Meeting Date: 3/28/2020
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 L.B. Bryant and Anthony Simpson
Anthony Simpson: Evening
L.B. Bryant: Hello
Samantha Ferreira: Tonight, we’re closing the books on this case of Inception Inspectors with ID: Invaded Episode 13, “Well, that happened.”
And tonight, yeah… I don’t know where to begin – it just opened powerfully with Big Bad Baby, and kept going from there.
Anthony Simpson: There was a quite a bit that happened in the last episode.
L.B. Bryant: I recognized that loose ends were being tied up but honestly I had a really hard time following everything that was happening.
Samantha Ferreira: It just kind of hit all at once. Like, you had the big showdown playing out, then Momoki and Kiki, then the wellside folks…
I think the episode suffered by trying to do too much, sadly – like, the bit with Momoki and Kiki. There’s clearly some chemistry there that was hinted at in previous episodes, but it just didn’t sell here, since it wasn’t given much focus during the rest of the series
Anthony Simpson: It was a busy episode that is for sure. Maybe too busy.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah. I liked it, it gave closure, but it felt like it tried to fit everything into it.
Anthony Simpson: It wasn’t a bad last episode by any means, it did what it needed to do, but I think this last episode could have either be A) Spilt into 2 episodes or B) Made double length to get everything enough time to play out.
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed. I mean, the segment with the Great Detectives played out magnificently – the tracking, the cornering, the trapping of Haseura in the other Id well where he would get his ass beat and forced to live in a prison cell… that worked well.
They worked in Fukuda’s arithmomania, they worked in the callback to the first episode where Sakaido was all segmented, they even worked in the whole part where they found John Walker sitting in an odd chair in episode 2. Like, that played out super well.
It was the rest – Kiki Asukai and Momoki just needed… something more, you know?
Anthony Simpson: Agreed the stuff with Kiki needed more time.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… there’s clearly something more there, which needs to breathe.
Anthony Simpson: Indeed.
Samantha Ferreira: On the flip side, I’m kind of glad they just gave little peeks at the wellside crew – we got what we needed, and they were comic relief so it worked.
Also, I rather liked that sequel hook at the end. It’s clear that there’s more they can do with this concept, and the whole “mysteries in subconsciousness” thing is super engrossing to watch
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, I would watch a second season of this.
Anthony Simpson: I did like that as well. I would watch another season of this hands down.
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise. Keep the same format – run mysteries at the fore, keep, say, some work on a greater issue in the background. Maybe see the team trying to find a way to free Kiki from her watery prison.
Anthony Simpson: That would a good start for another season if they make another one.
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed. if not, then we got a good complete story as-is.
The ending was a bit clunky, but I still had fun with it.
Anthony Simpson: I did as well, considering this was the only show from this season I finished. Everything else I either dropped or put on the shelf for the time being.
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise.
Next season looks to have more must-watches, though, so I’m excited.
Anthony Simpson: I certainly hope so. Not sure if it was burn-out that led to just having one show, or the other stuff wasn’t interesting me as much.
Samantha Ferreira: I’m saying a combination of the two for me. Like, I want to finish Eizouken but I hit a wall at some point and said “you’re not simulcasting this”
Anthony Simpson: I would say mine was more of the former. Finished the bulk of shows from Winter, then busy several weeks at work followed with health issues just was the stuff to make just not feel it this season.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah… there was a lot of good stuff – the will just wasn’t there, more than anything. Also, the show I really wanted to see, Dorohedoro, is on Netflix, so we won’t get that for a while.
And on that note, I think we can announce our next Anime Club series for Spring 2020. This one was a victory for our patrons, who pushed Sakura Wars (2019) the Animation to the top of the list. We’ll be here and talking that up next week.
L.B. Bryant: Yay!
Anthony Simpson: \o/
I know Sam is looking forward to this being a Sakura Wars fan.
Samantha Ferreira: And how! And with the new game launching in the west on April 28, it’s sure to be a perfect companion piece
Anyway, final thoughts this week?
Anthony Simpson: I’m going to miss this show, but I enjoyed the ride it was fun while it lasted.
L.B. Bryant: Nothing from me.
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise… and I guess we can close the books on this one. Til next time, remember: A case is just a series of clues without a great detective to piece them together.
Have a great night!
Anthony Simpson: Good night.