Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Studio Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of my favorite anime of all time, but it's also a really dark and depressing deconstruction of the mecha genre. With Gurren Lagann, Gainax goes in the complete opposite direction, not only making a more light-hearted and action-packed mecha anime, but making one that's absolutely insane.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (TTGL) is a mecha anime about near-brothers Simon and Kamina joining a rag-tag team of rebels in a war against a species called the Beastmen, who have taken over the planet and forced all the humans underground. The story is fairly simplistic and bizarre, but there are a lot of layers and twists to make it engaging, from a three-episode storyline about dealing with grief, to the way it feels like a lighter version of Evangelion, to the theme about bringing hope. The pacing is pretty good, as the stakes keep increasing throughout the series, and the characters are all incredibly likable. Kamina probably made the biggest impact, for very good reason, but I also think Simon has a great character arc, Yoko gets plenty of badass sniper fights, and Viral is a fun rival for the main cast. Outside of two weaker episodes early on, TTGL is a consistently strong series with a great sense of fun and energy, and that's just the first half!

Halfway through TTGL, the antagonist is defeated, and the show completely transforms. After a seven-year time jump, the show transforms from desert punk to space opera, aging the characters, darkening the tone, and introducing a terrifying new villain. I'm a bit more split on this half. The pacing slows down for a while, the first arc's sense of fun isn't nearly as prevalant, Yoko is gone for a large portion, and Nia spends the arc captured and possessed. However, there's still a lot to like here. Some characters like Kittan and Viral get fantastic arcs during this half of the series, the space battles are pretty damn spectacular, and the second half is generally really bombastic and fun. However, I have some gripes with the finale. While the big final battle was fantastic, the decision to have Nia die right after her wedding with Simon and him becoming a drifter after saving the universe left a very bad taste in my mouth. Even with the amount of deaths in TTGL, the tone remained hopeful and the characters always manage to accomplish their goals, so this twist just felt a bit cruel. 

In terms of its animation, TTGL is (when not during Episode 4) fantastic. The linework is clean, the action is bombastic, and the whole show just oozes style. The anime's visuals are consistently over the top, conveying its plot and themes with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. My biggest issue with the visuals in TTGL are really just some of the character designs. Obviously, there's the elephant in the room of the sexualized Yoko somehow being 14 (I really hope that's a joke), but I also find the mech designs a bit hit or miss. That's not a catagorical issue, though. The truly giant mechs like Dai-Gurren, Teppelin, and pretty much everything from the final few episodes look fantastic, and some of the character designs like the ones for Kamina, Nia, and Viral are really striking. The music is also pretty good, even if I think the battle theme plays a bit too frequently. The highlight of TTGL's soundtrack, though, is definitely the vocal tracks that appear during important moments and fight scenes. For lack of a better word, the music does a great job of generating hype.

TTGL has plenty of strong episodes, especially in its first half:

Later, Buddy: Kamina's death is by far the most iconic moment of TTGL, and is a decision that I think was absolutely genius. Aside from the subversive nature of killing off a main character so quickly, it changes the series for the better and solidifies the first arc's about bringing hope. The big fight with Thymilph is tense and insane, the visuals are especially mind-blowing, and Kamina himself gets a fantastic sendoff.

What, Exactly, Is A Human?: The three episodes after Later, Buddy are my favorite part of the entire series. It maintains the insane action and fun that make the series great, while also delving into its characters and exploring how they cope with Kamina's death. I especially that Simon doesn't just get over his grief in a single episode. Aside from the strong character moments, though, this episode also has Nia's first appearance as well as some pretty striking animation.

Simon, Hands Off: In this episode, Simon finally gets over his grief in incredibly satisfying fashion, finally living up to Kamina's legacy and inspiring hope by just being himself. But the most fascinating stuff here was the reveal of Nia's true nature. The fact that she was basically a doll to the Spiral King is heartbreaking, and makes the arc's antagonist that much more despicable.

I Will Head Towards Tomorrow: The ending of the first arc, this episode wasn't anything super surprising (though that probably was the point), but it's a suitably climactic and bombastic final battle with the Spiral King with insane action, plenty of questions raised and answers given, and the long-awaited confrontation between Nia and her father.

This Is My Final Duty: While the first half of arc 2 was easily the show's weakest stretch of episodes, I loved this episode. Containing the first space battle of the series, we got Gurren-Lagann having his biggest merge yet, Viral and Simon working together, Nia briefly snapping out of her possession, and Simon taking down the goddamn moon. It's a perfect balance of insane action and genuine emotional payoff.

I Accept Your Last Wish: Throughout the second arc, Kittan slowly became one of my favorite characters, and he goes out in an absolute blaze of glory this episode. The whole episode was great, but I don't think anything is as hype as hearing Libera Me From Hell for the first time as Kittan uses his own version of the Giga Drill Break to save the team. The song plays a few times in these last few episodes, but this was my favorite one.

Overall, while I generally preferred its first half, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is an incredibly fun mecha anime with insane action, beautiful visuals, likable characters, and plenty of memorable twists and turns.

4/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Later, Buddy

Azumanga Daioh

There's a lot of history to Azumanga Daioh. While not the first slice of life anime, it was the one that really popularized the "cute girls doing cute things" variant, which of course led to anime like K-On and Nichijou. It was also such a massive phenomenon that shaped how fandoms on the internet would work, for better or worse.

Azumanga Daioh is a slice of life series about a group of kids getting through high school. There isn't much of a story here, even by slice of life standards (K-On had the music club and Nichijou had Nano). Instead, it feels more like a montage of the high school years of the main cast, going through three years in the course of only 26 episodes. It's as if you're watching one of those slideshows the school plays at the end of graduation, giving the whole anime this nostalgic and bittersweet vibe to it. And when the anime ends with the entire cast graduating, it ends up being really emotional. Azumanga Daioh is primarily a comedy, and a pretty good one at that. Aside from the many now iconic scenes, there are plenty of funny quips and memorable running gags. However, I think the anime suffers from some pacing issues for a lot of its first half. Some of the jokes go on a bit long, the episodic storytelling isn't as tight, and certain gags end up being overplayed, the worst instance being Sakaki getting two episodes in close succession about her inability to pet a cat. From Episode 13 onwards, Azumanga Daioh really starts to be much more consistently strong, with nearly every episode having at least one memorable comedic setpiece.

Azumanga Daioh's greatest strength is definitely the likable cast of characters, all of whom get chances to shine. The series also never pigeonholes the characters into specific pairs (for example, Tomo doesn't only spend time with Yomi and Chiyo doesn't only spend time with Osaka), with plenty of moments allowing everyone to interact with each other. Many of the characters also have hidden depths that are hinted at throughout the series, like Tomo's outward confidence seemingly hiding a lot of genuine insecurities. My personal favorite members of the cast were Osaka, Yukari, and Tomo, but most of the characters were at the very least likable. The only character who I didn't like was Kimura, the creepy old teacher whose jokes mostly revolved around his weird school-girl crush. I found most of his appearances to be pretty uncomfortable, since an old guy awkwardly hitting on high schoolers isn't really funny at all.

On the animation front, Azumanga Daioh isn't the nicest looking slice of life series out there. The movements can be a bit stiff at times, the backgrounds are faded-out, and plenty of footage ends up being reused or dragged out. However, there is definitely a charm to this anime's look, often times literally feeling like a manga or comic book in motion. The simplistic big-eyed character designs are adorable, the cartoonish movements only bolster the humor, and the many reused assets and gags like Chiyo's father and the Sakaki cat are utilized in fun and creative ways. I also seem to get the same early 2000s vibe I got from shows like Teen Titans and FLCL, which is always a good thing. The music fares a lot better, though. The background music is catchy and charming, with many themes having multiple different variants. The OP is cute and the ED is relaxing, adding up to a really enjoyable soundtrack. 

Azumanga Daioh has plenty of fun episodes, especially in the second half:

Summer Break: Azumanga Daioh's best episodes are the ones that take place over the summer, and while this is the weakest of the three, it does serve as a big boost in quality for the series. Yukari's awful driving is introduced this episode, along with some memorable scenes like Osaka's failed fireworks prank, and Kaorin seeing pictures of the break.

Exams: This episode is a good example of how well this show lets all of its characters interact. The Bonklers (formed by Osaka, Tomo, and Kagura) were so entertaining to watch, and we got to see these dorks interact for the entire episode. Aside from all the humor, though, there's also the reveal that Tomo can do anything she sets her mind to, proven by her getting into Yomi's high school out of sheer pettiness.

The Ocean, Summer Kimonos, And A Party: The second of the three great summer break episodes, this one has its own share of memorable moments. There's Osaka's elevator rant, Chiyo's anti-Yukari-driving measures, Osaka floating away, Nyamo chugging down sake so Yukari doesn't have any, and of course, that iconic "birds and the bees" scene.

Sports Fest, 2nd Year: This was the one good Kimura episode, as the subplot about his wife was genuinely hilarious (it also coined the term "waifu" so thanks, I guess?). Aside from that, the sports festival antics were hilarious this time. The decision to focus the episode around Chiyo's hopelessness at sports definitely resulted in a lot of funny scenes here, but there's also Kaorin racing with Sakaki, Osaka putting her head into the flour, and Tomo losing the marathon by sprinting at the start.

School Trip/Yamamayaa: While both episodes are great, I needed to put them together because they both deal with the heartwarming resolution to Sakaki's cat subplot. Maya is adorable, and seeing Sakaki finally get a cat that likes her is just so sweet. The trip to Okinawa in the former episode is also really fun, containing a lot of goofy antics within the class.

Entrance Exams Study Camp: The last (and best) of the summer break episodes, Entrance Exams Study Camp has the best and most iconic scene in the entire series: Osaka and the knife. Not to mention, there's also the best Yukari driving scene, as well as Nyamo's ineffectiveness at math and Tomo's despair upon realizing she has to study.

Graduation Ceremony: This was a pretty perfect series finale for Azumanga Daioh. It was funny (Osaka's sneeze), heartwarming (Chiyo's standing ovation), devastating (Kagura crying), and satisfying (Yomi passing the exam). The whole cast got a moment to shine, many of the show's running gags paid off, and it managed to showcase the best aspects of the series. 

Overall, while Azumanga Daioh has a slow start, some shaky pacing, and Kimura, this is still an incredibly likable and funny anime with great characters, charming animation, and a strong second half. Not to mention how much it influenced one of my favorites genres of anime.

3/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Graduation Ceremony

Nichijou

Nichijou is one of the best comedies I have ever watched, anime or otherwise. It's consistently funny throughout, boasting likable characters, tons of quotable and memetic sketches, fantastic animation, and a beating robot heart.

Nichijou is a slice of life sketch comedy about an ordinary high school and its eclectic student body. There isn't an overarching story or anything, but there doesn't have to be. This anime is really just about watching the incredibly memorable cast of characters interact and go through life, with many of the sketches being based around fairly grounded slice of life situations. The main trio of Yuuko, Mio, and Mai serve as a strong main cast, working as a perfect comedic trio. Yuuko causes all the antics, Mio is the straight man, and Mai just goes along for the ride. They play off of each other perfectly, and it feels like you can put them in any situation and get entertaining results out of it. The side characters are great too, though. Sasahara is a fun subversion of the "rich kid" trope by having his presumed wealth be just for show, Misato's increasingly massive arsenal of weaponry is always entertaining, and Haruna's "Eeeehhhh?!" are all very amusing. Even the teachers are likable, especially the hilariously lame principal and adorably shy Sakurai. And I didn't even get into Nano, the robot girl that wants to live a normal teenage life. Nano's probably the heart of the show, and is the source of some of the show's most genuinely emotional moments. Her dynamic with her creator, Professor, range from hysterical to absolutely adorable. Once Nano starts going to school, Nichijou ends up becoming one of the most heartwarming and positive shows I've ever seen.

In addition to the strong characters, Nichijou is a very funny show. As mentioned above, a lot of the sketches in Nichijou are based on Seinfeld-esque slice of life situations, like trying to catch food before it falls on the floor, getting stuck in an elevator, and trapping a cockroach under a bowl. The twist, however, is the fact that all of these mundane situations are portrayed as cartoonishly over-the-top as possible, with dramatic animation shifts, over-exaggerated expressions, and surreal imagery. The sketch-based structure also allows for a rapid-fire comedic pace, with plenty of less-than-a-minute sketches that manage to make a massive impact (the Helvetica Standard ones, especially). But the most impressive thing about Nichijou's humor is just how consistently strong it is. There really aren't that many sketches that didn't make me at least chuckle, with pretty much every single one of the 26 episodes being enjoyable to watch. Since anime is usually from Japan, it's pretty easy for the comedy to fall flat for people who don't live in that country (Demon Slayer is a big example), but Nichijou's simple character-driven and situational humor really does feel like it can appeal to anyone. I also need to praise the fantastic animation, with not only uses a distinct and unique geometric artstyle, but manages to include plenty of insane animation shifts and moments of sakuga to sell the comedic setpieces that much more. The high FPS, clever usage of CGI, and clean artwork go beyond most slice of life anime I've seen. The voice acting is also really strong, especially in the case of Yuuko's voice actor who just kills it episode after episode. And the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, calming orchestral background that juxtaposes the show's goofy shenanigans just enough to create an offbeat vibe all its own.

Even with the anime's fantastic level of quality, there are certain episodes and sketches that really stuck out:

Episode 5: This episode in particular had a lot of really iconic sketches in it. There's the adorable scene of Professor wearing cat ears, the bizarre Bob Hope scene, the rock-paper-scissors battle, that Helvetica Standard with the toaster, Professor vandalizing Nano's doll, and especially, the frantic drawing duel between Yuuko and Mai that closes off the episode.

Episode 6: Easily the most well-known sketch of the series, this episode has the scene where the principal suplexes a deer. It's so well-animated yet so bizarre, it's a perfect sequence to introduce the series to people. There's also the game of picture shiritori where Yuuko spells everything wrong, Nano's shark hand, the disastrous camping scene, and the incredibly well-animated penny soccer scene.

Episode 13: The midpoint of the series, Episode 13 is more emotional but funny, being focused pretty heavily around Professor's decision to let Nano finally go to school. It's not only a big change in the status quo, but leads to some really heartwarming moments between the two. The comedy is great too, though, with sketches like Yuuko's failed magic tricks, and Yuuko overreacting over a decent test score.

Episode 14: While not one of the funniest episodes, Nano's first day of school was incredibly heartwarming and rewarding to watch. Seeing the show's two casts finally intersect was amazing, setting up for a fantastic second half of the series. This episode also had the adorable conversation between Nano and Sakurai, and the hysterical argument between Yuuko and Mio.

Episode 16: Similarly to Episode 6, this one has some really iconic scenes, particularly Mio's suplex-heavy outburst and Yuuko's stress-inducing coffee shop order. But the real highlight was the phenomenal sequence where Yuuko visits the Shinonome lab, meets Professor, and gets confirmation that Nano's a robot. That final scene where Yuuko tells Nano she's "not a robot, just Nano", is one of the most heartwarming in the series and solidifies this episode as one of my favorites.

Episode 19: This was just a really strong selection of sketches that left me in stitches multiple times. There was Mio's pole vault attempt, Professor dropping the laundry, the super dramatic Helvetica Standard, "domestic violence", and of course, the infamous shrine incident.

Episode 20: This episode has what is probably the longest sketch in the series, with Yuuko and Mai helping Mio out with her manga. Between Nano fleeing after reading a single page, to Yuuko stabbing herself with a pencil, to Mai's typical trolling, to Mio's hysterical outburst, this sketch was absolutely fantastic. I also really liked the "melon bread" segment, which unironically has some of the best voice acting I've ever heard.

Episode 23: This episode was just a really nice balance of funny and heartwarming. For the former, there was Sakurai discovering her brother's porn magazine, and Mio overreacting over bad jam. For the latter, there was Yuuko revealing she wants to be a teacher like Sakurai, and Mai getting along with Professor after the dog incident.

Episode 25: This was a fantastic penultimate episode across the board. Misato revealing her crush for Sasahara to the school, Mio's big chase scene, the baseball quote, Nakamura finding Nano's house, and especially that beautiful voucher scene. Each major sketch tied into the previous one, and all of the previous sketches resurfaced, as if the entire series was a massive Rube Goldberg machine building up to this specific episode. Mio assaulting the cop, the high jump, Helvetica Standard, the daruma, the glue trap, the rice cake hat, Biscuit, Sasahara's goat and glasses, the Matreiya statues, it all paid off in this fantastic, funny, and emotional episode that solidifies Nichijou as a damn near masterpiece.

Episode 26: While not as big and dramatic as the previous episode, I think the focus on the main cast makes this a perfect finale for Nichijou. The cast holding a birthday party for Nano, even with everything that happens during it, was really sweet. Nano's decision to keep the key is a great bit of character development, and the reveal that Sakamoto was Nakamura's cat was pretty cool. It's a satisfying but low-key finale that ends Nichijou on a cute note.

I really can't express enough how much I love this show. The humor is consistently strong, the animation is phenomenal, the entire cast is likable, and the entire anime is just so genuinely uplifting and wholesome. It's impossible to be sad when watching Nichijou, and sitting through it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had watching a series.

5/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Episode 25

Pushing Daisies (Season 2)

Pushing Daisies' second season is pretty much an extension of the first, with the two seasons adding together to a standard 22-episode season. As a result, Season 2 isn't a massive improvement over the first, but it does a lot to refine the show's storytelling.

Season 2 of Pushing Daisies continues many of the plot threads left off by the first season, along with adding a few more. Arguably the main focus is on the reveal that Lily was Chuck's mom all along, and more and more people end up finding out throughout the season culminating in Chuck finally revealing herself to her mom in the finale. There are some other really compelling storylines though, like the mysterious Dwight Dixon, Emerson looking for his lost daughter, and Ned meeting his twin half-brothers. Multiple episodes are devoted to these storylines at a time, and I think this arc-based structure worked really well for the season. None of the storylines gain focus for more than three episodes at a time, so nothing ever feels drawn out. The only subplot I didn't quite love was the one about Olive being sent to the nunnery, but even that gets resolved fairly early on in the season.

Similarly to last season, the quality of most of Season 2's episodes is really strong. As a matter of fact, I don't think there are any downright bad episodes in the whole series, let alone just this season. The same high production values, likable characters, and sharp writing have also been left intact from the first season. While my criticism about predictable cases of the week still stands, the season does do a better job of adding some variety by including episodes that focus on characters aside from Ned and Chuck. Emerson and Olive, in particular, get at least two episodes focused on them, all of which are really enjoyable. Since Pushing Daisies was cancelled during this season, I do have to point out that the ending isn't perfect. Plenty of story threads like Ned's father, Charles being on the run, and Olive not knowing about Ned's power are left unresolved. Others are hurridly resolved in a fairly rushed montage at the end of the final episode. While I can't blame the writers for this, I can't lie and say this season wasn't pretty unsatisfying. 

While all of the episodes are at least good, there are some big high points:

Bzzzzzzzzz!: This was already a fun premiere with a lot of strong dramatic beats (Olive's outburst, Ned's father appearing, Chuck moving out), some of the show's coolest set design (the honeycomb offices), and hysterical Sound Of Music reference thanks to Kristin Chenoweth. However, as someone who's terrified of bees, I will always remember this as one of the scariest episodes of TV I've ever seen.

Comfort Food: Easily the high point of Pushing Daisies, this episode is both a massive shift to the status quo and a genuinely fun episodic story. Story-wise, Dwight Dixon dies, Chuck's dad is alive, and the episode ends with Ned finding out. For the rest of the episode, Ned and Olive participating in a bake-off is a ton of fun and adds some levity to the episode.

The Norwegians: While many of its big twists don't quite get paid off by the end of the season, this was definitely one of the craziest episodes of the series, revealing that Ned's father helped him out, and might know more than he seems. This episode also had one of the better cases of the week, with the Norwegian investigators being a ton of fun to watch.

Kerplunk: Outside of that fairly rushed final montage, I did like Kerplunk as a stopping point for the series, as it does end Lily and Vivian's story on a really strong note. By the end of the episode, all of their secrets are finally out, and that final scene where Chuck reveals she's alive was fantastic.

Overall, the second season of Pushing Daisies improves on the story structure and has higher high points, while maintaining the things that the first season did great too. If only the show didn't cancelled, not only so we could have more of it, but also so that we wouldn't get so many loose ends.

4/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Comfort Food

Konosuba: Legend Of Crimson

I absolutely adored the first two seasons of Konosuba, so I couldn't wait to finally get a chance to see the movie: Legend Of Crimson. While it wasn't super ambitious and not all of its jokes landed, it was definitely as fun as the rest of the series.

Legend Of Crimson is about Kazuma's party heading over to the Crimson Demon Village (where Megumin and YunYun live) to stop a chimera named Sylvia and her army of orcs, another stop in their quest to defeat all the generals of the Demon King. Given how little development they got in the series compared to Darkness and Aqua, it was really nice to see Megumin and Yunyun (especially the latter) get a lot of time in the spotlight. Not only did we get to see their family and hometown, but this film had a lot of genuinely affecting moments for Megumin and Yunyun. Probably the most impactful parts of the film were scenes like Yunyun's backstory, Kazuma's heartwarming exchanges with Megumin and Aqua, and that final heart-shaped explosion. Even with all the jokes and bickering, this film proves more than ever just how much the characters secretly care for each other. However, outside of the character work, the general story is still fairly basic as far as Konosuba is considered. Even with the new location, this film did mostly just feel like an extended episode of the series. Coming after Beldia, Vanir, and Hans, I found Sylvia to be a bit of a weaker villain due to her more serious attitude (as well as a questionable joke that I'll elaborate on below). In addition, aside from the importance to Megumin and Yunyun, I also found the Crimson Demon Village to be nowhere near as memorable or creative as Arcanretia from last season, probably since most of the film is devoted to the fight with Sylvia and the slice of life antics are compressed in a single montage. Still, that fight is pretty damn spectacular, nearly topping Aqua's God Requiem from last season.

Similarly to the rest of the series, Legend Of Crimson contains the same rapid-fire comedy that I love to see from Konosuba. There are tons of hilarious moments here like YunYun asking Kazuma to have kids, Aqua teasing the orcs, Kazuma and Megumin being locked in a room together, and the antics with Kazuma's cannon. However, not all of the jokes landed. This series could poke as much fun at Kazuma as it can, but those two trauma jokes definitely rubbed me the wrong way (a guy being raped isn't funny, and it's not nearly as traumatic as learning Sylvia has a penis). Not to say Konosuba can't have black comedy, it absolutely does and is usually one of the most consistently funny shows I've ever seen. These just happened to be the rare jokes that went way too far for me. Thankfully, the presentation is as fantastic as it always is. Apparently, this film changed animation companies from DEEN to JC Staff. While I'd normally say that could only be a good thing due to DEEN's track record, the artstyle and animation looks pretty much exactly the same as the original series. That's not a bad thing, though, Konosuba has always looked beautiful and expressive and this film is no exception. The voice acting is also as fantastic as always, solidifying Konosuba's english dub as one of my absolute favorites. And of course, the RPG-esque music is still great, with the show's main theme being utilized really well in pivotal parts of the final fight.

Overall, Konosuba: Legend Of Crimson was a fun addition to the series with its usual sharp writing, memorable characters and fantastic presentation. However, it doesn't quite live up to the show due to its lack of ambition and some particularly weak jokes.

3/5 Stars

Pushing Daisies (Season 1)

Pushing Daisies tends to be held up in the same leagues as shows like Firefly that were cancelled way too early. Now that I've seen its truncated first season, I can agree. This show should've gone on way longer.

Pushing Daisies's premise is pretty well-known at this point. A piemaker named Ned can bring people back from the dead, but only for a minute or else someone else dies. He brings back his childhood sweetheart Chuck for more than a minute, but he can't touch her or else she'll die again. With her and his business partner Emerson, they team up solve crimes by using Ned's power to interrogate people. It's a really clever high concept premise that does a good job of exploring how people (particularly a couple) connect, and it's incredibly heartwarming to watch Ned and Chuck find ways to show affection without physically touching. Pushing Daisies is mostly a procedural, though with a lot of subplots involving secrets that the characters keep from each other (Ned killed Chuck's father, Chuck's aunts don't know she's alive, Ned's coworker Olive doesn't know of his powers). If you've seen my Anohana review, you'd know I normally don't like these sorts of secret-heavy storylines, but lying and the toll of keeping secrets is a major theme of Pushing Daisies, so I think it mostly works here. As for the episodic stories, I think they're pretty solid, especially for a first season (even shows like Psych and Person Of Interest have a shaky start). However, the reveal of the murderer tends to be pretty predictable a lot of the time.

Right from the first scene, the tone that Pushing Daisies goes for is incredibly distinct. It's a quirky vibe not quite unlike Amelie, Paddington, and many of Tim Burton's films. The set design is colorful and cartoonish, Olive frequently breaks out into song and dance, the camerawork is exaggerated, and each episode is narrated not unlike a fairy tale. This much concentrated whimsy could feel incredibly forced, but Pushing Daisies pulls it off with impressive sincerity and confidence, not to mention just how movie-quality so much of the series feels. It helps that as weird as Pushing Daisies is, the characters are still incredibly fleshed out and interesting. I genuinely like a lot of these characters (especially the more grounded Emerson, who does a good job of balancing out the tone), and the sharp writing and witty dialogue makes seeing them interact a treat. The series gives me some serious "Spaced" vibes, which is absolutely a good thing. My only real issue with the show's presentation is the music, which plays the same dramatic theme every time something heartwarming or romantic happens, and it got old so fast.

Even with only nine episodes, this season definitely had its highlights:

Pie-Lette: The best pilot episodes can feel more like a movie than any other episode of TV, as they pretty much have to introduce the premise, bring together the cast, and send them on their first adventure. Pie-Lette ranks up with Lost and Justified as one of the strongest pilots I've seen, showing off a ridiculous amount of confidence in the tone, dialogue, and visuals right from the very beginning. It accomplishes so much in such a short time while telling a complete story that makes you want to see more from the cast. Production-wise and structure-wise, it feels like a movie, which is why it left me so excited to be able to get the chance to see what happens next.

Bitter Sweets: This packed episode did a great job of heightening the stakes for what ended up being the season finale. I especially love the fun pie shop war with the Balsams, but there's also Ned being in prison, Olive realizing she might like Alfredo, and biggest of all, Ned finally telling Chuck he killed her father. The finale wasn't quite as good as this episode, though I did like the reveal about Lily being Chuck's mom.

Overall, as short as it is, I've really enjoyed Pushing Daisies's first season. The whimsical presentation drew me in, but the sharp writing and likable characters kept me engaged. The show still has plenty of room to grow in its storytelling, though, and it pains me that I only have thirteen episodes of it left.

4/5 Stars

Evangelion Rebuilds

Neon Genesis Evangelion is still one of my favorite animes ever made, but I'm not gonna lie, it had some serious production issues. While that's all part of the charm to me, it's nice to see that Anno finally got a chance to remake the series the way he wanted. But how are his rebuilds? Are they better than the original?

1.0: You Are (Not) Alone: The first Evangelion Rebuild is pretty much a beat-for-beat remake of the first arc of the original series. There are a few deviations like Kaworu's appearance in the end, but otherwise, this is just a reanimated version of that first arc. I do have a soft-spot for those first few episodes, so it was really nice to revisit them and the characters. They tell a really strong story about Shinji taking up the job of piloting an Eva. I also liked that the soundtrack wasn't drastically changed, all the iconic songs from the series were still there. The animation doesn't quite have the same sense of movement as Gainax's, but it's still a really strong replication. Iconic shots from the original series are replicated really accurately (though whether or not that's a good thing may vary), and the usage of CGI really bolsters some of the fight sequences. However, I do have a lot of issues with this first film, most of which are in the first half. This movie races through the first few episodes, replicating scenes pretty much identically while removing all the downtime and breathing moments. The final act is a bit better, expanding out the fight against Ramiel and taking some liberties with the original show, but most of the episode just feels like a rushed recap. Still, this is a solid first installment, but probably the worst of the bunch. However, I can say it definitely got me excited for the next movie.

3/5 Stars

2.0: You Can (Not) Advance: Eva 2.0 is an "rebuild" of the show's second and third arcs, which should have been a recipe for disaster, the first film was rushed enough. However, I absolutely adored this film, and I think it might be the best of the four. Unlike the first movie, Eva 2.0 actually feels like a "rebuild", depicting the arrival of Asuka and its subsequent events in an entirely different manner than the original series. and cutting out certain subplots that would just pad out the film. It doesn't feel like a rushed recap, it feels like it was made with the purpose of being a movie, resulting in much stronger pacing. There was tons of fantastic action, but there was also a lot of slow-paced character moments that were kind of missing from the first movie. I liked that there were a lot of moments for the main cast to just hang out together (even Tohji and Kensuke got a lot of screentime!). The deviations from the plot like the introduction of Mari, Asuka getting squashed by Shinji's Eva rather than Tohji, and Rei's near death were also pretty great. And then there's the ending, which had Shinji start the Third Impact only for Kaworu to come and intervene. Not only does it showcase the mission statement for these rebuilds (Showing Shinji true happiness), but it's also just such a massive shift in the status quo that pretty much entirely diverges from the original series. Overall, I really liked Eva 2.0. There's a nice balance of new and old, with strong pacing, great action, plenty of fun character moments, and a shocking ending.

5/5 Stars

3.0: You Can (Not) Redo: This is a weird movie for me. Unlike the first two, this absolutely isn't a recap. Eva 3.0 tells an entirely new story from the original, and I think that's great! It takes a lot of risks that pay off really well too. Getting more than a half-hour of screentime for Kaworu was excellent, Rei-Q is an immensely fascinating character (extending into the next film as well), Shinji learning about Rei being a clone of his mother was a payoff we never actually got in the original series, the climactic battle at the end made for one of the most fantastically bonkers third acts ever, and while I liked all the ending cliffhangers, 3.0 probably had my favorite. Seeing Shinji, Asuka, and Rei wandering the destroyed Tokyo-3 feels like the continuation to EoE we never got. And as usual, the music, action and animation is pretty top-notch. However, not everything this movie did really paid off. I think my biggest issue with it was the way it handled the timeskip. I'm already not a big fan of this trope, but it didn't even feel necessary here. We didn't see the direct fallout of the last movie's ending, WILLE's reluctance to explain anything to Shinji was frustrating, and the "Curse Of Eva" might be the single dumbest thing in the entire series. Even more, the fact that the film spends so much time explaining the timeskip means that not much really happens, not helped by the fact that this is the shortest film yet. There's also a really oppressive and hopeless atmosphere in this one, and while I think it works for this movie, it feels like a massive whiplash compared to the tone of the first two films. There's definitely not the same gradual darkening that the series had. Still, while not everything worked for me and it definitely has its problems, I still really liked how bold Eva 3.0 was. 

3.5/5 Stars

3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon A Time: As far as Eva endings go, Thrice Upon A Time was pretty great. It feels like a happy medium between the closure and bombast of EoE, and the character work and psychoanalysis that the original finale brought. I still don't think it's as well-paced and balanced as the second Rebuild, but it's a really enjoyable finale that takes a lot of the best aspects of these films and brings them together. The action is fantastic (that Paris fight, especially), but we also get a lot of time for character interactions and introspection. The film brings together nearly the entire cast, giving all of them their own moments to shine no matter how small. Thrice Upon A Time really feels like a love letter to Evangelion (as opposed to the more sour EoE), and nothing shows more than the fact that the movie ends with the characters getting to work out their problems in typically trippy fashion. Apparently, this is the end of Evangelion, at least under Anno, and I think it's a good place to end. Not only is it the happy and satisfying ending everyone wanted (though Misato still dies to my utter heartbreak), but when you take Evangelion as a whole, you get a fascinating story of a director getting through his depression. This film especially feels like it's specifically about mental health, which is something I've always liked to see from Evangelion. Still, the film isn't perfect. The pacing is really odd, with the first hour in the village being pretty much no action and all character work, and the next hour being just nonstop action. I also really dislike what the film did with Asuka too (another contrast from EoE, where she was my favorite part). She was far more unlikable and abusive to Shinji than in any previous Eva media (even 3.0), and the twist about her being a clone was a bit strange. I'm also not sure why Shinji ended up with Mari given that they hardly interact (he formed a far stronger connection with Rei in these films). Otherwise, 3.0+1.0 is an incredibly satisfying final installment of the Rebuilds series that feels like a love letter to Evangelion as a franchise. It's not my favorite of the films, but it definitely made the whole thing worth it.

4/5 Stars

Overall, I really enjoyed the Eva Rebuilds, and they were a great way to return to one of my favorite anime. I don't think any of the films top the series, but they tell their own unique retelling in a slightly unconventional manner. 

My ranking of all the Evangelion films (including End Of Evangelion) is:

2 > 4 > EoE > 3 > 1