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 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 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 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 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 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:

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: