Posted by: Wonderduck at Sun Sep 13 20:48:47 2015 (jGQR+)
2
That was really surprisingly well done. The only problem was a technical problem with the rendering package in how it handled sparks from fuses. But as to the rest of it, that was really excellent -- and clearly a hell of a lot of work.
In the Latest Episode of PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY
Phoenix Wright is contracted to conduct delicate inter-dimensional negotiations while posing as a member of the Foreign Ministry, under an assumed name.
That title and entire first sentence is probably not true...probably.
In actuality, the screen-cap is from Episode 11 of GATE. The previous two episodes left such a foul taste in my mouth that I nearly dropped the show. With episode 11 this series appears to have gotten back on the rails and has gone a long way to cleanse the palette.
1
Further, as a result of the treaty with Italica/Itarica, isn't that whole region pretty much a free-trade zone now? As I cannot imagine that the Empire is known for their light tax hand, people woiuld be pouring into the Arnus area....
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at Sun Sep 13 23:50:06 2015 (MWJe1)
2
I'm not sure about that but it seems unlikely that the JSDF is collecting taxes on the refugees, so, as far as Arnus goes you are surely right. Italica is a major trading hub with at least two Roman style roads and a port terminating there, so while it is not at ground zero for this boom, the town is uniquely well positioned to profit from the situation, which is, after all, less than a days travel from them. The fact that the mayor and effective regent (the Housekeeper) sent several of their household's crack team of beastly praetorian domestics to assist with security was surely not entirely gratitude. They are protecting and helping to develop a potential cash cow. I note upon re-watching it, that Tomita explicitly stated that some of the aforementioned maids had opened up at least one tavern, so Italica is actively invested in and drawing money from the rapidly growing bazaar.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Mon Sep 14 08:57:31 2015 (ohzj1)
You are correct, good sir. My memories were a blend of the anime and manga. In the anime ep6 (that I shall fondly recall until I take my dying breath*), Hamilton reads out the treaty. Around 16:15-18 she lightly touches on the Alnus Community.
We can see a copy of the treaty in the manga, ch13 (scroll down about 1/3 of the way; no, I'm still to old and stupid to get hotlinks to work). To wit:
"The Alnus living community under guardianship of the JSDF is from now on exempted from all taxes raised on trading and money exchange within the city of Italica and all other areas within rule of Countess Formal."
As I'm sure the JSDF extended the same benefit to themselves, this creates a huge, new free-trade zone in the Empire's Southwest flank (begging the question of compass directions). I'd bet any ruler on the other side of this zone is fingering their worry-beads and thinking about where their allegiance will be tomorrow.
*At six months at one day of a BP of 155/98+, my wife threatened me with a weapon** this AM to call a doctor. I relented. Really: I'd hate to die before I see how all this ends!
**Not telling. Brickmuppet runs a family blog. It wasn't a shovel.
Italica is the nearest major city to Arnus, and most of the Japanese goods flowing in and being sold are being carried to Italica and redistributed from there. The goods are untaxed when they enter Italica, but there's nothing in that treaty that forbids Italica from taxing the goods as they leave for other destinations.
Besides which, there are other kinds of taxes. All that trade is causing a huge improvement in the GDP of Italica, and things like income taxes will be rising as a result.
Rainy Day
In the latest episode of School Live, the rainy season brings with it CABIN FEVER! This years strain of cabin fever is bad enough that it can only be delayed...and not prevented by ping pong balls.
Miki FINALLY finishes the foreign novel she's been translating, Now she must deal with the knowledge that hours of her life have been wasted as the book was rather overhyped.
"It was like...ancillary tendentiousness."
Yuki tries to boil water...with unexpected results.
"Dear God...Don't let me burn another kettle!"
Sakura Sensei's discussion of her haircut with Kurumi ends up having a profoundly unintended effect on Kurumi's outlook on life.
"You cut off a meter of hair...and kept the ahoge?"
Yuuri discovers to her considerable annoyance that pinky-swears can be used as emotional blackmail.
"My name is Yuuri..NOT Yuri...so your request is invalid. "
And of course...hi-jinx ensue.
I should clarify that by Hi-jinx I mean a Gatling gut-punch. The buildup and pacing on this show has been superb, and this episode is no exception.
So...it works different for dogs...they become FAST zombies...Fast zombies are unfair.
Poor Kurumi!
Even more, poor Yuuri...she did promise to do what needed to be done. In retrospect that was blatant foreshadowing. Of course, EVERYTHING is going pear shaped at this point. I was just squirming in my seat throughout the last half of this episode...and if it were not an ottoman, I'd have been underneath it.. This show is a genuinely well done thriller.
This series has been surprisingly well done and a considerable amount of interesting developments happened in this episode. While I'm eager to discuss them, I ask anyone who does so, out of courtesy to other readers who are not as far along, to please use spoiler tags as follows....
Oh..
There seems to be a lot of this sort of thing going around this season.
In the picture above, Tuka is wondering why her dad is not greeting her as she returns from Earth to the D&D land from which she hails. There had been some foreshadowing of this in that she'd ordered 2 sets of clothes and double rations, but I had interpreted this a a mourning ritual. Nope! Tuka (Tsuka?) here appears to be insane. You see, her dad was evaporated in front of her eyes by a dragon in episode 4.
From episode 10 of GATE which was only 43% as stupid as episode 9 and was about 20% cooler to boot. I would normally be very likely to drop a show when it insulted me as badly as this one did but the first 8 episodes were EXCEEDINGLY good and the utter non sequitur of a plot thread that derailed the show seems to be completely over. Thus, I'll give it till at least next week to see if it has gotten back on track.
From the previews, it seems likely that it will, so I'm hopeful.
To Boldly Go...Where Exactly?This is a surprisingly interesting essay. While it's title suggests it is a about politics, this is really an analysis of the ethics (or lack thereof) that inform them.
It touches upon Nazi hunters, Klingons, the divine right of kings, moral relativism and the philosophical conflict behind the eugenics wars.
I speak of rights! A machine has none. A man must!
2
That was an excellent essay. I entered a Kirk v. Picard argument several years ago by pointing out the following: if there were an actual, honest episode of Star Trek made based on how the original series was written vs how TNG was written, Kirk would attack Picard as a Manchurian traitor smuggled in by Klingons or Romulans to take control of the Federation.
3
That was fantastic. It crystallized and put into words what up until now was a vague impression of something being wrong.
I've been passing the link around and similar reactions have followed it everywhere.
Posted by: Mauser at Sun Sep 6 20:07:46 2015 (TJ7ih)
4
I've often posited that sometime between TOS and TNG, the Federation had some unfortunate socialist revolution. It's the only way to explain all the cultural changes.
School Live Episode 9
In today's episode of School Live, Miki takes a break from analyzing the purloined papers they got from Sakura Sensei's office, and announces that she's made a surprising discovery.
"This dog...There's no.......IT'S A ROBOTI!!"
Actually, no.
She discovers that her day is to consist of the sort of obligatory beach episode that almost always shows up in vapid comedies about cute girls in high school being nonthreatening. Thus her surprise at it happening in this series is entirely understandable.
Given the premise of the show, that the School Live Club is not to leave the school grounds (especially after that fiasco at the mall); a beach episode would strain credulity, but they get around this by having the girls clean the koi pond on the roof.
...of the school...
If you are pondering why there is a koi pond on the roof of the school, you are not getting into the spirit of things...or you've avoided the spoiler tags.
That a Japanese cartoon airs its summer vacation episode on Labor Day Weekend only adds to the overall unlikelyhood.
In any event, hijinks ensue.
...including a surprisingly epic water-gun fight.
Despite the fact that this is mostly a straight up 'day at the pool' episode the show remains engaging and intelligent, contrasting their determination to remain upbeat against the series of perpetual annoyances that is high school.
I do note that over the last two episodes point of view has changed to the extent that the narrator is now being less dishonest than your humble reviewer.
For one thing the discovery Miki makes when going through the "CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE" document is actually that there is a sub-basement-bunker underneath the school, that the other girls were heretofore unaware of. Of course in last week's episode we learned that the zombie apocalypse was anticipated and associated with a bioweapon, while the girls contemplate a reconnoitering of the basement to get supplies and perhaps more answers, Yuki's suggestion that they clean the koi pond derails the plan because, frankly, these girls need a break bad.
One bit I'd forgotten about from the mall episode.
The radio confirms that the outbreak is not confined to their town or valley. This had been implied as a possibility last episode, but no, the show managed to dash those hopes.
There is also discussion of the solar arrays and water purification system. The latter uses water from the river rather than the cistern which answers questions regarding their water supply.
Despite their discussion of their situation (out of earshot of the utterly insane Yuki of course) the episode was, in fact a much needed relief and change of pace.
Well until the end when the dog broke loose and ran into the basement and we saw this...
...confirming our worst fears from last episode.
So...what is that mound under the cross on the roof? (I'm guessing it's Kurumi's fiance?) Is there going to be another one for the dog?
Still, as grim as this show can be, it is remarkably engaging.
This is a really smart and well done show, surprisingly touching in that it is about dealing with life's little problems in as upbeat a way as possible and the benefits of persistence....
You know, in hindsight this is an even more meaningful development.
Despite its overdone premise, this remains, thus far, one of the best shows this season.
"We're pretty close to giving up on this series, aren't we?" Said my wife, speaking for us both, while the dog growled.
If I want to be unhappy, I can drive into Columbus and go to work. It's just that this series is too tanjed well written to abandon...yet. We'll give it yet another episode....
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at Sat Sep 5 05:20:18 2015 (lU4ZJ)
2 So...what is that mound under the cross on the roof?
ISTM that Sakura-senesi is partially transparent in that screenshot, i.e. she's a ghost (as ReallyBored speculated in the comments for Episode 6), and not a zombie. So it's still possible that the mound with the cross on it is her grave, after all. If that the case, then Sakura-sensei is dead, which (in a morbid sort of way) is a good thing--better dead than zombified, IMHO. OTOH, she isn't resting in peace.
Going back to RB's comments for Ep6: perhaps when Yuki is talking to Sakura-sensei, she isn't being (entirely) delusional--she may actually be talking to Sakura-sensei's ghost. That might be contributing to Yuki's insanity. The next question is, why is Sakura-sensei's ghost haunting the school? Is she seeking revenge on Yuki (who may have been partially responsible for her death), or is she trying to help Yuki and the other girls? (I really hope it's the latter.)
Posted by: Peter the Not-so-Great at Sat Sep 5 09:20:31 2015 (dzzLh)
3
Well, PTNSG, that would explain much
I'm not sure though. The implication seems to be very strong that she is a zombie, especially after the bit with the journal at the beginning of last episode. Of course, having been zombiefied her ghost might look as she did when she died. I don't know. This show has been less than straightforward at times.
I'm kind of surprised that this episode was almost upbeat (until the end) & even the end only confirmed something that had been hinted at last episode.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sat Sep 5 09:58:54 2015 (ohzj1)
4 The
implication seems to be very strong that she is a zombie, especially
after the bit with the journal at the beginning of last episode.
I took another look at that screencap, and although Sakura-sensei still looks transparent (like a ghost) to me, she also seems to be shambling like a zombie, and she has what look like open sores on her left arm. The left sleeve of her dress appears to be torn, as well.
Of course, having been zombiefied her ghost might look as she did when she died.
That is a possibility. That also raises two questions, one of them potentially disturbing:
1. If Sakura-sensei was a zombie when she died, and she retained her zombie appearance when she became a ghost, did she also retain her zombie mentality, or does her ghost still have her human mind and personality?
2. How did she die after she became a zombie? The disturbing possibility is that the girls killed her, either in self-defence or as a mercy-killing. (Now that would have driven Yuki insane, I'd bet.) OTOH, killing a zombie would have been a very tall order for the girls, given their apparent lack of suitable weapons.
Posted by: Peter the Not-so-Great at Sat Sep 5 20:19:46 2015 (dzzLh)
3
She's Pyrrha Nikos, former gladiatorial champion, fitness model and cereal spokesperson for Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes.
She can also control poles.
Pyrrha is now the awesome"P" in team JNPR, which is the other squad the series focuses on.
Actually they are all from RWBY, the reason I linked the vid was that I was surprised there were this many RWBY MMD models and certainly not the song which is meh.
Here is a bit more Pyrrha if you are interested..
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Thu Sep 3 23:37:44 2015 (ohzj1)
4
But if she wins the fight, it's really only a Pyrrha Victory.
Posted by: Mauser at Fri Sep 4 06:38:45 2015 (TJ7ih)
5
It doesn't surprise me that there's a Neo model out there. I guess I was surprised, though, that Velvet has one.
For the record: her name is the greatest stealth pun of all time. She is, after all:
Velvet, teen rabbit.
Posted by: Wonderduck at Fri Sep 4 20:35:44 2015 (jGQR+)
6
Nice one! And here I thought you didn't like puns.
Posted by: Mauser at Sat Sep 5 02:57:29 2015 (TJ7ih)
1
Looks fun. You can keep your "Buttman vs Stupidman" - I'm gonna go see Ultraman next summer.
Although I supposed that the producers of Ultraman don't want you to spend too much time thinking about all the people crushed to death in those buildings.
Posted by: L. Beau Macaroni at Sun Aug 30 19:19:53 2015 (P2Eio)
School Live Continues
In the latest episode of this season's surprisingly clever slice of life show, Yuki must catch and wash the dog. Hijinks ensue.
The girls discuss their plans (or lack thereof) for after graduation. Miki stops reading her horror books long enough to conclude that the school being equipped as a civil defense location is actually indicative of some sinister purpose. Yuuri organizes an expedition to sneak into the teachers lounge because SHE MUST KNOW. An attempt at a group photograph goes about as well as one would expect. Sakura Sensei practices her penmanship with heartbreaking results.
I am in genuine awe of this show and how it is able to elicit an actual emotional response from me.
LIKE SCREAMINNG AND CRINGING!
Oh...dear. I had previously assumed that the well equipped school was a function of an affluent zip code and an appreciation for civil defense in a disaster prone country. Alas...no
So what have we learned?
The zombie apocalypse happened because of a bioweapon...the school administration was made aware that this was a possibility. And the school is well equipped for a zombie apocalypse...because it was ACTUALLY equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse. (Apparently it happened at the worst possible time...as the gates were all open as the school was letting out).
One subtle bit...the school is increasingly looking like it actually is rather than as Yuki sees it. This may or may not be tied to Yuki's recurring nightmares.
They still don't seem to have found Megune's epitaph...Which makes sense if that heartbreaking flashback at the beginning...isn't actually a flashback.What I mean is, that it looks possible that when Yuuki says she's going to talk to Sakura Sensei, she could be telling the truth.
I am eager to hear the thoughts of anyone else who is following this show. But PLEASE, use spoiler tags!
1
Wow. The last few minutes of that reminded me of
"The Andromeda Strain" - the good one, from 1971. Esp about 2/3 into it where they find out that 'Scoop' was a military biowar project hijinks ensue.
I fear this series is taking its inevitable turn towards the horrible; and, thus, I'll have to abandon it at some point. My own fault, really: I just don't want to spend my downtime being miserable. Don't get me wrong: the writing, sound, dialog, and animation are great! I just don't need an outside source to be unhappy. Thus, I'll stick with this, for a bit, hoping for the best for these girls...but I dread.
Seriously. The implications of what they found are horrific. Japan cannot even face up to their own real-life demographic death-spiral, and yet they make an anime that implies it's even worse? The world wonders.
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at Sat Aug 29 04:57:50 2015 (ohzj1)
2
It looks like this is a single-cour season, so it won't catch up to the manga. I took a very quick look at the scanlations, and the good news is that
all four girls are still alive and functional ("sane" is perhaps too strong a word for anyone in their situation), and they've found evidence of survivors outside the school. I didn't read more than a few pages; I'm generally spoiler-immune, but in this case I just don't want to know too much too soon.
-j
Posted by: J Greely at Sat Aug 29 11:17:00 2015 (ZlYZd)
3
Not clicking...I'm avoiding scantalation spoilers like the plague on this one.
I was ASSUMING that at least some of the balloons they released had useful information like their location and the fact that they had non-infected people on the roof post-plague. Now, I'm not sure that would do any good, since the implication of the manual is that they will just ruthlessly quarantine the valley, possibly forever. The fact that the school is intended for VERY long term survival backs this up. Of course, the contingency manual suggests that disease is so deadly that the whole world might be infected. This unlikely in the extreme given that it's not airborne...but then, it spread through the whole town much more effectively than fast acting rabies should have. Of course this is a trope of the zombie apocalypse genre in general. However, it's also possible that this had a weaponization vector in the early stages. Remember that the episodes that took place on the day of the disaster had news reports of multiple disturbances simultaneously and the very nature of the disease would have meant that hospitals were overrun quickly. Still, it seems too fast acting for lingering vectors to get very far before they become unwelcome additions to the random encounter table...In this sense a good public transportation system was probably not helpful.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sat Aug 29 13:23:20 2015 (ohzj1)
4
Wow, looks like I might be wrong after all (for various values of "alive" obviously). That opening implies that Sakura-sensei managed to escape the zombies after locking them away from the girls. I wonder where the ribbon on her grave came from. Of course, that also brings up the question of the grave itself...which I just don't want to even think about at the moment.
Posted by: ReallyBored at Mon Aug 31 10:02:35 2015 (ulGxe)
Tonight on GATE: After Sneaking a Thoughtful and Intelligent Show Past Standards and Practices for 2 Months, They're Found Out!
Now boarding at GATE 9 bound for Fan Service with stops in Akihabara, suspiciously opaque hot springs, America bashing, dead G.I.s, a cool old dude, otaku affirmation and normally strong female characters doing the paper doll pander.
Please direct your attention towards the EYES of the EGL at the front of the cabin as she adjusts your belt and attempts to convince you that even if she looks 13, her actual age of 961 means it won't really count as loli.
Well...
After 8 episodes of sublime storytelling and pacing, this heretofore excellent show surprises us in an entirely new way.
Ahem...
Mind you, it actually does move along a rather tendentious subplot and there is some character development so this is not a complete non-sequitur of an episode, which is, perhaps, unfortunate, as is it were, I could advise you to skip it....especially if yo've been watching this show with your kids. It just doesn't at all fit with the tone of the series thus far and that feeling rather increases as the episode progresses.
There is at least one bit that I hope is foreshadowing though...
I predict ARCHERY!
We also do find out offhandedly that Leili's magic does work in this world...which ought to be a big deal.
This series is now 8 stellar to 1 meh so I'm not by any means dropping it as of yet.
Well, This Could Be BetterMonster Musume is faithfully following its comic book inspiration into imbecility and squalor, wasting what is admittedly a fairly interesting cast on prurient pandering to the dolorous, disaffected degenerate deviants that make up its target audience.Obviously this is a show I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in admitting to watching...
"Oh..umm...This?...Uhh...Thi...This is a...a cooking show."
This is not to say that the show is without potential. For one thing, a spinoff centered around the Mrs. Smith and her commando team of mythological monster-maiden myrmidons has a considerable likelihood of being quite entertaining.
UPDATE: In fact, as a friend recently pointed out, such a show would probably be the most enjoyable G.I. Joe sequel possible.
1
The dimensions of that cockpit are giving me OCD fits. Even if the top of the seat goes into the head-piece cavity, the whole thing looks far too much like mechanical origami. And growing up, we had a neighbor who got badly mangled getting launched out of a crashing military jet, I have a healthy respect for just what tight tolerances can do when you're using an ejector seat at speed.
Posted by: Mitch H. at Tue Aug 25 09:16:46 2015 (jwKxK)
2
Maybe the seat is intended to flip out the back hatch before firing? (Still crazy: in that case, the design depends on that elaborate seat-deployer hinge thingy being unbent, and the hatch opening as it should.)
Ah well, it's anime world, where giant robot designers have infinite budgets, and neon pink is an acceptable hair color in a professional setting.
Posted by: ams at Tue Aug 25 16:57:29 2015 (GtPd7)
3
Also, the first aid kit mounted in the hatch is going to be under/behind the seat when she's inside. That seems like the least useful place for it possible other than outside.
Posted by: Rick C at Tue Aug 25 23:02:24 2015 (FvJAK)
Also, the first aid kit mounted in the hatch is going to be under/behind the seat when she's inside. That seems like the least useful place for it possible other than outside.
I disagree. When you open the hatch to retrieve her mangled body, the first aid kit on the inside hatch will be readily accessible...
Posted by: Siergen at Wed Aug 26 15:38:59 2015 (4pDXl)
Tonights Recitations From Kipling Will be Performed by Rory Mercury
From episode 8 of GATE which continues to be highly intelligent and entertaining. This is despite having a girl in a Gothic Lolita outfit adorned with fake wolf ears speaking before the Japanese Diet...or perhaps because of it.
The last episode indicated that our heroes would be returning to Japan from fantasy Middle Earth Land to be debriefed, and the civilians representatives from the other world would be interviewed. This was pretty much what happened. Of course coming out of Middle Earth into Shibuya rather IMPRESSES the visitors. In short order, Itami, Leili (acting as translator)Tuka and (God help us all) Rory Mercury all are asked to testify before the Parliament...
Now. Pick out the person from the above lineup most likely to cause the whole thing to go to worms...
The testimony quickly becomes heated as an opposition MP accuses Itami and his squad of negligence and/or cowardice during the battle with the dragon, resulting in 150 civilian deaths. Tuka(sp?)and Leili are somewhat confused by her line of questioning but answer honestly, giving her nothing to work with. She then calls up Mercury, misreading her formal veil as indication that the is in mourning for the dead rather than enjoying their aftertaste.
Rory knocks it out of the park. In the process of articulating a shorter, less poetic version of this, she points out that the 3rd recon unit did not allow one quarter of the refugees they were escorting to be killed. Rather, they saved three quarters of the group from being slaughtered by attacking and driving off an entity (the dragon) that had them seriously outmatched. She also admonishes the MP for being a whiny little child, after which things almost do go to worms, but for the timely intervention of Itami, who points out that the ages of Roary, Tuka and Leili are 961, 165 and 15 respectively.
Meanwhile, Penã and her guard had a separate, secret interview from the rest, and learned amongst other things that the Japanese have 6000 POWs and are looking to release them.
Oh...yes...we also learn that Itami is a divorcee, his ex-wife is a fujoshi (and possibly a hikkikomori) and he seems to be paying her alimony in food.
We also learn that Mercury's Halbard/Pike/Tuning Fork weighs several hundred pounds.
There's no combat or other action whatsoever in this episode aside from an attempted mugging and a collateral hernia but a ton of stuff happened that moved the show forward including a bit of suspense involving intrigues facing our heroes in Japan, both foreign and domestic.
...enjoying their aftertaste. I'm glad I drink cheap wine; I don't feel so bad when spitting it onto my monitor when I laugh. That, sir, is priceless!
My wife was cheering towards the end of Rory's little speech. But then, we are old, and have very badthoughts such as nationalism, patriotism, and love of Western Civilization (even if its Standard is carried by the East). We just adore this series; yet, looking at places such as the ANN forum, most of the hate seems to based on a reaction to "it's pro-military" or "it's too nationalistic." Ironic that Rory addressed both of those issues in her little homily.
Sometime we feel as if we are aliens within our own country.
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at Sat Aug 22 05:02:25 2015 (lU4ZJ)
2
I think Itami's ex-wife is a manga artist or animation piece-worker. Clues: She's flat broke and starving, but still has a working computer and says something like "Have to turn in one more page by tomorrow...."
I just watched ShiroBako which has any number of characters like that. Plus an only slightly fictionalised Hideaki Anno.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Sat Aug 22 08:44:32 2015 (PiXy!)
3
Brick, that's a jewel of a line. Well played, sir.
Posted by: Avatar_exADV at Sat Aug 22 14:21:37 2015 (qxzj1)
School Live Episode 6
In the latest episode of School Live, Yuki organizes a school athletic event, Sakura Sensei tries to get Yuki to address her properly and not drive off a potential new club member and Miki gains some insights into why Sakura Sensei seems so clumsy. Later Kurumi and Yuri explain to Miki some important facts about the school's rooftop garden and the yearbook project is finished.
In the meantime, hijinks ensue.
I must say that the music in this show is used to truly excellent effect.
"Good grief Yuki, you're SCARING the poor girl"
This is actually much more than a show about a bunch of girls in school...
Holy CRAP!
ReallyBored called it. I had given up on this theory because of the fact that Yuri was speaking to Megune (Sakura Sensei)...but she's just been humoring Yuki's insanity...Megune has been dead for...well for a while. Possibly since the first day of the outbreak.
I began to suspect the possibility again in this episode only because they were doing very peculiar things with POV shots moments before....wham. The music here was just sublime, capturing the sheer madness of the situation perfectly and the pan and zoom into Yuki's blissfully insane eyes capture just a hint of rage that Miki might contradict the elaborate edifice that Yuki's psyche has built...Yuki's not just pitiable she's quite scary.
I had not realized that pretty much ALL of the school looked like this and most of what we've been seeing is Yukivision.
Sakura Sensei had apparently been a Christian, at least she'd been wearing a crucifix throughout the series, so it was a particularly nice touch that they buried her and put a cross on her grave.
For all of its grim, post apocalyptic nature, the show is about people retaining their humanity and remaining upbeat and decent against all odds.
...in its own bizarre way this show almost one of those Iyashikei (healing anime).
As usual, gentle readers, we admonish everyone to use spoiler tags in the comments.
And if you are not yet watching this show we admonish you to start with episode ONE.
I've introduced this anime to my friend and illustrator, to Daughter #1, and to a couple of her friends. There are jaws on the floor all over central Ohio.
PS Not to be pedantic, but it is my faith: Megu-nee has a Cross, not a Crucifix (which bears an image of Christ).
This is one of those awful stories where I cannot wait to turn the page, and I dread doing it.
Posted by: Clayton Barnett at Sat Aug 15 18:45:06 2015 (lU4ZJ)
2
I have to admit, I thought that "Megu-nee is dead" was sort of obvious*. My out there theory is the whole 'Yuki sees dead people" thing.
Posted by: ReallyBored at Sat Aug 15 19:43:40 2015 (DOcWF)
Posted by: J Greely at Sat Aug 15 22:59:38 2015 (ZlYZd)
4
I just did...and was reminded that #3 was the episode that had really convinced me that she was real. Yeah...that bit at the end of the episode takes on a whole different meaning now. As to what happened, she was definitively ON THE ROOF with the others. Assuming the office segment with her writing her epitaph was real, she may have survived for some time and gotten the girls on their feet. Of course episode 4 is full of hints but she really seemed to be part of the conversation. Of course the more egregious moments of Megune's utter fecklessness are no longer contrived or problematic anymore.
I also don't rule out the notion that RB was right and she's a ghost.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Sun Aug 16 04:11:56 2015 (1zM3A)
5
My initial thought was that she died on the roof around the same time as the flashback*, but I don't think that squares up the timeline properly. I don't think that gives her enough time to write the diary and I think that is a real scene. I think there will be another rooftop fight, probably to retake the garden/water supply/solar charging system. The diary entry is written immediately before that.
*The really downer version of this is that Yuki opens the door they had blocked off, letting the zombies in. Megu-nee gets attacked and bitten then shoves them out another door. Some combination of guilt and horror at causing this causes Yuki to fully break.
Posted by: ReallyBored at Mon Aug 17 08:35:28 2015 (ulGxe)
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