Meeting Date: 5/16/2020
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 back to the Herald Anime Club. I’m Samantha, and I’m here with L.B. and Anthony
L.B. Bryant: Hello
Anthony Simpson: Evening
Samantha Ferreira: Tonight, we’re heading back to the world of psychic song girls and super robots with Sakura Wars (2019) the Animation, Episode 7: “So… did… did they just copy a Gintama episode?”
L.B. Bryant: So this was the most fun I’ve had with this series in weeks and it really gave the series a nice shot in the arm IMO.
Anthony Simpson: This was a fun episode.
Samantha Ferreira: It was so silly and breezy, but it was just so fun to watch.
Like, right up to that point where the Moscow Revue did that giant ballet leap to catch the boat… and missed
L.B. Bryant: lol, I was waiting for that to happen and yet I still laughed. My favorite scene was when everyone presented food to the captain and he smoothly gets out of the situation by suggesting they all eat together. That’s Swagamoto levels of cool.
Samantha Ferreira: Right?
Anthony Simpson: The presentation of the food and the Moscow Revue leaping and missing for the boat were my favorite parts of this episode.
Samantha Ferreira: Both parts were paced just so wonderfully. I guess now is a good time to note that the storyboarder for this episode also worked on Animaniacs and Tiny Toons in the ’90s
L.B. Bryant: That’s interesting.
Anthony Simpson: Talk about range of materials to work on. Like “damn, that’s a 180 from Sakura Wars”
Samantha Ferreira: Right? You have the big drama of recent weeks, to this week where they’re basically doing a Gintama sketch in the best way possible
(Also noting that Reiji, the mastermind behind the entire thing, is voiced by the guy who does Gintoki)
Right down to the sunglasses and the over-the-top “hiding in plain sight” bits
Anthony Simpson: I loved all the hiding in plain sight bits.
Samantha Ferreira: Same. Also, just Hiromi and Itsuki coming out of nowhere.
Anthony Simpson: I was wondering where they came from.
Samantha Ferreira: They were a big part of the game – mostly coming into play during the wandering segments – Itsuki is basically a super fan, who was somehow drafted into the covert Moon Division, while Hiromi runs a sweet shop that is frequented by the Imperial Combat Revue… who also got drafted into the covert Moon Division somehow. ^^;
Anthony Simpson: I have the game in my possession I just haven’t played it yet.
L.B. Bryant: I’m glad that they incorporated the Moon division into this series but I hope they end up playing a larger role than what they did this episode.
Samantha Ferreira: Same. They were delightful in the game.
L.B. Bryant: The Moon division played a big role in the climax of the OG TV series IIRC, I’d like to see them take on a similar role this time around.
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise. They’re just great characters overall – I’m a little sad it took so long for the series to bring them in. That said: Poor Reiji… guy keeps digging himself in deeper and deeper on stupid stuff
Anthony Simpson: He just keeps digging that hole.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeah.
Even as Oba just kept telling him it would bit him in the butt
Samantha Ferreira: Any final thoughts this week?
L.B. Bryant: More Moon division, please and thank you.
Anthony Simpson: Looking forward to the rest of it.
Samantha Ferreira: Hehe, fair enough! Til next time, remember: Even if you think you can make it, you won’t catch that steamboat by doing a swag ballet leap.
Have a great night!
L.B. Bryant: Later ????
Anthony Simpson: Goodnight
