Black Bullet – 09
The most important thing this episode…
What? We have to wait one more episode for the Big Bug Hunt?! Why yes, we do. Meanwhile, have some foreshadowing.
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The Lotus Flower
Welcome to episode nine, folks!
It first I was going to dismiss the episode as merely a nakama builder/filler until the main action starts up. But they had quite a few things on all the burners going on here. I would say that many of them had one death flag or ominous foreshadowing dish bubbling over. First, after getting the usual hur-hur lets make jokes about how Rentarou isn’t a pervert, we get down to some key background issues. First thing, after beating Kagetane Ren got a very high level of government clearance; and as we see here, he leaks that to Muroto-sensei. With this she starts digging, trying to find ways to keep the Cursed Children safe. While digging she discovers that the official history, that all the records kept during the Gastrea war were destroyed. For whatever reason. Well, not so true. While discovering that a village called Nanahosi was destroyed, Ren remembers something about the tricycle in the case they called Inheritance of the Seven Stars as the “Inheritance of Nanaoshi” Also, and literally sinister, they find even more information that Ren’s clearance cannot get to. Who’s hiding what and why?
Did the measure the government took to protect society get so dastardly? It doesn’t feel good, and current events aren’t going so well either. The corrosion on the infected pillar can no longer be hidden and the public is in uproar. What a time for Seitenshi to find she can’t answer why they kept it under wraps for so long. Also not a good time to discover people are finding it both hard to leave the city, and that room in shelters might be based on lottery. Forget the Gastrea. Tokyo is prime to become a meat grinder all by itself.
Rank and File
…don’t even make skylion go there…not gonna caption…you do it….
So now we get into the full swing on the nakama build. With the Katagiri’s, Ren and Enju have four total. Nuh uh, gonna need more dakka for this hunt, and for a tent, apparently. With many in the camp already assigned to adjuvant, the pickings get rather slim. A few are seen, all are declined; save for the just in time moment. But first, we have a case of double murder going on. This is a point the show bugged me on. I would have that camp in an uproar. But the civil officers just kinda go, “well, it sucked that happened…what’s for lunch?” Really? Really? Well…yes. ::shrugs:: Then without much more ado we meet the next Promoter and Initiator pair, Shouma Nagisawa and Fuse Midori. It’s a great pleasure to here these two, as we have both Shinchiro (Monogatari’s Kaiki) Miki and Yui (Hentai Princes Tsukiko) Ogura in the mix. Both are high ranked, and make short order of the impromptu duel they find themselves in. It seems that Shouma shares a past with both Ren and Kisara as he was a highly skilled member of the Tendo dojo. But he left for his own reasons, reasons he is being just a bit to quiet about. Now, I’m going to get my suspicion out of the way first. Won’t talk much about his past to old friends, and knows nothing about the double murder. I got my eye on him.
But now that they have three pairs, Ren is not satisfied with just that. He would like five pairs. So without any ado at all, Kisara sweeps in, reinstalls Tina’s rank (by Seitenshi’s decree), and joins the team as her Promoter. Given that Kisara has kidney problems, Rentarou is not at all happy about her joining. It’s a fair cop, but I would rather see Kisara get the chance. All sorta of chances, really. Looks like things were heading for a kiss, but for the usual case of anime interruptus, along with a heaping helping of Enju’s jealousy.
But for all this, there is more trouble in camp. It looks like the JASDF is the main player on the field. The Pairs are only on standby and march as support when called for. Now I can understand the need for a skirmishing force sent in to harass an enemy, and Ren see’s that, thinking moving in closer and striking as guerrilla forces would work best. And no one disagrees, but for…orders..for…reasons. They stay put into called into action. Is it just me or does this stink? Tons of Gastrea in one area, a huge encampment of Initiators and Promoters near the same spot and told to hop it when called, and we have an anti-Cursed Children faction in government. All the eggs in a basket. And since they just tossed death flags, left right and center for most of the show, this is not going to be pretty. And if not death flags, then grevious bodily harm flags. Corrosion flags. Look, all the flag are unhappy ones!
Before the Bug Hunt
So, they need one more Pair. Oh, who, who, who could it be? Wouldn’t it be awesome if Kagatane and Kohina came back? It’s unlikely, if he isn’t dead they would save that for another arc. Whether or not the anime gets a new season for that arc is up in the air.But there is one thing to consider; those cuts on that dude’s armor? Twin sword strokes? Oh, Kohina, you just don’t stop the yan do you? The only real reason for him to come back would be to make Ren join him; and that was already done. I’m looking forward to seeing how my suspicions play out. I put Shouma under the harsh light, but I don’t see a motive as of yet. What did you folks think?
Preview
Audience participation. You make the caption.
BTW, if anyone followed the link for Red and Black above, I recommend Kunio Murai’s version of Javert’s Stars.
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: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I’m hoping the show will cover the Gastrea mystery in further detail, given it is the centre of all this universe’s troubles.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh, I hope so as well. The show is doing a gradual build up to it, so they had to check off all the drama boxes.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I really hope so too. It would be pretty annoying for them to bring up all these clues and secrets (history record, the tricycle, the destroyed village, etc.) just to do nothing with it.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Yep, hopefully it wont be like… “oh wait for season 2” which would be fine, but give us some answers!
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
That’s probably one of the big questions of the series, by which I mean the light novels, not the anime, and since the light novels aren’t finished yet I suspect it hasn’t been answered there either. So you’re probably in for a disappointment.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Then the best they can do it a dramatic big bug battle. And I hope it’s not the derp that the Kaji Yuki Arm Cannon was…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
… Kemonomimi… must resist… already heading towards ryuukishi and now this…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Give in! There is no hope for you…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I shall resist onii-tan!!! Izuna-tan shall help me tonight!
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 29 comments
I’ve read a few of your posts but this is my first time commenting. I’m with you on most of your intuitions – the suspicious nature of Shouma and the impending doom flags being set up (set up being the key word).
I’m happy with the new team and that Kisara is on board now too. I’m wondering if she’ll end up being a liability though with her health. Yup, next ep. definitely promises to have some shocks and I’m looking forward to it!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Hey, thanks for dropping by. I knew love bombing G+ would get me a few of you over here.
With Kisara, her health could turn bad on a dramatic turn of events. That’s just the way it works out in anime land.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
<3 Fuse
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It’s still a bit to early for me to be drawing hearts, but she does have a good case.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Totally! Fuse is kawaii! if only Enju was half bunny.. tisk..
and on that note a drawing Idea comes to mind..
Fuse and Tsubasa Hanekawa(monogatari-neko version!) it will happen soon…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Nyhaha!
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
This was a nice “calm before the storm” episode. While at first glance, this episode seems like filler, but it’s really full of little subtle things that are mostly said in passing and then they go on the next thing, never staying for long on really interesting nuggets of information. And yet, those parts seem to have more impact.
Rentaro’s search for more teammates despite being the main focus of the episode, actually fell to the background for me, in order for me to focus more on what wasn’t being focused on so much.
Firstly, there is the newest team members Shouma and Fuse. While I find Fuse cute and I love her Lady Deathstryke nails and neko ears, I am very suspicious of her partner. Shouma has a mysterious past that he’s doesn’t discuss. He leaves the dojo suddenly, despite being the most promising student. Rentaro respects him and admits that the guy is stronger than him, which screams to me that one day the guy will betray that trust and respect and that Rentaro will one day have to fight him (that’s just how anime goes), especially since unlike the first pair, Shouma and Fuse joined extremely easily. Let’s just say I will be watching the guy very carefully. White-haired guys with eyes like that are rarely as benevolent as this guy seems to be trying to portray.
Then there is the information about the records from the war in the beginning and the fact that they were never actually destroyed. Can we say “cover-up”? And I have a feeling that the government is trying to keep under the rug has to do with what the Gastrea really are and how they really came to be and why a tricycle from a destroyed village can attract them like honey to flies. I have a feeling that considering the people in this government and the people of this city, the answers are not going to be pretty.
The same skylion, with what you propose about this coming fight. This all sounds very fishy concerning the fighting teams being held back, the people’s feelings, and the fact that the hatred against the Cursed Children is on the rise and has been brought back to the forefront of the show in the last episode. I fear for what is to come as the last few episodes of the season are coming upon us.
In terms of death flags, Tina, Shouma, and the blond guy on the team (I can’t remember that guy’s name for the life of me) seem to be in the most danger. I would include Kisara, but since she hasn’t been confessed to yet and her status in the show gives her about as much plot armor as Rentarou and Enju. However, Tina has been showing so much emotion lately and saying that she has no regrets that I feel she’s in a lot of danger. She mentions this episode that Dr. Ayn Rand (I still crack up that they decided to go with that name) will be after her, and while they reassure her, I have a feeling that we might not have Tina for long. Shouma has a death flag because if all my suspicious are true and he does betray the team, the only thing to do for him is for him to have an honorable death in the end. We’ll have to see with him.
As for who the last partners will be, I really would get a kick out of it being Kagetane and Kohina. Kagetane I think would work well with Rentaro if the two can put aside their hatred for each other. And of course, the guy is extremely powerful and I can’t see him staying dead if he’s still in the new OP sequences. As to who’s killing the civil officers (or the anti-Cursed Children leader from last week) I just don’t see that as Kagetane’s style. Sure he has no qualms about killing, but he’s seems to have more flair to his style and always likes to make a big display. I don’t know who the murderer is quite yet, though I have some light suspicions. However, the fact that Black Bullet can keep me guessing is admirable, since being a bibliophile and a cinephile, it usually takes a lot for any plot to not eventually be obvious to me as to where it’s going. I have to say that Black Bullet has surprised me, and despite the middle lag with the Tina arc, I’ve really enjoyed this series.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Going with Kagetane first. The big display was indeed a tactic of his. Was might be the operative word here. If he’s that smart, he’ll change up his approach. Maybe.
Enju was shown to have a high corrosion rate. Kaya died because of that when she fought overwhelming odds. Maybe my math is off, but those are my two,”ones”.
I’ve seen a ton of complanints about how the city is portrayed. Why isn’t it under martial law completly. Well, it might very well be here soon. It’s one thing to impose, another to ask for it. Leaders can make themselves necessary if they can line it all up right.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I did forget about the corrosion rates. However, in that field considering Tina’s rank and the fact that I’m not sure if Rand might still have some fail-safe hidden in her body somewhere (like something that will increase the rate and therefore get rid of her), I think she’s more likely to fall to it than Enju. I think Enju might have a scare at the end of the season in which she is just at the edge of turning and Rentaro will have to make some hard choices, but I think that the integrity of the relationship between the two in reference to the plot will be enough to keep her from actually dying.
As for Kagetane, I’m just can’t buy him only killing one pair of officers and leaving it at that. I think he can be subtle, but I’d think the killings would be more rapid, like a pair would get murdered every night or something. Now, the question we should be asking no matter who is responsible, is why are they doing it? Why did they kill that one pair and is this an isolated incident or is it the beginning of a spree? Is this related to the Anti-CC leader’s murder last episode? Those are the real questions.
Here’s a theory: What if Shouma is like Rentaro, but to the extreme? I mean, what if his hatred against those that mistreat the Cursed Children is to the point that he’s decided to cross the line in order to protect them? He would be like the midway point between Rentaro and Kagetane. He’s not as unstable as the one extreme, but’s he’s willing to do whatever it takes to change things? I think I can see that for his character, as he is still noble, but he’s gone down a dark path. He’s responsible for the murders, but to him it’s a sacrifice for the greater good.
Well, it’s a theory. 🙂
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Some really nice stuff here to think on mister Irenesharda, and an interesting theory.
Ya with Shouma and Fuse I too feel it was way too easy, Why would he show up now of all times? because anime? there is something there for sure.
Always the government, covering up their mistakes and hiding it, I have a few thoughts on what the Gastrea could be and how they are created, but this bit ehh.. i’ll wait on those.
Death Flags.. Ya I get the feeling there will be much raised death flags all around. Tina for sure, it just feels like they MADE her attachment to Rentaro for that sole purpose. Also what ever happened to Tina’s Promoter? could we also see Tina betray the group, playing the “get closer” assassin, however this is highly unlikely with the progress she’s show? anyways my money is on losing Tina, I’t make me sad if she does though…
On the note of death flags… I was joking with fosh saying..”well EVERYONE is going to die and the city is going to be taken out and the Gastrea will live happily ever after the end. Like the first episode in Gai-Rei Zero. oh my what a twist!.
as for the last partners, I also want it to be Kagetane and Kohina, I have a feeling Rentaro knows where to find this person.. The death of poor armor guy is just a sign, “hello im back!” or even “See the weak have no place in the front line!” Either way, this would be awesome hehe
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
I can totally see this author doing that.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It would be an interesting theory to see played out…if the show had the writers that could show all three places. I don’t think they do. Pulling of someone in the middle of the extremes takes chops. Not that Ren is all that extreme to begin with.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, I guess if we’re talking extremes in terms of how to help the Cursed Children. Princess White-hair (yes, I’m still not going to call her by her name, she’s still as bland as bread) is probably the other extreme in that she’s a complete pacifist and wants to use diplomacy and the law to help the children. Kagetane’s the other extreme where he wants to pretty much end the world and just have those affected by Gastrea survive.
If my theory is correct, Rentaro and Shouma would be in the middle with Rentaro closer to the Princess’ end but not totally, and Shouma closer to Kagetane’s end but not totally. Pulling off somebody like that would be tricky, but it is doable.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I do love the way you frame that, totally what I had in mind.
I can very much see all the points. The world is worth protecting, even if it means giving aegis to the jerks that want to eliminate the Cursed Children. That’s one of the perks about saving everyone. It is everyone you save.
But as for why this Pair is murdered, we don’t know if there are or will be more, or the motive as of yet. I chalk it up to showing us the gun in the “first act”. Having said that, we can’t rule Kagatane in or out or at all.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Poor Tina got scared half to death at the start. Beware of eccentric, dirty minded scientists. No telling what’s going on in their heads.
The episode would’ve been branded a filler but finding another pair for Rentaro’s group saved it from crossing the line. First interaction between Shouma and Rentaro by our eyes and they seemed almost like siblings. For some time, I developed a small prejudice concerning characters that are figuratively put on a pedestal because they have exceptional skills. Hearing Ren talk about Shouma as if he was a role model lead me to believe he’d have a huge ego but he was easy going.
It’s pitiful when civilians are so unstable they can’t think for themselves when a situation gets rough. Did Seitenshi had prior knowledge about the Monolith Barrier’s decay, as the reporter asked? Of course she would but she was right to keep it hidden for as long as necessarily possible. There’s no point of blurting out such distressing news if it’s expected to cause a mass panic.
Rentaro wasn’t wrong addressing his doubts to those in charge. That whole “be on standby for a call” crap isn’t going to fool most of who’s there. Odds are if the scenario gets too dicey, there’s going to be some backstabbing.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…keeping things from the public is the worst of lose-lose..
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
At this rate, I expect a Madoka ending… wait that was a happy ending…
I expect a Gen Urobutcher ending, Fate/Zero style. “YAMERUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!”