The Weekend Anime Round-up Presents: Heroes Come Back!
Yes call it a comeback!
Hello there, fellow anime enthusiasts. Today we say goodbye to one phenomenal shonen series and say hello to the return of another one.
Oh, and Reki? He’s back in top form, too. So is William James Moriarty and aaaaah so many wonderful returns, let’s get to it!
Friday, March 26
Jujutsu Kaisen episode 24 – SEASON FINALE
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
“Wow,” I whisper as I watch the incredible fight choreography between Yuji and Nobara. “This is an incredible way to end a season.” I really can’t put into words how amazing the last fight of this season is, but I will try my best.
Yuji and Nobara face off against the brothers Kechizu and Eso. Even after Yuji manages to carry Nobara and dodge Eso’s bloody attack, Kechizu appears and sprays blood onto Yuji, Nobara being hit by Eso’s blood. Eso’s blood is the most lethal of the two and he predicts that Nobara will be dead in 10 minutes with Yuji being dead in 15.
We then learn the history behind the Death Painting Wombs (via flashback) and meet Kechizu and Eso’s brother, Choso. The paintings came about from a woman who was able to give birth to human/spirit hybrids. A man named Noritoshi Kamo performed experiments on her, resulting in nine pregnancies and nine abortions. This led to the creation of the paintings, and for the last 150 years, the wombs have come to only rely on each other. Choso goes on to say that Eso lives for Kechizu, Kechizu lives for Choso, and Choso lives for Eso.
It’d be a real shame if this were further illustrated by Yuji and Nobara having a badass fight that leads to the deaths of Eso and Kechizu, huh?
Again, it’s really hard to explain how mesmerizing this fight is, especially if you’re a Nobara fan. Seeing the range of her abilities is so fulfilling, from her using herself like a human voodoo doll to attack the brothers since she’s got Eso’s blood on her, to the way she finishes Kechizu off with her Hairpin technique. With a Final Fantasy Shiva-esque snap of the fingers, Kechizu is gone.
It’s not just the techniques that are impressive, it’s the way she and Yuji fight together, switching opponents partway through, and playing to each other’s strengths. Also, Nobara playing chicken against the brothers to get Eso to remove the curse? Damn, girl.
Eso thinks he’s managed to get away, but Nobara uses her technique on his severed arm. This causes him to collapse off the pick-up truck he’s on and Yuji, after apologizing to him, finishes him off.
After the battle (and after a scene of Mahito, Geto, and Choso playing Life – yes, I mean the board game) Yuji and Nobara head back to the bridge where Megumi was. The two talk about the fact that they just killed their two opponents, Yuji asking if Nobara has a problem with it since they clearly showed emotions toward each other, Eso shedding tears when Kechizu was killed. Nobara doesn’t have a problem with it as this is something that is inevitable when it comes to being a sorcerer, that, and according to her, she only has a few seats open for people in her life so she’s got no time to have her heart be swayed by folks who aren’t in those seats. She does try and make Yuji feel better about it, explaining that neither of them has a technique to restain high-level curses and figuring out whether they’re curse-using humans or actual curses. This doesn’t really do much to help Yuji, who’s struggling because someone he killed shed tears over a lost life, and Nobara decides that they are accomplices.
This is one of the (many) things I like about this series. The characters never shy away from what they’re doing. Jujutsu sorcerers aren’t exactly morally outstanding people, nor are they really trying to be. After all, we just went through an entire arc where other sorcerers were trying to kill Yuji, only to have it end with everyone playing baseball and maybe coming to terms with the Sukuna thing (and that’s a big ol’ maybe). Even if Yuji didn’t want to kill innocent people, he was going to have to, and DID kill fairly early in the series. I like that even if Nobara has no problem with it, she isn’t harsh on Yuji about the way he feels, and we all know that she is NOT the type of character to go easy on you if she thinks you’re being unreasonable.
But Yuji is clearly one of the people who has a seat in Nobara’s life, so she says that they’re in it together, in her own way (accomplices).
The reality is that when their lives are on the line, there isn’t always gonna be time to figure out if their opponent is human or a curse, or, if they are human, if they can even be saved. It’s a brutal path to walk, but Yuji, at least, isn’t alone. That much is certain when they get back to Megumi, the season ending with the three of them walking together toward a new adventure (which may include them being promoted to Grade 1 Sorcerers!).
Of course, we do get to see what the other characters are up to, like Maki, Panda, and Toge training, and Mei Mei laughing triumphantly about Gojo sending her a bunch of money to get her to do a new mission. Mei Mei is a woman after my own heart.
Saturday, March 27
My Hero Academia season 5 episode 89
Where to watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu
THE KIDS ARE BACK! THE SEASON IS HERE! EVERYBODY… get ready for a recap episode.
If you’ve watched the past seasons, you know that new seasons always start with a recap to get us reacquainted with the characters and the My Hero Academia universe. This ranges from the kids embracing their inner sports anime AU with a swimming competition, to a reporter investigating U.A. to do a story on the recently retired All Might.
This may actually be one of my favorite recap episodes for My Hero Academia. It’s definitely the most action-oriented one, having the kids take part in an exercise against a “villain” who’s suddenly on campus, complete with a “civilian” in need of rescuing. The villain (or rather villains since there’s two) are Nejire and Tamaki, with Mirio acting as the civilian in need of heroic assistance.
Class 1-A is on the case, complete with little details that I adore. Bakugo’s trying to run faster than Deku, Mirio is the biggest troll, and Tamaki is incredibly relatable because he just wants to go home. There’s fun team-ups like Mina (thanks to Ochako’s quirk) flying through the air with Sero’s tape, and I gotta hand it to Kirishima and Kaminari for being the kind of besties that let Bakugo be 100% that bitch.
Lord, I’ve missed this angy boy.
There is a splash of plot after the credits. Endeavor wakes up in the hospital and thinks back to the fight against the High-End Nomu. We learn that Dabi showed up, and apparently, Hawks went to confront him alone?!
SK8 the Infinity episode 11
Where to watch: Funimation
His.
Name.
Is.
REKI!
Honestly, this has got to be the most satisfying episode of the series yet.
But first, Tadashi has another flashback about Adam before he became, well, Adam. There was a time where Adam (Ainosuke, I guess I should use his actual name every now and then) just enjoyed the fun of skateboarding, especially since it was his only reprieve from an abusive, overbearing family. Now everything is this twisted interpretation of love and Tadashi feels that he has no other choice but to take skateboarding away from his beloved master, especially since Ainosuke is so focused on the S tournament that he’s ignoring the mounting criminal investigation against him in real life.
But enough about that, REKI AND LANGA ARE BACK TOGETHER! Reki’s eating breakfast with a smile, his mom is making two symbolic, unburnt eggs, and Langa’s at their meeting spot, ready to do their brand new dap.
I’M SO HAPPY THEY’RE BACK TOGETHER!
Adam’s not, though, and has sent Tadashi to issue a challenge to Reki. It’s a heart (of course) that addresses Reki as the third wheel.
Um.
Excuse me?
Reki immediately recognizes Tadashi as the guy from the love hotel, which raises all the eyebrows from Langa and Manager Oka. Tadashi says that Reki should refuse the challenge, but Reki’s not backing down. He’s actually very calm about the whole thing, all things considered.
Maybe it’s because Langa keeps giving him I love you eyes.
We get reactions from the rest of the SK8 crew about the upcoming beef which includes Cherry and Shadow chatting in the hospital while Joe offers Miya some Buff Cooking Dad comfort as he reminds Miya that Reki is back now.
Meanwhile, Langa is upset because of his broken skateboard, realizing that he didn’t understand how important it (and Reki) was until he lost it. Reki reassures him that broken things can be fixed, just like the two of them, and MY HEART IS STILL SO FULL FROM THIS INTERACTION!
You know who doesn’t like these two boys being happy?
A D A M.
The beef is on and Reki’s not doing so hot. It’s so bad at one point that even the crowd questions how cruel Adam is being. Reki isn’t giving up, and Langa isn’t, either, reassuring the group that things will be fine because Reki’s still trying. Reki pulls off some incredible stunts and it’s really nice seeing him getting some unbelievable, Langa-esque moments as he skateboards over a cliff. We’ve seen him skateboard before, of course, but not on the fantastical level where he’s basically flying through the air like a superhero. Reki even pulls off his own version of the Love Hug, much to Adam’s surprise.
But oh.
This is just the beginning of what Reki has planned.
Because soon it starts raining, which should be detrimental to the skaters, and it is… for ADAM! It turns out Reki, the skateboard-making genius that he is, had the foresight to check the weather report and make wheels that could handle the rain. This is why he started off the race so slowly: the wheels affected his speed. Now that Adam’s struggling he decides to pull out his ultimate technique, and like, can we put the biggest air quotes on “technique” when it boils down to “Adam slams his skateboard into his opponent like he’s taking a baseball bat to a zombie.”
But Reki.
My boy.
My sunshine skater boi.
He USES HIS JACKET to block Adam’s attack and skates right past it. To add mud to the cake, Adam immediately trips and falls flat on his face.
I’d laugh at this, but Cherry beat me to it, much to Joe’s surprise. I actually think this is the first time we’ve heard Cherry genuinely laugh like this, and my headcanon says that Joe hasn’t heard this pleasant sound in years. Joe laughs with him, and Miya celebrates, and Shadow cheers so loudly that he frightens his nurse.
And how is Shadow watching the match? It turns out Cherry left CARLA behind at the hospital so Shadow could watch the match, Joe pushing Cherry around in a normal wheelchair.
This? Is so wholesome!
The crowd starts cheering for Reki, or rather, the redhead, until Reki tells them to remember that his name is REKI! Adam embraces his inner frustrated anime villain and charges ahead, barely managing to win because the wheels on Reki’s board break.
It doesn’t matter.
Because the crowd loves Reki, and Reki loves skateboarding, and we got ourselves a beautiful anime found family, and AHHHHH!!!!!
Wine mom (Cherry)
Gym dad (Joe)
Gamer kid (Miya)
Skater boi (Reki)
Skater boi’s boyfriend (Langa)
Uncle who gives you a dollar for every A on your report card (Shadow)Found family dynamic 2021 thank you SK8 😌 pic.twitter.com/YYhy61QYl9
— Bri @ Anime/Manga Nonsense for The Mary Sue (@BrichibiTweets) March 28, 2021
Adam is completely distraught as he angrily approaches Reki. Langa immediately steps in front of Reki, ready to protect his boyfriend, um, I mean… no I mean boyfriend, I really do. Joe stops Adam first, though, reminding him that the beef is over. Tadashi, inspired by Reki’s declaration about skating being fun, decides to forfeit his match to give Adam the match he wants.
So now Adam gets to go up against Langa.
Not that it matters. Really. It doesn’t. Because Langa doesn’t give a single ollie about him and isn’t gonna become Adam’s “Eve” or “fall” with him. Langa’s gone from “he’s a good skater” in regards to Adam to “I just wanna have fun with Reki,” so no matter how this last beef goes, Adam is gonna lose.
Well… lose more than he’s already lost.
Horimiya episode 12
Where to watch: Funimation
So.
Yuki’s been going over to Toru’s house.
NOT THAT IT MEANS ANYTHING (except it kinda most definitely for sure does because these two keep dancing around each other).
Toru does admit to Kakeru and Syu that he thinks he and Yuki are more than friends, but says that he isn’t going to start dating her. The news about Yuki surprises Kakeru and Syu because they already thought they were dating, which startles Toru. I’m not sure why since they have been faking dating throughout the school.
Lord, bless this child, he’s trying his best.
Toru worries that it all sounds weird because he most definitely likes Yuki, but is hesitant about them dating. Kakeru reassures him that it’s not weird if this is the kind of relationship they both want (one where they aren’t officially dating, but are still close) and to be more concerned with what Yuki thinks of him, not what his friends think. Afterward, Yuki comes over to his place, the two a pile of teenage shyness and uncertainty, the scene ending with Toru deciding that he likes the way things are between them right now.
I imagine this is difficult for both of them because they’ve been friends for a long time, so neither really knows how to take the next step (or if they really want to go any further if things are great right now).
The rest of the episode focuses on Christmas, which is coming up soon. Various students make plans for the holiday, ranging from Kakeru being hesitant about going to Remi’s place because of all the bugs her dad collects (taxidermy), to Hori trying to pretend like she’s not bothered by the fact that Miya can’t spend Christmas with her because he has to help with the family bakery. Honestly, Hori’s entire family is taking it hard, particularly her father and her little brother. Hori’s also worried because with it being Christmas, that means they only have a few months left until high school is over and she’s not sure what the future holds for herself and her relationship with Miya.
Miya, of course, does end up spending some time with Hori and her family for Christmas, and somehow manages to only stay for an hour despite the whole family insisting that he, well, move in with them for all eternity, really. Hori, while walking Miya back, admits that she wants to be with him even after graduation. Miya responds by telling her they should get married, and suddenly I’m brought back to Boy Meets World and how Cory and Topanga got engaged after high school graduation.
Technically, Hori doesn’t say yes. Instead, she says that she’ll make Miya happy and insists it has to be her who says it because she’s self-centered and unkind, the opposite of Miya.
The two bow politely to each other and say they look forward to their future together, and omg, these kids bowing in response to their relationship talk is so polite that it’s adorable.
After the credits, the two celebrate the New Year together, Hori pointing out how Miya is the last person she’s spending the year with, and the first person to welcome her into the new one. Honestly, I would’ve been content with this being the end of the season, but apparently, there’s one more episode left.
Sunday, March 28
Moriarty the Patriot episode 12 – EARLY PREMIERE
Where to watch: Funimation
I was NOT PREPARED for this series to come back yet!
Not that I’m complaining, let’s crank up that new opening theme song and get to know Sherlock’s older brother, Mycroft, and newcomer to the series Irene Adler.
In case you forgot, the previous episode from months ago ended with the introduction of Mycroft, but we didn’t really get to see him in action. Why his full introduction has to be aimed at good boy Watson, who just had Sherlock tell him he’s gained 7.5 pounds, is beyond me. Like. Leave Watson alone and let him eat his breakfast! But no, Mycroft shows up and ALSO comments on how Watson’s putting on weight.
My poor sweet boy. Eat whatever you want, you’re living with Sherlock Holmes self-care is CRUCIAL.
Mycroft and Sherlock greet each other the way super analytical brothers do: they fight until Mycroft shoots Sherlock in the head. It’s a paint gun, though, and apparently, this is the 673rd time he’s beaten his little bro. Mycroft isn’t only there to humiliate Sherlock in front of his husband, Watson (no I haven’t forgotten that these two are practically married), he’s there to warn him to beware of women. That’s… it, really, except it’s not because this is a Sherlock Holmes story so the vague clues are crucial.
Sherlock and Watson have received an anonymous letter about a masked man who will seek out their assistance. Through some detecting work from Watson, who is getting better at deciphering things (which Sherlock points out), they figure out that the letter most likely came from a masked German from the Kingdom of Bohemia.
While that’s going on, Mycroft appoints Albert Moriarty (who is a soldier?! I’m not sure when that started) in finding Irene Adler, a retired prima donna who is secretly a courtesan with many royal/noble clientele. Apparently, Irene has stolen some extremely important royal documents and Mycroft wants Albert to get them back and, ahem, “liquidate” Irene. At the same time, the masked person who visits Sherlock and Watson is the King of Bohemia himself, Wilhelm Gottstreich Sigismund von Ormstein. Wilhelm wants Sherlock and Watson to find Irene because she’s stolen a very important picture from him, one that shows the two of them together, and one that can ruin his upcoming marriage. Sherlock and Watson agree, but unbeknownst to them, the king is Irene in disguise.
Both Sherlock and Watson go to Irene in an attempt to get the picture, but she outsmarts them and blackmails them into letting her stay with them. With Irene at Sherlock’s side, those who want to capture or liquidate her will hesitate in doing so since Sherlock has become a more public figure. Sherlock tries to make sense of Irene, but she manages to make him second guess what he thinks of her because of how she acts in public. At one point, she saves a girl from drowning in the water after the girl was harassed by other hopeful actresses. All the young women recognize Irene immediately, who gives them all advice to act based on their own merits.
When Sherlock and Irene head home, Albert bumps into her, slipping her an envelope with the Moriarty crest on it. It looks like Irene may be working with the brothers, especially since, in an earlier scene, we saw them watching her make contact with Sherlock – just as William predicted.
So, to recap: Mycroft wants Willian to find Irene, get the documents back, and kill her. Irene (posing as the King of Bohemia) enlists Sherlock’s help in finding Irene to retrieve a picture, which means that Irene is now under Sherlock’s protection (kinda). This would mean that the two brothers are on opposite ends when it comes to Irene. As for Moriarty, it looks as if Irene may be working for him? Or maybe William just knew she would go to Sherlock? And now Irene has some sort of letter from Moriarty?
Ah, it’s good to be back in this series.
Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 8 episode 12
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
A young girl makes a string telephone and is happy to show it to her father, who decides to be a good sport by taking one of the cups so his daughter can speak to him through the other cup. It starts out fine until he hears an older woman’s voice call out to him. When he checks on his daughter, she appears to be talking to the same lady who spoke to her father. Her father tries to think of who it could be and it turns out he had an affair with a woman. He tries to hide the string telephone, but we all know it’s never that easy.
That evening, he hears a phone ringing and sees his daughter with the string telephone again (which, full disclosure, was NOT in a great hiding place). Now that he has to deal with his affair, he wonders if there’s a way to get rid of the woman on the other end of the phone.
Spoilers.
There isn’t.
—
That’s all for the weekend round-up, where we have to say farewell to Jujutsu Kaisen, but now we have both My Hero Academia and Moriarty the Patriot back! This week is the finale for Wonder Egg Priority, and later, SK8 and Horimiya.
Looks like spring is on the way!
(Image: Funimation)
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