Yeah, i’m still a little behind following the chaos of going out of the country for a week. Sorry about that. Anyways, we’re already at Week 8 of our Winter Games challenge, guys! The shows are starting to shape together, clearly moving into their second half, and i’m excited to see where they are going. Well, one of them, anyways.
Yuru Camp:
As you guys know, I just adore this show, and Episode 8 only made me fall even more in love. With some great character interactions between Nadeshiko, Chiaki, and Aoi, not to mention a return of Saitou to the story, the Outdoor Club is slowly starting to come together.
Later in the episode, the outdoor club goes shopping for camping equipment, a scene that really hits home for me, and I myself spend a fair amount of time in outdoor shops, looking for new gear for Camping, Rock Climping, Rapelling, kayaking, etc. I love the outdoors and I love looking through equipment, and Yuru Camp brings that spirit out in full force.
This week’s episode had a lot of gags in it, and I laughed at every single one. From Aoi’s little quips at Nadeshiko’s excitability to the disasters you can see coming from a mile away, but still laugh at, the show never fails to get me to smile. And that’s just a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Yuru Camp is like a warm, fluffy blanket, a pleasant respite from stress and care, and that’s just the thing for the cold winter months.
I’d like to mention the characters, because the show does a great job of shaping these characters even with minimal screentime and interaction. Nadeshiko’s boundless exuberance is delightful, Rin’s stoic beauty is heartwarming, and the interactions between Aoi and Chiaki are just so much dang fun, I love every minute of it.
I feel it takes a good writer to let us understand a character with minimal insight into their backgrounds and motivations, and that’s what Yuru Camp is doing really well. It’s a Heartwarming show done to the finest degree, and I don’t think it gets enough credit where it’s due.
Scoring Predictions:
…
I FAILED THIS WEEK!
New Predictions:
- Nadeshiko gets a part-time job to buy herself new camping equipment
- Saitou finally decides to join the Outclub on a campout
Record of Grancrest War:
This episode was… actually not bad? Probably my favorite episode of Grancrest so far, Episode 8 gives the story, the history of Marrine and Alexis’s romance, really working to flesh out their characters in an interesting and genuine way. Shame they’re not on screen more. We also get some blah blah politics that end waaaay too conveniently and far too quickly, but let’s just give the benefit of the doubt and say they were just trying to get to the good part of the episode.
In a show heavily focused towards battle and politics so far, it’s kind of sad that an episode heavily devoted to character development for a couple of side characters could be as engaging and effectual as it was. Sadly, Siluca and Theo, our main characters, are still woefully underdeveloped, but with the way Episode 8 went, maybe we’ll get somewhere in the near future?
I actually want to talk a bit more about the romance between Alexis and Marrine, because I found it to be a very genuine and beautiful romance. Aside from the “love at first sight” cliche that Alexis falls into upon seeing Marrine, it was interesting to see how Marrine struggles with her feelings for Alexis, both before and after the tragic end of their wedding. Love isn’t always a fairy tale and a happily ever after, and I really enjoyed how the show managed to portray that.
The Arab guy, I can’t remember his name for the life of me, is all about violence. I really can’t see him sitting quietly and accepting the notion of peace talks. He’s just too hungry for violence, or maybe just only recognizes power. Either way, he’s someone to be wary of, I think, and I can’t see that a betrayal is too far off.
Scoring Predictions:
- Villar and Theo convince the council of lords that going to war is the proper answer to their situation. +1 (Well, they did convince then to go to war, but then immediately convinced them to reverse that stance. Idiotic.)
- Arab guy gives a disdainful look. +2 (Yeah he kind of gave the stink eye to the entire council…)
New Predictions:
- Arab guy is going to betray Villar
- There will be a meeting/confrontation between Marrine and Alexis
Sanrio Boys:
Sanrio boys is, once again, proving that it’s an exceedingly average show, at least in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I can’t get through the episodes, but it always just feels like there’s something missing… In a word, it feels very shallow. Whether we’re talking about the character’s interactions with each other, the childish dialogue coming out of high schoolers, or just the general plot structuring, none of it really screams “good” to me, but it’s not exactly “awful” either.
Episode 8 was kind of a jumble of a lot of different things going on. First, there’s a kind of “self discovery” bit where kouta tries out each of the other Sanrio Boys’ lives to see what makes them tick. After that, they decide to put on a play, and they all go get jobs. The episode throws in some little character moments now and again, plus some cheap gags to get some laughs from the audience. But in a show that, in my opinion, should be focused on building up the characters, there really wasn’t much of that going on at all.
Basically, I have no emotional attachment to the characters in any way, which makes the more introspective and dramatic moments of the show fall short. Granted, there’s a lot less of that going on now, and it seems more SOL/Comedy focused, but it’s still kind of a problem.
All that aside, though, I did enjoy Episode 8, probably more than any episode so far. The gags, though cheap, were actually pretty funny, and I found myself laughing at many of them. The “job montage” was very toned down from the “puroland montage” of the previous episode, and made it a lot more pleasant to watch. Sure, it’s not my favorite show, but at least it seems to be improving somewhat.
I still find fault with the existence of the Sanrio characters. Some of the dialogues, i feel, would be a lot more interesting if the sanrio characters were removed from the equation. Seeing a near-adult saying phrases like “kittyful” in all seriousness is just weird.
Scoring Predictions:
Nothing here, either.
New Predictions:
- Glistening sweat and prominent muscles as the boys engage in some beachside shenanigans.
- One of the boys sculpts something Sanrio from sand. A SANDrio sculpture?
We really dropped the ball last week, you guys. I blame it on my lack of focus trying to get so many things done after getting home from vacation, but we’re falling very far behind. I think we’re in last place at this point, but i’m not entirely sure.
Make sure to check out Leap250, Irina, and TPAB‘s blogs to see what they’re up to! We all have very different opinions on these shows, so it’s fun to see how we’re all enjoying them. Thank you for reading, and please let me know your own opinions on these shows if you’re watching them!
The Zodiac Room 
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