努力と根性

What was on?

Witch Hat Atelier

(ep 10) Turns out Coco is fine, just overworked herself, and while Qifrey is looking out for her, his water skills are needed as a fire broke out in the city. He reluctantly leaves her as they go to the scene, assured by Coco's words she was doing better. Which was a lie, as Tartah comes back desperately trying to find his witch hat that serves as a ticket to the ferry back home, she's burning up, and with nobody else around, he tries to help her, but the medicine tray is not labelled and seeing everything in silver tones means he can't tell anything apart, and if he has the right idea of using the vapor bubble to reduce each the infusions on each flask to just what is on them, but if it's just dust he's stomped, so Coco draws a reverse version of the spell to turn rocks into dust that allows the dust to briefly regain the original form, but in her condition she can't do much. With that knowledge, he draws his first spell and tries to find it, the moment he's caught by the only person still working on the hospital who prepares and gives the medicine to Coco. Oh, that question about the light flash he wanted to ask Qifrey? What flash, he asks. Truly a man who knows how to lie. The decision to not label medicine in this world seems a bit weird as a narrative device, but I feel that (and how the witches are completely non-accommodating to people with his condition) kinda has to be understood with the knowledge Japan is still notoriously bad when it comes to dealing with disabilities, and this might be a comment from the author in that. Three episodes to go, meaning it's time for a end of season arc. A

The Ramparts of Ice

(ep 10) It's spring break and Miki got the other three to go on a theme park visit, where they have fun and we learn a lot about the characters, how Miki and Minato are scared on haunted houses and Koyuki and Minato aren't great with thrill rides, and Minato is great at carnival games and won Koyuki a late birthday present. Back at school it's a new semester and everyone is on the same class, including Tsukiko, who's welcomed into the group instantly, and Minato gets instantly jealous of seeing Miki's younger brother, Tsuikiko notices there's something going on between Minato and Koyuki and faces the tough decision of being a third wheel or a letting them alone, and curiosity end up getting the best of her. Because you can't do Ramparts of Ice without a cliffhanger, Koyuki also notices someone has moved in to the same school... the younger sister of the girl who bullied her. A very fun episode where they continue to explore the existing dynamics between inside the group, and now Minato is getting as a big mess around Koyuki as Youta is around Miki. I don't think this is getting sorted in two episodes, but I do hope it also gets a second season down the line, or just runs through the Summer as well. A lot chibis this week (because everyone is having fun), and the animators decided to put some extra work in animating the scene Youta takes Koyuki to see the mascot. Didn't have to do that, it's fine they look like IM stickers, but glad they did. A

Ascendance of a Bookworm

(ep 9) Wilfried is still jealous of Rosemyne thinking she has it too easy, so she offers to trade places with him for a day knowing most of it is boring clerical (HAH!) work and being lightly bullied by Ferdinand into doing it right. He gets his ass beat playing cards by the orphans, is baffled by a book and can't learn the prayers because he's set on the life of a failson, and while Sylvester surely doesn't see anything wrong with his son, Ferdinand is like "throw his ass out, I don't care, he's an embarrassment". While for Rosemyne this is mostly just a way to get him off her back (and just go read for a full day), Ferdinand makes it veeeeeery clear if Wilfried continues on the path he might become the next archduke, but he's becoming his problem. Fun fun episode, with a dose of scary Ferdinand. B

Mao

(ep 10) Nanoka: "I'M SCARED DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE" (two minutes later) "I AM THE VANQUISHER OF FROGS". Yes, truly a frail girl. Meanwhile, Mao and Hyaka come up with a plan to trap whoever is out for him (and only him), the big revelation being that indeed, the person responsible was another acquaintance of Mao, a helper who was obsessed with learning spells and was responsible for creating the Byouki. As the giant talking cat's head said, both of them were framed, and by whom is the main mystery of the show. Solid episode, and although the CGI was a bit evident in parts, excellent visuals in the water monster, with the details of having fish swimming inside it being quite a nice touch. B

The Food Diary of Miss Maid

(ep 11) Nana sees Suzume talking on the street with someone she doesn't recognize and doesn't know an appropriate way to approach her, until they notice her and Nana recognizes Anzu as their neighbour, and all three go to Suzume's place to try the stollen she bought, as it's getting closer to Christmas. Second story, she walks in on her grandfather writing in advance his New Year's cards, and after telling him she passed by "christmas tree with an orange star", he tells her that was a persimmon tree, and someone happens to have given him a bunch. Then winter solstice night, and she's taking a yuzu bath, but the fragance is too much for her and she ends up getting a yuzu flavoured ice cream, then it's Christmas Eve proper, but with Ricotta out to spend it with her family, her parents and neighbours are busy and she's visiting her grandparents next day and has no plans, but Ricotta decided to stay to keep her company, waiting for her in an absolutely incredible kimono - maid apron - thick jacket combo and some Christmas cake, a staple of Christmas themed episodes, the best Christmas gift Suzume ever got. It's ending next week, and it has been such a fun way to end writing these posts, not the last time I'll talk of it as Suzume and Ricotta are for sure making an appearance in the best girls and gremlins of this year, and this episode probably sorted out the "Merry Christmas" post of this year. B This week's delicacies: Stollen, Persimmon, Yuzu and Christmas cake.

Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?

(ep 9) We all seen on the first episode how Seo met Ijichi and Amane, but how did the gals become friends? Of course Amane looked at Ijichi and noticed right away how much she looks like Micchi from Glittermon, making her extremely awkward around Ijichi and making her think she dislikes her, and knwoing her Sayu clocked Amane's lies on how she has a lot of friends right away because she knows the truth that she might be pretty, but still an otaku. Ijichi then messes up by inviting her to hang out at the arcade, and then half the class including boys, making Amane really mad at her initially, and then reassessing the situation feeling really bad about it, particularly after learning Ijichi had a complete plan to make her feel welcome. They made up, and next, we get the eraser scene from Amane's otaku point of view. This is a reminder there has to be a cosplay episode down the line, but also that Ijichi and Amane are very different people, and them coming together was not just some "the two popular gals just decided to team up" moment but Ijichi actually putting in the work so that Amane would have at least her as a friend. A

Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk

(ep 9) Happy Pride month, and for that, this show has gone gay gay. No teasing here, but first things first, Gujou finally gets her wish of drinking with Ibuki, joined by the resident gremlin Chang. Who likes watching expensive cars crashing at Nurbugring. Well, you can too, go wild. She's the best, you can bet she also sometimes stays up until 4pm watching the most random shit on youtube. Ibuki is still a bit anxious about drinking with other people, but just did that thing you imagine everyone naked. Well, it's usually the people in the room, not Botan, but whatever works, Ibuki. It doesn't quite work for Gujou, who realises her love is going to be unrequited. Second story, Ibuki and Botan go on another stargazing trip, this time real ones, but something is bothering Botan: should she confess? Or should she just stay quiet and enjoy their time together? As this happens, Gujou and Chang are also on a trip of their own, but Chang's mouth really is faster than her brain, a feat for someone struggling with the language. Gujou knows she's defeated because Botan managed to reach out to Ibuki and make her feel comfortable with her, and with herself. And now both also know it. Another show with some excellent direction, but that's almost a given at this point. It's one of those shows I often complain that is on a different level in terms of direction, but because it's a quite slow show with some artwork that occasionally is more stylised than concerned with showing all the extra frames they added in the animations it's probably going to be completely ignored by flashier, more popular action shows. I was expecting this would happen a lot closer to the end, if not the actual finale, so let's see where the last three episodes go. S

Fist of the North Star

(ep 11) Kenshiro returns, and discovers from Rin and Bat they found out a village that will take the kids in exchange for him to deal with some troublemakers. Not just a village, but one that seems closer to sustainability thanks to a spring fountain. There, Kenshiro meets Rei, master of Nanto Suichouken, who has a score to settle with the man of the seven scars on his chest, and Mamiya, the village leader, who looks like Yuria and more than capable of holding her own in a fight with the deadliest weapon someone could imagine in the 1980s: yo-yo's. Ok, hers have blades, but if you ever hit your head (or someone's head) with one, you know how the good ones can really ruin your day. The village is under threat, and Rei had actually partnered up with the bandits, but after seeing Kenshiro doing an impromptu looksmaxxing clinic on a guy realises who has the upperhand here and joins him in protecting the village. The bandits do have one more ace in the sleeve in the form of Mamiya's younger brother, but as usual, only makes Kenshiro angrier and more willing to explode their skeleton off. Kinda curious to know if this is ending next week or the week after (although, strange to have people in the OP that only stay for a couple of episodes, and I don't think there's time in one episode to solve the beef Rei has with Kenshiro and also this area's boss), but weirdly for a show that is probably getting a high D, would I welcome a second season or taking this into the Summer? Oddly, yes. This episode felt like it had better animation overall even in the slower moments and as I've mentioned before, the moment you realise you don't have to take it seriously you can just have fun with it. C

Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home!

(ep 9) So, the show has now shifted attention into what's exactly Akito up to. Usada thinks he's a horror writer, which isn't great for Akito's relatioship with Meiko who's very squeamish, then he brings up Meiko's favourite non-manga author as he gets pissed at Usada, making him think he really is the author, and gets Usada's mid racing about exposing him, but none of them end up playing well for him... and Akito isn't him, anyway. Well, at least they just flirted with the idea Akito was the author instead of running with it which would have been predictable as fuck (do hope this isn't some fakeout), but it remains kinda weird why he's so defensive about his pen name. C

Ichijouma Mankitsu Gurashi!

(ep 9) Ah, the thing I always dislike with these shows, the last minute character introduction with two or three episodes to go. As I always say, this is an adaptation, unless there's some plot order to be followed, you can have them on the first episode if you want. She's a streaming rival of Marika, and her popularity is harming the pantless gremlins' numbers, but first things first, it's storage room clean up time, and between a box with Mariko's dark past, Rie forgot she bought a purikura booth for Hedgehog because she of course did. Then someone kidnaps Mariko, and the girls combine their powers, including Michika who can somehow catch her scent, and they track her to her streaming rival who lives in a palace in, the Middle East (or a very elaborate theme park), who kidnapped her because she looks a lot like Sailor Kirakira Moon, a character from a manga, but has since became a complete slob from working in Hedgehog and so she wants her to stop working there and stay with her. But cute Mariko is a flop, straight to the top of unsubs because people want to see the panty-flashing slob, so she lets her go back, but sends her maid to keep an eye on her. It may do the thing I don't like, but that doesn't mean I don't like the result, a very fast paced episode that keeps adding to the previous joke. B

Dropkick on my Devil!

(ch 294) Jashin-chan is stuck in her Perfect Form, which brings several problems: first, she must dress up, one thing is a snakewoman with lady godiva hair other is on an actual woman, and then, how much of the whole thing is she trying to dropkick Yurine with her snake tail? Is Perfect Form Jashin-chan still Jashin-chan? Can you keep doing Dropkick on my Devil! if she's just a regular gremlin? If the videoclip that got me to watch the show featured just a blonde gremlin jumping from behind a wall to steal and overpay for a leek, would I still be on the "hell yeah I must watch this" camp? Much to think about.

Monochrome Days

What was on?

Witch Hat Atelier

(ep 9) While they practice outside, we know a bit more what the girls want to do in their future: We know Agott is fully focused on getting there, but not her reasons, to be a librarian in the Library of Tomes and she is indeed the from a line of celebrated witches who work there, Richeh only wants to do what she wants, probably the reason why she's under Qifrey, and Tetia always upbeat wants to help people and be thanked for it, also also design a cap with two points. I really hope he the reason she's on the weird memory-erasing guy school is because nobody else could keep up with someone who has no off switch. Speaking of the memory erasing guy, he's trying to reverse engineer the mysterious ink flask, but the DRM was too strong for him and he lost one of the better clues he had so far. Well, al least he got that out of Coco's hands, although not before she (accidentally) gifted Agott with rocket boots, which may have come in handy as she collapses with a fever, and Agott has to get to get Qifrey on the double, and after delivering her to the hospital, Tartah wants to make him a question he'll probably forget soon after. Another solid episode on a show that has been nothing but quite good. A

The Ramparts of Ice

(ep 9) It's a moment of growth for Koyuki who realises that as annoying as Minato can be, he's still a person who wants to be her friend, but she misjudged his approach as someone trying to probe into her past just to harm her, and while while they were meeting the schoolyard fauna, on the Youta and Miki camp, an attempt at a prank almost ended with Youta confessing. On their way to a curry dinner at a new mall after school, Koyuki also reflects on how she has been slowly making friends and how she can treat her miserable middle school experience as just some bad memories, not just some unchangeable part of her life. Of course, as this happens, Igarashi is also checking the new spot, and Minato learns forbidden knowledge for someone who's an overthinker who tries to understand people, but then Kotuki and Igarashi later cross paths and turns out he doesn't even know half the story. Absolutely incredible episode that is mostly Koyuki reflecting on the last months of her life ends up flipping the narrative on just what we assumed on the previous 8 episodes. There's something really great on how this story that deals a lot with things the characters half-learn about other people from third parties ends up pulling one of these that makes you feel in the same situation. S

Ascendance of a Bookworm

(ep 8) So, Rosemyne has found her first enemy in the mayor of Hasse who intended to sell the orphans, and from learns Ferdinand this world works in very fucked up ways, where disobeying a noble is a higher crime then selling orphans (also kinda rich for someone who tells literal kids "you don't work, you don't eat" to be shocked at that but hey), but they must let it slide for the time being to not upset the locals who rely on the mayor to survive the winters. Also because Ferdinand does not fuck around, and he's going to make sure that Rosemyne makes sure that he's gone. She's is very conflicted about this until she hears from her second dad Benno that it was Ferdinand's plan or Hasse being turned into a cautionary tale. Who's also learning with him is Lutz, who puts the situation in a way she can accept from a moral standpoint. A really solid episode about the inner working of politics in this world B

Mao

(ep 9) Should I be surprised that the character who's friends with Mao and named 貂子 ("little marten") was an ayakashi? You know what, in retrospect, probably not. Who's really surprised is Tanehiko, the guy who has been abducting women, and even more as it turns out his butler who has been diligently covering up his murders has got new orders and those are to get rid of the failson before he drags the family name on the mud. That butler is Kamon, another of Mao's old acquaintance, who also doesn't have answers to his many questions. Second story, Hyakka is leaving town, but notices some shikigami going into the opposite direction, so he rushes back to enlist Mao's help. Kinda wish Takehiko suffered a bit more, but that story was very much a quick way to just introduce Kamon and sow Tenko's secret. In general, a fun episode with some nice action moments. B

The Food Diary of Miss Maid

(ep 10) Suzume comes across the girl she met in the second episode who's all dressed up on her way to have her photos taken, and Suzume is interested in the candy bag she's carrying, so when she comes across one for sale, she had to buy it, then on a colder afternoon has some hot corn soup from a vending machine, then she sees how pretty the mountains are in the autmun and with the help of Anzu's equipment goes on a trip, then her grandfather buys her something Nana warns her about, a kotatsu, and within a she becomes unable to get out as foretold in the prophecy, and finally sees Sora eating a meat bun and decides immediately she wants one. I'm not going to say it's the "weakest" episode since this sort of show is almost always a B flatline, but I guess I didn't enjoy the stories as much, although Kotatsu potato Suzume makes up for it, I guess. B This weeks delicacies: chitoseame, corn soup in a can, mikan, steamed buns

Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?

(ep 8) Seo finds himself with alone with Ijichi in her brother's apartment, sending his brain into overdrive thinking something inappropriate might happen, and the sense of relief Akane joins them quickly gives way to feelings it might be even worse. And he's not wrong, but mostly because if Ijichi is better at hiding (in plain sight, like a pro), Akane has a terrible poker facer, and when Ijichi suggests they stay together for a slumber party to keep working on their school festival project, that girl just can't hide how much she wants that to happen. Ijichi's brother is perfectly fine, just has a few rules (that feel mostly "don't do anything I wouldn't do") and they stay up until the middle of the night, allowing Akane to confes why is she so adverse to being called an otaku. A really good episode that shows how comfortable the writing is to be constantly on the blurry lines between the characters. A

Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk

(ep 8) Akane loves music and is in a band. She's also at the age where she really needs to decide if that's something worth pursuing, at least with her current band that seems to be doing ok, but where she's a lot more committed to it than the other band members. After finishing rehearsals early, she meets with Yaeka, Botan and Zhang for drinks, and Zhang, the ever subtle wrecking ball, just drops the big question to Botan: are she and Ibuki dating? It's complicated, after all, she's at the age where she really needs to decide if that's something worth pursuing, and you see where I'm going with this. But she's right, is Botan actually serious about her fellings, or is she leading Ibuki to a place she'll just hurt her? very solid episode, great visuals, but Akane and Yaeka should be in more often, to be honest. I get that their relationship is pretty much set and probably not as fun to write for, but that would still be a fun to watch because their personalities are so different. A

Fist of the North Star

(ep 10) Kenshiro has decided on a new strategy to hunt Jackal, and that is put the pant-shitting terror on everyone around him to the point they see turning on him as the only way out alive. With no honour among thieves, he gets out of that jam, but the only solution is to set free something that really blows out of the water any theories one might have on how these guys are all so tall and jacked up in the wastelands. I kinda feel this was a fairly decent episode all around, but let down by one thing: 3D should allow you do to some incredible set pieces that wouldn't be possible with traditional 2D animation, and with a building sized guy it does feel like it should have felt a lot more massive than it actually was. Also, just because a guy is very much dead just, just stil has a pulse and is walking around, I wouldn't go out of my way to mock him if he could just crack my head on the counter like a walnut. D

Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home!

(ep 8) Mao ended up overhearing a family secret, that her dad really isn't her dad, shattering the illusion she had of her family and sending her crying to Usada's home. Now, while trying to go home at the Christmas party he may have given the impression he's dating Rinko, so to keep the lie going with Mao and his parents, he asks Rinko to do a reverse fake relationship game, but Akito flips the table on him because Mao thinks she is the "other man" and feels wrong when her beloved sister is talking trash of basically himself. It's a better episode than the slog that it has been on the last few weeks, and it seems Mao's stepdad knows Akito, so we're finally going to learn what is he up to in a few days. C

Ichijouma Mankitsu Gurashi!

(ep 8) It's the school sports festival, and of course it's not something normal, it's at an actual sports stadium, and the prize is a Wagyu cow for each student. Also every competition is about money, leaving Meiko feeling left out, until Rie decides the competition ends with a dance contest worth 6 million points, which Meiko and Neo win. Second story (or third, if we count the pyjama party intro), Meiko's sister Miori comes home to watch women's wrestling, but her siblings are all sick, and not knowing what to do, call Meiko who's in the middle of important Tokyo culture research (siscon manga), to teach how to do her rice porridge. That call somehow turns into an impromptu wrestling match. Fun like always, they should have told Hana Hishikawa to "do funny noises" for Meiko from the start. B

The Urban Legend Files

(ch 32) What a nice chill chapter, with them reminiscing about a year of college passing by, Mokume eating half a pizza on her own, then Kugutsu sees them off at the train station and goes home, sees two strange persons on the road and nevermind, there's some weird shit happening to him again. He's abducted by parallel universe versions of the club and explain they had to take him there because something happened to their Mokume and she looks catatonic in a wheel chair. Is it a new arc? Is it going to get really weird again? We're going to see in a couple of weeks.

Axed Mangaka and Doujin Creator