First Impressions / High School DxD

「色々、三すくみです！」 (Iroiro, Sansukumidesu!)
“A Three Way Stand-Off Variety!”

Akeno san is extraordinarily beautiful – so beautiful that one might find her presence a tad too intimidating. The words “seductive” and “bewitching” hardly does her charm any justice. Akeno is not your archetypal stunner – she is an enchantress, a grip of passion and an irresistible caprice that would sway the hearts of even the most honest and faithful. Rias is still my number-one girl and I have no intention to change my heart any time soon – but Akeno sure is making a very strong case for herself and I’ll be the first to admit I wouldn’t mind having an affair with her. No, I don’t condone the act of adultery – but this is just one of those times when my sexual impulse (read: penis) speaks louder than my saner head. Akeno sempai is simply that charming and there really is no two ways about it. It’s not just her unrivaled physical appeal that sticks out – the Ikazuchi no Miko also boasts quite a mesmeric persona, not to mention an equally intriguing backstory to go with it. Evidently, there’s more to Akeno than just her smiley façade – she is profoundly ashamed of her Fallen Angel origins, an intense abhorrence that might have manifested as a form of self-contempt. This is perhaps the first time we’ve seen Akeno in all her delicateness – just like Rias, she is not the type who wears her despondency on the front and her decision to come above-board with Issei surely tells us a whole lot. Issei is not just an adorable kouhai that she dotes on – he is also a person whom she can trust, a real man who protected and reassured her when she was at her most vulnerable. A teardrop of utmost joy has unmistakably sealed the deal – Akeno has fallen head over heels in love with Issei, and she makes no attempt to conceal her true feelings. Both a sadist and a masochist, Akeno would make one hell of a mistress and there’s no doubt about it – the busty queen was dead serious when she offered to become Issei’s number-three, an adulterous role that she clearly revels in!

The deep affection that Akeno has for Issei is beyond doubt – but she is also fully cognizant of the relationship intricacies that exist. “Buchou, you’re the favorite for the number-one spot!” – I like to think Akeno’s right, and Issei will eventually come to see Rias as a special someone, or more specifically, his love interest. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion Issei already does – but the young boy probably doesn’t know how to sort out his feelings just yet. Let us not forget – Issei’s first relationship didn’t quite pan out so well and he was brutally murdered by the very same girl who confessed to him. Issei is constantly in the spotlight – one after another, his many beautiful female (and male) companions have thrown themselves at him with ardent affection. It’s hard to figure out if and when he should take any of their attention to heart, and Issei is very likely just as perplexed as any of us. “Akeno’s Akeno, but who am I to you?” – Issei’s subsequent response was hardly assuaging, predictable but far from satisfactory. It was not an answer that Rias would like to hear, nor does it reflect his true feelings in a romantic sense. Clearly, Rias wants to be seen as more than just his esteemed buchou. No matter how distraught she is, Rias has always put up a very tough front – but deep down, there’s a yearning to be treated just like any normal girl, as a lover and as a soul mate. Issei’s quest to become a Harem King is not going to be an easy one – he has certainly made considerable progress, but my gut says we’re merely in the early innings of the romantic entanglements. Rias and Issei are both fraught with disconcertion and self-doubt, and there’s definitely room for them to grow and learn from all of this. His eyes may wander off and get sidetracked – but I truly believe Issei’s heart only belongs to one girl, and that person is none other than his crimson-haired princess!

As the romantic subplot has come to a pause at a comma, the big-picture narratives have conversely taken a big leapt forward. Michael (Hosoya Yoshimasa), a top dog and the leader of the Angels, is not nearly as big of a nerve-rack as I have thought. In fact, he seems quite amicable, going so far as to be bestow Ascalon, the Dragon Slayer Holy Sword, upon Issei’s arsenal – presumably, his friendly gesture serves as a form of peace offering, a step in the right direction to safeguard the status quo.  The political ramification from all of this appears to be rather elaborate – the preservation of its status quo not only entails a no-war pact, but it is also a self-perpetuating move, a necessary feat to maintain their own preponderance in the world of mythos. It’s all a big display of game theory, and the line that separates a hero from a villain has become increasingly clouded. To complicate matters further, the political clash also comes with its own set of big egos, and both Azazel and Vali most certainly stand out in this respect. The head honcho of the Fallen Angel continues to be one of the most fascinating personas in the mix – he is a bundle of contrasts, cocky and flippant on one hand, but calm and composed at the other. His true intentions remain somewhat of an enigma – what we do know for certain though is that he is pacifistic in nature, quite unlike Kokabiel or even the host of the Vanishing Dragon. Vali’s growing discontent has become all the more apparent – his inherent belligerence is most likely the cause, and Azazel’s dovish disposition clearly does not sit well with him. It’s hardly an exaggeration to say there are many questions that remained unanswered – not least of which is the appearance of a new threat, a group of hooded mysterious beings who are slowly making their way toward Kuoh Academy! I am truly very impressed with the breadth and scale of its story – High School DxD has proven once again that it is not just a shameless excuse for fanservice. I have very high hopes for the final two episodes – the extravaganzas to come can only be grander and more larger-than-life, a spectacle nobody in the right mind would want to miss!

Random tidbits:

  • “I’m a terrible woman” – Never! Akeno san is just perfect the way she is. That miko outfit, those blushing cheeks, her sexy posterior and that glorious oppai!
  • “You can even use my lap as a hizamakura instead of buchou’s” – That lucky bastard Issei gets all the good stuff! Stealing Rias’ special privileges – she’s not a terrible person, but Akeno sure is a very naughty girl, ara ara ufufu!
  • Teardrops of happiness from Akeno’s face! A piano theme of its first season’s OP, “Trip –innocent of D-” by Larval Stage Planning, was played during that scene. Very fitting, if I may say so.
  • “I’m the one who’s most distant from him!” – My heart shattered a little bit when I heard her mutter those words. Rias onee sama needs a bear hug from Seishun otouto!
  • Who’s the better twin-tail – Serafall or Irina? Gosh, I can’t make up my mind! I’m surprised Serafall didn’t attend the summit in her Maou Shoujo outfit. Gotta say though, she looks pretty damn hot in that green dress.
  • A touching scene of bromance – Gasper might just give Yuuto a run for his money as Issei’s first BL companion. He’s not a trap, god damn it!
  • Junk food for everyone! – It appears that Koneko likes them spicy! That reminds me, gotta stock up on some spicy tofu.
  • Not quite as late as last week’s, but still very late – again, I’m very sorry. The compilation of Random Curiosity’s Fall Preview is well underway – that combined with more than 80 hours in the office have led to this delay. I’ve decided to significantly cut back on my contribution to the site next season – I’ll be blogging Kakumeiki Valvrave, One Piece and Fairy Tail, no new shows for me! Hopefully, I can meet my deadlines more promptly then! I’m going to miss High School DxD so much when this series ends. Let’s hope we get a third season – I’ve already pre-ordered BD Vol.1 from Amazon.co.jp, have you?

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – High School #DxD NEW 10: That miko outfit, those blushing cheeks, her sexy posterior and that glorious oppai! Akeno san is extraordinarily beautiful – so beautiful that one might find her presence a tad too intimidating. #Anime
 
Full-length images: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 18, 23, 24, 25, 29, 31, 34, 39.

 

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73 Comments

  2. Honestly, I think jealous Rias is starting to annoy me a bit.

    I mean, she’s going after a guy whose dream is to become a Harem King and who is very determined to achieve it. Did she never realize that would mean she’d have to share him?

    I guess it might be her reacting to her apparent belief that he doesn’t see her as a potential love interest at all, which is why she lashes out when he shows affections for others, but it’s still silly of her to get annoyed whenever he has moments with other girls when being a Harem King is his goal.

    Come on, girl, you should know what you were signing up for. Suck it up or go for someone who wants exclusivity.

    EmD
    Reply

    3. While I agree to an extent, Issei also doesn’t act like a Harem King in making. He’s lecherous, sure, but he also treats each girl like an individual priceless treasure. Put that with how he never takes the meals offered to him because he has some self-esteem issues, and he isn’t the typical type of man that wants a harem and treats his women as just parts of a whole. His attitude is what draws all the girls to him, but he’s traumatized and holding back. Add to that that Rias is a touch selfish by nature, and she’s going to get jealous. It mostly comes off as endearing, but there are a few moments like on the steps where her vagueness gets a touch annoying. Can’t get a clear answer if you don’t ask a clear question, and she’s undoubtedly the vaguest of the women around Issei.

      Aex
      Reply

    6. You guys are being too harsh. It’s perfectly normal for her to be jealous, that’s how a normal relationship works. Plus, Rias is so adorable when she’s being all dere dere jelly =3

      Seishun
      Reply

  4. I sense another fight between the Occult Club’s great beauties for Issei in the future. The fight at the pool was just the entree for Rias and Akeno. Looks like someone is getting cranky at a jealous Rias, still she has to show who’s the alpha bitch (in heat) in Issei’s harem. I really enjoy Akeno’s attempts to be the mistress of the Red Dragon Emperor’s user, after all, she is a seductress. Could it be that she’s aiming to be a succubus?
    Tl;dr: Moar titties to show from Akeno after confessing to Issei that she wants to be his mistress. The Sluttism is strong in Akeno
    And again with Gaspar’s lack of male-side made Seishun pissed.

    Just one more episode for the Two Heavenly Dragons to fight!

    GP0125
    Reply

  6. I would have liked it if Ascalon was on the other side ala Hidden Blade in Assassin’s Creed.

    Akeno being very great with her teasing and her backstory. Great stuff.
    I liked that this issue with the namecalling and the first place thing is planted this early in the story, though its resolution is still volumes away. Oh well.

    That second eyecatch. IT BURNS!!! It hurts even more that we’ll get another one in the next episode. The second one in there makes up for it though.

    And Seishun, you promised you’d cover Kuroko no Basket 2 D:

    belatkuro
    Reply

  7. Seishun… You really enjoy blogging this show alot, don’t you. And I mean like a lot, lot. I can even read the passion you put into writing this.

    But with an ending like that, fanservice like that, and well… everything that DxD presents; what’s there not to fanboy about?

    Xenovia <3

    Dualistdusk
    Reply

  13. This Eye, in the Last Pic. It is also a Symbol of the all seeing Eye of God. You see this one combine with a Pyramid on some US Paper Currency. Perhaps this Attackers are some Cult that worship God or so. And want to erase all Evil. Holy then the Angels…. in other Words, they use Force

    Germanguy
    Reply

    1. Show Spoiler ▼

      Aex
      Reply

  17. Issei meets his first angel and learns of Akeno’s past in this stellar episode of DxD!

    Michael was far from what I was expecting from the leader of the Angels, especially when compared to Sirzechs and Azazel. He’s as young as they are, but looks much more innocent and gentle, which I guess is fitting for one who commands the “pure” angels. As for Michael himself, he seems like a reasonable and nice person, in major contrast to the church and religion that purports to worship him and his kind. I do wonder what Michael thinks of all the church corruption that’s been running rampant throughout DxD, though maybe the angels are a bit more “hands off” with their servants than the Devils and Fallen Angels are. Though that doesn’t justify all the terrible stuff that’s happened to people which the church justified in God’s name.

    What’s a hero without a sword? And even better, a dragon slaying Sword! It’s nice to see Issei finally “level up” after all the hard work he’s done this season. It doesn’t necessarily make up for his lack of mastery over his Balance Breaker or his being the weakest of Ddraig’s hosts, but it at least gives him some edge against Vali. And I’m sure with more experience using Balance Breaker, Issei will eventually be able to throw away the title of “weakest Red Dragon Emperor” and carve out his own name among Draig’s previous hosts.

    Akeno’s now seriously in love with Issei, and she’s all the more cuter and lovely for it. It was heartwarming to see our resident sadist and seductress blush with glee like a normal girl at Issei calling her by her first name with no honorific. And now she’s officially stolen lap pillow privileges from Rias… Akeno, you’re awesome! So now that she officially wants to be Issei’s lover, she settles for being third place in his harem, in order to not get in the way of his feelings for Rias and so that she gets to be akin to his mistress. After all, legal wives are all well and good, but can they beat the passion of an affair? That’s probably how Akeno sees it at least. She doesn’t care about her number so long as she gets loved by Issei, and she may as well make the situation as fun as possible for the both of them. Though I’m sure if she tried she could probably kick out Asia out of second place, but I doubt Akeno wouldn’t want to do that to poor Asia. The girl has enough problems dealing with Rias!

    Speaking of, Rias in this episode was definitely at her most jealous and her most vulnerable. She’s starting to feel that Issei sees Akeno as more of a woman then he does Rias, and that she’s falling way behind in the love game. As I mentioned in my comments for episode 8, it’s partly her own fault she’s in this situation because of how she originally treated Issei. But she’s trying her best to rectify that, and I’m very interested to see where the Issei/Rias relationship will go by the end of the season.

    Koneko catching on to Issei’s plans with Gasper, and Kiba’s subsequent facepalm, was hilarious. And with Rias, Asia, and Akeno officially in the harem, I think it’s about time Issei moved on to what may be his biggest challenge: winning over Koneko.

    The summit is finally upon us and with it comes many points of interest: Serafall in proper attire and actually acting seriously, Irina back with the angels and acting cold to her former friends, Azazel apparently bored out of his wits and ready to get the whole “peace” thing over and done with, and a mysterious group on their way into Kuoh Academy to presumably ruin the peace talks. All in all, some good setup for our season finale, though I’m very curious to see how Issei vs. Vali will come about.

    DxD New has been a blast so far, and I’m really hoping we get more seasons in the future. Considering DxD’s popularity, I think there’s a high enough chance for DxD to continue in anime form in the future. I’ll be looking forward to seeing your new posts for Valvrave Seishun!

    Frontier
    Reply

    1. Rias never gets jealous when Asia flirts with Issei. Akeno is a real threat and she knows that. Issei can have a big harem but ultimately he can only pick one girl as his ‘true’ waifu

      Hunter
      Reply

  20. Levi-tan!! She looks just pure badass in this episode. The same goes for Azazel. I hope they’ll animate his other awesome stuff Show Spoiler ▼

    Also, I hope there won’t be anymore Gasper end cards in the remaining episodes, I have difficulty trying to convince myself Gasper’s a guy whenever I see those cards.

    Radiosonde
    Reply

  24. I don’t comment very often, but I’d like to say this is a very good post. Thank you Seishun for making me a fan of DxD. You’ve made Random Curiosity a very special place for anime fans.

    Desmond
    Reply

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