Black Bullet – 08
V&!
Yes, it’s looks like the bug hunt is back on! But first, we got to teach an elementary school class.
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/The Teacher, the Subject of…/
It’s like I died and went to Heaven
I think the general consensus is that the Tina Sprout arc was just awful. If this new arc has one thing going for it, it has gotten a much better animation slate. And just to add to the joy, it looks like the writers have gone back to the basics that made the series work. Hunting bugs, and cute girls doing cute things while getting much maligned. Stick to this, that cloak and dagger sneaky plans stuff just isn’t your bag, Black Bullet. Oh, and find out who killed the leader of the Cursed Child expulsion movement. That has ass biting potential right there. Also, what is up with that singing Cursed Child? I know it reinforced how much they were mistrusted and hated, but “poured hot lead into my eyes”, and those jerks giving her a soda can pop top as a joke instead of money? Yes, we understand folks hate these girls, but you’ve sold that already.
It’s Party Time for Tokyo
…need more dots…
On the big story front, we get the sudden apperance of the Level Four baddy, Aldebaran. You have to name your monsters after stars that appear in Lovecraft fiction, baby! But this one is behaving like a Level Five, who have a history of being the only bugs big enough to just plain ignore the odd ball Gastrea repellant field the Varanium monoliths give off. Why does it behave like this? I dunno. If the show is back to not explaining it, then I’ll follow suit by not trying either. It would be one thing if the big creepy just ignores the monolith and just goes in and stomps on Tokyo, but this one just has be able to dissolve the monolith as well. And it invites friends along to the party. So considerate. So with all this in the pocket, it’s up to Rentarou to round up a posse of kick ass Initiators and Promoters. An aptly named adjuvant.
…and you thought you had a bad day?
LOLi’s deserve a Ren dakiimukara
So, now that we have the bug hunting out of the way, let’s get to the cute girls. Both Ren and Kisara have agreed to teach at Enju’s little flyspeck of a provisional school. And while it is all well and good to see the girls eager to learn let me say one thing. Girls this age act just like this. They are very curious about how adults date. And if you think that is troublesome, try explaining ex’s. I had to do both recently with my twin grandnieces. But it’s Tina that steals the show, in a much better way than she did in her own arc. She’s had nothing to call her own her entire life, wanting an older brother and seeing that in Rentarou comes off very natural and sweet. She also hasn’t had a little sister to tease, and it was a rather masterful move on her part setting Enju up; too bad Ren had to be collateral damage. I would say they were planting a death flag there, but she got shot in the chest last episode, and still kicked back. But I love how she was able to underscore how important this created family is to everyone involved. They are less bitter, and their drive is a bit less tainted by revenge. I hope that means they fighter smarter, and you know…not die.
Not only is she a Promoter, she’s in PR department
In moving on the the last act of the show we get to meet the Katagiri’s. With Yuzuki it’s a bit of a work out on the ears to hear Rumi Okubu’s Tohko from Servant x Service again, but she played this character very well. I love that sass….and yes, she can swing from a thread, take a look overhead! Look out! Here comes the Spider-LOLi ! I really liked the combat this time around. It showed off the Katagiri’s teamwork, with the spider webs fencing opponents in, allowing for Tamaki to come in and deal some harsh damage with his freaking awesome varanium saw-blade gauntlets. But teamwork works on both sides. At the same time, Ren was able to keep his one occupied, freeing Tina to lull Yuzuki into a false sense of security. In the end, they got the next part of the OP unveiling nakama.
Magical Girls, etc.
Tina has a new onii-chan to take her on dates, and not buy her expensive clothes; at least he can afford an arcade crane game stuffed toy. As I said, this is Black Bullet’s meat and potatoes, so I hope they stay with the winning formula for the rest of the show. No more suitcase villains, no more cheesy plots, no more non-layered put upon strategy. Let the LOLi’s kick bug ass. With all this in mind, it’s still just a reintroduction…what the next five episodes hold, we shall see. What did you folks think?
Well, that doesn’t look tooooo bad, right?
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: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
So what did Rentaro see?
Answer: Tina’s Show ▼
Ok that was bad. Forgive me.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…with penance,yes.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Oh you.. it gave me slight chuckle, But damn Tina way to make Rentaro look like a perv! /thumbs up for Tina.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Rentaro’s luck went sour there. Then again, people’s minds are so far down the gutter they easily misinterpret the sentence.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
yep pretty much, soon as Kisara walked into the room, I knew this was going to happen… too many times..
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It is joke/situation that is outstaying it’s welcome. But they did play it off rather well; still no excuse.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Obviously her application of the Force is poor as she failed to hit any of the training remotes.
Also the magical Naginata is cute~ It says who is the female of the partnership.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
That’s a good point, the naginata…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Indeed Tina stole the show for me as well,gaining more cute points and had such a touching moment with Rentaro. So good work there Tina, just don’t go off dying just yet.
However I felt like the did plant a death flag, ya she got shot already, BUT now that your growing more attached to Tina it will have more feelings and impact later on? that is if they go this route.
The fight at the end was pretty cool, seeing Tina fighting again and owning, Yuzuki a bit too sassy for me to handle but maybe she will grow on me hehe. and nice spiderman reference lol. Also YAY for friendship! its magical.
as for the rest, singing girl was a bit creepy, poor thing, Yay more giant monster fighting and heading back to where the story was suppose to go? hopefully the next few episodes will be great. Also i knew he was going to build a team, that op! darn you! but ehh.. what else could they do at this point hehe.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, it might take some folks a spell to get used to Yuzuki, that seems to happen in anime I’m blogging recently. But I love that sass; it’s interesting, and it looks like she and her ooni-chan might have a good bit of comedy to perform.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I too felt the death flag, she’s beginning to get so close to Rentaro, and yet is not as close as Enju, so her plot armor is pretty thin.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Excessively cute lolis… must resist temptation to watch… Izuna-tan, help me!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh, such weak knees. 😉
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…he’s begging another show’s character…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Izuna-taaaaaan!!!!
You can have Ino.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Well this has become difficult to decide. Rentaro x Enju or Rentaro x Tina. Which is the better Promoter x Initiator pair? Enju has met her rival in Tina. Tina is shining since joining our heroes. Enough to shake the pedestal Enju made herself among the viewers for her cheerful personality.
Tsk, if not for the Cursed Children and the few humans who accept them, I’d say let the Gastrea eat every last one of those ungrateful Tokyo Area residents. Like Rentaro, it hurts to see the Cursed Children beaten down the way they are. Especially the blindfolded girl. Seriously, pouring lead into your own eyes?
Yuzuki is something else. First meeting and so much sass. Obviously, she’s been raising herself. I think I might be able to like her what with her bringing variety to Cursed Children we’ve seen.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Enju has all the enthusiasm and inexperience for her age, so yeah, a temporary “win” against Kisara is aces in her book. But she did not see the real opponent did she. Tina plays the game to well.
Eat every last one of them, indeed. If you cannot protect the most vulnerable, what are you worth?
Yuzuki probably needs to develop a bit more in character, but with the short time available, and the newest pair to introduce, I fear she will be stuck in sassy territory. As will the next Initiator be stuck in whatever her characterization is. I’m guessing shy. Just shy.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Right now I’m feeling more Rentaro x Tina, I still like Enju she just seems to have taken a back seat for now.. though it’s a given, we need someone else to shine a bit. HOWEVER! my vote goes to Enju + Tina x Rentaro!
The people just don’t know, bastards think they are safe! Ya.. let them get eaten! it almost makes you wonder what’s the point in fighting, after its over the cursed children will be the next, But I know in anime that will be quite different, id bet.
so a overly open loli, a night owl unemotional Loli, a Sassy Loli. hmm we don’t have a yandere one yet? though she looks shy from the opening so that would be my guess for sure. or super clumsy? smart? idk well have to wait, but is she a neko?!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Hmm. a threesome with two LOLi’s. thorgrim, you are talking that talk. So long as it is LOLi-Defender approved, all should be well.
From what I know about the Cursed Children’s background, things should get worse for them. After all, episode four’s unexploded bomb of Enju’s corrosion level has not been fully explored.
A yandere? Oh, you are forgetting one aren’t you? Look back. I think it’s safe to find her a neko.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
All your LOLis are belong to us!
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
we can share!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Gosh, I love Tina so much. I almost wish she were Rentaro’s partner from the start. But then again, that would make her a completely different person.
I liked the fight too, but I wish it was longer. I prefer when the girls fight each other instead of giant bugs because..well…who wouldn’t prefer to see a cute girl instead of a creepy crawly thing? D: Plus, I love how fast the Cursed Children are, so the battles end up being really intense and brutal. They put up quite the fight. I suppose they have to recruit lolis quickly or else they won’t have a team though.
I dunno how I feel about another girl joining the party so soon after Tina but eh, maybe I’ll get used to her. That team was certainly lacking in the sass department before now.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
I know right, her arc may be basic and boring, but as far as character and personality,I love Tina too, her cooking skills, her fighting skills, starting to like anime, and her friendliness are fun to watch.
The fights hehe, ya a bit short but awesome, for some reason when I see those robotic floating orbs i think of Portal hehe. we need a kill la kill over the top fighting in this series, or just any over the top fight would be awesome to see.
I think the sass Loli will grow on me in time, right now its too much hehe
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, after the drought that was the Tina Arc, I actually feared that this show was going to fall flat on its face and we were going to have another case of vastly missed potential. However, this episode was much better than what I thought it would be. Now that Tina is part of the team and seeing her relationship with Rentaro, I’m beginning to like her a little more and she fits right in with the group, not so much as a loli harem for Rentaro, but more so that he’s added another little sister under his care. I really liked that dynamic. And Enju and Tina looked so cute being magical girls together. 😀
With the return of the Gastrea, we’ve gotten back to the seriousness of the show. We’ve also looked into the plight of the Cursed Children once again. That little girl who’s mother cut out her eyes was just so heartbreaking. And hearing how happy she was to hear the clink of that pop can tab in her bowl just struck me so much, I wanted to hug her through the screen.
There is one thing I’ve never been able to understand about this society. Humanity is on the endangered species list because of the Gastrea, correct? Why isn’t the goverment more military minded? In this case, I think this nation might benefit from a more autocratic rule, or at least some form of martial law. The people really seem to lax and unconcerned for a people that could die any day. The civil officers both promoters and initiators should really be organized into a functioning military. It would give protection for the Cursed Children who are necessary for the fighting effort, and would make things go a lot smoother. Are you telling me that teams are turning down working with Rentaro out of spite?! Even though they know that the home in which they live will be destroyed in a few days time? There should be no asking. There should be a command to create a team, the team is set up and then sent out. All of this negotiating for pay and turning the job down stuff, really is ridiculous in this situation.
I thought the school scene was cute, and then there is the mystery concerning who killed the anti Cursed Children leader. I have a feeling it’s someone who wants to frame the Cursed Children to make them look bad and stop any laws that could help them. My eyes on grandpa Tendo.
The new pair are okay, they’re pretty usual fare character tropes so nothing really interesting yet. However, with all the mysteries and the fights that are to come, I’m excited to see what’s next.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
You know, my best guess is that the original story had a much larger and overarching atmosphere. Probably just like you described, but no one wanted it until the author dialed it back. Having gone into b.s. publishing meetings myself, that is what I imagine. “We like it. Now change everything”.
They made it a typical background with just enough uumph to sell.
I don’t know if the anti-Cursed Children faction even needs a leader, as it seems to be going fine on it’s own.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Not everything can/needs be TLOU, you know. Trying to put real life logic into anime is a pretty futile act to begin with so just roll with it.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Well, this post is suppose to be up way earlier but thanks to my lil sis, I lost everything I typed up so this takes longer than expected.
As with STB, I will be reading the LNs after watching the anime and I will make a list of what important scenes/information is omitted/altered to provide more context for the world of BB.
– There actually an underground shelter for such event, but it can only houses 30% of the resident in it and w/out help (I assume it means food/water) it can only last for 2 months.
– Aldebaran is always seen together with Taurus, another Stage V Gastrea. Taurus is unique in that it moves in a pack and Aldebaran can be considered as second-in-command.
– Aside from Scorpio, Virgo and Taurus is also defeated. Virgo is done in by a #2 German Initiator while Taurus is by the #1 Initiator.
– Tina compare Kisara breast to Big Zam gundam. And apparently Tina breast is larger than Enju ones.
– The LN ver of the Katagiri siblings have a bit more swearing, or at least acc to the Chinese translation.
– Since the people who become Civil Officer are a violent bunch, casualties are common during fights among themselves. But as long as they aren’t committing major crimes like murdering normal folks, the gov more or less turns a blind eye to them.
– LN ver of the Katagiri lil sis and Tina battle. IIRC the anime tone it down.
– By the end of their battle, the audience give a loud applause to them. Even the anti-CC folks.
Well, that about it. Or at least the part I think is important enough to include. Well, this time around I think its actually pretty decent compare to the previous 2 arcs. Ofc this is just the beginning and they could rush it again.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh, yes, thank you for providing some context to the differences. I had a handle that the Katagiri’s had more uumph in the orignal source, but heck, Gastrea work in packs and are more than just violent beasts. That’s a new one to me. Further heck, I bet the Cursed Children have a true expiration date so to speak on being human.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I look forward to your findings.
This series could jam things up for me. It has the same initials. 😉
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It took me a while to not say BB in skype and other online chats with fellow staff. But the past few weeks the context got easier.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
By the by, I’ve update a new pic behind the spoiler tag. I could not wait til next week to post it.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Shiro approves of it in her harem.