In this week’s installment…

I’ve been mildly complaining every week about our favorite Roundup shows spinning their wheels but this week delivers the Quality Conent™ we’ve been longing for. It’s been two weeks, I can spoil it: FAVAROOOOOOOO! He just makes everything better. Too bad Atom: The Beginning still sucks even after a week off.

Sakura Quest Episode 9: “The Lady’s Scales” Wednesdays 12:00 pm EST on Crunchyroll

Jel: ​​​​I’m glad we got to see Shiori shine these past two episodes. Compared to the other girls’ talents it would be easy to assume she does all the boring behind the scenes work because she’s not capable of anything else. In reality her feel for the community might make her the most valuable member of the team. I think the main reason this episode worked is everything stayed balanced. Shiori got to play a major role but still felt in character. For example, her somen dish was still kind of boring even if it found some niche appeal, making a nice foil to Yoshino’s crazy VR experience. I also loved how they handled the romantic subplot Shiori’s sister, giving it just enough screen time without letting it dominate the episode. Once again, cool ladies solving small town problems is the quality content I signed up for and this mini-arc delivered.

Tsukigakirei Episode 8: “Vita Sexualis” Thursdays 12:30 pm EST on Crunchyroll

Artemis: This was a pretty cute episode – and unlike last time around, I don’t have any caveats to add to that statement. That awful CG still pops up from time to time and is really noticeable in comparison to the character designs, but that’s a production issue, not a story issue. It was just a very light, breezy watch this week, with zero unnecessary drama and nothing getting in the way of Akane and Azumi’s burgeoning relationship – not even their own teenage angst. That does make me wonder what’s going to happen next, since presumably there’s gotta be at least one more roadblock before the series finishes up, but it’s my hope that Tsuki ga Kirei will continue to keep things reasonably low-key and grounded.

Rage of Bahamut – This episode already had more memorable moments than the entire season thus far

Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul Episode 9: “Same Old, Same Old” Fridays 10:35 am EST on Amazon Anime Strike

Iro: FAVAROOOOOOO’s return was long-awaited, and it feels like his presence is what helps the entire show gel back together. We still got an episode that was mostly talking and not much happening, but good ol’ Bomber Head brings some of the Season 1 charm back with him, including a number of Gilligan Cut jokes. I’m not sure what I expected from his flashback with lil’ Nina, but the snippet of Bahamut’s theme playing during her transformation (and the other hints we’ve been fed so far) are making me think that the Big B himself is her unseen dragon father. Here’s hoping that the promise of a jailbreak next episode will return to some of the heights of Genesis.

Atom: The Beginning Episode 7: “Ran and Princess Teru” Saturdays 12:00 pm EST on Amazon Anime Strike

Jel: ​We waited two weeks for this? I suppose I should have expected this, but finally hinting at the robot wrestling league then cutting away to Ran’s little school competition was really discouraging. Can we also take a moment to address how bad this city is at construction? It feels like every dramatic moment in the series so far has been the result of shoddy craftsmanship. They can all build these super advanced robots but no one knows how to properly screw in a bolt? At least the previews for next week look like we’ll FINALLY see some action, although I’ll be even more disappointed if the implications of some evil shady organizations pulling the strings just turn out to be scouting robot wrestling opponents. Actually, I take that back, that sounds pretty good.

Little Witch Academia TV Episode 22: “Chariot and Croix” Licensed by Netflix (Release pending, please watch it there when it comes out)

Gee: It is a with a heavy heart that I’m now forced to admit that not even Trigger’s quality animation and art can save what seems to be shaping up to be a pretty weak finale. For better or worse, Akko was always best in the OVAs as a cipher into the charming world she inhabited and the fun cast of characters she met along the way. The plot this week is perhaps the most definitive proof we need that LWA cannot sustain a serial narrative, certainly not with Akko at the forefront. Between that and the heavy handed and extremely predictable drama that ensued, this week’s episode was basically a showcase of LWA’s weaknesses. Still, this is Trigger we’re talking about. The true masters of animated spectacle. If anyone can salvage the plot we’ve been handed and turn it into something exciting and flashy, if not particularly compelling, it will be them. Time will tell which side of Trigger comes out in LWA’s final episodes.