First Impressions / Mirai Nikki

「マナーモード」 (Manā Mōdo)
“Vibrate Mode”

I can think of very few fictional characters that exemplify the old adage “double-edged sword” better than Yuno Gasai. Or if you prefer, “Can’t live with ‘em – can’t live without ‘em”. In this case those old sayings are quite a bit more literal than normal – but then, there’s nothing normal about our Yuno.

This was an interesting episode for a number of reasons, some of them structural. The eyecatch was oddly placed very late in the ep, and the omake was quite a bit longer than normal. That was all in service of an episode that devoted itself almost entirely to a single manga chapter, and in fact embellished it with some new material. This isn’t the work of a director worried about pacing, so I won’t worry either for the moment – I quite enjoy the slice-of-life (again, that can possibly be taken quite a bit more literally than normal) chapters in Mirai Nikki, and though opinions about this arc are quite mixed, it was one of my favorites so I’m glad to see it given enough space to play out.

Meet Yukiteru-Mama Amano Rea (Mizuhara Kaoru) whose wacky parenting style fits right in with the over-the-top nature of Future Diary. To call her a permissive mother is an understatement – a software designer, she’s rarely home and when she finds Yuno hiding in Yukiteru’s closet, she acts more like his pimp than his mother. Having your Mom meet your girlfriend is a tough moment for any teenaged boy, but when your girlfriend is also your crazed stalker and your Mom has a library of nude photographs of your childhood, things quickly degenerate into Amano Yukiteru’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. We’ve seen this kind of comedic torture many times, but it’s artfully done here – I laughed when I read it in the manga and if anything, the anime plays up Yukkii’s discomfort even more.

Of course you could have ended the episode with “Good thing Yukkii’s mother is so nice – I won’t need my tools” and that would have been all good for me, but that day in the Amano house was full of golden Yuno moments. It all starts with the look on her face when she breaks the window to force her way inside – you really get a sense for just how outside anything resembling normal human thoughts and emotions she is – and builds from there. But there is other important stuff happening here, most specifically the introduction of Houjou Reisuke (Sanada Asami) a four (or five) year-old boy whose parents were co-workers of Rea, and died in the Sacred Eye cult apocalypse. Yukiteru’s Mom has agreed to take the boy in for a few days and he arrives, puppets in hand, and displays a talent for drawing and an immediate interest in Yuno…

My small bit of advice for new viewers is that you always have to watch and listen with Mirai Nikki, even in the seemingly slice-of-life moments. You’ll look back when this is all over and be surprised at how little wasted effort there was with this show, and mangaka Esuno Sakae doesn’t cheat very often (ironic for a show with a character named Deus ex Machina). Speaking of him, that was an interesting conversation he had with Murumuru there. And maybe the most interesting part wasn’t what it might seem at first glance. And it’s never a bad idea to keep an eye on Ninth…

I look back after six episodes and I’m just astonished at how much has happened, and that even with two slow-paced episodes mixed in things don’t seem rushed. The art of good chapter placement is vital to what makes this series work, and the credit has to go mostly to Esuno-sensei there, but Asread too for not messing it up – and knowing when to step off the gas and let it all sink in. Mirai Nikki is masterful at mixing up its pace, as well as making sure that the horrific events unfolding are leavened with enough dark humor and satire so that the whole enterprise never falls victim to despair. Some stories find their success in getting the audience to become so engrossed in the realism that they forget that it’s a story. In this case I think it’s just the opposite – it’s vital that you’re always aware that this is a grand, ridiculous farce and not real-life. To do that and still make the characters genuine enough that you’re invested in them is one of Mirai Nikki’s best achievements.

 

Omake

105 Comments

  1. Dirty baby butts and personal time at the john.. The Director is definitely not worried about the pacing. I’m glad I didn’t start watching this because I can’t see how you people wait a whole 7 days for the next episode. Glad to see it’s still getting the thumbs up from the Enzo. 😀

    Shirt
    Reply

    1. Not necessarily. Yuno calls it her “Yuukki Diary” but it’s actually the Stalker Diary. Even in the event of Yukiteru’s death, the Diary will still function — and her obsession will only continue, but focus elsewhere. Perhaps on whoever killed Yukiteru, or a new stalkee. 🙂

      Zammael
      Reply

  6. yukiteru is getting on my nerves. why would he treat a girl like this, like a douchebag. yuno is a crazy bitch, so what? bang her already, your mom already give you the go signal and a bed to lay in :))

    ryuuzaki
    Reply

    1. Yes, I thought he had turned the corner there in Episode 05. I guess Yuno’s Yandere antics caused him to slip back into wuss-ville.

      Hell, if that was me, I would be exploring the limits of Yuno’s Yandere-dom. 😀

      Zammael
      Reply

    2. While Yuno’s body is tempting, you have to asking yourself, is it worth the price?

      One misstep and you will be dead. That is a deal-breaker. So banging Yuno might be the last thing Yuki will end up doing…for many reasons.

      Doesn’t matter. According to Yuno, they will have sex on the 28th of July. About 3 months from now. At least, we know Yuki wouldn’t die a virgin…

      chaos
      Reply

  8. Heh, the kid tried to stab Yuno. Looks like she’s suspicious of everyone except Yuki. Catching her unawares requires more effort. Loved the way she just taped up the glass so she could make a hole in it like some secret agent. The kid’s going to get axed since it looks like Yuno’s already in the know

    Zaku Fan
    Reply

    1. That kid left no time and went straight for Yuno…

      He did the exact opposite of what other characters tried and failed. Like 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 4th. And 12th somewhat. They all went after 1st…well first.

      This kid despite being a kid is not stupid. Playing innocent while quickly eliminating his obstacles. While his age and past are questionable, his motives are not. I don’t see things ending well for him.

      chaos
      Reply

    2. Of course the kid is smart. I don’t know about you, but pulling off an act like that is extremely hard and takes the right words and actions. He’s a good actor that’s for sure. He should be on TV 😉

      Pride
      Reply

    2. “Do what you want, but I wouldn`t let anyone, not even you, to take away from my happy ending”

      This is by far not a compliment. It is a death threat, but Yuki is too stupid to realized it. In translation, Yuno is saying I will killed you before I let you killed my love. I vividly imagine Yuno chaining Yuki in her basement and hand-feeding him foods until he is an old man when she said that…

      chaos
      Reply

  10. Dunno if anyone noticed the music for the dinner between the three. If you watched Backuman, that same music track, albeit a bit different high range tones, has been used throughout the Bakuman series.

    Yuki has probably the funniest, coolest, mom ever. And when Yuno was thinking “should I use my tools?” I was like…. NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I can’t wait for this little twerp to get his picture book destroyed.

    Snuckerpooks
    Reply

    1. I highly doubt Yuki’s mom is that simple…

      For all we know, she might be another diary owner. Maybe she knew everything that Yuno was going to do and went against it. At any point in time, if she would have done one thing wrong, Yuno would have mercilessly murdered her…

      -Accept her as Yuki’s GF
      -Like her cooking
      -Show her pictures of her fav person
      -Told Yuno she can have sex with her son
      -She didn’t ask anything about Yuno’s background
      -Let Yuno sleep with Yuki

      That is all of coincidences, and we all know there is no such thing as coincidence in Mirai Nikki. Something is up about the mom.

      chaos
      Reply

      1. Nah, Yukiteru’s mom is just oblivious like that. She’s that type of stereotypical mother that gets placed in the harem anime, encouraging her son to go out with the girl that’s trying to get close to him. She loves her son to bits. And think of it from her perspective: her son totally shuts out the world around him, and here he has a cute girlfriend who cooks, cleans, and is actively interested in her son? Of course she’d give her consent to Yuno. Though to be honest, I’m not sure if she was joking or not about “sleeping” with him. Yuno certainly seemed to think she wasn’t. Though she approved their future marriage for sure lol.

        Unfortunately for Yuki’s mom, she is just too normal for this setting. And that might have a few consequences for her down the road.

        MiraNai
        Reply

  12. Ahh, this arc. Starts slow but builds up to an exciting climax nicely. I’m pretty sure they’ll finish it by the next episode, and then we can get into the next arc with a certain detective.

    I’m another one of those people who was caught off-guard with just how dark Yukiteru’s mom’s hair is lol. It’s not a bad thing though; she’s quite pretty. But now it looks like he resembles his mom more than his dad, when it was the opposite in the manga. I’m okay with this though.

    MiraNai
    Reply

  14. I have a little question that I don’t know if someone already asked.. Is there a mistake on the ending sequence?
    I read the manga before the anime was announced and stopped reading the around the next episode. So, from the get-go, I already know who 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 12th are. If you follow the numbering in the ending sequence, 9th is the 10th to appear while the others are in the correct order. Am I wrong or am I missing something? :\

    MrRei
    Reply

  16. I watch the ending for this episode and notice something at the end…

    I will put it in a spoiler tag in case it came true, but from the ending scenes, all the characters are listed in order from 1st to 12th…

    Show Spoiler ▼

    chaos
    Reply

    1. Oh, you noticed. Yes, after the 12th, there is an important character in the middle of what appears to be Deus’s Akashic Records. That character will be introduced in the next arc.

      He is in the shadows because, well, all of the characters are in the shadows except Yukiteru, Yuno, MuruMuru, and Deus. But this character has significant importance and becomes another “main character”. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling a small twist in the next arc.

      MiraNai
      Reply

  17. Oh, another omake…

    From the current pattern, an omake means death. And this one include both Yuki and Yuki’s mom. The last time I saw this was with 6th in ep #4. It foreshadows her later death.

    https://randomc.net/image/Mirai%20Nikki/Mirai%20Nikki%20-%2006%20-%20Large%20Omake%2003.jpg

    With this, I know somebody will die in the next episode. Since Yuki is the main character, I highly doubt it will be him. So it come down to his MOTHER! I hope they are not gonna killed her off after just introducing her this episode. She looks like a cool mother…it would be such as waste, but it is the perfect tool to push Yuki over the edge. So I don’t know…

    chaos
    Reply

  20. Well, it’s all fun and games until someone dies, then things just get hilarious…
    Yuno and Yukki-Mom are such a golden comedic pair… Considering her (lack of) parenthood, I am surprised Yukki didn’t land further into deranged zone.
    For all her creepy craziness, there is something, that makes me wanna hug her… And it gets to Yukki slowly too.
    Also, I am afraid that even that “Happy end” of Yuno’s diary might not be such a good ending she is imagining – given the ways show toys with us…
    Ah, and Uryuu Minene saying that revenge is pointless was quite unexpected. But she probably is saying from experience about children outliving parents… She also gets Eyepatch Of Power TM
    And the BIG revelation is that the God of T/S continuum is about to decay and needs replacements ASAP. Did I say that Murumuru is so cute? (…and deadly when cooking…)

    ewok40k
    Reply

  21. I honestly thought that this was the weakest episode so far. Then again, I consider that the Fifth’s arc to be the worst in the manga. There’s so many juicy plot bits, and Asread had to waste time with the mother? Couldn’t they have skipped that, instead of doing a literal manga-to-anime translation? The mother-son hijinks could have been reduced to a tenth of what was in this episode. I really hope that Fifth’s arc doesn’t go beyond episode 7. I really can’t wait for the next arc, because Show Spoiler ▼

    Other than that, I like the way they are incorporating Ninth into the story more than the manga did. She’s my favorite Mirai Nikki character. And I’m highly confident that a lot more people will like her by the end of the show.

    Butterbean
    Reply

  22. In case any one curious about other diary owner (except 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th, and 12th) and their diary, here’s a little hint:

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Terrorhunt
    Reply

  23. Damn, Yuki’s mom looks so hot. Now that I think about it, are all the main anime character’s moms so HOT and SEXY.

    Anyway, on the interesting side is that they are showing things we don’t see in the manga, which pleases me. I do hope that they will be more YukiXYuno scenes like this in later episodes.

    L002
    Reply

    1. It’s a bit of a shame though that, in anime or manga, that the main character won’t do something as extreme as fall in love with their own mother. I seen manga that the bro falls in love with his sister. But never any manga that has the main character that falls in love with the mother.

      L002
      Reply

      3. well while there is hentai that has that, the boy liking the mom is one of the very least and horrible things that can happen. parental incest is something too far.
        not to mention as a protagonist!? how the hell would anyone be able to like that. can you sympathize or like him for his action?

        amado
        Reply

  24. I agree that not a minute is wasted in this show. It’s been really well made so far in my opinion, and even in the light-hearted moments when we can laugh at Yuki’s misfortune, we’re constantly reminded that he really does have a psycho stalker hounding him.

    Trakand
    Reply

  25. Enzo, as your writing progress, my instinct somehow know without a doubt that you and Divine have read the manga and your usage of the double entendre and puns are becoming obvious…

    So as the old saying goes, “Who watches the watchmen?”

    In short, who will spoiler tag you? For anybody else who doesn’t know what I am talking about, just read over Enzo post this episode and assume everything he said has a double meaning.

    O_o

    chaos
    Reply

    1. Enzo has read the manga. That was never intended to be a secret. Whether purposely or not, I get the feeling that he does tend to lead readers in the right direction though.

      I haven’t read the manga, nor do I intend to when the anime is airing.

      Divine
      Reply

    2. I stated very clearly in my first post that I’d read the manga, and probably several times since – rather than make a secret of it, I think I’ve broadcast it pretty damn loudly. And I don’t include any spoilers – in fact, I’ve been adding spoiler tags to comments on a regular basis. I wouldn’t put anything in a blog post that requires a spoiler tag, because I assume every spoiler tag since the invention of the internet has been opened far more often than it’s been ignored.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

  26. Great episode. It actually elevated my opinion of the show quite a bit. Its not unheard of for intense/murderous genre anime to have a sense of humor, but there were a lot of big laughs in this one. I did not expect that.

    Also, I think I’ve hit the replay button on the OP in excess of 200 times now. I love the music in this show.

    Super S
    Reply

  27. Definitely another good episode. After last episode, idk why Yuki is still hesitant about Yuno (it helps to know that he doesn’t know his mom almost got murdered), I assumed he turned the corner last episode.

    ybaby
    Reply

  28. WHO THE HELL IS GIVING EVERYBODY COMMENTS A THUMP DOWN?!

    I know some comments are just there for the sake of being there while others are good, but I just scan through all the comments above and constantly did somebody thump down on everything. I sense a whiner in the group. If everything anybody is going to say will get a thump down, then why even bother letting us comment?!

    Just for your whining, I will thump up everybody else to balance it out. In your face, whiner!

    chaos
    Reply

      2. That is a little extreme, Moon…

        Just stick to old fashion kick-ass. Unless you are just looking for an excuse to rape girls, let innocent bystanders be.

        In that case, you would start with prostitutes. Technically speaking, it is not rape. It is theft of goods. How do I know that? I learn it from the Craigslist rapist. GTA helps, too. Plus I am sure their regular customers is a whole lot uglier than you, so maybe she will enjoy it. (maybe that was a little too much information… O_o)

        chaos
        Reply

  29. I never thought that the anime would hit this arc so fast, this episode gave us enough room to breath until the epic continues again. The bar Mirai Nikki and Fate/Zero has set is just insurmountable now…

    T.K.
    Reply

  30. I feel a little sorry for Yuno, she sees in Rea every she doesn´t have even when her parenting skills are a odd but considering everyone in this series is insane in some way, it´s safe to safe she pass as normal. This was a really good adaptation of one of the funniest chapters of the manga and makes a great work in showing how empty Yukkii´s life is; his family is broken and that took quiet a blow in his personality.

    In the other side of things, we get to see how dedicated Yuno is to Yukki. Yes, she´s crazy and yes, she would go as far as torturing her future mother to get her acceptance, but that´s why you got to love her. Her feelings are so pure that fall in complete insanity.

    haseo0408
    Reply

  31. Wow. To be honest, I consider that kid is the smartest opponent Yuno and Yukki have faced. He chose a very straight forward method, and if it weren’t for Yuno’s (seemingly) epic paranoia towards everything except Yuki, the plan might as well have worked!
    It is super creepy to have a 4 or 5 year old kid as a killer though

    KGFJ
    Reply

    1. The rep buttons are to highlight audience liked comments vs. disliked. I would probably ignore the system if there aren’t too many votes, but if you see a green background around a comment, then you know the people of RC like that comment. It’s interesting to see where people stand on things.

      And yes an edit button would be great, but there’s probably a reason for there not being one yet.

      Enzo is the Spoiler Cop

      Pride
      Reply

  33. Maybe in Canada they only have thump up and thump down buttons…

    BUT in the US, we also have the middle finger button option. LOL! I wonder how many of those I will get every time I make a comment or say “rape” on here? 😀

    chaos
    Reply

      1. Don’t go there, bro…

        You assume it is all fun and game because it is straight sex. Ever wonder where she will decide to stick that whip or dildo? I will give you a hint, it won’t be up her ass…

        Your perfect dream just turn into a nightmare! O_o LOL!

        chaos
        Reply

    1. I especially liked how that scene brought me back to the one where Yuki is freaking out because his mother is a picky eater. And there’s just a moment’s pause where Yuno’s waiting for the mother’s reaction to the food and the viewer is waiting for the response too. Little did we know that the results could’ve actually been extremely catastrophic.

      Trakand
      Reply

  35. https://randomc.net/image/Mirai%20Nikki/Mirai%20Nikki%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2026.jpg

    From Yuno’s expression in the shower, she apparently have a bad relationship with her mother. I guess it re-enforce my idea that those where her family members’ bodies.

    I think she is a Cinderella. So is this what would have happen if Cinderella decide to go bat-crazy and murder her evil step-mother and two step-sisters instead of attending that ball with Prince Charming? What do you guys think?

    chaos
    Reply

    1. I know from experience that people who committed sins like murder would come to the realization that they did something wrong soon after; thus, they usually try to hide their crime by burying the bodies or dumping it somewhere else.

      However, people who commit sins on the act of righteousness or out of defense will not hide their trail. They just leave it as it is. Of course, a righteous person would call the cops. However, that is not the case with Yuno. She didn’t hide her crime nor inform anybody about it. She does not appear to try hard to hide it either. That explain why Yuki was able to find the bodies so easily. It is almost like Yuno WANTED Yuki to find the bodies. A sign of a guilty conscience?

      chaos
      Reply

  36. The first half of this episode was boring IMO, but Yuno’s crazy face did give me the chills
    Ughh…so tempted to click the “show spoiler” button on all the comments…but I won’t.
    ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ

    Kukuku
    Reply

  38. HA that beginning part when Yuno and Rea met…the date was 5/12..

    aka my b-day…

    oh man I had a laugh…of course all that shit would be then 🙂

    anywho~ Enzo you are slowly (actually rather quickly) becoming my hero (besides divine and *sob* omni). You reference ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD, DAY!!!!!! That was literally one of my favorite children’s books <3

    YAY ENZO

    Shii
    Reply

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