Seikimatsu Occult Academy 7

More slaps, fake occult phenomena, daddy/mommy issues, lack of action, oversized objects, and Naruse being back to “normal” (much to a few viewers’ dismay)! But, if it makes anything better, at least JK and Smile do more than press a few buttons. Actually, Smile still just presses a few buttons, but at least he had a little more screentime. But seriously, if you’re going to give a guy a wrench that big, please make him use it at least more than once!

Oh God, that hat's rim! It's getting BIGGER!

The show seems to be trying to throw us on an emotional rollercoaster, but all that slapping at the end was more funny than dramatic. I think that Maya was in the wrong to yell at Ami’s dad - although I’m sure others have opposing opinions - but Ami was definitely out of line for slapping Maya. I don’t recall Maya ever saying anything bad about her father, so that slap seemed completely uncalled for. Slapping children is pretty common in real life households, back in those days more than now. Everyone gets all uptight about it in this show. She, Maya, and #6 are lucky they didn’t get the belt, or had to kneel in front of a wall for a whole day, or wash their mouths out with soap.

A horrible, horrible future lies ahead...

While there is still plenty of time to conclude the show without rushing everything at the end, the series seems to be dragging on a little. At this rate, the show might actually be too slow, and by the end everything would be too rushed. There are still more important things untouched upon, such as the innocence or antagonism of the vice principal - who, sadly, didn’t even appear in this episode - or Mikaze, the location of the Nostradamus Key, the disappearance of #6′s power, or why Ami keeps Maya’s old writing assignments.

Foreshadowing much?

The things keeping this show watchable for me is just the little gags here and there, like the prospect of having three creepy little JKs around, #6 getting drunk, or JK trying to give pleading puppy eyes – not cute at all, but an effect way to get pudding if it means getting him to stop doing that. It’s good that they didn’t use any old gags – the VP’s obsession over #6, Maya’s abuse of #6, Naruse’s over-the-top weirdness, etc. – in this episode, so they don’t feel overused by the next episodes. This episode is definitely lacking in action and supernatural, but the good thing about Occult Academy is that you’ll at least grin to yourself just a little. Maybe it’s not always laugh-out-loud funny, but at the least laugh-quietly-to-yourself funny.

A Shiki x Occult Academy crossover!

This episode’s a little stale, in all honesty, and it seems with the last few episodes the creators have been focusing on character development more than writing entertaining, kickass episodes. It’s great there were a lot of weird/cool characters, but there’s no point in having an awesome cast if the storyline is boring. Not that Occult Academy is getting boring, but I’m sure we’d like the plot to move along.

Those two sure are close...

Hopefully the next episode will be better, and hopefully it won’t be a episode featuring Kozue getting Ami & Maya to make up and be bestest friends again.

/ 6 Commentsleave a comment /

• Decre says:

  August 18, 2010

  Compared to the last episode, of showing his past and whatnot, I felt this one lacked far worse. I can agree with you on that one. This one, it was more of the back story of maya and ami. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm down for a great back story just as much as the next guy, but at the cost of the anime slowing to a turtle, bah. I was at least hoping naruse would have fell out of the truck when he took that sharp turn. That would've made me laugh hysterically.

  All in all, I think this is their worst episode yet. Next episode should blow our minds compared to this one.

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    August 18, 2010

    LOL, I knew someone would mention Naruse falling out XD I like her, but I thought the same thing seeing her roll heheh

    Reply
• Meesles says:

  August 18, 2010

  I can pretty much agree with the whole review, except that I AM glad that they develop the characters. On the other hand, I would really like to see some story development also. Maybe some clues on the Nostradamus Key, or some future-flashback (whatever that means) to explain what happened a bit more. Hopefully they'll get this moving along.

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    August 18, 2010

    A flash into the future is a flashforward. There was a TV series called FlashForward, but it was cancelled fast haha. Oh, but it might count as flashbacks for Fumiaki? Hmm…

    Reply
• bakuhasu says:

  August 22, 2010

  I think I can rest assuring that Sekimatsu Occult Academy is going to be a character driven show. Which I like… this episode in particular and the previous episodes ~Hanazawa Kana~ really just shows that they're going with characters, which will eventually make the overall plot work… but that is how so?

  Hmm…… judging by the slow pacing and the "ending" that is coming 5 or 6 episodes in the coming weeks, I really don't know…

  Also do you think there's going be a second season of the series?

  Good review and keep on keeping on! I'll look more towards these weekly reviews…

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    August 25, 2010

    Thank you~~ :D I don't think there will be a second season, which I don't really mind even though this is a cool series; the plot is pretty simple so it doesn't need to be dragged on, imo.

    Reply