New dank pit to post in eh? Well, guess that's a good time to post impressions so far.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders as of 45
We've finally arrived at Dio's World and it's been quite an adventure. We've fought a killer stag beetle, a sentient cargo ships controlled by an Orangutan, the Sun, magnetism, a pedophile, a 90's rapper and many more insane foes. Many people found the fights in the first half less interesting and yes, they were much more simple. But due to this we've seen the entire concept of Stands mature before our very eyes, just as it did when Araki wrote the manga 25 years ago. That's part of the beauty of such a faithful adaptation. You could argue that if some of the less interesting fights were cut, animation quality may be improved in more important episodes but we've already seen such a bump in quality from the pre-Stand days, it's impressive that they've been able to keep this level of consistency for nearly 50 episodes. As a fan of the series I don't think I could be happier with what David Production has done with this show.
Punch Line as of 8
What to expect from media written by Uchikoshi:
- Mystery
- Pseudo-science
- The big twist reveal
- Time travel
- A slow start
- Scenes that gain relevance once you've learned more information
- A pervert protagonist
- Visible swimsuits, underwear or lack thereof on at least one character
- A red-eyed gasmask
Everything aside from the big reveal is present, which will likely appear in the last few episodes. Uchikoshi writes mystery with a focus on excitement & fun and it has certainly delivered on that so far. I do wonder if he can still surprise me in the end but that isn't as important here as it was in Zero Escape due to the strength and involvement of the characters. Even with scenes that apparently had little to do with the plot, the girls created an exciting dynamic with their relationships and Yuta is the most likeable protagonist I've seen from any of Uchikoshi's work, definitely more so than Sigma. I wonder what viewers unfamiliar with his formula will think when the dust has settled in the end.
Ore Monogatari!! as of 8
This is the first time a shoujo romance has hooked me since
Say "I Love You" nearly three years ago. Takeo and Rinko's romance is such a simple thing but their excitement with its development is infectious. You can't help but smile when Takeo does something that makes Rinko explode in red as he does the same, it's an adorable relationship.
Gintama° as of 8
With an inconsistent start, Gintama finally hit its stride with the last few episodes. There isn't much to say about it other than "it's more Gintama". Whenever it's not offensively homophobic or transphobic it's hilarious, so of course the next episode will probably be the former going by the preview...
Baby Steps 2 as of 8
It pleases me that the CG abominations have returned with this recent game. Probably the better of the two sports shows I'm still watching.
Ace of Diamond 2 as of 8
Good when the pacing isn't terrible. I've watched so many episodes already so obviously there's no way I'm stopping.
Ninja Slayer as of 6
While I haven't watched the most recent episode, it seems clear that Trigger can't keep 15 minute episodes entertaining. I barely remember what happened in the last episode. Clearly this was a false messiah.
