seinen – Anime QandA

Laying Down The Law – ‘Amazing Stranger’ Episode 2 Review

Laying Down The Law – An Anime QandA Review for ‘Amazing Stranger’ Episode 2

What’s the show? Amazing Stranger, Episode 2.

And how’s this episode? You know what, kudos where kudos is due–this show is pretty unpredictable.

Oh yeah, how so? Well I haven’t seen a lot (a.k.a, any) of these ‘toys that come alive’ anime but I didn’t expect things to escalate as quickly as they did. The first episode had our male protagonist seemingly hellbent on making sure Nona not realise she was a “fictional” character in his favourite anime and a part of me thought it was going to keep up that farce until at least episode 9, but nope, episode 2 drops the bombshell on Nona that she’s a fictional character and, uh… she takes it surprisingly well! Or surprisingly sexist… I’m not quite sure…

Oh dear… what happens? Well after spending the majority of her free days watching television she comes to the conclusion that she needs to marry Haruto–why? Well because being a housewife means she can sit home, eat chocolate and watch more television all day without any guilt!

I’ve eaten those chocolates before! They’re okay…

Oof. But it’s okay because she’s savvy and self-aware and finds his “thin book” collection (a.k.a. Porn doujin’s of her) and decides to punish him for being an otaku pervert and… Yeah that’s all a lot of silly fun but uh…

What’s this “Uh…” what’s wrong? I called this show “unpredictable” earlier–which I stand by–but it’s also something else that I almost dare not say…

What? What is it?! It’s kind of sitcom-y.

Oh no, that’s the same complaint you had about ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’ isn’t it? Yeah… and I know it’s a kind of facile complaint, annoyed that something is “good” because it evokes a familiar Western sentiment. But I don’t watch anime for the familiar, of even the “unpredictable” familiar–I watch it for its’ subversiveness. And while this show has plenty of the requisite subversiveness I crave (I mean all the otaku references are an absolute goldmine!) the show feels a bit too safe for my liking. This isn’t an ecchi, it’s hardly even ecchi-adjacent–just because Nona wears a skimpy outfit doesn’t qualify it by default as “ecchi”. And much like the aforementioned show, I enjoy this show quite a lot but it’s yet to position itself as something truly subversive. And until it does I’ll just be left smiling politely and then promptly forgetting it once it’s over.

And she means with a real woman or fictional ones! She’s a strict one!

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Casualties Of Love – ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’ Full Season Review

Casualties Of Love – A Full Season Review for ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’

What’s the show? Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.

And what’s it about? At an elite high school two geniuses are engaged in a daily struggle for supremacy. Kaguya Shinomiya–a sophisticated girl from one of Japan’s wealthiest families and Miyuki Shirogane–a hard working boy whose also the student council president. Their battleground is Shujiin Academy and their fight is for each other’s hearts. They both have crushes on one-another but refuse to confess their feelings first because (in their eyes) to be doing so first would be to become the loser in their unspoken ‘war’. This over-the-top romantic comedy follows their exploits at school as they play mind games in order to get the other person to confess first.

Everything is a battle for supremacy for these two!

So it’s kind of like…? I’ve seen the comparison (even before the series aired–in reference to the manga) as a sort of ‘Death Note’ style “battle of the brains” except it’s a romantic comedy. And while it’s an apt comparison for both the narrative arc (so far) and the visual style (kinda emo) it fails to reflect one massive factor that ‘Kaguya-sama’ has over ‘Death Note’.

Oh and what’s that? This show has a heart–a massive, angsty, childish, beating heart that’s not so evident at the start but as the series continues and layers a stripped from the surface the raw emotion of the series begins to show–and it’s all the more beautiful for it.

Right, but we’re not going to spend all review comparing it to ‘Death Note’ are we? Of course not, this series deserves to be judged on its own merits and it’s merits are strong. Personally, I think the first two episodes are the weakest and work against the show’s overall intent but once that hurdle is cleared it’s smooth sailing from there on out.

And the characters? They’ve all got their good points and bad points, the strengths and weaknesses–and that’s what makes them so interesting. Sure there’s a level of cliche built into their archetypes but they’re also presented as uniquely human characters with original thoughts and unexpected reactions to events brought before them. If we’re to talk about the four main characters, Yu Ishigami–the introverted, “gamer” who ends up with his proverbial foot in his own mouth is about the closest thing to an audience analogue–he’s also something of a whipping boy and that speaks volumes of what the author thinks of its audience–but that’s a subject for another day. Then… then there’s Chika… *contented sighs*

Hello? You still there? Oh sorry, caught me daydreaming of Chika again! I do that from time to time.

Uh-huh, and what’s so interesting about Chika? Chika is the quintessential “manic pixie dream girl” trope, she’s high energy, high comedy and high cuteness. If Chika were an element in the atmosphere she’d be oxygen because I can’t live without her. Simply put, Chika is the best thing to happen to anime in all of 2018 and we should all be thankful to have lived at the same time as her…

So, she’s best girl then, yeah? Yeah. Pretty much…

And what about the actual two main characters, you know the romantic couple this show is actually about? They’re great. In fact anything less than a committed performance from either of these voice actors could have sunk this show but they deliver their all throughout and it is remarkable to behold. Shirogane–while usually deadpan on the surface moans and wails and even shrieks as we’re privy to his inner-monologue and it’s comedy gold every time as well as being relatable. Truthfully though it’s the titular Kaguya who steals the show. Sure, Chika is a blessed goldmine of waifu material but Kaguya is a layered and multi-faceted character played to perfection by her VA Aoi Koga–a relative newcomer to the industry but one worthy of all the awards. Plus her dark ‘Wednesday Addams’-esque aesthetic reminds me of my various crushes (both real and fictional) from being a teenager and there’s something pleasantly nostalgic about that.

And anything you didn’t like about the show? Well as I briefly touched upon earlier (and made more of a mention of in my episode 1 review) initially the narrator is overbearing to the point of killing any kind of connection to the characters. He over-explains things as if people won’t understand what’s going on and interrupts the flow of almost every scene. Thankfully by the third episode entire scenes go by without his presence, his ‘enthusiasm’ is lessened and he’s used only when necessary. Suffice to say that had the narrator stayed the same as he was in the first two episodes this show would have been almost unwatchable. So if you’re on the fence about the show after a couple of episodes give it a couple more to see what the show actually ends up feeling like.

Some of the best scenes in the show were between Kaguya and her maid, Ai.

So final recommendation and score for ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’? As far as a romantic-comedy with this kind of ‘gimmick’ goes it commits to it wholeheartedly and sells it too–while some people might find it silly I think it’s painfully endearing to the point where I can’t imagine the show without it. If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy with “brains” (but not necessarily “smarts”) this is a fantastic and surprisingly heartwarming show. Love is all you need: 90 out of 100.

Let’s hope they live happily ever after, some day…

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Playing With Toys – ‘Amazing Stranger’ Episode 1 Review

Playing With Toys – An Anime QandA Review for ‘Amazing Stranger’ Episode 1

What’s the show? Amazing Stranger, Episode 1.

And what’s it about? Short version; otaku guy buys a ⅙ scale bishoujo figure of his favourite character from his favourite anime but turns out she’s a real girl–shenanigans ensue. Even shorter version; it’s like Toy Story but with anime and mild lewds.

Why the “short” version of the synopsis, aside from the pun considering the subject matter. Because it’s important to note while the show is pretty simplistic on the surface and can be reduced to a mere sentence. Even during the 12 minute run-time of this first episode, there’s a lot that happens.

Right, so does that mean you’re going to give us the “long” version of what it’s about? So our protagonist Bouida Haruto has zero interest in 3D (aka, real life women) as he’s an obsessed otaku through and through. The show and the anime girl he is obsessed with are ‘Girls Planetary Investigation’ and Nona respectively. Things get off to a rocky start as he marvels over the craftsmanship of his new figure and then proceeds to undress her. Which the–up to that point pretending to be a toy–Nona is none too happy with and proceeds to riddle his couch with bullets from her arm cannons. In order to keep the nature of her existence from her (that she’s a fictional character in an anime) he pretends to be a professor affiliated with a space alliance from the anime and they strike up a truce.

I want her, erm, as a figure I mean. On my shelf. Ahem…

I could have probably done without the long version. Maybe, but I like that there’s already layers of deceptions going on–it adds drama to their ~relationship~. As well as that there’s questions about who Nona is and if in fact she is as Bouida presumes and is a toy brought to life (somehow)–or is actually a real person from a real galaxy “far, far away” who’s just managed to end up on Earth in the care of an obsessed otaku.

And what about the characters themselves? As this episode is basically just the two of them the real litmus test for whether you’ll enjoy this series is how the characters are and their interactions with one another. I think both Bouida and Nona are terrific characters; I enjoy the fact that Bouida is an adult otaku living by himself and not a high-school kid as could have easily been–it makes his connection to the 2D world all the more relatable (and all the more pathetic). Nona is all kinds of adorable and her 3D animation blends so seamlessly with the mostly 2D world around her. She’s also that great combo of confident and ditzy which makes her very endearing.

So final thoughts and recommendation for the first episode? I really enjoyed it, I thought it was funny, sweet and just a little bit naughty. I look forward to the kind of shenanigans they’ll get into in future eps as well as meeting the colourful cast of supporting characters that adorns the poster. I don’t really have a basis for comparison for recommending a series like this, but if you enjoy otaku-centric humour and want to see an “unconventional” relationship form between two unlikely characters then give this series a go!

There’s some sweet moments in this show. I’m looking forward to watching the rest!

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Ueno-San and The Wholesome Stupidity Of A Crush – ‘How Clumsy You Are, Miss Ueno’ Full Season Review

The Wholesome Stupidity Of A Crush – A Full Season Review for ‘How Clumsy You Are, Miss Ueno’.

What’s the show? How Clumsy You Are, Miss Ueno.

And what’s it about? It’s a short form (12 minutes per episode) anime about a middle-school genius inventor named Ueno whose inventions all center around her desire to get closer to her crush Tanaka. Her inventions invariably go awry and lead to all sorts of shenanigans–usually involving Ueno getting flustered or ending up in compromising situations with the ever-clueless Tanaka.

Get used to this expression on poor Ueno’s face!

And I take it you enjoyed it. Certainly, it was one of my Top 5 shows of the Winter 2019 anime season! It was entertaining, inventive, charming and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. What I didn’t enjoy was this weird backlash against the show, which while small was still vocal enough to irk me.

Oh boy, are we getting a rant already? Yes. Deal with it.

No need to sweat, it’ll be a quick rant (probably).

Fine, so what did (some) people have issues with about this show? Criticisms ranged from the show being too “immature”, “crass” and “unrealistic”. Firstly, “immature”? Yes that’s the point, it’s about a girl who is a genius when it comes to science but can’t confess her feelings, because she doesn’t understand them. She’s in middle school–give her a break! Secondly, “crass” yeah, middle-schoolers tend to be. And “unrealistic”?–It’s a comedy series, realism shouldn’t be the thing you’re focusing on. But there’s one thing that annoyed me even more than those complaints and that was the show is “perverted”.

If I recall, in your first episode review you said Ueno tries to get Tanaka to drink her filtered pee? I think that qualifies as “perverse”. As a character, Ueno doesn’t understand how to get closer to her crush, as such she uses seemingly ludicrous scenarios in an attempt to make this happen. Having Ueno trying to get Tanaka to drink her filtered piss or spanking her or sitting on his face aren’t the actions of a horny girl, they’re the actions of someone who doesn’t know how to get their crush to notice them as an object of desire or affection. Like many things in anime–especially comedy–things are exaggerated to make a point and of course just to be funny.

Even with context it doesn’t make much sense.

Uh-huh… are you sure you’re not just making excuses for this type of content? I don’t have to make excuses for anything. Yes this show has a wide fetishistic streak with the nature of its content and humour that’s designed to appeal to a very specific kind of otaku but it’s also endearingly wholesome and cute too. A show isn’t just ~one~ thing, it’d be reductive to minimise the overwhelming positive qualities and just judge it on its perceived “negative” ones. You don’t watch ‘Titanic’ and go, “oh yeah, the movie with the boat that sinks”.

Right, fair enough, you’ve made your point. Maybe we should get onto a different subject. Who was your favourite character? Ueno, obviously. But so many of the one-off side characters had their own appealing characteristics like Nishihara who ended up as an honourable mention in my Winter 2019 Best Waifu’s Post. I found the art style of the characters (specifically the girls, obviously) to be extremely appealing throughout this show and it was always a pleasure to meet a new girl each week.

And what be something you didn’t like about the show? If i’m nitpicking it’s that I think a show like this has the character potential to be comparable to the likes of ‘Teasing Master Takagi-san’ in terms of scope and growth, but this series felt complacent in just being a gag comedy with a heart of gold–which isn’t necessarily a bad thing–just that I think it’s self imposed restrictions limited it from being something more substantial overall.

Ueno’s hair has a life of its own, I loved how it was used in Episode 12.

Final recommendation and review for ‘How Clumsy You Are, Miss Ueno’? If you can put aside preconceptions and surface level judgments and look into the heart of a series you can find a lot to appreciate. This series isn’t a romantic masterpiece nor is it a comedic tour-de-force, but it is strikingly endearing and at times painfully honest–especially with Ueno’s frustration in her inability to connect with her crush in any meaningful way. Honestly, I thought this series was fantastic and its music and visuals contributed to my overall enjoyment of the series too. A successful experiment: 88 out of 100.

Don’t worry she caught it between her cheeks.

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Full Circle – ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 12 Review with Irina and Matt

Headed For Disaster – An Anime QandA Review of ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 10 with Irina and Matt

Another season, another anime collaboration with Irina from I Drink And Watch Anime. For Winter 2019 we will be talking about ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ and I will be represented by the bold text!

So here we are the final ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ episode!

This final episode had a lot to live up to considering how excellent the previous one was and in some ways it was doomed to fail by virtue of comparison. I have to agree there. I do believe those cut out visuals would have been a lot more impressive to me a bit earlier in the season. They were interesting now but no more and the colours were hella boring.

‘Back to basics’ is how I’d describe this episode with visually and thematically having more in common with the earliest episodes–albeit with a version of Ekoda that I found a little less endearing than some we’d had before. I found her a bit exhausting but she was fine. Oddly it felt like a filler episode to me. MAL says that Ekoda only has 11 episodes and this one was “untitled” – I wonder if it’s an extra. (It’s not an extra, its 12 episodes, MAL just sucks–as usual…)

Also it wasn’t really that funny either, at least for me, it was occasionally amusing but because they were recycling some bits/jokes we’d already seen in previous instalments it felt a little bit stale. Completely agree.

Dump that douche already, you can do better!

Viewing it as a whole, it works by book-ending the series with something familiar and artistically ‘safe’, but this is probably in the ‘worse’ half, if I was going to rank them. In fact, I’m going to do just that because why not! (Feel free to do so too Irina, or not if you don’t feel like it). It felt a bit like we saw Ekoda evolve somewhat, reach a tiny bit of self realization, look back on her life for some introspection and go right back to square one…

From best to worst: 11, 9, 8, 6, 7, 1, 4, 3, 2, 12, 5, 10.
Hmmm 11, (close) 6, 1, 8, 9, 2, 7, 3, 12, 5, 10, 4. That’s surprisingly similar.

Overall I quite enjoyed watching a more ‘artsy’ and ‘experimental’ anime–it was great to see so many different takes on such an interesting character and I’d love to see more of Ekoda-Chan in the future! Your (quick) overall thoughts on the series? It was definitely interesting. However, for me, there was a huge gap between the best and worst which makes it frustrating. Although I enjoy all the different styles and love the idea, part of me wishes we had just seen more of the great ones. It like a loot box of anime. I would also watch more – if it sticks to the 3 minute format!

Dancing neko girl idols, because sure why not.

Thanks for reviewing this show with me Irina, and thank you everyone who read along with us! Always a pleasure – a huge thanks to you and of course the hard work of sock puppet Matt who is the real hero here!

Previous ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Reviews:

Nude And Improved – Episode 1 Review
Episode 2 Review
Like Rabbits – Episode 3 Review
Episode 4 Review
Episode 5 Review
Even Flowers Blush – Episode 6 Review
Seein’ Red – Episode 7 Review
Two Sisters Sharing Meat – Episode 8 Review
Thunder – Episode 9 Review
Headed For Disaster – Episode 10 Review
Episode 11 Review

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Headed For Disaster – ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 10 Review with Irina and Matt

Headed For Disaster – An Anime QandA Review of ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 10 with Irina and Matt

Another season, another anime collaboration with Irina from I Drink And Watch Anime. For Winter 2019 we will be talking about ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ and I will be represented by the bold text!

And now it’s time for Episode 10. And, remember how last week I said the show keeps getting better and better? Well folks, it got worse… a lot worse. I wish I could disagree.

In fairness Ekoda did warn us that if we wanted to watch “normal” anime we could just “change the channel”. Who watches anime on channels anymore??? Quaint. Considering how this show has been so far, I don’t think that was a fair warning!

I should have taken up this advice and just pretended I watched this episode.

So, uh, mixed media marionette style song and dance number for 3 minutes then end credits… I don’t really have much to say. It was creepy and mildly amusing at times, but mostly just creepy. Creepy doesn’t begin to describe it. Guys, what Matt is avoiding describing with the convenient expression “mixed media” is that the puppets were in fact the disembodied floating heads of actresses with 2D make up to make hem look like dolls, and freaky huge animated eyes overlaid on top of their real eyes. Foam rubber wigs and weird puffy fabric tendrils all on fake strings.

It was the stuff of nightmare you guys. The song was just a description of the show with the weird refran: as long as men exist in the world, Ekoda exists in our hearts… I’m not intimidated by weird but this one felt sort of useless. It’s like someone had an idea, and they went with it and never once questioned the point of it all.

The last thing you see before you die. (Probably)

Though I did like the brief ‘traditionally’ animated portion at the start had some good jiggle physics on (for some reason blue-skinned) Ekoda’s boobs, that’s about the only nice thing I have to say about the episode. I was going to say, I’m surprised you didn’t spend three pages on bouncy smurf Ekoda with pasties. In fact – I made you a gif! Happy birthday Matt! You spoil me, Irina!

Previous ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Reviews:

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Two Sisters Sharing Meat – ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 8 Review with Irina and Matt

Two Sisters Sharing Meat – An Anime QandA Review of ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 8 with Irina and Matt

Another season, another anime collaboration with Irina from I Drink And Watch Anime. For Winter 2019 we will be talking about ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ and I will be represented by the bold text!

Hey look, it me, the real Matt and not some (at times) terrifyingly accurate version of me that Irina was imitating for the past 3 weeks while I was on holiday. Wait, let’s not call it imitating, let’s call it ‘text cosplay’! Thank you for your service sock puppet Matt, You will be missed but there’s just no substitute for the real thing! Also text cosplay sounds naughty in the best way. I have to figure out how to use the expression as much as possible.

But seriously, a big thanks to Irina for picking up my slack, her thoughts on the previous 3 episodes were ~mostly~ accurate. Though I did really enjoy the visuals of Episode 7 just FYI, mixed medium animation and “artsy fartsy” pretentiousness is my jam. I’ll be honest, I was just going by how generous the assets were portrayed. I’m not as smart as real Matt….

So enough about that, Episode 8 gave us more of a focus on Ekoda’s sister–and I’m not sure how to say this but I kinda like Ekoda’s sister (damn, already forgot her name) more than I like Ekoda! Is that weird? That’s probably weird… M-san was a bit more put together than Ekoda but I also liked this week’s Ekoda quite a bit. Optimistic and laissez faire. Fine ladies this week!

It probably helps that this episode looks the “best” out of any of the episodes so far. I use “best” in quotation marks because, again, what I’m about to say is probably a bit weird but it was the most ‘anime’ looking and I really prefer my anime girls to look like human beings and not inconsistent and always off model like they’ve been in the other episodes. I loved the visuals as well. For me, they looked like classic 70s cartoons. Something about the brush stroke quality of contours and the underrealised background characters just brought to mind classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons for me. M and Ekoda were both quite pretty so that’s a plus.

The episode was pretty low-key in terms of what happened, and in terms of comedy. But I kind of liked that more too? Maybe what I was looking for all this time was a series where Ekoda was the supporting character and her sister was the main…

I’ll go on a brief tangent (brief because these reviews are meant to be short) but their relationship reminded me of a lot of sisterly relationships in SoL anime I watch. With a free-spirited (a.k.a. irresponsible) older sister being the main protagonist and them having a put-together and serious younger sister (a.k.a. responsible) and that being played not only for contrast and laughs but as a source of tension in their relationship. [Main examples I’m thinking of is Kasumi and Asuka in BanG Dream! as well as Yui and Ui in K-On!] Sorry I’m rambling, I’ll stop now. I thought M-san was the older sister….Good thing you’re here! She might very well be, I was only comparing the contrasting character relationships rather than the fact which one was older or younger.

While I was watching this episode, I thought: finally the true relationship of the series is explored. These types of easy interactions where details take on meaning through tradition and familiarity, and things can just be left unsaid because it’s really a conversation that’s been ongoing for years…wait, where did this sentence start? I’m saying, I liked this episode. A Lot. Not quite as much as episode 6. That flowers blush line just made my day but I really wouldn’t mind getting to know the people around Ekoda just a bit more. Agreed!

Yay – welcome back Matt. We’ve missed you so much some of us had to resort to sock puppets…Crazy, I know. Those poor suckers! Glad to be back! We will finish this series together and not resort to sock puppets again!

Previous ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Reviews:

Nude And Improved – Episode 1 Review
Episode 2 Review
Like Rabbits – Episode 3 Review
Episode 4 Review
Episode 5 Review
Even Flowers Blush – Episode 6 Review
Seein’ Red – Episode 7 Review

If you liked my post and want to support my content, please consider supporting my Patreon page, or donating by buying me a coffee on Ko-fi!

Settling Down – ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’ Episode 3 Review

Settling Down – An Anime QandA Review for ‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’ Episode 3

What’s the show? Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Episode 3.

So how’s this episode? Seemingly minor but nonetheless noticeable improvements each week adding up to an overall more cohesive, satisfying and enjoyable anime experience!

Okay, so what’s changed that’s made the show better? The narrator is becoming less prevalent content to longer lead scenes but rather occasionally comment where necessary. In fact the third segment of the episode (and the best so far of the series) was almost entirely devoid of his overbearing presence and it absolutely shined as a result. Although that probably has something to do with the fact that it had the most heart and character development of any of the segments so far too.

Skipping to the end as usual I see… No if I was skipping to the end I’d be talking about the new ED sequence which after being alerted to a 10 hour version of I literally watched for about an hour before going to bed. It’s just that good!

Okay, calm down. Let’s go back to the start of the episode and work our way from there? First segment? So turns out Kaguya’s led and ~exceptionally~ sheltered life. To The point where she thought “doing it” meant kissing. And the series of misunderstandings as Kaguya lists all the people she’s “done it with” (her parents, a baby, a dog) while Miyuki and Chika watch on in confusion/terror was wonderful. And it’s got some of the best visual cues of the show so far, almost working like a little short-film.

And the second segment? The second segment, while cute, was a little bit on the middling side, with a game of 20 questions played in order to embarrass Miyuki and with a punch line I guessed from the start.

Is it filled with particle effects in here or is it just me?

Right and the much lauded third segment? Simply put Kaguya takes an opportunity to walk to school–something she’s always dreamed of doing, but her affluent standing never meant it possible. On the way she helps a crying school girl cross the street and then walks with her the rest of the way which ends up with her late for school. By some coincidence Miyuki rushes past on his bike, only to be stopped at the traffic lights where he notices Kaguya. Frantic about the two of them both being late (and setting a bad example) they forgo the pretense and ride together on his bike–Kaguya treasuring every moment of this rare event. It might seem simple on paper but everything about this segment is expertly executed, it’s sweet and reflective and casts Kaguya in a different light than we’ve previously seen. This isn’t about her trying to outwit her love-interest, this is just a girl enjoying a youthful moment which she’s bound to relive happily for years to come. Quite frankly, it was beautiful.

Well, certainly seems like you’ve turned a page on this anime, I’d qualify this as an almost “glowing” review. Well to quote the irlwaifu after watching this episode “where was that show hiding?!” And while I personally don’t think the previous two episodes were as bad as she thought I do admit the improvement felt palpable. If the show can retain this level and seek to improve throughout, then the show will indeed live up to the hype that many of the manga readers foist upon it.

Oh, we almost forgot to talk about the ED. Do you want to do that before we finish? There’s nothing to say other than it’s one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. Chika has achieved god-tier waifu status from just this 1:30 of video alone. But why settle for 90 seconds of it when you can have 10 hours!

Previous ‘Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War’ Reviews:

When The Head Fights The Heart – Episode 1 Review
Battle Of Attrition – Episode 2 Review

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Like Rabbits – ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 3 Review with Irina and Matt

Like Rabbits – An Anime QandA Review of ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Episode 3 with Irina and Matt

Another season, another anime collaboration with Irina from I Drink And Watch Anime. For Winter 2019 we will be talking about ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ and I will be represented by the bold text!

Hey Irina, Episode 3 is here, long story short everyone is animals now.

I found this art style really endearing, I’d love a full length (maybe not 25 minutes, but at least more than 1 ep) of this, cute animals navigating the perils of love and life and sex and dating. But then again I’m weird… I gotta admit, this style isn’t really my thing, it’s my least favourite of the three, maybe because it’s the least unusual. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it, I’m just sort of neutral towards it. Also, it just look so old school to me.

And we meet Ekoda’s sister! I kinda guessed she’d have a sort of antagonistic relationship with her sister. It could have been playful rivalry. The fact that Ekoda still seems to be living a home was a bit surprising. I assumed she was an adult, it sort of changes my perspectives of the previous episodes.

I don’t like Edoka’s sister. Wonder if she’ll be nicer in human form.

I loved the part about the tanuki putting some rope in boiling water to soften it up intended for ropeplay and her father finding it and there being awkwardness about it. That was a fun story. For some reason I like the cheeseburger bit as well.

Also enjoyed the callback to Ekoda wishing she had a pet. Nice overarching plot element!

They sure packed a lot in (that’s what she said) this episode. But still 4 minutes is not enough! I want more Irina! This one may have gone over my head. As I was watching I had that feeling you get when two of your friends that have know each other forever talk about stuff that happened before you met them. I understood everything that was going on but I still feel sort of left out. Not sure I’m explaining it right.

I think I related to this one more than the previous two, her talking about the “birds of prey” the kind of girls who act cute 100% of the time I’ve known some girls like that and while the men they are with find it endearing everyone else around them does not.

I related to and understood Ekoda on a sort of base, visceral level (and recognized a lot of her experiences) in the past two episodes but this time I really felt like a spectator and couldn’t find that previous connection at all. I also want more.

As cute as Ekoda-chan is as a rabbit, I prefer her human woman form.

Episode 3: done! Look forward to episode 4 on Irina’s site next week!

Previous ‘Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan’ Reviews:

Nude And Improved – Episode 1 Review
Episode 2 Review

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