Lupin III – Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna – 08

Episode 08 –

Lupin up until this point has been fun and games for the most part, with plenty of sneaky plotting and spontaneous thievery. This episode marks a subtle change from that, with an unmistakable level of violence that was both surprising and disturbing. For the first time, we see Fujiko making true on her statement that she’s a ruthless thief, and see her murder two police officers in cold blood, as well as a third in a moment of rage. While there have always been violent moments in this series, this is the first that had some actual deaths as a direct consequence of the story. This change probably marks a turning point in this series, where it seems that the show might finally be exploring Fujiko’s rather disturbing past in more depth.

With that being said, it seems that suspicions that Fujiko was abused in her childhood are increasingly being verified. There was that distinct flashback sequence showing Fujiko being assaulted by a strange owl figure. It’s uncertain as to whether this owl figure is an actual owl, or a human being, but the show is certainly not holding back in trying to say there is almost a mystical level of strangeness to this figure.

The usage of an owl figure creates a distinctly fantasy-like impression to her past, and to Fujiko, that may be exactly what she wants to think of this figure; a figure that was a fantasy, a mere illusion or fake. Remember, earlier on in the series Fujiko said that she was dead set on “always running away from her past”, and it’s slowly being revealed that she is struggling to get over this past that has been haunting her like a bad dream. Based on the statement that Lupin is being “tested” by this owl figure might also be a clue as to what direction this show is taking; Lupin might be the figure that brings some liberation to Fujiko’s seemingly tormented mind. Of course, this is just speculation on my part, and it’s a bit too early to say for sure.

All that can be ascertained at this point is that Fujiko is undoubtedly extremely hateful of her past, with this episode being the first to see a one-sided, wholly violent reaction to a link to her past. I’m still uncertain as to if this show will be focusing in on her more from now on, but the atmosphere to the story is gradually building up. I’m expecting a climactic episode of sorts in the near future, and I hope my expectations aren’t unfounded.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.9/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Lupin III- Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna – 07

Episode 07 –

After all the introductory episodes to Lupin III, I had originally thought that this series would start exploring the past of our titular character, Mine Fujiko, in more depth. Well, it seems that I was partially correct. This series continues to tease at her past with brief flashbacks and certain phrases scattered throughout the episode, yet we still have no concrete idea as to what happened to her in her childhood. It is becoming rather apparent that she was probably abused in her youth but the details seem to show that it was a peculiarly strange (and probably twisted) childhood.

With that being said, this episode didn’t exactly say much about her character aside from her brief statement at the end of the episode. Instead, the episode covered a pseudo cold-war scenario with Mine Fujiko, Goemon, and a Rebel leader involved. There’s your typical “oh no, the world is going to end”, the occasional cool lines spouted by the main characters, and Goemon’s interruptions via doing some sort of impossible samurai swordplay. Yea, because cutting missiles in half with a steel samurai sword is totally possible.

Of course, when watching this anime you should take on the infamous “suspension of disbelief” role that makes these types of series fun to watch, but it seems that the Lupin anime as a whole is declining in quality a bit. The side characters, such as Goemon, Lupin, and Jigen, all almost seem to be plot devices of sort, where they are conveniently introduced for a mini-story that doesn’t reveal terribly much. In simpler terms, the story setup is being recycled, where each week a character or two gets involved with Mine Fujiko in some sort of nasty affair or crime.

The result here is that, while I am curious about Fujiko’s past, the mini-arcs surrounding her and the rest of the gang is starting to get a bit stale. It’s a problem that many anime encounter when the story begins to drag on for too long, where the creators obviously are out to drag things out for as long as possible. On the plus side, this series has been consistent with maintaining that noir atmosphere that has been captivating since the beginnings of the series. I honestly feel that this show can accomplish much more with its cast of characters and story setup, but it’s not necessarily terrible as of now.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.0/5

Screenshots are later in the post. Warning, some may be NSFW.

Quick Impressions – Aquarion Evol – 20 + 21

Episode 20 + 21 –

Aquarion seems to be getting rather serious in recent developments, with the revelations about Amata particularly significant (which admittingly wasn’t much of a surprise). There’s Amata’s mother issue, where her disappearance left behind a traumatized child that has yet to get over her. This issue eventually transitioned into the revelation that Amata and Kagura are the exact same being(?), where the link between the two is obviously much stronger than initially implied. If you think about it, Kagura and Amata had the exact same character designs (only with some stylistic differences), so this revelation wasn’t exactly a huge surprise.

What is required here now is clarification and refinement of the story. There are numerous details and ideas floating around in this series, ranging from the Amata-Kagura dynamic, to Mikono’s search for the legendary Aquarion, Mix’s gender swap, and the curse placed on Zessica. Let’s not forget the strange future foretold by Mikono’s brother, where he sees Mikono seemingly marry Kagura. There’s also the strange dream that Amata had where it looked like he was assaulting Mikono. Things are undoubtedly getting wild, with no answers in sight.

With the end of this series fast approaching, what I’m starting to fear is that this series has bit off far more than it can chew, with more and more added complexity to the plot making it more difficult to wrap up in a swift manner. There’s still time, of course, but hopefully it’s enough to wrap up all the remaining questions.

Screenshots are later in the post.

Hyouka – 05

Episode 05-

Haha, it looks like my hunch about that librarian was correct, though I didn’t guess everything that she had to tell. As many people online mentioned a few episodes back, the librarian’s slight hesitation in answering to the Classics club’s questions was an obvious hint that she knew something, but I didn’t even think that she actually knew the entire story. I just figured she knew something about the 1st Hyouka anthology (which she did have possession of).

Anyways, this episode brought a close to the main mystery that we’ve been seeing for the past few weeks, but what made this episode so striking is how it took a “happy end” theory from last week, and turned it completely upside down into a horrifying story of human selfishness, betrayal, and emotional trauma. Of course, this conclusion wouldn’t have been possible without Oreki’s sister leading her little brother on, which I suspect was done on purpose. As to why she decided to slowly lead him on, perhaps she knew of Chitanda’s entry into the club, or perhaps she genuinely didn’t know. We can’t say for sure.

Speculations aside, this episode continues the trend where fantastic levels of production quality continue to help push the story forward. The intricate details to the animation and music bring life to many aspects of the story, ranging from Oreki and Satoshi’s talk on their lifestyles, to the eventual revelation of the real truth behind the story of Sekitani Jun. The “I Scream” revelation was admittingly a bit overdramatized, but I do appreciate the message that the phrase tells. It’s a pun that I actually would have never noticed, perhaps because I don’t think of “Ice Cream” outside of its intended meaning in my native English language. My inability to realize is actually sort of fascinating from a pure language perspective, but that’s not related to the topic at hand.

It should be noted that, as of now, it’s painfully obvious that only Oreki will be getting any real character development (and that might have come to a close this week). He’s the only one who has shown signs of feeling “uncertain” about himself, and continues to explore his own stance on things with each passing moment. The rest of the characters fit in to the usual side-kick/heroine/etc roles, though I should give them more of a chance to shine.

This arc, while focused on the mystery involving Chitanda’s uncle, was undoubtedly about Oreki and his feelings of uncertainty. The mysteries just served to bring out all the inner conflicts he had over his “gray lifestyle”, and helped him come to terms with his “grayness”. It was handled fairly well, and while the other characters were somewhat sidelined, there are strong foundations to work off of for the rest of the cast. There’s Satoshi’s perspective on his own (supposedly “rose-colored”) lifestyle, there’s the librarian girl’s unrequited love for Satoshi, and Chitanda’s desire to “be able to apply knowledge, as opposed to reading it”. There’s plenty of things this series can do from here on, the key question is “what will the story do now?”. Will it continue exploring our main cast via mysteries, or will it turn into a slice of life series that Kyoani is oh so famous for.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.1/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Hyouka – 04

Episode 04 –

It’s become quite evident that, with each passing episode, our main protagonist Oreki is finding some sort of inherent desire for change from his “gray” lifestyle. It’s been a heavy theme since the very beginning of this series, everything from Oreki’s constant “no energy waste” policy to the scenes where the word “rose colored” comes randomly flowing out of the club activities board. It almost seems that he has always desired a “rose colored” life, only this time around, Chitanda’s irresistable curiosity has become the catalyst to do so.

This episode had the strongest indicators of his inner conflicts that have been central to his persona, with his desire for “saving energy” being completely and utterly overcome by Chitanda’s allure. This is obviously present in Oreki going out of his way to mention a plausible solution to the mystery at hand, which I would also like to note was quite impressive considering how little information he had to work with. He really does have a methodological way of thinking, a trait which has proven to be valuable time and time again. It’s a shame he can’t really do the same with his schoolwork, because he would probably be near the top of his grade if he could. He admittingly isn’t perfect, where he didn’t catch the one detail that I actually had instantly thought of after his theory; if it was a student rebellion where the uncle walked away as a hero, why was Chitanda shocked as a child when she heard the story? It’s a detail that Chitanda reiterates near the end of the episode, and undoubtedly leaves Oreki’s theory open for improvement.

One detail that has curiously been present in every episode of this series is the subtitle at the end of each episode, “the niece of time”. For those that don’t understand the reference, the niece of time is based off the novel called “The Daughter of time”. The Daughter of time is a title inspired by Sir Francis Bacon, whom once stated that “Truth is the daughter of time, not authority”. The idea here is that truth is something that authority can try to hide away, but will lose the battle to time and history. It’s a quote that is rather fitting of the main mystery of this series, where we are now starting to see the truth behind a mystery from well over forty years past.

In the end, Hyouka’s mysteries might not be anything grandiose, but they are brain teasers that can perk your curiosity. What makes Hyouka’s rather normal mysteries rather astounding is actually the production values for this series. The animation quality, the music, the subtle little movements of fingers, eyelids, and lips, all mesh together in a fantastically well-put together product. Kyoto Animation isn’t being very ambitious with this series, but they sure placed a tremendous level of effort into this adaptation, and it shows with each passing episode.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Fate/Zero – 19

Episode 19 –

Up until this arc, Emiya Kiritsugu had been lacking any sort of real indepth focus and development, which is surprising considering he is supposedly the main character to Fate/Zero. Heck, the other servants and masters have dominated the screentime of this series, so it feels almost unnatural that the show would begin to treat Kiritsugu as a main protagonist. With that being said, there have been hints at Kiritsugu’s cold yet conflicted personality time and time again, with his bold bombing of Archibald’s hotel (coupled with an evacuation) being one of the many ruthless tactics that he has utilized. With that being said, while we’ve understood he was a cold-hearted man, this series never really tried to explain as to why he was so cold-hearted in the first place, something that this arc about his younger years tries to rectify.

Unfortunately, though, this arc suffers from some major flaws, two of which in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. I would first like to mention a disclaimer, and state how I have not touched upon the original light novels at all whatsoever. Thus, my interpretation of this arc is based purely on my experiences with other Nasuverse franchises, mainly Tsukihime, Fate Stay Night, and Kara no Kyoukai.

The biggest flaw to this arc is how, while it set out to give Kiritsugu more depth as a character, it failed to reveal much about how he came about to support his current motivations and goals. It was already known at this point that Kiritsugu was a man whom believed that “the ends justify the means”, which was the source of his ruthless fighting style in this Holy Grail War. The same motivation pops up numerous times in this flashback of Kiritsugu’s past, yet the arc fails to describe exactly what thoughts pushed him towards this philosophy of his. We do not see his thought processes as he comes to terms with the harsh realities of the world. We do not see why he thought that killing his father was justified. We don’t see any insights into his actual way of thinking, and thus, we never precisely see exactly what triggered the forlorn hopelessness we now see in Kiritsugu. It was almost as if he had his philosophy straight up from the beginning, and we don’t ever see him transition into the Kiritsugu we currently know. I feel that this flaw is due to the transition from light novel to anime, where the light novel probably could detail the inner monologues and thoughts of Kiritsugu (something much more difficult to perform well in anime form).

The other major issue here is how this backstory arc would have been much more fitting earlier on in the series; that way, we could see how his past directly affected his course of action during the series. Instead, we’re left as an audience to retrospect back onto the past, and try to understand his actions based on the flashback we just saw. Seeing the flashback beforehand would’ve helped with the flow of the story immensely, especially considering how this arc has blatantly interrupted the main story with what could be considered a side story.

There was one particular aspect to this episode that I did appreciate immensely, and that would be the dialogue between Natalia and Kiritsugu near the end of the episode. Their dialogue almost seemed like silly banter, but there was a huge significance to the words that Natalia and Kiritsugu were exchanging in those final moments. They acknowledged each other’s significance in their own lives, mentioned each other’s flaws and quirks, and shared some sad but powerful words before Kiritsugu destroyed the infected airplane. This was perhaps the only moment where we really got a good glimpse of what makes Emiya Kiritsugu tick. In his blinding rage you can see how he acts in the most rational way he could, yet understands that it will be a painful, arduous path to follow. This will undoubtedly shape the future confrontations between Kiritsugu and Kirei, which I anticipate to be a terrifyingly brutal confrontation.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.4/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Mouretsu Pirates – 19

Episode 19 –

Mouretsu Pirates as a series has been one littered with instances of poorly written characters and plot developments, with the most recent arc being pretty ridiculous in terms of mediocre writing. The characters have continued to be the flawless, exceptional space pirates that they’ve always been, and this series seems to be dead set on keeping things perfect and boring ‘til the very end. The plot also has its fair share of conveniences and holes that the series has yet to address, and at this rate, will probably never be addressed. To be fair, it seems that these ugly flaws pop up most frequently during the more serious arcs of this series, which makes this brief slice-of-life interlude involving simple garbage collection as a welcomed change of pace.

If there’s one thing I should give this episode credit for, it’s addressing a task that seems to almost always be nonexistent in most anime; the notion of reorganizing belongings, and taking out the trash. The absence of trash is one of those conveniences in anime that nobody really notices (nor cares for), which makes this plot development an unexpected surprise. It’s an unexpected way to add a slice of life element to the series that showcases the girls having fun, all without the parfaits and cosplaying that has dominated much of the slice of life up until this point. I will also admit I got a kick out of Marika’s realization that trash collection would be easy after she disabled artificial gravity. Clever girl 😛

Honestly speaking, though, this episode was practically a filler episode with a vague emphasis on “bonds”, with the younger Serenity sister holding some jealousy towards the Marika x Gruier relationship. Because, you know, watching people collect trash and cleanup is totally engaging =_=;

And of course, any signs of serious character development continue to be nonexistent, with Marika still considered the flawless, ever so perfect captain. The plot almost feels rigged into making Marika a perfect little space pirate captain, and with an apparent beach episode looming next week, I’m strongly debating the idea of dropping this show.

Overall Enjoyment: 2.5/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Accel World – 06

Episode 06 –

After the emotional highs in the previous episode’s conclusion to the Cyan Pile arc, it seems that the story is going through a cool-down period of sorts. The story is now cementing the basic foundation for this series, where we’re seeing the beginnings of a return to normalcy of the Taku x Haru x Chiyuri relationship, Haru slowly gaining experience as a Burst Linker, and Taku changing allegiances from the Blue King to Kuroyukihime. This episode was obviously meant to clarify exactly where things stand as of now, with the inclusion of Haru’s novice mistakes feeling like a side story meant to illustrate exactly what both he and Taku would be doing from here onwards.

Taku himself seems to be trying quite hard to regain the trust of Haru and Chiyuri, and while I’m not quite sure as to whether he is being sincere, his apparent confrontation with the Blue King does seem like a genuine attempt to try and set things straight. Taku’s intentions aren’t exactly clear cut as of now, though it seems that Kuroyukihime will soon be finding out by questioning him directly. All signs point to Taku withdrawing from Kendo so that he can dedicate his time towards regaining the trust of his friends. Perhaps he also feels some level of guilt for using Burst Mode to gain an advantage in Kendo, though we cannot ascertain such as of now.

As for Haru, he seems to be partially unaware of the efforts Taku is making towards regaining his trust. Haru doesn’t seem to be aware of Taku’s withdrawal from Kendo, though he does appreciate Taku’s help in leveling up and gaining experience as a Burst Linker. His novice mistakes also come as no surprise, which he will have to rectify by seeking help from the secretive bodyguard-for-hire named “Aqua Current”.

Haru still suffers from some clumsiness due to his lack of self-confidence, something that must be addressed in the future. His inability to properly compliment Kuroyukihime’s change in hairstyle, as well as his constant self-degradation over his novice mistake with his burst points, all stem back from his confidence issues.
So yea, this episode pretty much reestablishes Haru’s main flaw; his lack of self-confidence. The episode also established a continuing presence of Taku in the story, as well as introduced Aqua Current as a possible future ally. The pacing has slowed down significantly to allow all of these details to sink in, and as I mentioned earlier, sets up a foundation for future conflicts and plot developments. In a sense, this was simply an uneventful buildup episode that acts as an interlude of sorts; it will undoubtedly transition into another intense conflict of some sort, so I hope this arc is ended swiftly and without too much drama.

Overall Enjoyment: 2.9/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Eureka Seven Ao – 05

Episode 05 –

While at first I had thought that Eureka Seven was taking on a decidedly nationalistic tone, it seems that it’s turning into more of an anti-establishment tone. There’s a pervasive sense of distrust of not only governments and militaries, but also of the Generation Bleu organization and it’s pilots. The series seems to be pushing along the notion that it’s difficult to ascertain whom is exactly trustworthy, a question that is pushed onto the young and confused Ao as he tries to make some sense of the situation around him.

This episode was pretty much a world-building episode, where we saw the series give some history and detail to the current world in which the story takes place. The world building is starting to give shape to just how deeply divided society currently is, with protests and military interventions ominous signs of the rather bleak worldview in the Eureka Seven world. World Governments and their respective militarizes are portrayed as suspicious organizations that do as they wish, and even the supposed good guys (Generation Bleu) is portrayed as a gargantuan corporation of sorts, out to benefit themselves amidst all this chaos. There’s vested interests everywhere in this series, making it difficult to definitively point out any pure “good vs bad” situations.

What makes this world building particularly enjoyable is how it affects our main protagonist, Ao. Similar to us as an audience, Ao too is being introduced into a completely unfamiliar setting. And as a newcomer, he is bombarded with new details and operational procedures that are overwhelming. What’s significant about this is how Ao is lost amidst all of these sudden changes, a situation very fitting considering his status as a boy struggling to come to terms with his own identity and history. He isn’t completely sure as to what his motivations are, and his history makes him a black sheep of sorts; he doesn’t fit in, and it’s painfully noticeable throughout the episode due to his awkward interactions with his “teammates” on Pied Piper. His teammates certainly aren’t there to give him an easy tutorial either; Ao gets thrown into the situation, and must make due with whatever he can. It’s an approach that forces Ao to really think for himself, and is growing more apparent with each passing epsiode.

A more disturbing fact to note with this episode is how all the pilots of Generation Bleu are young teenage females, with Ao being the solely visible exception. Ignoring the “female” aspect here (which is probably obligatory fanservice of sorts), the “young teenager” trend could be a sign that only younger pilots can handle Generation Bleu’s IFOs. Is there a specific reason behind the younger demographic of pilots? Generation Bleu hasn’t really been portrayed as the most trustworthy organization either, which makes the entire situation a bit disturbing. Of course, this is mere speculation on my part, but it’s a detail that stuck out quite a bit over the course of this episode.

Well, as things stand, Ao is definitely struggling to come to terms with his new position at Generation Bleu, all while exploring the hurdles that come with a foreign setting and a somewhat unfriendly set of characters. The setting is a complex beast with multiple factions and parties involved, making it even more difficult to ascertain clear-cut black and white divisions of the cast. The setting itself is actually strangely reminiscent of Neon Genesis Evangelion, where NGE’s cast of young teenagers had to fight to save the world while uncertain of whom to trust amongst their human allies. Eureka Seven Ao has a much more modern feel to this setup, with the presence of world governments and corporations seeming to have a corrosive effect on the minds of the characters. The newly introduced “Goldilocks” team is an ominous sign of things to come, especially with their apparent deaths in the next episode. I get the feeling that this series will have some seriously dark moments, many of which will probably catch Ao off guard.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

P.S. I can’t help but think the creators of this series are trying to make a political statement with each passing episode of Eureka Seven Ao. The current real-world turmoil in economic markets, the fear of economic decline in Japan, and the massive uncertainties in the near future, make this series feel very much reactionary to the current status quo.

Screenshots are later in the post.

Sankarea – 06

Episode 06 –

While there seemed to be a trend in recent episodes showcasing some fanservice of the main girls, this episode once again touched upon what has made Sankarea a surprise hit; it’s focus on the human elements to the characters, their warmth and friendliness, all tinged with a hint of sadness. This is seen in Rea’s renewed outlook on her future, Wanko’s melancholy stares at Furuya, as well as in Furuya’s realizations about Rea’s eventual fate as a zombie. There’s an element of fascination that comes with this show trying to portray the positives and caveats of being a zombie, differentiating our “zombie” from the stereotypical mindless, human-eating monstrosity. It’s this portrayal of zombies that makes the entire setup to this series possible, and has worked out surprising well for the most part.

As expected based on previous episodes, the Hydrancea leaves proved to be key to maintaining Rea’s human consciousness. The very idea of Rea needing to take in a poison to stay active serves to reinforce the notion that Rea has truly become a different being of sorts; she no longer is restrained by human constraints, no longer needs food, and is now subject to the whims of decay (and thus, she must avoid heat like the plague). You could say that she is “no longer human”, which Furuya comes to realize in this episode. And as he mentions, it is almost a sad existence of sorts, where only she alone could fully understand what it’s like to no longer be able to feel the touch of others, and how only in death could she even fathom pursuing the lifestyle she had always wanted. What makes this situation more tragic is how Rea is actually a rather sweet, innocent girl who unfortunately just happened to be within the grasp of an over-obsessive father. She had a passive-aggressive relationship with her parents, sought out what she saw as freedom, and did everything in her power to do so. She has been a compelling, and well written, main heroine that really manages to tug at the heartstrings.

It’s kind of ironic how this series, which I assumed to have been intended to be a comedy, has actually turned out to be one of the most compelling dramas out of this season. Sankarea shows restraint when it comes to it’s drama. We don’t dwell on the father’s day-to-day abuses of Rea, but rather, we see her progressively trying to fight against such, and you could even say her zombie revival is her way of continuing her struggle against her possessive father. We see Rea smile and try to enjoy her newfound freedom, even as Furuya realizes that she will eventually decay away, and her freedom could very well turn out to be a fleeting, short dream of sorts. Wanko’s presence is also handled surprisingly well, where we see how she has this awkward relationship with the oblivious Furuya (and to which Rea immediately understands).

In the end, I have to say that I’m sort of stunned that this is a work from Studio Deen. Even with some of the undesirable trappings of fanservice and convenient plot elements, this show has done a fantastic job with telling a human drama of sorts, complete with a level of subtlety more uncommon in anime nowadays. There is a feeling of inevitability to this series, where it feels as if there is only sadness awaiting for Furuya and Rea. And with Rea’s virtually assured decay, as well as signs of a lust for human flesh, there are already ominous signs on the horizon.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.9/5

Screenshots are later in the post.