Dog Days ” – 12 [END]
Let’s sit back and watch the Last of the Double Dash!
Welcome back to Flonyard and welcome to the latest in our Winter Series Finales. Dog Days is not a show that will ever break it’s mold, and there’s both good and a bit of bad in that.
The End of an Arc…
Well, we killed him….
Oh, I kid. Death is rare in this franchise, so characters can only get better. In this case things did return to status quo and our duo of Aria and Verde learned a valuable lesson. That being, everyone in Flonyard are friends, and there’s nothing wrong with having hopes and dreams so long as you go about them the proper way. The not-proper way is using Cursed Weapons to achieve the ends to your means. Also, let people know how you feel. With a crew that’s always this resourceful, the chances of something good coming true is very probable.
…unless of course your just in it for the flick of it…
But in balance this wasn’t a bad arc at all. I very much love the evolution of the fantasy world. I was tough on it in the beginning, but the environs of the Star Whale were top notch and a sweet ride in fantasy world building. If it were a couple of levels on a proper JRPG I would gladly play and explore. Also, I was tough on it last episode, but playing up the demon style incursion to hold the fate of valued friends in the balance was done quite well. The only real weakness in it was that it was a bit samey as the rest of the Dog Day’s style of storytelling. That feels like a bit of a pickle to me.
…but damn, I loved that Star Whale, and it’s whole pod…
…and the end of the Dash…
Time to head back home, Heroes….
And so, with the conclusion of the Star Whale arc, and the rewards garnered from such quest; a precipitation of joyful light, our gang returns back to the surface to continue their lives, and to bid a fond farewell, but never a goodbye, to the Heroes. At this point, it’s hardly a sad exit, as everyone knows these kids can and will come back for more good times. As they learned in the Sky, you don’t need a special reason to see your friends. That’s why they’re friends. So I kinda feel like they are sneaking in a new wrinkle for a possible next show. Day trips and weekend getaways to Cuddle Puddle?
…just get these two nuts together….
While Becky and Milliore were getting closer both over last series and this one, Couv was also showing she doesn’t have to have her Hero in an exclusive relationship. Heck, she was actively trying to recruit Eclair into the Squirrel Cuddle Puddle; and any excuse for more Eclair is fine by me. So, is there a possible change up in the works? If the show isn’t willing to go for more dramatic consequences over their sports-style warfare, or the somewhat serious business of demon fighting, then having Heroes switch sides for the Games might be worth a trick or two. When you add the new nation of Halver into the mix, and of course Leaf, things could get interesting if they go back to the style of the original show and Dash.
Which might be the best thing that the show does. During it’s first arc I was happy to see it go more toward the demon incursion plot lines. But seeing them wrap it up quickly was a bit of a let-down. As the series progressed I missed the Sports Combat aspect. While it’s true there were some high moments in the world-building, with Pastilliage’s history being explored as one of my favorites, it never quite satisfied the way the old formula did. I guess this is the last time I complain about “samey” when it comes to the show. It looks like they are aiming for a Season/Series Four (Triple Dash…More Dash?? Mrs. Dash…) so I think they are going to have to work on composition a bit more. This one was the weakest of the three series. The arcs felt a bit disjointed, and the downplaying of both the fan-service and sports feels like it left the better of itself elsewhere…The show succeeds best when it’s incredibly playful, no holds barred…
When I look at how the show wins by it’s own merits, I also see how it loses out a bit. In that way, I wonder how long the formula can last. And that is the pickle I mentioned earlier. In dealing with some very harsh concerns, the demon incursions, we’ve seen one character pay the price for fighting. Just one. But, is that all the story needs to pay? My gut feeling says yes, that is more than enough, it’s not that type of show…and it shouldn’t necessarily be that type of show at all. But part of my brain still rebels. Stupid brain…it’s suffering from Dog Days naughty slime deficiency….It rebels because part of me feels that actions should have consequences. Without it, the show is almost little more than a playground made of Nerf. Fi’s passing made it clear that the world isn’t just that.
…you can’t complain about the camaraderie….
Just a few Dashes more..
And that is a wrap for Double Dash. I wanted to cover a show this season that kinda fell outside the Meta-norm. While it’s true that I’ve never shied away from the moe shows, nor is there any shortage from the other writers in this department most of the time, I felt that Dog Days as a franchise fit the bill as it’s barely been covered before and it’s a bit of a challenge to write about. In regards to the “sameyness” about it, the show has some room to grow and perhaps have characters interact and play well with others that they aren’t normally associated with. Even when it failed to fully satisfy ( looking right at whomever wrote Eclair out of the show) Double Dash never lacked for good times and crazy fun. It’s just the thing to cozy up to on a Winter’s Saturday. Besides, as Becky was trying to convey to Cinque via Milliore, you don’t really need an excuse to be a part of something fun. You can look forward to it any time you like. So, will there be a proper romance next time? Do cats and dogs have teeth and claws? Is that a rabbit in your hutch or are you just here for the combat?
Thanks to all the readers and commenters. I’ll see you again in the Spring Season!
Thanks for Watching!
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
So…potential Season 4?
Maybe an evil mastermind seeding the Cursed Weapons all over Flonyard?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…or a well intentioned….dare I say Cat’s Paw….
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 110 comments
indeed 3 seasons & so many characters of long list & of course leave door open for s4 on it?
got wonder if s4 do the reverse aka have millh, eclare (got demoted to extra on s3), rico, yuki, leo, genoise trio, & cou bring them to human world?
now that would be new twist for s4?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
The thought never occurred to me that they could come to our world.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
All your kemonomimi are belong to me!