USA Anime

Spring 2021 Season in Review

Surprise of the Season: Higehiro

Overall Rating: 3.5

This is hardly a flawless series, and better series overall definitely aired during this past season. However, no series in the Spring 2021 season – not even my beloved 86 – more firmly defied initial expectations. Based on the premise (which is fully outlined in the full version of the title!), viewers had every right to expect this one to go in a wholly sleazy direction. . . but it didn’t. To be sure, the series had its occasional fan service moments, including a full-blown sex scene in one flashback, but even those moments rarely felt gratuitous and they disappeared entirely in the series’ later stages. The result was an improbably wholesome story about a twentysomething single man who, for several months, shelters a teenage runaway in his apartment, and without having sex with her even though she freely offers it as recompense.

The story works overall because of the relationship it builds between the two leads. Yoshida is a man who is firm on his principles; he cannot totally deny some level of attraction to Sayu, but he remains resolute that he is only interested in older women. This is a difficult point for everyone (even Sayu) to understand and accept, but as the story gradually shows, this is not just a case of him being kind-hearted or seeing Sayu like a daughter. He wants someone in his life – someone he can come home to – and Sayu fits that bill. That provides at least some selfish basis for why he is so adamant about rejecting Sayu’s efforts to sell her body for a place to stay and insisting that she raise her standards for what should be acceptable from guys: he wants family, not a lover. In the process he helps Sayu sort out her life and become both strong enough and independent enough to confront the troublesome home life which drove her to run away in the first place.

The two most satisfying elements for me were seeing how Sayu gradually collected herself as a person and sorted out her feelings and values and the tenderness of the scenes where they were together, just comforting each other. I also liked how the series did not let either character easily off the hook. In fact, the series almost went overboard in impressing the questionable legality of what Yoshida was doing, while also suggesting that Sayu cannot blame everything on her mother or what happened to her friend; yes, her mother was horrible, but Sayu made some bad choices herself. (So did her brother, for not putting Sayu in a more supervised away-from-home situation.)

The series also has some significant flaws. While I didn’t find the artistry to be distracting, it is far from being one of the more visually ambitious series of the season. The story also shows some clear signs of trimming even from an anime-only perspective, and certain parts of it feel repetitious. Also, one of Sayu’s former hosts gets let off much too easily when he comes back into the picture, and not enough is done in the long run with the women in the office who are interested in Yoshida. However, the stronger points overcome the messiness, and the series ends properly (though not necessarily in a why everyone will be happy with. I reject more cynical interpretations of the content and so can firmly recommend it, even for those who may be leery about the title.

Other Series

86 (4.5+ overall rating) – I almost put this series as my surprise for the season, as while I expected it to be good based on the source material, I don’t think anyone expected it to be this good. This is, quite simply, one of the best adaptations of a light novel that I have ever seen in anime, in any sense you want to name. It is one of the best-looking series of the season of any kind, with top-of-the-line-for-TV CG use in action scenes, rich use of symbolism, and a fine balance between the Alba and 86 sides, and it packs one of the season’s best musical scores as well. Just as importantly, it also takes its time in adapting adapt its compelling premise and story, including flawlessly adding in anime-only content which only enhances the story. The one possible knock against it is that it may sometimes get a little heavy-handed in its handling of systemic, Nazi-inspired racism, but even that aspect I felt was generally done well. It is a series which will defy any early negative impressions, and it deserves to be considered one of the early top candidates for Anime of the Year.

Combatants Will Be Dispatched! (3.5) – I am a big fan of KONOSUBA, and while this is not KONOSUBA-level shenanigans, it’s still fun enough, with Six being a lovable ass and Alice making a solid partner for him. In fact, the relationship and (most importantly) understanding between the two is one of the series’ selling points. Supporting characters are more hit-or-miss, but the amusing ironies (a self-proclaimed evil organization, which encourages members to collect Evil Points to gain access to equipment and rewards, also has an internal sexual harassment policy) balance that out. Overall, a fun view but not a deep one.

Fruits Basket the Final (4) – Some things could have been justified better (the Yuki/Machi relationship in particular), while on other points I felt the series got redundant on its psychoanalyzing. Still, on the whole, this was a complete and satisfying resolution to one of the major shojo franchises of the past 20 years. The parts that manga readers complained about being skipped mostly didn’t bother me, as I feel those scenes may have bogged down the pacing, and I was pleased to see that not all of the Zodiac members could easily move on from Akito’s abuse. That lent a bit more authenticity to the final resolution.

Full Dive (2) – Wow, did I actually finish watching this one? I cannot remember the last time that I watched a series to completion that I so actively disliked, when a review at the end was not the goal. Especially in the early and middle stages, the series was so mean-spirited that it was a wholly unpleasant viewing experience, and even some better plot twists late in the series could not fully overcome that. Not something I can recommend for any audience.

How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord Omega (3) – For better or worse, this season can simply be described as “more of the same.” It is only 10 episodes long, but by keeping it that short it can devote its entire run time to a single arc. Expect more fan service, more high-powered action, some encounters that almost rise to the level of being a challenge for Diablo, and a variety of cute and/or sexy new female characters to add to Diablo’s orbit (if not harem). The “Double Summon version” is not much racier than the regular version but still the recommended way to view the series.

I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level (3)– This is not a series that I ever intended to watch out, as I was not overly impressed by either the first novel or the artistic quality on the first episode. However, I wandered back to it during a weekend where I had nothing to do, so here we are. As isekai series go, this one is a fluff ball. Though the female protagonist is as OP as any isekai protagonist gets, battles are brief and demonstrates of raw power are more an afterthought than a feature. The story is instead all about Azusa chillin’ with the makeshift family she gradually gathers (essentially a harem, with at least one or two even interested in her sexually, though that’s never more than a mild tease) from slimes, dragons, ghosts, elves, and even demons. The “don’t work to excess” philosophy heavily promoted by the novel is present here but in toned down form, no threat is ever too serious, and comedy is a regular element. Sadly, the visuals never improve, but this concept does not hurt much for its lack of animation quality. The series will be too passive and aimless for some tastes, but it is inoffensive, low-key fun.

Moriarty the Patriot (3.5) – I rate the first half of this series higher, but it seemed to lose its luster in the later stages as it turned to focusing more heavily on overall plot. Definitely not a fan of the final episode, either, or the ultimately-underused gimmick with James Bonde. The vaguely homoerotic implications of the Sherlock/William relationship did not work for me, either, and the new opener is a major step down from the first half. Despite those problems, the series still executed well enough often enough, especially on visual fronts.

So I’m A Spider, So What? (3.5) – While this is unabashedly my favorite series of the season, and I generally like how the adaptation is handling the story, the series simply ran into too many visual issues in the second half for me to rate it higher. The CG, which was never great (certainly not on the level of 86!), only got worse, and that combined with choppy action editing and changes which only made sense in a “limit the animation complexity” frame (desert where forest should be?) weighted the series down. A delayed final episode (which hasn’t aired by the time of this posting) isn’t helping, either. Still, it did enough things well at adapting a chaotically-designed novel series and synchronizing its human and spider sides that I cannot completely rag on this half, and it does still have one of the most involved and meticulously-thought-out plots of any isekai series. Oh, and of course, it has Kumoko, who will certainly be remembered as one of the year’s great characters.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent (3.5) – This is a low-key, perfectly serviceable isekai series about a female protagonist who is not initially regarded as the desired Saint until she shows, through her abilities, that she is. It winds up having stronger romantic elements than the typical isekai, but it does not resort to too blatant a shojo romance feel, and it also avoids feeling too much like a power fantasy (even though it basically is one). While never a priority view, it makes for a nice change-of-pace series.

Vivy -Flourite Eye’s Song (4) – This is the second-best series overall that I saw in the Spring season. It was not as deep and insightful about technology as I had hoped, in large part because it ended up being more of an extended character study than a commentary about human relationships with technology. However, it succeeded at turning Diva/Vivy into a compelling character, and even Matsumoto eventually grew on me. It is also one of the better-looking and better-animated series of the season.

SEVEN KNIGHTS REVOLUTION: Hero Successor (3) – Nothing is inherently wrong with this by-the-numbers fantasy series (which is connected to a mobile app game), and it does generally look good; in fact, Faria is one of my favorite character designs of the season. However, it does absolutely nothing to distinguish itself, either, resulting in a mostly-bland view roughly equivalent to Winter 2021’s Hortensia Saga.

Zombie Land Saga Revenge (4) – I’m still going WTF over the epilogue on the final episode, but up until that point this was a very solid addition to the franchise. It filled in some backstory gaps (especially about Yugiri), while also providing a taste of the bigger picture; if the series has a major flaw, it’s that the bigger picture was not focused on more. I enjoyed the performance set in the final episode and felt that the songs’ lyrics aptly summarized what the girls had been through and what Saga Prefecture had to endure, though my favorite performance still remains Yugiri’s sultry “The Saga Incident” at the end of episode 9.

86 Special (episode 12)

Crunchyroll is listing the special episode of 86 as episode 12, but whatever you call it, the episode – titled “Coquelicots Blooming Across the Battlefield” – is just a standard recap episode. It is narrated by Lena and shown entirely from her viewpoint, with the only new shot being the one above, which is shown in the episode’s last few seconds as a preview for the second cour. (The ‘mech above is called a Reginlief, but saying anything more than that about it would constitute spoilers, so I won’t comment further.)

Frankly, other than the preview image teaser, this episode would have been better-served airing right before the series returns in October. If you have not already checked it out, that is when I recommend watching it.

Saga of Tanya the Evil: Operation Desert Pasta

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Saturday June 19^th, 2021 was a big day in the U.S. for fans of the Saga of Tanya the Evil franchise. News broke that a second season of the series had been greenlit, with principal cast and staff from the first series returning. As icing on the cake, a completely-unexpected “interstitial episode” also suddenly appeared in streaming form on Crunchyroll. With no opener and a runtime of only 17 minutes, this special is not even a full episode, but it is still the first Tanya animation to come along since the movie in early 2019. As perhaps the most light-hearted (comparatively-speaking) entry in the franchise to date, it is a recommended view for any franchise fan.

This episode takes place in September 1925, which places it after the end of the TV series and a few months before the movie. It involves Tanya and her 203^rd Mage Batallion getting fed up with the ill-thought-out decision by Rerugen to send a load of pasta to a desert camp where water is in limited supply to begin with. Even once they secure enough water to cook the pasta, it’s too bland on its own. Hence Tanya decides to run with an off-the-cuff suggestion by Viktoriya and begins raiding enemy encampments for ingredients for pasta sauce, all under the guise of “force recon.” Despite Tanya naming the effort Operation Desert Pasta, the Republic leadership mistakes it as a clever plan to disrupt relation between the allied parties opposing the Empire.

Yeah, the whole thing is pretty silly and ironic in concept, but this degree of opportunism also exactly fits with Tanya’s approach to things in other venues in the series (especially the movie). So does the irony at the end that the top brass continues to misunderstand about sending pasta to the troops in the desert. Hence in story and humor senses this is a perfectly enjoyable addition to the franchise. It also brings up General Rommel (Romel in the episode) for the first time in the animated side of the franchise. On the downside, the artist effort seems off, especially in the first few minutes of the episode. While the TV series had its occasional rough spots on visuals, it at least mostly stayed on model, but that cannot be said at all for this episode. Action scenes are also more limited on animation and less flashy in general. If this was also animated by studio NUT then it looks like a rush job. The artistry does settle down some by the end, but this is not one of the better-looking entries in the franchise.

Still, don’t let that bother you too much and you should have fun with the episode.

86 episode 11 (season finale)

Rating: 5 (of 5)

First off, for those who have been reading each week, my apologies for this being up later than normal. Unexpected schedule changes over the weekend left me with no time to write about this episode until the following Monday evening.

Whereas last episode was almost entirely anime-original, this episode was about 80% by the novels; Lena’s part was the first epilogue to novel 1, while much of the 86’s part is actually from the middle of novel 2. The visits to the school and zoo are the anime-original parts this time, and like with the original content last episode, they were both fitting and seamless in their inclusion. The zoo scene in particular was sobering, a reminder of how the sudden deaths or departures of humans can have negative consequences on animals dependent on them as well. The only negative aspect was that Anju’s “they’re just like us” comment concerning the skeletal remains of the animals seemed a bit graceless by this series’ standards on symbolism.

That does not change the fact that both sides of the story were equally compelling in bringing the series to its first-cour stopping point. On the 86’s side, we get to see how Fido ended up as the wreck he was in the final shot from last episode: a battle which also cost the 86s all but one of their Juggernauts, though the pilots all remained intact. Placing the chest of name plaques with the remains of Fido is quite fitting; he served Shin faithfully for years, and helped to collect the scraps used for the name plaques (this isn’t as clear from the anime, but it is in the novel), so what better guardian and gravestone for Shin’s legacy could be asked for? That all eventually leads to a final desperate battle, one which certainly suggests that all the remaining 86s fall; the epilogue even goes as far as suggesting that Shin has joined his brother in the Legion. That’s one hell of a cliffhanger to end the season on. In some senses it would be fitting and especially impactful if this is the true end for Shin and crew, as it would drive home even harder the underlying themes about the unjustness of the 86s’ situation. However, notice that none of Raiden, Theo, Anju, or Kurena are shown bloodied or otherwise with severe injuries as they lay on the ground. This series has not typically been that tame in showing the dead before.

Lena’s scene, meanwhile, is less harrowing but more potentially emotional – which is also fitting, since Lena is the heart of the series. It shows that there are already consequences for her (by the Alba’s viewpoint) brash actions in exceeding her authority to help Spearhead Squadron escape alive, but more importantly, she comes to see where Spearhead Squadron lived. We learn for the first time that the chief mechanic always wears sunglasses for a reason, and his story is a sad one as well. Even sadder is Lena’s discovery that the final five members of the squad anticipated that she might come visit and left messages for her – some light-heartedly rude or teasing, others (like Shin’s request about laying flowers at their final resting place if she should ever come across it) devastating. The bits of symbolism here are interesting, too; the cat toy is actually a pig’s head, and Shin’s final novel is Erich Maria Remarque’s war classic All Quiet on the Western Front. I could almost write a whole essay just about how deep the symbolism and irony of that choice runs, including how the protagonist of that story died with a smile on his face – and Shin likewise has a smile as he faces his apparent end.

The other important part of that scene is the wonderful shot near its end where Lena is facing the future with grim determination. (See the screen shot above.) Though the battle seems to be over for the 86s, it isn’t for her, but her experiences with Spearhead Squadron have forged a newer, harder resolve in her. The red coloring she is shown with during the closing credits could also be symbolic of something that she will do in the second cour.

The one other interesting bonus is the flashes which seem to come from the source of the long-range artillery, another Shepherd who has some serious anger issues lingering from his previous life. However, his rage seems to be over something perpetrated not by the Legion, but by human agents. The emblems shown in those flashes seem to be Imperial symbols, and a young girl referred to as a princess is shown. This isn’t a random inclusion, as it presages a major storyline that will run through the second cour.

The production values remain sharp to the end, as does the flawless use of the musical score. In all, it makes for a strong conclusion to what is easily one of the season’s best titles. Curiously, a Special is advertised for next week. Will it be a look ahead to the second cour in the fall, perhaps? Whatever it is, I will at least briefly comment on it here.

Either way, it’s going to be a long wait through the Summer season until this terrific series is back on again.

English Dub: The first episode is also now available in English dub form. Seems very well-cast and well-performed so far.

OTHER SERIES I’M FOLLOWING:

Fruits Basket the Final ep 11 – Loved the revelation about how the story of the zodiac party has gotten altered over the years, and the true role that the Cat had in it. Still think Akito is getting off too easy, but seeing how the rest of the Zodiac members deal with the final breaking of the curse is very satisfying. (NOTE: The last episode has, I believe, aired as I write this, but I have not had time to watch it yet.)

Higehiro eps 11 and 12 – Loved the way the rooftop scene at the school played out, but all of episode 11 is just a set-up for the big, climactic confrontation with Sayu’s mother in episode 12. I thought that episode stretched just a bit with how the camera moved around the scene while Yoshida was collecting his thoughts, but for the most part I found how the scene was handled and resolved to be generally satisfying. Yoshida makes worthy points: even though he wants to take Sayu in permanently, that’s not his place to do. Theirs is a family matter, and it should be dealt with within their family. Even so, sometimes it takes an outsider to provide the impetus to get things moving. The final episode’s title is “Future,” and I hoped that means that we will see how things turn out down the road.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent episode 11 – Nice to see Aria get involved. Sei is definitely going to have some man problems to get sorted out long-term, though, and seeing Hawke get all angry at the other guy’s attention was just adorable.

Vivy -Flourite Eye’s Song episode 13 – I can see the epilogue scene for this final episode being controversial, but up until that point it was a strong finale with a wonderful climactic song, down even to the choice of lyrics. I’ll have more thoughts on this series as a whole in the Spring Season Wrap-Up next week.

Zombie Land Saga Revenge episode 11 – Doesn’t it seem fitting that this story somehow ends up being part disaster flick near the end?

So I’m a Spider, So What? episode 23

Rating: 3.5

In a surprising move (from the viewpoint of a novel reader), the series’ penultimate episode spends nearly its entire run focusing on the confrontation between Shun’s group and Hugo’s forces – and really, mostly Sophia, since Hugo does not last terribly long before Sophia must step in once again. This is definitely an important battle, but does it warrant this much time when there is important content on the spider side yet to be covered to achieve the ideal stopping point?

Since the battle gets all the emphasis, it highlights two things:

1) The 2D/3D animation mix is, at best, barely passable.

2) Shun is so hung up on his role as Hero that he lacks common sense.

Sadly, point #1 is fully expected at this stage. The production team just does not have the time or talent (or both!) to manage anything better. This episode feels like at least some effort was made this time to liven things up, as it has at least some sense of battle choreography. However, movements are still too stiff and generally artificial-feeling and cuts get used extensively to minimize full animation.

Technical aspects aside, the progression of the battles is standard for one of those situations that heroes run into where the sub-boss foe is still out of their league, even if their flunkies can be beaten. Sophia is just too much of a powerhouse for even slick combo tactics to work, and she clearly has a much higher level of combat experience than Shun; that raises questions about what happened to her between baby form and this one. The arrival of the clearly-also-powerful Kyoya/Wrath just makes the battle even more impossible and more than offsets the arrival of the elves to help. This is also where point #2 comes into play, as Shun is doggedly determined to continue the hopeless battle when both Katia and Fei realize that they can’t win this and Sophia has made it clear that this is not a life-or-death matter for them from her viewpoint, just the elves. (The emphasis placed on Anna here about whether she counts as an elf for extermination purposes or not is curious, given how much she’s been ignored in the past.) Besides, is Shun’s party actually fighting for the right side?

That is one of the two most interesting questions that this episode raises. Oka has pitched the line that the demon army and its allies are tools of the Administrators, and she seems to genuinely believe that. However, her elves have been looking more and more crooked for a while now, and the revelation that they have high-tech equipment which does not otherwise seem to be present in this world only further casts doubt on them. Also, Sophia and Kyoya certainly seem convinced that Shun and crew are either ignorant or duped (or both) to side with the elves that they find so despicable. Some of the tactics that they have already been shown using to get to this point keep them in a moral gray area, though, so what do they know that Shun and crew don’t that they are basing this belief of the elves on? Is it just the kidnappings or something more that the anime has not revealed yet?

The other interesting question is, of course, about the sudden revelation that the elves have high enough technology to field what look like autonomous weapon systems. How does that fit into the Big Picture, especially since even the flashes from the past do not reveal that level of technology? Sadly, anime-only viewers should not expect an answer to that this season unless the final episode dramatically deviates from the fifth novel. Such a deviation is not out of the question, though, because having the Glorias pop up in the presence of Shun’s party is already a big deviation; in the novel, they didn’t appear here, though they did before Ariel (as shown in the epilogue scene.)

With White seemingly headed that way, the stage is set for the series finale on the human side. But where does that leave the spider side? It has more story to tell even within the scope of novel 5, and I don’t see how that can be covered in one episode without it seeming rushed. I have a suspicion on how they might handle the ending, but we’ll have to wait until next week to see for certain. Definitely don’t expect everything (or, really, anything) to be resolved at the season end, though!

86 episode 10

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

As a big fan of the novels, this episode surprised me a bit. Its title suggested that it would include a certain scene featuring Lena which forms the first epilogue of the first novel, but the “Thank You” turns out to be in reference to something else. What we get instead is a low-key, reflective episode that is almost entirely anime-original.

UPDATE (12/10/22): Actually, this episode isn’t anime-original. It is, instead, mostly a direct adaptation of a couple of short stories from novel 10.

That the series would add in some anime-original content at this point is not a big surprise. The novels do not provide much detail about this stage of the 86’s journey, and there’s plenty for the characters to reflect on as they move forward through war-ruined land. Not sure I expect a whole episode of this, which makes me wonder if the production is planning to end the first cour on a cliffhanger (not what I would consider ideal, but it’s feasible), but after seeing what was done with this episode, I don’t have a problem with it. That Lena does not appear at all is a little disappointing, but this bunch is a solid enough group of personalities as is to carry the episode on their own, and flashbacks show little snippets of several other now-dead characters, especially Kaie.

That does mean that there are fewer little details to ruminate on here, as nearly all the racism elements have been left in the past. This is the most complete freedom any of the 86s have had, especially for Shin; the voices of the Legion are still in the background, but he no longer has the weight of his brother hanging on him. Yes, they are in enemy territory, so they must still worry about their supply situation and about keeping hidden from Legion patrols (as one night scene in a pillbox chillingly emphasizes), but they are also free to explore, make their own decisions, and operate on their own timetable. This leads to an entirely different Shin, one who can laugh and follow along with jokes, though one comment Raiden makes about whether Shin has “anything left” raises the episode’s main philosophical question: at what point does “complete freedom” cross over into “completely directionless”?

The somber scene at the zoo, where the 86s see the remains of all the animals left behind when their human keepers either retreated or were killed off, provides the main source of symbolism for the episode, and the wrecked Legion which Shin silences serves as a reminder that, even now, they cannot completely leave everything behind. Again, this is all anime-original, but it fits so seamlessly that an anime-only viewer probably couldn’t tell. The same is true with the flashback from Fido’s perspective, a framing device that I feel serves the series very well. In fact, that montage is the main reason why I am still giving this episode such a high rating. It hits all the right notes with every scene it shows, whether it is a scene that we have seen before from different angles, a continuation of an earlier scenes, or new entirely content. And that feeds directly into the ominous final shot.

Once again, the decisions made by the adaptation team are excellent ones. I look forward to seeing how next episode’s first cour finale will be handled.

OTHER SERIES I’M FOLLOWING:

Fruits Basket the Final ep 9 – As much as I dislike the previous episode, this one worked for me. Tohru really needs someone like Kyo to look out for her, as she seems to lack a self-preservation instinct. Even though she ends up hospitalized, she shows that, in the end, not even a desperate Akito can beat her on the emotional front. And of course we can’t forget the key moment that everyone had been anticipating for ages: love’s first kiss. This was a powerful and effective episode despite the cheap gimmick, and easily the best the series has delivered this season.

Higehiro ep 10 – I cannot entirely disagree with criticisms leveled in other venues that a lot of this episode felt redundant. Even so, the sweet final scene sold the whole episode for me. I also have not found its artistic effort to be as much of a distraction, though I will admit it’s nothing special.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent episode 10 – So the Saint’s power is connected to love, eh? No big surprise there. But now that Sei has realized that, how will she handle it?

Vivy -Flourite Eye’s Song episode 12 – Not sure what to make of this series at this point, although the revelation that the main boss was actively counteracting all of the changes that Vivy and Matsumoto were doing explains a lot. Everything is setting up for a “the song will save the world” kind of conclusion, which I suppose is fitting since the series has always been an idol show. But how gracefully will the series be able to manage it?

Zombie Land Saga Revenge episode 10 – Um, okay, those were some very big revelations to be throwing out at this point in the series. However, a curse being at the root of everything does explain a lot here as well.

So I’m a Spider, So What? episode 22

Ariel facing off against both Kumoko and the Hero

Rating: 3.5

As expected, Kumoko’s timeline returns to center stage for this episode, with the human timeline only getting the last couple of minutes as it shows a bit more of Shun stepping in to fight Hugo. As feared, the wonky use of CG also continues unabated, with more than just the purely action components getting a CG treatment. At least that aspect is better than last episode, but seeing how poorly this series is getting treated visually compared to the promise it showed earlier in the series (and especially compared to concurrently-airing fare like 86) just makes me sad, as there is only so much that the intrigues in the story can do to make up for that.

Nothing much of note is happening on the human front beyond a growing suspicion that Hugo is being influenced into his current behavior and the interesting point that Sophia is seeing to it that Yuri gets attended to; while Hugo may have lost it and Sophia would not mind seeing Oka dead, she, at least, does seem to value her allies. Aside from the overdependence on CG, the main problem I have with this part is that Oka is supposed to be badly injured at this point but is barely showing it even before getting healed. (At least it gives Window Dressing Anna something to do!) Well, that and the fact that they are supposed to be fighting in a forest but the terrain is barren all around; presumably, this was done to shortcut on the animation, either because of time or budgetary constraints or both. Also, I am unclear on who is doing the Appraisal during the telepathic conversation between Fei and Katia, especially since neither has previously been shown to have that skill.

The human side is not the only place where the camera seems overly fond of spinning around in 3D modeling, as the spider side also gets this in spades. That effect seems less distracting in those parts, however, and overall, the visuals work at least a little better. Kumoko’s commentary at the beginning of the episode is mostly anime-original, but I did expect something of the sort given that the remaining material in novel 5 is a little short on filling three episodes, and her spiel is entertaining enough. The real feature comes when Ariel shows up on the battlefield for the one-on-one fight that has been teased in the opener since the beginning of the second cour. The battle does a decent job of impressing the scale of the battle on viewers, and it makes for probably the most exciting battle in the series since Kumoko faced off against the puppet spider. It also shows why Ariel is so fearsome beyond just her stats: she can eat anything and use it to recover her stats. The interesting twist is the appearance of a very young Julius (novels later clarify that he was 11 at this point), who is present for his first battle as Hero, and how that gives even Ariel pause. Apparently in this setting, even a massive stats difference cannot negate the Hero’s innate ability to defeat the Demon Lord.

Nearly as interesting as the fight itself is what happened before that. Gülie arrived where Ariel was finishing off her epic battle against the last earth dragon and decides to help her by teleporting her to where Kumoko is. In the anime he only says that it’s recompense for the trouble his subordinates (i.e., the dragons) caused her, but he offered an additional reason in the novels: she’s the daughter of a friend. (The adaptation may have skipped that line because it is not relevant to anything else happening in this part of the story.) Also interesting, this scene is happening after Gülie spoke to Kumoko in the anime, but happened in the reverse order in the novels, where Gülie’s statements to Kumoko were also meant as an assurance that he wouldn’t do something like teleport Ariel again. That changes apparent motivations a bit.

The other important detail there, though, is that we finally get clarification on who Ariel is in the human timeline. Those who suspected that Kumoko became Ariel were neither totally correct nor totally incorrect: Ariel is being influenced by essentially melding with Kumoko’s Body Brain, so her new personality is a mix of both. Basically, her goals are still her own but her attitude and aggressiveness are shading more towards Kumoko. This accounts for all her behavioral differences between the human timeline and earlier spider timeline appearances and why she seems to know about the reincarnations. Interesting, though, that even such a powerful entity as her has no direct knowledge of D. . . anyway, the suggestion that D may have specifically done the reincarnations as part of a deliberate attempt to save the world is also an intriguing theory, and I agree with Gülie that the timing seems too suspicious.

Of course, the big feature moment at the end is that Kumoko apparently got obliterated by Ariel’s Abyss magic at the end of their scene. Obviously Kumoko isn’t permanent deadly, but how does she get out of this one? It’s been very vaguely hinted at previously, or you can just wait until next week to find out.

86 episode 9

Rating: 5 (of 5)

One sign of a great episode is when you can watch it twice in the same afternoon and it loses none of its impact on a second viewing. That was my reaction to episode 9, which mostly completes the adaptation of the first novel. It brings the series’ first story arc to a resounding – if also very melancholy – conclusion, in part by bringing both of its protagonists to tears.

For the five 86s who have survived to this point, this is the battle that they must survive to achieve their true freedom. For Shin, it is also the battle that he must win to move on in a figurative sense, as he must put his brother’s ghost (brain?) to rest. Rei – now as a Shepherd – also has some very complicated feelings, and the Shepherd is unable to fully process them. The result is a crazed Shepherd, one which will not let even its own units harm Shin but is still determined to bring Shin into the fold as a Legion, so they can be together. Young Lena become his inner voice of conflict as he ponders killing Shin in his grief over the loss of their parents (her slapping Rei coinciding with the shell landing was a nice touch), and the way he reached out to Shin in his final moment alive now manifests in nanomachine arms which reach out for Shin in his new form. That sets up one part of one of the series’ more spectacular and well-realized action scenes to date.

The other part of that sequence is the horde of lesser Legion that the rest must contend with – and that, not surprisingly, ultimately includes Lena. As soft as she seems because of how emotional she gets, I have long insisted that there is a strength in her that everyone is not giving full credit, and that shows beautifully here. Even with depleted officer ranks, Lena did not get to be the youngest Major ever by passively accepting the circumstances before her, and in the scene where she emotionally manipulates Annette to help her rig the Para-RAID and mortar controls (leaving Annette a complete wreck afterwards), she shows just how gloriously ruthless she can be. I love that scene both visually and contextually, especially the symbolic meaning where Lena stepped back from the cover of the porch awning and into the rain, hence drawing Annette into the rain as well, or how her eyes were concealed by her hat at first. That scene is loaded visually, but just as importantly, it shows why she was able to use the spectacle of the mortars to cover Spearhead Squadron. The message it sends is also as important: if the rules are wrong then they should be broken.

All of this ultimately brings the matter with Shin’s brother to a satisfying conclusion and leaves Shin in tears for the first time, but that is merely the action climax. The dramatic climax follows, as Lena starts to realize that Spearhead Squadron is fully intent on pushing forward anyway. The anime version is stretching this scene out – Lena running down the street in a desperate effort to keep in contact as long as possible and the contiguous commentary among the 86s is anime-original – but it works so well that I cannot fault the adaptation for it. With the great musical backing, it sells the power of the scene. Lena has finally made the connection she sought, saved them (at least for now), and earned the respect of the remaining 86s, but that does not change the fact that they are still leaving her behind. Lena being brought to tears at the end of this is heartbreaking but feels well-earned. All of this happening in front of a field of blooming spider lilies, which Asian legends claim bloom when two people part ways forever,

is a fitting choice, as is the five birds shown flying away as Spearhead Squadron exits Republic territory.

Again, there are just too many neat little touches here to account for all of them without making this review ridiculously long. Even if the nanomachine arms are a little wonky, those are still straight out of the novel, so I cannot imagine how the adaptation of the first novel’s final full chapter could have been done any better. This is one of the highlight episodes of the whole Spring 2020 season, not just this series.

All that is left of the first novel at this point are two epilogues. Based on the title for episode 10, it will likely start by adapting the first epilogue, while the second will probably not get adapted until the end of the series. (For anime-only viewers, it involves a big time skip, and most of the second and third novels happen during that time skip.) Thus, this is the conclusion of the opening act, but definitely not the story as a whole.

OTHER SERIES I’M FOLLOWING:

Higehiro ep 9 – Quite the surprise here: Sayu’s elder brother is actually quite reasonable and genuinely protective/supportive of Sayu, even if his methods (leaving Sayu unsupervised in circumstances like this?) leave something to be desired. Sayu’s motivation to run is also laid bare by the flashbacks, and it is pretty awful; her friend’s suicide over being bullied because of her association with Sayu was bad enough, but man, her mother is a class act. No matter how much you are inconvenienced, there are some things you just don’t ever say to your kids. Also kudos to Asami for once again coming through as the caring friend.

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent episode 9 – Seeing the matter involving Prince Kyle and Aira resolved to a certain degree is very satisfying, even if it supposedly makes the prince come off looking better than the source material does. (And Kyle shouldn’t ever underestimate his future bride Elizabeth, as she seems able to see through him.) Feel like that whole situation could have been build up more for dramatic effect, but it’s still nice to see Aira no longer being an afterthought character.

Vivy -Flourite Eye’s Song episode 11 – The revelation of the final boss’s identity – and thus the reason why the AI insurrection happened despite the Singularity Project’s efforts – is an interesting choice, but ultimately the only logical candidate. The irony that Vivy’s success at achieving what no other AI has probably ultimately spurred the uprising in this timeline (I’m guessing it showed the “boss” that humans are no longer needed?) is also implicit. That was also a neat sort-of reappearance from a much earlier character.

Zombie Land Saga Revenge episode 9 – For me, this was maybe the most satisfying episode of the whole series, as it lays out why Yugiri was likely chosen for this project despite being from such an earlier era than the rest; she was a pivotal player in why Saga exists as a prefecture to this day. This also explains why she has settled into this new era without complaint: she gets to see what became of her efforts way back then. The performance at the end of the episode was killer, too; it’s probably my favorite of the series to date. Also, a lot has been discussed in other forums about the picture of Tae in the photographer’s window back in the past, but I’m not sure how much can be made of that since the other girls also appeared in the past in some form or another.

So I’m a Spider, So What? episode 21

Rating: 3

As the title of this episode – “So, I’m Not in This One, Am I?” – suggests, the titular character does not appear at all in this episode. (Or at least not in spider form in the spider-side timeline, anyway.) White – who’s been all but outright said to be the human-side version of Hiiro Wakaba – makes a brief appearance to play a critical role, but that’s it. This is entirely a human-side chronicle, showing how Shun and crew get involved in the opening maneuvers of the assault on the elf village. However, the lack of Kumoko is not why I am rating this episode considerably lower than normal; while Kumoko is the powerhouse which carries the show, what’s happening on the human side is interesting, too.

Unfortunately, once again the artwork and artistic direction proves erratic. This episode leans heavily on CG for animating human/elf characters in the action scenes, but while that is not a great visual effect, I do not find it totally objectionable. However, whether characters are animated in CG or not at various points in the actions scenes is somewhat random, as if the CG was being used for emergency patches when the production did not have time to do it without CG, and movements are often stiff or fixed. (One shot of Hugo galloping forward on his horse, but not actually looking like he’s advancing any, is especially egregious.) Occasionally the battles scenes do also get off a good cut or two, but the way it is all put together is also quite rough. The action lacks a good flow from shot to shot, especially when Oka is going head-to-head against Hugo. This is merely the first stage of the pivotal battle of the entire novel series, and it does not leave me feeling good about how the rest of the battle is going to be portrayed.

Thankfully, the story side saves the episode from being a disaster. This happens in part because the adaptation goes back and covers a couple of scenes that had previously been skipped, and after seeing how the episode fits them in, at least one of them works better here. That scene is the one where Oka explains to Hyrince and Anna that she, Shun, Katia, Fei, and the ones that they have met at the village are all reincarnations from a different world, one which lacks the game mechanics-like structure of this one. She further spills one other crucial bit of information for everyone: that gods called Administrators exist in the setting (which implies that the general populace is unaware of them) and that the elves have long believed that they are up to no good, including draining skills from people for some unknown purpose. Notably, Oka does not entirely buy what she’s been taught while growing up, but the fact that she has seen at least Kanata listed as dying after Katia gets her skilled drained is enough to get her to act. Why she could not have explained some of this earlier – like, back at the academy – is not clear, and anime-only readers should not ever expect a good explanation on that. Oh, and she also finally reveals that Sophia was Shouko Negishi. Again, not sure why that revelation had to wait until now, either, other than maybe that Oka would have had to explain some things about her earlier meetings with Sophia that have yet to come up in the anime. (And they likely won’t before the end of this season.)

The other add-in scene is a shorter one – too short, in fact. Anna’s status as a half-elf is not going over well with the other elves, but the elves are such douchebags about it that it’s hard to believe that they didn’t start picking on her earlier. It just timed out better to do it here, I guess? That results in it feeling more like it was thrown in as filler rather than as an integral part of the story.

But hey, spending the whole episode on the human side allows more reincarnations to get involved, such as the two former adventurers (honestly, their names are not critical to remember at this point) and Kasuma, who is revealed to be both the guy practicing with swords in front of the church last episode and a ninja. He seems very capable despite his demeanor, too, and plays the role of shutting off a line of retreat. The other one is the oni who appeared very briefly in the Demon Lord’s council meeting a few episodes back and has been named Wrath in advertising copy. All indicators point to him being Kyouya, so that should make for an interesting reunion in another episode or two.

Not much content is left on the human side before the end of novel 5 (which is the only sensible stopping point for the series), so I’m betting that next episode will be mostly or all spider-side. Big battle scenes await there, too, so hopefully it will look better than this one does. But I’m not holding my breath at this point.

Special Notice!

Since the first Princess Principal sequel movie is now available on HIDIVE, a review of it is likely coming sometime next week.

86 episode 8

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

Storytelling in all forms has a habit of exaggerating the evil actions of an enemy or an oppressor just to make sure that the audience has no sympathy for them. Much more rarely, though, the full extent of the evil is just a logical extension of what has already been established. That is the case with the most recent episode of 86, though not for the most immediately apparent reasons.

The revelation last episode that Spearhead Squadron assignments are effectively execution orders also partly falls under that umbrella. After all, successful 86s being allowed to live would contradict the whole purpose of the oppression. Given that, the revelation this episode that 86s whose terms are up are given an open-ended “Special Recon Assignment,” which is implicitly intended to be a suicide mission, should hardly come as a surprise. The bigger revelation is that Annette’s apathy towards Lena’s efforts is a defense mechanism. She feels that she selfishly betrayed an 86 neighbor boy by distancing herself and discouraging her father from taking him in, and she knows first-hand the uglier side of the research behind the Para-RAID. Their development was the fruit of inhuman experiments on 86 children, her father’s anguish over that most likely resulted in him committing suicide, and she implies that she was involved herself afterwards. Hence, she strikes out at Lena when the latter tries to shake her out of that protective bubble.

The other dark truth here is that the Republic’s effort to expunge the 86s from the Republic extends to eliminating evidence that they even existed. That is why 86s are not allowed graves, but this is not just evil for the sake of evil, either; if the 86s are gone, and no record of them remains, then the Republic cannot get in trouble for their actions when/if contact with other countries is reestablished. Yeah, I know there are some big holes in this theory, but this has historical parallels as well: the Nazis did try to destroy records of what was happening in the concentration camps in the waning days of World War 2. Lena’s uncle’s comments about this – that a lack of resistance to this from the public implies tacit acceptance, and that the country’s namesake saint may have been a martyr herself – are also damning. This is all practically an embodiment of the famous quote, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

What I find most interesting about this part of the story – and in particular how the anime adaptation portrays it – is the stark contrast between the Republic side and the 86 side. On the Republic side, Lena is being isolated further as each avenue for trying to help Shin and crew gets shut down on her. Indeed, even Shin shuts her down by telling her not to resonate with them anymore. (He does not seem to understand that this is ultimately probably crueler to Lena than keeping her involved until the end would be.) On the other side, the 86s, their number now dwindled just to the five most prominent members, stand united and, to a degree, even happy. They are resigned to their fate, but as Raiden reaffirms, they aren’t going to just hang themselves, and in a sense, this is the freedom that they have long sought. Even if they will likely end in ugly fashion, their journey still awaits, and Shin can settle one final score in the process. It is just like they are being sent on a grand adventure, rather than to their deaths.

The one minor surprise here is that the anime does not skip the scene where the Shepherd which has Rei’s brain reflects on what really happened between Rei and Shin. I am very pleased that it was included, especially since most previous Interlude scenes in the novel have been skipped. It is the one whose absence would probably be most felt by anime-only viewers, however, and it does allow for a dramatic lead-in to next episode. It also allows for pictures like this one:

Among other random tidbits, this episode does not have the wealth of visual cues that the previous episode did, but it still has some. One of the most significant is Lena’s flower vase. Conversations in another forum have led me to believe that her vase is being used to indicate how many 86s have died in the given episode, and this time it has four, to signify the four remaining non-core members dying off-screen. (The deaths are also being reflected in two different places in the opener.) The musical support also does not get enough credit. And boy, all of the signs point towards the boy that Annette was talking about being Shin, don’t they?

Since next episode’s title is also the title of the first novel’s last chapter, the adaptation of the first novel will probably mostly conclude with episode 9. (I predict that the last few pages of the chapter will make up the beginning of episode 10, and the epilogue will be dealt with throughout the second cour.) What the 86s will do is obvious; but what will Lena do?

OTHER SERIES I’M FOLLOWING:

Fruits Basket the Final ep 8 – Drag thing out much? Though these were big revelations about how Kyo and Tohru are far more connected than we’ve known until this point, the delivery of it here was tedious. The only thing which saved the episode for me was the cliffhanger ending.

Higehiro ep 8 – You had to figure that the kind of turning point that the episode ends on was coming. Up to that point I thought the episode was trying a little too hard to keep a potential romance between Yoshida and Sayu in play despite Yoshida’s effort to distance himself from that. Still, it conveyed well that Sayu is taking small steps towards the need to confront her past, while Yoshida is realizing more and more how firmly Sayu is becoming part of his life. This is one of two big cliffhangers for Monday that I will be eagerly awaiting.

SEVEN KNIGHTS REVOLUTION: Hero Successor – Actually got caught up on this one because I was bored one night. Have about the same reaction to this one that I had to Hortensia Saga last season: looks nice, but it is painfully generic as fantasy content goes. Still, it has just enough going for it (especially the Class President character) that I will probably finish it out.

Vivy -Flourite Eye’s Song episode 10 – This has been a strong enough series that it might be a contender for Best of Season honors if 86 wasn’t around, and this may have been the series’ best episode yet. Seeing Diva relegated to a museum attraction after retiring (because she couldn’t sing anymore after her other persona left) was particularly sad, and the relationship with the boy Osamu over the course of 20 or more years has a certain melancholy feel to it as well, as do the visits from Matsumoto. The song she finally comes up with fits perfectly, as do the two twists at the end: both about Osamu’s last name and the suggestion that she might have unwittingly caused the very thing that she was trying to prevent. I sort of suspected all along that the story might go in this direction, but even so, I am eager to see how this plays out.