Episode 31 – “On Gender Enjoyment”
Suggested by Bakuhasu on the forums we discuss how different genders enjoy anime and why we think what we do. Along with an interview with Scott from the Sarcasm Podcast.
Reviews: Dragon Ball, Sora no Woto, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Hellsing
August 18, 2016 @ 4:54 am
I was surprised that the review of Sora no Woto was so superficial. I’m not trying to be a jerk but it seems to me the reviewer wasn’t really paying attention. I’ll let you decide: listen to his comments (they start at about 1:10:05) and then read this setting description / synopsis below: [SPOILERS AHEAD]
Background: About three centuries before the show opens Earth had a high technological civilization. Earth was attacked by giant winged aliens. Either the aliens were driven off at great cost to the planet, or the war so devastated the planet that the aliens decided it was no longer worth conquering. In any event they are no longer around, save for a skeleton beneath the river, and much of the Earth is now a wasteland.
Present Day: Humans have reformed civilization but mostly at an early 20th century level. These new nations tend to fight over what remnants of arable land that still exists. Kanata joins the army and is assigned to the Unit which is comprised of our characters for the story. Their assignment is to watch for any enemy activity at their far-flung end of the border overlooking a wasteland. Its a good place to go to hide, to forget or to just get away from everything. All the Unit members she meets have different issues/demons they are avoiding from their past (one of the more severe is PTSD from watching her friends burn to death in a tank). Kanata is like a catalyst dropped into the solution of this Unit. Her bright, accepting and forgiving personality touch each comrade in turn, and each is then able to take a new view of their past and be uniquely redeemed from the largest regret in their lives.
So, no, I wouldn’t agree with the reviewer that this is “essentially K-ON” at all. “Its so fluffy” is the reviewers assessment, and that’s his legitimate opinion, and I take it he means there’s nothing of real substance in most of the episodes.
I cannot agree. I find quite a lot happening. One of my favorite aspects is that the girls are operating an illegal still and selling brandy on the black market because their Army pay is never on time! There’s the character development, growing tensions with the neighboring kingdom, depictions of daily soldier life and training, issues with the mafia, struggles with getting an ancient technology tank back in operating condition, and all backed up by good music and gorgeous scenery. There is quite a lot to this show, and I encourage everyone to give it a try.