SEASONAL PRATTLE
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun doesn’t just remain visually proficient, with different iterations of aesthetic beauty and shot competency – it’s tonally consistent as well. A lot of little flourishes in unison gives depth to episode eight’s mood and bails out what otherwise would have been just standard fare writing on particular beats. Scenes that held emotional weight depicting what would eventually be known to viewers as Mitsuba’s last day did so with accuracy: Regret is a finicky process, and this series paints that process with empathy to the very end. And the praise for that portrayal isn’t all front-loaded in Jibaku’s physical craft. There’s a nice amount of personality embedded into character exchanges from a dialogue stance (especially pre-Mitsuba apparition turn) that makes little interactions fun and upholds this show’s knack to be low key charming. Overall, Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun is still an exceptional work this season in the current condition that it’s in, and its latest offering here is well-deserving of being this week’s lead-off entry.
Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden (9)
“Nuanced composites and breathable texture”
After this showing, I can confidently say that Magia Record is both under-watched and notably underrated. I think a large part of that comes down to misplaced expectations related to the original and just the overall workload Magia Record requests to be understood – much of what makes it so strong be it in characterization or outright storytelling isn’t that easily noticeable on a casual watch. Be that as it may, this series just keeps on serving up interludes that are highly commendable in their design, often doubling as nuanced character composites and breathable texture for a given cast member, with Sana’s handling being a bright testament to that. The directorial cues and attention to visual hierarchy, selling both Sana and AI’s world through a variety of stylistic embellishments with effortless elegance – is a complete treat to see unfold. And even with some rougher sequences of action choreography present in the latter half, Curry’s total vision of this week’s performance is more than strong enough to make up for it. Wonderful episode!
Somali to Mori no Kamisama (8)
“Narratively, the aspirations of this episode are fairly predictable”
Happy to see Somali to Mori no Kamisama put together a more satisfying showing after coming off a flatter one just last week. There are plenty of bits throughout eight’s run that cleanly articulate Feodora’s concerns, despite how over the top some of that presentation can be, and there’s enough substance provided between her interactions with Miya to make their investment in each other meaningful. Narratively, the aspirations of this episode are fairly predictable with its ceiling not exactly being that high: Humanity can be cruel as it relates to their understanding and acceptance of the unfamiliar – but that’s a reality applicable only to some. Their positive feelings can certainly be genuine even when confronted by a “monster”.
Runway de Waratte (8)
“Firm understanding this show has for his desires and a fine presentation of his resolve”
Runway de Waratte pushes forward with its ever-thickening drama, generally having the same level of awareness and grip on delivery as what’s come to be expected – which allows even it’s more telegraphed beats to be effective. Despite that, a lot of the emotive notes Runway tends to set up and knockdown in eight aren’t exactly the most layered or nuanced – those taking advantage of Ikuto’s circumstances and his related responses are pretty straightlaced – but the firm understanding this show has for his desires and a fine presentation of his resolve lands that without too much hassle. It all makes for an effort that’s not hard to get behind and write off in hindsight as pleasing.
Darwin’s Game (8)
“Somehow managed to not be flagrantly stupid in its writing this time around”
We’ve had everything from rapid close-range gunfire blatantly missing our protagonists to a complete failure of how CPR works over these last few weeks – so I’m very happy to report that Darwin’s Game somehow managed to not be flagrantly stupid in its writing this time around. However, that doesn’t mean this episode was “good”. Perhaps in the context of this series’ usual quality output (because that’s a dirt low bar to clear), sure, but the reality is key plot beats are neck-deep in all too convenient writing in eight (take the deposit box, for example, being ridiculous close to the fight and Kaname) and large pieces of this run feel quite tropey – especially when the bathing scenes come into play. Better showing for Darwin’s Game’s sake but one that’s still rough around the edges in a conventional perspective.
