This was a very quiet episode, but it showed much more the strengths of this series: its characters. The action of last week was nice and all, but this time this show was all about the characters and their back-stories, and I just find that much more interesting.
The story between the two leads is quite creative, and it also really shows some of their edges. Mahiro as the kid who grew up always feeling special and violent, Yoshiro as the kid who was quite intelligent and came with smart ideas. While people can change a lot in their transition from kids to teenagers, it still is good to keep establishing their characters like this early on in the series. And I have to admit that especially Yoshiro coming up with the story of Mahiro saving that puppy made me laugh.
What also surprised me about this episode was that the two of them just barged into a house and made use of their supplies. That’s quite… different and unusual for protagonists to do. I mean, Yoshino objected at first, but he happily plundered a fridge there. But then again, by the time people will wake up, everything would probably have spoiled.
Also, commenting on how to cook celery. These are small details, but also bring a ton of character.
Rating: 5/8 (Great)
I’ve had my criticisms before of this show but its definitely something different with a good idea behind it. I just feel underwhelmed though because I ended up giving it high standards cause I love the authors other work spiral so much.
This was good example of how to do a downtime episode and I agree on the characterization I do like how the lead guy isn’t an obnoxious loud kid often seen in shounen action series nor is he a Joe average, its good that these guys are clever.
Great episode, great series. I’ve lost hope that it will catch up to the manga, so I’m hoping it wil have it’s own original ending (like FMA).
I just hope you didn’t mean a trainwreck ending like FMA but rather “an original ending like FMA and many other series”. Because the FMA ending was just plain bad. I mean I really love BONES series (which was a factor for me to watch this one) but they tend to mess up their endings. At least of their adaptions, when they have to come up with something themselves. They’re either rushed or complete asspulls (like in FMA). So, uh, I just hope they don’t mess this up.
Anyway, I liked that episode too. And Yoshino slowly grows on me.
But then again, by the time people will wake up, everything would probably have spoiled.
I think they’re acting under the assumption that they aren’t going to wake up, especially listening to how Mahiro talks. So far at least, living things seem to turn to metal but don’t change back. The umbrella and water bottle felt like offerings to the dead. Bones might be planning a pleasant surprise for the ending but somehow I doubt it.
And I have to admit that especially Yoshiro coming up with the story of Mahiro saving that puppy made me laugh.
That was cool. Just goes to show that Yoshino, even back then, doesn’t just take the s*** thrown at him. He pulls his own weight too. And seems to be quite the investigator/analyst. Interesting how he reacted to his parents chiding him over the celery by choosing to deal with them first. I have a strange suspicion that these two will come into a serious conflict of interest eventually.
Fantastic episode, it seems that the dynamic relation between the three main character (Hakaze, Mahiro and Yoshino) is handled really even though Hakaze isn’t even there with the two main characters (same goes for Aki even though she is dead) .. i guess the series really has a knack for making character have a strong impact despite distances or even death.
I also have to say that the way Mahiro and Yoshino met as children is very Shakespearean, it was fate that brought them together and they had no choice in it at all … i like a series that knows how to use it’s inspirations well (so far it managed to keep the Shakespearean undertones very well, even the music gives a Shakespearean vibe XD), and Yoshino puppy story “revenge” against Mahiro was hilarious yet very intelligent .. for someone like Mahiro who doesn’t let anyone close to him easily having the whole class praising him and breathing down his throat at every moment becasue they think he is “a nice guy” is a revenge of Shakespearean proportions XD
Judging by the preview things are going to go crazy next episode, can’t wait to see it.
Felt good, but while this sort of episode is interesting. This show would be redundant and kind of boring without the action wouldn’t it? Everything needs balance, and so far I can’t complain.
The preview of the next episode shows that “All hell will break loose” .. if it’s action you want i’m sure next episode will cover that XD
I just don’t care or even like the characters, frankly I hope they all just die.
Harsh. What do you hate about them so much? Just out of curiosity. I personally have grown to like them over these 4 episodes.
This will be 13 ep.
Trainwreck incoming
Really!? Thank god!
I’m actually a little disappointed that they revealed so much of the history between Yoshiro and Mashiro in an upfront manner like this, even if the story itself was fairy interesting.
Most of the appeal of this show to me came from the disjointed storytelling in the first episode, the different understandings we got from Mahiro + sister on bike scene (which is now getting overused, since there are fewer new connections to be made in each showing). I don’t mean to recommend complexity for complexity’s sake, but any sharpness this show has so far seems to come from their relationship, so I was hoping for some convoluted backstory that would take longer to unravel. This show just kind of does everything else okay or a little above average.
That said, there are plenty of unanswered questions remaining. I’m not really feeling it from Samon’s group or the resident half-nekkid mage princess, though, especially if BONES needs to invent an ending and come up with those things themselves.
wake up? I totally am assuming they’re all dead. That’s why the way they made themselves at home seemed quite normal for me, kind of like using the stuff in a deserted/ghost town.
I don’t know how it will evolve but for me the cosmic art of the first episode is lost. The butterflies in winter were a masterpiece and I was expecting that kind of surprise all along.
The characters’ intellectual level has sharply decreased. From young adults in the first episode, they became shounen fighting pre-teens in the last episode, then we now see them as children.
The magic is becoming less interesting, or even borderline stupid. There is also a critical lack of characters, the main characters being too simplistic and repetitive themselves. And as over_seer stated above, the narration has lost its mystery.
Meh…
Hmmm, how does having a flashback to flesh the characters and explain their relation and personalities equal a decrease in the characters intellectual level, sorry this just doesn’t make any sense at all !!!
And the the fight in the previous episode was nothing like typical shonen fights, Mahiro explained his reasons for attacking the spear-guy head-on which happened after he figured out the killer is from the Kusaribi clan) and the fight had many purposes, he was clearly testing the limits of his item-based magic usage effectiveness against real magic users as he KNEW he will eventually have to fight them to both avenge his sister and stop their plans (according to his deal with Hakaze) .. so not only was the fight used as vessel to explain the magic system, Mahiro also had clear reasons to fight, he didn’t give speeches about the power of friendship/love and in the end he still didn’t win like in any typical shonen show .. “shonen” my ass.
The magic system also got excellently explained and eloquently showcased in the previous episode fight scenes and its inner-workings and limitations tie really well with the overall story (with the opposed world trees of Gensis and Exdous) and it has a strong sense of consistency about it .. in what way is that boring exactly !!?
Sigh, All this makes me wonder why are you even still watching the show at this point if you still think the main characters are too simplistic and repetitive themselves (yeah please show me the magic recipe to create astoundingly deep character in the span of three episodes .. ever heard about character development .. yeah .. that takes TIME (that’s even ironic since ep4 sole purpose was to flesh out the characters, explain how they met and show us their mentality and world-views in detail, yet you still complained about it /facepalm) .. etc etc etc .. my advice .. clearly this show isn’t for you (and it isn’t too late to jump from the train), if you still want to watch just because you want to have something to complain about in your life, be my guest .. but don’t feel bad when someone dissects your comments and disagrees with you strongly.
Have a nice day.
Well said HunterWulf. Anyone is welcome to complain about a show, but if they do not support their complaints with anything then they are basically trolling.
I don’t understand how the magic is even close to “borderline stupid”. It has rules that actually make sense that most anime don’t even try to explain very well. It you see this as typical shonen fighting then you must be blind.
The characters are well fleshed out after only 4 episodes and quite enjoyable to watch.