Category: Weekly Writing Roundups

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [9/13/21]

The Frontline Report is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture. Expect some degree of spoilers for the covered shows.

Hey folks! I’ve been under the weather and generally low-energy this week so this writeup comes to you a day late. Hope y’all are doing well out there. Let’s jump right into things.

The Detective is Already Dead – Every time I try to talk about this series my breath is stolen from my mouth. Not because it’s Just That Bad and ๐•”๐•–๐•ฃ๐•ฅ๐•’๐•š๐•Ÿ๐•๐•ช not because it’s Just That Good. I don’t know what I’d say about it if I could. Props for having the balls to go the obvious route? For daring to be so completely ridiculous in such a headstrong-stupid way? Here’s a question for you; how many anime feature heart transplants as a motif? I can only think of this one. The detective may be dead, but my faith in anime as a medium remains. God help us all.

Magia Record – As usual, you can read my thoughts over here. Short version? I really love this show. As a side note, it does bother me that so many people still seem to think that Madoka Magica‘s great contribution to its genre is realistic violence. Violence in art is a tool. In PMMM it is used to tell you that the systems the girls are trapped in are fucked up and horrible. The intent here, in this week’s MagiReco, is much the same.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S – I’ve somehow managed to go the whole season without so much as even acknowledging that I’m watching Dragon Maid. But now that it’s nearing its conclusion I’m confident in saying at least this much; it’s a lot of fun. Kyoto Animation remain an absolute powerhouse here, even in light of the tragic arson attack on their studio two years ago. The production, as such, is untouchable, and visually speaking it’s arguably the best anime airing right now. Its fun, adventurous animation is capable of flipping from hijinks to truly impressive battle sequences to more adventurous and bizarre comedic stylings at the drop of a hat. It’s damn great, and the series deserves high marks for that alone. Its writing remains a bit patchy, if only because it’s trying to be so many things at once.

It’s at its best when it locks into a single swathe of the emotional spectrum, as with this past week’s episode, which sees Kanna on a journey to New York and back again as she makes a friend in the Big Apple. And of course, rescues her from Bad Guys ™. Her flight over the US is wonderful, being positively Ghibli-esque.

Beyond that, and despite its supernatural setting, Dragon Maid shines brightest in scenes that articulate the small joys of everyday life. A cut illustrating something as simple as pouring cold tea into a glass is given an opulence that magnifies its emotional impact. In these key moments, Dragon Maid is a magic spell. More real than our own world.

Sonny Boy – Is Sonny Boy losing people? I wouldn’t be too surprised if it was. I’m still definitely on-board with the series as purely a machine that pumps out bizarre, vaguely parable-esque vignettes. The background plot involving the fake teacher Ms. Aki and her schoolbus of cultists may or may not eventually resolve in interesting fashion. In the meantime, this week’s episode spotlights Mizuho’s cats and hands us a curious story of a boy and his clone that ends in as much a punchline as it does a moral lesson. Where does Sonny Boy go from here? I have no idea, and that’s exactly why I like it so much.

Manga

Puella Magi Homura Tamura – This past week I’ve been taking another read (it’s my second time through) of this obscure little corner of the Madoka Magica expanded universe. I think people have forgotten that said EU is, in fact, surprisingly large. Many have been mostly left behind by the passing of the initial Madoka hype wave, but there were actually quite a few interquels, spinoffs, and otherwise divergent-from-the-norm Madoka Stories. Most were fairly serious affairs, and perhaps predictably given the large number of hands involved, they varied pretty widely in quality. Homura Tamura is quite distinct from all that, though. It’s decidedly on the humorous side, though its offbeat sense of humor is more likely to remind readers of other entries in the comedy yonkoma genre than it is to provide any insight into what the girls of Madoka Magica act like “off-camera”.

Still, it’s a solid and fun read. It got licensed by Yen Press years ago so I’m sure you can find hard copies somewhere if you care to snoop around. There’s a lot of great genre parodies in here, and some truly out-there takes on some of Madoka’s core premises. Have you ever wanted to read a manga in which Homura travels through time so much that she eventually ends up at a cafรฉ staffed and visited entirely by versions of herself from alternate timelines? Then friend, I’ve got a manga for you. Fun fact: This is illustrated by AFRO, who would soon become known as the artist behind YuruCamp. Second fun fact: if you google the name of this manga, the little Google Book Preview thing will claim it was illustrated by Italian painter Afro Basaldella. Close but no cigar, Google!

Wanna talk to other Magic Planet Anime readers? Consider joining my Discord server! Also consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [9/5/21]

The Frontline Report is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture.

Hello folks, it’s been another breezy week here at Magic Planet Anime. I hope these three writeups will sate your curiosity for the next seven (ish) days.

Blue Reflection Ray – As it enters its final act, I am half-convinced that myself and a friend (hi Luna!) are the only two people on Earth still watching Blue Reflection Ray. Nonetheless, for anyone else still out there who’s on this strange journey with us, wasn’t this week’s episode just incredible? The reintroduction of Momo, one of the show’s best characters, signals the beginning of the end for BRR’s plot, and the dark, vine-covered city that bringing the Commons into reality has created is the embodiment of the emotional deadening the show stands against. But in spite of that, the episode is all fluff in the best way possible, hatchets are buried and relationships are rekindled. The shot of the Reflectors, now all on the same side sans Uta and Shino herself, is one of my favorite moments of the entire season. We’ve followed these girls a very long way from home, and I cannot wait to see where they finally end up.

Magia Record – As usual, my detailed thoughts are over on GGA. This week’s episode was visually jankier than usual, probably the result of SHAFT’s famous production troubles. It manages to be compelling, anyway. And honestly that shot up there of Iroha and Yachiyo hugging as they reunite would make almost any episode well worth it. As a side note, MagiReco also picks up a “one-liner of the year” award here, for Yachiyo’s just genuinely funny as hell comment here:

Whoever came up with that deserves a medal. All told, despite its issues it’s still a very strong episode from a very strong show.

Sonny Boy – The main problem with Sonny Boy is that it’s so obviously compelling that talking about why can feel routine, or worse, dogmatic. But there really is a soul under all the surreal imagery. This week’s episode, “Laughing Dog”, explored the past of Yamabiko, the boy turned canine. In it, Sonny Boy lays out a million and one different ways people can be trapped; by their relationships, by their past, and by failing to move on from either. The series has a reputation for being opaque, and this episode won’t change that, but it is one of the rare anime episodes where a single line of dialogue seems to leap out the screen and slap us, the audience, across the face.

There’s a bitter tinge of futility here, too. The idea that one can no more truly leave their regrets behind them than a dog can swear a pinkie promise. But maybe that’s just another layer to the metaphor. Worlds hang in the balance, and four weeks remain.

Wanna talk to other Magic Planet Anime readers? Consider joining my Discord server! Also consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [8/29/21]

The Frontline Report is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture.

Folks, I’ll keep it straight and simple with you. I’ve been showing my family around Chicago for much of the past week and I have been deeply tired. As such I’m not caught up on my seasonals, so the writing here is, for the most part, going to be a bit dated. But hey, you work with what you have.

I’m planning to do a catch-up marathon starting this very evening. So hopefully next week I’ll have some more relevant material for you. Until then, enjoy what I’ve got penned so far.

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Kageki Shoujo – Sarasa’s story has begun tying into a larger dualistic theme of artistic tradition and innovation; how they conflict and otherwise interact. I’ve given Kageki Shoujo some guff in the past for focusing too much on male side characters. To some extent I still kind of think it does, but as the nature of the story has branched out to become as much about the systems that shape those who pour their hearts into their art as it is about any individual person, it feels more earned.

Episode eight, in particular, paints a quietly illuminating portrait of what, exactly, one has to give up in pursuit of dreams this grandiose. Centering around secondary character Kaoru and her brief, bygone romance with a bench-warmer from her high school’s baseball team, it both draws and explicitly denies parallels between the two. Kaoru wants nothing more than to become an actress and live up to her family’s legacy, her would-be boyfriend cannot stand the pressure that the constant comparisons to his literally professional-level older brother produces. The two bond over this half-commonality and are eventually driven apart by it. In the end, they pursue their dreams, but at the cost of each other. The episode ends, though, on a hopeful note, and a promise that this might all circle back around someday. It’s an optimistic, even romantic notion for a show that’s generally as grounded as Kageki Shoujo is.

Sonny Boy – New worlds, evil teachers who are students in disguise, movies that change reality, talking dogs, pariahs, and visions from the heavens. Halfway through its run, Sonny Boy is as wonderfully weird and cryptic as ever. Episode six was the end of a certain version of this drifting classroom’s story, but not the one we’re following. For this treasure box of puzzles and surreal imagery, we can only anticipate what’s to come.

Cut joke from my GGA writeup for this week: “I’m here to kick ass and eat peach cobbler, and I’m almost done with all this peach cobbler.”

Magia Record – As always, my more detailed thoughts are available over on GGA for this series. We must ask ourselves though; is Magia Record the best thing currently airing? This week’s episode and its feat of turning the previously ignorable Kuroe of all people into a character-of-the-week is a sign that points to “yes”. Honestly, what competition does it have? Sonny Boy? That show is great, certainly, but it lacks MagiReco’s series credentials and consequently the sense that we’re seeing something big happen. The real thinker is just whether the remainder of season 2, and the upcoming season 3, are enough to change the question we’re asking into “is Magia Record the best anime of 2021?”.

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As a final note; you’ve probably already read it, but if not, do be sure to check out my review of the final Rebuild of Evangelion film. I really loved the movie and I think it may, in fact, be my favorite ending for the series.

Wanna talk to other Magic Planet Anime readers? Consider joining my Discord server! Also consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [8/8/21]

The Frontline Report is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture.

Hi folks, relatively lean update this week because I haven’t been sleeping well and am still sick. Hopefully what I’ve got written is interesting to you!

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Kageki Shoujo!! – For whatever reason, I’ve held Kageki Shoujo!! at arm’s length. I’m not entirely sure why. Was I afraid it would disappoint me somehow? I like to think of myself as above that kind of behavior (shows are going to be what they’re going to be, going into them “bracing for them to get bad” doesn’t actually change anything, natch). But I’m as inclined toward the ‘aimless skeptic’ impulse as anyone who spends too much time on the internet. Still, the series’ fifth episode has proved to me that it’s the real thing. Arguably I should’ve caught on back when it managed to competently tackle something as deadly-serious as sexual assault a few episodes back. But, while I’ve been lucky enough to lead a life free of that particular evil, I have absolutely felt ugly, untalented, and worthless before. Which brings us to Ayako Yamada, a supporting character who developed an eating disorder a few episodes back, and who the latter half of episode five centers on.

Dealing with Yamada’s eating disorder is necessary for keeping the series’ thematic core coherent. But the episode opens with a reprieve; the conclusion of the prior week’s plot-line, where Ai and Sarasa both finally become friends and commit themselves fully to their goal of becoming the top stars in the Kouka Troupe. In particular, there are hints of Sarasa’s abilities as an actress, which may far exceed what anyone expected of her, something I really hoped the show would lean into.

But it’s Yamada’s story that definitely does steal the show here, marking Kageki Shoujo!! as the first anime of the season to make me tear up. Yamada has been a minor character in the series, and the eating disorder that she developed several episodes ago threatened to take her out of the series entirely. Indeed, in episode five a conflux of her waning health, her dance instructor’s nasty attitude, her failing grades, and a spat with Ai send her spiraling, and it does look for a while like she’s going to drop out. It’s only an impassioned plea from her music teacher that convinces her to stay. A time skip later, we’re rewarded at the end of the episode with her leading the music class in song and showing off her wonderfully bright, expressive, timbre.

Would I choose to, I could criticize that the series does not spend enough time “working” this development for it to feel “natural”. The entirety of what I summarized is over in about 15 minutes of footage. I could too criticize that the series does not explicitly condemn her dance instructor, but that would be willfully ignoring that her motives are presented as understandable but not remotely sympathetic. The tightly-wound storytelling, I would argue, actually helps a lot in keeping the anime from dragging, something that is a real concern when writing stories that deal with material this heavy. (And of course I have yet to get to episode six, given that the show comes out on Sundays. Sigh!)

Magia Record – As last week, my recap sums up my thoughts here. It’s no episode one but I still loved it a lot.

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Other articles from MPA this past week:

Wanna talk to other Magic Planet Anime readers? Consider joining my Discord server! Also consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [7/25/21]

The Frontline Reportย is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture.

I’ll be straight with ya, folks. It’s my second week of battling what I’m like 99% sure is mono, so I haven’t had the most energy for anime-think-about-‘ing. Still, I hope the three brief paragraphs below on some airing seasonals will give you something to contemplate. Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Blue Reflection Ray – Call it the little show that could, the most unsung anime of 2021, or whatever you will. Fifteen episodes into its two-cour run, Blue Reflection Ray decided to drop one of the most delicate episodes about depression I’ve ever seen. Sadly, I think it will probably go mostly-unwatched, like the rest of the anime has been. Is there any hope that this thing might find the audience that would appreciate it, this late in the game? It’s hard to say. I’m not optimistic, but it doesn’t diminish the quality of BRR itself. Shine on, girls.

Kageki Shojo!! – Is it fair to call Kageki Shojo!! “complicated”? It feels fair. There’s a distinction between wanting to tackle difficult, complex subject matter and actually doing so, and I’ve kinda been worried up to this point that Kageki Shojo!! would fall on the wrong side of that divide. The series has a really unfortunate tendency to have male characters support its primary, almost entirely female, cast in a way that feels somewhat detrimental to both. Consequently, it can feel contrived at times. But on the other hand, if you’re willing to reckon with this flaw the point remains that Kageki Shojo!! is dealing with some really heavy stuff and it’s not holding back in doing so, and I think that’s commendable. This week’s episode, the fourth, is probably the best of the series so far, and is the first to markedly develop the leads’ relationship. I’m hoping it’s a sign of things to come.

Sonny Boy – Sonny Boy is the rare anime I feel underqualified to discuss. It draws on an obvious, long lineage (one I’m mostly unfamiliar with) of “society in a jar” stories that dates back at least as far as Lord of The Flies. (And in anime and manga, at least as far as The Drifting Classroom.) I’m not really super familiar with this stuff, so it’s hard to gauge how “original” Sonny Boy truly is in this regard. But what it’s not hard to gauge is how interesting the show is, in addition to the central mystery I’ve been really impressed with the brilliant little loops the show’s character writing keeps creating. The way it’s edited is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, but that’s not a bad thing, and it keeps everything coherent even with such a huge cast.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

The Frontline Report [7/18/21]

The Frontline Report is a weekly column where I briefly summarize the past week of my personal journey through anime, manga, and the related spheres of pop culture.

It’s been a while! Yes, this is the spiritual successor (or whatever you’d care to call it) if my old Weekly Round-up posts. I want these to be more casual in tone, and they’ll often be on the brief side, but I do want to keep everyone up to date on where I’m at lately, anime-wise. First though, the seasonals that’ve been on my mind this week.

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The aquatope on white sand – I wrote a column earlier this week detailing how I found myself unexpectedly relating to aquatope’s main character, Fuuka. I have to say I’m pleased that I’m vibing with the show a bit more now than I was when it first premiered. I wasn’t quite as blown away as most folks seemed to be, but I do think this will be a good anime, and its two-cour length gives it time to stretch its legs. No rush, y’know?

Girlfriend Girlfriend – I kind of still don’t entirely know who this show is for. I have seen it praised as a crucial step for bringing polyamory into the public conversation and also disparaged as a completely empty male power fantasy. Personally, while I don’t dislike the show, it is definitely in the lower half as far as my early personal seasonal rankings. Less because of any moral qualms I have and more just because the comedy really likes to skirt right up to the edge of “obnoxious”, and sometimes goes over it.

Sonny Boy – This just debuted this past week, and it’s easily the strongest opening episode of the season. The premise is a fairly direct riff on The Drifting Classroom, but it’s stark, abstract visual style is what’s really going to win people over here. Seriously consider checking this out, a half hour isn’t much to ask for something this intriguing.

The Detective is Already Dead – A recipe for a hospital visit: take a shot any time this show drops its own title or someone is referred to as a “legendary detective”. Detective probably qualifies as the season’s oddball. If you’re more cynical than I am you can go ahead and upgrade that to “trainwreck in progress”. As a character-driven mystery, Detective is pretty pat. As a series with no clear endgoal in sight and no method of achieving anything it might want to, it’s borderline mesmerizing. As the second episode in a row that consists mostly of characters talking circles around each other and very little actually happening, it’s probably safe to say this is a series that’s fallen off most peoples’ radars. I intend to stubbornly stick with it even as the only reference points I can reach for turn into Blast of Tempest and In/Spectre. I will never claim I know what’s good for me.

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Elsewhere, I finished Fate/Zero this week after watching it a few episodes at a time over the last several. (I did a little live-tweeting of it if that’s your thing. Obviously spoiler-laden, though.) I haven’t seen enough of the Fate franchise to know if its reputation as the best-written iteration of it is entirely earned, but the show is definitely very, very good. A common thread among Fate media is characters having their worldviews challenged, and that’s ramped up here to having them just straight-up destroyed. With one exception, everyone goes through the wringer here and for that reason I wouldn’t exactly call it an easy watch, even if I do think it’s a worthwhile one.

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And as far as actual anime, that’s about all for this week. It’s been a rough one personally speaking with troubles around the apartment and such, so I haven’t had quite as much energy as I’d like. Still, I hope this return of the weekly roundup posts (under a slightly different name!) excites you. My hope is that there’ll be many more to come.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

Weekly Writing Roundup – 10/17/20

Or “weekly livewatch writeup” as it might be more accurately titled. They’ve been taking up much of my writing time lately. Not a bad thing! But it has made doing other stuff a bit hard especially as I’ve been rather under the weather both physically and mentally for the past while. (This is why there was no roundup post last week and why my seasonal first impressions column did not materialize, for the record.)

To also clarify something else just to lay any possible suspicions to rest, I am still writing for The Geek Girl Authority. I’m just on a short hiatus and will likely resume work for them sometime around the middle of next month if everything goes according to plan. At worst, I will be picking my recap columns back up over there next season. Ironically, this season’s main problem has been that there is too much good stuff airing. It’s made knowing what to cover kind of impossible and as a result I have been….largely not covering anything at all. Not really a great approach, to be perfectly frank, but, well, see prior notes about being under the weather.

But enough beating around the bush (and beating myself up, that helps nobody), let’s get to what I have been doing recently.

Twitter โ€œLive Watchesโ€

This is where most of the Good Content ™ is this week.

ANOTHER (for #AniTwitWatches) [1, 2]: Something I am increasingly fond of is shows that I end up treating as kind of a puzzle while I watch them, trying to figure out what they’re going for, what they’re trying to say, and so on. ANOTHER (which may or may not actually be stylized that way, I’m not entirely clear) has been great in this regard. I’ve found myself turning over the series’ use of smalltown social dynamics to dive into the mechanics of “curses” really interesting. I’m still not entirely sure what point it’s trying to make with all this, but figuring that out is half the fun. Bonus: a genuinely freaky nightmare scene in episode 7.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha [1, 2]: Here’s my latest “watch a classic anime I haven’t seen yet” boondoggle following the completion of the Utena livewatch (see below). My thoughts on this show are a little mixed at the moment. I am really not fond of the vestiges of its origin as a spinoff of an eroge, there’s some inappropriate perviness in the camera and a few other things. Which I would perhaps mind less if the characters were not mostly children. Yuck. If you can get past that (and as always I don’t hold anything against people who can’t) there’s a solid–god forgive me for using this term–hype-driven magical girl anime in here. Lots of flashy lasers, fun henshin sequences, magical doodads, and snappy directing (which comes from a pre-SHAFT Akiyuki Shinbo. Something I am rather embarrassed to admit I didn’t actually pick up on until it was pointed out to me!)

I’m pretty confident the show will get better as it goes on and relies less on The Aforementioned Fanservice Stuff, and even in the couple episodes I’ve watched it’s already started to drop off (or at least refocus to Arf, who is an adult) as the storyline gets a bit more serious and the show introduces main antagonist Fate Testarossa*. My final “verdict” on it is a long way off yet, so we’ll see.

Revolutionary Girl Utena [1, 2, 3, 4]: I think Revolutionary Girl Utena might be one of my favorite anime ever. It’s a hard call to make. I only finished it recently and there’s so much going on in the show that I’ll probably be turning the symbolism over in my head for years. But it feels telling that despite the fact that I basically just finished it I already want to watch it again. That I have not reviewed it is indicative not of any deficiency on its part or a lack of anything to say on mine, but of my skills as a reviewer. I simply don’t know if I’m there yet. Although honestly it’s been consuming so much of my mental real estate that I’m tempted to try anyway.

But let me offer you this evidence: after several months of drawing the series out as long as I could, I banged out the rest (and the alternate take / sequel film The Adolescence of Utena) in just three days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a series that’s captivating in this specific way before, and I’m not sure I ever will again. I love this show to pieces.

Sailor Moon: And firmly on the other end of the quality spectrum, at least right now, are these two frankly pretty bad episodes of Sailor Moon. Isolated, they’re merely subpar. Together, they’re insufferable, especially the first, a bizarre bout of (internalized?) misogyny that feels wildly out of place in a children’s series, even one of this vintage. Certainly in a mahou shoujo series. Easily bottom 5’ers, the both of them. Thankfully I believe the show returns to more well-regarded ground this coming week, and you take the good with the bad, so I think I will have kinder things to say in this space next week.

Other Thoughts N Such

As I briefly mentioned up top, there is too much good stuff airing this season. Do you like battle girl shows? Check out Assault Lily Bouquet and Warlords of Sigrdrifa. Idols? Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club is incredible and maybe the single best thing airing in an insanely strong season. Even Jun Maeda of all people is here, responsible for the script on The Day I Became A God, a show whose first episode showed off an incredible amount of promise.

In the realm of things I’m not watching (but have heard a lot of good about), there’s solid action shonen (Jujutsu Kaisen), iyashikei (Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle), an isekai where the main character wears a Lain-style bear suit (Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear), a traveler story (Elaina The Witch), and even an anime about rap battling boy band idols (the ambiently baffling HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima). I feel like I’m basically advertising the season, but when there’s just this much stuff dropping it’s hard not to. Unless these somehow all manage to strongly disappoint I imagine people will be talking about this season for a long time.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

Weekly Writing Roundup โ€“ 10/5/20

It’s been a busy week here at MPA. I haven’t had GGA work to worry about because the new season’s only just started, so I haven’t settled on my pickups yet. As such, I’ve been doing a lot of work for the blog, I hope some of it is of interest to you. Let’s begin!

Magic Planet Anime

(REVIEW) Shadows on The Sun: The Forgotten Flames of DAY BREAK ILLUSION: I’ve been on something of a magical girl kick for the last month or so. (I go through those sometimes). One result was checking out this particular anti-classic, blew through the whole thing in less than 24 hours. It’s a really interesting anime to me because despite its reputation as “the first Madoka Clone” it strikes me as not having a ton in common with that series. The long and short is that I liked it a lot, despite its poor reputation nowadays. Give this one a read! I’m proud of it.

(REVIEW) DRACULA, SOVEREIGN OF THE DAMNED Is A Graveyard….Something: I must thank commissioner Myrdradek for getting me to watch something I almost certainly wouldn’t have otherwise and for inadvertently getting my blog into the Halloween spirit. I didn’t totally know what to make of this one, honestly, beyond finding it rather goofy. It does have some nice art though! Also: yes this is where that .gif of Dracula eating a hamburger is from. Important internet history right there.

The Manga Shelf: The Morbid Optimism of SUICIDE GIRL: Here’s another “edgy magical girl” property, a subgenre I’ve increasingly come to think might be kind of misunderstood. That broader topic aside, if you can get past the content warnings (they’re at the top of the article, though you can probably deduce them from the name of the work, honestly) and the controversial subject matter, this is a surprisingly idealistic series. One that I think will get even better as it goes on, but I suppose time will tell.

The Problem With Balgo Parks in BURN THE WITCH: This certainly not my favorite kind of article to write, but it’s by far one of the easiest. I really wanted to like the Burn The Witch OVA. Honestly I kind of did! Except for its male lead, who is all over it in the worst way possible all the time. Why!

Twitter “Live Watches”

ANOTHER (For #AniTwitWatches): This is another spooky series, this time with the #AniTwitWatches gang. I uh….knew basically nothing about this series going in other than that it was a mystery anime. Frankly I still don’t know much about it, but it’s interesting, I’ll say that much. Lots of ominously-charged dialogue and some Final Destination-style murder-by-circumstance. Cannot wait to get to this week’s episodes later today!

Sailor Moon (For #FightingEvilByGroupwatch): I think most of my thoughts on this week’s Sailor Moon episodes are covered in that first tweet. Fun pair of episodes though! Enjoyed ’em.

Other Thoughts N Such

I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping the “other thoughts” section brief this time around, I’ve got some thoughts on the new anime season but that’ll probably make it to another post soon. One minor note: Utena will be back before next week! You have my word! Unless something goes horribly wrong, of course. Another minor note: watch Assault Lily Bouquet.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

Weekly Writing Roundup – 9/28/20

Welp! It’s the middle of the night after another light week, but here we are. I hope you’re all doing okay out there. I don’t have much else to lead off with, so let’s get into things.

The Geek Girl Authority

THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL Recap (S1E12): FOX/GOD – I have actually completely finished the show (screeners!) as of the time of this writing. It’s still not really what I’d call a great anime, but the last two episodes are fun in how whole-hog they go on being As Shonen As Possible.

DECA-DENCE Recap (S1E11-12): “Engine” / “Decadence” – While Deca-Dence is not my anime of the year or anything like that (it’s been a pretty strong year, anime-wise, if nothing else) I’m really glad I watched it. It didn’t do everything perfectly and there are some changes I’d have made in an ideal world, but overall this is a really good little show and I hope people remember it.

Magic Planet Anime

(REVIEW): The Cat’s Out of The Bag: MAO MAO: HEROES OF PURE HEART – Here’s something rather rare, a review of an American cartoon! This was a commission so I wouldn’t expect it to become the norm (it kind of goes against this blog’s name, although I guess you could argue I’m using “anime” in the original Japanese sense, but that’s silly.) That said: I liked the series, it has a couple major problems preventing me from loving it, but it’s solid and I hope the forthcoming second season expands on its slightly more serious elements a little more.

Twitter “Live Watches”

Sailor Moon – We met Rei this week! Not sure how I felt about the Ikuhara episode, interestingly enough, but I loved her introductory ep.

Also, yes, Revolutionary Girl Utena will hopefully be returning within a week or two. I’ve just been busy with various things recently and haven’t had the energy. (Plus that last arc was enough of a drainer that I kinda needed some recovery time).

Other Thoughts N Such

I’ve actually been watching quite a lot of anime in my “off time” this past week. Chiefly, a Puella Magi Madoka Magica groupwatch with some friends, which has now finished the series proper and will be watching The Rebellion Story sometime in the next few days. Hoo boy.

I’ve also started Day Break Illusion, generally derided as one of the first “Madoklones”. I don’t want to get too far into my thoughts on it here, but it strikes me rather differently than that. I’ll probably end up reviewing it, so if you want more detailed thoughts, just stay tuned.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.

Posted on in anime, Weekly Writing Roundups

Weekly Writing Roundup – 9/20/20

Hi folks! Bit of a lighter week this time around, I’ve been in a rough spot mentally and I’m sure I’m not the only one, given yet more recent goings-on in the world. But I won’t get too into that here, this isn’t really that kind of blog. Take care of each other out there!

On to the roundup!

The Geek Girl Authority

THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL Recap (S1E11) lay/key – I don’t like being this blunt, but man I have just not been impressed with this show recently. I’m not sure if it’s actually gotten any worse (in fact I don’t think it has) but its tendency to seriously abbreviate character arcs has started getting on my nerves. Pacing problems like this are pretty common in the modern TV anime landscape since almost everything only gets a single cour at a time, but GOH really feels like it could’ve used another cour to really stretch its legs. The fights are still cool at least, although I wish they lasted longer.

Didn’t do a Deca-Dence recap this past week for Reasons. I’m gonna roll the final two episodes into a single recap this coming Wednesday, assuming everything goes according to plan.

Magic Planet Anime

(REVIEW) Love in Wartime: The Politics & Emotion of EUREKA SEVEN – Without blowing my own horn too much, I think this is one of the best things I’ve ever written for the site and possibly just in general. I absolutely loved Eureka Seven by its end and I hope I can inspire at least one more person to watch it. (The minder of fellow anime blog Crow’s Anime World mentioned they want to watch it, so it’s possible I’ve succeeded!) I only finished Eureka Seven a week ago but it already feels like a part of me, it’s really something special.

Full disclosure, this week was also supposed to see the triumphant return of the Twenty Perfect Minutes column, regarding this series’ 48th episode (one of my favorites in anything ever, full stop) but once again mental health got in the way. Maybe next time!

Twitter “Live Watches”

Revolutionary Girl Utena – I’m going through Utena at a pretty slow pace and I think these episodes are a good indicator of why. I love the show, don’t get me wrong, but parts of it are some of the most actively draining television I’ve ever watched. I feel absolutely terrible for….everyone involved, and we’re not even at what is, to my understanding, The Worst Part yet. Ten episodes (and a movie!) to go.

Sailor Moon – SAILOR MERCURY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Yeah I don’t have a ton to say on this week’s Sailor Moon I love Ami. She’s great.

We’re getting near enough to the end of Utena that I’m starting to contemplate what I should start the next livewatch on after we’re done with it. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha maybe?

Other Thoughts N Such

I was recently commissioned to watch Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart. It’s a bit unusual for this blog since it’s an American cartoon. I don’t entirely know how I feel about it, being only a couple episodes in. It’s very….frantic, which feels like the logical consequence of a series for a generation raised on Teen Titans Go. (Watching this series makes me feel kinda old lol). We’re still well off from the proper review, so there’s plenty of time for my opinions to change. I like Adorabat, she’s funny.

On an administrative note. I’ve FINALLY updated my Carrd page after not doing it for the longest time. The biggest point of interest to blog-readers is going to be my commission page. Consider sending me some money to watch your favorite series, film, or OVA!

That’s all for this week! See you around folks.

If you like my work, consider following me on Twitter, supporting me on Ko-Fi, or checking out my other anime-related work on Anilist or for The Geek Girl Authority.

All views expressed on Magic Planet Anime are solely my own opinions and conclusions and should not be taken to reflect the opinions of any other persons, groups, or organizations. All text is owned by Magic Planet Anime. Do not duplicate without permission. All images are owned by their original copyright holders.