This episode was great, even for this series’ standards. The script, it left no minute wasted. The dialogue was incredibly meaningful here, but the most amazing thing is that it just kept going: it just kept pushing its characters forward, it just kept developing them, it just kept showing them pour their heart out. Okay, so Safu had to get kidnapped for it to happen. The results were amazing.
I really wish that Fractale would have had the chance to take a look at this series, and take its example, because it does just about everything right where that show went wrong. It’s got a ridiculously strong bond between the characters, a strong story and instead of wanting to goof off or ignore the interesting parts of its story, it fully focuses on them. The drama in this episode was heavy, but it was entirely based on the choices that the characters made for themselves. Instead of dragging this out, the creators analyzed it, and instead made it so that it would also get resolved quickly. Sure, a strange coincidence was needed for that, but within that series it’s just a small detail.
Speaking of small details, there’s something about the animation that I also really appreciate in this series, even though it’s just a small detail: the characters’s faces, and especially their mouths. Nowadays, in just about any anime, mouths are just a bunch of lines pasted on top of a characters’ face that move up and down. Here though, there are these scenes that actually try to animate the fact that the characters have lips, and they actually try to make the characters’ faces stand out. In the past there were quite a few anime who did that too, but lately this has died out nearly completely in anime. It’s a shame to lose such a kind of a detail that can normally do wonders in making your cast come alive.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
This anime has been a huge surprise… I thought nothing of it at first but it just keeps getting better and better, even though I usually hate shota main char and… The yaoi was unnecessary
KISS
The moment I saw this series, I knew it would be BL or at least have BL undertones; the premise and the looks of the characters (one has the obvious seme look to him and the other the obvious uke look) made it so I wasn’t surprised when the undertones actually showed up.
Still, I am surprised that they went and did the kiss, since the fans of the novel were quite sure that Bones wouldn’t go there.
But they did and I am impressed.
I definitely enjoy this anime, and while it isn’t the best of the best, for something that has so much BL undertones (that eventually run into overtones) this is very, very good. Definitely a nice change.
So, I’m really looking forward to where the rest of this series is going to go, relationship, plot, and all.
I’m not a yaoi or anti-yaoi fan. So I have no clue why so many people are making such a big deal out of a kiss. It wasn’t even overly sexualized or anything. It looked just kinda like a small peck or something. =_=
Well, I don’t care about yaoi as long as the plot moves as it should. I am really really curious on what’s happening to Safu right now.
I don’t think the yaoi was unnecessary… It’s part of the character development.
Anyway, this episode was great and the argument was awesome.
I did not expect to like this series as much as I do now. In fact, I would say this show is up there on my list in terms of the best characters this season
I have to say, I am impressed that the kiss found its way into the anima, and that it was handled in the right context of the story: it came at the appropriate time in the plot’s development; there was no smarmy BL stereotypes in the form of open mouths, running saliva (gaa, I hate that — who kisses like that?!), tongue or blushing from embarassment; and the characters accepting it for what it was (an expression of the feelings between them) and just moved on with the story from there.
Brava to the animators for handling it in a way that actually added to the story, rather than distracting the viewers from it.
I’m kinda curious about something, Psgels. Do you think Sion’s a bland character, like Clain from Fractale? I notice you don’t really talk about him. You have to admit, he was pretty awesome in this episode.
What yaoi? That was just a goodbye kiss, Sion was just expressing emotions like the sexless innocent character he is made out to be. Just because they kissed doesn’t make it yaoi.
Firechick: I actually like Shion, in the way that the creators managed to take the average stereotype of the “nice main character”, and made it work really well by adding tons of details and sides to his character, and gave him a large meaning to the story, yeah.
That’s what I like to hear! He was pretty awesome in this episode too. ^_^
Why does the fact that they kiss ruin it for some people? Guess what, in the novel they kiss again, so you should quit now if things like that ruin your shit.
If you think the story is boring, that is the only reason you should drop it. You shouldn’t be so insecure in your own masculinity that one practically-devoid-of-passion kiss should cause you to drop the series or get disgusted. That’s such an exaggerated and silly reaction. Are you afraid you’re going to like it or something?
The author described that kiss as not necessarily indicating that either character is gay, but just that Shion has such intense feelings for Nezumi that he felt compelled to try to express it in some way, knowing they may never see each other again. The anime stripped away all that intensity and made it a kind of sweet, kind of subdued expression of extreme affection. Shion has no sense of how to properly conduct himself with people, and you could chalk it up to him being stupid about social norms if you hate the idea that they could both be in love.
@lane: See, this is what I hate about “open-minded” people: this series does NOT need defending. It’s a great anime, not despite but because the relationship between the two leads is so close. If somebody doesn’t like it, then they should fuck off.
great episode. i’m worried about how they are going to be able to finish the story in time, but other than that the episodes themselves feel well paced.
the only disappointment comes from reading the novels where it becomes apparent that the anime will have to remove the darker aspects of Shion’s character which is a shame because it made him an even better foil to Nezumi and Safu, and as well being an excellent source of character development.
This may sound strange, but the screenshot where young Nezumi is looking up at Sion’s window like that looks REALLY weird for some reason. Like the animators just pasted it on or something. Doesn’t it look weird?
Wow, someone piss in your cereal this morning? I said the anime keeps getting better and better, and that the yaoi is unnecessary because it looks like a blatant attempt at pleasing the fangirls
Only an idiot would drop it over something like that… This is still in the top 5 of animes airing right now
No.6 is probably my favourite show this season after Mawaru Penguindrum. I really don’t mind the yaoi. I find it refreshing to see some male characters who don’t end up kissing and being super embarassed or turning it into a cheese fest. The kiss was a sign of affection and it was handled pretty well. The story keeps being awesome but I keep repeating to myself: how will they manage to finish it in 4 episodes!?
You know, sometimes people can have relationships out of the heteronorm WITHOUT it being fanservice. Just sayin’.
Anyways, another very enjoyable episode though seriously wondering how they’re going to end it in just 4 episodes with so many novels left to go…
@ P-chan After reading the summary of the later novels, I totally agree with you. I think Shion’s darker side would be really nice if it was portrayed in the anime. They toned down the complex emotions & darker tension quite a bit. psgels praises this series for the character development but if they included the extra emotions in the novel…
I actually expected BONES to animate this, it was just a matter of time. It just doesn’t seem to me that they are the kind that would leave that out.