Meeting Date: 10/28/2017
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: Welcome to the Herald Anime Club. I’m Mike Ferreira, and I’m joined by Lydia Rivers, Anthony Simpson, and L.B. Bryant.
Anthony Simpson: Evening
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Lydia Rivers: Hiii everyone!
Mike Ferreira: Tonight, we’re continuing our nerdy talk on The Ancient Magus’ Bride with episode 4: “KITTIES! =D … … … Ohhhh :c” or “Lady in the Water”
Anthony Simpson: Lots of lots of cats.
L.B. Bryant: Seriously, what is up with multiple people in a row throwing Chise into deep bodies of water? lol
L.B. Bryant: That seems like a very specific action to have done to you by consecutive people.
Anthony Simpson: Definitely not a place for those allergic to cats. Or a place for Ranma Saotome for be visiting.
Mike Ferreira: I think that’s just how magical beings greet each other.
Anthony Simpson: Maybe they think she can’t swim.
Mike Ferreira: “HI THERE I’M- *SPLOOSH*”
Lydia Rivers: Right? Maybe they’re parodying the floating witch thing. Or possibly it’s a comment on Elias’ smell, since he keeps glomming onto our princess.
L.B. Bryant: All plausible theories.
Mike Ferreira: Or they just want her dead, because they can’t wait the 1-3 years for the Sleigh Beggy flag to trip.
Lydia Rivers: Or the artists just like animating bubbles.
L.B. Bryant: Anyways, I just needed to get that question out there. Now… KITTIES!
Anthony Simpson: Lots of lots of cats.
Mike Ferreira: Yes! The first half of this episode was just pure internet meme fodder – cats as far as the eye can see
L.B. Bryant: My wife is really going to enjoy this story arc when I show it to her later.
Lydia Rivers: My allergies flared up while I was watching it. I got nose itches when I watched it.
Lydia Rivers: They were very cute >.<
L.B. Bryant: lol
Anthony Simpson: I’m more of dog person myself but yea I wouldn’t have an issue living with all those cats around.
Lydia Rivers: I thought it was funny that they stereotyped cat breed personalities too
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Lydia Rivers: I lost it when the Siamese was all in her face.
Mike Ferreira: That was great. Or when he just started clawing at her dress all angry and riled up
Anthony Simpson: That part was lost of me not being familiar with cat breed personalities.
Mike Ferreira: It’s like “yep, that’s a Siamese. Pretty cats that will fuck up your legs”
Lydia Rivers: *even when they like you, yup. Just cuz they get…um…passionate about their opinions
Lydia Rivers: *claw* I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW
Mike Ferreira: Yes!
Mike Ferreira: That and the way the King (Queen?) talked about her human was just so adorable
Anthony Simpson: It was adorable.
Lydia Rivers: Yesss. I have been mothered by a cat before, and it was as endearing as it was annoying.
Lydia Rivers: Also I sneezed for days.
Anthony Simpson: Guess I’ve been lucky and say that hasn’t happened to me before.
Mike Ferreira: They love… and they don’t understand allergies
Mike Ferreira: And even if they did, fuck you, you’re getting affection.
Lydia Rivers: I swear they do though. My friend’s cat is called Sin and she makes a beeline for me the second I walk into the door and promptly climbs onto my face the second I sit down.
L.B. Bryant: lol sounds like how it was when you visited my house
Mike Ferreira: That’s what it’s like when you visit ANY cat owner’s house
Lydia Rivers: Yes, she even puts Sin in her room now because I assume she doesn’t want to have secondhand responsibility for my death, regardless of how happy it’ll be
Mike Ferreira: Death by kitties.
Mike Ferreira: …on that note, holy shit at the B-part.
Lydia Rivers: One of the best deaths.
Anthony Simpson: That B-part was great.
Mike Ferreira: We went from “Yay, kittehs! =D” to “we are now in Jeffrey Dahmer’s house and I am horrified”
L.B. Bryant: B-part was pretty awesome
Anthony Simpson: I’m really interested to see how things turn out next week.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Lydia Rivers: I’m…I’m sorry, I have to be THAT GUY for a second.
Lydia Rivers: I know you had a collective sigh, but please just let me express how TIRED I am of people with chronic illnesses taking responsibility for their partners’ inability to handle stress
Lydia Rivers: and becoming cat serial killers
Lydia Rivers: that is all
Mike Ferreira: It’s a tired trope.
Anthony Simpson: it is.
Mike Ferreira: “This is my fault *sad face*” “No… no it really is not!”
Lydia Rivers: It’s a thorn in my heart every time I see it. And I’ve even seen it so many times, even in the media for real life stories, where murderers are painted in a sympathetic light because it has to be SO HARD to deal with everything….!
Lydia Rivers: “I’d either kill myself or someone else too sweetie, it’s ok, we understand how you could murder your child/spouse/patient”
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. People WANT to put a human face to a mass murderer
Mike Ferreira: Not to get political, but look at how the media treated the Las Vegas shooting. Within twenty-four hours, we were hearing stories from the neighbours about how he was “a good man” or “he just liked golf and movies.” It’s a very human desire to humanize that which we don’t understand.
Lydia Rivers: And you know, it’s an alarmingly common notion that disabled people should be understanding to the point of harm when something dehumanizing happens, because we’re just such a burden.
Lydia Rivers: The noble sickbed
Lydia Rivers: Yeah…..
Lydia Rivers: But otherwise it was a lovely episode and I truly enjoyed it.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. I’ve always seen that as a pretty fucked-up way of thinking.
Lydia Rivers: I want to know what that guy got into a fight with.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise.
Lydia Rivers: Was it his girlfriend?
Anthony Simpson: It is. Being what my dad has gone through and the ableism he has experienced it does bother me seeing that as well.
L.B. Bryant: I have no idea but it would make sense if it turned out to be Elias.
Lydia Rivers: Does Elias have claws?
Anthony Simpson: Out of left field guess maybe one of those cats.
Mike Ferreira: I don’t think so? They always show his hands gloved, though, so… hard to say
Lydia Rivers: Oh well. I guess he IS the mage of thorns
Lydia Rivers: Thorns are just claws for plants
Mike Ferreira: He’s like Wolverine, if Wolverine had plant magic… and was like 7 feet tall and skull headed
Lydia Rivers: He’s got the forgivable(?) lecher thing going on, so maybe.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed
Lydia Rivers: Who was mesmerized by the cat ruler’s eyes?
Mike Ferreira: Yes!
Lydia Rivers: I paused it and just stared.
Mike Ferreira: Pretty heterochromatic eyes!
L.B. Bryant: In general the cat designs were really well done. I loved that no two cats looked alike in this episode.
Mike Ferreira: That surprised me. Well that, and how well the cats drawn while they were just, well, “catting”
Anthony Simpson: They were very pretty.
Lydia Rivers: You mean mid-groom with their tongues hanging out?
Mike Ferreira: Yes!
Lydia Rivers: Hehehehe
Lydia Rivers: I loved the derp face shot of some of them too. They weren’t all regal AF.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. They were cats, and it was glorious
Lydia Rivers: I think the AH club has a fixation on cats.
Mike Ferreira: And how!
Lydia Rivers: We can cast ourselves. LB is the crazy cat lady.
Anthony Simpson: I like cats myself while I’m more of a dog person.
L.B. Bryant: I’m more of a dog person.
Lydia Rivers: I’m the cat tsundere who says how much she hates them because she’s allergic
L.B. Bryant: Trust me, the amount of cats I have right now isn’t by my choice lol
Lydia Rivers: LB is married to the crazy cat lady then
L.B. Bryant: That’s better lol
Lydia Rivers: Anthony is the guy who likes to come over and hang out, and get hated bc he smells like dogs
Lydia Rivers: What is Mike in this show
L.B. Bryant: I have no idea. :)
Lydia Rivers: He’s the guy who tries to herd them all.
L.B. Bryant: He’s the token true cat lover who names his animals “Mr. Fluffykins”
Lydia Rivers: And posts screenshots of the messages his cat “types” when it walks across the keyboard.
Mike Ferreira: Sounds about right.
Lydia Rivers: Well, I got carried away with this direction but I’d just like to say that I’d watch this show.
Mike Ferreira: lol
L.B. Bryant: So another point I wanted to bring up… is anyone else really curious to know what Chise’s personality will be like when she finally opens up a little? I know that we’re in for the long haul on that regard since she’s got years of abuse to learn how to cope with but for lack of a better phrase, I want to see her “dere dere” side eventually.
Anthony Simpson: Or shows pictures of cats when posting about NSFW stuff.
Lydia Rivers: Yes! I was waiting for a glimpse when she was playing with the kid dragons, but we only saw a tiny sliver in how she allowed herself to get swept away with them.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. It was teasingly brief
Lydia Rivers: I had these huge big sister tears. “CHISEEEEE!!! Let them teach you to play, aawwww!”
L.B. Bryant: Glad I’m not alone on this. :)
Lydia Rivers: Definitely not. If they keep teasing us so expertly with her character development, then it’s going to have huge payout. (Or I will cry)
Mike Ferreira: It’s going to have a huge payout, or we’ll be here in 22 weeks talking about how the big reveal was handled with the grace of a wet fart in a crowded church
Lydia Rivers: That might be a legitimate comparison depending on how the tension with the men of cloth goes.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
Mike Ferreira: On another note, did anyone else find the whole interaction with the Ariels interesting? It’s like “We tried to drag you to the fairy land, but no hard feelings. Time to get to work, brah”
L.B. Bryant: heh that was kind of interesting now that you mention it.
Lydia Rivers: I am continuously impressed by how a Japanese animation got fey creatures more correct than most western ones do.
Lydia Rivers: They are very often chaotic neutral, for lack of a better term, and do whatever they want
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. There’s a lot of respect for the mystical creatures – unlike more than a few western works that’ll just rewrite them to suit the author’s whims
Anthony Simpson: yea.
Anthony Simpson: The visuals man they looked so GOOD this episode. The underwater stuff was amazing.
Lydia Rivers: When they couldn’t monopolize Chise while trying to hoodwink Elias, they just shrugged it off and continued with their whimsies.
Lydia Rivers: They did!!!
Lydia Rivers: I love just the soft touches they do with CG
Lydia Rivers: So attractive…! It supplements the lighting so nicely for sparkles and bubbles.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise! We’ve come a long way with the CGI – its’ becoming more subtle and better integrated overall.
Mike Ferreira: We’re finally getting out of that phase where directors use CG effects as a cudgel to scream “LOOK! LOOK AT OUR CGI EFFECTS!”
Anthony Simpson: Yea
Lydia Rivers: You mean those graphics that make one instantly remember that scene with the computers in Zoolander?
Mike Ferreira: Yes! Where it suddenly looks like a PlayStation game.
Lydia Rivers: And how they used it with the finesse of a blunt instrument, yes.
Mike Ferreira: Aniwho… any final comments on this week’s episode?
L.B. Bryant: Nothing here.
Anthony Simpson: Next Saturday can’t come fast enough.
Anthony Simpson: I wanna see what kind of payoff we get.
Lydia Rivers: Nope! Aside from me desperately looking forward to seeing how they use those great FX to illustrate unicorns.
Lydia Rivers: I HAD BETTER GET UNICORNS.
L.B. Bryant: lol
Lydia Rivers: There you see? I have enough faith in this anime to get greedy. I think that speaks volumes. :)
Mike Ferreira: If there’s no unicorns, we fly to Japan and riot.
Lydia Rivers: The best use of an AH club trip, in my opinion.
Mike Ferreira: Well, that and going to Akiba for funsies.
Mike Ferreira: Aniwho, that’s our meeting for this week. Thanks for joining, everyone! ‘Til next time, remember: sorcerers are assholes.
Anthony Simpson: good night
Lydia Rivers: Stay shiny!
