First Impressions / Rinne no Lagrange

OP Sequence

OP2: 「忘れないよ。」 (Wasurenai yo.) by 中島愛 (Nakajima Megumi)
Watch the 2nd OP!: Streaming ▼

「鴨川エクスペリメント」 (Kamogawa Ekusuperimento)
“The Kamogawa Experiment”

Wow. As I sit here, having just finished this episode and now trying to decide what to write, I find it hard. Not because there wasn’t plenty that went on, and plenty to talk about, but because I’m so stunned by the events I just saw that I feel like the thoughts were slapped out of my brain, leaving a void of flabbergasted silence in its wake. This episode featured some of the finest yuri trolling I’ve ever seen, stuff that had me bouncing around in my chair like a 10-year-old schoolgirl who just received a pony with a saddle made of chocolate, but it wasn’t that which has me staring wide-eyed at the screen right now. It was that last reveal, the curveball that came out of nowhere. Now my thoughts are completely scattered, like the plans that Madoka just accidentally blew away. C’mon Stilts, get a hold of yourself! There’s a post to write.

First of all, let’s tackle that yuri trolling. From Madoka teasing Lan to Madoka declaring that she would do anything for Lan and Muginami (!!!), the first part of the episode was mainly about setting up the experiment + setting up the yuri fun. It was the small things that made the early scenes enjoyable, like how Tadokoro got owned by Asteria, or seeing those strange glowing bunny ears and space-bunny tail that Madoka wore during the experiment. But that’s all child’s play compared to what was up next.

“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” Asteria, what are you asking!! Watching Madoka get all flustered, then Lan and Muginami follow suit was adorable! Madoka blushing, Lan swaying on her feet, and Muginami turning completely red…the production team clearly isn’t afraid to play up the yuri angle anymore! But rather than feeling like shameless pandering, it works here. Why? Because they took the time to establish these characters. Now their affection for one another is clear, and perfectly in line with what we know of their personalities. Pandering is when the writers force a little fanservice into the story because they think the fans will like it. Here it all fits seamlessly into the story, not getting in the way but rather enhancing it. The fact that many fans love it (here here!) is icing on the cake.

But no sooner had I nearly thrown my back out from laughing so hard – I’m not that old, I was just laughing really, really hard! – did the plot come roaring back. Everything was calm, they were just dealing with some political bullshit…when all of the sudden the clock started ticking back up, the soundtrack kicked in with those tense, unearthly chimes, and you knew things were about to get bad. There was some serious mood whiplash here (trope!), but it was perfect for the scene. It felt for us as it did for the characters, like everything was all fun and games…until suddenly it wasn’t. While Madoka was still adorably worrying about becoming a mother (eventually!), not all was well. Everybody welcome back Yurikano (Ise Mariya), now in vengeful blood-ghost form.

If you recall from last season, Yurikano is the princess of De Metrio, and Villagulio’s true imouto, who perished during the Vox Particle Experiment which destroyed Militia Zodia. She was the one Madoka met in the other world, and who stayed behind so that Madoka could leave. Needless to say, she seemed a little less pleased to see Madoka this time. I don’t know what to make of this, to be honest. It sounds like she wasn’t pleased that her sacrifice, her tragedy was about to be repeated. Perhaps she was just trying to frighten Madoka into closing the Rin’Ne? Yet that anger didn’t sound feigned. I just can’t rectify in my mind this vengeful spirit with the cool, mature woman we saw at the end of season one.

Then there was the wham moment. I was already riveted by how thoroughly Asteria’s plans had failed – not only did they fail to show that the Voces could be tools of peace, but they accidentally proved exactly how powerful of weapons they could be – but then the scene zoomed over to Dizelmine, and my jaw literally (literally!) dropped. “The fuck!?” I said out loud, because I’m crazy like that. Blood-spirit Yurikano wasn’t the only new Yurikano we got this episode – there was also a living, breathing version traveling with Dizelmine. I repeat – the fuck!? Once again, I don’t know what to say about this turn of events, save that there is something off about this latest Yurikano. As with the blood-ghost, I can’t rectify the differences between childish girl and the cool beauty we saw last season. This reeks of Dizelmine’s foul plans. I have to wonder how he brought her back from the grave – and what parts of the original he got. That looks like her body…but what about her mind?

Fortunately, we’re not going to have to wait for long for a chance at finding out what Dizelmine is up to, though I doubt we’ll get an answer on this Yurikano thing so quickly. Still, last week I said we might find out what Madoka’s third option to stopping the war could be this episode, and that certainly didn’t happen. Why do I even try to guess with this show anymore? It always defies my expectations in remarkable ways every time. Do whatever you think is best, Rinne no Lagrange. By this point, you have my trust. Let’s see what you’ve got.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Some of the best yuri trolling I’ve ever seen, & then a plot hammer upside the head. & then a few more. Wow. I’m out of breath #LagRin

Random thoughts:

  • Waitress Lan and Muginami are back! \o/
  • Madoka: “I’ll do anything for you two!” Oh gods. The yuri goggles! THEY’RE TOO STRONG!!
  • Am I the only one that saw two girls about to kiss in that chalice card? Bad Stilts! No more yuri for you! …okay, maybe just a little more.
  • I love the symbolism of the chairs. With one picture, so much is said about the events that are to come. While I love me some dialogue (big surprise, given how much I write), it’s even more impressive when a feeling, an idea, even an entire story can be told without words. Beautifully done.
  • Lan and Muginami holding hands? OT3, OT3!!
  • The long pause and the mass-sigh after the hypnotherapy failed to effect Madoka was priceless. It’s rare to see such a good use of silence, or rather, a lack of action. Directors always seem to want to cram as much as they can in the time they have, but that pause – it was like ten full seconds of no dialogue or movement! – drove that joke home well. Superb directing at work.
  • “Is it that much fun with three girls?” Oh man Asteria, why are you so awesome? Trolling so hard.
  • I enjoyed Tadokoro’s second owning even more than the first. Sorry Tadokoro, you’re no an eternal loli. You can’t get away with saying something dirty without some serious judgment, hah!
  • Finally, bridge officer James Row (Kawada Shinji) said something that resonated with me, though I’m not entirely sure why. He said that Madoka always seems to go beyond their expectations. In that, she’s like Rinne no Lagrange itself. The entire show, encapsulated in a single sentence…but you have to watch the whole thing to appreciate it. Exquisite. I’ll shut up now. Is it next week yet?

Full-length images: 26, 31, 33, 42.

 

ED3 Sequence

ED3: 「ジャージ部魂！」 (Jersey-Bu Tamashi!) by 石原夏織, 瀬戸麻沙美, 茅野愛衣 (Ishihara Kaori, Seto Asami, Kayano Ai)
Watch the 3rd ED!: Streaming ▼

Preview

End Card

73 Comments

  2. -This picture tells that Muginami already tried and Lan being curios.
    -I get the feeling that there will be a AstreiaXTadokoro end.
    -I declare Madoka as the awesome perverted girl that I ever saw.
    -I didn’t think @StiltsOutLoud to go this far. #exceedmyexpectations.

    †Croos†
    Reply

  3. Well, Asteria certainly shot-up in the awesome meter. Provoking the Vox with a lecture about “The birds and the bees” is genius. It certainly provokes the Yuri Goggles more than it should have. The flustered reactions of the three girls really sealed the deal.

    But the final part was really surreal, especially the homicidal Yurikano ghost. I’m getting Evangelion flashbacks already. Its nothing like Yurikano in the Lagrange manga too. My guess is that Yurikano was reduced to a child (The one with Dizelmine) while her real personality was locked up inside the Vox following the tragedy of Militia Zodia.

    fragb85
    Reply

    1. A good guess. I’m thinking either childlike-Yurikano is a clone, or Dizelmine got the body and only part of the mind. Bonus points on the latter: that could explain why the blood-ghost was so pissed off. She might only have part of her mind left!

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. As expected, yuri is still going strong. Lan and Muginami are such a cute couple. Madoka is such a lucky girl.

      I am excited to know more about Yurikano. I wonder if Yurikano and Asteria will join Madoka’s harem.

      John Hayabusa
      Reply

  4. Seriously, good episode. Though, Asteria was talking about the birds and bees, so there must be some guy that she thought of during those scenes. And considering the mother talk, its someone she is interested in that way. Yes, I do think those scenes weren’t just Asteria saying them, but someone Madoka was thinking about.

    Dorian
    Reply

    1. I don’t think so. I think Madoka is just laboring under the assumption that, as a girl, she’ll become a mother someday. Most people have kids after all, and her thinking is no different than a guy assuming he’ll be a father someday. She had that assumption, but had never really thought about all the, ahem, details that go into such a thing, which is what got her all embarrassed. Awww, Madoka-chan :3~

      Stilts
      Reply

    1. Ack, you’re right! I watched it, and I thought something was off, but when I saw the hand holding pic at the end (love that one :3) I assumed I was being crazy. I guess I better get another OP video ready to go

      …eh, t’morrow 😀 *heads to sleep*

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. Blast it, I wanted to be the one to point out the new OP, but this review wasn’t up by the time I went to bed. Almost nobody has mentioned it in any of the places I go, probably because even if they noticed it the events in the episode drove it completely out of their minds.

      Wanderer
      Reply

  8. When I saw Yurikano I had the exact same reaction but I somehow think it’s a fake. Wait and see, we’ll all think it’s a clone or something complicated and it’ll turn out to be a girl pretending to be Yurikano [for one, the eyes are a different shape and the hair a bit darker from what I can make out] in order to trick Vilaguillio.

    bara
    Reply

    1. I think she can be a Younger Sister. Perhaps a Clone, too. It’s hard to know. because the Voice is a bit off.. Clones are not really 100% copies or?.. So, i tend more to “younger Sister”.. But i dunno if Lan know about her…

      Germanguy
      Reply

    2. Her hair is only darker because of differences in the lighting. Her eyes are the same shape, though. I just checked ^^

      IMO, little sister is very unlikely. Clone is more likely, as is body double (unrelated person who was made to look like her), though the fact that she was acting all childish and imouto-like at the end there makes that somewhat less likely. After all, if Dizelmine was just paying some commoner girl to act like Yurikano, he wouldn’t have to put up with her making herbal tea and such, lol

      Stilts
      Reply

  9. This episode was great. I’m really enjoying Lagrange’s sense of humor and the fact that they aren’t afraid to poke fun at the yuri subject of the show. It’s also a testament to the skill of the writers, that they can balance humor and quickly jump to a much more serious tone so seamlessly. Poor Tadokoro lol. Hell, even the preview for the next episode had me laughing.

    Mike F.
    Reply

  10. That cute end card! My Yuri goggles I need to replace them.
    that aside, I was wandering what are those red crystalized thingy floating up to Aura, looks like destroyed robots to me. kinda scary thinking that those were the ones killed on the last war or something and with Yurikano showing up in front of Madoka.
    Also does anyone know what the nickname of Ignis is? since we have Aura= Midori, Lympha= Orca. always have thought of that.

    Seioh
    Reply

  11. https://randomc.net/image/Rinne%20no%20Lagrange/Rinne%20no%20Lagrange%202%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2026.jpg

    YUM. Bunny Madoka. “MARU-pyon!~” And thus, the Techno-bunny Fetish was introduced to my poor soul.

    I wish the blu-ray/dvd versions would make Asteria’s words audible for all us to hear. Haha. It’s the first time since Bakemonogatari’s “toothbrush” episode that I got excited over something “ecchi-but-not-really-ecchi” stuff like this.

    Magus_Killer
    Reply

    1. I dunno, I like it this way. It lets us imagine what she’s saying…and if I know anything about most of you (and myself, for that matter), it’s that whatever we imagine will be waaaay dirtier than anything Asteria actually said, heh

      Stilts
      Reply

  12. Are this Colors, a hidden point for their Core Colors alone? Madoka, seems to have a Destruction Red Color. And perhaps combined all 3, it is Green. Alone they can be Weapons. But together they can Create things. Well, lets just see

    Germanguy
    Reply

  14. *Continued from last week’s comment post – Yuri sonar busted and the XO in a pool of blood on the floor*

    Sonar officer: Sir… We managed to patch up the yuri sonar. It should help us detect more yuri moments.

    XO: (Dazed and trying to get up) Very well. Any contacts?

    Sonar officer: Yes sir! Contact bearing 050

    XO: 2 pings to confirm yuri moment

    Sonar officer: Very well sir… *BOOM* (Yuri sonar explodes once again and this time its totally wasted)

    XO: (On the floor in a pool of blood again)

    Radio officer: Sir! All other ships report that their yuri sonar to be out of action sir! WE’RE BLIND! What should we do?

    XO: (On the floor in a pool of blood)

    Radio officer and sonar officer: Sir???????

    ——————————————————————————–

    Once again… the yuri sonar’s busted. This time permanently. Gotta get new ones. Those yuri goggles aren’t strong enough to handle yuri of this proportion

    That aside, when Astrea was trolling Madoka, I thought we’d get to hear them and not another Hitagi hime-sama troll >> https://randomc.net/image/Bakemonogatari/Bakemonogatari%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2018.jpg

    And I guess no doubt that at the end of Astrea’s troll, Todoroko, Lan and Muginami would be like this >> https://randomc.net/image/Bakemonogatari/Bakemonogatari%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2024.jpg

    Anybody up for a Kanbaru and Astrea showdown? Who’d win?

    c2710
    Reply

  17. OMG all the yuri equipement is broken, YMP (Yuri-Magnetic Pulse) was too strong…
    Switch on to traditional optics, brace for impact!
    Asteria, my hat is off to you… You are troll-queen supreme, apex predator of the trolldom.
    Going full sex-ed 101 on an innocent girl that barely kissed her best friends? EPIC!
    Yurikano, well, was a surprise. Her blood-red anger persona inside the Rinne was fearsome, but I guess we will have more problems with Dizelmine controlled flesh version (clone?) as it seems Dizelmine is hell-bent on recreating exactly same thing that destroyed Militia Zodia… and if his remarks were translated well enough he isn’t likely to stop at destroying DeMetrio. I wonder if he has cloning facility with replacement Yurikanos ready Evangelion style?

    ewok40k
    Reply

    1. Seems like no matter how advance the yuri equipment are, they still can’t cope with the strong YMP…

      I’m guessing that this’s another Force that the Jedi and the Sith couldn’t master. Seems like the “Yuri side of the force is the pathway to many things that some considered to be pleasurable”

      c2710
      Reply

  18. They should never have run that experiment without Lan and Muginami in position to go out and assist Madoka. Last season when that rift opened, Madoka led the other two in closing it properly. I’m almost certain that it takes all three of them to do that. While Madoka was able to shut it down through sheer force of will this time, the consequences were rather more severe, and the stuff that resulted from that could easily have drastic long-term environmental effects on Earth.

    As for Yurikano, my guess is that her consciousness got trapped… elsewhere… but her body survived and has been slowly redeveloping a personality from a childlike state.

    “Is it that much fun with just three girls?” …Ye gods, Asteria! At least she acknowledged the threesome, but from the metaphorical imagery it seems she went on into detailed descriptions of just what Madoka could do with a male. She is utterly shameless.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    1. I disagree. Last season Madoka accidentally drew the other two Voces into the Rin’Ne, so if they had been nearby it’s likely that the situation would have been far worse. Better to keep them far away, where they can’t accidentally amplify the situation…and probably not do that experiment again.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Sure they COULD make it worse, but they also could make it better. The thing is that one of them can clearly trigger the bad result of the Rinne’s power, but I believe it takes all three of them to take that bad result and turn it around into the good result instead. Madoka closed the rift, but she didn’t FIX it, and the consequences are plain for everyone to see. Having Lan and Muginami there could have made the situation worse, but with them grounded there was no way to make it better.

        Wanderer
        Reply

      1. … and I did. I just watch 12 episodes in a row. Phew. That was good. I enjoyed it more than the back then when I watched the first three episodes. Perhaps it was the difference in expectation? I was probably expecting some mecha action series and found this series lacking in that regard. Now I’m back looking for drama, laugh, of course, YURI, more than mecha battles this series become so much fun.

        Heh, thanks for the review stilts. Wouldn’t watch this again if not because of those screencaps and quotes :))

        Salbazier
        Reply

      2. Awesome! Glad to hear it. Let me tell you, more than anything else, hearing that someone enjoyed a show because I blogged it – or even wouldn’t have watched it otherwise – is exactly why I love doing this. Those hours of enjoyment you got are what make all the hours of work I do worth it.

        Stilts
        Reply

  20. LagRin just keeps surprising me and we thought last week’s yuri kissu was their ultimate weapon but nooooo… the writers still have some very interesting cards up their sleeves. Stilts, you need to get Divine to include a Best Yuri Troll category for this year’s Best of Anime 😉

    Seishun Otoko
    Reply

  21. Nice going Asteria! You almost destroyed the world with a Japanese girl’s sense of shame! Next time Muginami starts crying, you better think about what you’re doing! *laughs*

    L'Egalite
    Reply

  22. Much lulz were had with Asteria trolling Madoka and friends. And then..

    (•_•)
    ( •_•)>⌐■-■
    (⌐■_■)

    Things just got real.

    I hope I’m not the only one who has totally forgotten who Yurikano was (apart from appearing at the end of S1),thanks for the refresher Stilts.

    LightnDark
    Reply

    1. Not exactly. She said that she’d probably have children some day. It’s a cultural expectation: that’s one of the things women are just “supposed to do.” It’s part of the yamato nadesico concept: the ideal woman is raised to grow up, find a good husband, and have children. (Don’t get in a feminist rage at me please, folks, I’m just trying to explain the concept, not saying I necessarily follow it.) Madoka being Madoka, I rather doubt she’d thought the whole thing through until Asteria brought it up.

      Actually, that probably ties back into her lack of knowledge about what she wants to do in her future, which we saw in the first episode of season 2. Madoka really has not thought about how to get to the future she expects.

      Wanderer
      Reply

      1. What Wanderer said. That’s not even an exclusively Japanese thing, though they definitely go in for it harder than other cultures. Even in Western nations, many young girls and boys assume they’ll have kids eventually. As for Madoka, she’s just laboring under that assumption because she really hasn’t thought any of that through real well, heh

        Stilts
        Reply

  25. competition for lan and muginami. kidding:P. I think those girls will be in madoka heart but that trolling was pretty hard.
    side note: i liked the way the episode was balanced with humor/cuteness but also some action and drama. so much epicness.

    MM
    Reply

  26. Damn, this second season really is going all out, isn’t it? The plot is kicked in high gear from the start, the big wtf moments are already happening three episodes in and, of course, the yuri vibes are even stronger. Oh Asteria, you magnificent yellow loli, you never cease to please. This episode had me both rolling in my chair from laughing as well as glued to the screen, trying to make sense of a red Chtulhu coming from the sky, filled with the pissed off soul(?) of a dead girl.

    I wonder as well what Dizelmine is up to, because I’m expecting some more double whammies. Hell, he could even pull the royal dickmove of having her showing up on that meeting just to shove her in Villagiullo’s face. Wonder what would happen then.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  27. I really liked the scene where Lan had a delayed reaction to the “chalice” card. It took her an extra couple of seconds to realize the illusion. It was a small scene, but details like that really make Rinne shine.

    Kentaiyoshimi
    Reply

    1. True true! As they say in Zombieland, “Enjoy the little things,” and Rinne no Lagrange makes it easy by giving us some expertly done little things to enjoy.

      (Sorry, I was watching Zombieland earlier. I’ll stick to anime from now on. Probably.)

      Stilts
      Reply

  28. @_@… welp. I’m confused. I’ve got no clue as to why the “evil” rinne tried opening here. My closest speculation is: Show Spoiler ▼

    …
    Asteria proves she’s beyond her years using embarrassment to speed things along. I would’ve thought Muginami would’ve been more resistant to all the embarrassment, with Lan going up in red right quick. Hunh, guess not.

    Dammit Yurikano, clearly you’re pivotal, but you’re so fragmented it’s painful X(! nnnrgh!. blahhh i’m a sucker for the “happy end for all” type series X(.. I can only hope we get a vaguely happy ending, and that they don’t throw us a tragedy because: GOD DAMMIT Japan you have a bad habit of that <__<!

    kumakaori
    Reply

  30. off with your yuri goggles since Madoka wants to be a mother and either Lan or Muginami can’t provide her that happiness, I think these three girls will end up marrying those three boys who are Asteria’s underlings,so that’s the end of yuri in this show, you can call what happened in last episode a fan service but nothing more,they are just really good friends.

    Shiki999
    Reply

    1. Since you clearly didn’t do it before you posted, go back and read the rest of the comments other people have made. That point has already been brought up twice, and was effectively countered both times.

      Wanderer
      Reply

  31. Woah I’m so looking forward to next week. For some reason I didn’t think that Dizelmine and Villagiulio would really meet. Even after Madoka said Asteria IS going to plan a meeting with them, I still didn’t believe it. I don’t know how to explain it, I think it’s because the scriptwirters could have just took an easier way and never made them speak face to face or something. I really wonder how their meeting will turn out. That’s exceeding my expectations too. Ever since the beginning of the 2nd part things have been happenings much more frequently than in the 1st half and it’s really awesome.

    Rockmanshii
    Reply

  32. I’d love to tag this episode as Awesome, but that single word only barely
    captures how much I enjoyed it. And like you said Stilts, the yuri is so well done and
    delicately weaved with the characters’ development, it really works to support the struggles
    they’re experiencing.

    I especially like Madoka’s line, “But I only kissed them”, (but I really wanted more).
    This is way beyond yuri, but real love, IMHO.

    These aren’t random lines thrown in for the hell of it. I believe the writer understands some
    thing that we, if we really look past some of the crap we’ve been taught, feel but haven’t learned
    how to put to words: that we’re feeling those feelings; that they touch upon very deep in the human
    psyche – and is able to articulate those ideas through his Anime. I’m referring to Makoka’s desire
    to bear children. It’s sad that, as a society, we’re near the brink of believing, someone wanting
    that is the pervert. We’re embarrassed to admit that it “feels right”, etc.

    I believe a good Anime is not just some better-than-average cartoon, but tells a story that we
    enjoy in ways we don’t always understand why – it moves us.

    This series has done a pretty damn good job with me.

    mac65
    Reply

    1. That’s what great fiction, great art, always does – it moves us. A good story well told can change hearts, change minds, and even occasionally change the world. Without that, it’s just something to help us pass the time.

      Stilts
      Reply

  37. Very Interesting episode.
    Rinne no Lagrange became me confused for the entirety of its run.Going against people expectations is one thing, but Rinne no Lagrange went a bit further with something that could be described as a collection of unexpected contrasts that made the series feel
    melancholic, dramatic.I Like Madoka, she is a high-spirited and confident High School girl who enjoys helping those who are in need.Both of these Anime are comedy’s.

    m0mmy.2.be
    Reply

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