The power dynamic between the two leads is so far oddly and satisfyingly balanced (aside from the “girl kicks boy” slapstick), and there is a potentially really interesting undercurrent of character development and social themes amidst the corny comedy.
I feel like the writers have placed Sakurai as the “blank slate” sort of character that the audience is meant to project themselves onto, and they succeeded… with the perhaps unintended consequence that, in empathizing with Sakurai, I could not stand Uzaki.
Deca-Dence is proof-positive that sufficiently powerful execution trumps novelty.
This premiere may not be of any use as entertainment, but as a narcotic? It’s the best thing on the market.
The slapstick is top-notch, but the actual tournament part of this tournament fighter is a slog.
I gotta say, if you’ve seen one anime scientist banging a desk and hollering about how humans lose their will to live if they lose their interest in sex, you’ve seen them all. That aside, I surprisingly didn’t hate this premiere. In fact… I kind of liked it.
Dee, Caitlin, and Vrai look back on the 2020 Spring season! Well, some of it. About half of this season will be making special guest appearances on the summer podcast due to COVID delays.
Monster Girl Doctor is a show that I’m going to keep watching because I really want to see some character growth… and because I like monster girls, okay?
A charming “magic meets idols” premiere that lays the foundation for a fantasy-themed idol anime that I hope to follow until the end. However, that does mean thinking about Japan’s own idol industry while watching.
This is a beautiful action premiere that sets the stage for its conspiracy plot and the oddball team-up of its leads, and I will absolutely watch at least two more episodes. That said, I still have to put on my Feminist Killjoy Hat for a few minutes and talk about fantasy oppression metaphors.
While the series wants to tell a story about individuals overcoming their trauma and inner darkness, its strength at depicting individual growth often conflicts with the conservative social systems it ultimately upholds.
A Q-and-A session with the Kyoto-based Afro Lantinx YouTuber who helped organize the BLM Kansai march in early June. (Available in Japanese and English)
Vrai, Chiaki, and Dee take a look back at yet another difficult to succinctly summarize TV anime by Ikuhara, SARAZANMAI! You know the deal (or maybe you don’t yet): messy teens, queer themes, and lots of symbolism about societal oppression.
Both Kazuki and Toi emerge from similar circumstances of capitalism, oppression, and the hypermasculine coping mechanisms they’ve been given to deal with the pain of that oppression. It is only through learning to care for one another—and learning that they can care for one another—that they can both be free.
