I just realized some of the details that they put into the rotoscoping here. The shadows and reflections that people make are also added to the animation (Saeki’s television, the floor of the school). Or take that one scene with the helicopter. How did they do that? Was it just a random helicopter that happened to pass by as they were shooting? It doesn’t make sense if they just hired a helicopter for just that one tiny scene.
And about the events of this episode: what on earth did I just watch? I mean, Kasuga actually succumbed to his inner guilt, which is something I did not expect. I really thought that he would try to hide it as much as possible, but here he actually begged Nakamura to help him confess his sins. And that does suit his character much more now that I think about it: he’s obsessed with purity, and Nakamura is the only one he can be totally honest in, even though Nakamura also has a bit of a one-sided view of him.
And that all culminated into that glorious ending. They like… completely trashed that classroom, and I can only imagine how awkward next week is going to be to watch. I really did not expect them to go that far here. I don’t even know how they wanted to do this scene justice with conventional animation anymore…
Rating: 6/8 (Awesome)
Everything that Aku no Hana is starts from here. 😀 Like everyone else who had read the manga first, I was terrified and curious how they would animate this particular scene, which really defines the events for the rest of the story, and honestly, I was so effin satisfied. Like the ways Nakamura was sexualized and the ways the two smiled during this scene of utter perversion were so incredible that I just sat there in amazement.
And this gives me hope that the future events, most even more incredible and disturbing than the classroom scene, will be incredibly adapted as well, which both excites and terrifies me to no end.
I honestly think that an adaptation of this using conventional animation would resemble something along the lines of Higurashi and look incredibly forced, over-the-top, or just going in a really undesirable direction. Regardless of how “cheap” and “bad” people are saying the animation is, I think they did an amazing job. I don’t even care to enter the debate anymore, I’m satisfied just enjoying it like I am, after seeing this episode.
That scene felt so relieving. The last 6 episodes were so difficult to sit through since everything made me feel so uncomfortable: the art, the story, the opening and ending songs. But that ending scene just felt so right.
It was definitely an enormous release. Ironically, they made it feel so right despite what they were doing was so wrong. Part of that is that we’re really starting to like Nakamura, but also the scene was so beautifully choreographed and accompanied by such haunting, gorgeous music.
Psgels! her names isn’t Kaori!
lol he dun it again
That was an absolutely riveting, orgasmic ending. Those little smirks Kasuga makes before letting loose; Nakamura’s increasing excitement and arousal at the chaos; the two of them lying in the middle out of breath (almost post-coital) It was a masterpiece plain and simple. The little cartoon Oshimi Shuuzou said “it’s going to get even better” at the end of last week, and by God was he ever right. The next episode can’t come soon enough!
More than anything, this episode showed that Kasuga might just be more at ease trashing a classroom with Nakamura than he is at pretending to be a good moral person while hiding his “sins” in Saeki’s presence.
Also something we’ve noticed is just how easily Saeki falls into his lap (so to speak). They say part of romance is the chase, but there is none here; she likes him, she agrees to date, and its implied she wants to bed him, without much effort at all by Kasuga.
Meanwhile, Nakamura is a much tougher girl to satisfy, as exhibited this week. Which begs the question: is Saeki really girlfriend material for Kasuga, or simply someone for Kasuga to place on a marble pedestal and admire from afar?
We’ll hopefully learn more about Saeki, because right now, she’s almost too perfect, pure, and easy to please. There has to be darkness or dirt somewhere (though Nakamura’s rumor about her sowed that seed in our minds).
Good points, all around. This was the first episode I started to doubt Saeki, and appreciate the Greatest Character Everâ„¢ Nakamura even more than just some deviant agent of chaos.
“How did they do that? Was it just a random helicopter that happened to pass by as they were shooting? It doesn’t make sense if they just hired a helicopter for just that one tiny scene”.
The simple way would be to shoot a scene several times to see if something interesting happens. The slightly more complex option would be to make a composite shot from different videos.
The helicopter is there in manga…
They are filming it very close to manga, literally frame by frame.
The classroom trahing scene though has more detail in anime.
“And about the events of this episode: what on earth did I just watch?”
Yes indeed.
And how on earth is a passing helicopter in a low budget movie worthy of any interrogation ?
And how is trashing a classroom an event worthy of fiction ? Is there going to be crime at least ?
I didn’t watch the episode, so sorry but by just seeing the images above it’s too plainly obvious that the anime is trash animation upon trash story. I hope in a coming episode they don’t trash themselves by pouring trash bags on their heads or something like that.
Is there a proper ending to the manga, or the guy is just left running around and shivering all by himself ?
I think it would be more advantageous for a worthwhile discussion of the show if you had actually watched the episode in question first.
“I didn’t watch the episode”
– believing that animation ruins the message
– tossing aside the opinions of many who have watched the show with your own worthless opinion made from not watching the show
– not understanding the symbolic nature of trashing of the classroom
so sorry, but by just reading your comment it’s too PLAINLY OBVIOUS that you’re a retard.
@someloser
I concur
I second the motion
@Amo.someloser
you’re crazy dude
It is true that it is excessive to criticize an episode without having watched it. I apologize about that.
However I had a look at the manga and the aesthetics are way better than this. They added trash animation to what was already a mental trash story.
Those characters belong to mental institution, it is not believable they are in a high-school.
The high-school anime genre was always meant to be over the top, with the alien girl, the kami boyfriend or whatever. Taking high-school life so seriously is just pathetic, it’s a gross misunderstanding. Hentai Ouji – which is really silly but voluntarily so – is far more witty, professional and mature than this.
TBH by your criteria most Japanese high school students belong in a mental institution.
Saeki represent your average [Japanese] girl, “people say I’m so level-headed, but I’m actually a weak person” [direct translation].
Stealing gym clothes symbolizes how the smallest mistakes cost you your pride in Japan. (I re-read that sentence myself, and I’m like wtf).
Anyone would call Nakamura a freak. But IMO she’s the embodiment of all the gossip and bullshit Japanese kids [think] they go through.
From an American standpoint, I understand.
However, comparing this anime to Hentai Ouji says a lot about what you know of the Japanese society.
saeki represents*
LOVED IT!!! I couldn’t wait for this review and this episode was just amazing.
This time, the intro song is sang by a different person. I cannot help but feel that this is sung by Saeki, maybe not the voice actor, but the character of Saeki. You get this sense that she is softer/nicer about the lyrics. The last few episodes, I felt like they were sung by Nakamura who was over the top and doesn’t give a care who you are. And in the beginning episodes, it sounds like it was Kasuga. It’s an interesting take on an intro song being characterized by different singers.
The ending song…it’s been disturbing and the music during the wreck the classroom scene was H-A-U-N-T-I-N-G and oh so GOOD. I’m sad it keeps reminding us at the beginning that this is episode # out of 13. Yeah…I wish it’ll be longer.
The seriousness of high school, well, there should be more animes like this rather than the typical anime that comes every year.
Next episode…aagh, I cannot wait.
I love this version of the ending song also…that is all.