Following the Midway Impressions (see below post), I have very little else to say. Plot-wise a lot of episode slowed down a little, often not for the better of the respective show. None was as harsh as Plastic Memories seventh episode though. But I already spent several long paragraphs on that...
Note: Listing order now adjusted.
Assassination Classroom: The humor of the first part fell flat for me. I didn't really get it but that might just be my problem or a cultural conflict. The rest was okay. I am waiting to see how their plan plays out (or better how it fails, because we know it will).
DanMachi: After the strong episode last time, this was a little on the duller side. Hestia's possessiveness got a wee bit out of control and was falling into the unbearable, really. And despite the supposed focus on Aiz we learned very little about her. Honestly what was going outside of the main party was more interesting.
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Vivid: And that's it for pure magic battles for this series... for the foreseeable future at least. At least I don't feel disappointed by how it was handled. Nothing as epic-worthy as some of the first seasons' battles but that is hardly the fault of the anime but more of the direction of the source material.
Fairy Tail: And the wrap-up. Nothing much happened here. Too bad Flare is not staying. I find her surprisingly fun the way she is now... and she'd probably be more useful than Lucy.
Plastic Memories: Okay, seriously I am not repeating all this... Go back a post and read it up, since most of it is about the impact of this episode.
Highschool DxD BorN: While I agree that the kidnapping and entire setup for the "trap" was rather lame, I didn't find this episode boring or tedious. It had some very nice moments and seeing as even at its "lamest" Highschool DxD still pulls off various elements a lot better than most harem anime, I am not going to complain. Of course: Yes, I would have rather seen an exciting rating game again instead of this incredible predictable turnabout. Oh well.
One Piece: I fully admit that I had no love for the whole Franky and Senor battle but this episode it reached a moment where I even had to admit it was very cool.
Show by Rock!!: So, there's another Dark Monster and Cyan doesn't even get to fight it... But the guys were cool, sort of. The plot portion is still rather meh and for a show that is supposed to be about Plasmagica we have so far seen them perform on stage what... once? And we are over halfway through. A classic case of trying to fit too much into a One Coeur setting. Somehow it still manages to be more entertaining than most stuff last season with the same problems.
Go Princess Precure: Finally, some focus on someone other than Haruka. This was long needed after spending so many episodes on or around the lead girl. The episode in itself was nice enough but not really a particular high point in character development. THAT is after all the problem this installment has more than any others and I've said so often enough. Minami and Kirara are TOO set in their characters, goals and development thereof to really work a lot with. Yet, even with that some more work could be done to push them out of their Mary Sue image. We don't need two Honeys in a team of three after all. Princess Precure has to get this addressed and fast or it may lose the good, initial momentum completely.
Sound Euphonium: While also a slow episode, the overall great writing and atmospheric setting makes this worthwhile. I really like how this focuses truly on the band and the club and the troubles related with them, instead of using that setting for a background of a lot of common Slice of Life.
Kyoukai no Rinne: So... Now we get a devil who is actually stupid and lame which is supposed to be his gimmick. Meh, this show has a weird cast and unfortunately they are far less relatable to me than in other Takashi works. At least this time, the story actually spans more than one episode. I suppose the dry humor has its appeals but I still can't find myself agreeing that Sakura makes a good lead.
Mikagura School Suite: I guess there was a whole lot of time spent for very little. It's a bit of the problem with this show. When it starts to slow down and tries to get serious, things just drag. Personally I did not find it entirely bad but I, too, had expected a bit of a stronger impression from the new girl.
Hougako no Pleiades: And we are back to character episodes. Not that it wasn't a good one. I liked this quite a bit. Overall the series is definitely running smoother now. There are still a lot of confusing moments from a lack of proper storytelling but things are gradually fitting together. What confuses me is that how both Minato and his not quite "alter ego" are there now at the same time... I hope this gets a proper resolution instead of something muddled and unsatisfactory. As much as this series has been playing with the similar looks and possible connections, it is perhaps one of the main elements keeping viewers still interested and as such could be the deciding factor for many.
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