Samurai Flamenco #8 — Congratulations to everyone who picked “It really happened” last week. King Torture is real, and Masayoshi’s hometown is really being attacked by human/animal/random-bits-of-junk hybrids with ludicrous plans on a suspiciously regular weekly basis. And after two months of this, everyone has adjusted to the new normal so well that the Cabinet is losing interest, Masayoshi’s conscience has stopped bothering him, and Mari is getting bored again.
Which means, it’s time for a boss fight next week! I’m still betting that eventually King Torture will turn out to be or to answer to Hirai, but I don’t suppose Masayoshi or his friends will find that out anytime soon.
It also seems like it’s about time to learn more about Goto’s girlfriend. She take an active interest in his life and friends, but apparently isn’t able to come visit him. Is that difficulty physical or institutional? Could it be connected to the thing Goto doesn’t want to talk about that made him decide to become a police officer?
Kill la Kill #9 — This looks like a great time to discuss this theory in infographic form (warning: NSFW in spades) that’s been going around. TL;DR: Senketsu’s transformation into combat mode represents female puberty and the awkwardness of the physical and social changes that come with it. I think the writer is onto something, especially in light of the sequence this week where Gamagoori attempts to literally mold Ryūko into a “proper” girl.
But the ongoing theme of accomodation isn’t just Ryūko learning to accept her transformation; it’s also her learning to play everyone else’s game. Note that turning point in every fight is where she works out how to use her scissor blade to mimic her opponent’s approach. So it had to become a tennis racquet against the tennis captain, a kendo sword against Sanageyama, and so forth, and this week it’s making it a shield as she fights Satsuki’s “shield.”
Next week, the Minister of Information! As a possible clue to his fighting style, the corresponding Heavenly King is said to keep his mouth closed because his breath is deadly…
Galilei Donna #8 — Yes, the Yagyū clan was prominent in the Tokugawa era, both for being high-ranking nobility and for their legendary tradition of swordsmanship. How this makes it obvious that one of Galileo’s sketches would be hidden at the family grave, I have no idea. I’m not even convinced that the writer really knows. At this point, it’s clear that the mystery stuff is being deliberately ignored to concentrate on the characters and, of course, drilling home the point to its intended domestic audience that Japan is totally awesome.
One thing I can explain is how Anna Hendricks has become “Ms. Anhendo”. It’s an abbreviated portmanteau of her name, similar to “BlaGany” for the Black Ganymede. Where did that “o” come from then, you ask? Due to the limitations of the Japanese syllabary, “Hendricks” in transliteration becomes Hendorikusu.
Kyousougiga #7 — Hooray, the whole family is together at last! Only it appears that some part of the process has broken the very fabric of Looking-Glass Kyoto, and it may not hold together for long. I think what they were saying there is that Koto’s hammer broke it when she did whatever she did to open up a door for herself.
That look of recognition on Yakushimaru and Inari’s faces seems to say that Inari really is the same as the elder Myōe, except of course for the height and/or age problem. Anyway, it looks like next time we’re due some answers about where Koto the rabbit was stashed, what the Shrine is up to, and just what, in general, the heck is going on.
1 Comment