SukaSuka Episode 6 — Overcoming Our Pasts

May 19, 2017June 29, 2020Owningmatt93 3 Comments

This show has become strange to me over the last few weeks. It started out to be this entrancing anime, showing the depth of the world, using various elements to work towards creating a particular sort of tone, and further using these elements to create a world and characters woven into this grand narrative that was both mystical and tinged with drama. Lately though, these aspects that have attracted me to the show have started becoming buried under all sorts of problems, and it’s becoming harder and harder for me to look past them, even in its key dramatic moments.

Continue reading →

Log Time Podcast #24 | Lucky☆Star Discussion — I Don’t Care What End of a Choco Coronet Is the Head

May 15, 2017December 8, 2017thebackloggers Leave a comment

This week, we talk about Lucky Star’s unique, historic brand of humor, why it works for some viewers, and why it put certain members of the gang in almost literal hell. We also talk about perceptions of the show’s humor perhaps seeming a bit dated, the importance/needlessness of additions to the main cast, and why Minoru Shiraishi is just the best.

This podcast was recorded on May 11th, 2017.

Outro Song: Lucky Star OST – Disc 5 Track 4 – Konata no Theme, India Version by Satoru Kousaki

SukaSuka Episode 5 – Promises Not Kept

May 14, 2017June 29, 2020Selie 1 Comment

We’ve been talking for several episodes about how much we applaud this series for being very clever with its pacing and intentional lack of action, allowing us to explore the characters and their setting on a bit deeper scale because of this. It’s an interesting idea to make a light novel adaptation with almost no action in a genre that relies heavily on it. For fantasy, action, specifically battles and violence, is the driving force for most stories and it makes sense. These are dangerous worlds in which rules surrounding people whipping out swords and going to town don’t always apply. Fantasy is such a high form of fiction that a story can easily show epic battles or intense magical creatures that tantalize and gives us incredible escapism, answering our thirst for a world where we all can have kickass powers. I mean, it’s just so dang fun to watch people sling spells and arrows around like there was a sale on projectiles. However, SukaSuka doesn’t really do this and, to be honest, that’s kinda what’s made it so great so far.

However, give me an opening like this with an epic battle… I mean, I’m not gonna complain.

[HorribleSubs] Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka Isogashii Desuka Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka - 05 [1080p].mkv_snapshot_00.04_[2017.05.14_13.03.43]

For a sec, I thought I accidentally started watching Youjo Senki again.

Continue reading →

SukaSuka Episode 4 – Ebb and Flow

May 8, 2017June 29, 2020generaltofu 2 Comments

I have to be honest, when I went to watch episode 4 of SukaSuka, I was interested in where it was going to take me. Was the show going to take us on a long journey where nothing happens, but we learn a lot about the show’s world, as previous episodes thus far have done? Since we just saw Chtholly, Ithea, and Nephren go off to Island 15 to fight against the 17 Beasts, are we going to see some over-the-top action sequence, switching out our fairly consistent viewpoint of Willem for that of our battle fairies? Are we going to get some action four episodes into this season that isn’t just a brief sparring match?

Not to nab some of the thunder that Owningmatt93’s previous post signaled, but episode four is, interestingly, still more of the same, but in many ways, we also see the show shift slightly – steadily-paced world-building, getting to know the cast a bit better, and…a lot about lizard romance films?

Continue reading →

SukaSuka Episode 3 — More of the Same

May 1, 2017June 29, 2020Owningmatt93 4 Comments

SukaSuka this week continues to keep my interest by continuing to move the story slowly forward and satiating my curiosity towards our main characters. While this episode has been pretty low-key in terms of dramatic scenes, it still turned out to be a pleasant experience all around. It’ll still take a few more episodes for me to buy into the fantasy drama aspects though, as it seems to still a bit rough around the edges as the series continues to try and figure exactly what it wants to accomplish. That doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying the ride though; it only means that I’m weary about some of the ways the story is being told, and I’m not thoroughly convinced that it can keep at its current rate of progression without losing the strong bits of quality we’ve seen thus far.

Continue reading →

Log Time General Podcast #6 | Beginning of Spring 2017 — Are You Busy? Will You Watch Spring Anime?

April 25, 2017April 25, 2017thebackloggers Leave a comment

This week, we dive into the Spring 2017 season and are once again surprised by how much we’re actually watching this season. We talk about some hot picks for the season, somehow talk about Hand Shakers for the third general cast in a row, and discuss why Eromanga-sensei has been getting so much hate.

This podcast was recorded on April 20th, 2017.
Intro Song: Barakamon OST – Track 14 – Dassai Sensei
Outro Song: Barakamon OST – Track 07 – Shizen he no Kanmei
Intro/Outro Music by Kenji Kawai

SukaSuka Episode 2 – Lambs Willingly Led

April 22, 2017April 28, 2017Selie 5 Comments

(After publishing edit: After reading, be sure to check out the comments below as there are some corrections about characters’ ages that should be considered.)

Well, with an intro as damn good as that last episode was, I dove into this episode head first, ready to devour any and all that it could give me. I just couldn’t stop drooling over that teaser for the end of the series that had my jaw drop back in episode one. The show is definitely still keeping its tone and wonderfully paced story and as things slowly unravel about this world, I’m enjoying the characters more and more.

Picking up right were the last episode left off, our main character, Willem, ponders how these children could be weapons as he begins to acclimate to his new job. Not an easy thing to do when all the kids are scared of you as the new adult in town but luckily, as has been hinted at before, our protagonist has worked with kids before and knows a thing or two about winning them over. i. e. The fastest way to a child’s heart is through their stomach.

[HorribleSubs] Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka Isogashii Desuka Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka - 02 [1080p].mkv_snapshot_05.19_[2017.04.19_03.33.31]

I know he won me over with his Giga Pudding.

There’s a decent amount of time spent in this first half showcasing Willem working with the kids and watching over them, very quickly adopting the role as their guardian. Meanwhile, the teenagers are together making fun of Ctholly because she seems to be crushing hard on Willem. All light-hearted antics and fun so far, though hints have continuously been dropped that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to these girls. While no single kid really sticks out besides the three teenagers, the group as a whole feels very much like an adopted family, all very cute and happy. So it’s all the more dramatic when this suddenly and twistedly changes in a single moment.

Continue reading →

SukaSuka Episode 1 – Hopes as High as Sky Islands

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017generaltofu 9 Comments

A brief note – I have gone into this show completely blind. I have not even read a summary of the show’s main plot. Everything I relate in this post should be taken as such.

This Spring anime season, there’s a surprising number of shows that at least look pretty promising – though as we all probably know by this point, there are a lot of series that look and seem fantastic from their PVs, which show off cool animation sequences, try to entice you with their (hopefully) endearing characters, attempt to seem like they could bring something new to the table, or some combination of the above. There’s a lot to wade through, so let me pitch a show to you for this season. It’s a LN adaptation set in a fantasy world with- hey wait, stop, I’m not done yet! Let me finish!

For those who may not know and need a strongly-paraphrased summation of the show’s premise, Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka?, or as the anime community at large has mercifully deemed it, SukaSuka, is a fantasy/sci-fi Light Novel adaptation taking place in a world of sky islands, where humanity was wiped from existence. In this story, we follow young Willem Kmetsch, who has taken on the job of being a military caretaker for a warehouse of advanced weaponry. What he doesn’t know, however, is that the weapons are, in fact, young girls. While the show might sound on the surface to be a groan-fest of typical fantasy isekai trappings and other tropes that tend to make shows less-than-enjoyable experiences, SukaSuka actually delivers in its first episode a surprising amount of good reasons to give it a chance – and by god, do I have high hopes for this one.

Continue reading →

Log Time General Podcast #5 | End of Winter 2017 — Our Hands Can’t Stop Shaking

April 11, 2017April 13, 2017thebackloggers Leave a comment

This week, we wrap up the Winter 2017 anime season with a surprising mix of solid and…not-so-solid shows. Highlights include in-depth discussion of harem vs. rom-coms with Mythos and Owningmatt93, an overview of some of the great (and just okay) picks of the season, and General Tofu getting way in over his head with Hand Shakers.

This podcast was recorded on April 6th, 2017.

Intro Song: Barakamon OST – Track 14 – Dassai Sensei
Outro Song: Barakamon OST – Track 07 – Shizen he no Kanmei
Intro/Outro Music by Kenji Kawai

Youjo Senki Episode 12 – Prelude to the Next

April 6, 2017April 6, 2017Selie 1 Comment

So now we’ve reached the conclusion of this season… of sorts. I can actually appreciate that for an adaption of a much longer light novel series, they were unafraid to leave the door as wide open as they possibly could make it. In fact, strangely enough, I’d argue that this whole ending episode may start as a wrap-up but then immediately takes a left turn and becomes a massive build-up that left me desperately craving a second season in the best of ways. With the initial war wrapped up, we suddenly find the Empire exhausted and pushed to the limit as forces on all sides, fresh and new, gear up for round two. On top of this, we have a hint at some real shit coming Tanya’s way straight from America in the best way possible and I cannot wait to see that showdown. Kudos and applause for giving me that craving, Youjo Senki. Now don’t leave me hanging for that season two.