Normally I don't post "Episode Recaps." This time, however, I'm making a small exception. Plus, this is only for one segment: The recent "The Last, and the First Enoden," or the "Mystery Train, with an Unknown Destination." Whatever you want to refer to it as, I think it's one of the best segments SZS has done in a while.

Talk about a totally different style. SZS occasionally does this, often referencing other shows or parodying them by imitating their style. Perhaps I'm totally blind and missing something, but I tried to research online, but found nothing -- it seems this isn't based on the specific style of another show, artist, or manga, as far as I can tell. Tell me if I'm wrong. Either way, the style is fantastic, even if we'd like to make jokes about a low budget, as SHAFT often does. :P

Despite the jokes coming as a fast and witty as ever, there's a strange sense of melancholy sadness or (haha) despair in the whole thing. Even Kafuka's usual cheerfulness seems dampened. Also, the soft gadients (yellow-green, to green) or the harsher ones, (blue to red) create different sets of tensions in the art, especially when Itoshiki-sensei is nearly tossed out of the train, suddenly most everything else is greyed out compared to their vibrant figures.

Speaking of vibrant, the random flowers are also a bright spot on a moody scene. The colors may seem unrealistic and messy at times, but elsewhere excellent use of a simple gradient is shown in the bottom-left image, and it somehow makes things come alive through it's sublimity.

And after a bunch or brilliant colors, things begin to mellow out and become a bunch of muted shades, blacks and grays. Overall, a delightful scene, and some of the puns and jokes were a bit more serious than usual. That said, this Tim Burton-esque segment was really enjoyable and I think SHAFT did a good job with it. Hopefully ep 9 will be subbed soon too.

I've also been watching Basquash (good characters designs, but meh in other areas), Bakemonogatari (another SHAFT show, not bad, needs less expositional dialouge), Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (kinda blah, whenever something falls over it gets good, needs less whiny kids and frog faces), and FMA: Brotherhood (not bad, fight scenes have been really good). Anything else I'm totally missing this season that's been good? :P