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「学園祭の準備です！」 (Gakuen-sai no Junbi desu!)
“We are Preparing for the School Festival!”
I ended up watching this episode in two different sittings, which made for an odd experience. The first half was hilarious, all silly hero show and harem hijinks, which is the stuff that we’re mostly here to see. The hero show was especially good for how outrageous it was, such as when Issei’s hero show character powers up in the same way he really does it—oppai! Life is as strange as fiction, at least in this fiction.
Then came the second half, which, after a quick dip into some Ravel action—and Rias definitely knows what’s up with her, she has no doubt that Ravel is already all but in the harem—we dovetailed into a story of familial drama and parental woe in Sairaorg’s backstory and present. Which is the part of High School DxD that actually makes it worth watching, because without the serious stuff, it would just be comedy and oppai all the time. Which sounds great, yes! But too much candy will make you sick to the stomach. The serious stuff is the dramatic meat on the bones, even if this time it dipped heavily into melodrama. I like me some melodrama, but mother in a coma is a bit much for me.
The standouts of the episode: Ddraig’s broken pride, vulnerable Ravel, and Rias’ mom going hard on Issei. Someone’s gotta smack some sense into that boy, and Rias isn’t doing it, so it might as well be the mother-in-law! Also, it’s no surprise that Hellcat-chan has her own fanbase, but calm down, pervs. It’s a kid’s hero show. Maybe don’t perv out quite so blatantly. Not when there’s so many others to get all googly eyed about as well. Huzzah!
Random thoughts:
- A small sampling of lines this episode that are totally, absolutely wrong: “Boys shouldn’t cry. They have to be strong enough to protect the girls.” False. “You will definitely win as long as you don’t give up.” Nope. “If I lose even once, I will lose everything I’ve gained up until now.” Negative on that one, ghost rider. I love this show, but sometimes the dialogue makes my eyes roll. The last one hints at some interesting dynamics within Sairaorg, though. I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
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Full-length images: 13.
End Card
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Poor Ddraig. Finally getting some of his original power back, and it’s through oppai-power. Can’t help but feel for him, even though I know this is just the beginning of his hilarious downward spiral!
On Sairaorg, sadly he isn’t as wrong as we’d like to think. It’s easy to forget since we see the Gremory family so much and the Phenex family turned around so fast, but most high-end devil families are pretty-much dicks that love to stroke themselves off on lineage to the point where they still say they’re better even though Sairaorg can kick most of their kids’ asses. You have to go “pro” before winning really means anything to these nobs, which usually means literally knocking them on their asses. He has to get to the top and stay there before anyone consider a “traditionalist” like his father will acknowledge that he might be worth something as a Devil. Thankfully we know of a few “progressive” Maous(Sir Zecks, Levi-tan)that are trying to change things, but even for them it takes a while to move a mountain.
That makes sense, even if it sets Sairaorg up for a horrifying collapse if (when) he ever loses. So specifically accurate (sadly), but generally not.
https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20HERO%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2023.jpg
Ravel and Koneko beginning their
beautifulvitriolic friendship. XD Also, Ravel looking a wee bit cuter and showing off her “noblewoman’s laugh.” (Ohohohoho!) ~<3https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20HERO%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
Ddraig needing a counselor for his boob-related BSOD. XD (And IIRC from the light novels–or at least the "Crowning Moment of Funny" page for DxD on TVTropes–Ddraig needs anti-depressants as well.)
https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20HERO%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
And a bit of Sairaorg’s backstory.
All things considered, still a pretty good breather episode. And the fanservice isn’t lacking, either.
Both first lines are perfectly understable and I´d say a logical choice of words in the context they are said, saying the opposite would result in an unwarranted OOC situation. The hero show the boy, Lirenkus, adores is about rescuing an always poor and helpless princess so the moral is that smiles don´t protect themselves and everyone is clearly ok with that. As for the other one, there was a “someday” lost in translation that made the phrase a bit more poignant and less cheesy, but then again, the idea was to encourage a crybaby Sairaorg, therefore giving him a more realistic message would be weird. His mother did want him to push himself and become a winner.
Regarding the third line, as someone stated above, you totally and absolutely dropped the ball on that one.
I was taking the third generally, not specifically. (Also, the political situation is so bog-standard that I don’t internalize it much, as I’ve said before.) As for the other two, saying boys shouldn’t cry is still wrong (when the real lesson should be something to the tune of not troubling his mother who tried her best for him, that luck exists and sometimes things don’t work out, or maybe just to cry a bit quieter because mama can’t do shit about it—none of which are perfect, but I ain’t a parent so I haven’t had call to fail at all these lessons yet), and not only is there no promise that you’ll win (eventually) if you don’t give up, it ignores how sometimes giving up is the correct and best choice—but yeah, I do think something so nuanced is a bit much to ask a mother who’s trying to calm her frustrated son. For a light novel author, though? Maybe not.
The first remains the most egregious of the three (if understandable from the Japanese perspective, since they still rigidly define gender roles—which doesn’t mean I’m not gonna point out their bs on occasion), and I probably wouldn’t have flagged the others if not for that one.
Can’t decide whether Ddraig needing a counselor now or his crying last season is funnier, lol.
With Rias’s mother demanding he call her mother-in-law, will he finally figure out that she is not out of reach?
Magic 8-ball says…
*shakes*
…ask again later. Dang!
*chunks the magic 8-ball at Issei’s head* Wake up dammit!
Ddraig and huis dragen counseling will be rather entertaining, but I do hope we will get the full rating game against sairaorg (uncencored ) since that one is not only damn entertaining but will also have a delicious effect on our dragons. Now, I am not sure about fafnir but doesn’t he show up in this part or was that after this rating game? That lovable dragon has some fun recipies after al.
They still doing this Otaku wetdream of an anime its?
gotta be honest, surpsied RC is sticking with this anime.
I never felt there was some “Standard” but whatever it was, this feels like it’s below it.
That being said, it’s fun how they impossible virgin a virgin – ergo – every harem ever.
Ok the armor mode should a cool and man am I the only one that pissed up about this. I mean the protagonist get all the girls and hot stuff..
https://randomc.net/image/High%20School%20DxD/High%20School%20DxD%20HERO%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2013.jpg