12 Days of Anime #8 – Clothes Are Original Sin! Clothes Are People! – Kill la Kill and Infodump Love

It’s hard to remember that it’s been this year, as it was a Fall 2013 carry-over, and it ended without a big bang, but Kill la Kill aired this year, and it actually had a couple of episodes that spoke to a very specific part of me, a part that might not be seen all too often, but my episodic write-ups are the best place to see it. That part is the part that likes semi-obscure symbolism, reads occult and religious literature, and cares more than a wee bit for exciting infodumps, and then dislikes how shows use them.

Infodumps! Glorious Infodumps!

I often call this sort of thing “The Neon Genesis Evangelion Effect”, though it’s older, you can see it in most 2-course or longer series, such as in Code Geass, Eureka 7, Wolf’s Rain, and even in Visions of Escaflowne, where there’s a mystery, there’s a “real truth going on behind the scenes”, and often it’s semi-mystical in nature. Almost makes one think of Planet of the Apes. Well, Kill la Kill certainly had it, and though I’m not entirely fond of this phenomenon itself, I’m always intrigued in how it manifests.

Few Kill la Kill Spoilers beyond this point.

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 23 Notes – Humanity’s Dignity, and The Power of the Meek

(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.)

As is the case every week lately, I set up an alarm clock for 0130 AM for the latest episode of KLK. Staying up to watch it is usually ill-advised as I need a power-nap. Today I woke up, and at 0230 felt too tired to truly give the show a good coverage and headed to bed. Good thing too, as the episode materialized at 4 AM, I see. Well, no time like the present ;-)

Last episode had been fan-service oriented. It gave fans what they wanted, with the characters bonding and finally everyone being on the front page. Now it’s time for the final battle, as allies, as sisters, and yes, it’s also time for Fight Club Mako!

Thoughts and Notes:

1) Enough Biblical References to Drown Out Noah’s Arc:

Kill la Kill Episode 21 Notes – Killing My Heart is My Punishment / On Lying to Win.

(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.)

I set up an alarm clock in the middle of the night in order to watch this, and I actually woke up, unlike last week. Go me!

Anyway, Ryuuko hates herself. Ryuuko hates herself enough that she’s self-sabotaging her life, turning on her allies, going into something she knows is a trap, almost akin to suicide, because she wants to be punished. All of this is about Ryuuko running away, under the guise of fighting the problem head-on. Ryuuko’s world had been turned upside down, so she was an easy mark for conversion and lies by mama-Ragyou. She was just so lonely, because if you hate yourself, you can’t let others in either.

Well, now it’s time for friends to fight one another, it’s time for a sister versus sister battle. For the world, for friendship, for family. Will they be able to snap Ryuuko out of it (you know they do), will the go the full distance (Probably stop at the last instant)?

Thoughts and Notes:

1) In the Den of Hedonism:

Kill la Kill Episode 18 Notes – Cry Out Your Resolve! Fight for Freedom!

(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.)

It’s 3 am. Kill la Kill is out. I am tired.

Screw it. We’re doing this.

Well, last episode certainly ended with a bang, and even Ryuuko was left with nothing to say aside for “What the hell is going on?!” – Satsuki set upon Ragyou, but it seems like we can’t count Ragyou out so quickly. This will be a battle, with so many sides and participants – Ryuuko, Nudist Beach, Kiryuin Ragyou, Kiryuin Satsuki, Nui, the Elite Four, and who knows what’s going to happen with all of the people in the stadium who are currently busy being consumed by their clothes? And we can’t count out Mako just yet either…

There’ll be fights, and there’ll likely be flashbacks and revelations. I just don’t know what is going to happen asidefrom all of this, and what will happen afterwards, because I doubt it’d be done with one big fight.

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:

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: