[Spring 2016] Season of Diamonds

[skreyola]

Haifuri ep. 5 - This was a pretty good episode. I like their blue/white swimsuits. Not sure why they stayed iun them all the way to the Musashi. Surely they could have changed one at a time by then. Interesting development. Looks like Moka's not in control. I see those rats on the missile covers. 4/5

[John_Smith]

Concrete Revolutio:
I don't know what I’m going to do with this series. I can get a little too deeply invested to a story that I love, and I felt a little betrayed. But I knew the show wasn’t in line with my beliefs, I just didn't know they would go there. If this was most other anime I would drop it in a heartbeat.

In any case, this episode did make up for the last one, and I watched it twice again (and one scene in particular, thrice).

S2E5: Earth-chan SPOILER: Highlight text to read: at last! She was hilarious, but spent most of the episode being a damsel in distress and getting herself flung into the sky Team Rocket style. At first I was annoyed about that, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, I love it. I think it represents society tossing out the ideals that Earth-chan represents during this time. Just like Earth-chan spends this episode being something of an after thought, being ignored by virtually everyone, so her black and white morals ‘just help people who need help,’ were also ignored. She asked questions, and nobody even bothered to answer them. A character who was once everyone’s hero, who everyone literally changed their views depending on what side she on on… is now considered trivial. Just like she died during the riot, her ideals ‘died,’ in public favor as well.

All this said, it seems like her morals have evolved beyond ‘black-and-white insanity,’ but still struggles to comprehend the chaos around her (a bit like me trying to understand this show), but it doesn’t help that whenever she asks a question, nobody even bothers to answer it. And as to why that is, I think its because they don’t know either.

I think this is the first time that I know for certain I don't agree with Jiro. Japanese Hulk Human-Man, while sympathetic, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: was doing something knowing that it was harming others, only for the sake of impressing his daughter. When in truth, he had the potential to do that without powers. So essentially, I agree with Earth-chan and her apparently out-of-date morals.Though I can also respect Jiro’s actions here, I think he was simply wrong.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Raito still has headaches, which means he still isn’t certain of his actions… not a good sign. And considering, while he may have released a few guys who shouldn't have been there, he also released at least one guy who was a villain.

Lastly, the moment the Bugman appeared was amazing… or was she the same one? Either way, I suspect trouble is headed Fuurouta’s way.

Best line of the episode: “It’s safe. It’s been tested in elementary schools by being mixed in with a few flu vaccinations.”


S2E6:
So episodes 3-6 have mostly dropped the time skipping I raved about before, and are overall simpler than season one, but 5 and 6 have a much higher quality than 3 and 4.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Okay, last week we got the Hulk, now we have a Japanese version of Captain America. Next week must be Ironman, and the week after that, Thor (Amaterasu?).
I actually wondered if Earth-chan still had the watch, but presumed the series would just ignore it and that Jaguar would have it back. Turns out, she did still have the watch, not that it seems to matter too much anymore, since she just gave it back.

And speaking of Earth-chan, I don’t know if I should give the series credit for squeezing her in this episode, or complain about how she didn’t have any lines.
The general match up of who’s on who’s side continues to change, and this episode everyone except the Prime minster ended on the same side (even the Ad company). It’s all coming down to what the character’s motivations are and what they’re willing to do to accomplish those goals. But this season still seems to revolve around Jiro vs. Bureau is likely to come to a climax eventually.

Going off memory:
1: Jiro vs. the Bureau, Plus Raito
2: Jiro and Bureau vs. Ad Company
3: Jiro vs. Bureau vs. Ainu god
4: Jiro and Bureau vs. Ninjas (with demons being very stubbornly neutral)
5: Jiro and Human-Man vs. Earth-chan, Ninjas, and Ad Company (Bureau neutral, leans this side)
6: Everyone vs. Capt Japan; then Everyone vs. Prime Minster, in their own way
That being said, I haven’t checked to see if these episodes are are in chronological order.

Best line of the episode: That double sneeze. Yes, that counts as a line, and it was funny.

Assassination Classroom S2E17:
First of all, somehow I lost track of what episode I was on (I blame the difference in how funimation and MAL number them), but this should be the right one now.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Despite my endless complaints about this shows humor, I did laugh at how it took two guys to hold Karma back, but Nagisa could barely struggle against one.
I knew Nagisa would pull something at the end, and that take five-out-at-once was amazing.
This may have been my favorite episode of the series. My only complaint for this episode is about Kayano… I’m fine that she got taken out, I just wish she could have gotten that shot off first.

S2E18:
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I was hoping that Nagisa would lose, but during the battle Karma would forget about the other guy who would just steal the flag. Unfortunately, he had to get himself taken out right at the beginning like that… Which basically means the entire plot of the episode just forestalled the fight in the previous one.
I did like how Nagisa noted Karma asking him to come out of hiding wasn’t honorable, but was actually playing dirty… and then he does it anyway. Both of them were aware that it wasn’t the battle they had to win, but the opinions of the other students.
Wasn’t impressed with Karma’s and Nagisa’s backstories. It was a long time coming, and after what the show has done lately with back stories, I was hoping for more. Though, I do love the idea that Karma’s have been secretly terrified of Nagisa this entire time.

[TheChocolateGamer]

Haifuri ep.6 - The most normal episode so far. It was nice for a change.

A single warning thou: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: one fanservice moment

That's all 4.0/5.0

Pan de Peace ep.7 - Still normal things (on the good type of normal)

Noa-chan cute as always. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: She is sick (normal cold) and her little sister is physically bigger than her (she is short still thou).

4.5/5.0

[skreyola]

Flying Witch ep. 5 - This was a cute episode. I wonder if the boys set that up or if Chito did. Why is Nee-san so sleepy? 4/5

[MangaRocks!]

Bungou Stray Dogs episode 6:

Oh my gosh, I know I just keep on praising him, but I seriously cannot get enough of Mamoru Miyano's VA work here as Dazai-- Dazai was completely off the rails (...that is, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: on mushrooms ) at the beginning of this ep., and I could not stop laughing just listening to it. (Also, LOL at Atsushi's suspicious/disapproving stare for minutes after the reveal that the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: sole surviving victim stayed at Dazai's place... ) And while the plot was a bit thinner here than it has been previously, it was fine because this ep. was actually more setup than anything anyway-- it's the first ep. of a mini-arc which will last through at least the next episode.



Kiznaiver episode 6:

LOL at the meta SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'huge eyes' in-joke... ...In all seriousness, though, aside from that and a few one-liners, this episode was... well... actually almost entirely serious, and it was excellent for it.



Mayoiga, a.k.a. The Lost Village, episode 7:

...Oh man, there's no way I can believe that anyone thinks this is good writing (including the actual writers themselves! Indeed, I know of at least one online reviewer who actually believes this is purposefully written badly so as to be parody/irony, although it's not anywhere near obvious/funny enough for me to think so; IMO it's just bad full stop, LOL)... I mean, the previous episode was plenty awful enough in that regard, but this episode just continues that trend. In all, as (only mildly ) entertaining as watching this show completely combust is, I'm still quite tempted to just drop this right now despite there only being a few episodes left......



And Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless episode 6:
This show is just so adorable and makes me giggle so darn much, and I love it for it. <3

[skreyola]

My Hero Academia ep. 5 - That's a smart kid. ZG-Girl is so cute, but apparently, she has control issues, too. 5/5

[Mouse2010]

Mayoiga, a.k.a. The Lost Village, episode 7:

...Oh man, there's no way I can believe that anyone thinks this is good writing (including the actual writers themselves! Indeed, I know of at least one online reviewer who actually believes this is purposefully written badly so as to be parody/irony, although it's not anywhere near obvious/funny enough for me to think so; IMO it's just bad full stop, LOL)...

Yeah, I'm not going to defend it. In fact, I finally watched this ep, and I immediately wanted to come here and admit that I can see how stupid this was. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some interesting ideas here. Mitsumune's backstory was interesting, even if not believable. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The thing is that any good mental health professional would have discouraged them from trying to "help" the mom by hiding his identity. And I have trouble believing that the mother didn't care at all about the remaining twin. But that backstory was at least interesting and moving. The SPOILER: Highlight text to read: belief that Masaki was a ghost who needed to be tortured was just unbelievable and ridiculous. People don't act that; even unstable people.

I'm still going to watch Mayoiga, though. I want to see if they answer the questions they're raising. But I'm not taking the show very seriously. It's too bad, because I felt like there was potential at the beginning.

[skreyola]

Pan de Peace ep. 6 - Yup. Even if you aren't watching this show, you should give this episode a look. This is exactly what I see a lot of people who complain about their weight doing. Not all, but a lot. 4/5

Re:ZERO ep. 6 - I guess this ability would tend to make you a little bit batty. Interesting about the connection between the fairy tale and the hair colors. I guess SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I want to think Ram can do mana drain... but Betty said she couldn't, so it must be poison. I wonder why Rem came after him. Can't decide if he should tell Rem the story or not. Anyway, I was right about there being SPOILER: Highlight text to read: an assassin in the manor. And I was almost right about her identity. I was a bit surprised at the end who stepped out of the shadows. Incidentally, I suppose it's possible the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: count or duke or whatever is the dragon in disguise, but if that were the case, it seems to me Ram would know more of his plans, given their closeness. I wonder if he'll be a guest or an employee, next time, if he doesn't make it through this encounter.

[skreyola]

Bakuon!! ep. 6 - The episode was good. Not a lot to say about it, though. 4/5

Joker Game ep. 6 - This episode was a little meh, but it was pretty good. Some bits were a little confusing. I wonder how they're going to cram the last 6 episodes into the remaining timeframe, because it sounds like things are going to get crazy in a day or two. 4/5

[skreyola]

Crane Game ep. 6 - Yawn. 3/5

My Hero Academia ep. 6 - That was great. Over way too fast. Deku pays attention, that's for sure. And he's racking up a lot of brownie points, too. 4/5

[skreyola]

Haifuri ep. 6 - I just feel like this show could be a lot better. It just isn't impressing me, but it's not like it's a bad show, so the potential bothers me. 3/5

Flying Witch ep. 6 - This episode was okay. Not bad, but not great. I guess the best part was when the dad came in. 3/5

So, I guess it's half-way through the season, already. Here's my line-up of rankings. What's yours?

1) Joker Game (26) +0 ranks
2) My Hero Academia (25) +4
3) Re:ZERO (25) +0
4) Flying Witch (24) -2
5) Pan de Peace (24) +0
6) Bakuon!! (22) -2
7) Haifuri (20) +1 (after removing shows ranked above these that I didn't pick up)
8) Crane Game (19) -1

[MangaRocks!]

Bungou Stray Dogs episode 7:

ROTFL!! I love Dazai even more now (oh my gosh he is such a troll)~ <3 Seriously, though, I knew that the real culprit was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: going to be that woman for a number of reasons, from the very obvious fact that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: she was the only 'different' one 'kidnapped' all the way to the fact that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Dazai kept a close eye on her, as indeed he has done before, etc.; but I didn't mind that being completely expected since the rest of it (with the new powered baddie and etc.) was interesting enough. Though, I do have to say that I was sad about the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: poor computer kid at the end , but yeah, overall it was a pretty decent ep., IMO.



Kiznaiver episode 7:

Oh my gosh, I totally lost it at the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 'natural hot guy germs' part. Also their attempts to become friends with Maki were both hilarious and adorable. <3 (And fabulous Yuta was fabulous, ROTFL~ ) Seriously, though, this episode was pretty heavy otherwise , but that just made the end all the more cathartic. <3



Mayoiga, a.k.a. The Lost Village, episode 8 (DROPPED):

...You know what? I can't take the so-called 'writing' in this any longer. I give up. *shrug*



And Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless episode 7:

LOOOL, "I think we'd both be happier if we traded..." And holy crap, I nearly literally collapsed into laughter at the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: stalker-like message attached to it. And Miyano was adorable (as usual). And Tanaka answering Ohta's question about getting a girlfriend with a bit too much honesty was priceless (although the end of it was sweet <3 ). And I have to admit that they totally got me on who it was-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I was 100% expecting it to have been Shiraishi, but nope. And oh man, Tanaka's sister... (Poor Ohta. )

[skreyola]

Pan de Peace ep. 7 - The Strawberry melon pan looked yummy. 4/5

[TheChocolateGamer]

Haifuri ep.8 - both a weird episode and an awesome one 4/5 (too lazy to write)

Pan de Peace ep.8 - I don't like the new character much. 4/5

[skreyola]

Bakuon ep. 7 - That was kind of lame. 3/5

[skreyola]

Re:ZERO ep. 7 - I said you have to go a little crazy with an ability like that, didn't I? We saw it, in this episode. I have no idea SPOILER: Highlight text to read: what happened to Rem. I hope Subaru can figure it out before she kills him again. This show is intense. Not pleasant, especially the screaming at the beginning of this episode, but very well done, especially the voice acting in this episode. Content warning: this episode deals with torture and suicide. 4.25/5

[skreyola]

Joker Game ep. 7 - This was a good episode. A lot of unexpected things. Not sure what the letters on the crossword puzzle were, or what they meant. 4/5

[skreyola]

Crane Game ep. 7 - Bleh. No special move this time, and a cliffhanger. 3/5

[KazeShiki]

I'd just like to point out that the voice acting in this week's Jojo was amazing. Noto's yandere is a work of art.

[skreyola]

HaiFuri ep. 7 - That was a great episode. Not quite a 5-star one, but really great. The connections between the characters and between the present and past were well done and felt natural. A bit heavy on the fru-fru girly concerns... I imagine most girls who decided to go on a ship would be a little hardier about the deprivations of seagoing life. And did they really need another one of those? 4/5

My Hero Academia ep. 7 - That was great! Just barely a 5, but really awesome. I was glad that he solved it the way he did, rather than the expected way. Poor kid's going to be in a world of hunger/weakness, but he did an awesome job with the villain. That kid seriously has inadequacy issues. 5/5

[TheChocolateGamer]

Pan de Peace ep.9 : Bad start ( SPOILER: Highlight text to read: fanservice-almost moment in my book). Later went on well. Just the start 3/5

Haifuri ep.8: Best episode so far. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Epic battle is epic. I knew that Satan was behind this. But that end ...(giggles) Wasn't offensive much, but definitely wasn't needed. A little funny, but useless. 4.7/5

[MangaRocks!]

Bungou Stray Dogs episode 8:
This was a pretty great ep., IMO-- I mean, it was pretty brutal , but oh my gosh when Atsushi got that 'idea,' it was such a great moment for him! <3 And with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Dazai getting captured (or, more accurately, 'letting himself get captured,' because of his all-nullifying ability, right?) plus Atsushi SPOILER: Highlight text to read: saving new girl Kyouka and bringing her back to the Agency, it seems like a new chapter of sorts is starting, plot-wise...



Kiznaiver episode 8:

ROTFL at SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the "Looooove~" and picture-booth bits, as well as the fact that while everyone was splitting up into groups of 'likes,' Hisomu was left all alone, bwahahahaha~! And oh my gosh Yuta's little slide up to Maki later on... *Ahem*-- seriously, though, at least the researchers fully admit that the entire Kiznaiver experiment (in all of its past and present forms) is completely inhumane , even if they don't seem to think there's anything *wrong* with that... (And them using SPOILER: Highlight text to read: their very own children for it, no less...! ......So, extrapolating from the cues and clues here, I'm going to assume that Sonozaki's mom must be the doctor lady {'overprotective,' etc. etc.}. I wonder if the green-haired 'teacher' guy happens to be the dad of one of the original Kiznaiver kids, too, then...?) Oh, and you also just gotta love the fact that this was essentially a 100% pure shipping episode... where the 'researchers' within the story itself are the ones actively doing the shipping!



And Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless episode 8:

Oh my gosh Echizen was just priceless in this. (And LOL, the reactions of all the classmates when they found out what happened to Ohta, as well as their reactions to Tanaka's 'attempts' to 'help'... ) And also LOL at Tanaka's uncharacteristically open cheekiness at the end~

[Mouse2010]

[i]Mayoiga[/i} Ep 9: This was actually less stupid than the previous episode or two. No, really. I won't say it's great writing, but it was entertaining. I do have fears that the series is going to turn out to be one of those "It's all just a dream" shows. Time will tell! I'm not going to give up on it because I want to see how much of an explanation they're able to give for all the weird creepy abandoned village stuff.

[skreyola]

Flying Witch ep. 7 - Content warning: ghost. This episode wasn't bad. I wonder what those herbs taste like; I've never seen them. 4/5

[skreyola]

Pan de Peace ep. 8 - And this, kids, is how you get free bread for life. 4/5
Bakuon ep. 8 - A life without resistance is a life with no strength. At least her hands didn't catch on fire. 4/5
Re:ZERO ep. 8 - A man can only take so much. Emilia-tan has many methods of healing. Subaru is a man with a plan. I hope it works out. I almost made this a 5-star episode. It was very good. 4/5

[skreyola]

Crane Game ep. 8 - Ho hum. At least they'll start actual training, now. Minor bonus points for using a newscaster instead of replaying the asteroid footage. 3/5

My Hero Academia ep. 8 - That was great. I kind of wish they'd shown more of the battles. But I guess this was Kacchan's episode. 4/5

[TheChocolateGamer]

Haifuri ep.9 - Almost perfect episode of Hiafuri. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Deutscland moments 4.5/5

[skreyola]

Haifuri ep. 8 - That was great. Except the last minute or two. That stunk. But the tactic used against the Hiei was awesome. 4/5

Flying Witch ep. 8 - That was cute, and it was a lot of fun. I think the girls got a little carried away with being forward, but nobody seemed to mind much. Akane is dangerous after the ED! 5/5

[TheChocolateGamer]

Pan de Peace ep. 10 - Ok 4/5

[TheChocolateGamer]

I continued watching Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge. I misjudged this anime greatly. It's a really warm one filled with phileo (brotherly) love