Rinne no Lagrange – 10

Festival time! Are you ready for the haunted aquarium?

Well, it’s almost the end of the season and that means that Lagrange should be wrapping up its first-half soon. Will the ending be fabulous max? I hope so. …Though I don’t think anything will ever be able to top last episode.

Yes, Kara, the end of the season is just around the corner for winter! I will miss a few of these shows, but most of all I will miss my weekly maru quotes from Madoka and all of the woof motions from Lan. Thankfully, we will have twelve more episodes after Rinne no Lagrange takes a break, so that is something to look forward to. Plot this week has school festivals and alien invasions!?

One day, Madoka, you will succeed in reading! DO YOUR BEST!

Things start up this week with Madoka, Lan and Muginami walking around at school. Why? Because it is freaking festival time and you know what that means, right?! Haunted houses and amazing maid café time! Only this time the Jersey Club members finally have time to walk around and enjoy the various club activities and like any other festival, they get to eat lots of great food. Honestly, I think the best part of any festival is trying all the different food, but I could always go to my local state fair for those types of things…

Madoka-“Why are you whispering?”               Lan-“Because it is super fun?”           Muginami-“What are we talking about again?”

While the girls enjoy the festival, the space bishies prepare for their attack; however, Kirius feels they are doing it for the wrong reasons as in revenge for Yurikano, but Izo just wants to smash something. What about Array’s feelings towards this attack? He would rather avoid fighting altogether because it just feels wrong right now. HA! You silly blonde-maid-alien-boy, you will get dragged into this battle one way or another; after all, Asteria owns you.

Array-“Dude…why are you so damn mean to me?”                   Izo-“I never got hugged as a child, I think…”

We return to school with our Jersey girls and they find Asteria playing some video game and she joins the girls for a little walk. Before she can talk with the girls, Lan and Muginami have to leave to help some other friends with their club stuff leaving Asteria alone with Madoka. While the two girls walk around and eat more food, Madoka starts to feel sad and lonely without her two alien friends, but she has a short discussion with Asteria before she is called back to base along with Lan and Muginami to prepare for a possible alien attack. Madoka decides to run after her two friends even though she was ordered to not pilot her machine.

Madoka-“Best friends forever!”         Muginami-“Until they make us take a three month break.”         Lan-“Yep.”

Asteria-“Don’t make fun of me or I will shoot you!”                      Madoka-“EHHHHHHHH!!”

Asteria-“Give me all of that food now!”                      Madoka-“Uh, usually we pay for our food.”

Madoka-“Who dares steal my friends! I WILL MAKE THEM PAY.”                       Asteria-“Quit being so dramatic.”

Asteria-“Goodbye, oh beautiful butt of Madoka…I will miss you.”

After the girls take off in their Vox mechs, Villagibro talks to a girl named BLANK who is currently leading a team of ships to earth, but most of their invasion force has suffered some damage. However, it still looks like a large army even with a few missing Ovids and battle ships… Damn! Those girls are going to have a tough time soon. After that Villagibro prepares to head out while Array, Izo and Kirius decide to follow him but fight on their own terms. The episode ends with Madoka chasing after her two friends by boat with her mind set fully on piloting Midori to save the day. I don’t think anyone can stop her right now.

Lan-“Let us go forth and save the universe from the evil villains!”                     Muginami-“Hmmm? You were saying something?”

Muginami-“Finally I get my turn in the sun!”                     Lan-“Uh you are inside your vox…”

Array-“He thinks he is so cool.”         Izo-“Yeah, he is totally too old for that chick.”          Kirius-“Guys…that’s my mom.”

Extra festival fun

More like is your stomach prepared for all those hot dogs…

Asteria-“These are mine!”                         Madoka-“Hey, stop doing that…at least ask first…baka!”

Calm down there Madoka…maybe you are better off in the drama club?

Muginami is currently dreaming of eating a giant hamburger.

End thoughts

Whoa, emotional Madoka this episode! I don’t think we’ve seen her this upset over anything before. Hell, I didn’t think Madoka had any emotions except genki, extreme genki, less genki than usual, confused, depressed over her mother’s death or angry. This just added a whole new (last minute) layer to Madoka’s character depth. Who knew that she could feel loneliness or slight envy? Lan and Mugi have had some slight development too since they get along with other people (not to mention each other) now, but obviously the focus is mainly on Madoka now.

There was another side of Asteria shown today too I guess, though I’m not 100% sure what relevance the whole to eat is to live thing has to the storyline. I’m sure there was some kind of deep metaphor in there somewhere, but I was waaay more distracted by the fact that the animators put in one of those Japanese carbonated drinks with the marble in them in there. I love those. *cough Other than that, this episode didn’t quite flow with me. Most of it was the girls at a cultural festival and then all of a sudden everyone minus Madoka is off to battle. Was this one last slice of life episode before things get serious? …Well we know how that went with Persona. I guess we’ll find out.

Well things seem to be all set up nicely for the final battle of the first season. …Which makes me realize just how little happened this half of the anime. I mean, I don’t mind the slow pacing at all, but the whole thing feels like it was one long and extended intro to the main characters. Ah, well, in any case, the girls get along nicely now and it looks like there’s a possibility for at least a 2 episode long battle ahead. …Unless they manage to wrap it up in one episode and then save the last one (s?) for more slice of life stuff. I would be strangely okay with that.

I agree with you Kara, just what the hell was up with Madoka?! I have no idea where this suddenly depressed Madoka came from…I guess she really has lots of moods? From happy, angry, sad and now super lonely. I don’t like this side of her at all. I think we all prefer the extreme hyper version of Madoka much better, but I suppose it is nice to see a character that has more to offer than being strange. Then again this was more about Madoka getting lonely without Muginami and Lan hanging by her side all the time…Lol oh no, they have other friends?! DUN DUN!! Drama!?

What about Asteria this time, huh? She was not as bossy as she was last time and she showed a childlike side with her reaction to all the food. So, why didn’t she order Madoka to stay at the school? She is under orders to not pilot Midori right now! Maybe Asteria started to feel bad for the girl? Either that or she enjoys watching Madoka get all fired up? Speaking of fired up, Madoka towards the end was awesome and the music in the background made it even more amazing! SOUNDTRACK, WHERE ARE YOU?! I guess we have to wait for the first half of the series to wrap up.

Overall great episode this week and it was way better than the last episode as far as plot goes anyway…I mean episode nine was more like laughs and comedy provided by Villagibro and the trio of space bishies. I was missing the mecha battles! Thankfully the next few episodes will be centered on the battles versus the drama and friendship vibes. So, what can we expect next week? Hopefully some epic space battle so what will Moid do? Will his team arrive to assist our girls or will they finish off Villagibro’s team and turn on Madoka, Lan and Muginami? Ahahah so many questions. Fun side note, Asteria is voiced by Hisako Kanemoto aka Ika Musume or Cure peace from Smile procure! I honestly had no idea…

Preview

Madoka is dead sexy.jpeg

SPACE BATTLES, HERE WE GO! I think…unless Madoka freaks out on us?