This series was already a bit surreal at times, but this episode took it even farther. The visual symbolism in this episode was just all over the place, and it loved pulling all kinds of weird visual references to events that were happening, the most obvious being the point at which Higuchi started singing.
It was a really weird episode, and probably the hardest one to understand so far due to all of the things that were thrown at us, ranging from the scavenger hunt for the weird brush to the rock-paper-scissors match at the end.
Watashi wasn’t exactly a loser here, as much as a devout follower of Higuchi and his weird ideas. Ozu this time was the bastard in the way that he was playing a bit of a double spy. They’re far less extreme than in the previous episodes, but I think that that’s because of Higuchi’s influence at work, who kept them at bay. Ozu could only be a small bastard, because for some reason it seemed impossible to really make Higuchi’s life bad.
I’m also very curious about the next episode. Wasn’t this series supposed to be just about four stories? Could that mean that we’re going to revisit the tennis club again in the next episode? Overall, the status quo in this series seems to be two deaths of Watashi, one life in hiding, and one life wasted on some weird guy.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
The novel was divided into 4 stories/chapters. That is why many people assumed that the anime would go with the same formula.
Those were:
四畳半恋ノ邪魔者 – The Intruders on Love on 4.5 Tatami Mats (Movie Circle)
四畳半自虐的代理代理戦争 – The 4.5 Tatami Mats Masochistic Proxy Proxy War (Higuchi’s disciple)
四畳半の甘い生活 – The Sweet Life on 4.5 Tatami Mats (Softball Circle)
八十日間四畳半一周 – The 80 Days 4.5 Tatami Mats Cycle (Secret Society)
We had the movie circle in episode 2 and being the disciple was this episode…so it’s still a little bit of a mystery how it will develop in the anime. But the Library Police was already introduced so I think they will still have to be discussed…as has to be a closer look at Kaori-san who we only saw shortly for now.
By now I guess they will follow the 1 club per episode formula to the end…maybe only breaking it for the finale.
I still wonder if the fortune tellers prediction will start to play a larger role in the anime and also if they ever want to start heading for the way all the chapters ended in the novel.
@chounokoe – Just curious, were the events of the 1st (disturbing couples) and 3rd (Cycling club) episodes in the novel?
Thanks in advance ^_^
@ves: Not really.
Some events from the novel’s 1st and 2nd chapter were taken, but the club and it’s aim was completely original to the anime.
The first three episodes together were basically the plot of the 1st chapters, minus the finale of the chapter, which in the novel repeats everytime.
The disturbing love plot was the central action of chapter 1, but it happened in the movie circle and his relation to Akashi was much more like in episode 3 I think.
This episode introduced the character of Hanuki, who also appears a lot more prominently from chapter 2 onwards, so I think they will focus on the proxy-proxy war for the next few episodes.
If you notice carefully, the 3 independent movies Watashi completed for the film club were:
1. Story about two men in an absurd battle through generations = Episode 4
2. Story about man choosing between 3 women ala King Leer = ????
3. Story about man trapped in maze of 4.5 Tatami Rooms = whole series?
Something tells me that we’re going to get an episode that covers #2 at some point… I wonder who the three women will be? Hanuki, Akashi, and…. Kaori?! (who else is there?)
@Quarkboy: That’s pretty interesting. How about the fourth movie, about true love?
@chounoke: Wait, so are the four stories independent of each other or do they develop like Higurashi?
@Bruce: You could compare it to Higurashi…but not really. The way of connection is quite different, as is the basic message…but explaining further would involve heavy spoilers from the novel.
If you’re really interested, pay a visit to my blog (the link under my nickname) and drop me a message there, but I don’t want to spoil the fun for psgels or the other’s.