recaps

My Love Story!! – Episode 16: “My Disciple”

At this point, My Love Story isn’t just setting the bar for rom-com excellence—it’s beating its own darn records.

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About halfway through this episode, when Takeo was agonizing over how he could get Yamato to understand she didn’t need to worry about him leaving her for someone else, I scribbled in my notes: “Takeo’s problem is he keeps talking about how people feel toward HIM rather than how HE feels toward Yamato.” It’s the kind of thought I’d usually have about a rom-com that would either never get addressed in-series, or get addressed indirectly 5-10 episodes down the line after Such Drama, Very Tears.

OreMono, though? OreMono tackles it head-on within 22 beautiful minutes.

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Sailor Moon Newbie Reviews: Episodes 122-123

WHAT HATH SCIENCE WROUGHT?!

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Sailor Moon is so steeped in fantastical elements that I’m usually prone to calling it a fantasy, but this week takes special care to remind me that, technically speaking, it’s probably more accurate to call it science fiction. Pretty much every major plot point of the story is rooted in some kind of SF element, from interplanetary foes to time travel to alternate dimensions to li’l universes. The scouts themselves are the most magical thing in the series, and even then I’m sure there’s some kind of “technical” explanation for their powers involving microorganisms or elemental particles or some such.

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My Love Story!! – Episode 15: “My Girlfriend”

The Takeo Fan Club really ought to have its own membership cards at this point.

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Yep, our protagonist gets a new admirer this week thanks to the school’s sports festival! After the 300m runner in the co-ed Swedish relay (which we learn all about thanks to Suna’s smart phone) sprains her ankle during practice, the class has to pick one of its less-than-stellar athletes to take her place, which is how we (and Takeo) get to know Saijou Mariya.

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Sailor Moon Newbie Reviews: Episodes 120-121

♪ Four little Witches jumpin’ on the bed… ♪

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We’re quickly approaching the S finale, which means we need to get rid of all those pesky minions so the path to the Big Bad is nice and clear. In fact, go ahead and think of this as the clean-up week, since we’re also learning pertinent (tragic) backstories and restoring the ties between everyone’s favorite Doctor and her very favorite companion. Could this be the first step toward a team-up between our two gangs of roving Guardians? I sure do hope so. I miss hanging out with Haruka and Michiru almost as much as the scouts do.

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My Love Story!! – Episode 14: “My Jinx”

MM Land: The happiest place on earth?

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Okay, maybe not, but it does have a certain magic to it, existing in a world slightly removed from our own—much like My Love Story itself, perhaps. That’s the theme running through this episode, from Oda’s encouragement that Ai try on a goofy hat because she’s taking a break from “reality” to Suna explaining that jinxes aren’t about magic but hard facts, as it’s “more common for relationships to not work out.”

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Sailor Moon Newbie Reviews: Episodes 118-119

The gang’s all here…

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If you were wondering why the sailors skipped a planet along the way, wonder no more, for we’ve found Saturn at last, and she is… somewhat less interested in saving the world than the others are, it seems. And the Outer Guardians are a VERY exclusive club and don’t seem inclined to let her join. But that’s fine. I’m sure the Moonies can print up another Inner Guardian membership card if she asks. They gave Jupiter one, after all, so clearly their definition of “inner” and “outer” planets is already real flexible.

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My Love Story!! – Episode 13: “Today Is On Me”

A new challenger appears!

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There are really 2-3 stories this episode, which would make it feel disjointed if they hadn’t smartly tied them all together with a through-line: Takeo enjoying his newfound financial freedom by treating his friend and girlfriend to fun times. The first story is my favorite in terms of sheer enjoyment, as Takeo and Yamato giddily take Suna to the movies and up to the mountains, a day trip which turns into a surprise birthday party and naturally ends in a Yamato-baked cake.

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Sailor Moon Newbie Reviews: Episodes 116-117

Roses and absurdism? Man, it’s almost like Ikuhara’s the showrunner or something.

mimete-okAbsolutely no one will be surprised to learn that Episode 117 was storyboarded and directed by Ikuhara himself, as it is hands-down the weirdest Sailor Moon to date and also one of its silliest. I’m not sure anyone else in the ani-business combines both meanings of the word “funny” so skillfully as Ikuhara does, and the result is just endless sight gags and WTF-ery that kept startling laughs out of me.

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My Love Story!! – Episode 12: “My Grades”

Takeo takes on his most formidable foe yet: Math I.

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As the title suggests, this is the week when Takeo’s poor grades threaten to catch up to him, but it’s less about Takeo’s school work and more about his future plans, and how those plans mesh (or clash) with those around him. As a result, it’s full of college talk, hilariously overbearing and eager-to-please parents practically proposing to Yamato, and a lingering question of where everyone sees themselves after high school. Oh, and it all basically turns out to be Suna trolling Takeo for a solid 20 minutes. Now that’s future planning for you!

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Sailor Moon Newbie Reviews: Episodes 114-115

The Side-Eye is strong with this one.

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We’ve been in High Octane Plot Mode for a while, but we take Episode 114 off this week to spend some time with the charmingly psychotic Mimete and attend (another) creeper-tastic Sailor Moon casting call. It had its moments, but felt almost out of place given the amount of linear storytelling that happened both before and immediately after it.

I like silly Sailor Moon, but at this point I’m so invested in what’s going on with Hotaru and the Death Busters that any breaks from it feel like time-wasting. The series seems to agree with me, because we went right back to the central story in Episode 115, with backstories told and alter egos unveiled. And at this point, that’s very much as it should be.

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