Random Curiosity

「知らないぬくもり」 (Shiranai Nukumori)
“Unknown Warmth”

The scenery porn just gets more and more beautiful every time I come back to this series.

I’m not sure what the sea god has in store, but with every passing episode it seems like the sea kiddos are in up to their noses in danger, and not necessarily the kind that causes bodily harm. After the appearance of saltflake snow on the land, it seems as though a declaration of war has been issued, though it’s not entirely clear just what that entails. Shioshishio, at least, is wary of whatever is about to befall the land, and it’s either a unanimous decision or completely out of their hands as to what the future will bring. The adults don’t seem to care what happens to the land, though its possible their lack of empathy is simply a result of accepting something that they have no power to stop. The only thing they seem concerned with is that their children stay out

The whole affair reminds me a little of the way the adults in last year’s Shin Sekai Yori knew more than they were willing to divulge, though it’s not quite that much of a conspiracy. The men of the village have spoken about a prophecy, and it’s very likely this relates directly to the population problem, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the ultimate issue at hand anymore. Just what have Hikari and the others found themselves in?

There’s no doubt in my mind that the characterization when it comes to Hikari and a few others like Akari and Chisaki is doing really good things, even if it leaves those like Tsumugu a little on the, well, bleh side. As much as I love piling praise on how wonderfully Hikari has developed in the last nine episodes, it is a little sad to see Tsumugu being a rockful of fun, and not the interesting kind. He doesn’t have much to his name, other than words of wisdom he always pulls out of nowhere. In fact, he’s like Kaname’s landed antithesis, though much less interesting (Kaname has a stronger presence even if he’s never central to the drama). Ironically, it wouldn’t be so noticeable had Hikari not received such great coverage, but I suppose that’s crying a bit over spilling extra milk when I’ve already been fed some fresh, good stuff; it would just be nice to see more of him, and it would help make Manaka’s attraction more clear cut as well.

Right now, however, I don’t think being clear-cut is the goal. Hikari is definitely rethinking his choice to leave Manaka and Tsumugu be, whatever he believes is right. It isn’t easy to give up those you love when it seems the world is turning upside down, and with the situation so dire, and Manaka so scared, it makes sense that he’d want to cling to her. Unluckily for him, Manaka doesn’t feel the same, something he’d known but had never quite driven home. With his father asking him to return and the village preparing for some unknown purpose, however, love may not be the first thing on his mind even so.

Preview

「親友の涙」 (Tomo no Namida)
“A Friend’s Tears”

They grow up so fast, don’t they?

There may in fact be another significance to the name of this series and the titular gang at the heart of it, and while I certainly was suspicious of the significance of a a certain vehicle that’s cropped up as a motif a few times this season, it wasn’t until I saw this scene that I actually considered the naming question. That could all be coincidence of course, and I could be dead wrong with that entire line of thinking – but what I’ve learned over the years with conspiracy-based plots is that coincidences are rarely coincidences.

I’ve spoken in the past about how Little Busters! has a sort of two-track narrative, with the “Secret of this world” line running simultaneously with the surface plot and character dynamic. One thing that’s happened with Refrain, of course, is that these two tracks have increasingly run closer together – but there’s actually a third spur to this story that this episode really brought to mind. I’m very interested in the nuts and bolts of the Secret itself, of course, but just as much so about what it symbolically represents. In a cultural zeitgeist like Japan’sthat’s obsessed with mono no aware symbolism is never far from the mind, and LitBus seems an especially appropriate sort of series.

Thematically I’ve always felt, right from the very beginning, that Little Busters was primarily concerned with childhood innocence, and the sense of sadness that comes from the fact that it must eventually be surrendered by all of us. There’s a line in the great 80′s film Stand by Me, spoken by the protagonist Jordy – as an adult reminiscing about his past – “I never had any friends later on like I did when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” Stand by Me and LB are soul-mates, I think, and while this series has increasingly become complicated in terms of the plot and the conspiracy behind it, I don’t think it’s ever wavered from the unwavering focus on the power of friendship and the joys of childhood. And, of course, on the pain that comes when those things must be left behind. That process may be more literal and tragic in this story, but symbolically I feel it’s very much the same.

Connections run through LitBus at all levels, packing great significance. All of the cast is connected by friendship, but the five kids at the heart of the story share a special bond that makes their place in the Secret fundamentally different than the others. And then there’s Riki and Rin, who share a connection deeper even than that. They’re the ones who don’t know the Secret, and the ones all the others are working so hard to protect. But protect from what? Symbolically from growing up, but what in practical terms? Kengo frames it in terms of protection more than any of the others – he says over and over in this episode that he just wants Riki to have fun and not worry about anything else. I was put in mind of a parent who wants to see their child stay a child forever – a perfectly natural impulse, but one that’s unhealthy and unrealistic.

And so it goes. Kengo remembers, Riki and Rin don’t – or rather, they remember only in bits and pieces, flashes as if from past lives. Kengo describes Kyousuke’s actions in the last cycle (I don’t know of a better way to refer to it at this point) as a scheme that “failed miserably“, which is his explanation for why Kyousuke is in his current sorry state. I don’t see it as quite that simple but it’s clear that Kengo wants to keep whatever illusory safety net that’s encircling Rin and Riki intact for as long as possible. There’s a strong implication here that whatever the construction that was used to create this repeating “closed-off” world is, it can’t be extended forever. If the alternative is bad enough, perhaps seeing Riki and Rin exist forever in the same bubble of time isn’t such a bad option. But for them the experience is new every time – if one were aware of the cycle repeating itself, wouldn’t living in that bubble become torture after awhile? Is this a great sacrifice they’re making for Riki and Rin’s continued existence, and are there limits as to how long they’ll be able to endure it?

How does one take Kengo’s breakdown at the end of this episode – “They’re tears of regret. I wanted… I wanted to play more.” Kengo is very much the strong, silent type. He’s a serious and dutiful soul – indeed, the debt it seems he owes Kysousuke is for releasing him from a little of that sense of duty – and he takes his duty to protect Riki and Rin very seriously. Kengo’s breakdown was out of character, which made it all the more painful to watch, and it felt like these were the tears of someone who knows something he loves is ending. This is the essence of mono no aware (which is itself the essence of Japanese literature) – awareness of the transience of things, and a sense of what will be lost with the passage of time.

To tie this all back to the core themes of the series, perhaps for Kengo, Kyousuke and Masato all of this is about trying to make Riki and Rin strong enough to carry on without them (and in this loop, it seems to be working) – and really, isn’t that the ultimate duty of any parent? It’s a balancing act – to be too protective is to keep your children from growing strong and independent, but to expose them to danger they’re unprepared to face is irresponsible. It’s in dealing with pain and challenge that children learn and grow, but every loving parent wants to shield their children from being hurt. This is what Kyousuke has been wrestling with, it seems to me – erring at times, but always with the intent to do what’s right for Riki and Rin. The practicalities of the story are growing increasingly clear, but the emotions at the heart of Little Busters! haven’t really changed since the series began.

Author’s note: Please “refrain” from posting any unmarked VN spoilers (or hints, or confirmations or denials of guesses, or clever spoilers disguised as jokes) into the comments section. I don’t want this experience ruined for me, and I don’t want it ruined for any other new viewers. Read the comments at your own risk,. Zephyr has kindly offered to pop his head in here and look for spoiler comments, but that will not necessarily be before any potential spoilers have been posted for a while. Untagged spoiler comments will of course be deleted, and serial offenders will meet with further and more decisive response. Let’s be respectful and keep this a safe place for people who want to experience Refrain to the fullest without having to worry about that experience being spoiled because they want to participate in a discussion.

ED5 Sequence

「水着の黙示録」 (Mizugi no Mokushiroku)
“The Swimsuit Apocalypse”

“At long last, the beach episode!” -Kanou Shinichi
“I agree!” -Stilts

Swimsuits Galore!

If I were a lesser writer I would say I lack the words to communicate the marvelous majesty that is Minori, Elbia, Myuseru, and Her Majesty in swimsuits, but I’m not, so I’m going to throw out all the words at once. Wonderful! Beautiful! Sexy! Boing boing! Praise worthy! The stuff of dreams! People would die for lesser treasures, and they would be right to do so! Truly it was a most bountiful harvest in this, the glorious beach episode!!

Pardon me while I save all of the pictures to my hard drives. And a new background. And, and, and—!

Stilts has crashed. Rebooting…

The Empress’ New Swimsuit

Perhaps I only say this because it’s late and I’m still rebooting, but I don’t remember Outbreak Company doing the super-hyper-serious-in-a-silly-situation bit before, but they did it here with great aplomb. I loved how they formed a brain trust to decide on the Empress’ swimsuit, where five old bearded dudes immediately had to grapple with their desire to put Petrarca in something fashionable she would like despite her, ahem, potential difficulties at keeping some kinds of swimsuits up. Then going into keeping the empress modest and not lowering her status and all these other silly considerations… Hah!

Perhaps my favorite thing was subtle, which was how the brain trust consisted entirely of old bearded men deciding something that should be decided by women. If such a thing were to happen in real life I would cry foul, but such is the power of well-formulated comedy, because here it was just hilarious!

Actually, no, I take that back–the best part was sukuuru mizugi guy, who was completely implacable in his desire to put Petrarca in a skuuru mizugi. He was ignored, ignored, ignored–and then they realize the awful (wonderful) truth, and he goes full keikaku doori!! That smug son of a bitch! If this were a lesser episode he would have stolen it right there.

Strength In Simplicity

As soon as Roic came running up and revealed that Romilda had gotten shocked, my first guess was that some JSDF people were guarding Shinichi & co. After all, they’re valuable VIPs, right? Plus tasers look markedly different than lightning magic probably would, so there’s that too. After a minute though I dismissed it as being too obvious.

And perhaps that’s the genius of Outbreak Company more than anything else. A lesser show couldn’t get away with such an obvious plot and come out the other side with people raving about it, but Outbreak can because it executes on everything so very well. And it takes them a step further, such as here with the peeping photos. Those delicious, delicious peeping photos.

Erh, what was I talking about?

As a matter of fact, even the fight had this. I don’t know if it was just because the protagonists could have lost and no one would have been hurt, but I actually found myself more griped by their short scuffle than I have in some shows that are focused entirely on the combat. The story is executed so well that everything else doesn’t have to be out-of-this-world amazing to make the show overall fantastic. And the funny thing? If the story were some stellar and innovative, they probably wouldn’t be able to execute to this level. It takes experience after all, and Sakaki-sensei has plenty of that.

Mea Culpa – Plot Time

I have one other thing to say about Sakaki-sensei’s storytelling, and it’s a mea culpa of sorts. I think I’ve made a grave error in some of my previous posts. I kept wondering when the plot was going to kick in, but when I think back on all the things that have happened since this show started, I realized something important. Its been going all along. The characters and their situation have changed so much since the story started, it just all happened quietly when we were focused on other things.

The thing is that Outbreak Company doesn’t have a stark demarcation between plot and not-plot like in so many other anime, and that’s because it’s written really, really well. It’s seamless, where the small events add up to great shifts without having to have a shift into high-plot gear. That can still happen and it would be okay, but it’s not necessary; what we’re getting is moving the story forward well, and it’s a damn treat to watch every. single. week. I can’t ask for more than that.

Shinichi x Myuseru Get-o!

What could have been all fluff and comedy, but we got a little romantic development as well. Shinichi earned serious points in my book for telling everyone to come back alive – he doesn’t consider himself any more important and wouldn’t want them to die for him, so well done – but best was him trying to save Myuseru to avoid seeing her hurt again. Sure he’s got the combat strength of a terminally ill green slime, but it’s the thought that counts, and when it ends teary grateful Myuseru…hnnng!! The Shinichi x Myuseru ship is sailing nicely!

Back to my point about strength in simplicity, I’ve may have said it a hundred times but I’m going to say it again – it’s the shows that are willing to use less that are going to excel, and to me nothing is better than the proper use of silence. They had almost a full ten seconds of no sound when Myuseru had her wardrobe malfunction (OH GODS Myuseru’s oppai oh man Shinichi you lucky doggg!!), all just to rub in the delightful awkwardness! Pile that onto how they were playing in the water so awkwardly earlier and theirs is just a delightfully pure new romance. It gives me diabetes every time I watch…and I love it!

Bonus points: Myuseru actually has enough respect for herself to get embarrassed and freak out when someone sees her naked unexpectedly. She really is starting to think less like she’s, well, lesser, and more like she’s a mortal with rights and dignity. That warms my heart to see.

Looking Ahead – Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Petrarca

Mahou Shoujo Petrarca? Bring it. Bring it so hard I won’t know what to do with myself. This show is amazing every single week, seriously!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – “At long last, the beach episode!” I agree! Swimsuits & love & a hilariously serious brain trust, oh my! #ob_c 09

Random thoughts:

• I love that justified Male Gaze (trope!). Finally I can lean back and ogle without guilt.
• I wonder, did Minori ask Shinichi to put oil on her back because she wanted to see how Myuseru would react, or just because she wanted sunbathe? At first I was thinking the former, but that never developed, so she probably just needed some help. Notice I don’t mention anything about Shinichi going down the Minori route. I truly do not think that will happen, and if it ever does I’m prepared to be very, very disappointed. 2-3 girls is enough, there are plenty of other guys for Minori.
• Myuseru you’re doing it wrong oh my. That’s adorable.
• I’m surprised that chairman didn’t get shanked on the spot for trying to throw the others under the bus and then taking credit for their “accomplishment”. Once again I didn’t care though, because damn was it funny!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: What I’m thankful for, On writing fast, writing well, One short story, one week – buzzer beater, and Writing challenge – one short story, one week.

Full-length images: 04, 07, 35.

Preview

「イバラミチ。」 (Ibaramichi.)
“Thorny Path.”

It does feel a little strange to find ourselves back at Yozakura Quartet’s “downtime” not just because of the amount of intensity stuffed into every fiber of these last few episodes; it’s also because it showed how significantly the narrative has actually shifted in tone since the start of the show. As one might expect from the fantasy slice-of-life of Yozakura Quartet, it still exudes the same atmospheric, relaxed vibe we saw before, that just seemed to confidently work itself. Yet this is an episode that also feels far weightier than what we saw before; it’s in the amount the show and its characters has grown over its first major arc, so much so that it’s ambient tone has seen these collective changes.

To be fair, it’s not that I was expecting a complete return to the idyllic episodes we saw before – although in the back of my mind there was the very real possibility of it happening. But I still can’t help but be a little surprised at how almost every aspect of the narrative had grown noticeably reflective, and the dialogue’s become considerably more introspective of the characters as well. In the first half of the episode as we follow the quest for the rally stamps, Shinozuka’s small talks with each leading character are palatable piecemeals that do their part in contributing to the bigger story; we see Aoi’s reaction to her brother’s fate, learn about Kotoha’s resolution about being a half-youkai, while Akina and Hime had their own mini-segment about her being a youkai.

But this is all just appetizers for when we got to the second half of the episode, where the real buffet got served up. Plotwise we’ve a lot of heavy exposition to get out of the way in order to lay the foundations for the next arc, and an equal amount of fuel for the Youkai-Human crisis that’s repeatedly been raised in the storyline. Enjin’s Youkai Hunters are already potential avenues of explorations for this, seeing as how they are half-youkais themselves. But the bulk of this focus was squarely on the Elders, ambiguous old coots as they are, who purportedly set up the anti-youkai field we saw previously in multiple towns. Admittedly, this is one of the times we really get to see the strengths of Yozakura Quartet’s investment into world; the Elders are constantly forcing proposals of demon eradication onto Akina, the only person with the tuning capability to carry out their plans, but who refuses to see the reason in their plan. Unsurprisingly Ward Chief Yuuhi is involved as the person who somehow orchestrated this meeting, and always seems to be one step ahead of the game. There’s a lot of agendas being pushed around, and nothing that seems particularly clear-cut.

Even as interesting as these developments are, I again wonder how much of it we’ll see actually factor into the plot – after all, these are the big, narrative developments that probably won’t get addressed within the single cour series. I suppose more than an objective flaw, it’s a complaint from a disappointed me that we won’t see these plotlines come to fruition; if there’s one thing I hate in a narrative more than anything else, it’s incomplete stories.

On a final note, this episode basically leads us into the starting scene for the OVA001’s Hoshi no Umi arc. But if you’d ask me I honestly can’t tell if we’re getting a summarized account or a completely redone storyline to fit more organically into Hana no Uta’s narrative. Regardless, if you were still waiting to watch the OVAs, now’s the best chance to do so.

Full-length images: 05.

Preview

「天使炎上篇I」 (Tenshi Enjo Hen I)
“Angel in Flames I”

Here we go. It’s the start of a new arc, and what we get are false holy swords, busty spear-wielding women, angels, and Vatler. Oh my. You know things are going to be good when even Vatler’s intrigued—especially when he claims the newest enemy could easily kill our favorite perverted protagonist. In the meanwhile though, as things build their way up plot-wise, it’s Asagi who steals the show this week with her aggressive overtures on Akatsuki.

Indeed, she’s rockin’ the pink lingerie this week, and stripping off Akatsuki’s clothing while she’s at it too… for modeling, that is. To top things off, Himeragi’s observing the whole thing—what a convenient excuse!—and Kojou’s officially got two gals hot on his heels now. Or would it be more accurate to say three?

Either way, all of this has me wondering. Would it be a good thing if my friends are claiming I’m back to my normal self only when they find me doing perverted things? I mean, on one hand, you can say Kojou’s extremely lucky to have friends that accept him despite his supposed perverted nature. On the other hand though, it could just mean everyone’s nuts or plotting something… and it makes me wonder if it’s a good thing for Kojou or not. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter too much. You know, since we have all these cats. And people knocking down buildings while losing their spiritual centers. And people supposedly confessing to other people’s sisters.

But yeah, the general thing here is we get yet another solid episode of Strike the Blood. The series is as consistent as they come, and it’s great to see how easily they can dial up action toward each arc’s end, then bring it back right back down for the next arc’s start. Each arc in turn builds upon revelations of the previous one AND introduces another portion of the vast Strike the Blood universe, and it’s been a fun ride seeing Kojou slowly work into his role as the X-factor between the other Primogenitors and the conflicts involving them. Here’s to more impending awesomeness… and more Vatler. Because one can never have enough Vatler.

Author’s Note: Just a heads up. Next week’s Strike the Blood’s may not be posted until Sunday. I’ll try to get it out on Friday as usual, but as I’m planning to attend the late night Madoka Movie screening next weekend, this may not be possible.

Full-length images: 09, 10, 11.

Preview

「ヒーローの条件」 (Hiirou no Jouken)
“What It Takes To Be A Hero”

Fer chrissakes, can we at least see a little of the tournament before some mysterious enemy barges in and screws things up? Gah!

And the Tournament Start–Oh Come On!

Seriously, what the hell! I mentioned on my post two episodes ago how much I enjoy tournament arcs, but they didn’t let us sink our teeth into one because nooo, they had to interrupt it with a drone attack. Yeah yeah pushing the plot forward, but I don’t care I wanted to see Kanzashi & Ichika vs Tatenashi & Houki, not to mention Laura & Char vs Ling & Cecilia! Those could have been amazing battles, and I would have wildly preferred some anime original material here rather than what we got in some other episodes. I guess 8-bit assumes everyone is here for the harem hijinks, but IS works because of balanced harem (trope!) + good mecha action + a sprinkling of service. Stop neglecting an important part of the formula!

Shouldn’t ALL IS be Anti-IS?

Though it wasn’t the action I wanted to see, the action we got this episode wasn’t bad, visually. If you dig into the tactics and logic though, it starts to fall apart.

First of all, shouldn’t all IS be Anti-IS? This is a world where there is no more powerful weapon than the IS, so even if not all IS need be designed to fight other IS, a damn large percentage ought to be! And maybe they are – I don’t think Ichika’s or Ling’s swords would be very useful against a barrage of missiles, though the famous White Knight may disagree – so perhaps I’m nitpicking, but them being surprised when someone made and deployed IS that can tear away their opponent’s vaunted magical protection field seemed silly. If it were me that would be the first thing I’d try to develop so I could get at their squishy pilot centers and squash their internal organs like they’re made of jell-o. Though maybe that’s just me. (It’s not).

Defend & Delay – Don’t Almost Kill Yourself!

Next, why were Tatenashi and Houki going so hard against the drone? If they were fighting intelligently they should have been focusing on two things: protecting the other students and trying not to die. And since the drones were after them, goal one should have been easy. Defend and delay until reinforcements arrive! Maybe those teachers Chifuyu-nee ordered into battle who never came. There was no reason for Tatenashi to nearly kill herself when defeating the enemy shouldn’t have been their main priority, and when they hadn’t even exhausted all their other options yet. I mean, Ling x Cecilia and Char x Laura managed to finish off a few, so apparently a near-suicide attack wasn’t necessary. Though I guess that was because the plot no longer required that the enemies be dangerous. Enemies that weaken when the drama is past? Feh.

Tatenashi was mad badass, though. Russia-tan is GARest-tan.

Aren’t These Kids Supposed To Be Soldiers? (Of Sorts)

Aren’t these kids supposed to be soldiers of a sort? Because if so, Kanzashi needs to go back to basic training. I have no personal experience in the area, but my understanding is that soldiers are trained to have the physical and psychological skills required to not fold like a pile of wet rags the first time an enemy appears, and if IS are the strongest war machines in the world, these kids need a little of the same. I guess I never noticed this before because every other main character was willing and psychologically able to fight. And yes, I know grueling basic training isn’t conducive to high school harem hijinks, but if they’re gunna fight they need to be trained to fight.

Heroes Are A Lie

Certain other shows have more to say on this subject, so I’ll keep this one brief – heroes are a lie. And they should be! Kanzashi wanting a hero not only points out that she’s psychologically unprepared to fight in real combat, but it also reveals her mindset as dangerously naive. No heroes are flawless, not even the fictional ones, or at least not unless they’re kind of shit characters because flaws are what make fictional characters interesting. This isn’t a bad theme though, save that I feel Kanzashi is too old to still believe in heroes. Especially since she has the closest thing to a hero likely in her own big sister. Open your eyes, imouto!

There Are Other Characters Beside Ichika!

Have you all ever heard of the Bechdel test? I don’t go into a harem anime like IS expecting it to conform to that rule almost at all, but it was getting pretty silly this episode. Tatenashi and Kanzashi were estranged, and them finally talking to one another again should have been a touching moment between sisters…and then Ichika butts in. Not only does he appear in their dream sequence, every time they should have been thinking about one another, their thoughts immediately floated back to Ichika!

Despite it all I still found Tatenashi and Kanzashi’s reconciliation to be touching, but Ichika’s intrusion was extremely unnecessary. Characters are better when they have more interests other than the one thing, and female characters are better when they’re not solely focused on a man. Yes I know this is a harem anime, and I expect them to be focused on the boy 95% of the time, but when it’s wildly inappropriate don’t shove him into the scene. It’s not like we’re watching this show for Ichika anyway.

Looking Ahead – Back To The Silly

I feel like all I did this post was point out flaws and complain, mostly because it’s true. I apologize, because it wasn’t honestly a bad episode. It annoyed me in the way SAO annoyed me, which is that it could have easily been so much more. The Sarashiki sisters reconciling was very nice though.

Regardless, it looks like next time it’s a Cecilia episode. Which could be good or could be bad. There’s not much time until the end of the season, and since they introduced the whole Madoka et all thing I’ll be annoyed if there isn’t some resolution to it, but if we get more hijinks like back in episode five… Meido Chifuyu-nee OH MY!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Where’d my tournament go!? The sisters are speaking again, but this could have been so much more. Like a tournament GAH! #is_anime 09

Random thoughts:

• Drones, drones errwhere! It’s like this is the middle ea–fiction. Total fiction.
• One thing I wished they went into more was Kanzashi realizing that she should try to work things out with her family because you never know when they’ll disappear. That’s a poignant theme which we all could do with some reminding once in a while.
• I like berserk Kanzashi-chan. Can we have this Kanzashi more often please?
• Ichika is useless. Kanzashi nearly kills one of the drones solo, while Ichika gets knocked out and used as a projectile weapon. What a lamer.
• Houki gained enough battle experience points to unlock a new ability mid-battle? I’ve never understood why IS arbitrarily function like RPG characters, and I wish they would stop. It’s just silly.
• It looks like Tatenashi is finally truly falling for Ichika, rather than just flirting with him. There goes my Tatenashi x Houki ship. Frack.
• For once it wasn’t Ichika’s fault for not understanding something. Kanzashi loves anime? Welcome to the club, comrade!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: What I’m thankful for, On writing fast, writing well, One short story, one week – buzzer beater, and Writing challenge – one short story, one week.

Full-length images: 36, 38.

ED1.9 Sequence

ED: 「BEAUTIFUL SKY」

Preview

「ジャッポーネ」 (Jappōne)
“Giappone”

Welcome to the land of the rising sun; under a glacial maximum.

It seems we’re in for a little more characterization on the part of Anna this week, though nothing unexpected since last time. As we’d thought, she’s begun to show more and more guilt and uncertainty as the girls get closer and closer to finding the final sketches. Roberto isn’t quite satisfied with the hourglass, it seems (or he’s not silly enough to believe it would be that easy), but regardless, it means the girls aren’t as safe or as ahead as they like to think they are. Anna is obviously the exception, and the closer they all get to finding the final sketches, the more unnerved she is by how much she’s come to care for them. It doesn’t help that the girls trust her so freely; they’ve invited her into their grandfather’s home (seems Geshio was of Japanese ancestry after all, and now the girls’ names make more sense) as an intimate guest, and they’ve openly accepted her as a sort of caretaker. With every passing hour, it seems the girls show her more love and care, and when they go so far as to call her a friend, something snaps within her. She’s not quite ready to switch sides but she’s close, and it shouldn’t take more before she realizes her one sided love for Roberto isn’t worth the Ferrari sisters’ lives.

The rest of the episode focuses on Japan, as is clear from the title. We learn a little about Geshio and what sort of person he was in his youth (Jet Engine, huh), but his early engineering plan to help his father with central heating ends up acting as a showcase for the sisters’ caring natures, as well as for Hozuki’s skills. Hazuki gets a bit of a moment as well, though not through the project. Her conversation with Cicinho reveals a little of how her naive thinking has changed through her journey, though it’s not fully gone either. Her sense of justice is still there, but she’s begun to realize it may not be possible to see it all the way through. Even more interesting is the strange chemistry between her and Cicinho. I even see something like possible attraction between her and the sky pirate, which makes sense considering how he’s been described as charming before. I’m not sure the series has enough time to develop such a thing (and I still find Cicinho’s goals rather confusing to decipher), but it would not be a surprise to me if it did happen.

「猛攻!悪の軍団」 (Moukou! Aku no Gundan)
“Fierce Attack! The Army of Evil”

Continuing on from last week, I notice a common theme here – animals are being crossbred with household items to become monsters. At first I thought this was a joke, but it’s no laughing matter, these monsters are legit. Whoever King Torture is, he’s here to stay and wreak havoc on the city. This is seriously turning into a superhero-type show that has the hero fighting off episodic monsters and the hero never seems to fail or lose. To me, it’s obvious that a lot of the earlier mentions of heroes reminded me of Power Rangers. Now, it’s impossible to get the Power Rangers references out of my head – monsters appearing out of nowhere with some mastermind is trying to take down Samurai Flamenco. It bothers me that there’s no logical explanation behind the attacks or motives, but it’s also somewhat fun to watch. I hope that somewhere along the line, someone explains to me how this can be happening. And also, why is no one in the city that frightened by the fact that monsters appear out of nowhere and “attempt” to kill people (although there are no causalities after the gorilla)? The only people that seem worried are the governments’ upper management that can’t seem to decide what to do. At the same time though… if no one is dying, what are they supposed to do? I guess they’re just depending on Samurai Flamenco and the girls to get rid of these issues for the time being.

As interesting as it is to watch Masayoshi and the girls take down giant monsters, I’m glad that there’s another aspect to the show that focuses the rest of the cast that doesn’t play superhero. Seeing Hidenori play a normal cop in action is a nice contrast to the upgraded stationary weapons that Masayoshi uses. Also, I find that Hidenori and Sumi don’t have such a distorted outlook on life right now. While Masayoshi is living the life he’s imagined – taking down monsters, and skyrocketing his career – I think he’s riding a high right now that isn’t going to stay that way for long. He’s also lost a lot of the genuine interest in other people for the sake of advancing his career and I think that’s what Hidenori’s gf was hinting at. You can see the drastic change from his concerns of the “monsters” dying at the beginning, to his perception of killing “monsters” at the end while watching himself on TV. While I don’t think this is the fault of King Torture, I do think that Masayoshi has lost sight of the reasons for fighting monsters. He’s probably getting carried away by the fact that both his superhero career and his modeling/acting career are advancing so fluidly.

I’ve been calling them “monsters”, but it’s true that I also think they’re humans. Similar to Masayoshi, I believe that at some point, they were regular humans that King Torture has either brainwashed or corrupted in order to transform them. They’re also quite loyal to him to self-destruct whenever they’re close to dying to ensure that no secrets are leaked. Up until this point, it’s almost like King Torture really is bad for the sake of causing chaos in the city. Does he have a personal vendetta towards Samurai Flamenco? We’ll have to see. The more interesting piece would be to find out who he is, but I doubt that will be revealed until much later.

TL;DR – @RCCherrie: So all that from last week is as real as real can be. Hmmm… That totally changes the direction that I thought #samumenco was headed.

Full-length images: 03, 14, 17, 25, 30, 34.

「チャンスは一度」 (Chansu Wa Ichi Do )
“Once in a Lifetime Chance”

In recent weeks, one of the big things I’ve been pondering is whether or not Kill la Kill is truly as good of a series as many viewers (including myself), have said it is. Specifically, I was wonder whether or not I’ve been blinded by the flashy style Kill la Kill brings to the table and thinking it’s better than it actually is as a result. After much thought, I’ll freely admit that I have indeed been blinded somewhat, but it doesn’t make the series any less awesome from my perspective. Because although Kill la Kill doesn’t really do anything subtle at all, it’s so direct that I can’t help but like it—especially since it seems to be an obvious design choice on part of the directors. There’s just a certain charm that being direct gives this series—even though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea as a result.

Point in fact, the entire fight between Matoi and Gamagoori was an obvious reference to female stereotypes, and how people (men in particular) try to mold others (women especially) into the objects they desire them to be. It’s not exactly rocket science trying to decipher the message they’re sending here, but the way they demonstrate it—aside from mentioning it directly in dialogue—makes it vastly different from other series. One can argue some of these demonstrations are merely fan-service, but it’s arguably fan-service done right. That is, if you’re going to include fan-service, the least you can do is make it purposeful. And what Kill la Kill does is both make these scenes a relevant reinforcement of the topic they’re trying to discuss, while maintaining the appeal fan-service gives to those that will ultimately make this series profitable.

Either way, this episode also continues the debate as to whether or not Matoi is more of an anti-hero than anything. In many ways, she is. Her shredding of the order Satsuki and her Academy bring and the personalities of those under Satsuki’s wing can attest to that. At the same time though, it’s not as though Satsuki herself is the cream of the crop either. Because whereas we can see she’s doing all this in order to remake a currently flawed world, we can’t overlook the fact that there are many whose individual worlds were ruined throughout the process. Matoi’s world in particular is one example, and although it wasn’t a result of Satsuki’s direct involvement—at least, from what we know now—it makes it an interesting debate because they’re both fighting for something you can’t fault them for fighting for. It’s a classic “Does the end warrant the means?” debate.

Continuing along the personality front, perhaps the best thing this week’s episode ends up doing is letting us know how Gamagoori ended up the way he did—despite the episode’s obvious focus on the actual fight itself. And it was just a nice touch to see that he was someone who also fought Satsuki at some point—believing that her way of ruling by force was not the right way to go about things. It goes a long way towards showing why he ended up with the Goku Uniform he did, and the dialogue in particular—again, another direct demonstration—emphasizes how he does what he does because he expects others to follow in his example. Whether you believe his philosophy is correct is another story, but I think I can speak for most viewers in that the flashbacks we got this week did a great job in actually making me feel a bit for his character. Up until now, he was just the “ridiculously huge, kind of cool, sadist discipline guy,” and although he still theoretically is, he’s definitely more than that right now.

Looking forward, the King of the Hill “Final Battle” continues next week, and we all know what that’ll entail. Indeed, if there’s one other good thing the formula Kill la Kill uses brings, it’s the consistency in terms of what you can expect, and it should be quite the flashy show next episode as well. Here’s to the next fight and to more epic soundtrack pieces on the part of Sawano Hiroyuki.

Full-length images: 06.

Preview

「銀竹」 (Shiroganetake)
“Silver Bamboo”

I’ve been feeling very conflicted about Kyoukai no Kanata lately and it’s probably because I love the premise of the show but not how it’s being executed. The first half of the show was definitely top notch when it came to delivering the key plot points and creating a setting for the rest of the story. This second half is kind of lagging behind that because it doesn’t match the anticipation level I had for it. It’s not because the plot isn’t developing like I thought, but it’s more so how the story being told. And right now, it looks like it’s being told from the perspective of 4 different people – there’s Mirai’s internal struggle with Akihito; there’s Miroku and his unknown motives; Izumi also has a hidden agenda; and Hiroomi who is kind of stuck in the middle trying to balance all these revelations. I think this would’ve been better told if there was an episode dedicated to each of them, explaining what was going on through their heads (but not giving away too much) and slowly incorporating the events of the The Calm into it. That way, each character is given their own personality trait and the audience might actually empathize or appreciate them more.

There are some aspects of the show that I don’t have a gripe with. These include the transformation of Akihito and Mirai’s internal conflict over killing her friend. I felt that this progresses the story rather naturally and although it feels like a repeat of episode 4, there’s a stronger intention to kill Akihito this time around. Further to the development from last week, you can really see that Mirai struggles to come to terms with her fate and Akihito’s. It’s a shame that all we get to see a bit of sulking and some hugging from Sakura; I think it’d mean a lot more if Mirai actually talked to Hiroomi about it or something. Yes, she has a lot of burden on her shoulders, but that doesn’t mean that Mitsuki and Hiroomi have nothing to say about it. They’ve been friends with Akihito for so long and they’ve been trying to save him every time he transformed – before Mirai came into the picture. When they searched through Akihito’s apartment, I was half expecting to see some sappy photo of him and his friends… but I never expected him to horde glasses. Let alone, have catalogues of Mirai’s photos… that’s kind of creepy now that I think about it. Regardless I think this is all the more reason that he won’t end up dead, it’s just all about how they change him back.

Miroku has never felt more out of place than now. While everyone else is running around trying to find/kill Akihito and Izumi is off plotting something, he kind of just waltzes in, absorbs the Hollow Shadow and runs away. Where did he come from? Where is he going with that? Or rather… why did Izumi steal it in the first place? Miroku doesn’t truly have a role in the story yet and someone mentioned before that he feels like an anime original character, which he’s not. He only feels like an outsider because his motives are unexplained – which I’m hoping will be revealed soon. On the other hand, I’m glad that Hiroomi has finally gotten to the big question – is Izumi good or bad? Right now, it looks like she’s plotting to kill Akihito in order to get rid of the “Kyoukai no Kanata” that resides in him (and at the same time, it kills Akihito as well). It also explains that Izumi is the one that purposely put Akihito to sleep last episode on the train and it feels like she’s forcing it out of him. Definitely sending off “antagonist” vibes in my mind, but I’m sure if Hiroomi is involved, he won’t let Akihito die. Show Spoiler ▼

This explains the strong bond between the two.

With everything that’s going on, it’s hard to keep track of what’s going to happen next week. It looks like the speed slows down and the tone is more happy-go-lucky. There’s a few shots of girls sunbathing, but we all know that what appears in the previews aren’t always representative of the actual episode. I expect them to show more Hiroomi and possibly explain the disappearance of the Hollow Shadow stone. Now that The Calm is over though… I wonder what’s going to happen in our final arc.

Preview

Haschwald and Shunsui are both shrewd men. While there’s still no real action between them, they’ve been sizing each other up for a couple chapters now. Haschwald manages to thin out the reishi wall dividing them, only to find that Nanao has outplayed him by creating yet another, differently formed wall. Just before he tries to brute force his way through, he abruptly leaves and returns to the Silbern, the Sternritter headquarters, presumably after receiving summons from Yhwach. As it turns out, Yhwach is punishing Cang Du and BG9 for losing their battles, and wants Haschwald to carry out the executions. I’m not sure why this was considered significant enough to recall him out of his own fight, but Haschwald obeys all orders without question, so here we are. Surprisingly, BG9, who was previously an emotionless android, now begs for his life and seems to feel actual fear, while Cang Du retains his cool self. Although the two condemned had survived their defeats thanks to their Vollstandig, it doesn’t matter now as the “scales” have now turned against them. I’m not sure whether the name of Haschwald’s power relates to balancing luck or if it’s just idealistic rhetoric. Possibly, his power makes him stronger to “balance” out his opponent’s power. Either way, it’s effective enough to cut Cang Du in half.

It looks like Kubo wants to make it clear that the Sternritter don’t give a crap about their subordinates, but there’s no good reason to execute the two before they even had a chance to fight seriously or even use their actual abilities. They are only throwing away resources, unless Yhwach has another reason for killing them. On the other hand, this does conclude the fights of these characters much more quickly than I expected, so we will be seeing new ones soon enough – namely, Rukia and Renji. They have touched down in Soul Society in their new snowboarding gear, and it looks like they might be facing off the masked wrestler quincy, who has managed to take out Ikaku, Yumichika, and Hisagi all at once (at least that’s what it seems like). That’s certainly a bit disappointing for the three of them, but Rukia and Renji will hopefully have a better chance to show off what they’ve got.

Kurosaki IchigoNaruto, you played right into my hand!

There you have it. As anticipated previously from a few commenters, Obito does end up trying to use the Rinne Tensei in order to try and revive the people he killed. Only, he gets intercepted by Madara, and his technique ends up giving back Madara the physical body he’s been wanting all along. After multiple weeks of anticipating Madara’s eventual involvement, we finally get it, and it looks like we’re officially moving on from Obito and onto the “final phase” that Kishimoto mentioned in his recent interview. In case you missed it, he recently mentioned that the final phase for Naruto is here, and it’ll be a progression that takes us from Madara and then Sasuke. Of course, this doesn’t mean the end is near regardless—it could conceivably run at least half of next year either way—but it does give a clear picture of what’s to come.

Indeed, if there’s something toe extrapolate from that explanation, it’s that both Naruto and Sasuke will likely survive past Madara, and likely have a fight that both determines the future Hokage and ends the series. That said, the question this ends up bringing up is how exactly they’re going to defeat Madara in the first place. There’s quite a few routes Kishimoto could take here, and each of them brings with it some pretty interesting scenarios. Naruto officially becoming the Sage in lieu of Obito… some/all of the Kages potentially sacrificing themselves in the process… etc. Combine that with what’s likely to be some insane techniques from Madara—more meteors, anyone?—and this could conceivably be one of the better arcs in recent memory. At least, I would hope so, considering that the entire Obito fight ended up below expectations in terms of epicness, and my personal preference that the series end with the bang.

Guess we’ll see how things work out, though there are conflicting reports as to whether or not we’ll be seeing it next week or not. For now though, it seems like the hiatus mentioned a few weeks ago was actually the one we just got, so there should be weekly chapters without break for at least the next few weeks. If not, then you’ll know why there’s no post next week around this time!

「ノヴ × ト × モラウ」 (Nobu × to × Morau)
“Knov × And × Morel”

I don’t want to say that episode was tense, but if the phone had rang while I was watching it I suspect I’d have bitten my hand off.

Hunter X Hunter continues it’s longest stretch without Gon and Killua since the “York Shin” arc, but at least we had that gripping battle between Meruem and Komugi to – oh, wait…

That’s right – we didn’t have that either. No, Togashi reaches deep into the well and devotes an entire episode to Knov, Morel, Palm and… Bizeff. It almost doesn’t seem to matter who the characters are because good guys or bad, main characters or supporting players, everyone in this cast commands attention whenever they’re on-screen. This anime is a great marriage between Togashi’s creative genius and Madhouse’s almost preposterously consistent brilliance in execution, and the result is episodes like this one – where you don’t have time to think about who’s missing because what’s happening on-screen is utterly gripping.

I confess I was a little worried to see a recap at the start of the episode, because I’ve been on alert for indications that cost-cutting has begun. But it was a short one, and so far at least there really hasn’t been much of a drop in production values (and this is about the time we would have expected to start seeing one). I was also a little worried that Gon and Killua being absent for so long would take a toll, especially given that the last and only time it happened the series still had someone who was then a main character to focus on – but incredibly, I actually miss the boys less now than when Kurapika carried the show in their absence for a long stretch, despite how deep into the cast we’ve gone. Kurapika’s solo eps felt tonally off to me, just a bit, but these last three have been spot-on – perhaps because this arc has been so dark and creepy right from the beginning. But few eps have been on a par with this one for sheer tension.

I’m eternally grateful to whoever set up the conference call where the anime industry production committees figured out that Miki Shinichirou was one of the best seiyuu ever, and that they should actually use him. Oddly Miki-san was nearly absent for a ridiculously long time, with only the odd supporting role here and there, but lately his career has seen a huge resurgence – and thank goodness, because he’s just a beast of an actor, with an almost Kazuhiko Inoue-caliber range. He was asked to do a lot with Knov this episode – to give us the complete and utter mental breakdown of a powerful and icy-cool badass – and he hit it out of the park. Miki (and the staff and Togashi of course) set the stage last week – I noted how I’d never seen a Hunter as strong as Knov so obviously wigged out before. But this episode took things to a completely new level.

The entire sequence featuring Knov’s infiltration of the palace was a triumph of writing and direction – just unbelievably tense, leaving every nerve a live-wire. There were so many great little details like the wisp of Knov’s hair falling over his eyes in an especially raw moment, and the way you could read every new stage of panic on his face as if it were a book. Knov was completely off his game, even before Shaiapouf’s aura (and we already know Pitou’s is even worse) reached him, as if his keen senses were rebelling against every step that brought him closer to it. The realization of what the trees were for, the encounter with the lone guard, the constant battle going on inside him – it was amazing stuff. It’s clear just how freaked out Knov was because he didn’t even bother to disappear his shoes after he stepped in the Chimera’s blood – he just wanted to lay his last exit and bug out as quickly as possible.

There are several ways you can take Knov’s breakdown, starting with the fact that he does deserve some credit for actually managing to fulfill his mission in spite of his crippling terror. It wasn’t pretty, no question about it, and I wonder what state it leaves him in for the rest of the fight. My takeaway is this: even great Hunters are human beings too, not machines, and all humans are susceptible to fear. And what does it say about Gon and Killua that they were able to get even closer to Neferpitou’s aura and stand their ground – well, Gon anyway, as Killua had the good sense to run even if he didn’t break down like Knov did. Kaitou stood his ground too, of course, and paid a terrible price for it. It brings Morel’s lecture to Killua to mind, and it’s impossible not to wonder (though we may not have to for long) how he’d react facing this aura. Did this reveal a fault-line in Knov’s makeup, something that made him especially vulnerable to fear in this situation? Or would almost any Hunter react the same way, and Gon really is that much of a beast?

Meanwhile, there’s Palm. If the eyes truly are the window to the soul, there’s no better case-in-point than our favorite psychotic Huntress. No matter what disguises she wears – and Palm is brilliant at changing the face she presents to the world – her eyes always reveal the barely-contained chaos roiling inside her. Her plan was indeed coordinated with the others, but Knov is obviously now having second thoughts, knowing what she’s facing – and knowing the cost if she’s captured. Yes, there’s a practical component in his worry – but I think a very human one too, and Knov can’t bear the thought of having sent his disciple to face the same terror that broke him.

Palm really has inherited a terrible job here. The King and the Royal Guard aren’t the only horrors inside the palace – Bizeff is rapidly establishing himself as a dirtbag of the highest order. Yes, this is a government minister in a parody of North Korea using women as sex slaves in your Weekly Shounen Jump series. Palm’s mission is clear – she needs to get a look at Mereum and the Royal Guard so she can use her Nen ability to keep tabs on them. But along with the rest of Bizeff’s “meat” she’s locked in “Area D“, Bizeff’s sick and twisted underground recreation of some kind of suburban “It puts the lotion in the basket” paradise, and seemingly the only way she’ll ever get a look at the King is by becoming Bizeff’s favorite. I don’t really see any way she can do that without submitting to whatever disgusting commands he gives her, given that there are four other women in the same Hell Palm is who don’t seem likely to resist. Palm may be a nutjob but saving the world or no, no one should be asked to make that kind of sacrifice. Yet knowing Palm, it’s hard to imagine she wouldn’t do it, and do it with the though that she’s doing it for Knov. Togashi pushes the envelope like few others, but this is one of the most creepy and disturbing scenarios he’s ever created – and there’s no Nen or monsters involved, just one disgusting and despicable human.

After all that, Morel’s much-teased duel with Leol feels like a light-hearted romp on the beach. These two are well-matched – a couple of tough dudes who relish the manly art of combat and share a taste for (I assume) Death Metal. Buying time for Knov, Morel lures Leol to an underground church for the showdown – “You’ll have to pray for both of us, I’m an atheist.” Leol quips. Leol seems to have the advantage at the moment, as Morel doesn’t know the nature of his ability but Morel has increasingly struck me as not just extremely powerful but unbelievably clever, and one way or the other the likes of Leol aren’t going to be the ones to take him down. Meanwhile it seems as if we’re going to get back in touch with the heroes at long last next week – Killua, at least is in the preview, though Gon is present only in throwing the fujoshi a cookie by plaintively crying (“It has to be you, Killua!”) for the return of his best pal to the recording studio.

Preview

「人形の家」 (Ningyō no Ie)
“House of Dolls”

Just when you thought you had the series figured out, it surprises you with something new. Coming into this episode, I would’ve bet money that we were going to get nothing but 20 minutes of epic naval piew piew. But as it turns out, I was completely off the mark. As with the previous weeks though, it’s all good, because it’s yet another pleasant surprise. Indeed, Gunzou continues to show just why he’s such a mystery (and lure) for the Fog, and it’s all about turning on the charm as he tries to turn the tables on Kongou and Maya.

The attempt merely delays the inevitable though, and the hospitality card doesn’t end up changing their overall situation. It did set up the foundations for key revelations and future developments however—some of which are listed below:

What this episode ends up being is more philosophical than anything, and it’s a great showcase of interactions between the Fog and the Gunzou group. Both sides are probing each other for the answers they can’t figure out on their own, and it’s akin to two spy agencies competing each other to find the answer first. At the same time, it’s interesting to note that finding out the answer isn’t exactly a priority either. After all, there won’t be a need to find out the answer if you just eliminate the source of the question, and it further emphasizes the dynamics at play here. Adding more to this dynamic is the continued humanization of the Fog members—even Kongou seems to be changing—and one could go on all day about the many aspects Ars Nova is balancing on its plate at the moment.

In the meanwhile, it must be said that it’s great how the series doesn’t try to take itself too seriously. It’s always important to have a proper balance of elements—especially when you’re not going for a grim dark series—and this episode continues the series’ tendency to even out serious moments with comedic ones. Kirishima messing around with the waves, Haruna’s shazaam moments… it’s these little things that Ars Nova does extremely well—making the series a pleasure to watch. 20 minutes just pass by, and this is easily turning into the show I most look forward to on a weekly basis.

That said, it looks like we’ll finally get the clash we’ve been looking forward to next week. One wonders how Gunzou’ll pull off a win, but considering the amount of Fog ships he now has allied with him, he does have some extra firepower at his disposal this time around. Furthermore, it looks like he’s attempt to mess with Kongou’s logic processes did land a small success—one bite’s worth, to be exact—and it could be something that triggers the beginning of her downfall. At the very least, there’s a nice pun in there somewhere.

Full-length images: 3, 9, 12, 24.

End Card

「ひたぎエンド其ノ壹」 (Hitagi Endo – So no Ichi)
“Hitagi End Part One”

While I know quite a bit of people who don’t enjoy shows that are heavy on the dialogue and light on the action, I must say that Monogatari is one of those shows that just do it right. Be it the slightly insane characters or the ridiculous situations they’re put in — there’s this lure that takes things that would normally be boring and makes them oddly interesting. With that said, let’s embark on this odd journey with Suzuki and Senshougahara!

Actually, before I even start talking about the episode, there’s something I just have to ask. Did you notice how Kaiki and Mikisugi from Kill la Kill have the same voice actor? And if you did, did it drive you crazy to think how the nearly shirtless homeroom teacher who’s rather quite cheeky has the same voice actor as our dark and rather sarcastic con-man? All I know is that the moment it hit me that the two share voice actors, everything in the episode instantly became a little more fun to watch.

Getting back on topic though, boy was I happy to learn that somebody was trying to solve the whole Nadeko problem. Because in all honesty, not only would it have been a real shame to watch Araragi and his whole crew lose to a simple snake god but after Hachikuji’s tear-jerking exit I don’t think I could handle losing anyone else. Luckily though, it seems that the writers have covered everything and devoted a whole arc to remedying this problem! Unluckily though, it seems that the only person who’s able/willing to help the pair is the ever-depressing Kaiki. And as we’ve seen since day one, Kaiki is a logical man who’s main goal in life is to come out on top.

That said, I think we can all agree that Kaiki came off in a much better light than when we first met him back during Nisemonogatari. Instead of some creeper who was selling curses to middle school kids for chump change, you could almost say he’s become Oshino’s stand in. He’s someone who has knowledge of supernatural and how to deal with them, so skilled in deception that it doesn’t matter what he’s deceiving because they won’t even know they’re being tricked, and so perfect for the whole situation that it’s almost a bit eerie. But as I said earlier, he’s not Oshino — not someone who’d be willing to help others out of kindness, guilt, or whatever irrational emotion that exists. And when it boils down to it he weighs his options and logically attempts to figure out what’s best for him.

Which is why the scene of Kaiki in the bathroom talking to himself as he tries to weigh all of his options has become one of my favorite scenes throughout the whole series. The whole time that he’s in there, you really get the feeling that he’s really trying to find some reason to help Senjougahara. While it’s still unknown why he’d want to go out of his way to help the pair, you have to appreciate how he stands firmly behind his beliefs. Because when the idea of forcing someone into prostitution doesn’t even bring out a tiny bit of sympathy, you have to wonder just how important Gaen and Kanbaru are to him for it to sway his resolve!

With a bombshell of a start, I would have to agree that thus far Kaiki is providing the high quality story he promised in the very beginning of the episode. And while I have no idea just where things will go since Kaiki isn’t someone you’d normally let drive, I have no doubt it’ll at least be a fun ride!

ED4 Sequence

ED4: 「snowdrop」by 春奈るな×河野マリナ (Luna Haruna x Kawano Marina)

End Card