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「どっちやねん!!／願いがあるなら」 (Docchi Yanen!! / Negai ga aru nara)
“Make your choice!! / If you’re going to make a wish…”
Picking up from where we left off last week, it’s time for an epic battle between Zenkichi and Akune! Who will win? Only the psychic octopus knows the answer to that one! Well, him and those of us who have watched the episode…
The results of the battle should have been no real surprise to anyone – Akune may have been impressively strong, but I doubt Zenkichi could lose while Medaka was making such a cute face. Of course, the odds were stacked in his favour from the start – he only needed a single point to win, whereas Akune needed a whole ten (which he came dangerously close to getting)! I do have to wonder whether Medaka was seriously distraught at the thought of losing Zenkichi from the student council, or if it was an act she put on, knowing how he would react. They seem equally plausible.
Medaka (and Nekomi) came out with quite a few good lines this episode. Perhaps the most interesting of these was her statement that there’s no such thing as a prodigy (kind of hard to stomach when it’s coming from someone so far above the rest of us). Nekomi is also one to favour hard work over talent, though her viewpoint doesn’t deny the existence of those born with natural aptitude, only frowns upon them. In a way, I can see where Medaka is coming from – in reality, people are not necessarily born with talent – those who are considered ‘naturally gifted’ or ‘prodigies’ are in fact people who spend an enormous amount of time dedicated to practice, learning, and experimentation (and enjoy said activities). Even Akune’s judo skills could be chalked up to a large amount of practice. Only Medaka seems to put a lie to the idea that there are no prodigies, though we have no idea how much work she does behind the scenes.
Another of those lines revealed one of her many policies – Medaka will help those in trouble, but she won’t save the weak. In essence, something of a ‘help those who help themselves’ situation. I don’t think ‘weak’ in this sense refers to physical strength or combat skill, but rather to the strength of one’s will. If you want Medaka to help you when you’re in trouble, you should have the will to stand up for yourself rather than cowering or running away from your problems. Losing is acceptable; running away is not. This also ties in neatly with the second half of the episode – Yatsuhiro (Nakao Eri), rather than facing her problem by herself, is running away from the responsibility, hoping that the student council will take care of it on her behalf.
There are quite a few side characters who I’d like to see more of now. Yatsuhiro, the most recently introduced, is definitely on this list. In a way, people’s misinformed impression of her as a violent delinquent (when she’s really just a loveable baka) reminds me of Kodaka from Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. Neither of them intends to give off that aura of danger, but the misconceptions of those around them result in bad reputations. However, Yatsuhiro did create a problem where there was no problem before – she submitted a request for something that, in reality, only she could do. If you get someone else to write a love letter for you, how can you expect your feelings to be conveyed? Of course, it might work, but in a sense, your relationship would be based on a lie. I was almost as disappointed as Medaka when Akune failed to pick up on this in his eagerness to impress. But I can’t really blame him too much after the rejections he was handed in the past. It’s only natural he would want to help someone else who was faced with the same situation in any way he possibly could.
Random thoughts:
- From what I’ve heard, it can definitely be pretty hard for a beginner to avoid breaking judo rules, but something makes me think that considering Zenkichi a beginner at any form of martial arts would be a mistake…
- The flowers have finally extended beyond the student council room! There’s something almost poetic about the way this was stated – the flowers almost representing Medaka’s love being spread across the campus.
- Looks like I may have spoken too soon when I said Akune’s stripping was confined to the dojo. I can definitely see him as a perfect match for Medaka (still rooting for Zenkichi though)!
Full-length images: 05, 06, 07, 10, 15, 23, 25
Preview
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Akune is indeed the *strip* perfect match *strip* for Medaka.
Are all the first years uniforms so cleavage heavy? Or is it something that medaka chooses to do?
Just Medaka and Akune. They both don’t see any shame in flaunting their bodies. Oh, and Akune’s a 2nd year
Medaka’s uniform is the only one in the school that shows cleavage.
Zenkichi x Akune
hahahahahahahahaha
Zenkichi (the Seme) x Akune (the Uke) Fits quite right….Given that someone esle must have thought of it then there is a Doujinshi waiting for me to read XD
Is it me or is any other character more interesting than Medaka.
Especially in the first part. When Medaka started talking, the only thing I could think of was: “Zenkichi and Akune are having their fight now, shut up and watch.”
For THE main character, she’s actually pretty boring. Even Yatsuhiro was instantly more likable than Medaka has been so far.
You caught on quick!
Its kind of disappointing considering she’s the main character. Its my only gripe about this anime so its a good thing it doesn’t revolve around her. Shiranui is one that I think is inherently evil, and I assume the next club member to join (brunnette in the OP with glasses) will be more interesting than Medaka also.
Medaka’s intended to be a Mary Sue, though. She does have her moments when she becomes interesting, but everyone else are just more ah, ‘fun’ (for lack of a better word) than her.
That’s what we get for having a “perfect” character in the first place.
She’s so perfect, it’s boring. *peace*
Couple of thoughts:
Totally saw that “epic comeback” from a mile away. Guys always fall for that move.
I’m pretty sure that Medaka’s summer uniform is against the school rules.
A letter that took 1 week to write, that’s pretty hardcore.
Overall a more impressive episode compared to the previous 3, still feels slightly lacking though.
Even Medaka’s Council Uniform is against the rules. It’s going to be a huge plot point towards the end of the Cour. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, but not in the way you think it is (unless you’ve read the manga ahead). It’s also the point where the Slice of Life undertones of the story get’s hanged upside down.
Episode was okay. I’m really impressed with Namikawa Daisuke. From swag to shota, he can do it. Akune is a good addition to the team.
And I finally saw that Medaka cute face, though the delivery with the voice killed it a bit.
OMG, the preview.
Mogana time? Mogana time.
I want to see more lil romance like on the last scene of the 1st episode
The following was the best moment by far in this whole thing:
http://i.imgur.com/FJxNp.jpg
(note the bee!)
I loved the bee too! XD
Now where is that special cap I had requested? ;o;
I assume you mean this one?
\o/
Sadly at the rate we are going I doubt we’re going to have time to meet Show Spoiler ▼
but at least we’ll get to see Show Spoiler ▼
and her curvacious glory.
So sad; my fingers were crossed for Show Spoiler ▼
Sadly, ANN lists Medaka Box for 12 episodes, so I doubt we’ll even reach Show Spoiler ▼
Too much manservice this episode. Haven’t watched this yet, and I don’t think I’m going to. Gainax turned me off cause of Gurren Lagann, which I still don’t get why y’all like it.
Huh? There was like no fan service. The closest it got was medaka’s summer uniform which you see for all of 20 seconds because the scenes it is in focus more on the other members and not her.
Also, I still think GL is better than this!
This ep was better! But I’m still upset at GAINAX for not continuing to make unique animation, and for switching to lower-budget shonen animation that you can basically find from any other studio. Yeah I said it.
What I’m having a hard time understanding is why you were paying attention to what little manservice there was and not THE ROBOTS which were the biggest plot point of the show.
Um. Gee I don’t know. Maybe because they WER-EN’T MEN-TIONED IN THE ANIME YET??
I’m talking about Gurren Lagann. You know, where the robots WHERE IN THE FIRST FRIGGIN EPISODE?
Oh. Whoops. Somewhere I lost track. My bad.
Not a problem. Although, I’d be pretty surprised if I saw robots in this series.
If you haven´t watched the episode, don´t throw out statements without actually knowing what happened. Manservice? There’s a guy who serves as comedic relief (like Gray from Fairy Tail) who is exhibitionistic. And that’s all. Also, I noticed how you don’t know about the word ‘opinions’. The word that lets you like different things than I do, or whoever on this website.
Get used to the gradual sidelining of fanservice as secondary detail. The Fan service would become very intertwined with other more serious stuff down the road, as per the manga.
And Medaka does remain boring, until the story starts deconstructing and question just what kind of person would be a Mary Sue like? What will be the seeming flaws, the drawbacks, the weaknesses of the seemingly perfect? What are the motivations, ethics and morals of such a being? All this and more the manga explores in great detail, though the anime probably wouldn’t get there unless via a Second Cour.
Nisio also showed us how to beat a Mary Sue.
Show Spoiler ▼
This is more like it! Not boring at all. Great lines, character moments, story points every five seconds, and saved screengrabs!
*reaction to Yatsuhiro wanting to write a letter* “Quite the misunderstood tomboy. I’ll keep watching.”
*reaction to Yatsuhiro wanting to write a LOOOOVE letter* “*GASP!* EEEEEEE!”
Okay. There’s no way Shiranui is human.
Oh, you’ve barely scratched the surface. If you’ve read the manga, you would conclude there’s no way that about half or more of the cast are truly, 100% true blue humans.
Well at first you just think that that’s the type of humor for this show and you just shrug it off after a while. Then it becomes some kind of wham moment when you realize all those details are justified.
And no, I am not reading the manga. 😉
Well, him and those of us who have watched the episode…
And, you know, those who have read the manga.
Speaking of which, Show Spoiler ▼
Show Spoiler ▼