OP Sequence

They updated the OP sequence a bit this week. It still has a lot of shots borrowed from the series itself, but they added several nice Bigfoot and character images. Speaking of which, I want to take this opportunity to say that the current ED Futari no Yakusoku is a really addictive song, and I’ve been listening to it more than any other song from this summer season.

Summary:

Having detected the error in the firing of the Moon Cannon, Slash suspects that Dan and company got caught by the defense device on the far side of the moon. Because of this, James decides to form some search parties, and Slash reiterates that they’re pressed for time. The transport meanwhile has landed in the barrens somewhere, and Dan and Sela find Flora and Miyuki looking at a picture they took of the giant on the moon. Flora explains that, in the past, descendants of giants related to the creation of the universe lived on the moon. Earthdash was created by gods, and mankind’s playing of sports with balls stems from the fights of those gods. The legend is of someone with the ability to manipulate the ball of thunderbolts saving Earthdash and the moon, and the trajectory of that ball shows the shape of the creation of the universe. Flora suspects that James was looking for a person with this ability, but this conversation is cut short by the sound of Iceman starting up his Bigfoot outside the crashed transport. When Dan and Sela go to see what’s going on, Iceman explains that this is the place he didn’t want to remember the most. Revealing his mechanical left arm and left leg, he calls them the cost of failing at becoming the man of legend, however he feels that Dan is different and must become the real legend.

With that, Iceman jumps his Bigfoot into the opening in the ground nearby, and Dan decides to go after him in his own Bigfoot. Dan, however, ends up falling down the hole and tumbling all the way until he hits a web that’s cast over an underground city. He’s subsequently captured and imprisoned, and his cell mate welcomes him to Underground. Dan’s stay in the prison cell doesn’t last long though, and he’s soon taken to a bloody arena to fight for his survival. Spotting his Bigfoot on the other side of the arena, Dan ignores all the weapons strewn across the room and does his best to dodge his opponent’s attacks. Right when he gets caught in a bad position and it looks like things are over, he’s saved by a Destroy ball from somewhere in the stands, and Dan proceeds to use this ball as his weapon. He’s able to knock out his opponent, but he resists the calls to kill the guy and instead runs for his Bigfoot. After Dan successfully escapes, a bounty goes out on his head. Flora and Sela meanwhile have started working in a bar to gather information until Miyuki finishes repairing their Bigfoots. In the process of doing so, Miyuki has met another mechanically-inclined girl named Thousand, but when Thousand hears Miyuki’s last name Ayukawa, she immediately kicks Miyuki out.

Back in the prison, Dan’s cell mate who calls himself Price is paid a visit by Yang, and Yang wants him to go after Dan. By now, Dan has fallen his way into another underground cavern, and he faces a giant lizard-like creature. He’s saved when a high-velocity ball knocks out the creature, and his savior is another Bigfoot. Sensing a challenge, Dan declares himself a Basquasher and charges with ball in hand.

Preview

I was a little apprehensive initially about them having Dan’s group end up underground instead of on the moon, but after seeing this episode, I have to say that I still like where the story is going. Iceman got an unexpected amount of character development this week with all those hints about his past, as did Miyuki, and we know more about the legend now, though still not much about the coming threat/crisis that Slash keeps reminding us of. I actually got a very Gurren-Lagann-esque vibe from this episode because of all the mentions of underground and above ground, because I have the feeling that feet are to this series what spirals were to GL, and because the whole creation of the universe thing might widen the scope of the series in a way similar to GL.

In any case, I assume there’s still more to Iceman’s story, and I’m curious to see how Thousand fits into Miyuki’s – or her grandfather’s – past. Price (voiced nicely by Fujiwara Keiji) seems like an interesting new character as well who has a hint of insanity, and I wonder if he’ll end up going up against Dan in an actual fight or in a Basquash game. I bring that up because watching the arena battle this episode reminded me of how little traditional action there is in this series since it consists mostly of Basquash matches. It’s fun when they switch things up every now and then like they did here. For the time being though, it looks like Dan is facing a new Bigfoot opponent in a one-on-one match, and this could be the mysterious shirtless guy from the OP.

18 Comments

  1. I want to take this opportunity to say that the current ED Futari no Yakusoku is a really addictive song, and I’ve been listening to it more than any other song from this summer season.

    —————————

    Yeah same thing for me !

  2. You can tell Omni is getting more into this show because he blogs it more quickly. Anyways, i didn’t ready your description yet because i don’t want to spoil the episode for myself when it is subbed, but I have heard it is a great episode

    Alive
  3. “I have a feeling rouge will forget dan. Great Episode it getting better and better”

    I got a feeling they are going to use Rouge’s operation to kill her off, or remove her from the show. And if they do… I hate them all >_<

    “You can tell Omni is getting more into this show because he blogs it more quickly.”

    Enthusiasm to watching this show, commenting on these posts, or something else?

    Alive
  4. Every man/woman for themselves/family! The typical mass reaction by crowd. Not everyone is biker chick. If she said her brother was lost when one of them asked, would most normal citizens help her enter a building that is about to collapse to help? Hell no. What is missing though is more panic reactions!

    But dude… that blog is boring ZZZ. You need more attractions.

    Fuck Yeah
  5. I just started watching this yesterday and I’m already on episode 14. Gotta say – this has got to be a pretty decent anime because I don’t usually find sports related anime to be that intriguing (personal preference here) but this one’s got me HOOKED.

    I truly can’t wait to see what else unravels for the rest of the series. My only hope is that it won’t disappoint.

    (But other than that, it’s given us some pretty nice music. And I gotta agree ‘Futari no Yakusoku’ is pretty darn addicting. I also find ‘Running On’ and ‘Free’ quite nice as well.)

    Xineohp Erif
  6. Xineohp Erif: It’s funny you call it a sports related anime. Jaalin and I were talking about this the other day, and I noted that I don’t consider Basquash to be a sports series. It’s more mecha, sci-fi, and romance for me, along the vein of a Gundam or Macross series, though not quite as good yet.

  7. Omni – Perhaps that is why I don’t find it difficult to get into. They aren’t exactly shooting each other to death (well not with bullets) like said series (Gundam or Macross).

    But you’ve got focus on characters alongside an unfolding story with basketball being the catalyst.

    (And the fact that it contains those three elements to it – mecha, sci-fi, and romance – is what still has me watching it.)

    Xineohp Erif

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