Sunday, December 5, 2010

Shiki 18: the fury of the living


This episode was AWESOME.

It starts showing how the shikis are now getting used to their new unlives. They have "normal" jobs like going regurarly to check if new ones are rising and bury those who don't and so on...

Then we finally get some explaination about the werewolves. Tatsumi goes to Natsuno's house and he is greeted by his father who promptly stabs him. Of course, that is nothing for the over powered guy... The man has gone insane and when asked for he kindly lets Tatsumi in. Natsuno is watching the scene and together with Tatsumi they sit to drink (not blood) and have a chat.

Tatsumi reveals that they are jinrou, a subspecies of shiki. They are very rare, infact Tatsumi knows just four, including him. He goes on to say that Sunako chose the name jinrou.
Natsuno shows no interest in anything Tatsumi says, causing his rage. When he asks where Akira Tanaka is and Natsumi tells him he does not know he grabs his neck with one hand starting to suffucate him.
He then proceeds to reveal other aspects of the jinrou:
  • they breath and have a pulse
  • they are not harmed by the sun
  • they can survive on normal food
What? So they are just normal humans aren't they? No, there is more:
  • they have greater strength
  • and sharper senses
But, they need to suck blood in order to have these abilities. I don't know about the regenerative ability, it might be that is innate to all shikis independently if they suck blood.

So it seems to me that jinrou are superior to shikis in every sense. They can live just as normal humans, but in addition they can get superior abilities.
So why is Tatsumi taking orders from Sunako? She either must be an awesome monster or he has some other reason...
He finally tells Natsuno that Sunako wants the shiki to grow in number so he will not kill him (again?). But if he will not change his attitude he will come back to finish the job.

By the way, no comment on Tatsumi's dress... He has some particular tastes indeed...

Next we see briefly Atsushi Ookawa and Chizuru running around on a car and then Yoshie together with Tohru. They are talking about how Sunako and Chizuru have a mother-daughter like relationship... where Sunako is the mother. Yoshie is another jinrou and she brings Tohru to check the dead people. They get to Ritsuko right after she rises.

Ritsuko realized immediately she is not breathing and has no pulse. She also remembers how she died. She decides to keep with her dead dresses and she refuses to drink blood! Tohru is clearly shaken and he hates himself for this is what he wanted to do but was not able to.

Next we are shown the old lady who last time was watching Akira when he went to the closed house. She is going to the home care support center, and of the other old persons sitting with her only one remains...
The village is starting to have very few living people...

Now we come to the second part. All we have seen up to here in the first 17 episodes was used to build up for this moment :D

Toshio is shown in his bed taking a blood transfusion and fighting to resist Chizuru's orders. She only bite him to control him, force him to destroy all the documents he had prepared and replace them with fake documents stating that everything is normal.
Chizuro is at his home. She tells him he was the biggest threat to the shikis and now that he is "cohoperating" they have basically won the village. Soon there will be only shikis and she will be able to go around and live a normal life. We also get a glimpse of her past life where she was a wife. Apparently that happened quite some time ago and she is not sure if she really wants that life back. She tells Toshio what the shikis are trying to create is a safe base, a place where they don't need to hide. And that they are almost there...

This is the moment Toshio and Natsuno where speaking of in the last episode. Now the shikis believe they have won and they will lower their guard. Now is the time to strike.

There is a festival ongoing and Toshio convinces Chizuru to go there. She is reluctant at first because she fears religious symbols, but he also makes up a story to justify them being togehter and convinces her to go.
They go around speaking to the people and laughing with them. Chizuru feels at ease and lowers her guard even more. When they reach the shrine she is very scared, but forces herself to go on just a little bit more. Of course Toshio encourages her holding her hand. When the get in the temple ground people start to gather around them. Chizuru is now terrified and wants to go home.

The trap is sprung.

Toshio tells she is not feeling well and wants to take the to the shrine's office to rest a bit. When she refuses and orders him to take her more he just ignores her! He asks Mr Shimizu for help and when he touches her he feels she is cold!
When Chizuru tries to get free from Toshio's hand she notices another bite on his right arm. That's why he is not obeying her orders! This must be Natsuno's doing, cancelling the orders from Chizuru!
Toshio's wicked smile at Chizuru is the epitome. Finally the living are reacting!

Chizuru is totally in panic now. Mr Shimizu recognizes her scent, it was in Megumi's room when she was ill. At this moment he is ready to understand. Toshio reveals him she is an okiagari and that she was the one who killed his daughter. He tells him to check her neck. They have to decide if they need to call for an ambulance or not... The other people start to realize too. Ookawa Tomio checks that she is cold and has no pulse. Hiroko Shimizu, Megumi's mother, checks that she has no heartbeat. Others realize she is not breathing. Soon she is surrounded and Toshio can finally show a smile of satisfaction...

But a shot is fired.

Mr Kirishiki has arrived in a car. Being a living human he has no problems in entering the shrine and he is therefore the biggest threat to them. But the car is stopped by Tomio Ookawa bare-handed! The car is driven by his son Atsushi...
Atsushi was shown to be a totally reckless shiki, so it is not a big deal that he is not afraid of entering the shrine. That is just a psychological barrier after all. When Tomio realizes his dead son is there not even the menace of being shot serves to scare him. His rage is huge and Atsushi is so scared that he puts the rear gear and escapes, taking the sniper with him!

They did not manage to ruin Toshio's moment of triumph.

Chizuru takes advantage of the commotion to try and sneak away but she is soon noticed. The episode ends with the people throwing rocks at her.

So, I wonder if they will just kill her or try to use her as a hostage. I think in every episode there was at least one death. In this episode she might be the one. For the first time a shiki.

Shiki is starting to approach the end, with just 4 episodes remaining we are entering the final part.
I liked this episod so much! After the last one I was really starting to fear there was not much hope and this series would just kill all the humans... It might still do so in the end (although I hope not), but at least they tried to survive!

That won't be enough to stop Tatsumi the overpowered
Tatsumi, you win. The weirdest outfit is yours.
Megumi is win
Ritsuko became a divine shiki
Overconfidence
The revelation
You know its true. Now you are ready to accept it.
And to see it for yourself!
Finally you realized.
You need more proofs?
Keep it on!
Everyone is ready to accept it. Everyone knows now.
Another confirmation.
Fear the fury of the lining!
No one can ruin Toshio's moment of triumph!
Yes, it's your son. There are other okiagari out there.
You won't get away now.
You are doomed.
The first shiki to fall: Chizuru.

Shiki 17


Whoaaa!

Now they took the doctor too! What is going on here? Are they going to kill everyone? Will the doctor come back and join Natsuno to form a faction of shiki fighting against the other shikis?

In this episode basically all the protagonists were taken or in a desperate condition:
  • Seishin (the monk)
  • Toshio (the doctor)
  • Kaori whose little brother Akira was taken in the last episode
  • Ritsuko, one of the nurses at the clinic, who started to have some doubts was taken too...
Notably, the monk's father is up to something and it is clear he realized what is going on. Nevertheless he is very old and it is unlikely he will be able to oppose the shikis. Unless he has some connections with people outside the village who can do something, but there were no hints about this.

Also, that overpowered of Tatsumi is aware of Natsuno being a shiki and has been following him...

The shikis are now free roaming in the village during the night and if a living person goes around in the dark he his almost sure to be taken.

This might be the lowest point for the living since the start of the anime. I am hoping it is just buildup for the final part!
Nooo! Don't give up Kaori!
The shikis are growing more confident and shameless in their doing...
Even Ritsuko...
And they have a sniper too!
Toshio is bitten... lowest moment...

Sora no woto, the horizon of dreams


A very nice OAV.

The overal quality is fine, nothing spectacular, but in line with the series. Also the feeling is the same. Sora no woto is a slice of life series with an uncommong setting. It follows the life of five gilrs serving as garrison in a fortress in some post apocalyptic future. The region where they live is a rural area with beautiful nature and the only sign of the slow death engulfing most of the rest of the world is the big desert north of town. Their fortress is far from the frontlines and so the protagonists can live peacefully.

This OAV is set rougly one year after the end of the series. The theme of the episode is "the dreams". Kanata is asked what her dream is and during the episode she gets to know those of the other characters.

Probably the most notable thing is that it expands the background of the series revealing that is indeed set in a future of our world (and not in some imaginary world). When Rio receives a map of the known world from the Roman Emperor the land is shown to be mostly covered in deserts and unaccessible zones. She points to Japan saying that is Helvetia and that most of the big contient "once called Eurasia" is covered in desert. Rio tells Kanata of her visit to Rome where she saw first hand the advancing desert which would soon engulf the city. She also reveals her dream of rebuilding flying machines to find new inhabitable lands.

As for the other girls dreams, the one of Felicia is not openly revealed, but in the end she tells to Mio that she will always be there so that she has a place to return to. At the end of the episode, when Kanata is chosen to be the maiden of fire at the festival, Kureha and Noel write emas and show them to Kanata. Kureha wants to become a good military medic and Kanata is happy to hear that and prases Kureha. Then Noel approaches the two while wearing her ema as a necklace. On it the phrase written is:  "Ma si jolie femme", translated to "kawaii oyomesan" that is "a pretty bride"! And wearing that ema with such a serius face! The girls stare at her for some time until her eyes start to be filled with tears. At that point Kanata and Kureha start to support her, it was really increadibly cute!

Kanata revelas she made up her mind and decided her dream is to follow Rio and join in her dream. Rio accepts and later on we get from her thoughts that it was the same for her. When she was younger her dream was her sister, but now that she has grown she can follow her own dream. She will then support Kanata until she has grown enough to follow her own dreams.

The episode is very nice and manages to keep the spirit of tranquility of the series. There are no big action moments, the pace is slow and relaxed, but it is highly enjoyable.

I liked the series and found this OAV a very nice addition. It manages to add some background information on the world (which in the series was very scarce) and shows that the girls are still enjoing their time.

Kanata's driving skills
Yumina's dream!
The known world
Eurasia is a dead zone...
This reminds me soo much of Nausicaa
Noel's dream!!!
A weird way to motivate someone...
But wait, she is happy with that !?!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

To Aru Majutsu no Index II 08


Another great episode, I am starting to repeat myself but I cannot avoid it. I am really enjoying this season, it's getting better and better with each episode!

This was an introductory episode for a new arc. There is an item, a sword, that can kill a Saint in one strike but is useless against normal humans, that is being smuggled. This would tip the balance of the magicians factions and cause a world. Touma is recruited again, but this time Index must be kept unaware of the events otherwise even more magicians wold notice and come to Academy City.

All happens during the Daihaseisai festival. Kind of a sports festival where all Academy City particitates with schools competing with each other. Oh, and the students can use their powers :)

A special mention. At the beginning of the episode we get a glimpse of Misaka's mother. She is like her grown up version! Misaka might be the only character who has:
  • several copies of her (the sisters)
  • a loli version (Last Order)
  • a grown up version (her mother)
That is awesome :D

The first half of the episode is very lighthearted. It is a sequence of funny moments and fanservice. The only plot part is the discussion between the archbishop Laura Stuard and Aleister Crowley (the upside down guy) about the sword problem.

In the second half we have... more funny moments and fanservice :) But also some plot development. Touma is shown to be talking with Stiyl Magnus and Tsuchimikado about this item exchange. He will be absent minded during the festival activities and this draws the attention of his class representative (Seiri Fukiyose).

Meanwhile Index manages to temporarily satiate her unending appetite with the help of Komoe (the loli-teacher, Tsukuyomi). Seeing how sad she is because she cannot be with Touma Komoe decides to help. She can partecipate in the Daihaseisai activities as a cheerleader. Of course this triggers another funny fanservice event :D

Touma gets beaten again by Fukiyose and they direct to the next event. She tells him she noticed he his absent minded and looks like he is not having fun. Since she participated in the organization of the events this is making her sad... It would be a nice moment if it wasn't for a girl stomping on Touma and making him hit his forehead with Fukiyose's. The two are so close that there is a moment of embarassment, solved by Fukiyose's head stomp!

This leads to the conclusion of the episode and the start of the real plot of this arc. Touma ends hitting a blond girl who is (un)dressed in a very provocative way. The two shake hands and Touma's Imagine Breaker dispells a spell she was using. He notices this and starts to follow her.
She also notices him and decides she has to shake him off, giving the incipit for the next episode!

This was a very light episode which only needed to introduce the new arc. As such, the authors managed to put in lots and lots of funny moments (and fanservice). Also, many characters that make usually only cameos managed to get some screen time, such as Aisa (the kuudere, Himegami) or Komoe.

I like the shift between action packed episodes (like the last one) and more lighthearted ones. They manage to give you the best of everything and avoid monotony. There are many good characters that deserve some screen time!

Maika's maido bento!
M-M-M-MISAKA!?! Yes, MISUZU MISAKA
It will take the best part of a day to comb these hair!
Index face
The "fukou da" moment :)
Nooooooo, Komoe!!
Rental run winner
Mikoto cute face 1
Mikoto cute face 2

Mikoto indirect kiss embarassment
Kuroko indirect kiss realization
Double moe
Could not refrain from putting at least one Aisa screenshot
Oh oh, almost
That's what you get for messing around
Imagine Breaker in action
Water symbol: the flattest smartphone ever