![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_04.04_[2011.08.07_10.22.12]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gdfhrabvHn4/Tj7T_DpAKOI/AAAAAAAAQHE/n_D0-sJQy04/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_04.04_%25255B2011.08.07_10.22.12%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_04.04_[2011.08.07_10.22.12]") |
![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_06.22_[2011.08.07_10.24.30]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_rY6xheaFnM/Tj7UBBpu1-I/AAAAAAAAQHQ/RCk27LzZkC4/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_06.22_%25255B2011.08.07_10.24.30%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_06.22_[2011.08.07_10.24.30]") |
![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_08.12_[2011.08.07_10.26.19]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_QYwT9JMuCc/Tj7UDX7JjKI/AAAAAAAAQHc/6pPwTmKKVGU/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_08.12_%25255B2011.08.07_10.26.19%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_08.12_[2011.08.07_10.26.19]") |
It really hurts me to say it,, but Baka Test just isn’t doing it for me this season. There are two main problems, and they’re both big ones. The show just feels meaner somehow, first of all. And second, for whatever reason it just isn’t nearly as funny.
Don’t get me wrong, there was always an edge to the humor here, and that’s what made the show work. But while the ironic aspect of the abuse was always front and center, this season it just feels like sadism. Somewhere when I wasn’t looking, B-T crossed the line from edgy to man-hating. And that’s an issue, because right now I frankly hate every female on the show except the two we rarely see, Mizuki and Aiko. Watching nice guys (well, and Voyeur) getting tortured consistently by psychotic yanderes and tsunderes isn’t any fun. And if a comedy isn’t fun to watch, why watch? And for goodness sake, why blog?
I’m sticking this out for a while longer, because I loved the first season and there have been a couple of very funny bits this season – the talking shoukanjuu and the kimono competition come to mind. But two funny bits in almost half a season is a poor percentage, and this episode didn’t help. I didn’t really find any of this blackmail story especially amusing, apart from Hideyoshi’s “That makes me happy for some reason”. It’s funny to say in a show about injustice, but the sheer injustice of what’s happening to the guys – especially Akihisa – is exhausting. Last season there was a sense of the whole class banding together to fight – now it’s just Minami, Himeji and Shouko (who, to be fair, I disliked even last season) making Aki and Yuuji’s life a living hell.
It’s hard to say just why things have degraded so far. We have the same director, the same studio, the same source novels, but the chemistry is totally different. Why is Himeji such a sadistic terror this season, when her tortures were involuntary last? Where’s the sense of affection the writing seemed to have for the characters? Thank goodness Hideyoshi and Voyeur are still intact, because they’re all that’s making this watchable for me right now.
I’m not thrilled that this is a two-parter, as that means we’re unlikely to see any improvement next week. At this stage of the game I’ll probably selectively blog this on a case-by-case basis, so my apologies if you’re looking for a post and don’t get one – reviews like this are no fun to write.
![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_12.51_[2011.08.07_10.31.35]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hMibFX_FyLk/Tj7VOWmsSKI/AAAAAAAAQHs/3Fnk4ChXKnI/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_12.51_%25255B2011.08.07_10.31.35%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_12.51_[2011.08.07_10.31.35]") |
![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_14.56_[2011.08.07_10.33.40]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-J97qRqz1EvA/Tj7VQYyzPCI/AAAAAAAAQH4/tAir1QY5vdg/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_14.56_%25255B2011.08.07_10.33.40%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_14.56_[2011.08.07_10.33.40]") |
![[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_18.59_[2011.08.07_10.37.43]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VNBYcJsbCJY/Tj7VSMMtnaI/AAAAAAAAQIE/2iB01WTwHmw/s1600-h/%25255BCommie%25255D%252520Baka%252520to%252520Test%252520to%252520Shokanju%252520Ni%252520-%25252005%252520%25255B03C3E561%25255D.mkv_snapshot_18.59_%25255B2011.08.07_10.37.43%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg "[Commie] Baka to Test to Shokanju Ni - 05 [03C3E561].mkv_snapshot_18.59_[2011.08.07_10.37.43]") |
jrj
August 7, 2011 at 7:46 pmI agree with you that the S element in this season is far more dominant this season than last, but I consider this episode an improvement at least it built suspense and linked back to the OVA, and more importantly the summon battle seems to be back now… but hopefully things will pick up from here for the better for you 🙂
admin
August 7, 2011 at 8:15 pmI hope so JRJ, and thanks for posting. Wasn't much of a summon battle this week, really, although it was nice that they acknowledged the OVAs.
Anonymous
August 8, 2011 at 7:50 amThis is so true, everything I liked about the first season is hidden behind a wall of Akihisa hating torture. I can't watch a single episode without absolutely hating the three main girls.
lkaze
August 8, 2011 at 11:29 amTo be honest, I'm kinda regret asking you to keep blogging this anime. The anime is trying it's best to be funny but fail horribly, I don't know how they manage to do just that. If it was couple a week ago you tell me you might stop this, I will disagree but now I think I could I accept it. In fact probably support you even.
P.S. Hmm, putting a preferential non jump-break post for this? Any reason for that.
admin
August 8, 2011 at 3:55 pmOn the non jump break, because it's a pretty short post. I figured I might as well just put it all on the main page. One reason I'm sticking mostly to jump break posts is that the main page does load faster that way – fewer images…
As I said – I won't be blogging this again unless there's a turnaround. Sad, but that seems best.
totoum
August 8, 2011 at 5:20 pmNow I'm not watching this show (the humor never worked on me) but here's some random speculation as to why you like it less:could the source material just have dropped in quality?
After all if the show is adapting the source material faithfully and said source becomes less good over time then so will the anime despite having the same staff etc…
lkaze
August 9, 2011 at 5:20 am@totoum
I understand the argument you are making. However I'm not sure if I could agree with that. You see somehow I got the feeling that the show is trying very hard to put in jokes they know that work and fanservice but since they try too hard, it just come out overused jokes and predictable.
Beside if you remember season 1, you will then remember even throughout the entire series where they put all the stupid jokes. In the end of the day, it seem some plot or some sentimental moment will occur.
Example: Akihisa got burned by FFF for getting Himeji and Minami bento but end of day, Minami finally get closer to Akihisa. Chaotic day in the theme park where everyone scheme to get Shouko and Yuuji to marry: end of day, Shouko got closer.
Can you say the same with season 2, if I'm not mistaken the only better episode most people agree will be the part where akihisa give the bear to Minami's sister. Worse part is that they make such a fabulous story into half a part.
My opinion seem to be a bit lengthy, sorry bout that but that really how I feel
admin
August 9, 2011 at 6:26 amWell, this is what I don't know as well. Is the source material being adapted simply not as good as what we saw in season one? With the same studio and director, that's certainly one feasible explanation. Haven't read it, but perhaps someone who has can give us an opinion about that.