“QUOTE OF THE WEEK”

– Words that I always like to hear. If you have a second, take a closer look at how Sarazanmai’s latest efforts shape up from a heavier production sense.

 

SEASONAL PRATTLE

Carole & Tuesday (2)

Good news, it turns out Carole & Tuesday’s premiere wasn’t some sort of one-off fluke. This recent showing doubled down on a lot of its previously shown strengths,  leveraging a gorgeously constructed exterior that takes full advantage of its vibrant palette, breathable set pieces, and understated sense of scope.  Better than that, episode two serves as yet another reminder of just how much of a difference maker execution is in the grander picture of a narrative. A lot of our time spent here centers around fairly cliche interactions and progressions – the biggest coming with the candid song recording and corresponding upload that was instantly popular. Be that as it may, this series’ set of storytelling intangibles and base writing makes that really embraceable – never really dragging or coming across as flat. I wish shows like this were so common I could take them for granted.

Hitoribocchi no ○○ Seikatsu (3)

Sequences of bouncy character work, joyful routines leaning heavily on good positioning and just an overall more agile approach to comedy makes this latest Hitoribocchi not just a smooth watch, but arguably its best episode yet. For two weeks straight I’ve been concerned with how this series utilizes its time, noting how some gags linger well past their expiration date and lack the expected impact in their punchline for such lengths. Episode three remedies this with  less bloaty, quicker jokes that have a level of snap that matches up better with the viewer’s time investment  – especially around the Bocchi bear oriented bits. In an episode that was plenty satisfying on a lot of fronts, it would be lovely if the comedic handling here can roll over into future weeks to come.

Senryuu Shoujo (3)

Cute date episode from Senryuu Shoujo that was more cared for around the edges than a first glance would signal. From start to finish,  it’s nice to see this short cleanly transition through its amusement park-centric narrative with little friction,  and even nicer to see it come to a sweet conclusion on top of that. Navigating its telling in this fashion may not seem worth celebrating, but Senryuu Shoujo is inherently narrow due to its run length and worn concept this week. Having tiny victories in its story mechanics is not only rewarding considering those previously mentioned handicaps,but also a healthy sign that this short can operate beyond “just charming”.
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Ao-chan Can’t Study (3) 

Now three episodes down and I have to say, this is really coming along as an enjoyable little short and deserves appropriate credit. Kijima being a genuine, wholesome anchor that counterbalances Horie’s sexual delusions and misunderstandings is  a much between one-two punch in motion than it actually appears on paper.  Our pair has shown sincere chemistry, often turning situations that are pervy at face value into good intentioned, adorable conclusions (much like this week’s skirt mishap), and landing some solid comedic blows along the way. Ao-chan lacks on the written front, not coming across as the most refreshing or elegant, but it’s certainly functional enough to let its more desirable facets shine as it did here.

Kimetsu no Yaiba (3)

If there were any doubts that Kimetsu no Yaiba is textually challenged to at least a capacity that should raise concern, then look no further than this week. Episode three is on rocky ground from minute one as Yaiba’s thirst for poor exposition and dry dialogue would, unfortunately, come by the bucket full – never really ending till roughly credit roll. Throwing fuel on the fire, this is all backed by a vastly cramped and generic training montage delivered with a level of telling, dialogue and execution that  seemingly does all that it can to desperately reach the threshold of boilerplate Shounen.  Are only reprieve from such weak writing and bland decision making comes in the form of Tanjiro’s clash with Sabito – a well-choreographed effort despite its relatively short life span. Beyond that, it’s more than apparent that this week is bleeding in a lot of ways as it wades forward, finishing on a predictable note, and leaving the distinct impression of twenty minutes that just followed a playbook.

Fairy Gone (3)

Pop quiz: Colen Thor composed which color Fairly Tome? What other colored Fairy Tomes exist? Alan Bach compiled all the tomes how many years ago? Marco Bellwood is located in what city? “Chima” is the shorthand for what species of fairy? Before U.E. 505 what territory did Isharat belong too? In what Unified Zestrian country did the Red Hood fairy transplant take place? Did Mariya grow up in Fanatica, Suna or Ledrad? How long did the war last? How many Fairy Soldiers survived it?  Is anyone actually keeping up with all the information that Fairy Gone has been vomiting?  For yet another episode in a row, this series proves to be awful at storytelling, pelting viewers with a variety of years, places, and anecdotes as it slugs its way to a climax that amounts to some mild theft and chase scenes. With so few hooks to embrace narrative cues and adjacent story elements to anything beyond “meh”, and less written components, in general, that show competence, it’s hard to remain even slightly optimistic about this one heading towards April’s end

 

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