Random Curiosity

「時のスパイラル」 (Toki no Supairaru)
“Spiral of Time”

The effects of the Infinity Clock are dangerous, but so hilarious! I found myself laughing at everyone changing appearance like that. I don’t know if I’m laughing so much because I’m super tired or because the comedy really is funny, but it was amusing. A roasted turkey suddenly revived made me chuckle and I’m sure I woke someone up with my laughter throughout the episode.

I don’t think Lapointe’s true identity came as a surprise to everyone. Knowing that he has been using Zentopia for his own evil plan which involves Oración Seis gave away a lot, and of course, the most obvious hint – his face. I still didn’t want to call him “Brain” until it was confirmed, but with Natsu recognizing Lapointe’s smell as Master Zero’s, we can now rest assured. Lapointe is Brain! And that revelation didn’t seem to surprise Natsu so much as he has considered Zentopia to be his enemy for a while, excluding some people, but to Byro, this means a lot.

It was nice to see Byro finally realizing that he was blindly following orders of someone who has been hurting Zentopia. I wish he’d done it a lot faster. He seems wiser than his team mates, yet they changed sides earlier than him. We had Coco and Hughes helping Natsu today against Gatman. I’m a bit worried about Hughes because Gatman can use his magic without being in control of his body. I hope someone comes to her aid soon unless she can win.

The battles are speeding up and it really feels like we’re reaching the end. Now that most of the Zentopia members are on FAIRY TAIL’s side, the remaining villains are Oración Seis. Good thing they’re so few now that Mira took out Racer. I loved her victory speech about looking forward rather than just running away. This episode reminded me of how amazing she is and I hope to see her fight more often in future episodes.

The remaining FAIRY TAIL members are now storming Zentopia’s headquarters. Why does Ichiya always get some kind of heroic end in the serious battles? I don’t know if this was supposed to be comedic or serious. Even though the background music was epic, I found myself laughing at his sacrifice. I wasn’t mocking the show; I just thought it was funny. I guess we won’t see him again in the remaining battles.

Speaking of the remaining members of FAIRY TAIL (by that, I mean the ones who are on their way to the main battle), I didn’t expect to see the grown up version of Wendy again so soon! Or a grown up Gajeel! It’s been a long time since I laughed so much at a single joke in FAIRY TAIL. Oh, how I love this anime. The aging didn’t last long but it sure was hilarious.

I’m not sure if Gildarts’ punch was enough to knock Lapointe out, but he is up against five people so I’m sure they will take him out somehow. We still have Brain II, Angel, and Cobra left. Kinana is looking for Cobra and I’m really excited to see their reunion. Hopefully it’ll be a blast!

Oh, and I almost forgot, Imitatia is still there but she doesn’t seem like a threat anymore. After all, she just wants her beloved Lucy for herself – how romantic! We’ll see how things go next week when the battle against Lapointe continues.

Moete kitazou!

Full-length shots: 4, 6, 12, 16, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33

 

Preview

With how many limbs Xanxus is losing, I’m surprised he’s still breathing. It’s looking less likely that this battle is an elaborate illusion, which… does not give me much hope, frankly. This one-sided loss is meant to drive home the fact Jager is nearly unbeatable, and the latest chapter completely succeeded in hammering the figurative last nail into the coffin – now I firmly believe that without divine intervention of some kind (or some really strong plot armor) the good guys are pretty much dead. I imagine Verde, and maybe Mukuro and Dino, will be able to hold Jager off until Tsuna arrives, but they probably won’t escape without some heavy damages.

One thing did get me thinking though; if Bermuda were to be separated from Jager, what would happen? The defeated Vindice’s words were very specific, and there’s obviously something bigger at play. Perhaps with that knowledge, Tsuna can finally turn the tide on this battle because by my count, Xanxus only has one limb left to lose.

I still find it odd that Mukuro and Dino are left unscratched – whether or not this is just a plot hole or something that was intended is still not that clear, but Amano obviously hasn’t forgot about them since they are making appearances in the chapters, however brief they may be. Whatever the case, I’m content watching the brains of the Vongola take a crack at fighting Jager for now.

Note: Just a reminder that my posts will be a little irregular for the next two weeks due to moving. Sorry about that!

「ドント・ルック・ダウン/Third Engine」 (Donto Rukku Daun)
“Don’t Look Down”

That’s all of Team Goldilocks present and accounted for, then.

It was an interesting call for Astral Ocean to go with a character-driven episode with a very narrow focus this close to the end. Perhaps it shouldn’t be, given that those were the signals the series was sending with episode 17 – that the big questions had been laid out, and the pieces were being moved into place for the final push. Still, after the grand scope of the last five or six eps it was interesting to see the narrative focus almost entirely on the three Pied Piper Pilots, with a solid side of Gazelle and global politics – no Secrets or Scub, or Truth – really, a return to much earlier in the series in many ways.

Since in many ways this show has been from the beginning largely about Ao trying to find someone to trust, it probably is fitting that this was a major theme of the episode. I think it’s probably fair to say that Ao has pretty much ruled adults out as trustworthy options, with the exception of his Mom and possibly Ivica. That leaves us returning back to the generational divide, a commonality with the original E7. Ao may have “defected” to the allied forces, but it’s not as though he did it because he has any special trust or affection for them – he did it because the people he cares most about are Pied Piper, and he figured that since he was committed to using the quartz gun for what he sees as selfish reasons, he’d be more of a burden to them than anything. Better to be a burden to people he doesn’t care about than people he does.

This is a pretty universal dilemma – an orphan boy feeling as if he has no place in the world, and that he carries misfortune with him wherever he goes. With that said, though, I think Ao certainly hoped all along at some level that Elena and Fleur would come after him. If he can’t trust adults, he might at least be able to trust them – if not his own age, they’re not adults either and just as important, they’re being used and exploited (note the article Pippo is reading on his tablet, an exposé of child labor abuse at Generation Bleu) almost as much as he is. Late in the episode Blanc makes reference to a comment Ivica had made, that it wasn’t they that were blowing the pipe and leading the way, but the children – an interesting statement in many ways, but especially now that the generational divide that’s always been an undercurrent in AO is coming to the surface.

As Ao is being courted by his new “friend”, Tanaka – with big bowls of candy and sweet drinks, the symbolism could hardly be more broad if Tanaka actually had a van – Elena and Fleur are dishing out screencaps and giving us their most intense interaction of the entire series. I’m not sure we really learn anything more about just who (or what) Elena is – she says openly that she killed Miller and took over her life, but I suspect we knew that – but I think we do learn that her desire for friendship with Fleur and Ao is genuine. She continues to cast herself as an outsider (probably accurately) and use her otaku humor as a shield. Fleur continues to tread too carefully in personal matters, not realizing that Elena is practically begging her to violate her space for once and call her out for the bullshit games she plays to isolate herself (“Otaku knowledge is a circle-jerk” indeed), and refusing to acknowledge her feelings for Ao (who may be too young for her, but not outrageously so).

Elena, in her usual flip manner, jokes about “the power of love” being what finally gets the third engine in Fleur’s IFO (and her own) to engage, but she’s actually almost certainly spot-on. What she feels for Ao is probably closer to fraternal love (and perhaps literally so) but it’s love nonetheless, and that unites the two girls in purpose. Presented with a choice when they confront him on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (where Maggie Kwan is apparently a fighter pilot in this no-Goldilocks timeline), Ao is forced to admit the truth – in the end, he wants to be with them, quartz gun or no. Col. Tanaka does earn a few points here, as he certainly could have gone ahead and shot Ao rather than let GenBleu have him back – but there was probably as much strategy as compassion in that decision, as he doesn’t know enough about the quartz weapon he covets to risk killing Ao when he might be the only one capable of using it. Even in enemy hands, if Ao is alive he can always be recaptured later, and the quartz gun along with him.

As always, we’re left wondering not just who’s in the right, but who actually believes they are – and who’s simply acting out of naked self-interest. It’s now clear than Christophe is the big picture man, while Stanley represents the money people – Big Blue World is his priority, not GenBleu – and that Rebecka is going to be forced to choose between them, probably soon. And Elena and Fleur’s actions may have been driven by love, but they’ve effectively isolated GenBleu from the rest of the world – the US is demanding that the UN label them as terrorists, and as Gazelle says, “everyone is our enemy now”. We know what Ao wants – his Mom back – but everyone from Christophe to Ivica to Team Gazelle is going to have to make a declaration of purpose soon, as the time for straddling the fence is coming to an end.

There’s a troubling note to add regarding the broadcast of AO, and it’s this: with the Olympic delay, there now isn’t enough time to air all 24 episodes of AO before Zetsuen no Tempest takes over the slot in October. Episode 22 is currently listed as the final regularly scheduled airing. What does this mean for the final two episodes? At this point we just don’t know. MBX could air double-episodes of AO for the last two weeks – but that presumes BONES will have them ready, and there’s no sign of a double-broadcast yet. We could end up having to wait for a delayed broadcast, or have them exclusively streamed online – they might even end up as BD-only episodes. I’ll keep you posted as information becomes available, but for now all we can do is wait and hope the delay isn’t a long one.

 

Preview

I feel like I can understand Keima’s frustration with the whole situation – to be perfectly honest, I find repeating loops in video games to be tedious so I can only imagine how hard it would be to repeat a day in real time over and over while retaining the memories of it. You’d always be a little on edge, wishing for time to pass as quickly as possible to get to the part you have to do exactly right… a bit like the run up to a musical recital or an exam – one screw-up and it’s all over! We can see just how frustrated he is when he lies to Dokurou to try and convince her not to attempt suicide anymore, telling her that if she dies he’ll die too, something that could potentially work given that she was horrified at the thought she might have killed him in the previous chapter. Alas, that did not seem to be enough and in a last act of desperation (I don’t blame him for not wanting to repeat the loop again, especially now that he’s realised he’s running with a limited number of retries), Keima chooses to go for the kiss.

Seems like that might have been the fastest conquest in Keima’s run! Or perhaps it was only the beginning of the conquest; perhaps the kiss was merely enough to shock her back to full awareness so that Keima could proclaim his devotion to saving her. Whatever it was that stopped the regression, at least we’re now going to be moving onwards with the story and hopefully we might be getting some answers next chapter!

tl;dr: @MoombaDS – Was that the fastest conquest ever? Does this make Dokurou a shotacon? I’m not even sure! #TWGOK

My feelings are all over the place after reading this chapter.

This chapter was, wow, I can’t even describe it because my thoughts are everywhere. Many things happened; the story development was more important than anything today, in fact, a bit too important as there is more information to take in now than ever.

We have Yukino contributing to the Eclipse project, Charle’s vision, the graveyard, Jellal’s encounter with that unknown woman, but the most shocking of all – Levy’s letter.

The plot twists are everywhere, and personally, I think it would’ve been better if the revelations wouldn’t be packed in one chapter. It’s too much for one chapter; I think there should be more focus on Jellal at this point because it’s been slightly annoying to see him following this woman in every chapter without any further result. I’d much rather his stealth adventure have some more structure. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll have my way with this next week as we’re probably going to see more from the dragon graveyard Gajeel found.

The graveyard was exciting to see. It’s nice to know that Gajeel wasn’t pushed away from the battle just for the sake of comedy – he actually found something relevant to the story. I’m very interested in how this graveyard will affect the Dragon Slayers. From the prophecy speech we saw during Ichiya’s fight, I was really excited to see the dragons being involved in the story again, so I was really happy to see more dragon related things today. Maybe this graveyard is related to the dragons’ disappearance?

Something else that was quite exciting was the fact that Yukino is part of the Eclipse project. And wow, Arcadios wants to save the world? I thought Eclipse was going to be the end of it, and I was so sure that’s what Charle’s vision was telling us… Unless, Arcadios is lying? Maybe he just used his powers and authority to convince Yukino to join his evil plan? I hope Yukino won’t get hurt from this, because I really like her, and I want to see her join FAIRY TAIL.

From one girl to another, I don’t have much to say about Jellal’s encounter. I’m trying to figure out who the girl is but I have no clue. I’m guessing she is from the Tower of Heaven, but I’m probably wrong.

Alright, moving on to the main thing of this chapter which really surprised me – Levy! I am really worried now. She mentioned the last battle. Did Sabertooth cause the pain? What worries me more than anything are all the deaths she mentioned. I can’t help but think that Gajeel is one of those who died. The letter scene began right after Levy asked for Gajeel. Also, she said someone very dear to her died. I really hope it’s not Gajeel. Heck, I don’t want anyone in FAIRY TAIL to die. This manga is a shounen, but a very comedic one. I don’t expect its battles to be very dark and grim, and I’m too attached to its characters. I would be so sad to see a FAIRY TAIL member die. My brother thinks some of the dead guys could be the Shadow Gear people (Jet & Droy), Levy’s own team mates.

And what about Lucy? I assume she’s alive because the letter is addressed to her, but where is she when Levy needs help? Did something happen to Lucy? Maybe this letter isn’t meant for “her”; maybe it’s just a simple call for help using Lucy’s name who is one of Levy’s closest friends? My feelings are really everywhere and I just hope no harm will befall the kind souls of FAIRY TAIL. It’s frustrating to read all the current stuff while knowing that this dark devastating future awaits everyone. Well, I guess all we can do for now is to wait and see. Looking forward to next week when we’ll see more of the graveyard (hopefully)!

Moete kitazou!

「エスナート芸術音楽祭」 (Esunato Geijutsu Ongaku Sai)
“Esnart Art and Music Festival”

I’ve been seeing various complains from the season one aficionados that this season of Dog Days has been veering off far too much into the service-pandering side, so I’m thinking that this episode, which focuses more on character introspections (code for love talk) and the “human” side of the show should be right up your alley.

Taking up nearly a third of the episode, the talk between Millhi and Becky might’ve been edging on the needlessly long side, but it thankfully never overstays its welcome. It was endearing to see the two character conversing with such an earnest honesty about their relationships with Cinque, and their true feeling shown to be heart-warmingly innocent when they agreed on not wanting the status quo to change for now. We see confirmation of the characters having these feeling both through talk and action before, but even up till now everyone is surprisingly amiable about it, which hasn’t ceased to surprise me, especially coming from a show where the protagonist has a web of relationships this extensive. Even when bare feelings are laid out, there is never anything inherently bad or negative in Dog Days‘s world, and I suppose this childlike purity of the characters and of the show itself is one of the things that makes the characters this likable in spite of their trope personalities.

The plot with the jewel stealing cat god in this episode never gets as balls-out loco as some of the stuff we got from the previous episodes, but it did serve to give us some really eye opening scenes. Uh huh, you people who’ve seen the episode should know what I’m already talking about. No, I’m not talking about Becky somehow getting the single best weapon I’ve yet to see in the show, an honest to god beam rifle, though yes, it does look hella cool. I’m talking about the other one. Yes, that one. Alright folks, pack your bags. Cinque’s (lips) virginity has finally been taken. Show’s over, nothing else to see here, go home. I’m surprised they didn’t make a bigger deal out of it, though I can’t say I would’ve particularly liked it had Eclair gone all stereotypically tsundere and punched the crap out of Cinque either. It was also pretty surprising to see that bishie Cinque wasn’t a one-off thing, and we’ll probably see him and Gaul in the mode a fair number of times before the series is up. I guess for some of you out there, score!

Of course, it wouldn’t be the titular music festival episode if Millhi didn’t give us one performance. If you care to remember, there was a similar performance back in the first season as well, commentating the end of the war, but the quality of that particular performance wasn’t what I’d call all that great. Thankfully, Seven Arcs seemed to have stepped up their game this time, and while it didn’t quite have the pomp and flair I would’ve liked (I think AKB0048 had more of an influence on my taste than I’d care to admit) it at least had some really decent animation going along with the J-pop fare.

I do wonder if they’re ever going to go anywhere with the demon hunting party though. Thus far, every time it seemed like the show was building up to something, such as with this episode’s cat god or last episode’s sealing case, it turns out being a part of a self-contained plot that gets resolved within the episode. I’m not really bothered by this; in fact, I’m liking this the episodic approach to Dog Days’, and I honestly feel that it serves the show’s light fantasy nature much better than the singular story. But with another war likely to be starting between the three countries next episode, it probably means we’ll see them less than ever, and I wonder if they’ll ever serve any significant role in the show’s final few episodes.

Full-length images: 08, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 36.

End Card

「そして誰もいなくなった」 (Soshite Dare mo Inakunatta)
“And Then There Were None”

I admit that I’m personally not enjoying Kokoro Connect as much as I initially did during its first arc. The first 5 episodes were fresh and different and I liked the speed of the character development. Although the second half does show a very different side to the characters, I can’t help but think that they’re approaching the situation a little too realistic for a TV show. It’s slow and not as “interesting” as I was hoping Heartseed would make it. Nevertheless though, the anime is still very solid and given the huge following it has, I’m sure that it’s building up for something epic and a good resolution for our cast.

If there’s one aspect that this episode displayed well, it’s how each character was experiencing a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. And each of them handled it differently. Yui by locking herself up at home, Himeko by isolating herself and Iori by trying to return things to normal. If it was me, I would probably side with Iori by pretending like nothing is wrong to bring normalcy back to the group. However, I know that a lot of individuals don’t think this way and that’s what makes the show so unique as well. Amongst the 5 main characters, there’s someone, somehow, someway that people can relate to.

The focus on this episode was mainly on Taichi and his classmates (which include Himeko and Iori). I thought what was more interesting than simply his day-to-day life though, was how everyone (not just his club members) noticed that something was up. His class president, his family and even his teacher added their two cents in order to help him resolve his issues. In fact, Maiko went as far as to set everyone up by placing them in the same group… oh she’s sneaky. And speaking of Maiko, she is quite wise for someone her age. I’m not sure what her story is, but it’s always easier to get perspective from a third person. When she suggested that Taichi make a decision on what is more important to him, you wouldn’t think that the decision would be that simple – but it is!

Now that the buildup is over, it’s all up to Taichi to finally make a move! I was half expecting him to run after Iori on the way to Yui’s house, but I guess that’ll have to wait until next week. As boring or slow as it seems, I actually appreciate the individual character developments and screen time that they dedicate to each person. My only complaint would be to know when to stop and how much is enough. Luckily, next week seems to be the tip of the iceberg to our finale. Heartseed is back and confronting Himeko alone. I knew she was going to be pivotal to this arc but I still have no predictions as to why.

Full-length images: 28, 35.

 

Preview

「営業ペンギン／ペンギンさんのピクニック」 (Eigyō Pengin/Pengin-san no Pikunikku)
“Sales Penguin/Mr. Penguin’s Picnic”

Penguin fans who watched this week’s episode had a field day! Along with being unique in making fun of the similarities between different penguin types, the episode (at least for the first part) continued to be lightly informative on the species of penguins. It’s hard not to be sympathetic to the other penguins (and especially Penguin-san himself) when people lack the ability to tell between their own kind. It’s kind of like when people can’t tell the difference between people of a certain region, even though it’s an easy task for most(?) natives themselves.

That wasn’t the only subtle social commentary that was in this episode though. The show made a quick jab at how selling ‘voting’ cards along with merchandise doesn’t actually make sense, perhaps as a response to the various idol groups and their managers who pull off these sorts of stunts. Also, although this may be a bit of a stretch, but the show may have also poked fun at how Valentine’s Day came to be popular in Japan: effective marketing of a chocolate company that chocolate = Valentine’s Day. However, when applied to a different context, it seems that even Sasako-san isn’t nice enough to take them up on a pack of Penguin cards.

But the most interesting part of this episode was Penguin-san going on a seven (or is it eight?) person date. If this setting was placed in a fanservice-type anime where the characters were human and moe, this wouldn’t seem (as much) as a ridiculous gimmick. Thanks to the animal setting, it’s easier to see how ridiculous an actual harem would be. It may be seven (or eight, too lazy) people who look exactly alike, but the fact that all of them are willing to date Penguin-san at once is…ridiculous and also hilarious. The fact that they put up with him still is amazing, but it adds a comedic element that you just can’t easily replicate outside of this anime!

Like I’ve said before: I enjoy this anime the most when Panda-san isn’t at the center of attention, as well as when it takes advantage of its unique humor it has to offer. There may be only 4 episodes to go, so let’s see what this continually improving anime has to offer us next!

 

Preview

「少納言と行成 清少納言」 (Shounagon to Yukinari Sei Shounagon)
“Shounagon and Yukinari Sei Shounagon”

Even though the living conditions of the past are simplified and primitive by today’s standards, love has never seemed so complicated. Social status dictates the likelihood of a match, whether or not genuine feelings are involved. Politics also weave its way here and there, standing in the way of what should be “love”, much like in the case of Nagiko and Yukinari (Terashima Takuma). Although the episode ends on an upbeat note their situation is much too complicated for a completely happy ending; putting aside how guarded Nagiko is, there is also the issue of their positions in the palace, and the fact she has a reputation to uphold as Sei Shounagon, attendant to imperial bride Teishi (Orikasa Fumiko). It’s rather bittersweet to see her place her forlorn mistress’s well-being above her own, but it’s also quite impressive of her to take her duty so seriously that she is willing to forsake pursuing her heart’s desire. At the same time however, given the events of last episode, her actions are understandable; having been left behind once, how can she give away her heart so easily?

Yukinari, however, is persistent yet pliable enough in his advances that he might be able to convince Nagiko to accept his romantic gestures further down the line (but I think historically, she ends up with another Fujiwara, so maybe he’s friendzoned for life). Despite his dour and dry nature, he is actually quite sentimental at heart, valuing the intricacies of real friendships over the fleeting acquaintances that pepper the royal court. Perhaps this is because he can afford to be choosy with the people he keeps company with, but whatever the case, Yukinari approaches everything with a high degree of sincerity and seriousness that comes across as unfriendliness and even condescension in the eyes of those who aren’t used to acting with honest intentions. There is something highly endearing about the way he conducts himself despite being so dry of humor and overly blunt – it is precisely his candor that distinguishes himself from the other men at court however, giving him a firm grasp on his identity that most of them don’t have. There is nothing hidden in his intentions and his words have that much more value because each of them are spoken with purpose and sincerity; his conduct is highly reflective of his “quality over quantity” philosophy.

One last thing I’ll comment on is the friendship between Teishi and Nagiko – relationship between women, platonic or not, have not been showcased in Uta Koi so far. Their camaraderie is both organic and sweet, and I do hope they portray more of it since it’s a rich world to explore. Teishi especially seems like quite the tragic character, her life dictated by the moving political forces. Her brief scene with Nagiko was quite touching and spoke volumes about the bond they shared not just as imperial bride and attendant, but as true friends.

Hyakunin Isshu #62 by Sei Shounagon

The rooster’s crowing
In the middle of the night
Deceived the hearers;
But at Osaka’s gateway
The guards are never fooled.

The biggest metaphor of the poem is most definitely the gates of Osaka. As an extremely well-guarded gate, not even a brilliant strategy once used by a cunning general can trick them into opening it. It works well in describing a person’s heart or mind – the same principles can be applied. If the gates of Osaka were referencing the matters of love, for example, the rooster’s crowing can be seen as a deceitful suitor, or a fickle courtier who is unwilling to wait, seeking to “streamline” the emotional process by trickery. The comparison is also in line with the theme of politics, the guards representing a shrewd servant of the court perhaps, who isn’t won over so easily by empty words and the never-ending dance of power plays and cunning schemes.

Whatever the original purpose of the poem is, it contains a concise and flexible metaphor that can be applied to many different situations to provide an elegant yet snappy criticism of the deceit people so often use to get their way.

Full-length images: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35.

Important Note: I apologize for the delay – I’m moving currently, so things have been hectic. Next (possibly two) weeks will be delayed as well, but I’ll try my best to stay on top of things!

 

Preview

「Domination; 支配」 (Shihai)

Oh Accel World. In all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m happy with the current development or disappointed. Let’s discuss this episode by breaking it down a little…

First of all… Noumi is probably the one villain that pisses me off to no boundaries. I swear – I complain and bitch and whine about his taunting and continuous behavior (not to mention his overpowered abilities) in almost every episode. He continues to make me wish that his head will be mutilated and eaten by pigs. That is quite… a grotesque image (much like his face). Anyway! The quick fight between Takumu and Noumi led to no more of a resolution than I anticipated for. However, the more exciting fight came between Noumi and Chrome Disaster (Haruyuki). He reminded me of a red version of Berserker from Fate/Zero (a character completely driven by rage without any rational thinking). That didn’t seem to last long though because the timer ran out and Haruyuki was thrown back into reality.

Which brings me to my next point… what is up with Chiyuri’s attitude? From one day to the next, it seems like she did a complete 180 and changed sides. I understand that she wants to “save” her friends or prevent further harm from them, but I’m a little annoyed that her acting is almost too convincing. Her reason for saving Noumi better be a damn good excuse. There aren’t too many more ways that Noumi can threaten her (from my understanding) so he must know something about her that Takumu and Haruyuki don’t. Doubtful, but still possible. On the topic of Chiyuri, I still have yet to realize the reason for her abilities within Accel World. If they stem from your desires and dreams – what else could Chiyuri hope for?

I have a dozen and more comments about Haruyuki’s pig scene as well. It was horrifying; it was crazy and is it wrong that I found it a little hilarious? When he appeared as a giant-flaming-ears-flared-nostrils-pig, the first time I thought was – is this a joke? Then when the dream continued, I thought… wow, this is kind of morbid (I’m talking about her missing wings). Conclusion is, I’m not really sure why Chrome Disaster changes Haruyuki’s avatar into a massive fat flaming pig – but I guess it really maximizes his darkest thoughts or nightmares. I thought it was an interesting scene to show that Chrome Disaster is indeed coming back and it makes me wonder whether it will actually help Haruyuki get rid of Noumi.

Overall, I think the whole episode was a mixed bag of feelings and thoughts. I feel like they’re combining too many elements of the story into this arc (and that’s what makes it feel so long). I’m not going to bash on it too hard (yet?) since the ending might still pull it off very well. If that’s the case though, a second season might not be likely. Thankfully help is on the way… in the form of a cute pigtailed girl named Yuniko.

Full-length images: 03, 05, 08, 16, 22, 28, 32.

 

Preview

「高所の決定者」 (Kousho no Ketteisha)
“The Decision Maker on High”

Explanations:

What is P.A.O.M.?

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Why are Toshiie’s feet all wavy?

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Why does Toshiie, who belongs to P.A. ODA, keep referring to M.H.R.R.?

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Who is Macchan?

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The Thirty Years’ War.

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Why wasn’t P.A. ODA given an Armament of Deadly Sins?

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Why is P.A. ODA going to fight Musashi in the Battle of Sekigahara?

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Why did Masazumi withdraw the trade alliance proposal and offer to fight for England?

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Why does Masazumi ask Elizabeth to cancel her contract with Toshiie?

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Why does Musashi want to fight for England against the Spanish Armada?

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Why does Musashi becoming England’s navy instantly resolve all issues between them?

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Why did Toshiie’s ghosts leave blue flames in the form of a Nikyou Crest when he left?

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What is Avalon?

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Why are their echoes of the past in Avalon?

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Changelings.

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What does England think the apocalypse will consist of?

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Why does Mishina Hiro call Naomasa “Sempai?”

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Impressions

Let’s start with the rest of those negotiations. This episode they basically broke down into two sides – the Tres España side, and the P.A. ODA / M.H.R.R. side. Let’s tackle each in turn…is what I would say, but I really don’t have a lot to say about the latter that wasn’t gone over in the explanation section above, so I’ll just tack that onto the end. Here we go!

Tres España vs Musashi (& a bit of P.A. ODA / M.H.R.R.)

As soon as Velasquez confronted Musashi about Mary’s execution vis-à-vis Horizon’s attempted execution from Season 1 – saying that if Musashi thought it wasn’t right to execute Horizon for the purposes of History Reenactment, why was it okay for Mary to die for the same reason now? – I realized that he had a point. Not a great one, though. There’s an obvious, albeit cold, response to his point – Mary isn’t on Musashi’s side. What England does to its own people is none of the Musashi’s concern, while what Tres España does to one of Musashi’s citizens is very much their concern. This is geopolitics here, people – idealistic concepts of right and wrong have no place in the world of realpolitik.

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The Queen and Avalon

I go over the apocalypse stuff in the explanation section, so let me focus on something that’s far more interesting to me at the moment – Elizabeth and Mary’s relationship. This episode made it clear that, as twins, there was clearly one hell of a connection between the two of them. If I had to guess by the way Elizabeth was talking – and I do, oh I so very much do – Elizabeth doesn’t want to see Mary die. She is the Queen, so she is constrained by her station and the history she must help reenact, but that doesn’t mean she wants to see her sister die. I think that’s why Elizabeth is willing to use Musashi as her navy even though they openly spoke of possibly saving Mary right in front of her. Elizabeth won’t admit it of course, but I have a feeling that that would be just fine with her.

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Tenzou (& a bit of Toori)

I enjoyed how Toori openly tried to pull Excalibur Caliburn, and then assured Mary that one of his nakama would do the job. He’s an idiot – a naked idiot…why is he naked again?? – but he’s also perceptive and smart, and knows when to give a little nudge. There, and pointing out Tenzou’s scar…he’s a good friend.

But of course, everything comes back around to Tenzou. Honestly, I thought it would take a little more prodding for him to jump on the swiftly developing man-up-and-save-Mary bandwagon, so finding out that he was already planning his attack was an excellent surprise. But mostly it was the symbolism of the scar on his back that made me smile. I had thought that Mary completely healed it, but she left a little of the scar, and that says something huge. To me, it says she’s a lot like Horizon was back in Season 1. She might not want to admit it – for the love of her country and the love of her sister, in Mary’s case, rather than the logic that Horizon leaned upon – but Mary really doesn’t want to die. That was both a token to leave with the man she was coming to love, but also a call for help. Answer her call, Tenzou!

Looking forward

And it looks like he shall. On the last day of the festival, Tenzou will make an announcement, and if I were a betting man – and I’m not when we’re talking about cards, but very much am when we’re talking about everything else – I would say we would see that daring rescue Tenzou is cooking up shortly thereafter. Can’t wait!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – A freaky 4-way debate ends w/ a Seijun win, Toori thrusts at a sword, & Tenzou finds his resolve. It makes sense in context! #Kyoukaisen

Random thoughts:

• I love their flustered chibi chat avatars. Seriously, where can I get one of those?
• Maeda Toshiie’s (Toyonaga Toshiyuki) “Israfel” ability is the latest in a long line of seriously overpowered abilities. Seriously, an undying ghost army? Screw the Armaments of Deadly Sins, give me that one!
• Yeah, that tension they had going on? Gone as soon as Toori rolled in. Which is probably good, because that situation was getting really bad, really fast.
• Someone commented about Horizon’s hammerspace malfunction last episode, saying that it had been cut. I’m glad they kept it in, because that was hilarious! Hatton’s jaw dropping + Asama’s excuse were great! Poor Asama ^^
• Get the hint, Masazumi. Elizabeth isn’t all that fond of you :P
• An exact quote of what I said during a particular part of this episode: “Why is Toori rubbing up against a sword naked?! Tooooorii!!” And then I laughed a lot!
• Ten bucks says Mishina Hiro (Toyoguchi Megumi) ends up being evil, or at least nuts. I mean, that’s clearly a mad scientist coat she’s got on there! Naturally, I could not be more excited at this possibility.
• I still really like Yoshinao. He’s funny to be sure, but I love how he smoothly covers up him having discovered Tenzou’s plan to attack the Tower of London by saying that it’s plans for a date…and then offers some advice on how to make sure the attack succeeds. He really is looking out for his people, every single time. Wonderful. Good luck, Tenzou! You’ve got friends in high places.

Full-length images: 32.

 

Preview

Episode 08:

「信奈上洛」 (Nobuna Jouraku)
“Nobuna Advances on the Capital”

Up until now, Nobuna’s problems have been fairly controlled without much of any real threat. History has kept itself in course, letting Saru use his historical knoweldge as leverage. However, now that Nobuna has begun her ‘Tenka Fubu‘ stage, beginning with Gifu, those who are knowledgeable about the Sengoku era will see how warped history has become. Even Saru himself acknoweldges his weakened position thanks to disparities with the current world. Although I will expand on the differences more in-depth in the historical notes section (which will be the most extensive thus far when complete), there are some key issues that I shall address here.

First off: the Miyoshi Three never existed (as an alliance) and only serves to spice up the story. The historical opponents to the Oda’s path to Kyoto were the Rokkaku (who were quickly defeated) and the Miyoshi and Matsunaga clans, who had overthrown the Ashikaga Shogunate and placed a figurehead, two year old Ashikaga Yoshihide, as shogun. The Asakura were not in a position during the time to interfere with Kyoto politics, as shown by their refusal and inability to help out the true successor to the Shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki requested the Oda to help him retake his rightful spot as Shogun (which contrasts to the Oda of this timeline who use Imagawa as their figurehead). Of course, Nobunaga used this as his excuse to march onto Kyoto. Thus, the suggestion of Mitsuhide to make Imagawa the Shogun is also a plot point made for the sake of drama.

Secondly, Empress Himiko doesn’t exist either, nor did the historical emperor have any influence to help the Oda at this point. It would not be until the Oda retook Kyoto would a benenficial relationship occur between the Oda and the Emperor. Saru recognizes this anomaly in the timestream, hence he does not know that the convenient loli character is actually emperor. However, the role that Himiko will play in this timeline, even during episode 8, is still to be seen. Although I feel that she will become a convenient solution to subduing the resistance in Kyoto, I have hopes that her story and involvement become more complex than expected.

The same hopes could be applied to the many, MANY other characters introduced in this episode. If you look at their historical context, most of these characters actually supported Nobunaga instead of antagonizing him (prime example being Hisahide). This twist of allies becoming enemies surely will knock Saru off-balance, but how off-balance is yet to be seen. Danjyou looks to be the most unpredictable of the bunch, which is supported both by her character and her historical basis (for those of you who have played Fall of the Samurai as the Tsu, you should recognize the mon easily). The probability that she could potentially switch sides is high, but the motives that’ll lead that betrayal–that’s what I want to see. An exception to this curiosity though would probably be the return of Yoshitatsu…whose ability to hide his identity (or the inability of anyone recognizing him) is…amazing? It’s a bit silly that Katsuie is unable to recognize Yoshitatsu, given that his facial structure is so…recognizable.

In conclusion, the episode was jam-packed with development, setting up much potential for interesting conflicts. However, it seems not all the setup is complete, as seen in the next episode…

Due to the immense research this episode calls for, historical notes will be added later. I will be sure to include the notes both here and in episode 9 when completed.

Full-length images: 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 31, 32, 34, 35.

 

Preview

End Card

 

Episode 08:

「黄金の自由都市・堺」 (Ougon no Jiyuu Toshi Sakai)
“Golden Free City, Sakai”

Initially, this episode comes off as a filler. The takoyaki stands and the actions of the various merchants this episode have little historical basis other than the existence of their characters. The acceptance of the shogun through payment of koku to the court also has little basis in history. However, although Mitsuhide’s jealousy is developing in a manner that may be consistent with history. Mitsuhide didn’t actually compete via takoyaki (or visit Sakai at this time), but the historical basis of Mitsuhide’s character, a development many Sengoku fans are interested in seeing how her character will pan out. Her jealousy with Saru has been growing at a steady rate since her introduction, but now this ultimate disappointment with Nobuna may tip the scales in her mind. I won’t spoil anything for those unacquainted with the era, but the next few episodes are going to be some of the most fascinating and exciting episodes thus far. I would say more, and I WANT to say more, but for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I leave the discussion for the comments (with spoiler tags of course). What do you think Mitsuhide’s role in the next few episodes will be? Is Honnou-ji coming early, or is this something entirely different? The answer is so exciting to me…I can’t wait till Sunday to post!

There is one side note I would like to address though. When Soukyuu Imai heard of Saru’s position as a time traveler, his eyes were raised in a potential foreshadowing. Do you guys think that this is a foreshadow of Imai taking Saru’s side and accepting the takoyaki agreement, or is there something else we have yet to see? It could be a possible overanalysis, but it was a scene that stood out to me upon rewatching.

This section will not have extensive Historical Notes due to the lack of any actual historical events that occurred here. However, Soukyuu Imai, Soukyuu Tsuda, and the Egoushuu’s equivalent did exist during this time. Both actually gained the favor of Nobuna rather than antagonize or negotiate with him. It was through their knowledge of the tea ceremony that brought them to the lord’s good side.

Full-length images: 1, 3, 7, 11, 12, 17, 24, 25.

 

Preview

episode 07

「風よ、雨よ、狼よ」 (Kaze yo , Ame yo , Okami yo)
“Wind, Rain, Wolf”

Why Campione!, oh why? You actually had me going on for one episode there, yet here you’ve again shattered my illusions of expecting some kind of complexity from your characters. Okay, I’ll admit that the opening throw down between Erica and Liliana was quite possibly the best thing you have presented up till now, showcasing your flair for some incredible fight choreography and action, even though I still have misgivings about Liliana’s wonky looking flight magic. Truly, you deserve a pat on your back for keeping the action sequences this entertaining. But what the heck was up with the resolution to the fight? Yes, blackmailing Liliana was expected from manipulative Erica, and yes, it was a touch hilarious to see her completely destroy Liliana through this psychological attack, but did you really have to go on a stretch to make Liliana’s character as shallow as this? First off, she’s not even working for Voban on her own volition, but is instead being forced by her grandfather to do so, whose own reason for having done so is to have her compete with Erica. It almost sounds something you’d be more likely to find from some two-bit romantic comedy. (Oh wait.) Secondly, of all the things to pull out for blackmail, you’ll go with a self-penned wish-fulfillment romance novel from the chaste blue knight, just to pull an extremely arbitrary slapstick moment? And then you tell me Liliana actually fell for it? I don’t know about the folks out there, but this resolution just feels so detrimental to Liliana’s characterization to me, making her out to be a cheap person without any will or depth to her character.

The ensuing fight with Voban here is…well, I won’t go as far as to call it bad, but it never rises to be quite as impressive as the opening clash between the two girls. What we see mostly comprise of the two campiones engaging in some authorities one-upsmanship, and depending on how much you folks like you see two men throwing powers at each other while never engaging in direct combat, your enjoyment could range from “meh” to “it’s alright”. There are a couple of impressive scenes sprinkled about, such as both times Godou summons and manipulates a flurry of swords to destroy Voban’s authorities. But there are also a couple that are more miss than hit, such as with the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP trade of thundaga fisticuffs. There is honestly nothing in the show quite as cheesy as watching Godou gather the rainbow-colored auras of his companions to build his attack up. (Yes, not even Voban’s werewolf form.)

What I did like about the fight was the re-emphasis on the conditions of Godou’s powers, played to nice effect in the episode. It started simply with the pain from using the Bird of Prey authority far too much, (why did this not happen back in episode 2? Plot hole!) and also makes up for a large part of Godou’s fight with Voban. Since his golden sword requires knowledge of the god Voban’s authorities come from, he can’t do jack when they are in the dark about the identity of the god. It is an idea similar to one in Fate/Stay Night franchise, where the knowledge of a servant’s identity can compromise the usability of their noble phantasms. A scenario similar to the one this episode, where Godou and his team tries to piece together the clues to identify the god, would make the mythological drivel far more justifiable and enjoyable, and we do get to see a bit of the potential behind this idea. Unfortunately, it’s still just an idea; Erica’s intricate knowledge and Mariya’s clairvoyance along with kissy magick means that the show largely jumps the mystery and guesswork stage, and immediately identifies the god for us without much preamble, or otherwise make the exposition pointless since the identity of the god is already made know, such as with the Athena fight.

As I had last predicted, the fight ends in an unsurprising draw, bringing Voban’s arc to a close. I’d say that it turned out much better than Athena’s arc, with a much better realized antagonist in Voban and some really impressive clashes, typically with Erica at the forefront. (Why is it that the girl actually fights more than the guy?) It also does a much better job at setting some world facts straight with regards to the campiones and their abilities. Next up, if we’re following the girl route progression, we’re probably gonna be seeing much more of Liliana, which I had been looking forward to since the start of the series.

Additional Notes:

• Mythology time! Wondering why a sun god like Apollo would manifest as a wolves authority? One of Apollo’s epithet is [Lyceus], a word which is derived from [Lukê], “giver of light”, representing his most recognized aspect as a god of light/sun, but the epithet could also be derived from [Lukos], “the wolf-slayer”, or alternatively [Leto], the mother of Apollo and patron goddess of Lycia, who was identified with wolves. In regions where Apollo was worshipped with this name, there are traditions involving the wolves as well. Hence Voban’s ability to absorb the Godou’s sun-element horse (light) and turn into a werewolf.

Full-length images: 08, 16, 17, 21.

episode 08

「英雄推参」 (Eiyu Suisan)
“A Hero Arrives”

In the overly grandiose words of narrator Fumihiko Tachiki, “Umi da, Mizugi da, Onsen da, ONSEN DAAAAAA!”. How can anyone not like this guy? Seriously though, I wonder if it’s still appropriate to call this a beach and hot springs episode when the scenes in question lasted no more than a third of the episode. Scenes that weren’t terribly interesting to watch either. Fanservice is typically fine, but I like a dressing of plot to go with it, which Campione! does nothing about. Instead, what we get here is all your standard romantic comedy fluff; Erica being Erica, Mariya getting all hot, angry and bothered, and Godou pulling off his best gynophobic-protagonist impression, all while side characters Lucrezia and Arianna join in on the fanservice train. What you see is what you get, though it did get a good laugh out of me when Godou’s secret escape to Italy was foiled on both counts, first with Mariya tagging along, and then with him finding Erica waiting at the very place he escaped to. Where ever Godou goes, you can be sure that the estrogen brigade follows suit!

Thankfully, the fanservice material is kept to a minimal, and we get to the meat of the plot fairly quickly this time around, instead of having to spend an entire episode plodding around again like with episode 5. Campione! wastes no time jumping into the thick of things; we’re thrust into a situation that has Liliana searching for Doni, who is supposed to be appraising a divine instrument. The guy’s not one for subtlety or patience though, because he promptly cuts the thing in half, and next thing you know out pops a dragon. Just like many had suspected, Athena also makes her reappearance this episode, dragging Godou along to scope things out for as of yet unclear purposes.

It’s all setting up for a showdown between Godou and greek god Perseus with blessing from the loli goddess. Some of you might remember the name from movie Clash/Wrath of the Titans, the estranged son of Zeus who heroically defeated Medusa and the Kraken. While portrayed as a heratic god in Campione!, Perseus is a mortal demigod in the original mythologies, so I’m wondering this is another one of Campione!’s connected myths where Perseus’s true identity ends up being another god altogether. Having Athena play a significant role next to Perseus in this arc is proving to be really intriguing as well, as she was the god who guided him to kill Medusa in the original mythos. Since she’s both Athena and Medusa in Campione!’s world, it makes for an unusual relationship between the two gods, made further complicated by the fact that Perseus is also the “Dragon-Slayer”, enemies with yet another mythological creature associated with Athena in Campione!’s story. The setup we see shows deft use of both Campione!’s own established mythos and the originals lores, weaving them smartly together to put an interesting spin on the stories. I just hope it plays out better than the last few times, because Campione! has shown itself to be pretty weak when it comes to the execution of its ideas. I also can’t say I’m all that positive about Campione!‘s depiction of Perseus, illustrated here as a blond bishousen so fabulous I swear it could have negated all fanservice from the show’s first few minutes.

The star of this arc is of course the latest girl in line to be conquered by Godou’s kingly ways, Liliana. I’m not gonna hold out hopes on this one though, not after the complete bastardization of her character last episode. Still, she makes for a more entertaining haremette to watch compared to Mariya since she actually partakes in the action. And yep, why is it always endearing to see tsunderes act flustered? (Bonus points since it’s Kitamura Eri as well!)

Full-length images: 03, 05, 06, 09, 11, 19, 30, 31.

This will be the last in what has been a string of very unintended double posts for the series. If you’ve been sticking around the whole time, thanks for always coming back! I really appreciate it! Now that the bulk of my personal project has been over and done with, my schedule should return to normal and you’ll see the posts out in much better time.

End Card

Wow, this chapter was, how should I describe it? – A let down, maybe? I don’t think the chapter itself was disappointing; it’s just that I was looking forward to Zaraki’s battle, so this definitely failed to satisfy me. I’m not sad because Zaraki lost or anything; I didn’t have any special expectations concerning the battle’s result, but I’m very sad that we weren’t given a chance to see Zaraki fight. I don’t think he ended up like this simply from the single attack we saw a few chapters ago. He must’ve struggled, and I would’ve loved to read more about that.

Aside from the disappointment, it was nice to see the captain commander encouraging everyone (not the villains) on the battlefield with his presence and participation on the field. It’s fascinating how something simple as one’s presence can be so significant. With some of the morale restored in Soul Society, I expect to see some Vandenreich members having some disadvantages during their fights. Also, I’m assuming that this new “strength” will give Unohana’s squad some time to heal the fallen members – true to the Bleach style!

Now that the captain commander is up against the Vandenreich leader, Juha Bach (I’m not sure if this name is correct), I hope we’ll get an impressive battle in the upcoming chapter(s). Both men are strong leaders who are on par so hopefully, it won’t be as one-sided as the previous battles have been. I’m just wondering how Ichigo will make his entry in this… Also, Ishida should be involved in this arc; we’ve had too many chapters without him, so I think it’s time for him to show his face! Anyway, next week we’re probably up for a death match – looking forward to that!

This week, we finally get to—Ah whatever, Tobi is Obito. I know most of you guys weren’t looking for this development, so I’ll give you a few moments to take the reveal in, rage a bit, maybe defenstrate something. Catch ya guys back below when you’re done…

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Anyway, so yeah, turns out Tobi is Obito Uchiha after all. We’re not given any real explanation as to how he ended up here at this point at time, but I would say it’s safe to assume that it’s most likely a result of him awakening to the Rinnegan and somehow avoiding the bulk of the damage from the rocks… or something. At this point I don’t think I should bother speculating though, as whatever theory I come up with most likely has been talked to death and “shot down” for one reason or another, so I’ll wait till we get some semblance of explanation. Hopefully it’ll come next issue, but I do see a scenario where we all get trolled and the explanation gets pushed to much later… heh.

Regardless, as much dislike as there is surrounding this reveal, I have to point back to my reasons why I was suspicious of it being any one else: the fact that there was very little chance Kishimoto would suddenly use a character that hasn’t gotten more than like a panel or two of limelight and the fact they have no significant impact/relation with anyone here at this point in time. Though I will admit I did question the possibility of it being Obito at some point. But anyway, the main reason I bought this up was because it demonstrates how Kishimoto basically put himself into a real bind with this scenario. For one, he clearly spent too long on trying to hold back who Tobi was. Yes it’s a typical tactic used to generate excitement, but there comes a point where your viewers just don’t give a darn and want a reveal, and you never want to hit that point. He did. Combined with the fact he pretty much gave obvious hints and then didn’t surprise with the reveal, as well as the fact he didn’t give enough backstory to the other possibilities pondered here to use them as a possible Tobi, and really, Kishimoto backed himself into a corner he couldn’t get out of, especially not without some semblance of rage inducement. Sure, it could’ve been Izuna or Kagami, but he’d be hard pressed to bring them out of the blue and give a viable explanation due to the aforementioned. So either way, didn’t look good.

And well, here’s the result: a chapter everyone will be talking about for ages and not for good reason. Hopefully though, by the time Naruto concludes, we’ll look back at this chapter and just laugh. Because I know that after sticking with Naruto for so long, there’s no way I’m leaving now, no matter what happens. And hopefully you’ll join me for the rest of the ride, despite what happened today, because at least this reveal isn’t nearly as trolling as many of the other actual trolling done by certain—whoops, going off topic there. But hey, you get the drift. I’ll catch ya guys next week, but if comments and views suddenly tumble, I’ll understand.