Winter 2018 is now well under way, and we’re already on Episode 3 of all the shows for our Winter Games Collab! If you haven’t had a chance to yet, make sure to pop on over to the blogs of TPAB, Irina, and Leap250 to check out their unique perspectives on these shows. Now, without further ado, let’s jump right in and take a look at our latest episodes.
Yuru Camp
I’m still totally in love with this show. The humor is totally on point, the characters are fun, and the plot is engaging while still being slow and relaxing. There’s something very beautiful and soothing about watching two cute girls enjoy a spicy hot pot on a cold winters’ night, and Yuru Camp really knows how to make a simple act like eating look terrifically enjoyable.
The growth of Rin and Nadeshiko’s relationship is very nice to see, especially due to the fact that, instead of what I see a lot in Anime where the energetic girl forcefully drags the lonely girl out of her shell, Nadeshiko actually seems to understand Rin, and sympathises with her desire to camp alone, for the peacefulness of it. She says that she wants to do a hot pot camp again, just them, and maybe sometime Rin can join her and the others on a camp, if she wants to. This offers Rin some additional options while still respecting her desires and interests, which I, as an introvert myself, really liked to see.
Yuru Camp still holds the spot of the most visually impressive out of the three, the gorgeous painted backgrounds standing not just at the top of this group, but very near the top of the season as a whole. I can’t wait to get more of it.
Predictions:
- I predict that we’re going to see more of the other two girls in the outdoor club, maybe some shenanigans at their new jobs?
- For a character action, I hope we get another text conversation between Rin and Saitou, because those are adorable.
Record of Grancrest War
Grancrest has actually improved somewhat, in my reckoning, since the last episode. Where before I saw quite a generic, tropey fantasy show with a rather poorly written first episode and a poorly paced second one. Episode 3 was far more interesting, with several bits of nice action, some blood, some political intrigue, and some extra usage of Theo’s Crest.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Some bits and pieces, seemingly tossed in there and then given hardly enough screen time to actually explain their existence, like the church chick, for instance. Still, all that being said, it was definitely better than the first two episodes, and gives me at least a bit of hope for the series, especially at the developing relationship between Theo and Siluca.
Predictions:
- I think we’re gonna see some political happenings going on as Siluca tries to get the queen and her “father” to accept her and Theo as nobles.
- For character actions, I think we might get to see a catfight between Siluca and the church girl?
Sanrio Boys
This is still my least favorite of the three shows. The characters are weak, they try too hard to force both the commercialism of Sanrio as well as an overdramatized plot, the pacing is off, and, well, the list goes on. One thing that really bothers me is the art. sometimes it looks generically average. Other times it looks like it was only partially finished, like the guide lines and stuff are still there. Still other times it looks like it was drawn in crayon.
The emotional content of Episode 3 fell short as well, with Yuu and his sister seemingly having a long-running argument over something, yet they magically manage to resolve their differences as soon as Kouta shows up. Also, why were they even arguing in the first place? Each of their stances were kind of nonensical and, realistically, shouldn’t have even been causing a problem. I don’t get it.
All-in-all, my general opinion of Sanrio Boys is that it’s a train that’s just gonna keep crashing, all season long.
Predictions:
- I think that Yoshino is gonna get chewed out by the Soccer team seniors, either for being too good and making them look bad, or because he likes Hello Kitty
- For character actions, I think we’ll get another awkward interaction between Blondie and Prez.
POINTS TALLY!!!
Alrighty everyone, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! How are we all doing so far on our points? Well, before I tally them all up, let me mention that all our predictions are running predictions. If they end up coming true in a later episode, we still get points! Anyways, without further ado, here is the score as it now stands:
Astral: 2 Points (+1 for a prediction on Yuru Camp, and +1 for a prediction on Grancrest.)
TPAB: 1 Point (+1 for his prediction on Sanrio Boys)
Irina: 1 Point (+1 for her prediction on Yuru Camp)
Leap250: 2 Points (+1 for his prediction on Yuru Camp, and +1 for his prediction on Sanrio Boys)
2 points already, guys! Out of… 6… predictions made… uhh…. we are REALLY bad at this, you guys. Like, abysmally, embarrassingly bad, all 4 of us. Granted, we’re only past the first set of predictions, so things could get exciting down the line, and let’s really hope that it does.
If you guys want to, please, feel free to play along with us, and let us know how you’re doing each week! Thanks for reading, and make sure you go and check out everyone else’s posts, as well!
The Zodiac Room 
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