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「あるはずもないあの時の希望」 (Aru Hazumonai Ano Toki no Kibou)
“A Hope That Shouldn’t Have Been There”
I bet none of you were expecting that.
To start things off, I never expected that the person who’s come off as one of the best villains I’ve seen this entire year through her ridiculously dark and borderline cruel actions would actually be one of the good guys! Yes, you heard right, the one and only Saya who literally broke Yomi and Arata’s mind is a good person.
After such an incredible episode with so many different things thrown straight at our faces, where do I even begin? I guess I’ll start with how this single episode managed to change the entire look and feel of Black Rock Shooter. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always felt that because BRS was Mato’s alternate ego, she was someone who was fighting to save others. But by the end of this episode, it felt like BRS’s only purpose was to hunt those who had awakened in the alternate world; the problem being that killing someone’s alternate ego also removes their memories and attachments to whatever they may have been stressing about. Which sounds like a good thing until you have a case like Yomi who last all of her emotional attachment to her first real friend! And to make matters worse, all of this has only amplified now that Purple eyed BRS doesn’t care about who she’s fighting so long as she’s able to defeat them.
But the twists didn’t end there and the story continued to get even more confusing as it started diving deeper into Yuu and Saya’s character. More specifically I was blown away after discovering the truth was more backward than I could have ever thought. Not only was Saya not the evil person we originally took her for but it is in fact Yuu (or flashback Yuu) who has the more ominous feeling surrounding her. Apparently something happened in the time from the flashback to the present that changed her into the more positive Yuu we know but I can’t wait to see how the writers explain Yuu’s past and how hse obtained the ability and knowledge to interact with the alternate world.
After learning so many different things, here’s my take on what’s going to happen. Seeing how the focus has shifted to Purple Eyed BRS being the current “villain” (and I say that loosely) I think that no matter what Strength and Black Gold Saw try to do, BRS will probably be able to overpower them. That is until Mato gets the courage to step up and take control of her alter ego. And after hearing her final words before the episode ended, I’m willing to bet she’s more than half way there. At that point, I’m expecting a somewhat harmonious fusion like we saw at the end of the OVA. And along the way I’m willing to bet that more will be revealed about Yuu’s past and we’ll hopefully get a definitive answer behind just who or what she is.
But seeing how this is an original series, the next episode could go in one of thousands of directions. So I’m looking to you, the community, to post in the comments what you think will happen. I can’t wait to see how imaginative you all are.
P.S. I think that this is absolutely horrible and god help me should I see someone do this to another person’s food.
Full-Length Shots for Your Consumption: 09 and 10.
Preview
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Watch the Preview!: Streaming ▼
Let’s see, the alternate world is created to shoulder all the real world’s pain, Saya doing what Yuu told her in the past, making/creating persona(s) in the alternate world so that people’s pain in the real world is transferred and let those persona(s) shoulder the burden of it. Then there is BRS who for some reason want to destroy the very foundation of that world. That’s where I want to start on how I interpret the world of BRS.
Maybe not ~ I’m not good putting in to words what I really want to say after all, maybe what I put above was not actually what I really mean, but still…..
This episode is EPIC..
Episode 6 of BRS made me realize that Insane BRS is actually an integral part of the story and not just there to show off that she is super badass awesome, that she has cool character design and weapons, and she is screaming into you that in order to buy her you have to pay for the entire Blu-Ray Box set.
And my answer to her is ~ ALRIGHT Figma Insane BRS bundled with Blu-Ray Box Set status:
“ORDERED/PRE-ORDERED”
Gahhhh me too!!! Makes me want to get the BD-DVD set with the Insane BRS figma now! Unfortunately it looks like most sites have the pre-order sold out already! >_<
Now more than ever I would love it for Max Factory to make Figmas out of the other characters too.
Well actually majority of the characters are already release and most are out of stock already. What I do have right now is Figma Strength, I can’t find any Figma BRS anymore so I chose to order Figma BRS2035 (PSP game version) instead. I also can’t find Figma Dead Master and Black Gold Saw also but actually we can special order but the problem is the asking price, special orders for the out of stock items is 3-5X more expensive.
What I do hope though is Max Factory re-release the items for the TV series especially since Dead Master looks very different than the original Dead Master release, of course their is Chariot(?) also…
I hope you find one…
But I mean it’d great if Max Factory releases some figma based on the newer designs, since of course, they’re all quite different from the OVA.
Actually you should wait! They’ve already announced a new Figma of BRS based on her look from this particular show (she’s even wearing her hoodie.)
Well that is good news, I have seen the Figma with BRS under the hood in some websites, but I never thought it is a “soon” to be release new BRS figma figure, because I’m under the impression that that is the first BRS release.
Purpled-Eyed BRS is called Insane Black Rock Shooter officially.
Uhhh. I think the current Yuu is the result of the past Yuu going into the Alternate World. I liked this episode. Just saying.
iBRS!
That’s it. I can’t handle this show. Too good.
Amen…So many stuff thrown at us each week in BRS…
I just hope they can tie up everything by the end of the series, but given the track record BRS has had, I think it’s pretty safe to assume it will end with a great BANG…
And oh God, the visuals look so nice…2D cheerful Saya was the epitome of happiness in this show, even more than Mako; while 3D Insane BRS gave some really great expressions.
The fact that the studio puts so much effort in small actions, like Saya’s victory dance after winning a videogame, is what makes BRS so beautiful…
This series just…ungh…
Right on. I am just floored with the quality of animation. There is some top notch designers and writers working on this with some fantastic imaginations.
The storytelling is phenomenal.
Within a span of 10 minutes, the entire world was turned on its head. White became black. Night became day. An amazing piece of work to be able to turn preconceived notions into their polar opposites.
Bravo BRS team.
I dont know what I should think, BRS suprises me many times.
But I could Imagine, that Mato will lose her Emotional attachment to BRS.
But in the End I let me surprise!
Stop making me lose faith in humanity with beautifully orchestrated music and unbelievable allegory fight scenes, BRS!
So yeah, irl Yuu and STR seemed to have switched bodies or merged to some extent.
WHO WOULD EXPECT THAT?
but i feel sorry for yuu,mato and all other alter ego ,
-they fighting for their others self just to be destroyed and even without chance to meet their otherself ,
-now mato is the only one feel the pain of BRS(or IBRS to be exact), i dont know how diarmbed feel but i can cleary see that really hurt
next ep is that Insane Strenght? i never know there something like that exist, maybe new concept?
Everyone’s praising the show, and for good reason. So I’ll skip the compliments and ask one small, maybe silly question:
The ages match, right? Regarding Saya and Yuu…They got to know each other in school in the past, and in the present Saya is the school advisor while Yuu still goes to school. Saya also looks a lot more different than her younger, long-haired self; Yuu looks exactly the same.
Are we supposed to believe the Present Yuu is the same person (at least physically) than Past Yuu?
The only lead we have is when Saya says to Yuu “Keep in mind that Kuroi isn’t the one I want to protect the most…It’s that girl.”
My wild guess. Yuu and STR switched placed. So the current Yuu is not a human, but an inhabitant of the otherworld, and the real Yuu is sheltered from the suffering in the otherworld. Maybe that’s the reason because people cant seems to see or remember her, and the reason behind her lack of shadow.
Black Rock Shooter just equalled, if not topped Madoka Magica in terms of the heartbreaking tension and drama among its cast of middle school girls. *Which surprises me since I am Madoka Magica fan myself*
My head’s hurting with the revelation that Saya-chan isn’t the main villain; there’s really no main Big Bad character, it’s like all these characters were toyed with by Fate so they’ll end up fighting each other, whether in the real world or the otherworld.
Younger!Saya-chan is hawt with that hairstyle and seifuku, I now understand why BlackGoldSaw is hawt too. XD
So it means all the interactions between Mato and “Yuu” were all an illusion/fake? Since Yuu was already in a different middle school school and her house had burned down long before she met Mato. (Mato claims Yuu had been her classmate since they were little in the last episode)
Is STRength Yuu’s other self or is “Yuu” the other self of STRength? We need more episodes of BRS! Ending the series at 8 episodes simply isn’t enough!
Well, it’s certainly just as dark and tragic, but I’m not too sure if not having a central antagonist is something to be thrilled about. I’m curious (and a little concerned) as to what this show’s endgame is. Will witnessing BRS killing STRength give Kuroi the will to control it? What will defeating BRS accomplish?
8 Episodes for a show wasn’t the best idea, but it’s a pretty outlandish concept, so it has room to be really out there with its ending.
I’m sure that the ending will be pretty satisfying. If Hoshi no Koe, Kumo no Mukou; Yakusoku no Basho, and Pale Cocoon are able to tell a complete, compelling story in 1 OVA, then I have faith that BRS will have a solid ending.
I disagree. While BRS definitely has the dark, grotesque universe and awesome action sequences nailed down, I definitely feel like the character drama and development can be all over the place, which were all things Madoka excelled at. When a character like Saya, who’s been built up to be some unforgivable queen of evil, suddenly pulls a 180 in character which had nothing to do with the Other World, I couldn’t help but feel like it was a forced change by the writers. Personally, I prefer villains like Kyubei, who are especially consistent with their atrocities, or especially well developed dynamic characters like Homura and Kyoko.
In Saya defense, one can do weird things for love. In her case, bad things. But, she’s not truly evil, I mean she doesnt cross the line murdering Mato. QB in other hand… orange and blue morality…
Dude, what do you mean “doesn’t have anything to do with the Other World”? Saya was protecting it for Yuu from BRS.
well… wow
though i DID find it a bit hard to follow the stuff from all the things this episode. But I don’t think I have the right to blame it on the presentation, cuz I watched it at lyk 4 in the morning and it probably my slowed brain causing problems.
And besides, the action scene was glorious
Mind…. Blown….
Officially.
Argh. This show is very frustrating. Such good visuals… sound and fury signifying little.
Do we just need to be nicer to everyone?
Seriously. Why is everyone in this show so mean or just downright awful?
Thank god for the visuals.
Huh, in terms of the bullying between classmates, it’s no different to what I’ve seen in many other school life animes.
In terms of between the main characters themselves… well it’s obviously all part of Saya’s plan to power up their other world counterparts to stop BRS from destroying that world.
I guess but…the emotional weight in a lot of the main relationships of this show seem to be way more than are really called for. The metaphorical “other girls” are nice to look at, but they don’t really change the fact that the things that the characters fight over are pretty small issues thrown intensely out of proportion. In Yomi’s case, it was that she couldn’t stand that they both had other friends, despite the fact that Yomi, at least, couldn’t take being tied to Kagari before Chariot’s defeat. It wasn’t that hard for her to make friends with Mato, so why did she have feel so lonely? With Yuu and Saya, suddenly there was a huge rift in their relationship just because Yuu (or whoever Yuu really is) somehow knew that Saya thought she started the fire (which, if I had a friend like that in a similar situation, I would have every reason to think so).
But that may just be me thinking that. I’m still trying to really wrap my head around what the exact mechanics of the other world are. Does having enough stress in one particular area of your life manifest itself as an “other self” in that world? How much stress do you need to get one with a ton of tricked out weapons like the five shown here? It’s a very abstract story, but I guess that’s not a bad thing. If it were too straight forward, it wouldn’t be Black Rock Shooter, right?
The melodrama of the girls is ridiculous, narmful and over-the-top and I love it. Reminds me of those old soap-operas I’ve seen before.
Meh…I dunno. Just makes me uncomfortable. Might be because I had issues with distance in friendships at one point in my life and feared this is what it would turn into (minus the fighting with metaphorical badass versions of me and my friends. THAT I would have welcomed).
The soap-opera vibes is one of the reason why I like this show. Back in the 1990s-early 2000s I use to watch a lot of soap operas in our local channel until it comes to a point that it is so diluted with the same formula that I eventually stop watching. Anyways, episode 2 really did me, at first it made me laugh a bit but then I realize it is actually something I felt I welcomed and viewed more positively.
,Cuz being a teenager is HARD especially if u r not sociable. I myself experience tht be4. Together with the pencil lead in water thing. But when I think back now, its either becuz of my attitude or they r just havin fun. U never know.
But still, those girl are overly dramatic and need a HUGE therapy session. But I admit tht one of the thing tht made this show more interesting.
Well, they could get a psychologist to help them… oh, wait.
Yes! Yes! More over-the-top suffering girls for my entertainment! Although I kind of miss Yandere Yomi and its likely she won’t be freaking out anytime soon.
I think the most interesting twist is how Yuu is essentially the center of it all. The show itself billed itself as mostly Mato and Yomi, but then Yuu became the most important factor in the story despite being a very minor character for the first half.
Gaahhhhh this show…..continues to BLOW MY MIND! *_*
I can’t even begin to describe how much this is truly surpassing everything I was expecting from this series! Gotta love where this is going, and it’s great how it almost plays on our expectations and completely shifts it around (yet it all flows so nicely). The fact that it was Yuu/Strength who seemed to hold the most knowledge regarding the Otherworld was what really caught me off-guard. I gotta say this is definitely one of the best shows this season, it has actually provided some of the most interesting twists and turns all around!
Also poor Black Gold Saw!!! D:
People have put pencil shavings in my food when I was in Primary/Elementary school before so it doesn’t surprise me much.
That sucks, well at least it is better to see dead rats/birds in your locker or in your desk….
Those bullies who have nothing to do should get a life…..
Hey, at least is not pubic hair.
You guys had it easy, no? Your bullies seems not the type of guys who chase victims around the campus, yes?
Good ol’ Strength. And yes, Insane BRS is insanely awesome.
The bad thing is, I still don’t know where things are going. What’s gonna happen next or so.
One thing’s clear, something reminds me that the flashback Yuu and Saya had is related to the OVA…
But nevermind then, at least Black Gold Saw turned into a hero /o/
And 2 episodes left. Oh my goodness. /facepalm
Oh~ I almost forgot to post this ~ Takaii THANK YOU! for picking up this series and continue blogging it.
You’re welcome <3.
Thanks for the thanks (:
As a fan of the series it is very hard for me to see my favorite series just disappear from blogging just like that. It’s hard when you are surrounded by people who didn’t have the same awareness about anime the way we do especially since I’m in a different country right now. With no one to talk too where else can we share our awareness than on communities dedicated to it like this website is all about.
BRS continues to surprise me. It’s still not entirely clear what’s happening but I think Strength is supposed to be the flashback Yuu while the current Yuu is from BRS’ world. That might explain why she hasn’t age like Saya.
I’m pretty sure that has happened to me before. Darn kids 🙁
Who is Yuu? …when read, it sounds grammatically wrong.
But really, who is Yuu? I thought she had been friends with Mato since like forever, but then here comes the flashback, which tells us that her life became pretty shitty at some point (which I surmise is junior high) and that it wasn’t Mato who was there for her, but Saya. I don’t get it.
And Broke Rock Shooter is badass.
Yes, I’m aware it’s Insane Black Rock Shooter.
Generated from what I’ve gathered by lurking around the internet, the generally accepted theory regarding Yuu is that she swapped places with Strength, so as to take on the emotional burden herself.
That means Current-Strength is Actual-Yuu, while Current-Yuu is a manifestation of Actual-Strength. I guess this explains why people who lost their Otherworld self cannot perceive the existence of Actual-Strength, like Kohata not remembering her in episode 5.
WHATWHATWHAT?!
Yuu is you
LOL nice P4 references. Great minds think alike.
I just watched this with the lights off and my earphones on. It’s the middle of the night over here. I think I’m gonna get nightmares.
Why are you so good BRS anime <3
The I almost shed tears on the last scene
It's like the ending already XD
I think now it will be battle of opinions. There is Saya thinking that the otherselves should shoulder peoples pain, or Mato thinking they should overcome pain themselves.
The screem Mato made when iBRS got her arm cut of was horrifying, even more to me because it was done by Kana Hana <3.
Also I never thought I would ever find someone deleting a contact from their phone to be so sad.
I think BRS has always been following Mato’s opinion, to let others shoulder their own pain, thus you destroy the other world.
Well, she was not doing it right. The killing spree of BRS only make people forgot the troubles, not overcome them.
The idea of the other world is actually brillant.
BRS made me think a lot, and it is actually rather meaningful when Mato got trapped inside BRS, she was in despair because she “killed” Yomi and trapped herself within BRS, and because of that, the pain that BRS experiences is transferred to Mato, now that she became the “heart” of BRS. How is it meaningful? What I see was someone hiding their sadness(Mato trapped in BRS) while showing a different emotion outside(Insane BRS), because of them hiding their sadness, they experience more pain due to the outside self being untrue to their feelings, they had to pretend that they are not sad, and that causes more emotional stress thus the pain.
i totally did not see this coming.
so now we know that there’s a yuu in the past and undoubtedly she,s strength.so does that make the current yuu the same age as saya?
This was such an epic episode. Now let me drink some more tea and wait until the next episode comes out. cannot wait!
That’s a lot of tea drinking you have to do before the next episode 🙂
…consider me surprised in a big way…
perhaps it is utter silence of the fights in the “another world” that is symnbolic of peoples being unable to communicate their feelings and thus hurting each other needlessly?
When the alter egos are hit and show “pain”, we don’t hear them make any sound, that probably represents people not speaking up when they are hurt, choosing to hide their despair.
Then what happens to “other selves” of people who are direct about their pain? Like kids that are actually in therapy?
Or are all the therapists in Japan like Saya, in that they push kids over the edge of despair in order to power up their otherselves?
I guess that the otherself goes back to sleep. Vanishes maybe. Until the time come again.
WIN ROCK SHOOTERS!
I love it when I’m wrong, go Saya/BGS!
My take on Yuu is that her mind created Strength to shoulder the horrors of her life as a split personality. The first time Saya truly saw Yuu was just after the fire smiling bitterly as she was freed from her home life by her parents death as strength did need to be her emotional shield anymore.
As to what happened to Yuu afterwards is anyone’s guess, whether she died or was spirited away to the other world and returned as a non entity.
I don’t want to be a downer here but I’m still not impressed. For me BRS is still like Guilty Crown for me… something I watch for the visuals and hype but not really something that I’m anticipating.
The main problem here for me would be… quoting Takaii: “But the twists didn’t end there and the story continued to get even more confusing as it started diving deeper into Yuu and Saya’s character.”
Yeah this show is too confusing… it keeps on giving twists after twists without answering anything. Maybe the answers will be given later but as it is right now I can’t really enjoy this as I’m having difficulty understanding how the world works here. The illogical actions(or stupidity if you will) of the characters here also doesn’t help.
Well anyway I’m not the type to drop a show easily so I’ll still be watching this… just kind of confused why this show is getting praised for being confusing while GC gets bashed all around the place… just saying…
That is where you draw a line when a “much” anticipated series (like Guilty Crown) failed to deliver what the audience hoped/wanted to see VERSUS a less anticipated series (like Black Rock Shooter) and delivers what the audience never expected to see.
Hmmm… while it’s true that the hype around BRS is nowhere near the hype GC was getting I’d have to disagree with the “delivers what the audience never expected to see” because certainly for me this anime hasn’t “delivered” which is why I can compare it to GC.
Gonna have to agree with GS. I mean, with BRS, I had no idea WHAT to expect, so I’m at least alright with how they handled the relationship between the two worlds. I knew it wasn’t trying to be anything but itself.
GC tries to be Sci-fi shonen with religious and philosophical symbolism. Instead it looks like a goddamn mess.
So what you are actually saying is that Guilty Crown delivered? and BRS hasn’t yet? Maybe you are a big fan of Guilty Crown, if you think it that way then congratulations because I can’t help but face-palm every 2-3 minutes of that show, in case you want to ask why I haven’t drop it yet, my answer is I already suffered to much from watching it that I want to see it thru the end. I hope that GC will have a satisfying ending though.
I thought I was pretty clear about my post but oh well seems you misunderstood it. Well I will say it again… Much like GC, BRS has only been delivering inthe visuals… I can not comprehend the fangasms about BRS in terms of plot. I am posting this in my ipad so I don’t want to reply in detail but to put it simply BRS’s plot is so confusing that I can not understand how “BRS is so good” while the other hyped anime in a similar dilemna gets bashed all over the place.
tldr: both GC and BRS have plot problems but people bash GC and praise BRS? Oooooook…
In my opinion, Guilty Crown built itself up as way more than it really was…and is almost 3 times longer than Black Rock Shooter. The length of something of that “quality” is a big factor. It’s easier to overlook the again, over-the-top and slightly disjointed plot, when it’s only 8 episodes of BRS, BGS, DM and the rest clashing each other. It’s like watching a couple of 2 hour movies rather than a series in itself.
I think your question is already answered by my post above but still that is my opinion only. Actually you can answer your own question if you are not satisfied by the answer by just looking around and reading the opinions about Guilty Crown and BRS, then you can simply built a case as to answer your question.
Also for the record, for your peace of mind, according to MAL ~ Guilty Crown’s average rating is higher than BRS (GC 7.83 vs BRS 7.51), but that may still change since both series are ongoing.
Those ratings are from a western site GS so it really doesn’t matter here. Ratings really doesn’t matter anyway: It’s Blu-ray/DVD sales that matters.
Although since the fandom of BRS is more established than GC, Blu-ray and DVD sales might not be as reliable too.
What does the numbers mean?
Despite the fact that Guilty Crown receives a lot of bashing and BRS is receiving praises, their numbers aren’t that different at all, that is the huge difference between a highly anticipated series vs. a not so anticipated series.
@Moondoggie, yeah I’m aware of that matter, but since I really like BRS, I pre-ordered the Black Rock Shooter limited edition Blu-Ray Box-set with the ultimate prize is the bundled figma: Insane BRS 🙂
So count my pre-order to the BD sales once it is release, haha 🙂
I am not expecting a big numbers for BRS, but I’m hoping that it will sell enough.
@GS:
LOL
Anyway, I really can see where MM is going with this. BUT as much as I don’t get why people can’t get GC, I don’t get why people can’t get BRS. This episode explained a lot: Saya met Yuu years ago and was introduced to the Other World. Saya vows to protect Yuu and the Other World after Yuu suffered much. BRS came along and goes on a rampage due to Mato’s belief and proceeds to destroy the Other World. Saya/BGS tries to stop BRS by causing other girls to have their own Other World counterparts, hoping someone beats BGS before she attacks Yuu/STR.
So how FREAKING hard is that to understand?
Sooo… ummm… You mean to say that we should lower the standard for rating the series simply because the hype is lesser? That’s what I’m getting at here.
I also don’t get why you are insuniating that I think GC is loads better… The only reason I am comparing BRS to GC is because they are both ongoing shows with hype to back them up and the budget to back it up but with serious plot issues. I think both shows aren’t living up to the hype I’m just confused how BRS is “so good.”
@Moondoggie
There’s a discussion in animesuki regarding the issue of this show’s plot. You might wanna go there if you want to read the glaring problems of the plot. Your oversimplification doesn’t even cover how illogical Saya’s actions are. And BRS rampaging and threatening to destroy the other world because of Mato’s beliefs? Whut? That maybe applicable to IBRS thanks to Saya(the irony lol) but not BRS.
It’s applicable even to BRS too. Think back and ask why Saya/BGS, Chariot and Dead Master were after her at the very beginning? It’s because BRS was a threat. BRS is Mato’s other self. If, deep inside, this is how Mato feels about the situation and the Other World, then it’s simply reflected onto BRS who is on that said world.
And what’s so illogical about protecting a friend? Maybe the Other World is necessary so that the girls won’t go insane with sadness, maybe not. But saying Saya’s actions are illogical is an overstatement. Yuu had a terrible life, of course Saya would like to protect her friend.
And oversimplification? LOL, this isn’t Shakespeare or anything that has hidden meanings: it’s an anime. I say get a grip and don’t expect everything to be a conspiracy with cryptic messages around every scene. BRS is just as simple as that.
@MM
P.S. I don’t want to go there anymore due to trolls who bash shows without a good reason to. And Daniel, the mod, says it’s OK…
Fuck troll protectors like him.
Just because this is an anime doesn’t mean we should turn off our brains when we watch it especially when this anime evokes viewers into thinking, and when you start seriously thinking about this show’s plot and Saya’s actions a lot of it does not make sense.
And just because the show has an Other World and that little girls are dying cheap deaths in the full glory of 3D animation doesn’t mean that it has a cryptic hidden meaning that leads to a forgotten truth of this world.
I’m curious as to how you see Lucky Star right now. Maybe you think it’s a anime laden with subliminal stimuli and symbolism about the Twenty-plus years old art of being an Otaku.
LOLZ.
You, sir, is just ridiculous if you are gonna post right now saying you’ll treat this anime like how you looked at Evangelion. Learn to judge things based on what it is, not on what you like.
It’s funny how you think that I treat all anime as serious business. It’s also funny how you say that animesuki is full of trolls but the way you post resembles the habit of trolls.
I don’t even know why you’re insinuating that I’m looking at ‘subliminal stimuli’ or ‘symbolism’ in this anime when just the basic plot is flawed.
If you want me to treat this anime like Ben-to then they should not have attempted to give this anime this serious atmosphere. I enjoyed Ben-to a lot fyi.
You’re calling me a troll, when you are the one bashing this show? Seriously? It’s just rich how the world is upside down now, isn’t it? What a shame.
Anyway, I don’t get why are calling this show’s plot “flawed”. There’s nothing “flawed” about it that I can see. Mind telling us which part you find is “flawed”, or why Saya’s actions are “irrational” for you?
And BTW: Even serious anime can be straightforward about things.
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k55/Obexpe/I%20LIEK%20FISHIES/auunp3.jpg?t=1242246227
@Da5id
What am I supposed to be seeing? Photobucket is blocked from the office’s proxy due to security policy.
And I quote myself:
“Hooo… so pointing out the confusing plot of BRS and the difference in fan treatment of both this show and GC despite both suffering the same problems is now bashing. I always thought bashing a show meant downplaying a show’s merits through inarguable
statements. I must be behind the times…”
If you don’t want people to think that you’re a troll then you might want to show proper netiquette perhaps?
Again go to animesuki if you want to see the details how the plot is flawed and how illogical Saya is. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to spoonfeed everything here when you can look it up yourself.
And lastly, I never implied that this show is “deep” I only said the plot is flawed. It was you who were going “lulz you treat this anime like evangelion lololol.”
Charles Vi Britannia saying “notto disu shitto agen”.
And it was directed at both of you.
Proper Netiquette? You are telling me to show proper netiquette? What is that supposed to mean?
When Omni was still around, proper netiquette is STFU and GTFO if you don’t like the show. I must be the one behind times, since after I concentrated myself to college and return, I notice that seems a considerable number of fans gets high by bashing generally good shows.
And No. I don’t think I’ll go back to that den of trolls where mods will kick you out for defending a show you like. Since you are the one who mentioned it in the first place, then it’s your responsibility to present it here. If you really believe in what they say then it won’t be a problem posting it here right?
And if you aren’t implying that this show is “deep”, then what are you implying when you said I was oversimplifying things with Saya? You must have thought there is a “deeper” meaning behind it?
@Moondoggie
It’s the 98th (or was it 97th?) emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia shouting
“notto disu shittu agen”“All Hail Britannia!”97th. Lelouch was 98th, and Nunnally 99th.
Hey, who here thinks Lelouch is dead or not?
/segway
@GS and Da5id:
Please guys, I’m not in a mood for CG memes.
@Da5id
There is no question that Lulu IS still ALIVE.
You think proper netiquette is STFU and GTFO and you’re telling me that you think animesuki is full of trolls? Siiiigh… Maybe perhaps the reason you got kicked there is how you act?
There is nothing deep with Saya’s actions. You were oversimplying her actions by not even considering how round about her plan is and something that shouldn’t even be consided as first option. How is pointing that out come close to looking at “symbolisms” deep?
You know if you don’t want to go to animesuki to read actual arguments then just give it a rest ok? Like I said earlier I have difficulty posting and I’m not gonna trouble myself with this buggy app in ipad.
OK so which one Saya should have chosen then? Kill Mato? Because it’s either you kill Mato to kill BRS or kill BRS herself instead.
Tactically, Saya has done wisely. She sent powerful adversaries against BRS in hopes that BRS will be destroyed. She did this because she cannot handle BRS herself. If there is any plothole to see, and I hate it, it’s not ganging up on BRS like what Chariot and Dead Master did right from the start.
You’re looking at it at wrong angle. Saya could have solved the problem in the human world by eliminating Mato’s stress but nooo… She just had to use this roundabout plan that backfired in her face. Try simpler and logical solutions next time, no?
Where did “eliminating stress” came from? She wasn’t particularly stressed in the beginning, yet we can see that BRS already exist.
The existence of BRS proves she is bothered by something, no?
Well she can’t be lonely, because we see Yuu was with her in the start and that she has a club.
Maybe she’s like Saya who didn’t have any problems then and still had BGS, who seems to have been detected by Yuu.
Taken directly from Mato’s profile drom the official site:
An always cheerful, a bright, innocent, and naïve 13-year-old. However, even she doesn’t realize that she has a
“certain feeling” buried deep inside.
Sure it’s not mentioned what kind of feeling it is but from what the show has presented so far it should be logical to assume it is something that causes emotional stress.
I have to agree with MartianMage
This episode made me realize this show hasn’t been so good up till now after all
The 2 worlds are far much better separately imo
I don’t see any chemistry compared to the OVA
And I prefer Guilty Crown more than this
Actually, a bigger issue in my part is the out of nowhere concern that Guilty Crown and Black Rock Shooter for him is more or less the same but the one is bashed and the one is not, last time I check GC is compared to Code Geass. The best anime to compare BRS is its OVA counterpart.
Maybe he is searching the wrong website, if he wants some Good BRS bashing then this is not the place to be, I’m pretty sure there are a lot of sites out there that has some bashers of BRS. Example is MAL and animesuki (Engish sites).
PS: I haven’t visited Animesuki for quite sometime now because I don’t really like to read some of the post of people there.
And I quot myself:
‘Th.e only reason I am comparing BRS to GC is because they are both ongoing shows with hype to back them up and the budget to back it up but with serious plot issues. I think both shows aren’t living up to the hype I’m just confused how BRS is “so good.”‘
It’s not that I’m here to see BRS bashed but what can I do? I frequently read the comments on this site and I happen to notice this and I’m simply voicing it out.
@1Lau
Actually I was thinking of the original OVA earlier and yeah likewise I find the OVA better so far. Only 2 episodes left until my assessment of this series changes but it’s kind of sad when I think about it. I mean 6 episodes in and the OVA is still better so far.
@MM
If you haven’t realize yet, you are already bashing the series, problem solved!
Hooo… so pointing out the confusing plot of BRS and the difference in fan treatment of both this show and GC despite both suffering the same problems is now bashing. I always thought bashing a show meant downplaying a show’s merits through inarguable statements. I must be behind the times…
Ok, I will give you that, my bad, I’m aware of some issue on the plot thought, it’s just that I don’t really dissect a series to see all its plot holes. I’m fine with what I understand about the series unless I specifically thought that I didn’t understand something. Because in my opinion dissecting it will make the series not as enjoyable as it looks like. I’m not looking for faults, I’m simply looking for good entertainment that fit my taste, that is all.
That is why I don’t bother going to those sites and have my personal impressions got destroy or challenged.
Lol I know what you mean. TBH I’m not into finding plot holes myself and usually just look for the entertainment value a show can give me but for BRS it’s hard for me to just do that especially when it’s trying to evoke viewers into thinking.
I’m sorry if I’m somehow affecting your enjoyment of this show. I usually just keep criticisms to myself… it’s just a certain comment here which I found highly disagreeable(even comes as offensive for me) made me voice my thoughts. Guess I’ll go back to lurking. I’ll be back when the finale airs to voice out my thoughts again on the series as a whole.
I know how to answer your question.
GC gets bashed because of its erratic story-telling and confusing direction, thus making the twists look bad and rushed.
BRS gets praised because it continually builds up a sense of intrigue every episode, with each new twist unfolding to form a bigger picture beyond anyone’s expectations, making the audience want to see more.
Both are confusing yes, but BRS is confusing in the way that it makes you want to see more as it continually builds up its premise, unlike GC which is confusing in the way that it has the unintentional tendency to bring face-palms.
As much as I want to refute your claims I’ll just have to stuff it for now until the finale airs although it’s possible that my opinion may change depending how the last 2 episodes goes.
typo: “Yuu’s past and how hse obtained the ability ”
i kinda like Yomi with the braids! especially cause the strings are in her hair (as supposed to hair being in the strings…)
That´s it, this show has everything you could ask for: excellent story, interesting and very insane characters, awsome battle coriogrphy, speachless animation. I hope more animes would be like this one, I can´t have enough of this and it´s only 2 episodes for the finale, this is just too good for only 8 episodes.
Weeeell, if the BD/DVD sales are good, then there a chance for the second season/OVA but we will see will they wrap up the story or leaves roots for season 2.
For Yuu not being broken under all (school/home) that stress I really admire her, no wonder her alter ego is Strength. She is really strong.
… where is the Zimmer when you need it?
I literally watched this ep with Inception’s OST playing in the background. Excellent entertainment.
Epic story.
Finally got to see the episode.
I never expected Saya to actually be the Big Good, defending the Other World, and BRS to be the Big Bad, who is somehow is trying to destroy it.
And it seems that they can consciously switch places with their counterparts from the other world?
Actually I dunno what to think about it: While it’s true that the Other World exist solely to carry the burden of the girls for them, Mato’s view that it is wrong to let others carry your burden for you is right as well. There are times when you need to accept responsibility and take in the sadness. Not everything in the world goes our way. If we don’t accept them they’ll just cause more trouble later.
Saying that Saya is the Big Good is…
I mean, she’s an egoist that want to be forgiven by the girl that she likes. And for that, she spread misery and sadness.
Maybe the destruction of the otherworld is for the better.
Yeah, she’s more of a…misguided good? I dunno what the trope for that is.
And then we still have to see whether or not her actions actually helped anything good happen…
Egoist?
LOL, How is trying to protect a friend and keeping a promise at all cost equals egoism? Saya/BGS knows she can’t handle BRS alone. That is why she pitted Dead Master against BRS, hoping DM would be strong enough to beat BRS and save the Other World.
@Da5id
I view her more as a Failure Knight though: Yuu/STR had to bail her out in the end, failing her promise.
drama serie good one . Don’t compare this to Madoka cuz Madoka is the Legend
Great plot twist. Never saw it coming.
I’m glad that i made the right choice of following this series, despite my initial disappointment on first episode.
Can’t wait for the next episode!
With this ep and 2 more eps to come, I hope BRS is nominated for Biggest Twist, Best Action, and Best Story Awards this year. Amen. Still competing with the upcoming Fate/Zero S2 though.
yup only 2 more episdoes to go and its gonna be sad to see it go 🙁 one of the best anime this season so far. And i second that Kusabi ^_^
Nice to meet you, comrade. ^_^
Honestly though, I wouldn’t even like to think BRS TV is so awesome until I watched first 2 episodes, considering the OVA is… well, plain confusing and little boring to me…
Thanks to the change of writer and wonderful effort of studio Ordet and Sanzigen, BRS is now officially leveled up from “Most Underappreciated” to “Exceeded Expectations”.
And I couldn’t hope for more if BRS win, or at least get honorable mention for 3 Awards above.
Excellent series. But, its killing me with the cliffhangers! Gah!!
The final scene of the episode, make me cringe. Why, Yomi, why!? You must remember, dammit!!!
C’mon, Deadmaster, rise again!! You’re putting your name on shame!! The OVA’s DM must be dissapointed.
I guess that if nobody do something, iBRS will mop the floor with STR. Maybe that little thing behind STR in the last shot is really someone?
Gah, I dont know anymore, I just want a MatoxYomi ending!
Hey, has anyone noticed that Yomi still has an incomplete “circle” on her eyes? Would this mean that Dead Master isn’t dead dead?
No way he is dead, its part of his master plan, simply put it he deceived them all, and now he is free from everyone’s attention, he is enjoying his days in the countryside with C.C.
PS: I like C.C., I wish for her happiness.
@GS
Why did your reply ended up here? Anyway I don’t know if you are sarcastic or not but if Word of God is to be believed, then a plot hole appears in which Lelouch at that time he got stabbed he should have been immortal(?).
You know the fanboy in me wants to believe that Lulu is alive theory is right but word of god just shattered it for me. They should have left it ambiguous instead of coming out and say Lulu is dead. I raged at that.
I’m having a lot of headache with my internet connection now, its slOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!! Maybe that’s why I accidentally posted this comment here.
Come at me, bro!!! https://randomc.net/image/Black%20Rock%20Shooter/Black%20Rock%20Shooter%20-%2006%20-%20Large%20Preview%2003.jpg
This show is indeed all over the place. BRS killing the alter egos made the people better, but for the price of losing their feelings towards whoever was bothering them. You can’t really call that bad. I see it as just another form of equivalent exchange. It really is like taking the easy way out though so I guess that’s not the greatest.
Not to mention that it sounded like Yuu tricked Mato into going to the other world. Also if iBRS dies now wouldn’t Mato die too cause she’s “inside” her?
We’ll see what happens in the final 2eps. I just hope that the ending isnt disappointing
mind… blown.
i’m going to have to marathon all 8 eps a few times over until i can make heads or tails of it. … It’s coherent… It’s just going to take me a few tries to take all of it in. Hopefully I wont get too distracted by shiny fights to remember what freaking happens XD;.
I wonder if Strength is somehow related to Sasha Nein.
Until this episode, this anime could have been watched as an extended allegory — a metaphor of internal struggle, its causes, and its effects in the worst possible cases. Taken alone and not watched as fact but as symbol, this series had me wrapped around its finger.
With his episode, such an extended realistic interpretation is now much harder to maintain, as we appear to have firmly returned to the world of tropic Japanese fiction, where ghosts of dead girls can physically carry people to houses and catapult themselves too literally into each other’s dream-worlds to pull them out.
Up until episode 6, there were many ways of looking at the tangled events, battles, portrayals, and developments as the developing meshwork of a deep metaphor. The revelation that Yuu wasn’t physically real was huge in this context, implying that she was imagined by the main character — and that her classmates had been humoring her, in Kohacchi’s case, or were similarly deluded, in Saya’s case. Even her name was shocking in that respect — Jamane/Maneja/Yuu is shockingly clever. The girls’ attempts to make sense of the world (it’s a dream perhaps; dreams of close people are connected; these parallel nightmares inform my subconsciousness and vice versa; my burdens are shouldered by “another girl” — assumed to be BRS but now instead/also the imaginary “other Yuu”, etc). Beheading the effigy in catharsis manifests in suppression of memories (induced amnesia) as a well-established psychological coping mechanism. This show makes an exhibition of the depths of human depravity within a severely limited timeframe and offers up a riveting portrayal of coping mechanisms gone wrong as the girls literally “realize” their mental state. It all made sense and respected its internal framework in the process. Not perfectly, mind you, but more than passably.
The ratings didn’t indulge this strategy, however, and new developments were introduced to shoehorn the plot into a form more palatable to otaku viewers who grew up gorging on the mass-produced anime-conventional fantastic-world trope. Yuu now assumes the character of a real girl being kept alive in Saya’s memories — or, more damningly, in an entire dimension consciously defended by her. This ghost lives and literally crosses between two physical planes to interact with other human beings and selectively erase their memories. Which all of course throws the vast majority of the previous standalone metaphor into a decidedly in-universe perspective.
If it weren’t for the fact that I nearly felt I was ‘reading too much into things’ at the outset, I might yet be able to reconcile these recent events with reality outside the anime. Granted, it’s not TOO much of a stretch from my starting point, but it’s still one I’d feel unjustified making at this point. For instance, one could easily enough claim this episode was narrated entirely from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, Saya. As such, it’s somewhat plausible that Saya herself stumbled upon Mato near the beach and took her home — given her own obvious internal logical disconnect, Saya sees no contradiction in believing her own imaginary Yuu (which is drawn the same as Mato’s) carried her there, and is now plunging into her own subconscious using Mato as an extremely convenient scapegoat, just like she used the other children at school, to do what she’s always done — “defend” (reinforce/rationalize/propagate/widen) the disparate logical divide in her mind with the rationalizations and self-righteous self-image needed to make peace with herself and her past. Reconciliation of one’s “real” and “ideal” self-image is yet another principle of psychology the metaphor could (have) extend(ed) to.
But alas, I now expect Yuu to be the good ol’ “anime-exclusive spirit entity” with two forms and ephemeral existences, and for Mato to wake up and shed tears for Saya and Yuu (the single spirit entity) and determine to not offload her pain onto these other girls, possibly destroying or rebuilding the dimension. Saya will back/break down, our allegory will become a generic fantasy parable, and the anime will wrap up with a bittersweet “spirit ending.” Or something. Heck, the point is the metaphor is no longer (easily) self-contained. But episodes 1-5 are pretty much standalones in and of themselves, so let these last 3 episodes do their best (worst) and stick around for the ride.
Is there some kind of error? For some reason this episode of BRS is not appearing when searching for the older post as well as some other shows. But it is present in the current series section…
Oh ~ It’s weird huh? This section reappeared again after my post. Anyways….