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Continuing my catch up with shows where either the director or the writer of APFTTU were involved I started a show which the writer was on series composition (also had the director of A Silent Voice on storyboards).
Sound! Euphonium eps 1-6
Great so far. Some moving moments, some very funny moments and some intriguing stuff still to reveal itself. The characters are very good as well. Best girl at the moment is Asuka or Reina.

The answer is Kumiko.
 
Junji Ito 12
Another episode that could’ve been better. That seems to go for the entire series, could’ve been awesome but simply fell short. A let down all around really.
 
Junji Ito 12
Another episode that could’ve been better. That seems to go for the entire series, could’ve been awesome but simply fell short. A let down all around really.
This is why I dropped it, a shame since the source material looks pretty impressive
 
Grave of the Fireflies

The best known film by the late, great Isao Takahata. Probably largely off the back of its reputation as one of the saddest films ever made and being championed as one of the great anti-war films by Roger Ebert. It is worthy of both titles, but Takahata doesn't just want to instil sadness; he admitted in an interview with The Japan Times that “It’s traumatizing for an audience to see the lives of two happy people deteriorate over time until they die tragically. If an audience knows at the beginning of the film that the two will eventually die, they are more prepared to watch the film in the first place. I try to lessen an audience’s pain by revealing everything at the beginning.” He also wants to stoke your anger. Anger against nationalism, anger against the stubbornness and arrogance of his nation (as embodied by the actions of Seita), anger against war.

One of the reasons it is the greatest animated film ever made is that it is almost impossible to separate the power of the film from the medium it is told in. While this won't be the prevailing view around these parts, animation is still largely viewed as a vehicle to tell children's stories. Takahata said that “the film provided [him] with an opportunity to explore a new form of expression in animation by capturing the world these two children lived in.” The style is realistic, but the form acts as a filter that puts focus on character & theme - magnifying the film's power. You manage to get more than an impression of the visual horrors without having to witness a live action recreation, which may have paradoxically came across as more false than a drawn representation.

Yet the film is filled with moments of beauty, as the wheels of nature continue to turn indifferently to the follies of humanity.

A
 
just caught up on the first of magical girl site and uh wait a second... I need my upa pillow
latest

ah that's better. it's like they took all the darker bits from something like elfen lied and put them into one episode, and magical girls? did kyuebey just get another more honest sales pitch? I like dark series, I shall be waiting for the next one, but I'm afraid going on would just make me think many characters are just psychopaths
 
Sound! Euphonium eps 7-13 (complete) plus special Ready, Set, Monaka
That was great. I can't put my finger on why I liked so much beyond all the reasons I listed in the first post about it. But I had to keep watching, I think it was the show I've binged in the least amount of sessions. Plus I learned some stuff.
Reina definitely best girl though. She was the quiet yet determined one. All my favourite moments involved her like
playing that section of "From the New World"
(I always thought it was composed by an English person, as I always associate it with the North, coal mine bands and the Hovis ad with the kid pushing the bike up the hill (although that is actually in Shaftsbury, Wiltshire!) But it was written by a Czech bloke who was in America it the time)
Episode 8 when she took Kumiko up the hill was an amazing scene, then when she stood up to that bratty girl Yuuko who spread rumours and upset the whole group just because she was upset for her sempai (I did feel a bit sorry for Kaori and at least she was a lot more mature about it) and finally the solo itself at the end, brilliant!
9/10
I thought we'd get the performance from the 10 that were cut in the special, but it was mostly the same events as the main show from Hazukis perspective

Crossing Time ep 1
Yet another short show. 2 girls discuss life whilst waiting at a train crossing. This time wasted youth, because of waiting at a crossing. I wonder if the revelation from this episode will carry over or ignored in the next episode.

Kakuriyo -Bed and Breakfast for Spirits- ep 2
The character design and animation aren't the best, but I think the story could be good.
 
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody (Dub) Episode 11

Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san (Dub) Episode 11

Katana Maidens (Dub) Episode 12

Fumikiri Jikan (Sub) Episode 1

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi (Sub) Episode 2

Space Battleship Tiramisu (Sub) Episode 2
 
Kakuriyo -Bed&Breakfast for Spirits- episode 2 Another solid episode, was waiting for someone to call out Aoi's mistreatment.

Railroad Crossing Time episode 1 Lots of shorter series' this season. I liked this just fine, was sweet enough to warrant a watch next week.

Space Battleship Tiramasu episode 2 Pretty meh this week, not sure what I was supposed to laugh at. Will give episode 3 a chance though.

Gintama episodes 38-40

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable episodes 10-20

Went round a friends house today and we watched:

13 Assassins (Film) A superb samurai flick with a visceral and awe-inspiring climax. This is honestly one of the best films I've ever seen, the directing was sublime and direct, the characters simple but good enough too Root for. It has that signature insanity that Takashi Miike objects into his films, but also has a maturity and calmness that shows the growth of his work since the 90s Yakuza flicks he made (which I also found very enjoyable.) Overall this was quite the experience. 5/5

Green Room (Film) A decent thriller that takes a simple premise and keeps the atmosphere tense throughout. I didn't find myself relating to the main protagonists though which affected my overall enjoyment of the film. It was still worth the watch though. 3.5/5
 
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Ep 2 of Space Battleship Tiramasu....again WTF
Ep 1 of Persona5 The Animation...wizzed through that, exactly like the game but without the battles
Ep 1 of Golden Kamuy...think i'll have to give the manga a go
 
Hunter x Hunter - Episodes 141-142 - Did that old lady just turn into a motorcycle? Because I think that old lady just turned into a motorcycle... An interesting couple of episodes I suppose.

Golden Kamuy - Episode 1 - Eeeeh, seems kinda interesting but can't say I was particularly enamoured by it, also that bear was a thing man lol.

My Hero Academia - Episode 39 - First off I'm not a fan of the new OP, just feels weird. Secondly this was a recap episode >_> I guess it wasn't the worst as it wasn't as fan service filled as I'd expect a pool/beach type episode to be but looking forward to getting into the story proper next week.
 
Golden Kamuy EP1 - Seems very intresting so far, only thing that let it down was the dreadful CGI bear & Wolf (whhhhyyy?!)

Steins Gate Missing Link (EP23) - Getting ready for the new season
 
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