Fall 2017 – Week 12

Between the holiday and yesterday’s special post, my schedule has been all kinds of messed up…  So, my apologies that this is a day late (again).  Anyhow, let’s hit the jump and let’s dive right into it!

Just as a reminder, shows that I am watching are in bold, shows my wife and I are watching together are in bold italics.

Ancient Magus Bride, ep 12

Chise finishes her wand with Lindel’s help…  and then in a long conversation with Nevin’s spirit learns that she does have value to the world.  I have to give a huge shout-out here to Ōtomo Ryūzaburō, who voices Nevin.  Simply amazing work.

The episode’s payoff comes when Chise’s desire to return home to Elias once again accidentally triggers her magic.  The sequence of her flying home in the form of a burning Phoenix (on top of being symbolically laden) was simply freaking awesome.  Dammit, Magus Bride is a good show but this week it showed (once again) that when it chooses to is can be so much more.

There’s an interesting bit near the end…  it seems Chise’s past wasn’t always horrible, and she may not be the first person with Sight in her family.

Anime Gataris, ep 12 (Finale)

What a glorious mess!  All the threads wrapped up in a neat little package and reality more-or-less reset to where it began.  Fun to watch, but somewhat disappointing for all the ass-pulls.

Blend-S, ep 12 (Finale)

Two segments to this week’s episode…  First trip to a ski resort, which mostly relies on cheap gags.  Second, the cast reminiscing and giving us backstory that’s not really relevant in the final ep.

Instead of playing to its strength (workplace comedy), Blend-S goes out with a fizzle.

Girls Last Tour, ep 12 (Finale)

I must admit…  I was amazed by the first part of the episode.  Watching the girls learn of the world’s past was an incredible experience.  The back half, the mushroom aliens, was very depressing.  Part of it was that they didn’t really seem to fit.  The biggest part was the not-so-subtle revelation that in the end, there’s no hope.  Chito and Yuuri are the last humans, and when they’re gone – that’s it.  No matter what happens to them in the future, it’s all pointless.

Idolmaster: SideM, ep 12

So far, SideM has had a remarkable track record with a long series of good episodes.  This week, in the penultimate episode, they break that streak with a weak and muddled mess.  It turns out Sakuraba isn’t actually quitting Dramatic Stars, he’s just following his own parallel path.  We get something resembling backstory, he just wants to make lots of money…  His reasons aren’t entirely clear, but involve an older sister that died and a research proposal being turned down because of expense.  Thus he’s overworking the hell out of himself with both Dramatic Stars and his own side projects.

Anyhow, the others decide to support him in his pigheadedness, and after collapsing from overwork he sees the light.  The stage is now set for the big final performance.  I’m kinda curious how they’re going to handle it, as the larger drama that usually precedes an iDolM@ster Big Final Concert has been noticeably absent.

Just Because, Ep 11

Possibly the finest episode of the series…  and that’s an accolade not given lightly, especially given how good it’s been so far.  The amount of detail in Eita and Natsume’s parallel journeys was astounding.

Tonight’s episode is going to be a corker though, as all three characters realized their goals…  How are they going to resolve it?  Just Because has been a standout, but now it stands on the brink of a precipice…  Crossing my fingers, even though Eita x Ena is almost certainly not gonna happen.

Konohana Kitan, ep 12 (Finale)

A lovely, lovely tale – giving us the final piece of the puzzle of Konohatei’s place in the cosmos…

Land of the Lustrous, ep 12 (Finale)

This episode… In retrospect, last week’s ep was the true finale and this week seemed more like an OVA or an epilogue.  Or maybe it was a two-part epilogue.  Either way, it was decidedly a “we’re done here, now go read the manga” ending.

Love Live Sunshine, ep 12

If I had to make a shortlist of the best and worst episodes of Sunshine, this episode would be on it.  The bulk of the episode is an extended series of character sketches, with the action and interactions arising naturally from What Has Gone Before.  As Chika asks each of the other members why they’re there and why they want to win, we get one last long fond look at each of the girls.  All stuff Sunshine does so very well.

But then they cap it with jumping suddenly to the competition performance itself.  Not only is the sudden tone shift jarring…  I thought it was the ED at first.  Why?  Because once again it was a music video tacked on at the end.  With no audience/reaction shots, the impact was significantly dulled.

March Comes in like a Lion, ep 11

Another interstitial piece, filling the space between events and setting up the next arc.  Not nearly as good as last weeks as it was all pretty much talk, talk, talk.

Wake Up Girls: New Chapter, ep 12

If this was a longer series…  I’d say this was a filler ep.  As much as I’ve loved seeing my beloved WUG-chan again, the last two eps have been frustrating in how little has happened.

Yuki Yuna is a Hero: Hero Chapter, ep 5

I…  Man…  What can I say?   An outstanding episode?  A terrifying episode?  A heart-rending episode?  All that and more…  Yuuna is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world as they know it from the Shinjyu-Sama‘s approaching death.  When the rest of the Hero Club opposes her decision, she elects to go ahead anyway…  Now the club is faced with a horrible decision, fight off one threat that could destroy the world before Yuuna can sacrifice herself?  Or prevent her from doing so and dooming the world.

Tommorow, the Yamato 2199 group watch post will come out, and hopefully early next week the Winter 2018 anticipation post.  Hopefully, somewhere in there I’ll get a season review post out…

So, what did you think of this week’s shows?  Let me know down in the comments!