First Impressions / Guilty Crown

「夏日 courtship behavior」 (Natsubi)
“Summer’s Day”

It’s a breath of fresh air to see someone other than Gai take the initiative, though I never thought I’d be saying that about Hare of all people. It wasn’t all that unexpected since she did give Shuu the green light back in episode three, but it was still somewhat surprising to see her take her jacket off in a hurry to pull Shuu’s eyes away from Inori. In the battle of curves, Hare wins hands-down; however, it’s her active attempt to get closer to Shuu that makes me want to root for her. In comparison, I actually felt worse for Souta, since the poor guy was honest about his feelings for Inori and even checked with Shuu that there’s nothing between them, unaware that he was being led on by everyone just to make use of his Void Weapon. Judging from Shuu’s frantic actions, it looks like he can’t even stomach the idea of Souta getting closer to Inori — even if it were all an act — so for selfishly interrupting (and looking like a creep), I say he deserved all the ridicule from Tsugumi, deathly stares from Ayase, and embarrassment from Gai and the others.

Incidentally, I did appreciate how this episode finally hinted at the supposed theme of series that ties in with the title, namely that Shuu feels “guilty” about using his friends as weapons with the the Power of Kings (hence “crown”). (Granted, it only looks like it weighs on his conscience provided that Inori isn’t taken away from him.) Better yet was some background story on the Apocalypse Virus that Shuu’s father, Ouma Kurosu, studied. If nothing else, that reinforced the idea that Shuu isn’t completely detached from what’s going on, and came with the added bonus of seeing someone foil Gai’s plan for a change. As for what Shuuichirou actually retrieved from elaborately locked room using Kurosu’s ID card, my (wild) guess is that it’s some meteorite that Shuu’s father studied to create the Void Genomes. I would further speculate that something went terribly wrong during their creation, resulting in the outbreak that is now known as “Lost Christmas”, and Kurosu sacrificed himself to minimize the damage. After all, the rock-like clusters when a Void Weapon is extracted look very similar to the effects of the Apocalypse Virus. Keidou Shuuichirou of course, intends to continue whatever they started despite the risks.

Assuming that’s the case, where that leads us is anyone’s guess. Along with the implication that Arisa’s fallen helplessly in love with Gai and that Daryl may not be the GHQ Commander’s son, I’m just happy there was enough of an overarching plot in this “beach episode” to help me overlook the brevity of the operation in relation to the setup for it. Quite frankly, I found pacing and screenplay in this episode a bit awkward and forced — especially the part at the end where Souta’s thankful about Shuu being straight with him — so if it weren’t for the story developments, I probably would’ve been wondering what the writers are thinking again. As I mentioned last week, Guilty Crown is far from establishing itself as a smash hit that can get away with more frivolous showings, so the last thing I wanted to see is the questionable direction continue. What this series really needs now is for the plot to gain some steam, which hopefully Yahiro and his virus-infected brother will provide next time. The occasional cliffhanger wouldn’t hurt either, just to build up some viewer anticipation.

Miscellaneous Thoughts:

  • Well it turns out the producers are a little oblivious to all the CODE GEASS comparisons. ANN should’ve just directed them to one of my posts and asked them to read all the comments. 😀
  • I skimmed the premiere episode again and noticed the flashbacks when Shuu acquired the Void Genome included an image of a childhood Gai.
  • Shuu somehow fails to realize that Inori worked wonders on tricking him into cooperating.
  • I always assumed Inori’s outfit has some sort of personal stealth (as seen in ep1), but the existence of cloth-like optical camouflage seems to confirm it.
  • It’s hard to believe that Kanon has a thing for Yahiro, but apparently the class president does.
  • Inori’s cheating by appealing to two different crowds. I say if she’s going to be the emotionless heroine, she’s not allowed to make noises and say “no” when Kanon fondles her breasts.
  • However, Souta’s expected to scream when he has his Void Weapon extracted, since it reaffirms my idea that all guys are screamers.
  • He knows how to pick up Nico Nico EGOIST singers with MAD videos too.
  • The woman with Commander Yan is credited as his secretary and voiced by Hirose Yuuka.
  • Full-length images: 07, 15, 17. (I don’t know if Inori’s legs were worth the time I spent redrawing the last image, but I did it anyway.)

    •  

    ED Sequence & End Card

    Preview

    Watch the Preview!: Streaming ▼

    145 Comments

    1. I was really happy that they were able to work the plot into something that wasn’t just a mindless beach fanservice episode 🙂 That being said, I actually would like to see a little more emotion out of Inori, and feel like we’d get some if Shuu’s life were on the line. She is always willing to protect him, as seen in this episode. Good stuff, can’t wait for next week!

      Eirin
      Reply

        1. I really want to, but the problem is that they don’t get enough screen time. It wouldn’t be so bad if the main characters actually acted human for once. GOD! As a writer i’m appalled at how badly they screwed up the characterization.

          whydoyouask
          Reply

        2. Sad but true. Best part of that episode? Ayase and Tsugumi in the whole Noble woman and maid thing. There’s just something about those two. Ayase was cute with her embarrassment – covering her face with the hat. I especially love the sound of their voices for some reason. Don’t know why.

          Jared Drake
          Reply

        4. With her usual cat ear like thingy on her head, the black gothic dress made Tsugumi look totally like Kuroneko. It looked as if Taketatsu Ayana(Tsugumi/Kirino) and Hanazawa Kana(Ayase/Kuroneko) utterly exchanged their roles. That was funny too.

          Aniota
          Reply

      3. What do you mean they don’t get enough screen time? If we just focused more on the characters there isn’t much time more to build the plot and how other people are supposed to be involved.

        The Moondoggie
        Reply

      4. I agree… every episode when I thought I have the characters thought out it becomes…
        For Shu, I don’t know what he thinks of Gai and Shu.
        For Gai, I don’t know what he thinks of Shu.
        For Inori, I don’t know what she thinks of Shu.
        8 episodes in and I don’t know what’s going on.

        Still going to try to like them and watch this.

        cow
        Reply

        1. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ayase is a quite good swimmer. A lot of paraplegics do swim for rehab, and in water the Archimedes principle means it is much easier to move your body around for them. I actually like how Ayase managed to stay cheerful and optimistic despite her condition. But my fave is Tsugumi 🙂 Sharp-tongued witty comments FTW!

          ewok40k
          Reply

      4. This would’ve been awesome, but I at least got a kick out of the Ore Imo reversal, with Taketatsu Ayana in Cat ears and being all ojou-sama, and Hanazawa Kana being the, well, relatively more normal one ^^;.

        Kumakaori
        Reply

    6. I don’t know if the show is schizophrenic or if its just not sure where it wants to go just yet. I get this feeling in every episode, probably because of how the scenery/mood changes (sometimes very drastically) from episode to episode. Maybe the creators are trying to get certain cliches out of the way that are to lay the groundwork for the glimpses of brilliance that are definitely there in the concept, or they just have no idea what they are doing and milking every established cliche with a following. I’m still hoping for the former but the more I see Shuu’s either: selective memory, social ineptitude/blindness, and now stalker tendencies, the more I question my optimism.

      Really, though, how is Shuu still chasing Inori after the verbal abandonment and betrayal she served him? How did his lust for her turn into something very creepy, borderline dangerous, and very sociopathic? (Wouldn’t you, normally, reflect and try to, I don’t know, address that issue and possible misunderstanding?) Any normal person, after being betrayed as Shuu was, would have been all over Hare’s advances. That girl, we know as of now, actually cares for him. There may be something brilliant developing in all this, maybe we’re actually witnessing Shuu’s fall from grace through lust, and in a few episodes he’ll be our big bad.

      If that happens, not only will I eat my hat, but I will reevaluate this whole show and what it had set out to do from the get go as such a twist would certainly change the meaning of many of the scenes and Shuu’s actions through them. Until then, though, Shuu’s character continues to amaze me in just how stupid and unlikable he really is to me as a member of the audience.

      I really want this show to be good just so that I can point at it and say: “It can be good & pretty too!” and so that people don’t think that just making a visually engaging show can pass as something good with a nonsensical plot.

      Vena
      Reply

      1. A “fall from grace” implies that there was “grace” at some point. Shuu never had that, and it certainly looks like he won’t get it ever. This is just a case of horrible, HORRIBLE characterization. It really makes you think they people making this are idiots.

        whydoyouask
        Reply

        3. Either way, more than half of the current episodes sucked very badly. Come’on, they are able to get Production IG, Supercell, Redjuice, and good VA’s, but they are not able to get good writers? This was supposed to be a very great and anticipated series yet they turned it into eye-and-ear candy, which would be such a waste. I’d bet more than half, if not all, of the people still watching this after episode 8 believes that GC have great potential, yet the writers were able to completely destroy it. Those writers should really be bashed and axed. They wasted such an “upcoming great” anime.

          The Story You Don't Know
          Reply

        4. totally what I was thinking, seems the writers can’t make their minds up. And on the Shu thing I didn’t think he was a very good character from the beginning (seemed really generic to me), but the writers keep digging him a bigger hole. He freaks over the smallest things involving Inori, to the point where it’s difficult to even watch. (He needs to chill, smoke some pot, something idk). I know it’s quite common for young male characters to be horrible with girls, but Shu somehow…just…makes it unwatchable I can’t really put my finger on it. To make it worse, I honestly don’t think there is much to Inori’s character. Like divine, mentioned, either Inori is an emotionless type, or she’s not. Can’t be both, just seems to make an empty character, which I can’t figure out why Shu is even attracted to her in the first place, especially why Shu just can’t realize how she manipulates him. He’s even got a “plan b girl” that’s both good looking and attracted to him, and most of all- has emotions/character depth or whatever.
          Just opinion though.

          Timelessness
          Reply

      3. Really, though, how is Shuu still chasing Inori after the verbal abandonment and betrayal she served him? How did his lust for her turn into something very creepy, borderline dangerous, and very sociopathic? (Wouldn’t you, normally, reflect and try to, I don’t know, address that issue and possible misunderstanding?) Any normal person, after being betrayed as Shuu was, would have been all over Hare’s advances. That girl, we know as of now, actually cares for him. There may be something brilliant developing in all this, maybe we’re actually witnessing Shuu’s fall from grace through lust, and in a few episodes he’ll be our big bad.

        Not the way how I like to turn him into a big bad, which might involve breaking Shu into a yandere psychopath.

        But whatever works. The end justifies the means.

        The Moondoggie
        Reply

        2. @Da5id

          As long as it to my expectations: I don’t like generic happy endings. I like it more bittersweet like in Requiem for the Phantom or Madoka Magica.

          I really wasn’t expecting much from this show right off the bat. But I got intrigued when they showed me an unwilling Shu as the protagonist. I kinda speculated this might be a reverse, or even a deconstruction, of the typical shounen hero.

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

        3. That’s because, as stated in the interview, they want Shu to be Shinji Ikari 2011. Which I suppose would raise the number of shows GC is being compared to to 4: Geass, GITS, Bubblegum Crisis, AND Evangelion.

          Da5id
          Reply

        4. @Da5id

          Well good! The world needs more tragedy. Like “I know all ended well but the sacrifices were too big – I will forever wear this sin in exchange for XXXXX’s freedom” type of tragedy.

          And since, as Divine mentioned, that the Guilty part is his guilt of using his friends as Void weapons to further his goals, I want to think it’s on the right track.

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

        5. Da5id: You’re twisting their words. They were acknowledging the comparison since it was brought up in the talk about “herbivore” males. They never said they -wanted- Shu to be like a 2011 Shinji as if he was modeled after him. Shinji is just one of the more notable examples of the herbivore male, that’s why Shu might be seen kind of like a 2011 version take on him.

          Akira
          Reply

    7. My WTF moment: cut to Daryl’s lonely birthday then cut to random important bearded military leader dude that blatantly sexually harasses his secretary.

      Otherwise…yea, Shu is a total douche.
      Arisa’s infatuation with Gai is just so “unfair-feeling”…f-ing playboy.
      Inori shoots someone with a small gun and instantly teleports into his face from 100m away.

      Ptolemaios00
      Reply

      1. The scene with Daryl really annoyed me. This is the guy who executed civilians, including a mother who was only begging to spare her husband. And NOW they want to tell us he has daddy issues? Its stupid that they try to give sympathy to a character who spent 8 episodes being a one-dimensional villain who exceeded the moral compass.

        fragb85
        Reply

    8. I have actually gotten used to the bad characterization of these characters. Shu is a jackass, Inori is a tool, Gai needs more character, and the romance just reminds me of a gender-reversed version of Twilight.

      Also, what is up Shu’s mom? She is a horrible character. What about her is supposed to be funny? It’s like somebody combined Ryuuji’s mother with a female Shingen Kishitani and sucked out all the humor.

      Johnkrab
      Reply

      1. I kinda feel that your comments seems pretty familiar…

        Also, what is up Shu’s mom? She is a horrible character. What about her is supposed to be funny?

        I feel that everything about her humorous part is just some thin disguise. Something to mask how much she’s involved into everything that is happening.

        The Moondoggie
        Reply

        1. Yeah, but couldn’t they make the humorous part of her, humorous? All I could think was “What’s the joke? The mother wears lingerie and acts like a baby? Why is that funny? Answer me!” Japanese humor at its most confusing.

          Johnkrab
          Reply

        3. @Ani_BEE

          That just mean they really aren’t mother and son by blood.

          @Johnkrab

          Humorous huh? But they could also purposefully made it that way. I didn’t find it funny too. More like she’s plastic about it: like she’s shallowly hiding something/is worried about something.

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

    9. Now I’m not going to talk about the beach parts of this episode. Nor the blatant fanserivce. I didn’t watch this show’s episode for the nicest pair of “normal” breast I have EVER seen this season(yeah, Horizon lineup of breasts scares me):

      Making a trip from 3 different sites, the common opinion was like this:

      Guilty Crown haters: Meh, at least the show is getting better. Nice breast Hare…

      Guilty Crown fans: Meh, it’s getting boring. Where’s our angsty, doormat Shu?

      ….

      As you all know of the recently disastrous ANN interview, or for those who have noticed it way back before, Guilty Crown is trying to please everyone. Or rather, it was made to please everyone. Well as we all know, goals like that tend to fail, most of the time. Not everyone likes Haruhi, not everyone likes Kamina. And we can see a proof of this when we take a peek at a few forums that discuss this show. Their blatant denial that this show is like Code Geass is, to me, justified, since if there were any, it’s “skin-deep” and isn’t really something to think about. More than being like CG, GC seems to be the opposite, with a hero who is everything when you invert Lelouch’s personality.

      On the bright side, this episode provided some more content to think about. Suuichirou, Shuu’s dad, their link and Haruka’s involvement. Just how deep this supposed mess is? Just how many is involved? And how is “protecting Shuu”, from the previous episode, connected to this?

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

    10. I enjoyed this episode more than I thought I would, particularly the part where Shuu interrupts Souta and Inori’s “date” and all of Funeral Parlor promptly appear out of nowhere to mock him. (Actually, I would totally support that as an ongoing storyline: follow Funeral Parlor as they commit acts of terrorism in between trolling wimpy school kids.)

      Shuu really bugged me when he started yelling at Gai for wanting him to “use” Inori to get Souta where they needed him to be. I’m unsure if the show wanted me to find that a completely unreasonable and ridiculously over-the-top reaction, because that’s how I felt about it. It’s not like Gai was suggesting she sleep with Souta or anything, just that Shuu use her to get Souta to the right place (though when he mentioned Souta liking Egoist I was thinking more “impromptu concert” than “date”). Seeing as Inori is a member of Funeral Parlor and goes out on missions with them this seems like a perfectly sensible request to make of her yet Shuu reacted like it was the most terrible heartless thing ever. You’d think after eight episodes he’d have some inkling of how this whole “being part of a terrorist organization” thing works.

      Ridia
      Reply

    11. Even the fanservice is disappointing. Hare’s rack and Kanon groping Inori were the best parts, but there were too few of shots of it to leave me satisfied. I certainly didn’t care for Shu cock blocking Souta or his romantic woes. Largely Because Inori STILL has no personality. Granted they tried to inject some actual plot but it felt half-baked because nothing was really revealed.

      Also I finally realized what annoys me about Gai. Once again he concocts a plan to recover some plot crystals. Something that “Only Gai knows”. Again, why does Funeral Parlor risk their own life to follow this guy? He keeps secrets from his own subordinates and I would have been suspicious of him already. The show seems so caught up with keeping the audience in the dark that they can’t seem to understand that its becoming irritating already.

      fragb85
      Reply

    12. I feel that this series is trying to mix two genres that cannot and should not be mixed. It tries to be the action series with profound political criticism while also trying to be a slice of life, fanservice show. If I remember correctly, Code Geass tried to do the same thing to some extent with the school activities, but at least Lelouch had an excuse to stay in school for his cover. Shuu and Inori have already been identified as terrorists yet they somehow believe that walking around in broad daylight won’t get them caught. And the fact that a walking weapon arsenal that could stop a nuke in the right situation is allowed to walk free makes GHQ seem pretty bad at its job.

      And how the heck does Guy know what Souta’s Void is? I know that he can see the Voids in people, but I assume that he needs to actually SEE them before finding out what their Void is. So does he just go around stalking random people and recording which Voids seem to be the most useful? And isn’t it a lucky coincidence that Shuu’s friend happens to have a Void that is perfect for their situation.

      Comparing this show with Code Geass again:
      I loved Code Geass because the character’s motivations were so real and their developments made me care for each and every one of them. Lelouch’s vendetta and his wish to create a unified world, the guilt Suzaku felt for what he did to his father and his subsequent conviction to reform rather than revolution: these personalities drove every one of the character’s motives and made them more interesting to watch. GC characters, on the other hand, don’t really have clear motives at all. I have absolutely no idea why Shuu joined the Undertakers after they toyed with his feelings like that. Inori is just emotionless eye candy. Right now, Gai’s only motive seems to be “Free Japan!” and all the other characters are just blindly following him. Hopefully, Gai’s and the other characters’ motives will be revealed but that still doesn’t change the fact that Gai is a pretentious dick. Honestly, I would not care if any of these characters died (other than Ayase I guess cause she seems to like cosplay)

      Sorry for the rant. Its been a tough week xD

      Moeronic
      Reply

      1. Comparing this show with Code Geass again:

        Agree entirely. Code Geass has plenty of issues, especially in R2, but what it got right was the characterization of Lelouch, Suzaku and C.C. Everything in the show flowed from their motivations, and it made sense (even when the rest of the show went off the rails).

        Fencedude
        Reply

        1. The show itself isn’t terrible to watch, yes. The music, I for one loved the new singer for Supercell. Problem is, I can’t seem to grasp a coherent plot. I don’t compare anime’s to one another so that it is less complicated, I watch/enjoy it as it is. Steins;Gate comes to my mind. It is one of those gems where when the episode ends I just feel that ‘Oh WOW, it’s done, CAN’T wait for next week!’ It always keeps me on the edge of my seat, every episode.

          0927123
          Reply

      2. Comparing this show with Code Geass again:

        But then, this isn’t Code Geass. No matter how anyone compares it to Code Geass, it won’t be the same. People who are expecting this to be like it will just get dissapointed.

        The Moondoggie
        Reply

        3. If they aren’t expecting this to turn out like CG why compare them at all?

          @Fencer

          Oh? I think I do understand how people compare this show to CG. From how Shuu gains the Power of Kings, to how the show incorporates a school setting and the story of a rebellion. Skin-deep. Like what I have been saying Shu, or Gai, is no Lelouch or Suzaku. And Inori is no C.C. They also limited the setting to Japan rather than the whole world like in CG.

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

        6. If you’re talking about comparisons, i agree with moon seeing as how GC, when compared to all the series that it is being compared with has weaker character developments (even shinji had a psychopath in him that he could call on), sloppier screenplay (as evident to the latter episodes for which sometimes important plot lines seems so force and then forgotten the next), and a more under developed plot which is sadly rehashed material from different series just coated with new expensive and branded colors but is sadly painted into GC as an abstract which might be beautiful overall but has these too many errors in the painting that just degrades it’s full value. The writers are essentially the painters telling the story and it should amount into something sensible in the end but for now it’s just splatters with colors not harmonizing at all. Tragic.

          n30nl16ht
          Reply

        8. Well if you guys feel like it’s too terrible to watch, why are you guys still watching? Almost every week all you guys do is complain how bad it is, to which I disagree since I cannot see anything wrong with it.

          I only qualm now is that recent revelation that the anime is trying to please everyone: it shouldn’t. No anime should. It’s not worth the effort.

          And further more, they might also be building up something by just throwing us all the info and make sense of it later. Kinda like how some play tetris: random shapes here and there until the screen is half-full, then destroy everything until I get back to line 0.

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

        9. Well the reason I’m still watching this is because, despite the plot and character, this is by no means an unwatchable show. The music, VA’s, and of course animation are all top notch. If you take every episode by itself, it really is a good show. But if you put them together, the plot and character motivations are just indiscernible.

          I agree that this show is trying to please every crowd out there (even the HP fans, as someone pointed out in another comment).

          And I compared it to Code Geass because it had an abundance of similarities. But I was comparing character development, which I think you can do with any two shows. If you’d like me to compare the character development in this to something completely different, I can do that too.

          When I first started Steins;Gate, I was really annoyed by the characters. Okarin’s melodramatic scenes seemed really out of place and annoying. And anime (at least the shows that I’ve watched) usually never star otaku unless it’s some moeblob like Nogizaka Haruka or a funny fujoshi girl. And the weird thing was that these are stereotypical otaku: the kind that don’t shave, are fat, and are pretty much perverts. Nothing like the ingenious or dignified Keima or the cute/tsundere Nagi.

          However, there was not one character that I disliked by maybe the 3rd or 4th episode. And that was before the plot was fully revealed. By the 2nd cour, we saw all what Okabe had suffered through and how desperately he wanted to help people and save his friends. I doubt anyone watching could not help but cheer for his success. I think I loved Steins;Gate so much because it started out with characters that were not exactly likeable, but by the end you really couldn’t find much to dislike about any of them. GC, on the other hand, is in its 8th episode and I honestly wouldn’t mind if any of these characters bit the dust if it would just help the plot go somewhere.

          Like you said, this show is just piling on way too much information for viewers to handle, and I assume they plan to reveal everything at the end of this season. But we’ve already seen a third of the series and we still don’t really know anything about the characters other than some random stuff that has been foreshadowed. I guess it’s fine if you like a huge reveal at the end, but we should at least start to care for the characters’ motivations and struggles before that point comes.

          Moeronic
          Reply

        10. Cmon moon even if we had differing opinions and tastes for anime and how it goes about its way, that doesn’t mean we can’t watch it and then criticize, hehe… Well for the record I started visiting randomc again when divine started to advertise GC and so it began when i saw the cool character designs and previews, I was kinda like excited to watch it, so from ep 1 to 5, GC was certainly on the top of my list to watch but as it progressed, hmm… lately i’m finding more of myself excited for the next episode of persona, un-go or haganai.

          But still, I’ll watch GC, though it might be disappointing at times and i’ll surely criticize when i am disappointed, but hey its just me and my opinion right? but certainly i am hoping for this show to pick itself up, plot wise. Because I’d be really pissed if someone gives GC an award for best story or character development.

          THE MUSIC and ART though are winners.

          QUESTION: Is GC based on anything? like a novel or something?

          n30nl16ht
          Reply

        11. Yeah, you are right: I give up…. seriously.

          I should just talk to people who has accepted this show as it is and still have hope this will get better. No use talking to parrots who criticizes this show and still hasn’t dropped it yet. Every week its always the same complains, yada yada yada… Its hard not to get annoyed.

          Just so you know, I like how the story is, I have no qualms with the pacing and I just threw all the CG comparisons out the window because, hey, this IS a different show. I don’t agree with any of their negative comments because I cannot see them. It might not be the best, but I am contented with it.

          Is GC based on anything? like a novel or something?
          There’s the VN of the Lost Christmas from Nitroplus if you want. From the same person who penned Demonsbane.
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilty_Crown#cite_ref-crunchyroll-vn_5-2

          The Moondoggie
          Reply

        12. Yey! thanks very much! Just so you know I’m not comparing GC to any anime, what let’s me down with the show is the poor execution of screenplay harmony between the plot elements and the development of the characters, mainly shuu who is the guilty crown, his motivation and his relationship with the other characters being that I believe the theme of GC directly ties on how shuu values the social link that he creates with everybody else.

          n30nl16ht
          Reply

    14. I felt the moment with Souta was awkward, but then I was hoping this was some very “cool” writing techinques to showcase each friendship of Shuu’s, for example, Shuu shows his “real” self to Yahiro, gets betrayed. He shows his “real” self to Souta, and gets rewarded.
      I dont know what i’m even saying anymore ..

      mtle
      Reply

      1. Souta was a guy Shu doesn’t really like and tells it to him straight then it end on good terms. Yahiro acted like the nice sympathetic friend Shu want’s and get back stabbed.

        I don’t think the writers have much faith in society….

        Ani_BEE
        Reply

    16. That scene where Shuu attacks Souta for trying to get close to Inori make me think if he would try the same thing on Gai……i say “try” cause i know there no way in hell that Gai would let that happen

      poseidonhands
      Reply

    17. So the creators say they’re trying to make Shu into Shinji Ikari 2011. Wonderful, like we need another one of those…

      At least when Shinji’s angsted towards his team leader, it was because it was his father. With Gai, it makes almost no sense.

      And I actually felt bad for Daryl here. Forever alone on his birthday…

      Da5id
      Reply

    18. Schizophrenic writers would explain a lot. But it may just be a lack of direction / management and coordination. The change in tone in episodes is pretty mind boggling. Especially when you consider that we’re only eight episodes into this show.

      Most episodes feel like filler. The problem is… filler for what exactly?

      Does Shuu suffer from some kind of mental deficiency? He seems rather oblivious to everything around him.

      Random
      Reply

    19. I actually liked this episode… probably mostly due to the plot pieces that are revealed so far… What is interesting is that I actually thought they were going to steal the 3rd genomes… (assuming Gai had the 2nd one), but the speculative stone fits better (since there is the GC game main character that could use the 3rd one).

      another interesting thing I think some other people may have picked up as well is the comment Inori made about void weapons… seems like it hints that these weapons might get power-ups and even change functions completely… maybe that also explains the combo weapon a couple of episodes ago?

      and yes, Hare is a nice choice… I would secretly demand a Hare side story :3

      Hopefully more plot points will unveil soon 🙂 and thanks for the post, Divine!

      jrj
      Reply

    20. Even the fanservice is disappointing. Hare’s rack and Kanon groping Inori were the best parts, but there were too few of shots of it to leave me satisfied. I certainly didn’t care for Shu cock blocking Souta or his romantic woes. Largely Because Inori STILL has no personality. Granted they tried to inject some actual plot but it felt half-baked because nothing was really revealed.

      I mostly blame the director for this. Have you seen Highschool of the Dead OVA? The Beach episode? Same director.

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

    21. I’m still confused now by what’s up with Shuu’s attraction to Inori. Yes, he certainly finds her attractive and seemed to enjoy her singing, but what else is there to it? And then he’s all oblivious to Hare, who has thus far been quite open or at least dropped some good hints to him.

      I mean, she’s thus far seemed like a normal, kind, down to earth, and she actually likes him for sure rather than play around with him like Inori seems to. Not to mention that’s she pretty damn attractive in her own right. What is wrong with Shuu? Or rather, why are the writers having her come across as way more likable than Inori?

      Granted, in a show like this it really isn’t likely at all she has any sort of chance with Shuu. Which may be for the best since I’m still a bit in the dark about why she likes him in the first place. She should probably give up and find someone who actually notices her. It may even save her from dying by not being associated with him.

      That scene with Daryl was actually rather sad. Doesn’t really excuse his past behavior at all, but it’s still sad.

      It’s not really a good thing when I find the supporting characters far more interesting and appealing than the main ones. Shuu did benefit this episode from actually having some development and backstory, though he was still a creep and a jerk.

      The writers need to stop trying to appeal to everyone because as mentioned, that doesn’t really work. They should pick an angle and stick with it. Then we could stop having characters have inconsistent personalities.

      Sean
      Reply

      1. Last episode we saw Arisa’s Void and we were given an explanation for it.
        This episode we saw Souta’s VOid and we were given an explanation for it.

        I felt that this episode Shu almost asked Inori the same question he asked on Episode 3.

        On another hand, I think in this episode Inori gave an explanation for Shu’s performance on Episode 6. When Inori allowed Shu to spy on Gai’s confession in the previous episode, his bond with Inori grew stronger; that made her Void stronger, too. Similar thing happened on Episode 4. I know Divine would say that everything Inori does until now is just an act to make Shu work for Gai; but remember that it’s important in anime to make things easy to understand…

        suff
        Reply

        1. I actually think the time which Argo asked Shu about Shu able to pull Void from anyone, they actually tried it. Otherwise there is no way Shu would know the power of Argo’s Void beforehand and willingly used it on Ayase.

          suff
          Reply

      1. You feel sympathy towards a sociopath who shot a MOTHER in front of her SON?

        Well, in any case. We now know why he’s batshit insane. His dad is a bastard who thinks that Daryl isn’t even his son. But I don’t feel any sympathy for some weird reason. There are better ways to lash out.

        Jared Drake
        Reply

    27. just gonna C&P my comment from Lost in America(with editing):

      I’m pretty sure that Shu was only surprised about his father’s profession, not his cause of death (lost christmas, Shu said).

      Still, any episode that actually forwards some character improvement in a more-or-less natural manner is a good episode on my computer…and that we get to learn what that camera does now.

      btw: nice costume by the “maid” xD

      and with some continued thoughts:
      -I think that Ayase is Jealous that Shu is still inconclusive of his feelings towards Inori and not towards herself.

      -the “sexy soundtrack” is back on the beach and “it is super effective!” (as is that endcard, nosebleedingly effective as well)

      and @ Divine: the feet/ankle might not worth the drawing time (it’s still warped looking)

      info600
      Reply

    28. Such blantant shameless fanservice using Shuu’s mom’s ass shot. What does this add to this show? Nothing really, especially when the fanservice is guaranteed and better done in the beach setting.

      I feel like they are trying too hard to gain more viewers or something.

      YanDaMan263
      Reply

      1. On a random note.

        Okay, I think the voting system is really nice! It upped the quality of comments and insight for each episode. Now I appreciate it more, both the system and the comments. Good job Divine, and randomc community!

        0927123
        Reply

      2. HAHA wrong post, but whatever. I was going to reply on how awkward it was to see Shuu’s mother’s behind. I mean SHE IS his mom, I still got a sane mind and know my boundaries. Leaning towards she’s Shuu’s step/adopted-sister or something from all his blushing. And he calls her by her name. :S

        0927123
        Reply

    29. “my (wild) guess is that it’s some meteorite that Shuu’s father studied to create the Void Genomes. I would further speculate that something went terribly wrong during their creation, resulting in the outbreak that is now known as “Lost Christmas”, and Kurosu sacrificed himself to minimize the damage”

      Evangelion vibes anyone? now we need Shinji and Kaworu from the other ongoing series to be here…

      And Daryl getting teary-eyed? So out of his amazing character when he was first introduced which I actually liked (for anime only of course, don’t want to have someone as crazy as that in real life)

      nagi
      Reply

    30. I am sure of one thing now at lest, I wouldn’t stand Gai if I actually met him. Manipulating people instead of asking for help when he needs it. Not someone I would want as an friend.

      Znail
      Reply

    31. Daryl might be a murderer but the scene about his birthday revealded how a person can become such monster, it only takes to be completely ignored by your father. I´m not saying it´s an excuse for his actions but I do feel a little sorry for him.

      I liked Hare a lot in this episode, she seems to hold real feelings for Shu so Inori better start to show some emotions or I will start rooting for hare instead. Talking about love, Arisa is aproaching a very dangerous territory, specially when we get to see a little bit behind the mask that Gai uses to conceal whatever monster he truly is.

      In the regard of Shu, I really like his character for some reason, even when he pulls away from people and is oblivious to the afection they have for him, he still sees his mistakes and tries to improve, I see hope in his future, specially if he stops being Gai´s lap dog sometime soon.

      haseo0408
      Reply

      1. I agree with the Arisa thing. That scene was a bit disturbing. I hope she doesn’t turn out to be a psycho fangirl or something like that.

        As for Shu, the ANN interview said he was the 2011 version of Shinji Ikari. (Or something like that iirc)

        My reaction? Oh. Dear. God.

        Well, I hope he ends up a bit better. I’ve always been in his corner. Rooting for him. Hoping Funeral Parlor turns on Gai like the Black Knights turned on their manipulative and charismatic leader. I’m thinking… Keido will be the one to do it. He’s the Prince Schneizel to Gai’s Lelouch.

        Jared Drake
        Reply

      2. Oh man, good point.

        Liked Hare too, reminded me of ‘Ryuushi’ from Denpa. She’s not some shy girl and actually attacks her ‘target’. And actually I can see more similarities with Denpa and GC.

        Arisa is a yandere in the making.

        0927123
        Reply

    32. It’s like episode 5 never existed to begin with.

      I’m guessing that the writers had the series planned out, but realized they needed material for one more episode and “hey, it couldn’t hurt to put in some good ol’ drama”.

      SJin
      Reply

    33. Inori has the ideal female distance runner body…her body is mostly long legs(leg to torso ratio?), she doesn’t have much going on in the assntities department, and she is so thing. Screw GHQ, go join a track team.

      dustandechoes91
      Reply

    37. So basically these Voids tend to resemble the personality of the one they’re “extracted” from. That means that Gai doesn’t have some wierd implant to read Voids (Thought the implant could cause some internal damage and that’s why he need those blood transfusions) but only is a good judge of character.
      AS for Inori.. her void is a sword right? So she only thinks of herself as a weapon to help Gai get what he wants?… And I keep thinking back to that picture with Shuu his mom and the girl with pink hair which resembled Inori a LOT and the time Gai said she resembled someone he once knew…
      Also the similatrity between the Void extraction and the Virus can’t be a coincidence… Maybe the virus is a failed first attempt of creating the Void Genome… or the Genome is a consiquence of it… Think about it this way. they didn’t manage to stop the virus from spreading.. It killed some people and the survivng ones are “carriers” they have the virus inside but aren’t affected by it in any way. These are the ones Shuu can extract a Void weapon from… Daryl is the Commander’s son with some unknown(maybe Japanease) mother so this can be applied to him too…. Well it’s jsut a guess.

      Loon
      Reply

        1. Either way this anime started out pretty well and got lamer and lamer with every episode. The story has some strong points with the possibility of the Voids changing depending on the state of mind of the carrier but it needs a lot more than that to prove it’s not a Code Geass rip-off. It’s sad to see the way Shuu turned up though… It’s like he had an amnesia or suddenly developed different personality…

          Loon
          Reply

    39. Well it turns out the producers are a little oblivious to all the CODE GEASS comparisons. ANN should’ve just directed them to one of my posts and asked them to read all the comments. 😀

      Its all your fault, Divine. :D.

      Croos
      Reply

    42. I’m very disappointed with how the writers turned Shu from useless character to very hate-able (wow, they even managed to create a new word) character.

      Who the f*cking author wrote the story for this episode? Shu on agreeing on “using” Inori as “bait” for Gai’s sake(yes, I totally believe it’s not really for Funeral Parlor) was total bull. I thought he’d stand up against him, yet in the end he agreed on using the girl he likes? What, has he also fallen victim to Gai’s charisma? And I can’t believe that Funeral Parlor did this mission without knowing anything about their target, except the fact that it’s “important”. This really show how Gai treats them as “pawns”, opposed to what the members of FP sees him as a great leader.

      In short, I’m getting more irritated and disappointed on the writers. Though they’ve been reassured of a second season, at the pace they’re going at, it’s pretty impossible to make the second season a hit.

      I really hope they start clearing things up on the next episode. I really believe that GC can still be saved from falling apart. It’s those writers fault. >_<

      The Story You Don't Know
      Reply

    43. Two of the biggest reasons I still watch this show:

      1) Seeing the show go from Divine’s top pick to Divine’s lampoon series.

      2) Reading the nico-nico stream comments scroll across the video. Especially comments like “forever alone” during Daryl’s birthday cake scene, or “get a room and have makeup sex” during Souta’s confession. :p

      Luxorcist
      Reply

    44. Daryl, that poor bastard. I actualy felt kinda bad for him during that scene. It sucks to not have people come to your birthday party. Especially when said person is his father. Or atleast a person he “thinks” is his father.

      Regalia
      Reply

    45. interrupting a confession is one of the most horrible things a person could do! just when I warmed up to shu from last ep, he dashed it away this.
      he even says that his friend’s attitude is bad when he himself doesnt even know how bad he is nor does he realize that kind of personality is actually good.

      btw, @Divine
      what’s your thoughts so far on cubeXcursedXcurios and majikoi? since the retrospective look is gone and I want to know how much you liked them.

      amado
      Reply

      1. Completely agree with you.
        Horizon on middle of on where —> Shooting down a battleship. Kick mobile armor ass. They are so cool.
        Guilty Crown —> Neon Genesis Evangelion without Asuka. They over use Inori but her character has nothing to offer.

        bitter
        Reply

    47. I’m really enjoying the side characters more than Shuu, Gai, and Inori.

      Though that scene Shuu had with Souta at the end made me like Shuu a bit more. Shuu’s showing signs of manning up at that moment, so I hope the series ends up being about Shuu’s ascension to not being an angsty prick. Character development. That’s my kind of fanservice.

      DarkRyter
      Reply

        1. Awkward for the characters or awkward to watch? I get the feeling that it was meant to be a pretty weird moment since they’re having a heart to heart right after they both admitted liking the same “girl” (She’s a robot, right? She’s gotta be.) and Shuu ripped a door opening camera out of that guy’s chest the night before.

          Or, you know, the whole show’s a bit off. Can’t put my finger on it. Nor can I stop watching.

          DarkRyter
          Reply

    49. I think the writer has a very large misunderstanding somewhere. As friends, you can and do say some things bluntly. However it does not allow you to say things that are completely unreasonable. Blaming someone for not reading your mind is one of those. moreso when you’re actually actively trying to manipulate your “friend”. It only makes you look like a totally self centered fool.

      Its really ironic that Shu does not link what Gai said about using what a person’s interested in is the basics of manipulation to his own experience especially when Inori came right out to say it.

      The series has been portraying Shu more and more as a self deluded person while Gai is more and more shown to be a ruthless manipulator. Both are not capable of being main characters regardless of any sob stories shown later to attempt to salvage their popularity. The excuse for Inori is being laid down this episode on the changing of the void, however it is not going to save her character even if later they portray her as a regular “crying inside and forced to not feel anything for the guy” type of character.

      One way the writer could have done it without being a shonen cliche, is Simon’s style in Gurren. Simon is never irritating from the beginning. He just does what he can, when he can. His development later allows him to grow from a “average side character” to a full fledged main character while avoiding pitfalls like being emo for several episodes during the loss of his brother

      Zaku Fan
      Reply

    50. I was bored so i download and watched this anime for time killing, 8 eps for a day.
      And now i don’t know if it worth continue following or not … It is hard to tell what the heck the writter want to say, or it is just that he wants to make everything look cool and complicated, and then dunno how to fix it, then solve them with a very poor way.
      It is like, they are trying to put everything in this anime, and nothing good come out of it.
      I guess i’ll wait for the next eps, if nothing change, will drop.

      chikvn
      Reply

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