Summer 2015 – Week 7 Anime Review

This week: reading between the lines of Miki’s decision and her subsequent character development in Gakkou Gurashi, criticisms over the number of disrupting flashbacks in Gangsta., complaints over the expansion of Hajime’s breasts in Gatchaman Crowds Insight, and chuckling at how Charlotte handles Ayumi’s “death”.

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Spring 2015 – Week 5 Anime Review

Back during Week 5: the indecisiveness of Plastic Memories and why it doesn’t know what it wants to be as an anime, how changing the powers in Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo changes the series dynamic, background characters beginning to differentiate themselves in Hibike! Euphonium, and cute girls being immune to still-image “animation” in Ninja Slayer from Animation.

Winter 2015 – Week 3 Anime Review

Last week: analyzing the literary conflict in Yuri Kuma Arashi, appreciating the non-linear yet logical storytelling in Durarara!!x2 Shou, acknowledging the effectiveness of the “business card” introductions in Shirobako, and thoughts on the contrasting fashion and sexual themes in Junketsu no Maria.

Summer 2014 – Week 11 Anime Review

Back, during the Summer anime season, for week 11: defining acute mountain sickness and understanding its role in Yama no Susume Second Season, why I absolutely love the development of Asseylum in Aldnoah.Zero, questioning the balance of character development and death in Akame ga Kill!, and thoughts on changing the name of Hanayamata to Hanayamatasa.

Summer 2014 – Week 3 Anime Review

Last week: why the third episode of Space Dandy Season 2 might be my favorite of the year, an analysis on the diversity of rural settings and how the specifics of this are impacting Barakamon, some egregious contradictions with the mecha in Aldnoah.Zero, and some serious questions about the structure and purpose of Night Raid in Akame ga Kill!

Winter 2013 – Week 6 Anime Review

This week: Robotics;Notes losing credibility, identifying with a character in Chihayafuru 2, the decentralization of the township in Shin Sekai Yori, the distinctive and original school uniforms in Tamako Market and why Zetsuen no Tempest is a fanservice anime.

Jormungand – 4

With every passing episode, the remaining cast of Jormungand appears less like a band of elite bodyguards and more like a team of functioning units.  While there has been no significant decrease in talent or ability among these exceptional soldiers, they maintain to lose what little humanity they began the anime with.  Rather than acting, behaving, or flourishing like what is expected of humans, these characters feel almost inorganic in how they live, almost like each is a piece of some grand machine that Koko operates.  Whether it’s a lack of character development in general or opportunity for significant depth to emerge, the cast of Jormungand (excluding Koko) is easily this anime’s greatest weakness.