天下制覇

Please don’t stick oranges in people’s eyes.

FYI, broadcast is delayed next week. Mostly mentioned because some website is permanently clueless of such things.

Impressions:

It’s rare that I get to use the word pithy to describe an episode/segment about actual pith, so let’s consider this a landmark episode for that alone. Otherwise, same ol’, same ol’. I have absolutely nothing new to say except rant that everything just stays the same. Yes, I did find some of these things amusing two months ago, but that doesn’t mean that I wanted to see the same things until I choke on them. What are you, Nintendo? Nothing changes and each segment basically just has a little different window dressing as a thin attempt to hide that we’re just going to be seeing the same punchlines over and over again. Or the trick it seems to like more in recent episodes, thinking up some ‘funny’ situation, then lining all five girls up to do their signature catchphrase/joke in turn. Yes, I understood their character archetype two months ago. Maybe even three. Let’s actually do something with them. And the once expressive and energetic production is now shaking stills with speedlines. Glee. I almost wish it would get insultingly bad instead of just mediocre. Make me feel something for you again, show. Anything.

At least Death Billiards was trying, and this counts as my actual post on it. Sure, it was so arthouse kitsch that you just know part of the creation process involved the phrases "What’s the most ridiculous thing we can think of," "But what if it’s actually an allegory for the pathos of life to show how intellectual we are," and "Then they kung-fu fight," but at least it showed a little ambition and effort. Better to try and fail than to do nothing at all, but that’s an issue with a whole lot of Japanese media, not just this show. And doubly so when it comes to these light novel adaptations.

Okay, frustrated, undirected, late-edited-in rant only half directed at the show complete. I’m ready for next season, come what may.

Preview:

Night, apparently.