue). Explanations are needed all over the place, and some proper flow and pacing to the plot is definitely needed here.

Overall Enjoyment: 2.6/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Fractale – 10

Episode 10 – To the Temple – 僧院へ (Souin e)

Meh, this episode wasn’t terrible by any means, but it’s kind of lacking in inspiration. We got the escalation and added tension to the story that you were expecting, but for some reason the situation doesn’t feel very compelling. The episode does build up towards the final episode, but it doesn’t really do much outside of that. The buildup itself feels a little empty, which I think is because of the predictability of everything that happened this episode.

I guess my reason for being a little irked with this episode was how everything turned out almost exactly as I had anticipated. Phryne ends up going to talk with the high priestess, but fails to convince her after the priestess reveals herself to be much more twisted than you would think. Clein, as expected, chases after Phryne, and as expected, Nessa ends up ignoring advice from those around her and chases after Clein. Everything pretty much fell in place exactly as you would expect, which made the entire situation a little boring to watch.

There were no real curveballs here or plot twists, which makes the continued buildup towards the final episode a bit weird. We’re getting buildup, but the buildup is just foreshadowing the expected destruction of the Fractale system. There is no big unanswered question or compelling final villain of any sort to look forward to, which makes this episode’s buildup feel hollow. The fact that I’m not really expecting anything amazing from the finale speaks volumes about how this show has failed to effectively build up towards a good finale.

My ramblings aside, this episode did have it’s shares of ups and downs. It had a select few good, sentimental moments, but overall the episode felt a little lacking. This series has had it’s great adventurous moments, but the ending certainly isn’t living up to expectations.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.4/5

P.S. On a side note, Fractale’s TV ratings are apparently extremely bad. While I don’t find this show particularly amazing, I’m surprised by it’s low ratings. I’m more surprised that Hourou musuko is doing poorly though, considering how the series turned out pretty darn good.

Screenshots are later in the post.