Azur Lane Episode 9: Back to Calm

I don’t think a formal ceasefire is going to happen, instead a heat of the moment truce in the middle of a fight is going to take place in a mad scramble against the sirens.

Not much going on though, which is both a blessing and a curse since the fighting is finally over and the visuals are back to an acceptable quality.

Azur Lane Episode 7: Shot through the Heart

Alright, I think I’m ready to forgive Episode 6 AND the week break.

Not only did some of the craziness return to the fighting, but the rather sudden turn of events have seriously shaken up my expectations on whats to come in the next few weeks.

Azur Lane Episode 5: Cloudy Sky

The fight quality is back up to normal and we pick up where we left off last episode.

We’re nearly at the half-way point of the season and I find myself both oddly comfortable with the pace of this series as well as slightly worried we’ll be rushing towards the finale. For the most part, the three primary plot-lines are at least moving at a recognizable pace, what remains at the end of it is what worries me because it’s either developing into something unimpressive or it’s comfortable pacing won’t stop and we’ll get something rushed. I can only hope that isn’t the case since I’m not exactly hating the adaptation.

Azur Lane Episode 4: The Other Side

Espionage was not something I was expecting from this show.

Although, the focus of this episode definitely goes to the numerous scenery shots than the characters. Apparently there was only one key animator assigned to this episode and the quality dip during the fighting scene definitely shows. Observer’s stomach decided to hog all the budget apparently.

Azur Lane Episode 2: Arm on Fire Veins Burning Red

Favorite Girls Shown counter: 1

So here I thought we’d get a small break from the fighting but nope, we’re right back in the action as Akagi decides to let some of the other carriers have some fun against a small scouting party with some German girls thrown into the mix.

The animation was ever so slightly more strained during the high-speed action sequences so let’s hope they still have some budget left over for the inevitable big fight waiting for us at the end. I did enjoy this week’s background girls a lot more than last time, Helena was cute and the anime knew to keep Hammann completely fucking useless.

Azur Lane Episode 1: Learning from your predecessors

Without a doubt, Azur Lane stands as the odd one out among the anime I’ve chosen to cover this season. Bokuben S2 and Babylonia all seek to adapt from their original material but Azur Lane is in a weird position where it’s an adaptation but it’s taking its own spin on things off the foundations laid down by the game. This is because the game’s plot hasn’t progressed since its release, apparently explained by the developers that their efforts were focused on making every server caught up with content. So while noble a reason, the game’s plot has been sitting at Chapter 3 out of 13 released chapters and the plot has so far been just a reenactment of WW2’s Pacific Theater while Events have delved into the other half of the plot involving alternate timelines and the baddies known as Sirens, who tamper with history and give hand-outs to other enemy factions to use their technology, all the while cackling in the dark about how everything is going “as planned”.