Random Curiosity

「犬屋敷麻理」 (Inuyashiki Mari)
“Mari Inuyashiki”

Well I’d say it’s safe to say the excrement has firmly hit the rotary device. Inuyashiki certainly wasn’t holding back with its cliffhanger last episode, but I’m not sure I was expecting the results this week. Mass murder sure, but a unilateral declaration of war accompanied by some left field development for one terrible daughter? I might never cease to be surprised by Inuyashiki, but some things are definitely more surprising than the rest.

While Hiro’s shift into Terminator mode is arguably the least shocking aspect this week, it’s still intriguing how it played out. I honestly was expecting Shion and/or her grandmother to die, and by hell they very nearly did, if not for the wondrous power of mechanical godhood. There’s definitely some cheesiness throughout the scene (notably the SWAT-esque boys shredding grandma without a second thought), but it’s arguably realistic in the sense you can never predict how a forced entry will go. Everything comes down to a few seconds, and with adrenaline pumping and no certainty as to the physical or mental state of the suspects, any move (ex. Shion’s scream) could quickly be taken as an act of aggression. Plus the whole scenario led to an even greater display of wholesale slaughter so cannot complain too much about the details. If anything I’m left more confused about why Japan’s police force would let Shion and grandma go when they know their faces and have a bank account to track. Probably just have to chalk it up to them worrying more about an invincible cop killer I guess. Maybe a conspicuous lack of manpower too, always a possibility.

The more fascinating part this episode, however, had to be the focus on Mari. Once again I was fully expecting Hiro to be the one who would bring her into this story, but lo and behold Ichiro actually revealing all, albeit coincidentally. This development, much like Hiro’s before, shows Inuyashiki is not so much a story about two duelling cyborgs with clear cut mental differences, but how simple changes in circumstance, big or small, are often all it takes to find a meaning in life. As the bodies (and subsequent experiences) of Hiro and Ichiro have given both a new outlook on life and a reason to press on, Ichiro’s support for Mari’s dream (and potentially his acts of kindness) give her the encouragement needed to persevere in her desire. Whether down to Mari simply not seeing what was before her eyes (teenagers have a terrible habit of that) or Ichiro not being home enough to stay in tune with her, both have been metaphorically talking past one another up until this point. Of course Mari has yet to reveal what she knows to her father, but with Ichiro’s secret now out in the open, I imagine it will not take long before Ichiro finds common ground with the family who have all but left him to die. After all considering the path Hiro is now walking, it won’t be long before robot grandpa starts gracing the Inuyashiki television screen alongside the bang bang boy. The future of the Japanese police force depends on it.

With only three episodes remaining and Hiro now essentially at war with the Japanese state, I dare say we are in for some amazing fireworks as Inuyashiki gears up for its grand finale. What that is I have no bloody idea, but with talk of an asteroid and the likelihood of the military getting involved, you can be sure it will not disappoint. For better or worse, Inuyashiki has come too far to give up just before the finish line.

「お前たちの未来が見たい」 (Omae tachi no mirai ga mitai)
“I Want To See Your Future ”

Invocation I

The mud whale’s song, of the people I sing, 

Made nomadic escape, a frightful fate,

from haughty Empire’s unrelenting hate.

Cursed and exiled from continental shore,

Long labors, both by sea and land, they bore.

- Zaiden’s Rewording of ‘The Aeneid’ by Virgil

Quick Recap: Falaina won’t simply go like lambs to the slaughter, having resolved to fight back against the Empire’s genocidal regime. However, I always had an inkling that things would never be so straightforwards, and that their plan would probably end with many casualties. And as ordained, the mysterious allure of Neri’s singing and dancing starkly contrasted rampant scenes of carnage and destruction. Young kids nonchalantly took lives, trivializing war into fun and games, much to Masoo’s despair. But what other choice could be had, other than accepting a cruel demise? And so they must fight to preserve their existence, turning the sea of sands crimson through violent bloodshed.

As always, proper execution left much to be desired. We were meant to find Hakuji’s passing deeply touching, where he came to regret his prior idea to sink the Mud Whale. To that end, he sought to sacrifice himself for the sake of protecting a younger generation from certain death. Unfortunately, the clumsy way he took out the soldiers left me laughing, which detracted from a moment that should have focused solely on Hakuji’s redemption. Also, I wasn’t too sure about the necessity for Liontari to intrude upon such a delicate moment by suddenly shortening Hakuji’s dying moment. Such was its jarring effect, that it killed the mood for me. Fortunately, the ending somewhat salvaged the momentum.

「この世から消えてしまえ」 (Konoyo kara kie te shimae)
“Disappear From This World”

Invocation II

Sing, heavenly muse, on top of the sands.

Of Falaina’s first disobedience,

Of the Nous, whose forbidden emotions,

Brought death into the world, and all our woe.

- Zaiden’s Rewording of ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton

General Thoughts

There was so much dark beauty, going into the moment where the massacre occurred. Bodies dropped, like marionettes that had their strings cut, emphasising the callous nature in which the guns went about claiming lives. But I really wish we got to know these characters better before they died. I don’t even remember the name of this guy, although he had a memorable trait of patting people on the head. As a result, the impact was very diminished to the point of feeling inconsequential, since no important character got caught up in the ambush.

Speaking of deaths, there was a notable one this episode, with Liontari finally kicking the bucket. Rather than feeling overjoyed, Suou’s vision made me pity the poor boy. From a young age, he was rejected by the Nous, becoming the sole outlier filled with emotions. Had he been born on Falaina, he would have lived an ordinary life. Instead, he’s subject to being an outcast, driven to attempting suicide in a fit of grief and insanity. Above all, he is abandoned by his very own family. Of course, this does not excuse the joy he derives from inflicting suffering and pain upon others. However, it’s not difficult to see why he turned out to have a few screws loose. And seeing the flash of longing in his eyes, when Suou extended an offer to live with them, really hit home that he’d been looking for a place to belong for his whole life.

Unfortunately, he rejects the proposition, and Shuan puts him out of his misery, though his end ultimately came at the hands of the very children he tried to terrorise. While survival is of the utmost priority, it’s saddening that these children are now undergoing experiences, that will devalue their sense for the sanctity of life. Once the war is over, how will they readjust back into times of peace? In that sense, I regard these children as permanently affected for the worse, by circumstances far beyond their control.

Concluding Thoughts

These mysterious tendrils seem to gravitate towards the wounded or deceased, so I’m beginning to wonder if Falaina operates by absorbing the life force of its residents. Could that be the alleged original sin, where an experimentation was made with the Nous, that directly interfered with human life? But it would be difficult to explain why the ancestors would choose such a horrible option, unless life on the mainland became absolutely untenable. To be honest, the Empire doesn’t sound very different from the hell on Earth they ironically ascribe unto Falaina. So I can see the thin veil of logic behind escaping, and retaining full capacity of emotions, at the cost of shortened lives.

Now that the Empire has decided to go after them, their time is almost up – this conflict is simply unsustainable for Falaina. Their population was never large to begin with, yet they lost so many people trying to take out Skylos. In short, any leverage that Falaina gain from superior Thymia is completely outstripped by the Empire’s resources. As such, I find it very difficult to see how they can keep up the fight, let alone prevail. I’m waiting to see our protagonists pull the rabbit out of a hat, because a Deus Ex Machina is pretty much required. So as the crusaders of old would say, ‘deus vult’.

Preview

「二兎追う者は一兎も得ず」 (Nito Ou Mono wa Itto mo Ezu)
“The Man Who Chases Two Rabbits Catches Neither”

Man, did the budget get hit with the ugly stick. The last episode had some “quality” artwork, but most of the present-day scenes were animated in CG. The incorporation of 3D artwork into the show was seamless in past episodes, and they make sense in laborious action scenes, but it’s jarring to see scenes where Ushii is standing still, talking to Tora, and the lip flaps and head movements are as jerky as a video game cut scene with in-game models. And what on Earth is this!? I get that Dragon’s power can let him levitate, but it looks so ridiculous with the ice pack that he looks like Lifeform-Hojo N from Final Fantasy VII, and it doesn’t help that the 3D makes it look like he pumped the breaks to plop himself down to fight on Ushi/Tora’s level. As soon as Usagi used zombie Shuryuu’s strength to catapult him into the sky, that should’ve been a warning sign of how convoluted it would get to have Usagi insert himself into the fray, but the execution would’ve been easier to process if it didn’t look as sloppy.

The lack of pomp and circumstance to the character deaths is a double-edged sword in this episode especially. It was amusing to see just how BS it was for Dragon to get bisected right as he was about to enter the fray, and immediately after he caught his brother’s head in confusion. Some of the best dark comedy in Juuni Taisen is how absurd the situations are that got competitors killed like Hitsujii realizing what Tora’s drinking was for after hearing her killing method or Dotsuku finding out what a mistake it was to power up Niwatori. Beginning an episode with a character so pumped up about joining in the fight being taken out only a couple minutes into it by someone who showed up out of nowhere to mention how similar the situation is to the Moon Rabbit folklore is on-par with these moments

The downside to this is that Usagi is completely demolished by Ushii and Tora as soon as he starts fighting. It’s been established that Usagi isn’t that good of a fighter, and his success has been a combination of clever tactics using his necromantist powers and pure luck. Still, you’d think he would have more tricks up his sleeve since he’s been built up as a cunning psychopath. As others have said, he’s also the only character who hasn’t had any backstory or reasoning behind his existence. While he wouldn’t be as intimidating if we knew the ins and outs behind his character, it would’ve been nice to have a small nugget of what kind of life someone like him would’ve lead in a world where you aren’t slaughtering everyone around you.

Much of the present day scenes could’ve been better, but Episode 09 excelled the highest with Tora’s backstory. Her transition from a beloved role model at the local dojo to a soldier who had grown apathetic and blood-thirsty through her alcoholism was devastating, and highlights how her transition aligns with the lives and ideologies of her fellow combatants. If combatants such as Snake, Dragon, Niwatori, and Inou were meant to express what people are willing to do once they’ve become desensitized to cruelty and violence, Tora was intended on showing how far someone can fall after finding a way to numb themselves to the murder they commit. Her dependence on alcohol abuse to keep herself satisfied and cope with the battlefield becomes self-destructive as she’s disowned from her dojo, suffers memory loss, and picks up on animalistic impulses while she kills in a drunken rage.

Tora’s POV as a soldier could easily lend itself to the entire story in itself as we see numerous angles of the lingering affects of war, whether it’s Inou’s involvement with militias, Shuryuu’s anti-war negotiation efforts, Hitsujii’s arms-dealing, or even the entire premise of the Zodiac War in itself as a decider of world power. It doesn’t linger on politics as much, but Juuni Taisen is still a very political story that explores the socioeconomic impact that war has on the people and nations that are ravaged by conflict. Many of the combatants are involved directly behind-the-scenes through the war, but Tora’s perspective as a soldier in the front lines of war place her in a vulnerable position as someone who’s jaded view of society comes from how meaningless the death she’s seen truly is, and how much she’s relied on alcohol as an escape from the trauma she’s had to face in the line of gun-fire. Most of the contestants have a grandiose role in the wars committed throughout the years, but Tora’s fall from grace and ostracization are all too real for those who haven’t been able to shake off the aftereffects of the battlefield after coming home from war, and can only cope through unhealthy addictions as a result of the neglect they face once they’re back to their lives as civilians. That alone makes Tora’s story compelling in relation to the combatants who were involved with the sidelines of conflict.

Preview

「空を駆ける」 (Sora wo Kakeru)
“Soar Through the Sky”

This week’s episode was freaking fantastic.

General Impressions

Ever since we saw the fall of Vlad, I’ve been a little wishy washy about how I feel about the story (or rather the writers) and how it’s been trying to give our characters more depth now that the immediate threat is gone. Besides a few key moments here and there, most attempts have felt bland at best — which honestly has kind of sucked because there’s so much potential with all the remaining characters.

Amazingly though, this week’s episode did a complete 180 and gave us some fantastic moments amongst all of our key players. Sieg managed to have a moment where he truly began to notice all the small things that make people, people. Astolfo got a chance to be more than an airhead and even got a chance to genuinely toy around with Sieg. Caules, Fiore, and Chiron got a few moments to share their respect and love for each other. Even Gordes got a nice little shout out from the very beings that he tried so hard to be mean too. From start to finish, there was never a dull moment to be found.

That said, Team Black’s players weren’t the only ones who had a chance to shine in the spotlight. Surprisingly, Shakespeare finally got a chance to do more than just shout out some random words. Sure, I would have loved a deeper explanation about his powers, but as a famed writer whose quill has crafted stories that millions of people view as the gospel of writing for his era, it isn’t too hard to make an educated guess behind why Shirou blew a Command Seal to control Shakespeare’s powers. Powers aside, I loved how Shakespeare managed to show us a different side of Semiramis. A darker side that lets on what feels like her true personality and one that I wish we could see more of!

And as if that wasn’t enough, we even got a bonus in the form of witnessing the beginning of the epic final battle. Full of giant beams, arrows, and yelling it was everything I think anyone could have asked for. However, if I had one complaint (and a very minor one at that), I’d have to question Atalanta’s decision to leap straight at Jeanne. As an Archer who hasn’t shown that much close quarter combat ability (compared to Chiron at least), it feels like it would have served her better to wait for Jeanne to come at her instead. But who knows, maybe she’s about to unleash some crazy CQC.

Boy, who knew a one week break could do wonders? Jokes aside, I can’t wait to see just how things play out with so many different things going on. While it remains to be seen just who will end up being the victor at the end of the day, I’m curious to see if the story is going to go down the route of “none of this matters because Shirou activated the Greater Grail” path. Anyways, I’ll catch you guys next week where we’ll hopefully get to see Astolfo activate his magic books as well as maybe a fight between Karna and Sieg.

Catch you guys then!

P.S. I forgot to touch on Shirou reaching the “Grail” at the end of the episode, but I can’t even guess about what’s going to happen now that he’s activated the “Third Magic”.

「HAKODATE」 (HAKODATE)
“HAKODATE”

God, I can’t get enough of this slightly darker and more serious tone that Sunshine has been adamantly been pushing on us.

General Impressions

With our Aqours girls safely awaiting their chance to perform on the big stage at the Akiba Dome, I was wondering what the show was going to do as it built up to that final moment. Luckily, we got an opportunity to fill that time with an unexpected appearance of our favorite rival group Saint Snow. Thinking back on it, it’s kind of crazy that we haven’t seen much of them this season. I guess it makes sense that they don’t really have much of a reason to appear since they’re competing in a totally different bracket because of their school’s location, but it would have been great if we could have seen a little more of their progression before getting such a heavy Saint Snow episode.

Minor gripes aside, I was really surprised to see the story show us that Saint Snow isn’t the invincible duo that they were painted as last season. As rivals to our girls, you’d assume that they’d be this incredible force that they’d have to eventually deal with when they reached the finals. But just like every other twist that the show’s thrown at us, you couldn’t have been more wrong if you thought that Saint Snow was going to make it to the end. Messing up their chance at making it to the finals with a misstep at the beginning of their performance, I remember feeling super down as I thought about how they lost it all with a simple mistake. But after taking some time to think things through, it’s moments like these that truly help someone grow into the best possible version of themselves. As with anything in life, nothing is guaranteed and while it’s great to see how someone handles success, I think it’s even more enthralling to see how someone handles failure. And if there’s something that this second season has demonstrated time after time, it’s that it can handle a failure story in the most entertaining way possible.

At this point in the post I would have loved to talk about the resolution that Ria would have come to, but it looks like we’ll have to wait until next week for the answer. Hopefully we’ll get to see something amazing like some kind of Aqours x Saint Snow performance or something!

See you guys next week!

Preview

「扉(ドア)」 (Door)
“Door”

I suppose it’s no revelation, but in many ways Chinatsu and Tatara are the worst possible pairing one could imagine in ballroom dance. That’s always been the elephant in the room during the second cour of Welcome to the Ballroom, with an explicit expectation that there was some underlying factor that would eventually make them an ideal pairing (frankly, after this much foundering anything less would be a letdown). The seeds of it have always been hinted at, certainly – I’ve written about them in prior posts – but damn, Ballroom is certainly taking its time in sprouting much from them.

Maybe, at last, we’re starting to see the worm turn here – though not before Tatara has been the victim of yet more highly dubious “help” from those he has no choice but to rely on for it. It’s a truism in sports that the most gifted competitors usually make bad coaches (the best baseball managers are frequently former second-string catchers), and the likes of Sengoku and Hyoudo are certainly doing their best to prove it in Ballroom e Youkoso. Hyoudo’s cavalier attitude can be pretty infuriating at times, and no matter how it works out, he did Tatara no favors by experimenting on his body – with zero explanation – literally in the middle of a competition. It may wind up helping (that would be the shounen thing to do) but I hate to see dumb behavior that like rewarded.

That said, that there are much deeper problems with this pairing is obvious at this point. This series can get pretty theoretical when it comes to dance, and this episode may have been the most striking example. The idea that the tall, elegant Kugimiya pair would excel in standard a while the more dynamic (by necessity) Tata-Natsu pair would have a better chance in Latin makes a lot of sense. As Hyoudo-kun notes, however, that kind of rivalry game really only matters when the skill sets of the two pairs are at a comparable level. As to Mako’s assertion that standard people are like dogs and Latin people are cat-like, well – I can sort of see where she’s going with that, but I certainly know some cats and dogs that would dent the metaphor.

In order to become an ideal (or even serviceable) pairing, I think Tatara-kun and Chinatsu need to figure out what sort of pairing they intend to me. It’s telling that not even the dance press (it exists, apparently) knows the name of Kugimiya’s partner (it’s Idogawa-san, for the record, and I don’t know if it’s been mentioned at all in the series). That works for him – whether it works for her has not been shown to be relevant yet. For Sengoku and Chizuru it’s quite different – they fight like, well- cats and dogs, but on the dance floor they mesh. Chizuru was a partner who had a clear idea of how she wanted to dance – and had no patience for a leader who had no clear path in mind.

It’s not difficult to see which model makes more sense for Chinatsu and Tatara – but getting there certainly isn’t easy. The metaphor the series uses for this is fitting – a young and brash Chinatsu towering over a smaller and meekly affable Tatara who has no idea how to “open the door” for her. A boy who can’t assert his own personality through his dance and a girl who can’t abide the thought of following someone else’s lead – again, it’s hard to imagine a worse partnership. Each of them has to effectively become something they’re not in order for this to succeed, which from the perspective of making them confront their respective weaknesses might make sense. But in practice, can that really work?

Maybe these two really can meet in the middle (empathy is the key) but we’ve never seen an example of a dance partnership that works that way apart from possibly Sengoku and Chizuru (and I’d argue that dynamic is quite different). I suppose it almost has to end up working out that way or we don’t really have a story, but Ballroom e Youkoso can certainly never be accused of making it look too easy…

Preview

「小さな世界 / 手紙」 (Chiisana Sekai / Tegami)
“Chapter 56 Small World / Chapter 57 Letter”

End Card

「梅雨の始まり / 蜂谷」 (Tsuyu no Hajimari / Hachiya)
“Chapter 58 Start of the Rainy Season / Chapter 59 Hachiya”

Hina’s Predicament

Throughout these two episodes, Hina’s suffering continues on with no end in sight. Her teacher keeps brushing her off, and no one will stand up to the bullies. However, she does find solace within her household, although there’s a dire lack of permanent solution.

I think that we’ve been seeing an exploration of potential approaches, only to find out that these types of situations are truly delicate, and tricky to a fault. Too little effort, and you may as well have done nothing. Too heavy-handed, and some undesired consequences may arise. We see that even Takahashi’s intervention can only provide a brief respite, by momentarily raising Hina’s spirits. In fact, I would argue that his involvement only exacerbated the issue, since it gave the bullies a perfect narrative to push. They wasted no time in framing Hina as being a slut, who was fooling around with Takahashi.

Upon his immediate reaction to the unwelcome news, it was terrifying yet awesome to see Rei flare up in such a way. If we exclude his vulnerable outbursts from the first season, I’ve never seen such powerful displays of emotions coming from him, and it is here that we can see how the Kawamoto sisters have formed a cornerstone in his character development. No longer is he the pushover of old. Rather, he constantly strives to be a dependable person, who can look after the people he cares for. That said, he is still the same old, awkward Kiriyama, unintentionally startling some animals when he suddenly raises his voice in solidarity. Then again, who wasn’t on the same page? I personally feel an indescribable rage towards the bullies first, then towards the teacher above all else.

For someone who usually maintains a solid composure, it’s been really interesting to be reminded that despite being a mother by proxy, Akari is still a young woman with her own insecurities. Although Someji and Misaki are capable relatives, she worries about an extenuating situation, where she will have to go to school and confront the parents of Hina’s bullies. To be honest, I can see why such a concern would be legitimate. Imagine a middle-aged mother, who effectively enables her daughter’s terrible behaviour. Such an individual would be quick to protest her daughter’s innocence, and assert herself over Akari by ruthlessly putting her down. Even with all her love and best intentions for Hina, I could see Akari crumbling under such an unprecedented crisis. Let’s hope that the worst-case scenario doesn’t come about, right? I would hate to see such a beautiful smile getting fractured.

Rei vs Hachiya

In my opinion, this was the best shogi game depicted thus far in 3-gatsu. Due to the opponent, it was highly kinetic and fairly intense. Plus a new kind of difficulty arose. Rei’s perspective fantastically conveyed the unpleasant experience of playing against someone like Hachiya, who would fidget and make loud noises at sporadic intervals during a match. Often times, I found myself experiencing second-hand discomfort and irritation. By the way, these kind of physical reactions are a testimony to Shaft’s incredible directing. Anyhow, I wouldn’t blame people for thinking it’s a cheap tactic to unsettle shogi opponents. However, Hachiya strikes me as someone who suffers from ADHD. For those reasons, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and you could never really deny his sincere passion for the game. Combine all these quirky traits, and you might even find him endearing. I’d say he won me over, after knuckling down on Kiriyama in the post-mortem, while demolishing parfait after parfait.

Concluding Thoughts

Rei forges ahead into the semifinals, and with Nikaidou hot on his heels, I look forwards to seeing what the next few matchup brings. Just how far can his newfound determination take him, or even better, what will he do if he falls short?

So far, the pacing has been nothing short of amazing. Where most other shows would struggle to follow up from a climax, 3-gatsu just seems to naturally transition between moments, continually moving from strength to strength in its depiction of Hina’s problem with bullies. Shaft deserve credit for faithfully following on, but most of my praise has to go to Umino Chica, who set down the entire groundwork that made everything possible. Both her character and story-telling feel organic in their construction,

Anyway, I’d like to play the Devil’s Advocate for Hina’s teacher because reading the manga grants me the benefit of hindsight, thus altering my initial preconceptions. Otherwise, I suspect that I would also be up in arms over how she chose to handle Hina’s situation. While it’s true that the teacher’s passivity is utterly despicable, humans all have their reasons for acting in certain ways. Righteousness is typically the natural course upon which our feelings run, but over time, disillusionment over the system can slowly erode away our capacity to do what’s right. That is to say, we become paralysed by an indescribable fear of failure, to the extent that we’re prevented from taking proper action. Not that it justifies losing courage, when the weak and vulnerable are crying for help. However, it’s completely understandable that not everyone has the same kind of conviction we see within Hina.

Zaiden’s Anecdote

Early on in my school days, I remember that I was quick to stand up for my friends, getting in tussles with larger kids who picked on anyone I cared about. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for those who I thought were my friends. What I’m about to tell you precludes my most bitter memories from secondary school.

This guy who could never beat me at Pokémon battles thought it would be hilarious to dump an entire plate of spaghetti over my head out of spite. Not saying I was perfect, considering I was as arrogant as they come and a sore winner. But what shocked me was that none of my friends tried to help me, stand up for me, and all left the scene as soon as they could.

What’s more, this kid went straight to our Head of Learning, and straight up lied to them about how I was the one who threw food at him, landing me into two weeks worth of detention. The kicker? Not one person who I thought of as my friend stood up for me.

Their shallow reasoning was as follows. Judging by my character, they thought that I would be quick to forgive and forget. That is to say, by not choosing a side, they thought could keep both friendships, even though one side had clearly wronged. And the worst thing? I never got an apology from this scumbag.

The ridiculous thing? My ‘friends’ told me to forgive and forget, and ‘make up’ with the perpetrator. Water under the bridge, making life easy for them. The dumb thing? I did exactly that, just to make my ‘friends’ happy. But he always continued acting like he was somehow the victim, and it felt horrible having to stick around someone who had wronged me in such a vile way without remorse. And what my ‘friends’ did was enable his lousy behaviour. One ‘friend’ told me they let him get away with it, because he never directly hurt them, making it okay for them. Needless to say, I don’t speak to that person anymore.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried at the time, cleaning up the floor covered in spaghetti, while the rest of the school kids in the dining room looked on in glee. Much like Hina, I also cried on some random nights, because I felt really abandoned, and the incident messed me up for a long time. However, I managed to come out stronger, and eventually found the genuine friends I had always wanted. There’s one in particular that comes to mind, that I want to talk about.

End Card

A Heartfelt Message to My Best Friend

Dear Alvin,

I know you sometimes read these Random Curiosity posts. Whether you’ll read this one is anyone’s guess. Nevertheless, I just wanted to say, I love you lots and thank you for being my best friend over these past few years!

A lot of people in our secondary school misjudged you, readily dismissing you for being ‘lame’. Not only were they completely wrong, but they utterly failed to see your true worth and value. From the bottom of my heart, I am thankful and blessed to have you as my best friend.

While you may be awkward at times, that does not refute the fact that you’re a truly good person at heart, who holds a deep sense of compassion for your peers. You would stand up for me without any hesitation, and properly listen to me when I needed someone to confide in. As I would do for you as well.

Had I known you prior to the spaghetti incident, I know I wouldn’t have experienced such loneliness. As such, it is my regret we couldn’t have been best friends earlier on during our time at secondary school, since I wish I was there to help with your hardships too. I will always have your back, and if I needed someone to have mine, I’d trust you for time immemorial. I hope we can continue to be best friends, till death do us part.

Yours sincerely,

Zaiden

「アリス, オカネガタリマセンワ」 (Arisu, Okane ga Tarimasen wa)
“Arisu Can`t Make Enough Money”

Ever since Animegataris began, it’s made itself abundantly clear that plot is not its strongest suite. The twist at the end where Tsubaki is under direct orders from the principal makes that distinction apparent. Instead of developing on the threads that have already been pulled out, they want to include more to the equation.

It doesn’t clear up the air, but rather creates more confusion on what’s happening. Who’s influencing the principal? What does he know about the old anime club? Does he have any information on the beret or Neko, or the role they play in the anime club? Does Erika feel deja vu around Maya because of the Animegataris skits they starred in back when they were doing promos for a Ghost in the Shell movie? Why is Kouki sketchy? These were fun episodes, but the push for the anime club to set up an exhibit definitely feels like an obvious distraction while the show still tries to figure out what exactly it wants to get at with its story.

What makes this frustrating is the fact that it does lighthearted referential comedy very well, and would’ve been perfectly fine without trying to force a deeper story. It was funny to finally see Minoa’s dad outed as a hardcore otaku, giving her a device to record the remaining dubbing because he can’t stand to see anime in trouble. I’m surprised Minoa didn’t catch on at all to her dad being the guy who showed up to Comiket to ease the line of patient otaku, especially since they actually talked about him being a pivotal part of the convention enough so to have studied his face. The revelation that he remembers the anime Minoa watched could also hinder what makes her mixed up anime memories significant since they could just leave it at the anime simply being some average childhood series that her dad remembers her liking. If I put my thinking cap on the shelf, however, it was a joy to see Minoa’s dad come out of his shell, and openly share his obsession with anime with his daughters.

What helps the episode is that the anime the club made was adapted in its entirety in glorious MS Paint-esque fashion. The hodge-podge of ideas the club had about what their anime should have shines the brightest through the slapped-together artwork that genuinely looks like something a high-school otaku would make. It reminded me of a manga my high school anime club was trying to come together to make. The plot was a mess, but I remember we planned on having a gimmick similar to Yui’s fanservicey work-out routine where a character would begin the chapter with a cardboard cutout of a letter of the alphabet, counting down to Z and eventually moving towards Roman numerals.

The slapped-together feel and heart-felt love for anime that encompasses anime clubs is presented with flying colors the the show’s execution and tributes. Reusing the ED theme with the CG girls was a bit weird, even if it was revealed to be a flash forward to the performance of their anime’s theme, but it’s made up right away with the Lucky Star homage in the ending credits. Hopefully, we’re getting a little closer to finding out why everyone’s so hush-hush about the previous anime club, or what’s going on.

Preview

「マクロの決死圏 前編」 (Makuro no Kesshi Ken Zenpen)
“Desperate Fight in the Macro Zone Part 1″

One of the advantages of manga as an art form, particularly with how it’s distributed week to week (or month to month), is that arcs can be exactly as long as they need to be. There are fewer artificial constraints because the relatively low cost to create the next chapter, coupled with the advantages that serialization provide for existing stories, creates a different dynamic than for narrative TV, movies, books, or even American comic books. That difference is in the decision point. Take a novel: novels are such big individual undertakings that, once one is finished and released, the question is “Should we do another one?” Ditto with movies and the rest. With manga (as well as webcomics, and certain genres of no/low-narrative TV—afternoon soap operas, talk shows, and low budget reality TV shows come to mind), it’s easy to churn out the next chapter, so usually it is. This can give rise to other problems—the never-ending series that should have stopped years ago is a frequent offender—but if an arc needs just a little more time, it can have it. There are still some artificial constraints (you want a chapter to end on a good point, and most have a set number of pages), but they’re not as prominent. You’d never hear a manga publisher tell a mangaka “Finish this arc in 10 chapters so it can fit into this season.” That’d be ludicrous—while in anime, it happens all the time.

I say all this because a chapter that’s 90% setup wouldn’t be that big of a deal, whereas an episode like that comes off as boring and in some ways annoying—because we know we’re only getting a finite number of these episodes, and to see one frittered away on a plot that’s just a little too full of new characters, strange developments, and extraneous weirdness feels like we’re being cheated out of something. Add in the overly-darkened fight scenes—done so they don’t trigger seizures in kids, see: that Pokemon episode way back when, though here they were WAY overdone—and it’s light on mitigating circumstances.

Some things are less of mistakes even though they might seem like they are at first blush. Introducing Leo’s friend and future accidental antagonist, Riel-san, in the first scene like he’s been around this whole time is a tad lazy, but if the guy wasn’t going to be interesting before this then I’m all for them not having wasted our time with him until now. Whereas the whole scene with Leo and Sonic saving a cat better develop into something big, or else they could have had hyperdoctor Li Gado learn about Leo’s eyes somewhere else and not waste our time, thank you very much.

In the end, this episode of Kekkai Sensen is as much of this season has been: decent-to-good overall, if strangely forgettable for stories set in such an electric city. This one was too heavy on the setup, but it can really only be judged when we’ve seen the rest of the arc. Time to wait for next week, then!

Random thoughts:

• “Do you have any information? About any sinister activities going on in Hellsalem’s Lot?” Leo, you’re going to have to narrow it down.

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for updates. At stephenwgee.com, the latest post: Help Houston.

Preview

「一歩前へ踏み出した」 (Ippomae Eh Fumidashita)
“One Step Forward”

My brain, it trembles.

General Impressions

I can’t believe it finally happened. After all this build up, I still can’t actually believe that Sakurai revealed that he was Lili. I mean, there were ample times for it to happen throughout the episode, but I honestly wasn’t thinking it’d happen since there’s two episodes still remaining.

Anyways, enough with me marveling about the wonderful reveal right at the end of the episode. Let’s talk about the actual thing for a little bit. Starting off with Sakurai’s backstory, I’m surprised just how effective it was at building up his reasons for becoming such a big MMO player. Sure, not everyone needs something tragic to happen in their lives for games to become an escape, but when there is something fueling someone’s passion for gaming, it gives the whole thing this really tangible feel. From Moriko’s trouble at work and needing an escape to Sakurai trying to find a place that felt like home after losing his parents, it makes you wonder if you’re watching a light hearted story or a story about recovery and growth of an individual.

Another really powerful factor throughout this week’s episode was its awesome soundtrack. I think I’ve been subconsciously loving the soundtrack, but with the story slowing down and really showing some love to Moriko and Sakurai’s budding relationship, I was a little scared when I realized just how much the music was affecting me. If I were to pick a specific moment where all this kicked in, I think the best example from this week’s episode was when Moriko started recalling memories from the previous MMO she played. The piano soundtrack that lead to a bunch of nothing that then transitioned in the beautiful orchestra piece that played a the two spoke on the phone was just an absolute pleasure to experience.

Overall, another fantastic freaking episode of Netoge. Not much may have happened, but the one thing that did was a complete game changer. Based on the next week’s episode preview, it finally feels like things might be moving toward the destined Sakurai x Moriko end. In any case, I’ll catch you guys next week where we’ll hopefully get to see a specific burger loving guy knock some sense and initiative into Sakurai. See you then!

Preview

「Let Sleeping Dogs Lie」

Looking back over the past several anime seasons, it’s hard to remember another series that’s been so thoroughly on-point as Mahoutsukai no Yome. In most cases, even when we know the source material, there are ups and downs in the process of adaptation – not to mention a sense of uncertainty about how good the final product would be. Honestly, Mahoutsukai has been as close to exactly as expected as realistically possible. It’s religiously faithful to the source, it’s drawn and directed with supreme competence and confidence, and it rarely if ever has a misstep. It’s almost boring how predictably solid this show is, but that praising with faint damnation if ever I’ve written it.

I don’t know if one has to have an interest in the mythology of northern Europe to truly appreciate The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but it certainly can’t hurt. This isn’t virgin territory for manga and anime, but it isn’t too often you see such a pure and well-researched take on it – often we see European fantasy melded with Japanese folklore (itself often a very interesting direction to take). What fascinates me in looking at Western myth through a Japanese perspective is how strongly it blends Christian and pre-Christian ideas in much the same way Shintoism and Buddhism have evolved in Japan. We tend to think of our belief system as a proper and orderly Judeo-Christian model and dismiss everything else as icky paganism, but much more of that ancient tradition survives than most of us are aware of.

That notion is very much alive in the person of Joseph, who emerges as the first true villain in Mahoutsukai no Yome. In fact Joseph’s real name seems to be Cartaphilus – though he despises being called by it. Cartaphilus is a legendary figure in Christian tradition – though truly folkloric in nature, as he’s mentioned nowhere in the bible. He was supposedly a man (depending on the story either a doorman at Pontius Pilate’s estate or a tradesman) who mocked Jesus on his way to the crucifixion, and was cursed to wander the Earth until the day of reckoning (he’s also a common instrument for anti-Semitic hate mongering, but that’s a topic for another day). Given the events of this episode, the connections with Joseph’s character should be obvious.

Joseph is clearly a rogue, even among the roguish fraternity of sorcerers – he thinks nothing of the “tacit agreement” that sorcerers and mages will stay out of each other’s way, and seems to act merely for the purposes of alleviating his own boredom and curiosity. Last week we saw him bring out Elias’ true form for the first time – now it’s Chise whose full force of ire is drawn out by the ageless sorcerer. For his cruelty in the Kingdom of Cats, and for his violation of Isabelle and what it’s done to Ulysse, Chise prepares to unleash her full power to smite him down. Last time it was Chise who brought Elias back from the dark place – this time around he’s the one to return the favor.

The truth of Ulysse’s story is a tragic one indeed – having waxed eloquent on the virtues of cats, Mahoutsukai now reflects on the timeless loyalty of dogs. Ulysse in his mind may have been Isabelle’s brother, but in truth he was never human. He became a church grim by remaining at her grave waiting for Isabelle to wake until he died himself (most dogs traditionally come by the role in far more grisly fashion). But no matter how long he waits for her, Isabelle will never wake – and the horror she’s become in Joseph’s hands is in no way the girl Ulysse loved and died for.

It’s Blue Flame (Ishida Akira) who intervenes and manages to bring things to a relatively peaceful conclusion. He’s a will-o’-the-wisp, perhaps the most famous of all the creatures of faerie. His actions give Ulysse the opportunity to ask Chise to make him her familiar, a pact which once made would be difficult for even Joseph to undo. As part of their bond Chise must choose a new name for Ulysse, and her choice might seem an odd one – we tend to think of “Ruth” as a woman’s name. But it’s also a word which means compassion and empathy (the opposite of “ruthless”), and this is surely why Chise chooses it – to honor the strength of character which bonded Ulysse to his his “sister” in life, and to symbolise that which unites him with his new master in death.

All in all this two-episode arc is typical Mahoutsukai no Yome in every sense. The very soil in which this story plants its roots is loss – and even as it grows, the leaves and flowers it develops reflect the loss they’re grounded in. To live is to suffer, that seems to be the working truth of this series – a dark theme to build around, no question. But to find grace and dignity even when in pain and to celebrate the cycle of rebirth and creation that goes along with loss – there’s something quite beautiful in that, and it’s that which makes this series as emotionally powerful as it often is.

Preview

「恋と友情さえあればいい.」 (Koi to Yuujou sae Areba Ii.)
“All You Need Is Love and Friendship.”

Being Haruto is already suffering enough as is; your anime adaptation is crap, no one respects you as a writer, and you are friends with authors who are significantly more talented than you are. But adding unrequited love to the table is outright cruelty. Instead of having the trip to Joypolis be the springboard to sail the Haruto/Miyako ship, it is what appears to be the ship’s final resting place as Haruto is able to read the disappointment on Miyako’s face when she sees Itsuki hitting it off with Nayu. The last five minutes hit like a truck as Haruto realizes that he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance when it’s clear that Miyako has been emotionally invested in Itsuki this whole time. While Itsuki is oblivious to any of the hints Miyako drops, Haruto is unfortunately quick to the punch in seeing that trying to pursue a relationship with her any further will only be painful for both his heart and her emotional state.

And just so that there’s equal opportunity suffering, to be Miyako is also to suffer. The tug-of-war her heart has over Itsuki is made even more complicated after her birthday as she comes face-to-face with both her lack of experience in the world for her age and her unrequited feelings for Itsuki. Nayu’s appreciation for Miyako as a sister figure is a double-edged sword as she helps Miyako feel appreciated regardless of her inexperience, yet also continues to pull at her heartstrings about the slightest inkling of her getting with Itsuki. The birthday novel Nayu wrote for Miyako captivates her as she sees the full extent of Nayu’s talent while painting an erotic story between her and her unrequited.

Something like this would be on the flipside of why Haruto didn’t want Itsuki to be involved anymore with his pursuits; any efforts they make to help or cheer them up are only going to continue to hurt them as Itsuki and Nayu start making progress on their relationship. Haruto had the sense to tell Itsuki that he shouldn’t try to help him out, but I can see Miyako continue to be reminded of her inadequacy if Nayu keeps prodding her about how she feels about Itsuki. As they say, “Each fiber of pleasure you experience causes equivalent pain somewhere else”. Nayu’s victory rides on Miyako’s defeat, so it won’t be pretty if Miyako’s determination and emotional state evaporates further and further due to the false hope Nayu is giving her about a game she knows she’s losing.

In a kinder, albeit tragic twist of fate, the ship between Nayu and Itsuki is beginning to look like a reality. The Joypolis day-trip was just what Itsuki needed to develop feelings for her as they bond over their mutual appreciation of thrill rides. It was cute to see Itsuki start to catch feelings when he saw Nayu getting pumped up about going on a ride together by the end of the trip. Similarly, they shared some quality time prepping up for Miyako’s birthday celebration at their place with some funny moments like Itsuki trying to explain that his “rom-coms” are barely the right qualification to give romantic advice or whether actual feces is a proper gift for someone you love. Nonetheless, the episode’s biggest strength is how serious its tone is consistently throughout the 24 minutes of despair. Instead of feeling the need to pepper in something overly light-hearted, they keep a level-headed, mature approach to Haruto’s doomed effort to ask Miyako out, and Itsuki getting further away from Miyako’s reach.

End Card

「華やかな日々」 (Hanayaka na Hibi)
“Spectacular Days”

Now this is the Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru that I remembered, and was waiting for. Not that Washio Sumi no Shou was bad, I’ve already discussed it at length, but the elements that the prequel was missing are back here in Yuusha no Shou. Not that it’s perfect either, but the first episode is on much more solid ground.

First, and biggest, is a deft mixture of jokey, happy-go-lucky slice-of-life scenes with something more dire. In the original season’s dual premiere, it was full slice-of-life until the curtain fell down, and it was suddenly (and shockingly) serious business. Here, with that payload long sense spent, they lean on another tool: eerie, unsettling dread. This is an example of that old maxim “show, don’t tell”—only not really. In this case, the first half of the episode is just “don’t tell”. Show other things. Let us wonder. Let us worry. Let us say to the screen the question on everyone’s minds: “Where is she?” It’s devastatingly effective, and it’s a return to form.

It is somewhat odd that it’s Tougou Mimori (Mimori Suzuko) who went missing. It’s not a mistake, but it is odd, since all signs prior to this season pointed to the titular Yuuki Yuuna (Terui Haruka) as the one who would be the “quest” this time, because of their historical roles. Think of it: in the original and in the prequel, Wasshi’s/Tougou’s role was as the one who feels pain, sadness, and despair, whereas first Gin and Sonoko, and later Yuuna are the heroic stoics who take the burden upon themselves. Tougou is the tortured soul, because she sees those around her being hurt and she cannot take it—and here, the script is flipped. Now it’s Yuuna who is crying, feeling as if she gave up on her friend, who she (horrifyingly) forgot, while Tougou is shouldering the pain for everybody.

It’s not a mistake, though. It’s just not what I expected, and not what the trajectory from the original season (and the prequel) would suggest. The latter half of the episode gave the reasoning, though: Tougou feels guilty for blasting a hole in the wall, and I have a feeling that is what will have led to her current predicament. (Or maybe something divine and ruinously unfair, which would be a return to form for YuYuYu as well—and will work better when, unlike the sequel, we don’t know how this particular divine cruelty will play out.) It also has the bonus of making it less predictable, and Mimori/Wasshi is the connective tissue that binds both Team Sonoko and Team Fuu together, so there are advantages to the setup. Like I said, not a mistake. Just a path I didn’t expect them to take. And it was executed mostly well.

As far as mistakes go, there was only one: not making it clear that the flashback was still going on when they found out that Tougou was masquerading as National Defense Mask. They needed some kind of visual clue to show that it was still flashback time, because the flashback went on for so long I started wondering “Did they throw a helluva curveball and resolve the episode one drama already?”. Or maybe they should have ducked back to the characters all expressing horror at having forgot Tougou, to reiterate that it was still flashback time, because wondering whether it was still the flashback or not yanked me out of the mood—though that would have clashed with the jokey tone they were playing with there, which I’d call a tonal clash if that wasn’t (A) an old YuYuYu trick, and (B) funny as hell. I will give you a pass if you make me laugh that much! The Rule of Funny (trope!) exists for a reason.

Either who, that’s the only mistake I can claim, because the rest was solid. The slice-of-life start was great, the beloved original characters are back, Nogi Sonoko (Hanazawa Kana) fits into the group dynamic like a glove (she’s an excellent character like that), and the emotions of confusion and despair friggin’ land, yo. For my money, seeing Sonoko have a few scenes of happiness again was what really got my tear ducts working. And Sancho is back! The emotional beats landed when they needed too, and that’s 80%+ of the battle.

This is what I was waiting for, and I’m glad it’s a solid intro. We’ve only got five more episodes (all signs still point to the full six episode run, thankfully), so we’ve got to make them count. This episode leaned a lot on previous seasons—as is only right and proper, especially after they did us the solid of putting out a recap special—but it also did a lot with the time it had. I’m stoked for the rest of this sequel.

Random thoughts:

• Sonoko and Yuuna really are alike. Tougou is bedeviled with silly, spectacular friends.
• I like Sonoko for many reasons, not the least that she’s voice by Hanazawa Kana in genki-mode, and because Sonoko gives everyone nicknames. I do that too! Just ask Takkun, Enzonon, Cherr, Zephy, Pa-kun, Pan-chan, Zai-chan, or Chocho.
• She still wears her ribbon, hah! You were never fooling anyone (except for Yuuna), Mimori-chan. …come back :(

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for updates. At stephenwgee.com, the latest post: Help Houston.

OP Sequence

OP: 「ハナコトバ」 (Hanakotoba) by Terui Haruka, Mimori Suzuko, Uchida Yumi, Kurosawa Tomoyo, Nagatsuma Juri, Hanazawa Kana

Preview

「弔鐘遥かなり」 (Choushou haruka nari)
“Distant Funeral Bells”

Well cannot say I didn’t see that coming. Altair hasn’t been one for tragic developments of late (unless you’re a city state staring down a 500 pound Germanic gorilla of course), but Halil Pasha’s death was both well forecast and falls at an opportune time. Whereas before the war against Balt-Rhein was a seemingly romantic affair, with Mahmut largely immune from its effects, now the true cost of this fight has been revealed for all to see. To defeat this goliath our little pasha must be prepared to lose it all.

As far as battles go this week wasn’t particularly impressive, but as with politics Altair’s strength lies in the details. The big one was the differences in mentality and intelligence between general Pineau and Halil Pasha, which provide a fantastic example of how battles are won. Most people believe that courage, discipline, and maybe a little luck are all it takes to overcome an enemy, but in almost every instance, the fight is won before the two sides even meet. You could have the strongest fighting force in the world, but if your opponent chooses the ground, controls the engagement, and correctly predicts your every move, well, no amount of temerity will turn the battle in your favour. Pineau took this lesson to heart, learning Halil’s mindset inside and out and setting up his order of battle to best account for it. He took advantage of the terrain, ingeniously applied technology to the situation (just wait for the cannons next), and let Halil walk into the trap of his own making. The entire battle was textbook Sun Tzu, and while Balt-Rhein’s success was due in part to Lily Kokoschuka (and Louis’ ever helping hand), Pineau himself led the army to a devastating victory. As Halil tragically learned and Zaganos correctly identified, some men are simply not meant for the battlefield.

From here on out, however, is where things get interesting. With Balt-Rhein’s flank now secure and its stores replenished, it’s simply a matter of time before they starve Chielo into submission. No matter how smart Mahmut may be, when facing down a besieging army there’s often little you can do besides hope they rashly storm the walls or break the siege. While there’s always the potential of outside intervention (particularly after parading around Halil’s head on a spike and executing captives in front of everyone), I doubt any will be arriving after Zaganos shot down the idea. This predicament, for better or worse, is entirely up to Mahmut, and no matter the determination Halil’s death has given him, it will not be an easy one to overcome. I imagine the end will come down to a poorly thought out and executed Balt-Rhein scheme giving everyone time to escape—Lily seems overly eager to see Mahmut’s head joining that of his mentor after all—but there’s always the potential for other factors to sway the decision making. If Zaganos makes a play and strikes directly into Balt-Rhein for example, it’s not infeasible that Louis might halt the southern advance to bolster the northern lines and make a move for the heartland of the Stratocracy. Considering how crafty Altair has been with its geopolitics thus far, such a development would be right up its alley. The only question left is how much we will discover in the final four episodes.

Kind of makes it sad knowing this war just getting started, doesn’t it?

Preview

「歴史のある国」 (Rekishi no Aru Kuni)
“Historic Country”

Apologies again for the delay for the latest Kino no Tabi. Went on a journey of my own over the weekend and came back with great memories and an emptier wallet. As another nice segue, Episode 07 was also a fun diversion from the main journey by shifting the perspective towards Kino’s fearsome mentor, Shishou (Lynn). It was funny to see how Kino dreads the thought of encountering her, knowing how clever and skilled she is at sharpshooting and stealth. In the novels, there are multiple side-stories about her travels alongside a student where they cause a ruckus, but this story in particular gives us a good look at who the two are, and why Kino both admires and fears her.

The clash between different versions of Shishou’s trip to the Historic Country adds a fun set of layers to the story. Kino’s telling of the story is in line with what her master suggested was real, aligning with the idea that Shishou broke her student out of prison to hold a three day siege where they sniped the officers in their kneecaps and shot rocket launchers until they called for a truce. The old man’s retelling of the events to Kino makes it even funnier by making it seem as if instead of the stand-off, it was a revolt the two started to shift the government away from corruption, and he definitely doesn’t skip every other step because he was one of the officers that were shot in the knee. That’d be ridiculous!

「電波の国」 (Denpa no Kuni)
“Country of Radio Waves”

In this one, we have another episode where Shizu visits a town only to cause a ruckus, only this time he’s got Ti and Riku to join him on his trip. It was neat to see how he handled the Country of Radio Waves considering that it was a similar level of disarray to the ship country, only in this case, it’s not 100% in pieces after Shizu interfered in matters. I did see it coming that they wouldn’t believe Shizu for a second after hearing about the truth behind their radio towers, but it seems Shizu projected this as well given their clever improvisation to avoid a hairier situation of potential imprisonment.

The true star of this episode was Ti, who made her return as a no-nonsense partner to Shizu who loves blowing things up with grenades as much as she loves CGI pizza. And then, there’s the cute tail-end of the episode where she bonds with Riku as he briefly watches over her. Ep. 8 went by so quickly, but it was nice to see how far Ti has come in growing fonder of Shizu and Riku, synergizing with them well and working along with them to give them the upper hand on the angry mobs and obstacles they face. The bond really makes it touching to see how all it took for her to be able to shake off the bitterness she carried with her were a group of friends and a supportive figure to lift her spirits. I do miss Kino, but at the same time, the party of Shizu, Riku, and Ti are interesting and fun to follow in their travels.