Finally back to the past where it matters. So happy to see Kayo again too.
I do have to say that plan to leave Kayo in the bus sounds like the worst idea ever. At first I thought they were gonna run away together but leaving her defenseless in the middle of nowhere is just inviting people to do something horrible to her. I cant believe Satoru was about to kill her mom too lol.
Kenya is also super suspicious.
Aside from those wrinkles, I really enjoyed this episode. Its gonna be exciting to see how Satoru finds a way to win, especially in uncharted territory.
Really loving the dub, Ranta's voice and giggles makes it awesome, the whole part where he was saying "hes magnificent, and the rosy glow of his skin with the youth and passion flowing through, the writer was having so much fun with his character. Best.
I guess when you have over 100 episodes to work with you can truly dedicate an entire episode to show that politics are just as dirty as the war behind them while completely focusing on only one of the sides. Eat your heart out Gundam.
You can try both. The David Production adaptation is very good, though. The advantage to the manga is not having to wait years to see it all. Part 4 starts in Spring.
This post is old but Part 7's going to be the weirdest to adapt into an anime. Even before it transitioned to a monthly, the chapters were already significantly longer than most weekly manga chapters (a good 5-10 more pages longer depending on the chapter) and then it switches to the monthly format and you've all of a sudden got chapters going anywhere from 35 pages to 55 pages.
Like, assuming it ever gets adapted, it's going to be insanely interesting how it gets handled.
Episode flew right by this week. Without me noticing the 20 minutes went by like nothing.
Couple of interesting things this week, like the
the whole obvious notion that things won't stay stagnent if a different course of action is taken. We also got to see the red eyes on Satoru himself right as he was about to push Hinazuki's mom down the stairs. The cliffhanger was something I saw coming, I thought he was going to stay with her the whole time and not leave her alone. It could just be Satoru's mom checking out what's going on, since she did her son leave in the middle of the night on the previous day.
Yeah this one was pretty damn solid. I think so far for me the only episode that didn't keep me as engaged was the 5th one.
Very well directed episode that capitalizes on the strengths on the series while handling the weaker parts in pretty elegant ways. I definitely feel that the childhood parts of the series are far more compelling. There's something about the contrast between the serious dramatic overtones and the childish innocence and awkwardness that simply works. Some really nice moments here.
After reflecting on the weak dive the series took in the previous episodes and the rebound here, I can't help but think again of what this show reminds me the most of - 20th Century Boys. There too, even with Urasawa's much stronger writing, the story excelled when dealing with the past and the childhood and revisiting it with the retrospect of grown adults. The actual adult scenes set in the future eventually got more and more convoluted and struggled to stay consistent on their own without the crutch of being haunted by the nostalgia of yesteryear.
I didn't really have an issue with any of the silly scenes this week either.
Is Kenya too bright? Yes, but he's always been this way. Satoru's answer about wanting to be a hero of justice was perfect, and highlights the contrast I mentioned earlier. Their entire "rescue plan" for Kayo is great too. It's the stuff kids would come up with. I have no issues with Satoru trying to "kill" Kayo's mom either, because if you look at the way the entire scene was directed, it was clear he wasn't going to succeed no matter what. At worst he would push her down the stairs and cause her to sprain her leg or something. He's so much smaller, and he really overestimates the damage he can do to an adult, so it felt more like a Scooby Doo thing. LIke Kayo would say.... "baka nano?" I love that almost whimsical carefree tone where it's about kids thinking they can overcome the impossible. It's why stuff like Goonies can be so appealing.
The best scene in the entire episode has to be the transition where the teacher's eyes turn into street lamps though. It's way more creative than usual, and his eyes weren't even red!
I also feel that the cliffhanger this week is the first cliffhanger that is actually earned. It didn't feel cheap or random, but shows yet again that Satoru cannot account for everything, and that danger lurks in all his blind spots. It is a cliffhanger directly related to the cause and effect of the actions in the episode itself, so it worked really well.
The best scene in the entire episode has to be the transition where the teacher's eyes turn into street lamps though. It's way more creative than usual, and his eyes weren't even red!
Episode 2, also handled by assistant director Toshimasa Ishii, had similar highly creative directorial techniques with transitions and framing. Ishii is relatively newly promoted from production assistant (earliest storyboard/directing credit of his I can find is Your Lie in April 18), and I'll definitely be keeping my eye on him in the future.
Episode 2, also handled by assistant director Toshimasa Ishii, had similar highly creative directorial techniques with transitions and framing. Ishii is relatively newly promoted from production assistant (earliest storyboard/directing credit of his I can find is Your Lie in April 18), and I'll definitely be keeping my eye on him in the future.
Despite my problems with the show, I do find myself enjoying ERASED.
Satoru is a decent character in my eyes. His development has certainly been a little awkward, but still enjoyable. You get the feeling he was just going through the motions of living early in the series.
That he was too burned out to even try to make friends or try new things.
When he came to after nearly dying, his general reaction was more "okay, I guess I'm not dead." than of happiness. Going to the past allowed him to forget his personal anxiety and focus on basic childlike human connections again.
To the point where him going out of his way to help people now no longer feels ironic, but like something he actually wants to do.
The obligatory onsen episode where MC is forbidden from playing the game. We still get glimpses of the game world, but they are few and far between.
There's also a very short tease of the game and real world connection like in previous episodes, but at this point it's more disappointing than anything else.
I guess they still have half a cour, but this series is screaming "wasted potential" louder and louder with each episode.
The segments in the past are definitely better than the present. I agree with the complaints about Kenya, but it doesn't bother me that much. Episode was great.
I'm glad I finally sat down and watched this. First of all, it's just a gorgeous show. The background art is incredible, the character designs are good, and the show is very well directed. The closeups of faces worked incredibly well throughout the episode. The art and direction both work in tandem to convey a large amount of emotion without actually using any extra dialogue. It's always nice to see a show that really understands visual storytelling. There's some really nice lighting at work in a few scenes, too, which really helps to make everything feel more vibrant.
With a double length episode there's a lot happening here, but it's also mostly just setting things up, especially with things about to shift into the past after this. Still, despite how much was going on, I felt like the show eased me through things well enough for the most part. The performances were also a highlight, with the voice acting and direction being quite strong for them and helping to really make them stand out.
Best thing about the past is Satoru actually has a team to back him up whilst as an adult is seemingly friendless save for a 16 year old girl.
I've got no issue with Kenya's supposed intelligence, as long as it's been established and consistent with what we've shown I'll suspend my belief. I loved the kids' plan to say Hinazaki but I felt for being an adult, Satoru still acts with the mental capacity of a kid but I'm being over critical here.
A lovely trip back to the past and the series is back on track.
Steins Gate ep.19
Holy shit is Moeka broken or what. She's such a stupid toolbar to be the way she is. Hopefully, with the info she did give, they can figure something out.
I love the maturity of the direction in this series. Just the cut where a person vanishes into the tower when another person walks in front of him is masterful.
