Princess Principal Episode 11 — A Parting Exchange

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As we head into the final lap of Princess Principal, it’s not surprising to see some larger twists that would indicate where the show is intentionally going for its finale. In episode 10, we learned about a change in command that shook things up for our cast of girls as they have been given the command to execute Project: Changling in order to assassinate the current princess, and as expected, our cast of characters has some diverse reactions to this news.

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Isekai Shokudo, Shokugeki no Soma, and Rispara: A Three-Course Meal of Food, Character, and Narrative

generaltofu 4 Comments

In my youth, food was always hugely important to my friends and family. Food wasn’t just something you brought to a family reunion or put on the dinner table. It was a way that you connected with one another – a cornerstone of life, physically and socially. Even though I don’t dabble to an intense degree in the cooking arts, it’s because of these early experiences that I’ve always held a vested interest in food and how it connects things and people, and that carried over into my taste in anime. Food holds a solid place in a lot of anime these days (just ask any schoolgirl that’s running late on her first day), but shows that revolve specifically around food aren’t exactly common. That being said, some of the few shows that do focus on food hold a special place in my heart for the fascinating ways that they present food, and for how they give food a central role in their narratives. Here, I’m going to look at just three food-centric shows – Isekai Shokudou, Shokugeki no Soma, and Ristorante Paradiso – and dive into the vastly different ways in which they use food for narrative purposes.

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Princess Principal Episode 10 – Reunions and Revelations

Selie 3 Comments

As far as case numbers go, chronologically, this is the farthest forward we’ve gone yet, at Case 22.  It definitely was intentional to save this one for almost next to last as episode ten is the tipping point to what will most likely be an freaking epic conclusion to the series.  However, before I jump the gun to some real big shit (like the biggest of cliffhangers yet for this show) we’ve got an episode with a possible double agent, plenty of intrigue, and a character from both Ange and Dorothy’s past.

Time to send in the RSVPs ‘cause it’s gosh dang class reunion.

[HorribleSubs] Princess Principal - 10 [1080p].mkv_snapshot_05.36_[2017.09.19_00.40.52]

Reunions are fun, aren’t they?

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Update: We’re on iTunes and Soundcloud!

thebackloggers 2 Comments

Hey everyone!  Mythos, here.  Got a little bit of exciting news.  The Backloggers finally have a purely audio format for the podcast!

I know! It's only been, like, what? Two years?

I know! It’s only been, like, what? Two years of doing this?

Outside of the full list on YouTube, we have three episodes of the Log Time podcast out now on iTunes and SoundCloud and are planning on possibly adding them to other places like the Google Play Store.  Let us know if outside of those there are any other places y’all tend to listen to podcasts.  We’ll also be going through the backlog (heh) of the other video podcasts and adding them as well.

We’ve been working on this for a bit and, if you notice, we kinda ran with a couple different intro/outros for the three episodes currently up but we think finally found a formula we like with the Engaged to the Unidentified podcast that we just put out.  Let us know what you guys think because we really want to improve this going forward.  Also, not to be one of those “smash the like button” types but the only way for people to see any of these anime podcasts out on the iTunes store is to support them.  Otherwise, they’ll be lost to obscurity.  So, if you could, rate and comment on iTunes.  It’ll really help us out.

Oh!  While you’re there, if you haven’t already, rate and comment on Anime is Lit.  They’re fantastic to listen to and each episode is really entertaining and clever.  They deserve all the love you can give them.

Thanks!  Hope you all enjoy.

Log Time Podcast #27 | Engaged to the Unidentified Discussion — Strange Love

thebackloggers 1 Comment

This week, we talk about Doga Kobo’s Engaged to the Unidentified, the slice of life rom-com that begins normally, gets weird, and ends (relatively) normally. We discuss interesting re-contextualization of certain tropes, consistent, unnecessary conflicts with speedy resolutions, the interesting shift towards a more female-centric perspective for a rom-com of this type, and just how dang gorgeous the show is.

Audio Links: iTunes | SoundCloud

This podcast was recorded on August 17th, 2017.

Princess Principal Episode 9 – Trans-Cultural Connection

generaltofu 3 Comments

As previous history with Princess Principal has indicated thus far, the show has kept consistent with its character explorations with each passing episode, especially if we consider the bombshell that episode eight was. Episode nine chooses to focus once again on the combat expert and resident Nihonjin of the spies, Chise. We already had a pretty solid episode of development dedicated to her earlier in the season, wherein which she faced off with and slayed her father-turned-traitor, and we saw a distinctly human side of her by the end of it. That episode focused somewhat on integrating her into the team, and in many ways, this episode is largely the same, thematically. However, we learn far more about Chise in relation to her Japanese pride and heritage, and how that comes into play with her work as a spy. In a way, though, this episode serves as a deep dive into the character of Princess, as well, using the events of last week as a frame of reference.

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Princess Principal Episode 8 — Shifting Emptiness

Owningmatt93 7 Comments

I feel that every week that it’s my turn to write these articles, the show gets infinitely more interesting than the episodes of the previous weeks. Whether that’s because of the fact that I’m legitimately enjoying the pleasant surprises that this show continues to deliver, the fact that it’s just paced its bigger moments with more impact well, or possibly both, I’m glad that I’m watching this show and I take back all of my skepticism that I had about this show before it aired.

This week’s episode answered some of the the concerns that Mythos had in his last article, as he wondered if the show was going to tie some of these threads from these singular cases together into an overarching plot, which is something I also wondered about the series after the previous few episodes. But episode 8 has decided to finally reveal some of the cards that it had hidden in its hand and has now played them in full view of the audience. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise twist or anything, considering some aspects have already been hinted at in Episode 2 specifically and could have been picked up on in smaller ways throughout various other episodes as well.

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August 2017 Monthly Content Round-up

thebackloggers 5 Comments

Hey, Mythos here!

Well, it’s another month in the Anisphere and there’s been a ton of new and awesome content to check out!  It seems like every month there’s just more and more incredible analyses, entertaining videos, and in-depth podcasts that I’m having trouble wading through the sea of content.  I love it, though, and I think it speaks to the incredible love the world has for a medium that started so little on a small collection of islands in the pacific.

Well, given how much there is to look at, we Backloggers thought we’d take it upon ourselves to point out a few.  So grab a beer and a cowboy hat as we have ourselves a hot dang hootenanny and round up of few of ‘em rascals for y’all’s viewin’ pleasure.  Ignore the Texan bleeding through and let’s get started with a choice pick from all of us at the Backloggers!

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Princess Principal Episode 7 – We Can Do It!

Selie 5 Comments

Another episode, another reason to like this show.  I have no idea how they’ll tie some of the threads between these different cases together as we’re now working our way towards the ending, but I’m enjoying the ride nonetheless.

While definitely a departure from the emotionally charged last episode, this one is just as good in what it attempts to do.  Going from sadness to peppy optimism this episode, our group of spy girls attempt to stop a nerve gas assassin by going undercover in a laundry mill, blending in with the other poor girls who are tasked with washing the military’s uniforms.  I have to say, every scene in this episode exudes the feelings and ideas of Rosie the Riveter, women working hard together and accomplishing great things by their own hands and effort, and the wonderful ways in which our main characters help these girls in the mill succeed and even buy out their own business to run it themselves was fantastic.  The ending then nicely tied the bow by the cast commenting on how they’ve left their friends in the mill empowered and able to take care of themselves now.  This is a great idea to see expressed in this show and Princess Principal never seems to drop the ball in representing some kickass female characters.

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She is adorable but believe me.  She is insanely kickass.

 

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Princess Principal Episode 6 – Somber Shifts

generaltofu 5 Comments

God, what a bummer of an episode.

This episode of Princess Principal, Case 18 – Rouge Morgue, is by all regards a fantastic episode, but is by far the heaviest that we have seen thus far. It follows in the footsteps of episodes 3 and 5, in which we got to know Beatrice and Chise through their own focused episodes, respectively, and this time, our sights are set on Dorothy. Unlike the other character-centric episodes so far, however, this one has little high-octane action, if any, and instead hones in on story. What also sets this episode apart, however, is how decidedly somber it is, and how tonally different it seems to be from the previous episodes. Personally, however, I believe that this brief departure from the show’s established norm makes for a solid, deeply interesting episode, dealing with love, betrayal, and ultimately, death.

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