Meeting Date: 2/10/2018
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, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club. I’m Mike Ferreira, and I’m joined by L.B. Bryant
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Mike Ferreira: Tonight, we’re discussing The Ancient Magus’ Bride episode 17: “The one with the vore” and School Babysitters Episode 5: “Not pictured: Kiki and Jiji”
L.B. Bryant: There were so many cute faces in this week’s episode of AMB I almost died from the moe.
Mike Ferreira: Agreed! The staff clearly had a lot of fun in this one.
L.B. Bryant: And I loved how they were able to balance that out with a particularly dark story about Elias feeling real jealousy.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. It was a great balance this week – those little, adorable moments really helped to provide a balance for the episode.
Mike Ferreira: That said, Chise’s coughing up blood again.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah :( I don’t think that they are going to kill her (manga is still ongoing after all) but it still doesn’t make me happy to see it.
Mike Ferreira: It’s that troubling reminder that she’s still just a Sleigh Beggy
L.B. Bryant: Yeah very true.
Mike Ferreira: And she really did do a lot this episode, magic-wise. Wolf mode, coma lullabies, magical flares…
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I hadn’t even thought about that but she exerted a lot of magical power in this episode.
L.B. Bryant: Also, what was up with that weird creature that Elias turned into when he was running away? My wife and I were literally tilting our heads like puppies when we got a look at what Chise was chasing after.
Mike Ferreira: I have no clue.
Mike Ferreira: It’s like… part dog, with cloven feet, and a fish tail and these vine whips…
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, we couldn’t make heads or tails of that.
Mike Ferreira: I wonder if that’s the intention, though.
L.B. Bryant: That’s totally possible. Perhaps his emotions were so riled up, he couldn’t form a single body and just kind of had to hodgepodge something together in haste?
Mike Ferreira: That makes sense. Kind of like when he went into “human mode” in a hurry last episode and ended up with Chise
L.B. Bryant: Yeah exactly.
Mike Ferreira: That said… apparently, “Jealousy = vore” when dealing with him. Never make Elias jealous.
L.B. Bryant: I’m really hoping that he learns to deal with it so that Chise doesn’t have to keep threatening self harm to get him to calm the fuck down.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed. SOmething tells me that he’s going to learn mighty frickin’ quickly, or that something is going to derail these moments, given the plot drops we had this episode
L.B. Bryant: Yeah absolutely. The ending of this episode was just… wow.
Mike Ferreira: There’s something very big building up. I want to see what happens.
L.B. Bryant: As do I. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen the short evil guy.
L.B. Bryant: Sorry I can’t remember his name lol
Mike Ferreira: Yes! Cartaphilius… or Joseph. Dealer’s choice lol
L.B. Bryant: lol got it.
Mike Ferreira: The fact that he’s with Ashen Eye intrigues me
Mike Ferreira: We have one neutral evil and one chaotic evil… what’s going to happen here?
L.B. Bryant: My guess? Something reminiscent of evil. :)
Mike Ferreira: You sure? I thought they might be opening that orphanage in Kamurocho. Oh, wait… that’s Yakuza
Mike Ferreira: But yeah… this was a good setup episode. Some great moment-to-moment action, and some great creepy undertones to highlight the coming storm
L.B. Bryant: Indeed. Do you think this is going to be the final arc?
Mike Ferreira: Hard to say.
Mike Ferreira: Right now, this could be the end of the arc before the next arc, if that makes sense.
L.B. Bryant: Could be.
Mike Ferreira: It’ll give the anime enough finality to conclude, but leave the door open juuuuuuuuuuuuuust wide enough to make more if this second cour was successful
L.B. Bryant: I have to believe that this series is going to eventually get more. I don’t care how this season ends, I would totally watch more of this show if they made it.
Mike Ferreira: I’m curious on that, but incredibly hopeful. I can see Crunchy bankrolling more if the series remains popular. You know… so long as their director doesn’t turn out to be a frickin’ Nazi like that other director
L.B. Bryant: lol yeah, let’s hope for the best in that regard.
Mike Ferreira: lol – I know that’s just an exceptional case.
L.B. Bryant: A very exceptional one. lol
Mike Ferreira: Yep.
Mike Ferreira: Any final thoughts on this week’s Ancient Magus Bride?
L.B. Bryant: Silky = best girl
Mike Ferreira: Amen to that.
Mike Ferreira: Moving on, we have School Babysitters episode 5: “Not pictured: Kiki and Jiji”
L.B. Bryant: So I’ll admit, I wasn’t overly impressed with the first half of this episode. It was sorta fun but also kind of meh.
L.B. Bryant: The second half however was a lot more interesting.
Mike Ferreira: Honestly, I’m of the opinion that Usaida made this episode – his dry snark just lit up the room.
L.B. Bryant: That’s fair. I just didn’t get into the story they were pitching to me though.
L.B. Bryant: I think it’s because I’m super jaded on the idea of parenthood lol
Mike Ferreira: lol Probably.
Mike Ferreira: Honestly, I had a friend that tried a similar stunt… so I laughed a little.
L.B. Bryant: hehe Ah okies, see I had a terrible day yesterday that mostly involved screaming children all day long so perhaps this story was just delivered at a really bad time for me.
Mike Ferreira: Yeeeeah… Honestly, I get that.
Mike Ferreira: For me, I did like Usaida, again. The whole “Why didn’t you say something?” “It was funny so I let it run” was perfect
L.B. Bryant: But that’s my personal problem, not the episode’s fault.
Mike Ferreira: Indeed.
L.B. Bryant: What did you think of the second half of the episode with the kids getting obsessed with witches?
Mike Ferreira: It was cute, especially when Inomata started basically outing herself as a witch fangirl.
L.B. Bryant: hehe that was fun and it made me laugh.
Mike Ferreira: The reaction was pretty perfect, too. “I can’t show this to kids!” “Well screw you!”
L.B. Bryant: lol exactly, that punchline was perfect
Mike Ferreira: It really was.
L.B. Bryant: I liked the closing moments as well with the chairwoman talking to the girl after she failed to fly on her broom.
Mike Ferreira: Likewise. She knows how to keep a kid’s dreams alive, despite using children for slave labor, herself
L.B. Bryant: lol
Mike Ferreira: One last thing – kind of an interesting note. The book that the girl had was “Witch’s Delivery Service,” better known in the west as “Kiki’s Delivery Service” – Yes, THAT Kiki’s Delivery Service.
L.B. Bryant: Yeah I did notice that. That’s a pretty famous book though so I don’t think they were necessarily referencing Kiki
Mike Ferreira: I figured – just thought it was fun trivia to point out to the crowd, though.
L.B. Bryant: hehe cool cool
Mike Ferreira: Aniwho, I think that does it for this episode. Any comments?
L.B. Bryant: This is a fun show to just turn on and enjoy without having to think too hard. It’s sugar and I’m ok with that.
Mike Ferreira: Heh. I find my little doses of fun where I can in it… but I swear, they need to telegraph some moments better than that “she’s fine so long as she’s not jumping off the roof” bit. But yeah… I enjoyed this one more than usual
L.B. Bryant: That’s good at least lol
Mike Ferreira: lol – aniwho, have a great, everybody!
L.B. Bryant: Night!
