Passing on PSYCHO-PASS 3

You may have noticed that there was no review for PSYCHO-PASS 3’s first episode. That’s no accident—after watching most of the double-length episode, I decided I wasn’t going to be picking up the show this Fall. There are three primary rationales for that decision:

1. Timing

Sometimes once I’m in a season groove, even a show I was planning to watch falls through the cracks simply because it was the last one out of the gate. I’m not sure why PP3 aired 3-4 weeks later than all the other shows, but I only tend to review 3-4 shows a season, and I’m content with the four shows I’ve already got—SAO:A-WU, Fate/Grand Order ADF-B, No Guns Life and Vinland Saga.

2. Substance

Don’t get me wrong: PP3 is one of if not the overall best-looking shows of the Fall season, with little expense spared in upping the futuristic setting and all of the fancy societal technology. But as I watched the show, I became more and more aware of the fact that the show didn’t really have that much more going for it than the occasional eye candy.

I’d normally give a show another week or two to prove my initial impressions wrong, but again, we’re now technically four weeks into the season, and this was a double episode (as all eight episodes will be), and often felt sluggish and even tired, as if this whole Psycho-Pass thing might just have run its natural course.

3. Akane

This might be the biggest reason I’m not moving forward. As you can probably tell by my avatar, Tsunemori Akane is one of my favorite anime characters, just as Hanazawa Kana one of my favorite seiyus. I enjoyed watching the character evolve through two strong seasons and a movie.

I had reservations about a threequel when I learned it would focus on neither Akane nor Mika, but on two new male characters. When neither of them stood out as anything special whatsoever, those reservations were validated.

Anime needs more characters like Akane—not fewer, and her virtual absence from this episode felt like a massive void in the proceedings. She certainly deserved better than being consigned to voice-over exposition duty at the beginning and end of the episode—she doesn’t even speak out loud!

Mika is the new chief now, but I never liked her as much as Akane, and it looks to be a minor role for her in PP3. Will Akane (or Mika) actually end up playing larger roles in the next seven episodes? Perhaps, but I doubt it; Akane isn’t even on the promo art, where Arata and Kei are front and center while Mika’s off in the background.

This isn’t to dissuade anyone from watching the show; I’m not trying to go all #NotMyPsychoPass here. I respect the show’s desire to go in a different direction with some new points of view—I’m just not going to be following them down that particular road.—Braverade

Merry Christmas from RABUJOI

May your world lines be acceptable, your cocoa hot, your cookies tasty, and your hearts filled this holiday season. And if you need them filled a little more, uh…go watch Your Name. again! —RABUJOI STAFF

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we give thanks…for, among other things, Hiroyuki Sawano.

Like this:

Note to Readers: We’ll be offline most of the weekend, which unfortunately means no fresh-squeezed anime reviews until Sunday at the earliest (unless Oigakkosan emerges from his burrow).

It’s not ideal, what with the season just starting (and frankly, kind of flagging) and a couple new shows on the horizon, but RABUJOI’s Summer Staff Data Collection Retreat is long overdue. Memories must be made!

So take care, all, and as always, thanks for reading…when we have stuff to read!

—Braverade / sesameacrylic / MagicalChurlSukui

Everyone Eats and Drinks Almost Constantly in ACCA (Part 2)

Episode 08 – Niino and his dad enjoy some of Dowa’s famous Apple Cake. A few years later, in Badon, Niino’s dad buys some chocolate-covered rice crackers. Later, Niino buys some chocolates from Parrot in the Northern Sector. Princess Schnee learns to bake bread. A few years later, Niino and his dad enjoy more apple cake. Niino befriends Jean at high school and hangs out with him during lunch often. Niino uses slight-of-hand to produce candies for a young Lotta. Niino and his dad prep a loaf of sandwich bread for mailing. In the present, Jean arrives home from Korore with multiple bags of chocolate from the district’s best shops, then he and Lotta tuck in to some—you guessed it—apple cake.

Episode 09 – Rail and his partner enjoy some donuts. Chief Owl and the office staff have some fancy Korore chocolates with their tea. Rail walks through a famer’s market with Lotta where many kinds of fruits and vegetables are for sale. The owner of Honig Cafe treats Rail and Lotta to snowball pastries, then puts away a case of apples. Boxes of what appear to be chocolate-covered pretzel sticks (or simply rod-shaped cookies) are on Lotta’s kitchen counter. The Peshi district chief gives Jean a huge basked full of fruit, pastries, sausage, and other treats. Grossular and Lilium have a glass of champagne.

Episode 10 – The Chief officers confer, each with their own preferred hot beverage in distinct cups and mugs. Lilium and his brother sip some wine. Lotta has a dessert party, complete with many kinds of decorated cookies. In Pranetta, Jean samples hardtack that come in various flavors, as well as a bag of caramel and cheese popcorn from Jumoku. When he returns home, Jean has tea with Lotta. The Chief officers have tea again as well, along with Mugimaki sandwich bread in a variety of flavors. Pochard munches on a cookie. 

Episode 11 -Jean is served herbal tea with pastries and dates upon arriving in Furawau. That evening, he has a sumptuous feast with the Liliums composed of local delicacies, and washed down with wine. Mauve continues to wait at the Mugimaki bakery. Lilium serves Jean more wine at his home in Badon. Jean eats more sandwich bread toast back home with Lotta. The assembled ACCA agents drink coffee at HQ.  Schwan has tea aboard the royal airliner.

Episode 12 – At the ACCA agent briefing, there are green bottles of mineral water at the table where Jean and the chief officers sit. The night before the ceremony, Niino has some coffee with chocolates from Korore. In a flashback to when he was in hospital, a tray of hospital food is beside his bed. Pine, back in Jumoku, offers a customer the district’s famed giant strawberries. The Liliums share a hookah with their tea and biscuits. Lotta gives Prince Schwan and Magie fresh bread from Mugimaki. They have tea and snowflake pastries with King Falke. Grossular and Mauve have coffee at HQ’s Cafe Nido. Jean has a creme cake roll with his coffee. That night, while out drinking beer by himself, Niino shows up to join him. 

Everyone Eats and Drinks Almost Constantly in ACCA

If you’ve been watching ACCA, you’ve probably thought to yourself: “Goddamn, they’re almost always stuffing their faces or drinking on this show!” And, well, you’d be right; they are indeed! In fact, so much of each episode is given over to eating, drinking, purchasing, or talking about food and where to get it, you could take out all the scenes without food and drink and still have a pretty sizable episode left…as I shall demonstrate:

Episode 01 – We start with Jean and Lotta’s usual breakfast of toast with jam. Then we move on to his co-worker’s ten-o’clock snack of roll cake from Hachikuma. Once in Famasu, Jean chows down on what looks like a Reuben while Eidar orders a cheeseburger. The Five Chief Officers have tea and biscuits. The next ten-o’clock snack at Jean’s office is a five-pack of flan.  Jean buys more bread at a bakery with Knot while Rail and his colleague eat donuts. Jean joins the Five at a cafe for coffee. Jean has beers with Niino.

Episode 02 – Jean and Lotta have a breakfast of what looks like eggs on toast with cucumbers and mayonnaise. Lotta asks Jean to buy tomato bread from Mugimaki, where he runs into Mauve. Lotta enjoys some chocolate cake al fresco at Picidae. Niino tucks into a sundae. Once in Jumoku, Jean samples the giant burgers, fries, and fruit at Basswood. Jean buys local produce to bring home. Lotta and Owl sample a nut cake at Honig. Niino and Jean have a huge dinner of meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and bread, and wash it down with beer and wine. Later, Jean takes Niino on a drunken trip to the supermarket.

Episode 03 – Jean gives his co-workers a 10-pack of cream puffs from Hachikuma for their ten-o’clock snack, and a package of fancy cookies for Lotta. Lotta and Niino have a dinner of meat, potatoes, and salads. Lotta receives a parcel of potatoes in the mail, with which she plans to make gratin. Jean has dinner with Mauve at Veil, consisting of fine wine, rare steaks with black truffles. Prince Schwan samples some fine pastries. After dinner Jean has more wine with Niino, along with grapes, pretzels, and a selection of cheeses. Prior to Schwan’s celebration, Jean, Nino and Lotta attend a catered affair at the palace with pastries, breads, and various jams, jellies, and sweets. That night, after the King’s address, they enjoy various desserts like Dowan nut cake and strawberries.

Episode 04 – In the episode with the least food and drink, Niino and Lotta have tea and chocolate layer cake, as she packs chocolate, nuts, wine, and other gifts for the building owner. At Chez Pierre in Suitsu, Jean has a bowl of rustic stew. Warbler buys some loaves of bread. Lotta polishes off a bowl of something, as one of Magie’s underlings eats an elaborate sundae. Pastis drinks some brown liquor. Jean’s captives give him some bread. 

Episode 05 – Schwan has tea and cookies. Lotta has blueberry pancakes at Kakesu. Rail introduces Magie to toast made from sandwich bread. Jean’s co-workers plan to make microwave potato chips. Lotta has a snack of some kind of pink confection with an orange soda. Later at Mugimaki she orders two-centimeter slices of walnut, cheese, and chocolate bread. Birra district’s branch chief presents a spread of local foods to Jean for dinner, including rye bread (to go with the wheat bread not made there), the local grog, meat and potatoes. Magie introduces the joy of buttered toast to Schwan. Niino takes Jean and Lotta for a dinner of steamed mussels served with bread and french fries. While Jean is in Rokkusu, Niino takes Lotta out for vegetable, meat, and cheese fondue.

Episode 06 – Jean’s co-workers have apple cake for their snack. Jean invites them to his and Lotta’s apartment building party where they have drinks, and a buffet. Both Rail and Owl give Lotta cakes as New Years presents. The Five have tea and coffee in their common area. While in Hare, Jean is treated to an elaborate, sumptuous feast consisting of grilled meat and shrimp skewers, whole fish, red and green curry, beef stew, pork belly, salad, and more, washed down with quite a lot of beer, to the point Jean refuses to share a bottle of booze with Niino later. Jean and Lotta have toast with jam for breakfast when he’s back.

Episode 07 – Magie puruses a catalog listing all of the flavors of bread Mugimaki makes. Jean passes by fancy cakes at Patisserie Fuchs in Dowa, searching for famous flavored snowball (“Yukinotama”) pastries Lotta wants him to bring home. Niino takes him to Cafe Berg, where Jean orders the snowballs and tries one for himself, then joins King Falke over a spread of fruit and nut tarts, pies, and rolls. Jean and Niino have wine with a platter of sausages, meats, pate, cheeses, and other snacks. Jean samples Mugimaki’s new walnut mugwort bread. Niino eats squares from a chocolate bar. While in Korore, Jean inspects all of the chocolatiers the district is known for.

Please, dear readers, I implore you: Don’t watch ACCA on an empty stomach. Have some food and drink nearby. I’m going to go eat some bread now.

Merry Christmas from RABUJOI

Eat, drink, and be merry. And pace yourselves! —R.S.

Persona 5 the Animation: The Day Breakers – 00

What Is It:

A 24-minute anime special based on the Persona 5 RPG due out in Japan later this month and in the US next February. It follows a “story-of-the-week” format to introduce the “Phantom Thieves of Hearts”, who investigate an online tip to bring down the leader of a gang of cat burglars who also beats his little brother.

They do so by dropping him in the “perceived world”, summoning their Personas (powerful allies) to defeat his, and purging his heart of arrogance, so back in the real world he rats himself and his gang out to the police, and they’re promptly arrested.

Why You Should Watch:

If you’re a fan of the franchise and have been eagerly awaiting its 20th anniversary offering, this special may well pump you up for the games’ upcoming release. Sadly, I’m only a tourist in the world of Persona, having only caught the first 14 eps Persona 4 when it aired 2011 before I sorta lost interest (Reviews here).

I was actually surprised how similar the style of 5 is to 4. The jazzy, jaunty score, slick fashion, rich, lived-in Tokyo setting (a little Drrr!esque), and the seiyu Horie Yui are what drew me to 5’s predecessor. But that was a full-length anime; this is just a special that serves as an appetizer to the RPG main course, which I won’t be playing.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch:

If you’ve played or watched Persona and weren’t impressed, The Day Breakers special likely won’t be changing your opinion. For all the detail in their outfits and surroundings, the characters are painted with only the broadest of strokes. The protagonist is a nameless cipher by design, and because no one else distinguishes themselves, it’s hard to get emotionally invested in anything.

I was also, ironically, less enamored of the “perceived world” than the actual world, which was dominated by goofy carnival and masquerade imagery that frankly isn’t all that interesting. It’s like it’s trying to be darker and edgier than it’s actually willing to be; very PG-13.

Similarly, while he’s only one of many baddies to come, the guy they chose to be the villain in this special was trying too hard. The sudden shift in his character from something that might’ve been more gray (and interesting) to all-out evil was laughably jarring, more appropriate for Scooby-Doo. Finally, while it sounds better in Japanese, “Phantom Thieves of Hearts” is a painfully lame name for the party.

The Verdict:

Watchable and mildly diverting, but all surface. I can imagine myself spending dozens of hours as the bespectacled protagonist in the P5 RPG; I could even probably watch a good portion of its anime adaptation, should it get a full cour or two down the road. I’m just…not sure I either need or want to.

9 Irritating and/or Evil Spring Prettyboys

This season has been lousy with bishounen/prettyboy side characters, who we at RABUJOI have found to be underdeveloped, dull, one-note, and generally irritating, as well as comically evil. Here are the pros and cons of nine guys (in alphabetical order) we really wouldn’t miss if they were shot into the sun and never heard from again, regardless of the genres of the shows they inhabit:

1. Amatori Biba, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Pros: “The Liberator”, leader of the Hunters. Eldest son of the Shogun. Tall, handsome, and adored by the masses (those that are still alive, that is) as a hero. Great hair.

Cons: Not really a hero. Disowned by the Shogun. Uses people (including Mumei) like tools in his crusade to become stronger. Keeps Kabane around like rats aboard his ghoulish train-lab. It was never really in doubt that he was a bad guy, since the first time Ikoma saw him he basically said “This is not a good guy.”

2. Aoyama Yuuga, My Hero Academia

Pros: Can fire a laser beam out of his navel. Good personal hygeine.

Cons: Annoying. Self-involved. Preening. Has a permanent V-shaped smirk on his face.

3. Elliot Forster, Gakusen Toshi Asterisk

Pros: Young, handsome, talented, chivalrous.

Cons: Arrogant. Unable to last half an episode against Ayato and Julis. Barely a character.

4. Ijika Yuuto, Sousei no Onmyouji

Pros: Extremely powerful exorcist. Can easily get under Rokuro’s skin. Great at pretending to be a nice, kind human being and brother to Benio.

Cons: Comically evil, power-hungry, and arrogant. Only really exists to provide a nemesis for Rokuro to duel. Made Benio cry. Not much else to him.

5. Judar Harvey, Hundred

Pros: Tall, handsome, confident, successful. Runs a huge city/academy ship. Has a gorgeous sister in Claire.

Cons: Like Biba, clearly not a good guy and not really trying to pretend otherwise. Uses his other sister Liza as a power source for the ship, and might have designs on Karen too.

6. Roswaal L. Mathers, Re:Zero

Pros: Rich, influential, a skilled wizard. Seems to want Emilia to be Queen. Welcomes Subaru into his fly palace and gives him a job. Same hilarious voice actor as Soul Eater’s Excalibur.

Cons: Looks like a goofy clown. Has a kinda Dracula vibe to him as well. Believes Subie could be a spy. Kinda annoying speech patterns. Uncertain motives. Possibly sleeping with Ram. Could be evil.

7. Tsuchimikado Arima, Sousei no Onmyouji

Pros: Young, tall, handsome, uninhibited, full of joie de vivre. Powerful exorcist. Committed Rokuro x Benio shipper (like Preston).

Cons: Isn’t interested in Rokuro or Benio’s opinions on the matter of joining together to conceive the Miko. A shameless exhibitionist and voyeur who the cops should probably keep an eye on. All that conviviality could just be an act to conceal inner evil.

8. Keith Aero Windermere, Macross Delta

Pros: Young (way under 30), rich, handsome, (de?)cultured. Ace pilot. Ordained aerial knight. Puts his country first. Cool name.

Cons: Bulky, overwrought wardrobe. Derivative cockpit banter. Driving his frail younger brother Heinz to an early grave. Really only interested in dogfights with Messer. Probably killed Messer.

9. Ohta, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge

Pros: Young, tall, and blonde. A slight air of delinquency. Devoted best friend to Tanaka, and makes sure he’s on time for classes and doesn’t end up in ditches. Neither irritating nor evil.

Cons: None. Ohta’s the best. Doesn’t belong on this list. Just messing with you!

Memorial Day 2016

Many thanks to all military members, past and present, for their contributions and sacrifices to the cause of preserving the freedom and liberty we far too often take for granted. —RABUJOI STAFF

2015 By The Numbers

1

Punch needed for Saitama to defeat the vast majority of his opponents

2

Food-themed shows

2.08

Episodes reviewed per day*

3

Shows reviewed exclusively by Franklin (Oigakkosan)

4

Preston’s controversial rating of Rokka no Yuusha’s final episode

5

2-cour shows contained entirely within the year

6

Number of Steins;Gate episodes added to the RABUJOI World Heritage List (RWHL)

7.8

Percent of episodes rated “10” (Masterpiece)

8.25

Weighted Average Rating of all shows watched

9

GOD EATER episodes aired; the remaining four will supposedly air in Winter 2016

12

Shows dropped

13

Shows in which Hanazawa Kana voiced a lead or supporting character

17

Sequels and spin-offs*

26

Episodes added to the RWHL (for a total of 59)

57

Total shows watched*

116

Lines of dialogue devoted to boob size

278

Hours of anime watched (>11.5 days)*

758

Episodes watched and reviewed*

920

Blog posts

2,018

Comments

483,000

Words written*

*Dropped shows not included.

Summer 2013 (The Painting)

Ahh, Summer 2013. Doesn’t this Acrylic-and-Pastel-on-Paper masterpiece take you back? We were a lot more hard on shows, or so it would seem; there’s only one 10 (it deserved it).

We also calculated average ratings down to the thousands…for some reason.

We watched a show about a woman beating a man in the body of a dog mercilessly…until we just couldn’t any more.

There was a romantic drama that was full of jerks.

There was a swimming anime with no female leads.

There was…a lot of stuff.

Now it’s on my living room wall. And my roommate wants it off…or at least another one next to it to fill the space.

Maybe I’ll get adventurous and go back to where it all began: Fall 2010. So many 3.5’s!

Life Imitating GATE: Diet Votes to Expand JSDF’s Role

Rambling observational commentary follows.

The fictional Japanese military of countless anime throughout the years have been typically portrayed as serving in a strictly defensive capacity: only allowing the use of arms if directly attacked. And attacked they have been, be it from terrorists, giant monsters, aliens, or other nations.

In the first episode of GATE: Thus the JSDF Fought There!, it’s the same story: a massive enemy force invades Ginza and the JSDF get their SD on. But what happens next is not only a rare(r) occurrence in anime, but also presaged the movements of the government of real-world Japan: Prime Minister Abe wants the ability for the JSDF to go on the offensive under certain circumstances. He wants a JSOF.

Today, it would seem he got his wish, in a contentious vote that caused opposition lawmakers to walk out and spurred large protests in Tokyo. Polls indicate a small plurality of Japanese are opposed to the expansion. The approved measure means Japan has lost its unique—at least for a country of its size—pacifist stance laid out in its constitution, though many anti-militarist opponents believe this vote violates the constitution.

In any case, the timing of GATE’s airing, and the fact it portrays a modern 2015-era JSDF invading enemy territory and mowing down feudal armies of tens of thousands with ease, adds credence to rumblings that it is veiled pro-offensive-military propaganda, even if the creators and producers of GATE didn’t quite intend it that way. Of course, the timing could also just be a coincidence (if anyone has any insights one way or another, feel free to voice them in the ‘ments).

We’ll continue to closely watch both GATE and the developments in real-world Japan, a country whose constitution “forever renounces war as an instrument for settling international disputes”, but currently led by those who believe the country’s best chance of maintaining security and stability in the region is to amend, if not outright abrogate, that long-standing renouncement.

Whatever your personal position on these developments (and we welcome all viewpoints; it’s a free internet!), they certainly comprise a fascinating juxtaposition of anime and real-world politics.

—RABUJOI STAFF