They’re bad. And that’s why they’re good.
I took part in my first AniFem roundtable! This time the team talked trash characters, especially trash female characters–what defines ’em, why we love ’em, and how they can be sneakily subversive to gender norms.
A Papika for all seasons.
As last episode’s final scenes suggested, Cocona and Papika’s actions in Pure Illusion are starting to affect the real world, and not necessarily in a good way. Fittingly, this is also the moment when the series itself shifts from a sequence of loosely connected, episodic adventures to a more fluid story, as “Pure Component” is all about dealing with the repercussions of what’s happened before and setting the stage for what’s coming next.
Peeking in on the autumn lineup.
I’m writing this from a hotel room in New York, which both explains why it’s a bit late (some of these shows have already moved past their halfway point) and why this introduction is going to be brief. My Fall anime bloc continues to either hold steady or improve each week, depending on the show, which is always a promising sign at the halfway mark. There’s good variety too, so whether you’re looking for something to soothe or something to pump you up, you should be able to find a much-needed break from reality below.
Walking a mile in senpai’s shoes.
Cocona and Papika’s journey through adolescence continues, although in a different direction from last week. It looks like Flip Flappers is developing a rhythm here, alternating between stories of awakening sexuality and stories of deepening understanding and empathy for others. And with a place as flexible as Pure Illusion, “seeing the world through someone else’s eyes” can be a whole lot more than just a metaphor.
Finding a place for yourself, on stage and on ice.
“It’s not a kind of rakugo I can do. The more I hear, the more uncomfortable I get… Never mind it. I have my own rakugo.”
“Trying to be the playboy isn’t me. I want to be the most beautiful woman in town, who seduces the playboy!”
This year we’ve had the pleasure of seeing a pair of top-notch anime, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju and Yuri!!! on Ice, deal with gendered expectations in two very different spheres: 1940s Japanese rakugo and modern-day world figure skating. Along the way, both series have challenged cultural expectations about how men should or shouldn’t act, and shown why it’s important to cast aside restrictive gender roles and play to our own strengths.
Yuri Cocona Arashi?
Cocona and Papika return to Pure Illusion only to find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a scary movie, trapped in an all-girls boarding school that repeats the same 24-hour loop each day. While the “Echo” in the title probably refers more to the way this school is a warped reflection of their own, the episode also strongly echoes Ikuhara’s Yurikuma Arashi, combining horror elements with “Class S” romance tropes to craft a genuinely creepy and undeniably queer adventure for our two explorers. Or, as a Twitter friend put it: The Gang Goes to Yuri Hell.
The Magic of Art and other feel-good lessons from the best show nobody’s watching.
Magic-Kyun Renaissance is an adaptation of an otome game (basically a dating sim marketed towards girls) that follows Kohana, a second-year student transferring to the prestigious Hoshinomori School of Magical Arts. Once there, she quickly winds up on the school’s festival committee along with a bunch of cute boys specializing in various arts, from calligraphy to dancing to sculpting. Sparkles, flowers, and musical numbers ensue.
While the premise is pretty standard harem fare, it’s charmed me with its cast of likable (if not a bit one-note) art dorks, silly sense of humor and willingness to poke fun at itself, and some impressive cinematography thanks in large part to Yamazaki Mitsue’s direction and storyboards. I also find myself both fascinated and inspired by the way it uses its world of “magical arts” to address the struggles of young artists. And since no one else is talking about it, I figured now was a good time for a li’l mini-essay!
Here there be spoilers: General discussion of the first three episodes below.
Both of you, slumber party like you want to win!!
With last week’s failed mission hanging over everyone’s heads, Team FlipFlap decides it’s time for Cocona and Papika to get to know each other better. All of Flip Flappers’ episode titles have related to electrical circuits and electronics (Input, Conversion, etc.), so it’s no surprise that the girls’ main problem is framed in similar terms:
They need to get their “Impedance” down to zero, otherwise they can’t synchronize, which leads to all kinds of problems, from opening portals to staying together when they world-hop to controlling the “real-time discrepancy” between Pure Illusion and the mundane world. Simply put, there’s resistance between the two, and they need to lower that if they want to be successful.
I thought spring was the rainy season, so why am I drowning in shows in October?
There are far too many shows on this list, but I can’t bear to cut any others at this point. It’s too early to say this is the strongest season of the year, but it sure is looking promising. Some are artistic marvels, some compelling character studies, some soothing balls of cuteness, some just plain fun, and some are…er, Keijo (look, I don’t feel great admitting that either, okay?). Hit the jump for both my pride and my shame.
Down the rabbit hole we go~
The Fall anime season is off to a strong start and I had my pick of great (or at least fun) series to tackle weekly for Anime Evo. After much geeky deliberation, I’ve opted to skip the safe bet (Yuri on Ice) and gamble on my other autumn favorite: Flip Flappers, for my money the strangest and most imaginative show of the season.
It’s also one of the toughest to figure out in terms of where it’s going or what it’s trying to do, so for this first post I thought I’d do my best to connect some dots and offer up some theories on the ideas and themes kicking around inside this enigmatic little series. Head on over to Anime Evo to join me on my new adventure!
The Josei Next Door 