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“Flowing Blood”The Characters – The Idiots, the Unlikeable, and the Impressive: We return to a full-on action fest this week, which I think makes for better viewing. But even with all that splendour, it’s the characters who deserve some attention this time around. First off, there’s always idiots who survive the apocalypse and just have to go ahead and make everyone else’s life a misery because of their own ridiculousness. It’s a common trope that’s been prevalent in all the episodes to date, but this time around things just got silly. Of course, I don’t blame some of them for reacting to having kabaneri on board and fearing for their life, but when the people whose lives were actually in danger seem to bear no grudge against them for their bloodlust, it seems ridiculous that others would. But these stock characters are meant to be ridiculous (and annoying), before they eventually get a taste of their own medicine, and get themselves killed for being the idiots they are. And then there’s the unlikeable characters. I would have put Kurusu in this category, but he’s warming up to the progressive ideas of his lady, and he doesn’t seem like a genuinely evil guy; it’s easier to sympathise with someone who may be making a silly decision in the eyes of the viewer, but is so doing because of their own principles and because they sincerely believe they’re making the best choices. As such, Kurusu is good for now. However, there is one character I’m not liking. I’m gonna say it – and it’s not going to be popular: Mumei. I just… don’t like her character. If any of you know anything about my tastes, you’ll know it takes a hell of a lot for me to dislike a female character. I often reserve love for the women who don’t get the material or development they deserve, but every one in a while there’s one who just sticks out for all the wrong reasons, and this time it’s Mumei. Simply put, I don’t get her. I love characters that are inconsistent, filled with flaws, and make poor decisions that come to bite them later on, but for as beautiful as her design is, I honestly don’t understand who Mumei is. Each episode she seems to embody a different archetype. She started off as a lazy, ditzy type who turned out to be a the secret badass. Cool. And then we saw more of the badassery, making her seem like the stoic fighter who didn’t take no shit. Also cool. And then last week she was the antagoniser, playing into the fears of the common people and treating the only person who shares her curse like shit. Not cool. And then here she’s all over the place. One minute she’s epic and stoic, next she’s goofy, then mouthing off to Ikoma, then whimpering that she doesn’t want him to die. There’s potential for her still, but I can’t get behind a character that seems to change with the direction of the wind – someone who was made more to fit the necessity of the plot and each new scene rather than having their own personal arc. Which brings me to my new favourite character: Ayame. I said last week that she was beginning to impress me, and this episode sold me on her. She rocks. She falls victim to the necessity of the plot in the opening minutes of the episode by giving her key to the worst possible people after feeling guilty and unfit for the job, but once that subplot is established, she returns to proper form. I like that she can both sit back or take action depending on what she feels is right. Seeing her shoot down some kabane is awesome, but perhaps my favourite scene of the episode was when she climbed to the roof and slit her arm for Ikoma to drink her blood. She was the first one to act, and has proven to be the most sensible of the group. I’m glad she’s returned to leader by the end, and convinced everyone else to keep the kabaneri onboard. It makes complete sense to house those who saved your lives on multiple occasions; she just saw that much quicker than the rest of the survivors. Action Set Pieces: I’m also happy to report that this episode was just as epic as the rest. We finally see the train sequences teased in the OP, and watching it in full did not disappoint. You can clearly tell when the best animators have been used, and when they’ve been complacent in the scenes that don’t matter as much. Because of that, the action set pieces of each episode remain impressive, even if there are some less than gorgeous shots here and there. It still retains its shine and remains the best-looking show of the season. And it may also have the best soundtrack as well. When it looks as good as this and the music is pumping in the background, it’s hard not to admit that Kabeneri is an epic watch. Overview – What’s Next?: Remember when people were saying that this was going to be a Shingeki no Kyojin clone, as if to imply it would be lesser? After four episodes, I much prefer what Kabaneri is doing. It’s going to be a shorter story, but that makes each episode feel more sharp and tightly woven. The cast of characters may not be as memorable, but this is proving to be one hell of a thrill ride. I’m glad this is as popular as it is – it looks to be one of the best-selling anime of the season – and isn’t being shrugged off as some failed rehash. it’s easy to see why this is a winning formula, but with episodes as entertaining as this, I can’t help love it for what it is, and for it doing a damn fine job at it. |
So when is Mei going to get fed?
I mean Mumei… Been playing the Overwatch beta with a character Mei.
Heroes never die!
I’ll be honest here: neither of your descriptions of Mumei struck me as incompatible characterizations.
the several descriptions for Mumei makes sense, but what Samu might be trying to convey would the how sudden Mumei switches those personalities.
But to me personally, she’s as real as it can get in an anime. She’s more or less hiding her real personality behind those masks of hers. Only when she’s in a weak shape she would rely on people. Which might be the reason why She relied on Ikuma in the last several episodes; They’ve more or less tolerated each other.
I am going to be frank, I just simply adore Mumei. I know that she feels inconsistent, but to me she feels… whimsical, for a lack of a better word. She is just a free spirit. She does what she wants when she wants and the way she interacts with a character or characters show that her behavior changes pending on whom she is talking to and whats more, I feel like how she interacts with them depends on her mood.
I don’t think Mumei is inconsistent, she’s mysterious and mysterious characters can often feel that way until we start learning more about them. She’s like an incomplete puzzle with missing pieces because we don’t have those pieces just yet. I mean you can’t get a full picture until the puzzle is finished can you?
I understand what you are saying in regards to Mumei, but to be honest I am just relieved there is a female character who isn’t just one archetype and that’s it. Mumei is a child one time, a fighter next plus the whole disease ravaging her is likely what made her vulnerable and I believe that her concern for Ikoma was more practical than emotional, she needs someone to watch over her as she sleeps, but the tired tone may have muddled motivations. But anyway like I said i like her because she isn’t 2 dimensional, she has more than two moods like most female characters in anime>
On a different note i totally agree that Ayame was a badass this episode and I love the fact that she just gets more awesome with each episode 🙂
Although I do agree that her concern for Ikoma was more practical than emotional, could it also be part emotional as well? In the first episode, she displays some interest in Ikoma simply because he was collecting Kabane parts and his reasoning that humans should not lose their humanity to their fears. She has some interests and nothing less and nothing more and even if he died, so be it. By the 2nd episode, once she learned he’s like her, she seems more concerned about him. When he helped everyone out of spite and was crying, she did not mock him but rather was worried about how he felt. By 3rd episode, she took on a role of someone like a senior who teaches him a bit to “groom” him into a battle partner that can protect her when she’s sleeping but also for his own sake from what I feel and think. By this episode, he’s basically her partner in battle and she can finally rely on him.
So while her concerns for Ikoma is practical as she needs someone to protect her during her sleep, there’s also some emotional aspects to it, showed once she figured out he’s the same as her. So while I’m sure there are other Kabaneri around, they are few so there’s a sense of likeness that she has for him. In addition, as a human, he had no fear of the Kabane (and by extension, her) and his reasoning, virtue, and personality is different than the “usual people” her brother had mentioned. So she feels a sense of trust and he’s someone that is good and can be relied on as a partner and that right there is both emotional and logical.
On an extra note, yes I agree about Ayame. She’s getting better and better! I never hated her from the beginning unlike some people do because even from the get go, she showed that she had a sense of willing to take charge and responsibility. She may not take charge right away or go all “badass” right away because she showed a sense of humility and humbleness. Therefore she believed she’s not quite ready yet so it’s not the right time and moment to do so.
Kn this episode, she gave away the master key because she agreed that her actions at that point was not “good” and she had no other counter arguments. However throughout the episode, she clearly was doing the job as a “leader” and took initiatives and acted as well as giving strong commands. The end scene with her taking the master key back and tying it around her neck without any hesitation was great to see.
So basically she’s a leader with a sense of humbleness, humility, and willingness to take the initiatives. She’s clearly not a badass like Mumei but she too has a really important role and I’m going to enjoy seeing how she changed (no, not changing clothes like this episode which I admit was *cough* hot lol)
Women is complicate and she portray it quite well , she isnt the annoying type and i like that
It’s true, the series is a lot like SnK. I’ve been describing it as SNK mixed with Galaxy Railways. Both series had a certain level ob digestible absurdity to them, and this series doubles down on that.
When SnK came out, I felt invested in the characters as they went along, in part because of the opening four episodes. KnK, after four episodes, doesn’t have quite the same setup and emotional punch, but I don’t mind it. It’s more like a remixing of elements. There’s bits of Eren and Mikasa and Armin and a bunch of others in different characters. Around the part in the episode when the Kabaneri sympathisers were getting pushed in to the last car, my first thought was how I could see this as a writer going “Alright, so what scenes could I add to the SnK anime? What if Eren’s abilities were revealed to a lot of people, not just the military, and they all had to manage that hysteria? What if Eren had elements of his determination that helped keep him sane, and he didn’t have an Armin to think their way out of it all?” And then those scenes were written for this show.
That said, while all of this makes for a great meta-experience (Which is what I love about anime), I can’t yet tell if it’s entertaining. It’s pretty, the music is intriguing, and the idea of reimagining Japan with more western influences makes me want to keep going. I do see Samu’s point about Mumei, and do agree to an extent. I have a feeling the writers are trying to set her up to have some character development or backstory reveal, something that will explain why she’s such an odd mix of involved but apathetic but independent but needy. She comes of as immature in her smaller actions, when there are a lot of telegraphs that she’s wise. And maybe that would be okay if there weren’t characters like Mikasa, who was odd, but really went through the wringer twice in the show, and helps define her as one solid character.
Animes tend to use their first four episodes as a first act, and are usually the best budget-wise. Who knows where this one will go now that it’s reveled in its groupshot-shoutout-to-an-illustration- ending.? I’ll keep watching it week to week, but I’m looking forward to other series this season.
munmei is the ranta of this show. she pokes and prods our cast to keep them moving forward.
Dual wielding kabane wtf? What next? Nemesis?
Titan Kabane
That’s overkill. 😉
Magic wielding Kabane!
Hey, don’t jinx them! They’re badly off as is already! It goes to show there’s diversity between the Kabane. Good way of throwing off people’s predictions of what will come next.
did you see it? when ayame was giving her blood to ikoma, the dual wielding kanaberi fell “without” his swords but when ikoma killed him, the swords were magically returned to his hands by some unknown forces.
yep, i caught that one too..
not a major derailer.. but I’m a stickler for continuity…
guessing it was a cut or animation change edit.. because it didn’t make any difference in regard to how fast ikoma took him out.
Wow I absolutely hated how Ayame just gave three random citizens the master key to controlling the train. What the fuck kind of decision was that? I was able to embrace some of the dumber writing decisions of the last episodes but that was just stupid. At least she took an active role in fighting back the Kabaneri but I still can’t get past that. Kurusu should feel just as bad for not knocking some sense into her considering he was right there and could easily tell her how absolutely moronic it would be.
The rest of the episode would have been much more palatable if they haven’t made that stupid-ass decision. Because the sword-fighting zombie was cool (not unique but cool and fitting for this show) and it had some good individual scenes, like when Ayame offered up her blood (seriously, I can’t even hate Ayame for giving up the key. It’s not her fault that the writers decided to make her do something so absolutely stupid. The writers should feel bad for making that cool character do something so duuuumb.)
I do not think those guys in the purple are just some random civilians, Something bake at ep 2 mentioned that they are the council of six? So I’d imagine they are personal adviser to Ayame’s father, or someone of really high standing (could even been candidates to rule the station)
Yes, for all the praise Akame receives from Samu, she hold the Idiot Ball hard in the first half of the episode. It’s different from Mumei’s being a whimsical character, it was too evident that there was a writer on board.
Thankfully, then she rocked, so let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.
I believe Mumei rely on Ikoma for practical reasons, she easily be Kabane chow when she needs to sleep.
Hmm seems like Kabane are Nocturnal? From the past 4 eps they seem to me more active at night and become sluggish during daytime. Also make sense they’d prefer the mountains as there’s more shadows than in an open field
In the words of the ED, “Don’t be afraid, daybreak has come”.
All those still frames, yet just as effective in conveying the message without the need to add more motions.
And then there’s Kurusu, redeeming himself (in the eyes of us viewers) with his CQC moment(also, dat face). Oh yeah, he also voted to let Ikuma and Mumei stay onboard.
As for Ikoma and Ayame? Their characterizations are being consistently built up; with Ayame having to lead the defenders / cleaning up after idiots after letting her authority go for a short duration, and Ikoma…well, he’s consistent of placing other people’s needs in front of himself.
BTW, preview’s up on Youtube now (in glorious American acccent and 1080p)
Show Spoiler ▼
ps. Surprised that they managed to get a “MC-a-pervert” joke in there at all.
pps. the band Aimer has an insert song in this episode called Through My Blood (part of the ED album ‘ninelie’ – should be out soon but its all over the net already)
What does ‘Rokkon Shojo’ mean?
For Glory and survival of Train-kun! XD
From this particular post: http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?p=5829608#post5829608
Also this: http://jisho.org/search/%E5%85%AD%E6%A0%B9%E6%B8%85%E6%B7%A8
Can’t believe that groups are rendering it as “purification of the six roots of perception”, or even worse, “be cleansed in body and soul”. It’s a chant, a warcry, so it ought to be something snappy. “Evil begone” only hints at the true meaning, but I can’t really think of anything else that would do here.
I still keep hearing it at Rock on Shoujo each time…
Supposedly the Bluray preorders of Kabaneri are so high, it’s got its own meme on 2ch…
And of course, Japan voted it #1 most popular anime of the season.
Kabaneri’s a campy action thriller. let’s not pretend it’s anything more. Slick action, subpar writing- merely functional enough to move the plot from one high octane fight to the next. If you’re looking for strong narrative fundamentals, you’re in the wrong place. But like I always say about these sorts of shows, Michael Bay is a Hollywood legend for a reason; the choreography of slick, rule of cool action set pieces is a difficult art to master, no less challenging than attempting to attain traditional narrative excellence. And, has been proven time and time again, both avenues are equally rewarding- great action scenes are just as liable as shows that rely traditional narrative strengths to become fiscal blockbusters.
thank you.
I agree with what you said about the show, it’s an action thriller, though more tropey than campy, and highly exploitative. I still enjoy it either way.
Though I wouldn’t go so far as to say Michael Bay is a Hollywood legend. Certainly notorious.
“the choreography of slick, rule of cool action set pieces is a difficult art to master”
I’d say this is true, but in Michael Bay’s case, he hasn’t exactly mastered that! Other directors are far more adept at these things, like the Wachowskis, Spielberg, James Cameron, John Woo, etc, all very good technicians when it comes to action. Michael Bay is just a successful hack. Having said that, the Rock was awesome. Now there’s a campy action thriller!
Well, I suppose there’s the argument that giant CG robots fighting each other is cool ipso facto. But I think this would still fall flat without strong character design aesthetics and decent set piece choreography, both of which require a fair bit of skill. It’s possible that Bay does nothing himself and his hired artists/action choreographers deserve all the credit, but I doubt that’s the case, I’m sure that as the director/producer he played at least some significant role.
So maybe you’re right, he’s no legend, but we can’t dismiss him as “simplya lucky nobody” either.
zombies on a train…Definitely ZOMBIES ON A MOTHERFU#KING TRAIN!!
its just easier that way.
Or Snowpiercer with zombies.
A kabane that can use swords is awesome especially if he can summon the sword whenever he likes.
I don’t really have much of an issue with Mumei so far, though I’m not really compelled to glorify her either. She just strikes me as someone who has embraced her abnormality, and is very free-spirited as a result. That can come off as irregular, granted, but as she’s someone who is largely immune to the troubles of the world (can’t be reinfected by the virus, mainly) I can at least rationalize where her whimsy comes from.
If I have a gripe so far, it’s a pretty simple one… Could someone please give Ikoma some more clothes to wear beyond his woefully tattered pants?
I think we won’t her character until that “brother” appears and we know what kind of past she has.
For example, it’s interesting that, according to her words, her brother warned her that people were going to be suicidally stupid. And he was right. I can almost hear a “just as brother foresaw” in Mumei’s mind, which explains a lot of her nonchalant attitude in episode 3.
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
Mumei is clearly the best character.
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
I’m glad some of those ungrateful bastards got what was coming to them.
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
Oh, so now you want someone to save you, too bad you locked up the only two people who could help.
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
That was smart, blow yourself up with the side of the train why don’t you.
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
Glad enough of the people came to their senses about Mumei and glasses guy.
I think the point of that guy blowing up the side of the cart wth him was so that he could take all the zombies that were on TOP of him with him. Otherwise I mostly get it (though I do understand the fear of the passengers, no matter how infuriating… I mean they’re just powerless individuals just scared for their lives even though WE know Mumei and Ikoma aren’t kabane they don’t have the viewer advantage we do)
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
She really racked up the likability this episode. I’ll keep a watchful eye on her as the series progresses
https://randomc.net/image/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri/Koutetsujou%20no%20Kabaneri%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2004.jpg
With regards to Mumei, she seems like a free spirited whimsical girl who is not hesitent to ruffle feathers around her
https://randomc.net/2016/05/05/koutetsujou-no-kabaneri-04/?replytocom=2109900#respond
“With regards to Mumei, she seems like a free spirited whimsical girl who is not hesitent to ruffle feathers around her”
And quite honestly, we need more damn characters like her.
Mumei is reacting accordingly just anyone would to aggression and kindness, albeit without sugar-coating her blunt honesty. I don’t see why anyone would hate her for that, plus given her combat experience and passing observation of the cowards, I’d say she has seen her own fair share of bullshit she may have to put up with after transforming into a kabaneri.
This episode serves as a wake-up call and bridge of trust between the remaining survivors and the kabaneri, plus we got to see Ikoma in action, who’s gradually getting used to combat. Although as many have said, there were a lot of questionably idiotic decisions and moves made by people in this episode as well, probably for the sake of plot fluidity.
Mumei seems like a normal person to me. Real people don’t neatly conform to tropes and some people can seem erratic in how they behave even day to day. Mumei is just one of the more moody ones. After all, its not like she been living a normal life from what little we know of her.
I’m not really sure if the anime is supposed to make me hate these train passengers or what. It’s trying to justify their fear of the Kabaneri which I totally get and is somewhat understandable I guess. But then it just has them flipflop their stances based on the needs of the script. First they yell at Mumei for killing a kabane…….why? Because she’s pregnant……………and? These people have been shown to be 100% anti-kabane and were indeed screaming for their lives last episode when the pregnant zombie mother was walking around. None of these people have displayed the typical zombie cliche of “Wait don’t kill that person they are my friend!/brother!/etc. Since when did they start having empathy for the kabane? Was it for the needs of the forced tension? I think it was. Plus at the end of the episode everyone just decides to accept them EVEN though I’m pretty sure the first time they saved everyone it was a much bigger deal since without them they wouldn’t have even gotten on the train in the first place. Second times the charm? Nah I say to hell with these people.
I mean the ponytail girl I can understand since she at least had a relationship with the woman and even later apologizes for her outburst in the heat of the moment. And for that I will give the series a plus for good character development of a side character but I still hold to everything else I said :P.
I could get the scumbags trying to take over the train doing something like that to try and justify their actions of getting rid of the Kabaneri but everyone else? It kind of feels like this anime is trying to get me to actively root for these people to die. And I’m not ok with that =/.
Oh and before Ikouma would have been somewhat rightly punished for attacking Ayame the kabane conveniently decide to attack so he can immediately redeem his actions. Ain’t that nice? :P. Hell RIGHT before their car was disconnected the kabane actually do our heroes a favor and kill the assholes trying to get rid of them. Is divine intervention going to be a plot point in this anime? xD
Question: How did the blockade last for as long as it did? From what I remember the guns these guys use don’t do much to the zombies since you can only kill them if you properly puncture their heart cages (I do remember Mumei decapitated one in the first episode so maybe that works too). Which was the entire point of Ikouma making his new gun. Yet it’s clear that some of these zombies were being taken out by them since after getting shot and some others just getting slashed by the samurai dude since they didn’t just get back up. I always thought of them more as a means to stall for the train and get the zombies off of it. And I don’t quite remember but Mumei seems to have her own equipment so maybe it was a little more advanced than the average joe stuff so that’s why it worked. I don’t know, I admit I don’t remember if this was ever touched upon but I do remember the guns being somewhat useless in the first episode.
Oh and I bet the cut mark on Ayame’s arm is going to lead to zombie paranoia whenever they reach their destination. I’m calling that shit right now. 50 internet cookies on the fucking table :<. Not that she doesn't deserve it for being kind of an idiot in the first half.
People don’t act rational when they’re terrified. C’mon its only been like one night of one horror after another for them at this point.
I can forgive a people who are raised to commit suicide on the spot rather than allow the kabane into the general populace, to maybe need a full day or two to do a complete 180 on their view of the world & now trust two half kabanes to now walk among them
@leatherhead333
I actually agree with you on your first paragraph. WTF random female passenger #5?
For the scumbags, I can see the fear of Kabane/Kabaneri or anything associated with them have become almost cultural to these people. MC got beaten up for trying to stop a suspected infectee from being killed on the spot, and then locked up in jail for collecting kabane innards in EP1.
Normal steam guns do seem to puncture the heart cage of Kabane, although usually require multiple shots at close range. Mumei killed multiple kabane with her pistols in ep2. Throwing a spear with superhuman strength also seem to work.
I have no probs with Mumei myself, she seems real to me. Actual real-life people have more than one personality trait & are allowed to change on a whim if they want. Plus she’s only there to catch a ride , so while I believe she does care for the passengers to some degree, It’s not that surprising she acts so carefree & aloof (especially considering most of them hate her, even after she saved their lifes)
Mumei and Ikoma remind me of something interesting, it´s that doing the right sucks sometimes, it gets you hurt or killed and many time people don´t even give a single word of thanks, they take many things for granted, but never the less good get up and do it all over agian, why? beacuase it´s the right thing to do. Ikoma and Mumei are good people doing the right thing in a society where fear and paranoia rules supreme, and that sucks a lot! They see them as monsters despite being save many time by them and look for any excuse to hurt them that´s why people like Ayame are so important in this kind of story, it´s makes their fight worth it.
In regards to the concept of character, perhaps I shall leave this quote by Natsume Souseki here:
Show Spoiler ▼
Therefore all I can say is, without explicitly knowing authorial intent, I cannot comment on whether the character is weakly portrayed, or fully realized- and by character, I mean Mumei.
As for anything else, no, I do not like Mumei, or any other ‘character’ in this show, save perhaps for Ikoma and Ayame.
In any case, I like the action in this show. It’s nice to watch. Just that it doesn’t ‘entertain‘ me as much as the other shows I’m watching this season.
I love, love, love trains and especially Armored Trains. So loving this.
The Russians used them in the civil war a lot even in front line battle and they got good use in WWI by WWII tanks pushed the Armored Trains more to the rear but the Russians still used em. Other countries used the Armored Train as well starting with American Civil War.
Now I really love that steam powered bow as well. How much draw assist that thing must have, she knocked one down wonder if it can penetrate the heart.
I think the normal guns they do get lucky and take down the kabane every so often especially if you hit them enough times, at least take down for a bit till they regenerate. Glad by example they learned yes a master swords man can take down the kabane.
I can understand why some might not like Mumei, the diva nature of her personality combined with her sliding to other states I can defiantly see as a matter of personal preference in liking her. I like Mumei but defiantly see her flaws, I do like that she does let lose and not be the typical action hero personality all the time.
I personally think Mumei is one of the best characters on the show. Her polarizing attitude is pretty much my experience with most girls, and recently women. I can identify with her type more than your yes-girl character that just goes with whatever she starts off with.
Rock On Shoujo!
Writing in this episode was kinda bad, and yeah I totally agree with your opinion about Mumei. In each episode I get different impression and feelings about her.
As for plot holes, why glasses guy couldn’t give his weapon to someone? I mean they didn’t trust him, so they could just ask him or weapon. And now whole train trust them, while only a few people saw his brave act. Also it was dangerous to climb the train, but then these two new friends did that just to… okay why? Giving keys because these guys asked was also too sudden for me. Kinda dissapointed in this episode.
Ugh, falling behind on this season. :/ Despite some issues, overall this is still the best show I’m watching. I’m still in the Mumei camp though she does have very different, almost opposite, sides to her. My impression is that she’s the very “war weary” veteran – fairly stoic and business-like in terms of meeting her yet to be disclosed objective. She’s seen a lot of death and just doesn’t get close to others who may not be around very long (or turn in to zombies she has to kill). Still, at times she “finds her old self” which is a much more light-hearted, less serious person. The difference in character might be a bit jarring at times I suppose, but she’s still best girl right now.
Ayame is growing on me. Wasn’t much of a fan initially to be honest. Frankly, I thought it was a bit much (not quite jarring) on how she goes from despondent, semi-wallflower type who gives up the master key to a bunch who you KNOW is going to do something stupid/wrong. Meh, should have protested/refused rather than just “You’re right. I’m not good, Here you go”. Didn’t like that scene, but the script called for it. :/ Then she suddenly becomes a stalwart warrior type, grabbing her… “steam powered” bow (O.o) and heads to the front lines. Again, wasn’t too bad since she’s show some courage before, but going from one to the other wasn’t quite as smooth as I’d like. But progress is progress and I liked her more by the end.
Borrowing from Zen’s comment above, not sure if Michael Bay movies are exactly the best comparison, but I think the general concept is on point. I definitely thought some scenes were too “scripted”, and there are in-universe inconsistent moments (IMO) even if I just go with the very “steam punk” theme (Really? A steam powered bow!? How does that even work, plus uh, guns >> bows for a reason). There’s a lot of Protagonist Power as well with Mumei always one-shotting Kabane with her “steam” pistols, yet the no-name squad rifle bullets bounce off the “heart cage” even at point blank range even though they seemed to work before at times. Then again the ML worked to create a better “rifle”… that’s really more of big nail gun. So yeah, there are aspects one needs to overlook/just go with it here. Don’t think too deeply, and the show’s a pretty good ride.
However, while this episode had too many stills + speedlines for my tastes, overall it’s a pretty slick show visually. Again, I think the quick, but not too fast pacing helps to make the flaws a bit less glaring. I also wouldn’t say this is solely a mindless action only show. There’s some depth here beyond the action – including for the some characters only 4 episodes into the season. All in all = still a pretty good show IMO, and probably better than AoT was as this point.
Ayame´s growth this episode was an amazing sight, she started as a sheltered Ojou-sama that knows little about the real world and the danger it holds specially in a zombie apocalyse such as this. Now she´s a capable leader that acknowledges her own limitations and has the courage to fight in the frontlines to protect her citizens; but really took my breath away was how she overcame all the prejudice born out of fear that practically rules that society; she doens´t hate Ikoma or Mumei for being who they are and she does not see them as weapon she can take advantage of, Ayame sees them as people caught in a really bad situation but can do some good in that sick world. Just amazing.
Since it was the characters that actually got me hooked on this show, I’ll just make a little comment about them. First is Ikoma. I feel in this episode he was pretty stagnant, didn’t really feel even a slight change in him. He’s still very passionate and practically an open book. Mumei is his exact opposite. I think she complements him very nicely. That scene where she was being secured on the train by Ikoma was the only time she said something that felt off to me. All the other things she said or did so far were not unexpected for me.
Now Ayame, to me she gave the most powerful scene in this episode. I think she’s a weak person. But when backed-up to a wall she can step up and take action. Really like seeing that. She wouldn’t have my respect if we met in real life though. Just because real life rarely gives her a chance to shine. Hopefully she’ll grow through out the season. While Kurusu is someone you can rely on. Probably a good complement to Ayame too. Never really hated or liked him, but I know he’s someone you want working for you.
There are characters that I might hate here, but they feel more like plot devices than real characters. So, I just take them as a necessary evil. Thankfully they don’t seem to last long too.
Mumei persinality is quite Zany , she just do what ever she want , you can argue that it is due to her half zombie thing