OP1.02 Sequence

「気絶するほど悩ましい」 (Kizetsu Suru Hodo Nayamashii)
“So Sexy She Might Pass Out”

The second episode of Kill la Kill is here and let’s just say it was just as dazzling as the first one. Because when you got Satsuki making the galaxy shine at will, a teacher as fabulous as this, a family as ridiculous as the Mankanshouku, and a tennis club led by someone like her, there ain’t no way it could be anything else.

With that said though, it’s not just all ridiculous over the top action this week, as we do get a bit more detail in regards to how the story looks like it’ll develop over the course of next few weeks. And it’s something that looks like it’ll revolve around Satsuki Kiryuin’s attempt to govern the world via the use of Goku Uniforms and the slow unveiling of the mysteries behind Matoi Isshin. Indeed, the latter ends up particularly notable considering that Senketsu seems to have been made by him as well, and it just hammers in how great of a partnership he and Ryuuko are in. Not only are they both seeking answers relating to the same person, they’re also both helping each other progress toward that end, and it’s a pretty great match point!—even if their partnership was formed by pure chance.

Still, not all’s working as well as those two are though, as we also get to see the obvious social stratification in the city this week as well. Considering the ranking system we have in the school, it’s not particularly surprising, but it’s definitely something still worth mentioning regardless—especially since they not only demonstrated this physically via their lodgings, but also discussed it in the dialogue, and highlighted it via the completely different attitudes the upper elite and the occupants of the slum have. Indeed, even the pacing of things even highlights the difference, as scenes go faster around the Mankanshouku family compared to the ones we get with Student Council—and it’s something that seems to emphasize the more structured nature of the latter versus the more chaotic lives the former have to live due to their circumstances.

With that said, the ultimate thing remains just how ridiculous the series has been overall. I mean, the over the top action scenes were already one thing, but the way they just go about things with Kill la Kill is just something you don’t see anywhere else. Even the way they do fan-service ain’t quite the same as other series, and that goes double fault for the sports in their universe. Indeed, it’s not everyday you have armed suppressions under the guise of inter-league matches, and I haven’t even gone into the craziness that are the Goku uniforms either. I mean, gosh darn, I want a tennis-spec athlete-augmentation something or whatever.

But yeah, there’s not much else that needs to be said to be honest. The screen caps and full lengths tell more than I could ever describe in words with this show, so I’ll leave you with that. Oh yeah, two last things: Sawano Hiroyuki rocks and Ryuuko really needs to know when to quit while she’s ahead, because otherwise all she’s gonna end up doing is constantly getting knocked out and picked up by shady guys. And I gotta say, I wouldn’t want to ever wake up with this in my face.

Full-length images: 02, 04, 16, 18, 21, 33.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「ごめんね、いいコじゃいられない。」 (Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai.) by 沢井美空 (Miku Sawai)

Preview

95 Comments

  1. I enjoyed this episode just as much as the first. Things were hilarious, especially Aizen teacher. Poor Ryuuko.

    Still, next week looks like Satsuki back-story, so we may finally be getting into the meat of the story.

    GoukaRyuu
  2. Despite over the top action and blatant sexiness of the fanservice, there is a nice commentary on how serafuku developed from military uniforms. To throw another stone to this garden of hidden wisdom, have you ever wondered why average class is platoon sized?
    Public school system has been developed to meet industrial revolution need for 1. workforce educated enough to read instructions for the machines; 2. conscripts with ability to use machines like erm, machine guns. In many countries nationalist indoctrination became a standard part of curriculum.

    ewok40k
    1. I find that her suit is more tasteful compared to overt use of boob jiggle and panty shots. Personally I find it more relating to the pulp fiction and heavily sexualized comic book series we have going on over here where everything (including the sexuality) is overboard. Definitely more than meets the eye to this than blatant fan service.

      I’m also intrigued by their choice of black and white to distinguish Ryuuko from Satsuki. Very much like Satsuki is the head of the idealistic order meant to purge chaos from the world which Ryuuko is trying to upset for personal reasons. A David versus Goliath scenario have you.

      Pancakes
  3. That SMEXY manservice…and that’s coming from a guy!

    Not as high octane action as the last, but so many other funny moments really make up for it. Like those 2 cats playing leap frog…right?

    Chimp
  4. I like this anime. I really do. That said, I have issues with that suit Ryuuko is using. I don’t like it. I think it shows too much skin that at some point in time you get turn off instead of turn on by the whole thing.

    I am also uncomfortable with the rape references. I don’t think I’m alone. I already accept the fact that this anime is not one I’m going to watch with a lot of people but can they at least tone down that part? Character development and over the top shounen themes was what made Gurren Langan good and I see those elements in Kill la Kill – but that doesn’t work as well if you have all those rape references in the background. The way I see it, those references doesn’t actually enhance the story – at worst it is preventing Kill la Kill from being truly enjoyed.

    I still like this anime and I’m still going to watch it. These are my opinions and take it as it is.

    TQ

    KF
    1. The fanservice strikes me as Trigger really just having fun and doing their thing. I normally hate blatant fanservice, but here it feels like it blends in perfectly with Trigger’s brand of doing whatever the hell they want. Opinions!

      As for the rape thing, any rape-related humor here is derived from the fact that rape /did not happen/. This is perfectly fine. It’s bad if humour is derived from the actual threat/act, but nothing of that sort happened here. So stop overreacting.

      Nitro
    2. Thanks for saying that KF. I would have liked to enjoy this but I’m gonna drop it. It’d be nice to watch a show where the female main character wears some sort of outfit and rape and sexual harassment aren’t seen as material for jokes/fanservice.

      j
      1. Dropping it right before watching the supposedly unbelievably mind-blowing third episode that aired in theaters today? Don’t tell me you’re not curious enough to hold out until then.

        introverte
    3. The fanservice and rape jokes are much like the show itself: Ridiculously over-the-top and absurd. It reaches the point where it becomes even less offensive and more funny.

      Should I find the faux-rape scene offensive? No, because Ryoko (comically) clocks the guy then mugs with her hilarious facial expressions then follows it with silly rapid-fire dialogue. Does the manservice scene offend my innate aversion to fujoishi? No, because its exaggerated with ridiculous poses, sparkles and accentuated (again) with Ryoko’s funny faces.

      The show clearly billed itself as ridiculous and over-the-top since the start but people still try to take it seriously. Lighten up already.

      fragb85
      1. While I agree with that…exactly what does the man-service have to do with Yaoi Fangirls? That’s saying like every time there’s female fan service its appealing towards guys that like yuri. A lot of girls like to drool over guys without having to pair him up with another dude.

        SDFGS
    4. Rape is never funny. And poking fun at almost-rape is just as bad. The uniform-rape in the first ep was enough, but after the additional reference in this ep, it’s just WTF. I’m trying to figure out why the creators would go in this direction. Disregarding the obvious fanservice, is there really a need to tear down a female protagonist in this way? Medaka was never the victim of implied rape, if I remember correctly. It only serves as a way to undermine the otherwise strength of the character by showing her vulnerable. I’d prefer they stuck with the action or focused on some actual character development instead.

      sato
      1. I agree with you. I could laugh at the fanservice and all, but the faux-rape scenes made me uncomfortable. I still enjoy the show though. Heck, it’s my favorite of the season! And I know that everything is so over-the-top that it’s not supposed to be taken seriously. However, some people just can’t handle it and it doesn’t make them wrong or make their opinions any less valid than anyone else’s. I hate that there appears to be a lot of people putting down those who are uncomfortable with the humor. Everyone brings different baggage with them that affects the way they view the show.

        Skaa
      2. I sort of agree with you and sort of disagree. I found the rape jokes there creepy and unfunny. But I don’t think that rape jokes and jokes about similar bad things are 100% automatically always bad and unfunny, even though more often than not they turn out badly. And while I have to wonder why the writers thought that putting Ryuuko in those situations was a good idea, and I think it’s totally legit to wonder whether the writers are being creepy about it given the trend in many stories of getting female main characters threatened with rape, I don’t think that Ryuuko being shown as vulnerable in some way is automatically bad either. She’s also got beaten up a bunch of times too. She comes over as a total badass in this series regardless. Being shown as vulnerable at times doesn’t mean a character can’t be strong. And, in regard to the rape references, it’s also realistic, since being mentally and physically strong in real life doesn’t mean that a person is invulnerable. Though I doubt the writers were thinking about that as anything more than a gag.

        Jay
    5. It’s okay to joke about killing and actually killing being done on-screen. However, rape jokes are completely forbidden because being raped is clearly worse than taking the life of another.

      Gotta love double standards in society.

      ViciousOne
    6. Question: did you have any issues with Ryuuko’s homeroom teacher and how he was oversexualized in this episode?

      As fragb85 pointed out, everything is absurd and over-the-top, including the manservice.

      Mormegil
      1. The thing is, Ryuuko doesn’t have a choice in whether or not she wears the skimpy outfit – and she clearly doesn’t want to and is embarrassed by it. The teacher was stripping by his own choice and appears to enjoy it.

        Skaa
      2. I tell it as it is. I like this anime and I’m still going to watch it – doesn’t stop me from expressing parts that make me uncomfortable. People can disagree with me and I can disagree with them and that’s fine – this is how the world is.

        TQ

        KF
      3. Skaa, would it be better if Ryuuko was completely unrealistically okay with wearing the outfit? The fact that she’s uncomfortable is a subversion. She’s aware what she’s wearing is ridiculous, but she knows it’s the only thing that can put her on the same level as the school goons. It’s a perfectly logical reason.

        Whether or not it’ll be executed well and continue to be logical remains to be seen.

        Da5id
      4. someone could realistically feel comfortable wearing that because they like how it makes them look and aren’t ashamed of revealing that much skin. is it seriously THAT hard to imagine a person like that? eerily close to slut shaming here bro.

        Bananarchy
      5. *Error Beep*

        Dont compare Anime Cloths with Real Life cloths. Because in RL they all would Die of embarrassment. The Purpose of these Anime Cloths are to be “Ecci” or in other word Eyecandy.

        But “Cosplay” is a other thing. You showing this i a close quarter. Not in Public

        Germanguy
    7. I’m sad at how much people are defending rape jokes. I’m still gonna watch the show, but the rape jokes and over-the-top/breaking-laws-of-physics fanservice outfit are going to prevent me from fully enjoying Kill-la-kill.

      GH
    8. that’s what i don’t get about all these defenders saying calm down or lighten up. we can’t help if we’re offended by parts of this show and it runs the risk of doing just that by trying to be as ridiculous as possible. if you can get completely behind that more power to you, but i’m curious as to why there seems to be this sect of the fandom that’s getting offended at people being offended by the show which doesn’t even begin to make sense to me. yes, i love most of this show but i was also offended by the rampant sexualization (even the smexualization) and the rapey territory the show’s flirting with in, what, the second episode already? it’s like we’re ruining people’s fun by not being completely on-board with everything this show does.

      Bananarchy
      1. It’s fairly easy to explain why a part of the fandom is irritated with the people who are offended by the show. It’s an emotional dissonance stemming from: “You don’t see it the way I see it, so you’re wrong and stop whining about it”!
        For me as a “defender”, it is difficult to realize why people are offended by the sexual content, while I find it funny. The majority of the issue isn’t with the joke, subject or the show, but with the personal experiences and personality of the viewer. If you want less polarization between the two groups, you have to explain WHY the rape part is offensive/unfunny to you, but that can be very personal. Statements like “rape isn’t funny”, “it is offensive”, “it is uncomfortable” are not enough to be accepted by the opposite side, even though it should be.

        I also think that if you are offended by the material, don’t think it’s funny and it significantly hinders your enjoyment, this show doesn’t suit your tastes and maybe you should drop it. The show’s content probably isn’t going to change, so only the viewer can change/tolerate the mindset about said issues.

        Sylpher
      2. I think it is because the show aims for the silly comedy and when people bring in real life issues and correlate it to what this show does, it just feels like the detractors don’t get the show. I think it’s fine to be turned off by sexual humor even though I love it. I just think it feels off the mark when people bring up the seriousness of some real level sexualization or equating rape jokes to ‘making fun of rape’ irks a lot of people because I don’t think we need to make some moralistic case for those who like risque humor. It goes without saying that what a person enjoys doesn’t mean they are bad people for liking risky content.

        It is not some intrinsic objective negative for a show to feature sexualization. To some people it is a positive. And to a few misguided people connecting anime to the real world especially in a moralistic sense, that is breaking the fourth wall of the media. Doing so is almost guaranteed to be uncomfortable especially correlation of real world injustice. That is really missing the point of enjoying a show that is highly satirical and over the top. Again, if one finds it uncomfortable, I can understand it. It’s just that connecting fantastical media to the real world never really works with me. Especially when many viewers love anime precisely because it is pure escapism.

        Shippoyasha
    9. Rape jokes are like poop jokes — they’re really only funny when you first find out about them, and haven’t actually grown up. Some comedians have the talent to make anything funny, but by and large, if a bunch of people are laughing at rape jokes, it’s not because of the comedic genius.

      I will grant, though, that Trigger doesn’t seem to be doing rape jokes for the sake of rape jokes, but rather as part of the gestalt describing the gross depravity of humanity in this world. Even without that, though, I just don’t find the show to be anything worth watching. It has too many things that trigger “mind-numbing brain-rot of American cartoons (MTV, Adult Swim, etc)” for me.

      David
  5. KLK <3
    another great episode. well, it's not surprising that for the next episodes we'll see "uniform of the week" until things will merge a bit more in terms of story and characters. no need to hurry cause it's 2cour. so I have no problem with that.
    I liked how the dynamics starts to bloom between Ryuuku and her uniform. it's not perfect yet and clearly they still can't handle with more than 1 opponent for a short period, but I guess it'll be more intense. it is being established well.
    in compare to ep01, I think the animation quality declined a bit. but never mind that, yet KLK has remained its unique animation and..simply its fun (:

    p.s
    I wonder if the first episode with boxing stuff was reference for Hajime no ippo..and let;s say 2nd episode was a reference for prince of tennis?if so…what will be up next LOL

    thedarktower
  6. One wonders why Ryouko even needs to save Mako every episode since Mako is clearly immortal. She has no super-power uniform and yet the amount of beating she gets and not give a f*** is amazing.

    fragb85
  7. This episode really addressed the one concern i had with the first episode; the tone felt too serious for a story as ridiculous as it was. I’d hoped that it was just to dial up the hook factor and it would start to have more fun by the second episode, and by god was I right. Kill la Kill is perfect now.

    Nitro
  8. So in order to draw blood, does the glove slit her wrist? Because that’s what it looks like.

    Pretty odd, but better than having to use needles, which is what she seems to be deathly afraid of.

    Anon
    1. But in the opening sequence, after she uses the glove (around 30 seconds into the sequence), you see a needle thingy next. Isn’t that how the glove works, or is it suppose to be completely unrelated?

      introverte
  9. The fanservice strikes me as Trigger really just having fun and doing their thing. I normally hate blatant fanservice, but here it feels like it blends in perfectly with Trigger’s brand of doing whatever the hell they want. Opinions!

    As for the rape thing, any rape-related humor here is derived from the fact that rape /did not happen/. This is perfectly fine. It’s bad if humour is derived from the actual threat/act, but nothing of that sort happened here. So stop overreacting.

    Nitro
  10. This is my favourite show this season. One of the few shows that I bothered to watch twice, not during meals.
    I think they blew most their budget onto the OP. The animation in it is so good, I did not realize that I have been repeatedly watching the OP for half an hour. Not to say that the actual episode has bad animation, its good, just not as much.
    Interesting topic brought up this episode. School uniforms are based on military uniforms. This might have to do with how Japan is a country that supports war(?). Thats what my history teacher said when she talked about Japan invading Malaya. Any other country that has school uniforms based on military uniform?
    One thing I found is that the design of her battle outfit looks different in the episode than in the op, which is the one I have been seeing in scans. I wonder if that has to do with the threads that it has been collecting after each fight.

  11. I am still hoping to see a full version of that Don’t Lose Your Way song that keeps popping up during the fight. That one I like the most. Hehehe..

    As for the transformation…… grandma’s teeth are SHARP 😀

    Radler
    1. Aye, I was expecting some flashy magical girl transformation, but oooh how they surprised me… That looked painful if you ask me. (And yes, I laughed hard, and I didn’t feel guilty about it XD)

      livid
  12. I love this show. Pretty much all I have to do is sit back in my chair, set the brain switch to off and just enjoy the ride.

    This show certainly isn’t going to win any best story awards or anything but sometimes trying to make an exemplary plot hinders one’s ability to enjoy something. When you bring attention to the plot, people want to judge and criticize whereas so far this show is clearly focused on the action and the unbelievably fast pacing of the scenes.

    I just wonder if we’ll see the story’s scale jump as big as Gurren Lagann since I highly doubt the show will be able to get 2 cours worth of material out of the current storyline.

    Kuntzy
  13. This episode bored me so hard I was actually in shock when it ended.

    Still, “Kill la Kill” is great to look at and it has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the two main characters Ryuuko-chwan and Satsuki-samaaaaaa!

    I get the feeling they’ve got a common enemy and may team up. Or maybe I’m just secretly hoping the creator’s quip about the tripe we’ve seen so far possibly becoming a character drama somewhere down the line wasn’t just Sandra Bullocks…

    Ryuuko’s suit didn’t get to me. Her outer tomboyish personality contrasting with how revealing the suit is was clearly intended to draw laughs (Ryuuko’s vulnerability was cute).
    Think Sister from “Arakawa Under the Bridge”. It’s supposed to be bizarre-funny (though in this case it was a miss on the humour front).

    I didn’t react very strongly to the rape-jokes (there were 3, I believe, the boys who found her, Mako’s dad and then teach). Another miss humour-wise is all I felt.

    However, all the people who say “everything can be funny, even rape”, “Oh, you laugh at death but not at rape? Double standards, much?” are just being insensitive bungholes (like the writer of the show).

    Comparing rape to the swift deaths you normally find in entertainment (and in some cases, even Real life), rape is clearly worse.

    Hey doofuses, imagine being held down by someone vastly stronger than you and having your asshole invaded against your will.

    Find that funny?

    Now, imagine living with that memory for the rest of your life, remembering the feeling of not being so powerless you’re unable to move, let alone escape, your assailant’s breath on your face because yup he’s a sadist and he wants you to look at him as he rams you, his taunts of “Squeal, piggy, I can’t get off if you don’t show me that you ain’t enjoying this!”

    You don’t have to be a rape victim, or even know a rape victim to know that rape isn’t a laughing matter. It just isn’t one.

    Just show a little sensitivity.

    Here’s hoping this show gets better.

    Satsuki-Sama
    1. Yeah, unfortunate the ED spoiled us, that there are 2 GodArmors. So, i bet on my Experience, that they will Team up in the End, and fight perhaps against their Parents, that are the real players in the Shadows… Well, the school is theirs or not?

      Germanguy
      1. and that their Suit, still have some “Powerup” in the Future for her. You just Noticed these “bigger Eyebrows” in the OP? But not current Armor? So yeah, the ED spoiled a Lot

        Germanguy
      2. Well, then. That sounds like the show just may decide to leave non-consensual sex-acts alone and go some interesting places in the future.

        The preview at the end gave me quite a bit of hope, anyway, seeing as the next episode is delving into Satsuki’s past so early into its run.

        No, that’s not right: the moment Satsuki came down to fight Ryuuko I thought “Oh good, Ryuuko won’t be fighting a new lackey every week”.

        It’s strange: the show is doing things we’ve seen a million times over and also doing new things at the same time.

        My God, you’re observant, Germanguy. But then again, I’m an impatient little goat that doesn’t watch OPs or EDs of anime (the high-pitched singer and overly pop music it just… it gets to me).

        Satsuki-Sama
      3. Yeah, sometimes the OP or ED are full of Spoilers for the Entire Anime. Remember MJP? These Mirror’s of the Enemy Generals? Next Step would been, to end their Human counterparts on the Top. But lucky, they stopped… so Curiosity stayed strong.

        ..and i saw perhaps to many Animes. All kind of clinches, and perhaps that my “Spoiler” with the Years

        Germanguy
    2. So basically you’re saying that some people will not find some things funny because of personal experiences.

      NO SHIT. That doesn’t mean the situation can’t be made funny IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SITUATION ON SCREEN.

      To say “x cannot be made funny” only gives that topic more power over the victim. Also victims do not all react to events that occur to them the same way, and to box them all into one category of reaction only forces them to face their victimization when sometimes they’d rather just carry on. I’m a cancer survivor and Jewish and I will laugh at any joke regarding either of those subjects REQUIRED THAT IT IS FUNNY BY MY STANDARDS OF HUMOR.

      So, if you don’t think the rape jokes were funny, that’s fine. But judge them by the execution, not the subject.

      Da5id
      1. That’s great that you can laugh at those jokes despite your past, but guess what? Some people are more sensitive than you and just can’t handle it! And hey, there is nothing wrong with that. However, people are harping on others and acting like it’s a fucking crime to *gasp* not like a rape joke, even if they liked literally everything else about the show.

        Skaa
      2. Well, if we’re going for strawman extremes as legitimate examples, then maybe their oversensitivity is making them think that people are acting like it’s a crime for them to not like the joke.

        Da5id
      3. No, no, no…

        I’m saying that personal experience or not, all it takes is a little imagination to realize that some things – in this case, rape – are quite delicate matters.

        Hence my scenario.

        I haven’t been raped before. Neither do I know anyone who has.

        But the thought of being beaten into submission, held down and fucked up my ass against my will (because, yeah, most rapists are gentle and their acts have NOTHING to do with having power over someone else through humiliation), whether or not I get violent retribution in the end, is enough for me, personally, to know that, “Hey, the guy who made this joke doesn’t think deeply enough” (neither do the people who find it funny IMHO).

        Satsuki-sama
  14. PS.

    The soundtrack of this show is fuggin awesome.

    I hear it’s by the same guy that did Shingeki no Kyojin’s.

    What a piece of sh*t that show turned out to be so let’s hope the awesome soundtrack isn’t a curse in disguise and this show doesn’t end up a mess, pacing and plot-wise like Shingeki was.

    Then again, pacing-wise it’s already all over the place. I repeat, so much was happening on my PC screen yet I was BORED and unmoved.

    I mean, even the end of boob-tastic slice of life anime “Yuusha ni Narenakatta”‘s second episode (you know, where the demon lord’s daughter is ganbarre-ing so hard she’s holding back tears) made me feel something.

    Satsuki-Sama
  15. Do you people realize that the rape jokes and the fact that everyone among the no-stars is a total horndog are intentionally disturbing and not just for the sake of comedy? Have you guys missed the damn “humans are just pigs wearing clothing” motto Satsuki has been repeating every single episode? Hell, the first episode made a direct comparison between the school and FUCKING NAZIS. The director of episode 7 (director of AnimeMirai’s “Death Billiards”) already talked about the fact that greed, lust and similar more disturbing parts of human nature are an actual intended part of Kill la Kill’s theme. Kill la Kill is being BOLD on purpose; would it be fair for Satsuki to call people pigs if the show didn’t show you that people are pigs? She would become a totally black villain if that was the case.

    CaptainObvious
    1. You’ve just hit something that I’ve been chewing on for a while.

      Remember those humping cats? That was shown right after the “dignified 3++ star” scene was shown. While it is definitely some crude humor, it also was there to do two things: characterize the “no-star” community, and contrast it against the previous, well-to-be people in the previous scene. It even serves to solidify the definition of “pigs”, or raw human nature – go with the most primitive natural instincts of survival and reproduction. Reproduction is literally everywhere in this episode. (A subtle note – notice how the “no-stars” were the ones gazing at her during the battles?) As for survival, the family she stayed with even ate worms!

      To be fair, I think most people didn’t catch on because Trigger didn’t really make it clear yet – it’s shrouded by the rest of the insanity. I think as things start to settle down, the class distinction – or rather, psychological distinction – will be revealed.

      In short – CRAZY ANIME IS ACTUALLY CRAZY!

      nanoed
  16. Kamui’s kanji translates to God’s clothing.
    Goku uniform seems like premium uniform to me.

    And that red fiber embedded in the Goku uniforms that the Kamui absorbs..
    So Ryouko’s father created the Kamui for what purpose?
    The red fiber…where does it come from?
    Onifuku? lol!

    Looks like Satsuki has a Kamui too…

    iron2000

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