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「常務霧羽ナギサ」 (Jōmu Kiryu Nagisa)
“Director Kiryuu Nagisa”
Hoo boy, where to start this week? Every episode of Classroom Crisis is pretty packed, but now we’re finally starting the sprint towards the finish line, which means secrets will be revealed, schemes will unravel, and all the dominoes will start to fall in a general cacophony of chaos. I mean that in a good way; the most satisfying part of setting up a dominoes arrangement is tipping them all over at the end, right? We are a species drawn to spectacle, and what a spectacle Classroom Crisis is becoming. Again, in a good way.
In keeping with Classroom Crisis‘s habits, we actually start rather banally. Not to disparage the average anime viewer, but isn’t it a bold move to open with a news piece about domestic political shuffling? I’m not saying you’ll turn them off, Classroom Crisis, I’m saying they’ll turn you off. In hindsight it was a clear deception, both to mislead us about the potential arrangements of the Martian!Japan government and the certainty of Nagisa’s success. In fact, most of this episode was dedicated to that charade, with good feelings all around. Nagisa may be unpopular in the boardroom, but he’s making inroads with his own faction (hush talks in the back of a car: that’s so cloak and dagger). Meanwhile, Kaito’s all grown up, getting serious about management, but still holding onto his monologue habit (more like his soliloquy habit). Both Nagisa and A-TEC are working separately towards the same goal, it’s all very sweet and positive. There was even a sudden blooming love! I admit the two had some chemistry going on, but it did seem like a bit of a ‘by the way, romance!’ from Classroom Crisis, possibly also as a deception. We were a rom-com, right?
Of course, since we’re only at episode 10, I doubt anyone actually expected a complete victory for our protagonists so soon but, on the other hand, a complete defeat is a big development. It shows that Kiryuu Kazuhisa, unlike the pitiful Yuuji whom Nagisa easily dispatched, is no pushover, managing to outmaneuvre Nagisa using much of the same backroom wheeling and dealing. If Kazuhisa is the Big Bad—noting, of course, that we haven’t really sussed out his motivations yet—then he’s already made for quite the formidable foe. In fact, all the stakes seem to be suddenly higher, with the conflict escalating to some kind of feudal war of succession, Shinamiya vs Kiryuu, traditionalists vs reformists, a game of Martian thrones.
The biggest twist, though, is surely what we learn from from Iris’s traumatic flashbacks when her PTSD acted up. No, Iris, you are the Shinamiya! Whatever I was expecting, I wasn’t expecting that, but I must also admit that it fits nicely enough so it was only slightly Shyamalan. Some twists feel like complete bullocks, but this one I felt pretty good about. It doesn’t subvert viewer knowledge—i.e. doesn’t ‘cheat’—but merely changes our perspective. And now, there’s so many juicy new questions! Who were involved with the (very) hostile takeover? If Iris is the Shinamiya, does that make Nagisa the Shirasaki? Is he doing all this on her behalf, or is it completely his own agenda?
Unfortunately, we have bigger things to worry about in the short term, as both Nagisa and Iris seem to have crashed and burned. This should be climax time, and ironically I fear that Classroom Crisis may go too fast, but I doubt they’re going to be stopping for anything. With no preview to guide us this time, the only thing we can hold onto for now is our seats. One week isn’t too much of a wait, is it?
So… Nagisa is pretty much fulfilling his bodyguard duty?
Also, I, too, am curious about Kazuhito’s motivation. Personally, I don’t find it unreasonable to diversify your product line, so I can’t side with the Shinamiya faction on that point (never mind how shady that geezer is). I hope the show will be able to wrap all the threads neatly– it feels like the story can go on another cour!
In case you are wondering if this “big coalition” has any root in the real political history of Japan, yes, it does. Japanese conservative party LDP(Liberal Democratic Party), which basically has always taken power in Japan after the World War 2, once had utter defeat in national election and then shook hands with winning Socialist Party. Socialists leader Doi got named for the prime minister, and the LDP somehow managed to stay in the office.
Thanks for the history lesson. I followed along well enough this time, since I’m aware from some research I helped with that the Germans form large coalitions regularly (by design of their constitution), and even in Australia a coalition between the two major parties was a possibility in one of our more disillusioned election years.
I liked the confession. While the signs were there I still didn’t expect it. I would very much like it to happen.
Too bad it came before the final episode, which basically means the ship is all but sunk.
And while interesting I’m not sure a twist this late in the game is going to help. As far as I’m aware it doesn’t have a second cour nor second season, and it probably sells poorly.
I am very worried about a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion, which is the norm anyway so that doesn’t help.
How many episodes are left?
MBS seems to have 13 scheduled.
Wait I’m confused. Iris is Nagisa and Nagisa is pretending to be Nagisa??
Apparently!
I recall there was a line by (fake) Nagisa’s bro saying “what a girly name”. Sounds like that was a sign already for that name to be really meant for a girl.
The name Nagisa is a unisex name, but is more typically seen in girls. It’s like the name Ashley or Lauren or Gwen. Those names are all unisex, but the names are mostly seen used for females. I’ve seen a few male characters that have the name Nagisa, so I never questioned it. And in most of the shows they are in, there is some mention that the name is “girly”, so I never thought anything of it other than another thing that he could bully his brother with.
Aaah sweet pay-of indeed, what a great episode !
I am always a bit of a sucker for a good romance and I can see a great one here. I loved the hints trough out the series and it felt pretty good it came to a conclussion here. I find it refreshing tot see that Iris asked such a bolt question and Mizuki just answered. I found that it was tastefully done and got the point across nicely.
Mizuki and “Nagisa” are intresting characters on their own but together that would be something else ! I like them both very much. She could be perfect for him, she is really supportive and she appriciates hard work as she is herself a hard worker. Mizuki could help the poor tortured soul, and that kind of romance is sort of my favorite to watch.
Now so many quistions ?! Nagisa is Iris but why did the Kiry family take “Nagisa” then ? Did the father not know he had a daughter instead of a son ? Why did “Nagisa” continu with the facade ? And last but not least what is “Nagisa’s” real name ?
Hopefully the next episode will answer all my quistions but I won’t expect it to. It is very possible that indeed the next episode will be rushed but I hope not.
And maybe just maybe there is a shot for a second season….
Also, what exactly caused Iris/Nagisa to lose her memory to begin with? Was it solely the PTSD (ala Chris in RE6) or simply being too young to remember (though that would seem weird considering she’s able to suddenly remember these things) or something?
I find the Nagisa twist cool, but I feel its impact on the story small. Even if she did find out she was the real Nagisa, what can she possible do. Revealing her true heritage will not help A-TEC get back its funding, and the current CEO can easily kidnap her if he wants to. I wonder who else knows about the switcheroo, according to the flashback there were several other people at the scene, so I was wondering if they are going to reveal themselves to change the situation.
The final few episodes are going to be interesting, unless there is a second season.
What do you think they, A-TEC and “Nagisa”, have as a card for the comeback?
I’m waiting on a callback to the folks who kidnapped Nagisa back in episode 1 for something. At least I’m hoping.
Her mother left her a substantial amount of the company’s shares… I don’t remember if the split was mentioned or not but from the way they worded that fact, it sounds like it’s enough to make her the majority stakeholder of the company.
30%
Not enough to take a majority but the fact that the Kiryuu’s were willing to kill for that 30% would mean they now rely on it for their majority.
At least looks like we’ll get 13 eps (not 12 as was listed before).
This also goes to show that it’s not pure black and white in the company politics between the Shinomiya and Kiryu supporters, with the Kiryu faction being the “evil” side (due to seeing ones like Yuji and Kazuhisa as the evil corporate bigwigs) and the Shinomiya faction being the “good” side, as, considering how the VP was talking, it’s nothing more than the exact same style of power-hunger going on with the Shinomiya faction as the Kiryu faction with simply wanting to be the ones in charge and wielding the power – both factions have “lost their way” by caring more about sticking it to the other side than the founders’ vision or how to contribute more to the people and whatnot.
Damn, I have a feeling I’m gonna miss this show when it ends. It’s not everyday we see corporate politics and party wars. What’s more, Mizuki’s reaction to Iris’s guess was delightfully surprising, I was expecting a denial like we always see in animes. And Kazuhisa is becoming more interesting with his scheming and resourcefulness, I hope he gets fleshed out some more. Speaking of which, what a cliffhanger! And not even a preview of the next episode!
Crisis’s 3rd Bluray will have an episode 5.5, described as “another episode 5” scripted by series composition writer Fumiaki Maruto. It ships Dec 23rd 2015.
Episode 5 is the episode where the A-TEC members go on the beach/onsen trip.
So the question now is who knows what?
“Nagisa” obviously knows his and Iris’s true identities. If the Kiryuu’s knew you would have to imagine they would have made sure that Iris had met with an unfortunate accident by now or something.
How do you even kidnap a kid without knowing what they looked like, or hell even their gender? Were the Shinomiya’s paranoid enough about the Kiryuu’s that they never announced the kid’s gender? They were grade school age or something when this stuff happened, that seems like a long time for no one outside the family to find out if the kid is a boy or a girl.
The father probably had no interest in his bastard child until the mother died and gave all the insurance, including the stocks to her “son”. She probably also knew that a daughter would have no value to the father, he could easily have her married off and take the inheritance that way, so the mother forged the records and told him it was a boy.
Wow this is the week of plog twists and this one was well played out. I certainly wasnt expecting Iris to be the true Shinomiya and Nagisa being the guardian. Sure we all knew she would play a role and even perhaps being an unwanted child but for her to be the real deal. Nicely played
OMG! I really didn’t expect that at all. I never saw that twist coming. Sure Nagisa is usually a girl’s name, but I’ve seen several male characters have that name as well. I just went with it. I never expected that he was really the bodyguard and he took all that abuse and pain for Iris (the REAL Nagisa). I do have to wonder, nobody knew that Nagisa was a girl? Did she never leave her house her something? And what are they going to do now?
I knew the older brother would win this round, but I didn’t know it would be so thoroughly. Nagisa can’t play he’s usual games since big brother is on a whole other level. Also, he’s been distracted by his desire to help A-TEC. It caused his to rush and become impatient and the CEO took advantage of that. What can he do now?
Oh, also Nagisa (or whatever his real name is) x Mizuki for the win!
Thats what I call the plot twist…
I have suspected Iris was possible heir to Shinamiyas, but I did not predict the swap that was carried out to protect her…
Good job to the eldest brother for not being a pushover villain and orchestrating a magnificent counterattack of his own. I wonder how it will unfold now…
In my mind, the male Nagisa is starting to become like a Slaine-figure…
Your name is now Iris: !!