Mekakucity Actors episode 4 aired last night. What I thought to be a heartrending episode turned out to be another sequel to their fragmented storytelling of "one thing led to another" scenarios.
Episode 4 was all about Hiyori and Hibiya in their struggle to save each other from getting killed inside the Heat Haze, in the video series and in the manga (even in the anime) their part of the story is the title of the whole project - Kagerou Daze (Heat-Haze Daze/Days).
We already got Shintarou's intro in episode 1. While the thrill of the episode wasn't anything close to the manga adaptation, it still showed a lot of potential in the following episodes.
Episode 2 was Kisaragi Attention, the intro of Shintarou's younger sister, Momo. It was still an OK episode but the uneasy feeling of the whole series becoming a SHAFT-fest salad of their style of animation is becoming obvious.
Episode 3 finally got things started with the introduction of the Mekakushi Dan following Momo's intro but the mixing of humor and plot was definitely a total mess. The climax of the episode - how they solved the incident at the mall - was also less of anything amazing. Whether it was intentional or not, the anime has toned down a lot of parts that most fans loved in the original video series and the manga adaptation.
I didn't expect much going into episode 4 but since it was Hiyori and Hibiya, I at least expected a few tearjerkers. We finally got the reason why Hibiya was suddenly introduced in Kisaragi Attention, but the reason behind it doesn't necessarily supports the premise.
Aside from Hiyori and Hibiya, Konoha was also introduced, and his character was probably the most accurate in this episode.
Hibiya is too love-stricken and Hiyori is all tsun for Hibiya and dere-dere for Konoha. But their overall character in the anime doesn't match their established character in the manga. It's a total mess, but I don't think Shaft is concerned with this mess at all since they still kept up with their overly grandiose theatrics. I also would like to note this error:
The uncle in question is Kenjirou Tateyama. I don't know if this is a sudden change in character or just what Hiyori would like to call Kenjirou but it should be noted that Kenjirou is Hiyori's brother in law. Ayaka Tateyama is the elder sister of Hiyori (in an incredible age gap) which also makes Ayano Tateyama (Mekakushi Dan 0) Hiyori's niece.
If the anime did in fact changed Hiyori's backstory then it removed a lot of important points in her character. They degraded her character to someone with only little relation to Ayaka, which has a dramatic backstory to it.
As of episode 4, Mekaucity Actors has become nothing but a promoter of Shaft's unique animation. While it has become dominant in their Monogatari series and Madoka Magika, it seems more emphasized in Mekakucity Actors.
Character developments are inconsistent, as with storytelling and pacing. This is apparently the downside of having only 11 episodes for something with a wide story such as the KagePro.
Looks like the nightmare of Dance in the Vampire Bund has returned to haunt Shaft.
For now, I'd recommend just sticking to the manga and the video adaptations. The anime series is like the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate of the Kagerou Project.
 |
| no...please...Un-Shaft it |
We already got Shintarou's intro in episode 1. While the thrill of the episode wasn't anything close to the manga adaptation, it still showed a lot of potential in the following episodes.
Episode 2 was Kisaragi Attention, the intro of Shintarou's younger sister, Momo. It was still an OK episode but the uneasy feeling of the whole series becoming a SHAFT-fest salad of their style of animation is becoming obvious.
Episode 3 finally got things started with the introduction of the Mekakushi Dan following Momo's intro but the mixing of humor and plot was definitely a total mess. The climax of the episode - how they solved the incident at the mall - was also less of anything amazing. Whether it was intentional or not, the anime has toned down a lot of parts that most fans loved in the original video series and the manga adaptation.
I didn't expect much going into episode 4 but since it was Hiyori and Hibiya, I at least expected a few tearjerkers. We finally got the reason why Hibiya was suddenly introduced in Kisaragi Attention, but the reason behind it doesn't necessarily supports the premise.
Aside from Hiyori and Hibiya, Konoha was also introduced, and his character was probably the most accurate in this episode.
If the anime did in fact changed Hiyori's backstory then it removed a lot of important points in her character. They degraded her character to someone with only little relation to Ayaka, which has a dramatic backstory to it.
As of episode 4, Mekaucity Actors has become nothing but a promoter of Shaft's unique animation. While it has become dominant in their Monogatari series and Madoka Magika, it seems more emphasized in Mekakucity Actors.
 |
| this is the look of a disappointed tsun |
Looks like the nightmare of Dance in the Vampire Bund has returned to haunt Shaft.
For now, I'd recommend just sticking to the manga and the video adaptations. The anime series is like the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate of the Kagerou Project.
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