Tag Archives: First Reactions

First Reactions: Free! Episode 10

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Free didn’t let up on the details as per usual. It might be only the second or third time I’ve seen an anime point out the poor quality of it’s written Engrish, a stickem take on a cliche that was further justified by it being written by a bunch of jock high schoolers. It packed in a little extra bit of realism by showing how information technology can be used to boost athletic performances. And it made the most of a nabe spill, resolving the subplot foremost in the minds of the viewers.

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If I were her, I would have just picked up some non-corrective glasses

But the real reason Free sold out at the majority of online retailers is that it packs a good dramatic cast, and said cast was on display as well, approaching something that the show hadn’t really confronted up till now. The central arc of the show deals with the rivalry between Rin and Haru with roots dating back to when they were in the same swim club with Matoto and Nagisa. So where does Rei, the new kid who’s now friends with the latter three but just got involved 3 months ago fit into the equation?

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First Reactions: WataMote Episode 10

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I’ve seen shows lead into their ED credits with the first few notes, (to nearly universally impressive results), but this is only the third or fourth show I’ve seen do so with the opening credits. Between that and the decision to plug Tomoko into class chat central, the second semester got off to a running start.

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First Reactions: Space Brothers Episode 72

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The longer we get past the lunar canyon crash arc in this series, the more convinced I am that it ended in exactly the right way. This way keeps Hibito around and lets the show explore the careers of the two siblings, staying true to the title. Lately, it’s been responsible for some evolution in the dynamics between the two, showing them dealing with careers stalling out for reasons that appear separate (Mutta’s turning down the backup job, Hibito’s PTSD), but are actually largely identical. The revelation that Mutta was really being held back because of Hibito’s PTSD and the NASA director’s handling of the situation was a smack in the head that made a ton of sense.

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First Reactions: Dangan Ronpa Episode 10

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This was, first and foremost, a great Monokuma episode. His cosplay acting was a level up from normal, that back-and-forth between him and Naegi about the lack of cameras in the baths was solid banter, and the way he laughed when he found the kids snooping around the hidden room was spot-on. His character is probably one of the show’s 3 biggest achievements, unlike many villains who start to feel tired or experience character dilution, he still exudes the same threatening yet fun poise he’s had since day 1. And his declaration at the end shows two different kinds of astute villainy (depending on whether you see it as a bluff or not).

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First Reactions: Free! Episode 9

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The more the series draws to its conclusion, the closer it resembles a cross between an 80s sports movie and a less-minimalistic Touch. It’s got the works; last-second comeback plays, a little bit of environment for the small town, plenty of memorable quotes. Not to mention the chat Haru and Makoto had while looking out at the coastline which finally made things click for the former. Nor that recollection scene Rin had at the old pool, choking down tears for something he could’ve kept but threw away. Nor the still-excellent background music that played during it.

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First Reactions: WataMote Episode 9

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After 2 phoned-in performances in 3 weeks I’m a lot less high on the show than I was at the end of episode 5. Were 6 and 8 ultimately hiccups in the larger scheme of production, or do the writer/source material have some skill flaws that weren’t as evident early on? If they do, will Oonuma Shin be able to keep covering for them? The next couple of weeks should be telling.

To its credit, this episode opened strong, with Tomoko showing a fairly innocent combination of looking forward to her plans with Yuu and doing prep on the sly to make sure things went well, all before Yuu’s call took her expectations out like a sniper. You could see that twist coming, but it was enjoyable in the way the first half of the show was; more of a rodeo clown tumbling than a puppy taking a horrific 10-story fall.

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First Reactions: Space Brothers Episode 71

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It doesn’t help that Space Brothers has been in sort of a lull phase recently, but the bad aftertaste from Mr. Hibbit shorts still overshadow the rest of the content in a big way. I’m pretty sure I know why they’ve come into existence, and I’m very sure it’s got little-to-nothing to do with anything other than time constraints. While it’s entirely possible to manage time elegantly (as the first 60 or so episodes of this very show did), that just isn’t what recent episodes have been doing, and the actual meaningful content is suffering for it.

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First Reactions: Dangan Ronpa Episode 9

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Togami’s been an unremarkable character for most of the series. I say that because this episode he really stood out, pulling a Barry Marshall and drinking what was ostensibly poison to prove his point. Even before I knew what that point was, I was hooked on his presentation there. There’s levels of differences in the body language between a sip and a chug, and this was the latter.

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First Reactions: Free! Episode 8

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So the show did end up relying on the rematch, but it did it in a bit of a roundabout way that allowed for more emotional investment in the interim. Since Gou did the signups without telling any of the guys, we got a lot of footage of them trying their best in individual events. They may all have eventually lost, but they did so in the seven-game Conference Semifinals series kind of way, where one lucky bounce (or something as trivial as Rei’s goggles staying put) would have been enough to turn all of that into a win. In other words, losses providing the perfect narrative building blocks of a relay challenge the next day.

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First Reactions: WataMote Episode 8

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WataMote is fun to watch when it’s primarily about Tomoko self-destructing on her own. It gets less fun when she gets others wrapped up in her pathetic bluffs, especially when they believe in her. The style of humor this week wasn’t that different from normal, and the episode in general was way stronger than 6, but the subject matter straddled the barrier between funny sad and sad sad.

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Though the vacuum scene was still appreciably fun

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