Weekly Review

[Side B] Spring 2017 – Week 4 in Review

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Okay, this post came out a bit later than expected because I spent the whole day yesterday (and half of today) playing Mariokart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. This might sound weird, but the last time I’ve ever played MarioKart was waaaaaay back during the SNES era… So yeah, let’s just say that I realized A LOT has happened to the franchise since then.

But anyway, we’re supposed to be talking about anime. This week is a bit strange because Little Witch Academia got delayed for some reason, so there are just six shows to talk about. Things are pretty much “okay” you can say. So far, Spring 2017 has been a disappointment — I’m not gonna lie — but yeah, so enough chit chat: let’s RUN ‘EM DOWN! Continue reading →

[Side A] Spring 2017 – Week 4 in Review

edsamac3 Comments

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You know that feeling when you’ve just got so much stuff to do, but you procrastinate till the last minute? Yeah, pretty much.

But then I finally get my ass into gear and, surely enough, start ticking off things on my “need-to-do-list”. And so I decide to reward myself with some well-deserved animu, only to be greeted with mmmmmmmmeeh titles. I’ve sorta mentioned it before, but Side A feels a bit week in comparison to Side B. So yeah, with that out of the way, let’s run down just what happened this week! Continue reading →

[Side B] Spring 2017 – Week 3 in Review

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Wew. I was gone for longer than I thought.

So I was planning on spending a peaceful spring break with nothing but a book and my animu, and along comes one of my publishers asking for a last-minute “save” on a manuscript for translation. There goes my plans for some “me-time” during the break. Although I was able to avoid any unnecessary distractions since my roommate technically “loaned” my Switch from me. He’s busy trying to pull out the Master Sword in the Lost Woods, even though he only has five hearts. Silly sod.

And that brings us to week 4, but I guess it hasn’t been that long since my Side B releases under week 3 have aired, so I’m gonna wing it. Nothin’ gon’ stop this ‘ere train, ya hear! *shakes fist violently*

So let’s do this! Continue reading →

[Side A] Spring 2017 – Week 3 in Review

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You’re probably wondering where weeks 1 and 2 went, so here’s a shot of me throwing a fit due to the messy airing schedule. But oh well, you can’t have it all. I decided to consider Friday as the start of a viewing week, since it makes things a bit neater in my viewing schedule. That means the first episode of Sword Oratoria falls under “week 3”, but who gives a hoot. So long as I get my thoughts out there without me having to undergo a seizure due to OCD.

Speaking of OCD, I’m watching 14 shows this season, meaning each side is neatly split into 7 shows, each. Naise. That’s quite a lot of stuff to crunch into a single post, but I’ll try to avoid rambling. As with the previous season, you can click on a show title you’re interested under the “currently titles” sub-menu to the right to view all posts that refer to that show in chronological order. Just scroll down to whatever show you’re watching with me — you get the drill.

So yeah, sit back and relax as we run down just what happened these past three weeks! Continue reading →

[Side A] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on March comes in like a Lion

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First off, I’d like to apologize for the sudden change in format. I figured that given the huge backlog I have of things to watch, I might as well just watch all of the episodes of a particular show until I’m up to speed, and comment from there. If I can complete all of them before week 12 rolls in, then good for me. Otherwise — yeah, I’ll try to make the title of each post as brainless to follow as possible.

And with that out of the way, we finally come to the close of March comes in like a Lion. It’s a strange feeling, really, after having been so accustomed to its presence. Its composition and flow actually mirrored the seasons in which it aired in real-time throughout most of its run, granting it some sort of metaphysical companionship on top of its already wonderfully composed characters. It truly is something special; despite having ended, there’s still so much that can be said about its touching story. Continue reading →

[Side B] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on Week 7

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ALL RIGHT! Brought out Side B before the weekend starts for a change! I feel pumped up!

In fact there are a lot of reasons for me to get excited. Not only are the shows on this side of the fence doing reasonably well, but also the Nintendo Switch is coming out in a week’s time! Yeah, I’m super hyped at the moment — and watching all of these teaser videos on YouTube isn’t helping much.

So yeah, I’m distracting myself with Animu. Strange predicament I’m in, but what the heck. Enough talk and let’s run down how the shows fared this week! Continue reading →

[Side A] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on Week 7

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That screen shot probably needs no explanation.

But to be honest, I’ve lived a big chunk of my life experiencing sleep deprivation, probably due to my training as a doctor back during my residency training days. On average, I sleep 3-4 hours a day, but I can sometimes knock out 30 minutes while sitting on a chair during the day. It’s an odd phenomenon to the point that my colleagues have found some amusement in taking random pictures of me in all sorts of bizarre sleeping “configurations”.

So seeing a sleep-deprived Shimada is pretty much the story of my life, at the moment. But yeah, I’m so glad there’s always Animu to help me unwind. There are only so many times that Anime as actually lulled me to sleep — and thankfully, none of the titles this season save for a few are capable of doing that.

So how were things this week in Side A? Well, I’ll be honest and say that this wasn’t the best of weeks. Things were, how should I put it… noisy? Yeah, noisy works. So enough talk and let’s RUN ‘EM DOWN! Continue reading →

[Side B] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on Week 6

edsamac3 Comments

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Yeah… I did it again. Another translation project took me by surprise, and this one was pretty complicated. Goddammit Japan, why do you have to have five different sound effects for something that could just be “WHAM!”

Ahem, that aside, it’s really strange how the weeks just creep up on you. I mean, wow… we’re officially mid-way through the season. That means I’m gonna have to put up a mid-season rundown for you guys, and then I have to write up my own thoughts on A Slient Voice, which I watched… crap, last week. D:

So yeah, I’m gonna make this a little quick, but suffice it to know that the top runners in this side have been scarily consistent in their thematic delivery and overall pacing. I won’t say this season has been a home run success by a long run, but it definitely is pretty solid despite my describing it as “odd” just six weeks prior.

Anyway, enough talk and let’s RUN ‘EM DOWN! Continue reading →

[Side A] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on Week 6

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What the– it’s mid-season, already?

Holy crap how time flies. That means I need to prepare a mid-season round-up soon. I dunno if it’s because so many things have been happening as of late, or maybe I’m just having too much fun this season. Because to be honest, I’m actually quite surprised with how the shows have been fairing this season. I mean, there’s March comes in Like a Lion, Rakugo Shinjû, and even Scum’s Wish and ACCA that are doing just fantastic. I mean, I hope I’m not sounding overly optimistic for a critic, but the shows are actually GOOD for a change.

But then again, every time I say that mid-season, I get disappointed when it comes time to pack up. Not that I’m getting anyone’s hopes up — I just honestly feel like I’m enjoying myself this season. And I guess that’s something to be happy about.

So just how were the shows on Side A this week? Let’s RUN ‘EM DOWN!

Continue reading →

[Side B] Winter 2017 – Thoughts on Week 5

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Oops. This post is obviously really late.

Part of the reason is because of work, and the other is because I had to do a last-minute translation check that had me up late at night over the weekend.

So yeah, I’ve only JUST caught up with the shows of last week for Side B as of this writing. The last reason for the delay is because I watched Koe no Katachi (also known as A Silent Voice) at the cinema today. My thoughts on that in a separate review, but yeah — let’s get down to talking about how Side B did (last) week!

Continue reading →