#ai too the 12th episode was really good and they had to go and fuck it up in the last one

[ruinikaidodiedforever]

Holy fucking shit man i could write an entire essay on all of wep but frill really just left a huge impression on me i will never be the same after those stupid mannequin cunts backstories

#ai too the 12th episode was really good and they had to go and fuck it up in the last one

[okayto]

Mini-Review: Wonder Egg Priority

Ai scores a “Wonder Egg” from a gachapon machine at a deserted arcade. But now when Ai falls asleep a girl emerges from her Wonder Egg, the worlds of dreams and reality begin to collide. And it’s all connected.

I watched a current show for once! I was enthusiastically recommended this by a friend, who also suggested watching the Japanese version with subs because the 14-year-old main character is voiced by an actual teenage girl.

The wonder eggs of the title look like normal eggs, but when the bearers fall asleep, they’re transported to another world where they have to protect the girls that emerge from the eggs from supernatural manifestations of their trauma. But they’re not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts: they figure that if they can protect enough egg-girls, they’ll be able to rescue someone they care about deeply.

This show has definite magical girl aspects, such as the girls’ wonder-world weapons, which often sparkly when called upon, but it’s not a traditional magical girl show: no transformation, magical attack names, etc. And so it’s not dark in the way that Madoka Magica was dark, but it does deal with some heavy topics like suicide.

The game, for lack of a better term, is rooted in trauma: all four participants are fighting for someone important to them who committed suicide. All four have their own issues: when we meet Ai, for instance, she’s isolated herself at home for months, refusing to return to the school where she was bullied and her lone friend committed suicide

I don’t want to say too much about the setup, because the show did such a good job just hitting me in that first episode with how things worked. Not in a bad way!

As the show goes on, we see the characters grow closer together, finally being able to form connections with peers not just because of their shared Wonder Egg goal, but because that also lets them disclose some of their own hurt to people more likely to understand because of their similar experiences.

And you want them to succeed, so badly. These girls are so young, and so hurt, you smile with Ai when they stop just being passers-by at the egg machine and start hanging out like normal friends.

A lot of questions are raised through the episodes (like, how is this entire magical egg set-up even possible?), and while a good chunk of backstory and explanation happens, by the end of the 12th episode there’s still a lot to resolve. While I was waiting for the finale to air, I wrote “WEP is the kind of show that is alright not explaining every detail, which would annoy me except it’s so well-done.”

A brief explanation: Wonder Egg Priority premiered in January 2021, so was created during the pandemic. It appears to have been originally slated for 12 episodes (which wrapped up in early April), but shortly before the 12th, a special was announced that would act as the show’s conclusion, and aired at the end of June.

So like many people, I watched all 12 episodes (which are really 11 episodes of story, because #8 is a recap episode), and then waited for the conclusion. There were signs that we wouldn’t get straight answers about everything--it was just that kind of show. Not all stories reveal everything, and that’s a valid storytelling technique.

But it had been willing to give us some backstory, to explain the mysterious orchestrators of this game, to show us there might be another side. Is there an antagonist, or is it just trauma responses all the way down?

And then it all collapses in the last episode. I sat on my couch, and watched it, then turned to my cat and said, “what the fuck.” He farted, which is as appropriate a response as any.

Sure, you can blame it at least partly on the pandemic. It was clear going in that the story couldn’t wrap all the threads up in a nice little bow. How much of that was intentional, or due to pandemic affects through production, I don’t know.

But the storytelling is atrocious. The final episode (which excited me initially with its 45-minute runtime) spends about 20 minutes first just providing a recap of the series, which makes sense when you remember the nearly 3-month gap since the 12th episode, but is, at a minimum, annoying to a viewer who thinks they’re going to get 45 minutes of plot.

The regular episodes left us hanging: the girls are about to, or have, achieved their goals, and we’re going to see the results. Not to mention the reveal of the game’s creators’ backstories, and the closest thing this show has to an antagonist. Those two things are tied together and act as the basis for the entire game, but they’re also in conflict. Is it resolvable at all? Were Ai and her friends manipulated, are they just pawns in someone else’s game, or are they in charge of their own destinies?

The show spends the majority of its episodes building up the quartet of main characters, showing them forming connections, accepting parts of themselves they never thought could be viewed without pain, slowly breaking down barriers.

And then this final episode...I don’t even know. You could understand characters withdrawing from each other in the aftermath of what’s happened: these are girls whose friendships were forged in the fires of their desire to resurrect their loved ones. It would be understandable if they felt adrift after the climax, even though they’ve also been building more normal friendships with each other. Don’t mistake this as me complaining that people who went through multiple types of trauma aren’t magically healed from it at the end.

But basically, a show that has been carefully building up its characters and events for 12 episodes, at the last minute, throws a few of them in a completely new direction, one that had no basis, no hints. And it does that without resolving any of the big issues it had been building.

I would have accepted a bittersweet ending, because that would be entirely in line with how the show had conducted itself. But while the finale seems at times to be trying for bittersweet, it’s mostly a mess, with a side of oh wow you really did pick the most mean-spirited way to answer that one question, and it’s a question you absolutely could have left unanswered entirely.

Verdict

English dub? Yes, but I have no opinion on it since I watched in Japanese.

Visuals: It looks good! A lot of bright colors that contrast with the heavy subject matter, a lot of really good backgrounds, plus well-choreographed fight scenes.

Worth watching? I...really don’t know. Before the finale, the answer would have been an unequivocal yes. But that finale really...all I can do is sigh heavily. Probably, I guess. Probably worth watching. While it was airing, I saw so many reviews singing its praises, people willing to vote it one of the best shows of the season even before the finale aired, it was so good.

But don’t get too invested. Watch the dub, so you don’t have to pay attention to the screen the entire time. Enjoy the ideas, enjoy the characters as they are, enjoy coming up with what could have been. And then, once you watch the 12th episode...maybe leave it there. No, the series isn’t done, but the 13th episode really doesn’t change that at all.

Where to watch (September, 2021): Funimation (sub and dub)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

#Wonder Egg Priority #anime #reviews #it's not even that the finale is *confusing* (although it is that too) it's just...useless #gosh I wish Tumblr had a spoiler function so I could just rant in the post

[medea10]

My Review of Zombieland Saga REVENGE

Yes, Franchouchou has come back after a two and a half year hiatus.

HISTORY: Zombieland Saga is an idol show.

I have already cut my readership in half with that one sentence alone. But this is no ordinary idol show! A maniacal necromancer named Kotarou Tatsumi brings seven girls back from the dead. A former idol from the 1980’s (Junko), a former idol from the 2010’s (Ai), a child star from the 2010’s (Lily), a girl with idol aspirations from 2008 (Sakura), a former biker gang chick from 1997 (Saki), a courtesan from the 19th century (Yugiri), and Yamada Tae! There’s no describing what exactly Yamada Tae is but we don’t question it as she’s best girl.

Kotarou brought these seven girls back to life in order to save the Saga area and revitalize it. Throughout the first 12 episodes, we watch these girls get the hang of being alive again after so long and become an idol group. With Kotarou’s make-up skills, he’s able to fool nearly everybody that these girls are living, breathing idols. Almost everybody! At the end of the series, we get one guy who caught on about Lily, Ai, and Junko. But enough about that! Let’s see how successful Franchouchou has gotten since we last left the series.

REVENGE: So this sequel begins with the girls doing odd-jobs trying to earn as much money as they possibly can. Normally, the girls would do odd gigs that Kotarou was able to conjure up and that’s been good publicity for their group Franchouchou. However, they came into some money problems when they gambled and lost. It’s no doubt that their performance in the 12th episode was a banger and gave Franchouchou a boost in the idol scene. However, they aimed too high by renting out a big amphitheater to have a concert and only 1.6% capacity was filled. So the performance that night was a crash and burn type of thing. The after-effect put the girls in the hole (money wise) and Kotarou spends his days getting drunk at bars.

Seriously, look at this guy! He looks like a drunk, fourth season Eren Yeager. Kinda hard watching Kotarou looking so sad, pathetic, and drunk! It wasn’t until the girls had to perform at a metal concert arena that Kotarou got a kick in the pants. The fool arrives to the performance hella late, screaming for an encore when the audience is totally not vibing for one. And the girls end up singing while the audience goes in (for a lack of a better term) a Blues Brothers style rumble. The important thing is that Kotarou is feeling better and is ready to send his little zombie songbirds out to save the Saga prefecture.

Throughout the season, we follow the girls of Franchouchou as they regain some popularity they obtained last season. Will they do it? In the first 4 episodes, the group gained their own radio show and Ai’s old group (before she died) Iron Frill considered them as rivals. I think they’ll be okay!

BUT WAIT…: What about that photographer fella we saw all last season? He was quickly catching onto Ai, Junko, and Lily looking a little too close in resemblance to the girls that died years ago. Slowly throughout the series, we see him get closer to the truth.

NEW IDOL?: Oh God, did Kotarou commit taboo once again by bringing another girl back from the dead?

No…It was sadly much worse.

While at a public bathhouse, a girl (not wearing her prescription glasses) entered the men’s side, slipped on some soap, and was knocked unconscious. Thinking she died, Kotarou brings her body back to the girls (who aren’t wearing their makeup) saying this girl will be #7 in Franchouchou. And just like I said, she is not dead and now she knows that the idol group she loves are dancing zombies.

Kotarou is truly fucking up royally this season.

Anyways, this is Maimai! She’s a fan of Franchouchou and ends up becoming a temporary member of the group as #7 (for the episode). And, she’s voiced by Kana Hanazawa! If you don’t know who she is by now, blow me. It’s a little scary knowing that there’s one person out there that knows about the secret. But Maimai is much too loyal a fan to ruin something for everyone and is totally chill about her favorite idol group really being zombies.

THE TWO UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: As much as many of us loved the first season to Zombieland Saga, there were two characters we wished got more play and we knew a little more about. Yugiri and Yamada Tae! Tae-chan has been the enigmatic idol from day one. And due to her possible mental disability, we might never know. However, in one episode we do see her stopping off at a cemetary and I do believe that was her own grave.

As for Yugiri, even the detective can’t dig up info on her. She was around in the late 1800s or the Meiji era and there’s only one known photo in existence of Yugiri before her death. This season, we got a two-episode saga to bring us the good word on Saga and its importance. We got a bit of a history lesson about the Saga prefecture during the Meiji era and even what it was like before then. And yes, we did learn how Yugiri died and her connection to Saga. It was quite sad, but definitely one of the best episodes of the series.

BEST SONG: Didn’t think I’d have one for this franchise.

Saga Jihen from episode 9.

Nuff said.

ENDING: Well, we learned some extra details on what happened during the fall and rise of Franchouchou. This mostly has to do with Kotarou’s gamble with booking a huge arena for the girls to perform in. First of all, this arena was the place of Ai’s death. You member! When she was electrocuted right there on stage! Second of all, they didn’t sell the tickets until the day of the concert. What was that end result again? 1.6% capacity filled! Even in Covid-19 times, that’s fucking small. Granted, the audience was full of those memorable fans from season one including Saki’s friend’s daughter, Lily’s father, and the two metal jackasses. But still, not a good! The girls hit a brick wall and felt embarrassed. This was the worst moment for these girls (aside from dying once). After the disasterous event, they were millions of yen in debt, they’re running out of essentials for the house, and Kotarou has gone on a two-month drinking binge. It was then that they decided to do makeup themselves and go out in the world to earn a living and eventually pay off the debt.

Thankfully, they were able to get out of debt and regained their popularity throughout Saga and further. Saki has managed to get a radio show. Iron Frill (Ai’s old group) sees Franchouchou as a worthy rival. Lily gained a lot of fame in a televised competition. So what’s next? Kotarou apologized to Franchouchou for his big mistake the previous year and him spiraling out of control. Seconds later, he announces that their revenge will be to perform at the very same arena that fucked up their career the year prior.

Boy, you do NOT learn your lesson, do you?!

More trouble is on the rise as that reporter who caught on about the girls being zombies has confronted Kotarou. We finally circled back to the final scene from season one. This guy has caught on to the fact that the girls of Franchouchou resemble girls that died. The only one that he couldn’t dig up dirt on was Yugiri. Possibly because the only known evidence for existence is a photo at the bar! What’s more, he has a sneaking suspicion that the girls of Franchouchou are all zombies. In a prior episode, the reporter snapped a picture at the right time exposing Yamada Tae’s head rolling around on the ground. Dude is ready to go public with the story of the girls of Franchouchou being zombies resurrected from the dead unless Kotarou pulls the plug on everything. Kotarou simply said that the girls will get their revenge and will perform at the arena.

And then…a storm hit Saga!

There was a lot of damage around town. And worst off was Kotarou’s place, as it was ripped from its foundation, thrown into the sea, and crumbled into nothing after coming ashore. Worst of all, the special makeup the girls use to hide their zombie state was in that wreckage. Meanwhile, Kotarou spent several days trapped in a bar with the bar owner and nearly drowned. The girls ended up in a safety shelter with nearly the entire Saga prefecture. The good thing is because they’re town celebrities that they were given a top floor to themselves for privacy. The bad thing is that they’ve been here for days and their makeup is starting to come off, exposing zombies. And to make matters worse, that nosy reporter who knows the girls are zombies is also staying at the shelter (though the girls don’t know he knows). The girls decided to use Junko’s doll-crafting paintset to make masks to hide behind. That lasted only five seconds while trying to entertain the children of the shelter.

This is it. The girls are exposed as zombies.

Actually, the kids and parents thought this was part of the act and thought Franchouchou was lifting up the spirits of the arena. And in comes Kotarou just in time! Man, right under the wire. Now we’re like a few days from this planned concert and Saga is still recovering from the huge storm. Morale is quite low and it’s starting to look like a worse outcome for Franchouchou’s revenge than what happened one year ago. Saki used her platform on the radio to reach all of her viewers to see if they could try to come to the arena for their concert that is now a charity concert. So will this concert be a big success or a bigger flop than last year?

Actually, the arena was packed with people. Fans we’ve met in season one and new characters we met this season were even in attendance. Lily’s father ended up clearing away a lot of the debris so that concert goers could get through. Even Iron Frill (Ai’s old group) came in attendance! The concert was a huge success! And can I say that I’m really enjoying Yamada Tae’s Freddie Mercury impression on stage.

Don’t think you’re that clever, Zombieland Saga. We all know!

Yes, the concert was perfect! A great revenge! They even made Kotarou (a grown-ass man) cry. Even the reporter is willing to keep his trap shut (for now) about the girls being zombies. And best of all, NO ONE CAUGHT COVID-19! Yeah, I have to bring that up. The date of the concert was March 8th, 2020. Ahem. March. 2020. But yeah, everything went great. Perfect ending for Zombieland Saga Reven…

AND THEN AN ALIEN MOTHERSHIP COMES IN AND ZAPS THE AREA!

Huh?!

Who wrote that in the script? Some jerkass from Gainax?!

The last 15 seconds of Zombieland Saga leaves us with some sort of unidentified flying object zapping the area. Only Zombieland Saga can get away with this shit. Well folks, let’s see what’s in store for season three, Zombieland Saga: Zombies in Space or Sagapendence Day Zomb-Trek: Deep Space Seven.

Yeah, I know nothing has been greenlit or announced yet, but you know Studio Mappa has something up their sleeves with that ending. Once again, I enjoyed Zombieland Saga’s charm. I didn’t know if there was much more they could offer us after the first season’s stories, like learning how the girls died, Sakura’s past, and especially Lily’s backstory. This season, I wish there was more Yamada Tae. Come on guys, we still don’t know how she died or anything about her past! And what’s up with Yamada Tae being buried next to Sakura? Did they know each other before passing away? I want some answers! But I was blown away when it came to Yugiri’s saga and the tale of Saga itself. We got a literal history lesson about what Saga was once, what it became after a long struggle, the pain some folks went to in order to keep Saga thriving, and all leading up to where we are now.

This was a fun season. I had a lot more fun with the music this season than the previous one. Yeah, believe it or not I liked the songs Franchouchou sang this season than last season. Never a dull moment, especially with Kotarou! Yeah, his crazy-ass was totally there making absolutely no fucka sense. Take that competition Lily entered.

What the fuck was Kotarou doing? That was an epic fail on so many levels.

Well folks, whenever season three or whatever sequel may come, I’m hoping for more information involving Yamada Tae. And you know what else was severely missing from this season, Kotarou’s past with Sakura. I didn’t forget that flashback from season one and those couple of seconds this season aren’t enough to satisfy my hunger. Those are the two things I would like to know more about in whatever comes of the franchise. Otherwise, great time had by all!

Once more, if you are not a fan of idol shows, this is the only one I would highly recommend Zombieland Saga. Crunchyroll has both seasons available for streaming. FUNimation is now dubbing the second season as we speak.

#anime review #zombieland saga #zombieland saga revenge #yamada tae #kotarou tatsumi #saki nikaidou #sakura minamoto #junko konno #ai mizuno #yugiri #lily hoshikawa