Meeting Date: 11/2/2019
Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!
Samantha Ferreira: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club! I’m Samantha, and I’m here with Anthony Simpson
Anthony Simpson: Evening
Samantha Ferreira: Tonight, we’re heading back to the bookless world with Ascendance of a Bookworm episode 5: “Crayons and sadness.”
Anthony Simpson: I have to admit of all the episode so far I think this one was my favorite.
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise. They basically kept Main’s smug dickishness to a minimum, and let the cast do their thing. Also, they basically set Main back at every turn, which was fun.
Anthony Simpson: Smug Main is bad Main
I did feel bad for her in that regards.
Plus we saw Main and her Glow again.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah. I’m thinking that’s just her giving up on life, given the narration during those parts
“I’m fading away”, etc
Anthony Simpson: At times it does feel like that.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah, but that’s truly all of us when we just watch this show
Anthony Simpson: I don’t quite feel that way when I watch it. I’m not the biggest fan of the show by any stretch but I don’t hate it either.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… I’m just the minority on this one apparently
Anthony Simpson: I just don’t ever see myself coming back to it once the show is over or purchasing it on home video.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeah, same
Anthony Simpson: One thing I wish we got to see more of was the baptism for Turi.
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed. They just said “Nope, bored now, let’s watch Main be fucking Main again” and that was that
Which is sad – there’s clearly a culture in this world but they don’t want us to know nay of it
Anthony Simpson: If Main goes though the baptism I’m sure we will see it then.
I have to agree wasted potential there with the culture.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah. It’s like… this show has flashes of greatness – you get these little teases of a bigger world, but they don’t go further than that
Anthony Simpson: I wonder if the LN expands more on the culture of this society.
Samantha Ferreira: Probably to an extent, but not to an appreciable degree
The series likes to cast its lore wide
Anthony Simpson: I’ve noticed.
Samantha Ferreira: But not very deep… and I’d wager that the books do the same, just because of the general narrative structure
Anthony Simpson: Which is kind of unfortunate since there a lot to explore here with this society.
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed. And honestly, if we had more of that, I’d probably be digging the show more
Anthony Simpson: Same.
Samantha Ferreira: That said, there’s still some potential – I was kind of glad to see reality smacking Main down for being so smug after so long
Anthony Simpson: She needed that a few episode ago.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeah
But the setbacks with the tablets were pure schadenfreude
Anthony Simpson: Exactly.
Samantha Ferreira: So yeah… this episode wasn’t offensive, but it wasn’t super memorable either?
Anthony Simpson: It was an episode.
Samantha Ferreira: Basically, lol
Any final thoughts?
Anthony Simpson: Less smug Main is good overall so show keep doing that.
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed.
Til next time, remember: small blank wooden slabs make great kindling. It’s the hopes and dreams that went into making them that REALLY help get the fire started.
Have a great night!
Anthony Simpson: Goodnight.
