「Restoration; 修復」 (Shuufuku)

After last week’s lack of Kuroyukihime screen caps, I was going to do 36 caps solely of her. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out very well since there was tons of action and more shots of avatars than anything else this episode. We catch a glimpse of Kuroyukihime at the end though and she’s already out of the hospital. Sorry, no more ponytail shots!

Compared to the last few weeks, I felt like this week was more of a decline on the plot movement and more about wrapping up loose ends. Not to say that it was a slow episode, there was a lot of action going on and I’m glad that Accel World can balance so well between in-depth conversations and action sequences. This is more of a comparison of Kuroyukihime vs. Takumu and Haruyuki & Aqua Current’s battle scenes. If I really wanted to analyze and compare the two, we have a debate on how Takumu handles his internal conflicts (mainly his guilt and how he treats his friends) and Haruyuki’s trust in his companions (both Takumu and Aqua). I always find it hard to believe that the main protagonist has almost no faults; he jumps into a battle with no knowledge of Aqua and has very little doubts. I guess that’s an admirable trait, but it’s neither realistic nor practical. It’s important to trust your partner, but it’s only natural to think otherwise sometimes. If Aqua actually ended up fighting Haruyuki for all his points, I think that would’ve made for a great cliffhanger.

In terms of Takumu though, I can totally relate to how he feels. He feels bad for the way he treated his friends and he tries to make up for it in every way he can. This includes uninstalling Brain Burst and helping Haruyuki level up. I can understand where he’s coming from and that’s why I felt really connected to his character this episode. Although I can also see where Kuroyukihime is coming from, I don’t like how she buds into other people’s matters. I almost feel like this isn’t even a valid argument (being the main heroine and all…), but since when did she care for Takumu’s relationships with his friends? Since she found out that he was good friends with Haruyuki? Or after he agreed to “side” with her? I guess it adds some development between them, but things will be interesting now that he is registered at their school. My “mistake” from last week’s post sounds more like foreshadowing now. The glasses also look good on Takumu!

Finally, we’re introduced a bit more thoroughly to Aqua Current (Ueda Kana) who is better known as “The Bouncer“. I thought her avatar was adorable! The glasses were a cute touch too… what is she supposed to be? A weasel? Very different form her duel avatar. I never knew that one could have the ability to wipe out someone’s memories. That seems to be an overpowered skill as well (much like Haruyuki’s ability to fly), but I’m not surprised anymore since she’s made it this far on her own. Aqua mentions that it’s not her time to meet Haruyuki yet… does that infer that she knows when they’ll meet again? Or is she just trying to hide her real identity awhile longer? I guess we’ll see when she reappears.

I know my posts have been late as of lately. Hopefully this will be the last one (at least for the rest of the season) that will be delayed. To make up for it, maybe I can grab more Kuroyukihime caps next this week!

Full-length images: 05, 09, 14, 16, 27, 28, 32.

 

Preview

55 Comments

  1. >since when did she care for Takumu’s relationships with his friends? Since she found out that he was good friends with Haruyuki? Or after he agreed to “side” with her?

    The question should be if she convinced him to change since she loves Haru very much and cares for the people he holds dearly, or she just sees Takumu (and everyone else?) as a tool to reach her goals. As in a “certain NisioisiN light novel” (quite spoilerish to name it directly).

    1. lime bell won’t show up till vol.3 material, which will be a while, but given the OP, you will see it at some point 🙂

      and I apologize for saying this, but someone pointed out to me that while black lotus has edges all around her body (swords everywhere), only her boob is normal…

      jrj
  2. I got really excited at the end when she said she was going to steal all his points. I was hoping he’d have to fight for his life against someone who just became his friend… >_> I think I may be a bit too cynical…

    1. Silver Crow vs. Aqua Current… fight end in 100 seconds… Show Spoiler ▼

      Silver Crow gets wiped out from Brain Burst world, end of the one of the very rare fatty, short, and non-popular main character in today’s anime environment… yes, THAT would generate a great deal of SHOCK value. (I am sarcastic of course)

      jrj
  3. Sorry, no more ponytail shots!

    Divine, this is all your fault! Cherrie gets busy and you screw up some of the best screencap opps for Kuroyukihime to date. Some “quality over quantity” you got for us last week, huh? :p

    Anyway, I jest.

    Kinny Riddle
  4. The way Aqua Current talked about her past and how it wasn’t time for them to meet yet almost sounded like she was at once time an ally of either Kuroyuki Hime or the other person she defeated when she was exiled.

    I think her avatar was a ferret. I think it is very fitting since she seems to have lots of information and is gathering the real identity of those she helps.

    estron
      1. lol i thought Bouncer was a mole like boota from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann since it was short, there’s way too many critters that look like that, chipmunks and all.

        Breedo
  5. Takumu’s Duel Avatar is the perfect example of his internal comflicts. His Duel Avatar’s colour is Cyan which is mostly Blue, a sign that his Duel Avatar should be heavily leaning towards close combat and direct type attacks. Yet his Enhanced Armament, ‘Pile Driver’ is strickly speaking a ranged weapon under the Red classification. This is a sign of his own contradictions and the two-way guilt he feels.

    Mixed Milkshake
    1. If I recall correctly, it’s explained more clearly in the LN that he chose the long-ranged functions of his piledriver during one of his level-ups to help counteract the innate vulnerability of close-ranged fighters to long-ranged fighters; as such, the range of his piledriver seems to have not been present since the creation of his avatar.

      MikeMan
      1. actually, that is not right… the reason he is blue (short range direct damage type) is obvious, he practice kendo (wood sword fighting)… but remember this, nobody choose how their avatar is formed, the program read player’s trama, then form the avatar according to it… Taku’s long range weapon is no exception: Show Spoiler ▼

        jrj
  6. Aqua Current’s ability:
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Mixed Milkshake
    1. I don’t think they will cover that system too much Show Spoiler ▼

      does anyone know how many episodes this show is supposed to be?

      jrj
      1. MAL lists it as 24 episodes. And given that a certain Duel Avatar is already shown in the OP, we’re sure to go past volume 2. I’m guessing it will end at volume 4.

        belatkuro
      1. You pass me a link?, already try looking at the page but it is difficult, do not know the page. The differences in design between light novels, manga and anime characters and other things I attract much attention, in many cases is great and funny, while others are not good.

        Shadow74
  7. I just thought of something. Aren’t the dual avatars suppose the be based on things you dislike?
    Maybe that’s why only Haru got the ability to fly? Everyone else would love to be able to fly.

    Djalaal
    1. Not really, its more based on the trauma that said user have experienced before, and the resulting feeling that gained from it. On a side note; Yay!! The next arc is going to be awesome!! Show Spoiler ▼

      Hakarum
    2. As stated above, the duel avatars aren’t really based off of things you dislike in the world but more of things you dislike about yourself. Since Haruyuki hates his self-esteem problems and wallowing in self-pity, his duel avatar is designed to lift him from off the ground, so to speak, hence having wings.

      MikeMan
      1. Yeah, that’s what I thought. And that’s my point. Isn’t it ironic? His low self-esteem got him one of the coolest abilities in the accel world… It’s like the brain burst program is meant to balance things out. Raise the weak, put down the proud. Or sth like that…

        Djalaal
    1. so far the only time Aqua Current showed up in the novels is in a short story that was covered by this episode, and no new info on her since then afaik. That said, I’d imagine it’s just another layer of security to make sure her identity stays secret?

      Mike
      1. My guess is that she was a past member of the Black Legion that was disbanded when Kuroyukihime exiled herself. She probably knows Haruyuki/SilverCrow is BlackLotus’ child, so she wants to avoid revealing herself since BlackLotus would know AquaCurrent’s IGN.

      2. @Mike, there have been mention of her in the later volumes, but only mention, nothing solid about her, but essentially her role up to the latest vol. is as much as anime covered.

        @Ptolemaios00, your guess is essentially Show Spoiler ▼

        jrj
  8. given that almost 1/3 of the episode is sort of an anime original (the fight between black lotus and cyan pile never took place in LN), I can’t blame it for being a bit slower… the tag fight is pretty good to be seen animated though 🙂

    as to Aqua Current’s memory leak ability, if you like spoilers, then refers to Mixed Milkshake’s spoiler tag comment above 🙂 very nice summary there

    finally we are diving into vol.2 story next episode, BE AWARE OF THE RED HAIRED LOLI…

    jrj
  9. The “kind of” talk between Taku and his parents

    “Hey dad”
    “What?”
    “I’m leaving that prestigious high school to another one so I can keep close to my friend XD”
    “Ah, is that so? Okay then”
    “Thanks”

    I’m trying to wonder how my father would react after something like this and the answer is simple… He would kill me!

    RoOtZ
    1. haha, you wish it is that simple… the anime simply didn’t have time to show it all… in the LN, it is actually a lot harder for Taku to transfer (since his parents think that Haru is a bad influence on him…)

      but a BL lover might interpret this in a completely different way… I am not even going to go there… 🙂

      jrj
      1. ufufufu I noticed that you said that Taku tranfer schools just to spend more time with Haru. Seeing how Haru really likes him it all make senses why esle would Haru fly above him other then to state who would be the one wearing the pants in this relationship.

        yoyo
  10. So the red head in the op is making an appearance at last. Loving this show so far. I still don’t fully trust our heroine but for now at least she seems genuine.

    Roguespirit
  11. You could say that Kuroyukihime is worried about the effect of Takumu´s self punisment may have in Haruyuki, after all she´s in love with him and doesn´t want to see him hurt again, pkus she said she committed a simmilar mistake in the past so perhaps she doesn´t want to see the story repeated in someone else again.

    haseo0408

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