Random Curiosity

「剣を取って、我が主」 (Ken o Totte, Waga Omo)
“Take This Sword, My Lord”

“They say when you encounter something big, something your experience and knowledge can’t handle, you change.” It’s true, Seinen Shounin, and you aren’t the only one who has changed. Let’s talk about heroes.

Seinen Shounin Joins the Conspiracy

First off, colour me impressed. While I thought that Meido Ane’s acting was actually quite good – for a second I even thought that Koshimizu Ami was doing the voice, instead of Tomatoes – Seinen Shounin saw through her instantly. More interesting though, was the interaction between him and Yuusha. What struck me first was how much Yuusha has changed, in that he was able to recognize how much Seinen Shounin has changed. That kind of perception is almost Maou-like, which is good to see. Yuusha really is coming into his own, and stepping up to her level in ways he once couldn’t – or more probably, didn’t realize he could.

I also enjoyed how Yuusha decided to bring Seinen Shounin into the conspiracy. He’s a good judge of character, though I suppose he always has been – maybe the only reason he has so impressed me here is that he’s finally getting a chance to shine with more than his overpowered combat abilities. I wasn’t sure what he meant by his price for Gate City, though. He wants Seinen Shounin to show him that which cannot be expressed by loss and gain. Peace? Love? Happiness? I’m not sure, though maybe he just wants Seinen Shounin to keep growing. That’s an exciting proposition for me, because for a man who can see the worth of Gate City at a glance to become even more formidable…well, he could be a great ally indeed. A greater one.

Maou, Onna Mahoutsukai, & Meido Chou’s Promise

I wanted a little more from the meeting between Onna Mahoutsukai and Maou, but I guess that wasn’t to be. More interesting were the words that passed between Maou and Meido Chou. It sounds as if dancing with the former demon kings may make Maou lose herself. That Meido Chou would promise to slay her if need be…well, consider my curiosity piqued. More please!

Yuusha’s Knight

Perhaps it is providence that I was reading some of the Medaka Box manga earlier that dealt with a similar theme. It is comforting in a way to devote yourself totally to another, because once you do, you no longer have to doubt. The way ahead is clear, your duty is obvious – do absolutely everything in your power for that person you so admire, and that is it. That said, I’ve never been much of a fan of such plot lines, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about Onna Kishi asking Yuusha to make her his knight. I will say this, though – it was a bit heartrending to know that she did it because she realized she could never beat Maou for Yuusha’s affections. Other than that, LOL to Yuusha for his last line. You think there’s a return policy on a knight’s service? Sorry bud, but once you take her, you take her until death. It’s kind of like…ufufu~

Looking Ahead – The Heroes They Need

Damn the Church and damn their leaders! While they were being painted as pretty good up until now – or at least, Onna Kishi’s branch was – their equivalent of the Pope and his cronies have pulled some political bullshit to try to get rid of someone they see as a threat. With the true Kurenai no Gakushi still away, it falls to the others to figure out what to do.

I was once again struck by how Maou-like Yuusha has become. When everyone else was flustered and didn’t know what to do, he stood up and acted like a true leader. Or really, as a hero. I especially liked how he admonished Toujaku Ou, tell him to not say what they were all thinking, and that he would do it instead. He was right – it would be best if Toujaku Ou never acquires the habit of treating his people like pawns that can be sacrificed to appease foreign powers. Once he starts down that road…well, it’s better for Yuusha to step forward and do what needs to be done instead. After all, that’s what a hero can do.

Speaking of heroes, we have another one in Meido Ane. Though I’m sure she trusts Yuusha to save her, it takes guts to step into the dragon’s jaws. Really, it was a good scene overall. Between her bravery, her little sister’s confusion, the regret from Rou Yumihei and the others, and Yuusha’s heroic resolve – and all tied together with the darkness, the flickering fire, and the hauntingly beautiful music playing in the background – it conveyed the character’s frustrated worry quite well. I look forward to Meido Ane selling her role hard next episode, and hopefully Yuusha’s big damn hero moment (trope!) when he pulls her out of the fire.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Glory be to the show of highly competent characters! Seinen Shounin, Yuusha, Onna Kishi, Meido Ane…too many badasses to list out! #maoyuu

Random thoughts:

• Meido Imouto almost toppling over during the tea scene was adorable. Loved how Seinen Shounin looked like he was going to have a heart attack ! Side note: I really enjoy how Meido Imouto carries a little footstool on her back. Clever girl.
• There was some major QUALITY again this episode. C’mon ARMS, stop skimping on the animation budget! Also, stop skimping on the Karyuu Koujo as well. She’s awesome!
• An ecchi, boob-oggling Yuusha and Seinen Shounin are nice too.

Author’s note: Sorry for the late post. I usually try to do this post before I go out drinkin’, but I planned badly yesterday. Sorry about that! I’ll try to do better next time.

Full-length images: 06, 10, 26.

Preview

「そこに本物のガンヴァレルがいます！」 (Soko ni Honmono Ganvareru ga Imasu!)
“The True Gunvarrel is in there!”

We’ve finally made it to the Tokyo Expo 2020! Aki and Kai (along with the entire crew from Space Candy) make it to Tokyo for GunPro-2′s debut. Unlike the Robo-One tournament (back in episode 3), this is more of an exhibition to showcase what your robot does and what is expected in the future (especially for companies like Exoskeleton). There’s a lot of excitement in the air as people crowd around to see the different robots and the energy is pretty contagious (if anyone’s ever been to like an auto show or anime expo, you can probably relate). Anyway, I take back last week about the cheese in certain scenes. When your robot can genuinely make one little boy happy, I think that’s a sign that your efforts aren’t to waste. I was so touched when Aki turned around to see Kai, Mitchie and Sumio posing with GunPro-2. It’s incredible sweet to see the whole team backing up Aki’s efforts and their willingness to go that far for one girl’s dreams. The robot itself was less than spectacular compared to others, but it still has great “impact” for our group.

Aki and Kai get a little alone time this week in their hotel room. It wasn’t as romantic or embarrassing as I thought it’d be, but still good from a development standpoint. I’m sad to see the rest of the Robotics Club kind of put aside for the time being, but this final stretch is really focused on Misa and Aki. There are still many hints that point to the unveil of Kimijima Kou though – the awakening of Airi is one and the very brief mentioning of the reports being distributed (anyone notice that their hotel does not have a TV?). Overall, I still feel that strong connection between Aki and Kai. They’re good childhood friends and this point is never forgotten by Aki who points out how distant she’s been feeling lately. I do agree that Kai’s been pretty much around the block these days, so these next few episodes should bring him back to Aki.

The relationship between Aki and Misa is another matter though. We caught glimpses of it last week (and probably throughout the entirety of the show) that Aki is really trying to prove that she’s not just “ordinary”. She really wants to make her sister proud but it’s a shame that Misa never sees that. I feel incredibly bad for Aki now because she seems ignorant to the overarching story that’s been going on. So I’m glad that Misa had a change of attitude after talking to Kai; from the final scene, it sounds like Misa was trying hard to sound normal and friendly towards Aki. I wasn’t expecting that – nor was I expecting any of those final two minutes. Sounds to me that Misa has her own agenda up her sleeves. Whether or not Sawada knew that the entire time, is unknown. What is Misa running from and who is she working with? Could it be Kona’s mother? Or perhaps Kimijima Kou really isn’t dead? Who really knows… but this has got to be one of the biggest cliffhangers of this show thus far and I’m dying to see next week’s episode. We’re only 4 episodes from the finale folks!

Full-length images: I think this episode has the most full-length caps from me to date. Yay!

「この世界に私は」 (Kono Sekai ni, Watashi wa)
“In This World, I…”

Although we cannot dismiss the possibility of Kotoura’s mother coming back to cause even greater drama, her presence in this episode was fairly light, with more focus on Kotoura’s ever happy life. In this world, Kotoura appreciates and treasures her happiness with everyone, simply for the fact that she knows what her life was like without them. It might not have been the most explicit message, but the subtle juxtaposition of Kotoura’s past and present has executed itself well. At the beginning of this series, I felt it would be a tragedy if the show decided to lay low on the drama, but seeing Kotoura be happy and around a crazy group of friends and family isn’t so bad an alternative.

I don’t exaggerate when I call them crazy though…it may actually be an understatement. First it was theme parks and personal chefs, but now it’s progressed to striking oil and spontaneous aphrodisiacs! Each episode of Kotoura-san has progressively become more ridiculous, departing from extreme sadness and heartache to extreme shenanigans. Alone these characters are a treat to watch, but the interactions they often share with each other have been the real treat this show. Kotoura may be suffocating at times due to the craziness of her life, but in fact it is that energy that sustains her and continues to melt away the painful emotional scars, as seen by her slow acceptance of her mother and the relationship they share. While it is hard to forgive Kotoura’s mother for still holding a grudge after all of these years, I hope that the show does reveal some sort of reconciliation between them, even if it is a bittersweet farewell.

Aside from the main plot, we got to see more of Mifune’s and Muroto’s shared past together, when Muroto was a boss and Mifune was a target of cruel bullying. Though brief, it explains Mifune’s desire for Muroto’s attention while still conveniently leaving Muroto’s reasons for going cold on Mifune for another day. Although one cannot be too sure about Mifune’s intentions on revealing this information to Kotoura, Mifune’s revelations through these purposeful flashbacks should help pave justification for any non-altruistic acts Mifune should attempt in the future. That shouldn’t be too hard though, for Muroto, though apparently uncaring, will most likely come to knock sense into her if the time should come.

Meanwhile, Moritani and Manabe have their own crazy events happening…starting with a terribly convenient aphrodisiac. I’ll admit, I laughed obnoxiously hard when Moritani was molesting Manabe…and laughed even harder when Moritani got really confused the day after–the two of them openly express their guilt and shame (Manabe even feels ashamed of being ‘physically’ dirty), which strangely leads back to Kotoura lecturing them not to be sexual deviants. Apart from their saucy night, Moritani and Manabe continue to show the pureness of their friendship, with Manabe maintaining it and Moritani building it up. Her character has made an amazing transformation from ultimate bitch to the most conscious-ridden friend in Kotoura’s life. She still has those thoughts that tempt pretty much everyone in a friendship, but her insistence on openly resisting yet acknowledging those moments make her a very endearing character to be sympathized with. The honesty (and physical self-harm) that she exudes have, at least in my eyes, redeemed her as a character. Although not as close yet to Manabe’s powerhouse of caring, Moritani will eventually get up there, if in her own suffering way.

While a bit too rushing towards the conclusion and perhaps a bit too light on the dramatic focus, Kotoura-san’s latest episode has performed well at the scene-by-scene stage. It’s good to hope for the drama that is to come, but it’s also beneficial to see the happiness that mostly everyone, not just Kotoura, gets to experience.

Sorry for being late for this episode! I was on recovery from working on three midterms and a project this week…so burnout was inevitable!

Full-length images: 1, 6, 9, 34.

Preview

「小さな拳」 (Chiisana Kobushi)
“A Small Fist”

Wendy VS. Chelia is definitely one of my favourite battles now. I praised it last week, and I’ll do it again today. I thought this episode was amazing! Ignoring the short summaries that were randomly distributed all over the episode, I thought everything was great. While the brief recap moments might be a bit redundant, it only makes sense to have them considering how close the anime and manga are to each other. I do wish that the battles would be extended though, or maybe, the characters could do something funny? Oh well, I won’t complain too much because I absolutely loved this episode.

I’m surprised to find myself loving Wendy so much. To me, she has always been the adorable character of FAIRY TAIL, and I never found her particularly interesting compared to the other ones in her team. But like her character development, my love for her has become much greater now. I thought the flashback from when we first saw her was inserted in a great way. It reminded me of how much she has grown. Wendy is everything FAIRY TAIL stands for – she has gone from being a timid girl to a strong and independent one – all thanks to her nakama. Perhaps Wendy is the character who has been growing more than anyone else. Her development is the one that is most visible compared to other people’s. That’s something I really love about her, and it’s also something that shows how great FAIRY TAIL is as a guild, because they’re the reason she managed to come so far. Ah, I love FAIRY TAIL so much, both the series and the guild!

While I was hoping that Wendy would win, the result of the battle does not disappoint me because I find Chelia to be a respectable person who also deserves winning. The battle ended in the sweetest way possible and I really loved seeing two opponents ending up as friends. I’m sure we’ll see more of these two in future arcs.

Leaving that, the second half dived into more seriousness. A cloaked person has showed up, the same one that can be seen in the opening sequence. Zeref’s magic is involved here, and let’s not forget that Arcadios mentioned Zeref when he was planning to do something with Eclipse… The plot thickens! And Zeref is not the only “problem”. Having Jellal’s face exposed is most likely not something good, especially not in a tournament filled with enemies. Can’t Mira use her face changing magic on others? There should be easier ways to hide your identity… Oh well, luckily Jellal got away for now.

We’ve got quite a lot of things going on now – the tournament, Eclipse, Zeref, and also Lumen Histoire. Considering what “lumen” means, I believe Mavis when she says that it’s the light of FAIRY TAIL, and I am wondering what kind of light it is. Is it some sort of magic? Or is it what its name indicates – just a story? Perhaps it is some sort of record that is the foundation of FAIRY TAIL? It would only make sense for the guild’s enemies to go after that to ruin things, if it was a record that is. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s something nice, like Mavis said. And speaking of her, call me evil, but I find the crying Mavis really adorable. I wonder how exactly Makarov and Laxus will cheer her up… Maybe give her something to drink?

Anyway, next week’s episode will focus on another battle. It involves bikinis so it’s an all-girls round. I believe this will be the first time we’ll see Minerva in the tournament. I’m sure it will be a gorgeous an intense battle!

Moete kitazou!

Full-length shots: 1, 13, 15, 16, 17, 24, 26, 27, 33, 35

Preview

「しるもしらぬも あふさかのせき」 (Shiru mo Shiranu mo Ōsaka no Seki)
“They All Exchange Hellos and Goodbyes at the Gates of Ōsaka”

Every time Taichi gets kicked in the gut, I have to fight the urge to double over myself.

Here I was thinking this was going to be an episode that was relatively light on the dramatic side, and “Boom!” – that was one hell of a broadside the ending delivered. To be honest it felt a bit out of nowhere, as there really wasn’t anything in the episode to suggest it was coming, though there’s no denying that surprise enhances the impact. In point of fact, this was an episode that felt quite different than most in the series to me. To be honest, this was really the first time Morio Asaka’s direction seemed a little too busy. I like all the distorted faces and written-word thought bubbles and such that he uses to liven up the classically beautiful and traditional look of the series, but I’d apply the same rule to the surprise ending here in reverse – when they happen as often as they did this week, they become less effective. Even though the episode wasn’t all that briskly-paced the hyperactive direction made it seem – in Kana’s own words – more frenzied than impassionate (ironically so). My hope is that this is a one-week phenomenon and not a trend.

Taken as a whole, though, the first seven eps of this season do seem rather briskly-paced to me. We’ve already had the Tokyo regionals and we’re off to the Nationals? It’s quite astonishing how much has happened, especially as compared to the first seven episodes in season one. I’m sure this is manga-faithful for the most part and a function of not having to do the heavy lifting of the initial scene-setting, but it’s definitely a noticeable change. Given that I suppose the fact that the last few minutes of the episode provided such an earthquake in the non-Karuta side of the plot shouldn’t be too surprising, but there were some interesting diversions before that. Specifically, a revisiting of some themes that haven’t really been touched on for a very long time, starting with Chihaya’s family.

There was some interesting discussion of the role Chihaya’s family played in her life in the aftermath of several S1 eps, and I came down on the side that her mother especially seemed to be coming dangerously close to emotionally neglecting her. Elder sister Chitose never really got the chance to develop into anything more than a self-obsessed diva in the short screen time she had, and nothing we saw here would offer evidence to the contrary. What bothered me wasn’t so much that, but the way Chihaya’s Mom focused on Chitose’s career to the virtual exclusion of Chihaya’s life altogether – thank goodness Dad kept that little scrapbook next to Chitose’s multi-volume opus of clippings. Well, we heard Mom’s excuse today – she was so confident that Chihaya would be OK because of Karuta that she felt free to worry more about Chitose with her “unstable career choice”. To be honest that excuse sounds like just that, to me – and her decision to finally show a glimmer of interest in her younger daughter’s life and buy her a kimono of her own plays like an attempt to assuage her own guilt – and win Chihaya’s affection – with a financial gesture. Better late than never, but I’m still not really buying it.

To be blunt, I don’t really care too much about Chitose and her problems because I don’t think we’ve been given much reason to, and there’s so much in Chihayafuru that I do care about that I’d just as soon not see much screen time spent worrying about them. The scenes with Chihaya’s parents were involving in a slightly tragic way, though (they always are) and brought Kana and Oe-san into the story. That’s where things started to get more interesting, along with a subplot involving the eternal struggle with the school band for club room space. As it has a rare ability to do, Chihayafuru made us see the stock enemy as something much more here, showing us the band’s problems through the perspective of their advisor – eternally frustrated that he lacks the influence the Empress has. Let’s be honest – the Karuta Club didn’t live up to the deal she agreed to (five new members) and they’re keeping the clubroom anyway, while the band struggles with insufficient space. It’s not that the Karuta kids are the bad guys here, but that the band and their advisor aren’t either – and that’s the whole point. And Chihaya again shows us real signs of growth by proposing that the band get the second floor space above the Karuta clubroom, at least for storage if not performance. Sure she has ulterior motives – trying to steal some good karma – but it’s still awareness of the needs of others. What’s that, actual character growth from one season to the next? This is Chihayafuru after all – and the reward for Chihaya’s gesture is a surprisingly emotional moment when the band plays all four verses of the school song to send the Karuta Club off to Nationals. Chihaya’s tears were fine, but it was Nishida’s “This is the first time I’ve ever been supported by anyone outside Karuta” that really hit home.

There are two other moments that really stand out in this ep, one being the aforementioned ending. The other is Kana-chan’s explanation of the difference between “Impassioned” and “Frenzied”. This included some overt fourth-wall breaching – “It’s already the second season and you still don’t understand the title?!!” – again with the busy direction – but the gag hits home here. It’s one of those quirky moments this show is so great at delivering, and shows why Kana is such a great and unique presence. I loved the imagery she used – the top spinning out-of-control vs. the one spinning so fast you can’t even tell it’s moving. It’s a fabulous nugget of writing by Suetsugu-sensei and perfectly delivered by Morio-sensei, and it could really be taken as symbolic of so much of what happens in this series – not least of which Chihaya’s Karuta itself.

If you’re a big Arata fan, you could pretty much watch the pre-open and the last two minutes of every ep and so far this season you’d be golden. This time at least Arata’s appearance doesn’t feel like an omake, but is interwoven with the rest of the plot. More than ever I’m convinced Sumire’s main function is to act as the catalyst to drive the romantic storyline forward, the naïf who can blurt out what everyone else wants to say but doesn’t dare. When she does just that in the girls’ room at their hotel near Ome Jingu, asking Chihaya who she likes, the first thought it we’re getting another Chihayafuru troll when Chihaya talks about Shinobu. But then she immediately thinks, “I wonder what he’s doing right now – I want to see him.” I don’t see any way not to interpret that as significant – nor the fact that she immediately sneaks down to the lobby and calls Arata.

Bluntly, that’s the closest thing to an overt declaration of romantic interest by Chihaya in 32 episodes, and it’s about time – but for Taichi, as usual, the timing couldn’t be worse. He overhears her conversation and as always, is overcome with what surely must be feelings of utter hopelessness. The sad part for him (well, it’s all sad but…) is that he really can blame only himself if indeed Chihaya and Arata end up together – despite his efforts to be “a person who doesn’t run away” (which have succeeded in many respects) he’s still in full flight when it comes to Chihaya. He refuses to make his feelings known to her and risk rejection, despite knowing that in Arata he has a potential rival who brings it in every respect – looks, personal history, talent, and a shared passion for Karuta that Chihaya doesn’t feel on the same level with him. Arata hasn’t said anything openly either, of course, but he has a valid excuse – he’s hundreds of miles away. Without doubt there’s an element of mutual respect between the two guys here in not making their move – Taichi because Arata isn’t there to fight back and Arata because he wants to give Taichi his chance to take his shot. It’s mostly unspoken but has been overtly acknowledged at least a little on occasion, but this is an uneasy truce that grows more and more unfavorable for Taichi over time – and the guy code may be as much of an excuse for him not to confront his fears than an honest reason for his tentativeness. This surely won’t be resolved when the three are reunited at Nationals, but what happened here thanks to Sumire is just as surely a sudden lurch forward – what will be interesting is to see where things settle afterwards.

Jura is the boss!

I wish Mashima would stop teasing us with chapters like this one. It’s quite hard to think of anything to write about this week. Personally I prefer chapters focusing on one battle instead of all of them. This was a bit too all over the place for me and quite uneventful. But still, there were some great moments in it, especially for Jura. I’m glad to see a character from another guild getting some of the limelight.

To me Jura has always been an impressive person. He is kind, caring, fair, and also strong. Most of the other guilds are strong but their members are usually just there for the sake of comedy somehow. So it’s nice to see someone different. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the “funny” characters can’t be cool either, or strong, because they totally can. But it’s quite nice to have a character that is serious as well.

Seeing how Jura took down Orga with one shot left me smiling. I really like seeing when characters who overestimate themselves are defeated. And this was just not a normal defeat, it was glorious! I’ve been enjoying seeing Sabertooth members fall, one by one. Now, it’s Minerva’s turn. Well, not really, but I wish. It’s a bit worrying to see her play around with Erza like that, however, seeing how Minerva has been victorious throughout this tournament, it would be quite natural to see someone finally defeat her. Hopefully soon! But what worries me more than Minerva is actually Sting. He has been quiet for too long and considering that his friend’s life is at risk here, I expect him to be a threat.

Someone I don’t expect to be a threat is Lyon. His and Chelia’s fight against Gray and Juvia is totally made for shipping! I am going to go into fangirl mode if I keep rambling about them so I won’t. But before I stop, I am definitely expecting an amazing Unison Raid between Gray and Juvia!

Anyway, enough about others. What we have ahead of us now is a battle between two fierce “gladiators”. I have no idea who is going to win, but I want to see Laxus as the winner in this, probably because I’m a biased FAIRY TAIL fan. But I wouldn’t mind seeing Jura win either because he is a respectable mage and a very strong one on top of that. Whatever happens, I’m sure it will be exhilarating and great! I’m really looking forward to next week’s chapter where we’ll most likely see the continuation of Jura and Laxus’ battle.

Moete kitazou!

Note: I think everyone should check out this awesome album that has been composed by my very beloved Moomba. ♥

「暗闇で飛鳥がチューチューされちゃうそうですよ？」 (Kurayami de Asuka ga Chuu Chuu Sarechau Sou Desu yo?)
“Someone Might Get All Kissy with Asuka in the Dark?”

This episode was impossible to cap. Completely impossible. How on earth am I supposed to pick only thirty-six shots given just how much awesome content Mondaiji manages to bring to the table? Between the bathing scene, the combat, and the yukata skit, it was scarily easy to rack up awesome caps.

I think I’ve decided that Mondaiji is without a doubt my favourite winter season show this year. Everything it does, it does well. The story still isn’t the strongest, but it tends to serve no more purpose than an outline in which the characters can screw around to give rise to everything from stunning action to pretty damn funny comedy. Even Kurousagi being the butt of most jokes never seems to get old, and as we saw last episode, when something is on the verge of growing stale, it’s quickly revamped and becomes immediately entertaining once more.

The idea of being left on the sidelines clearly doesn’t sit well with Izayoi. It was only a momentary reaction, but there was obvious irritation in his eyes when Shiroyasha suggested the idea. He’s been cooperative so far, but only because things fell in line with his own goals – to have as much fun as humanly possible. It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone tried to force him… I imagine it wouldn’t end well! Despite that short-lived conflict, Shiroyasha and Izayoi seem to be true kindred spirits, quite possibly even the ultimate combination! Between them, their observations were quite… astute. Izayoi’s were perhaps more entertaining though! Interesting to see where his interests seem to lie…

Once again, there was a fair bit of focus on Asuka this week and how she feels about everything. It has to be pretty hard for her to realise her gift doesn’t work on everything given how it seems to imply she had complete control over everyone and everything in the world she originally hails from. At first she didn’t seem to be taking it well and she obviously considers herself inferior to both Izayoi and You despite her masterful sword skills, but it’s good to see that she’s resolved to aim higher and improve rather than wallowing in despair. If nothing else, being in the Little Garden grants her the freedom she (or rather her ojou-sama character archetype) has always desired.

Along with the threat to the Rise of the Fire Dragon Festival, two new characters were properly introduced this week. The loli princess Sandora Dortlake (Sadohara Kaori) and her overprotective elder brother Mandola (Konishi Katsuyuki). It is their community that’s mostly threatened by the Demon Lord attack that may be on the horizon and working closely with the no-names to prevent it, I feel as though Mandola may warm a bit more towards them. This is evidently not necessary for his sister. The attack will undoubtedly come from Rattenfänger with their obvious connections to the Pied Piper and the swarm of rats Asuka was forced to face. All things considered, it seems quite likely they’ll be facing off against someone with very similar powers to hers. It’s kind of sad there are only three episodes left.

tl;dr: @MoombaDS – Battles, bathing, and yukatas. You couldn’t ask for a better combination! #Mondaiji

Random thoughts:

• Quite a bit of Calico Cat this week!
• I never get tired of seeing Izayoi so effortlessly block attacks… or not even bother!
• D’aww that fairy.
• Age-changing Leticia is pretty cool!
• Seeing the different reactions to Izayoi’s words is even cooler! We get quite a bit of insight into their personalities there!

Full-length images: 03, 04, 10, 15, 19, 28, 29, 32, 33.

Random aside: I released an awesome eight track sci-fi electronic video-game-inspired album! You should listen to it, buy it, and spread the word or something!

Preview

End Card

「ゆずれない願い」 (Yuzure Nai Negai)
“Unyielding Wish”

This week on Vividred Operation, it’s a tale of two stories.

The first up? Some Metal Gear Solid style infiltration by Kuroki — who succeeds in finding out a secret beyond her wildest dreams… just not the one she intended to find. A swift chop from Wakaba prevents Rei from finding out anymore though — did I mention how much I’m starting to like her character and seiyuu Ootsubo Yuka? — and the first half of this episode ends up pretty much what we’ve come to expect from the series. Some cheerful banter, quite a few laughs with the full court press from the Vividteam in their attempt to get Kuroki to go study with them, the usual mayonnaise on everything… you know the drill.

But as the second half rolls in, things get notably grimmer — to my surprise — as the series seems to takes a few pages from Evangelion as the sixth Alone arrives in style, fully equipped with its own AT Field equivalent. The initial fight ends up being a fairly typical affair, but Rei’s involvement ends up reviving what was believed to be a defeated Alone, who proceeds to successfully knock out Akane from the picture.

Suffice to say, that wasn’t what I was expecting at all… and well, I’m admittedly wondering how the series is going to take it from here. Part of me believes that it’s likely that this’ll be the turning point that gets Kuroki to join the Vividteam… but I don’t know. For some reason I suddenly just can’t shake the nagging feeling that the series could possibly take things down a much, much darker route. Though, I suppose in the end, that’s probably just me spending too much time watching UroButcher series and other related grimdark/gloom and doom shows… heh. Interestingly enough though, there were quite a few signs that pointed to this scenario happening throughout the episode, which make you wonder just a bit.

Regardless though, with only 5 episodes remaining, at least that many Alones left in addition to the current one (or at least, according to Rei’s feather count) and this surprise development with Akane, it’s really becoming a pressing question as to how things will wrap up in time. Quite a few episodes have wrapped up in a rapid sequence of events — although recently, it’s been fairly tame compared to earlier — and it really makes you wonder if this wasn’t something that was potentially intended to be two-cour or something of the sort. I guess we’ll see how that works out. At least though, it was pretty fabulous seeing our four heroines just jumpin’ outta planes and kicking butt for a little while there.

Oh hey, another present time chapter. A short one too. Not really a great deal that can be said in these situations. But poor Yui, managing a breakthrough with Keima only to find that he thinks she’s a guy. It’s kind of ironic that Yui has been inspired to become a better woman by Keima yet he somehow turned her into a tomboy which brought us to this outcome. Yui had the right idea in using games though, but sadly her execution was a little off – dating sims were always going to be a terrible idea for getting him interested in her. I half wonder if Keima’s interest in virtual girls comes partially from what the girls are currently putting him through… On the plus side, he at least appears to possess some of the positive aspects from his present self, even at such a young age. It’s actually kind of fun to see even if these chapters are relatively irksome in their break from the main story and its potential revelations!

tl;dr: @MoombaDS – Another present time chapter, this time with Yui as the focus. Yay! #TWGOK

Random aside: I released an awesome eight track sci-fi electronic video-game-inspired album! You should listen to it, buy it, and spread the word or something!

「声の出し方忘れた」 (Koe no Dashi Kata Wasureta)
“I forgot how to speak”

For a while there I actually though Sasami-san@Ganbaranai was going to turn dark and stay dark. Things did get a little iffy for a while, but it seems to have been a temporary phase in the show’s lifetime rather than a permanent change – we seem to be sort of back to normal by the end of the episode! I’m not entirely sure whether to be happy or sad about this – the dark segment certainly did have a nice charm to it by contrasting with everything that came before, but at the same time one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about Sasami-san is the ridiculous and carefree nature most of its episodes have displayed.

To say that Sasami’s family tree is a little strange would be fair, not just because of the incest, but because of how confusing the latest twist makes it. I always had a feeling Kamiomi was quite old (okay, I based this purely on the choice for his seiyuu) but for him to be her mother’s elder brother comes as a bit of a surprise. The big question is whether he’s actually Sasami’s brother by blood. Assuming he is because no reason has been given to make us doubt that and based upon the fact that Sasami was to be forced to procreate with her father… it might be fair to guess that he’s the father of all three of them – Kamiomi, Sasami, and Sasami’s mother. Or perhaps there are other theories, or Kamiomi may in fact not really be Sasami’s brother, I don’t really know!

This was actually quite an interesting episode in terms of where characters stand. Despite being incredibly frail, Juju stands at the top of the Tsukuyomi hierarchy, utterly dominating everyone else. I suppose that’s no surprise really when all the male members were raised as slaves and she was the former vessel for Amaterasu’s power. But on the other side, we have Tama, the hardest of the Yagami sisters to take seriously. I was kind of expecting a cooler entrance from her, but I shouldn’t really have been surprised by her ignorance of the moment. She does get to be pretty cool though – demonstrating a lot of power as she takes down the malign oddity. I feel as though her use of her abilities is connected to how little she knows about them – that she can use them so effectively because the powers of omnipotence haven’t been restricted by false ideas of what is and isn’t possible.

The moral of the story is a little warped and applies mostly to those who are of the Tsukuyomi lineage – working hard only brings pain and suffering, whereas being unmotivated allows you to live in bliss… assuming you have a slave for a brother. I don’t think I’ll be taking that one home with me!

tl;dr: @MoombaDS – Well now, that’s quite the weird family tree! #Sasamisan

Random thoughts:

• I’m kind of surprised to learn that Sasami liked superheroes even before she ran away – I kind of assumed she’d have been kept in the dark about life outside the shrine.
• There’s something rather impressive about Tama – she felt powerless to do anything, yet she always tried to do what little she could, even if that was to act happy in the hopes it would cheer up others.
• Those dropkicks!
• In the end, Sasami uses the spell her mother taught her in order to seal her – a nice little loop.

Random aside: I released an awesome eight track sci-fi electronic video-game-inspired album! You should listen to it, buy it, and spread the word or something!

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End Card

「水に書いた約束」 (Mizu ni kai ta Yakusoku )
“A Promise Written in Water”

Imagine that you woke up one day and realized you were living a lie — a farce pushed upon you under the guise of keeping you safe. What would you do? Could you tolerate it? Would you risk your life to fight it, knowing that you’d likely die? Given the choice between living a lie and the potential alternative of not living at all, what would you choose? Would you really be living if you were forced to abide by standards that conflict with your very being? More importantly, what happens if despite all the cloak and daggers, the system does actually keep you safer than you’d otherwise be?

As our main characters begin to realize that the Sibyl System is anything but what it seems to be, it’s these exact questions that they must now ponder. And as far as expressions go, they’re now stuck between a rock and a hard place — an unenviable position that’s not without a fair share of irony. Because in the end, the Public Safety Bureau’s main goals are to enforce the law, deliver justice, and uphold order — all goals inherently given positive associations. At the same time though, it’s precisely because of those goals that the members of the Bureau end up being exposed to the negative aspects inherent in society — and from there, the realization about the Sibyl System. In ways, it can be said that it was a byproduct of them having performed their investigative tasks too well — to the point where they’ve pretty much put themselves into this situation, as their initial capture of Makishima ironically led to this sequence of events. And when you consider the fact that they’ll actually end up destroying the societal order they’ve been fighting so hard for (and represent as well) if they topple the Sibyl System… it’s truly an unenviable scenario to be in — though one quite fitting of the rather brutal nature of a series made by UroButcher.

On a related note, this then brings up another well used expression in the classic “ignorance is a bliss.” Invariably, you’ll always find differing views regarding whether this is true or not, but I can’t help but think of how potentially true this would be in this case. I mean, if you look at the situation one way, if our cast never found out that the Sibyl System was hiding its fair share of secrets… they’d be in a much better position for the most part. Of course, there’s no real point to discuss this now given the revelations and developments we’ve already been shown, but I really just can’t help but be reminded of the expression — especially when you consider how Makishima could pretty much be said to be a representation of the side that believes ignorance is anything but a bliss.

In any case though, the end result — as of this moment anyway — is that Kougami ends up deciding that he must go outside the law in order to deal with Makishima and the scenario they’ve been put in. And to say the least, it’s a decision that has immensely far-reaching consequences. To but it bluntly, Kougami’s pretty much sacrificing himself to relieve the others of the burden, as if he succeeds in killing Makishima and ends up getting executed as a result, it resolves the entire dilemma for the most part. For one, Makishima’s death would stop him from wrecking any more havoc on society. Kougami’s own death would then free Ginoza and the rest of the Enforcers/Akane from debating the aforementioned scenario as well, as it is likely one of them would have to be the one that shoots him. This would serve the purpose of allowing them to return to their daily lives as members of the Public Safety Bureau, while also serving as a statement by him that having the system — even with its shady elements — would be preferable to the alternative. This would then make it so the other members could at least accept continuing their job and living in a society run by Sibyl, even though they would likely still harbor discontent at the system and their own share of regrets. In this way, this is perhaps one of the most ideal of possible endings at this point — one where Kougami not only gets to go out while staying true to his own morals, but also while giving a new lease on life for the other members.

Sadly though, the one thing you can’t expect in general is an ideal scenario from an UroGen series. It would be admittedly nice if things end up like the above, but gosh darn, it doesn’t have the feeling that it’ll end up like that at all… as it seems likely that the Sibyl System will have its own say of things before it’s all said and done. There’s definitely a potential scenario here where no one lives, and if this set-up episode has given off any vibes, it’s that the ultimate in grimdark endings awaits us in the remaining four episodes. And with that, another week of PSYCHO-PASS draws to a close… and well, hopefully future weeks will at least be free of notices from the director apologizing for the quality of the animation. The ending will undoubtedly be quite intense, and there’s just not enough words in the dictionary to express how sad it would be if what would have been a great experience ends up being ruined by terrible animation.

Author’s Note:

ED2.18 Sequence

ED2: 「All Alone With You」 by EGOIST

「願ったものは」 (Negatta Mono Wa)
“The Object of Desire”

Filled with twists and turns, the beginning of the end approaches.

And the first topic to talk about today? Fraulein’s theory about the Tree of Genesis. Continuing off from her assertion last week that aliens are secretly involved, she goes into more detail regarding it this week… and well, to say it’s far-fetched would be an understatement. At the same time though, if we’ve learned anything from watching this series week after week, it’s that just because something’s far-fetched doesn’t mean it can’t be true… and vice versa. So despite her assertion that the Trees are actually super weapons sent by aliens to destroy other civilizations and prevent other planets from becoming threats sounding something straight out of a Sci-Fi novel, it’s not something you can readily dismiss either. Chances are it’s not entirely correct, but considering how well it would fit in the grand scheme of things — especially the point about how the Kusaribe’s offerings are exchanges that let the Tree of Genesis see the civilization’s level of advancement — along with the fact that her “civilization blaster” weapon shares its namesake with the series itself (remember, it was always called Zetsuen no Tempest: The Civilization Blaster) and suddenly, it’s like “WHOA! Things might be a lot bigger than we ever thought possible!”

In the end though, the series is just full of great twists and well, we’re just getting started… as another revelation comes at the tail end of this episode — that is, the reveal that there may be one more method of finding Aika’s killer before they initiate the final part of their plan to test the Tree of Genesis. Depending on who you are, you may or may not have realized it midway through the episode after Hakaze requested the retrieval of Samon’s barrel and the wooden doll, but regardless, it looks like we’re in for some time travel next week. Suffice to say, there’s a lot riding on who she ends up seeing as the killer, and it could irrevocably change what’s going to happen in the future as a result. Furthermore, one wonders just how trusting our characters will be, as if you get down to it… only Hakaze will see who the killer is, and subsequently, whoever she says it is may yet not be the person it actually is. Of course at this point there aren’t many reasons why she would tell a lie, but even the smallest of doubts could drastically change how things work out.

In any case though, we’re finally here — finally at what one could possibly call the climax of the story. The inevitable meeting between Yoshino and Mahiro happened this week (along with an ode to Hamlet via their location being a graveyard and some hilarious reactions) and with it came a kind of closure that’s been a long time coming. Granted, the discussion between the two doesn’t change that they’re still who they are personality wise, but at the very least it serves as something that at least allows for some closure — a kind of reaffirmation of each of their individual resolves. In addition, it demonstrates just how strong our respective mains are, as well as the key notion that depending on your perspective, you may see things very differently. Because while both consider each other to be strong, that they both don’t see themselves that way at all — as both are keenly aware of their own weaknesses to the point where they think they’re merely floating around trying to fight a force much bigger than themselves. And well, it just shows how human they are in the end, along with just how much Aika continues to influence them even now.

Continuing along this line of thought, it also becomes quite interesting how Mahiro ends up at the graveyard of all places, commenting on how he may have thought it would change his mind. And it’s interesting because to me, it shows that he wants to believe that the world isn’t as absurd as he thinks it is, he wants to change and fix the weaknesses he’s painfully aware of. The end result is that he just can’t accept it after all, but despite this end result being the same as his previous one, the fact that he’s even pondering it — along with him actually being mature enough to not beat the crap out of Yoshino — hammers in that sometimes there are things you can’t and shouldn’t change (the fundamental things that make you who you are), but at the same time, there are things you can. There’s just this human element buried beneath everything, and it’s something that really shows itself when you look at each of the characters individually. Everyone has their own flaws, their own past, their own reasons for doing things, their own demons weighing on their consciousness, and it’s just amazing how the series has developed them through the course of nineteen episodes.

Looking forward though, there’s not much extra I can say that I haven’t already. The ending looks like it’s going to be a spectacular one, and the series in general has been amazing to bat. Every week, I just find myself thanking my lucky stars that I ended up being the one previewing the series way back before the Fall 2012 season, as that ultimately led me to peek at the manga and make sure this was one of the series I gave a try. And well, I guess we’ll see where the series takes us from here.

Preview

The developments certainly are heavy this week. After seeing Unohana’s farewell monologue, I think it’s fairly certain that she will actually die (though if her body remains intact…). Kenpachi is unsurprisingly devastated by the prospect of losing her, crying out several times as he holds her. With her death however, he has managed to unlock his true power, along with one more major piece in the game: his “partner”. All the evidence points to this voice belonging to his zanpakutou, though the scene is cut off before anything is confirmed. It’s hard to imagine how ridiculously powerful he will be now that he will have the full set of abilities and I’m pretty eager to see what he does next, but it is still disappointing that we will not be seeing Unohana in action against a real enemy.

Kubo also finally returns to Nimaiya’s palace, where Ichigo and Renji’s fight has concluded after three days. In an unexpected development, Renji has actually outperformed Ichigo by far. Things are not looking up for him, and his “epic fail” has earned him an ejection from Soul Society, with zero progress on repairing Zangetsu. In a way, I sort of feel bad for him – he’s gone through so much, from receiving powers from Rukia to forcing out Zangetsu to a crash course in bankai training to all sorts of other inner battles and training. He’s even reached a final stage beyond bankai and vizard abilities, then lost and gained his abilities back. And now, after all that, the creator of the zanpakutou tells him that he’s been doing things incorrectly from the beginning and will have to start over completely. I’m sure he’ll be fine at the end of his journey, so the big question now is, who the hell is Ichigo exactly, and who were his parents?

「ホシの名はシンドバッド」 (Hoshi no na wa Shindobaddo)
“The Culprit’s Name is Sinbad”

The troubles of Balbadd seem so far away as we reach episode 19, as everyone busies themselves with training, preparing for the next set of events that may line their paths. Old characters sharpen their blades and hone their staffs as new and returning characters come to settle into the new arc, specifically those hailing from the Kou Empire. While the majority of the episode generated some pleasant chuckles, key points of development scattered themselves nicely throughout the episode, fleshing out the depth of the cast in an otherwise transitional arc.

Aladdin, as quite the enthusiastic learner, has shown himself fully ready to hone his magical abilities to their fullest potential. Apparently magic is not a skill easily acquired, requiring the synthesis of many “commands” directed at the rukh. Shooting a blast of heat is good, but reading minds and turning invisible is another thing entirely. Hopefully with the closure of this transition period we’ll get to see more action involving Aladdin, especially against Judal. Moving from a purely defensive character to a more balanced fighter should prove fruitful for more complex fight scenes in the future…assuming that A-1 can get their act together on the drawing and animation.

That same enthusiasm also applies for Alibaba and Morgiana as well, whose metal vessels should provide them with a new edge in their technique. The chemistry between these two will be interesting to see in possible team fights in the future, especially considering how Morgiana seems to have taken more than a liking towards Alibaba…heh heh heh. The two of them have striking similarities in how they treasure their past and, as a result, the items that carry that nostalgia. To take their past experiences literally into battle together…I can only imagine the possibilities of how beautiful that’ll end up looking like on screen.

But hey, let’s not forget about Sinbad! Woe is he to be so popular that it ends up being the downfall. While it doesn’t appear that Sinbad has done anything too explicit or steamy, he happens to get into some pretty risque misunderstandings more than the average joe. Such a track record sure doesn’t help him here, where even his own loyal generals have no faith in his testimony. Man, bringing together such a close group of comrades only to be abandoned in the face of possible stupidity…Sinbad has it rough. There is one person that has it rougher though–Jafa Kougyouku Ren. To suddenly go from an amicably professional relationship to well…being in bed with him naked is quite the jump, even though her feelings for him are already warm. Ka Koubun, you should feel bad for both executing the plan and well…executing it terribly. He must care for the princess so much as to not go “all the way”, but now that Jafar has set his eyes, Ka Koubun’s plans should no longer be a problem. His shenanigans do set the characters from the Kou Empire in a good position though. Although the empire itself bears a shady reputation for its expansionism, the majority of individuals hailing from the empire have a good heart. The men of the Kou Empire look out for one another, Kougyouku is your typically embarrassed teen, Ka Koubun ultimately looks out for his princess (most of the time), and Hakuryuu is looking to destroy the empire. Wait…huh?

Thanks to Hakuryuu, it looks like the action and/or drama of Magi will be returning quickly. The Kou Empire is definitely a large enough country to have its own factions with different agendas, but man does Hakuryuu look to be in a league of his own. Is the Kou Empire too corrupted by the influence of the “organization” to be saved? What does Hakuryuu know that could possibly make him have such thoughts, especially as a prince? Most likely such thoughts will probably be linked to the scar he has, as well as perhaps the quiet voice within Alibaba that seeks to antagonize the visiting prince. So much for “studying” in Sindria: Hakuryuu and Sinbad have a plan much greater, much bigger than any arc we’ve seen thus far, meaning more political intrigue, probable drama within the Kou Royal Family, and of course more fight scenes as the worshippers of dark rukh cast their eyes towards what the prince considers a beautiful island country.

「あの子がお嫁に行っちゃった」 (Anoko ga Oyome ni Itsu Chatta)
“She Went to Be a Bride”

At first it was just happy tsuntsun fun with Choi-chan, when suddenly her story with her prince is colliding with that of Sayuri and Afro-kun. And Tamako is–!?

Scary-Kawaii Choi-sama

There hasn’t been a character in this show that I haven’t liked so far, but Choi (Yamaoka Yuri) rocketed to the top with her cute tsuntsun antics. I think it’s enough to just say that I found her adorable, though I’m going to keep going with this sentence for long enough to get a few more pictures in…honey mustard. So cuuuute!

The thing I didn’t like wasn’t about Choi, but Dera lying to her about why he got fat. I’m not quite willing to say that was out of character, but it was close – for an honorable bird like Dera, I found it hard to believe that he would lie about the kindness of his hosts. Sure, Choi clearly scares the bejesus out of him, but where went the gentleman bird?! Chock that up as the one thing I didn’t like about this episode, even if it did bring about some fun interactions.

Love That Is Not To Be

And then suddenly, something deeper was going on. Choi’s feelings for her prince were made clear via flashback, and Afro-kun’s (Kawahara Yoshihisa) were obvious long ago, but I didn’t expect them to intersect. When Sayuri (Iwao Junko) revealed that she was planning on getting married, my heart nearly broke for Afro-kun, and Choi as well. The cruelty of these loves that are not to be, made even more so by Choi’s fortune-telling. While Afro-kun should have stepped up to plate and swung for the fences, Choi has known that she never had a chance from the beginning. She’s so certain of that, and I can see that it tears her apart.

Tamako’s Fate

But what is this about Tamako’s scent!? It sounds like the girl that Dera and Choi were looking for, the girl who is fit to be their prince’s bride, is probably Tamako after all. Probably. I wouldn’t put it past KyoAni to throw a curveball at us again, but I know if I were telling this story, that’s where I’d take it. But is that where it will end?

For my money, I’m not counting Choi-chan out as her prince’s future bride quite yet. Perhaps it’s just my aversion to the idea of fate, but having Tamako, this girl who loves her quiet little shopping district and her family’s mochi shop sooo much, be shipped off to marry some prince just doesn’t seem right. That may be her “fate”, but I don’t see her submitting to it, nor do I see anyone better for Choi and Dera’s prince than Choi herself. At least, that’s what I hope, for her sake.

Looking Ahead – Dera’s Training Montage!

Next time, it looks like Dera is going to be doing some training to get himself back into to flying (and fortune-telling) shape. Just remember Dera, if you can dodge a baton, you can dodge a ball! Or more importantly, an angry Choi-sama. Get to work!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Tsuntsun-kawaii fun gives way to the gentle tragedy of unfulfilled love. But wait, Tamako is the…!? #tamakomarket

Random thoughts:

• Dera has a fried circuit? Just what the hell is he…
• Mmmm, peaches. Erh–it’s not what you think!!
• With fathers like Tamako’s and Sayuri’s (Tsukui Kyousei), this show is full of truly caring parents. Drink up, Sayuri-papa. I know you’re sad to see her go, but I know you’ll let her. It’s time for her to move on.

Full-length images: 06, 14, 28, 34.

Preview