「ハミングバード」 (Hamingubaado)
“Hummingbird”

Takumi Minatsuki (Nomizu Iori) has shown up — the deadman I was looking forward to seeing the most. Her front is really fun to watch, looking so damn sweet and adorable. It’s not moe in the chibi art style sense, but in the cute and innocent look that incites the “protective urge”. It works well too, and Ganta buys it one hundred percent when she moans about the cruelty of the Carnival Corpse and about her sad past. I think I would have fallen for it as well, but Ganta really hasn’t learned that there is no one that can be trusted here in Deadman Wonderland, and that pretty much nobody is who they seem. Minatsuki definitely has some emotional and sexual manipulation going on behind her innocent front too, and I don’t think anything she does is accidental.

She is quite a sadistic girl, and it’s rather disturbing to see her get turned on by hurting other people, like that crazy nurse did. I’m not surprised that she manipulates her brother Yoh for her own ends as well, seeing as both siblings are quite ruthless. Yoh figures it out though, and you’d think after his emotional speech about protecting her and all, she would soften up, but no I think her mind just cracked a little further. As expected, she had indeed suffered some severe trauma in the past to twist her personality, making her right at home in the crazy place that is Deadman Wonderland. However, I don’t understand why Minatsuki was sentenced to death row for the murder of her father. For one, she’s a minor, and even given the brutality of the crime, I think the insanity defense works pretty well in her case. Also, I thought that Yoh had confessed to the crime, since he even said that he thought he was the murderer and that she was innocent. The whole case was probably because of the same messed up justice system that sentenced Ganta (and the same “public defender” too).

As for the actual fight, I’m slightly disappointed with the Branch of Sin powers this time. Ganta’s blood gun is unimpressive as usual, but Hummingbird’s high-speed whip attacks seem very weak as well. Given what she did to her father, I would think they could do much more damage past shallow cuts. Either she’s just toying with Ganta, or he has a lot of plot armor. In the end though Ganta manages temporarily disarm Minatsuki with some choice words about family and morals… then proceeds to headbutt her. Ganta does tend to make bullshit wins, but in this case it was a pretty interesting knockout, and I’m also enjoying his new “fuck you” attitude that he picked up from Minatsuki. I still feel there are a few discrepancies and plot holes that could be explained; they aren’t major points, but they are still a distraction. The animation and art was pretty bad in certain places too, and I felt the voice acting was stilted. I did enjoy watching the interactions and the twists involved, though I see a pattern developing as Ganta makes at least partial amends with the opponents each of the opponents that he defeats but doesn’t kill. His beginner’s luck is getting kind of annoying too, and a loss would honestly make for better development.

Complaints aside, the highlight of the episode was definitely the crazy, crazy, crazy facial expressions, including some from Ganta.
Full length shot here.

 

Preview

72 Comments

  1. I hope he keeps his FU attitude. It’s better than his normal one. I’d like to see him rebel a bit against his fate instead of feeling miserable and crying all the time.

    dacasa
    1. Did you like her over-the-top crazy attitude or the “I’ll kill and cum on your dead corpse” style?

      As I watch this episode, I felt exactly how manipulative and crazy she was. The first giveaway was when the pipe was mysteriously cut. I think she did it to test Ganta. She went as far as showing her boobs. Yes, they were nice!

      Then again, I can’t blame her. The thing that started it at was her mother abandoning her for the flower. She felt betray and hurt so she inflict pain onto other to ease and forget her own. If she become a member of the group, I bet you that the mother didn’t left her for dead. The earthquake or bump on the head made her mistaken the flower for her child. No mother ever leave her child to die…

      chaos
      1. I don’t want to spoil it to you xD but
        Show Spoiler ▼

        Rayshi
      2. Sorry Rayshi, I don’t care much for spoiler.

        Ricalloo, don’t you find it odd that her entire room is filled with flower yet she hated her mother because of these flowers?

        You figure a sadistic girl like her would have a dark and bloody room…yet it is not. In fact, it is quite opposite of that. From her experience with her mother, any normal person would have hated flowers for the rest of his/her life. They say that a person’s surrounding personify their personality and life, even desires. So judging from the flowers, I say there is a sweet and caring side to her underneath that bitch-crazy expression.

        Does she care for the flowers because she want to take care of something or does she see herself as the flowers and secretly wanting somebody to care for her?

        chaos
      3. depending on how you see it, it was worse or better than the manga version.
        in the manga, her mother just let go of her hand during the red hole and ran for her life.
        better in that the anime portrayed that she at least cared for something or worse in that she cared for a plant more than her life and especially her daughter’s.

        also, I dont think she has a crush on ganta. if anything else, she reciprocates her brother’s “feelings”.

        amado
      4. Mothers leave their children to die all the time, or go crazy and butcher them themselves. Saying ‘no mother ever leaves their child to die’ is assuming that reproduction instantly makes you a saint. Maybe you don’t think your mom would do such a thing, and maybe she wouldn’t, no matter the circumstances. But maybe she would, especially if driven mad by a giant hole in the sky.

        Guardian
  2. Ah the plot armor -_-. Just a bad episode with the fake nice girl/crazy b1tch act failing and why do they talk so much during fights to the death, they should concentrate on killing not morals and BS feelings, just go in do your stuff and go out.And the bra in the preview now theres something to be happy about…

  3. Oh god. They are just dropping way too much stuff from the manga. Entire scenes cut, characters not being introduce. Im just gonna go ahead and read ahead if this is what they are gonna do. Very disappointing.

      1. You read my mind…

        The manga is always better than the anime. Minus one exception which is Black Lagoon. Gantz was an awesome series, the anime did it no justice. Highschool of the Dead was awesome, too as oppose to many complaints about the anime vs manga. Watch the anime, then read the manga for the rest, usually get you back into loving the series all over again.

        chaos
  4. I wasn’t entertained by the match. It reminded me of the weak fight scenes in Yumekui Merry. (And that show was more focused on Dreams than fighting but got itself mixed up.) I’ll admit I was completely taken by Minatsuki’s front. I’m a sucker for it. (Shiemi is the only legit version this season <3)

    Ganta's fighting ability sucks. (Right now) I hope he learns some kind of fighting style or something. The way he moves in the OP looked badass!

    1. You have to take in the fact that less than a month ago, Ganta was a normal high school student. It is just impossible to gain fighting ability in non-shounen anime in a short amount of time. And I don’t think the guy with cool move (in OP) is Ganta, their clothes are different.

      Vermillion
      1. I highly doubt the fact that Ganta is as normal as he is made out to be. One thing I learn from this series is to expect the unexpected. There are secrets and lies left and right. The one person you can trust is yourself. I have a sneaking suspicion that Ganta maybe more powerful than he appear.

        Have you ever question the fact that maybe Ganta has that power long before he met the Red Man?

        I believe he did and whatever that red crystal that the Red Man gave to him is a different power all together. I think it is a power enhancer. Remember in the beginning when Ganta first use his power, he destroy an entire building with some kind of weird barrier vine-like power.

        chaos
    2. Everybody knows how to kick and punch. Martial Arts schools only give that more meaning. If he could learn from Senji that’d be awesome. Oh and I know that most of the shirtless screens in the OP are courtesy of Senji.

      “Seems to me that shounen likes making the protagonist the underdog getting beat up until he suddenly powers-up and makes that one critical hit.” -from previous post

      This is a shounen anime. I want better Ganta-fight. D:

      1. Kicks and punches are pretty much useless when all those blood flying around could blow your face in half… It’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight, you know how to use it, but it is useless anyway.

        I will agree that the way Ganta fight is too generic, just shooting a ball of blood out of your hand is pretty meh. Of course Senji could teach him how to use Branch of Sin, that guy is an expert.

        I believe most deadman have their time in the OP, I don’t think the last two (before the end of OP) is Senji (consider we don’t see their face, but we saw Ganta, Shiro, Senji, and Minatsuki), but I just can’t remember who wear that pants 🙁

        Vermillion
      2. Actually, a knife is deadlier than a gun. If we are face to face, my knife will kill you long before you can even point that gun at me. And assume, it is quieter, I can kill multiple enemies afterward.

        Again, he is learning. He can do more now than use firing his gun. He can control it direction and manipulate it to move around. In essence, he has both weapon and unlimited range. If you recall, all branch of sin infected minus the Red Man can only use their blood power if it is connect to the weapon in a way. Thus, limiting their range and power.

        As for all the characters, they are missing 3. The less muscular guy, the kid, and another girl I believe from the OP.

        chaos
      3. You put a lot conditions on the knife vs gun there to give an advantage to knife user, so you pretty much being bias there. (I’m not going to argue about this topic as it will turn into one of those endless katana vs gun fight.)

        This episode didn’t explain it, but Ganta can’t manipulate his blood to curve or go backward, it was a ricochet that get Minatsuki (you can see Ganta try many many times to get the angle right.)

        And branch of sins does not limit to weapon specific, for example (this power won’t be in the anime, but it still in the original manga) Show Spoiler ▼

        Vermillion
    1. I doubt the fact she is “capture”. More like sent back “home”. If you recall, she could have been captured several time already, yet she was not implying that she has a significance place here in DW as well as people in power to let her get away with doing things.

      Despite her cheery childish attitude, she is not a person you want to fuck with…I felt that vibe in the ending scene of episode 5.

      chaos
    1. Yup, my last girlfriend was the same way. Didn’t saw it coming til she hit me. And I thought I was the manipulative, abusive one in the relationship. Sad mistaken…bitches are crazy.

      chaos
    1. with only 12 eps, their best bet if a second season. Continue what you can along the manga, but end with a cliffhanger.

      The other possible route is changing the storyline and ending, which will be shit and make us all hate the series. Unless somebody else pick up the series and follow it like the manga (aka Fullmetal Alchemist).

      chaos
      1. Though I don’t read the manga… yet… I have to agree that an anime only ending will probably be terrible.

        One of the greatest examples is Claymore. I still read and love Claymore and wish I never would have picked up the anime.

        Hopefully this will be different.

        And, I am not one of those people that thinks manga is always better than anime. Some anime that follows the manga faithfully are actually better because you get BGM, color, sound, and movement which manga cannot do. However, when the anime skips or is ‘creative’ with manga material, it rarely works well.

        Ricalloo
    2. I might be the minority here but I thought the first FMA anime was better than Brotherhood. I still very much enjoyed the ride with Brotherhood but it lacks the oomph and emotional impact from the first series
      I have a feeling we’ll be getting an anime original ending with Deadman Wonderland since they didn’t introduced some of the major characters which would be crucial to the plot later on.

      Seishun Otoko
    3. the anime can still end in a proper way while keeping it canon. theres the ending of scar chain which would both work as an actual ending and also as a cliffhanger.

      amado
    4. I really want them to make a cliffhanger. I just can’t see how they can do both Scar Chain arc and Ending Arc within 6 episodes. There is just too much to cover.

      And if they skip the back story of the main characters, I’m going to rage hard…

      Vermillion
      1. That’s why I want a cliffhanger. I don’t want this to end badly.

        also Show Spoiler ▼

        Vermillion
  5. Finaly Ganta shows his “screw you” side. Been waiting for that. And also, the folks complaining about him being a sulky brat, and so on. Don’t you think it’s justified? I mean, think about all the shit he’s been trough. I bet anyone would feel that way after so much crap in your life, in so little time.

    Norwegium
    1. I actually been in a similar state like that. It makes you re-think about your life. Mainly, your priorities. Fears and pains become old. New and different are interesting to you regardless if it is good or bad. The two possible paths are insanity or badass.

      Actually, people who have the fuck-you attitude are really the weakling in the insanity arena. They put on a cover to hide their pains and weaknesses. The old saying goes, “The more you show-off, the less you have.” The most dangerous ones are the quiet ones. They are plotting your defeat without let you know or sense it. The most formidable ones are the one who enjoy it for the hell of it, don’t care about winning/losing just in it for the blood.

      chaos
  6. Prooof… clap clap clap.

    I haven’t seen this style of writing since Omni’s days. I actually like it. You tell what happen in the episode pace by pace as well as your opinion and analysis on each part. If you include something about the preview for next episode, it would complete the picture. Great job. LOL, was this improvement has something to do with Divine’s poll and recent criticisms?

    chaos
    1. I’ve always felt that Prooof’s view on anime has always been very Omni-like. His analysis/impressions are straight to the point with little to no nonsense (e.g. joking around). And yes, I have found them pretty insightful to read (particularly as of late), since he touches on all the key points of an episode and then provides his take on things.

    1. His name is Itadaki Kazuya. They call him Masu because he’s always eating (Get it? Itadaki-Masu). In the manga he had an actual introduction, but I guess they cut him

      Bossun
  7. Uh oh. So Prooof gets the “protective urge” as well, eh? I’m not certain if it is a weakness or a strength. Is it an instinct of learned?

    If this were any other show I might have fallen for the psycho girl’s front. This being a crazy world, though, I felt something was wrong immediately. It looks like Ganta needs to always be on his toes and trust nothing.

    Ricalloo
  8. Ganta is only person in the show with more plot armor than the Red Man…
    And yay for more of the characters past… those photos in the ending are indeed hints about that past of them.
    Seems our resident puppet master/friendly public defender is serial trial killer 😛
    Cant wait for him to get killed, preferrably by some Deadman, but in a pinch getting caught by authorities and sentenced to death by his own candy system would be fun.
    As much as I hate him, I really wonder who is the director past those albino guardians?
    My sister (RL) has ordered a printout of that smiling Raven, she says that muscled stomach of him is sexy…

    ewok40k
  9. Ganta needs to get laid…. at least that will bring his mind off some things…
    But I guess gore and nudity is fine, but a little sexual intercourse is going too far.

    omeganx
  10. Ok so I rewatched the opening for Deadman Wonderland and I noticed something quite interesting. At minute 1:18 there is a person dancing. Initially I thought that it was Crow, but there is a scar on the persons wrist and the pants for Crow are different than those of the figures. Also that person isn’t wearing a collar.

    Spencer

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