Kill la Kill Episode 16 Notes – Uncovering the World’s Truth

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but up to a couple every week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

You guys, last week didn’t deliver as hard as we expected, but I’m actually more excited for this week’s episode than I’ve been for last week’s. Why? Because we might know more, we might finally understand. Also, I like themes,“Clothing as original sin” was a moment of under 2 minutes I wrote over 700 words about. So we’re going to see the history behind Ryuuko’s father and Nudist Beach, and even more importantly, Ragyo and the Kiryuins? I’m so fucking in.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Satsuki and Junketsu are Uneasy Bedfellows:

Winter 2014 Week 4 Overview – (Anime Power Ranking)

(Shows Covered -Nagi no Asukara, Sekai Seifuku, Nobunagun, Gin no Saji, Kill la Kill, The Pilot’s Love Song, Log Horizon, ‘Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha’, Nisekoi,  Tonari no Seki-kun, Tokyo Ravens, Noragami, Buddy Complex, and Pupa)

This week I actually wrote as close as you’ll get to editorials on several episodes, so just head to the main post to see my thoughts on the shows that interest you, and how they stacked up this past week.

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. Since I missed the post on Saturday, and all the shows from last Thursday to yesterday are in one post, there’s no relative placement this time around.

1) Nagi no Asukara Episode 16 

Discussing Hot-Button Topics.

We all have issues that make us see red, things that have us flying to our keyboards to pen strongly-worded rants at whoever had offended our sensibilities. An interesting thing is that these topics are almost always charged in both directions – you think X appearing in Y manner is something to get worked up over, and someone else might think that you getting worked up over it is something to fly off the handle over! I’m going to share several such issues that bother me within anime (and elsewhere?), and then move on to how you might wish to discuss these issues yourself.

Our knee-jerk reaction to perceived opposition and hot-buttons.

Part 1 – An Example Hot-Button Issue:

Valvrave the Liberator Rape Apologism:

Note, this section will contain some Valvrave the Liberator spoilers, mainly that a certain scene exists in a certain episode.

Sekai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda / World Conquest Zvezda’s Plot Episode 3 – Smokers as Inhuman, Smokers as True Believers.

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but up to a couple every week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

Well, the message of the last two episodes had been two-fold. First we have had our message about how family is important, and how you get to choose your family. People aren’t replaceable, even if Asuta might think so. The second is about obfuscation, about seeing the truth, about lying. Well, dunno where they’ll go with this, but let us see together.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Yasu: On Self-Identification and Growing Up:

1) Foolish Yasu. He really gives a strong vibe of an annoying teenager poseur, which if Pepel (the general) is truly his father, makes sense. But even if he’s not truly his father, they’re all family, and until Jimon had come along he was figuratively at least the youngest child. He wishes to think of himself as cool and powerful, but/because he’s a nobody. The knife, the cool pose with the cigarette, all of it.

Kill la Kill Episode 15 Notes – Satsuki versus the World

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but up to a couple every week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards. This time however there’s a lengthy post-episode section.)

Satsuki is here, in person, to settle the fight of ideologies. Ryuuko is here, to grab control of her life and powers. The two are also on a collision course, or are they? They are to me always allies, so let’s see how they handle this in what is purportedly the finale to the first half of the show, and of course, we can’t count Nudist Beach out just yet.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Satsuki the Liberator. Satsuki the Conqueror:

Winter 2014 Anime Week 3 – Sunday through Wednesday

(Shows Covered – Buddy Complex, Chūnibyō Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren (2nd season), “Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha”, Nobunagun, Noragami, The Pilot’s Love Song, Tokyo Ravens, Pupipo!, and Tonari no Seki-kun)

These are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. This week had been pretty weak, with various shows taking somewhat of a slump after we introduce the situation, and wait for things to pick up again. Hopefully the 2nd half of the week fares better.

1) Chuunibyou 2nd season Ren Episode 3

This show continues to be so very enjoyable for me. I laugh, I feel the “warmth” I associate with nice RomComs, and I like the cast. It’s sort of funny how we’re advancing and going back at the same time. This season Yuuta and Rikka are a “couple”, and as such they should be beyond the regular “I can’t tell them how I feel” sort of issues that plague all RomComs, right? Well, last season we had none of that, they dealt with their issues, they came together, and had just been there for one another, without needless chatter about how they feel not leading anywhere – they spent time together, they saw they need and care for one another, so they decided to be together. Simple and sweet, right?

Winter 2014 Anime Season Overview Week 2 – Thursday through Saturday (Anime Power Ranking)

(Shows Covered – Kill la Kill, Nagi no Asukara, Gin no Saji 2nd season (Silver Spoon), Log Horizon, Nisekoi, Sekai Seifuku  – Bouryaku no Zvezda (World Domination – Zvezda Plot), “Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha”,  and Pupa)

Anime Power Ranking is no longer held, so here are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. You will notice half the shows do not have descriptions, these appear in this post, covering the Sunday-Wednesday shows, while this post describes the episodes that aired during the latter half. The numbers in parentheses are where a show’s episode placed compared to its placement last week.

Now, I have too many shows, so I’m going to be dropping shows each and every week until I’m fine with the amount of shows I have left, so keep reading for summaries of new shows, how the shows stack up against one another, and which shows had been eliminated!

Sekai Seifuku ~Bouryaku no Zvezda~ / World Conquest – Zvezda’s Plot Episode 2 – Obfuscation and Friendship at the Dinner Table

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but up to a couple every week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

Though I rated other shows higher, due to enjoyment, and this show still needing to stretch its legs and prove to us, this show fills me with much excitement, it might be my writeup darling of the season, it might be my Gatchaman Crowds. It has a lot of interesting themes, and characters, and is moving things along briskly. I’m excited to see where they’re taking us next.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) On Truth and Lies (Nietzsche reference? Surely not!):

1) Hm, it’s always interesting, when champions of truth and justice hide their faces, what sort of message are they sending? The masks, the ridiculous riddle, the “White Light”, they are as ridiculous as Zvezda. No, pay attention, they are exactly as ridiciulous as Zvezda. “White Light”, to counter “May the Light of Zvezda shine upon you.” – They try to spread their message, they try to control the world, from the shadows.

Zvezda is a public entity, they try to show the truth of the world, whereas the “White Light” tries to blind you to the truth of the world. It’s almost a religious battle, one within the family, as the two sides are so similar in how they operate and see things, it’s just the goal that differs. It might be “What?”, but it’s definitely also a fight over “Who?“.

Log Horizon Episode 16 Notes – Risk Aversion, Memory Loss, and Forgetting the Law of the Land

(Note: Episodic notes are still mostly to be found on the Episodics Notes’ page, but 0-2 episodes per week will have their write-up appear on the main page, when I think they warrant it. For those who don’t know, I take the notes as I watch the episode, and merely re-order them afterwards.)

As I said last week, this situation is more than it seems, it is the demi-humans showing initiative, the world enforcing change without a GM-originated “quest”, and most importantly, it’ll force Shiroe’s new knowledge out into the open, as the adventurers can’t simply be the shield of the People of the Land. Oh yes, we also have the kids ;)

Winter 2014 Anime Season Overview Week 2 – Sunday through Wednesday

(Shows Covered – Nobunagun, Buddy Complex, D-Frag, Chūnibyō Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren (2nd season), Noragami, Pupipo!, The Pilot’s Love Song,  Tokyo Ravens and Tonari no Seki-kun)

These are the shows I’ve watched this past week and how I order them. Each link leads to my episodic write-up of the relevant show. Now, I have too many shows, so I’m going to be dropping shows each and every week until I’m fine with the amount of shows I have left, so keep reading for summaries of new shows, how the shows stack up against one another, Saturday will have the other half of the week’s crop, and which shows are being dropped this week (2-3 shows, most likely)

1) Nobunagun Episode 2

This episode had been so much fun. It was glorious destruction, with a character who is self-assured and cocky, in control even while in the throes of berserker rage, or is she? The visual direction in this episode had once more been top-notch, and even though in this episode the colours are there merely for the spectacle rather than supporting any themes, seeing as it’s a mayhem-oriented episode, all the clashing colours and very distinctive visual design work wonders.

On the story-front, the show is relatively self-aware, as aside from referencing various movies, including Pacific Rim, and making mention of Spiderman’s “With great power comes great responsibility” line, things are pretty standard. Our heroine is emotionally pressured into joining the fight, and similarities to Madoka Magica keep appearing (at least as far as I am concerned). The show also makes use of a very annoying sequence where our heroine pulls the “I couldn’t save you that time, so I’m useless!” but at least the other character makes the logical response.

Is this show special in terms of plot? Hell no. Is it the most over the top show you’ve seen, or the one with the most distinctive flair? Probably not as well, but the way all these elements meet? It’s surely the most fun we’ve had this year, at the very least.