conchobhar
What's Shenmue?
That does sound complex. I'll have to switch over to the English dub when I get to one of those scenes to see.
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Iaboo, Youaboo, Weallaboo for Anime!
- Thread starter Johnny Unusual
- Start date
conchobhar
What's Shenmue?
Well, turns out there was Chinese in the very next episode!
I think you'll be pleased to hear that the Chinese dialogue remains in Chinese in the dub (in fact, it's the same audio as in the Japanese track— even for characters like Laurent). It's just the English/Japanese dialogue that gets flattened in translation.
I think you'll be pleased to hear that the Chinese dialogue remains in Chinese in the dub (in fact, it's the same audio as in the Japanese track— even for characters like Laurent). It's just the English/Japanese dialogue that gets flattened in translation.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
For some comfort food, I'm watching Card Captor Sakura. I have only read the manga something like 20 years ago. It's really nice and sooo goodnatured. Everyone is just so nice, there are no bullies, people tell each other how much they care for each other, and so on. There is an episode where Sakura and her family are on a summer vacation, and Sakura meets some old guy, who she spends time with. No one questions it, and nothing bad comes of it, because everyone in this world is totally trustworthy, and no one has bad intentions.
I want to live in that world. It feels comforting. Well, maybe not live, I know, but spending some time in there would be really nice, to get a break from, uh, *vaguely-moves-arm*, all that.
I want to live in that world. It feels comforting. Well, maybe not live, I know, but spending some time in there would be really nice, to get a break from, uh, *vaguely-moves-arm*, all that.
I would like to love Cardcaptor Sakura (and I do isolated aspects of it) but my experiences with mostly the manga have been almost completely defined by the disconcerting amounts of effectively creator-sanctioned (for their depiction in a positive light) pedophilic relationships in it, far exceeding the limits of the benefit of the doubt. It's tied up with Clamp's stated intent in having the series portray love without "discrimination" which on one hand manifests in a lot of subtextual or otherwise queer storytelling and characterization, but then falls into the frustrating conflation between all of that and predatory bullshit and just manages to propagate those stereotypes. I'm guessing the anime will have less of it as adaptations usually go, but it's so deep-rooted to the fundamentals of the series that I doubt it's ever totally exempt.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
I don't pay too much attention, I just let it rain over me and sometimes just do other stuff on the side, so I'm probably not noticing problematic aspects. The only thing that comes to mind is that both Sakura and Li having a crush on the friend of Sakuras brother. But that friend seems to be pretty oblivious to it.
That said, I just looked a bit with Google, and yeah, there seems to be stuff coming up that is not good. So, I guess it just takes some time to get there.
*sigh*
That said, I just looked a bit with Google, and yeah, there seems to be stuff coming up that is not good. So, I guess it just takes some time to get there.
*sigh*
I have 11 episodes left in the Chimera Ant arc, but I'll just say this; once it gets going it's REALLY FUCKING GOOD. But prior to that it's really uneven and there's a lot of tonal shifts. But holy shit once it gets going? FUCK, it's some wild stuff.
Edit: FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Edit: FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
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R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
If there's a Hell, I'll see you there.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
If there was any justice we'd get a spin-off of Koala and Stick Dinner as travelling detectives in a muscle car.
conchobhar
What's Shenmue?
I finished Great Pretender. I enjoyed the first half of the show, but I really didn't like the second half, to the extent it kind of soured me on the whole thing. It aims to be a grand finale that ties everything together, but it bites off more than it can chew. I'll pop this under a spoiler box:
It's got an excellent opening, though. Even if you don't have any interest in the show, I highly recommend watching it:
Part of that is that the case abruptly changes its direction and outlook. Initially, this seems to be the highest-stake con to date, as the gang infiltrate the yakuza with the intent of foiling a child trafficking ring. And as you might expect with a premise like that, it gets dark, including having Edamura go along with it to keep his cover, and that causing a huge internal crisis for him. It looks as if morality is going to be a major theme in the arc. But midway through, it turns out that actually this whole job is just Laurent's personal vendetta— getting revenge on people who killed his fiancée— and the child trafficking is completely besides the point. Subsequently, that entire aspect ceases to be relevant— or even appear— and the case re-invents itself as a sort of gangster melodrama, where our characters are caught between rival gangs and navigate their allegiances and loyalty. The bosses even start to get development and turn sympathetic, giving a huge whiplash if the viewer happens to remember oh yeah, their whole dispute is over which of them should reap the profit from selling children. If they weren't willing to tackle the moral implications of the whole thing, they really shouldn't have touched on it in the first place— and there's no reason they couldn't have gone with, say, a money counterfeiting ring instead.
Then there's the retcon, of sorts, that the entire show was building to this job. In some ways, this is satisfying, like the idea that the previous three jobs were about building up Edamura's skills and confidence that he had what it takes to do something this dangerous and sensitive— it's cool to think about how he's changed since the beginning. But on the other hand, it changes the entire premise of the show from following an international fraud ring with a semblance of a moral code— stealing from the rich and corrupt— to the tale of one man's (extremely circuitous) revenge for his fridged fiancée. I think that is a considerably less interesting place to leave the story.
The most extreme aspect of that comes into play in the final episodes, when the previous cases' targets— Cassano, Sam and Coleman— reappear, crack wise with and even help out the protagonists. Yeah, this is just meant as some fun cameos and call-backs, just a little fanservice when wrapping up, but it raises a lot of questions about the very foundation of the show. Like, that these three can reappear, seemingly no worse for wear and without any grudge against their scammers would suggest that losing tens of millions of dollars is NBD for them. Just a silly little prank that's endeared them to these confidence men. And if rich assholes aren't getting what's coming to them, well, that not only undercuts the conclusion of the previous arcs, but makes it hard to accept anything actually changed with the conclusion of this one. If Cassano can just resume his position as a crime boss, then was all of this just temporary embarrassment for Suzaku and Liu?
Ultimately I think this final arc was a big whiff. Its attempt at giving the show pathos ends up undermining it entirely.
Then there's the retcon, of sorts, that the entire show was building to this job. In some ways, this is satisfying, like the idea that the previous three jobs were about building up Edamura's skills and confidence that he had what it takes to do something this dangerous and sensitive— it's cool to think about how he's changed since the beginning. But on the other hand, it changes the entire premise of the show from following an international fraud ring with a semblance of a moral code— stealing from the rich and corrupt— to the tale of one man's (extremely circuitous) revenge for his fridged fiancée. I think that is a considerably less interesting place to leave the story.
The most extreme aspect of that comes into play in the final episodes, when the previous cases' targets— Cassano, Sam and Coleman— reappear, crack wise with and even help out the protagonists. Yeah, this is just meant as some fun cameos and call-backs, just a little fanservice when wrapping up, but it raises a lot of questions about the very foundation of the show. Like, that these three can reappear, seemingly no worse for wear and without any grudge against their scammers would suggest that losing tens of millions of dollars is NBD for them. Just a silly little prank that's endeared them to these confidence men. And if rich assholes aren't getting what's coming to them, well, that not only undercuts the conclusion of the previous arcs, but makes it hard to accept anything actually changed with the conclusion of this one. If Cassano can just resume his position as a crime boss, then was all of this just temporary embarrassment for Suzaku and Liu?
Ultimately I think this final arc was a big whiff. Its attempt at giving the show pathos ends up undermining it entirely.
It's got an excellent opening, though. Even if you don't have any interest in the show, I highly recommend watching it:
Sorry to hear that it didn't come together for you at the end. I don't agree with your assessment but I can get where you're coming from. However, I do think it's possible you either missed a few things, or didn't see certain scenes?
or starters, I wouldn't call it a "retcon" - it's something that, if you go back and watch carefully, they were building up to the entire show. Specifically by peppering in little hints of both Laurent's and Edamame's pasts in flashbacks and/or solo scenes with them. It also isn't just about Laurent's revenge either. They want you to *think* that's the case because the show wants you to constantly question the story and its players, but it's not. And that becomes abundantly clear when it's revealed that Laurent faked trying to murder the guy when he very easily could have actually murdered him. It's definitely payback, but it's not 'revenge'.
And him roping Edamura into everything isn't just for the purpose of facilitating his revenge either. The entire flashback sequence showing Laurent's early career is coded specifically to draw direct parallels between Edamura, and Laurent himself. Laurent brings Edamura into the fold because he sees himself in him and wants to give him guidance, in the way he was once given guidance to turn his life around as well. It's also pretty obvious imo that he feels indebted to Edamura's father, likes Edamura, and wants to help the two reconcile in ways he never was able to. This is all subtext, but I feel pretty confident in my reading here.
As for the sex trafficking plot, you make it sound like the show forgot that was a thing, but they go out of their way to show that they rescued the kids and opened up a home for them at the end of the show. It's not that they forgot about that or that it wasn't a motivator, it just isn't relevant to the plot of taking the organization down.
I agree with you on the potential problematic nature of 'making the villains likable' but that really only applies to the Yakuza-mom in the final scenario. But that's consistent with the rest of the arcs, as they did that with several of the bad guys in every arc so far. There was the body guard in the first arc, who was previously an LA gang leader, so objectively a pretty terrible person. There was the prince's little brother who was complicit with his brother's criminal schemes. And there was the rich art patron. And I don't really have a problem with any of them. It's actually a part of one of the central themes of the entire show. And that's to discuss the idea of the counterproductive nature of criminal labels, and a society that encourages crime by making living it impossible to live morally and by not forgiving. All these likable bad guys have fundamentally good cores, but are pushed to criminality by exploiting that goodness in them. The gangster just wants to provide for his family but can't make a living any other way; the brother just wants to race in the skies but his passion can only be funded by crime; the art hoarder just wants to know love and companionship but made the classic mistake of thinking she could buy it. The Yakuza-mom's background isn't super clear, but in her heart she puts the love of her family above her chief duty of being a bad guy. And it's subtext that she's looking to retire because she wants to be able to have a relationship with her son. All these people could contribute to society if they given the chance, but all they're all shackled by society and societal expectations. And the actions of the good guys are secret blessings to each of them because while they all get ripped off, the disruption the Conartists create in their lives gives them the opportunity to have a fresh start.
I do think though that the three big bads from the first three chapters that showed up again - that's weird. But it's not immersion breaking to me. I don't think they're trying to make them seem like they're good guys now, or that they weren't phased by their financial setbacks. I think it's just supposed to be a neat twist. And it makes sense in that all three of those men weren't necessarily bloodthirsty criminals, just that they all cared about money first and foremost. And that their lust for money could make them compliant business partners if you need them.
And him roping Edamura into everything isn't just for the purpose of facilitating his revenge either. The entire flashback sequence showing Laurent's early career is coded specifically to draw direct parallels between Edamura, and Laurent himself. Laurent brings Edamura into the fold because he sees himself in him and wants to give him guidance, in the way he was once given guidance to turn his life around as well. It's also pretty obvious imo that he feels indebted to Edamura's father, likes Edamura, and wants to help the two reconcile in ways he never was able to. This is all subtext, but I feel pretty confident in my reading here.
As for the sex trafficking plot, you make it sound like the show forgot that was a thing, but they go out of their way to show that they rescued the kids and opened up a home for them at the end of the show. It's not that they forgot about that or that it wasn't a motivator, it just isn't relevant to the plot of taking the organization down.
I agree with you on the potential problematic nature of 'making the villains likable' but that really only applies to the Yakuza-mom in the final scenario. But that's consistent with the rest of the arcs, as they did that with several of the bad guys in every arc so far. There was the body guard in the first arc, who was previously an LA gang leader, so objectively a pretty terrible person. There was the prince's little brother who was complicit with his brother's criminal schemes. And there was the rich art patron. And I don't really have a problem with any of them. It's actually a part of one of the central themes of the entire show. And that's to discuss the idea of the counterproductive nature of criminal labels, and a society that encourages crime by making living it impossible to live morally and by not forgiving. All these likable bad guys have fundamentally good cores, but are pushed to criminality by exploiting that goodness in them. The gangster just wants to provide for his family but can't make a living any other way; the brother just wants to race in the skies but his passion can only be funded by crime; the art hoarder just wants to know love and companionship but made the classic mistake of thinking she could buy it. The Yakuza-mom's background isn't super clear, but in her heart she puts the love of her family above her chief duty of being a bad guy. And it's subtext that she's looking to retire because she wants to be able to have a relationship with her son. All these people could contribute to society if they given the chance, but all they're all shackled by society and societal expectations. And the actions of the good guys are secret blessings to each of them because while they all get ripped off, the disruption the Conartists create in their lives gives them the opportunity to have a fresh start.
I do think though that the three big bads from the first three chapters that showed up again - that's weird. But it's not immersion breaking to me. I don't think they're trying to make them seem like they're good guys now, or that they weren't phased by their financial setbacks. I think it's just supposed to be a neat twist. And it makes sense in that all three of those men weren't necessarily bloodthirsty criminals, just that they all cared about money first and foremost. And that their lust for money could make them compliant business partners if you need them.
Anywho, I really liked the last arc. I think it was the best in the show. And I really thought everything wrapped together perfectly and paid off emotionally in a really satisfying way. I said it in the anime op/ed thread, but there's a lot of really good thematic symbolism in this show that makes it really endearing. Did you catch the scene at the end of the credits of the last episode btw? I know Netflix has the tendency to auto-skip credits with post-credit sequences being frequent victims. To me, it's very satisfying that Dorothy wasn't fridged after all and was doing well.
Prepare for... consolidation? The often rumored sale of Crunchyroll to Funimation (i.e. Sony) is going forward (not sure what sort of legal or board approvals might be necessary first, but these sort of mergers rarely ever don't happen after being announced).
No clear picture as to what this might look like in the future. Maybe you'll have to subscribe to one fewer service, though I imagine a price increase is likely for whatever this new combined service might look like in the future. I wonder what will happen to the current Crunchyroll and VRV partnership, or any mobile games operated by Crunchyroll Games, or their manga offerings (I think that was still a thing?).
I guess that'll leave HIDIVE (operated by Sentai Filmworks, formerly ADV) as the only other "major" anime exclusively streamer in North America.
No clear picture as to what this might look like in the future. Maybe you'll have to subscribe to one fewer service, though I imagine a price increase is likely for whatever this new combined service might look like in the future. I wonder what will happen to the current Crunchyroll and VRV partnership, or any mobile games operated by Crunchyroll Games, or their manga offerings (I think that was still a thing?).
I guess that'll leave HIDIVE (operated by Sentai Filmworks, formerly ADV) as the only other "major" anime exclusively streamer in North America.
If it means I can move my Funi sub over to HiDive, then that's a positive. Also, I hope Funi gets a real video player out of this.
I don't know, it seems fine? I'm probably overlooking a bunch of stuff, but I kind of agree with Bongo since the fragmented nature of the simulcast services currently is incredibly inefficient and costly.
I don't know, it seems fine? I'm probably overlooking a bunch of stuff, but I kind of agree with Bongo since the fragmented nature of the simulcast services currently is incredibly inefficient and costly.
conchobhar
What's Shenmue?
I don't think this is too big a deal since Funimation-Crunchyroll will still have intense competition with Netflix and Amazon. Actually, a merger will give them greater ability to compete with those giants, so it might even be a good thing.
Selfishly, I hope that this means that Crunchyroll's catalogue starts to get home video releases. I would kill for Eizouken on Blu-ray.
Selfishly, I hope that this means that Crunchyroll's catalogue starts to get home video releases. I would kill for Eizouken on Blu-ray.
There's quite a bit of overlap between my Funi and Crunchy watchlists, but I'd appreciate having a consolidated service where I can watch both the new(er) stuff, and the much older stuff from Funi's catalogue (especially the Pioneer/Geneon shows.)
If Disney does indeed combine D+ with Hulu, then THAT will make it easier to have almost everything across just two channels, and Netflix/Prime for outliers.
Of course the major benefit will be having Crunchy shows on an app that doesn't choke to death on my phone or TV.
If Disney does indeed combine D+ with Hulu, then THAT will make it easier to have almost everything across just two channels, and Netflix/Prime for outliers.
Of course the major benefit will be having Crunchy shows on an app that doesn't choke to death on my phone or TV.
conchobhar
What's Shenmue?
Did they? I haven't been keeping up with Prime Video, but Amazon was still snapping things up last year, so I just assumed they continued puttering along. Have they not licensed anything for 2020/2021?
They do, though it's down to a handful of shows a year, maybe 1 or 2 shows a season. I think their most recent one of note was the Vinland Saga adaptation.
What has gone away (a couple of years ago at this point) was their ill fated Amazon Channel named Anime Strike, which required a separate subscription on top of Prime to access. While that was operating they were getting 5 or 6 exclusive shows a season and also carrying non-exclusives on top of that. Strike went away, and now any exclusive anime they license are just available under Prime.
Can't speak to anything else about this site, but this does seem like a pretty up to date and accurate list. Though I think some of the things listed have ended up on other services like HIDIVE (where Sentai is involved) or were licensed for a limited time before showing up elsewhere. They had a big push when Strike was announced and for a few years anything out of the Noitamina block was exclusive to Amazon, but that's no longer true.
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IIRC, Anime Strike was mostly all of the shows that Sentai Filmworks were getting. Anime Strike fell through (didn't help that it had zero web presence and advertisement, on top of needing a Prime membership) and Sentai Filmworks fucked off to HiDive and elsewhere. Anime Strike was something that always felt like an initiative on the American side of things, but all the anime that goes to Amazon Prime now feels like it's being negotiated with the JP branch of Amazon directly because shows like Psycho-Pass 3 airing on Amazon had a big advertising push in Japan and in the West it got a stealth launch like ok, I guess this is part of our library now but we don't care. I anticipate that to be the status quo going forward for anime on their platform. It'll mostly depend on what the JP side of Amazon can get done and how much they're given to work with in that respect as that market begins to shake out.
I don't think we'll see Crunchy and Funimation unite under a single service any time soon, if ever. The announcement came coupled with info that the two entities will remain separate. Can't really tell if that's the plan long term, but even if they intended to merge them, those kinds of things take a lot of time and work to pull off. Back when the two were working in a partnership before corporate overlords post-buyouts caused them to stop playing nice, the two services shared their libraries and mostly focused on their respective strengths. Funimation has always been a localizing company specializing in getting dubs done quickly, publishing physical media, and repackaging everything for TV syndication. Crunchy does the simulcast subs. Their partnership allowed both companies to focus on their strengths while widening their libraries at no real additional cost, while avoiding directly competing with one another. I can see a similar dynamic being set up in the future where Funi keeps doing the dubs, Crunchy does the day and date subs, and you can subscribe to one or both depending on what your watching proclivities are.
The thing I'm most excited about is that with both consolidated in Sony's hands, we might finally see some work done on the backend so that their apps/players aren't complete garbage. Crunchyroll laid off its backend developers years ago in an effort to make their books financials attractive to potential buyers. But the WB/AT&T purchase never really felt final because they never really did anything to cleanup/fix the backend situation, keeping that side of their business going on fumes in a holding pattern, as if they were just waiting to divest again.
I imagine the "Crunchyroll Collection" will disappear off of HBO Max at some point as well. But I don't think too many people will miss that. Especially when they only ever got to the point of posting a handful of shows there.
As long as Sony doesn't completely bungle things, I think this is potentially a pretty good thing overall for anime. Crunchyroll is a much better steward of their properties than Netflix is, but Netflix has been pretty quickly digging its tentacles into the Japanese anime industry over the last few years, striking a lot of exclusive deals directly with studios. Crunchyroll seems to have good relationships set up with the anime industry, but they just lack the resources to compete on the same level as Netflix's infinite investment money. Being owned by a Japanese company might help grease the wheels and provide more funding for thing to go their way, and any pushback/competition against Netflix is good in my books. Netflix manages to get a handful of good shows made, but it feels mostly by accident when their anime push seems to be mostly run by people who hate anime, or at best, have a very antiquated and downright racist view of the medium.
I don't think we'll see Crunchy and Funimation unite under a single service any time soon, if ever. The announcement came coupled with info that the two entities will remain separate. Can't really tell if that's the plan long term, but even if they intended to merge them, those kinds of things take a lot of time and work to pull off. Back when the two were working in a partnership before corporate overlords post-buyouts caused them to stop playing nice, the two services shared their libraries and mostly focused on their respective strengths. Funimation has always been a localizing company specializing in getting dubs done quickly, publishing physical media, and repackaging everything for TV syndication. Crunchy does the simulcast subs. Their partnership allowed both companies to focus on their strengths while widening their libraries at no real additional cost, while avoiding directly competing with one another. I can see a similar dynamic being set up in the future where Funi keeps doing the dubs, Crunchy does the day and date subs, and you can subscribe to one or both depending on what your watching proclivities are.
The thing I'm most excited about is that with both consolidated in Sony's hands, we might finally see some work done on the backend so that their apps/players aren't complete garbage. Crunchyroll laid off its backend developers years ago in an effort to make their books financials attractive to potential buyers. But the WB/AT&T purchase never really felt final because they never really did anything to cleanup/fix the backend situation, keeping that side of their business going on fumes in a holding pattern, as if they were just waiting to divest again.
I imagine the "Crunchyroll Collection" will disappear off of HBO Max at some point as well. But I don't think too many people will miss that. Especially when they only ever got to the point of posting a handful of shows there.
As long as Sony doesn't completely bungle things, I think this is potentially a pretty good thing overall for anime. Crunchyroll is a much better steward of their properties than Netflix is, but Netflix has been pretty quickly digging its tentacles into the Japanese anime industry over the last few years, striking a lot of exclusive deals directly with studios. Crunchyroll seems to have good relationships set up with the anime industry, but they just lack the resources to compete on the same level as Netflix's infinite investment money. Being owned by a Japanese company might help grease the wheels and provide more funding for thing to go their way, and any pushback/competition against Netflix is good in my books. Netflix manages to get a handful of good shows made, but it feels mostly by accident when their anime push seems to be mostly run by people who hate anime, or at best, have a very antiquated and downright racist view of the medium.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Fire Force, a not very good show that I still somewhat enjoy, wrapped up it’s second season. I didn’t really get the post credits stinger of the moon briefly turning into the smiling moon from Soul Eater, the only thing I know about that property. I guess the two are connected beyond merely sharing the same author?
(Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho in the works from Netflix
)
Hurray for undoubtedly extremely cringey CGI?
I agree, but I also believe that person's idea of what anime is hasn't changed or evolved over the decades either. Which is why a disproportionate amount of anime Netflix gravitates towards is the EDGEY WEIRD VIOLENT shit that importers favored in the 90s, and why they made that god awful, racist anime documentary a number of months back.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Hey, I put way too much work in my top 10 of the year list. I took a while writing this and suspect would probably drop half of #10 if I could do it again but still stand by this overall.
10. (tie) Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle/Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai
OK, here’s a cheat. The #10 spot was VERY tough. There are a lot of good shows that could happily sit here. Shows that are really solid mid-tier shows that also have a lot of charm. I’ll try to find ways to give them props later rather than naming them and taking up space when I have to cover two shows.
I decided to let these tie since they are both very much JRPG-inspired, one from a very specific series. I’m actually surprised Adventures of Dai made it in here. I really like the show but there’s no getting around that for better and worse it is a product of its time. The shounen storytelling here is very simple as its based on a Jump series which in turn is based on a game series. Its rare for those kinds of things to be as popular as this one was and I was excited because I read and enjoyed the whole thing before. It eventually gets pretty epic in scope but for now its wandering around and beating up bosses. The reason for its old-fashioned storytelling that it gets the edge is that this show has some gorgeous action scenes.
Again, its stuff that’s been done better elsewhere but it hits a sweet spot for me. I do feel bad that it beat out some shows with more original and even daring concepts but there’s nothing like some basic-ass comfort food.
Speaking of, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. This one snuck up on me. When I watched the first episode, my reaction was “not laugh out loud funny, but pleasant and I want to see more.” I think the last episode cemented its place. On its own, it’s a funny show with a good premise: princess is kidnapped by demons and is more concerned with a good nights sleep than her rescue to the point she becomes a superhuman terror in trying to achieve her goals.
I think the reason my opinion on it was middling was I kind of saw where the humour was coming from and while I liked the dynamic, it didn’t completely land as something unique in terms of the princess’ characterization to push it beyond “Oh, that’s fun.” But I feel like as it went on, it became unique. It still had a formula but it developed a cast chemistry where the “bad guys” have mostly given up on trying to reign her in. The last episode had a reveal that the demons are actually kidnapping the princess in a gamble to get treated well by the humans but that’s not what did it. Really, the tipping point in the last episode is actually seeing the cast hang out together. Seeing them as a weird group of friends is much more fun to me than simply a new problem caused by the Princess each weak where the “baddies” need to make a token measure of resistance. In this episode, they actually do trap her because they finally get her. The trap is hilariously simple (a bed in a cage is such a dumb obvious joke but it works because of the way it plays out, with everyone acknowledging its dumb and the Princess wandering in like a gormless animal) abut it also tells us that these characters kind of understand each other now. If they do more stuff like this and keep as funny, its going to grow in my estimation.
9. Talentless Nana
A year or so ago Dr. Stone came out, a show I loved and I decided it didn’t make my list. I felt as fun as it was, some of the intended emotional beats didn’t work. Like, they were great on paper but somehow didn’t completely land in practice. But I wish I reconsidered because it did something completely right that I don’t give some shows enough credit for… being an addictive watch. Just because I can recognize some weakness doesn’t take away the strength and being compelling to watch weak after weak, even if its less to do with “well-realized characters”, “emotional beats” and “deep themes”. After all, there are so many ways to be great and making me excited to see what happens next is one I need to give more credit to. And this year, it was Talentless Nana. As I’ve said many times, go into this one blind. I feel like so many warnings, sadly, mean you are anticipating something, so it won’t surprise you like it surprised me but all the same and do yourself the favour.
8. Olympia Kyklos
I was not expecting a non-Bananya short-form entry to crack this list. Its not the only short I watched this year. One was a very disappointing series that sounded emotionally powerful but in practice didn’t do much. I don’t even remember the name but it was a slice of life series about a young girl searching for a friend who went incommunicado following an Earthquake in her area (I can’t even remember if it was the Fukushima quake or another but it was based on a real quake and was presumably paid for by the area it takes place in). “With a Cat and Dog, Everyday is Fun” actually usually gets a laugh from me every time, even though it is a bit more frantic than my usual taste. That said, its also WAY too short to make any real impact and its basically well told versions of the classic “dogs be different than cats” jokes.
Olympia Kyklos turned out to be a special kind of short form comedy. It helps that it always doubles as edu-tainment, which Japanese anime often does well (re: Dr. Stone). But its also incredibly funny and creative. Basically, it’s about an Ancient Greek potter who keeps traveling to 1962 Japan to get ideas for his own town’s local “Torlympics”. As it sounds, it is very wacky. I like that the obvious formula could have been Demetrios travels to the future and brings great ideas, which does happen, but often there’s a reveal that either his ideas completely bomb due to cultural and geographical differences or they find out “Oh, we have that already.” It also moves its punchlines fast and furious but it usually doesn’t feel too rushed to follow and enjoy and it is exactly the perfect amount of silly while also showing really interesting stuff about the culture of ancient Greece, both the good and the bad. It does get surprisingly bleak at one point when Demetrios is horrified at the evolution of war (which at his time is treated like a seasonal game with occasional death) that propels an anti-war plot (complete with wacky protest songs) but generally its just a pleasant and generally funny series with every episode ending with a wonderful little music video.
7. Great Pretender
I knew I was going to enjoy this show from the jump. The preview featured an animation style that I loved and the first episode was a wild ride of comedy twists and games with a last minute reveal that put a smile on my face. However, I assumed this was going to be a very style heavy show and while it was, I was surprised how much the show was willing to slow down to give the human element the chance to catch up. I feel like any one of the stories could have been one or two parters and still be a great series in my top 10, but I did appreciate the time it takes to humanize the people who have the misfortunate to get caught up in the schemes of each story’s villain. It’s a caper story but it is also very much a human drama story. The two middle arcs get to focus on the pain that the female co-leads bare in their heart and how the latest caper allows them to rectify or deal with things. The first arc sees the main character getting into his plan only to find a person he wants to save.
I haven’t gotten a chance to see the final arc yet. I have no idea if the 9 episode epic would be a perfect capper or if the length would make it loose a bit too much steam. But basing it on the first half alone, Great Pretender is a fun and sentimental crime series about a group of criminals who pretend they are targeting criminals out of some kind of code but clearly are less interested in profit and more about making the world a better place. In “Better Call Saul”, Mike says “You can be a good criminal or a bad criminal”. Of course, the show itself shows this is more complicated and when one breaks and makes rules, they always run a certain risk of becoming the other without noticing. But Great Pretender is about fundamentally good criminals whose morality is definitely challenged, only for them to save the day, help other people and help themselves. And not just in the financial sense.
6. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
The first returning series on my list. They definitely have the advantage of characters I know I love and me wanting to see more. At this point, Kaguya-Sama is getting away a bit from the original conceit, two characters trying to outsmart and corner the other into a romantic confession. Its still very much baked in and a new aspect, Kaguya’s cheek touching strategy, becomes a big aspect of the character but instead of settling in formula, the series is about a gang of friends supporting and loving each other. I will say after the second “Chika teaches Shirogane to do a basic thing without completely embarrassing himself”, I was worried when they were going for a third but even that one ends up bucking convention in a very funny way.
They also work on Yu, a character who began the series as an obnoxious MRA candidate. He becomes much more likable, though I have VERY mixed feelings about his origin story that is designed to humanize him and explain his behaviour. I feel like it does some effective emotional work but also feels like it is feeding into a kind of personal justice fantasy a person like he might have. Still, it makes the character a lot easier to enjoy as a member of the main cast aside from “guy who says shitty things and gets accidentally or intentionally threatened by Kaguya”. But most importantly its still very funny and I still like spending my time with these characters who are sneaky but often use their strategizing to good ends. Shirogane intentionally encouraging an opponent to show her strength in a debate to save her from embarrassing herself is rather charming. The show isn’t the same one we began with and even though there’s some dramatic arcs, its still a delightful and comforting world to return to when we get to watch these loveable goofballs make each other squirm.
5. Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro was a series I was anticipating. It looked like a truly unique, odd show. I think when I think of a lot of odd anime, I think of shows that are set in a weird world but might have weird structures like In/Spectre or so steeped in metaphor and style it feels like it needs serious unpacking like Saranzanmai. So despite the weirdness of Dorohedoro and its many mysteries, it was actually weirdly easy to follow. And to get into. Once episode two hit, it was a show I was quick to get comfortable with. Yeah, it was incredibly violent but it also had very likable characters in the two leads and even with its villains like Noi and En. Yeah, the mythology is kind of nuts but despite an insane sounding premise (lizard man with a man living in his mouth hunts interdimensional wizards using an urban hellscape as their toilet for magical experiments), it’s a weirdly easy watch. The CG animation looks good in the same way Beastars did and the world of the series is really interesting.
It also spends as much time with villains as it does with its heroes. And they are as fun to hang out with. They aren’t just sitting around plotting (though they do have plans), but En as a gangster king celebrity also has to do appearances, which makes for some fun moments. Yeah, there’s super powered battles, but there’s also a lot of farce and shenanigans making the show charmingly funny and also makes the turn to more dramatic and poignant elements more striking. When we start the series, Caiman seems like someone who will never be deterred from murdering the first sorcerer he sees but over the course of the series is more or less forced to adapt for a greater good. The villains are fun to hang out with but then it becomes a little more upsetting because of that when they finally can start putting the screws towards our heroes. Really, it actually reminds me of Venture Bros, in that we are as invested in the relationships between the “heroes” and the “villains” and it doesn’t feel like it is heading to a specific “good guy vs. bad guy” narrative, even though they are constantly having to face each other. I love these characters and am invested in the overall narrative and am excited for season two if it ever happens.
4. Chihayafuru
It was about six years between Chihayafuru seasons 2 and 3 so thankfully I’m a latecomer, getting in just in time to get to watch the third season shortly after the first two. I can only imagine how elated fans were for the series to be announced because while the series is very popular, it would be easy to assume that it could easily not happen. The first half of 2020 gave us the second half of the season and while all of season three is strong, this is where some big stuff gets to start paying off. A long-held revelation is finally given to Chihaya and promises to send the show off in a new direction (when it hopefully returns). Once again, our heroine gets stronger that’s not just game strength but deepens her understanding of the game and of herself.
It isn’t a series of “our heroes vs. the strongest characters” this time, even though the show is nearing the time where that would make sense. We end up getting matches that I found myself even more invested in than I expected. A multi-episode battle of Suo Vs. Harada is absolutely heartstopping despite the fact that narrative logic will tell you the final outcome. We also get the fun of a surprise tournament with a huge emotional component where we also get to see just characters hang out. And it reminds me how much I love these characters and just want to keep hanging with them. But as the final episodes remind us, things can’t stay the same forever.
3. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
I’m all in the tank for Masaaki Yuasa and Eizouken is no different. I liked the first episode but I feel like my least favourite elements of it are probably the most appealing to many viewers: the flights of fantasy of the main characters, which are visual feasts. They look amazing as fuck but what sticks with me more are what I feel is the meat of the show: the hard work and passion that makes the animation we love come alive. Its treated as hard, backbreaking and soul-rending work but the characters would have it no other way because they cannot deny that they love and want to contribute to the medium of animation. Its also clear that these are characters who are extremely passionate. Tsubame and Midori are the more creatives but the show’s real hero is Kanamori, a practical tough girl who loves to see a process through and forces the others to ground their work and their work habits. It would have been easy to make her a money grubbing bringdown but instead she is the glue of the show, solvin’ problems like a bawss so that the other two can create and work hard on it (which Kanamori also has to facilitate). And as rewarding as it is to see the girls reveal a project, it’s the little moments I love, like li’l Kanamori showing a passion for work and cultivating a business before things go belly up.
Masaaki Yuasa is probably my favourite living animator and makes projects about the power and promise of youth. There are definitely great shows about the power of young people but it reminds me of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World in that it is an unspoken thesis statement baked into the project (though for him, it is every project). This is probably the brightest, poppiest show I think I have seen by him (though I haven’t seen his Crayon Shin-Chan mini-series) and the world from the original manga is amazing. Part of the reason that I’m not as taken with the flights of fancy is because the world it is set in is already SO interesting, not only from a visual standpoint, which is great, but a weirdly almost fantastical school with bizarrely niche clubs and a war between Kanamori and the student council. With a fantastic cast of characters and a show that oozes passion, Eizoken is fantastic. I do feel bad that I suspect we won’t get another season (I can’t imagine Yuasa doing a second season on anything, if by virtue of the facts that there are SO many projects he wants to do) but as a complete work, Eizoken is a wonderful journey and even makes the mind-numbing work of making a dream a reality look romantic.
2. Golden Kamuy
Its hard to remember a time that I was just “so-so” on Golden Kamuy. It first episode is good but it feels so removed from what the show becomes tonally. It doesn’t tell you that it’s a wildly absurd comedy, a masterclass in character and features some shockingly moving drama. Heck, last episode featured an amazing shift from one of the most anticipated reunions to a hilarious goofy moment that made me and JBear laugh to no end. Season three of Golden Kamuy is the best so far, despite and because of removing probably the show’s greatest strength: the interplay and relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa. Of course, it is still in there: even apart, these characters are still together. It could have been easy to either make this relationship romantic (ew) or father/daughter. It is a friendship but it feels deeper than merely a basic “nakama” answer and makes everything have more weight.
It also allows other characters to shine and a lot of time with our heroes working with their enemies: Asirpa is unwittingly working with them and we get more depth to them before things go bad and Sugimoto works with the 7th and works well with them. The interplay between the latter also pays FANTASTIC comedic dividends and the series “villains” are just as not only sympathetic but as endearing as our heroes (except Ogata. I mean, I love to hate him. He’s a very well-realized piece of shit.) This series is some of the loudest I’ve laughed this year and the show also gives us moving backstories, including deeply enriching a character I only thought of as a “generic right-hand man” type before. One episode is left but even the penultimate one of the season is fantastic in terms of character interactions, animation and pay-offs. I can’t think of a show quite like Golden Kamuy and it is going to kill me to wait another year (OR MORE) for the saga to continue.
1. Japan Sinks 2020
I got to tell you up front my top two series are seriously jockeying for first place. There’s a good chance the second I post this, I’ll be going “NO WAIT” and wanting to switch back. But considering I actually started tearing up while writing this gives this the edge. Seriously, after last night this dropped to number two and I moved it back WHILE WRITING IT. These are astounding shows. Japan Sinks is another Masaaki Yuasa joint and we’ve been blessed to have two series in one year. Co-directed with Pyeon-Gang Ho, Japan Sinks is a re-imagining of the classic Japanese disaster novel of the same name. But while the original book sounds like something closer to an Irwin Allen production, Japan Sinks 2020 is much more of a family drama as the Muto’s must traverse an increasingly treacherous world. Its also a show that in many ways follows a certain disaster movie formula of self-sacrifice and characters dying one at a time but has an incredibly strong emotional core and even some genuine surprises.
There’s a section in the middle where I was positive I knew where it was going and then revealed that what seems sinister might be much more positive and that one of our “heroes” might be terrifyingly damaged to an unexpected degree. “…is what she said” as a final character line is both surprising and unbelievably touching. And I never thought I’d be so moved by the exit of a character I would describe as the Yugoslavian Dave Coulier. Though seriously, you don’t want him on your team of survivors. Japan Sinks doesn’t shy away from horror, putting our characters through the wringer or killing people nastily and swiftly but it never devolves into misery porn. It is ultimately a hopeful series and it doesn’t wring false when we get to an ending that is ultimately uplifting and is about what really makes up a country: its people and its memories. In a year where we faced a lot of disaster, pain, loneliness and death, it would seem like this is the worst year for this show but it is a show about people able to overcome the horror and pain and survive a natural terror to keep going and strive for a better tomorrow. That may sound cheeseball but it’s the message we need right now and it works.
Warning, spoiler in this clip…
10. (tie) Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle/Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai
OK, here’s a cheat. The #10 spot was VERY tough. There are a lot of good shows that could happily sit here. Shows that are really solid mid-tier shows that also have a lot of charm. I’ll try to find ways to give them props later rather than naming them and taking up space when I have to cover two shows.
I decided to let these tie since they are both very much JRPG-inspired, one from a very specific series. I’m actually surprised Adventures of Dai made it in here. I really like the show but there’s no getting around that for better and worse it is a product of its time. The shounen storytelling here is very simple as its based on a Jump series which in turn is based on a game series. Its rare for those kinds of things to be as popular as this one was and I was excited because I read and enjoyed the whole thing before. It eventually gets pretty epic in scope but for now its wandering around and beating up bosses. The reason for its old-fashioned storytelling that it gets the edge is that this show has some gorgeous action scenes.
Again, its stuff that’s been done better elsewhere but it hits a sweet spot for me. I do feel bad that it beat out some shows with more original and even daring concepts but there’s nothing like some basic-ass comfort food.
Speaking of, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle. This one snuck up on me. When I watched the first episode, my reaction was “not laugh out loud funny, but pleasant and I want to see more.” I think the last episode cemented its place. On its own, it’s a funny show with a good premise: princess is kidnapped by demons and is more concerned with a good nights sleep than her rescue to the point she becomes a superhuman terror in trying to achieve her goals.
I think the reason my opinion on it was middling was I kind of saw where the humour was coming from and while I liked the dynamic, it didn’t completely land as something unique in terms of the princess’ characterization to push it beyond “Oh, that’s fun.” But I feel like as it went on, it became unique. It still had a formula but it developed a cast chemistry where the “bad guys” have mostly given up on trying to reign her in. The last episode had a reveal that the demons are actually kidnapping the princess in a gamble to get treated well by the humans but that’s not what did it. Really, the tipping point in the last episode is actually seeing the cast hang out together. Seeing them as a weird group of friends is much more fun to me than simply a new problem caused by the Princess each weak where the “baddies” need to make a token measure of resistance. In this episode, they actually do trap her because they finally get her. The trap is hilariously simple (a bed in a cage is such a dumb obvious joke but it works because of the way it plays out, with everyone acknowledging its dumb and the Princess wandering in like a gormless animal) abut it also tells us that these characters kind of understand each other now. If they do more stuff like this and keep as funny, its going to grow in my estimation.
9. Talentless Nana
A year or so ago Dr. Stone came out, a show I loved and I decided it didn’t make my list. I felt as fun as it was, some of the intended emotional beats didn’t work. Like, they were great on paper but somehow didn’t completely land in practice. But I wish I reconsidered because it did something completely right that I don’t give some shows enough credit for… being an addictive watch. Just because I can recognize some weakness doesn’t take away the strength and being compelling to watch weak after weak, even if its less to do with “well-realized characters”, “emotional beats” and “deep themes”. After all, there are so many ways to be great and making me excited to see what happens next is one I need to give more credit to. And this year, it was Talentless Nana. As I’ve said many times, go into this one blind. I feel like so many warnings, sadly, mean you are anticipating something, so it won’t surprise you like it surprised me but all the same and do yourself the favour.
I feel like this show had every right to fail. Tonally, it reminds me of Astra: Lost in Space, a show that could be as dumb as it could be VERY GOOD (especially with its twists). The characters are a bit broad. And on top of that it risks being a smug “edgy” show. Its about a serial killer. The premise of normal human killing superhumans in clever ways feels like a lot of superhero comics of the 90s/2000s that haven’t aged well. Once the show revealed what it really was, it was easy for it to go into some kind of Goblin Slayer XTREME direction. But really, while it is dark, its also a lot of fun. It reminds me of Death Note in the best ways. A cat and mouse between a killer and a crime fighter. Clever and extremely intricate murders. But unlike Death Note (which I do like), the lead isn’t a smug shit. The last episode is hinting that there is more depth to her and that she’s beginning to doubt her mission but that won’t stop her from being a killer. By the time she *might* have a redemption arc, the end credits itself imply she’s going to have a lot of blood on her hands and guilt in her heart. But really, the appeal is the fun game of the reverse whodunnit as we watch our heroine’s plans play out. And I’m always excited to see what audacious play she pulls out next.
8. Olympia Kyklos
I was not expecting a non-Bananya short-form entry to crack this list. Its not the only short I watched this year. One was a very disappointing series that sounded emotionally powerful but in practice didn’t do much. I don’t even remember the name but it was a slice of life series about a young girl searching for a friend who went incommunicado following an Earthquake in her area (I can’t even remember if it was the Fukushima quake or another but it was based on a real quake and was presumably paid for by the area it takes place in). “With a Cat and Dog, Everyday is Fun” actually usually gets a laugh from me every time, even though it is a bit more frantic than my usual taste. That said, its also WAY too short to make any real impact and its basically well told versions of the classic “dogs be different than cats” jokes.
Olympia Kyklos turned out to be a special kind of short form comedy. It helps that it always doubles as edu-tainment, which Japanese anime often does well (re: Dr. Stone). But its also incredibly funny and creative. Basically, it’s about an Ancient Greek potter who keeps traveling to 1962 Japan to get ideas for his own town’s local “Torlympics”. As it sounds, it is very wacky. I like that the obvious formula could have been Demetrios travels to the future and brings great ideas, which does happen, but often there’s a reveal that either his ideas completely bomb due to cultural and geographical differences or they find out “Oh, we have that already.” It also moves its punchlines fast and furious but it usually doesn’t feel too rushed to follow and enjoy and it is exactly the perfect amount of silly while also showing really interesting stuff about the culture of ancient Greece, both the good and the bad. It does get surprisingly bleak at one point when Demetrios is horrified at the evolution of war (which at his time is treated like a seasonal game with occasional death) that propels an anti-war plot (complete with wacky protest songs) but generally its just a pleasant and generally funny series with every episode ending with a wonderful little music video.
7. Great Pretender
I knew I was going to enjoy this show from the jump. The preview featured an animation style that I loved and the first episode was a wild ride of comedy twists and games with a last minute reveal that put a smile on my face. However, I assumed this was going to be a very style heavy show and while it was, I was surprised how much the show was willing to slow down to give the human element the chance to catch up. I feel like any one of the stories could have been one or two parters and still be a great series in my top 10, but I did appreciate the time it takes to humanize the people who have the misfortunate to get caught up in the schemes of each story’s villain. It’s a caper story but it is also very much a human drama story. The two middle arcs get to focus on the pain that the female co-leads bare in their heart and how the latest caper allows them to rectify or deal with things. The first arc sees the main character getting into his plan only to find a person he wants to save.
I haven’t gotten a chance to see the final arc yet. I have no idea if the 9 episode epic would be a perfect capper or if the length would make it loose a bit too much steam. But basing it on the first half alone, Great Pretender is a fun and sentimental crime series about a group of criminals who pretend they are targeting criminals out of some kind of code but clearly are less interested in profit and more about making the world a better place. In “Better Call Saul”, Mike says “You can be a good criminal or a bad criminal”. Of course, the show itself shows this is more complicated and when one breaks and makes rules, they always run a certain risk of becoming the other without noticing. But Great Pretender is about fundamentally good criminals whose morality is definitely challenged, only for them to save the day, help other people and help themselves. And not just in the financial sense.
6. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
The first returning series on my list. They definitely have the advantage of characters I know I love and me wanting to see more. At this point, Kaguya-Sama is getting away a bit from the original conceit, two characters trying to outsmart and corner the other into a romantic confession. Its still very much baked in and a new aspect, Kaguya’s cheek touching strategy, becomes a big aspect of the character but instead of settling in formula, the series is about a gang of friends supporting and loving each other. I will say after the second “Chika teaches Shirogane to do a basic thing without completely embarrassing himself”, I was worried when they were going for a third but even that one ends up bucking convention in a very funny way.
They also work on Yu, a character who began the series as an obnoxious MRA candidate. He becomes much more likable, though I have VERY mixed feelings about his origin story that is designed to humanize him and explain his behaviour. I feel like it does some effective emotional work but also feels like it is feeding into a kind of personal justice fantasy a person like he might have. Still, it makes the character a lot easier to enjoy as a member of the main cast aside from “guy who says shitty things and gets accidentally or intentionally threatened by Kaguya”. But most importantly its still very funny and I still like spending my time with these characters who are sneaky but often use their strategizing to good ends. Shirogane intentionally encouraging an opponent to show her strength in a debate to save her from embarrassing herself is rather charming. The show isn’t the same one we began with and even though there’s some dramatic arcs, its still a delightful and comforting world to return to when we get to watch these loveable goofballs make each other squirm.
5. Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro was a series I was anticipating. It looked like a truly unique, odd show. I think when I think of a lot of odd anime, I think of shows that are set in a weird world but might have weird structures like In/Spectre or so steeped in metaphor and style it feels like it needs serious unpacking like Saranzanmai. So despite the weirdness of Dorohedoro and its many mysteries, it was actually weirdly easy to follow. And to get into. Once episode two hit, it was a show I was quick to get comfortable with. Yeah, it was incredibly violent but it also had very likable characters in the two leads and even with its villains like Noi and En. Yeah, the mythology is kind of nuts but despite an insane sounding premise (lizard man with a man living in his mouth hunts interdimensional wizards using an urban hellscape as their toilet for magical experiments), it’s a weirdly easy watch. The CG animation looks good in the same way Beastars did and the world of the series is really interesting.
It also spends as much time with villains as it does with its heroes. And they are as fun to hang out with. They aren’t just sitting around plotting (though they do have plans), but En as a gangster king celebrity also has to do appearances, which makes for some fun moments. Yeah, there’s super powered battles, but there’s also a lot of farce and shenanigans making the show charmingly funny and also makes the turn to more dramatic and poignant elements more striking. When we start the series, Caiman seems like someone who will never be deterred from murdering the first sorcerer he sees but over the course of the series is more or less forced to adapt for a greater good. The villains are fun to hang out with but then it becomes a little more upsetting because of that when they finally can start putting the screws towards our heroes. Really, it actually reminds me of Venture Bros, in that we are as invested in the relationships between the “heroes” and the “villains” and it doesn’t feel like it is heading to a specific “good guy vs. bad guy” narrative, even though they are constantly having to face each other. I love these characters and am invested in the overall narrative and am excited for season two if it ever happens.
4. Chihayafuru
It was about six years between Chihayafuru seasons 2 and 3 so thankfully I’m a latecomer, getting in just in time to get to watch the third season shortly after the first two. I can only imagine how elated fans were for the series to be announced because while the series is very popular, it would be easy to assume that it could easily not happen. The first half of 2020 gave us the second half of the season and while all of season three is strong, this is where some big stuff gets to start paying off. A long-held revelation is finally given to Chihaya and promises to send the show off in a new direction (when it hopefully returns). Once again, our heroine gets stronger that’s not just game strength but deepens her understanding of the game and of herself.
It isn’t a series of “our heroes vs. the strongest characters” this time, even though the show is nearing the time where that would make sense. We end up getting matches that I found myself even more invested in than I expected. A multi-episode battle of Suo Vs. Harada is absolutely heartstopping despite the fact that narrative logic will tell you the final outcome. We also get the fun of a surprise tournament with a huge emotional component where we also get to see just characters hang out. And it reminds me how much I love these characters and just want to keep hanging with them. But as the final episodes remind us, things can’t stay the same forever.
3. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
I’m all in the tank for Masaaki Yuasa and Eizouken is no different. I liked the first episode but I feel like my least favourite elements of it are probably the most appealing to many viewers: the flights of fantasy of the main characters, which are visual feasts. They look amazing as fuck but what sticks with me more are what I feel is the meat of the show: the hard work and passion that makes the animation we love come alive. Its treated as hard, backbreaking and soul-rending work but the characters would have it no other way because they cannot deny that they love and want to contribute to the medium of animation. Its also clear that these are characters who are extremely passionate. Tsubame and Midori are the more creatives but the show’s real hero is Kanamori, a practical tough girl who loves to see a process through and forces the others to ground their work and their work habits. It would have been easy to make her a money grubbing bringdown but instead she is the glue of the show, solvin’ problems like a bawss so that the other two can create and work hard on it (which Kanamori also has to facilitate). And as rewarding as it is to see the girls reveal a project, it’s the little moments I love, like li’l Kanamori showing a passion for work and cultivating a business before things go belly up.
Masaaki Yuasa is probably my favourite living animator and makes projects about the power and promise of youth. There are definitely great shows about the power of young people but it reminds me of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World in that it is an unspoken thesis statement baked into the project (though for him, it is every project). This is probably the brightest, poppiest show I think I have seen by him (though I haven’t seen his Crayon Shin-Chan mini-series) and the world from the original manga is amazing. Part of the reason that I’m not as taken with the flights of fancy is because the world it is set in is already SO interesting, not only from a visual standpoint, which is great, but a weirdly almost fantastical school with bizarrely niche clubs and a war between Kanamori and the student council. With a fantastic cast of characters and a show that oozes passion, Eizoken is fantastic. I do feel bad that I suspect we won’t get another season (I can’t imagine Yuasa doing a second season on anything, if by virtue of the facts that there are SO many projects he wants to do) but as a complete work, Eizoken is a wonderful journey and even makes the mind-numbing work of making a dream a reality look romantic.
2. Golden Kamuy
Its hard to remember a time that I was just “so-so” on Golden Kamuy. It first episode is good but it feels so removed from what the show becomes tonally. It doesn’t tell you that it’s a wildly absurd comedy, a masterclass in character and features some shockingly moving drama. Heck, last episode featured an amazing shift from one of the most anticipated reunions to a hilarious goofy moment that made me and JBear laugh to no end. Season three of Golden Kamuy is the best so far, despite and because of removing probably the show’s greatest strength: the interplay and relationship between Sugimoto and Asirpa. Of course, it is still in there: even apart, these characters are still together. It could have been easy to either make this relationship romantic (ew) or father/daughter. It is a friendship but it feels deeper than merely a basic “nakama” answer and makes everything have more weight.
It also allows other characters to shine and a lot of time with our heroes working with their enemies: Asirpa is unwittingly working with them and we get more depth to them before things go bad and Sugimoto works with the 7th and works well with them. The interplay between the latter also pays FANTASTIC comedic dividends and the series “villains” are just as not only sympathetic but as endearing as our heroes (except Ogata. I mean, I love to hate him. He’s a very well-realized piece of shit.) This series is some of the loudest I’ve laughed this year and the show also gives us moving backstories, including deeply enriching a character I only thought of as a “generic right-hand man” type before. One episode is left but even the penultimate one of the season is fantastic in terms of character interactions, animation and pay-offs. I can’t think of a show quite like Golden Kamuy and it is going to kill me to wait another year (OR MORE) for the saga to continue.
1. Japan Sinks 2020
I got to tell you up front my top two series are seriously jockeying for first place. There’s a good chance the second I post this, I’ll be going “NO WAIT” and wanting to switch back. But considering I actually started tearing up while writing this gives this the edge. Seriously, after last night this dropped to number two and I moved it back WHILE WRITING IT. These are astounding shows. Japan Sinks is another Masaaki Yuasa joint and we’ve been blessed to have two series in one year. Co-directed with Pyeon-Gang Ho, Japan Sinks is a re-imagining of the classic Japanese disaster novel of the same name. But while the original book sounds like something closer to an Irwin Allen production, Japan Sinks 2020 is much more of a family drama as the Muto’s must traverse an increasingly treacherous world. Its also a show that in many ways follows a certain disaster movie formula of self-sacrifice and characters dying one at a time but has an incredibly strong emotional core and even some genuine surprises.
There’s a section in the middle where I was positive I knew where it was going and then revealed that what seems sinister might be much more positive and that one of our “heroes” might be terrifyingly damaged to an unexpected degree. “…is what she said” as a final character line is both surprising and unbelievably touching. And I never thought I’d be so moved by the exit of a character I would describe as the Yugoslavian Dave Coulier. Though seriously, you don’t want him on your team of survivors. Japan Sinks doesn’t shy away from horror, putting our characters through the wringer or killing people nastily and swiftly but it never devolves into misery porn. It is ultimately a hopeful series and it doesn’t wring false when we get to an ending that is ultimately uplifting and is about what really makes up a country: its people and its memories. In a year where we faced a lot of disaster, pain, loneliness and death, it would seem like this is the worst year for this show but it is a show about people able to overcome the horror and pain and survive a natural terror to keep going and strive for a better tomorrow. That may sound cheeseball but it’s the message we need right now and it works.
Warning, spoiler in this clip…
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
BTW, if people would like me to spoiler pop my big effort post, let me know. A lot of people don't but I could see how the size could be obnoxious.
I'm eventually gonna write an Effort Post™ about HxH now that I'm done with it (I was kinda going through the Election bit slowly but finished it a few days ago), but for now just know that I've had the full version of Departure stuck in my head for like 3 days