Aldnoah.Zero episode 11 notes – “We’re in Hollywood Now!”

Write-up this time is a lot more “observations and chuckling” than deeper content. Well, that’s what I was in the mood for.

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So, Rayet’s choice was made for her by Inaho, who continues to be the one who gets to make all the decisions, including for other characters, and also makes the adults entirely redundant. But Slaine! Slaine finally got a break and got to make a decision of his own, but not due to his charming personality, just paying back for someone else’s act of saving Saazbaum. In fact, Slaine’s father is to blame for this whole war! “If only I hadn’t come to Earth!” said Asseylum, but if only Slaine’s father hadn’t saved Saazbaum’s life, eh?

Well, time for the last bastion of humanity and all of its death flags raised last episode to come under attack, though we have Inaho to save us! In Inaho we trust.

Thoughts and Notes:

Screenshot album.

1) Martian Domination, Take 20:

“Alex, ‘what are “Death Flags”?'”

1) “I have to say, I didn’t expect them to make a move on this place,” alongside with “I thought this war was supposed to end.” That’s what happens when you don’t consume media, or read literature, you don’t know how death flags work, heh. Someone should make an anime equivalent of the Scream series.

Kill la Kill Episode 24 (Finale!) Notes – Matoi Ryuuko, Rebellious Princess, It’s Time to Graduate

(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.)

The last two episodes had been build-up. The episode before last was the thematic build-up, so to speak, the fan-service, giving us all the themes and gags we were expecting. Last episode actually brought us back to Satsuki’s theme of “Pigs in human clothings” and Ragyou’s meta-theme of biblical references, and servitude as power (which contrasts and compares nicely with Satsuki).

Also, this is a show where everyone is a shounen hero. Ragyou now has had her power-up again, the second since being betrayed by Satsuki.

Time for the final fight. I expect much to be a spectacle, we’ll see how much goes beyond :)

Thoughts and Notes:

1) The Spirit of Man: (The War of the Worlds Musical reference, check it out)

1) Hundred Men Assault – Sanageyama had always been a gang-leader. Though he, like the other members of the Elite Four are all powerhouses on their own, they are also leaders, they also know the power of working together. Note this shape, he can only get as high as he is because he stands on the shoulders of his comrades (yes, I’m paraphrasing Isaac Newton here). But, some could also consider this a reference to the Tower of Babel, the conceit of thinking you could stand against God.

Kill la Kill Episode 22 Notes – Time for Some Traditional Shounen Friendship!

(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.)

Last two episodes had been an arc, and the culmination of a thematic thread – Ryuuko hadn’t had a nice life, she’d always been used, and constantly her decisions which she had thought were her own had been revealed as the machinations of her parents. Continuing with the “Clothes are Original Sin,” we have the parents’ original sin, as well as “Sins of the parents.”

Ryuuko was filled with self-disgust which progressed to self-hatred and sabotaging her own life, until the power of friendship and self-disgust that’s been too large to bear had brought her back. It’s now time for the two sisters to finally join forces.

More interesting was Satsuki being revealed as not entirely honest, she says she will do anything to obtain her goals, including lying, and perhaps this too is such a lie. Well, let’s see what the two sisters can manage.

(Note: Earthquake warning makes for less than ideal screenshots. I’ll look into fixing it after going to sleep and waking up. It’s still 4 am as I’m typing this, and we’re not done just yet.)

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Ryuuko’s Back!:

1) You’ve messed with the wrong girl, dude. Covered in her heart’s blood, fulfilling the theme of self-hatred, she had cut out her own heart, she had sacrificed herself, so she could become a noble warrior berserker once more.

Kill la Kill Episode 20 Notes – I Shall Destroy the World to Escape My Past

(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, had a huge headache last night, went to take a nap from 0120 to 0200, when I expected the subs to come out. Woke up at 0450 when my cat wanted to be let out, but I was too tired, so went back to sleep.

And now, it’s time for Kill la Kill :)

Wha do I expect this episode? I wonder. Ryuuko and Senketsu, some people who think this show is “fast-paced” think this issue will get resolved this episode, but in which case, what will happen after? That was one thing I really liked in Gurren Lagann, the small section where it showed what happened after, and in that sense, I think the whole of Kill la Kill will only match to the first half of TTGL. Meaning, I expect Ryuuko and Senketsu to only make up in the penultimate episode, or even in the final one.

It’s interesting, if we were to talk in ages, this is the “Heroic Age”, and what will happen after the show, when our heroes “win” is the “Mortal Age”. Last episode was about the defeat of humanity, but in order for humanity to triumph, it must be done by those such as Satsuki and Ryuuko, who are far from normal humans. Humanity’s triumph can only be achieved by monsters fighting for its sake and gifting it the victory… you defeat clothes, by clothes.

Ok, enough rambling, episode time.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) A Study of Masks and Their Removal: Matoi Ryuuko Exposed:

Kill la Kill Episode 17 Notes – Plans Come to Fruition

(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.)

Ok, last episode was all sorts of great. The most fun I’ve had with KLK since episode 13. Now we know what the sides are, we know what we are fighting for, and what are our goals. Well, we think we do. But now it’s time for showdowns, now it’s time for the festival, and now it’s time for betrayal. Let us see how the Kiryuins play this game of clothes, where you win, or you end up naked.

And yes, we must also see what Senketsu has to say about all of this.

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Being Kiryuin Satsuki, Being Matoi Ryuuko: