Phi Brain S2 – 12
Two reasons why this show is great are standing right in front of you
 |
As soon as I saw that Rook was in this episode, I scrambled to watch this episode as soon as possible. I’ve been waiting so long to see my favourite villain again, that even 2 minutes of screentime was sufficient. What else happened this week? Pfft, hell if I know. If I was still doing summaries, I’d just write 5 overly long paragraphs explaining what Rook and Bishop did with one line about Jikukawa. Priorities, people. You need to have priorities. |
Reaction
AHHHHHHHHHHHH ROOK IS BACCCKKK!!!! He was only there for a little bit, but it was glorious. He’s traveling the world with Bishop, defeating Orpheus Order members, solving crimes, and looking fabulous. Seriously, Bishop looks great too! That was enough to make me hyped for this episode and this season as a whole, because if the POG is working on busting the Order as well then this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Rook and Bishop. Thank you for bringing back some good S1 memories, Phi Brain!
But really, this episode is about Jikukawa. He’s a lot more..boring…than I thought. I thought we’d see his deep, dark inner thoughts but he saw grinning like an idiot the entire time. No matter what happens, he’s always happy…to the point where it’s kind of eerie. Things only started to get exciting when he went to solve the puzzle laid out for him by the Orpheus Order. We’ve had enough of Kaito facing the Order itself for now, so it’s a nice change of pace to have his own friends turn on him. I’m very eager to see what Phi Brain mode Jikukawa acts like and the extent of his puzzle-solving skills. It’s an interesting turn of events, although I’m not so fond of the path used to get there. I didn’t like all the time spent on the elections. I don’t care about Chieno and the puzzle dorks, so please don’t waste my time going back to lame jokes. It’s a bit depressing that the pitiful attempts at humour are back when the first beach episode proved that Phi Brain was capable of much more. What a waste…
Overall, an average episode…but Rook is in it so it gets 5 stars.
———————————————————
The Bad Apple
Which rope do I pull to become a frickin badass?
Jikukawa is a hard guy to pin down. He approaches every situation with a smile and a breezy attitude, no matter how grave it may be. It’s difficult to tell whether he is just really good at coping with all the crap life has thrown his way, or if he is choking back his misery and putting on a facade. Even when he’s alone in his room or thinking to himself, he uses the same jovial tone. These are usually the times when we see a glimmer of a character’s true feelings, but his optimism is present even in his own inner-monologues. Yet for a second – just a brief second – Jikukawa faltered. When the Minotaur (probably just Whist talking through a voice changer) hinted that Jikukawa really wasn’t satisfied in his position outside the group of Phi Children, his mask dropped. Just for a moment.
I think this poor boy has told himself “I’m okay with not being a Phi Brain” so many times that he’s started to believe it on the surface…but we all know something much darker swirls below the surface. When he’s speaking to Kaito, he even admits that he’s actually a selfish person despite how he seems on the surface. He has a good life, but falls just a few inches short on so many things. His parents are big-shot puzzle-people (forgive me, such a profession does not exist in our world so I have no adequate word to describe such a…glamorous career choice) that leave him alone in his house all the time. He gets everything handed to him, yet seems to earn nothing on his own merit. All of his victories are hollow, as he knows he doesn’t have the puzzle skills of his friends and never will. He says he’s content just helping Kaito but…well…I don’t think that’s true. I may be over-extending a bit here, but my overall diagnosis of his mental state is that he wants more. He wants to prove his own worth as an intelligent Giver/Solver and be of use to his friends.
I’m hoping his new, silver bracelet actually reveals some of his more ugly thoughts. Jikukawa may say he’s in control, but we’ve all seen just how ‘in control’ people get when they slap this vicious thing on their arm. I’ll be really surprised if he’s not secretly bitter (at least a little bit). Otherwise, why would he wear the Orpheus bracelet? Why bother answering all those messages? I know he said he wanted to research the prototypes, but why would he go through all that if that was his goal? Wouldn’t he just…immediately accept? Anyways, I doubt Jikukawa is revealing everything he’s thinking or feeling at this point. I guess unlike those cheap earrings and rings, this prototype won’t snap off if Kaito solves his puzzle. Otherwise…uh…they’re not gonna be able to study it very well.
If this is a more permanent thing for Jikukawa, and the armlet remains on for a long time…we’re in trouble. He was smart before, but now he’s going to be a beast. He put on the bracelet with 18 seconds left on the clock…meaning he solved the puzzle in under 18 seconds. Yikes. I guess this is the first of the Order’s attempt to get people to betray Kaito. I wonder if more people will try to be double agents, only to have their minds controlled by the power of Orpheus.
———————————————————
Power of the Order
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume Rook and Bishop are still going around the world. This would mean that the Order isn’t just the group of creepers working with Freecell…they are a huge organization of creeps spread around the world. That means they’ve already begun to mass-distribute armlets to a select group of people. The Order is a lot more of a big deal that I originally estimated. Not only are they big, rich and taking over like cockroaches…but they’re getting better at what they do. They’re pumping out new prototypes all the time, despite moving their labs constantly to dodge being shut down by people from the POG. These guys are insane! I can only imagine that the prototypes are getting better and better too…So the next person they use as a guinea pig might just be smarter than Freecell and pals combined. And nastier too. These guys are scarier than the POG for sure…
Bonus Screenshots: Show ▼
Preview: Jikukawa challenges Kaito to a puzzle fight. He claims that the bracelet isn’t controlling him but…eh…we’ll see…
I’m totally okay guys! I’ve just got a minor case of..uh…red eye.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: iLurker with 17 comments
“Gonna marry an apple” LMAO! XDXDXD Thanks for making me burst out laughing and choking on my orange juice :P. I’m ok now btw ;).
I wonder how many cartons of apple juice Jikugawa manages to get through in one day. All that sugar can not be good for him. How does he not have diabetes by now? :P.
Oh yeah! Bishop and Rook are back and badass as ever! <3
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m glad I didn’t inflict any orange juice-related critical injury on you with this post. That is a relief! It was only during this Jikukawa-centric episode that I realized just how often he’s sipping apple juice…Not only that, he only ate apple dishes in the beach episode and he has APPLE PAJAMAS. <_< I hope he eats other foods or else...yeah...someone's gonna need to start taking insulin shots. Everyone is happy to see Rook and Bishop back, so it was a wise move. Fanservice! Glorious fanservice! P.S. First comment cookie OBTAINED! Whether you lurk or keep commenting from now on, you can relish this chocolatey prize for all eternity.
POWUH: iLurker with 17 comments
Oh yeah!!! First comment cookie! 😀
*Oh nom nom nom*.
There was a puzzle I had to solve first to get into the package containing the cookie but the chocolatey goodness more than made up for it XD. It was delicious thank you :).
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
LOL. I’d be careful if I were you with that first comment cookie. De-lurking for the first time on Metanorn, especially on one of Overcooled posts means a contract has signed and you’re basically her property now. I should know, I’m one of her many captives.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I forgot to mention the whole soul-stealing contract thing. How silly of me to forget kekekekeke…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Yikes!! You sound like a vampire playing with her victims’ lives.
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 62 comments
Back in ep 9 there were at least 5 empty apple juices next to his computer xD
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Really? He should cut back on the sugar. I see diabetes in his future giving him a severe wake up call.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Aaaaaaaaaaaah! These two are back! Just seeing them makes me want to catch up to Phi Brain. I wish I had more time! ;–;
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Don’t worry, Kyo. You can do it and catch up. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yes, and you inevitably WILL catch up. THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION! THE POWER OF PHI BRAIN COMPELS YOU!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So he’s back. Rejoice Rook
stalkersfans for he’s made his return and it looks like he’s become a Solver.Seeing Rook and Bishop battle the Orpheus Order in other parts of the world tells me they are more organized and probably have more than double the resources of the P.O.G. The fact they moved the ring manufacturing lab before Rook can get any further clues is proof of their power and influence.
Finding out the Orpheus Order was there at the beginning of season one was a surprise. I thought Minotaur was with the P.O.G at the time. I knew it was a matter of time until Jikukawa became corrupted. Freecell’s taunting must have finally gotten to him. And listening to Minotaur’s voice, I’m sure it’s Freecell screwing with him again (It sounds closer to him than Whist, though).
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Rook’s so pro he can even beat Orpheus Order Solvers despite being unaccustomed to solving. Rook-samaaa! >w< It was very telling of how big the Order is. Big, powerful and filthy rich. Kind of scary, huh? I wonder how they shut them down if they can't even find the base... Minotaur was just Jikukawa in a costume, from what I gathered. The Order just used an avatar of the same head and a voice changer to taunt him even further. It could easily have been Freecell (there's no way of knowing) but I'm throwing a wild guess and saying it's Whist because we saw him at the end of the episode looking very pleased with himself. Not the strongest of arguments, but I like to think he's better at manipulating people than he lets on. I wonder if Freecell is still crying alone in his room all this time? o_o
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Looks like Rook’s traveling has given him some skills. Since he was s Giver, he’d mostly stand on the sidelines and watch. Which is why it’s refreshing to actually see him in action (while disregarding that suicidal stunt he tried to pull last season).
What’s scary about organizations like the Orpheus Order is that they are big, powerful, filthy rich, their influence is everywhere and they practically hide in plain sight. You’d need to do something huge to take them down because they could recover with all the resources and connections in the palm of their hand.
Yeah, I remember seeing Jikukawa in the Minotaur costume for a brief moment. Being tormented by the very thing he used on Kaito and put in the same puzzle must be frustrating. Karma can certainly be a bitch.
If I know Freecell, he’ll most likely be out of his crying state and be back to stalk Kaito and challenge him with more puzzles. No rest for the wicked… or the deranged and obsessed.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yes, Rook seems to have improved his skills now that he’s not putting all his efforts into flinging himself off of high places to his death. Although I’d assume he was still quite a smart Solver before (his chess match with Jikukawa), just not as good as most pure Solvers.
Yeah, the Order is scary for those reasons precisely. And the only people in the world trying to take them down are the POG. No one else even notices or cares!!
Freecell is a fragile creature, but I guess when you have rapid moodswings you can go up as fast as you went down. He’s probably pulling some strings now. Kaito did some permanent damage to his emotions though, and he’s gonna be even more obsessed when they meet again…
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 62 comments
My points don’t flow very well but w/e. I wrote this during a 5 hours long train ride when there were only 4 comments to make up for my lack of presence! But I have to go again, I won’t even be home 12 hours since I’m going to be camping with my friends for a week. I’m especially going to miss the last tsuritama ;_;
I thought the voice was Freecell’s at first, but I think it’s Jikukawa’s when he’s using his Minotaur personna. It must have been Whist copying it. I think Jikukawa was just flashbacking before he got the ring, instead of implying Minotaur being a double agent. But the way they talked after the chess game was weird so I’m not sure. Now Jikukawa gets some action he… seems to be pretty much the same as during the rest of the series. What was he even doing during those 3 minutes? He didn’t seem to be looking at the puzzle. Having played that kind of game, I know his new car road puzzle is a tricky one. But will it be interesting to watch? I would like another puzzle where Kaito runs for his life.
I didn’t expect Jikukawa to be a POG bocchan. With a Giver father and a Solver mother, even! That’s all the more pressure on him. He uses freaking Rook as an objective! In addition he isn’t that close to the group: he only talked to Cubic about his plan. He doesn’t share his worries to anyone. He trusts Kaito on some level and decided to move forward through him, but there is still that hint of bitterness that the Order exploited. What’s strange is that he is always drinking apple juice and smiling in his corner. As you said, we barely saw anything more in his inner monologue! It’s going to be hard for him to get a wife. He loves apples way too much. After the nightgown, I half-expect him to have a secret apples-related products collection hidden somewhere. He must have a group price for his apple juice too. He always has the same brand now. It makes me think of Code Geass and Pizza Hut.
Rook’s collar thingie is open now! It was always closed in S1, even when it wasn’t tight. I’m not sure I’m understandable XD Bishop looked somewhat weird to me, I don’t know why.
With the way the anime works now, being only a Giver is pretty much useless so the main ones are also good Solvers (or on the side lines like Elena). Doesn’t that give Givers a sort of advantage? They aren’t the best at solving but they are more polyvalent. Well, what Minautor said about the true Phi Brain being both may be bs.
I can’t tell if the puzzle club guys are ever going to be plot-relevant. It’s even worse with the random new guy (who says he’s the genius’s brother). -Inb4 he’s from the Order- I laughed at how all the campaigns somehow mentioned puzzles. Those people know their priorities XD Ana’s drawing of Tamaki was nice.
I noticed we could see Eve’s back in the opening. At least she’s still around. The previous opening hinted at upcoming puzzles, I wonder if this one does the same.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Camping for a week sounds awesome! I’m not a camping person because I love my electronics (and hate bugs) but I hope you have a good time. :3
It’s almost certainly Akira Ishida. I’d know that man’s voice anywhere, no matter how distorted!! Jikukawa was just having a flashback, yeah. There is no other Minotaur other than him. Someone just used the image to talk to him (the image wasn’t even moving).
Jikukawa is an odd character. We learn new things about him, but it really gives us no insight about his personality since he’s always in the same mood <_< Hopefully he has some hidden side? I'd like to think there was a reason he waited so calmly for the timer to run out during that puzzle. Like you mentioned...he didn't even glance at it. <_< LOL no wife for him! Not until he's more honest (or obsesses over apples less)! Calling him an acquaintance really is a more accurate description than a friend, especially when you think of all the points you mentioned. He has such a stiff business-only relationship with everyone. It does make him an easier target though, so it's no wonder the Order went for him first. No, I know what you mean, haha. It's not buckled any more! Bishop looked super feminine with his scarf and visible neckline, so maybe that's it? I dunno, he looks more like a model now...Could that be it? Givers need to be able to solve their own puzzles, so those who are Givers tend to be half-decent Solvers by default. So yeah, Givers have the upperhand. I can solve puzzles (professor layton) but can't even make one...I'd say Givers have the most impressive talents, although they may be more like jack-of-all-trades if not trained properly. I think they just want another Giver to make up harder puzzles...not sure if anything about the true Phi Brain is real either. Rook told Gammon he would be the true Phi Brain in S1 to get him to join the POG and we all saw how THAT went. I think they're lying...but Givers probably have some sort of special role, similar to how they needed a Giver and Solver to unlock the God Scroll Puzzle Club people are comedic relief only...OTL...PLEASE NO MORE OF THEM. Never noticed Eve! I'll pay more attention the next time I watch the OP! (Still waiting for Nonoha to let her hair down like in the OP...)
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 47 comments
I noticed Eve in the OP long time ago, but I didn’t know it was supposed to be Eve until we found out of her existence (I thought it was Anna and I was bending my mind to figure out what the hell that means xD O__O)
Since them I’m watching OP like a hawk in case I missed something else =____=
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 47 comments
Oh well…That’s Jikugawa for ya :3 *apple fetish guy xD*
He didn’t really have much proper screen time since episode 9 of first season hence we didn’t really have conditions to take a peek at his dark side, if he has one, which he obviously does 🙂 And judging from this extra screen cap we got for next episode (http://p.twipple.jp/r3V8s) we’re gonna get real good look at it apparently xD If screen caps are to be trusted, that is…>,>