Herald Anime Club

The Herald Anime Club Meeting 16: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Episode 4 Seiren Episode 4


Meeting Date: 2/4/2017

Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!

Mike Ferreira: Good evening everyone, and welcome back to the Herald Anime Club. This week I’m joined by Lydia Rivers and Anthony Simpson.
Lydia Rivers: Hiii everyone!
Anthony Simpson: Evening.
Mike Ferreira: Tonight, we’re continuing our discussion on Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, while saying goodbye to Seiren.
Lydia Rivers: Good riddance to Seiren?
Mike Ferreira: I’ve been calling it The Sadness, but that works.
Anthony Simpson: I will save my opinions for Seiren when we get to it.
Mike Ferreira: Before we go there, though, let’s talk adorable dragon maids.
Anthony Simpson: This weeks episode was adorable as hell.


Lydia Rivers: In this episode we got human commentary delivered by a couple of dragons, and I loved it.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. More human commentary by dragons, please.
Anthony Simpson: Kanna going to school was cute as hell.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. From dodgeball to Forehead Girl, they nailed the school experience.
Lydia Rivers: I thought it was great. Even after Kobayashi-san warned them that if they stand out, they’ll get ostricized, she didn’t hold back. Much.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. And she really kind of found people willing to accept her on that, which was a great message.
Anthony Simpson: That commentary was important. I mean, this isn’t just exclusive to Japan. Here in the US, this is true as well.
Lydia Rivers: She of course drew the most obnoxious girl to her in a heartbeat, and the way she handled her was SO GOOD. If only we could really have those kinds of skills as children… or sometimes even adults!
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Anthony Simpson: Forehead girl is obnoxious, but I can’t dislike her. At All.
Mike Ferreira: Forehead girl is awesome. And she’s, like, this walking teachable moment.
Mike Ferreira: She’s Goofus to Kanna’s Gallant.
Mike Ferreira: And Kanna’s not afraid to say it. “Nobody likes her.” – that was just a “wow, ouch” moment
Lydia Rivers: True friends can be honest with each other!
Lydia Rivers: Just you know, sometimes friends prefer a bit of tact. But if they love you despite your lack of tact, because they love you when no one else likes you, well that’s okay.


Mike Ferreira: Very true.
Anthony Simpson: I got a kick of out when Kanna got the class in a trance with wicked.
Mike Ferreira: And it had to be “Wicked” – the official slang word in my neck of the woods.
Mike Ferreira: God, I swear she took the whole class to Rhode Island, there. I got a good laugh out of that
Lydia Rivers: I did too. She’s this proper looking thing, and suddenly slang lol.
Lydia Rivers: Can we talk for a second how Kobayashi went back and bought the charm Kanna wanted for her bag?
Anthony Simpson: Yes that was touching.
Mike Ferreira: That was just adorable.


Mike Ferreira: You can really see the three starting to gel as a family now.
Lydia Rivers: Kanna saw her wince about the price of everything, put it back out of consideration, and Kobayashi caught her! And then!
Mike Ferreira: Yeah. That whole scene was so sweet.
Lydia Rivers: Omg and Tohru…Tooru? How’re we spelling it for the Herald? Is it Tohru in the subtitles? I don’t remember. Anyway, her trying to get some attention too was also a bit cute. She’s a dragon puppy.
Editor’s note: It’s Tohru
Mike Ferreira: She got her token of affection… a beer.
Lydia Rivers: Win!
Anthony Simpson: It reminded me a bit of myself when I was younger and, to an extent now, as an adult. My parents wanted to spend money on me and get me things, but I was always against them spending a ton of money. Even now, while we were better off than when I was a child, I still don’t like it when my parents spend of a lot money to get me stuff.
Lydia Rivers: But thoughtful kids are the best ones to spoil!
Anthony Simpson: I never liked being spoiled all that much.
Mike Ferreira: The ones who understand the way the world works kinda – they know stuff.
Lydia Rivers: Have you guys seen the video of the girl who got a puppy for Christmas and was moved to tears? That’s Kanna.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KMf4x02XMA

Mike Ferreira: Definitely.
Mike Ferreira: Random note: I kinda love how Tohru’s addicted to Alex Jones level conspiracies – “It’s collusion!”
Anthony Simpson: That sounds like my dad about some things.
Anthony Simpson: Its either a collusion or a racket with some things.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. I think we all know someone like that
Lydia Rivers: I’m just waiting for her to discover social media and mobilize Twitter.
Mike Ferreira: Well she’s getting better with the net, so next episode…?
Anthony Simpson: She already knows how to use the Internet, so it will only be a matter of time.
Lydia Rivers: FOR JUSTICE!


Mike Ferreira: “The crummy school’s colluding with the crooked supply sellers to keep prices up! SAD!”
Lydia Rivers: The CollusionGate Massacre
Mike Ferreira: Hehe.
Anthony Simpson: Our schools going to be Bigly with the suppliers. We will get a great deal.
Mike Ferreira: “The best deals. We have very smart dragon brains.”
Anthony Simpson: We all know of the CollusionGate Massacre. That is why the dragons are banned.
Lydia Rivers: How did you guys like the dodgeball match with the bullies?
Mike Ferreira: I loved the dodgeball match.
Mike Ferreira: Especially Lucoa’s nonchalant “Oh I’ll just erase their memories and fix it” at the end
Lydia Rivers: At first, I saw the stereotypical American being a complete gorilla, and I was like “well…sometimes we deserve that.” and then his Japanese friend got just as stupid when expertly provoked by a child LOL.
Mike Ferreira: That was priceless.
Mike Ferreira: Right down to forehead girl’s devolution to tears seconds after she realized what she did.
Lydia Rivers: YES LOL! I laughed really hard. She was like a little terrier who ran back to the larger dog for protection from… the bear


Anthony Simpson: One thing I would have changed with the dodgeball was Quetzalcoatl bouncing breasts in that one scene. That was little excessive in my opinion.
Lydia Rivers: I guess dragons don’t wear sportsbras when they polymorph
Anthony Simpson: Maybe they just don’t wear bras period.
Mike Ferreira: …I’m not going there
Anthony Simpson: I’m guessing there is some kind of magic involved there, but I don’t want to think too much about it.
Mike Ferreira: They kinda explained that in episode 1 – clothes are literally a part of the polymorph. But… that’s getting into nitpicking on my end
Lydia Rivers: I’m not a fan of over-analyzing fan service. I call it what it is and don’t think about it unless it’s offensive, like using minors.
Anthony Simpson: I guess I forgot that.
Anthony Simpson: It was just one thing I would have done differently in that scene.
Mike Ferreira: “It’s best not to think about it”
Lydia Rivers: But yeah! Overall I really liked this episode. It gently poked some human issues while being totally adorable.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely.
Anthony Simpson: It was a solid episode. Looking forward to more.


Mike Ferreira: Likewise.
Lydia Rivers: I have to get running, everyone, but enjoy your discussion of Seiren and stay shiny!
Mike Ferreira: Later, Lydia.
Anthony Simpson: Later
Mike Ferreira: Anyway… moving on to Seiren – we’re closing off this series at the end of an arc.
Anthony Simpson: Episode 4 was easily the best episode of this arc.
Mike Ferreira: Fully agreed. Honestly, THAT is what I was hoping to see in the series.
Mike Ferreira: Seiren was at its best when it did the character-driven stuff
Anthony Simpson: Agreed
Anthony Simpson: We got a little bit of the fetish stuff this time around, but I did enjoy this time. I also like about the main character is also self aware of his fetish issue.
Mike Ferreira: Even then, the fetishy stuff was just… it was super tame this time around. Well… aside from Araki and the poor bunnies
Mike Ferreira: Those poor bunnies.
Anthony Simpson: Yeah, that bunny stuff was stupid.
Mike Ferreira: Definitely.


Anthony Simpson: I don’t know about most people but I don’t feel super interested doing anything romantic in a bunny pen or any area where animals are kept.
Mike Ferreira: Yeeeeah. I’m not seeing it either.
Mike Ferreira: I kind of like how it all resolved, though. Tsuneki found what she wanted and actually went on to capture it. Our main character ended up following his own path, inspired by her, and they reunite when they’re in their 20s. It’s a sweet way to end it.
Anthony Simpson: That was sweet.
Anthony Simpson: I was happy that the main character and the girl kissed there. I was afraid that it was going to just end and nothing happen.
Mike Ferreira: It was. It was a good ending.
Anthony Simpson: Kissed on the beach. Forgot to add that.
Mike Ferreira: Kissed on the beach, twice.
Mike Ferreira: And our main character never got his sweats back
Anthony Simpson: Yea, I noticed that.
Mike Ferreira: “Seiren: fanservice and clothing thieves”
Anthony Simpson: Even better: “Seiren: Fanservice, clothing thieves, and crazy fetishes.”
Mike Ferreira: That works


Mike Ferreira: Any final words on Seiren before we close the books on it?
Anthony Simpson: I know this arc is finished. But I wish they did an arc of these two now that they are in their 20’s and they most likely aren’t the same people as before.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. That would’ve been great to see – it would’ve had me wanting to keep going. To see them just reset that is sad.
Anthony Simpson: I’m dropping the show from the stuff I am watching this season. I have no more interest in watching more of it.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise. It ended well enough, any more would just be repeating the same steps.
Anthony Simpson: It’s not so much that.
Anthony Simpson: I think its more along the lines that its not living up to what it could in terms of a show.
Mike Ferreira: That too. Like you saw last week, I mentally checked out last week – not intentionally, but it did really just fail to live up to that premise.
Anthony Simpson: Even with its full potential I think it would be an upper mid-tier show which isn’t by itself a bad thing, but I just feel like I need to be investing anymore time into it. I’m, still going to keep my ears about the series. If I hear the next two arcs are good I might go back and finish the show. As it stands I’m just not feeling it anymore.
Mike Ferreira: I hear ya there.
Mike Ferreira: Aniwho… I think that’s about all the time we have this week. So, til next time, remember: Dodgeball with dragons is always a bad idea.
Anthony Simpson: yes it is a bad idea.
Mike Ferreira: Have a great night!
Anthony Simpson: Good night.

Anime Herald

Support Anime Herald

Anime Herald is brought to you through our Patrons and Ko-fi supporters. Consider backing us for as little as $1 a month to help us keep the site ad-free and pay a fair rate to our writers.

Patrons and backers can access several benefits, including Early Article Access, our members-only Discord, and the ability to suggest articles for our team to write on your behalf.



Latest Posts

Columns

The Evolution of Abridged Anime Part 4 – No Screwing The Rules

Fears about legal ramifications were fairly common in the world of comedic anime fandubs, despite some arguing they might be protected under parody laws. Philip Sral of Sherbert Productions shared a story of how three fans caused a large amount of stress while trying to get a copy of one of their works by pretending […]

By Borealis Capps