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(Yume mo Kibou mo)
"Dreams and Hopes"
While I know people are going to be disappointed with the lack of navel this week, you'll get development instead, explaining a little bit more about the situation, and introducing a slew of new characters.
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(Deai)
"Encounter"
After director Yamamoto Yutaka made a big fuss about putting his career on the line with this original anime project, the start of Fractale may come off a whimper to most. For me, the immersion into a fantasy world and the visual introduction to what I've read about has me looking forward to what's in store, with the only real disappointment being that the series doesn't look anything like the promotional art.
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(Kurasu Daihyou Ketteisen!)
"Decisive Battle for Class Representative!"
As the title indicates, this second episode was all Ichika's IS battle with Cecilia, yet the absolute highlight for me came from his interactions with Houki. He's not a complete pushover and treats her like the childhood friend that she is, which leads to some interesting scenarios in the face of her tough and seemingly cold demeanor.
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(Sore wa Tottemo Ureshii Natte)
"That Would Make Me Really Happy"
Instead of striving to be that cute show that tries to capture your attention with fan-service or using mystical devices, Madoka flies past the competition using its ability to change the atmosphere on a whim. By switching between a light hearted scene to a serious one, and making it flow smoothly, a sense of tension starts to build even though nothing is actually happening on screen. Something other shows only dream about doing.
