Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R Episode 4
While most of us have been enthralled by the visual and plotual delight that is Erased, one of the last true masterpieces of anime has been stealthily airing every Saturday. In this episode, Komugi is attempting to win the Edo Mansion Miss Kunoichi Contest - a victory that will win her prestige and become a sign model of the park.
Keiichirou Kawaguchi, the famed director of SKET Dance, Galko-chan, and other non-SKET Dance/Galko-chan things, shows off why people could possibly give him the nickname "Kubrick-san". To begin with, the episode starts with one of the most evocative scenes in this season of anime - Komugi stealthily moving behind her parent's backs, sneaking, before surprising them as she joins the table. This scene is especially important as it visually tells us the theme of the entire series in the span of 10 seconds - Komugi-chan is forced to sneak around behind her loved ones backs, hiding her identity as a "Tombo-E" girl (a sort of "mahou shoujo" for those in the know), but ultimately returns to the place she belongs. Even though they don't know where Komugi is, she is still in their thoughts and hearts. We see this particularly poignant motif throughout the series - when her family cheers her on at the Kunoichi contest, the encouraging bento made by her mother, and their bravery in facing Oedon in his first, less dangerous (but equally hideous) mascot form. In many ways, Komugi is separated from her family - masterfully depicted by making shots of Komugi alone much more frequent than when she is in frame with her relatives - yet they always have each other in their thoughts.
The cinematography of this episode is truly deserving of acclaim, as well. Kawaguchi uses a technique that has garnered much praise in the Western film community - famed director Michael Boy being one of the main contributors to this style - that involves reversing motion to create an interesting composition. Komugi typically does not move in the same direction twice. In one scene she rushes to the right, in the next she slides to the left. Alternating between separate directions emphasizes the speed and tension of each scene in ways that no dialogue or fancy effects ever could. Simple usage of composition is what sets Komugi apart from the rest.
But the show isn't perfect. It lacks the cohesiveness of the earlier KyoAni/Tatsunoko OVAs. An obvious reason for this is the lack of a major antagonist - the role that Koyori formerly played - but a greater reason is that, while Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte was simply a fantastic entrance into the action genre, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R strives to be something
more: a deep, thought-provoking show that isn't afraid to throw sand in the eyes of the anime industry with its powerful anti-industry tone.
