Amagi Brilliant Park / First Impressions

「もう打つ手がない!」 (Mō Utsu Te ga Nai!)
“Nothing Can Be Done!”

This week’s Amagi Brilliant Park will remind you of previous episodes in a very deliberate way, because with the plot firing up the main thrusters for the final stretch we need to be reminded of how far the park has come since Seiya took over. It’s unusual to see the cast of Amaburi as something other than incompetent misfits, but it’s refreshing to see everyone’s park being run shipshape (and comforting to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same). Sure, Amagi Brilliant Park may have metamorphosed into a strange beast, but it has never ever looked this good. I do wonder still, though, where Seiya gets the money to upkeep all that glitz. That’s the real magic.

All these positive scenes serve to highlight that while Seiya’s done great, it’s still not good enough. The montage of the Park running so tight yet still falling so short does a good job of exposing us to Seiya’s frustrated mental state. It doesn’t excuse him being so singularly obstructive in the staff’s brainstorming session (though, admittedly, Muse is made to be bullied) but Seiya was under a lot of stress, and as we’ve seen he doesn’t exactly operate well under stress. Latifa was right; letting Seiya know about her magical soap opera disease was not helpful.

Latifa’s illness is our main source of fantasy this episode, and it carries with it fairy tale elements that crop up in Amaburi from time to time. Can’t really approve of the king of Mapleland here; if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from these kinds of stories, it’s that one should never upset a magician. At the same time, the wizard wasn’t very genre-savvy either; he should have known better than to do anything in return for anyone’s hand in marriage. That’s a wash, but it’s still poor Latifa who ends up with the bearing the curse. And I must say, this magical illness is awfully virulent. It drains anima, it regresses aging, it erases memories. Latifa’s carrying a few too many bombshells to be dropping all at once; I think just one symptom would have served the plot well enough. I’m not sure what purpose Latifa’s strange biology is going to serve at this point, especially since the only explanation for it is literally, ‘a wizard did it’. I know they’ve been dropping hints here and there along the way, and it would be nice to connect everything to Seiya’s past, but it does feel that something’s being overdone. It also means that Latifa is actually supposedly technically twenty-four. Woah. I’m still having trouble processing that.

I suppose Latifa’s fantasy tuberculosis does make Amaburi’s trouble more personal for Seiya, even if I feel that the same effect could be achieved with less pixie dust. Basically what we needed was more responsibility to be piled on Seiya, because he doesn’t give the impression that he’s the kind of person who enjoys responsibility (what with him talking about running away in episode 04). No matter how much Seiya trumps himself up, he’s not perfect, but he’s still a perfectionist. Doing your best but still not being good enough is painful for that kind of personality. Leave it to Seiya’s nominal parental figure (remember her?) to drive the point home: in the real world, outside of magical fantasy land, sometimes things that don’t work out no matter how much you try. Some problems only go away when you drink them away.

That’s all pretty heavy for a show like Amaburi, and there were lots of faces of shock and dismay this episode (Seiya and Isuzu mirror each other so well). Even in its darkest moments, though, Amaburi still manages to slip in some gags, and in the end Seiya’s funk doesn’t last more than an episode.  I’m glad for it; Seiya just isn’t Seiya unless he’s completely cocksure. His confidence is conveniently backed up by a deus ex machina he’s supposedly been searching for, though. Looks like we’ll have a happy ending after all. I guess it’s the power of believing.

Oracles of the future ~ looking ahead

I don’t think whatever it is Seiya’s managed to acquire is going to totally solve all of his problems, or it’d make Moffle’s meaningful little spiel about fighting to the bitter end a bit deflated. I’m not against magical resolutions per se, but I do think that characters need to work for their happy endings. Since we’ve still got two episodes left (and Amaburi has shown itself capable of doing quite a lot with even a single episode), it’s likely there’s work to be done yet.

I’m not sure if next episode is going to continue being as relatively serious as this one. I did mostly enjoy everyone being very expressive this week, but at the same time I think Amaburi should remain focused on its strength: great character-driven comedy. A strong cast can fuel both comedy and drama, meaning you don’t have to do too much extra to bring out the latter. All the reveals about Latifa this episode makes me think that perhaps Amaburi is trying a tad too hard with a few too many hooks. Good use of personalities and character personalities should be more than enough.

All that said, Amaburi has always been good at tying the magical back into the mundane, so perhaps I don’t really need to worry too much about that department. And, of course, second-guessing Amaburi is a futile exercise. Now that we have latched onto the plot, let’s just see where it takes us next week.

 

Full-length images: 08, 15, 18.

 

Preview

72 Comments

    1. I think there’s a little too much enthusiasm over “plot”. It’s not like there no plot before this.

      Since the very beginning, the plot for us had been getting the park back on its feet and kept from shutting down, and despite how “random” some episodes have appeared, each one really had been playing into that plot in one way or the other. Even Episode 9, with the Elementario, which some people say was “random”, really wasn’t completely. Having the Elementario learn to work together, despite their individual flaws (which is what resulted in their dysfunction and mistakes), was meant to improve their performances in attractions that they’re in which, again, plays into improving the park as a whole.

      Sure, we had a hint of something being wrong with Latifa early on, but it wasn’t revisited until now. The plot merely had another layer added to it, thickening it.

      I suppose it’s also because there’s now actual serious consequences should the park be closed down as opposed to before. In the beginning, if the park closed down, it’d be a downer, but as it was said, the members could merely find work elsewhere, so there didn’t really seem to be any huge, dramatic urgency for them to “win” in the end. Now, with Latifa’s life hanging in the balance, there IS now that sense of urgency and the thought of a very sad conclusion should they fail, thus we now have a real reason to root for Seiya and the others to come out on top.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

    2. Now that is rich, that fate/stay night reference, but
      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
      Judging from this face expression, I guess he has suffered a shock knowing about her blood related uncle. Of course, from the looks of it, a “legal loli” may be tempting. There is possibly an alternative since we have a combination of Nunnally, Anya, and C.C; an cute kind amnesiac girl that can give people powers. So a Geass may be used, if a big brother is revealed, in the end to attract the needed customers.

      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
      Mmmm. Bet he is the suposed dead wizard, sounds too suspicious for a powerful wizard to just die like that. If his real name happens to be “Tom Marvolo Riddle” then that would prove a certain someone secretly had an 8th Horcrux, which could be Harry’s glasses, and became a lolicon later.
      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2012.jpg

      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
      The rest of these guys, I am wondering then they plan to make an appearance. I don’t know how many disney references that made up to this point, but they at least briefly show Alladin, Alice in the wonderland, the Three Witches, and later “aliens in a rubber human suit” (don’t know where that is from) where now this ep is with the disney castle.

      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
      Side note, awww, he was so cute. As compared to some other kids.
      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
      T_T Now how did an adorable kid later turned to be so grumpy and narcissistic.

      https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
      *.* JK as the heroes, that may be a new possible story for a play.

      L002
      Reply

  3. https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
    Based on this episode, I really like the way Kanie runs this park I mean at the beginning of the 1st episode, the park is all gloomy same as the staffs but now on this episode it just really shows that the way he managed the park is great(not perfect for now because they can’t still reach their target no. of visitors)I mean just look at the number of people coming compared before,and the staffs,it seems like they’re enjoying their jobs now, and I think he will motivate himself to work even harder now that he know Latifa’s true condition just look at how he communicate with the staff just to plan new things for the park. I think what this episode tells us that don’t give up just because you can’t reach your goals in life but by working harder,good things come to you because it is the things we work hardest for that will rewards us the most.

    Kirigiri
    Reply

    1. Its not really whether we can reach our goals or not. More often than not we just realize that what we wanted was not really that and we just give value to our experiences and move on.

      projectnoa
      Reply

      1. disagree.

        like kanie says – there is no purpose to effort without end result, especially if you’re working towards a specific goal.

        “but we had fun on the way” isn’t really sufficient or adequate in any way when there is a particular target to be reached. particularly (like in this case) when someone’s LIFE depends on it.

        jltrm
        Reply

      2. @jltrm

        Is not that you had fun, its about the experience, what you learn, what you keep from it really. In an idealistic world, effort truly deserves a reward, and that reward must be the goal that you’re working so hard to achieve. But we are not living in an idealistic world, we are living in a realistic one, where sometimes the reward is not so easily perceived, if there is any.

        From a third person perspective, we usually like to sheer for the MC and if the goal seems to not have been reached then we say that he didn’t work hard enough and that he needs to keep pushing. But realistically, things are not so simple. We have seen this many times, the original FMA is a good example, and the best way to see it is that the reward for your hard work, even if is not easily perceivable at first, is real. At the very least we get life experience.

        Anyway, that’s just how I see it 🙂

        Projectnoa
        Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    They started out being rather silent but also on violent terms with each other.
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
    Now they have some respect for each other and can even share jokes + secrets.
    Oh, drinking buddies as well.
    You can tell that Amaburi is gradually regaining its prime thanks to Seiya’s management.

    Techim
    Reply

  5. Since we’ve still got two episodes left (and Amaburi has shown itself capable of doing quite a lot with even a single episode), it’s likely there’s work to be done yet.

    If I remember correctly, Amaburi is a 13-episode package, not 12.
    Even its MAL page says so.
    Final episode should be airing on Christmas Day.

    Personally, Amaburi has shot up to be my top favorite KyoAni series.

    Techim
    Reply

  6. While they did cut down on the comedy I found it to be a great set-up episode for the remaining episodes. I already wish it was next thursday to see what Kanye has in mind and how it will unfold.

    What I got from this episode, there seems to be no room for brooding and Kanye will face it with optimism and his head held high.

    megalith
    Reply

  8. I personally found the episode to be a good setup for the final stretch. The odds of completing the visitors quota really are low, and for what we could see, the staff is working as hard as they can to do it. I really don’t want a “Magical deux ex machina” resolution for the problem, but it would be worse to just receive an ending where the park is shut down. Hopefully Aizen….. em Seiya has a brilliant new plan to tackle the issue.

    On a side note…

    I JUST CAN’T…

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%2003.jpg

    Sylphy… NEED SPINOFF…

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%2015.jpg

    TO MUCH FUN…

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%2027.jpg

    NEED MOAR!!! 😀

    projectnoa
    Reply

  9. Oh yes. The thing that I’ve been harping on about like a bloody parrot arrives. That plot development. I wasn’t as surprised or shocked because I saw it coming, and the little signs dropped along the way (Latifa forgetting there was a hidden passage in her castle, her weak constitution and the calm that belies her appearance) accentuated that something big was coming.

    As a LN reader and anime viewer I have to say I’m very happy with how they handled the episode, with the first half being the main attraction of what Amaburi has come to be known for – comedy and madness, (with Isuzu back at her stoic best and blasting the crap outta Tiramie for good measure) while throwing in a few heartwarming bits about how the park and its denizens have changed for the better and in effect, also changing Seiya in the process.

    Despite my caution about how they would handle the storytelling, I like how the transitioned one mood to another, and they didn’t forget all about the comedy too. It would be a stretch to call everything seamless here, but I think KyoAni has done a really good job.

    The LN reader in me appreciates this even more because of how they mixed and matched the different parts of the episode from varying chapters and sections in different volumes, yet it hardly feels like a messy mish-mash of colorful nothings.

    There are plenty of spoilers to be had here, of course, but I’ll give nothing away unless someone wants them. What I can say that it’s probably gonna be one heck of a ride all the way to the end for Amaburi and just for a tease, we will probably actually get to see

    Show Spoiler ▼

    The potential for more drama is still there, and I can’t wait for the next episode to see what transpires and how KyoAni handles it all. Great episode. 🙂

    Owaranai
    Reply

  11. Seiya has more or less succeeded in getting the park to run at more or less full capacity now. Though as he started quite late, it’s still not enough to reach the required visitor count before the deadline.

    Normally, he would have shrugged his shoulders and said he did his best. But upon hearing of Latifah’s curse, the stakes had just gotten higher and personal, especially after remembering he had promised that he’d save her.

    PS So Latifah is actually at least 24? Just saying…. :3

    echykr
    Reply

  12. I like how slyphy ‘lay back’ while she arrived on the restaurant, how all those girls taking camera snapping Ruby instead of ‘playing the game’, Isuzu keep firing the pain bringer to Tiramie(poor little ecchi pervert)…Amaburi never failed to amuse me for the 20minutes length comedy, keep up yo=)

    Frost
    Reply

  14. Why do I get the feeling that the wizard himself was the one who summoned the dragon, thus was able to “defeat it easily” when even the entire Royal Army couldn’t do anything? Seems way too convenient. And then there’s the trope that if there’s no body, then they’re not dead (the wizard was merely wounded and “fell off a cliff”, but that’s it)…makes me think the dude trying to get the park shut down could be the wizard…

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

    1. Very good observation there, sir. Picking up those little hints dropped here and there make for good speculation, and could be rather accurate ones depending on how we deduce their significance. 🙂

      Owaranai
      Reply

  17. @Passerby
    Gotta disagree about not telling Seiya about Latifa. Should have been told, maybe not at the begining, but early on. Only with a few days left has he found out that it’s life or death if he doesn’t meet the quota. He probably would have changed his approach if he’d known that.

    Only way out that I see is some giant event like maybe a concert where they can pull in a ginormous crowd in one shot. Even then I see it coming down to maybe Show Spoiler ▼

    Bear
    Reply

    1. It’s hard to say really.

      Sure, Seiya has the pressure of there not being much time left in why he’s pushing everyone, but considering how similar he seems to be acting as he was early on (minus the stress of life and death), adding on the extra pressure back then of knowing that Latifa’s life was in the balance would’ve only potentially made things worse. He most likely would’ve been sworn to secrecy himself (as he is acting now as he clearly hasn’t told anyone else of what’s going on nor do they seem to be already aware; seems only Izusu and Moffle know) and, as a result of his pushing, which already was hurting relations between himself and the staff as it was without such knowledge, could’ve potentially alienated many of them into truly quitting.

      After all, as Seiya himself said, any of them could start over, doing something, somewhere else.

      There’s also the fact that, had all of the staff known, yes, it probably would’ve helped things get back on their feet faster, but it also could’ve lead to many more, more costly, mistakes on the way.

      So, again, it’s hard to say one way or the other…

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

      1. Yeah, it might have backfired. Mostly, the secret was there to drive the plot of forcing some big event to allow them to meet quota at the climax. Of course there is one thing that would really draw a crowd (and it’s not naked Elementario, though that might help :D) and it’s the other secret ABP is hiding from the rest of the world.

        Bear
        Reply

    2. Nice Idea. That stadium reeks of chekov’s gun anyway.
      We also have got Elementario trained up for the purpose… and I’d even call Kyokai no Kanata ep 6 idols group for the purpose too… ok, let’s trash this XD

      Solaris
      Reply

    3. @Bear: “Gotta disagree about not telling Seiya about Latifa. Should have been told, maybe not at the begining, but early on. Only with a few days left has he found out that it’s life or death if he doesn’t meet the quota. He probably would have changed his approach if he’d known that.”

      I agree that it would have been better to tell Seiya about Latifa’s condition earlier. While he did know that it was “life or death” for the Maple Landers in general (Ep. 02 Vivid subs around 5:20 mark – Seiya: “So the survival of that park is literally a matter of life or death for you guys.”), it’s absolutely certain in Latifa’s case. Whether Seiya would have changed his approach given that he seems to have honestly done the best he could up to this point is hard to say IMO, but if nothing else, finding out the truth of Latifa’s curse at this moment just adds a bunch of stress on him at the worst possible time.

      — “Only way out that I see is some giant event like maybe a concert where they can pull in a ginormous crowd in one shot.”

      Also agree. A rock/pop concert is my thought as well – especially if they can persuade (magically or otherwise) some famous artist or group. Since they are not focused on making a profit, they could offer the tickets at a substantially lower price than normal (plus you get free park admission as well).

      daikama
      Reply

      2. @Passerby: “Technically, they already have a famous artist. Or famous ex-artist, anyway.”

        I’m assuming you mean Seiya. If so, then I suppose technically speaking, yes. However, I specifically posted “A rock/pop concert” for a reason. “Stadium concerts” (including “park” type concerts) can bring in 50,000, 75,000 or even more than 100,000 fans. I don’t see Seiya’s name bringing in that many people. Get the right currently popular music artist, and they could solve their attendance problem in one night.

        daikama
        Reply

  22. Given her royalty status, why couldn’t they simply relocate her to another theme park with far more visitors? Put her well=being your main priority, the park could go hell for all i care.

    Fipskuul
    Reply

  26. I actually liked this episode quite a bit. Getting back to the heart of the story and moving the plot forward was a welcome change from the previous side trips. While I agree with Passerby that the story needs to retain a sufficient degree of comedy in general, I don’t think it has to be so much one or the other. You can have serious moments & plot lines and comedy as well as long as you execute properly (e.g. don’t poorly mix the two together). IMO, with only two episodes remaining this was the kind of episode the show needed. Time to get back on track with the main story – saving the park and by extension saving Lafia.

    One thing I found a bit strange was that apart from Isuzu, Seiya seems to care more about the saving the park at this point than most. I honestly got the impression of many characters celebrating victory before the game was actually won. Without question, progress has been made (almost “magically” so as Passerby notes), but then again, the goal is still far from within easy reach. This impression wasn’t to the degree to where I thought it was materially adverse to the overall presentation of the story, but it was enough to be noticeable.

    Moffle’s attitude, however, was a bit jarring and character inconsistent from my perspective. Previously, he was constantly worried and protective of Lafia, but now that the clock is running out and he knows that the situation remains desperate, he seemed almost laid-back fatalistic (“going down fighting speech” notwithstanding). Here, the contrast in attitude between him and Seiya was most apparent and little puzzling.

    Still, as noted above, I did like this episode quite a bit and I’m looking forward to how the series ends.

    daikama
    Reply

  27. https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    Latifa housewife cosplay is too pure!

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    Seiya remembers his past with absolutely no prompting or memory retrieval plot line. Good! No trope there!

    https://randomc.net/image/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park/Amagi%20Brilliant%20Park%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
    How many bets that the “wizard” will show up to be defeated on 7/31? Also, guessing that the wizard controlled the dragon all along.

    Ptolemaios00
    Reply

      2. my Story Conclusion

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Thanks to Shirobako i write down my speculate Story lines for the Future. Sure you can call them also Fan-fiction, but it is mine. And i want to share it with all, so that perhaps we all benefit from this. the High up get an Inspiration, and i get my Daily Anime

        Sorry, for the triple Posting

        WorldwideDepp
        Reply

      3. @Admins

        Somehow the (Spoiler) (/spoiler), exchange the ( with < is not really working. The end of Spoiler tag is not right. I put it in the middle of the text, but he took the entire text as spoiler.. strange bug

        WorldwideDepp
        Reply

      5. No no guys! You know what will happen?? … they’ll reach their attendance quota seconds before the day is up except for ONE LAST VISITOR NEEDED!!! And everyone will be panicing ,but then, it will be that sleazy executive who has a change of heart and offers to BUY A TICKET HIMSELF, thereby finally fulfilling their goal!! 😀

        starss
        Reply

      6. I’m betting on the same person.

        No one knew if the wizard was dead, the story only said he fell down a cliff and no trace was seen of him after that. Show Spoiler ▼

        greg
        Reply

    2. My bet is that the Wizard is the dude from Amagi Development. He wants to shut down the park cuz secretly he’s the wizard that cursed Latifa and he wont let Maple King to avoid his curse!

      Shadow
      Reply

      2. Ahhaha. That was actually

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Better stop there now. The reactions to those were pretty funny though. :p

        Owaranai
        Reply

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