SEASONAL PRATTLE
Horimiya bounces back with an episode of actual substance – anxious relationship drama layered over a spongy cake of insecurity is what’s being served, and thankfully, it’s pretty good. Beyond its general subject matter, episode ten’s storytelling choices are what makes this week particularly tasty; The script is surprisingly narrow, and thus, the all too mashed together spread of plot points and character threads that have frequently plagued this series in previous showings is basically non-existent. Outside of a very brief Hori skit at the opening, ten puts up a good effort to focus on Yuki’s dilemma and not bail – actually going through the full spectrum of conflict resolution with her and coming away with an honest emotional peak by credit roll. It’s good to see this done with some genuine heart as Horimiya infuses appreciable framing and body language to elevate its more reflective conversations, and has a couple of individual scenes in its late stages that are pointed enough to really drive its tone home. Horimiya is far from a perfect show, but it can still pull off character drama in a digestible way.
Wonder Egg Priority (9)
“Good job of creating physical cues of distance, discord, and intimacy out of raw design”
Wonder Egg Priority is finally back with a real episode and it’s arguably one of its best – a performance that prioritizes internal emotional states over external drama all coated in the series’ thickest philosophical sauce so far. On a whole, the interior mechanics of Nine are very applaudable for how they navigate Neiru, as Kotobuki’s inquiry is systematic in addressing Neiru’s logic, and ultimately pushes Neiru into the harsh consideration of Kotobuki’s limitations and needs with little waste and plenty of thematic pulp. This is all matched beautifully with a smart depiction of their empathy gap; CloverWorks does a good job of creating physical cues of distance, discord, and intimacy out of raw design, especially when Dr. Seki starts getting serious, and they’re slicker than a first watch would indicate when seeding in more earthly sequences like the nail painting bit into the episode that have conceptual value later on.
Eventually, Nine boils down into a direct push towards an endgame as the Accas give more than a subtle hint at their role – effectively bridging the gap between character and narrative progression and just serving as one more reminder that this show is just fundamentally solid at storytelling. The way Wonder Egg Priority plants small, character-driven mysteries in a larger more abstract world and simultaneously problem solves for both has been a consistent treat and one that’s particularly enjoyable this week.
Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (10)
“Sound enough scripting that efficiently sells Tomozaki’s forward fumbling towards a normal social life”
It’s a relief to see that Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun maintained its appeal and momentum, not regressing back to the lifelessness of something like episode eight in this latest showing. This week almost purely coasts on character chemistry, which is good to see as it plays to this series’ strengths: Ten’s slice of narrative is basically just one big frame to prop up our cast being entertainingly chummy together all while sailing through typical Summer scenarios, yet coming out on the other end with an actual sense of value and accomplishment. It all works thanks to sound enough scripting that efficiently sells Tomozaki’s forward fumbling towards a normal social life as yet another fun observation – ultimately panning out to a fairly adorable cliffhanger and a nice dose of progression for him. This series has had its rough patches, but it continues to shape up nicely as it closes in on its ending.
