First Impressions / Strike the Blood

「天使炎上篇II」 (Tenshi Enjo Hen II)
“Angel in Flames II”

You know what I love? When you only need to add an extra “I” to the episode title every week! That’s just convenient. Almost as convenient as your teacher setting up a festival and fireworks so you can go ahead and blow stuff at your leisure. Granted, Natsuki telling Akatsuki to accompany her does violate probably a few dozen rules on teacher-student interaction, but hey who cares when you get Natsuki, Astarte, AND Himeragi in their yukata? I sure ain’t complaining.

That said, the group ends up getting more than they bargained for, and as expected, it’s Kanase Kanon behind the recent incidents around Itogami Island. One thing leads to another, and let’s just say that there’s something shady going on with Magus Craft—especially on that deserted island of theirs. Oh, did I mention the “secretary” who stranded our main pair on that island in the first place? No? It went right over your head? Let me guess. You were too busy staring at Himeragi and Akatsuki holding hands?

Jokes aside, it’s just another typical week of Strike the Blood. I know I’ve said this nearly a dozen times already, but the fact is this series just knows how to be unnervingly consistent. The character interactions take the cake again this week, and it’s a non-stop comedy act as Motoki’s forced to referee between the Akatsuki caused fued between Sayaka and Akagi. Add that together with Akatsuki failing to pick up on the atmosphere—

In the worst case, we’d have to live here alone! That would suck!

—and you have the makings of yet another entertaining episode.

It’s not just all fun and games though, as it’s also confirmed that the Princess of Aldegyr is involved, and things are getting complicated in a hurry. In the meanwhile though, we got gals bathing in the lake. Just par for the course for our perverted Fourth Primogenitor.

Before ending things here though, I have to say that this was the first time I found myself slightly displeased at how some of the developments ended up. It could be just me forgetting or something—please call me out on this if I am—but last I checked, we didn’t really hear much about the “mask possession” guys last week, and it seems like some context was missing amid the between episode developments. I mean, it’s possible to make some connections based on visual confirmation (they’re obviously wearing masks), but otherwise, it felt like the guys were mentioned in passing as if they were always there and that we knew what they were. It’s ultimately nothing significant in the grand scheme of things, but I felt like I had to at least note it, considering how well the series has done up until this point in terms of development.

Author’s Note: Due to finals, Stilts will likely be taking on next week’s post for me. As he’s already covering multiple shows on Thurs/Fri, don’t be surprised Strike the Blood comes out slightly later than normal (Saturday or Sunday).

Full-length images: 04, 05, 31.

 

Preview

46 Comments

    3. Kojou gets to be observed by a baetiful girl wearing a yukata, ten he ends up stranded in an island with that said beautiful girl and that´s the WORST case scenario, you nedd to get your head check! You lucky bastard!.

      haseo0408
      Reply

  2. I know this show isn’t breaking any new grounds but it just is one of them shows I just like. There always is those couple of shows every year that do the carbon copy of anime fan tropes but they do them better then the rest. Its just a good ” consistent” show. It might just be me but I really enjoyed the animation this episode to. Especially the character animation.

    infinite
    Reply

  3. You have to love an anime that show preview scenes that carry hardly any weight in the next episode.

    To be honest, the only reason (plot-wise) they were wearing masks was for Kanase to be revealed midway through that gory display.

    Megas
    Reply

    1. well, there is another subtle reason for the masks. That is to hide the identities of all the other angels besides Kanon. Because if people can spot their looks, they may be able to figure out who is behind all of these incidents, and thus hinder their plans. The Kanon revelation is sort of just a by-product I guess (although it is rather important one)

      jrj
      Reply

  5. I heard elsewhere that the LN angels are more frightening than their anime counterparts.
    The only info I got was they wore ‘even scarier masks’ and had ‘disgusting’ wings, no further elaboration was given.

    How does the author describe the angels, word-for-word, in his novels? And don’t skimp on the nasty details,if there are any.

    PS. The whole fight seems like a deathmatch, last-angel-standing sort of thing.

    zztop
    Reply

    1. I don’t remember how the author described the angels, but yeah, they are not like the angel shown here at all. The wing are more monstrous for sure. and you are right, the fight is a deathmatch, and if you connect this with what’s being said during the last episode by Vatler, the picture may become even more clear.

      jrj
      Reply

      1. How about the Possession Mask term they mention this ep? No one explained what it meant, so I’m assuming this is a minor LN detail that didnt get carried over.

        Other than monster wings, did the anime change anything else about the angels?

        zztop
        Reply

      2. From what I read the paterns in the “angels” bodies gave off some sort of eery feeling and the mas had a grotesque form but at the same the angels some sort of sacred light-atmosphere. It kind of goes to show that the humans idea of angels are just byproducts of our imaginations so their real form is almost incomprehensible to our minds.

        haseo0408
        Reply

    2. There are many Kind of Angels.

      2 Wings ones, most common
      4 Wings Ones, some Archangels
      and even 6 Wings ones. Archangels, too

      Just Wikipedia Angels, and you get the names for the 4 and 6 Ones Versions

      Germanguy
      Reply

  6. there is a reason why people are confused about Kanon and La Folia (yes, they look strikingly similar). Kanon is the girl surrounded by fire in the OP, while La Folia is the girl with bullets in the background during the OP.
    as to the mask being, last week they were shown wearing masks, plus there weren’t a lot of info about them to Natsuki and everyone else, hence the name. I guess the anime just didn’t connect the dots there.
    also a little info for people who didn’t see it, the secretary who set Kojo up was in fact the same busty vampire in the last episode.
    It is still early phase in the arc, so I fully expect more awesome stuff to come. La Folia is a great character to watch 🙂 By the way, thanks for the coverage!

    jrj
    Reply

    1. Don’t forget that pilot, Lowe, who stranded both Kojou and Yukina.
      The demon morph who attacked the airship wears a leather jacket similar to Lowe’s, and Lowe wears a demon ID bracelet as well.

      @jrj: How do you find the anime adaptation compared to the LN? Good or bad adaptation?

      zztop
      Reply

      1. as far as I remember, the plot was covered pretty well. What the anime did great was the character interaction I think, and the final showdown of each arc so far are excellent. Some will say the pattern is getting repetitive, but I have to say that might be the case even with the LN (though personally I don’t think it is THAT repetitive of a formula)… the only minor complaint I have is the familiar so far… since the LN never had the illustration on the familiars, I could only imagine what they would look like. so far Regulus is getting on my nerves, that lion looks so ugly lol… and the other familiar revealed so far is described as having horns that looks like a sound fork in the LN instead of that dicorn thing. but again, it is a small thing, and I definitely think it is one of my favorite show this season 🙂

        jrj
        Reply

      2. Al-Nals Minium keeps reminding of a unicorn with two horns, when described it as a beast with horn I imagined it as a moose or a badass deer. Regulus Aurum is not so bas but I keep thinking in Mufasa every time I see it XD. By the way, I laugh so hard when that idiot was using Regulus for fishing! A familiar capable of erasing a city in seconds and the greatest of idiot vampires thinks he´s gonna cath fish with it. XD

        haseo0408
        Reply

  7. i think I have found pewrfect music for Himeragi X Koujo AMV:

    Every breath you take
    Every move you make
    Every bond you break
    Every step you take
    I’ll be watching you

    Every single day
    Every word you say
    Every game you play
    Every night you stay
    I’ll be watching you

    ewok40k
    Reply

  8. I just found it funny that Yukina did not freak out in the helicopter when she was kidnapped with Asagi and Nagisa from the last arc, with regards to her fear of flying. Unless she was sleeping mid-flight.

    sadakups
    Reply

  9. Has an American Confederate Army ever existed in real life?
    I’m not very familiar with American history, so I got curious when Mogwai(Asagi’s AI cat) said Magus Craft had dealings with this Army.

    zztop
    Reply

    2. Edit.:Just looked the Confederates up.

      So could we infer from the conversation that in the STB universe, that in all of North America, or parts of it, the Confederate States may operate as a separate political entity from the USA, officially governed by the descendants of pro-slavery figures?

      …Interesting worldbuilding elements.

      zztop
      Reply

    1. Would like to disagree but can’t. They both seem pretty dense to girls having a crush on them. Though at least Touma in a recent novel acknowledged that he was surrounded by girls. When he’s in the room with Lessar, who is asking his opinion on risque swimsuits, his monologue is about how he is a healthy male but has to keep it inside or be killed by the lethal girls around him. (I paraphrased it of course.)

      BTW, in the LN does Akatsuki chose Yukina or see her in a romantic light? Or does he pretend not to notice her feelings? Or is she just Harem Leader?

      rh75
      Reply

      1. well, one of the major reason Kojo is so dense will be explained next arc… I agree he is super dense, but the LN sort of implies that he became dense over time for a couple of reasons. Take Asagi for example, now that he knows her feelings for him, he still choose to ignore her not purely because he is dense, but also for several other considerations. The most obvious one is that he wants her to be safe. Given his power, anyone who goes near him (mostly girls) will be dragged into danger. (other reasons will be revealed later)

        As to Yukina, I think the author and the editors love her like a real daughter, so she gets a lot of special treatments. at this point I think Kojo think of her as a reliable partner and a “government accepted official stalker” (exact term from the LN)… don’t know who he will choose at the end though

        jrj
        Reply

      2. Well it´s open to discussion who Kojou is really in love with and we haven´t see all the girls yet but in my eyes the ones that acteally have a shot are Yukina and Asagi. Yukina seems the only path for him in my opinion, the way Kojou came to understand her with just so little time of knowing her speaks volumes of how she really feels about her.

        haseo0408
        Reply

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