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Show By Rock!!
Episode 8

by Amy McNulty,

Show By Rock!! is a difficult show to categorize. It's almost never dull, but it's rarely cohesive, either. At times, viewers are treated to something a little unexpected, but from a storyteller's perspective, its stubborn insistence on not fully committing to patterns and formulas makes it disjointed.

This week's installment does viewers a disservice by rushing the plot point set up at the end of the previous episode. When Aion was possessed by a dark monster last week, there was little doubt that his bandmates would use emotional bonding to expel the nasty little creature from their friend's body. It's predictable, even boring, but there were few other ways the show could have tackled that storyline. However, episode 8 is like "Predictable Plot Point: Lite." Aion doesn't succumb entirely to the corruption and never actually turns into a dark monster. However, he does feel depressed and pulls away from the band—a situation worsened when brash Crow insults him despite admiring his musical talent—but perhaps to ease up on the CG budget, Aion never makes the transition.

The series' fun musical interludes and attractive CGI are once again notably absent this week. Additionally, the Plasmagica girls are relegated to supporting characters in a show in which they're supposed to be the stars—although this has happened before. Since the pretty boys of ShinganCrimsonz are typically much funnier than Plasmagica, that's usually not a big issue. However, the comedic interludes are few and far between this time around. (I did, however, laugh out loud at Shu☆Zo's impossibly long limo.) Fortunately, when Plasmagica does appear, the show sets up the next episode's conflict: a rematch battle of the bands with Criticrista. The reasons for the rematch are tenuous at best, but it makes narrative sense for Cyan and company to face off against their chief rivals in an effort to avenge their defeat in the third episode. As an added bonus, this music-centric show may once again start showcasing some actual music.

Viewers who experienced déjà vu might be on to something, as there is one very noticeable instance of recycled animation this week—and we're not even talking about the usual audience reaction shots. Although it contains original dialogue, the final minute or two of the episode replays the exact same footage of music-crazed rural high school students shown at the end of episode three. With the lack of music, CGI and dark monsters (despite the prospect of one), this episode reeks of receiving less attention than some of the series' more visually flavorful entries.

Show By Rock!! frequently flounders, both narratively and visually, and this episode serves as a prime example of that. Nevertheless, it's a show with such stylistic charm that invested viewers can't turn away. While predictability would be a detriment to many other series, Show By Rock!! needs more stability. If it's going to try for drama, it needs to up the stakes. Otherwise, the show would be better served by sticking to slapstick humor and fluffy music.

Rating: C+

Show By Rock!! is currently streaming on Funimation.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for two decades.


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