Kill la Kill Episode 11 Notes

December 12th, 2013.

Dramatic Entrances and Revelations Galore! – Ryuko, Last Hope of Satsuki’s Revolution

Let the orchestral assault continue! I for one am very curious about Senketsu, and how everyone comments on him, to the degree that we might see Nudist Beach against Ryuko once more.

Shorter Asides:

• All this classic music reminds me that when I watched cartoons as a child, classic music often played as destruction was wrought. Hm.
• This makes for an amusing moment – a phallic object flies toward Nonon, who stands there with her mouth open :3
• Inumuta didn’t care that much for his uniform, but his computer? His precious data? Don’t come between a nerd and his computer, Mankanshoku Mako!
• Dat Beethoven. I’m sorry Ryuko, but I’m gonna have to side with the masses on this one – Encore! Encore! Well, it only makes sense. You don’t have to be Inumuta, but it helps to do some basic research on your opponents.
• Also, couturier is a real word, but “Grand Couturier” makes me think of “Grand Courtier”. The Kiryuins are clothing nobles ;-)

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Reflecting on Techno-babble:

1. Inumuta spouts techno-babble, Mako sums it up – “So what you’re saying is Ryuko is really awesome.” – They have a point here, often the techno-babble is complicated and confusing because there’s nothing really underneath. The take-away is characters are awesome, but we the watchers spend hours upon hours trying to make sense of a “system” that often doesn’t really exist, or is made complicated to drag discussion on rather than serve a real purpose.
2. This is amusing, especially when taken along with the previous message – Inuzuma’s role in the show is to give us “information”, but he can’t do so without information – thing is, for us viewers, it’s all the same made-up level. The only difference here is that when Inumuta doesn’t know, it shows us it’s really special. This is presumably the “lead couturier”, or in other words, the high fashion designer of the Kiryuins.

2) Ryuko Lives in the Moment:

1. “Thinking outside the box is your signature move.” – This line had been said by Senketsu to Ryuko, what ajoker. Sure, she might think outside the rules Satsuki placed, in that she doesn’t obey her, but she’s acting exactly within Satsuki’s system, a point I’ve repeatedly made before. And in combat, she keeps pulling out the more ridiculous moves, but they’re not different in category, rather in scale – she just hits more.
2. It’d seem that Ryuko is winning because of her willpower, that her desire is stronger than Jakuzure’s, but Inumuta tells us the only reason Ryuko wins is because her uniform is stronger. Sure, she had her moment of resonating with Senketsu, but in the end it all boils down to having more power, more external strength, before the fight even began.

3) Satsuki Plans for the Future:

1. A striking pose, as always. Satsuki is like a general observing a bloody battlefield. And see, here we have Satsuki using Ryuko to her ends once more. She plans world domination, but she is having a hard time testing the uniforms in stress conditions, and where a loss isn’t a loss to the academy. How useful of Ryuko to come and assist.
2. Huh, not just one new characters, but two. Look at the scars, look at the hair, listen to the music as this new one had entered. Now she’ll make a grand entrance, rather than Harime Nui’s understated one – and to call that understated, heh.
3. Is this Satsuki’s mother? The discussion, the glasses, the atmosphere, it really reminds me of the little of Utena I’ve watched. That heavy atmosphere. Also, check the neck on that shadow O.O
4. You know how it always appears as if Satsuki is the sun? How light is coming from her, emanates from her presence? Well, look at her mother, who has no need for high places or paltry things such as the sun in order to shine. Satsuki wishes to spread her wings, but this shows us both why – how glorious her mother is, but also where some of her own shine comes from. Unless of course the shine comes from the clothes.
5. I actually find it interesting, about the “Banshi” – the thread imbued with a desire to be a cloth. On one hand, it’s one that wishes to be one amongst many, all in order, all for one purpose. On the other, it’s still one who wishes to be “better” than it is, to progress in life. The banshi is the model citizen of Satsuki’s empire.
6. Ryuko is the last hope of the revolution, Satsuki’s revolution. See, we keep talking of how Satsuki is a tyrant, and Ryuko is the rebel, but Satsuki is only the tyrant of this very small academy. She still needs to break free of her own shackles, and raise her own flag of rebellion against the adults, against her family, in earnest. Satsuki needs Ryuko more than ever, I’d say “ironic”, but isn’t this how it’s always been?

 

Talk about a moment designed to elicit cries of “Holy shit, it’s on“. Ryuko is platinum-mad. A good counter to how last episode ended (that’s Nonon). They all but finished with “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die,” here.

Post Episode Notes:

Well, this had certainly been an episode. Seems they are indeed going for the end of arc by the end of the first “season”, rather than around episode 8 where people originally assumed, or episode 15 where TTGL did.

There’s not much to actually discuss this episode, but the ending had certainly moved us quite far ahead, plot-wise, while the undercurrents had been that Satsuki is planning ahead, far ahead. She already told us that she plans to rule over all the schools, and here we see how these battles are used to test and perfect the Goku uniforms, and how Satsuki truly does wish to rebel against the adults.

Also, Satsuki’s mother, with her hair, and back, and the emanating light, she truly will be important later on. If I had to pick a twist, due to the coloured hair, it’s that Satsuki’s mother is also Ryuko’s mother.

Return to the Kill la Kill Episodic Notes page.