Random Curiosity

If you’ve ever been to New York, chances are you’ve seen one of our lottery commercials before. If you haven’t, well, it goes like this:

All you need is a dollar and a dream.

Going through this chapter, that was the phrase that kept repeating itself over and over in my head, and it’s just because the biggest things can come from the smallest steps—the first of which was made many generations ago in the Naruto universe. Sure, it would’ve been better if they didn’t wait until the entire world is nearly destroyed to band together—and it could potentially fall apart afterwards even if they do succeed in defeating Obito—but hey, they’re united at the moment, and that’s all that counts.

Indeed, what this chapter ends up doing is emphasizing just once more how everything here is effectively coming full circle. Naruto following in the footsteps of the first Hokage in possessing the same characteristics and playing a big part in getting these guys together… Sasuke following somewhat in the footsteps of Madara in regards to his abilities and personality… the five current Kage reappearing at this key moment… all of it. And when you combine all of that with the things we’ve witnessed already—such as the whole fact that Obito’s here in the first place, the whole father and son thing with Naruto and Minato—I’m actually quite impressed at how Kishimoto’s wrapping things up together here at this point.

Yes, I won’t deny that it was a bit rocky getting here, or the fact that a few developments and revelations could’ve been handled better along the way, but things are arguably coming together for a great “conclusion” (at least to this battle), and I just find myself really getting back into Naruto after a little bit of hit/miss through the initial parts of this arc. And ultimately, that’s really all I want here now that we’re nearly 650 chapters in and the end is finally in sight: a satisfying overall conclusion to the main story plot line. After all, there are few worse things than following something for years to see a terrible ending, and for me, this chapter at least demonstrates that we won’t be getting such an ending. Maybe it’ll end up being a bit cheesy, maybe it won’t be exactly what we want, maybe we won’t get answers to all the other subplots and questions that’ve been bought up… but yeah, I get the feeling the major things will end up just fine—so here’s to looking forward to the next chapter.

「初めて恋をした記憶」 (Hajimete Koi wo Shita Kioku)
“The Memory of My First Love”

No, I’m definitely not crying. I don’t need a hug, nope, not at all.

Before I get to the really good stuff, let’s talk about the equally good conclusion to the Ayumi conquest. Ayumi is a special heroine, not in the way that girls like Yui or Tenri are, but in that she’s the first heroine Keima ever captured and thus holds a huge allure of nostalgia. She’s the first one, the one who catapulted Keima’s “career” as the Capturing God and who thus holds a special place in our hearts, and very likely Keima’s as well (she did take his first kiss, after all). It’s only apt then that she shares her spotlight in an episode titled after first loves, and her capture is definitely very charming and romantic. None of the other girls can claim to have married their bespectacled hero, charade or otherwise, and Ayumi has a chance to ask Keima what’s going on, unlike the other girls who are (mostly) carried along at his pace. That she doesn’t ask, however, shows that she trusts him, so when he says he doesn’t love her, it’s only normal that she’d get upset. I think their relationship is well summed up when she declares she can’t trust a thing he says but still chooses to go through the “wedding” ceremony; she trusts that there’s a reason to why he can’t talk yet.

However, as much as I like Ayumi and her Goddess Arc, culminated when Mercurius is released and Diana carries her sister off into battle, this is Chihiro’s story just as much as any other girl. In fact, I’ve often thought to myself how cruelly ironic it is that in some ways, this arc is hugely about Chihiro more so than it is about any singular goddess, and that feeling is only intensified by the second half of the episode. You can definitely blame this portion for rushing things; there are quite a few manga chapters to cover all the material that this episode covers in some ten odd minutes, and there are multiple storylines all vying for attention as well. You have the battle between the Jupiter Sisters, the Loose Souls Team, and Vintage, you have Haqua’s fight with Lune, and you have Keima and Chihiro’s conversation. While this portion was treated just as rushed and cut off in the manga, I like the way Manglobe managed to capture the essence of the scene. Interpersing the scenes of the battle with quieter, more contemplative and emotional moments during Chihiro and Keima’s talk comes off as almost artistic, and definitely hits quite a few notes in just the right way when in motion. It’s not a perfect scene by any means, and you can tell what the studio is trying to achieve, but it just works, and I definitely appreciate just how it made me feel about this whole affair.

It’s really heartbreaking to realize that Chihiro never stopped loving Keima and that even when upset, she did all she could to help him in his conquest with Ayumi. It’s not the poor girl’s fault that she fell in love, and it’s not Keima’s fault either; love is just something that happens and it can’t be helped, and more often than not, it’s a really painful and awful thing to deal with. That would be heartwrenching enough without the realization that Keima is finally voicing his pain and misgivings about what he did to her. You could even go as far as saying that he’s developed feelings for her, and though that’s just one interpretation, it wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. Personally, I think Chihiro is special to Keima in various ways and that she represents something to him that no other heroine ever quite has. Not only did Chihiro fall in love with him of her own volition, and not only did he crush her feelings for the sake of his job, but more importantly, she was opportunity. She was that “what if” in Keima’s complicated life, the girl who loved him for his manipulative and slightly twisted personality, the one he could have loved, if only he was allowed to. Yes, you can argue that Tenri loves him in this way too, but Tenri is so shy that she’s never openly declared her affections or really stepped up to be that “what if”. Chihiro is the girl who helped him, who visited him when he was sick without any prodding, who wrote songs for him, who he destroyed with his necessary cruelty. But the truth is that Keima can’t allow himself to love her back, even if he wants to. Even if she understands what’s going on, her presence at his side is too risky, too difficult, when his life depends on making other girls fall in love with him. In some ways, Keima can never have that “what if”. He’s not allowed to love until his contract is complete, but if anything, his experience with Chihiro, her memories of her first love, will perhaps allow him to face the future a little more confidently and purposefully than he ever has before. Sometimes, you can’t keep avoiding the Real, no matter how much you wish you could.

ED5 Sequence

ED5: 「初めて恋をした記憶」 (Hajimete Koi wo Shita Kioku) by 2B PENCILS & 中川かのん

Epilogue:

Final Impressions:

For all my misgivings as a manga reader, and my anxieties about the ability of this finale to live up to the quality of the Goddess Arc, I’m more or less smugly pleased with the end result. I don’t think it was possible for Manglobe to ever pull this arc off perfectly considering how little time they gave themselves to work with so much material, and it’s certainly true that the final episode is plagued by the same issues that the rest of the season gave us. Yet despite that, despite the rushing and very limited focus on certain aspects of the narrative, I can’t help but want to applaud the studio a little for how they worked things through. Sometimes when you’re given something that’s really difficult to work with, the result depends entirely on how well you worked around those limitations; this is one of those times that I can definitely award a “you did your best and it didn’t suck” sticker. In fact, when it comes to this episode specifically, I find the execution to be quite admirable and heavily emotional, flawed though it is.

In general though, I do wish we’d had more time for this arc, and I still heavily lament the fact that so much pre-Goddess material was skipped. Can you really enjoy Yui, Tsukiyo, Akari, and all the other skipped girls when you’ve never been exposed to their original arcs? As I mentioned at the beginning of the season, most anime only viewers were probably prompted into reading the manga at some point, which is always a good thing, but as its own medium, it is fairly disappointing to see an adaptation with so much potential meet with so many limitations. The pacing could be especially jarring in some episodes and strangely fine in others, and certain details were definitely skipped when it comes to the manga. But in the end, I do have to come back to my original conclusion: you have to be grateful for what you get, and what we got is hardly the worst adaptation I’ve ever seen. The fact that I ended this post in tears and feels goes to say how good the material still is, even when condensed into twelve short weeks. Blogging this series was a goal for me since far before I joined the RC staff, and I wrested it from Takaii’s stiff fingers with exhaustive triumph (okay, so I just requested it, shhhh), and I’m proud to say it was worth it no matter the disappointments. Thank you all for being wonderful readers, for respecting anime-only viewers, and for supporting me through another season at RandomC. It was a pleasure to write for you all, and I will miss the Capturing God in my life once more, perhaps even for the final time, if Manglobe never adapts more manga.

We have reached the ending, my friends, and it is time to return to the Real. Excuse me while I grab a tissue and huddle somewhere with a pillow.

「超高校級の不運が超高校級の殺人と超高校級の処刑と超高校級の絶望を引き寄せた理由」 (Chou Koukou Kyuu no Fuun ga Chou Koukou Kyuu no Satsujin to Chou Koukou Kyuu no Shokei to chou Koukou kyuu no Zetsubou o Hikiyose Ta riyu )
“Why The Super Duper Duper High School Unluckster Attracted the Super Duper Duper High School Murder, Super Duper Duper High School Execution and Super Duper Duper High School Despair”

What an episode. No, really, this was a level above anything I’ve seen from Danganronpa this entire season. Had the show been so endearingly preposterous…and this intensely satisfying from the start, I would’ve been singing a very different tune.

This penultimate episode and its accompanying final trial is a great payoff the likes of which I’ve been waiting to see in the story. It picks up from where we left off in the last unresolved trial, and starts getting into the truths behind the killing game, giving us the flurry of crazy twists and tongue-in-cheek reveals (Hey, mass amnesia!) that just makes this episode so much fun. The payoff is that we’re getting the answers to some of the big stuff in the show: The profile of Mukuro Ikusaba, who’s revealed to be a super-duper-high-school soldier belonging to the merc outfit Fenrir. The fate of Kirigiri’s dad is shown to be the poor sod that got killed at the very start of the anime. And as the characters dig deeper into the truth of the murder, the mastermind is finally unmasked; Junko Enoshima, who had switched identities with her (surprise!) mostly-identical twin sister Mukuro.

It’s almost unfair to compare this final trial to the previous ones; after all, those previous ones didn’t have the weight of an entire overarching mystery behind them. Having significant build-up to a class trial isn’t something that is very typical because of how Danganronpa‘s been running it’s pop-by-pop trials. With all the anticipated reveals and twists, this final arc was quite assuredly going to have much more draw. But even then, everything about this trial feels like an step up. For what must be one of the few times since the show started, the pacing was agreeable; clues in the investigation were spread out nicely enough for the viewer to give some consideration. The back-and-forth of the students didn’t fall into the usual trap of getting so self-absorbed that I couldn’t be bothered to closely follow what they were talking about. At times, the dialogue also feels more fun and tongue-in-cheek; when the amnesia issue is brought up, there’s a brilliant comeback from Monobear listing the various generic ways they might’ve lost their memories (hypnotism, brain alteration) then retorting that it didn’t matter how they lost it, because they still did. When Junko is later unmasked, she does so in a gloriously hammy reveal, and goes on about the common story twists in her character setting with Mukuro.

You know what? Hell, even the standard contradiction rebuttals from Naegi got replaced with a brand new, impactful CG sequence. What we’ve seen in this episode stands clearly above the rest of the trials. It’s just a shame that we had to wait until now to see such a standard achieved.

I had expected the show to hold on to that mastermind-reveal card until the final episode, but having Junko come out here does set us up very nicely for the final episode. Junko’s personality does seem like a lot of fun, in the Danganronpa loony sorta way, and it does seem like it’s going to be great fun to watch the students pit their wits’ against her’s. And there’s also a few more mysteries left to wrap up, such as the “most despair inducing event”, which gives the final episode some material on which to cap off. Honestly though, if they can match what they’ve done here in the finale, I might just walk away from Danganronpa with a better impression than the one I expected to have.

「モテないし、将来を考える」 (Motenai shi, Shōrai o Kangaeru)
“Since I’m Not Popular, I’ll Think About the Future”

Of all the 2013 series that end up on my year-end Top 10 list, it’s very possible that Watamote will be the one I least expected to find there.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that shows like Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui! (I wanted to write the whole name in a post at least once) are what give me hope for anime, despite the ever-increasing percentage of new series that are effectively marketing formulas on digital video. It’s a great series where I didn’t expect to find one. It’s a relentlessly, brutally honest series that challenges the audience at every moment. It’s a thoughtful and compassionate look at depression and loneliness that doesn’t remotely spare us the ugly reality of it. And it’s tremendously entertaining to boot.

There was good reason to wonder how Shin Oonuma and Silver Link would choose to end this adaptation, given the ongoing and mercilessly downbeat nature of the manga. I never suspected for a moment that the ending would sell out, delivering false optimism and invalidating all the suffering Tomoko (and we) went through for twelve episodes. But if the series had ended with, say, Episode 10 – one of the bleakest and most heartbreakingly sad episodes of any anime I’ve ever seen – I think that would simply have been too much to bear. Rather, Shin has made a somewhat unorthodox choice (this adaptation is full of them) by putting the episode that would have been the most obvious finale last week, and closing with one that’s altogether darker, but intercut with a good deal of humor and just the tiniest sliver of hope.

I think Watamote is a show that was true to itself from the very beginning, and unwaveringly so, and this episode was very much consistent with that honest approach. This was Tomoko at her most delusional, grating and difficult – but also at her most vulnerable and reflective. It wouldn’t be fair to say Tomoko has made huge progress over the course of these 12 episodes, but she has changed. One thing I find very noticeable is that she’s become much more self-aware over the last few eps – she started out with a half-believed delusion that popularity was only a matter of time, but she’s come to understand more and more just how desperate her situation is. Some may think that she’s too self-aware for someone her age as we see her in this episode, but my experience is that kids Tomoko’a age are if anything obsessively aware of what’s lacking in their lives, and the sources of their unhappiness. And Tomoko has so many of those to choose from that it’s hardly surprising she’s become obsessed with them.

In that context, it’s certainly no surprise that Tomoko was a bit of a chuunibyou sufferer in middle school second year. This is a subject that anime has itself become somewhat obsessed with of late, but it highlights the difference between middle school and high school for someone like Tomoko. An 8th-grader can exhaustively study weapons distribution in plans to become the next Koko Hekmatyar, but unlike what we see in more fanciful anime twists on the subject, a self-aware 10th-grader filling out a career-planning form cannot. I won’t suggest for a moment that Tomoko was likely happy in middle school (the club episode should prove that), but there at least she could indulge her fantasy world with a measure of commitment, and even find a soul-mate to commiserate with. Now, she’s effectively got a giant clock right behind her shoulder, reminding her constantly that her school life is slipping away from her, adulthood creeping ever closer, and she’s making no progress as a social animal.

We haven’t revisited the counselling sessions with Tomoki for a while – I’d even wondered if they were still going on – but they’re brought back into the equation here at the end. It seems as of Tomoki has been dutifully suffering through them, saying nothing or at least very little, and that Tomoko has come to realize that this too is another blind alley in her search for contentment. There’s a great moment here when Tomoko cuts off the sessions as if she’s been the one doing her brother a favor, and he not so subtly reminds her that she hasn’t thanked him for six months of service. She immediately slips into fantasy mode and the “スパーク” on her t-shirt immediately changes into an English “SPARK”.

The finale is full of great directorial flourishes as Tomoko passes between reality and delusion, the line becoming disturbingly blurry at times. Basking in Imae’s glow, Tomoko realizes that Imae is the sort of person others rave about when she’s not around. She gets the bright idea to secretly record the others in her homeroom on her phone while she’s gone, only to discover that they’re not even talking about her at all – again, it would almost be better if they were mocking her, because at least that way she’d know she exists. A wayward cockroach presents a seeming opportunity to make herself the center of attention, but after she (messily) kills the gokiburi the expected reign of adulation (which she imagines in unnerving detail) is instead shocked disgust. When Tomoko records her classmates this time they are talking about her at least, but it isn’t pretty.

If indeed “the first step is admitting you have a problem”, then Tomoko has at least taken it. If there’s anything that gives me hope for her despite knowing her terribly hard her road will be, it’s the fact that we’ve seen her display a genuine desire to change her life. Most of these attempts have ended in heartbreaking failure but at least she’s made them, and that is a kind of progress. Imae-chan seems to represent the most plausible lifeline for Tomoko – she’s kind, and seemingly quite aware that Tomoko has a serious problem. Tomoko senses this, and even convinces herself to ask Imae for advice on how to become the sort of person other people want to be around. Naturally this sequence is heartbreaking – Tomoko trying so hard to work up the courage to ask for help from someone who could actually provide it (I was yelling exhortations at the screen while this was happening) – and ends in disaster, when a freak gust of wind exposes Imae’s panties and Tomoko freaks out and bolts. But Imae has noticed the strange girl, yet again, and there seems reason to hope she’s not just going to let it lie.

I’ve been effusive in my praise of Kitta Izumi for her performance as Tomoko – and with good reason, as it’s IMO the best female seiyuu performance of the year so far – but probably not enough in praising Shin Oonuma for his direction. Episode 11 was full of great examples (such as Yuu-chan walking away into the light with her friends, as Tomoko waved to her from the darkness) and the segue into the OP was one of the cleverest moments in any anime this year. The pre-ending sequence this week (again using the OP) is another fantastically creative effort – Tomoko fleeing from her universe in a tunnel of light as her past seems to claw at her hungrily. Yes, some of these effects are taken from the manga – but Shin has really brought them to life beautifully here. I think Watamote is an extremely tough manga to bring to the screen – so much of it takes place inside Tomoko’s tortured mind after all – and Shin has perfectly captured the manic and lonely nature of that place. I haven’t been a fan of much of his recent work, but for me this show is unquestionably Shin’s finest effort as a director.

There’s no redemption here at the end of all things – yes Tomoko laughs, but it has the feeling of whistling through the graveyard. We end as we began, with Tomoko’s monitor displaying the “Definition of an Unpopular Girl“, and she certainly meets it. “It doesn’t matter” she tells us – and as much as I’d like to believe that was true, I can’t bring myself to do so. It certainly does matter when you’re 15 years old and have no friends at school, and every day is a minefield full of potential social disasters so terrifying that they can make another repeat of the cycle of loneliness feel like a relief. Tomoko’s greatest enemy has always been herself, but at least now she seems to be aware of that fact. It’s not much hope to hang your hat on, but if you don’t have a hook a rusty nail will have to do.

I said way back in my Episode 1 post that I wasn’t sure, for all the brilliance I saw on display, that I would actually enjoy Watamote. In the end I most certainly did, even if watching it was one of the more painful experiences I’ve had with any anime. I enjoyed it not just for the spectacular comic successes (this week’s Another parody was one of the very best) but because no matter how gut-wrenching it was, it was impossible not to enjoy experiencing anime this honest, insightful and emotionally powerful. I’ve talked at length about the “code” the authors of Watamote use, the hidden language that those with severe social anxiety disorders and those who love them recognized immediately and often. I can say with certainty that, as someone who grew up experiencing this in my immediate family, I’ve never seen a more accurate depiction of the experience. Even the absurd moments in the series are anchored in the truth, and the entire thing feels almost shockingly real.

No question, Tomoko is a remarkable creation – whatever percentage of her is the artist, what percentage the writer and what comes from other sources, the final product is the breakout anime character of the year. There are times when I hated Tomoko, but ultimately she’s someone I came to care about as much as I have any character in a long time – I know her too well to hate her for long. As far as I’m concerned Tomoko is the most moe character in anime right now, because she comes closest to the definition of the term as I first learned of it, before it became a generic descriptor for every sickeningly cute little girl created to sell light-novels and Blu-rays. For all her horniness and selfishness and delusions of grandeur, I can’t see Tomoko as anything but a lost little girl – someone who wants to be happy but can’t figure out how to do it.

As she gets older the fantasy world that sustains Tomoko becomes harder to maintain and the overgrown tomboy she is becomes even less socially viable (it’s hardly a surprise that she seems to feel most comfortable around boys younger than she is, because that’s what she acts like a good chunk of the time) and that happiness seems ever-more elusive. If I had to sum up Watamote in one word it’d probably be “heartbreaking” because it’s the moments where Tomoko confronts her loneliness head-on that I remember the most distinctly. I want to end on a high note, but I don’t think it would be any more honest for me to do so than the series itself – in reality Watamote is a dark ride, full of uncomfortable moments only somewhat leavened by the true gallows humor. But it’s a ride I’ll never forget, one that made me feel more deeply than the overwhelming majority of anime I’ve seen. It’s a series that has something important to say and says it brilliantly, and that combination makes it one of the best anime of 2013.

「一寸待て 慣れと油断が 命取り」 (Chotto Mate Nare to Yudan ga Inochitori)
“Hold On A Second, Familiarity and Carelessness Can Be Fatal”

Let’s get this date on the road!

Personally, I found this episode to be both very sweet and slightly infuriating. There are some things, particularly on the part of Chihaya, which I found somewhat irritating, and others (on her part as well) that were downright adorable; of course, the entire episode doesn’t focus on Chihaya, but that doesn’t change how she colored some of what should have been the lovelier moments of the long-awaited date.

What Makes A Good Partner?

Perhaps what annoyed me most was Chihaya’s attitude toward dating and toward Ichimiya. Clearly we know by now that her image of a good boyfriend is somewhat romanticized, and that she’s frustrated that Ichimiya won’t get the hints about what she feels is wrong about the relationship. But I find this to be flawed as well; as airheaded and naive as Ichimiya can be, is it really so hard for Chihaya to open up and talk about what bothers her, rather than waiting for him to get the clues? And even more so, what’s this about “a good boyfriend knows how to treat a woman”? A good boyfriend is a good boyfriend, it’s not about how much he coddles or protects you as a girlfriend, just as being a good girlfriend isn’t someone who waits hand and foot on her boyfriend. Shouldn’t a relationship be about two people who love each other for who they are, rather than how close they come to your storybook romance ideal? I think Chihaya genuinely does love Ichimiya, and that she’s lonely because sometimes it looks like he doesn’t take their relationship as seriously (something I can definitely fault him with, but not one-sidedly), but I think in some ways, she’s missing the point. What she needs to do, more than anything, is sit down with Ichimiya and talk about what upsets her and why.

Cuteness Overload Alert

That being said, Chihaya is also the source of one of the cutest cuddly scenes I’ve seen in some time, which is especially amusing as it’s the aftermath of a failed attempt to coerce her slightly out-of-it boyfriend into sleeping with her. In addition, she’s also the person behind Lucy’s lovely one piece for her date with Hasebe, though this also bothers me a bit; if Lucy doesn’t want to wear a skirt, why does everyone feel the need to coerce her into doing so? But regardless, she does end up looking very nice and the date itself is quite the shipping fest for those of us with vested interest in Lucy and Hasebe’s relationship. Hasebe seems to be quite at the end of his rope when it comes to Lucy, to be honest, and I would find it very pitiable indeed if he did not succeed in getting through to Lucy somewhat. So seeing their date come together fairly well, despite that fact that it’s cut short, is quite smile inducing, whatever else didn’t sit quite so well with me this episode.

The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For…

Yes, I’m pretty sure nearly every single one of you saw it coming; we all knew it was Hasebe’s father who was responsible for Lucy’s name since episode one, and we were all just waiting for the moment to come when it would be revealed, if indeed it ever would. As amusing as that is for us, however, this really sucks for Hasebe. Lucy’s name complex is definitely severe enough that she tends to attach some of her self worth to it, and it has a huge impact on her confidence in dating at all. Add to that the fact that Hasebe is directly related to her life’s suffering and you have a huge conundrum; will she be able to overcome the history and hatred of her name and allow that spark of attraction she’s finally found to grow into a genuine and obvious interest in Hasebe? Or will poor Hasebe continue to suffer for his easygoing life?

Apologies, I had a test today so was unable to finish the post before the weekend was over.

End Card

「Dearests」

This episode was really, really exciting. It’s close matches between heated rivals like this one that make sports anime so much fun!

Rena Shut Down

I cannot adequately describe the relish with which I enjoyed watching Rena get owned. People like her, who complain that something “isn’t fun” just because they’re losing, deserve a smack upside the head. She’s the kind of person who has never really had to try at anything in her (short) life, and she uses disinterest as a defense mechanism. From the standpoint of my marginally longer life, I can tell you how dearly wrong this is. Hard work makes a victory all the better – if you can manage to obtain it.

If I had to critique something, it’s that Rena learned her lesson and integrated with the team awfully quickly. This is one of those departures from reality that I’m fine with though. Sure, it’s not realistic, but if I wanted realism I’d go watch actual basketball. Rena becoming a (partial) team player amped up the tension as Keishin had to face not only Chibi Ribbon and three 6th graders, but Rena and Aya too. A break from reality, yes, but as I’ve said before, realism in fiction is overrated.

Maho Down, 5th Graders Rising

I enjoyed how Subaru’s plan was to exploit Rena’s ball hog tendencies into forcing fouls. Or perhaps that was an unintended side effect – stolen balls and missed shots would have likely been fine too – but being in foul trouble rendered Rena completely unable to guard Tomoka (as if she ever had a chance). I nearly exclaimed aloud when Rena’s last foul ended up injuring Maho though. You injured Maho! You bastard!

It did lead to one of several amazing moments of this episode. Maho was itching to get back in the game, and none other than TsubaHii calls her out for not trusting her teammates. The twins finally beat Maho, in the best way they possibly could – by being team players and dragging her back to her senses when she got lost in the heat of the moment. Also, HNNNNNNG. You’re so greedy Maho, taking both twins for yourself. You need to learn to share.

Maho’s injury did open up a great opportunity though – to finally see the 5th and 6th graders mixing on the court. Between that, the uniforms, and the fact that everyone was cheering as their teammates played, the girls of Keishin are finally a real team.

The Crowd Goes Wild!

Some of the skills these girls exhibited was totally nuts. Rena being able to copy Mimi’s move after seeing it once stretched my suspension of disbelief, and her alley-oop was nearly as unbelievable. Most of the rest of it was just solid good play though, from Hina ducking under the competition to Aya getting up in everybody’s faces and rebounding like a pro.

The moment I loved the most, though – actually it was one of the two best scenes of the episode – was Tomoka’s floater. As soon as she announced the shot she was going to take and Subaru stood up and cheered her on, I literally raised my hands in the air and exclaimed aloud. That’s good foreshadowing! That’s great storytelling! That’s damn exciting basketball, woohoo!!

Buzzer Beater

Many people doubt this show because they think it’s fanservice for lolicons, but as I’ve said many times, it’s actually a good sports anime, and just a damn good story at the end of the day. One hallmark of good storytelling is building up characters slowly over time, and foreshadowing something far before it happens. How many of you, going into the last scene, were consciously waiting for Saki to take the final shot? As soon as they flashed back to the last shot she missed against Suzuridani last season, I instantly remembered it, but up until then I didn’t expect it. Then Masami passed the ball behind her back to Saki, and I knew what was coming.

I doubted it, I’ll admit. I knew she was probably going to sink it, that that’s what was “supposed” to happen, but like good storytellers the studio only gave me a little time to think about it – barely over a minute – so I didn’t have the time to think about it totally rationally. What if they subverted expectations? What if she missed and they lost it after all? But no, Saki shot and Saki scored, and the crowd erupted once again – and by the crowd, I mean I literally cheered aloud. On to overtime, fuck yeah!

Looking Ahead – Overtime

With only one episode left, I honestly don’t know what will happen. Keishin will probably win, but since we won’t be able to see the rest of the tournament, they could just as easily lose. (Or perhaps the rest of the tournament will be saved for a hypothetical season 3.) What I do know is that if they keep up the excitement they showed us this episode, it will be one of the finales I’ll be looking forward to the most.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Rena shutdown, Maho injured, the girls came together, Tomoka flew, & Saki sunk the shot to extend the game. & the crowd goes wild! #rokyubu

Random thoughts:

• It bears repeating that Aya is a great character for all of her growth, and for how she called Rena out for the coward she was being.
• Maho x TsubaHii, sittin’ in a tree, h-u-g-g-i-n-g. Wait, what did you think I was going to say?

For more from yours truly, check out my blog on writing, art, and the book I’m working on at stiltsoutloud.com.

Preview

Manga

You’ve seen the fall preview, so now it’s time to tell you what we plan to cover for the coming season. This is Random Curiosity’s Fall 2013 blogging schedule.

As always, this is a tentative overview of our plans for the new season. We’ll also be doing introductory posts on many of the shows we’re not covering, so if something catches our eyes, things will be shifted around to accommodate. The schedule will be updated to reflect any changes.

The first thing you may notice is HOLY HECK BUSY THURSDAYS! Seriously, Thursdays are going to be a great day for anime this season, and super busy for the RandomC front page, so be sure to check back in frequently to see what new posts have popped up.

Next, in our ongoing quest to keep you guys as up to date on RandomC happenings as possible, we thought we’d tell you about something that has been kicking around the interwebs for a while now – the official Random Curiosity twitter account, @RandomC_Blog! Here you’ll be able to find:

1. Automatic alerts whenever a new post goes out.
2. Messages from the writers if any posts are going to be published later than normal.
3. Messages from our system and/or tech people if the site is experiencing any technical problems.

Follow us or bookmark @RandomC_Blog if you’d like the most up-to-date news on Random Curiosity.

Following from last season, we’re still trying to put an emphasis on consistency, so whenever there’s a show that’s going to be consistently posted outside of our as-fast-as-we-can-get-it-out-there timeframe, we’ll make mention of it here.

• Due to RL priorities Zephyr is going to be busy during the weekdays, so expect Kill la Kill to occasionally be posted as late as Saturday night EDT.

That’s all I’ve got for now, gentleman and gentleladies. Those are our plans for fall 2013. I hope you’ll continue reading our posts as we bring this year to a close.

9/25: Surprise surprise! Hunter x Hunter has moved to a new Tuesday night time slot. Thanks for the catch, readers.
10/14: Magical fantasy, interdimensional politics, and a moe meido and tsundere loli? I can’t help myself; Stilts will be covering Outbreak Company. Look at those Thursdays–c-c-c-combo!
10/19: I don’t have a clever comment for this one. It’s a sci-fi show, and Zephy is involved. Expected to the point of cliche? Maybe. But hey, explosions! Zephyr will now be blogging Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio ~Ars Nova~.
10/23: Due to various reasons, Zephyr has dropped coverage of Coppelion.
10/25: Due to a wonderful (but time-consuming) new RL opportunity, Seishun’s blogging time has been seriously curtailed. His coverage of the One Piece and FAIRY TAIL manga will stop, effective immediately.
10/26: M! Zephyr is an M because he can’t blog less than three shows! Zephyr has picked up coverage of Strike the Blood.

OP3 Sequence

OP3: 「もうそう♡えくすぷれす」 (Mousou <3 Ekusupuresu) by 千石撫子 CV: 花澤香菜 (Sengoku Nadeko CV: Hanezawa Kana)

「なでこメドゥーサ其ノ壹」 (Nadeko Meduusa So No Ichi)
“Nadeko Medsua Part One”

Quick disclaimer – this is not a double post. Last week’s episode was another recap episode detailing what had already happened to Sengoku and due to a stressful week I decided not to cover it. But seeing how SHAFT still numbers the recap episodes, I thought it would be smart to keep things accurate. More after the jump!

So after the end of Hachikuji’s amazing arc, I wasn’t sure if SHAFT would be able to impress me with whatever offerings it had this week. I mean, when you have both a grown up Hachikuji and sexy full sized Shinobu in the same arc how are you supposed to top that? But somehow, through a colorful combination of an overpowered Medusa inspired Sengoku and tons of Araragi’s blood just spraying everywhere, SHAFT did a great job of grabbing my attention.

I mean, for those of you who remember (or watched the recap episode) what kind of person Sengoku was, you really have to wonder just how screwed up things got to cause a transformation like that. And while I’m willing to bet her jealousy toward everyone around her beloved Senpai is one of the main ones, this first episode highlighted something really interesting. And while this may not be the correct interpretation of it, I saw it as Sengoku not necessarily viewing herself as the victim but rather realizing how she’s always waiting for someone to come save her — almost like a damsel in distress.

And it all started with Ougi. And as creepy as she is, she’s always carrying some sort of useful information whenever she shows up onscreen. And while her short talk with Sengoku didn’t elaborate on much, I can’t help but have this strange feeling that the talk in itself may be the catalyst for what we know is coming. And while that might be a bit of a stretch to believe, you can’t think it’s only a coincidence that Sengoku started seeing snakes only after her talk with Ougi.

With a lot more to see, I can honestly say that I’m really excited for whatever is in store for us down the road. Because seeing how there’s going to be an all out battle between Sengoku and her beloved Araragi-oniichan, I really want to see the series of events that led her down this path. Because even though we’ve seen the countless times where emotions beat out the temptations related to these aberrations, I wonder if this could be the first time that the aberration wins out?

ED2 Sequence

ED2: 「その声を覚えてる」 (So no Koe wo Oboeteru) by 河野マリナ (Kawano Marina)

End Card

The cat or should I say the dragon is out of the bag – it appears that the Eternal Flame is a sentient being and his identity is none other than Natsu’s old pal, Atlas Flame! I’ll be perfectly honest – I didn’t see the latest revelation coming and kudos to those of you who managed to figure this out way before the actual unveiling. A handful of subtle hints were sprinkled throughout the last few chapters – and I’m sure there are many sharp minds out there who were quick enough to make such a connection. For starters, the mysterious voice that Natsu heard is one that he seemingly recognizes, and this is hardly be the first time we’ve seen a dragonish motif in Fairy Tail – after all, dragons and the mysteries that surround them are at the very core of this series. I readily admit, I consider myself to be somewhat of a dragon otaku – Fairy Tail has featured a number of prominent ones, and their on-and-off appearances have always been marked with a sense of splendor, adventure and magnificence. Zirconis is for certain my absolute favorite – the ecchi Jade dragon will always have a special place in my heart, but there’s no denying that Atlas Flame has also made quite an impression. He was the one dragon who sided with the humans in their last confrontation, giving Natsu a fair fighting chance and bringing about his ultimate victory against future-Rogue. “It’s been 400 years, son of Igneel” – it’s not entirely clear what remains of Atlas Flame after four whole centuries and if he is anything more than a mere spiritual presence at this stage. The Eternal Flame will most likely shed some light on the mysteries at hand, giving us an insight into what happened at Taiyo Village. Some form of answers would most certainly be welcome – I’m sure it’s going to make life easier for Fairy Tail’s mission and most importantly, it should bring a smile to Flare’s saddened face as well.

Speaking of Flare Corona, I’m probably not the only one who’s slightly disgruntled by the lack of any yandere outburst – I have fully expected her to throw an ugly tantrum, perhaps even setting out on a glorious catfight with Lucy! Clearly, none of that has happened and it appears I have allowed my imagination to run a little bit too wild yet again. Flare remained her meek and subdued self – a stark contrast to the bombast and extravaganza that Natsu so patently embodies! Natsu is a bona fide badass and there’s no shortage of bravura when he’s all caught up in a grand battle. This chapter was full of action-packed thrills – a magnificent Fire Dragon Slayer combo, both Karyuu no Kouen and Guren Bakuenjin, that not only defeated the one-eyed winged demon, but also brought the fading Eternal Flame back to life. Natsu’s rampage of attacks was quite a revelry to say the least – and for a moment, I thought he was going to destroy the entire fire altar, putting out the flame instead of reviving it. The emergence of a dragon should propel the story and its exposition to a whole new level – consider my interest piqued, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead, especially when it comes to Atlas Flame and the many secrets that he is about to reveal.

Random tidbits:

• She got her pantsu back, Erza is fully requipped! – I admit I’m somewhat disappointed! Her no-pantsu glory will be missed.
• Another week, another grand display of Lucy’s ass! – Still delicious, Mmmhmmm…
• The yandere in Flare is nowhere to be seen – I hope, at the very least, she still has a stalker in her!
• “Hell yeah, I’ve got this one!” – Natsu is such a badass, though not quite as badass as a certain Fallen Angel.
• An attack that is reminiscent of Dragon Ball’s Renzoku Kikoudan – Pretty neat, if I may say so.
• Fire Dragon’s Brilliant Flame, version Hulk Smash!
• Our Laxus, a potential candidate for the Ten Wizard Saint – Why the hell not? Please make it happen, Mashima sensei!
• Shameless Plug – I’ve just hit my 100^th post for Random Curiosity this week. It feels like it was just yesterday when I made my first anime post, completed my first series and introduced myself to everyone. The journey wouldn’t be as fun or as memorable without my readers – your support and your many comments are what keeps all of us going! I love you guys and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for making this experience such a great one. Domo arigatou gozaimashita!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – #FairyTail 352: The cat or should I say the dragon is out of the bag! The emergence of an old friend & the missing yandere #Manga
 

「運命の選択」 (Unmei no Sentaku)
“Choosing Your Destiny”

I feel like I’m watching a master’s class in how not to do it.

Give In To Despair

So Cerebrum wants to mate with Akari. My initial reaction: ew. My reaction after thinking about it for a while: still ew. In all seriousness, I don’t know what to say about this – up until this point Cerebrum was the only character acting somewhat intelligently, but now he’s pulled from macguffin (trope!) out of nowhere and wants something that was, at best, only foreshadowed last episode. So that’s just badly done.

More than that, this episode showed how bad of a protagonist Akari is. Not only because either Seira or Luna would have been much better ones – they both got some character development, and Luna in particular would have made for a more interesting (if slightly Shinji-ish) story – but also because Akari is so passive. The first time around the dream thing she didn’t even try to save Fuyuna! She just hid under the covers until Fuyuna came a-knocking to get torched. And then there’s her fatal flaw, which boils down to “she cares too much”. That sounds like a clichéd joke interview question. “I care too much, I try too hard, and I’m too dependable.” Get out of here, no one can relate to that.

And seriously, will someone tell me why everybody instantly believes whatever Cerebrum says? He’s the evil murderous antagonist fer crissakes! With brains like these, they all deserve to die.

Why Is Any Of This Happening?

The Luna vs Seira fight came to nothing. They fought for a little bit, it looked like it would be important, and then they just stopped and were all okay. What was the point in them having fought? The story would have been precisely the same if Seira never went to see wolf-Luna, and we would have been spared the extra angst. Their little face-off was clearly thrown in to amp up the tension at the end of last episode, but it ended up being drama without point, purpose, or payoff. It was a waste of time.

For that matter, Ginka’s death was apparently the same. She comes roaring back just in time to save the day without a reason given. How would the story have appreciably changed if Ginka hadn’t gotten “killed”? She could have just been really banged up for a few episodes like the other two and it would have been all the same, except without all the extra (and ultimately pointless) drama. This too, was a waste of time.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, what’s the point of all of this? So many things happen that could have been easily cut, without even the argument of their being funny/touching/exciting/sexy to justify they’re existence. Scenes and plotpoints like these are just wastes of our time.

I Feel Nothing

I have come to like Luna as one of the few genuinely flawed and relatable characters in this series. What she was saved from a stabby death at Seira’s hands, I should have been happy. I was not. I felt like a huge opportunity had been missed, and not even Luna’s character development could make up for it.

Ginka was always my favorite of the main four because she was the one who acted the most like I felt I would in their situation, but when she reappeared I felt nothing. They made death in this world cheap without so much as an explanation, and they didn’t even have the decency to back it up with a dramatic sudden reversal or a great soundtrack.

I think many people want to get invested in a good story, to let themselves be pulled in and really experience the tale like they’re a part of it. I know I wanted to with Gen’ei. Unfortunately they screwed up so many times that I feel nothing when great reveals or tumultuous scenes happen, save for cold, dispassionate analysis so I have something to write to all of you. Probably a bad sign, that.

Looking Ahead – Let’s Get This Over With

For those of you still enjoying this series, I apologize if my rants diminish your enjoyment. For a storyteller like me, shows like this are an opportunity to learn what not to do, of which AIC is giving me a wealth of lessons. I’ll be back to my normal, non-ranty ways after one more episode.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Luna & Seira’s fight was pointless, Akari is a bad protag, & Ginka is okay b/c reasons. Someone’s gunna get fired for this show #geneitaiyou

Random thoughts:

• Why was Etia answering the phone like she owns the place when it’s someone else’s house?
• So Cerebrum’s plan is that she’s going to give up because it’s too emotionally painful? What is this, Star Wars Ep3? GAH!
• Did you catch how Seira said “the four of us” when they were flying? Even she didn’t think Ginka was going to stay dead.
• Sorry, this isn’t Star Wars, it’s Lord of the Rings. The Ents are marching!

For more from yours truly, check out my blog on writing, art, and the book I’m working on at stiltsoutloud.com.

Preview

「三年四組III」 (San-nen Shikumi)
“Class 3-4 III”

Wait, so Dee isn’t really dead, or is she? If Alis saved her, then why did she assume a ghost form when entering the real world? If so, then why does Alis get to keep a corporeal form? Is it because the wish causes them to materialize in the form that they believe is reality? So does that mean the Deus ex Machina at the end mean that people can wish hard enough to bring people back from the dead, even if they’ve been buried? WHAT!?

Unfortunately Kaminai has fallen prey to what I suspect is a hastily done anime-original ending, where contradictions are ignored for the sake of closure. Someone in the department thought that people wouldn’t like it if Alis just died honorably, so they decided to create these flaming hoops for the story to jump through in order to keep Alis alive at the very end. I’m deeply saddened that the story took this turn, because what was ending up being a quite good arc just got horribly butchered in the end. It’s hard for me to say what could’ve even happened for the arc to end cleanly, because this whole episode did a 180 on the logic behind everything being built up so far.

Alright, so it’s understandable that Dee fell into a pit of despair, wanting to effectively kill her current self to free herself from the pain, as well as resetting everyone else with her. It’s understandable that her sadness at that moment lead her to psychologically torture her fellow classmates as they re-enacted what was believed to be the truth at that time. What’s there to lose if Dee has lost the one person she can anchor herself to? However, from here on out, things get weird really fast. It’s unclear if Dee actually died or not with Alis’ efforts considered, as well as why the entire class had two layers of deception applied to them. What made these chains of events happen? It’s understandable if Dee actually died why they would revert their memories to supress it, but why replace Alis’ death with Dee’s death? What purpose did this serve to fulfill their wish?

It’s all such a sloppy mess that it hurts that this show is probably not receiving a second season. No one will get the chance to repair the damages done with a second season especially considering how badly paced most of the show was. The award-winning source material this was based on has been completely lost in the omission of details and the inadequate execution of key events. Kaminai tried hard to create an emotional journey, but this journey fell flat for almost every arc except perhaps the first.

Final Impressions:

Beautiful backgrounds. That is what the take-home positive for Kaminai is. With a gentle yet detailed style to it, the background artists always outdid themselves in every single episode. Whether it was highlighting the day and night of Ortus, the deepening despair of the dream world, or even the sunset that accompanies many grave scenes, these artists always did a wonderful job. It’s wasted potential really, as such backgrounds are much more deserving of a more evocative story that utilizes these scenes to full effect. Not often is it that background art is pointed out in an anime due to its well, background role, but the fact that this was the most well-executed part of this show brought it to the foreground.

Aside from the art, the themes of morality and the ways gone about it helped define the show story-wise. Ai’s constant doubt of her goals in life as well as her perceptions of life and death, those were the most compelling parts of the storytelling. Nothing in Kaminai was ever set in stone, and that constant sense of destroying and rebuilding one’s perceptions of the outside world was refreshing. It’s easy to create a protagonist who’s sheer will towards one goal is unshakable, but it’s a welcome challenge when that character instead has to actually search for the right answer they’re looking for. For Ai, it’s always been her goal to save the world from a post-divine end, but it is what that exactly entails and how she should go about it is the constant question that haunts her. As soon as she believes to have found a solution, the story provides a moral dilemma that challenges her view. Ortus was an excellent example of this, where there was no real antagonist to the story, only beings trying to find their new purpose in life. Ai thought she had to save those being killed, but after seeing their willingness and the alternatives they had, it wasn’t so easy to condemn Ortus for enforcing their rules. This sort of self-struggle continued throughout the show, but sadly lost focus when the arc stories themselves took the lead, leaving Ai’s thoughts unsaid to the audience.

If only everything else stayed at an acceptable level, the above two elements would’ve been enough to make this a good, even great show to watch. However, with all of its plot holes, sudden plot twists and additions, faulty pacing issues, and of course the ending, Kaminai is at best a show that’s for the hardcore fantasy watcher. It had potential to explore the dilemma of forming new moralities in the wake of a radically changed world, but instead weak plots and unsatisfactory character development diluted that potential greatly. Kaminai overall hasn’t been too flawed to be unwatchable, but it definitely is not one that stands out too great. It was a struggle to find words to speak on certain weak episodes, but overall, the experience has been satisfying to blog (especially in capping those beautiful sceneries). Thanks dear reader for following thus far, and I hope to see you guys again next season!

「偽叡山電車」 (Nise Eizan Densha)
“The Fake Eizan Electric Railway”

I’m safe in saying this is the most exciting and hilarious episode ever, right? We’ve got trains that are ramming cars and leaving people in disbelief, Raijin Fans that are used to hilariously overpowered effect, and of course professor Akadama flailing around like the semi-crazy sensei he is. I was afraid that this was going to be the end of the arc when those credits started rolling, but P.A. Works isn’t done yet–there’s one more episode to close this slow-cooking plot once and for all! Conflict after conflict has arisen for the Shimogamo family, where one pops up just as soon as one is thought to be resolved. That chain is soon to end though, as the idiocy of the Eccentric Family will soon prevail…hopefully.

The way that the Shimogamo family gets their way is a treat to watch. Though overpowered and over-the-top, I would not claim that the Shimogamo family pulls off deus ex machina’s, but rather that they do the best they can in the face of panic. The sheer power of their abilities is mainly to reinforce their idiot nature, often to hilarious and beautifully animated effect. I knew it was coming, but when Yasaburou waved that fan to unintended effect, I had a hard time restraining my laughter lest I wake up my floor. It also helps that their powers aren’t an end-all to the plot, as there are antagonists who are steps ahead of them, not allowing themselves to be outwitted by a mere crashing train or a huge hurricane of wind. I know, some of us thought this was going to end with Yajirou saving everyone, but those pesky antagonists can pull out last-minute tricks, especially so close to the end. It all becomes a battle of subtle wits versus powerful idiot dedication, which creates this perfect blend of crazy comedy and overhanging drama that has become the signature of Uchouten Kazoku. While Benten gives us that coy smile indicating manipulation, we have Yashirou scared out of his mind to literally blow his elders away. Even towards the end do we get a ridiculous yet tense scenario where each of the three species in Kyoto–the Tanuki, the Friday Fellows, and Professor Akadama–all under one roof, being separated by only the thinnest of paper walls. It’s a clear setup for the best of both parties to clash together, all for the ultimate fate of one tanuki. I fully expect Soun to at least do something to save his former crush, and professor Akadama to come charging to save the day crazy old guy style.

It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye, but this has been a pleasing series to follow through to the end. Though it started off slow, all the pieces of character development have all started to fall together, where every action being played out has a previous development behind it. It all weaves so nicely together that I have to applaud the screenplay writers for pacing the show so well, all while making sure that we don’t exactly know what’s going to happen next. Last week people lamented about the preview spoiling the treat, but I’m sure not many expected the epic route that Yajirou was to take, much less through the air. I hope you guys are just as excited as I am to see this conclusion, because everyone under one roof is going to be the clash of the season!

Preview

「ゲキトウ×デ×ゲキメツ」
“Infiltration x And x Selection”

Hunter X Hunter is well on its way to developing the longest-ever list of people you really, really don’t want to piss off.

The eternal question of “which is the strongest Spider?” is one that’s surely been volleyballed about by H x H fans for well over a decade, and it’s one which for me is still hard to answer. A few things do seem clear, though, the first of them being that we really haven’t seen most of them use their full power, including in this skirmish with Zazan and her Chimera Ant splinter group. But they all, to a Spider, seem content to give their allegiance to Chrollo. And Kurapika managed to best Chrollo in their confrontation, so what does that say about him?

We have many centers of power in the Hunterverse. We have the Phantom Troupe, and of course the Hunters Association – another group we haven’t seen the best of yet, surely, and the Netero we’ve seen is by his own admission only half of what he was in his prime. We have the Zoldyck family and their assassin religion (which is basically what it is), and the best assessment we can make of them is having seen Zeno and Silva fight Chrollo to a draw (though there’s a sense that Chrollo held back for purposes of pirating their abilities, though it’s hard to say just how much, and just how much they held back themselves). We have Hisoka, both a Hunter and a faux Spider, who exists as a power center of one and again is someone whose true strength can barely be guessed at.

And then of course there’s the new kid on the block, the Chimera Ants. What’s abundantly clear here is that this particular offshoot was totally outmatched by the Phantom Troupe, though a couple of them actually had to show their Nen abilities in order to win. Of course this is nowhere near the peak of strength among the Chimera Ants – merely a group of rebels under the command of a aggrandizing mid-boss who saw herself as a Queen. But there are others among them who might give even the strongest among the other groups cabals for concern, and we’ll soon see just what the measure of their strength is. In the final analysis I think all of these centers of power have more in common than it first appears, which leads me to speculate on what might be the ultimate fate of the Chimera Ants when this arc is over. But that’s probably the subject for another post.

This episode certainly had plenty of nudity and near-nudity – Shizuku, Zazan, Feitan, even Gon & Killua. But the whole fixation with Pike’s anus was borderline disturbing. I think Togashi was indulging himself with some simple juvenile toilet humor here. While every member of the Troupe is unique, Shizuku isn’t one of those you sense might be the strongest – it’s not as though Pike is an especially powerful foe (though he’s pretty good) but he managed to give her quite a bit of trouble before she shed her clothes and finished him off. There was a good measure of irony in the way this fight ended – a self-proclaimed Spider defeating a hybrid spider by doing what spiders do their victims, sucking all the juices out of his body. On balance, the whole encounter was pretty darn gross.

The main event of this day, no question, was the confrontation between the strongest of this nest by far and quite possibly the strongest in this subset of the Phantom Troupe. Is it fair to say that about Feitan? It’s hard to know – but it would be fair to say that we’ve seen very few cases where anyone in the series unleashed an attack as terrifying as the one he used to finish off Zazan. The fact is that Kalluto was already stunned by how strong Feitan was, even without using his Nen – and this while bemoaning (supported by the other watching Spiders) that his skills were “rusty and dull”. It surely speaks to Zazan’s own strength that she managed to injure Feitan’s arm and eventually forced him to unleash his Nen and with it, the fires of Hell. She was pretty darn good.

The sight of the Spiders scampering away in fear is a definite first for Hunter X Hunter, but so they did as soon as Feitan responded to Phinks’ smartass offer to tag out by powering up. In the end Phinks literally picked up Kalluto and carried him to safety (loyalty to the fellow members of the Troupe again, I suppose) as “Pain Packer” was unleashed. Feitan has always seemed like the nastiest of the Spiders, but this attack felt like a pure embodiment of his rage and cruelty. Yamaguchi Kappei is obviously one of the all-time legends of the business, with a huge range, but his performance during this scene was surely one of his best. The soundtrack was spot-on, too. There may very well be stronger attacks among the Spiders, but this seems like the strongest that we’ve actually seen used.

Almost but not quite lost in the grandiosity of Feitan’s solar display is Kalluto’s internal monologue during the fight. At first it’s astonishment and dismay as he sees the gap in power between himself and Feitan (the non-Nen, rusty and slow Feitan). But then he shares the reason why he’s doing all this – to “get his brother back, no matter how many years it takes.” I take that to mean he’s on a mission for his mother, to whom he seemed especially close during the Zoldyck mini-arc, and this image does nothing to discourage that line of thought. It’s also an interesting picture because there are five siblings pictured here, including one facing away from the camera – a sibling with long hair, but dressed in boy’s clothing. Has Chekov’s gun been drawn from its holster?

In the aftermath of all this, it seems we have a new temporary leader of the Spiders, assuming they hold true to their bet. And in truth it’s Feitan who I would have expected to step into the role, anyway, though Phinks is the louder and more brash. It’s a grim and terrible scene at the nest after Zazan’s end, with the mutants she enslaved now free to beg for death – a death Phinks refuses to grant them with a “Fuck, no! I don’t do mercy killings.” In his way I think Phinks was being merciful here, allowing these tortured souls to die fighting – a kind of expression of the Spiders’ twisted honor code. There are some light moments to finish things off – Feitan and Shalnark teasing Phinks for crushing on Chrollo like a little girl, and the omake. which leaves in Ise Mariya cracking up as she loses to Han Megumi in a contest to say “Meleoron the Chameleon” three times fast. And next week, it’s back to the main event as Gon and Killua skinny-dip their way into East Gorteau, with 9 days left until their fated encounter with Neferpitou.

Preview

「トップ会談、はじまります！」 (Toppu Kaidan, Hajimarimasu!)
“The Top Conference Begins!”

“You’re really the best, buchou” – I fully concur in all conscience, no second-guessing and without the slightest tinge of reserve! I’ve struggled, time and time again, to figure out the one word that best encapsulates Rias as a character and it looks like Issei might have just given me the perfect answer to my long-time plight. “Saikou” – that’s the expression that I’ve been searching for all this while, nothing too fancy and hardly extravagant. It’s a simple remark that we have heard countless times and the one word that captures the very essence of Rias Gremory! But I have to admit, there is a real irony in such an assertion – Rias is a standout in many things, but she is not quite the preeminent of any defined merits. The crimson-haired princess is not as passionate or nearly as seductive as Akeno, she is not as dignified or as big of a joker as Xenovia, and she is clearly not as moe or as cuddly as Koneko, Asia or even Gasper. Rias has the whole shooting match going for her, both the good and the bad – she is definitely not above the pettiness of a green-eyed monster, and while Rias has a mind as sharp as a steel trap, there are times when she finds herself fraught with dubiety as well. Under the strictest scrutiny, Rias is far from your definition of a perfect girl – but she sure is the “saikou” of my eyes and as it turns out, Issei also shares my humble view. The wannabe Harem King loves Rias with all his heart and it’s not just because she’s a class-S stunner – in fact, it is what’s on the inside that counts, and Rias sempai’s unswerving benevolence has always been her strongest suit. Rias sees her peerage as more than mere servants and she cherishes every one of them like her own family – her compassion for Yuuto was more than evident in the first few episodes of Season Two and the same certainly rings true for Gasper as well!

The vampiric trap is most fortunate to have Rias as his King – or more specifically, he is very lucky to be part of Rias peerage, to be on the receiving end of such profound inspiration and love. Clearly, Gasper suffers from a rather severe case of inferiority complex – his existence is plagued by diffidence and trepidation, any form of self-esteem is pretty much non-existent. His Sacred Gear power has, more often than not, been dreaded and abhorred by his family and peers – and to make matters worse, his lack of control of this ability has been blatantly exploited by a group of terrorists, putting many of his loved ones in harm’s way. No doubt, it was Rias’ inexhaustible faith in Gasper that gave him the courage he needs – that, combined with Issei’s quick wits and his words of encouragement, has led to the emergence of Gasper’s inherent potential as a very powerful combatant. Color me surprise – Gasper is quite a badass, and he has a rather fascinating set of new capabilities to show off! Not only can he manifest himself as a flock of blood-sucking bats – his newfound power can also work in lock-step with the Forbidden Balor View, covering his blind spots and allowing him to time-freeze objects with pinpoint precision! But that’s hardly the most amazing part of this revelation – bromance is certainly in the air, as Issei and Gasper finally put their ecchi combo to work, a majestic “Dress Break” that strips his victims buck naked while they’re frozen in time!  “We’re invincible if we’re a team” – only a kosher mega-pervert like Issei can come up with such a diabolical idea and the entire feat was chockfull with great side-splitters and fanservice – though admittedly, there is an unsettling sense of necrophilia to it that I find somewhat distasteful! Issei is hardly the best role model, but you have got to hand it to the aspiring Harem King – he has his heart in the right place and Issei does genuinely care for Gasper’s well-being, a beautiful friendship that I’m sure is mutually agreeable from both ends!

Gasper and Issei have unquestionably proven their worth in the frontline, but make no mistake about it – their badassery is still leagues away from the real badass of this series. Azazel, the head honcho of the Fallen Angel, is perhaps the most charismatic persona that has graced our sights yet. Brimming with confidence and a magnetic charm, he is also an extremely powerful warrior, one who has shown little to no effort in holding his own against Katerea Leviathan (Sakurai Harumi) – a direct descendant of the original Satan and the key perpetrator of this extremist act. Surprisingly enough, Azazel’s character disposition is not nearly as intimidating as his gangsta appearance would suggest – he is a pacifist by nature, a major proponent of peace between the three factions. Azazel also has quite an acute mind and he was quick to exploit Issei’s prurient desires to get his own way. “If we declare peace, you can have sex with Rias all day and all night” – that must have sounded like music to Issei’s ears and you can be sure he’ll eat such a grand idea right up without giving it so much as a thought. The series has, more than once, hinted at a possible mentor-mentee kinship between Azazel and Issei. Evidently, the sekiryuutei doesn’t trust the Fallen Angel just yet, but there are signs that their relationship is slowly but surely warming up – especially since Azazel was kind enough to share his arsenal of gadgetries with the Devils. Azazel is not the only top dog who has proven to be somewhat of a surprise – Michael has also made his mark in this episode and he is definitely not quite as unreasonable as we once thought. The outrage that surrounds the Church is still fresh in our heads, whether it’s Xenovia’s exile, the Holy Sword Project or Asia’s dreaded banishment. But for better or worse, Michael has, at the very least, expressed great remorse for the various misfortunes – apparently, he has his hands tied and if Xenovia and Asia can find the heart to look past such atrocities, I’m happy to take his word for it as well. The fine line that separates good from evil has always been razor thin – there’s no clear-cut answer, and the formal introduction of the big wigs hasn’t made the distinction any more patent. Each of them has motives and allegiances of their own – that is true for the three big factions and the same political kernel certainly holds up for the Two Heavenly Dragons! An imminent showdown between the Nitenryuu is coming up next and there really is no better way to end this season – it’s bound to be a feast for the eyes, an epic clash that is surely going to blow our minds into smithereens!

Random tidbits:

• Sexual Positions 101 by Rias Gremory – Delicious, luscious and absolutely scrumptious! So flexible, so hot, the things I can make her do in bed…
• This… is sexy. That, however, is not sexy, not one bit – The frozen nudes look just like dead bodies to me. Sorry Issei, I’ll take a pass on this one.
• Snake-rape is the new tentacle-rape! – I’m probably the minority in this, but I find Katerea to be ridiculously hot! I have a soft spot for the naughty sensei type and she fits all the criteria to a tee! That megane and that chignon, Mmmmhmmm….
• “Gasper, show us how manly you can be!” – Is that even possible? He’s a trap! It’s already confusing enough as it is. Stop making it worse!
• Both Vali and Azazel are such badass – I wonder if Vali is as powerful of a combatant as the three top dogs. Something tells me Azazel might just be as big of a pervert as Issei.
• A loli and a trap hanging upside down! – Gasper and Koneko apparently share similar taste in their pantsu selection.
• Irina and her highly suggestive combat leotard are back in action – I still can’t make up my mind on who’s the better twin-tail. The Maou Shoujo or the frivolous baka?
• How time flies! – This post marks my 100^th contribution to Random Curiosity. It feels like it was just yesterday when I made my first anime post, completed my first series and introduced myself to everyone. The journey wouldn’t be as fun or as memorable without my readers – your support and your many comments are what keeps all of us going! I love you guys and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for making this experience such a great one. Domo arigatou gozaimashita!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – High School #DxD NEW 11: “I vote for peace, I want to make love to buchou, every day and every night!” – Tits and Peace has come full circle as Issei puts his grandest and most majestic Dress Break to work! #Anime
 
Full-length images: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 45.

Eyecatch & Preview

「慈悲 ―ストヘス区急襲②―」 (Jihi ―Sutohesu Ku Kyushu (2)―)
“Mercy ―Raid on the Stohess District (2)―”

The penultimate episode is upon us and what we start off with is a flashback to the past. In essence, Levi says it all:

“No one could’ve predicted that outcome.”

And it’s important not only because it emphasizes how theoretically no one was at fault for what happened out there and because it links in to how no one aside from Armin saw what we’re dealing with now either. But now that they’ve confirmed Annie to be the female Titan, both sides are officially risking everything and I wouldn’t have the first season of Shingeki ending any other way.

The problem? Eren still can’t accept it and he finds himself unable to transform as a result—giving us a repeat of the notion that it’s one thing to know what you need to do and what you should be doing, but another thing to accept it. In this respect, Eren demonstrates he’s still human by still having doubts and effectively being “hopeless optimistic” in how he believes in humanity and his friends, and admittedly, I quite admire this sentiment considering what he’s been through.

Sadly though, the Shingeki world’s a cruel one, and it’s one where there really is no place for the sentiment Eren holds. Whereas this belief and personality probably could’ve gotten him places in a normal world, it won’t get him anything here, and we see Eren finally giving up that “something” he needs in order to gain the power he wants and to change what he wants to change—in the form of his realization that there’s just no time to think about what’s right or wrong anymore. You fight because you have to and that’s all there is to it.

With that said, what this episode boils down to is the realization of what must be done to win a war whose scale eclipses one’s imagination, and it’s something that also shows itself in regards to how incompetent the military police are. Jean passing a bunch of shocked MP soldiers en-route to Eren and his realization of what it is he almost signed up for really makes this aspect of the episode shine, and the obvious increase in budget usage this episode took it from there. Suffice to say, the action aspects came back in a flurry this week, and it’s only fitting they’re accompanied by some darn great usage of Hiroyuki Sawano’s brilliant vocals to boot. It just goes to show how much of a difference a great soundtrack can make, and really, there just weren’t many series with soundtracks capable of challenging Shingeki’s soundtrack (soon to be soundtracks, as the second OST comes out on 10/16) this year.

Looking forward, the next week brings us the finale to the series that has effectively kick-started an entire cultural movement, and I don’t think we really needs words to describe the potential epicness that’s likely to come or the sadness one’ll get when realizing that it’s the last Shingeki episode we’ll get for a bit. Onward to next week!

Author’s Notes:

Per the usual, there’s a zero tolerance policy for spoilers that aren’t in spoiler tags or in response to a query.

Use your own discretion in regards to what you decide to speculate on. I won’t be requiring that spoiler tags be used, but note that if you don’t (or your speculation implies more than just that), viewers may down vote your comment to oblivion, and there would be nothing I can do to make your comment visible again. Also keep in mind that any speculation that seems beyond the scope of the word will be removed if deemed inappropriate or clearly based off the source material.

 

Preview