This Week in Anime

How to Cook (for Forty) Humans

You can read last week's Titan-Sized First Edition here, and be sure to share your feedback on this new feature with us in the forums!

Nicholas Dupree got into anime in high school, and manga even earlier. From One Piece to The Promised Neverland, he's the man to talk to if it's Shonen and it Jumps. He counts Den-noh Coil and Serial Experiments Lain as his all-time favorites.

Michelle Liu got into anime in middle school through Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan and somehow liked it enough to stick around. When she's not loudly proclaiming her love of Sayo Yamamoto, she talks about figure skating and strange children's shows.

Episode 29

Episode 3

Episode 17

Episode 3

Titan had a really solid episode this week.

I'LL SAY

This was one of the few bits I actually remembered from what I read of the manga back in the day, and boy is it good stuff. It can't be emphasized enough how much this adaptation has done a bang-up job of capturing the horror atmosphere.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting this show to suddenly turn into a full-on horror movie for 20 minutes but it pulled it off.

Just the claustrophobia of gradually being cornered into tighter and tighter spaces...

I also wasn't expecting THAT ENDING. Like I don't know if I can talk about the rest of the episode because the last 30 seconds knocked me on my ass.

That bit looked GOOD AS HECK. I remember in the manga it was a two-page spread of... scribbles. Attack on Titan has a lotta things going for it but the manga's art is not its selling point. So the elaborate explosion/transformation was that much more impactful to me. It really felt like this huge thing now that I wasn't trying my darnedest to figure out what was going on.

I'm also impressed with how quickly the series sold me on these characters who have mostly been background noise before this. I didn't even remember Ymir's name until 2 episodes ago and suddenly I'm 100% invested in her and Christa.

Funny what a few meaningful flashbacks can do to flesh out characters! That 'promise' they made is supposed to be revealed next episode, ya?

I think so, but even just this episode's plot sold me. Little stuff like Ymir asking Christa to bandage her finger because she was jealous of Reiner goes a long way in making me feel like these are real people with real emotions.

Reiner: I'm dying of this wound pls help

Ymir: ME TOO THIS PAPER CUT IS KILLING ME TOO

Ymir: I'm dying of gay pls help

Precisely lmao

So Ymir makes an interesting comment - basically calls Christa out on her martyr complex. I don't think that's been very prominent up till now? Like I don't think there's been enough focus on Christa to make that super apparent but now that she brings it up, hmm...

It is sort of backwriting - but it works in selling these two as people who have a pre-existing relationship and know each other intimately.

Though this episode does raise the question: Is Ymir interested in Christa because she wants to eat her or.../eat/ her.

NICK. NICK NO.

It's a legitimate question.

Oh right, that exchange. I gather from chatter that's kind of a controversial topic among manga fans?

Yeah. I think the implication of that scene was "I thought you were too dedicated to your job to be looking for hookups"/"And I thought you were gay" but I suppose you could read it otherwise.

I read it as "Do you even know what sex is dude?" "Well uh, ur gay!" but your way makes more sense.

There is some stuff in the manga later that does raise a huge "MAYBE??" But in this scene at least it seems to me the intent was more about sex in general.

The phrasing in Japanese doesn't help much either, why d'ya gotta use gendered pronouns?

Fan drama aside, I really am impressed with the writing of this season's material so far. It's really tightly structured, every scene feels motivated and lasts just long enough to make its point.

As much as I want more, I really do think the 12 episode season is good for that; there were a few stretches in S1 that outstayed their welcome. The Female Titan's reveal could've come a tad quicker, for instance

It's done a fantastic job grabbing me again after the wait from S1. The reveal of Ymir being a Titan works as a perfect pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you moment. I just thought Ymir was going to try to distract the titans by sacrificing herself but NOPE.

IT'S A GOOD SCENE. Of course we have yet to see how the others react to that reveal. We'll see~

I just wish everything I was watching had that level of writing ="D

Oh dear, what is it

YYYYYYYYYUP.

I will say this much: This week I feel like I have a good grasp of what this show's trying for emotionally. The premise of Willem trying to preserve and foster a found family is good stuff, along with Ctholly's struggle.

gesundheit

She's having to process the apparent meaninglessness of her predecessors' deaths and the possibility that she might follow them. I just wish this potential wasn't buried under the clunkiest writing ever.

Yeah, Ctholly's hesitance to stray from tradition lest it invalidate her predecessors' deaths is a good conflict. Sort of what you'd see in an Urobuchi thing. Unfortunately she gets this explained to her by a dude and I'm like nnnnngh please stop.

I could even deal with that if it was just...better written. But Akira Kareno ain't no Gen Urobuchi.

That scene where Nygglatho straight up says out loud, "They're too young to die" stands out to me.

Real on the nose, guys. I sure appreciate being told how to feel.

Which is a shame, since I quite like Ctholly's character!

Yeahhhhh. Kareno's the Series Composer for the show AND the original LN author so I feel like they don't have a good grasp of how to write for TV or kill their own darlings with regards to the adaptation.

Speaking of weird adaptational choices, what on earth was that cold open? Willem walks into a room, and then... cut to opening credits?

Yeah, the pacing and structure of episodes feels just...off. Scenes that would probably work as separate chapters in a book are smooshed back-to-back with no grace.

Something similar happens at the end of the episode, when Willem says "By the way, do you know of anywhere selling flour and butter?" and then suddenly ENDING SEQUENCE

It's really strange. If it was supposed to be funny then the timing didn't work at all for me

I think that was supposed to be like a touching "oh he believes in her but won't show it directly" thing, but it fell totally flat.

speaking of next week: can the cat girl please die

oh my gosh, yes. Ithea needs to shut her dang mouth. Maybe not die per se? I just really, really want her to stop making lolicon jokes.

Yeah, we have plenty of comic relief through the rest of the cast - we don't need snide "lol u wanna bang kids" winks to the audience.

The little green girl who can't keep up is about 7000% funnier than anything that comes out of Ithea's mouth.

Honestly I think I'm being more harsh than necessary - I do have a grasp of what the show wants to accomplish which makes it the strongest episode so far. It was cheesy but Willem and Ctholly's hillside heart-to-heart did feel genuinely sweet under the iffy dialogue.

That scene looked pretty dang good! But do you not like how the sword's a painfully obvious metaphor for the girls themselves?

legendary weapons that are REALLY normal and mundane deep down, yessir

Yeahhhh, it's clunky alright. But I AM a Shōji Kawamori fan so I have a good tolerance for that stuff ="D

I suppose I can't complain when one of my favorite anime spends an episode talking about donuts and holes. God bless Aquarion Evol.

Don't forget the seeded bananas!

THE FRUIT OF THE SUN

I am still kind of rooting for Suka Suka. There's stuff I like in there, and I have a penchant for messy but emotionally sincere stuff.

Same here, honestly. If it can smooth out some of the rougher bits (THE LOLICON JOKES) I think I could like it a lot.

We're (hopefully) getting the monster fight next week, so I think we're heading towards some sort of climax point at least.

Woo! Here's to hoping it's decently animated [fingers crossed]

Well they can't all be My Hero Academia. Sorry I just can't get over how good this season looks so far.

It really does! I especially appreciate the good Deku tears~

They're precious children, okay??

They're all special in their own way. Except Mineta.

Mineta working with Tsuyu seems like the most appropriate thing in hindsight.

she's the only one patient enough to tolerate the little creep XD

I've been mentally referring to Mineta as "slimeball kid" which, now that I think of it, is true in multiple senses. Tsuyu is slimy in the fun way at least.

I still have my hangups about the pacing for the adaptation, but it's just so nice to see the cast all getting little moments to show off. Like Ida choosing not to team with Deku. Or Kirishima asking Bakugo to ride him and explode across his back.

Nick.

His power is literally getting hard.

NICK.

they put the joke at the 95 yard line for me

N I C K.

okay, back on track now i promise

But yeah, Iida's motivation for not wanting to team with Deku is pretty legit. Can't take charge of your own life if you're constantly following someone else. But take that too far and you become Bakugo or Todoroki. Their one-track minds really bite them in the ass, huh?

Bakugo especially. Got ganked by the smuggest child in the world.

I take back what I said about Mineta, Class B as a collective is The Biggest Slimeball.

That reveal at the end was also pretty dang solid! All these cartoons with their OH SHIT cliffhangers this week. I got so caught up in the action that I totally forgot about the guys sneaking around to pilfer headbands.

Monoma's plan is pretty ingenious - everyone's focused on Deku and 1st place, so why not sneak behind while nobody's looking and net yourself 2nd place?

Though I worry about how he went about getting Toru's headband...

lotta chances for uncomfortable collisions there

I can't believe that was the screencap you got and not the team with 420 points

There's lots of attention to go around. This arc is where Horikoshi finally starts to build up the secondary cast so like, everybody with a name gets a scene or two.

They're all really entertaining! I don't mind spending time with them in the least. Like geez, I know I talk a lot about how much I love these kids but seriously, I'm really impressed by how well the cast bounces off each other.

I mean how can you NOT love these happy children?

I admit my fav moment was Uraraka being low-key petty about Deku nerding out with somebody else about superheroes.

Yeah, with Mei the super nerd. I feel a strong affinity with her, to be honest.

Mei's great. I love her voice actress' performance.

What on earth is this Air Gear shit though

I'm sorry, her "babies"

Sometimes a family can be a teenage engineering student and her briefcase full of batman inventions.

I'm pretty sure next week we'll see the conclusion of the cavalry battle, and then it's TOURNAMENT CITY, Population: Every Shounen Series Ever

With most shows that would sound like the most mindnumbingly boring thing on earth, but heck, I'm on board!

Believe it or not it's where the manga really hits its stride and never looks back, so I'd say look forward to it.

Heck yeah, all aboard the Good Kid train

So on that note, Re:CREATORS!

I said it before but this show is still surprising to me in how it's executing its premise.

I like how well it understands the creative process. Which feels funny to say, since it's not like any writer is unfamiliar with that. But the fact that it acknowledges audience interaction as a crucial part of a story/product is neat.

Yeah, when something's partially ABOUT writing it can be difficult to strike a good balance. Too shallow and it's meaningless to have your main character be a writer/creator.

That's a big part of my problem with things like, say, Bakuman. or My Little Sister Can Read Kanji.

but go too indulgent and you get

Re:CREATORS feels like it's self aware enough to express its ideas without turning into masturbation or navel-gazing.

Pretty much. The writers and artists in the show are flawed, interesting people. For the record, by "flawed" I mean "holy cheezeballs Matsubara is REALLY CREEPY."

I know I've said that before but GOSH.

I do appreciate that Selesia isn't having any of his shit though.

Meanwhile the Exclusive Underground villain Mirokuji doesn't give a shit at all. Like, he straight up admits he regards his own creator as a normal person, not as a god.

What's a Mob to a King, etc etc

"My world's my own, and if somebody else 'created' it then that doesn't change jack about how I should live." is a pretty cool outlook all said. Meanwhile Selesia treats her creator like an estranged Stepdad.

It's honestly kind of cute. Especially when she makes good faces.

I much prefer it to any romantic tension, which is a pitfall we could've easily jumped into.

Protagonist-kun Sota seems to be crushing on her though.

On one hand, that's kinda weird, but on the other, I too would like to date a 2D girl.

True, but there's a degree of difference between that and "the woman I literally created as my ideal heroine is now here for me to mack on." Though I like the implication that Matsubara doesn't get along with her because he unintentionally put too much of his own personality into her character.

She has enough of a personality to argue with him! Which to me is hilarious. Foiled by his own competence as a writer.

I keep expecting the show to screw up in some way, but so far it's doing a really solid job of building its cast and world in a way that feels effortless.

I personally appreciate the relative dearth of rules lawyer-ing when it comes to the rules of magic/whatever. Even though this episode revolves around the gang trying to figure out the rules for their existence, it feels meaningful. Like pretty explicitly how stories belong not only to their creators but also to the audience. It's both a really fun action show and a neat little love letter to how stories are made and remembered.

Yeah, creativity as an act of communication and socializing is a really interesting topic. Something resonating with people at large is a really cool place to take this concept, and I'm curious what the show will do with it. I admit I'm a liiiiiitle impatient to get to another shoe dropping so far as the antagonists. I realize this show has 20 more episodes but I really want to know the details about Military Uniform Princess and whoever "Setsuna" is.

I agree it's a touch deliberately paced but I think we should get learnin' about Military Uniform girl soon? Hopefully. Hopefully soon. Thus far we know Setsuna has some personal beef with Sota and... is that it?

The running theory atm is Setsuna is the girl who apparently committed suicide in Ep 1's opening sequence, but it's any guess as to how she's related to Sota. Next week is probably introducing Meteora's creator(s?) so that could be fun too. The different dynamics between creators is a potentially deep well to tap for fleshing out our main cast. Which I guess is ultimately more important than plot revelations and cliffhangers.

I mean, it is slated for two cours. I'm pretty okay with a bit more faffing about now as opposed to later. Guess we'll see where it goes!

Bonus Discussion

So have you been keeping up with The Royal Tutor by any chance?

I'm one episode behind right now! Really digging what I have seen, though.

Ah, then you've missed the most important episode

The Princes Go To Wiener Town

are you serious

You're kidding me, right

it's actually "The Princes Go To Town" but the town is CALLED Wiener

Okay, how many dick jokes are actually in the episode?

THAT'S BAD

But for real, it's actually a pretty endearing field trip about the royals learning to relate to the commonfolk, and ends with them throwing a little Welcome Party for Heine!

so is Kai right about his brothers

Very! Prince Leo tries and fails to catch a purse snatcher, but gets thanked by the woman for his efforts and concern, and it's a really sweet moment. There's a lot of thought that's put into at least Heine and Leo's characters that shines through here and it's just a hugely pleasant experience.

It's a real nice show, yeah

okay one more for the road

Nick. I'm so done here.

Anything you're watching you want to mention?

The other day I watched a few episodes of Kado. It sure is a show about negotiations! Before I get into the story itself I wanna mention the visuals.

It's the full CG show from Toei, right?

Yup. The character animation sure is something. Not as astronomically terrible as Polygon's work on Sidonia and Ajin or Berserk's CG stuff, but it's still a little distracting. I'm willing to forgive it a little for how neat the rainbow alien cube looks, though. I really love the morphing structures. Anyway so far it's been about first contact with an alien named Yaha-kui zaShunina, who's here to "advance mankind" or something.

I've seen this Twilight Zone episode

Which sounds cool on paper until you realize the show hasn't done anything to establish stakes or context for anything. It's throwing around these big words about Progress and Advancement but we have seen absolutely none of the societal impacts yet. There's a neat scene where the alien tries a bunch of methods of communication, most of which freak the humans out.

which is like yeah, neat, communication is hard and language is weird

So it's Anime Arrival?

I haven't seen Arrival yet, but a friend who was watching with me said it was basically Arrival minus the stakes. This alien introduces a device to produce practically infinite electricity, thus p much eliminating scarcity.

But... the show never showed anything related to that before now. It's weird. I want to like this show but it seems to be spinning its wheels a lot right now.

The way you're describing it does kinda make it sound like it's riffing on classic sci-fi without really standing on its own.

Yeah, pretty much. It's got all the trappings of high concept scifi with none of the thematic meat. I'll be glad if it proves me wrong though!

"Aliens show up and improve society with tech" is a pretty well-trod premise, and you need something else to make it worth following.

Just look out if the alien guy tries to give anybody a cookbook.

I just wish they'd let the alien stay pantsless, tbh. If you're gonna make a show about talking heads at least give me some butts to look at.

Not every show can be Yuri!!! on Ice, Micchy

I'm not asking for much! Just some good derrieres!

Are there any shows w/ good butts this season?

I figure you'd know

Room Mate had a few seconds of butt, I think, but I didn't care enough to watch more than one episode of that. But if we're on the topic of short anime with cute boys this season Love Rice is friggin' amazeballs.

If you're wondering if that's a Love Live! pun, yes, yes it is

They finally gave Hanayo her own anime huh

Love Rice is literally Love Live! except with boys who are also different strains of rice

what

Plucky boy enters a school hoping to become a top idol only to discover the school is about to be shut down then tries to form his own unit but everyone shoots him down. There's a guy who tells terrible rice-related puns, a disapproving student council president, etc.

okay but why are they rice

I HAVE NO IDEA

Is it trying to...sell rice? Promote rice farmers?

I wish I knew why this thing exists

I wish I understood why there are princes riding in on white rice balls

...still makes more sense than Heybot!

Heybot! is good and I will not hear otherwise

anyway Love Rice riffs on a bunch of popular idol anime and it's pretty great, I can think of worse ways to kill four minutes a week

Just keep an eye out for Uncle Ben in the production credits