「負けない女」 (Makenai Onna)
“The Winning Woman”

Do you like surprises? Because I, well, sure as hell don’t, but this week’s Kakegurui? Yeah, that’s a surprise I can get behind. Scheming, manipulation, and some trans-intelligent 4D chess machinations: darling we got it all, including the time to fit in some heartwarming intimacy (or as close as this show gets) as well. Truly a smorgasbord of gambling delights this episode, and the best part is the real treat is yet to come.

Considering the shocker revealed by Kaede previously that two traitors were at work in the latest gamble, it was pretty easy to guess they would not be who was expected—i.e. Yumeko—but the final result of Itsuki and Miroslava? Yeah I certainly didn’t see that coming. While obvious things are never what the really seem in Kakegurui, it speaks to how predicting outcomes relies on analyzing all the potential angles. Potential loopholes both physical and mental capable of giving someone an edge? Better pay attention because you can be sure at least one character is taking advantage of them. Of course it’s never that easy to identify some of the mechanics at work in these gambles (I never considered the “transaction” room to be a possible loophole for example), but honestly that’s where a good chunk of the fun comes in. You know one of these batshit insane cutie pipes is going to do something crazy, the only question is whether you’ll figure it out before they make the grand reveal.

As for this gamble’s grand reveal, well there were no disappointments here. Itsuki’s crush on Kaede—as expected—was the centrepiece behind the various game shenanigans, but much like with Yumemi’s idol actions before, in a way that was quite heartfelt and honest. The girl simply wanted to restore the confidence (and personality) of the guy she fell for; she wanted to reignite the spark and give reason to continue chasing after him. If Kaede refused to reciprocate? No love lost, Itsuki has a cushion to pursue more favourable options. It really shows at its core that Kakegurui isn’t so much about the usual ideas of gambling—i.e. power, thrill, and tangible monetary gain—as much as gambling serving as a means to an end. Yumeko and Kirari may see it purely in terms of entertainment, but for the likes of Itsuki, Yumemi, hell even Terano, it’s just a process used because it’s the law of the land. They may get a thrill out of, they make even enjoy it from time to time, but if given the choice I wager gambling wouldn’t be their first choice for achieving their goals. There’s just too much uncertainty, too much risk, too much on the line to make it the go-to strategy, especially when some things are too valuable to bet on.

Well, at least for anyone who’s not Yumeko and Kirari. It may have been touchy feely and win-win for all this episode, but with this election’s endgame quickly approaching, the time for fun is likely at an end. Best pepper that angus boys and girls, because from this point on, things are going to get serious. Super serious.

Preview

「君がいるから」 (Kimi ga Iru Kara)
“Because You’re Here”

After this week’s episode of Doukyonin wa Hiza, I can finally let out a sigh of relief. As eventful as last week’s episode was, I’m happy that the original rhythm of the series has returned.

Subaru has come such a long way since the series began. He was isolated, liked to bury himself in his work, and thought of others as nuisances in general. But our hermit is slowly coming out of his well dug hole and has become much more carefree. He’s not as consumed by his work and he’s happily spending his afternoon napping by Haru’s side, dreaming of his parents.

His dreams, more like memories, revealed many things, including his long-standing friendship with Hiroto. Even as a young boy, Subaru was solitary, choosing to read rather than play with other kids. As he grew older, the collection of books in his bedroom became his only solace. However, through these dreams, it’s almost as though Subaru is reaching deep down into a part of himself that finally wants to acknowledge the people close to him who have supported his journey to become a writer – including Hiroto.

Haru is also showing signs of growth. Whereas she’d act instinctively based on her previous traumatic experiences, she now acts out of kindness towards Subaru. Earlier in the season when she first shared her food with him, her actions were a result of fear. She didn’t want what happened to her younger sibling to happen to this human. But this time, she goes out of her way to show Subaru that she cares by attempting to bring him food hoping it will make him happy.

A series of events, including Hiroto’s clumsy entrance surprise Haru who then retreats to the top of the cabinet. Subaru naturally calls for her to come down and reaches out. After Haru lands right on his face and Subaru passes out from a fever, she thinks she’s to blame, and expresses genuine worry.

The rest of the episode really does warm the heart. Hiroto and Kawase both stick around to care for Subaru, but Haru is the one most concerned about his well-being. So much so she actually skips out on eating her food to watch over him while he rests.

They’re both bringing out the best in each other. Haru is now a lot calmer, patient, and has allowed herself to feel vulnerable. Subaru is learning to open up to others, even acknowledging that having people in his house is lively but feels nice. Perhaps one day, it’ll come naturally for him to reach out to people just as they do with him.

Past episodes have been heart-wrenching at times because they’d flash back to Haru’s hardest experiences and Subaru’s painful memories, but this week is possibly the most gratifying episode of Doukyonin wa Hiza so far. The memories have a lighter touch, signs that Subaru is making steps towards healing from his loss, and Haru is forming a bond she’s never experienced before. They’re finding in each other the sense of belonging they’ve both lost and creating a family of their own.

On another note, it looks like a little more of Subaru’s novel might be revealed next week. The show has hinted at his stories and success on a number of occasions, but I’m hoping his fans reveal more details at the book signing and we get a little glimpse of his Haru-inspired character. I wonder if Yuugo and Nana will show up as well…

Preview

「シズさんの教え子達」 (Shizu-san no Oshiegotachi)
“Shizu-san’s Students”

Boy, we’re zipping through things real quick.

General Impressions

I’m not sure how much of this is related to the fact that I was stubborn and read the source material, but I think even the casual anime-only viewer would notice that things are moving at a breakneck pace and the story is suffering for it. First off, am I the only one who felt a little odd with how Rimuru decided to tackle the task of becoming a teacher? Compared to the Rimuru we’ve seen in the past, it was a little jarring watching him act better than someone else. Sure, you could attribute it to him not having much strength in handling children since most of his interpersonal powers are better suited to an older audience, but it just felt so odd to watch him behave so differently.

Out-of-character behavior aside, I wasn’t a big fan of how this week’s episode handled Rimuru building up his relationship with the kids. Again, it’s probably more related to him being a bit heavy handed when it comes to forcing some respect out of the kids (and also testing whether or not he’d be able to get them to burn up some of that excess energy), but I can’t help but feel that things would have felt so much better had there been a little bit of build up to this point. If I remember correctly all we got last week was Yuuki dropping a huge truth bomb and cutting right after Rimuru met the kids. Honestly I wish that the episode spent a bit more time with the kids and less on trying to advance the story to Rimuru finding the land of the spirits.

Minor gripes aside, this week’s episode was pretty fun at its core. Besides watching Rimuru strut his stuff to demonstrate just how much of a monster he is, I really enjoyed watching all the kids show off both their powers and personalities. Seeing how they’re going to be the focus for the last arc of this season of Tenshura, I’m glad that they’re more than just emotional fodder.

With the location of the land of the spirits found, we can only pray that things go well for Rimuru. Luckily he’s been on a bit of a hot streak since he came to this world and I can’t imagine things being too tricky. In any case, I’ll catch you guys in two weeks since I’ll be out of the country. Please be nice to whomever ends up covering the show!

Preview

「それでも ～前へ～」 (Soredemo ~ mae e ~)
“Even Then ~Continue Forward~”

Well, that was certainly an effective bit of misdirection. On just how many levels it was a misdirection is still to be determined (I have my opinions on that, but all in good time), but at the very least it was the kind of whipsaw tonal change we don’t see all that often in Mob Psycho 100 episodes. Of course this series has a huge range from madcap comedy to very dark psychological drama, but as a rule, episodes have tended to be fairly consistent within their own boundaries. Certainly that was not the case here.

Certainly, I enjoy the eps that focus on Mob’s more or less normal adolescent struggles, and that’s very much what this week was for most of its length. The school marathon is coming up, and Mezato-san sees that as a perfect opportunity to have Mob reveal himself to the Psycho Helmet Religion. That, by the way, has grown to 700 members thanks mostly to a large anonymous donation (hmmm) allowing the establishment of a headquarters, and the fact that Mob appears (from the back, naturally) on cellphone video of Reigen’s now viral press conference.

This is interesting on a multitude of levels, thr most obvious being that it confirms (not that there was much doubt) that Mob was indeed behind those theatrics. I also found Mob’s reaction to Ichi very telling – the idea of fans made him perk up for a moment, but he completely despaired at the idea that a religion has sprung from his legend. But as to the marathon, Mob has bigger and nobler goals than using his (or Dimple’s) powers to cheat at it. He has a promise to himself that he’s trying to keep – if he finishes in the top 10, he’ll finally confess to Tsubomi-chan.

A recurring theme this season is that all those around him, but especially Reigen and Dimple, are consistently surprised at Mob’s personal growth. Reigen is initially quite taken aback that Mob is ready to take the first leap towards adulthood, but – the sting of their falling out and the role his own cruelty played in it (which is to say, all of it) fresh in his mind – he does the right thing and decides to help Mob train (not that this is an area of especial expertise for Reigen). The Body Improvement club helps out too of course, as does Ritsu, and even Onigawara-kun steps up with a flashy pair of running shoes (though only because he bought them in the wrong size).

This is a far more important statement about Mob that Ichi’s crackpot religion – he’s building a circle of supporters who don’t care about his powers, but have come to love him (though one hopes Ritsu always did, even in the dark times) for the person he is inside. Of course Mob’s quest to finish in the top 10 is a pipe dream – he was 291st out of 300 the year before – but that doesn’t stop he or they from trying. Dimple is wonderful here in coach mode (though he’s pretty much wonderful all the time). It’s also great to see so much of Mob’s parents (oh, what a cruel tease that was), who’ve been very much at the extreme fringe of the narrative. They seem like interesting people, and the way they’ve dealt with the seeming curse of having a son with Mob’s powers says a great deal about their essential goodness as parents.

I thought the way the marathon turned out would have been a very nice bittersweet ending to the episode. Mob busted his tail, didn’t cheat in any way, and was genuinely improving (though Ritsu did steal a top 10 place himself, natch) but that gallant little body gave out on the final KM. Mob dealt with it well, another sign of his growing maturity, but all that was a mere prelude to what happened in the episode’s final moments. I had the suspicion something was up when the Kageyama doorbell rang during dinner (seriously Ritsu, why would Mob ring his own doorbell?), but Suzuki Shou was certainly not a face I expected to see.

Claw has been a non-factor this season (apart from expat Matsuo’s brief appearance in the Mogami arc) but they weren’t crushed at the end of the first season, that much was clear. Those last couple of minutes were dark to say the least, and especially given that Mob would likely blame himself for what happened, this could certainly be the thing to push him over the edge. But that said, I’m highly skeptical that what Mob saw in that bedroom – horrible as it was – should be taken at face value. There’s more to this than what it seems – in fact, it wouldn’t shock me if Shou staged that reveal with the express purpose of driving Mob past 100 (though for what reason I don’t feel confident guessing).

I’m not dismissing the idea that sort of tragedy could happen in Mob Psycho 100, but to me it seems as if it would run counter to the themes of the season so far. Mob is being tested, over and over, both as an esper and as an adolescent – both are important, and neither can be viewed independently of the other. This is another test for Mob, and on many levels too, but perhaps the nature of this latest trial is going to en up being a bit different than what we’re being led to believe. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope so – Mob certainly deserves better than that.

Preview

「夜明けのブギーポップ 」 (Yoake no Bugiipoppu)
“Boogiepop at Dawn”

There have been a few shows down through the years of writing about anime that I would term “slow builds” – series that don’t reveal their charms easily or quickly but when they do, those charms are truly formidable. Zetsuen no Tempest is a recent example that springs to mind, as are Hyouka and Concrete Revolutio (which didn’t fully blossom until its second season). In each of those cases I would never have predicted a month or more into their runs that I would end up holding them in such high esteem at the end, but that makes the result even more rewarding in a way.

That brings us to Boogiepop wa Warawanai, which is starting to look like the latest in that progression. Oddly enough the series from this group it most puts me in mind of is Concrete Revolutio – oddly, because the two series could hardly be more different stylistically. But what they share is a resolute and unshakable disinterest in being anything but themselves, no matter how odd and commercially unrewarding that may be. I would imagine there had to be at least some discussion of modernizing Boogiepop, of making it an easier pill for a modern audience to swallow. But there’s been none of that – “Warawanai” is true to itself down to the molecular level. I don’t know if I would call it smart, but I certainly find it to be admirable.

For whatever reason the “Boogiepop at Dawn” arc was broadcast effectively as a movie – four episodes in one day (and not the normal day of airing, either). There are pluses and minuses to anime being presented the way the “Boogiepop at Dawn” arc was presented – or even more so, the way Netflix does it. All things being equal I’m not a huge fan of binge viewing, and I prefer my anime weekly on a set schedule (and that works better for the blogger in me, too). But watching four episodes in one sitting – or two over two days, which was the best I could manage – does have an absorptive quality that the traditional approach does not. It works better for some series than it does for others – and I think it works pretty well for a meditative head-piece like Boogiepop wa Warawanai.

After the relative normalcy (that’s a loaded word in this context, but it fits) of the “VS Imaginator” arc – one that operated very much on a human and approachable scale – we’re back in full-on cryptic whirlpool mode here. We’ve jumped back in time again, as well – to events which apparently took place before any other we’ve seen this season. So which whirlpools intersect this time? We have a brief run-in with Echoes (who speaks at last, in the person of Miyata Kouki), who meets up with Boogiepop at what looks like the end of the world. Among other things, Echoes asks how Boogiepop got such a strange name. The answer comes via the story of the man called Scarecrow (“Echoes” and “Scarecrow” – Kadono-sensei is apparently a Pink Floyd fan), Kuroda Shinpei (an excellent Miyauchi Atsushi). He’s another artificial human, and thus in the service of the Touwa Organization. Again the curtain is drawn back from them just a bit – they’re concerned with “evolution”, as Scarecrow tells the audience – but this episode is also a sea of acronyms and new mysteries. As is usually the case with these sorts of series, answering questions raises more questions than it answers.

The ingenious device of staging the first part of this arc as a hard-boiled detective story is very effective, both as a means of exposition and injecting a note of relatability into very big-picture events. Scarecrow, like the other artificial humans we’ve met, is not someone who gives off any clues as to his true nature. He loves coffee, he cracks jokes, he grumbles at doing jobs he considers to be of questionable ethical and moral standing. His main assignment is to be on the lookout for humans who show signs of rapidly evolving, but he’s given another assignment here – to look into whether another Touwa agent, a billionaire philanthropist, is betraying the organization.

In the pursuit of the one, Kuroda finds himself confronted with the other. At the hospital which his target made a large donation to, he meets Kirima Nagi, a younger version of the girl we know. She’s suffering from a mysterious illness which causes her to suffer extreme pain seemingly randomly, but of course to Scarecrow it’s neither mysterious or random. His duty is clear – but he develops a friendship with the intelligent young girl, with whom he has many far-ranging conversations. When she – in adolescent fashion, adrift as to what to do with her future, asks Scarecrow what he’d like to have been if not a detective, he answers “a superhero”. And it’s from this fateful moment that the events of the rest of the arc spring.

Kuroda’s act of compassion was a suicide run, as he surely knew – breaking into a Touwa facility to steal the drug he thought would cure Nagi (it seems to have worked), injecting her with it – but it was her words that gave him the courage to do it. And it was he, in his dying moment, who gave Boogiepop his name – but in return, he seems to have received a measure of peace in his final moments. It’s better that Scarecrow never knew the unintended consequences of his actions, which came about when psychiatrist Kisugi Makiko (Kinoshita Sayaka) finds the remnants of the drug Kuroda is forced to leave behind in Nagi’s room when Touwa’s hitman arrives to take him out.

Again, there’s this sense of this gently spinning eddies of plot and characters, bumping into others and changing their flow. Dr. Kisugi is a real piece of work, a psychopath – and finding the drug (which she clearly tests on herself) is the catalyst to turn her into a serial killer. It’s all about fear for Kisugi-sensei – especially women’s fear (it tastes better), and especially young girls’. It’s hard to know how twisted she was to begin with, and how much of this is the result of the drug – but Boogiepop’s words suggest that it’s mostly the former. All humans are “fuses”, he (as Touka) says – they can “go off at any time”, and threaten the very fabric of reality.

This is the other intersection of these first two episodes, for Touka Miyashita is brought in by her mother to see Dr. Kisugi because her mother is frantic about the dual personalities her daughter is displaying. This scene is another masterpiece of acting by Yuuki Aoi, who plays Touka as herself, Touka pretending to be a man, and Touka possessed by Boogiepop. It’s also a brilliant display of minimalist direction by Natsume Shingo, who uses the classical music Kisugi constantly loops in her consulting room (she’s definitely a sadist). This is a declaration of war by Boogiepop, but there’s nothing remotely personal about it – it’s just a statement of fact. And that’s rather the point, I suppose.

Watching this arc immediately after “VS Imaginator” was interesting, because they seem to represent the two tonal extremes of this series. “Imaginator” was a much more human and relatable story – I would even venture more “modern” in its narrative approach. “Dawn” strikes me as much more authentic to the core of what this franchise is – it certainly feels more like the other sci-fi anime of its era. I enjoyed them equally, but if I was going to choose one to give a new viewer an idea of what this series is basically like, it would be “Boogiepop at Dawn”.

Kadono-sensei is certainly an interesting creative mind. He loves his music references of course (Mo Murder presumably being taken from rapper Krayzie Bone’s mid-90′s hit), he loves to kick around big ideas. He also loves Boogiepop’s idiosyncratic meandering narrative style, showing us the connections between seemingly unrelated events and people. It reminds me of a wonderful old BBC documentary series by science historian James Burke called Connections, which traced historical events through their, well- connections to each other. The idea being, no idea or event can be viewed in a vacuum – each is the result of a chain of decisions taken by people with no idea or even interest in what the ultimate consequences would be.

The connections can be traced all through this arc, this pair of episodes being no exception. A boy reads the novels of Kirima Seiji (Kawada Shinji) – Nagi’s dad – and is emboldened to tell the world about the strange powers he possesses, even though he knows it will lead to his death. The boy’s case brings Kirima to the attention of the Touwa organization, who send the same assassin who killed the boy after him. That would be “Mo Murder”, Sasaki Masanori (Sakaguchi Shuuhei) – who is of course the same man who killed Scarecrow. That brings the ire of Pigeon (Kakuma Ai), Scarecrow and Sasaki’s fellow artificial human, who loved Kuroda. This thirst for revenge makes her a perfect tool for Dr. Kisugi, who’c already identified Nagi as a person of interest where her proclivities are concerned.

One thing that’s striking here is that Nagi has a very bad run of luck with the men in her life (though theirs is undeniably even worse). First her father, then Kuroda, and soon enough Sasaki-san – all were close to her and all were murdered. Mo Murder is no innocent, certainly – it was he that killed Scarecrow of course, and apparently dozens more like him – so perhaps there’s a certain karma in the fact that it was his getting drawn into Nagi’s game of superheroes that led to his own demise. Nagi, as it happens, was indirectly responsible for the death of both Kuroda and Sasaki – which certainly highlights the role of unintended consequences.

Imaginator/Minahoshi makes an appearance here too, a brief encounter with Kirima Seiji where she informs him he’s about to die which seems coincidental – except that the nature of Boogiepop suggests coincidence doesn’t really exist in this world. Or perhaps it’s all that exists? In any event the Nagi we see here still seems to be acting mainly out of boredom and a lack of direction in her life – it’s why she sets to trying to find the serial killer. Echoes suggests that Nagi does what she does because she’s carrying on the feelings of those she’s encountered (who’re all dead), which I suppose is as good an explanation as any for why she’s turned into the person she has.

All this eventually leads us back to that initial conversation between Echoes and Boogiepop – which was indeed taking place at the end of the world (a world, at least). This whole stream of connections were related to answer Echoes’ simple question about how Boogiepop got his name – but as Echoes wistfully muses, “nothing is ever simple”. That’s the understatement of the eternity, both where Boogiepop wa Warawaranai and real life are concerned, but watching the series go about demonstrating that is proving to be a fascinating experience.

Author’s Note: A big thank you to Pancakes for all your help capping this series, especially this arc.

Not so fast…

Just when it seemed like Winter 2019 had locked into a predictable pattern, we have our first change at the top in a month (though the same two series that have occupied the top slots all season remain entrenched). You can’t fight the power of Reigen, I guess – not even with a spider woman. This was the closest vote of the season, and as for third place, that series is cementing its hold on the spot.

Passerby steps into the Dark Horse slot this week and asks the rhetorical question: if the same show is featured twice, is it still a dark horse? And the “Ask the Writers” segment (featuring Stars’ debut) has our team thinking about their favorite characters in a different light, with surprising results.

Here are this week’s results:

• Passerby’s Dark Horse Series: Kemerikusa
• Let’s be frank: these days there’s a lot of anime about a normal guys transported to some fantasy world. They’ve spawned something like a genre, called ‘isekai’. A lot of it is trash. Of course, by Sturgeon’s law, most of anything is trash, but the failures of the isekai genre are not just bad, they’re tragically bad, taking any potential they may have had and squandering it all on what is essentially third-rate fan-fiction. It’s a simple affair to just tell the tale of a heroic everyman protagonist to fulfil a wish-fulfilment power fantasy, like many of these anime devolve into. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with wish-fulfilment power fantasies, but they’re a dime a dozen and we’re at saturation. What should rightfully be the crux of isekai, what should rightfully set it apart, is the world. Instead, though, too many isekai anime still fall back on well-worn high fantasy tropes. Why bother transporting some average Joe to a different world if not for the contrast between human characters and an alien setting? Enter Kemurikusa, which is nominally an isekai anime but is firmly a world-mystery. The world-mystery is a tricky genre (which will have to be a topic for another day, but it’s to do with mystery being the main engagement of the story making it tempting to have all Act II and no Act I) and is usually worth looking into when executed with any level of competence. Now, Kemurikusa is right now transitioning from the ‘asking questions’ stage of the story to the ‘answering questions’ stage and that’s where a lot of mysteries bomb, and Kemurikusa may yet do so too. The journey it took to get to this point, though, is already plenty interesting, though. I also know that there will be those who will be turned-off by Kemurikusa‘s mediocre CGI and I feel ya, but don’t let that cause you to dismiss it out of hand. We could even argue that the CGI works in that Houseki no Kuni, in that we’re in a bizarre and foreign world and anything that makes you uncomfortable is part of the experience. And that experience, I would say, is what isekai should aspire to more often.)

 

Ask The Writers


If/when you have a child, what anime character would you like them to see as a role model?

• Enzo: Of course I could come up with many characters that fit the bill here, but the one that leaps out more than any is the one who’s provided my gravatar almost since the series which featured him aired. That would of course be Kitamura Kou from Cross Game. Yes, strictly as a fictional character Kou is among my all-time favorites (and for good reason). But specifically as a role model he’s especially on-point, because his is a heroism that’s grounded in reality. Kou is strong, always acts with integrity, and is burdened neither with false modestly or excessive vanity. He knows he’s amazingly talented but never takes his talent for granted or uses it as a cudgel to assert his supposed superiority over anyone else. Never too proud to laugh at himself, never forgetting to love those he cherishes (even in his memory) and never giving up on anyone – that’s Kitamura Kou. He’s Adachi Mitsuru’s (And Miyu Irino’s) greatest creation and my answer to this question.
• Choya: If my future kids ever really got into the Gundam series, I would hope that they would look up to Loran Cehack from Turn A Gundam. I’m going with Loran becase he’s a character who is confident in his identity, uses his ultra-powered Gundam to help create a peaceful union between two conflicting forces, and considers the responsibilities of his actions before making decisions. He is also down-to-earth yet never budges on his personal ideals for making the world a better place for everyone to live in. I might not want my son/daughter to 100% replicate some of the rowdier anime heroes, but I feel that Loran is a protagonist that I would hope my future kids would find inspiring.
• Zaiden: Now, whether The Last Airbender can be considered anime or not (editor’s note: it can’t) is a contentious subject I don’t want to touch. But when I first read the question, Uncle Iroh immediately sprung to mind. Iroh earnestly watches out for Zuko, filled with belief towards his troubled nephew, giving him guidance throughout the series that allows Zuko to eventually overcome his demons and see the light. That required incredible patience. Iroh is also wise, funny and kindhearted. And despite being an incredibly powerful firebender in his own right, Iroh never lashes out at people who treat him badly for no good reason. He laughs along and even convinces them to sit down and drink a cup of tea while talking about life. To me, that’s true humility and an admirable way of going about life. Not to say he’s purely good, considering the countless atrocities he committed as a military general. But he’s move on from those times and learned to accept his past failures while changing for the better, encouraging those around him to be the best they can be as well. These qualities make Iroh a fine role model, and if my future kids are feeling troubled, there would be countless Uncle Iroh proverbs I could pull out for all kinds of situations.
• Stilts-chama: Izuku from Boku no Hero Academia, for being idealistic, thoughtful, driven, and deeply kind … albeit with a caveat for my kids not to make their mother (and father) worry as much as Izuku does with his own. That woman is a saint, seriously.
• Passerby: My idealistic side would want my child to follow the most inspirational role model possible. Does not every parent wish their children to reach for the stars? The ideal role model, then, should be a moral paragon of unimpeachable virtue and limitless accomplishment. In anime, maybe that would be a shounen hero, or a sage supporting character, or anything Miyazaki makes. That’s my idealistic side, though. My pragmatic side, which takes my idealistic side out back and beats it up for lunch money, knows that while it’s fine and good to soar high it’s also dangerous to fly too close to the sun. Therefore I would teach my child to be like Triela from Gunslinger Girl. In the fictional Italy of Gunslinger Girl, orphaned girls are taken in by the government and turned into child soldiers through cybernetics and brainwashing. Triela was one of those girls and she had something of a daughter-father relationship with her handler, Hilshire (well, at least until the story went a different direction and things got weird). Now, Triela was a perfectly upstanding young lady, who went through many trials but still maintained a sunny disposition and a moral foundation. Most importantly, though, her foster father was an awkward Prussian man but Triela didn’t resent him for it. This is the lesson I really need my kids to internalise; I expect to be a shoddy father. Look, your dad may not be much of a dad. But love him anyway, okay?
• Stars: While it’s important for little boys to be engaged, I’d love for my son or daughter to learn about the values of friendship, manliness, and self-sacrifice that Kamina from Gurren Lagann espouses. I’m also banking them on them watching the entire anime, so I’ll get to watch it again, too. And as for a female role model, the evolution of Chihiro from a self-centered girl to a mature young adult is touching and organic. I guess what I want more than anything is not only a good role model, but a character that my future kids can relate to, or look at and say, “I want to be like him/her when I grow up.”

「さるの巻」 (Nasarin no ichi pondo kōka)
“Blood for a Nazarin Pound”

That had to be the least populated town I’ve ever seen. It’s not my imagination that there was only one person in that entire town, right? But if that’s what it takes for the animation studio to churn out gorgeous dogfights and skyscapes week after week, then I’d say it’s well worth it.

Though the Yufang wasn’t the focus for this episode, their lasting impact on the characters remains apparent, as an injury Kate’s brother sustained during his search for answers regarding their abrupt arrival and departure ostensibly prevents him from getting behind the wheel of a plane again. Given what we learned last week, it would seem safe to say that all of the characters have been affected by this mysterious group in some manner. And with that said, Kate’s newfound interest in electromagnetism is sure to come up again later. Perhaps it’s foreshadowing that she’s planning on taking up her brother’s mantle?

The rest of the episode had a very Western aesthetic to it. The dying town in the middle of nowhere. The drifters coming in for a drink that are compelled to lend their aid when the town falls under attack from nefarious forces. It appears that a company selling cheap oil – and by cheap I’m referring to both the price and the quality – wants to monopolize the oil sales by destroying other wells in the area. This was pretty much confirmed when Kate read Chika’s book, “See the Sea.” In the picture book, a greedy crab tries to make his spring produce more water by plugging up all the others, and Kirie directly equates the two in case the comparison was too subtle.

Most likely, Standon Oil will continue to be an antagonist in coming episodes, as a loss to the Kotobuki Squadron won’t be enough to make them give up on ramping up their prices for good. This should give plenty of opportunities to match their skills and wits against pilots in more advanced models, and I can’t wait to see what crazy awesome things they’ll do when they’re really giving it their all.

Preview

「さるの巻」 (Saru no Maki)
“The Story of Saru”

Continuing the trend of the last episode, “The Story of Saru” is relatively upbeat in tone with Hyakkimaru and Dororo helping a boy named Saru vanquish a caterpillar demon who swallowed the sister figure who helped support him. The emotional turmoil that comes from experiencing new sensations or encountering new characters/demons isn’t present this time around since Hyakkimaru’s fight in Episode 08 doesn’t carry any painful consequences that often linger in the wake of a demon.

Saru’s personal story is the roughest the episode gets as it explores his backstory as a wandering orphan who is reviled by anyone he’s encountered except for one woman that he calls his “sister” that helped give him his name. While Saru is able to share valuable time with his new sister, she ends up volunteering to be the new “bride” for the caterpillar demon, sacrificing herself to be fed to the demon so that it doesn’t swallow up entire towns full of people. When we’re lead to believe that she was killed by the demon, Saru and Dororo are able to concoct a strategy to exploit the demon’s weakness to sunlight, but not before spending part of the night mourning for his lost sister. The resolution paints a far more optimistic picture, however, when she ends up recovering from captivity inside of the demon, allowing her to reunite with Saru and continue to offer him support and affection.

This was also an interesting episode for Dororo since he played a key role in helping slay the demon. In addition to coming up with the plan to attack him using light alongside Saru, he takes an active role in fighting a demon for the first time. From acting as bait to jumping on the demon and wrangling its side with a lasso, he put himself on the line to assist Hyakkimaru in weakening the demon so that he can defeat him with his strength and agility. After Hyakkimaru regains his ability to smell, Dororo’s efforts to try to make enough of an impression on him worked in his favor after Hyakkimaru addressed Dororo by his name for the first time. Saru’s sister giving him a flower to offset the smell of the sulfuric fumes put Hyakkimaru’s mind at ease, but after shouting several times during the fight to get the demon’s attention, it was a relief for him to be able to say Dororo’s name as they walk off. Dororo might not have gotten as much gold as he would have wanted, but Hyakkimaru saying his name definitely struck his core as it was meaningful for him to finally verbally communicate with him. No matter how little he said, it spoke volumes for Dororo to have their bond develop that much. With two episodes that gave Hyakkimaru some mercy, hopefully, the future will be as kind to him.

「白銀御行は働きたい / かぐや様は入れたい / かぐや様は堪えたい」 (Shirogane Miyuki wa Hatarakitai / Kaguya-sama wa Iretai / Kaguya-sama wa Taetai)
“Miyuki Shirogane Wants to Work / Kaguya Wants Him to Join In / Kaguya Wants to Control It”

A hint of romance, a dash of jealousy, and whole load of wieners.

First thing’s first. I thought we might find out a little more about Hayasaka in this episode. Last week’s final chapter had me intrigued by her character and the depth of her relationship with Kaguya. I was a little disappointed but I guess ‘all good things come for those who wait’.

The chapters pretty much follow the regular gag formulas, mixing deception, infantile jokes, and some girl on girl… friendship into a big melting pot. Shirogane is thrust into yet another love-advice session with Tsubasa, who now wants to one up his relationship with Kashiwagi. That’s right folks. He wants to do it. He wants to finally graze the tip of his fingers against his girl’s hand so he can squeeze it affectionately on their next date. What a player we have here.

So what to do? Shirogane suggests renting a cruiser, getting a small boating license, and getting surgery to fix the sweaty palms issue, all of which would amount to ¥200 000. What in the world would he have suggested if Tsubasa came in for advice about necking? Rent a plane so that when the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling he could give her mouth to mouth instead and then lean in for the real kiss? I know Shirogane is practically living vicariously through these sessions and his main objective is to entice Tsubasa to work for his part-time job, but he must know, even as a virgin, that ¥200 000 to hold a girl’s hand had better result in the love story of all love stories. Luckily, Chika steps in for the save. In the meantime though, it looks like this love story might get a little bumpy. I wonder who this mystery stalker might be? Is she eyeing Tsubasa or Kashiwagi?

Deep into the second chapter I got wrapped up in Ishigami’s brooding mood. I think it’s great to find out that despite his intense thoughts and words, deep down he still wants what everyone else dreams of in high school: to be popular and to have girls fawn over him like they do the studs in the sports clubs. But my boy… you’re just so weird, we like you as you are. Stay forever our weird little Ishigami and your popularity shall sore through anime communities for life.

His unfiltered monologue about how Chika or Kaguya’s breast size are a determining factor in archery is exactly the kind of absurd that’ll push him full throttle to the top of the popularity list. The juvenile dirty jokes don’t end there though, with Chika finding out that the word ‘wiener’ causes Kaguya to laugh uncontrollably. But when Shirogane enters, the true battle of wits begins between the girls. Chika, a polite diplomat’s daughter, refuses to utter the word in front of any boy. She tries to draw it out of Shirogane instead so he can also witness Kaguya’s boisterous side, but Kaguya trumps her time and time again. Chika, adorably upset at this, finally gives in and bursts out what seem to be a sequence of profanities. The reactions from both Shirogane and Ishigami are pretty spot on.

Even though this seemed to me a general filler episode with predictable puns, it still made the ‘make me laugh out loud hysterically’ cut. I guess I really do fall into the key audience for this anime and manga which I’m about to dive into by the way. I definitely can’t wait for a whole week to watch the next episode. I’m desperate to find out what happens between our protagonists over summer break.

「右目の封印」 (Migime no Fuuin)
“The Seal of the Right Eye”

I didn’t think that they’d actually do it, but if Alicization has taught me anything, it’s that anything can happen in the Underworld.

General Impressions

After last week’s explosive ending (or rather, two weeks ago), I had an ominous feeling for what was coming this week. However, I never thought the story would make a full 180 and flip Alice and Eugeo’s roles. Looking back at it though, I suppose I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was since it makes complete sense from the plot’s perspective. At this point, Kirito and Eugeo have been a totally undefeatable pair and there are way too many episodes left for them to reach the top of the tower this early. Along their way up the Central Cathedral, it’s clear that they’ve been able to influence the Integrity Knights they’ve encountered thus far and based on all of Kirito’s ramblings it sounds like they might have encountered a good chunk of all the knights that exist. So, what better way to change things up than have an Integrity Knight flip sides and have someone on team Kirito-Eugeo end up unable to fight? In hindsight I should have realized it sooner since I couldn’t have been the only one who was hoping that one of the knights would listen to reason and raise their weapons for Kirito and Eugeo’s cause. It didn’t necessarily have to be Alice, but it makes a lot of sense for it to be her. (Personally speaking, I thought it would have been cool to see Bercouli or the bow wielding knight to flip)

On the flip side of things, I also loved how the story finally addressed Eugeo’s insecurities. As someone who’s had no time to deal with such a wide range of thoughts and emotions, I was always really curious how we’d tackle Eugeo’s problems. Because if we’re being honest here, I think we’d all be a little pissed if Eugeo managed to save the world and rescue the damsel in distress without taking care of his own issues. Sure there’s something to be said about how nasty the Administrator is for using all of his insecurities against him, but here’s to me hoping that it all becomes a great learning experience for him.

Dang, what an episode! With that status quo changing and the stakes rising even higher, it looks like Kirito and Alice will have a lot to deal with now that the Administrator is awake and has Eugeo under her control. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see what’ll happen since everyone seems to all be relatively close to one another. In any case, I’ll catch you guys next week where we hopefully won’t get thrown back to the real world since I’m too invested in the main story. See you then!

Preview

「守る理由」 (Mamoru riyuu)
“A Reason to Protect”

Welcome boys and girls to the Index thunderdome. We’ve got the fights, the explosions, and the crazy smiles. Need some new random characters? Got that too. Fists to the face? We have you covered. A bit of levity to break the tension? Thought you’d never ask. Oh yes it’s all here this week, and if you thought it wasn’t enough never fear, because this episode was just a taste of the thunder fuelled shenanigans to come barrelling on down the pipe.

Part of the fun of the WW3 arc for me is the sheer chaos of it all. While the light novels were already ridiculous enough, the anime (in part thanks to that Usain Bolt level pacing) has taken it up a notch, throwing everything—including the Mil Mi-24—at us as quick as possible. Thought the random break to British (and Catholic) cuties beating on French heathens wasn’t random enough? Nothing a little Versailles blondie action cannot solve. Truthfully I was getting a bigger kick at the time out of Knight Leader showing Carissa to be a sub under that dom exterior, but hey, nothing beats a little flashy lightsabre neon sword action when the going gets confusing. After all we’ve got Shiage and Acqua duking it out Saving Private Ryan style with inbred Tunguskas and Russian PMCs while Mugino gets ready for Level Zero beatdown round three: if you cannot find a bit of fun in all of this then I think you might need another stiff drink. Or three.

The real entertainment however lay with Accelerator and Touma, who faced off for a second time. This one of course was a little more anticlimactic than the Sisters arc (mostly down to the lack of context with Touma’s random appearance), but at least we got several minutes of glorious Accelerator villainous laughter to make up for the confusion. Oh and plenty fists smacking heads, but I think we all knew that was coming—and the inevitable outcome—once the One Punch Man made his appearance. Accelerator winning a tit-for-tat smack-a-thon with the world champion of right handed haymakers? Oh you sweet summer child, you haven’t been around these parts long enough. At least this battle has more or less solidified Accelerator’s development towards to good side, showing him all in on protecting Last Order and willing to look past previous transgressions in favour of a more peaceful future. He may think Touma to be insufferable and beneath his notice (somewhat), but there’s no denying the respect for helping out one of the most innocent girls of them all.

With the entire main cast now in play and a few more explosive pieces ready to make their appearance, Index is ready to get to the main act. The only question now is how Touma and friends wind up saving that titular damsel in distress.

Preview

「ボスからの最終指令」 (Boss kara no Saishuu Shirei)
“The Final Mission from the Boss”

The time has come for us to meet the Boss and see exactly why Bruno was tasked to deliver Trish to him. While the episode doesn’t take us entirely to the end of Bruno’s encounter with the Boss, it gives us more insight on why Bruno gravitated towards Giorno’s dream so quickly and why he would go as far as betray the Boss by saving Trish from an untimely end.

What helps to keep Bruno balanced as a character is how, as devoted as he is to the mission, he is also attentive to Trish as she tries to figure out what exactly she got roped into. Because of the thread of fate that links her with a mafia boss, she is taken from a relatively decent upbringing as soon as her mother passed away to be kept under the care of gangsters and hunted down by renegade mafioso who are out for her dad’s power. In the process, she also learns that both Passione and the members of La Squadra out to get her are all fighting each other with the supernatural power of Stands, and has discovered signs of her own Stand ability after Bruno killed Pesci. Not only is it a lot for Trish to make sense of while she’s on the run, but with the perils that she’s faced along the way, it would hard for her to imagine just who exactly her father is, let alone if reuniting with him is the safest option for her. It forces Bruno to take himself out of work-mode to try to empathize with someone who was a complete outsider to the mafia business until just recently when his mission with Passione pushed her into a situation that has claimed the lives of more than six people (La Squadra and some of the innocent bystanders caught in the line-of-fire) so far. Where Bruno has to comfort her knowing that she’s still reeling from the aftershock of her experiences so far with Passione.

As soon as Trish is taken away from Bruno, it gives us a flashback of Bruno’s childhood that reveals a much larger emotional connection he has with Giorno’s dream and why he would go the lengths he did to betray the Boss for misleading him twice about the nature of his work. Bruno’s transformation from an adorable cinnamon roll to a hard-as-nails mafia capo is rife with trauma as his attachment to his father and his fishing business lead him towards unforeseeable tragedy. With his parents’ divorce and his decision to live with his father, he had the misfortune of seeing his dad mortally wounded after he was shot upon witnessing a drug transaction by two men on his boat. Kid Bruno’s decision to kill the two men after they broke into his house in an attempt to murder his dad for good pushed him into a life of crime to help support his injured father and make a living. After his father’s death, he would end up in a tight spot after realizing the uncomfortable truth behind his life in Passione that he’s been enabling the drug trade in his neighborhood by working alongside them as their muscle. His contempt for drugs as the reason why his father was shot would eventually turn out to be the motivating factor behind why he was so directly invested in Giorno’s future in Passione, but it’s also why he was so infuriated by his plan to use Passione to kill Trish himself. To be used to sell drugs and to murder his own daughter to save his skin were two signs of how quickly the Boss was willing to betray Bruno and would give Bruno the exact motivation to refuse to be walked on this time around when he has the power to face the Boss head-on.

This, however, would prove to be another sign of misfortune for Bruno because he’s the first member of Passione on-screen to learn the full extent of the Boss’ powers through his Stand, King Crimson. For those who are just joining us from the Part IV anime and haven’t read through Vento Aureo or the spoilers, this one’s gonna be a doozy. King Crimson is known as one of the most complicated Stand abilities due to his time skip ability. With King Crimson, the Boss can hiccup into the future, allowing him to skip up to 10 seconds into the next turn of events. Because of this, those around him end up finding themselves warped into the future and the Boss is given the leeway to get himself in just the right spot to get the jump on someone. Using the remote control analogy that happens with many time-based Stands, King Crimson is the skip function that allows you to jump to the next scene in a DVR recording or movie. If you’re watching this on a video player, you could jump from 21:17 to 22:29 and replicate the Stand’s abilities. Or you could watch the Futurama episode “Time Keeps On Slippin’” where the Harlem Globetrotters win a basketball match by unknown means during a time skip. Whatever the means may be for you to wrap your head around the infamous nature of King Crimson, the stakes have been brought to their highest yet now that Bruno has been mortally wounded with the same “fist through the chest” trick that DIO mastered in 1989. What it means for Bruno now that it’ll be hard to digest with the size of the hole in his chest will be something to watch out for in the next episode.

「VSイマジネーター 5」 (VS Imajineetaa 5)
“VS Imaginator 5″

Boogiepop wa Warawanai is a funny sort of show to be sure. It’s never one that I find myself obsessing over emotionally, but that’s by design – Kouhei Kadono quite intentionally keeps the audience at an arm’s width from the events in the story. But there’s something rather special about this series, nevertheless. On their own either Boogiepop’s pure intellectual ambition or its historical importance would make it notable as a series. Together, they’re more than enough to stamp it as one of the more interesting and important anime of the season.

Truly, Boogiepop wa Warawanai is fascinating both for the ideas it trades in and what it represents as a franchise. As noted earlier it was one of the first light novels – argued by many to be the very first, and first to be adapted into anime. It illustrates the complete evolution of the LN format, which started out as a vehicle to explore difficult themes with more detach and depth than was possible in manga, and has now become the complete opposite – a shallow pool of simplistic world-views and stifling thematic homogeneity where exposition is almost always by explanation (and usually on page one).

That evolution is a fascinating topic (I would argue that the accent has shifted from the second word of the medium’s name to the first), but deserving of its own forum. For now, to Boogiepop wa Warawanai – which concluded its best arc of this season with a good deal of flourish and style. Speaking of the things that make this version special, Yuuki’s Aoi’s titular performance is certainly one of them. And this episode was a delight in that it featured more of it than any so far. Yuuki is such a great actor, truly, with a seemingly limitless range and a sensitivity that belies her age (though it feels like she’s been around forever, she’s still only 26).

Yuuki’s Boogiepop is a masterwork, an intentionally flat characterization that manages to pack incredible depth through subtlety. It’s like a puff pastry that’s been folded upon itself over and over, consisting of countless layers despite being light and seemingly narrow. She turns up at Paisley Park just as Masaki-kun is about to be subjected to the same brainwashing as his attackers, but Boogiepop isn’t there because she considers Imaginator (and by extension Jin) a threat – she’s just trying to keep Suema out of trouble. Still, one wonders if Boogiepop is truly so detached as he claims – he does have a habit of saving good people from evil an awful lot for someone who’s just acting more or less as a watchman. The ironic similarity between Boogiepop and the series which shares his name surely isn’t coincidental.

Without any question the key moment of the episode comes when Boogiepop saves Masaki. She lets him know that he’s been brainwashed by Spooky E – “his fear suspended” – and he begins to wonder whether his feelings for Camille are a result of this. “Adapting yourself to society is essentially brainwashing yourself to meet societal expectations”, Boogiepop tells Masaki – but not to validate his doubts, but rather dispel them. “Now the problem is, within your psyche – which has no freedom – what do you value the most?” Even if free will is an illusion, our own feelings are not – those are genuine, and the best thing we can do is follow the strongest of them. And there’s no question where that will lead Masaki.

Well, that’s a pretty big intellectual matzoh ball, no question about it – at the center of philosophical debate for literally thousands of years (though more so since the Enlightenment to be sure). But then, Boogiepop is not shy about pondering big ideas and difficult issues (like suppressed homosexual attraction, back when that topic was still extremely taboo in manga and anime). In terms of events on the ground, what’s striking here is how little the struggling of humans like Masaki and Camille and Jin – and even beings like Imaginator – matter to Boogiepop, who by design has to look at the big picture.

In the end Jin was a self-obsessed blowhard, pretty much – even his supposed power to change hearts was merely a short-lived affectation, with the victims’ own feelings always overcoming his changes in short order. Imaginator is a paper tiger too, likewise self-obsessed – blind to anything but its own ambition and thus unable to adjust to anything that doesn’t go according to plan. This is another big philosophical debate Boogiepop wa Warawanai is teasing here – Boogiepop’s rather passive approach contrasted with Imaginator’s polar opposite view that the self is everything, and anything in society that conflicts with the desires of the self is to be struggled against with all available energies. This is not over, surely, because these questions are at the very heart of the series.

As to Camille/Aya and Masaki’s story, that does largely seem to be over for now – and all things considered, it ends on an upbeat note. Despite what Aya believes about Jin being unable to alter her because she’s not human, the real reason is the strength of her feelings for Masaki. And he accepts that those feelings are what’s most important to him, whatever else society may have to say. Even Jin is left to pick up the pieces (and perhaps a neck brace), though one suspects his life is in a far darker place than Masaki and Camille’s, given where he started out. And all of this is important, because one reason the “VS Imaginator” arc worked as well as it did is that it connected on a human level much more strongly than the episodes that preceded it. And for Boogiepop, the series or the character, one suspects that’s more important than it first appears to be.

ED2 Sequence

ED2: 「SAYONARA」 by (Riko Azuna)

「魔法少女特殊戦開発部隊」 (Mahou Shoujo Tokushuusen Kaihatsu Butai)
“Magical Girl Operations Development Unit”

The more things change the more they stay the same: truly a statement which applies to most things, and one which MSTA isn’t an exception to. We may only just be over halfway through the show, but as with a couple earlier mahou shoujo deconstructions it’s getting easy to see where this one plans on leaving things off. Finding the enemy and saving the world from the new big bad? Oh we’ll definitely get the first before too long, but if you’re betting on resolution I’d start reading that manga right about now.

Given the proper introduction of Mia last week it only makes sense for the remaining Magical Five to make their appearances and MSTA certainly was open to meeting that demand. We now have our hardened, quiet girl of the group with Tamara, who besides a love of all things heavy firepower (the Russians have artillery as their god for a reason) also is unique in being the first “good” magical girl seemingly being coerced into her current role. That mention of a sister and looking out for her for example wasn’t made because everyone has her best intentions in mind, more likely is a situation where sister’s health is dependent on the job Tamara performs. Get Russia magical goodies and it’s happy ever after, fail and well there’s plenty of Siberian trees in need of gentle care and nurture. Certainly a more proper hearkening back to the insidious expectations of magical girls, particularly considering Asuka and Kurumi as we’ve seen have more or less willingly joined up for more suffering and despair. Given the circumstances it really begs the question just what tasty drama and shenanigans are in store once the Magical Five are finally reunited.

What keeps matters up in the air as well are the additional details slowly being dropped. Asuka’s PTSD flashbacks of course are going to be the big one for obvious reasons—you just know what’s going to happen when that victim of the moment winds up being an actual friend—but there’s also the new info on world linking gates and the ability of Dias items to actually affect regular human beings. Take those temporary gates, wouldn’t be a stretch to assume if they randomly pop up that someone can direct and/or control their generation, particularly if you can choose which universe it links to. Want to conveniently wreak havoc? Well just open a Dias portal in the middle of downtown. Want even more chaos? Why not transform the local populace into cute and cuddly collections of teeth and claws. I have a feeling MSTA this week wasn’t so much giving introductions as showing off the weapons the Babel Brigade will make use of in the near future. There’s a big plot at work under all this (albeit bloody) fluff, one which will certainly put our now determined magical girls to the test.

The only question is how far we’ll get into the details before that season finale comes rolling our way.

Preview

「裏切りの女」 (Uragiri no Onna)
“The Treacherous Woman”

Oh Kakegurui, you certainly know how to please me. The show may be taking its time in getting to that sweet final resolution of Yumeko-Kirari round two (be honest, you know the Momobami matriarch won’t be making it out the semifinals alive), but damn if the heat isn’t slowly ratcheting up. From idol showdowns to life lessons in taxes with the taxman himself, we’re definitely going places, with the only question being just where the cliff face lies.

Considering this season has been a veritable mashup of student council members with delectable Yumeko (and friends) delicatessen, it was only a matter of time until we got to the most absolute of characters in Itsuki and Kaede. The latter of course is probably the most memorable, between his secretive goal of ousting Kirari through cold hard cash and that Icarus level, hair changing epic fall from grace, but Itsuki also gets a shout out for her strong love of distal phalanges and that one-sided love of the four eyed pretty boy. Itsuki’s crush in particular is going to be the name of the game for this arc, because with Kaede down in the dumps the girl is torn between wanting to rebuild herself and him, and the guy not exactly being what she originally thought when the love bug hit. Does Itsuki persevere and browbeat some sense back into Kaede, or accept the current situation and make a play for herself alone? It’s not a choice all too easy to make.

What will help grease the wheels of sempai-kouhai relationship restoration though is the game now being played. Paying taxes versus hoarding your hard-earned income? Say hello to non-cooperative game theory boys and girls. This game is arguably the representation of everything which makes Kakegurui tick: we’ve got the distracting machinations, the mental rationalizations, and the outcome depending on who can cheat the most and get away with it. Do you take a hit for the team in order to duke it out later, or selfishly play for yourself first and hope to get enough innocents removed before the consequences rear their ugly heads? And figuring out who made which choice? Oh yeah, now you’re getting into the weeds. Out of the five players it’s actually not that easy seeing who the two traitors (if there’s even two; why not three?) are. The Momobami clan duo? Sure, but that’s too easy. Yumeko? Easily within her power (especially considering her strategy using the number assignments), but who would her “partner” be? Our student council pair? Looks unlikely on the surface, but not too farfetched if acting is up Itsuki’s (and Kaede’s) alley. Personally I suspect some combination of Yumeko and Itsuki/Kaede just because the resulting crazy faces will be a riot (especially once that Yumeko backstory finally comes out), but honestly it could go either way.

Much like Lord of the Flies someone innocent is going to pay the price before the truth comes out, and when it does it’s simply a question of who will be left to pick up the pieces. For everyone involved in this gamble they can only hope right now that person winds up being them.

Preview