dakkumauji
Member
Is it finally time for the
Looks bad.
More Archer sounds great.
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Winter 2014 Anime |OT| I've got to find a dandy guy who killed my dad in the space
- Thread starter Branduil
- Start date
- Status
Is it finally time for the
Looks bad.
More Archer sounds great.
But....but I'm from Arkansas. I even go to the University of Arkansas. It's actually an okay place.
Basileus777
Member
I wasn't insulting Arkansas, it's just the place that popped into my head when I thought of the KKK.
Nah, Mississippi should come first for that.
I'm morbidly curious about that 2nd result.
I'm not feeling that art style at all.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
We should all do that! 10 way tie!
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid 7
At this point the show sort of branches into two sides. On the one side you have Sousuke and his reaction to everything, and on the other you have Kaname and hers. In this episode we focus largely on Kaname (though the episode begins with Sousuke talking with Wratih, who berates Sousuke for wanting the both of best worlds and sneering at him about "following orders.")
Honestly the way Mythril manages this entire situation is terrible. "We've got an operative who has maintained close relations with a contact who is a VIP. Let's remove the operative and tell the VIP nothing at all. Because it isn't like we know for a fact that there is a shadow organization out there looking to recruit people who do not like us or anything!" They just abandon Chidori to her own devices without informing her, and they do so bad a job of it that
Like, they really, really, really fuck this up.
They even fuck it up from the Sousuke side of things. "The Lambda Driver requires intense focus. We've already bonded it to a teenager with all manner of emotional issues from his time as a child soldier, but surely abruptly and violently removing him from somewhere will make him focus! It's not like forbidding him from any further contact will somehow backfire and further inhibit his power to use a machine that runs on fighting spirit or anything!"
It really is no wonder that the villains get the jump on them when they so completely and constantly fuck things up at the administrative level.
At this point the show sort of branches into two sides. On the one side you have Sousuke and his reaction to everything, and on the other you have Kaname and hers. In this episode we focus largely on Kaname (though the episode begins with Sousuke talking with Wratih, who berates Sousuke for wanting the both of best worlds and sneering at him about "following orders.")
Honestly the way Mythril manages this entire situation is terrible. "We've got an operative who has maintained close relations with a contact who is a VIP. Let's remove the operative and tell the VIP nothing at all. Because it isn't like we know for a fact that there is a shadow organization out there looking to recruit people who do not like us or anything!" They just abandon Chidori to her own devices without informing her, and they do so bad a job of it that
she evades her one remaining guard's notice and then is attacked by first an assassin and then by one of Amalgam's top agents.
They even fuck it up from the Sousuke side of things. "The Lambda Driver requires intense focus. We've already bonded it to a teenager with all manner of emotional issues from his time as a child soldier, but surely abruptly and violently removing him from somewhere will make him focus! It's not like forbidding him from any further contact will somehow backfire and further inhibit his power to use a machine that runs on fighting spirit or anything!"
It really is no wonder that the villains get the jump on them when they so completely and constantly fuck things up at the administrative level.
True, my hometown has a kkk community and alot of confederate flags. I only graduated with one african american in my class. However not all of are rednecks and I despise racism with a passion I've even had fights about it.
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid 8
So this episode we see how Sousuke is doing and the long and short of it is that he's doing awful. Which is to be expected, since he kinda was just dumped into some emotional quagmire by an organization insistent on his only value being his capacity to operate a machine that runs on Spiral Magic.
In this episode we're introduced to Lt. Belfangan "Ben" Closeau. He's the Falke's pilot and the new Urzu 1. Closeau comes along to straighten Sousuke out and reform the SRT. He provides us some insight on Sousuke (pointing out that much of Sagara's behavior is to be expected, since he's a teenage mercenary) and also gives us a look at Sousuke's bigger problems:
Tessa also tears into Sousuke, showing us how hard it is to put up with the badass teenage mercenary stoic type. She berates him for using apology out of convenience rather than sincerity, and hates him for not being honest with her about the way he feels. In her words he "pretends to be obedient and kind, but is really cruel". I don't think Tessa is anywhere near Best Girl status, but she can still swing with the best of 'em.
So this episode we see how Sousuke is doing and the long and short of it is that he's doing awful. Which is to be expected, since he kinda was just dumped into some emotional quagmire by an organization insistent on his only value being his capacity to operate a machine that runs on Spiral Magic.
In this episode we're introduced to Lt. Belfangan "Ben" Closeau. He's the Falke's pilot and the new Urzu 1. Closeau comes along to straighten Sousuke out and reform the SRT. He provides us some insight on Sousuke (pointing out that much of Sagara's behavior is to be expected, since he's a teenage mercenary) and also gives us a look at Sousuke's bigger problems:
that his bad attitude could cause him to turn traitor, and that Sousuke, hampered by his dependence on orders, hates himself, but that that hatred could slowly begin to extend toward others. Closeau specifically compares Sagara to the people in Amalgam, hinting at Amalgam's relationship with Mythril, as well as the future treachery of some of Mythril's finest.
Tessa also tears into Sousuke, showing us how hard it is to put up with the badass teenage mercenary stoic type. She berates him for using apology out of convenience rather than sincerity, and hates him for not being honest with her about the way he feels. In her words he "pretends to be obedient and kind, but is really cruel". I don't think Tessa is anywhere near Best Girl status, but she can still swing with the best of 'em.
Seitokai Yakuindomo* 4
Uomi's a pretty great addition to this season. Chiwa Saito has a very wide range, and while I enjoy her role over in No-rin a little more, Uomi's fun too. My favorite part was probably the test in the middle, with Shino's strange idea of the word "underline". And Aria's range of fetishes is simply amazing.
Uomi's a pretty great addition to this season. Chiwa Saito has a very wide range, and while I enjoy her role over in No-rin a little more, Uomi's fun too. My favorite part was probably the test in the middle, with Shino's strange idea of the word "underline". And Aria's range of fetishes is simply amazing.
nintendoman58
Member
It was pointed out that the ending was not Urobuchi's idea. Which is probably why it's so amazing.
I, like the vast majority was shocked and apalled by Madoka Rebellion. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm still shocked and appalled by it.
Frankly because I wanted some freaking closure from it like everyone else. I thought Rebellion was going to be the final pages on the book. A last epilogue of sorts. Because the way the original Madoka ended left it completley open for that. How did Madoka's new world function? What were the other characters doing?
I expected it to end with either A: Homura accepting Madoka being gone and moving forward, or B: Homura dying and joining Madoka up in mahou shoujo heaven or whatever.
But no, instead we're denied option B and offered a deeper (albiet rage-inducing) insight into Homura's character. I can't fault Urobuchi for good writing (even though this wasn't his original idea), but I can fault them for extending the story when it didn't really NEED to be extended. Now we're left on the note that another Madoka is definetly going to be made at one point or another despite them having no plans at the moment. Lord knows how that ones gonna go down. The entire universe is probably going to get rewritten AGAIN. Because this is barely the Madoka story we know anymore. What was once a little story about girls being subjected to the context of a cruel system because of a contract has escalated into a political argument on a universal scale with gods. Or at least it's going to escalate into that. A possible continuation is no doubt going to involve Madoka and Homura arguing at one point about which of their universal systems are better and the faults of Homura's new world are no doubt going to be revealed.
Rebellion is in no way the final chapter in Madoka. There's gonna be more to come. I just hope it doesn't make like the Assassin's Creed franchise that keeps pumping games out with no end in sight.
I expected it to end with either A: Homura accepting Madoka being gone and moving forward, or B: Homura dying and joining Madoka up in mahou shoujo heaven or whatever.
But no, instead we're denied option B and offered a deeper (albiet rage-inducing) insight into Homura's character. I can't fault Urobuchi for good writing (even though this wasn't his original idea), but I can fault them for extending the story when it didn't really NEED to be extended. Now we're left on the note that another Madoka is definetly going to be made at one point or another despite them having no plans at the moment. Lord knows how that ones gonna go down. The entire universe is probably going to get rewritten AGAIN. Because this is barely the Madoka story we know anymore. What was once a little story about girls being subjected to the context of a cruel system because of a contract has escalated into a political argument on a universal scale with gods. Or at least it's going to escalate into that. A possible continuation is no doubt going to involve Madoka and Homura arguing at one point about which of their universal systems are better and the faults of Homura's new world are no doubt going to be revealed.
Rebellion is in no way the final chapter in Madoka. There's gonna be more to come. I just hope it doesn't make like the Assassin's Creed franchise that keeps pumping games out with no end in sight.
ZachDeKoromaru
Banned
Just a reminder that the "Emergency Cuteness Button" on the wiki is the best thing ever.
PhantomOfTheKnight
Member
Black Lagoon - 01
Revy is awesome, OP is cool, really think I'm gonna like this.
Revy is awesome, OP is cool, really think I'm gonna like this.
Tokyo Ravens 16
Blech, so much magical politics. I can't keep track of who any of these people are, who's on what side or why I should care about any of them.
That said, the confrontation between old-guy and not-old-guy was kind of cool, and led to some fairly interesting exposition.
I think I'll join Kon in praying that Harutora gets to do more stuff next episode. And by "do more stuff" I mean "summon Kon and then let her have all the screentime".
Blech, so much magical politics. I can't keep track of who any of these people are, who's on what side or why I should care about any of them.
That said, the confrontation between old-guy and not-old-guy was kind of cool, and led to some fairly interesting exposition.
And then not-old-guy turned out to be the mysterious girl from last episode? Wat.
I think I'll join Kon in praying that Harutora gets to do more stuff next episode. And by "do more stuff" I mean "summon Kon and then let her have all the screentime".
Jex
Member
Don't believe their lies.
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid 9
One of the best episodes in the show's run, and definitely one of the best for Kaname. Mythril's (and Wraith's) incompetence is exposed in full in this episode as Kaname Chidori completely gets the jump on their top intelligence agent. Like seriously. You people fucking suck at your jobs. "We're not using manpower correctly!" they said "An intelligence operative observing the VIP is all we need!" they said. Except that LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER WITHDRAWING A PERSONAL GUARD, Wraith fails to notice:
It's an oversight of such immense proportions, so soon after intelligence failed to catch that Vincent Bruno was a traitor, and so soon after intelligence failed to prevent someone from selling the TDD-1's OS to Gauron, that it really is no surprise that Wraith should remark "I wish I was dead." by the end of the episode. Mythril fucks this entire thing up really, really, really badly. What they should've done was remove Chidori from Japan, not leave her there with a single agent watching from a huge distance. I mean, come on, they even KNEW Amalgam was out there.
This episode introduces us to Leonard
. Leonard, also known as Mr. Silver, is a top dog in Amalgam, despite his age. This is because Leonard is a super genius, demonstrated by his semi-autonomous Alistair Arm Slaves. As a look at Leonard's personality, "Response A-1" for the Alistair line is "kill." As in the first response Leonard programs his miniature, semi-autonomous, 7 foot tall robot body guards to do is kill. He also blocks knives with his coat. He's sort of intentionally made out to be a sissy villain compared to Sousuke, perhaps to make it that much clearer that Leonard's "I am better than Sousuke because I've killed fewer people" line fall flat. In a lot of ways you can draw comparisons between the two, since Leonard also turns out later to be an excellent pilot in full control of the Lambda Driver.
However, I think that Leonard works better later on as a parallel to Kaname, since he is every inch the bad side of what a Whispered can be.
The episode's focus is of course "how does Kaname cope without Sousuke?" and it's sort of mixed. On the one hand she gets the jump on Wraith and manages to even stun Yui Lan (who had even pinned Mao), demonstrating incredible courage, a dangerous amount of savvy, and no small amount of skill and luck for a girl whose only exposure to this danger is spending time with Sousuke and watching action flicks. On the other hand, in the end she's a crying trainwreck and her emotions are completely frayed.
One of the best episodes in the show's run, and definitely one of the best for Kaname. Mythril's (and Wraith's) incompetence is exposed in full in this episode as Kaname Chidori completely gets the jump on their top intelligence agent. Like seriously. You people fucking suck at your jobs. "We're not using manpower correctly!" they said "An intelligence operative observing the VIP is all we need!" they said. Except that LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER WITHDRAWING A PERSONAL GUARD, Wraith fails to notice:
That Kaname has gotten the jump on her, not even seeing it when Kaname is RIGHT BEHIND HER. That Yui Lan is less than 4 minutes away from both herself and Kaname, and that Leonard Testarossa is in town.
This episode introduces us to Leonard
Testarossa
His mecha, the Belial, is almost entirely powered by it.
The episode's focus is of course "how does Kaname cope without Sousuke?" and it's sort of mixed. On the one hand she gets the jump on Wraith and manages to even stun Yui Lan (who had even pinned Mao), demonstrating incredible courage, a dangerous amount of savvy, and no small amount of skill and luck for a girl whose only exposure to this danger is spending time with Sousuke and watching action flicks. On the other hand, in the end she's a crying trainwreck and her emotions are completely frayed.
The scene after Leonard leaves is a personal favorite of mine, Kaname frantically trying to wipe her lips in the hopes it will undo the fact that Leonard stole her First Kiss (and only kiss on screen!) and her pained cry of "I want you here with me, so you can tell me "It's Not a Problem!"!" really help sell you on how much Kaname feels for Sousuke. His own feelings for her will be displayed in the near future, of course. But really, it's one of the best scenes in the entire run.
Save 'N Quit
Banned
Fall 2013 Preliminary First Volume Sales
Bolded are new additions.
Gundam Build Fighters DVD did not rank. BD has yet to release.
New sales numbers for IS2, Arpeggio, NNB, KLK, KNK, and Nagi have been added.
Source and more info via Something, whom I'm presuming is the same one from Mania.
And out this week.
*Updated numbers for NNB, KLK, Magi, and Nagi have been added.
Bolded are new additions.
Gundam Build Fighters DVD did not rank. BD has yet to release.
New sales numbers for IS2, Arpeggio, NNB, KLK, KNK, and Nagi have been added.
Source and more info via Something, whom I'm presuming is the same one from Mania.
And out this week.
*Updated numbers for NNB, KLK, Magi, and Nagi have been added.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Nice to see Arpeggio, KLK and Non Non Biyori do well. Love all 3 of those shows.
Golden Time sales are pretty
Also how did nobody buy GBF? AOTY 2013. Its a disgrace. Its a fucking disgrace.
Dedication Through Light
Member
I guess magi fans just dont care for the anime, after its strong initial start in season one of it so long.
dakkumauji
Member
Kuroko will probably sell like hotcakes.
Log Horizon will probably sell terribly.
Log Horizon will probably sell terribly.
Wow, another OtherGAF tag. Clearly you all need to be more careful after this newest batch of mods.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Urobuchi apparently wanted to end it before the final twist. lol
See, the way I saw it at the time was that it was the perfect realization of the cyclical nature of Homura's story, that for all the anxiety over the role of systems and whatnot don't really amount to much in the grand scheme of things since there is no real escape from said system.
They probably do have more coming, but I felt like the ending was just so much more thematically satisfying, since it touches on the competing nature of the human emotions that are involved in the whole incubator plotline. The fact that I'm treating this movie as an object on its own (I haven't seen the series since it aired and didn't watch the two movies) perhaps helps as well, because I think having this movie end on a cycle itself - with the positions between the two characters swapped - was a perfect way to show this duality and the need to strike some form of balance between the two extremes that Homura and Madoka represent.
I mean, Homura herself admits that this is fiction that she created for herself and that it wouldn't last. That's really all I need to wrap a bow on the story if they choose to end it there. It's like the spinning top at the end of Inception, but much more satisfying.
They probably do have more coming, but I felt like the ending was just so much more thematically satisfying, since it touches on the competing nature of the human emotions that are involved in the whole incubator plotline. The fact that I'm treating this movie as an object on its own (I haven't seen the series since it aired and didn't watch the two movies) perhaps helps as well, because I think having this movie end on a cycle itself - with the positions between the two characters swapped - was a perfect way to show this duality and the need to strike some form of balance between the two extremes that Homura and Madoka represent.
I mean, Homura herself admits that this is fiction that she created for herself and that it wouldn't last. That's really all I need to wrap a bow on the story if they choose to end it there. It's like the spinning top at the end of Inception, but much more satisfying.
Jex
Member
Nice to see Arpeggio, KLK and Non Non Biyori do well. Love all 3 of those shows.
Golden Time sales are pretty
Also how did nobody buy GBF? AOTY 2013. Its a disgrace. Its a fucking disgrace.
It's a kids show, designed to tell gunlpa, not discs. That's the sales they will be looking for.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Have mods been given the power to tag people now? It seems like everyone has one. lol
(I wonder when the next tag fishing thread will happen)
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Man this picture is rather relevant for my situation.
Jex
Member
You're already in one.
Mods have always been able to ask an admin to tag a user. Most just don't.
ZachDeKoromaru
Banned
Holy shit at those Non Non Biyori sales, nyanpassu will never die.
I thought Psycho Pass made it clear enough that Urobuchi can write terrible stories too.
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid 10
This episode "introduces" two characters who are new and a third who is actually new. Both AL and Yan have been recurring cast members since the beginning of the series, but neither one has much importance until now. The only new character to be introduced in this episode is Mr. Hunter, from Mythril's intelligence division in Hong Kong. As a quick side note something I really enjoy is that the Communist North China's Hong Kong employs Soviet made RK 92 Savages, while the Capitalist South China's Hong Kong employs American made M6s. It's just a nice touch, I think.
AL makes his big debut as a character in this episode. He is the ARX-7's AI system. It's worth pointing out that AL and the Arbalest are technically separate. They were designed by the same guy, and they function as a whole, but they're still distinct. AL criticizes Sousuke and points out that the reason the Lambda Driver fails to function is neither the Arbalest nor his fault, but Sousuke's, because Sousuke refuses to accept that he is a part of the system. What's really crazy, though, is that in a show that is entirely built around every single character tearing into the protagonist and breaking him down, and criticizing the way he lives and acts, AL is the only one who out and out asks him to share how he feels with him. Unfortunately, Sousuke isn't much in the mood to share, and least of all with an AI that claims to have intuition and a soul.
This episode "introduces" two characters who are new and a third who is actually new. Both AL and Yan have been recurring cast members since the beginning of the series, but neither one has much importance until now. The only new character to be introduced in this episode is Mr. Hunter, from Mythril's intelligence division in Hong Kong. As a quick side note something I really enjoy is that the Communist North China's Hong Kong employs Soviet made RK 92 Savages, while the Capitalist South China's Hong Kong employs American made M6s. It's just a nice touch, I think.
AL makes his big debut as a character in this episode. He is the ARX-7's AI system. It's worth pointing out that AL and the Arbalest are technically separate. They were designed by the same guy, and they function as a whole, but they're still distinct. AL criticizes Sousuke and points out that the reason the Lambda Driver fails to function is neither the Arbalest nor his fault, but Sousuke's, because Sousuke refuses to accept that he is a part of the system. What's really crazy, though, is that in a show that is entirely built around every single character tearing into the protagonist and breaking him down, and criticizing the way he lives and acts, AL is the only one who out and out asks him to share how he feels with him. Unfortunately, Sousuke isn't much in the mood to share, and least of all with an AI that claims to have intuition and a soul.
The episode ends with Sousuke flat out abandoning the mission for the first time ever, his eyes having turned into the same soullessness as the Yui twins, after Mao loses her temper with him. He'd just crashed their car into a taxi and nearly gotten them both thrown into a Chinese prison, so she's understandably pissed. I'm pretty sure that from here on out the show focuses more or less exclusively on Sousuke, keeping Kaname out of the picture until she returns in the climax.
It's like no one ever watched Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom to completion.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
So who is going to be AnimeGAF's resident furry character?
Based Yoshida.
Also, fucking Infinite Stratos is still selling. It has to be all Russia-based demand because I can't imagine why you'd want to own any episodes after the second volume.
Dedication Through Light
Member
I wonder if Kurobas will reach UtaPri2 levels.
40,000 units between harem sewage and CGI monstrosities. RIP anime.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Clearly none of you Urobuchi haters have watched Gaim
dakkumauji
Member
Doesn't look like the first volume contains the coveted event tickets so probably not.
Color me surprised if it does though.
I watched enough of it to look cockeyed at anyone who recommends it.
The powers of LeagueGAF. It's all in good fun.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I figure it's easier to get what you want out of sports anime from doujin than from a DVD, if you know what I mean.
The "fuck you" ending would be regarded as legendary if anyone had actually gotten far enough to see it. It's a fitting punishment for actually sticking with the show.
Spoiler tag it? I'd like to know and there's no way I'm picking it back up.
dakkumauji
Member
I imagine you wouldn't be able to get event tickets from buying doujins.
Almost everyone in Inferno is dead and Ein and Zwei have escaped to the steppes of Mongolia where they plan to live a peaceful existence with each other. The VERY FINAL SCENE shows them standing apart in a field of flowers at sunset, both contemplating about how, while neither of them remember their past, that at least they have each other.
Suddenly, the camera pans back to show a horse-drawn cart trundling slowly along on a path along the field. Zwei is standing just in front of the road, and when the cart moves into position between the camera and Zwei, there's suddenly a "silencer" sound effect. The cart moves on, and Zwei stands there, silently for a few seconds, until he finally crumples over. Ein, a bit deeper into the field of flowers, turns around to see Zwei dead and smiles faintly.
There's a cut to the sunset while the credits roll, and then finally, at the final moment, it cuts back to Ein, who is now lying dead among the flowers with a peaceful expression on her face. THE END
Suddenly, the camera pans back to show a horse-drawn cart trundling slowly along on a path along the field. Zwei is standing just in front of the road, and when the cart moves into position between the camera and Zwei, there's suddenly a "silencer" sound effect. The cart moves on, and Zwei stands there, silently for a few seconds, until he finally crumples over. Ein, a bit deeper into the field of flowers, turns around to see Zwei dead and smiles faintly.
There's a cut to the sunset while the credits roll, and then finally, at the final moment, it cuts back to Ein, who is now lying dead among the flowers with a peaceful expression on her face. THE END
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsdjfdsfnsfjsfkgjf
Hamatora 4
I think things may have happened in this episode but I'll be damned if I can pick out any to comment on. This show is not impressing me right now.
Oh yeah, there's some girl with the power to see the future on her tablet or something. She doesn't seem to do anything interesting with that ability, though, which is frankly baffling. How can you have a window into the future and not make it interesting? At the very least there should be some kind of scene where she has to stare in horror at her own impending downfall. (I don't doubt this will happen before the series is over.)
I think things may have happened in this episode but I'll be damned if I can pick out any to comment on. This show is not impressing me right now.
Oh yeah, there's some girl with the power to see the future on her tablet or something. She doesn't seem to do anything interesting with that ability, though, which is frankly baffling. How can you have a window into the future and not make it interesting? At the very least there should be some kind of scene where she has to stare in horror at her own impending downfall. (I don't doubt this will happen before the series is over.)
Well thats definitely true.
It just keeps delivering the laughs. Great comedy.
motto TLRU and Chuuni on my radar of course!
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid 11
There's a lot more to this episode than just the prostitute Sousuke picks up, but she is, I think, the very best part of it. She isn't given a name in the credits, and isn't voiced by the same woman who voices Kaname, but the prostitute-henceforth called Kanotme-is one of the unforgettable punches this show throws at the viewer.
I really love how well this character works. Sousuke is separated from Kaname, is pretty obviously pining for her, and along comes Kanotme. She looks just like her, her behavior, on the surface, is very similar to her, and it is no surprise why an addled and depressed Sagara would decide to go with her.
As the conversation continues, though, we come to realize she's more and more different from Kaname. A subtle, if perverse, clue is that she's wearing red underwear (red being a color associated with prostitutes and in juxtaposition to Kaname's white, also establishing that Kanotme is decidedly less kind than Kaname.). She advocates abandoning friends, and views relationships as something parasitic (in that you ought to be the parasite). She's overtly physical, lewd, and crude, and the longer Sousuke is with her the less she acts like Kaname, even as their appearance becomes more and more obviously alike.
It works wonderfully because it demonstrates that it isn't just the way Kaname looks that Sousuke is really into, but the person she is. It also serves as a softening up, an emotional damaging to get him ready for the trials he will face in the next episode.
There's a lot more to this episode than just the prostitute Sousuke picks up, but she is, I think, the very best part of it. She isn't given a name in the credits, and isn't voiced by the same woman who voices Kaname, but the prostitute-henceforth called Kanotme-is one of the unforgettable punches this show throws at the viewer.
I really love how well this character works. Sousuke is separated from Kaname, is pretty obviously pining for her, and along comes Kanotme. She looks just like her, her behavior, on the surface, is very similar to her, and it is no surprise why an addled and depressed Sagara would decide to go with her.
As the conversation continues, though, we come to realize she's more and more different from Kaname. A subtle, if perverse, clue is that she's wearing red underwear (red being a color associated with prostitutes and in juxtaposition to Kaname's white, also establishing that Kanotme is decidedly less kind than Kaname.). She advocates abandoning friends, and views relationships as something parasitic (in that you ought to be the parasite). She's overtly physical, lewd, and crude, and the longer Sousuke is with her the less she acts like Kaname, even as their appearance becomes more and more obviously alike.
It works wonderfully because it demonstrates that it isn't just the way Kaname looks that Sousuke is really into, but the person she is. It also serves as a softening up, an emotional damaging to get him ready for the trials he will face in the next episode.
- Status