Fate Stay Night Part 3 Episodes 13-18

With Shinji and Rider out of the running, the focus of the Holy Grail War turns to two of it’s most powerful entrees: Illya and her behemoth servant, Berzerker, and the crafty Castor and her own, unseen master.  With Saber in a greatly weakened state, it may fall to Archer to face an opponent he cannot defeat.  Things get further personal when Castor kidnaps Sakura, a girl who is very special to both Shiro and Rin for separate reasons.  The Holy Grail War grows more desperate and soon the true enemy, who has stalked Shiro and Rin’s every move since the beginning, finally emerges from the Shadows.

Busy, busy, busy.  I think that about best sums up week three of four of Fate Stay Night.  Servants were eliminated, masters were with killed along with them or given new roles, and we got a few new revelations to shake things up quite a bit.  It’s a lot to take in but ill try to get to it all.

I should feel a lot more sad about the loss of Archer than I really do.  He was one of the coolest characters and he was Rin’s servant.  There, however, lies the rub.  Rin and Archer really didn’t share a lot of screentime together.  In fact, the show seems quite content to keep most talk heavy scenes centered on Shiro, Saber and Rin and hardly anyone else.  I do feel for Rin since Archer was her servant and with his demise, she’s out of the Grail War running.  But if we had seen more of the likeable, bickering bond between master and servant develop futher, the impact would have been greater.  Even so, Archer’s last stand was awesome.  Even when it seemed obvious Berzerker was going to come out the victor, Archer never backed down and got his own fair share of solid hits in.  That and his skill managed to stun the annoying as hell Illya slightly, so added bonus there. 

Illya…gah never has a child ticked me off this much since Mariemea from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz.  Except where Mariemea was a blind puppet, Illya’s just a very demented and disturbing little girl.  She has no qualms about killing with a smile on her face and throws a violent hissy fit when she doesn’t get her way.  And this kid is somehow involved in one of the bloodiest magical competitions of all time?  That is totally F’ed up.  Listening to her cheer on Berzerker to kill everyone pissed me off every time she opened her mouth to giggle and boast.  This kid needed an ass kicking more than any character we’ve seen so far.  I really couldn’t wait to see her inevitably get hers, maybe not death but at least the gut punch of things not going her way.

Before we could get to Saber taking on Berserker, we had to sit through one of the oddest scenes yet.  In order to heal Saber, Rin had to transfer some of Shiro’s magical circuits to her.  Interesting idea…until Rin kissed Shiro and suddenly started getting Saber hot and bothered to “throw them off balance”.  Now, in all honesty, this whole sequence could have been ignored all together.  It goes on a bit long and I think it’s unnecessary.  But then there’s Rin looking like she’s about to rock Saber’s world and Shiro seems oddly ok with that.  One the one hand…yeah, that’s a steamy Ship right there.  On the other hand we’re back to the Harem Anime aspect that I doubt many associate with Fate Stay Night.  It’s a little uncomfortable but still has to be seen to be believed…still, Rin and Saber, I’m all for that ship right there.

The Berserker take down was as epic as expected and everyone got in their own moment to shine.  Rin got to actually land a kill blow on Berserker all on her own, that’s my girl.  Of course the real win was the actual win as Shiro and Saber teamed up to use Saber’s legendary Excalibur (pretty much confirming Saber is King Arthur…or Arturia? I guess that’s the feminine use of that name).  I know I’ve given Shiro a ton of grief for…well being him.  But seeing Master and Servant come together as one to take down the strongest of opponents is a huge step forward.  Im not saying Shiro is out of the dog house just yet, he did take Illya into his house after the battle and that’s a huge WTF move right there.  Sure she doesn’t have her murderous giant to do her bidding anymore.  But is that really going to make her turn over a new leaf and NOT slit everyone’s throats in their sleep?  Actually, I’m just more worried that the Harem Anime aspect got amped up with this development: that’s Saber, Rin, Sakura, Taiga and Illya all more or less living under the same roof as Shiro.  Illya wants Shiro to be her slave (weird), Rin loves teasing the hell out of him in addition to teaching him.  Most criminally, Saber’s getting a bit shy around Shiro.  She didn’t have a problem with him seeing her naked before but now…sigh, love really does change everything I guess.

Wow.  Covered a lot and there’s still Castor and Kuzuki to cover.  With Berserker and Archer out of the way, the mysterious witch we glimpsed last time rears her head again, and it turns out her “master” is the freaking Terminator.  Kuzuki is an emotionless robot who can go toe to toe with masters and servants with his fists and doesn’t even flinch when he takes damage.  He easily mopped the floor with Shiro, Rin and Saber.  I get making opponents strong enough for the main trio to face.  But this guy is almost impossibly tough and as dangerous as Berzerker.  To be honest, much like Archer and his final fate, I think that Kuzuki’s character should have been given a bit more build up rather than one or two brief glimpses.  If anything, Shiro’s friend Issei would have been a better candidate for a surprise reveal.  Yeah I know they did that with Shinji being an old friend of Shiro’s, but Issei has never been a jerk.  So him hiding it so well, or playing the role of secret mage, could have been a better angle to play.

Lastly, we’ve got our other reveals.  It may seem like im just adding in a last “Miscellaneous” paragraph, but these developments were just as important.  Saber’s true identity was confirmed as the King Arthur of legend (does that make her Arturia technically?).  As to why she needs the grail, what went so bad that it would be needed for her to reset her own past?  And Rin and Sakura…well that’s a big one there.  Sisters?  Separated by family politics?  There had been hints to a deeper connection between Rin and Sakura, if only spotted in their brief interactions.  But Rin bore it all out here, risking all, even her life, to save the sister she couldn’t call sister for a really long time.  It was a really well done scene and further testament to how awesome Rin is as a character.  You’ve got to admire her strength and loyalty despite her bossy exterior.  There’s plenty of heart to go with those good looks.

I could go on a bit further about another thing or two but I think this is a good place to wrap it up for this week.  Yeesh, if this week was chalk full of material, just how bad is the finale next week going to be?  I haven’t even covered how Shiro is able to summon Archer’s swords so easily.  Well…I do know what the reason is…along with Saber and Rin’s motivations and answers to those questions I mentioned above.  But again, I’ll cover the why’s and how’s next week as I wrap up Fate Stay Night.

And barely any Shiro bashing this week…go figure.  See ya next week.

FIF#29-Dragon Ball Super

Following the defeat of Majin Buu, peace has settled on the Planet Earth.  Many have embraced this peace.  However, for restless warriors like the Saiyans Goku and Vegeta, peace can only last so long before the lure of training to become stronger becomes too great.  And they’ll need that training fast.  The God of Destruction, Lord Beerus, has awoken and is seeking the fabled “Super Saiyan God” who might be the only one to defeat him.  Beerus isn’t alone as other foes, past and new, are coming for Goku and his friends as well.  The greatest battles have yet to be fought as a brand new chapter in the Dragon Ball saga begins.

After 18 years, the Anime series that made every kid in school rush home to catch Toonami on a weekday returns.  Dragon Ball Super is a big deal for a number of reasons.  First, it’s new Dragon Ball pure and simple, a franchise beloved both in Japan and in the United States.  Second, it’s written by Akira Toriyama himself (the man who made this whole story possible).  Ergo, Dragon Ball GT is pretty much wiped from the history books (thank God) and the story can (hopefully) go down a more enjoyable route.  Unlike some other series that are returning with a new lease on life (looking at you Lelouch of the Resurrection), this is a long overdue event in the wake of the recent success of two new Dragon Ball Z Movies (Battle of Gods and Resurrection F).

I am also very well aware that this show started a year ago and I’m playing catch up.  The Z fan in me hates me for that…I’ve just been busy.

Anyway, the first impressions.  The first couple of episodes are a nice easer back into the world of Dragon Ball.  We get a chance to catch up with Goku and Vegeta and see what they’ve been up to in the lull time following the defeat of Buu.  Goku’s a…radish farmer? And Vegeta is still trying to be the ultimate bad ass while trying to learn how to be a good father and husband.  Oh and Goten and Trunks are still getting into stupid adventures cause Toriyama thinks theyre still entertaining…theyre not.

I can both commend and cringe at this choice of start for Super.  It’s good to see everyone again and interesting to see where the route of peace has taken them.  Plus, rather than reanimate events of the past, we get to see the original Dragon Ball Z footage of the final battle with Buu, that was awesome.  Then again, the second half of the first episode is full of the one thing I hate the most about Dragon Ball Z: Goten and Trunks.  Couldn’t we just skip a bit further ahead to when they’re teenagers and maybe a bit more bearable?  Their BS-ery aside, I did like some of the stuff we had with Goku and Vegeta.  Vegeta’s clearly trying to do good by Trunks and Bulma but he’ll always want to be stronger than Goku, so his attempts at family man can only last but so long.  I really like a scene between Goku and Mr. Satan where Goku begrudgingly accepts a hefty amount of money.  But really, that scene goes more to Satan than Goku.  Satan has ridden the coattails of the Z-Fighters victories for years.  Basically he’s the poster man since the Z-Fighters tend to avoid the spotlight with the supernatural fighting abilities.  Still, Satan knows Goku has saved the world and doesn’t try to ignore it.  He wants to thank him…that is a true hero right there.

One thing I do know about the earlier episodes of Super is that the first two arcs are basically extended coverage of Battle of Gods and Resurrection F.  They follow the same storylines but tweak them a bit.  For example: Beerus is already awake in the first episode and off destroying planets when they don’t give him good food.  We also learn how Goku got to go train on King Kai’s world at the beginning of Battle of Gods.  I don’t know if this is a good move or not.  A, more or less, extended cut could work in fleshing out a few things and maybe even fix a couple of the problems Battle of Gods had in particular.  But couldn’t this be a turn off for fans who want to jump past the first 20 or so episodes and get to the real brand new stuff?  It’s a strange approach and im wondering if it will pay off.  I don’t think Resurrection F needed any reworking and God help them if they decide to insert Goten and Trunks into the action (their absence made the movie work a lot better for me).  Part of me is tempted to skip ahead but I know things are either changed, reworked or totally different in many spots…damn you Toriyama, I have to watch it all.

Also, there isn’t a lot of action in the first couple of episodes (no I don’t count Goten and Trunks battling a giant snake as an action scene).  And while Z didn’t start with balls to the wall action right out of the gate, the seriousness was always there.  Super’s decision to start off light and fluffy caught me off guard, even when it worked.  Still, fans of Z going in should heed the caution anyway.

As Dragon Ball Z was the first Anime to really get me into Anime in Middle School, I feel I am obligated to watch further and see if it gets any better.  Rumor has it some serious stuff goes down later on and my all time favorite character, Future Trunks, makes a big return later on.  Guess I’ll keep going then.  Who knows, maybe the series will surprise me…it kind of already has.  Whatever the case, it’s good to see Goku and company again.  I’m surprised how much I missed them all.  Just cant wait for the action to start.  Welcome to the new age of Anime: Dragon Ball Super.

 

T5W#70-Top 5 Most Anticipated Anime Releases of 2017

Well, 2016 is (thankfully) drawing to a close.  Looking ahead, I’m already planning out a couple of shows to review here on the blog.  But I’m also looking at next years fresh releases from Japan.  While I know there will be dozens of brand new shows popping up, I’m actually looking forward to the continuation of some old favorites.  So for this T5W, I’m looking at some of these returning favorites and, let me tell you, this was tough.  This could have been another two part, Top 10 listing.  But I want a couple of open slots to close out 2016 with these Top 5’s.  So, after much deliberation, here are my Top 5 Most Anticipated Anime Releases of 2017

 

#5-Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection

I covered this a couple weeks back (See here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/t5w68-top-5-reactions-to-code-geass.html) so I wont say much here.  Not much else to say that’s different really: Has Sunrise lost their mind?  How is Lelouch still alive?  How to they plan to top that infamously perfect finale?  High flying success or crash and burn, I’m eager to see what the return of Lelouch brings to the Code Geass saga.

 

#4-Full Metal Panic Season 4

One of the titles I have lined up to review next year is Full Metal Panic, and I intend to do it all (Season 1, Fumofuu and The Second Raid).  One of the reasons I’m gonna attempt this was the announcement of a fourth season.  Full Metal Panic has always been one of those enjoyable anime with something for everyone: Mecha, slice of life, humor, romance, a guy who wants to be the next Solid Snake (looking at you Sousuke).  Not much is known about the plot of Season 4.  However, from the lone image released, it looks like the gangs all back, even that douchebag they introduced in Second Raid who gave Sousuke nothing but grief.  Will we see more mecha action than ever?  What are Sosuke and Kaname up to after the end of Season 3?  Does Mao look damn good in that Waitress outfit?  The answer to that last question is obvious.  I’m hoping for good things from this returning classic, even if it is just spy hijinks on a cruise ship.

 

#3-Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel

Despite some of it’s flaws, Fate Stay Night has become one of my new favorite Anime franchises.  Right now, I’m covering the 2006 series from Studio Deen to close out the year and I have added Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works to the list of possible titles to cover in 2017 on the blog.  The third of the three potential routes of the story, Heaven’s Feel, will finally see the light of day in 2017.  Instead of a TV series, a la Unlimited Blade Works, it will be released as a film trilogy.  This, I think is a smart move for a couple of reasons…but I’ll cover that at a later date.  It should also be noted that Anime power house, Studio Ufotable, will be taking the reins of this one.  Even if the story is iffy, these are the guys who animated Zero and UBW and those are two of the finest looking Anime I have ever seen.  I’m also looking forward to seeing Sakura’s side of the story, as I feel she’s one of the more neglected characters (especially in the 2006 series).  The whole concept of “What if?” is a fascinating one with the Fate series and I’m glad that, soon, all three routes will be available to be seen in Anime form.

 

#2-Dragon Ball Super: The English Dub

This should have happened well before now.  When Dragon Ball Super was announced, we all knew Funimation was going to get it’s hands on it for release in the States.  But when was the dub coming?  I guess because DBS is more spaced out, it cant be simul-dubbed, that would just be too hectic for the cast.  Still, the long awaited English Dub of the brand new Dragon Ball series starts on Toonami in January 2017. So much is poised for greatness here.  I already mentioned Funimation, the American Shepherds of Dragon Ball since it came to the US.  Plus, Dragon Ball has been a Toonami staple series since forever and it pretty much it’s flagship show.  On top of that, most of the Funimation Dub cast will return, including Sean Schemmel (Goku), Kyle Hebert (Gohan) and Christopher Sabat (Vegeta and Piccolo).  I know we’ve had new Dragon Ball material in the US in recent years thanks to Battle of Gods, Resurrection F and DBZ Kai.  But this is the real new stuff, the first new Dragon Ball TV series in almost two decades.  And it is set to make a huge wave here in the US.  After all, Dragon Ball was a huge hit in Japan but it’s massive success in America lead to it being one of the main shows most people associate with Anime.  Fans have wished for this for a long time.  And the Eternal Dragon Shenron is about to grant their wish.

 

#1-FLCL Season 2&3

I am absolutely terrified of this one.  The original Fooly Cooly is my favorite Anime of all time.  It’s not for everyone but it is the one for me, the one I will say has a ton of plot holes and confusion but is still flawless and perfect.  I don’t think it needs a continuation (Kind of like Code Geass).  But we’re getting one anyway.  And it’s not just one new season of six episodes, it’s two of them.  The last time Adult Swim partnered with a Japanese Studio to continue a work best left untouched…we got The Big O II.  There’s plenty of cause for concern.  But much like Code Geass, curiosity will get the better of me.  Will it be just as wild and wacky as the original?  What about Naota?  The sequel is set to take place in a new town with a new female lead years after the first season.   So what about the original cast, even though Haruko is confirmed to return.  And, probably the most important…will The Pillows return to do the score?  Even if the Anime does suck, additional tunes from this J Rock band will always be remembered.  I’m bracing for this with great fear and a twinge of hope that the legacy of Haruko Haruhara and her Rickenbaker guitar will not be tarnished.

Fate Stay Night Part 2 Episodes 7-12

Drawn into a battle he wants nothing to do with, Shiro begins to accept his role in the Holy Grail War.  However, he has more than just a number of mages and servants that want him dead.  Shiro must contend with his overprotective nature for his own servant, Saber.  He must also learn how to work together with the bossy Rin, who has agreed to be his ally for the time being.  As new players emerge, new rivalries are formed and soon, those Shiro holds most dear may end up getting caught in the crossfire.

Sometimes, it’s hard to discern what Fate Stay Night wants to be as an Anime.  It’s billed as an action series.  But then you’ve got a ton of deep existential exposition…and a sudden dash of Harem?  While the show did suffer from a bit of an identity crisis this week, a lot of improvements were made as well.  Even Shiro found himself becoming truly likeable when he wasn’t being a douche.  Don’t worry, there’s still plenty to rant about when it comes to our uneven “main protagonist”.

Since when did Shiro’s life become something of a Harem Anime?  With Saber and Rin moving into his home and uprooting the peaceful nature of the household, even Taiga of all people brings up the fact that Shiro’s home life is becoming a bit of a sitcom.  Seeing Sakura and Taiga vie for control of home from their new guests was like watching another show all together.  Not that a little humor isn’t a bad thing to break tension every once in a while.  But this kind of goes on longer than it needs to.  The upside is that it’s addressed very early on in this set and then set aside for more serious matters.  Still, if a newcomer came into Fate Stay Night at those particular moments, I think they’d be pretty disappointed.

The show still has plenty of balance issues when it comes to telling it’s story.  Many characters love to hear the sound of their own voice as they spend half the episode telling rather than showing.  Naturally, exposition is needed to enhance the tale but one or two episodes from this set suffered from a lack of action.  There was plenty but, once more, it was few and far between explaining how magic works or watching Shiro try to keep four beautiful women from tearing into each other…or him.  Speaking of, sigh, sometimes it’s hard to imagine supporting Shiro as the center of this series.  He did make some good strides this week.  But you cant ignore that Shiro’s still a tremendous pain in the ass.  He’s determined to handle the worlds problems all on his own and keep the women safe and sound when, in truth, the women have done far more than he ever has since the beginning of this series.  It’s almost like he’s compensating for something with his would be hero complex with a serious death wish.  Unfortunatley, as good as the show might be without him, without Shiro, Saber cant be around much.  So we’re stuck with Mr. Would Be Superman and his endless posturing.

BUT…as I said, Shiro did make some notable strides this week.  He had some solid scenes with both Saber and Rin, furthering their partnership and friendship a bit.  His school tour with Rin to remove sigils was fun.  I like how Shiro tried not to stare at Rin’s butt a couple of times but also take in the hilarity of Rin, the only person who can remove sigils, being forced to go into the Men’s room to take one out.  They are actually cute together in a way.  I loved how Shiro’s friend, Issei, reacted so wildly to the possibility of Shiro and Rin dating, like it was the end of the world.  Rin may be a bit on the haughty side but she’s cooler than most.  You gotta admire her fire when she rebuffs Shinji.  This girl takes no crap from anyone…and she freaking rocks for it.  There’s a reason Rin’s my favorite character on this series…besides her good looks.  While I hope the friendship between her and Shiro stays intact, I’m hoping she comes out the true victor in this Holy Grail War.

But it looks like the potential romance wont fall to Shiro and Rin (not in this pathway at least) but rather Shiro and Saber.  Yes, there was more arguing over Saber’s role in battle (or in Shiro speak SABER SHOULDN’T FIGHT CAUSE SHE’S A GIRL).  But once Shiro pulled his head out of his own ego and decided to let Saber fight, so long as he partakes as well, things got a little better.  I will admit that I smiled as Saber beat the ever loving crap out of Shiro in sword training…he’s had it coming for so freaking long.  Back to the romance, it’s clear Shiro has a bit of a crush on Saber.  The way she’s animated in the moonlight is a clear highlight (Saber does look good ill admit).  And it looks like Saber might be starting to show a bit of a shyness of her own around her master.  It’s a cute, if not flawed (mostly on Shiro’s end) romance.  And yes, it was cool to see Shiro and Saber team up and split responsibilities taking on Shinji and Rider.  There may be hope for the hopeless hero and the woman he doesn’t deserve yet.

Like I said, the action was a bit spread out this week.  What there was though wasn’t bad.  The clear highlight was Saber’s duel by moonlight with Assassin.  I’m a sucker for a bad ass samurai and Assassin definitely fits that bill.  His swordplay and taunting of Saber was fun to watch and listen to, I think he makes a perfect rival for the lovely Knight, more so than Lancer or Archer (both of whom didn’t show up much this week).  The fight between Assassin and Saber was one of the best animated portions of the series yet.  Even Saber’s showdown with Rider didn’t fully live up to it.  Though we did get to see Saber with her unveild EXCALIBUR sword in action.  Illya may have an unstoppable Berzerker in her possession.  But I wonder if Saber really is the ultimate servant in this fight.  Her ultimate attack (her Noble Phantasm) was intense, something I doubt most servants could survive if hit dead on.  And with Rider now out of the picture (and Shinji SOL as a result) it looks like a battle with Berzerker is inevitable, so we might get to see Excalibur take a stab at the rampaging monster.

While the pacing could use some work, I hope it will get a bit better as we get into the second half of the series.  One servant and master down, four to go (if you don’t count Shiro and Saber and Rin and Archer since they’re teamed up).  And it looks like the focus will be back to taking down Berzerker next week, that’s gotta be epic as all know how, right?  Guess we’ll find out.  See ya next week.

FIF#28-Yuri on Ice

Following a devastating defeat in a Grand Prix competition, ice skater Yuri Katsuki begins to wonder if his future is really on the ice.  He returns home to Hasetsu for the first time in five years to do some soul searching.  When a video of him performing a piece by his idol, Victor Nikiforov, goes viral, the eyes of the world fall back to Yuri…and so does Victor, who arrives in Hasetsu to become his new coach.  It’s a dream come true for Yuri…until Victor’s other protegee, Yuri Plisetsky, arrives from Russia determined to bring Victor home.  Soon things are heating up, and we’re not just talking about the rivalry between the two Yuris.  The next Grand Prix is the endgame and only one will be victorious. 

Yuri on Ice has steadily become this seasons “second coming”.  By which I mean, this is the kind of show that stirs massive ripples in the Anime community, drawing near universal praise and outbursts of emotion-for other examples just look back to when Attack on Titan, Free, Re: Zero and One Punch Man were at their peak.  With all the buzz over some of the most recent episode developments, I finally decided it’s time to check it out and share my initial thoughts.

And those thoughts are…it’s not bad.  Does it live up to the immense hype?  I think it’s too early to tell since it’s only the most recent episodes that have been blowing up the fandom.  The beginning though is an interesting set up.  Figure skating isn’t exactly a topic id ever expect to be seen broached in an Anime.  Yet here it is, right there on the screen.  It feels the opposite of Free for me in terms of interest, never been deep into ice skating myself.  Still, there’s enough here to keep my attention.  And this show definitely demands it, one way or another.  The skating ensemble pieces are actually quite stunning.  There’s very little cutting away from several of them, they’re played in full, especially Yuri’s performance of one of Victor pieces that sets the series in motion.  The animation is top notch and on point.  They aimed to make this look as elegant as possible and I must admit, they succeeded.  The ladies will certainly be pleased with the designs of the characters.  Once again, much like Free, all men are drawn to scale, most definitely Victor but I’ll get to him in a sec.  It’s hard not to imagine all of the female fandom screaming in the distance whenever Victor is on the ice…almost like a million voices crying out in ecstasy…and then suddenly becoming silent…guess it was fun for them?

The story seems standard fare at first glance: hero loses his way and must recover his confidence to find his future, just like Your Lie in April.  The characters rescue a lot of that premise and manage to make things fun.  Yuri might’ve been the least interesting of the three for me but there’s room to grow still as he takes on the challenges Victor presents him.  Russian Yuri, or Yurio, is so young, impulsive and an unpredictable powder that’s super entertaining to watch.  Whether it’s fussing out Yuri or storming Hasetsu to find Victor, whenever Yurio is on screen, I was laughing.  And then there’s Victor, the man who doesn’t believe in pants (or clothes for that matter) unless he’s on the ice.  I’m sure there’s a tragic backstory in here somewhere (there just has to be right).  This guy is so happy, carefree and affectionate.  I keep saying that he’s a definite draw for the ladies.  However it’s clear Victor’s powers of ice dance seduction extend to the men as well.  Clearly, Yuri more than idolizes the guy and I think I’ve all but seen for myself something big that really sent the fandom into shock (probably a kiss, SPOILERS).  Victor almost reminds me of Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club, just without all the self doubt (atm anyway).  He could be the most fun aspect of this series yet.  Despite showing more man butt than I ever expected to see in an Anime, Victor is a fun character for sure.

For the artstyle and premise, I was actually surprised by all of the humor I saw in the first couple of episodes.  With such a graceful approach to portraying the sport of competitive ice skating, I expected more of a dramatic flair.  Nope, not at the moment at least.  Each episode opens with Chibi Yuri detailing the events of previous episodes and the humor continues to poke it’s head at intentionally awkward moments.  I suppose that’s fine.  I chuckled a bit and I’m glad they’re not taking the overly dramatic approach that the animation and subject matter almost suggest at first glance.  Granted, that could change in later episodes (broken hearts, broken dreams, etc.).  Right now though, it’s fine.  The balance of seriousness towards skating and the humor at the expense of the two Yuri’s and Victor is about as perfect as you can get.

So, does Yuri on Ice live up to the hype and warrant continued watching on my end?  I might give it another episode or two before calling that.  The real reason for the hype train might come later than where I am.  At the moment though, it’s fun, a lot of fun.  The animation is perfect for the subject matter, the humor is a welcome surprise, and the three main characters have a lot to offer to keep things entertaining.  I’m glad I checked it out to see what all the fuss was about.  Not saying im 100% sold.  But as far as first impressions go, not bad.  Who knows, the show could end up being the next Free for me but that’s a tall order right there. 

As with many of the shows I cover here…we shall see.