Shin no Nakama – S2 09 – What Love’s Got to Do With It

The gang has a meeting to discuss Chaos Reignsborough’s Blue Boy, specifically how they’re going to go about protecting Ruti and Zoltan from his hyper-zealous, destructive whims. Tisse provides well-drawn portraits of Van, Lavender, and Ljubo. Ruti declares that Van’s world is tiny, allowing him to trust his beliefs without conditions.

Van will disguise himself and reach out to Ljubo, but Lavender is the problem. Mystorm warned to Yarandrala that despite her tiny cute fairy appearance, she’s actually an extremely powerful monster they should a avoid a direct fight with. Rit decides she’ll try talking to Lavender, since both of them are madly in love.

Red sees Tisse out on the deck looking troubled. Her issue is not just that he’s powerful, but also a “terrifying human being.” She just can’t fathom how different he is from Ruti, despite them both being bona fide heroes. Red lays it out: Ruti is an indomitable hero, while Van seeks to be an invincible one.

Van is also little more than his blessing, which he levels up with everything he’s got. Ruti is more than her blessing, thanks in no small part to her brother’s careful guidance, and love. Tisse is glad Ruti had someone like Red, and now understands better what a disadvantage Van has.

After a tense introduction in a dark alley, Rit manages to get to Lavender’s tender side by basically baring her heart to her. She doesn’t want to talk about anything with her but love, and once Lavender can tell she’s sincere, learning that Rit gave up everything to be with her love, she’s happy to drink mead with her.

While they’re able to find common ground through the love they have for their partners, Lavender disagrees with Rit fundamentally on one thing: the ability for love to grow or change. Ever since she met Van, Lavender has been all-in on her love. It’s a feeling she’d destroy the world to preserve, and never wants it to change.

It’s hearing this that makes Rit realize Lavender’s love is not only one-sided, but entirely selfish on Lavender’s part. She doesn’t really care about Van’s feelings, which, if we’re honest, he doesn’t really have, since his world and his almighty are his entire world. Lavender is, at best, a tool to help him carry out the will of Demis, like everyone else. She’s only “special” insofar as she’s completely loyal to him.

Rit is wise not to bring up the contradictions or limits in Lavender’s love, but does warn her that at some point she’ll have to choose between Van changing and Van dying. If that time comes, Lavender promises she’ll simply die with Van. When Rit asks Lavender to ask Van to leave Zoltan, she refuses, and Rit doesn’t push the matter. Instead, they toast one more mug of mead to hopefully having more peaceful talks like this.

While Rit must by design wear her heart on her sleeve and exhibit extreme honesty with an entity like Lavender who could quickly sniff out her lies, Red takes a different approach with Ljubo, one that exploits Ljubo’s vices, specifically money (which he wasn’t born into) and gambling.

Red, slumped over, hooded, and with a purple face tattoo, goads Ljubo into betting on a fat dragon that ends up winning and earning him a bunch of cash. There’s no better way for him to ingratiate himself to the cardinal than by lining his pockets.

With Ljubo’s lust for gold sated for the day, Red shows him where he can spend some of his winnings on some quality wine and seafood. Yarandrala in an anachronistic bartender’s uniform assists Red with this, and Ljubo is impressed that a backwater like Zoltan has such good fare.

With his pockets and belly full and a nice buzz from the wine, Ljubo is sufficiently prepared to hear Red out. Here, Red weaves the story of ancient elven ruins around Zoltan being full of advanced biological weapons. Some are monster form like the dead Ogre King he shows Ljubo. And some have human form – like the girl Van fought.

Red tells Ljubo that the girl is the ultimate elven weapon to be used against the demon army. If Van fights her, and either or both of them die in the ensuing mayhem, it will be a huge blow to mankind. Ljubo agrees, and vows to recommend to Van that he give up on fighting the girl. That said, Van’s obedience cannot be guaranteed.

The bottom line is that Red, Rit, Ruti & Co. don’t want to kill Van if they don’t have to. They want a peaceful solution, and that may require them to deceive Van. That’s a risky prospect, especially with Lavender discovering that Esta and her new Squire seem to be friendly with the apothecary who fought Van.

Shin no Nakama – S2 08 – One Punch Van

Other than the grotesque mad scientist Gedouiin in Ao no Exorcist, Van the “Hero” might be the most hateable villain of the winter. We check in on him as he’s slaughtering the Hill Giants … for failing to attack and kill humans, which is what he believes Demis created them for. That’s right: the conflicts and suffering that tear this world apart aren’t a bug, they’re a feature. They’re all part of Demis’ plan … a plan that frankly sucks shit!

I honestly don’t know how Esta/Theodora can keep supporting this guy. Perhaps she’s staying out of some misguided notion that she can keep him in line if she just delivers the proper nag at the proper time, but most of her guidance is canceled out by Lavender believing Van can do no wrong. Both she and Tisse are in grave danger, but I see the value of keeping someone like Van close by. I also loved the quiet moment by the campfire when Tisse basically gets Theodora to admit she loves Albert!

Zoltan prepares a grand party to commemorate handing the airship to the Hero, but he doesn’t take it well. When they apologize for not considering his duties and offer their prayers, Van rejects the entire town as lazy heretics. Zoltan as a place has no value to him, and be believes the only proper use for its people, and their only salvation, is to follow him into battle: men, women, and children of all ages.

This is madness, but Van is nothing if not consistent. Any evil he perpetrates or allows to occur is justified, because he is following the will of Demis in firm lockstep. Having recently acquired Chekhov’s Fairy King Shield of Mind Control, Van prepares to use it on the townfolk to brainwash them. When Esta and Mystorm try to oppose him, a very pissed Lavender traps them in a magical barrier.

Van’s shield attack is interrupted by Yarandrala, and when she’s disarmed and nearly killed, Danan enters the fray and actually lands a hit on the “Hero” that makes him bleed. Van simply uses his Reflection ability to transfer his wounds and pain to Danan. It’s clear neither of them are a match for him, but they are buying valuable time.

Buying time allows Red to arrive, with Ruti and Rit no doubt right behind him. He crosses blades with Van and learns that while the guy has been leveling up his Blessing like there’s no tomorrow, his swordsmanship leaves much to be desired, as does his basic magic. When a horde of Salt Dragons threaten to level the town in their search for the shield, he yanks it away from Van and gives it back to the dragons, who then take their leave without further damage.

Van now realizes Red is simply buying time, but by then, Ruti’s fist is already firmly lodged in his cheek, and the much deserved and much anticipated punch to his eminently punchable face finally lands. It sends him flying head-over-heels into a boulder, and as he lies dying, he wonders who hit him. “No one important”, the former hero Ruti declares, blowing on her knuckles.

While I’m glad she made it in time to punch the ever-loving shit out of this asshole, I fear she’s only made him more unhinged. Ljubo and Lavender cast resurrection on him, and he heals himself, then resolves to kill the girl who hit her. He never believed it was his divine role to win, only to fight evil.

Being revived will allow him to continue fighting Ruti, who he deems to be the ultimate evil, even though he really should be looking in a mirror. Here’s hoping Ruti can finish what she started and wipe this villainous piss stain off the map for good.

Shin no Nakama – S2 07 – Children Are the Future

Red, Rit, and Ruti overhear the voices of a bunch of cute kids practicing their spearwork for their Blessings, and decide to help out. The three of the prove to be personable and engaging instructors. If he didn’t own an apothecary, he could probably open a dojo and teach the next generation. When the town watch reports Ogre Kings in the area, the three insist on helping, with Ruti proving they’re pretty strong by smacking her greatsword on the base of a tree and halving every leaf that falls.

Hero Van also ends up meeting with some children, and his willingness to talk with them and his patience  surprises Esta. Alas, he’s only nice to them because their blessings haven’t awakened yet. Once they do, he essentially warns them that they will have no free will to pursue the lives they want, only lives dictated by the blessings bestowed upon them by Demis. Lavender is the quintessential toadie and enabler, believing Van to always be right and everyone else is a nuisance.

The less said about the “animation” of Red and Rit’s battle, the better; it’s essentially a slide show with some shaky stills and pans mixed in. The battle lacks urgency and danger, despite both Red and Rit determining that these are very strange Ogre Kings, using stealth, weapons, and even magic. In the end, Red and Rit take out over two dozen, but the scale of that feat isn’t really captured by the visuals.

It was only a matter of time when Tisse had to reveal herself to Van, what with him nosing around Zoltan and Lavender having spotted her snooping. Tisse has a calm answer for all Lav’s questions, but she’s still suspicious, because Lav is an inherently intolerant, impatient, and paranoid pixie.

Van remains big, big problem, and despite her strength and cunning, Tisse is in very real danger, especially if he learns she’s concealing her identity and assassin’s blessing. That’s why when Mr. Crawly Wawly stops by for a report, Ruti decides they’ll head back to Zoltan.

She doesn’t care what church or hero stands in her way, she’s going to protect her best friend with everything she has. Hopefully that will be enough against Van. Mind you, I’d prefer if they avoid fighting him altogether but that seems unrealistic at this point.

Shin no Nakama – S2 06 – Laying Low in St. Durant

As the gang meets to determine how to deal with an impending visit from the new Hero Van, Yarandrala suggests Ruti simply get out of town for the duration of Van’s visit, accompanied by Red and Rit. Tisse suggests they head to the tourist destination of St Durant, whose Hero was a burly lumberjack who built 100 homes in one night.

While his muscular statue is silly, it’s not silly that this world now has to deal with a Hero like Van, who can’t spare a moment’s feeling for his fellow man, nor lift a finger to help them. He’s got his Blessing from Demis, and they have theirs, and he won’t deviate. Ruti is an example of how a previously brainwashed Hero can still contribute to the greater good while maintaining her humanity and allowing room for love of others.

Even though the trio is on vacation, they’re not going to walk past a young woman in pain. When he hears Kate’s symptoms, Red determines she’s suffering from poison acquired via a cut.  He has Rit keep Kate comfortable with healing magic and Ruti rushes out into the rain to collect an herb he’ll need to make a medicine for her.

Once she’s gotten the herb to her brother, a soaked and muddy Ruti rushes right back out to get someone to see Kate home once she’s recovered. She returns with half the damn town; such is their gratitude for the trio’s efforts. Ruti also shows she’s able to get along with normal people and bring them together, even though she’s no longer the Hero.

Among the gifts the townsfolk bring is St. Durant’s secret recipe for Curry, which Red, Rit, and Ruti enjoy with bread and wine. Rit changes into a swimsuit while Ruti wears one of Red’s oversized shirts in order to get more into a vacation mood. Talk turns to Van and whether he’s left Zoltan yet, but Ruti knows they shouldn’t spend too much time on that subject but cherish every peaceful night they have together.

I’m hoping that line doesn’t portend some kind of conflict. For what it’s worth, Van doesn’t think much of Zoltan as it’s just a stepping stone on the way to the Airship (what a MacGuffin that’s become). When he snaps at a maid for bringing him more food (which he doesn’t really need), Theodora takes him outside for a time-out.

Theodora is the true hero for having to deal with an insufferable shit of a Hero, who doesn’t care about respecting or acknowledging the admiration or gratitude of the masses because he believes their only job, according to the teachings of Demis, is to die. It’s not just Van who’s trouble. Lavender is always on his shoulder telling him everything he says and does is right.

Ljubo, meanwhile seems to be using Van as a tool on their next quest to defeat a salt dragon and claim its treasure. Only Theodora seems to harbor any concern about how Van is developing as a person. He’s simply not the right kind of hero for a world of peace and happiness she fought for in Ruti’s party. He’s a hammer, meant only to drive a nail.

Attack on Titan – 46 – Playing to the Crowd

The Rob Reiss Big-Ass Titan is coming; there’s no getting around it. And it’s attracted to huge groups of people, so it’s avoiding villages and going straight for the densely populated Orvud District, which Erwin keeps UN-evacuated.

Using the citizens of bait may at first seem to run counter to their first mission to protect the people, but if Orvud is emptied the Titan will head to the main wall and possibly break all the way through to Mitras.

I assumed we’d get some kind of Battle of Helm’s Deep-style all-nighter siege, but dawn arrives far quicker than I expected, but both the wall defenses and the Scouts are as prepared as they’re going to be.

They’ve got a plan. Historia isn’t sitting on the sidelines to let her future subjects bear the brunt of the battle; she’s on the front lines, against Erwin’s urging. She muses that if she’s to be accepted as the new ruler, she must earnit with deeds, not simply lean on her name.

In a nice nod to the opening, which IMO is the best of any Titan season, Eren notices a trio of kids not unlike him, Mikasa and Armin back in episode one, on a similarly lovely day, before the Colossal Titan attacked.

Showing Eren looking behind his back and seeing who he must protect is a nice move, and the three kids are the first citizens who I actually want them to protect (a bunch of others are annoyed they have to carry out an evacuation drill).

As for Eren punching himself until the weak, ineffectual, useless brat within him is “gone for good”, that doesn’t work quite as well, but I like the fact that he’s inspired by Historia’s transformation into one of the strongest among them.

When the Rob Titan reaches the wall, no amount of artillery bombardment does much good, and he puts his hands on he top of the wall and stands up, revealing his face and half of his head has been sheared away.

The Scouts shoot more gunpowder into him, and Eren transforms into a Titan to personally deliver another load of powder directly into the very large and open head cavity, thus destroying the core from the inside.

This is where the wheel is broken and history doesn’t repeat itself; the three kids are scared, but their homes and families are spared the cruel, gruesome fates of Eren’s, Mikasa’s and Armin’s.

Even more significant, the fates conspire to make Historia, not Eren, the public savior of the day, as the assembled masses watch in awe as she delivers the killing blow to the Titan core high over the city, before landing in a wagon.

Little do they know she just had her first—and last—fight with her dad. And she won.

When she rises from her fall, she promptly tells all within earshot her name, Historia Reiss, and her position: their ruler. It’s yet another badass moment in perhaps the best character arc Titan has yet delivered. She achieved what she set out to achieve: gain credibility with the people and legitimize her claim to the throne though great heroic deeds.

Meanwhile, Kenny bleeds out against a tree not far from the destroyed Reiss caverns, his entire team destroyed in the fracas the night before. Levi arrives to confront and possibly arrest him, but takes a look at Kenny’s burns and wounds and declares him beyond healing. Kenny isn’t so sure, and presents a syringe of…something. Is that Titan serum? Whatever it is, Levi needs to be on guard.

Barakamon – 03

It’s not very often an episode comes around where I’m snickering or laughing almost the entire time, but this was one of those. It all starts with the stern, severe, hard-as-stone gaze of SAMURAI HARU, capturing the pride and maturity a youngin’ feels when she’s learned something new, the Kana on a chocolate bar and milk carton, in this case. Of course, when she’s corrected, the swagger vanishes and she’s back to being a little kid.

That’s the first of a series of vignettes the episode starts out with, enticing my palette and leaving me wanting more, then getting something a little different that produces the same effect. It’s a tactic similar to that used by chef Thomas Keller to relieve well-off people of hundreds of dollars and many hours of their evenings…and it works.

When Seishuu goes to the town general store, he learns a clever way to pick up fallen needles (YEAH BITCH! MAGNETS! OH!), and also gets a taste of the older villagers’ thick and all but indecipherable dialect, one that sometimes even leads to misunderstandings between each other. It’s also funny that one old lady thinks another is hard of hearing, when she really isn’t.

The most sustained bit comes when Seishuu and Tamako end up going for the same bottle of ink; Seishuu lets the younger Tama have it (foreshadowing the episode’s eventual moral) for her manga manuscript, which Tama humbly asks him to take a look at. When he dare question the highly questionable content, Tama lets him have it in Full Mangaka Passion Mode.

She’s extreme, but Seishuu can relate; they’re both artists, after all. That encounter segues to Tama lending him her favorite manga, then getting worried she accidentally lent him one of her incriminating BL mangas she secretly treasures (her whole story of how that came about is marvelous). She arrives at Seishuu’s house to clear up the misunderstandings he may be harboring, only to see him apparently locked in a passionate BL embrace with Hiroshi, which is another misunderstanding (Hiroshi merely caught him from falling).

In the midst of all this island craziness, Seishuu had shipped off his latest and most expressive calligraphy for an exhibition, but is outraged and crestfallen to learn he only managed second place, losing to an eighteen year old whelp. When other whelps show up with their cheerful demeanor, he snaps at them, but again, Tama understands his passion, and she takes Miwa and leaves, leaving the cheering up to Haru, who keeps it simple: “Are you having fun right now?…If you’re not, let’s go have some!”

She urges him to take a plastic bag and come with her and everyone else to the mochi-tossing ceremony to commemorate the building of a new boat. Seishuu is warned to stay away from the professionals (Yasuba and Panchi) but be aggressive. But again and again, he bounces off the crush of people, and is unable to snatch up a single mochi, despite being young above average in height, and keen.

The ceremony is a simplified analog to his current situation with calligraphy: striving to be the best is futile: there will always be someone better. Pressing against those waves of reality is a waste of effort. It’s better to, as Yasuba says, say “Go on ahead” to the one who barges past. Yield to what must be yielded to and wait for the next opportunities, which will come with patience. Never stop fighting, but avoid unwinnable struggles.

This was probably the best Barakamon to date, besting out the first episode (Don’t despair, first episode! Second Place is good too!). But I wouldn’t be surprised if a future episode comes along to best it. But for now, this is it, and it was glorious and hilarious from start to finish. From Samurai Haru and Psycho Poodle to Tama’s fujoshi ravings, it looked like the artists had as much fun drawing and voicing this one as I had watching it.

Stay Observations:

• “Kids grow up so fast.” LOL. Loved Giant Haru stomping off to the horizon.
• The screaming noise Tama’s manga made when he slipped it out of the envelope was a nice touch.
• “Society demands story elements it has never seen before,” proclaims Tama. Could she be talking about the show she’s in?
• The BL manga that changed Tama’s life? Overtime Work Lovers: “Huh? You’re still here?!” That title is GOLD.
• Tama uses Hideo Nomo’s “Tornado” delivery to throw the manga against a wall.
• Seishuu and Hiroshi’s “embrace” literally blows Tama away…Akira style.
• More village etiquette: Panchi knows she’s a heel during mochi-pickings, so she leaves home-cooked apology meals at the homes of those she wronged.
• In the omake, Haru is appropriately mortified by how the schoolmaster (who looks and sounds like a gangster) uses crayfish as bait.

Barakamon – 02

Averting mediocrity has been a recurring theme of Barakamon, and this week it applies not only to Seishuu’s efforts to re-capture the spur-of-the-moment lightning in a bottle style he awakened in a fit of passion, but also to the village chief’s son Hiroshi, who received all “3’s” in his school marks and has a tendency to half-ass things.

First, Seishuu. Those efforts of his are running him ragged; causing him stress and insomnia, and not helped by the summer heat and the fact he can’t cook. Then, when trying to focus, his tranquil environment is invaded not just by Naru (who is less the focus this week and more of an enabler/go-between to the schoolgirls we saw sneaking out of his place last week, Miwa and Tamako.

The girls only compound the disruption to Seishuu’s concentration Naru is usually responsible for, moving back in to their “base” and bothering him at every turn. They do inspire/drive him into rendering another bold, passionate piece in a moment of frustration. I particularly enjoyed their reaction to his creative lashing-out: they all think it’s amazing…but have no idea why.

Seishuu’s poor living habits do eventually catch up to him. When Hiroshi is delivering him food his mom made (and guilt-tripped hi into delivering with an extremely dramatic monologue for a minor character), Seishuu literally collapses into his arms upon opening the front door. Yet despite his belief Seishuu’s a burden on his mom, Hiroshi is himself inspired by Seishuu’s intense, almost life-threatening effort.

Hiroshi doesn’t believe he has any talents that will net him anything higher than a three, but through Seishuu he realizes that the will to work hard can be a talent in and of itself, and he pledges to work harder. Unfortunately, Seishuu takes a turn for the worse and must be admitted to hospital, which proves to be a fresh and versatile new setting for comedy.

Even weak, in bed, and hooked up to an I.V., Naru, Miwa and Tamako don’t let up, continuing on their respective lines of interaction bordering on cruel antagonism. But intent is important, and the fact is, these people are visiting Seishuu with the best of intentions. Thanks to the hospital’s resident ghost, Seishuu grasps the truth: the girls are there because they like him and are worried about him.

He can’t put everything he has into writing: he has to save some energy for figuring out how to endure the many forceful personalities in his life…and for sustaining that life with food, water, and sleep on occasion. Not that any of this will be easy, mind you, but at least he can count on Hiroshi’s mom continuing to feed him, saving him from cutting his hands to shreds in failed attempts at cooking!

 

Barakamon – 01

When an esteemed curator tears into Handa Seishuu’s conformist calligraphy, calling it “a copybook clone”, “award bait”, and “completely lethargic”, Seishuu thinks the old man is full of shit and slugs him in the face. His dad exiles him to a remote island village, where a nosy little girl, knowing nothing about the incident, says almost the exact same things about his writing. The world seems to be telling him something.

Some people just can’t take harsh criticism. I know I can’t sometimes, particularly where art is concerned. Seishuu is the same. He’s sticking stubbornly to the fundamentals, and the rest of the world is wrong, not him. The weight of that fabricated world of his is slowly crushing him. He needs to get out from under it and gain some fresh perspective. That’s what Barakamon (“Cheerful Child”) is all about: getting over yourself, lightening the hell up, and having fun.

Seishuu’s bad attitude and stubborn ways are no match for the fundamental kindness, decency, and joviality of adorable lil’ Naru and the rest of the townsfolk. They’re not there to judge him on why he’s there or what he’s done; he’s a new neighbor, a rarity in the town, so they help him move in. That outpouring of hospitality doesn’t just soften Seishuu’s hard edges, but snaps him out of a creative funk he’d been denying he was in up until now.

Repeating the cold open, but this time with context, we watch Seishuu take to the paper like a lion to a gazelle; and his giant, wild character “楽” (“FUN”) is far more passionate and expressive than anything he’d written up to that point. More to the point, he had a lot of fun writing it (almost too much fun, as he creeps out the mayor). After scaling a literal wall with Naru to get a better look at the island’s spectacular sunset, he’s started to scale what the curator called the “wall of mediocrity.”

I’ll end with one the many great lines in this episode, delivered by Seishuu’s friend Takao:

“You don’t get any sympathy after punching an old man with a cane.”