An American Writer's Thoughts on Japanese Animation

Seasonal Selection – Ex-Arm Episode 4

Look, I get it. If you’re going to steal visual designs, Neon Genesis Evangelion is probably a good choice. It’s got some good designs. But if you’re going to steal from Eva, show a little respect and actually use the pilfered parts in a way and in a place that has the weight and awesomeness the material deserves. Having a cruddy little robot that would be stomping material even by most Real Robot standards mimic EVA-01 just makes you look even lamer for the comparison.

Audio Commentary and thoughts after the cut.

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School-aged Madness – Love, Chuunibyou, and Other Delusions Spoiler Review

Before I can really do this review, I feel like I need to explain Chuunibyou (or ‘Chuuni’) for anyone who might happen to be unaware of the topic. The term can be translated roughly as “Second year of middle school syndrome”. Despite that, no explanation I’ve heard has ever indicated that it’s really pathological. Rather, Chuunibyou involves a youngster who, for some reason or another, takes up a theatrical persona and lives it. You declare yourself the Dark Lord, cackle maniacally, and even though you know it’s not real, you act at all times as though it were real because doing any less would spoil the ‘game’. Sometimes it’s a coping mechanism, other times it just makes someone feel better to stand out in a world that otherwise desires conformity of you.

It’s a phenomenon that, despite the name, is far from being limited to Japan. I… may have had my own brush with the experience when I was in middle school, long before I knew it had a name or was a cultural phenomenon in another country. And I do think that informs my reaction to the show; if you were Chuuni yourself, whether you knew that was a thing or what it was, you’re probably going to have a stronger response here than if you weren’t. That said, let’s dig in.

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Wacky, Sleepy Antics – Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Spoiler Review

We once again visit Generic JRPG Land, the world that always seems to exist, particularly for parodical or comedic subversion, where a human hero must do battle with the Demon King to save the world or some nonsense like that. Except this time we’re not following the hero this time. Instead, we’re going to spend out time with the kidnapped princess who would normally exist just to motivate said hero.

She’s tired, bored… and about as clever, industrious, and self-centered as Wile E. Coyote.

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Seasonal Selection – Ex-Arm Episode 2

Reaction of the episode (Paraphrased): “Blink. Blink. BLINK! Blink already, you soulless Barbie Doll!”

So, for this episode, we’ve decided to record live reactions. Fair warning, it’s mostly just screaming about how horrible the CGI is, even though it’s actually moved up in the world since Episode 1. Video after the cut, watch it if you want the ranting, otherwise just scroll on for the meat.

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After the End – Darling in the Franxx Spoiler Review (Part 3; Episodes 16-24)

So, after two weeks, 26,000 words, and 15 episodes, what more can really be said about Darling in the Franxx? It’s probably no surprise that the answer is “quite a lot!”, at least given the close nature of my episode summaries for this show and the number of episodes left. But it’s more than that: we’ve been through the conventional best parts of the show, but ahead of us we still have the unconventional, the strange, and the troubled… which are on their own fairly fascinating, whether these elements worked or didn’t and how.

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Seasonal Selection – Ex-Arm Episode 1

Up until now, when I’ve done Seasonal Selection series, I’ve chosen material that I have some interest in or that I think might be of some value. This season, I’m doing something different: Basically since the first trailer dropped, Ex-Arm has been a show people have been talking about, and not in any way good. It was pretty clear that there was going to be a lot of hate for the show, so I’ve decided to strap myself in for the wild ride and see if it’s worth the rage it got before even releasing and will likely continue to get as it runs.

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The Bird That Shares Wings – Darling in the Franxx Spoiler Review (Part 2; Episodes 7-15)

It’s still January, so we’re still going to be taking a long, long look at Darling in the Franxx. Last week we looked at the opening act, which told the story of Hiro and Zero Two coming together, seemingly overcoming fates that would have seen them be trapped alone in the world. If you want the introduction to the show and a lot of material that this entry will largely assume you have, follow the link and read on. Where the show was set to go from there was a big question mark – there were hints of ‘more’ to come, but no real concrete outlook as to what we were doing next.

Seems like the perfect time for a beach episode to me.

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The Kiss of Death – Darling in the Franxx Spoiler Review (Part 1; Episode 1-6)

So, it’s January, which apparently means it’s time for me to do something long and different. This year, I’ll be looking into Darling in the Franxx, going through it not as a whole show in a single go, but arc by arc to try to really go a little deeper. And you may be inclined to ask “Why?”. What makes Darling in the Franxx worth an extra level of effort?

Well, let me answer the question with a question. What’s your favorite anime? And what qualifies a show for that vaunted status? Honestly, go ahead and answer in the comments, I’d love to hear what people think about that. For me, it’s not a matter of quality alone. I recently covered Haibane Renmei, and said then that if I was put on the spot, that would probably be the show I’d name “best” of those I’ve seen. But, I also commented, it’s not really in contention to be what I’d call my “favorite” I made somewhat similar comments regarding Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss, stressing that there is, at least in my case, a disconnect between recognition of quality and favoritism.

For me, what places a show among my favorites is when it captures the imagination, meaning that it’s something I come back to and think about a good deal after – even long after – I’ve finished watching. Favorite shows are ones I return to, either for rewatches or just in terms of thought. These are often flawed shows, though they tend to have at least some great strengths. Memorable characters and creative scenarios are, generally the order of the day, as apply in shows like Robotics;Notes or Mekakucity Actors (Part of what’s probably my favorite franchise, the Kagerou Project, but which suffers some when viewed in isolation as an anime). And those elements certainly appear in what I’m willing to call my favorite show, Darling in the Franxx.

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