First Impressions / Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka?

OP Sequence

OP: 「DEAREST DROP」 by 田所あずさ (Tadokoro Azusa)

「空の上の森の中の -late autumn night’s dream-」 (Sora no Ue no Mori no Naka no -late autumn night’s dream-)
“In the Forest Above the Skies -late autumn night’s dream-“

God this second episode was even better than the first.

General Impressions

I love how the air of mystery surrounds nearly everything in this show. From the characters to the story all the way down to the weapons that are being used, everything has something hiding underneath the surface. God, I wish there was a single word that could describe this feeling of insecurity that isn’t so bad to the point where you’re too self conscious, but strong enough that you start to question the “facts” that are directly told to you. A feeling that I think is the secret sauce that manages to hold this entire show together. Because if you take out that air of mystery and deception that is lingering through every word and action that a character takes, you’re left with your typical fantasy-based show that just happens to have adorable kids that just happen to be human weapons.

However, I’d be lying if I said it was just that secret sauce keeping things together. The storytelling in this show thus far has been absolutely fantastic. Keeping a steady pace of fleshing out characters as a part of the overall story progressing, you never really feel like there’s a wasted moment throughout the entire episode. A prime example of this would definitely be when we discover that all of these “human weapons” are literally beings that are being cultivated for the sole purpose of wielding weapons against an enemy that will more likely than not take them out sooner rather than later. Building on the shock that we felt when we discovered just how little these kids value their own lives, the story never eases on the gas as it pushes us toward the sour truth of just what these kids are meant to do — become weapons that at any point can become disposable. All of which culminated into this awkward situation where we have to watch Wilhelm figure out just how he intends to move forward with all of this new information. Something which, at its breaking point, could have been a huge let down had it not been executed well.

Which leads me into the last part that really takes the first two and brings them together — Wilhelm. As our MC who we get to see the most of, I don’t think we could have asked for a better narrator. He’s experienced more than more people have with the added bonus of getting the opportunity to see just how futile all of his comrades actions were. As the last living human being alive, I can only imagine just how difficult it must be when he lets the memories of his past fill his thoughts. Toss in his sometimes curt words and somewhat serious demeanor when the younger kids aren’t around and it isn’t too difficult to believe that he wouldn’t want any emotional attachment to the situation he’s been thrust into. But when it’s revealed that he has no plans of giving up on anyone and intends to do his best for the girls he’s been entrusted with, Wilhelm does a fantastic job of showing us his intentions rather than just telling us. Showing us that with age comes some tact as well as a no-giggle attitude when it comes helping the ones he vows to watch over, it wouldn’t have been tough to let a tear or two drop with how he handled a pouty Chtolly.

Anyways, let me cut things off here before this post gets too long. To put it simply, everything about this show is managing to work together to truly create something that’s more than the sum of its parts. With just enough anime mixed in with light novel and a little bit of ero tossed in for some flavor, I don’t think anyone could go wrong with watching SukaSuka if the genre and storyline catches them. Anyways I’ll see you guys next week. See you!

 

Preview

26 Comments

      1. Well quality aside(because it’s not completed yet), I agree with the heartbreak moment…it’s more impactful because sukasuka author develop the character first than killed him or her the next volume or after that while in black bullet..there’s a New loli then bla bla bla then died hahaha

        What I like about black bullet is how the author painted the society on apocalyptic condition..racism,corruption,bombing,stupid people here and there, just like my country haha

        Georg
        Reply

  3. The term “emnetwiht” actually derives from Old English, and etymologically is related to the term “barrowwiht” or “barrow wight”. “Barrow” and “Emnet” are actually opposites, meaning mound and a level plain, respectively. This is interesting since:

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Both terms were used by Tolkien:

    And in the first book of The Lord of the Rings, the hobbits encounter a barrow-wight, a supernatural being that guards the treasure in a barrow or grave. The term was actually coined in the 19th century by Andrew Lang, a writer about myths and legends. It is a compounding of barrow and wight, an Old English term for a living creature, especially a human. This sense long ago fell out of use. Wight also has had a sense of a supernatural being since c. 950. This second sense also fell out of general use, although writers, like Lang and Tolkien, have made occasional use of it over the centuries to evoke an archaic atmosphere.

    A barrow is a mound of earth and stones erected over a grave. Originally from an Old English word for mountain, that sense has long passed out of the language, except in the names of particular hills. The term survived as a local term for a grave mound in the Southwest of England. It since has enjoyed a revival as an archeological term. Tolkien uses it the sense of a grave mound, especially those found just outside the borders of the Shire.

    Further:

    Place names in Rohan are also from Old English. The capital is Edoras, or the courts, and the king’s hall is Meduseld, or mead-hall. Districts in Rohan are Eastemnet and Westemnet, from the Old English emnet meaning plain or level ground.

    Interesting…

    LoliHat
    Reply

    3. Interesting explanation, now I’m curious on what a barrowwhit actually is. They use emnetwiht for ningenzoku, but I’m not really sure what the kanji of barrowwhit means. If it’s the Tolkien meaning, does that mean the guy is still alive? He’s probably almost 600 years old now if he is. Wonder if he aged, definitely doesn’t look 82 on the website.

      Actually wondered why I know the word barrow, but not emnet. Then realized people don’t usually name flat plains. Curiously my browser’s spell check knows barrow but not emnet too.

      theirs
      Reply

  4. Aaah… The girls in this anime is so me in the past when I am too depressed and suicidal. I was like “I dont care if I got some crazy injuries and die because of it since no one would cry anyway” or “this pain from injury is nothing compared to the pain (suffering in life) I am experiencing)

    I kinda feel the girls in the anime is on the same wavelength as mine. Which is why the MC tries to show that there is someone like him who will cry and be sad should they die. If my hunch is corrct, Then there would be a trip to feeladelphia soon in this anime and we are booking the ticket early .

    Jeffers
    Reply

    1. Uhm, no…. the girls in this show are not sad, depressed or sucidal. They simply don’t care. Not because of abuse or trauma, it’s just the way they were created.

      DmonHiro
      Reply

  5. The moment we saw the girl’s bloody face, it’s a definitive sign that this anime won’t end well. Can’t believe how tough this is for Wilhelm, probably feels like he’s reliving the bitter past in a worse way. It was a really great episode though, feels like everything is just the right amount. I’d watch it for the 2nd time but I don’t think I could handle seeing that face again lol.

    raxar
    Reply

    1. and it truly tragic that we can see them die but not have sex. Not being flippant in many ways it just messed up how sex is worth than death. And I’m not referring to the little ones, just the juvenile adults, there I would expect both to be censored.

      RedRocket
      Reply

    1. I think he´s truly the last human alive in that world, all the others were wipe out by the Beasts. The fairy girls are a spicies that can imitate human traits and they have been doing it for so long that they can pass for humanish in terms of using those magic swords.

      haseo0408
      Reply

  14. Wonder if Nephrem will try to get into Willem’s pants. Eavesdropping might give her the wrong idea. The difference of seeing what’s going on compared to hearing it might be significant.

    Also have to wonder why use leprechauns? I get what they’re saying, but not so sure how it relates to real world myths.

    theirs
    Reply

    1. I assume that’s a Japanese writer mistaking leprechauns for changeling children. Or maybe ‘leprechaun’ rolls off the tongue easier, or has more appeal in a genre that loves throwing foreign words around to sound cool.

      Guile
      Reply

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