Blatch

Well, the drought started prior to Cosmo Samurai 2. I guess I forgot the custom of not doing normal goodies whenever a TIE is airing; my rationale against this was going to be that the Toonami crew had little to do with the actual production of this one, but I think I'm being too greedy. Let's hope for something good tonight.

Last week's episode was something of a breather, as Riko was knocked out while Reg went to get the ingredients needed to free her. Oh, and Nanachi did some stuff. And their pet did some stuff also, but it was somewhat creepy. Now, after Reg has a strange vision of the grove where Lyza's supposed grave is, it seems like high time to discover some more info about the Abyss.

Cowboy Bebop 24-26 (rewatch) My Dress-Up Darling 10-12 I also finished my rewatch of Sweet Punishment just today. Without elaborating (because I'm not a weirdo who watches this stuff regularly), I can say that I've gotten more out of it than any of the other ComicFesta anime. And I kinda want to see a sequel to it now, if only because I have no idea where the plot is going to go, and these hentai adaptations that air on TV can actually get sequels now. In the meantime, the wait for Songstress S2 begins. I thought I saw something that said it was premiering in April, but that's not the case. Oh, and both of those other shows are great. But you don't need me to tell you that.

This TIE felt less like an actual cool thing and more an excuse for Toonami to refresh their packaging, because they've done so a lot since the block returned. And the new Absolution is neat, but it feels more like nostalgia bait than anything. At least the implication I got is that TOM and SARA are on a mission to do... something, and they'll keep broadcasting cartoons for at least 250 more years. Also, when I saw the old SARA looping her animation in the cockpit, was I the only one expecting the return of Sally Timms? Really, most of my problems with Toonami right now have to do with how frugal things have gotten. At least Shenmue got new music and a lead-off bump for its new set, but Made in Abyss is still stuck with the weirdo issue of having two music sets. And they didn't even include clips from past Episode 8. Not to mention, there's been an utter dearth of goodies. We haven't even gotten a new game review since early January, and those have been ubiquitous on the block. Heck, there have been hardly any music videos on the block lately, and those take even less effort to put on. I know I'm sounding pretty complainy right now, but really, I just want to know what's keeping the Toonami staff cooped up and unable to do any of this? Hopefully things improve now that the two TIEs are done, which I guess is a nice thing that might never happen again. I wasn't expecting TOM 6 to actually have a TIE of his own, given that they said The Forge would be the last big Toonami thing for a while, so this was better than nothing.

And we end on an ambiguous note, with Mitty pining for Riko. Heh, what a cute mound of flesh they are. Seems like becoming a Hollow is like playing the lottery; Mitty may have lost, but then again, the alternative seems to be becoming a furry. Also, rewinding through the second half of the episode (relative to the comemrcial break), I'm surprised that something called a "demonfish"... looks like any normal fish. Maybe it's carnivorous, but it doesn't like robots?

Rotting of her flesh... mmm, tasty. Scenes like Reg's little quest go a long way in making this show such fun to watch. I've said this before, but it makes me wish we could explore each layer of the Abyss for several episodes, just to see what creative creature designs pop up. Of course, you can't forget the juvenile humor, too.

And now Reg's on a fetch quest. It's like Shenmue never ended.

We're only three episodes from the finish line, which I imagine Riko is going to limp over at this point. You don't just get your shit kicked in on the fourth layer and not learn some valuable life lessons from it, right? And now we have a new character to contend with in Nanachi. Just what makes them such an uncomfortable sight in the Abyss? Whatever it is, it shouldn't change the fact that they're inherently lovable.

I mean, we don't have a premiere date for Season 2 yet, and at this point it sure as hell isn't coming in April. On the other hand, given that the weekend after Season 1 ends is also Easter Sunday, I'd love to see them air the movie as some sort of promotion for that. Forget God; we're worshipping the netherworld now, as well as the White Whistles that do their dirty work down there. As for an actual show replacement: I've said this before, but if there were ever a time for Toonami to bring on Log Horizon, I think this is it. It would lock down a slot for at least a year, and it isn't another mindless mid-rate shonen. Or, if they want to keep up the theme of "The Best of Anime Strike", they could bring on either Girls' Last Tour or Land of the Lustrous, both of which have been dubbed. Either of 'em would beat more Food Wars! from a critical standpoint.

I didn't see any ads for either, though I would've only expected the former.

All right. Seems like people finally aren't glued to the news anymore, and it's led to modest gains for the block. Though I'd say it also helped that there weren't any March Madness games that went past midnight, while there was one on Sunday night. I saw the end of TCU vs. Arizona, and it was hype.

My hope is that this somehow causes One Piece's production to shift to a seasonal model.

Well, now you're about to watch Riko bleed in lots of places. 😬

Okay, people have done enough teasing, so I'll go with my original intro. Surgeon general's warning: This episode is... a lot, even compared to everything that's come before. It's probably not for people of a nervous disposition. In other words, this is your last chance to get off. From here on own, this show shoots up to 15% DBV (danger by volume), and it's only going to keep increasing as this show skids into its home stretch. [at least we finally get new, more fitting bumps]

In the end, Ryo didn't have to beg much. He even got a new place to stay for his troubles. And that street performer guy seems pretty cool; I hope we see him again. Man, this show's got a big cast, even if you only count everyone introduced since the Hong Kong arc started.

One in a thousand? That's less than I would expect... but on the plus side, at least Ryo knows that guy is legit.

LOL, nice panning shot with CG people in the background.

So I've been wondering exactly how to play up this current episode, but I don't want to be too spoilery about it. I guess you could say certain habits from the old days of this board (and even previous ones) don't die hard. So I guess I'll just say that things are gonna get particularly interesting as Reg and Riko airdrop into the fourth layer, the Goblets of Giants. If anything, Masquerade will be hyped.

Now that I think about it, Al said he wanted more horror anime on the block a long time ago, though that probably had more to do with his love for Hellsing Ultimate. So now we have this new spoopy show likely rolling into the long-awaited Uzumaki adaptation. And then we've got the currently-airing Made in Abyss, which is arguably a survival horror show.

I figured that if there'd be a new FLCL sequel, it'd be from the original creators and attempt to show the people who made Progressive and Alternative how its done. But this... well, if DeMarco keeps this up, I don't think Toonami is going to survive to its 30th anniversary. 😛 I mean, maybe it could work better now that these new creative teams are free from the baggage that plagued the previous sequels, since now there's no need to ape the style of the original or subvert it in a significant way. On the other hand, I think Alternative would've worked better as a completely original project. At least the other new series they're making looks interesting.

And not only that, the two sets have different music. For what it's worth, I prefer the second one, which has less obnoxious music plus the clips of Reg getting elecrocuted and Riko throwing a fit. Pretty cute... but they clash with the bumps badly, and it's going to get worse starting this weekend. I would hope for new bumps starting with The Return, but... I don't know. I don't think they'd go all out for a TIE that only lasts two weeks, when most of the previous ones lasted four. They'll probably keep things the same, and I'll start to wonder why I don't just mute the bumps already.

On the plus side, college basketball took the top four spots, sports in general almost swept the top 10, and even a second-tier NASCAR race didn't do that badly. I, for one, welcome our new bracket overlords. [i picked arizona to win it all]

Part of me wishes they could stay on each layer for longer, but then again, I think this show's pacing is just exactly perfect. On the other hand, this series is getting a video game! It's an RPG that's supposed to come out later this year. There's some more info on it here, but be careful if you're spoilerphobic because it has a key visual for the second season, on top of a tease for the current one. One extra aside: I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone talk about madokajacks in the context of Madoka Magica on Toonami. Yeah, it's a blatant reference, but that joke would've killed in the block's glory days (2014-16).

That hallucination scene was great. Equal parts fucked up and uplifting, mostly since it shows how much Reg means to Riko.