Black Bullet – 02
My heart when I watched this episode.
Greetings, and welcome back to the bug hunt. In this episode we track our prey on the dark side.
Crapsack World?
This was just to adorable.
It’s a hard thing. A kid has to take a step back and realize that the image they have in mind of someone doesn’t always match up to reality. It’s unrealistic, of course, to look up to Rentaro as a Champion of Justice, but in Enju’s mind that is exactly what she needs him to be. He not comfortable with either the title or in letting Enju down, and somewhere he has to work to strike a balance. Protector and Hero, Father Figure and Promoter. Doing the right thing at the right time, even if a wrong gets a chance to slip by.
Reaching out for help.
If this episode did anything, it delivered on just how maligned the Cursed Children are. At the Ministry of Defense meeting, Shougen Ikuma refers to his Initiator, Kaya Senju, as a tool. But that was not the least bit subtle compared to the Promoter Rankings; which factor in the Promoter’s work performance, without taking the Initiator into account. It is then we see in the end of the episode, a Promoter can partner with a string of them and still be ranked regardless of pairing. It’s pretty much all about paying the bills and getting prestige. Even authority figures have such a low image of these girls, that anyone that helps them out has to hide underground, or help under the cover of night.
Father and Daughter. I don’t see the resemblance.
General Advice. Say you find yourself in a crapsack anime world. If someone tells you that if you don’t want a job, you can leave, but once hearing about it you can’t. Leave. Visit the local Bunny Cafe, have a scone or two. But, that is not the option in this world. This is a world where the suitcase of ultimate doom is inside the monster, and the monster could be anywhere. I think they layered that on a bit thick. It’s also the kind of world where your antagonist is so OP, he takes phone calls after fixing his broken neck, and introduces his ten year old daughter after she kills people. Like he does this sort of thing daily, just right after a tune up at the local Varanium body parts shop (yes, he’s a magic metal cyborg) But Kagetane Hiruko is also setting himself up as a bit of a protagonist. Very pointedly he asks, “Is this the kind of world you want to defend?” And it is a very valid question. Remember, he refers to his Initiator, Kohina, as his daughter. A daughter he has to remind many times not to kill the other Initiator.
I wonder how much she actually rules.
Seitenshi speaks highly of the New Gatrea Law, one that will help everyone live in peace together. But it’s a mask that covers up the truth behind the Outer District. It’s pretty much a dumping ground. All of this brings to mind why. I’ve said that this is humanity on the edge of extinction, and that fear goes hand in hand with unreasonable actions. The Children are infected, close enough to Gastrea in everyone else’s mind. Those monsters beat humans aside like children kicking down a sand castle, so when the chips are down, push whomever you can push to make yourself feel better. Are these good reasons, and is that what the show is trying to explore?
Some Fighting Words
In conclusion, I don’t think the show wants to give complete answers. It’s more interested in continuing the conversation of what it means to be human and civilized. I still scratch my head at the shows environment. It looks pretty good for a defeated or near defeated city. Is there farming anywhere to support Tokyo? How does Varanium work? They appear to be uninterested in these sorts of questions. It’s just a backdrop to tell a wider, emotional story. So was it a punch in the gut for you?
Usagi Drops
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
A punch to the gut from an emotional perspective. It always makes me rage seeing a different species that simply wants to live in peace and co-exist with humans being trampled and persecuted. Especially when they’re the ones doing the job of protecting their ungrateful hides. It’s cruel to the point I’m not bothered when they’re being picked off by a disaster or by the villains themselves.
Rentaro has my sympathy. He wants to help the Cursed Children but his hands are tied and he’s cautious or reprisals, even if it means losing face in front of Enju.
Funny. We can’t even see his face. 😀
Kagetane Hiruko is setting up to be the kind of villain most would rally behind easily. He’s charismatic and makes convincing arguments. When he says the “day of extinction”, it obviously means the end of the human’s unjust rule.
Kohina must really be his daughter. They have no problem killing once the opportunity presents itself. The girl is downright bloodthirsty. “Kohina, cut off his right arm” I see they want to perpetuate the Yuki Kaji stereotype even in this series.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I knew the basic storyline from reading the manga, but Kinema Citrus did such a good job with the pacing in the episode. There was a bunch of material that was cut, but I think they did good on that. Just going from the previews, I can see that the next two episodes just might end my spoiler moments with the show. And I cannot wait.
Kagetane was presented as such a punch clock villain in the first episode. I’m really liking the depth they have given him here. Kohina is really awesome, but next episode we get the awesomness that is Kaya Senju. She has some great moments coming up. And some great humorous bits if they follow the source material.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Ah, so you know exactly how I felt when Strike the Blood started airing and I knew what would happen after reading the manga to a certain point. Though my knowledge ended right after the fourth episode and material was cut from them as well. It tempts you to hand out spoilers but you know you’re not supposed to.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Just going by the preview for episode three, I got a shot at being spoiler free by either episode four, five at the very latest.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Depth is right. I’m really liking Kagetane as a villain. He has ideals but goes about them in psychopathic ways much like Psycho-Pass’ Shougo Makishima. Not mention being pretty straightforward by explaining his barrier instead of keeping it a secret. Even villains have standards. Surely he wants Rentaro to join him because he feels they share something in common. Otherwise he’d have killed him by now.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Yeah your right, he does seem like Shougo Makishima, right on hehe. Hes the type that I like hearing how he “SEES” things, almost gives you a new perspective.
Kagetane just likes to spoil all the things!
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
hmm maybe I’ll add this manga to my list, thats currently.. only Arpeggio lol, But ill read it slowly not to spoil it, because.. i like color,sound,moving pictures more then manga in the end. and can’t wait for the next episodes.
Yep I agree Kagetane is likeable to me, such a super cool showoff villain, he shoulda been the joker in smile precure hehe.
I like his daughter too, but damn.. you wouldn’t want to hug her or pat her on the head, you may lose an arm, like a certain person.. soon…Yuki Kaji.. just let it happen!
and on that note, I should draw Enju and Kaya in some awesome fight shot or something..
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Especially, when they’re vampires. LOL 😛
I too feel sorry for Satomi as he’s doing this balancing act of partner and onii-chan. He hates the way things are but has no way to change it, and you can see why Hiruko’s offer is kind of tempting.
I already like Hiruko. He’s a Aizen-type of villain in that he’s pretty arrogant, but he has the intelligence and hax over-poweredness in order to back it up. However, despite the fact that he’s crazy, you can also see why he is the way he is and that there is some truth in what he wants to do. I can see him easily being able to get other Cursed Children on his side, which could be devastating.
Oh, and I also caught the Yuki Kaji thing when she was going to cut off his arm. I was like “So soon? It’s only been 2 episodes?” LOL 😛
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
too soon indeed.. but just wait that moment is sure to come again! maybe…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I wasn’t as emotionally affected as you guys. I am encouraged by the ruler’s (whatever her name is) talking about integrating the Cursed Children into society, and the time after the ‘war’. And of course, Enju is a little kid, so she’s probably not going to deal with being outed well and all of her friends at school turning on her.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
The Rei lookalike is Seitenshi btw.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Of course you know, ideals are easy to conceive and preach but difficult to carry out, especially in the way the individual intends in the real world. So calling the integration of Cursed Children successfully into society a stretch is an understatement.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I can work from two assumptions. One, is that Seitenshi is an honest actor working from an honest plan. Two, that the Law is propaganda.
I’m giving the show the benefit of the doubt, in that the mistreatment of the cursed children is a horrible but predictable outcome of the situation. Perhaps it’s my pessimistic side, but though I believe humans are capable of great feats of kindness, the other side of the coin will come around.
I think the fear of the children came first, and that those seeds had already grown to kudzu like proportions in short order. Yes, if they did make it known that these girls were the best shot they had, it might make a difference…but I’m thinking the drama of the show wants to heap on the cruelty.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
From the way the show’s portraying it, there is nothing at all to be gained from Seitenshi pushing that kind of law. It is unpopular, and helping a group of people who are hated. So the propaganda value is nil, unless there’s some cat’s paw thing going on where she’s REALLY working for some complete other group and is supposed to be the patsy and take the fall.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Not sure if its a spoiler, but I think Seitenshi intentions are genuine going by her scenes in the second volume.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’m pretty pessimistic about anything that concerns human nature in anime since it’s easy to fall into depravity. The humans are more inclined to giving way to their violent impulses than abstaining from them. That it’s easier for them to do what they want than what’s right and some will twist the perspective of the situation to justify their motives.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Ugh, I’m not taken by white-haired Lacus clone. I can’t stand any girl in an anime who goes on and on about peace and love and an an end to fighting, while she’s safe up in her little ivory castle being cute.
Sorry, princess, but laws mean nothing if they are not enforced, and right now, your justice system looks pretty piss-poor at best.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Black Bullet has the best ED of the season and kick ass OP! SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD~
Sad Enju makes me sad! Noooooooooooooo!! T______T
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’ve only listened to/watched it like a gazillion times. When it comes time for me to do 50 Questions, for favorite ED, the answer will just be Yanagi
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
What if it was an ED made by Nano? Mahou Sensou was a horrible, confusing mess by its ED, “Born to be” was awesome.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I think Yanagi fits the meter of Black Bullet just fine.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
yep, i need to have the ED on replay while i draw Enju being awesomely cutesauce!
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
If I wasn’t already into this series before. This episode certainly sealed it. I am in this for the long haul! 😀
Now I can’t be the only one who thought of the movie Se7en when Evil McMastermind leaves that blood-soaked present for Satomi? 😛
This episode hits the ground running, showing other teams and how they treat their initiators. It shows Princess leader Lacus-clone who wants them all to find a secret box for a such a large reward that it could pay for thousands of bags of beansprouts. However, I do find this plan a little strange. Since this is an emergency, wouldn’t it be smarter to have everyone working together and combing the city for this monster rather than having a competition to find it?
However, their meeting is upset by
Joker and Harleythe masked man Hiruko Kagetane and his daughter Kohina. And of course they steal the show and say they will be finding the box first since it holds a treasure that has the ability to destroy the barricade around the city. Hiruko is a very cool character, OP as everything, and has his own force field, is incredibly agile and smart, and not even a broken neck can kill him. He seems to have a dislike for humanity which I’m betting wronged him greatly in the past. He reminds me of mix between the Joker and Magneto.His daughter is that psycho loli that we see every so often. She’s not too annoying but I think that’s because we don’t see too much of her.
However, this episode concentrates on the treatment of the cursed children, and like many groups that are different, they are still hated. My guess is that there must be quite a few of these girls around if the government can just let them run around like this or be shot down by rogue police. I mean, why is this world protected by what are technically mercenaries? Why don’t they have a proper military division made up with these team pairs? Even in other crappy worlds similar to this one, they would have these Cursed Children at least locked up and training in some secret military bunker, not just running around alone and homeless on the outskirts.
Even poor Enju is not immune to the hatred. That girl has really grown on me and she is now a part of that small group of lolis I actually really like. The school dumping her, her running away, and Satomi searching everywhere to find her was rather touching and my heart grew for the pair.
Interestingly, Hiruko is interested in Satomi and finds him different from the others. He wants him to join him in order to create a better world for the Cursed Children and for others the society mistreats.
Satomi is buying none of it, but Hiruko tells him to think about, especially for Enju.
I actually really like Hiruko. I love OP intelligent villains that actually have something to what their doing. Sure he’s a homicidal psychopath, but he does have a point.
As much as white-haired Lacus clone wants peace and joy and happiness through love and what not, I don’t think a few pieces of legislation are going to cut it. If we are at the point that your police policy is to gun down little girls for being different and hungry, then it’s time for a more drastic change to your society.
I’m excited for the next chapter and interested in what’s going to happen next. I don’t think we have to wait long for Satomi and Enju’s reunion, however I’m interested in what will be revealed and what will be the next step in Hiruko’s evil plan.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I was getting more Big Brother ala 1984 vibes from Seitenshi’s speech. It just felt darn wrong.
Yeah, Kagetane doesn’t seem to be either the Villain or Idiot Ball carrying antagonist. He’s used to push narrative. And be EVIL!
Glad to have you. I feel more official now. I got Irenesharda quotes!
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
episode 2, pretty good, and just like you put it Skylion a punch to the heart I sorta like this phrase hehe but before that Wow things start to to get crazy. First with Kagetane showing up unannounced, and look at that he even brought a gift for Mister Rentarou, what a great guy, but this gift isn’t something to lose a head over. Oh and his daughter, i totally see the resemblance, but have that look in their eye, both wear such fancy clothes, oh and buth like killing. so thats a few things!
now its time for a treasure hunt for a box that’s top secret, Why would you you put it in a box?!
secondly all about Enju, this poor girl, I feel for her, a sad loli is in need! ill protect her! wait wait wait…I mean she will come around, Rentarou did go after her, only not to ‘really’ find her, but I know Enju figured it all out, just hasn’t acted yet.
So ya this episode was nice, it give his a direction, a motive, and a bit of the background story of these cursed children.
Sounds like we are in for a treat with the next two weeks, so can’t wait!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Always protect the LOLis. The LOLi Defender has spoken.