First Impressions / Inuyashiki

「東京の人たち」 (Toukyou no Hito-tachi)
“People of Tokyo”

I have to give Inuyashiki credit, when it wants to go all out it sure can. All my previous concern about a problematic ending seemingly cast itself out the door as not only did Hiro and Ichiro finally wind up duking it out, but we got the cherry on top for Ichiro’s “heroic” development. Sure it was a little rushed and we still have no bloody idea how Inuyashiki plans on wrapping things up in one more episode, but if the conclusion is anything like this week I will eagerly take it. All of it.

While the long awaited fight is likely to divide people considering the copious use of B-grade CGI, I found it wickedly entertaining. The key was the fluidity, there were few static scenes, instead replaced by a sense of both spatial and temporal change thanks to the constant shift in locations and the gradually darkening sky. Inuyashiki’s overall animation may have been—pardon the French—piss poor this week, but it arguably used CG the way it was meant to be: a way to better represent the action. Of course I may be biased as I also felt the soundtrack choice was deliciously on point for much of the fight, but there’s no denying Inuyashiki had its work cut out for it considering some of the stuff seen. Multiple planes falling out the sky, jetpack chase down major thoroughfares, the bloody ISS crashing down in a manner completely out of touch with actual re-entry physics? Pretty hard showing the awesomeness of it all any other way I’d dare say. Plus who could ever turn their nose up at that hilarious hand gun duel? Say what you will about the animation choice, but that duel of the bangs was quality at its finest.

The other key element this week of course lies with Mari, who seems to not only have redeemed herself, but given Ichiro the last push he needed to realize his meaning of life. There’s no denying the entire scene was cliché as hell and that Mari might have been better off staying dead, but the moment was useful for locking Ichiro into his good-natured role. In that moment Ichiro has found everything he was looking for, he has a reason for experiences and suffering, an answer for why he, out of countless others, wound up with a robotic body. It’s the veritable phrase “there’s a reason for everything” played out through a geriatric father, but as far as midlife crises go it’s one of the happier endings.

For Hiro, however, the same cannot be said. If Ichiro found happiness in his experiences, Hiro seemingly only discovered misfortune, plagued by a world seeing him only as a villain. Hiro’s sociopathy is already well-described, but it bears repeating that Ichiro really is the antithesis to everything Hiro takes as reality, a father who saves those Hiro believes are the root cause of the loss of his family and friends. As Hiro cannot understand why his actions are wrong or how he brought about this situation, he cannot see why Ichiro is looked upon with respect and reverence while he struggles from the shadows. It’s an open question whether Hiro will find peace in the end, but considering how much effort Inuyashiki has put into his development, I seriously doubt he will be left to simple villainy by the time the curtains close—who else besides Ichiro is supposed to take care of that meteor supposedly on its way?

One way or another, next week’s finale is going to be a blast.

29 Comments

    2. I was honestly expecting him to lose it and go after Hiro again, he was pretty much broken just before she woke up. It’s a really interesting question because Ichiro theoretically could have done either, both methods end up saving people, although confronting Hiro arguably saves less tangible “future” lives compared to those currently in trouble.

      Pancakes
      Reply

      1. When both fight with this Red Eye thing (that is the Subconscious taken control) at the end he ripped part of his Face and torn both arms apart. There is no fix for that. The Boy must cover now his back part of his head to not end as an monster on sight

        This Girls was thinking this is an TV Prank? seriously.. looks like they lost all fear when its an “doll”

        So back to topic, he also defended Miro while both where blackout from the fight before. So there was no need on an “vault” for his anger

        He would end up doing nothing, lost his Anchor of “fighting”.. for what he was fighting? His daughter call him when she needed him the most. Is that not right? or is that more “The entire time they hate me, make fun out of me, and now when they are in real trouble they remind of me to help them..” Well it is up to him, and looks like his Life experience turned the needle into the Light, Miro’s needle turned into the dark “The world can go to hell, i do not care. I lost my close bonds!”

        Is there any similar experience in the younger fans life? Lost of the house pet through an accident in their younger days? Was there no anger building inside them, because “no body cared” that you lost someone precocious? Nobody come run to you and want to comfort them. They do their daily things as nothing happen, as if the Pet was not real… See this is the world of Children and Teenagers and someones that are “isolated”. Because there are no ones that help them crying and comforting

        Miro is one of this last persons. But this is no excuse for this Mass murdering. His Body is just the Tool for his anger, he can not control his despair, and why he punch the Old men in the face, try to stop him for flying away to save his daughter? Easy, Envy.. deathly Envy. Envy is not just an emotions, it also have different kinds of levels

        Sheessshhh, i end up writing an text of wall again.. If it was not for my texting disease (dyslexia. Even this App here has its limits as you can see) i would surly be (wanted to be) part of an Blog side or something alike..

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

  2. I said this long ago, but Hiro is a lot like Purple Man from marvel, if only he was taught what is good, he would have been a hero, but he only knew hurting people is normalcy, so he did that, briefly he was taught to be “good”, but since persona was already set in stone he reverted back at first moment someone was being mean to him.

    John
    Reply

    1. Another example that recently came to me is Dexter from the serial-killer TV show. Less relatable than Purple Man considering the subject matter and solution, but like you mention it shows that if Hiro only had proper direction earlier in his life he never would have turned out like he did.

      Pancakes
      Reply

  4. Ah! I see you are already counting your chickens. Even though this episode was good all round, it’s rather presumptuous of you to think the finale would deliver and be a blast.

    I’ll rather let it surprise me, than raising my expectations and be left unsatisfied.

    Trexler
    Reply

    1. I’m optimistic, I’d rather hope for something good than expect utter disaster in one episode. Plus I wound up spoiling myself on what happens, so my anticipation is mostly tongue in cheek. It will be fun, I can say that much 😛

      Pancakes
      Reply

  5. Guys, you know that i was not a “fan” of this Anime. But i suggest you, watch this Episode. it has the “heart” and “Soul” to be an Human

    Trust me, you will get touched

    Make for me this time an exception. Watch it

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

      1. if the Production team want to avoid this.. (it is up to them, not me) then exchange them with “Trucks” that run into these Buildings.. the fire on the roofs are from their fight

        As i said, it is up to you

        Last comment

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

      2. But when the “old men” want to save them (got under the Plane to save them from crashing) give it green light, because this remind them of the “Houston Miracle”.. they even made an Cinema film of this..

        Worldwidedepp
        Reply

    2. Berserk wasn’t thaaaat bad, although some bits were hilariously terrible. I think the difference is that Inuyashiki largely stuck to using its CG for moving action scenes, while Berserk gave it for every little thing (especially the still shot dialogue moments), making it that much more noticeable.

      Pancakes
      Reply

  9. Busy with Comic Fiesta… Only got to watch this on Saturday and oh man… It was hilarious watching this episode. It’s like in between the two borders of campy and desperately dramatic. This… ‘uncanny’ zone of narrative tone was just too much for my organic brain to handle so what can I say? I laughed my ass off. As totally inappropriate as it may be for certain scenes. Tell me Inuyashiki, is Gantz like this too? I wonder what goes through your author’s head, is it depressed by weed? wwwwwwwwwww

    Alright, one more episode left. Give me a good time now! Don’t disappoint! I came this far y’know!

    Nishizawa Mihashi
    Reply

  10. Despite the poor CG quality the episode was still satisfying because of the good camera work and the non-CG parts being general well animated and detailed (specially the faces, Ichiro’s face in particular), but that’s in term of the visuals.

    In terms of story, i would have liked to actually see a bit more about Ichiro’s past and how he became the man he is now (50 something years old but looks like a he is in his 80s), i wish the story delved deeper into what made both Ichiro and Hiro such polar opposites (which is something they spelt out this episode, one only feels human when he saves lives the other only when he takes them), even if that material was anime-original (but approved by manga writer).

    Also the one i really feel bad for is Shion Watanabe, i thought of her as an idiot first for trying to push Hiro into the righteous path (which surprisingly worked for a while) but then the reality caught up to them in form of the swat attack that triggered Hiro’s psychopathic murder spree, it was going to happen sooner or later and that inevitability is why i feel bad for Shion, she knows what he did was terrible but she still saw good in him and tried to correct his path not knowing his terrible actions from before will eventually catch up to them no matter how many good deeds he does, and i respected her as a character a lot when she refused to use the money he stole for her and refused to leave Japan with him after he finishes his murder spree, i just hope Shion is gonna have some closure by the end of the series.

    Hunter-Wolf
    Reply

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