Working!! 06

It’s time for the sixth episode of Working!!, and to start things off we get a Takanashi family home video. It’s great to see the younger incarnations of the sisters – suffice to say, their personalities have changed a lot over the years – with Kozue showing her sweet side when she gives a stuffed toy to a four-year-old in a dress. But wait, that can’t be Nazuna. The ages aren’t adding up correctly! In fact, the ‘girl in the dress’ is none other than our favourite minicon Sota, who was quite the… trap?!

And then he grew up.

Angel Beats! 06

We open with the SSS members being let out of the reflection room after being caught in the cafeteria by Naoi last episode. They’re a little worse for wear, having been forced to sleep on hard floors, but are generally alright. Yuri notes that things have taken a strange turn: for the first time, it has been ordinary students who’ve sent them for punishment. Could Tenshi (who will now be known as Kanade here) have been keeping them in check? The team are at a loss for how to proceed, so Yuri instructs them to experiment: now that Kanade isn’t ruling, they should do whatever they want in class. And, of course, the gang make it their mission to be as crazy as possible.

Crazy baby.

Durarara!! 17 – The Chessmaster

This week we got to see Shizuo do what he does best, with a side order of kick-ass.  We also got Anri’s backstory, and afterwards she received a power upgrade.  Finally, in case you’ve been unconscious up to this point, it drove home Kida’s true allegiance.  However, Izaya’s manipulation of events, starting back in season one, is perhaps the most important aspect.  They have always painted him as The Chessmaster, but his Xanatos Gambit solidifies his position.  Can anyone hope to stop him?

Can't you let me play chess in peace?

Arakawa Under the Bridge 05

With the introduction of P-ko, it feels like all the main players are here. P-ko’s intro scene was great, and I fell in love with the character immediately, but it was the the conflict between Star and Riku that got me most excited in this episode. The setup is complete, let the plot move forward!

No clue as to why this was in there.

Giant Killing 05 – The I in Team

I know what you’re thinking, the traditional saying is, “There’s no I in team.”  We spout the axiom to teams in an effort to curb selfishness in their individual playstyles.  If you attempt to do everything by yourself, or perhaps even worse show off all the time, the team will suffer from it.  However, the other extreme may be equally dangerous.  If you put all your effort into selfless play for the sake of the team, you might never utilize your key abilities on the field.  The episode pivots on whether or not Murakoshi learns this vital lesson.

YEAH! Get PUMPED! Let's WIN this game!

Working!! 04 – 05

So sorry for the lateness of this! I’ve had some internet trouble over the past week.

Working!! episode four begins with the introduction of a woman who’s collapsed, drunk, outside the restaurant. The staff have all gathered around her when she wakes up and throws herself at Sota. He shoos the others away before its revealed that she is, in fact, his elder sister Kozue. Unfortunately for him, Inami – who’s been changing in the closet – has heard everything. The next few minutes has Sota in a headlock, Inami seeing a baby picture of his (and assuming the subject was a girl) and Inami punching Sota. Working!!, I’ve missed you.

Poor guy...

Rainbow 04 – Critical Storytelling Failure

*sigh* So, I think everyone and their mother has criticized Rainbow at some point for acting a bit lax in the storytelling department.  It looks like today is my turn to jump on the bandwagon.  Episode 4 explores Sakuragi, his past, and his current motivation to protect the boys in his cell.  Unfortunately, the way they present it, it falls flat on its face.

Uh... thanks for the visual aide, guys.

Angel Beats! 05

Angel Beats! episode 5 is here, and it’s time for… exams? Unfortunately, even though the students in the series are (for all intents and purposes) dead, they have to take tests as well. Oh, the horror! The SSS isn’t overly worried though: this period presents a unique opportunity for them to bring down Tenshi. Their plot is to bring her score down so low that she will be unable to honourably fulfill her duties as the student council president. When this inevitably becomes the case, she will step down and all will be well. Yuri takes a moment to consider that if Tenshi is truly human, they’ll simply be traumatising her. This clearly isn’t on her mind for long, though, as we head into the plan briefing. The members to carry this mission out are Takamatsu, Hinata, Ooyama, Takeyama (better known as Christ), and of course, Otonashi. Operation Start!

This is how exams make me feel, too.