High School DxD New – 07 [NSFW]
Looks like someone’s in trouble.
We finished up the battle with Kokabiel last week, and met Albion in the process. So how do we get started on a new story this week? Last time they threw us right into the storyline, so will they do that again?
Trouble for Issei
No good shots of Azazel, so let’s get this Kiba image out of the way.
In a word? Nope. We get a little start in the cold open as Azazel reconfirms that he’s the big boss of the fallen angels, and that there’s going to be a summit of the leaders of all three factions. But enough of that story crap! The real attraction this episode was (Prepare to Scroll!)…
M I Z U G I ! ! ! !
Ok, that’s enough scrolling
Using that third favorite of all setups (after “Umi Da!” and the onsen), cleaning the pool for use, it’s a chance to get everyone into swimsuits… and also to get Issei into the changing room with, well, pretty much everyone besides Rias. First, I’ll apologize for a spoiler last week, as they moved Akeno’s event into this episode, as she puts the moves on Issei, who doesn’t exactly say no, but they are interrupted by Rias, who is decidedly not pleased with her second-in-command. This even carries over to poolside as Akeno tries to openly grab Issei’s affections from Rias, causing a battle to erupt between the two of them.
“I won’t tell Rias and Asia if you have an affair with me”
ara ara, looks like Rias found out on her own
Escaping that, Issei thinks he’s in the clear, but Xenovia also has a special request for Issei: “Could you make a baby with me?” This time, to Issei’s credit, he’s a lot more forceful in resisting, but still ends up underneath Xenovia as, of course, Rias, Akeno, Asia, AND Koneko arrive. But even they are shocked at Xenovia’s true aim, since all the rest of them (maybe excluding Koneko, but that seems to be changing daily) just want to get in his pants. I honestly found this whole sequence pretty amusing, since even though it couldn’t be called “original” by any stretch of the imagination, DxD found a way to pack a whole 3 episodes of ordinary swimsuit ecchi into half an episode and make it funny. And a lot of the reason it was funny was Kaji Yuki, who admittedly doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot of range, but is really good as Issei. His shout when Rias discovered him with Xenovia was hilarious.
“Come on, let’s make a baby.” “Read the mood, Xenovia!!!”
The Head Honcho Shows Up
“Hey, thought I’d just pop in for a visit.”
Punishment for Issei has to wait (or may be permanently deferred), tho, as Rias’ brother shows up. Yep, Sirzechs, Lucifer, the Overlord of the Demons, just pops right in for a visit. Ostensibly to do a ‘class observation’ of Rias, they are also planning to use the Academy for the summit. And through whatever turn of events, Sirzechs ends up sleeping on the floor in Issei’s room, giving the two of them a chance to talk. Or for Sirzechs to talk and Issei to listen.
There’s nothing like having a friendly guy chat with the Overlord’s about his sister’s boobs, is there…
Most of their talk is mundane stuff, but something that comes out to me is that Sirzechs is already rather fond of Issei, because Rias is very fond of Issei. He asks to call Issei by his first name, and even offers to let Issei call him “onii-san”, but even Issei realizes that’s a bit too familiar, and sticks with Sirzechs-sama. Sirzechs also confirms that Azazel is not after Issei. And then he poses the dumbest hypothetical ever: What if Issei used his boosted gear on Rias boobs. I think Issei’s right, they’re already about perfect, but he still tries to think about what would happen, staying up all night agonizing about it (really? You just said they were already the best in the world!).
A Pouty Rias is good too
One more amusing thing is the reaction that Rias has to Sirzechs showing up. Boy, does she get pouty! She’s already in a bad mood because of Issei’s almost philandering, and then her brother shows up and she’s gotta hang around with him. And because Asia has to go wake up Xenovia, Issei’s on his own to walk to school, leaving him alone when he meets a sketchy new guy: Vali, the owner of the Vanishing Dragon.
Nice chain there, dude
The Section Everyone’s Been Waiting For!
There was a new OP, but the real news was the new ED! The first one wasn’t really bad, pretty average both in animation and music, and the song was growing on me, especially after Xenovia joined Rias peerage and earned her spot in the animation. But that one always had kind of a filler feel to it, like they hadn’t gotten it done. This week, we got a new song and a new animation, and boy it’s a lot of fun. The six main girls in (minimal) animal costumes, with Rias in a demon costume, doing really well animated dancing, and then twister. And just to add to the appeal, each VA sings the lines under their character’s dancing.
Plus Bonus Boobs!
Rias Gremory
Akeno Himejima
This episode had quite a lot to it. Poolside ecchi, some infighting over Issei, girls making their moves, a visit from the big boss, an introduction to two new possible antagonists, and a beautiful new ED! And once again, DxD finds a way to pack as many bare boobs into a show as possible without just making it silly (well, I don’t think it’s silly, I’m sure others do). And the only questionable decision that Issei makes this whole episode was to go along with Akeno’s plan, but they don’t get very far.
Thanks for scrolling all the way through this post, too! I know it might have a lot of pictures, but I thought they were worth it. Because of so many images, tho, there’s no gifs of the ED. Maybe some in the future.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: iLurker with 10 comments
With that ending all I can say is Banzai for Stripper shoes/poses.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Moving Akeno’s affair proposal to after she confirms that she has feelings for Issei makes a lot more sense than having it before; i see why the staff went with the switch up
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I partly agree and partly disagree. Part of the impact that it would have had in the earlier instance would have been to demonstrate some of Akeno’s penchant for sadism. One thing they made mention of in the novel was that when Akeno first propositioned Issei, she thought that he and Rias were already ‘sleeping together’, instead of just the sleeping in the same bed they do. And she really wasn’t in love with Issei at the time, just being impish and causing trouble. It was also used at the time to help show Rias’ worry about Kiba and the fallen angels, something they didn’t really spend time on in the anime.
So moving it to now, when Rias is shown to be troubled by other stuff, actually helps with that mood. And after Akeno has obviously fallen for Issei adds another component that makes it believable, although it’s not hard to believe that Akeno would try to give Issei a test drive based on Rias going head over heels for him and to poke Rias a little bit.
I think it would have worked either place, and worked fine here. 🙂
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
That’s a very good point that you make; I had already considered that and while I thought of the pros of having had the correct order be done instead of what the staff chose to do, I personally just didnt like the idea of Akeno, who’s suppose to be Rias’ best friend, doing something like that just for shits and giggles. At least this way, where she already has admitted herself to falling for issei, she has a valid reason for wanting Issei to herself other than her sadist tendacies.
And since she is being so open about her pursuit of Issei (of course after having tried to privately have Issei to herself), it makes her seem more like an honest friend who loves the same person as her friend becuz at least she’s being honest and upfront about her feelings of making a competition out of Issei instead of doing it behind Rias’ back. I guess it was more of my personal preference framing my thoughts on the shift of events. i didnt like the idea of Akeno just wanting to sleep with Issei just because she thought her best friend was.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t want to sell Akeno totally short. She was *interested* in Issei before, partly because of the dragon, partly because Rias was, and partly because of who he was and what he’d done (save Rias from Raiser Phenix). But now she’s definitely fallen for him, and honestly he deserves it.
It’s not like Issei is a complete loser who girls inexplicably fall for. It’s not like he’s just a nice guy, or a lucky guy. He’s strong, he’s charismatic, he works his hardest to improve, he’s chivalrous, and he really cares for all the girls around him. Yeah he’s lewd, and he admits that, but as I’ve said, he’s gotten to the point where he’s making the right decision. He probably is the best harem lead in anime.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
I think Issei’s honesty is a very strong trait of his. he knows he’s perverted as all hell but at the same time he’s got such a big heart and the courage of a thousand people that he deserves all the poon coming his way. Issei truly is a strong harem lead
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…not to mention Gaspar…
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I wonder whether Xenovia always had such naughty taste in swimwear even in the Church, or if she only acquired this after joining the devils…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
They mentioned this episode that Xenovia had never worn a swimsuit before, so even if she had that taste, she never expressed it. But given her penchant for skin-tight bodysuits, it’s not particularly out of character.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
That’s what I thought too. First time in swimsuit, fresh from religious life, picks daring swimsuit.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Freed from the strictures of her former life, she’s cutting loose. It often happens when someone who formerly lived within tight boundaries is finally freed of them. And that’s probably also why she wants to have a baby so suddenly. It was probably always in the back of her mind and now she can, so why wait?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
She was never interested such activities or clothing before so she’s making some self discoveries. This is what happens when you leave someone run free without restrictions.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Oh, and how are Issei’s parents so accepting of the demons and other magical-powered guests dropping in?
Is it hypnotism, mind-control, surprising acceptance, or a combination of all?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
When Issei’s parents first encountered Rias (in episode 2), there was quite a bit of surprise, mainly because mom was surprised there was a ‘foreigner’ naked in Issei’s bed. At the time, Rias said she used her demon powers to convince them that it was normal behavior for kids, and they were depicted as kind of hypnotized / out of it. But since then, they’ve always appeared lucid and in command of their faculties, just accepting of Rias, Asia, and the whole group. I think that we can probably say that Issei’s mom is thinking ‘normally’, and has been convinced that Asia and Rias are both nice girls for Issei (she said earlier this season that it was like 2 wives for him).
Also, remember that a year ago, Issei’s parents thought that they’d never have any grandchildren because of how perverted and unliked their son was. So it’s not like they thought he was great before. So getting all this attention from two (or more) beautiful, responsible girls is a welcome step up for all of them.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
When Issei’s mom said it was like he had two wives, I got the feeling she REALLY wants grandchildren. There may still be some hypnosis involved, but I think his parents are mostly of unclouded mind and are just happy to see girls taking an interest in their son.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Oh, just adding a “behind the curtain” note for this post: The reason there are so many “full-length” pictures is because they introduced a new visual device that I actually like a lot. Instead of having vertical pans and then pull backs to show the girls from toe to head, they rotated the frame to show more of them, larger in the frame.
So where before, those shots of Rias, Akeno, and Xenovia would have required photo stitches and cuts, these were all just single screenshots that I rotated and resized. I know I like it because it makes doing cool screenshots easier, but I also liked it during the show because you don’t waste time with the pans where you don’t really see everything. And I didn’t mind having to mentally rotate the image, since they didn’t ever rotate a full 90 degrees. But from my work, I’m used to mentally rotating things around. What did you guys think about them changing it up like this and putting the characters sideways? Did anyone notice? Or think “Ugh, why is everyone sideways?”
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 95 comments
The new ending is pretty awesome.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree. It’s worthy of being right up there with the ending from last season and that was a visual feast. If this one had a stipper’s pole there for them to dance with as well, I think I’d die happy.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I really think this one eclipses the S1 ED in almost every way, as great as that one was. I always felt like the S1 ED had too many periods of ‘dead’ content: that terrible running sequence, the pan around a static picture, and doing the card flipping twice. The dancing sequences were the best part by far. Plus, Study x Study was not a song that immediately suited my tastes. It’s one I’ve grown to like, but I’ve never found it particularly great.
But this one really corrects all of that. There’s no wasted time, it fits in all 6 girls well, and the song is far more accessible to me. Even if it’s not a style that other people would call their favorite kind of music, it’s a fun, upbeat, and most of all playful song that really sets a great mood. It was instantly a song I wanted to listen to again and again.
And the new animation is playful *and* sexy, and I think the style every character uses fits them well. This might be the only time you hear me say “I like Asia the best”, but I really love that dance move she has. The *only* quibbles I have with it are that Akeno’s hair is a little distracting and Rias and Xenovia’s parts are too short, 3 measures instead of the 4 that the other girls get.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Somebody stop me! I’ve listened to this song 15 times today alone…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Admit it! you have an addiction! You need rehab and quick! I’ll get the tranquilizer, someone go get the restraints! 😀
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Issei has got to be the luckiest harem lead in anime history. The guy’s a lucky bastard and he puts the other leads to shame. All the girls want him and he’d be happy to oblige but he’s always being stonewalled by his sense of chivalry.
Other than Akeno acknowledging her love for Issei, the best part was Xenovia. I thought Asia was gradually losing her innocence since becoming a demon but Xenovia’s falling into debauchery faster than she is and she’s a fresh recruit. I guess she’s trying to make her new life match the same potentcy as her previous one even if the views and ideals are completely opposite.
Where OPs and EDs are concerned, I prefered the one for the first half more to this one. It wasn’t as lively so the ball dropped in my opinion. However, the new ED was an improvement and it’s on par with the ED from last season on both music and character animations. The top 3 best dancers are: Rias, Akeno and Xenovia.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Asia announced her intentions as plainly as she ever has in this episode after they caught Issei with Xenovia. All he had to do with her was ask. It’s Issei’s sense of chivalry that prevents him from asking Asia. And in reality, that’s the way all of the girls are.
In thinking about this comment, I’ve come to realize something about the main characters in this show. Whether it’s because they’re demons, or because they all love Issei to pieces, or whatever, I think everyone actually has a pretty good attitude towards sexual relations. The reason that Issei (and everyone else) is still a virgin isn’t because they think anything about sex is shameful, it’s because 1) they’re all kinda policing each other to not let anyone else get ahead and 2) they always run out of opportunity (there are also creepy and horrible otaku reasons, but I won’t get into that).
But none of them think doing it is wrong, not even the girls who were in the church. Even Koneko’s objections to Issei about his shamelessness are less about sex being bad and more about his thinking too much about it. And I have to say that I welcome that kind of attitude in a show.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
Xenovia is starting to grow on me, she better than Asia…
but Akeno’s the best…THAT COW!(sorry just had to it there, the cow outfit was genious!)
this episode was practically just fan-service, the twist of Xenovia coming on Issei was cool, the overlord visit was funny as hell, but the revelation of the reunion being in the academy took the cake for me this week…not to mention THAT ED! on this note…Xenovia’s got moves!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Koneko Love Corner
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I liked Koneko’s reaction to Issei *not* ogling her. She’s definitely starting to turn a little, and I think she realizes that Issei isn’t the worst person in the world, even if he is an “enemy of women”. And of course she gets a little jealous of the attention the others get.
I’ll mention the mistake I thought the show made here, cause it kind of relates to Koneko. Having both Koneko and Asia in school swimsuits was poor scripting, imo. They should have had Asia go for the one-piece white frilly kind, a la Koumoto Madoka, which would have looked better on her, and also not taken away from the impact of Koneko having a school swimsuit. As it was, Asia was uninteresting and Koneko was lessened.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
At least they didn’t have Koneko go for the bansoko mizugi like Nozomu from Kanokon. (picture probably NSFW)
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I am stuck on Band Aid brand cause…
Oh, and rescue my Spammy food..
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, and thanks for adding to my backlog.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Kanokon is pretty unbelievable fanservice. Especially when you get to the OVA and the soumen flume…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Most fanservice is unbelievable, which makes it both awesome and awkward in general. I’m having a hard time finding a reliable source for the episodes and such, will have to look later.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
That was not a particularly easy series to find.
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Oh god, that soumen was definitely something. And those bandaids…
Don’t ask why I know. I just know it 😉
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yeah, the school swimsuit thing is something I never quite got the hang of =)
Koneko is a complex character, so much under that gruff exterior. But she gots some moves.
That link is broken, but I did a google image search, I think that little frilly yellow number is the first hit…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
The one with the yellow frills is her normal dress. Her swimsuit was this one (the girl on the left).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Ah, yes I can see that on Asia-chan. It suits her perfectly, pun intended.
As for Konkeko, I would hope to see her avoid the frills that small framed girls like her seem to favor. She is far to sporty for that, and a two piece would suit her better. One that would accentuate the fact that, yes, petite women can, and do, have exquisite curves and lines…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought that the school swimsuit actually suited Koneko. It works much better for smaller framed girls. I don’t know what was up with that swim cap, tho.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 175 comments
well at least it was relax ep give all that kiba show in 1st half & kick-off 2nd half with pool time fun.
give now that issei got himself lots of awkward probs
1.akeno want issei got rias jealous.
2.xeno want issei’s “children”.
3.oh issei finally meet white person face to face.
yet while later be meeting 3 faction yea what a way kick-off the 2nd half.