Rozen Maiden – 11
Some people just can’t take “no” for an answer.
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…Thanks to the people on Nico going “udon! It’s totally udon!” at the first part of the Rozen Maiden OP (you know, with the white vines), I can’t unsee it. OTL |
This is what I mean when I say that the dolls can pretty much do anything unless they say they can’t. At first, Suiseiseki and Souseiseki’s powers in Rozen Maiden were introduced as being able to help a person ‘grow’. Being gardeners, being able to travel into a person’s dreams, and every human having a tree in their dreams (which is kind of like the person’s soul), they kind of… help people grow by taking care of said tree. Though they were also said that they can kill a person that way too (Suiseiseki overwatering kills the tree and Souseiseki can cut away branches (memories), so the tree can’t function/live anymore). From this episode though, I guess they can do something about time and restoring worlds as well. Though I guess restoring a person’s tree and restoring a world are kind of like the same thing. …I don’t think the unwound Jun’s tree was the one that was around the clock (I’m pretty sure that the N-Feild and the dream world or whatever it’s called are different places), but I wonder how his tree would compare to the wound Jun’s tree, since he seems to have grown quite a bit on his own and the wound Jun’s tree was pretty tiny when it was last shown.
They skipped over the part where Laplace’s story told wound Jun to weave a rope out of brambles (which was painful) to climb down on, and that’s how he got Shinku’s body out, but having it float up without all of that is infinitely more convenient. …Plus the whole rope thing was for naught anyways, since Jun drops it accidentally when Kanaria shows up and Shinku’s body floats up thanks to Berrybell/Hina Ichigo like it did here.
Yes, wound Jun’s grown a fair amount over the course of this anime, and it’s showing through even now with him rejecting Kirakishou. It’s a pretty big step to have him absolutely hating his life to wanting to chose it over any other alternatives. Sure, Kirakishou could have changed his world for him to be exactly the way he wanted it, but now Jun has enough self confidence to do that himself. And if you’re wondering if she would have actually changed it like she said she would, I’m sure she would have been true to her word. A big part of what drives Kirakishou is her search for recognition (not that the anime has ever gone into this) and trying to become perfect in her own terms. …Which is also why Jun saying that she wasn’t needed caused her destruction here. Had he worked with her, Kirakishou would have kept unwound Jun alive and happy to suit her goals. I have a feeling that I know exactly what he would have been doing as well, since there’s an incident later with someone who’s rather similar to Jun… Anyways, back to Jun himself, he’s made a big decision about how he wants the world, and he’s sticking to it.
Finally, Kirakishou is gone! Ish. I mean, she’s gone from unwound Jun’s world, but if they’re going to continue on with the manga’s story, then she’s in no way gone for good. Did you see a Rosa Mystica? No. Plus even without a hold on this world, she still has Hina Ichigo’s body somewhere. She’ll be back to screw everyone over again soon enough (just not in this arc). Though of course, we have to end things on the worst note possible for dramatic effect. Shinku has fallen apart, Souseiseki’s Rosa Mystica is going back to Suigintou, and… er, that’s it. Things are still fairly depressing though, so let’s see how it ends.
Maybe they weren’t perfect, but the fact that they bothered (for the most part) to include everyone’s reflections in the crystal the characters were all standing on was a nice touch. I’ve never really mentioned this before either, but I quite like the sound track to this anime as well. …Though it’s done by the same guy (Mitsumune Shinkichi) who did the other Rozen Maiden OSTs, so that’s a given. So I assume the next episode should be the last supernatural happenings wrap-up episode before we go back to seeing unwound Jun’s daily life. Though before that, the plot needs to sort out what’s happening with Shinku and Souseiseki. Hina Ichigo should play a surprisingly large part on deciding the outcome of the next episode’s events, considering that she’s not even physically there.
But for now, enjoy the Nice Boat-ish ending.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
There might be enough room though the most part will focus on Shinku while unwound Jun will be squeezed in somewhere. The anime has a total of 13 episodes and that’s the route I think the story will go with.
Finally Kirakishou is gone. Though Jun’s words were harsh, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of sympathy for her. Not after all what she did up until now. She said she’d anything but to me, all what she did was out of selfishness as she said in the earlier episodes that she wanted all the doll masters.
Nice move undermining Suigintou character to cowardice in order to get to cooperate. With that arrogance of hers, it would have been nearly impossible any other way.
Side note: I’ve heard you’ve played the game for Diabolik Lovers so I decided to give you a little heads up. Thanks to info from both ANN and MAL, I found out the anime is getting a head start on the other animes for the Fall season starting September 16th 2013. It’s going to be a 12 episode series, though. Looks like you started playing just in time and I have a good feeling you’d be the one to blog it.
Second side note: The eleventh episode for Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi is out. So what are your thoughts on the series so far since you told me some time that you read the manga?
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I’m pretty sure unwound Jun’s return to normal life will get an episode to itself. I’m fine with that though.
Souseiseki knew exactly how to convince Suigintou~ she’s good at knowing what other’s want, I guess (since Souseiseki is the devoted type). But yeah, Kirakishou is gone for now~ …she returns in the next arc with a surprise guest though.
Yeah, we have a rather large list of anime with all of the air dates that all of the bloggers here sort out. Don’t worry, we won’t miss it! HELL YES I will be blogging DiaLovers though!!! How could I not? Where else do you see the heroine getting stabbed with a fork/ suffer through the characters all acting like assholes? xD But seriously, I’m loving the game. …I feel really bad for Yui, but the story is just so messed up, how could I not enjoy it?
Uhh, I watched up to episode 2 of Kami Inai, got distracted with catching up to pretty much every other anime that’s airing and then kind of… forgot about it since school happened. Give me a day and I’ll catch up for sure though. Ask about it again in the Danganronpa post that I’ll (probably) put up tomorrow. xD
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Kirakishou’s end was very…anti-climatic? I was expecting more stuff to happen and her fighting back more but meh, this is good enough for me. XD
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree. She deserved an end that was fitting for how vile her personality was. The one she got just wasn’t satisfying.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
She’ll be back in the next arc. …With a creepy yandere-ish new friend and an army of rather creepy-looking dolls. This is more like a temporary victory.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Oh yay! It wasn’t bad enough that we had Kirakishou by herself. She has friends too…
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
They’re just lucky that Kirakishou didn’t have said friends in this arc. They make things… difficult for wound Jun.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, I was kind of surprised that Kirakishou was vanquished so soon. Not that I mind, but it was surprising. I kind of liked that it wasn’t a big knock-down drag out thing, and also while Kirakishou was shown to be more ‘bad’ than the rest of them, it felt like she wasn’t made out to be ‘evil’. Maybe I’m just projecting back on it and revising, but I mean, the whole point of this all is the Alice Game, and she’s doing what her abilities allow. I mean, it’s not like the others wouldn’t stick it to their sister dolls if they could.
I know I keep mentioning it, but once again, I was struck by the relative scale of the dolls, especially in those horizontal shots, with tall Jun and 4 dolls that come up to his knees. It was also interesting that Shinku pretty much stayed out of anything between Suigintou and Souseiseki. Unfortunately, Shinku fell apart. 🙁
I’m guessing that Shinku’s Rosa Mystica (as well as HinaIchigo’s?) is with her body over with Wound Jun? Or is there something else going on?
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Well, she’s not gone for good, but the real victory here was Jun’s sudden burst of self growth. Who cares about Kirakishou, when we have Jun’s newfound inner strength to admire? xD Er, Kirakishou isn’t exactly playing the Alice Game (she just wants their bodies and could care less about defeating them for Rozen’s sake), so her sisters view her as “bad”, but you’re right in that she’s not exactly evil. She’s just slightly different from the rest of them.
Uhh, what happens next should be fairly straightforward. Maybe even in a deus ex machina way. Though they kind of hinted at this before, so maybe it’s not quite out of nowhere.
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
I don’t believe that all the dolls are willing to kill each other for the sake of winning the game. I think that the only one who is really serious about it is Suigintou.
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
It’s almost as if the whole Alice Game is Suigintou’s own subplot.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Hmm, it was more obvious in the first season of the manga that the dolls were all actively playing the Alice Game. …But at this point, you’re right, it’s kind of only Suigintou who’s serious. And then, even the next episode, she has second thoughts.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
I loled at the “Nice Boat”.
On a side note, I’m sloooooooowly catching up with this (EP3 cleared atm). Liking it even though I’m a RM newcomer.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Yay! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. ….You catching up with Makai Ouji too? :3 My posts are lonely. xD
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Sorry, but Makai Ouji is at the near bottom of my “Catching Up Priorities” list ^_^;
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Btw, what is a N-Field and Laplace again?
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
The N-Feild is the sort of world-in-between-worlds that the dolls can all travel in. It’s where the characters are right now. Laplace’s Demon is the talking rabbit guy who nobody likes.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, if he wasn’t such a jerk, maybe people would like him more. Nobody likes that guy who answers questions with questions like they’re a bad shrink.