An American Writer's Thoughts on Japanese Animation

Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 18 (S2E7)

86 is a show that knows how to move deliberately. This episode was essentially entirely dedicated to buildup and setting the stage, with the actual attack on the “Morpho” rail cannon being saved for next week. Along the way, of course, we get loads of character building and some neat looks into the machinery of government and the military.

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Seasonal Selection – Shikizakura Episode 6

All things considered, this show can be kind of charming. True, just about anybody who’s engaged with any sort of media has seen this plot a million times before, but for that one person who is experiencing the time-worn “plucky young outsider gets superpowers and steps up to save the day” storyline for the first time? They could have gotten far worse introductions to said tired outline that try less and achieve less than Shikizakura does. For the rest of us it remains the kind of thing where you can probably turn your brain off, but it’s acceptably entertaining in that regard.

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Seasonal Selection – 86 Episode 17 (S2E6)

In the Republic, the fighting has become fierce, with Lena managing a forward command post as the Alba citizens scatter in terror. But more than that, we’re concerned with that attack that hit the Federacy, and what it might mean for the eighty-six and their new homeland.

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