SEASONAL PRATTLE
Ahh yes, it’s that time again. For what’s now the second week in a row we have a smaller Check-In. Sorry, but that’s just how things are as Spring approaches and the time-consuming process of pre-scouting new anime unfolds. Exacerbating that, of course, is the very recent early release of BNA – commanding its fair share of attention and occupying a healthy amount of time with its multi-episode start. So again, apologies. Take what little I have to offer here in these dying Winter times and enjoy. Brighter horizons are on the way but we have to get through this first.
On that note, great articulation from our latest Runway de Waratte – landing as confident and calculated, but also effortless when it attempts to rock the boat emotionally. Chiyuki and Kokoro’s narrative thread is equally as sensitive in practice as it is on paper: Tuned and human filled with insecurities and weaknesses, however, not hesitant at all to wash that out with their performance that has their social decorum, intelligence, and underlying passion brightly coming through. This is an elegant twenty-minute push generally more focused on unique internal conflicts than large thematic parallels, but stands as a prominent piece given how well it executes the essence of this series and doesn’t shy away from the mindset that’s needed to succeed. A well done semi-finale for sure, and very deserving of being the lead entry of this blog.
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (11)
“There’s only so much emotive juice this show can squeeze”
An unusual outing from the perspective of gravity, but still nothing too groundbreaking to write this one off as “bad”. Notably, episode eleven doesn’t come off as polished like the vast majority of content this series whips up, having its fair share of lackluster cuts production-wise and being pretty limited into how its bolder narrative strokes are imagined. It’s not exactly clean how Tsukasa’s character is panning out after some questionable logistics here, and there’s only so much emotive juice this show can squeeze from Mitsuba’s circumstances and Kou’s related reactions – especially when the progression of such has patches where it drags. Be that as it may, there’s enough meat on the bone and a fair enough finish to leave this one feeling okay. Decent, but now onto the finale!
Plunderer (11)
“Thick clumps of exposition and tonally abrasive fanservice”
Apparently, Plunderer has been saving its best for last – now coming across as much more determined and energetic in its latest efforts to feed viewers garbage writing this Winter than before. Thick clumps of exposition and tonally abrasive fanservice drown whatever narrow plotting our latest episode attempts to stir up – consistently making it tough to buy into how serious the circumstances both Licht and Jail currently face with the SSU coming into play. Throwing salt into the wound, this series still has no sense of touch when trying to sell a plot reveal, and Nana’s role in our closing minutes is a glaring testament to that. I swear the towel was thrown in on this show a long time ago and now we’re just here phoning it in.
Darwin’s Game (12)
“A forgettable subpar series through and through”
In what is the best news of the whole Winter season, Darwin’s Game concludes, offering absolutely nothing unexpected in the process down to the distinct feeling of being underwhelmed for roughly twenty minutes. Even in comparison to its poorly written previous episode, this finale is terrible, not only being ridiculously predictable in its events but also struggling to portray even a shred of its action in any dynamic fashion – all while managing to vomit out some of the show’s most cringe-worthy dialogue on top of that. Edgy to the bitter end, by the time we get Kaname’s “Sunset Raven speech” and see that everyone wears black now because “they’re ravens”, it’s hard not to reflect on this series and feel like its writing was consulted by some fifteen-year-old loner kid. A forgettable subpar series through and through.
