Little Busters! EX – 01 (OVA)
OP Sequence
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OP: 「Little Busters!」by (Rita)
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「リトルバスターズ！EX」 (Ritoru Basutaazu! EX)
“Little Busters! EX”
A new year, and yet another new anime take on Little Busters!.
Let me open with the usual disclaimer: I haven’t played the VN and have no advance knowledge to speak of what takes place in EX. So I’m coming at this from the perspective of a new viewer, just as I did the original TV series. This 8-episode edition (which will be released more or less monthly with the Blu-ray/DVD volumes) was originally titled Little Busters! Ecstasy in VN form, and seems to offer still another reset button – in the true fashion of VNs not existing before or after the events of Refrain, but as a separate timeline altogether. The Ecstasy VN, in addition to introducing new routes and a new character, also featured adult content – which is an interesting reversal from the usual Key formula of an adult version of the game, and an all-ages version coming later.
Some of us are ticking off the dates on the calendar until we get an announcement of Kud Wafter (you better be right, Zephycles!), another adult-content release featuring my favorite LitBus heroine (I’ve read the manga version, and liked it a lot). But EX is off to a pretty good start, with solid production values and a briskly-paced introduction to what looks to be an entertaining – if quite silly – new plotline. The premiere also has the assignment of introducing us to the new character, Tokido Saya (Sakurai Harumi) – though of course, she did make a cameo appearance in the “Sekai no Saitou” OVA (at least her hair did).
The line between “reality” and whatever you want to call the alternative in LitBus has always been a little fuzzy, and I’m not really sure how seriously to take this setup. It finds Saya as a spy (she’d prefer it if you didn’t ask what agency she works for) posing as a schoolgirl. She’s looking for treasure underneath the school (but not gold or silver, some kind of mystical booty) and doing battle with some kind of shadow warriors called “Executives of Darkness“. When this bizarre world intersects with Riki’s he does what I would, assume Kyousuke is somehow involved – and while Kyousuke seems as surprised as anyone he does recognize the name of the Executives of Darkness when Riki drops it, and describes them as his “arch-enemies”. If Kyousuke is aware of this reality, that makes the whole thing suspicious to me.
There’s an element of parody to EX so far as well, though the mood is certainly nowhere near as frivolous as much of the first season (and the OVA). I mean, going back to the school at night for a forgotten notebook? It doesn’t get much more formulaic than that, and I think there’s a bit of winking at the audience going on here. As for Saya herself she’s not a bad character based on first impressions – her situation is pretty bizarre and it forces her behavior to match, but she neither comes off as completely psychotic or a straight-up moeblob. She does transition from trying to kill Riki – twice – to offering him a partnership pretty quickly, I admit. But that’s interesting in that Masato and then Kengo save Riki from her assassination attempts – he chalks it up to coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences with Little Busters. I also like her rationale for finally coming around – she has the worst luck in the world and needs “lucky boy” Riki to counteract it.
There’s obviously a lot more to the whole EX mythology than what we’ve seen here. The preponderance of Saya and the other two heroines as children in the OP and ED suggests a connection to Riki that’s deeper than we’ve been told so far, and Kyousuke’s comment that the Executives know his weakness is Rin has an air of significance to it. I don’t expect we’re going to see all that much of the original cast in EX – or at the very least, they’ll clearly be in very much of a supporting role – and that’s too bad. But releases like this are all about the routes that aren’t part of the main storyline, and based on the first episode it seems that EX has a pretty good chance to be worthwhile in its own right.
Author’s note: You know the drill by now – please, no VN spoilers whatsoever outside spoiler tags! Please let those of us watching this play out for the first time enjoy the experience of being surprised.
ED Sequence
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ED: 「Mezameta Asa ni wa Kimi ga Tonari」 by (Suzuyu)
Preview
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February 1, 2014 at 5:34 amSetsunah
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” No VN spoilers whatsoever outside spoiler tags! “
February 1, 2014 at 7:45 amechykr
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That would depend on how you define VN spoilers.
For the routes all three of EX heroines, Saya, Sasami and Kanata, knowledge of “The Secret of this World” is a must.
February 1, 2014 at 5:40 pmGuardian Enzo
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“The secret” is no longer a spoiler. How can something be a VN spoiler if it’s been revealed in the anime?
February 1, 2014 at 8:55 pmechykr
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That’s my point exactly. I was waiting for you to come out and elaborate, so as to avoid any misunderstandings when discussing stuff pertaining to the Secret and then suddenly get accused of spoiling for no reason.
It would be near impossible to discuss anything in EX, particularly the Saya arc, without talking about the nature of this world. So thanks for clearing the air.
February 1, 2014 at 9:03 pmGuardian Enzo
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Sorry, I just thought that was self-explanatory so I didn’t need to restate it. Can’t be too careful, I guess.
February 2, 2014 at 3:05 amCroos
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I wonder…. I wonder…
February 1, 2014 at 5:40 amShanHaxx
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I just can’t get enough of the Little Busters OP, even when the animated sequence is reskinned.
February 1, 2014 at 6:13 amCroos
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Being Saya is TRUE suffering.
nuff said.
Show Spoiler ▼
February 1, 2014 at 6:17 amCroos
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Enzo-chi, if you watched Angel Beats you might have a nostalgic feeling about it.
February 1, 2014 at 7:18 amBreedo
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Exactly what I was thinking. Almost like a comic book crossover but different enough. Nicely done as well. Wonder which was first or were the stories designed side by side.
February 1, 2014 at 3:11 pmCroos
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Little Busters! EX! was first. Angel Beats was based on Saya’s stories cause Jun Maeda(Clannad, Kanon) favorite character in Little Busters was Saya.
February 1, 2014 at 12:58 pmflap
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Actually it’s straight from Kanon.
February 1, 2014 at 1:18 pmflap
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That said, Saya’s VA is Yurippe.
February 1, 2014 at 5:41 pmGuardian Enzo
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That’s a depressing thought, given that I’m not a fan. But you’re not the first person who’s made the comparison.
February 1, 2014 at 6:40 amCroos
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「Ｓｈａｄｏｗ Ｂｕｓｔｅｒｓ」 still best OST in LB EX!
February 1, 2014 at 7:53 amechykr
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One could see glimpses of Maeda Jun’s original ideas for Angel Beats in the Saya route, with the hero joining the heroine in fighting sinister dark forces lurking in the school with firearms.
Saya even shares the same VA Sakurai Hiromi as Yurippe in AB.
February 1, 2014 at 1:01 pmboingman
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Interesting. Maybe I’ll watch this OVA for that reason alone. Didn’t follow the TV series since after Clannad I avoid depressing key stuff.
February 1, 2014 at 3:16 pmCroos
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Show Spoiler ▼
February 1, 2014 at 4:06 pmboingman
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Uhm, what is this spoiler about? I rather not click it.
February 1, 2014 at 8:57 pmechykr
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boingman, watching all episodes of LB season 1 and LB Refrain is a MUST if you are to even remotely understand anything that’s going on in EX, especially the Saya arc.
And pay no attention to Croos’ spoiler tag, he’s trolling you. :D
February 2, 2014 at 3:03 amCroos
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@echykr
Trolling a Litbus EX! story!! HELL NO!
As a die-hard Litbus EX! fan(Specially a die-hard Saya fan), I’m already putting spoiler tags in advance just in case I slip some spoiler.
Enzo will delete it if I didn’t.
Enzo-chi is really careful with his post when it comes to hints and spoiler so putting a spoiler tag is a wish decision.
:)
P.S. I already finish all routes including Saya, Kanata and Sasasakdjaskdjami.
February 2, 2014 at 5:03 amboingman
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I see. Thanks for the heads-up.
Any idea how many OVA eps. the Saya arc is supposed to span?
February 2, 2014 at 5:21 amCroos
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@boingman
If I am correct that would be:
Saya – 4 episodes
Kanata – 2 episodes
Sasami – 2 episodes
February 2, 2014 at 5:27 amGiorno Giovanna
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nUdt0jgVqE
It says here:
Ep 1 ~ 4 – Tokido Saya Route
Ep 5, 6 – Sasasegawa Sasami Route
Ep 7 – Futaki Kanata Route (2 Episode Long Compilation)
February 2, 2014 at 12:18 pmboingman
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Thanks. Maybe I’ll just give it a try once all 4 eps. are out.
February 1, 2014 at 9:14 amMisk
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Seems interesting so far. Having watched (and liked a lot) the LB and LB Refrain series just recently, I’m certainly looking forward to the upcoming episodes ^.^
February 1, 2014 at 11:12 amTechim
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Not so sure about the separate timelines ting..
Some discussions on MAL even point out that the storylines for EX could be set before S1 (Saya, Kanata & Sasasegawa’s past), during S1 (Saya & Kanata’s arcs)and after Refrain (Sasasegawa’s arc), but yeah, nobody pinned it to during the time of Refrain.
February 1, 2014 at 11:37 amHelvetica Standard
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No full length images? awww..
well then, a personal contribution: http://i.imgur.com/aLkV3lq.png
Saya :3
February 1, 2014 at 3:27 pmCroos
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Very Nice
d(^_^d)
February 1, 2014 at 8:35 pmHelvetica Standard
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Dear Mr. Downvoter:
The image I posted comes from the episode itself and is a “full length image” if you’re an RC regular you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t post a random pic just to fangirl about Saya.
Cheers.
February 1, 2014 at 9:01 pmAnonymous
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Helvetica Standard, don’t let these people get to you.
Some people downvote for the most frivolous of reasons known only to themselves. I myself have received nonsensical downvotes for answering some simple questions that are hardly controversial, facts such as which channel a show is aired in Japan.
February 1, 2014 at 9:06 pmechykr
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Though Enzo has elaborated that events in Refrain are now fair game for discussion, I’m gonna spoiler tag this just in case.
Timeline wise
Show Spoiler ▼
February 15, 2014 at 7:06 amjohn
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Anybody could get a screenshot of Saya during the break transition, onegai-shimasu?
February 15, 2014 at 7:37 amGiorno Giovanna
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http://i.imgur.com/Id0VJux.jpg
February 15, 2014 at 9:37 amjohn
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Domo arigatou-gozaimasu :-)
March 7, 2014 at 1:22 pmJoe
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Are you planning on reviewing the next episode Enzo? Cause its out. Or were you planning on just waiting until all the episodes are out so your memory of the story will be better?
No rush of course…
March 7, 2014 at 4:46 pmGuardian Enzo
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Yes, hopefully in a few days.