Random Curiosity

「一人ぼっちのワンコ星じゃんよ」 (Hitoribotchi no Wankoboshi jan yo)
“The Lonely Pooch Planet, Baby”

For a show where things repeat themselves so often, Space Dandy is proving stubbornly unpredictable.

Well, Cowboy Bebop fans should certainly get off Watanabe-sensei’s case now. Not only has he given them an episode that had a complete Bebop feel (#5) but now he’s referenced the show directly by including the refrigerator from the “Toys in the Attic” episode – complete with a blue mold monster inside (which Meow promptly eats – surprisingly with no consequences). It’s fitting given that Bebop’s head writer Nobumoto Keiko wrote this episode of Space Dandy – the other big-name guest is Animation Director Shimizu Hiroshi, a Gainax veteran who’s also worked on shows like Monster and Lupin III: Fujiko Mine.

This episode was quite unlike any previous Dandy effort in that it was really two episodes in one, though they were connected via a pair of “Machinians”, the Le Flea Brothers – a kind of space flea played by the always superb Koyama Rikiya. This is a clever linking device, though some may find the tonal shift between the two halves of the episode a little jarring. Both worked pretty well for me, while not reaching the heights the series has during its best moments.

The first chapter finds the Aloha Oe landing on a planet that appears to be a garbage dump for old space parts, led there by a supposed map of unregistered aliens Meow has procured. QT is in seventh heaven among space junk even older than he is, but it seems less than promising for actual aliens and thus Dandy is in a sour mood. That is, until a dog shows up out of nowhere and Dandy reveals himself to be both weak for and knowledgeable of dogs. What follows is certainly the most earnest chapter of the series so far, along with the Adelie episode mentioned above.

I should have known as soon as QT identified the pooch as a “Laika Husky” where this was headed, but I didn’t catch on until the narrator clued me in at the end of the chapter. There’s some good comedy here – like when Dandy’s translator initially translates the dog’s barks as “Wan, wan!” – bot mostly this is played straight. The pooch (named P.U.P. by Dandy) has been desperately lonely, and Meow is quite hurt by the fact that Dandy treats her so much more kindly than he treats him. Eventually the translator starts working and P.U.P. unspools her life story in the voice of Han Keiko. It’s strongly implied – though not explicitly stated – that P.U.P. is Laika, the dog the Soviets sent into space on-board Sputnik, which supposedly died when the ship burned up on re-entry. Having had her moment to run and play again, P.U.P. promptly expires (seemingly of natural causes) and Dandy constructs a coffin and QT a rocket so her remains can be sent to the “Great Beyond”.

We’ve seen Dandy get serious, obviously, but this is certainly the most emotionally significant interaction between the three crew members (especially given that Meow and QT were largely absent from Episode 5). Things turn on a dime, though, with the arrival of the Le Flea Brothers. Having lost their last host in P.U.P., they hitch a ride on the Aloha Oe looking for a new place to settle – starting out on a rather stinky Meow (no bath for three weeks). Eventually they end up in Dandy’s hair, where the elder brother is sent to the Great Beyond himself by hair gel and a comb, and the younger takes over QT in a attempt at revenge. The really strange twist here is that the Le Flea turn out to be “machine manipulators” who’ve been holding the planet together, and when the other one gets stepped on, it collapses into itself and forms a black hole.

For a change, the heroes escape unscathed this time via an unusually straightforward warp, though Dr. Gel and Bea aren’t so lucky. They’re fast establishing themselves as Space Dandy’s Team Rocket, and their appearances are getting weirder and weirder (which is saying something for characters who travel through space in a bondage Statue of Liberty head). This time around Bea builds a hip-hop tracking system out of used parts (or perhaps just buys it second-hand) which launches missiles when turntablism is applied, and Dr. Gel talks back to the Admiral in slang. I’m still not sure what role these two play in the larger plot suggested by the ED (we haven’t even been told why they’re chasing Dandy) but I suspect when that part of the story is revealed, these two and the Gogol Empire are going to be deeply involved.

Preview

With just his shikai, Byakuya completely destroys As Nodt’s wall of eyes before they can disable him. Using his new mastery of Senbonzakura, he easily shreds As Nodt into a horrible mass of gore and other unidentifiable goop. Unfortunately for Rukia, despite her increase in strength she will continue to be stuck in the shadow of her older brother. Over the few days with the Zero Squad she has achieved her bankai, Hakka no Togame, and in hindsight I suppose this isn’t too surprising. The problem now is that bankai alone doesn’t mean a whole lot now even with its power multiplier; keep in mind that several of the captains were already defeated by mid-level Sternritter, even with their full bankai. Even more troublesome is the fact that Rukia released her bankai just to finish off an already incapacitated As Nodt; again that goes to show how meaningless it is. The move was really unnecessary as Byakuya was already setting up the kill for her, like a predator teaching its children to hunt, but at the same time he was also disrespecting As Nodt by letting his little sister finish the job. Although Rukia has gotten stronger, I don’t believe she has completely proven herself yet, but at the very least, she will get to finish off the battle with a bang and get her moment of glory – somewhat fitting as hers is the most beautiful zanpakutou in Soul Society, against possibly the ugliest and most terrifying character we’ve seen yet. The chapter ends with a huge pillar of white ice; hopefully this is the end for As Nodt, and hopefully Rukia will be able to win more future fights with her new abilities.

「ふたりでワルツを」 (Futari de Warutsu o)
“The Two of Us Shall Waltz”

A celebratory party that simultaneously wraps up a few loose ends and foreshadows the next conflict.

Lenessia & Krusty

I love how Lenessia sees right through Krusty, but Krusty can read her mind. Hah! In all seriousness, it’s good to see Lenessia coming to Akihabara, because that means our lazy Hime won’t be going away anytime soon. The dynamic between her and Krusty is just too perfect to lose. Oh, so now you want to dance this time, Krusty? Ohoho!

But what I found the most interesting from them was Krusty’s comment about how Lenessia herself seems to have a habit of ruining her own life of self-indulgence. I think Krusty knows what we all find out as we get older…that slacking off is fun when you’re young, and it’s always fun for a while, but people like Lenessia don’t like to stand aside and let something stupid happen when they can jump in and try to help out. She’ll keep getting herself involved, no matter what she claims she wants to do.

Isuzu & Rudy

Isuzu joining Log Horizon is up there with Log Horizon itself being formed in the realm of things we all saw coming a mile away. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the moment, though. Shipping her and Rudy is a bit odd, since she frequently bursts into laughter at his gentlemanly nature and totally ruins the moment, but I think it’s clear that she feels some measure of responsibility for him, so she wants to be around to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid (again). He’s her baka Sorcerer, so she needs to be in the same guild, ne?

Nyanta & Serara

Better yet was how Serara decided not to join Log Horizon. Admittedly, I kind of wanted her to do it, but I’ve watched the opening sequence enough times to know we’d have no such luck. But then again, what’s it matter? There’s no rule that says she can’t group with Minori and the others, and the Crescent Moon Alliance and Log Horizon get together all the time, as the final scene of the episode shows.

But to me, the best part was Nyanta’s reaction to Serara’s decision. Now, Serara’s crush on Nyanta is totally one-sided, and will remain so – Nyanta is a true gentleman, and Serara has many years before she even has the chance to become the kind of refined woman he would consider entering into a relationship with. (Guys like Nyanta don’t date; that’s far too casual for a man like him.) No, it was how much of a gentleman he was about the whole situation. He praised Serara, then asked her to dance…d’aaawww! I don’t know if he realizes that she likes him, but he’s a gentleman bar none. I wish I could be that suave while slipping in the occasional nyan~. I’m not sure I could do either.

The Magic of Minami

Whelp, I was wrong – it looks like someone else figured out that adventurers can create new world-class magic far more quickly than I expected. This came from the city of Minami (second from the left), where The Demon Festival of Suzaku Gate (another world event) took place recently. It was mentioned that a certain (single) guild rules over Minami, and this has my interest thoroughly piqued. Here’s why: I’ve always been of the opinion that sentient mortals – humans, in other words, or near-humans, as opposed to monsters or demons or living gods – are the best antagonists. Great fiction happens when not only do the protagonists have something to lose, but the antagonists do as well, and humans are routinely capable of more horrifying, sickening, and debased acts of cruelty than even the most creative monsters can cook up. And with a single guild ruling the city of Minami, it sounds like they’ll in some way be opposed to the adventurers of Akihabara, even if they’re only opposed as much as Eastal was for a while there. I sense tension on the horizon, even if a war between adventurers would be stupid in the extreme. For them that is, them all being immortal and all that.

But more directly, someone else knows. I don’t know who this blonde woman is, but someone other than Shiroe, the newbies, and Regan apparently knows that Shiroe created a new kind of magic, and that’s another thing I didn’t expect to happen so quickly. It’s interesting though, so I’ll allow it. Carry on!

Public Relationships, Reputation, & Shiroe’s Only Weakness

Great characters are flawed characters, and sometimes Shiroe seems like he doesn’t have any. This episode explored what is Shiroe’s single greatest weakness – public relations. Shiroe is terrible at managing his own reputation! This may sound silly, but as a politician – and that’s what Shiroe is now, and a borderline tyrant too – you have to manage your reputation or others will define it for you. Shiroe is an introvert, and one who isn’t interested in becoming more comfortable in social situations. But he needs to be seen! For a public figure, if people don’t see you, they’ll say whatever they want about you. He needs to be visible so that maybe, just maybe, they’ll see the real Shiroe instead of the caricature they create in their minds. This is something Krusty knows well, even though he’s far more terrifying than Shiroe. Krusty knows how to play the social game, even if Shiroe is much better at the strategic one. Krusty understands people.

Why is this important? Because sometimes reputation can mean everything when it comes to getting your way. I’ve heard of big corporate mergers that quietly fell through when one party learned that the other company’s CEO has a terrible reputation, and I’ve seen people with great reputations leapfrog those who are more technically skilled. This might seem unfair, but it’s not – humans put great stock in being able to trust who they work with, and that’s what reputation is. The core people of the Round Table trust Shiroe, but what of everyone else? By not managing his own reputation, Shiroe leaves himself vulnerable to abandonment, because they first time Krusty and the others decide they disagree with Shiroe, he’ll have little ability to continue furthering his aims amount a skeptical general populace.

Minori Lov–

As far as Shiroe’s reputation goes, it looks like Minori realizes it’s in the gutter. That clearly bothers her, and I’m curious as to why in particular. I figure it’s one of two reasons: either 1) she’s afraid that Shiroe himself is getting beat down by the things people say about him, or 2) she doesn’t like how so many other people have the wrong opinion of him. I guess it really depends on why she almost told Shiroe she loves him up on the rooftop. (I assume that’s what she was going for, of course.) It could have been because of #1, and she wanted Shiroe to know that not everyone thought about him that way, or she could just flat out like him, whether romantically or not. (Or rather, whether romantically, because we know she likes Shiroe as a person, mentor, and friend.) I guess we’ll find out more from Minori next episode.

Shiroe & Akatsuki

Finally, Shiroe and Akatsuki. So HNG~! Akatsuki’s concerns about being useless to Shiroe did make me realize one thing, though…so far, Akatsuki is a fairly flat character. (Hur hur hur…not that way you goobers.) She’s loyal to Shiroe, she’s tiny, she’s quiet, but we haven’t gotten into a lot of her internal motivations, and she hasn’t gotten the development of characters like Lenessia, Rudy, Krusty, Minori…lots of them, to be honest. I hope she gets more utilized in further stories as she becomes more of a strong Log Horizon-style female character. For now though, seeing Shiroe thank her and then finally ask her to dance was very sweet. Too bad they didn’t show Shiroe fail-dancing though. I would have liked to see that!

Looking Ahead – The Scale Festival

Next week looks like it’s going to be a loveu-loveu time as Shiroe takes Minori and Akatsuki out for cakii. I’m so jealous!

By the way, a heads up: I have a friend coming in from out of town next weekend, so takaii has graciously agreed to take over and cover Episode 22 for me. Please treat him as kindly as you treat me, and I’ll be back the next week for Episode 23. Thanks for your understanding.

Wait, does this mean I don’t get to write about the Shiroe-taking-girls-out-for-cakii episode? Damn! I’m so jealous!!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – A celebratory dance that puts a bow on various relationships while introducing what’s to come #loghorizon 21

Random thoughts:

• Forgot one thing – Naotsugu and the others had a good point about not taking out the Goblin King yet. You don’t want to take out the leader unless you want the enemy to be thrown into disarray. In this case it’s better for the goblins to be organized (and therefore easier to defeat en masse) rather than rampaging chaotically across the countryside.
• Marie-san picked Naotsugu, ohoho~
• I think Rudy is the first guy to ever be pet-zoned. So congrats? At least you found a new way of never advancing in a relationship.
• These otaku adventurers. Seriously, those masks are creepy. Cut it out.
• Shiroe was smart to spread the memory loss thing as a rumor. Once everyone hears it and comes to terms with it, it can be confirmed without a panic…though the Round Table’s (and Shiroe’s) reputation takes another hit. See what I mean?
• Air megane!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Sometimes, the fluff is everything, Mental domination, I never get to read my own work, and I’m that guy. My current combo counter: 42 days long.

Full-length images: 10, 13, 14, 26, 29.

Preview

「観測者たちの宴篇IV」 (Kansoku Sha Tachi no Utage Hen IV)
“Fiesta for the Observers IV”

It’s the end of another arc and we all know what that means. True to its previous arcs, Strike the Blood gives us yet another spectacular finale, and it’s a testament to how well they’ve grasped the four episode/arc formula. You’d think by now they would’ve screwed up the pacing at some point, but aside from a few minor slips in that regard, it’s been pretty smooth sailing—not only in pacing, but also the execution of its story elements. As per the norm, the light-hearted “fan-service” moments are incorporated flawlessly within the more serious moments, and it’s all the more impressive when you consider how much we get of each this week. Oh yeah, did I mention that they even tied in Kojou’s nosebleed from last week as a key plot point? Just superb.

It’s just another good episode in a series that’s vastly exceeded expectations, and it leaves me without much qualms of which to speak of. Strike the Blood does its genre extremely well, and how can you complain when you have Sayaka stripping herself and making comments like:

“You can’t complain about this!?”
“You mean seeing my panties aren’t enough!?”
“Why are you doing something so cruel!?”
“What was the point is stripping me then!?”

Then you got Yuuma coming in and effectively saying it’s time to have a threesome, which culminates a whole sequence of “HNNGGGGGG” events. I wouldn’t be surprised if people had real life nosebleeds after this episode, and I didn’t even go into Himeragi effectively proposing to Kojou, or the chibi Natsuki we get one last glimpse of at the end either.

But yeah, all of this happens amid a boat load of plot developments too. Interestingly enough, it turns out that the plot isn’t so much about Tokoyogi Aya’s defeat as it is the revelations that came during the fight and after it. Because what this episode essentially hints at, it’s the fact that the world might be someone (or something’s) construct, and much of what people believe to be true may in fact be made up. Combine that with the notion that the Schneewaltzer may actually be “restoring things to their natural state” instead of “negating magic,” and it paints both Himeragi and the Lion King Organization in a drastically different light. Suddenly the organization may not be as good as we’ve thought it to be and Himeragi herself may not be merely the observer she thinks she is. One must also consider the fact that “Paper Noise” (and thus the Lion King Organization) intentionally let our shady ex-Lion King member in Itogami Meiga go, and I’d be willing to bet that it’s not a coincidence he shares a name with the island on which everything takes place.

It remains to be seen how everything ties together—there’s a load of possibilities considering how the aforementioned revelations could literally flip the world upside down—but the fact is that there’s a lot here than I ever anticipated, and I’m just hoping we get enough here to whet our appetites before the series ends. If there’s one thing I fear, it’s that they don’t end up having enough time to get to some of the bigger revelations this series has in store. It’d be a pity to say the least—especially if we don’t ever get a sequel—and I hope it doesn’t end up leaving us on some cliffhanger that we’ll never see the resolution of. Makes you wonder what the sales numbers are… but for now, I guess we’ll just have to be satisfied with some full lengths. I know some of you in particular have been waiting for these. One word of advice though: have some aspirin ready in case you get a heart attack… or something.

Full-length images: 01, 04, 05, 08, 09, 14, 15, 21, 25, 29, 36.

Preview

「水着でサービス☆ポロリもあるよ♡／優ちゃんとお買い物♡／ポロリのつづき」 (Mizugi de Saabisu ☆ Porori mo aru yo ♡/ Yuu-chan to o Kaimono ♡/ Porori no Tsudzuki)
“Swimsuit Fanservice ☆ Some Crying ♡ / Shopping with Yuu-chan ♡ / Some More Crying”

Swimsuits, woohoo! Wait–and drama? We do that in this series?

Mizugi Paradise!

Blogging is hard when you keep getting distracted mid-sentence by kawaii mizugi onnanokos. Seriously, damn. Also? Damn! And by the way, damn! These girls have nice bodies, but if you’ll allow me to step off into fashion critique for a moment – because why wouldn’t a straight male have opinions on women’s fashion? I mean, other than “The one showing the most skin wins” – Yuzu-chan’s swimsuit was my favorite. Sure, it wasn’t all strings and oppai like some of the others, but that skirt design covers a little extra while letting you peek underneath from time to time. It stimulates the imagination, ya know? And by that I actually mean the imagination, you perverts.

Kotone-chan Drama

Drama, in my Sakura Trick? Le gasp! So I’m torn on whether this drama worked or not. It was out of left field a bit, especially when Kotone’s imouto mentioned an engagement. I feel like drama needs to be appropriately set up and foreshadowed – and it needs to be made known that drama is something this story does – or else when it happens, the viewer will kind of passively let it pass without getting emotionally involved. That’s what happened here, so while I appreciated the attempt, it didn’t strike emotional gold.

What it did though, was help me further refine my opinion on what each relationship’s primary element is. We have:

• Haruka x Yuu = Lusty
• Shizuku x Kotone = Refined
• Kaede x Yuzu = Uncertain
• Mitsuki x Haruka = Unrequited
• Imouto x Chappy-kun = Inanimate

…or something like that. So naturally it would be Shizuku x Kotone that would get the drama plot line, while Haruka & Yuu just keep macking on each other. An interesting way to do it if I’m right; look for more Shizuku x Kotone drama plot lines in the future for confirmation. Ohandalso, Chappy-kun was the hero of this episode. Way to save the day for the yuri team, Chappy-kun!

Kaede’s Hinting More & More

I know that when you’re looking for hints, you can find them everywhere. To that effect, Kaede talking to Yuzu about kisses (referring to what Shizuku-chan said in the heat of the moment) could be nothing more than Kaede suspecting that something is up between two of their friends. Buuuuuut, through my shipping goggles (don’t judge me, yuri shipping is what this show is about!!) I saw that as another clue that Kaede may like Yuzu as more than a friend. They’re starting to act a bit like episode one Haruka & Yuu, where Kaede is in Haruka’s role (already realizes she’s in love) and Yuzu is in Yuu’s (isn’t throwing out gay flags yet). I imagine that the tricky Kaede wants to use one of her friends’ relationships to explore Yuzu’s feelings on girl x girl, hoping for a good response so Kaede feels safer in making a move herself. I hope that’s what’s going on, at least. Kaede always comes up with weird ideas after all, right Yuzu? Ufufu~

Buying A Scarf

By contrast, the second half of the episode was a bit dull. Pouty Yuu-chan can be fun and all, but…I don’t know…why? I feel like we’ve seen everything there before, and it didn’t provide enough additional laughs. Fortunately the stronger first half (and the extra swimsuit show at the end) helped to balance this section. Best part was probably Mistuki-kaichou nearly self-destructing when she saw Haruka wearing her scarf. Mitsuki-kaichou is so kawaii!

Kiss, Kiss, Kiss?

One thing I noticed on this one – less climactic kisses. (I mean kisses and the climax of a short story, not… Anyway. Moving on, you perverts.) I guess one happened at the end of the second skit, but it felt lacking, or rather very much tacked on. The other good one was at the beginning of the first skit, and while it was awesome – even if I wished something came of Kotone & Shizuku (presumably) seeing them kissing, instead of it just being a throw-away joke. So much potential, wasted!! – I missed the make up kiss between Shizuku & Kotone. Ahhh well, next time perhaps.

Looking Ahead

Sakura Trick has finally fallen into a rhythm of sorts. I think the reason it started out so great is that it always intended to be a fundamentally different story than we expected it to be, but now that’s we’ve recalibrated for that reality, it’s gone from blow-me-out-of-the-water amazing to merely good (and occasionally great). Nothing wrong with a good shot, but I do feel a little loss there.

Either way, next week is an x-mas daito or something. Heads up: Next week’s post will either be late or it will be double posted the following week (which would be my first I-couldn’t-find-someone-to-cover-for-me double post ;_;). I have a friend coming into town, and while I may find some time to do it at some point, no promises for now. Check my twitter for updates then. Thanks for your understanding!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Swimsuit episode! And some drama and other stuff, but seriously…swimsuits! #桜Trick 07

Random thoughts:

• Why does Kotone own a whip? o.O
• You don’t need to lose weight, Haruka. You’re perfect just the way you are. I…what was I talking about? *wipes away drool*
• Don’t worry Kaedecchi! I think you have a nice body too. I’m sure Yuzu will love it. Fight-o!
• So many beautiful mizugi full-sizes this episode. Look at all of them! Seriously, look at all of them. It took me forever to stitch them together. BASK IN THEIR GLORY!!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Sometimes, the fluff is everything, Mental domination, I never get to read my own work, and I’m that guy. My current combo counter: 41 days long.

Full-length images: 07, 08, 10, 12, 13, 22, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50.

Preview

End Card

「ねむりひめ」 (Nemuri Hime)
“Sleeping Beauty”

Being in love often reveals the darker parts of ourselves that we try to pretend don’t exist.

Love and romance are difficult at any age. The difference is that at younger ages, it’s harder to understand just how much one’s psyche is bound to change. Feelings you never thought you could feel, thoughts you never thought you would have, all of these things develop and surface from places you never gave a thought to before. It’s not uncommon to realize, upon reflection, that you’ve become someone you never were before; for Miuna, it’s not just her feelings for Hikari that are coming to light more clearly, but also how she views the world in relationship to her love.

As Uroko-sama already insinuated and we’ve already guessed, Miuna isn’t too eager to see Manaka back, and less to see her awaken. That’s not because she hates Manaka, or because she is indifferent (she actually cares quite a bit), but because Manaka is as always, at the center of Hikari’s attention. In that sense, she doesn’t wish any harm or suffering for Manaka herself, but rather towards that which keeps Hikari’s world and Miuna’s world from coming together properly. Before Manaka, it was the world of the sea that stood in the way, but even once Miuna has slipped into that bubble, it changes nothing about her position as an outsider to Hikari’s life and emotions. Miuna is jealous, she resents Hikari’s unwavering attraction to Manaka to the point that she begins to wish, deep within herself, that Manaka won’t wake.

But it’s also a sign of Miuna’s development (and of her age), that once Sayu points it out, she begins to dwell on what she’s become. It’s painful to realize that you’re capable of hating someone or being callous enough to want them out of the way for your benefit, and that’s no different for Miuna. It’s a sort of harsh self-pity, one that doesn’t allow you to find comfort in feeling bad for yourself because you’ve been driven to such an emotional extreme. It’s Tsumugu’s wisdom and experience that helps Miuna see that her feelings are normal for her situation, and that though she may feel upset with herself for her selfish inclinations, she can (and will) feel better once Manaka is actually awake.

But Miuna is not the only person dealing with difficult realities. Hikari showed some of his frustration this episode in form of his short temper as well as through pushing himself too hard. Manaka is so important to him that it’s as if he’s had blinders put on; he can only see what’s right in front of him, and that’s his goal of waking Manaka again. He’s especially snappy when Miuna insinuates that Manaka may not wake up because he refuses to believe it. He’s afraid, and to counter that he’s forced himself to be as positive and as cheerful about it as possible.

Even without all the optimism (or maybe because of it), Manaka does wake up, and in the most casual and un-dramatic way possible. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve come to expect a decent level of soap opera level drama in this series, so I found myself laughing at how easily she awoke; it wasn’t overly done, nor was it out of place. Manaka is still being herself, and even her last look of surprise fit in perfectly with the situation. It’s up til next week to see how and if she’s changed, and what her awakening has to do in the larger scope of things.

Preview

「たどりついたらいつも雨ふり」 (Tadoritsui Tara Itsumo Amefuri)
“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”

Well, it’s a week later in our time, but a lot longer ends up passing in Kill la Kill. Needless to say, it’s going to take a little bit of getting used to, but everyone’s fighting for the Nude side of the equation now—which figures, considering there wasn’t really any other alternative left. I just wish they’d tone down the glowing private parts a bit. I say that half jokingly of course, but yeah, there’s a heck of a lot of shining going on. That said, is it odd that the first thing this makes me think of is how if this was a real-life movie, they really could’ve saved a lot of production costs during this part? No? Just me?

Jokes aside, it’s generally a straight forward progression here. Satsuki’s self-destruct leads to what’s essentially a Kill la Kill version of the apocalyptic zombie films we love so much, and the Mako x Gamagoori ship ends up stronger than ever before. In the meanwhile, it turns out that Soichirou was Isshin Matoi all along and Ryuuko wakes up with the declaration that she’ll no longer wear Senketsu due to the fact they’re both life fiber “monsters” now. The latter ends up a bit of a surprise in terms of how suddenly it happens—it literally happens in the last few seconds—but ultimately, it’s just another thing that progresses naturally from the previous episode. Of course, there’s nothing particularly wrong with this or the fact they decided to take things slower here… but there isn’t much to talk about in respect to the story as a result.

That said, perhaps the most interesting thing this week isn’t so much the aforementioned as it was the revelation that Satsuki was being kept alive intentionally—presumably to wear the ultimate Kamui and be used for Ragyo and the life fiber to take over the world with. One of the major questions we had last week was how Satsuki’s going to rebound from all of this considering her weaponless state, and it looks like we might’ve gotten our answer here. The ultimate kamui might just end up being the tool that brings everything back together—either with Satsuki using it against Ragyo somehow or falling under its influence and fighting Ryuuko as a result. There’s always a third option in Senketsu being worn by Satsuki instead—highly unlikely—but that would be an interesting twist considering how Ryuuko doesn’t seem to technically need him at the current time, and the great changes in the series’ dynamic that it would bring.

For now though, the big thing is they’ve gotten the necessary “developmental”/”calm before the storm” episode out of the way, and here’s hoping it’s full speed ahead from here. I just hope this show doesn’t start the disturbing trend of people stripping and/or lighting up their pants/private parts with glowing things…

Full-length images: 16, 23.

Preview

「すれ違いの…心模様(ヴォルケーノ・トライアングル)」 (Sorechigai no… Kokoro Moyou (Vorukeeno Toraianguru))
“Volcano Triangle (Passing… Heart Pattern)”

Boy, oh boy. With things going this well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rikka and Yuuta ended up in bed for real soon.

KyoAni does a great job telling stories. Especially love stories.

For someone who’s starting their first relationship, I can totally understand just how stressful it might be. You have the prying eyes of all your friends (close or not) constantly staring at you, there’s dirty vultures out there just waiting for a chance to strike, and don’t even get me started how the difficulty of maintaining a relationship just gets exponentially harder if there’s any type of chuunibyou involved.

But for those of you who haven’t went through the pains of dealing with all these different things, KyoAni is doing a great job at fleshing out all these different points. With last week’s episode covering the first point, this week’s somehow managed to hit on the last two all while wrapping up a few loose ends that somehow put everyone’s tension at ease.

And after all of that, there was one question that was left on my mind — can you really maintain or even have a relationship while still believing in your fantasies? If there was one thing that Sophia made clear, it was that she chose to relinquish her feelings for Yuuta in order to preserve her day-to-day life. She chose to be Magical Devil Girl Sophia Ring S.P. Saturn VII instead of plain old Shichimiya. And after putting some more thought into it, I think that she knew full and well that letting her emotions get the better of her could ruin the relationship between herself and Yuuta. Something that she was not willing to risk.

Getting back to the question I asked earlier, I think that it’s totally possible. With a more mature Yuuta who is doing his best to see things from Rikka’s point of view, a supportive group of friends who are standing right beside them both, and a girl like Sophia whose words have become the catalyst to get Rikka to move; I think what we’re going to see is that Yuuta and Rikka are going to overcome the boundaries that both chuunibyou and relationships bring. Hopefully.

Nibutani, #1 Wingman & Tomodachi.

Following up after her stellar job last week, Nibutani once again gets the award for being a damn good friend and relationship counselor. Being in all the right places at all the right times, she caught Rikka before she could go and do anything stupid all while giving Yuuta some well deserved flack for failing as a boyfriend. God, Nibutani’s awesome.

Looking toward the future.

After two great episodes in a row, I don’t know how KyoAni is going to keep this up — is what I’d like to say. But seeing how this is the famed studio that has produced more than enough titles that have wrecked havoc on my emotions repeatedly, I have great faith in their ability to keep things going. Until next week!

Random Thoughts

• I wonder who this new Morisummer is supposed to be. God wouldn’t it be awkward if it was Kumin-senpai? Or maybe it’s that stalker we’ve seen!
• WE BETTER FIND OUT WHAT THAT ARCADE TOKEN IS ALL ABOUT!
• I wonder who’s in that picture in Yuuta’s notebook. Maybe it’s Sophia and Him.. holding that token..
• Dat photobomb.
• Even though it was her own decision, I still feel bad for Sophia. ;_;

「それはそれ、これはこれ」 (Sore wa Sore, Kore wa Kore)
“That’s One Thing, This Is Another”

Two new characters take the spotlight, plus a surprising reveal that keeps the story interesting.

It’s a Fujita Saki Carnival!

Combined with Sakura Trick, this season is giving us a delightful supply of Fujita Saki yuri goodness. Suetsugi Konoha (Fujita Saki) smacked early on of the clingy kouhai who’s in love with her suteki Onee-sama, and she is. Is she breaking clichés? No, but as is usually the case with Mikakunin de Shinkoukei, it’s all about how you use what you’ve got (hur hur hur). Her jealousy was funny, but honestly my favorite part was how Kobeni kept catching her being ridiculous. Did that make Suetsugi feel like a hapless harem protagonist to anyone else? (Also, trope!) Suetsugi base character stats aren’t ground-breaking, but she is funny. The whammy is later.

Hakuya’s Protectiveness & A Shapeshifter’s Hax Powers

For once Hakuya’s overprotectiveness of Kobeni (and Mashiro) came in handy! Or more like, it was finally a little appropriate that he step in, if only because the other two didn’t overhear Suetsugi and newspaper girl Oono Niko (Kakumoto Asuka). Not that I didn’t laugh when he tried to follow Kobeni to the restroom and she rooted him in place with a “Stay!” Best moment of the episode!

Those scenes did was something a little extra, though. Did you notice how Hakuya deleted the pictures even though he didn’t know how to operate the camera? That was more subtle foreshadowing of the hax powers that he and Mashiro possess. It finally really makes sense why Mashiro was able to attend the school without suspicion – or rather, the specific mechanic is being further explained for it, since it was hinted at last episode – and we’re finding out what else they can do. But the best part? When Hakuya said that he could cheat on the test like Mashiro, but he doesn’t because he doesn’t think it’s good to cheat. D’aaawww, Kobeni liked that. Well done Hakuya!

Wait, She’s One Too!?

After last episode, I was beginning to think the pace of reveals has fallen off. And it has, but that doesn’t mean they’re done throwing curveballs at us. Apparently, Suetsugi is a shapeshifter too! In hindsight, it makes sense – she was the only one at school (other than Kobeni, who still has some of Hakuya’s power) who realized that Mashiro is a little girl, and she’s the only one who appears to be able to hold onto this information (as evidenced by how Niko forgot about it, even after Suetsugi pointed it out). I honestly don’t know where (if anywhere) they’ll take this reveal. I don’t think it’ll open up a lot of drama or anything, but it certainly makes Suetsugi more interesting than if she stayed a simple yurilicious kouhai lusting after Benio. From “meh” to “I want to see more of her” in one fel swoop…I approve!

Looking Ahead – Imoutos comforting Imoutos

It sounds like we’ll be getting a little more on the Kobeni and Mashiro dynamic next week. That’s a dynamic that hasn’t been explored enough, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they do. But what about exploring Benio and Hakuya’s relationship? That’s the most ignored relationship in the entire series!

On second thought, better not. Hakuya might end up dead, or reviving another sister with his powers after she tries to murder-suicide him. Kowai…

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Yuri kouhai antics & some paparazzi stalking give way to another reveal. Interesting… #mikakunin 07

Random thoughts:

• Hakuya, your bright future is disappearing. Though studying with Kobeni, lucky!
• Loved how Benio was looking for imouto qualities in Suetsugi. Too bad she came up short.
• Poor Mashiro. No one realizes she’s getting sekuhara’d, and Suetsugi is actually jealous. Well, except for Kobeni I guess. She knows, but she was already broken by Benio years ago. Sekuhara is bad, folks. No means no.
• The OP and ED singles are ooooooout! YES!

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Sometimes, the fluff is everything, Mental domination, I never get to read my own work, and I’m that guy. My current combo counter: 40 days long.

Preview

If there is one thing I have to stop underestimating, it’s those characters that haven’t been totally written off yet. You’d think I would understand that by now, but I guess not. Then again, who would’ve thunk that Obito still had a part to play here? We spent so much pointing to the expected revivals of Sasuke and Naruto and the X-factors in Orochimaru (and the like) that I totally forgot about Obito still potentially being relevant, and it’s somewhat of an interesting twist. Sure, by all means he should’ve been dead or long gone by now, but hey it turns out the talk-no-jitsu did work out. Just needed some time to settle in.

That said, one does wonder what exactly Obito was doing there at the end. Was he literally absorbing the Six Sage chakra from Madara? Or did he just conjure up the staff he used before again? And what happened to the whole “mysterious presence” that was supposed to be doing “unspeakable things to Sasuke? Definitely a lot of questions left over from this chapter on part of the viewers…

…though Madara himself seems to have nothing but answers. With his whole explanation about the original intent of the Sage of the Six Paths and the role of chakra in conflict and misunderstandings (what isn’t it involved in at this point?), it’s pretty clear that he knows a lot more than a lot of Shinobi do, which is intriguing considering the cast we have assembled right now. In the end, I guess its just fitting, because at this point Madara isn’t so much a name as it is a description of the views he holds and the attitude he has regarding life. Indeed, this chapter in particular focuses on this notion in regards to “who Obito is” and “who he been acting as” over the past few decades, and it ties in quite nicely to the whole “you were Madara until I came back” thing.

Ultimately, the aforementioned added some nice touches to the chapter which turned out generally decent despite which was the re-use of the talk-no-jutsu tactic, and the bringing back of someone we dismissed as done a long time ago. Looking forward, it’s the 666th chapter next week—something that also ends up quite fitting considering the possible developments we could get. Any bets on Obito biting the dust?

「ブジョク × ニハ × セツジョク」 (Bujoku × niwa × Setsujoku)
“Insult × And × Payback”

The torture continues…

At this moment it’s utterly pointless to compare Hunter X Hunter with anything else currently airing. It’s a combination of the fact that H x H is at a ridiculous level and the fact that we’re in the midst of a historically weak season, but I can’t remember a time when the gap between one show and everything else on the schedule was this wide. It’s no exaggeration to say that the only competition for Hunter X Hunter right now is itself.

Of course, that’s some insanely strong competition – the best, in fact. There truly was no way any show could possibly top last week’s episode, which was the best anime episode of the season by a country mile and possibly the best for a very long time. It was one of the three of four most historically spectacular eps in Hunter X Hunter’s historically spectacular run, and one of the most intense anime episodes ever created. There was no way this one was going to top or even match it – and if we know anything about Togashi by now, it’s that he’s smart enough and knows his own talent well enough not to even try.

In keeping with the narrative practice of this arc (though the episode title was a bit of a fake-out), Togashi gives us a staggeringly good setup and then points the camera elsewhere, usually where you least expect it. Gon and Killua are almost entirely absent from this episode and judging by their absence from the preview, it may be a while before we return to the A-plot. That’s sheer agony given how incredible it is and where it was left off, but that’s Hunter X Hunter. We get just a glimpse of Gon and a bit more of Killua, though the latter is fascinating even at that. Meleoron tracks the boy down and reveals himself with an encouraging smile. Meleoron brings Killua up to speed and enlists his help, but what’s interesting here is that he clearly senses Killua is suffering – just when did Meleoron arrive, and how much did he see? Meleoron is such a kind soul, a bro’s bro – whether he’s seen what happened between the boys first hand or simply inferred as much as he could from Killua’s face, he’s clearly determined to help Kil get through it.

Meanwhile, another brief but fascinating encounter is taking place outside. Cheethu has spotted Zeno Zoldyck and (frustrated at not being able to get at Morel) challenged him. Cheethu is Cheethu – a child, yammering on about his cool new ability and oblivious to everything else. It’s obvious Zeno – who ominously says he’s “not in the mood” to fight – is troubled. For the first time as head of the family, he may have killed someone he wasn’t paid to kill. He’s seen great changes in his grandson. Zeno tries to give Cheethu a chance to spare himself, but Cheethu is determined to show off that precious new ability of his and won’t take no for an answer.

I think we all know how a fight between Zeno and Cheethu would have ended up, but Silva makes it a moot point by turning Cheethu’s head into mush (Zeno even tried to warn Cheethu about that). What an ignominious end for Cheethu, shocking in it’s quick and clinical (if messy) nature – but Cheethu was always in over his head amongst the big boys in this story, never able to think on their level. He’s a bit player (his ability not even worth the trouble of revealing) and I think that’s the real point here – this is a battle so epic that only the truly terrifying matter. The most consequential aspect of this encounter for me, in fact, comes when Zeno off-handedly tells his son that Killua seems to have removed Ilumi’s needle, and Silva’s reaction clearly indicates that he’s know about it all along as well. It explains to some extent why both of them were so willing to let Killua walk away and pursue his own path when they did, but it also paints that final conversation – at the time surprisingly warm and sincere – between Silva and Killua is a different and rather cynical light.

Whether the two senior generations of Zoldycks will continue to play a role in this encounter remains to be seen, but for the bulk of the episode the focus turns to Knuckle and Youpi. Morel continues his standoff with the cocooned Shaiapouf, with an increasing sense (which I share) that something isn’t quite right here – it seems odd that Pouf is so willing to be sidelined while his beloved King is in danger. Knuckle successfully evades Youpi’s initial flurry of attacks and manages to lure him into following, but Youpi foils his plan by refusing to chase Knuckle out of the palace. In fact, Youpi is so unconcerned with the “flies” that he passes up a chance to finish off the barely-conscious Shoot – once these opponents are no longer a threat to the King (as he perceives it) they interest Youpi no longer. The only problem I have here is that it’s only later that Youpi considers that killing Shoot might have impacted the strange blight on his shoulder (Hotel Rafflesia), but given what he knows and that he’s a direct and uncomplicated creature, this probably isn’t unreasonable.

The problem here is that Knuckle is every inch the bro that Meleoron is, and Youpi thinking so little of himself and Shoot rubs him entirely the wrong way. This is a mistake (as the Narrator tells us) because if Youpi wants to guard an empty throne room, Knuckle really ought to let sleeping dogs lie. But he doesn’t – no, for Shoot’s sake more even than his own Knuckle determines that he has to land a blow for both of them. He even devises a perfect way to deal with Youpi’s overwhelming power, but the problem is that Youpi keeps leveling up and foiling Knuckle and Shoot’s plans before they have a chance to work. And Youpi is growing increasingly frustrated that no one on the other side of Morel’s smoke cloud is answering his shouts, not to mention that the annoying Potclean and Hotel Rafflesia are still attached to him. This causes yet another level-up, revealing yet another monstrous new form and ability (and knocking the palace off its foundations) – and even in his heightened sense of bro-rage, Knuckle realizes the prudent course of action is to scoop up Shoot, make like an egg and beat it.

That’s where things come to an end – with three minutes having passed since the start of the mission (which means we’ve seen about 130 minutes of screen time over six spellbinding episodes cover a bit more than 3 minutes of narrative time). Again we see the surprising twist where Pitou is effectively helpless, while it’s Youpi and Pouf who seem most frightening. Pouf’s silence in his pupa is ominous, and the growth of Youpi’s menace is pretty terrifying – not only has he exponentially increased his aura based on pure rage, but he seems to have figured out that this is only useful if he’s in-control enough to use it to support the King. The Hunters remain the more cohesive and mutually loyal team (ironically) but the tide of battle seems poised to turn against them at the moment.

Preview

「上手いこと いってやったぜ, 君を照らす大きい存在, 見たまんまたれ流し」 (Umaikoto Itteyataze, Kimi wo Terasu Ookiisonzai, Mitamanna Tarengashi)
“I Made a Good One, A Big Thing that Lights You Up, As You can See I’m Leaking”

Toning things down after a couple weeks of raw jokes, things felt pretty relaxed this week in SYD*.

Suzu, you’re so cute.

Being my favorite character in the show, you can bet I love it when Suzu gets some time to herself — especially when it goes and highlights some redeeming feature about her besides her tiny body. This week did a great job at reminding us even with that tsundere attitude of hers, she’s a freaking genius. From dirty slang about private parts to various constellations and their names, it’s quite impressive just how well rounded she is.

But no Suzu episode is complete without her in some sort of cute outfit, and this week was no exception. With two great shots of her in a cute dress and a sleeveless blue hoodie, what more could you ask for? (Also, I’m sure all of us watching wouldn’t mind holding Suzu like a Dutch Wife…)

Fanservice Everywhere!

After liberal use of the chibi throughout the past few episodes, I was happy to see the return of some awesome looking full character shots. Not only did it provide some prime opportunities for some awesome full-length screencaps but I’m glad to see that the entire budget wasn’t blown on the first few episodes.

Do you prefer Nopan?

After bringing up the topic numerous times over various episodes, I think it’s time we all talked about it after that awkward camera pan toward the end of the episode. Is Aria really going nopan? While the show has heavily alluded to the notion that she’s as free spirited as they come, there was that one episode where they showed her wearing bloomers under her skit. Throw in the fact that she tends to joke about whether or not she’s wearing certain pieces of clothing, and I think you have a good basis to question it!

Uomi and the Future

After an episode full of Suzu, I was surprised to see Uomi’s sudden appearance. Being second on my list of characters who I wouldn’t mind meeting in real life, I certainly appreciate it when she gets some of the spotlight. While I may have made a bit of a jump in logic in a previous post saying she’s a carbon copy clone of Shino, you have to love how she has all of Shino’s awesome personality features with the added bonus of being able to become super cute on the fly. What I am confused about though, is when she was hugging Suzu at the pool, just what was she looking for? Unless I’m mistaken, school swimsuits don’t have any clasps on the back, right? And who the hell would wear a bra to the pool!?

And that’s it! A rather lighthearted episode for SYD*, but super enjoyable nonetheless. Judging from next week’s preview, it looks like we’re going to have a beach / test of courage related episode! Hopefully meaning that there’ll be a lot of Suzu time c:

Full-length images: 21, 31, 35.

Preview

End Card

「散華」 (Sange)
“A Glorious Death”

Coming off of last week’s episode, it was all but confirmed that something bad was going to happen, and it did. Mitty meets his unfortunate demise as expected, but everything else ends up generally contrary to expectations—especially the manner in which he gets taken down and the developments that end up occurring as a result.

Indeed, one of the things I didn’t consider was the fact that one of them would actually survive, and it’s a nice touch that changes the dynamics a bit. Because in the end, Chiharu surviving means that Mitty’ll still be alive in her memories, and she’ll be able to tell the main cast the sacrifice he made in order to protect both her and Isla. Compared to the alternative where our cast merely hears of their death from someone else, it’s a completely different ballgame, and it’s something that plays quite well into Wolfgang’s quote about resolve—an intangible element vital for combat situations like this. That extra resolve and the added adrenaline rush it can give you could make all the difference—even if it looks like the enemy may be in possession of technology even more advanced than yours.

Still, the odds still seem largely against our cast. Despite Mitty’s sacrifice, it looks like the worst is yet to come, and it seems that Sky Fleet has their own darn floating island to play with. Clearly, the Sky Fleet was clearly underestimated in a variety of ways, and considering that this was a battle that’s already yielded losses, it reasons that the future only holds more in this regard. No one seems immune to biting the dust in the future—except Kal-el, whose narration of previous episodes seem to hint at him surviving to the very end—and the pressing question thus becomes who ends up surviving with him—if anyone—and if not, who’ll end up dying first and how their death influences the development of this conflict.

Ultimately though—to backtrack a bit—I have to say that this episode felt not so much about the escalation of the conflict or Mitty’s death as it was just a demonstration of resolve and the necessity of harnessing it if you really want to make a difference. Considering what they both know, it’s quite clear that Claire and Ignacio are key figures within this story, but they seem content just doing what they’re being told to do at this point in time. There’s a clear lack of resolve from them despite the fact they can clearly make a difference in this conflict, and it’s something that will have to give way to an actual decision before it’s all said and done. I just hope for their sake that they make it before it’s too late—that is, they don’t end up postponing their respective decisions until the situation is so dire that they can only win if one (or both) of them sacrifice themselves (Claire, I’m looking at you especially). Sadly, it looks like things could end up happening exactly as anticipated, because that’s just the kind of vibe this series gives off. I’ll be damned if I ain’t wishing for it to turn out differently regardless, though.

Guess we’ll just have to see. For now, we got Kal-el and Ariel fighting their first official battle—fittingly together once again—and it looks like Ariel in particular will learn the pain that comes with combat first hand. Doesn’t look like they’re going to let that get in their way though, because gosh darn, their faces tell the whole story there.

Preview

「迷い事、定め事」 (Mayoigoto, Sadamegoto)
“Uncertainty, Destiny”

If Yuki’s attitude last week didn’t already piss you off, this week will definitely push you off the edge. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t want people to start justifying his actions because they think I have the wrong idea. I don’t dislike him because I think his behaviors are unjustified, but I simply just can’t tolerate his personality in the first place. True, Yuki is a typically teenage boy who has unfortunately passed away at an early age. His childhood was probably filled with misfortunes or abuse (I don’t want to spoil myself so I don’t know…) and he never got to live life like a normal teenager. So yes, in that sense, I can understand why he feels the need to rebel and gorge on food or even have a little fun. To me though, no matter how much anger you feel towards life, it still doesn’t justify the fact that you commit crimes and knowingly harm others. Yuki isn’t stupid. He knows that what he’s doing is wrong and he should know that he’s hurting others that are trying to help him… especially Hiyori in this case. I feel like he’s terribly selfish and conceited by running away from his problems and avoiding the people that care. Even worse, he doesn’t even try and understand anyone else’s point of view and what they’re going through and how his actions affect them. This might be because of his immaturity, but it’s also a result of his own personality and choices and that’s just something that I can’t forgive.

Hiyori and Yato are quite tolerant people in this case. They’re willing to put up with Yuki, despite all his faults and that’s not to say that Yato is wrong or right… but I don’t think Yato has done anything to deserve the attitude that Yuki gives him. Yato might not treat Yuki “like a person” but he doesn’t treat him like garbage either. I think Yato and Yuki misunderstand each other a lot and don’t have very solid communication which crumbles their relationship. On the other hand, I think Hiyori gives Yuki the benefit of the doubt too often. She’s quick to judge Yato for his behavior towards Yuki… but she doesn’t see that Yato’s actually putting up with a lot for Yuki’s sake. Even to the brink of death. So you tell me… how does this make Yato the bad person? I pity him for putting up with Yuki even when he shouldn’t have to.

I’m glad that Kazuma (Fukuyama Jun) has opened up Hiyori’s eyes to the dire situation. Maybe we can finally see some connection between the two of them that’s more than simply “companionship” (*nudge nudge). The relationship between “Nora” and Yato is quite interesting though. My theory is that Nora (or whoever she is) was used by Yato in the past to kill someone’s Shinki. Tenjin mentioned that Noras exist because Gods want tasks completed that are inappropriate for their own Shinki… I think Yato probably used Nora in this case to kill one of Bishamon’s Shinki. I don’t know how that makes Kazuma grateful for Yato; perhaps it was something that Kazuma asked of Yato to do? That would be an interesting twist, but I don’t see Kazuma being a bad person (I think that’s only because of my bias towards his seiyuu though…). Regardless, I look forward to hearing more about Yato’s past the most. Kazuma’s probably the only one that knows of Yato’s true intentions for killing Shinki.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: Ooooh so that’s what a “Nora” is o.O Kind of hate Yuki enough to say that he deserves to die but that’d be mean =X #noragami

Preview

「萌(めぐみ)の錬金術師」 (Moe (Megumi) no Renkinjutsu-shi)
“Full-Moe Alchemist”

Today’s Nourin came off as a timely and relevant parody of the current trends in anime merchandising. It isn’t the most biting commentary, nor is it the most interesting plot in recent seasons, but it does bring to light an interesting issue concerning the future of the industry. Though far from a new tactic, the rate at which anime is being used to advertise unrelated items is growing significantly and becoming more prolific. Shingeki no Kyojin and Evangelion have both been used to advertise horse racing and razors. Shows like Chu2Koi, K-ON!, and Free! often attract otaku to their respective real-life locations, boosting tourism through a partnership with the relevant local businesses. Even Pizza Hut has collaborated with Love Live! recently for a new campaign, much in the likeness of how Hatsune Miku briefly was featured on Domino’s Pizza.

It’s no surprise then that Nourin wanted in on the commentary about these ridiculous partnerships, which often take advantage of a moe factor or a show’s immense popularity to boost sales of a certain product. Often times it’s a light jab of humor for the two parties involved and we all get to see more content in the end, but sometimes the efforts that go into selling the product become a little too try-hard. We here at Random Curiosity appreciate Inori Aizawa and IE11 for her love of our website, but some parts of their marketing campaign can become a bit of a stretch of applying the anime charm, such as the system sound pack that the marketing team released a few months ago. It’s clearly appealing to the moe-loving community, but oftentimes it comes off as “too cute” (at least from my perspective) and try-hard in trying to tie everything about Windows 8 and IE11 to this character.

Thus, when this episode featured such a cute operation which clearly implied a lot of themes of purity, virginity, and so-cute-im-going-to-die to a ridiculous level, I couldn’t help but laugh at the reality of it all. They appealed to many common bases, such as the standard moe, the twins that extend, the sexy and sheepish, and so on and so forth. However, what was most striking was the portrayal of fujoshi as a powerful rising market, who will eat up anything that involves the beloved yaoi and shota themes (especially so if it’s implied). While it’s not a new thing for fujoshi to be portrayed as fervent and dedicated people to their fandom, it isn’t as common to see fujoshi portrayed and mentioned as a highly profitable sector of the anime fandom, which Nourin took many liberties with today. Sex sells, but sexiness and implied innuendoes sell even better. Free and Kuroko no Basuke are prime examples of this ever-growing wing of anime, and it sure won’t stop. Whereas the traditional otaku spends a ton of money on very few things, the fujoshi market spends a lot of money on many things, therefore making the market itself easier to penetrate as a producer and easier to enter into as a purchaser than the traditional model. No wonder our 4th (or is it 5th) big farmer is famed as a legendary businesswoman–she knows what’s up.

Apart from the above, the only other thing worth mentioning was the interesting name-dropping of source material’s (light novel) illustrator, Kippu. It was strange seeing an actual staff member openly being mentioned in the show itself, but what was perceived as possible vanity faded away into a symbol of appreciation. After all, it’s not like Kippu had much say into the production of the show, so this was most likely an appreciative gesture towards the illustrator who helped popularize the light novel enough to produce an anime. Good on them for doing so–recognition of the people behind the scenes needs to happen more often.