In this week’s episode of All Out!!, Jinko continues to battle it out with the Ryoin team. Players on the Ryoin team are exemplary but do underestimate Jinko and all the hard work they have been putting into their playing. With the first half of the match being exhilarating, Jinko is in the lead and Ryoin is left pondering the fact that they didn’t take them seriously. Unfortunately, all that changes when Ryuujin Zanba, the best player for Ryoin, enters the second half and pretty much destroys Jinko. Sekizan is the only player who was giving Zanba a run for his money, but not even Sekizan could stop him… Final score - 42-12… Insane match!

This is where the best moment comes to play. After Jinko is defeated and the team is recovering from the game, all the while being bummed that they lost, Zanba comes up to Sekizan and tells him that he enjoyed playing them and that they were high spirited and gave it their all! He likes those who have motivation, endurance, and the need to always strive for the best (now I’m summarizing here), Zanba gives them more motivation by sharing his thoughts with them and telling them he can’t wait to play them again in an official game, considering this was a scrimmage. That is some pretty good news and kind words coming from a guy who seems like a hollow from Bleach and is out to kill (even though he actually said he is out to kill but not in that way).

The rest of the final episode of All Out!! has the team running sprints up a famous hill which every rugby player has done in the past. Although, it was a bit emotional due to the third years experiencing that for the last time before they graduate. Everyone has their spirits lifted after a motivational talk about continuing to try harder than before, and how they can’t wait for next year!

Fin!

You know, I want to pretend for like a good second that I enjoyed the story of Hand Shakers. However, it took like a very long time for mute loli aka Koyori to even speak her first word other than grunting and making confused noises. Then it was some quick battles where they needed to take out other hand Shakers and figure out what was going on with the Ziggurat before finally confronting or rather before forced to confront the Hand Shakers duo of Daichi Nagaoka and Mayumi. Now while the fight was what was to be expected of Hand Shakers and GoHands, the story is forgettable. Mayumi is Koyori’s twin sister that we have been missing ad the explosive fight is to push the plot forward to the final moment.

The part that made me almost laugh while watching was the fact that it felt a lot like Sailor Moon. Remember the scene where Usagi is falling while holding Chibi-moon and skyscrapers race by as they plummet towards the Earth? I got that exact same impression while watching the final fight scene where Tazuna and Koyori do the same. And then how do they help Mayumi? By holding hands and helping Mayumi through the power of their “connections” (See: Love and friendship like the Sailor Scouts did.)

For people who say that the art was as just as bad as the story was, I think that you need to have a few seats. This art is just like GoHands’s other works like the K series and Mardock Scramble. While it can be argued that Mardock Scramble has more quality; that is because it is a movie, so it is guaranteed income. Overall, I would give Hand Shakers a D in story and characterization but an A- in art. The art could be slightly smoother and better, but it is not bad by any means.

We may not have been waiting for it as long as say, the second season of Attack on Titan, but man am I glad that HeroAca is back with us to brighten up the week. Getting to see all the amazing characters back with each of their individual quirks (of both the power and personality kind) was amazing. Also, a round of applause for Aizawa-sensei showing up to class despite barely being able to walk - what a legend.

This episode may not have been as fast-paced as those from the first season, but I sort of appreciated the slow burn on it. It gave me time to get myself back in that HeroAca headspace, remember each of the characters key moments and traits (because let’s be honest, there’s a lot of them), and get thoroughly hyped for what’s going to happen this season.

My personal favourite moment from the season was when we got to see a new side to Ochako. Personally I’m not a huge fan of constantly super-bubbly characters, so to see her completely flip out and get seriously pumped up for the upcoming sports festival was really refreshing, and made me realise there’s a lot more to her. She should scream at people when she’s excited more often!

I think the funniest thing about Youjo Senki is how Tanya tries so hard to deny the existence of “God”, or as she describes him Being X. Essentially, if she can finally believe in him, all of her trials will be lessened and yet, in that last two episodes, it was clear Being X was getting in her way what with the revival of that one fallen soldier and now, his daughter is going to enter the military to defeat the demon who killed her father.

Yet, it’s after all of Tanya’s success and great advice that everyone stops listening to Tanya’s advice to continue the war rather than being content with amnesty. It reminds me of when Moses attempted to bring the Jews out of Egypt and while the Pharaoh agreed multiple times, just as often, God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart to make Moses’ trial more difficult. I doubt anyone would make the same comparisons as me, but to see everyone suddenly not take Tanya’s war advice seriously is odd. Is it because she’s a young girl? Why did they listen to her before? They stopped heeding her advice at the strangest time and it only made me think of how God hardened the hearts of others.

New season and new shows! And yes, maybe everyone and their mother is excited about Attack on Titan, but now we’re gonna talk about Frame Arms Girl, a new anime about mecha girls of some sort. Frame Arms Girls look like cute dolls, but they have mecha-like heavy battle armors and an artificial intelligence —or AS, for Artificial Self, mind you— that think like a 10-year-old girl, but can learn very fast. Gourai is the main protagonist, but there are other Frame Arms Girls, and this is how the story begins.

So far, this anime is very cliché, but it’s also full of fanservice. If you want to see underwear, you’re lucky! Not only you have some loli dolls showing their butts here and there, but you also have Ao Gennai, a teen girl that serves as Gourai’s naive Master. All in all, I’m deciding to give this show a chance and watch a few more episodes to see where it goes... and I kinda know where it goes. There will be battles… but why? and against who? There will be fanservice… but can any of these girls become Spring 17’s waifu? While, yes, there are many other good anime series, Frame Arms Girls has mecha girls and looks like a fun, perfect way to rest between giant titans and a lot of universes fighting for their lives.

In the final episode of Gabriel DropOut, Gabriel is panicking because her older sister Zelel, who also happens to be known as “The Hand of God”, is coming down to Earth to check on her. She’s clearly powerful and apparently very strict, and if she punished Gabriel, the effects might destroy humanity.

Gab comes up with a plan to act like the most moe of little sisters in order to soften Zalal up and clear up any suspicion. Of course, she talks Vigne and Raphi into helping her. And this is where it gets good. When Zalal arrives, Gab is dressed in full cat-maid garb, acting adorable and like the perfect little angel. Vigne and Raphi lie through their teeth about how much Gab has helped them during their time in the human world and how fantastic she is. All the while, we can see into both of their minds. Vigne realizes all the abuse she’s received from Gabriel and feels pained to lie about it to help her, and Raphi devilishly enjoys watching how the “perfect angel” lies to her own sister’s face. Raphi’s reactions and smile are priceless! I’m starting to wonder if Vigne and Raphi were switched at birth… I think Raphi might be an archdemon and poor Vigne is a stolen angel!

The rest of the episode was just as funny, but I always love seeing Raphi be the most evil of them all! Gonna miss these girls!