Episode 6 “Life is a Carnival” [from the same name as The Band song]

Production Details

Episode Director: Shohei Miyake [Episode Director on A.I.C.O. Incarnation ONA series Episodes 9 and 12 / Episode Director on Hisone to Masotan Episodes 1,6, and 12 / Episode Director on Mob Psycho 100 II Episode 4 / Setting Production on Noragami and season 2 Aragoto / Production Advancement on UN-GO Episodes 3 and 7]

Script: Yuichi Nomura [Series Composition on A.I.C.O Incarnation ONA series / Script on Area 88 / Script on Buddy Complex Episodes 2,6, and 10 / Screenplay on Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Episodes 17, 20, 24, 25, and 26 / Script on Darker than Black Episodes 3, 4, 15, and 16 / Scenario and Story Cooperation on Freedom OAV / Script on The Girl Who Leapt Through Space Episodes 18, 21, and 24 / Main Writer on Bounen no Xam’d (Xam’d Lost Memories)]

Storyboard: Kou Matsuo [Storyboard on Amnesia Episodes 5 and 6 / Storyboard on Banana Fish Episode 17 / Director on Berserk Golden Age Arc Films 1 and III / Storyboard on  Kekkai Sensen Beyond (Blood Blockade Battlefront Beyond) Episodes 7 and 11 / Storyboard on Card Captor Sakura Episode 63 / Storyboard on Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song Season 2 Episode 24 / Director on Dead Girls OAV / Storyboard on Hisone to Masotan Episode 6 / Storyboard on Ergo Proxy Episodes 10 and 18 / Episode Director on Freedom Episode 4 / Storyboard on Gungrave Episodes 3,9,15, and 21 / Storyboard on Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) Episode 7 / Director, Screenplay, and Storyboard on Kure-nai Series / Storyboard and Episode Director on Master Keaton Episode 15 / Sound Director on Gekkou Shoujo Nozaki-kun (Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun) Series / Storyboard on Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia) Episode 6 / Director, Script on Natsuyuuki Rendezvous / Unit Director on Perfect Blue film / Director and Storyboard on Red Garden / Storyboard on Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Tokyo) Episode 6 / Storyboard on SHIKI Episode 16 / Voice Actor in Red Garden Episode 7 as Kou-sensei]

Chief Animation Director: Naoyuki Konno (Character Designer and Chief Animation Director on Concrete L / Key Animator on Episodes 1, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18-20, 22, 24-26 on Cowboy Bebop / Character Designer and Chief Animation Director on Hisone to Masotan / Planning on GANGSTA / Key Animator on Kaiji Opening Sequence]

Animation Directors:

• Satomi Kani: [ Key Animation on Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales Episode 1 / Key Animation on Kekkai Sensen Beyond (Blood Blockade Battlefront Beyond) Opening and Ending Sequences and Episode 12 / Key Animation on Eureka Seven OAV Opening Sequence / Key Animation on Halo Legends “The Babysitter) / Key Animation on Mob Psycho 100 II Episode 1 / Key Animation on Space Dandy Episode 17 / Key Animation on The Tatami Galaxy Episode 5]
• Kenji Mizuhata [ Key Animation on A.I.C.O. Incarnation Opening Sequence and Episodes 1 and 8 also was the Animation Director on Matter on Episodes 6 and 12 / Key Animation on Angelic Layer Episodes 23 and 26 / Key Animation on Dog of Flanders film / Episode Director on Eureka Seven Episode 14 also Animation Director on Ending Sequence three / Key Animation on Japan Animator Expo “The Ultraman” ONA Episode / Key Animation on Macross Plus Movie Edition / Assistant Animation Director on Michiko e Hatchin Episode 14 / Key Animation on Samurai Champloo Episode 21 / Key Animation on Space Dandy Episode 26 / In-Between Animation on Urusei Yatsura OVA Series Episode 5 / Key Animation on Wolf’s Rain Episode 1 OAV / Animation Director on Bounen no X’amd (Xam’d Lost Memories) Opening Sequence and Episodes 3,8,15, and 24]
• Kenichi Onuki (Key Animation on Blood+ Episode 30 / Animation Director on Zetsuen no Tempest (Blast of Tempest) / Design on Cheating Craft / Character Designer on Dark Warrior OAV / Key Animation on Darkside Blues film / Animation Director on Dirty Pair Episodes 4,7,16, and 20 / Original Character Design on Hana no Mahōtsukai Mary Bell (Flower Witch Mary Bell) / Character Designer on Golden Kamuy / Character Designer on Gundam Build Fighters series / Key Animation on Jyu-Oh-Sei Episode 10 / Character Designer on Major Series / Character Designer on Samurai Gun / Assistant Character Animation Director on Star Blazers 2199 Episode 5 / Key Animation on Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love film / Animation Director on X Episode 17]
• Satoshi Ishino [Character Designer, Chief Animation Director on Akahori Gedo Hour Rabuge / Key Animation on Alien Nine Episode 2 / Key Animation on Banner of Stars Episode 7 / Key Animation on The Big O Episode 2 / Key Animation on Zetsuen no Tempest (Blast of Tempest) Second Opening Sequence, First Ending Sequence, and Episodes 1 and 13 / Storyboard on BLEACH Second and Sixth Ending Sequences / Key Animation on Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront) Opening Sequence / Character Designer, Chief Animation Director on Captain Earth / Character Designer, Chief Animation Director on Classroom Crisis / Character Designer and Chief Animation Director on Date a Live / Character Designer on Excel Saga]

Song Performances:

1. [Who am I the Greatest]
   • Performed by: Ertegun
   • Composed by: Taku Takahashi (m-flo)
2. [Round & Laundry]
   • Vocalists: Carole and Tuesday (Nai Br. XX & Celeina Ann)
   • Composed by: Benny Sings
3. [unrequited love]
   • Vocalist: Skip (Thundercat)
   • Composed by: Flying Lotus and Thundercat
4. [Unbreakable]
   • Vocalist: Crystal (Lauren Dyson)
   • Composed by: Evan Bogart and Justin Gray

A practice performance at the music hall, a zombie-esque Ah-Ha music video, and their first gig at the Mars Lounge they finally receive a chance of a lifetime–to become backup performers at the popular Mars’ Music Festival Sidonia. This festival reminds me a lot of the Monegros Desert Festival in Spain. The biggest electronica and rave festival in Spain.

Last time this show points out that there aren’t necessarily evil people in this show, just that these people have real human emotions trying to attain something out of life. Ertegun is a prime exampe of this. He’s clearly in a league of his own in terms of musical style (Thanks to M-flo’s superb Taku Takahashi, the composer for the main soundtrack to Space Dandy) but with a superficial personality that sceams he HAS to be at the center of everything. A man wrapped up in his own head about how important he is and that he’s extremely crucial to Mars’ music industry. He is quite the contrast to our lead girls Carole and Tuesday. They just want to share their music with the people of Mars.

This episode defines the path these girls were on and where they are headed. We’ve seen a few times where Tuesday can’t process things well when it comes to her emotions–pointing to us that she’s lived quite the sheltered life of luxury. Having confronted Ertegun out of anger, burning up their sheet music, she dissociates with society. And from the get-go in this episode receiving news that they might take over for the performance slot from Joshua’s injury she faints, gets sick, and becomes deathly worried about finally getting that chance to be in the spotlight.  Carole is her rock–and it now makes sense if you go and rewatch the first two episodes. She’s stands firm in her beliefs and how she should be true to herself and this definitely comes out in their music. A solid balance of the two and this episode defines the strength these two share between each other–they even go to play their pop song “Round and Laundry” at a rock concert! What drive these two have! The performance is good on a multitude of levels–the faster tempo, the angry fans throwing things at them is just another way to establish disparity between their music and the top musicians of Mars.

Speaking of differences I am really glad that the creators decide to showcase a few different styles of music and personalities here. Skip has this smooth, Skip, Joshua’s band Omega (reminds me a lot of Yoshiki, (sharing the same birthday and the singer for last year’s season 3 opening of Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) where he drinks, uses foul language and falls off stage, a comical and somewhat crazy musician!  Then there is Crystal, the Beyonce of Carole & Tuesday. Skip has some past with Crystal and I really like how this translates through their music–they both long for each other but with time has changed them in ways. They’re singing about their past and what they want out of their futures. I hope to see more of them in upcoming episodes! It is good to see Carole and Tuesday relate with the encouraging words from Crystal–you can have ups and downs when it comes to music but she shares with them that their courage (songs) can help reach people even if they don’t feel they did a great job. Classic fans in a nutshell–Carole and Tuesday bounce right back after seeing one of their idols cheer them on.  Skip’s encouragement says a lot about this show’s regular music performers–that you can’t lose sight of what made you love playing music in the first place.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: 10/10

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