The Story

Mahou Shoujo Site had steadily rubbed various critics and an array of other viewers in such a wrong way, that there are people passing moral judgment on those who liked it. It’s ridiculous.   

Excuse me?

Since its debut, Mahou Shoujo Site has caused a pretty noticeable stir. Its graphic material has been offensive to some, and combined with its questionable quality – made it the perfect breeding ground to disparage the work and judge others who may have enjoyed it.

But I like Mahou Shoujo Site and I’m interested in watching more

Then you’re obviously a terrible person who supports and gets off to all the immoral things that happen in it. How dare you be interested in watching more of this. What dirty perverted scum you are! Oh, and you also have terrible taste in anime too!

Ummmmm

Yeah, we know. It’s pretty silly and dramatic reasoning, but that’s sadly not stopping some in the community from coming to similar conclusions about those who like this title.

The Bottom Line

While we’re personally not a fan of Mahou Shoujo Site, judging others who aren’t totally outraged over it or who show even mild curiosity to watching more just comes across as silly. If you’re interested in seeing more / picking it up for the first time, then don’t feel bad about doing so. Just keep on watching and if you’re a brand new viewer, please recognize the nature of its content before engaging with it.

 

 

“QUOTE OF THE WEEK”

– Reddit already buying in on the new SAO. Smile 3hz that’s all it took.

 

 

SEASONAL PRATTLE

Find what you’re looking for fast
Darling In The FranXX
Persona 5 The Animation
 Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Devils’ Line
Amanchu! Advance
Mahou Shoujo Site
Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These Kaikou
Tokyo Ghoul:re
3D Kanojo: Real Girl
Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi

Darling In The FranXX (13)

Without a doubt Darling in the FranXX had its best episode to date – building atmosphere through great environmental shots and leveraging a vastly underrated score to drive its scenes home. Though it ran on emotive power, Noriko Takao’s story boarding was excellent. I talked about Takao before as she also delivered a fantastic performance on episode five, but her follow-up here is even better. FranXX 13 has so much nuance to its construction and not just in a framing sense, but in raw thematics as well. The job that it does to sketch both Hiro and Zero Two is very welcomed and its closing scenes are certainly worth the price of admission. Well done.

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The Beast and the Prince

Persona 5 The Animation (1)

Masashi Ishihama is a wonderful talent and Persona 5 is blessed to have him at the helm of this project. From Attack on Titan to The Tatami Galaxy all the way down to Psycho Pass and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – Masashi’s been extremely powerful in the various roles he’s appeared in. Even in his only opportunity as a director, he still managed to deliver Shinsekai Yori on his debut, which is arguably A-1 Pictures’ best work in its own right and a highly commendable title overall.

So now he’s here tag teaming with A-1 once again, and the results are great. All of Masashi’s idiosyncrasies, passion and careful crafting can be seen in this premiere backed by A-1 Pictures’ shine. There’s plenty of evocative layouts, good sequencing and energetic visual storytelling that rarely over steps its pace or breaks immersion. The concoction of skill and effort leads to a very satisfying twenty minutes that holds plenty of value beyond its narrative.

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online (1)

Sturdy showing from Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online that utilized its resources well. Gun Gale Online is at its best when it directly presents the material on the battlefield, rather than dig into personal drama outside of the game. So it’s nice to see this premiere lean heavily in that direction – delivering more tactics and nuance with dedication towards game play instead of dwelling deeper on personal lives and soapy dilemmas attached to that like the original.

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I Have Hope for “Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online.” Not High Hopes. But Hope.

Devils’ Line (1)

Platinum Vision is likely a studio unfamiliar to most, and rightfully so given that they’re basically limited to just producing Servamp a few seasons back. Despite their very small work sample, the studio is demonstrating plenty of efficiency this week with their latest addition in Devils’ Line. The series’ script writer, Kenji Konuta, is actually pretty serviceable behind the pen and his storytelling quirks are rather favorable here. Kenji’s better when he has more intimate material to work with that’s predominantly character driven – something that Devils’ Line has in spades with Taira and Anzai’s beats soaking up screen time. Couple that with Platinum Vision bringing a lot more finesse to the table than expected, and we at least have a work with upside on our hands.

Amanchu! Advance (1)

We’re still seeing all the seamless execution and command of atmosphere that made the first season of Amanchu such a reliable choice for those who sought its seaside warmth. Amanchu has always been a delicate product, and J.C. Staff is well informed to where it’s potentially fragile the most (pacing) and has taken good care of it. This premiere does an admirable job controlling its pace, better recognizing where narrative momentum can carry a joke and where it can diffuse a scene. Amanchu Advance already had plenty going for it genre wise, but it looks like they have one more arrow in their quiver now.

Mahou Shoujo Site (1)

I want to tell you that Mahou Shoujo Site had the precision and handling to land its narrative, that it convincingly hit home on its tonal goals without a hitch and properly carved out its identity in what’s becoming a pretty standardized genre niche. However, the reality is, the efforts in which it achieves its goals are viciously overbearing and ultimately self-defeating. Episode one overreached for grim-dark affection – with an array of plot beats and core conversations feeling needlessly edgy that it virtually floats on the comedic side. Beyond that it just lacks the awareness of proper storytelling fundamentals, riding more on base intrigue of its world and Aya’s life rather than sound writing to carry it through these opening twenty minutes. It’s not exactly the healthiest signs long term.

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Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These Kaikou (1)

Commendable attention to detail, both visually and in its dialogue with a fine sense of pace. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These Kaikou brings plenty of applause worthy craft pieces to the table that do a great deal to help out its storytelling – most notably coming in its underrated use of scale. Shunsuke Tada’s vision never fails to encapsulate how grand the framework of this world is or how intimate a conversation can be. The resulting effort of his work is a better attachment and understanding of the magnitude and corresponding predicaments portrayed. It’s as if we’re watching a meaningful reenactment, rather than actively participating in a collaborative attempt to convey the script at hand. Good start with room for improvement.

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Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These – Kaikou Episode 1

Tokyo Ghoul:re (1)

Tokyo Ghoul:re’s entire premiere is basically a crash course on why personnel is so vital even when your working with fairly straightforward material. Mikasano Chuuji clearly hasn’t grown enough as a writer since his debacle on Tokyo Ghoul √A’s script, and pairing him with a director in Odahiro – the man who directed a grand total of one other series in his life before this nearly four years ago – was obviously a poor move on Pierrot’s end.

And the results show. Not only is the material rushed, but there’s also corrosive tonal intruders that makes you question how this has a Seinen tag. Even worse, the action oriented sequences that are heavily pushed here hardly have the polish, pop or spatial awareness of what Pierrot is actually capable of. It’s hard not to be disappointed by this.

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3D Kanojo: Real Girl (1)

3D Kanojo: Real Girl seems utterly fascinated with providing as uneven of an experience as possible. Its scenes and general writing often proceed according to the strict demands of its limited vision – thus we have a lot of bits that feel forced and artificial, especially when you turn your attention to Tsutsui and Iroha’s encounters. However, its thematic notes of not fitting in could provide a worthwhile time if the series actually capitalizes on them. Come on Hoods please do the right thing.

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi (1)

Steady is the operative word for Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi so far, which is actually a good thing considering its context. Gonzo tends to be more miss than hit with its works in recent years and Yoshiko Okuda is a first time director – however, this premiere still manages to hold its head up above water. There’s a decent amount of effort to carve out the genre spaces that this series is trying to reside in: The low-key tone of the restaurant and inn creates a solid sense of atmosphere while still allowing our writers to easily respect the fantasy elements that shape them. It also offers a natural contrast to the more aggressive nature of Aoi’s romantic situation, so viewers get a more balanced approach to this serviceable entry.

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