Your Week in Anime (Week 666)

[u/Soupkitten]

This is a general discussion thread for whatever you've been watching this last week (or recently, we really aren't picky) that's not currently airing. For specifically discussing currently airing shows, go to This Week in Anime.

Make sure to talk more about your own thoughts on the show than just describing the plot, and use spoiler tags where appropriate. If you disagree with what someone is saying, make a comment saying why instead of just downvoting.

This is a week-long discussion, so feel free to post or reply any time.

Archive: Prev, Week 116, Our Year in Anime 2013, 2014

[u/VoidEmbracedWitch]

Thank you, Dandy!

Space Dandy has the strength of episodic storytelling on full display. Each episode lets its respective director and storyboarder show what they're made of with different out there space adventure scenarios. No two Dandys are ever the same. They all have their own character while still fitting in the same unapologetically campy and comedic, yet simultaneously heartfelt overall vibe of the series. Every 20 minutes are their own endearing misadventure with the same crew of incompetent alien hunters. There's no point even talking about the series' bigger picture because outside of the finale it doesn't matter, so I'd rather just highlight a few episodes I loved.

The Search for the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby (#02; ED+SB: Sayo Yamamoto) rose up to the challenge of following up on the premiere ending with an unintended planet-destroying heroic sacrifice. And how did it accomplish this? Well, with Dandy setting out to find "phantom ramen" at recommendation from his feline alien freeloader Meow who ate up his ramen reserves. Between well-choreographed action scenes as Dandy and crew are chased down by an evil space empire and strong comedic sequences, the discovery of the source of the phantom ramen beyond a wormhole was a beautiful, ephemeral moment. Learning about the chef, an alien who visited earth millennia ago and was saved by a human ramen chef there, was really touching. Except with Dandy and Meow having disturbed the stability of the wormhole that brought his ramen to the people, that connection is now about to close forever. Ramen is temporary.

Plants Are Living Things, Too, Baby (#09; ED+SB: Eunyoung Choi) turned out to be a truly surreal trip on a planet inhabited solely by plants and micro-organisms mutated into bigger forms. From Dandy's initial capture in cells to the destruction of Code D, the material that caused the plants' change, it's filled to the brim with serene yet bizarre shots. But what made the episode for me was the first scene in the series to make me cry, Dr. H and 033H returning to simple plants after Code D's destruction. The somber music, the yellows and oranges of the landscape come together perfectly. Even without a literal sunset, it feels like the sun is setting on an era for the planet. Still, at the same time the plants have a hopeful outlook on their return to simpler forms with Dr. H viewing it as a new beginning. It's bittersweet brilliance and I love it. Sentience is temporary.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Baby (#16; ED+SB: Masaaki Yuasa) was the sort of situation where even I noticed who's behind it while watching. Usually I looked up who was behind an episode I liked afterwards and think "yeah, that checks out", but here the answer screamed at me. That specific brand of loose character designs alongside the striking color design is unmistakably him. And the impressively roundabout story involving fish-aliens, an outcast sent to the planet Pushy Boyfriend for being a pushy boyfriend and an apocalyptic events caused by a star coming too close to inhabited planets was fun too. Fish is temporary.

The Big Fish Is Huge, Baby (#18; ED+SB: Kiyotaka Oshiyama) stood out for its instantly recognizable style too. And it's put to phenomenal use in a charming story about catching a valuable alien fish called Munagi, but actually about community, passing down of knowledge and local legends. With the early parts establishing the society and mythos surrounding the Munagi on the less developed planet Dandy visits, alongside visually stunning moments of... ultimately just regular fishing, the stage is set for my favorite action setpiece in the series. The portrayal of the waves with their outlines illuminated by the light of a blue moon gave the scene an immediately striking and lent itself to incredible sequences. Plus, the folks of the planet joining in to try to reel a Munagi in paid off the early tension between old, grumpy Munagi fisher L'delise and the rest of the fishermen around well. Fish is temporary. Myths are temporary.

So... guess there is actually a throughline here. I'd be lying if I said it's a constant, but many episodes embrace fleeting moments tied to endings. Doesn't matter if it's surfing on space debris after the two remaining inhabitants of a planet blew it up or the once in a life last prom before graduating high school. Hell, it feels like I'm doing this show a disservice by just focusing on 1/6 of it. Every episode gives enough material for a writeup in its own right, particularly on the production front with the melding of soundtrack and out there visuals to create immaculate vibes. Although I'll leave it at this for thoughts. Ultimately even Dandy is temporary. And Dandy is great for it, baby.

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On the complete opposite end of the spectrum of well-made anime there's Hyouka. Dandy thrives in absurdity; Hyouka excels in making the mundane interesting. It follows Oreki, a guy who seeks to live out his high school days in the lowest effort way possible. Even though he's a rather low-energy character, he's far from a bland one and that's evident from the beginning. His saluting the sports teams outside in episode 1 already made him endearing. With just him being allowed to go his merry way there wouldn't be much of a story, which is where his co-lead Chitanda comes in. She's a bundle of energy who simply can't be contained whenever something around her has even the slightest hint of a mystery to it. Starting from a simple locked room affecting their club intended for classic literature, the show quickly dives into longer, but still very personal mysteries.

What makes a setup this simple work is the downright spectacular production. While a lot of the reconstructions for mysteries are accompanied by drastic shifts in style befitting of their place in the story, it's the little things that sell the overall package. For character animation, Chitanda's bursts of curiosity are an obvious standout, with the show at times being playful with portraying Oreki's anticipation of it once the two know each other a bit better. And of course, the cinematography consistently puts in work to elevate its often long-winded conversations.

My favorite mystery in the series, the unfinished amateur film script, has some great showcases of the show's production strengths. For starters, Irisu introducing the classic literature club crew to the unfinished film gave her a mysterious presence. In a classroom lit only through a single window, she's always walks the line between light and shadow. Combine this with the elegant way she carries herself and she immediately invites intrigue. Although, just like Oreki, my attention was diverted to the incomplete movie with its incomplete murder mystery. Side note, Hyouka is the second KyoAni project I've seen that had an amateur film in it and both found completely different methods to emulate a low budget live-action look. And the way the overall story plays out with the initial "solving" of the plot not being the end was genius. After the film's success, the reveal of Irisu's intentions and her covering for the screenwriter ducking out after the rest of the crew pulled the film in a direction she didn't want worked well. Though what I really loved about it was the context of where Oreki confronts Irisu. The start of their conversation at a tea house is comprised entirely of close-ups until Oreki points out Irisu used him not as a detective, but a substitute writer. After this line it pulls back to a wide of the open chamber they're in. With them surrounded by 3 walls, they're cut off from the rest of the world, but not on the 4th side facing the audience. Oreki has no intention of going public with his findings. This happens only between them, but we, the people watching, are allowed to know the full truth.