Twin Star Exorcists, Sousei no Onmyouji Episode 7 - Review

We did get a nice episode that this time focused more on the two leads and pushing them together a bit. And the little action we saw in the episode wasn’t stock footage which I’ll always appreciate. It was about time to start actually making the two leads think of each other in a more positive sense. Though it’s always being made uncomfortable with the older guy trying to push these two young teens into a relationship. Shipping can be fun, but having someone like Arima pushing them together is a bit creepy. Especially since while it’s said in a joking manner….he’s not exactly lacking encouragement for Benio to get knocked up at something like 14. Come on man this isn’t the 1800s here. We’re not exactly supposed to be encouraging teen pregnancies please and thank you. I know we’re talking about some kid that will save the world and all…but can the planet just wait until they are in their 20s before pushing this?

In the end the focus was on moving Rokuro and Benio to what Arima would probably consider their love shack. Really just removing all the barriers to hesitation aren’t you? At this point rather than kidnapping the familiar….I’d more expect him to just straight up destroy it. That thing is the biggest barrier to those two getting closer. This is just a situation where a mistake almost feels inevitable. Nice house, isolated, and basically given to them as a pre-marriage present. Certainly pushing for each other to be their first relationship partner and things could spiral out of control in a hurry. Especially if he’s going to force them on occasion to go through various tests that exist for the purpose of making them interact more.

Nothing wrong with them getting along though so long as it’s their will. The test pushed them together, but it was these two that decided how they’d feel about working together. Although it sure feels like the test was designed with their physical abilities in mind and done in order to create temptations. Having to make Benio go first up a lot of obstacles and create skirt temptations for Rokuro. Credit to the show that it didn’t do that much fanservice with Benio outside of clothed areas. No looks up the skirt or anything over the top. While I dislike Arima’s motivations….it works. There is definitely way more physical attraction for Rokuro towards Benio than there was a few episodes ago and same goes for Benio. She’s far more aware of Rokuro in a physical sense than she was before. Given enough time….probably can get these two romantically interested in each other.

In a sense not a lot to talk about outside of the improving relationship. Sure it ends with banter at the end, but it kind of has to since we can’t actually have them get that close that fast. But there was forward momentum and that isn’t a bad thing. Getting along in a fight is actually good for them and it showed in this episode. Everyone has their strengths and Benio pinning down the threat and then having Rokuro finish it off is a good effort. They worked together and got the job done. Team building is good for them.

It was also good for them to actually have Benio open up a bit. Rokuro’s past is mostly an open book though we don’t have the specifics of what happened. The key thing is that Benio mostly gets that something terrible happened to Rokuro and that’s why he is like that. Now we finally get a chance for Rokuro to understand that Benio had things happen in her past as well. Throw up the debate on whether it’s better to have parents abandon you as a child or be murdered….key thing is that neither has parents at this point. And we did get a bit more about Benio’s brother. Though he sure felt more like a sibling that was a couple years older than her twin in that flashback. Though I suppose….people tend to mature when their family dies. Geeze, Benio’s background is just terrible there. Parents? Dead. Brother? Dead. People can go in a couple directions from grief and she chose revenge. Mostly because….she’s got nothing else in her life. Just her talent as an onmyouji. Throwing her whole existence into fighting is where she decided to go.

So now we see where these two go from here. Feels like from the preview that we’ll be delving into Rokuro’s past next time. Looks as well like another important onmyouji will be showing up to put pressure on him….as if that was really necessary at this point. Curious to see since this episode didn’t really leave anything hanging to be picked up next week. Well aside from Mayura murdering her grandfather for allowing Benio and Rokuro to live together.

Not a bad episode. Was nice to see these two getting along, even if a lot of it was just embarrassment from the two characters. Hopefully Arima will leave it at this and the show won’t reach a dark point where their organization literally demands they start trying to have the Miko now…

Boku No Hero Episode 7 - Review

Kacchan continues to show his weird obsession towards Izuku. I honestly do not know why he wants to be a hero, Kacchan as of this moment shows a lot of qualities of a villain rather than a hero. It is a mystery to us why he wants to be a hero. My guess is that he just wants to be the best and be the most “Amazing” person in the world.

We got a lot of background in this episode that kind of proved my previous suspicion about Kacchan. As I said in my past reviews, Kacchan has an elitist mentality where he loves being the “best.” He was born with incredible talent in almost every aspect of his life. We see Kacchan and Deku as children and in this flashbacks, the one thing that really triggers Kacchan is the fact that Deku reaches beyond his boundary. He is angry that Deku just does whatever he wants even though he is supposedly a useless human being. It angers him that someone like him is trying to do something. This dude has self-esteem issues.

Even though there were some Kacchan moments in this episode it was more of an Izuku centered episode. This episode just confirmed my suspicions for Kacchan’s character while this episode just showed Izuku’s evolution. Izuku was a man in this episode, I really enjoyed how he handled himself and the things he does just really surprise me. I was amazed by the fact that he was able to hold his own against Kacchan without using his power but at the same time that last scene where he used Detroit Smash on the wall was amazing. Throughout the battle, Kacchan was trying to provoke Izuku but he was concentrated on winning and he did whatever he could do to win. That last scene was just bonkers.

Overall this episode was a good deeper explanation to Izuku and Kacchan’s relationship. Their relationship with each other is something that I am excited to follow and see what eventually happens.

Bungou Stray Dogs episode 7- Review

This episode was a little bit more exciting. What I have noticed from this series is that I really have no connection with any of the characters at all. It is already 6 episodes in and it is hard for me to care about any of the characters at the moment. One might say that it is because they are still kind of just showing us all the characters or maybe I am just being weird or something but I really do feel like I should like at least one character. This episode was different in that I actually started to like some of the characters. Kunikida in this episode was a little bit more animated while the others are still kind of meh.

Continuing the Azure king storyline, this episode was actually pretty intense and had a very good twist. I really did not think that the girl was the Azure Messenger. There were lots of hints during in this episode but I realized it only at the end. Other than that everything just kind of made sense in this two episode arc. All of the little gears from the smart little kid to the Azure king were connected.

This arc was more about Kunikida. We learned a lot about him in this episode. As we know Kunikida is an idealist, this episode really touched this characteristic of Kunikida. He always wants to do what’s right but sometimes things don’t always go the right way. At the end of this episode watching him just break down was very telling on who Kunikida actually is. Other than that we also learned more about his power, he can basically create anything if he has seen in and knows its function but it needs to be the size of his notebook.

This episode was a good ending for this little arc. I definitely felt more of a connection to Kunikida in this episode. I enjoyed the little things that they had in this episode concerning Kunikida which explained his personality. From what it looks like most of this series is going to be like this. I am still kind of iffy with this series but this episode was pretty good.

Kabaneri of the iron fortress episode 6 - review

Man things went down south in this episode. Now that we are done with the opening arc of this series with the whole getting out of the city thing we are now going a little bit more in depth on the story and certain characters. The first couple episodes really were just a prolonged action sequence while at the same time introducing the characters, certain ideas, and the premise.

The main thing that interests me in this episode was Mumei. She is a very mysterious character, we don’t really know anything about her. In this episode, we meet a metal gear solid snake looking dude who seems to know a lot about Mumei. One of the more interesting things he said was about Mumei being the claw and Mumei running out of time. There seems to be some sort of background organization fiddling with things, Mumei is a part of this organization and she is kind of the main fighting machine. This just brings up a lot more questions  about

There seems to be some sort of background organization fiddling with things, Mumei is a part of this organization and she is kind of the main fighting machine. This just brings up a lot more questions  about Mumei and her whereabouts. The other thing was the fact that she is running out time, Solid Snake said that Mumei could turn into a Kabane. This does make sense because the way that Mumei became a Kabaneri is still a mystery and by the looks of things it doesn’t look as stable as Ikoma’s. She constantly needs to rest when she is fighting.

Mumei in this episode was also very emotional. Her actions were jaded by the solid snake dude and led her to do stupid emotional decisions. I really was facepalming when the Kabaneri just came out of nowhere. She is also kind of trying to one up Ikoma at the same time, Ikoma has been going man mode and she feels as if she is being overshadowed by him. Honestly all of this was very childish, but I still love Mumei doe.

P.S I love the Japanese American dude he is my favorite side character.

Fairy Tail 2014 - Summary

Want To Know The Story Of Fairy Tail 2014 But, 
Don't Want Too Watch All The Episodes 
Here It Is




Story:
Pretty much not existing at all. The characters lose sight of their goals and every 10th / 20th episode (This includes the "old" Fairy Tail as well) they suddenly remember it. "Oh, right, we were looking for our dragon parents who vanished."
The "story" is made out of single arcs which almost always don't have some kind of connection at all. One of the most serious problems Fairy Tail has, is seriousness. Of course, comedy is nice and all but sometimes the comedy is misplaced. "Oh, we're trapped here and might die because we can't get any food - How about the girls strip and wear bikinis / sexy underwear so that the men will release us." I know Fairy Tail is infamous for its fanservice, and I am a fan of it as well, but Mashima should know when he should add fanservice and when not.

Battles:
The most important part of a Shonen anime and I almost always enjoy them.
But not here. I am a tolerant watcher that can tolerate minor logic errors or slight friendship power-ups since nearly every Shonen has something like that. But Fairy Fail is overdoing it. Let me take one of the fights from this series as an example:
Rufus:
"I can use ancient magic, no one can beat me, I have all the magic in this LIBRARY and can even use ANCIENT / LOST magic nobody else can use. OH, I can also dissolve the magic of my opponent so that he can't use his magic anymore. I am SOOO gonna win this fight."

Gray:
"I was being pwned by but thanks to my nakamas I can now counter the magic that screwed me up 2 seconds ago."

This is just not okay. In the end it all comes down to opinions here but this fight was the pinnacle of stupidity.

Characters:
The characters are almost always stereotypical (Shounen) characters that can mostly be summed up with one or two words. They also don't get any major character development (If we exclude Gray and Erza, that is. (Then again, we only learned about their pasts. I doubt this can be called "character development", Mashima just seems to like these characters so he decided to give them some depth.)) which is very important in a Shonen anime. After 170 episodes Natsu is still the same idiot as in episode 1 that likes to show off. Nothing changed at all.


Sound:
Outstanding / Awesome / Superb.
Easily the best part of the whole anime. The medieval soundtrack fits perfectly and is one of the best out there.

Art / Animation style:
Many people complain about it but just as many people like it. The new animation style resembles the manga and is pretty damn good in my opinion. The character designs are now much better.

Enjoyment:
I wouldn't have dropped the series if I enjoyed it, right?
Despite having enjoyed the first season, I can't bear to watch this one. I don't know what happened but it pains me to watch it.

Conclusion:
It's probably a good Shonen anime if you didn't watch many animes yet, good thing for newcomers. If you just like me prefer animes with some depth this isn't a series for you.

Fairy Tail 2009 Summary

Want To Know The Story Of Fairy Tail But Don't Want To Watch The Series 
Here It Is In A Summary 



Ever since Astro Boy, children all over the world have been enjoying cartoons such as these, but they all had one thing in common, countless flaws. If you are watching any of the big three, you know what they are. Long fights, long story arcs, long recaps, long explanations, annoying characters... basically tricks to extend the length of an anime series.

Fairy Tail takes all those ideas and throws them in the trash. You want short, awesome fights that does not last for weeks? Check! You want story arcs that are full of action, comedy, and a little seriousness? You got it! Most importantly, aren't you tired of characters explaining/chanting their fighting moves every time they use it?!?! I'm looking at you Bleach and One Piece~! Fairy Tail takes all the things that makes watching shounen anime great and throws out all the junk that that makes shounen ...well, junk.

In the beginning, it looks like it is an atypical shounen story of a boy/girl trying their best to improve their skills. Although it has that element, it is all about being part of a team. This team is the mages guild called Fairy Tail. A motley crew of mages with their own unique fighting styles, personalities and looks. There are so many characters in this show, one would find it hard not to like 3-5 characters out of the lot. Watching only 22 episodes, and you will be introduced to over 2 dozen members of fairy tail. Even the way they introduce all of their characters and their powers is awesome. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, such is the case here. It's a shoot first, ask questions later style, which how it SHOULD be.

Since that is the case, less time is taken to explain things you already know and actually put toward story and character development. Another amazing feat done by this anime series... episode recaps last LESS THAN 30 seconds! Talk about innovative! I know purists complain that it "doesn't follow the manga to the word!" but really, what manga does? I may sound like a broken record but if you keep an open mind, you can see this series is a cut above the rest. All arcs are told in typical anime fashion, problem arises and the team must stop them. But I'll be damned if you cant get excited seeing all the action and/or comedy that is packed in to a half hour. It will even manage to surprise you in more ways than one! "Kya!" Comes to mind.

With the sheer number of characters, you would think there would not be enough time or story for all of them. But they all get more than enough airtime considering they're not the main four characters. Natsu, Grey, Lucy, and Happy will of course, be the ones being followed the most, but you will see how much everyone else will be in the shot. My personal favorites are Mirajane and Ezra. On the topic of favorites, you will notice there are a large number of A-list seiyuu participating in this anime series as well. You might notice the voices of Ranka Lee, Taiga Aisaka, Izumi Konata, or even Saya Otonashi, are in here. Main or support, the voice cast can not be ignored.

Another thing that can not be ignored is wide screen format and overall high production value of the animation. Usually quality drops after a few episodes, but for an anime style such as this, it lends itself on opportune times to use low quality animation over high quality and for the most part works amazingly well. It sure might look like One Piece at a glance but if you compare the two, the difference is like night and day. It is actually a little more comparable to Soul Eater if i had to put a comparison to it.

I'm not saying this anime is perfect in any way. Theres a little flaws that nit pickers might see like the "reuse" of certain animated scenes namely the incantations. Or how the "quality" drops in a few scenes. But isn't that the case with ALL anime? Those problems I mentioned are so subtle and minuscule you will only notice them if you're looking for things to hate about watching this show. To be honest, from the first two dozen episodes, there is nothing overly bad from watching this shounen anime. I would normally say its bad simply because it is a shounen anime, but this has everything I wanted fixed in watching a shounen anime. I especially love how they can pull "random" (i.e. filler) episodes off of the guild message board and go with it. It almost resembles an RPG in that sense. Happenstance encounters or weird pauses in story arcs to start a different one are rare in this sense. The players are all in their place and we are there to watch everything flow nice and easy. Here's to hoping this will last a few hundred episodes.

Kabaneri of the iron fortress episode 5 - Review

Kabaneri of the iron fortress episode 5 - Review

Well that was a disaster.

If only Solid Snake hadn't scared Mumei into Foolish Bravado Mode, that plan would have worked, probably. Actually, maybe not. Evidently none of the survivors had the courtesy to warn the train crew about the million zombies just chilling in the middle of their station. Not very nice. Also: how the heck were there survivors at all? I mean sheesh.

I am starting to get the feeling that Mumei's brother maybe isn't such a nice guy. Apparently he uses people and then throws them away the moment they demonstrate weakness. Also he named his sister "No Name". What a dick.

Ikoma's VA seemed a bit overly genki in the first half of the episode. Maybe I just like him better when he's all sullen and serious rather than, uh, feeling loudly optimistic. Or maybe this episode was inexplicably recorded first and Tasuku Hatanaka hadn't fully developed the role yet. Whatever it was, I'm glad he calmed down a bit once things turned serious.

I wonder if Kurusu will have any reservations about using a sword that Ikoma, that dirty habanero, made.

Kurusu seems to have the most character development out of the entire cast, honestly. He's gone from FUCK ALL THE KABANE to OKAY THEY'RE NOT KABANE BUT THEY'RE STILL BAD to I GUESS I WILL PUT UP WITH YOUR SHIT, MAYBE.

That said, I kind of like that he's still grumpy at them. Humans don't really change that kind of deeply held belief so quickly, so the fact that he's slowly transitioning rather than immediately changing his mind feels nice.

(Probably not, because that is one kickass sword!)

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 5 Review

This may have been a one-shot interlude episode designed to introduce us to the character of Edogawa Rampo rather than to further the overall plot, but it's also one of the most enjoyable thus far. That could very well be due to my own personal preference for murder mysteries and Rampo as an author, but beyond that this episode has the fewest distractions passing themselves off as humor and a more contained, linear storyline than we've seen thus far. The plot itself sends Atsushi off with Rampo as he undertakes a special investigation for the police department: a detective has been pulled from the river, shot three times in the chest. Though the detective in charge of the case doesn't want Rampo anywhere near it, he's quickly overruled by the other man, and Rampo proceeds to invoke his gift Ultra Deduction and to quickly solve the case.

It seems fairly straightforward, and in many ways it is – the episode largely follows the basic “murder mystery + great detective” scenario laid out by Edgar Allen Poe in the 1841, with the detective showing up and instantly figuring out what happened and whodunit, with the added anime tendency to have the ultimate resolution contain a bittersweet element. The ostensible difference here is that Rampo, generally recognized as the father of the Japanese mystery novel, has a gift: when he puts on his glasses (which bear a remarkable resemblance to real-life Rampo's glasses), he can instantly see the answer to the mystery. Atsushi is basically just along for the ride…and to make sure that the great detective can do everyday things like get on the train, which are apparently beyond his ability. (So that's why he didn't help out last week when Black Lizard attacked…)

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it seems in mysteries, and this episode is no exception. When the net the police have stretched across the river pulls up Dazai, he serves as Atsushi's Rampo Interpreter, filling him in on some pertinent details…such as the fact that he doesn't actually have a gift. At first this feels vaguely like a cop out on the part of the show, but when you think about it, it's actually at least semi-brilliant. Knox's Commandments, the generally accepted ten rules which set the boundaries for basic detective fiction, state that there must be no supernatural element aiding the detective as he solves the crime. Rampo having a gift would break that rule, which his writings rarely did, so by having the “gift” be all in his own head, Bungo Stray Dogsnicely circumvents the problem. Rampo's something of a savant, able to solve crimes with barely any outward information, but that comes at the expense of things like knowing how to walk through a turnstile – his brain is so full of his prowess that he can't keep anything else in it. (Except, perhaps, for his ego.)

While there are still a few moments of awkward humor this week, focused on Dazai and his suicide mania as usual, they are less oddly placed and go by more quickly than in previous weeks. Largely this seems to be because Dazai fetching up in the net wasn't so much a chance to drive home another uncomfortable suicide joke, but instead was the most expedient way to get him to the scene without undermining Kunikida's instructions that Atsushi should be the one to accompany Rampo. While dwelling on Dazai's new(ish) urge to die in a double suicide with a beautiful woman is still discomfiting, the image of him being dragged up in the net to the accompaniment of ominous music makes this a much funnier scene than previous similar ones, and I actually found myself chuckling this time. (Or maybe I'm just getting used to it? Creepy thought.) There's a bit more use of thick black outlines this week, or perhaps just more striking uses of them, that helps to work with the murder mystery flavor of the episode, and in general this looks somehow better than its predecessors, largely because the pacing is better managed and we have a chance to actually admire the artistic choices and animation.

I realize that this is not the plot-direction the rest of the series will be taking, but this episode still makes me think that there's hope for it in general. If the rest of, or even the majority of, the series can maintain this balance and level of plot development, Bungo Stray Dogs will be the better for it. If nothing else, I'm feeling better about my fondness for the show, so here's hoping it doesn't let me down

Bungle Stray Dogs Episode 4 Review

I am coming to accept the fact that, though I enjoy it quite a bit, Bungo Stray Dogs probably isn't a very good show. Like last week, this week's episode suffers from abrupt tonal shifts, a totally useless scene of Dazai propositioning a waitress just to stuff him into the episode, and an increasingly overwhelming cast of early 20th century (and a few late 19th century) authors that make this feel like a shallow who's who. On the other hand, Bungo Stray Dogs's fourth episode still does a few things right and makes some interesting choices in terms of portraying the authors, so it may just be off to a slow start.

This week's episode picks up right where we left off, with Atsushi waking up at the agency after the battle with Akutagawa and Higuchi. He's having nightmares about it, and even though no one appears to be blaming him – Kunikida's reprimands are more about getting himself hurt than the actual attack – he's all too ready to pile the blame on himself for his very existence. This leads to the flawed thought that if he leaves the Agency, the attacks on them will stop, so he simply walks away. Sadly he does not take into account that the Port Mafia was out to get the Agency long before he and his bounty walked in the door, and the mafia sends its elite Black Lizard unit to wipe out the detectives.

If you watched Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace or have read any Edogawa Ranpo (or the weird movies from the 1960s), you may recognize the name of the unit as belonging to Ranpo's lady thief/human taxidermist from the novel of the same name. Since Ranpo is one of the Agency members, this may indicate that he used to, like Dazai, be on the other side, but it could also be a reference to the fact that Ranpo's serial detective Akechi Kogoro fought the Black Lizard, especially since Ranpo's gift in the show is “deduction.” Regardless, the group is led by Hirotsu Ryurou, a late 19th century author credited with creating the “tragic novel” genre in Japan, which would explain his gift, “camellia,” a flower often associated with sadness in Japanese samurai culture because it falls all at once, rather than petal by petal. In a rare example of the gift fitting the name, Hirotsu's camellia is the power to break things in one fell swoop. Also working for the Black Lizard is Tachihara Michizou, a free-verse poet of the early 20th century who died of consumption very young (like quite a few of the authors in this show). It is interesting that so many who died young have been pulled in to make up the cast, almost as if original author Kafka Asagiri wanted to give them a second chance.

There are some nice visual touches this week, apart from the continuing trend of 19th century authors being drawn as much older than 20th century characters. The scene of Higuchi growing angry against a red background is very effective (although it lasts a little too long), and Atsushi in the phone booth is also strangely compelling. The fights are decidedly less impressive, although the classical music that backgrounds the first few Black Lizard fights works very well. I can't say I'm thrilled with how Akiko Yosano is drawn this week during her “healing” scene with Tanizaki, but I do understand where they're coming from: Yosano was the first woman poet in Japan to use the word “breasts” in her tanka and is considered an early feminist advocate of female sexuality and sensuality. So to a degree, taking off her shirt to treat Tanizaki can be seen as stemming from that reputation, but wouldn't it have been nice to see her portrayed as a more positive picture of female sexual agency rather than the latest incarnation of the oversexed nurse trope?

Bungo Stray Dogs is still working to get its feet on the ground this week, and it really needs to find the balance between humor and action. (Though I did love Miyazawa chucking mafiosi out the window and Ranpo just slurping down a ramune during the fight.) Next week's episode will feature an actual crime that needs detecting (and my favorite of the authors, Ranpo), so maybe we'll see a shift in, if not storytelling, actual plot. We know now that Atsushi has a problem with self-worth, that the Port Mafia wants to end the Armed Detective Agency, and the basic personalities of the main characters. Now it's really more than time to get the actual story going. Please tell me there's going to be one.

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 3 Review

Things certainly escalate quickly in this third episode of Bungo Stray Dogs – just before the commercial break, the story goes from goofy antics involving Dazai singing about committing double suicide and Naomi making seriously uncomfortable passes at Tanizaki to a bloody fight between Tanizaki, Naomi, Atsushi and our officially introduced bad guys: Akutagawa Ryunosuke and Higuchi Ichiyo. The two halves don't fit together particularly well, but they are both good in different ways, so while there's a sense of disconnect between them, it still makes for a decent episode.

Perhaps the most important thing we learn this week is that Akutagawa is a member of the Port Mafia, a mysterious yakuza-style (although not strictly yakuza) group that works in the shadows of the town. Akutagawa is a wanted man in his own right, however, partially because his talent, “Rashomon,” is a tool of destruction that he in no way hesitates to use. For film buffs along with fans of Akutagawa's writing, the connection here is obvious: his talent shares its name with his best known work, later turned into a film by Akira Kurosawa. (Although the actual story is called “In a Grove,” most people tend to think of it by the movie title.) Both story and film revolve around a murder, and the demonic form of Akutagawa's talent certainly fits that tone. Both he and Higuchi are killers and make no bones about it, which makes the episode's eventual direction more shocking, given the lightness with which death has been treated in the previous two.

The use of Higuchi and Akutagawa as the antagonists is an interesting idea if you consider the authors – Akutagawa had a very public dispute with Tanizaki, and it was his suicide that sparked Dazai's obsession. Positioning him as the villain works to frame Dazai's pro-suicide stance in the show, indicating some sort of past corruption, which the reveal at the end of the episode works to solidify. Meanwhile, the fact that Akutagawa's talent and Tanizaki's “Light Snow” are basically opposites – Tanizaki's is a shield – plays nicely into their argument about opposing methods of storytelling. Higuchi is a slightly odder choice for a villain, but given her fierce will to live before her death from consumption, I can see how her real-life counterpart has been reworked to make her a mafiosa, because this Higuchi is nothing if not determined. Her loyalty to Akutagawa can also be read as a shout-out to her much more old-fashioned writing style; she was largely influenced by much earlier Japanese authors, where a lot of the others in the show took their influence from the West.

As long as I'm going on about this, it's worth mentioning that Naomi and Tanizaki's relationship is basically a joke based on Tanizaki's novel Naomi, which, as I mentioned last week, is about a woman who slowly takes over the narrator's life. This Naomi is like an updated version of the original, who the narrator was trying to turn into a “modern (Western) woman” before she became too modern and it blew up in his face. This Naomi is basically the embodiment of both the schoolgirl and incest fetishes, and whether or not Tanizaki made her that way, she's certainly going for the stereotypes with gusto. Likewise, Dazai's obsession this week with double suicide is yet another reference to his eventual death, which was, in fact, with a woman.

Literary references aside, while I'd like to say that this is the week where the show really gets going, it isn't quite. Bungo Stray Dogs hasn't quite found its balance between comedy and action, although I do think that now that we've got an established villain and conflict, it will get there sooner than later. In the meantime, it's still a smorgasbord of early 20th century literary references and jokes, which may not be as awesome for all viewers as it is for this bibliophile, and visually it's still a lot of fun to look at with references to the authors' original time periods in the color choices, costumes, and feel of the world in general, even as it brings in modern inventions like cell phones. I may be overly hopeful, but I do think that the show is about to actually take off next week, and I promise I'll stop saying that if it doesn't, because I've definitely said that for three weeks now. But whether it fulfills its promise or not, Bungo Stray Dogs' third episode is still entertaining on both an anime and a literary geek level, which may be enough to keep seeing it through

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 Review

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 Review

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 – Atsuchi

The second episode of Bungou stray dogs was a light episode till the end, it more likely signalled, that story is going on a rollercoaster ride from episode 3 onwards. The second episode starts with Atsushi sleeping in the dorm room of special detective agency, as he wakes up, he realized that its been several days since he slept in a proper room and its all thanks to Dazai. Although he still not seem to be able to believe that he has a supernatural power of transforming in a white tiger on moon light.

After that suddenly a phone rings, its seems Dazai has prepared clothes and phone for him. Atsushi picks up the call and Dazai tells him that there is an emergency and to solve that he need Atsushi’s help.

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 – Dazai on Phone

Dazai calls Atsushi to help him by saying its something only he could do. Atsushi with a serious face gets ready to help Dazai. Dazai gives him instructions – “Ok, get ready and come out of the room. Lock the door, and then look back.” Dazai was trapped in an empty drum, while attempting to commit suicide once again. He asks Atsushi to help him but Atsushi replies, “If you like to commit suicide you can go inside more and die right? why do you really need to come out?” Dazai answers – “I like to commit suicide but i don’t like pain, i am trapped in this drum and i am hurting all over, its not a suicide its more like a torture.”

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 – Dazai Suicide maniac

The above scene made me laugh hard, seriously Dazai is one of my favorites and this scene made me like him even more!! After helping Dazai, Atsushi asks him why he didn’t ask other for help, Dazai replies he did but they instead congratulated him.

Atsushi has been wondering about one thing for a long time and he now says it to Dazai. He says that he is thankful that Dazai took him in, and he is also aware that he has supernatural powers but he is still not able to control it. Even if he transforms into tiger he would go on rampage and trouble everyone, moreover he would not remember a thing. In such situations how he can come in help of special detective agency.

He thanks Dazai for helping him out and he also thanks for giving him the offer but he rejects that offer and says that he will find another job that he can do. Dazai tells that he will help him to find the job as he is the most trusted person of Special detective agency, In meantime Kunikida arrives and as always they get into fight. Atsushi wonders that its really ok if i took help of Dazai to help me find the job. Kunikida then says to Dazai that its an emergency, a bomber has took over special detective agency and has taken a hostage. He is asking that he could meet president of the agency, if he doesn’t meet him then the he will blow up the office.

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2

Kunikida, Dazai, Atsushi visits the agency office where they see a psycho bomber sitting and screaming that he will blow up the office if he doesn’t see the president. Dazai says if he could cover the bomb with something he could save everyone even if the bomb explodes. But that’s a bomb that can wipe the entire floor so its obvious that the idea is not going to work, and the bomber will press the button if anyone from the agency will come to negotiate. So they asks our main character of the series Atsushi, to help them. Since he is not from the agency the bomber will negotiate with him.

Atsushi gets ready and tries his best to negotiate, Well that does help to capture the bomberman but due to Dazai and Kunikida’s recklessness he gets free and presses the button of the remote control. Atsushi panics not knowing what to do in such cases, he remembers Dazai’s words – If he somehow could cover the bomb with something. With nothing there to cover the bomb, Atsushi covers the bomb with his body. This act shown by Atsushi surprises everyone and so they stops their act.

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 2 – Atsush Shocked

The complete incident of bomberman was in fact an act setup by Dazai to test Atsushi’s will power and guts also he was a wanted man eating tiger. So not every person shared the same view as Dazai. Some people were against the decision of taking Atsushi in Special detective agency. The president of the detective agency then appears and says – “That’s why i ordered Dazai to set this kind of act, It was a bit troublesome but we got to see your strong will and guts and you passed the test. Decision i will leave it to Dazai.”

Everyone agrees to take Dazai in special detective agency, But Atsushi still worries that he will be able to cope up with such crazy people or not. Dazai assures him that he will be able to do it, and if he still wanted to leave he can leave but he have to empty the dorm room, so no place to live. Even if he managed to find job, as people on the job finds that he is the wanted man eating tiger, he will be fired and then captured or shot dead. If he were to live with the people from Agency then that’s the different story. So to be more simple with my explanation he was blackmailing Atsushi with the poor reality. In the mean time at the end of the episode we see Antagonist of the series finally making their move…

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 1 Review

Bungou Stray Dogs Episode 1 Review

Well the synopsis tells pretty much about what happened in the Bungou stray dogs episode 1. The Main character Nakamajima Atsuchi was kicked out of his orphanage, and was having no place he could return or go to. While he is standing by the river by the brink of starvation he rescues a man from drowning. But to his and even my surprise that guy got angry because he was saved and the reason for that is – that guy was committing suicide on his on will, or more like he is a suicide committing maniac and his name is Dazai Osamu. He tries to commit suicide because he wants to and he in fact likes it but ends up being saved every time.

Nakagima Atsuchi

In the mean time his partner Kunikida arrives unlike Dazai Osamu, Kunikida is uptight guy who works according to schedule and because of Dazai he schedule is always messed up and they always fight. Well but this time since Atsuchi save Dazai he says he will give him something to eat since he is starving, they visit a restaurant where in their usual conversation Atsuchi find out that Dazai and Kunikida are from special detective agency and the members of that detective agency possess supernatural powers and they handle such cases which police and military are not able to handle it.

Dazai Osamu

He finds out they are searching for Man-eating tiger that has appeared in the nearby are and because of which he (Atsuchi) tries to escape but he is unable to do so. Dazai and Kunikida suspects that Atsuchi knows something about it. Atsuchi then tells them that the man-eating tiger arrived at their orphanage and went on rampage and destroyed everything, thankfully no one was hurt but after that Atsuchi was kicked out of the orphanage without any reason after that wherever he goes the tiger follows him. Dazai and Kunikida suspects that the tiger has some sort of connection with Atsuchi so they tell Atsuchi to follow them on their mission tonight and they forcefully drag Atsuchi to their mission.

Bungou Stray Dogs – Fight Scene

It was then revealed that Atsuchi is the man-eating tiger himself, meaning Atsuchi has supernatural powers because of which he turns into a man-eating tiger in the presence of moonlight, since the people in the orphanage knew this fact they kicked out Atsuchi. Dazai on the other hand was able to handle Atsuchi easily, thanks to his ability “No longer Human” he can turn any supernatural ability to null with just one touch. And so this is how they manage to stop Atsuchi, Since Atsuchi comes back to his senses they tell him that he was the was the man-eating tiger.

Bungou Stray Dogs – Special Detectives

Dazai Osamu decides to take Nakajima Atsuchi in the special detective agency for two reasons. The very first reason is – because he is homeless and the second reason is – he have supernatural powers. And this is where the first episode of Bungou Stray Dogs ends.

Opinion

Twin Star Exorsist Epsiode 6 Review

As usual the show is certainly taking its time in moving the story forward. This episode mostly being dedicated to the start of Benio’s friendship with Mayura and also taking more time to note her personal troubles. That Rokuro is starting to push against his trauma and move forward is a good thing, but as one might expect there are troubles for Benio in that respect. Despite the fact that Rokuro hasn’t been dealing with onmyouji for years he is still this powerful. If he gets more serious and really dedicates himself there is the frustration that he could quickly rocket past Benio. Of course there is a benefit to him getting stronger, but I think it’d be hard for anyone who has dedicated themselves to a goal for years to see someone potentially blocking their way to it.

After all part of the goal is revenge against the kegare and destroying them all. But the other part is reaching the top as the strongest onmyouji. Rivals can be good for pushing yourself, but if there is the worry that you won’t be able to compete against them for long….that’s not quite as much fun. It’s just a complicated situation especially with Benio being that young. Both respecting Rokuro’s strength and ability, but also having mixed feelings about possibly being surpassed by them. Was bad enough with the head onmyouji giving the impression that her future was basically just as the mother of their savior, but having no hope of reaching her goal would be pretty devastating mentally.

The rest of the episode was part Rokuro stepping into the field again officially and part Benio and Mayura getting closer. I suppose the two main love interests for Rokuro interacting is basically a given XD. In some moments it felt a bit silly that Mayura didn’t know about any of this. That she didn’t inquire as much going on at the dorms or go to visit her grandfather until now. But, I suppose it was better that she became Benio’s friend without knowing all the background stuff first. Better that Mayura actually care about this person without potentially it getting more complicated because of Rokuro and the onmyouji situation. A few laughs to be had with her misunderstanding things pretty well. Seeing Benio as getting involved with thugs and such. Certainly she is doing a lot of fighting though.

Right now being an onmyouji is the only thing that really matters for Benio. Thus it’s not a big deal for her when she walks out of class to go fighting. School for her is mostly just an obligation that she has to do, but is always going to be secondary to her own dream. Certainly could help having someone like Mayura around. Will give Benio a bit less mystery in the class and also a better source of excuses. Rokuro is kind of standing in the middle right now. Not really making himself leave school to fight and just keeping detached from Benio’s actions.

In the end Mayura’s feelings and actions were genuine. She cares about Benio and was worried about her. Maybe more worried because she knows what kind of things Benio is involved in. And really, Benio needs someone more than an annoying familiar to talk to. Can’t really talk about her current feelings easily with anyone at that dorm.

The rest really was just about Rokuro getting back out there. The courage to stand and fight again, despite what happened in the past. Although it’s hard to create a real sense of tension with him. You know he has this super arm that he can pull out to one-shot the powerful kegare. Thus, Rokuro freezing up or looking worried just feels off. A lot of it can be blamed on the trauma. Even if he has the power to take these things out, the fear of losing everything again is still very impactful. Rokuro has to keep pushing himself to not get sucked into his past and face the present. Though it does leave his allies getting beaten up a lot more than they should. I understand conserving energy and that arm for the bigger enemies, but when it pops up….get serious. Right now there shouldn’t be that much tension in his fights. Not until something more powerful comes along.

In the end it was a solid episode. The story is moving along pretty slowly and I presume continuing to flesh things out for the characters. Probably spent more time on seeing just how dedicated Mayura was to getting closer to Benio than the manga might have. Which is fine, fleshing things out for the setting and characters can be a good thing. Curious to see where things go from here though. With Zenkichi finding something of interest which probably isn’t good news for everyone else. Might be the turning point where things really start to get serious for the main cast.