dt 
Azur Lane ep 1 was fun.
Solid storytelling for the sort of world and franchise that this is. I liked that this immediately starts with fights between ship-girl factions, which I find more interesting than fighting aliens or whatever. They do throw a lot of characters at the viewer at once, but that’s a product of trying to adapt this sort of franchise into an anime. I found it more engaging than FGO ep 0, at least.
I liked the implication that this is about what war (and, thus, the purpose of the ship-girls) actually is. While shows like this exist to indulge in the “fun” of war without exploring the consequences, this ep acknowledges that even after an existential threat, human misunderstanding and war will always remain. I can’t honestly expect this to be that nuanced and realistic about these ideas, but I wouldn’t mind being surprised.
I liked the more modest designs of the show best, like Enterprise and Cleveland. (I also liked that one girl who was performing an idol routine in front of no one.) I love archery as an aesthetic, and I’m glad they kept that element.
I didn’t mind all the close-ups in the action, I never liked the wide shots of the girls skating across the ocean. I liked the decision to have normal-sized carriers and planes along side the ship-girls. The fights are still pretty silly, but they’re fun. (And like I said, they’re not meant explore any serious consequences anyway.)
The immediate concern is if this is going to actually try to tell a focused story (let alone tell a good one) instead of just trying to get people’s waifus enough screentime. But if Uma Musume can do it, Azur Lane and FGO should as well.
Houkago Saikoro Club ep 1. Not all those who wander are lost.
The first half hones in on the main character’s anxieties, and has all this pretty scenery and dramatic music, and has her learning a lesson about the beauty in the world around her. Totally fine decision in the abstract, but the character only offers trite self-reflections like “I don’t know what fun is” or later, “I know I had fun, because I’m smiling now.” I guess the show wanted to establish it’s going to be about more than just board games, but that scene didn’t really help humanize her.
The rest of the ep was the cast actually playing a board game, and it’s totally fine. The cast has a familiar but effective mix of personalities, and they very quickly established an easy rapport. The last few minutes were particularly good at showing the camaraderie developed through games. Just makes me wish the show would focus on that. I thought it was just video game anime that did this, but board game anime do it, too.
I was down for this being a slice-of-life anime about board games, with good art and very pretty designs. (Aya’s hair is incredibly good.) But the show wants to be more than that. I can’t knock it for aiming higher, but it’d better deliver.
Ahiru no Sora ep 1. Not bad overall, but I really can’t stand the bigger guy being a creep.
No Thank You
Azur Lane ep 1 was fun.
Solid storytelling for the sort of world and franchise that this is. I liked that this immediately starts with fights between ship-girl factions, which I find more interesting than fighting aliens or whatever. They do throw a lot of characters at the viewer at once, but that’s a product of trying to adapt this sort of franchise into an anime. I found it more engaging than FGO ep 0, at least.
I liked the implication that this is about what war (and, thus, the purpose of the ship-girls) actually is. While shows like this exist to indulge in the “fun” of war without exploring the consequences, this ep acknowledges that even after an existential threat, human misunderstanding and war will always remain. I can’t honestly expect this to be that nuanced and realistic about these ideas, but I wouldn’t mind being surprised.
I liked the more modest designs of the show best, like Enterprise and Cleveland. (I also liked that one girl who was performing an idol routine in front of no one.) I love archery as an aesthetic, and I’m glad they kept that element.
I didn’t mind all the close-ups in the action, I never liked the wide shots of the girls skating across the ocean. I liked the decision to have normal-sized carriers and planes along side the ship-girls. The fights are still pretty silly, but they’re fun. (And like I said, they’re not meant explore any serious consequences anyway.)
The immediate concern is if this is going to actually try to tell a focused story (let alone tell a good one) instead of just trying to get people’s waifus enough screentime. But if Uma Musume can do it, Azur Lane and FGO should as well.
Houkago Saikoro Club ep 1. Not all those who wander are lost.
The first half hones in on the main character’s anxieties, and has all this pretty scenery and dramatic music, and has her learning a lesson about the beauty in the world around her. Totally fine decision in the abstract, but the character only offers trite self-reflections like “I don’t know what fun is” or later, “I know I had fun, because I’m smiling now.” I guess the show wanted to establish it’s going to be about more than just board games, but that scene didn’t really help humanize her.
The rest of the ep was the cast actually playing a board game, and it’s totally fine. The cast has a familiar but effective mix of personalities, and they very quickly established an easy rapport. The last few minutes were particularly good at showing the camaraderie developed through games. Just makes me wish the show would focus on that. I thought it was just video game anime that did this, but board game anime do it, too.
I was down for this being a slice-of-life anime about board games, with good art and very pretty designs. (Aya’s hair is incredibly good.) But the show wants to be more than that. I can’t knock it for aiming higher, but it’d better deliver.
Ahiru no Sora ep 1. Not bad overall, but I really can’t stand the bigger guy being a creep.
