Okay. Something happened here. I’m not sure what, but this episode was much more fun than usual. The flaws of this series are still there. I mean, there was a point at which Yukiteru’s diary predicted exactly what traps he’d fall in, and yet he didn’t even notice realize this. On top of that, I have no idea why Seventh at the end didn’t just destroy the diaries of two competitors.
I think what really sold me on this episode was Yuno’s mindless enthusiasm. Before, I liked her character, but I couldn’t yet see why everyone was gushing over her. The part at the beginning of the episode, where she just sneaked in and prepared food for Yukiteru: that probably was my favorite moment of her so far. Now that’s a stalker..
Seventh also pretending to be Eighth was a nice twist, including making up these weird powers like being able to see the future of the next person you flirt with (wtf?). They’re still rather big stereotypes at this point, but it does work that they’re complete opposites of Yuno and Yukiteru. I do admit that I found the first half of this show a bit boring at times, but if it has indeed been building up to something bigger, I can still turn into a fan of it.
Also, I like the new OP and ED. In particular the animation, safe for the rather forced bits of the previous OP.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
This show just keeps getting better and better. Psgels, please blog HxH episode 16. Also unban me from shoutbox.
About 7th not destroying their phones / killing them, for the record, I agree that’s plot armor. On the other hand, it can be somewhat justified. Let’s just say every bit of information helps in the survival game. By disabling 1st and 2nd and holding on to their cellphones, not only their lives are at 7th’s mercy, their literally become scouts. Yuki and Yuno’s diaries are of particular value because they complement each other and provide huge amount of information in their surroundings. From the perspective of 7th, 11th is still unrevealed and 9th is a wild card. So if either of them interact with 1st and 2nd (an attack or just a conversation – like 9th did at the hospital), their identities are immediately revealed to 7th, who can then deduce their personalities and future plans based on the recorded interactions. If they are smart (by not pushing it too far) they can even blackmail 1st and 2nd to do their bidding to some extend.
SPOILERS FUCK!
Wow… you sure?
Everything I said were justifications I can come up with given the current plot. Nobody would take it as spoiler until you say it’s spoiler…
I doubt DENE323 was spoiling anything cuz anyone with a shred of common sense would speculate on the obvious reasons behind the refusal to destroy the Future Diaries.
If the Seventh Diarists were already working as apprentice Diarists then it stands to reason that they were working with Eight in tandem on defeating First and Second. Perhaps Eight had a mandate on the Seventh Diarists and they’re following along.
As for this episode I was pleased at the tight pace and improved animation. But I’m somewhat disappointed at Yukiteru’s regression. Why isn’t he using his bullseye dart skills anymore? Now that’s some reverse plot armor.
I think the more interesting question is, does 8th know the true identities of 7th? Looks like they know each other very well, but if the competition gets even thinner, would 7th turn on 8th?
I don’t think so, otherwise I doubt 8th would be as accommodating with them. It stands to reason that 7th kept their true identity secret until they faced Yukiteru and Yuno without any witnesses around.
Moreover, I also think they joined forces with Eight in order to eliminate the most dangerous Diarists (First, Second) and smoke out the remaining ones (Ninth and Eleventh).
One good reason to keep the diaries instead of destroying them is for a flanking maneuver; first and second have been huge targets since the beginning, so having them be decoys, essentially, means you can deal with the other diary owners.
As for Yuki’s fear of Yuno, I really don’t get it. It’s like she’s a loaded gun that could explode at any moment in his face. Since he can’t really get rid of her, he might as well point her at enemies. I doubt he’s even considered what might happen if she gets killed defending him.