anime

Utena Watch Party: Episodes 6-8

In which the curry is out, the Jury is in, and someone really needs to put better locks on the school’s petting zoo.

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Click here for an explanation of the watch party, and an invitation to chime in with your own thoughts (Tumblr tag: #Utena Watch Party).

For Returning Viewers, Vrai’s episode analyses are here for your reading pleasure:

A Note on Episode Order: Why yes, I have listed those out of order! Ikuhara admits in his creator commentary that the current Episode 6 (“Take Care, Miss Nanami”) and Episode 8 (“Curried High Trip”) got flipped due to production issues. Vrai also points out that thematically it makes more sense to do the episodes in this order as well (as 6, then 9-12, gradually shift the focus to StuCo Prez Touga and the people around him). And, since we have the ability to fix these things via the power of home video, I say, let’s do it!

This won’t really affect my posts since I’m sort of discussing broad topics across episodes (and will focus mostly on “Unfulfilled Jury” anyway), but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up regardless. Newbie friendly ramblings below the jump.

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Utena Watch Party: Episodes 1-3

Let’s get ready to d-d-d-d-duel!

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Click here for an explanation of the watch party, and an invitation to chime in with your own thoughts (Tumblr tag: #Utena Watch Party).

For newcomers still on the fence, Caitlin Donovan wrote a nice, long recommendation post for The Mary Sue about Utena, where she discusses some of the overarching themes and character arcs. If you’d rather go into a show completely blind, then obviously don’t read it, but if you’re curious for a little more insight into what Utena is all about, it’s a great read.

For Returning Viewers, Vrai’s episode-by-episode analyses are here for your reading pleasure:

And my far less organized newbie-friendly commentary is hanging out below the jump.

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Extra! Extra! Extra! It’s the Great “Utena” Watch Party!

Do you know? Do you know? Have you heard the news?

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Inspired by Vrai’s series of Utena analyses, I’m trying to make Utena magic happen on the Interwebs, and I want each and every one of you to be a part of it. Hit the jump for the full story and how you can slip on your rose signet and join us in the arena.

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Rule of Three Reviews, Sequel Digest: Yowamushi Pedal, Chaika the Coffin Princess, Psycho-Pass – Episodes 2-3

Nothing like spending Friday with some old friends.

Figured I’d pop in with quickie updates on the sequels I’m watching this season (sans Mushishi, since it’s only on Episode 2), and let everyone know how we’re doing. Mostly positive statements of varying degrees across the board, so we’ll keep this short, since if you’re looking at sequel reviews then you’re probably already invested in these shows (and if you aren’t watching Yowapeda yet, you really should be, as it’s one of the most delightful shows of the year). Hit the jump to check in with autumn’s returning players.

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Rule of Three Review, Flower Digest: Your Lie in April, Yuki Yuna wa Yusha de Aru – Episodes 2-3

I need to have a conversation with the folks in charge of scheduling.

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Thursday is an insane day for me this season (lots of new shows, plus those Sailor Moon Newbie Review posts), so I hope you’ll forgive me for combining these two shows. Your Lie in April certainly deserves its own post, but I ended up not having that much to say about YuAru, so rather than force my fried brain to keep typing, I figured I’d just tag a short review onto the end of a longer one. Hit the jump for a lot of positives, a few negatives, and one lovely new show.

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Rule of Three Review: Parasyte (Kiseijuu) – Episodes 2-3

The tale of a boy, his hand, and the trouble they get into together.

I worried during my premiere post that I might not be able to stick this one out, not because it wasn’t good (it was), but because it was a horror series that was hitting one of my major Heebie-Jeebie buttons, as I have a deep-seated terror of mind-controlling aliens crawling into people’s ears (thanks for that one, Animorphs!). So how do we stand two episodes later?

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Rule of Three Review, Fantasy Digest: Rage of Bahamut Genesis, Yona of the Dawn – Episodes 2-3

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad fantasy world.

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If anyone ever grumbles to you that all fantasy is the same, just shove these two shows into their faces, because while they may share a genre label, that’s about all they share right now. Bahamut is a western medieval barnburner full of heavenly forces, historical figures, and larger-than-life personalities, while Yona is an eastern political drama that spends as much time in the past developing its characters’ histories as it does on the dramatic events of the current timeline. Yes, these two are complete opposites – except, of course, for the fact that I’m enjoying the hell out of both. Hit the jump to see just how much.

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