2018 Winter Games – FINALE

Guys, it’s been a fun ride, but the 2018 Winter Games are finally coming to a close. I’ve had a great time working with Leap250, Irina, and TPAB on this collab, discussing the shows and playing our silly prediction game along the way. Unfortunately, the season has come to an end, bringing our shows with it.

As a side not, I apologize for the very late post, I had a super rough week last week and wasn’t able to watch or write… anything, really. But, without further ado, let’s dive into the final post of the 2018 Winter Games!

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Yuru Camp:

As always, Yuru Camp never fails to bring a smile to my face. The “timeskip” at the beginning was a great way to lead off the episode, confusing us one last time until revealing it was all a joke anyways. With the beautiful nighttime shots, mixed with the calm atmosphere provided by the chilly winter air, the show has never felt as beautifully atmospheric as it did in this episode.

Nadeshiko knows what’s up.

The story is nothing to scoff at, either. The characters each get a lovely little send-off, not to mention character moments for each of them, doing wonders to round out the story. The episode basically took a little of everything I love about the show; the quirky characters, the relaxing atmosphere, the lovely music, the gorgeous backdrops, and the funny little gags, and put it all together into a beautiful send-off for this show.

I think my favorite part of the episode, though, was the very end. After the credits rolled, giving a brief overview of everyone’s life after Christmas and highlighting many of the characters we met along the way, we are brought right back to where we started: the Lake Motosuko campground. It’s a beautiful full-circle plot point that just helped the show endear itself to me, one last time.

Unforgettable Memories

While definitely being my favorite show of the Winter Games collab, Yuru Camp has actually managed to make it into my Best of the Season list as well. I really enjoyed pretty much everything about the show, and I think it may even be one I come back to, again and again.

Scoring Predictions:

• Nadeshiko gets a part-time job to buy herself new camping equipment +2
• Saitou makes shapes with Rin’s hair again +1 It was technically Nadeshiko’s hair, but…
• What was that wierd flash of light in the sky? Aliens, yo. Aliens. +1 Nadeshiko jokes about it, anyways.
• My general prediction is that the various girls we have seen so far will all end up in the same club. +1

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Record of Grancrest War:

It was a recap episode.

 

…

 

Okay, i’ll talk about it a bit more, because as far as recap episodes go, I actually didn’t mind it too much. The plot of Grancrest is so unbelievably convoluted, with huge pacing shifts and plot holes, that just watching the show, can feel kind of overwhelming at times. The Recap episode, however, managed to explain the whole plot up to this point in a clear, concise, and easily understood manner that actually made me enjoy the plot more than the whole 11 episodes before it managed to do. Yeah, we didn’t get lengthy battle scenes or dialogue, but considering the show’s track record for those so far… not really a loss, by any stretch.

Unfortunately, being a recap episode, nobody managed to score any points for Grancrest this week. Quite unfortunate.

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Sanrio Boys:

Honestly… This was my favorite episode of the whole show. And not just because it’s finally over, either. I actually enjoyed this episode, much to my own surprise! It starts out right where episode 11 left us off, with Kouta and the others having a shouting match in the Puroland parking lot. I’m still not a big fan of when this show tries to do “drama”, it just feels so shallow and fake, especially when you have lines like “kittyful” and “sparkling” thrown about every second line.

The comedy CAN be funny…

Where the episode really begins to pick up, though, is after the fight is over. The comedy is allowed to flow free, and it’s actually pretty funny. With the final preparations going down for the school festival, Kouta finally accepts help from his old friends as they reveal they’ve been woking on the music for the play.

And then… the festival itself. My biggest question here is… what the heck is the deal between Yuu and Yuri? Yuri’s supposed to be dating this Ma-kun guy, but acts all tsun with Yuu, while Yuu gets pissed at the sight of Ma-kun, but acts all bashful and blushy with Yuri. Like, what the heck is up with these siblings???

Anyways, the ending of the show wasn’t a real shocker. Yuu and the others force a script change at the last minute to save Koural’s (kouta’s) life, with a super cheesy scene featuring buff half-naked angels (the soccer team). In the end, it was honestly an enjoyable end, even if it was for a relatively un-enjoyable show.

*Referencing the entire script of the show*

I think my favorite part of the episode is the fact that they actually recognize how freaking childish and immature they all are. Like, Yuu actually just states it outright. I dunno if it was intentional or not, but seeing one of my biggest gripes actually addressed gave me a modicum of pleasure.

Scoring Predictions:

• The play is a smash hit and people love Kouta. +2 it was pretty obvious.

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Well… that’s all, folks. That’s the end of the challenge. No more points will be scored, no more episodes will be watched… though I may continue to follow Grancrest into next season, if I have time. SO, without further ado, let’s reveal the final points totals of the 2018 Winter Games Collab!!!

FINAL POINT TOTALS:

Me: 58

Irina: 66

Leap250: 54

TPAB: 52

While I didn’t manage to pull out the win, I did manage second place, and I think that’s something I can still be proud of. It was a super fun collab to do, with some totally awesome people. I want to extend a big hand of thanks to TPAB for organizing us into actually doing this collab, to Leap250 for being a reliable scorekeeper, as well as a big congratulations to Irina for winning!!! And with how much fun we all had… who knows. Maybe you guys will see something like this again, in the future…