I gotta say, SK∞ is wobbling a bit as it gets into the home stretch – and that’s not even taking into account the production disarray. That caused last week’s recap episode, and apparently the staff is at their limits and barely able to stay afloat. That’s not unusual in the near-slave labor conditions in the anime industry these days, but it is unusual for Bones. They’re about the last studio you expect to hear stories like that about, and if they’re not immune it’s pretty safe to say no studio is.
It seems unlikely these production issues would be having any impact on the narrative itself – the scripts have surely been written for months. But I do think that side of the series is a bit off the rails too, and it’s a harsh reminder that finishing stories is the hardest part of writing them. SK∞ was at its most effective – and authentic – when it was largely focused on a bunch of goofs having fun skating and doing ridiculous things on a board. It’s gotten weighed down with the ponderousness of the drama, which feels a little forced. And the relationships are bogged down too, in a little too much button-pushing and winking at the audience.
On top of that, I thought this episode was rather a mess, quite frankly. Poor Miya’s match with Tadashi was pretty much ignored altogether, and all the time-jumping in the narrative served little purpose but to undercut any flow in the story. It was all over the place – a brief flash of the first match, a couple of really random events out of nowhere (Shadow’s attack and Reki’s accident), the second of which was a pretty absurd coincidence. It had the feel of a bunch of semi-connected scenes cobbled together without any effort to form them into a cohesive whole.
In fact the only part of all this that really rang true for me was the confrontation between Reki and Miya when Reki was coming to visit Shadow (which he blew off as soon as he saw Langa). That callback was much-needed, because Reki was in fact doing exactly what he’d promised Miya he’d never do, and it’s about time someone said so. Nevertheless though, Shadow really gets the screw here in every way – he’s sidelined as an afterthought and Reki doesn’t even care enough to check up on him.
The big climax here was the Reki-Langa reconciliation, and it was kind of a bust. In the first place Reki being inspired to rise above his troubles by Tadashi of all people is an anti-climax, but I didn’t feel as if this climactic encounter was a conversation two guys like this would actually have. SK∞ has often been pretty good about capturing the guy dynamic, but that touch abandoned it here – that was like something out of a doujin or fanfic. It’s not too late to salvage things, but honestly it’s hard to feel a great deal of optimism given the direction things have been headed both in terms of the production and the story.
Riv
March 22, 2021 at 12:40 amI’ve had similar reactions to the last few eps. Disappointing, as I loved the beginning. I feel like keeping the narrative simpler and more straightforward would have helped, especially as it’s only one cour. I still like all the characters a lot, though.
Snowball
March 22, 2021 at 1:17 amThis episode sure had a lot of casualties. And, of all places, why would an adult man take a minor to a love hotel???
The main thing I’m glad about is that Reki is finally out of his slump and the show can move on.
kiwi
March 26, 2021 at 3:28 pmLITERALLY my thought too… especially since he was so concerned about bringing undue attention to his employer? apparently accidentally hitting someone with a car is worse than taking a minor to a love hotel…
However i’m kind of just along for the anime bullshit ride and all the melodrama, leaps of logic and inconsistencies haha
Jen
March 22, 2021 at 3:24 amI was already thinking that Reki’s mini depressive episode was dragging on way too long that it started to cast way too much of a shadow on the show’s mood. I was honestly disappointed that Miya didn’t get the graciousness of showing his beef against Tadashi, or Shadow getting sidelined but at least Reki’s drama is more closer to over.
Didn’t mind the reconciliation because I was more or less expecting it but the fanfic levels were higher than I thought. I honestly don’t mind if Reki and Langa got together, but I’d prefer if they committed to it rather than tease/bait with two highschool boys essentially doing marriage vows and ignoring the elephant in the room.
Guardian Enzo
March 22, 2021 at 9:54 amMiya got the shaft here big time. He’s escorted out of the tournament and not only is it not shown, it’s not even formally acknowledged. And Shadow loses his place in the semis to a totally random event for plot convenience. It’s weak writing, honestly.
elianthos
March 22, 2021 at 5:09 amYou might not like the execution but thematically it’s still pretty tight/consistent imho. Like…
A) it was awfully convenient that Shadow is out out the competition so now a slot is free for Reki with just enough time for the latter to regain his positivity mojo? Yes it is. But the bat guy had his love-related motifs from early on, Shadow got his (aha) shining knight moment as he went down defending his lady love… so he lost the sport race but this accident probably skyrocketed his romance chances with said lady. His ‘wedding’ was not to happen in S anyway, there are no big emotional ‘love’ stakes for him there vs the other characters. We’re still in good love/bad love thematically.
B) a lot of people are ending in hospitals aren’t they? But hey it’s the literal place were you face your hurts and get healed 😛 , and if you run from all of that figurative and literal it you are risking to get hurt all the same. Reki got hurt or hit… twice? And bumped a third. Barely dodged a fourth vehicular impact just before meeting Langa. But as in his case… there is one symmetry encounter waiting to happen in between… no hospitalization needed and a rain check on the Shadow & Miya issues. Relatedly
C) symmetry encounters: Tadashi the gardener‘s son is SnakEve – and rather lunar. Literally we got one scene where in his skating ‘flight’ some epis ago he overlapped with the half moon in the sky… while the other half of the half moon was in the highschool!Adam S flashback as he lowers his hood and wonders above an existing Eve for him – . Rekis the sunshine Eve (down to his color scheme). Out of the AdamEve characters quartet and the darker Adam(Snak)Eve vs lighter AdamEve they are the ones who haven’t really interacted with each other so far. It was bound to happen. And in a love hotel because… it’s discreet to strike a bargain, it’s a rather LOL & bittersweet tie to the queercoded love happening in secret behind closed doors… and because this series is about love, both for skating and via skating. A *Love* hotel is the perfect place :°D.
And sunshine Reki is the one jolting Tadashi – who is older, tired and jaded and the snake hence cold blood = needs warmth – into remembering happier skating days for a moment. One skating sensei Eve (Langa’s) reawakening the other (Adam’s) after Tadashi had prompted Reki into defending his passion for skating with his little negativity projections. Again, while for Reki that’s enough… both Tadashi and Adam’s personal baggage are too heavy not to need a further sunshine/positivity/’good’ love exposure and /or external catalyst to activate their own moments of clarity. Relatedly:
C) this is where and why Reki being drafted into S again comes into being. I doubt he’s going to get seriously hurt if he takes part, because there is little point in that. Adam already hurt him. If there is any change to happen in Adam’s arc and Reki competes then a) Reki gets a chance to come and face his own fears while not really thinking about winning because his priorities are elsewhere, that is : Do the thing you love with the people you love and have fun with it. That’s his happiness. b) either way his mere presence and his kind of approach about the joy of skating are likely to spark something in Adam, Tadashi, or both. c) if he gets hurt Big Sun Tattoo Brother Joe would be very welcome to suckerpunch Adam both on his and Cherry’s account :P, if Tada or Langa do not wreck him first in their own way XDD?
D) Miya’s race got little focus indeed, but I was sorta expecting it. Truthfully everything but the semis and the final’s candidates are an afterthought given the available screentime vs themes. Still, I think at least Miya and Reki will get a moment to clear things up… because Miya in some ways is a ( baby kitty )Adam himself (brand of caring: tsundere kitty boy, a-la Yuri Plisetsky) and Reki was becoming to him was Joe was to Reki, a sunshine comforting mentor of sort. A skating sensei, emotionally if anything. That thread is probably not going to be left hanging :> , and might also come to play as/if Reki takes part to S as competitor.
P.S. : not everything needs, can or should be spoonfed. It does not mean they are no homoing, on Renga or otherwise. At least so far :P. Queercoding for miles rather than queerbait.
TL;DR: probably it’s because I like the symbolism and the thematic parallels so much but I’m enjoying the structure and the characters are endearing enough on the whole. Adam included. Poor magnificent tortured ham. Such a love&skating fool down to his own given name. If there’s enough of that blushing child left in either of them both him and Tada can still make it and emerge into the light… after a few more hurdles than the others and possibly a literal stop in Purgatory (police lady –>jail ) before earning back a new better Paradise.
nia
March 26, 2021 at 10:05 pmI know you guys are analyzing this a bit, but I loved it. I don’t have a reason, it just made me happy.