Amagi Brilliant Park / First Impressions

「人手が足りない!」 (Hitode ga Tarinai!)
“Not Enough Manpower!”

Some weeks, I finish watching an anime and I just have no idea where to start. I mean what is–I don’t–huh? Randomness like that kind of blanks the rest of the episode for me. Which may be why the most significant thing this episode for me seems to be: summer uniforms! I think I still prefer the long sleeves, but the costume change is a good way to denote the passage of time. We’re about halfway through the series, there’s only 35 days left until the deadline, and Amagi Brilliant Park is crawling its way back to respectability. But with great customer base comes great personnel requirements, and the park needs more hands in a hurry (though one wonders how Seiya is funding these new hires, unless he’s paying them in bottle caps). It wouldn’t be Amaburi, though, if we didn’t also have a magical B plot, this time involving spiked curry. The two storylines collide to give us: another Isuzu episode! Isuzu x Seiya shippers, rejoice, for we’re getting 20 minutes of Isuzu literally having to suppress her inner deredere, in the only way she knows how: violence!

Staffing the madhouse

I wonder what kind of desperate people will actually choose to apply for a job at Amaburi. The various crazies I can understand, since birds of a feather and all that, but I’m surprised that well-adjusted people don’t bolt at the first sign of Amaburi’s unorthodox interviews. Surely, no one will choose to work there unless they’re similarly broken inside. They must be attracted by Amaburi’s ‘take all comers, no questions asked’ policy; it’s is like the Foreign Legion of employers. What does Seiya care for silly things like qualifications? They’re even taking walking Ebola hazards. Don’t they know we’re in the middle of a pandemic scare? But I suppose it’s anything goes for employee diversity. Seiya knows the secret of Amaburi‘s entertainment value: zany work culture.

Isuzu, dedicated tsundere

I was expecting an episode featuring a magically loose-tongued Isuzu to revolve around her inadvertently blurting out compromising secrets at awkward times. Instead, Isuzu both found the cause and punished the culprits rather quickly (but what did Moffle do? This time, I mean?).  In hindsight I’m glad it didn’t; I think what we got was funnier. It was more interesting watching Isuzu suffering to suppress the truth than to watch honesty get forced onto her. It’s not (just) schadenfreude; it’s the irony of watching Isuzu try to maintain her dignity even as she destroys it. Being Isuzu is a delicious kind of suffering.

The thing is, despite all of Isuzu’s insecurities, she still has many pertinent skills that she’s not very self-aware of. She’s a good judge of character, and she’s quick at establishing the hierarchy. Everything else comes down to a matter of expression, and no matter what her faults there are at least she’s still trying in earnest. I have a soft spot for the silent struggles of stoic characters. It makes you want to give them a hug.

Oracles of the future

And so our curious little love story chugs along nicely this episode. I was afraid all the silliness would undermine Isuzu’s character, but my fears were unfounded. I should applaud Amaburi for being able to make all its characters unabashedly fun without letting comedy trivialise them. Isuzu’s conflict may have been made funny, but it remained real. The thing I enjoy about most about Isuzu, though, may be the little, understated details in her developing relationship with Seiya. For example, this episode marks the first time Isuzu’s called Seiya out on his narcissism since he took the mantle of manager. Perhaps I’m reading too much into things, but a detailed show like Amaburi seems to actively invite me to do so.

As for next week, one can always count on Amaburi to leave us with a hook. Looks like a dragon just wasn’t enough. We need to raise the stakes. Next week: Cthulhu fhtagn! Iä! Iä!

 

Full-length images: 02, 15, 24.

 

Preview

73 Comments

    2. I think it’s safe to assume now that from where Moffle comes from all the female looks like
      normal human girls while all the males looks like those mascot thingies, which explains his
      interest in AV, lol

      also hoping for Muse to shine next ep since it involves water

      lol
      Reply

  2. More naming patterns besides rapper names

    Adachi Eiko – A-dachi A-ko
    Bantou Biino – B-antou B-no
    Chuujou Shiina – C-huujou C-na (Japanese language does not distinguish between “Si/C” and “Shi” )

    Got totally trolled by that AV job description. lol

    Isuzu trying hard to keep her most private thoughts from Seiya by banging her head is too cute. <3
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2028.jpg

    echykr
    Reply

    1. Adachi isn’t a name I see a lot in anime or games. The only time is in Persona 4 so I thought the author just made a slight nod to it. Eiko-san even reminds me of a grown-up Yukiko.

      Zhinvu
      Reply

      1. A-ko is a generic girls name that is often used for random unimportant girls and usually comes together with two other girls with names beginning with B and C. A-ko just means girl A, so the girls are basically just called Girl A, Girl B and Girl C.

        Zannafar
        Reply

      1. You reminded me of an exchange that happened in Napata’s hentai work….

        “I’m good at certain things you know that?”

        “Just what are you good at?”

        “You really want to know?”

        “Yeah…”

        Makise Kuristina
        Reply

  6. I am utterly impressed with this week’s episode. Well, considering that I was expecting the Isuzu-centric episode would make me a little bias, but they pulled it off rather nicely.

    I find it rather interesting that for all the awkwardness Isuzu has, it is contrasted nicely by her good judge of character, and those ‘wise’ words from Seiya nailed it for her and sent S.S IsuzuSeiya sailing at good speed. Thing is, Amaburi is probably not a romance story in that sense, but seeing that development unfold gives shippers a lot to rejoice about and adds flavour to the story.

    Want to point out as well that despite the airheadedness of Slyphy, you realise that she is ALSO good at something – dancing, which the other 3 fairies aren’t actually very good at despite supposedly having more common sense.

    And despite the insanity prevalent throughout the entire episode, it warms me to see KyoAni slotting in segments where characters interact with one another and shedding a bit of light on their personalities (in this case, Isuzu). It is part of character development, and I love it.

    Too many funny parts I enjoyed, where Moffle was caught in the crossfire, the perverted discussions of Tiramie and Macaron, the reverse manzai of Seiya & Isuzu and Moffle for the interviews, as well as Isuzu’s funny and cute reactions at having the truth spill out of her, and Moffle’s army-like training session (FMP reference? XD). This show’s a hell of a ride.

    Keep it up, KyoAni, keep it up. 🙂

    Owaranai
    Reply

    4. I had to re-watch the five minutes of the episode after the ‘itch’ remark. I was just sitting there in . . . I don’t know . . . stunned silence, then I couldn’t stop laughing. Has to be one of the best lines of Winter season, if not 2014. Need a thread to rank good lines like this. OK, I’m better now, so I’ll go watch it again!

      SmithCB
      Reply

  9. This was a fun episode:
    – Not only does Isuzu look hot in a school uniform, a business suit, and a military uniform, but she also looks gorgeous sleeveless.
    – Macaron being married with child, and currently separated I did not see coming.
    – That wrestler applicant really reminded me of Sousuke’s and his rugby team. That and the verbal abuse the three mascots were giving the trainees.
    – I also didn’t expect that AV gag. I can’t recall any other anime that directly references that industry. Eiko must really be such a saint that she does not know the more common meaning AV has, or she could be just teasing. Who knows.
    – Bandou Biino’s scene was disturbing. I seriously thought the whole thing was just an act, but that crazy knife wielding onii-chan didn’t look like a fake and not to mention a real ambulance came.
    – She may be an airhead, but this episode at least reveals Sylphy is the best dancer.
    – I’m definitely on board the Seiya x Isuzu ship. Isuzu’s smile is a definite highlight of the episode
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2029.jpg

    Also…
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2010.jpg

    Anybody has the literal translation to Tiramie’s dying message? I’m just curious since the translations were “the killer has c0wt*ts.” Speaking of that too, this is the first time in the anime any character made fun of Isuzu’s…ummm chest.

    Zhinvu
    Reply

  11. Dat awkward smile in the mirror…

    I can certainly appreciate the large amount of character focus on Sento, because watching her and Seiya interact is always cause for joy. So much facedesking from her this episode. And wow, she can fire her guns in her sleep? That, uh, could lead to some awkward situations further down the line.

    I am hoping we’ll be seeing our weirdo recruits often though. While the cast is already big as it is, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing their actions in the semi-background.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  18. Isuzu x Seiya, ONWARDS!!

    ALSO!

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2006%20-%2006.jpg

    The face of EVIL!

    *cough*

    Ahem, anyways. Definitely my favorite episode of Amagi for a couple of reasons, the least of which was the near seamless mix of comedy and actual progression (something which I haven’t seen KyoAni make any headwinds on since Haruhi) in the story.

    As it always is though, it’s ultimately the characters that either carry a show or let it sink faster than the state of our politics and Amagi’s are ones that I never get tired of, ever; balanced to a point of near constant hilarity, yet never taken to an extreme that I forget who they are, their motivations, or the honest-to-goodness feelings that lurk just beneath the tenuous surface otherwise called the PLOT.

    Isuzu of course, aside from being my favorite character (don’t worry, Moffle. You’re a damn close second ;D) has proven to be a nice twist on the otherwise predictable and too often dull tsundere.

    An ever so slightly less bold version of Senjougahara, one might say? Yeah, that’s about right. 🙂

    Keep up the awesome work, KyoAni.

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

  19. This is officially the most vaudvillian, slapstick show KyoAni has made in years. It really is a return to the kind of humor we seen in FMP Fumaffu, considering it has the same writer.

    starss
    Reply

  21. I really liked this show when it started I really did. But the jokes are just getting more and more vulgar and boring. They only thing that I really enjoy in the show is Sylphie because she is not a creeper like the fairy mascots…

    Ahhh… and I really liked this show.

    RundellhousKode
    Reply

    1. I think it would be best not to judge them by their appearance, since

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Feels like the show’s telling us that appearances aren’t everything. :p

      Owaranai
      Reply

    2. Just because someone is old it doesn’t excuse them for being creepy perverts. Appearances isn’t everything that is for sure but that doesn’t change the fact that they are ruining the anime for me.

      RundellhousKode
      Reply

      1. It just goes to show that comedy is very subjective. The humour of the three faeries is in the contrast between their cute mascot appearance and their actual coarse and unwholesome interiors. They are the men inside their own suits. I can understand you wanting Amaburi to be more highbrow, but the three faeries are very lowbrow characters more or less by design.

        Passerby
        Reply

      2. I don’t really mind them per say so much. I just a irked because their perverted antics are so numerous and dominant. It they were in a less percentage of the time I wouldn’t mind them at all. But the show is constantly using them and it annoys me that they are so much of it.

        There are numerous other characters that appear only for a limited amount of time that I would rather like to show to focus on. It’s not the quality of their antics that irks me it’s the quantity.

        RundellhousKode
        Reply

  25. pretty surprised no one mentioned that imitation of sousuke sagara of the FMP (fumoffu) universe (specifically that rugby training episode) by moffle… that maggots low life etc etc is very sagara like…

    could be a hint of FMP sigma anime?

    The Last Idiot
    Reply

    1. Full Metal Jacket actually gets parodied a lot, even in anime. The Japanese, especially, have a morbid fascination with the drill sergeant’s shameless levels of profanity (since the Japanese language is more often about insinuating rudeness rather than being direct with it). I don’t think it’s a hint for anything. Don’t read too much into it.

      Passerby
      Reply

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