Outbreak Company – 10
Tehe-pero~
Let me first apologize for the lack of Machine-Doll and Tokyo Ravens this week. I was particularly inundated with work and exams and was unable to spare time for them. And now on to the show.
Making a Movie
Minori’s got sweaty armpits.
Boy did Outbreak Company have a field day with the references in this episode. This is perhaps the most in-your-face it gets, but fortunately it’s for good reason. The movie is meant to be one big misleading ripoff of popular anime to distract NNDers from the truth of Eldant’s existence when videos of the inter-species soccer grudge match were accidentally leaked online. And it certainly does the job well. At any rate, I find myself without too much real content to talk about regarding the making of the film. This being yet another not-so-serious episode, a lot of it consisted of comedy and gag routines that can only be enjoyed by watching it yourself. Highlights include Minori’s recurring perspiration problem (aka sweaty armpits) which incites the wrath of a dragon twice (apparently they are specifically sensitive to antiperspirant aerosols) and Petralka’s humiliatingly embarrasing performance (so bad she had the film both sealed and erased from history). All good, entertaining stuff to enjoy on your own, but nothing really in the way of discussion matter.
Awestruck
Not even a dragon stands a chance.
Something noteworthy does happen in the midst of the film-making though. During one of Petralka’s scenes, a real dragon crashes the shoot, absolutely demolishing the fake animatronic dragon the JSDF had prepared. As you might expect, all hell breaks loose and Galious prepares the Eldant royal guard for a grueling confrontation with the fire-breathing beast. But before they are able to face their maker, the good ‘ol soldiers of the JSDF step in and repel the dragon with ease using a variety of guns, RPGs, and even artillery (why did they have those on set?). Those guys sure cut loose on that poor dragon. Fortunately, a bloody end is averted as the beast appears less physically harmed by the flying lead than intimidated by the loud noises. Nevertheless, the Eldant crowd is left standing in awe at the shear amount of destructive power levied on the mythical creature. This is is an experience that they will forever remember, I am almost certain, with potential implications. Whether it inspires fear of or deference for the foreign race that has mysteriously entered their own world remains to be seen, but I’m seriously hoping the display of firepower doesn’t have a negative effect in the end.
Petralka’s Turn?
A pretty nice shot.
Speaking of Petralka, I know some of the watchers have been disappointed by her lack of time with Shinichi. While it’s true ShinichixMyucel are OTP, I do tend to agree that the half-elf’s self-proclaimed rival deserves some more attention. And so the brief intimate moment here shared between the supreme ruler and the object of her attention no doubt helps in this regard. Although it still seems that poor Petralka keeps getting the short end of the stick as her time with Shinichi is far more limited compared to Myucel’s time with the lucky guy. But to this I say such is the consequence of their positions. You can’t expect someone as far removed from the common people as the supreme ruler of the nation to spend more time with an ordinary (i.e., not royal) guy than his own personal maid.
Extras
We’ve been getting quite a few humorous hijinks lately, but the next episode preview promises a return to more serious matters. Or at least, it would have us believe. This is a welcome change to me, as there are only two episodes to go before the end of the season. As it stands, I am rather pleased with Outbreak Company in general, but objectively speaking it’s starting to look like the political and social issues are more of a gimmick as they’ve more or less taken the backseat for a while now. Though in truth it’s not as if the show has ever promised a far greater focus on these matters over its much proclaimed moe missionary elements, so I can’t quite fault it in all good conscience.
About Sumairii
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
The show is meta about meta. It’s like a mirror looking at itself.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Speaking of meta, have you heard the D-Frag! drama CD? It’s all about making a drama CD… XD
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
If I were the townsfolk and Minori wasn’t so highly regarded among the ranks, I’d have her under arrest or issue some other kind of punishment for reckless endangerment, especially when she was told not to use aerosol products.