Now for the shows aren’t terrible (and Aldnoah.Zero).
Tantei Kageki Milky Holmes TD
Well it took a long ass time for this to finally get subbed, but nevertheless, Milky Holmes is finally back for the 1st time since 2012 and when I say Milky Holmes I mean the stupid and Tolysless Milky Holmes. Not those abominations from Futari wa and Alternative that could actually get the job done without resorting to ridiculous methods. Unfortunately, one factor that’s been plaguing the franchise since the second season seems to have carried over here, that being an actual somewhat serious plot, except it’s about idols this time. For that reason, the episode was fairly dull whenever the Milkies weren’t onscreen. It also seems like there’s going to be a lack of 20 and the rest of the Gentlemanly Thieves, that sucks. But hey, one of the main characters from that shitty 3rd season was arrested, having been the only person crazy enough to sit through that shit in it’s entirety this made for good payoff. Hopefully she never comes back and they find an excuse to write off the other one. It’s the only way to repent for making Futari wa Milky Holmes canon.
Tokyo Ghoul √A
Tokyo Ghoul wastes no time picking back up from where the first series stopped, but I can’t say I’m terribly impressed with it’s return. Thing were going pretty well for the episode until around the halfway point where the climax to the Aogiri Tree arc just…stops. Folks who’ve read the manga to this point like I have will no doubt be disappointed by the fact that Kaneki’s encounter with Ayato was cut short of that one scene we were all looking forward to seeing. Beyond that the episode afterwards consisted of mainly characters standing/walking around being all mysterious or licking their wounds and bunch of static images with snow falling. What fun. The OST wasn’t half bad, but seriously that opening is balls, really? Having Kaneki awkwardly stare me down for a minute and a half is the best you can come up with? But hey, no censorship this week!
Death Parade
Durarara!! is back after it’s unexpectedly long four year hiatus. That said this episode wasn’t exactly up to all that much, we got introduced to a couple of whatstheirfaces that did pretty much nothing. Asides from that, this was basically an episode devoted to reacquainting the viewers with the cast/setting. Might’ve been fine for you guys who actually needed this, but it didn’t do all that much for me having just watched it a couple of weeks back. The most important things about this are basically little hints as to what’s to come here, the most notable being how Izaya seems to be making an effort to avoid Celty. Maybe he’ll kick off whatever plans he has for her head this season? The opening theme is entitled “headhunt after all. Also, was it always common knowledge that Celty’s bike was a actually a headless horse? I don’t remember that being explained in the 1st season. I always just assumed that the bike came from the black smog from her neck stump like her scythe and clothes. Anyway it’s more Durarara. The first season was a comfy show that’s never in much of a hurry to get to it’s plot and it’s likely that the sequels will follow suit. I’ll grant it a bit of a honeymoon period for now but the cogs need to get working faster here.
So yeah, the season premiere of Aldnoah.Zero did the obvious and completely wimped out of the last season finale, which pretty exposes that final scene as a desperate attempt from an incompetent and generic war drama to keep itself from being remembered only for it’s “Slaine is suffering” and “Slaine did nothing wrong” memes. If that’s not bad enough, we’re back to square one with this piece of shit. I think the biggest question I have coming off this season premiere is how in the fuck did did the Terrans last a full 19 months without Inaho? Given that the Japanese military has proven themselves to be unable to so much as wipe their butts without him, wouldn’t it make more sense to get completely bodied by the advanced technology of the martians in under a week? Another thing about this time skip that bugs me is how little the show used it as an opportunity to change. Really, you could swap that “19 months later” time card with one that says “literally just a week later” and there would be little difference. Of course, Inaho recovering from a shot to the brain that quickly would be stupid, but him surviving a bullet through the eyeball at all is already ridiculous. Beyond that, everyone has the same personality as before, the military hasn’t developed a strategy beyond “stand, shoot, die”, Slaine’s decision to keep Sauzbaum alive is still a complete crime of against logic, more intrusive Sawano insert songs, and Inaho still super autist with all the personality of picket fence and is apparently the only one who knows how to fight Martians. That’s not to say that there aren’t a couple of new details, like Inaho gaining the Princesses power to activate the ship. It seems that all you need to gain Martian powers is a combination of Asseylum spit and a cliche tear drop for dramatic effect. OK show, why not?
