Dog Days' Episode FINAL - Summer Memories

Sweet god it's finally come to an end. The nightmare that has been Dog Days.

Okay, so maybe it hasn't been as bad as some other things I've seen in these parts. It's no Qwasar, and it's certainly no KnJ. *shudder* That one still gives me nightmares.

But this show has left a particular impression on me. One filled with just utter stupidity and complete insanity. Not to mention the constant hero worship is cringe-inducing.

I will admit, however, the character designs are pretty freakin' rad. It's just kind of a shame that's really the only good thing about it all. The second season has been such a departure from the first that it's kind of jarring. Maybe if this was what the show was from the start, I might not judge it so harshly. On the other hand... part of me wishes that maybe there was at least a smidgen more substance? Maybe an actual story arc to follow instead of what is essentially a thirteen episode fanservice series.

I think that's what it really boils down to in the end that bugs me about this show. It's all fanservice and zero substance.

So now that I've gone off and ranted before the show even began, let's just get this over with huh?

In today's episode, everyone goes home and the show ends. Post over.

... aw man you mean I really do still have to watch it? Fiiiiiine.

We're back at some concert thing again, Milhi is like "I wanna do more stuff like this" and people cheer and there are just boats all over the place, and it was the last performance and everyone was happy and they partied long and hard forever and also they go home tomorrow the end roll credits. I mean roll intro. Though they could just roll credits, I'd be fine with that.

Anyhoo the opening flies by and finally we're into the end of everything.

Ah, finally it's the end...

Cinque is doing early morning stretches, Eclaire is like 'yo you leavin' right?' and he's like 'yeah Becky is making lunch and stuff'.

Boy that... sure looks like some... super... tasty lunch.
Super filling, I'm sure. Don't use all the carrot, geez.

Even the crazy squirrel and Milhi are doing mundane things that princesses would never usually be caught dead doing. Unless they happened to be named Elizabeth I guess. That is one badass lady let me tell you. I digress though. Eclaire came to give him a gift of clothes.

Clothes which look suspiciously like his fighting outfit clothes.

So she went out of her way to get him custom clothes that look not that much different from his hero outfit, and she demands that he keep it. Also his 'last mission' is to 'relax and enjoy yourself'. He swears to do this, and she sends him off to go have fun with everyone else. Leo and his crazy cousin show up, and what the hell is Leo wearing this time?!

I don't think Leo has ever heard of restraint. Good lord.

I'm not crazy in thinking she's toting different clothes than usual am I? For one those aren't the usual shorts. Oh whatever who cares. They talk about Cinque's new clothes that Eclaire gave him, Leo is like "JUST AS PLANNED", and then those other girls show up with baskets and they all head off for a picnic in the countryside.

The end of this show? Why yes, yes it is great. It's great that
it's finally f***ing ending.

I guess there's a lot of fish and spirits and shit. Which makes this a great place but not the best part. There's a waterfall they sit under which I guess is where they'll be picnicking and also they're gonna take photos.

Oh and Yuki and Noir show up to take the photos because NINJA.

But this isn't the end of their tour nope they've got lots more to do.

What the f**k kind of fish is that?????

Cue the montage of them looking at weird things and eating food and watching the sun set.

... wow, way to blow through the entire day in like the first five minutes of your show.

They get back to their carriages though, and wind up noticing some folks hanging out waiting for them.

"Hey remember us? Yeah we're gonna try to be relevant right
up until the end despite us not really doing anything the last five
episodes or so."

Adel is like "oh hey we never gave Nanami one of those crystals" and they promise that she'll get one their next time, the Demon King thanks Cinque for waking him up, and he's like "so Becky best use my crystal and shit" and she's like 'uh okay sure dude whatevs'.

Anyways that legendary swordlady's brother brought something to Leo but doesn't show what it is because drama and back home people are making a feast for the sending off of the heroes. Led by Gaul because he's gotta do something I guess.

Streamers explode as everyone comes back in, Gaul is like "hah yeah this is gonna be bitchin'" and his little entourage is like "BOY ARE YOU SUPRISED OR WHAT" so the rulers and heroes are forced up onto stage.

But then we cut away to LADY SWORDLADY back at her place. Whose brother delivers some sake or whatever. It's a peaceful night. They sit around drinking, she asks about the party and he's like 'yeah it was cool' and also I guess he made them some knives.

Somehow, this terrifies me for some reason.

They talk about how he hasn't done stuff like that in awhile, and how he's glad he did it again. Then we're back at the palace, more talking occurs and I guess now everyone is going to take a bath. But the squirrel wanders off for 'urgent business'.

Y'know. Business. Urgent.

Super. Urgent. Business.

Totally insane. Also, commercial break. Boy isn't this show just exciting.

Meanwhile Milhi and Becky talk about how if Cinque will ever see her as a girl. She's sure she'll always just be his 'childhood friend' and MY GOD THIS SHOW IS FAILING THE BECHDEL TEST SO F***ING HARD RIGHT NOW.  They both talk about basically trying to win the heart of the same dude at the same time, and they will always be the best of friends no matter way.

Then Cinque washes the squirrel's hair. And her tail.

This show is just so f***ing WEIRD sometimes.

Anyways she has an important question. Is he gonna pick someone to bang or what? I mean, Becky or Milhi? Or BOTH?

No really she actually asks that.

She talks about the potential political ramifications of such a union between hero and ruler. And he's like "DUDE I AM F***ING FOURTEEN I KNOW SHIT ABOUT ANY OF THIS". Then they have a bath and he talks about how he still hasn't bested his cousin yet in a real competition back home, and until then he'll never be growed up.  But she tells him to not forget the little people, and he pats her on the head for this.

Now it's even later, Becky and the squirrel get together, while Milhi stands around watching, uh, y'know. Stuff. I guess. While not being weirded out in the slightest them openly admitting that Cinque washed a little squirrel girl.

This is just incredibly disturbing, okay?

I take that back though. That's not disturbing at all.

THIS is disturbing.

Milhi orders Cinque onto that bed right this very instant.

Oh. Oh god. I think that was my lunch. Oh god.

Milhi drags him onto the bed, the girls are all excited and stuff, and the camera pans up until we find later on it's now just Milhi and Cinque awake. It's now SUPER late and Milhi asks about how they declared their love for one another back that one time at the end of the last series, and he's like 'eh, I'll be back in a few months' and she's all wanting to cuddle and stuff so they cuddle and I guess... they're cool with that.

Now it is morning.

Truly they have a state of the art alarm clock.

Everyone is told to wake the hell up, but nobody is really feeling it today.

Literally nobody even moves an inch.

So it's up to her to basically drag everyone to their feet and force them to wake up and get ready for that thing.

Now there's a big ceremony for the heroes going back home and stuff. Cinque and Becky are the only ones there at the moment, and they had back their weapons. Meanwhile over in Leo's land they also do a similar ceremony there? And Becky gets a gift from the squirrel.

It's a shiny thing that totally won't have some important
significance in the next season.

That's the thing she went to go get and she orders the girl to keep it close to her at all times. OR ELSE. Also that's the thing that will link them together or whatever I guess because Rico modified the ritual. Becky and the squirrel proclaim their love for one another, and Milhi gives Cinque a Biscotti-made Earth-like alarm clock. They hug one more time, and Leo gives Nanami her own gift of sorts.

Of course, it's a trophy.

She says she'll come back or whatnot, and Leo is like 'you better', and then the glowy things happen and people fly off into the sky.

Folks go back home to their normal boring lives and their normal boring families. Nanami winds up at home, not realizing she was magically transported there, and meanwhile back in Japan Becky wakes up in Cinque's room. A phone rings and Cinque digs it out and turns out it's his cousin who is like 'yo I'm home'.

So they all basically talk about something or other and narrate how their summer ended and then they went back to their boring lives and how they never forgot a thing.

*choke* *cough* *sputter*

Cinque is on the other line telling Becky to suck it up and deal with it while doing single handed hand stands. Also she was supposed to write some kind of letter? In the weird-ass Flonyard language I guess.

Then it's the next day and Cinque meets up with Becky who changes outfits and he's like 'uh man whoa your hair is down and you look kind of cute'.

I'm sure the lipstick and blush have absolutely NOTHING
to do with the whole 'looking older' thing either.

He outright calls her pretty, and he talks about how she saved him that one time and he saw her grown up, and he's like 'man should I keep calling you Becky or whatever?' and she's like "well man it would be nice if you called me Rebecca" and they look awkwardly and he calls her by that name and then she freaks out.

She is super embarrassed or whatever and she asks him to just keep calling her Becky for now whatever.

EVERYBODY LOVES CINQUE.

He says he loves her too probably not even understanding what he's saying, camera pans up into the sky ONE MORE TIME and we get to see the princesses doing princess things while Becky narrates how they're totally gonna go back some day. Which leads us into the end credits where I guess some stuff happens? It's your typical happy ending anime shit where we see people going off and doing things.

Frankly? I'm not even gonna bother narrating this shit. People go to war and file papers and watching birds fly off and shoot bottles and look at girls and shit.

Oh and these guys show up again... for some reason. WHY?

I am baffled how characters who were only present for ONE SINGLE EPISODE keep showing up like they were somehow integral to whatever 'plot' occurred. They weren't! There was no plot!! Nothing of value actually happened, short of maybe unsealing the demon king and Adel.

The whole series was basically pointless. Like one giant omake. But at least the show is finally over for good and we can lay it to rest forever.

Oh god damn it I forgot there's a third season.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Dog Days'.

Now that it's finally over? I'm not really sure what to think of it. A part of me really, really wanted to like this show, deep down. It has elements in it that I really do like. But it just keeps doing things I hate which keep me from actually enjoying the show.

In the end, I guess the show really reflects the poor planning behind the show. It's a classic example of having a kind of cool setting with all this weird shit in it and having absolutely no f***ing idea what to do with it.

I think that probably sums up the entirety of this season. A show that nobody knows what to do with.

Since this is finally done and over with, I think I'm going to go soak my head in some water or something. Try to let this whole thing wash away while I steel myself for the stuff coming next week. It's going to be one hell of a ride.

Oh, and don't worry. I have something planned for Friday. It should be pretty good. By which I mean absolutely f***ing horrible.

So look forward to that I guess.