Author: Aranaktu
Sparkly Night Thread
Night Thread Loves You In Space
“The Census of the Lambs” American Dad! S15 E3
American Dad! Season 15 Episode 3 The Census of the Lambs Grade: B For an episode premised on a throwaway Hannibal Lecter line, confused with Buffalo Bill, and further confused with Law & Order, the themes it had mostly worked. … Continue reading “The Census of the Lambs” American Dad! S15 E3
Dusk Train Night Thread
“Paranoid Frandroid” American Dad! S15 E2
American Dad! Season 15 Episode 2 Paranoid Frandroid Grade: A- The first regular season episode of American Dad! this year opens on a perfunctory note, with a fairly basic plot. Nevertheless, the overall episode quality was quite good, from Stan … Continue reading “Paranoid Frandroid” American Dad! S15 E2
Moonlit Window Night Thread
Good Morning Day Thread
Giant Cat Night Thread
“The Final Episode” Paranoia Agent S1E13
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 13 The Final Episode Grade: A Little lies grow into big lies. Viral things spread. Madness spreads. Released in the era of the flip phone, Paranoia Agents continues to have trenchant things to say about … Continue reading “The Final Episode” Paranoia Agent S1E13
LOGH Night Thread
“Radar Man” Paranoia Agent S1E12
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 12 Radar Man Grade: B ‘Paranoia nurtures him.’ Ex-detective Maniwa, using terminology and iconography from Makoto’s fantasy world, fights a desperate loosing battle against a demon Lil’ Slugger, and retreats to seek guidance from the … Continue reading “Radar Man” Paranoia Agent S1E12
“No Entry” Paranoia Agent S1E11
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 10 No Entry Grade: D- On a TV interview to promote the new Maromi anime, Tsukiko praises the increasing popularity of Maromi and hopes that she’ll spread her ‘peace’ to many more people. In tandem … Continue reading “No Entry” Paranoia Agent S1E11
“Mellow Maromi” Paranoia Agent S1E10
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 10 Mello Maromi Grade: B Back at Tsukiko’s office, work is progressing on an anime based off of the popular character she created- Maromi. The anime follows a baseball player who isn’t good at the … Continue reading “Mellow Maromi” Paranoia Agent S1E10
“ETC” Paranoia Agent S1E9
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 9 ETC Grade: C+ Just as the last episode ditched Koyto to show the Lil’ Slugger phenomenon’s geographic reach, ‘ETC’ shows the exponential growth in the number of his attacks in the form of an … Continue reading “ETC” Paranoia Agent S1E9
“Happy Family Planning” Paranoia Agent S1E8
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 8 Happy Family Planning Grade: A Trigger Warning- Episode deals directly with suicide. Episode 8 announces itself as the second half- almost a separate season of the show- with a terrifying farce far away from Tokyo in the so called Suicide Forest, Aokigahara. The narrative frame of the Detectives is gone, and the territory affected by the phenomenon of Lil’ Slugger expanded, just as supernatural themes are firmly established. Aokigahara is also known as a home to ghosts in Japanese mythology. Under their usernames, the old man ‘Fuyubachi,’ the taciturn ‘Zebra,’ and a young girl ‘Kamome,’ … Continue reading “Happy Family Planning” Paranoia Agent S1E8
“MHz” Paranoia Agent S1E7
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 7 MHz Grade: A- Someone, in a computer terminal-lit room, is listening to MHz signals (well, someone had better be connecting the dots, because the series has been getting increasingly metaphysical of late). Makoto cuts … Continue reading “MHz” Paranoia Agent S1E7
Rainy Tokyo Night Thread
“Fear of a Direct Hit” Paranoia Agent S1E6
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 6 Fear of a Direct Hit Grade: A Detective Ikari is starting to his cool, constantly on the verge of starting smoking again (something related, by the transitive properties of the show’s metaphor to him losing … Continue reading “Fear of a Direct Hit” Paranoia Agent S1E6
“Holy Warrior” Paranoia Agent S1E5
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 5 The Holy Warrior Grade: A- The show’s rotating narrative focus finally turns its attention to the source of all the attacks linking the main characters to day, and it’s nothing like what the viewer would expect. Makoto (Lil’ Slugger) interacts with the world through the lens of a fantasy role playing game, playing the hero and freeing people from the pain (in this case a demon that possesses them). As detectives Ikari and Maniwa interrogate Makoto, they play along with his distorted version of the attacks in order to verify that Makoto’s twisted narrative … Continue reading “Holy Warrior” Paranoia Agent S1E5
“A Man’s Path” Paranoia Agent S1E4
Paranoia Agent, Season 1 Episode 4 A Man’s Path Grade: A Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault The dark sarcasm drips off the title of Episode 4. There’s no letup in the increasingly dark themes of the previous episode as the show continues … Continue reading “A Man’s Path” Paranoia Agent S1E4
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