Absolute Duo – 05
♫♩ Look at the Sky, It’s Magic Hour! ♫♩
Well, I guess Lilith would like us to think it’s her world, and we just kinda live here. I don’t think Tooru’s rejection is going to make things easier on either him, Julie, or the rest of the class.
Level Up
Well I thought the cold open went poorly for an exposition dump. But that is par for the course in LN adaptations. Gotta buy them books! Our gang first discusses exactly how the <Blaze> can be as complex as a rifle. But it doesn’t fire actual bullets. So there’s that unneeded complication. Hey, it’s in Lilith’s soul. Same as for everyone. For it’s rather grandiose title, the Rite of Sublimation turns out to be students in line for their jabs; unless working out the new nanothingies is the Rite in and of itself. But our main class does get cranked up. Tomoe pretty much goes dolphin, and both Tora and Tatsu make for a great amusement park wave machine generator. Tooru himself isn’t quite so sure what his new found abilities are. But Miyabi can rock the floaty, while Julie just…well….But I think we can just chalk this up to set up, and move on to the main thrust of the episode
ScariBuri Park
Actually, for all it’s weird inserted nature, I rather like this place. If they ever choose to remake or recast AmiBuri I hope they go with this park. Or that one from Nyaruko-san. It hardly matters, as either of these made-up shows would be more interesting than what transpired in this one. It was basically a not-date-not-date in contrast to the last episodes not-date-date. And it repeated the same information as the last episode. Tooru has picked his duo partner. No means No.
To think, she slaps him in a few moments for being a perfect gentleman
More School Rumble
Fighty Fighty…in made up thingy thingy…
But the school daze torture doesn’t just end. Bun-Bun is hot to get the kids into more <Blaze> inspired mischief and mayhem. This time it’s facing the second year students that have more time to acclimate to their particular level. Now while this sounds impressive, the animation doesn’t really hold a candle to that. It was just more weapon scrum and grit.
Until the Exception enters….
Of course she has to intervene. How else, besides skipping class as desired, getting into the choppa, and generally treating the world like her plaything, is Lilith going to come off as an interesting character. My bet is that she’s going to name as her prize for beating them all single handed is for Tooru to be in her Duo. Bet she gets shot down again.
Final Thoughts
Ok, well I guess that’s one dump episode out of the way, at least by my standards for the show. They’ve done quite well so far in introducing the main characters, developing a very nice relationship with Tooru and Julie, and have given us a few interesting perks with the supporting cast. I feel the technical development needs to blend in with the show more, as the <Blaze> and all it’s parts are there simply to provide pivots to swing the drama around. Expand, explain, exposit. They put it in the world, give it a raison d’etre. Give me something to chew on to go along with the rest of it. Lilith’s introduction and her development have been some week tea…and I really want to see them do something far more interesting with her as the complex rifle <Blaze> actually has some teeth to it, just not as presented.
Next Time…
I wonder when the hands on the clock will strike “defeat equals friendship”…
Endcard for Great Justice
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
With a small injection of info, this week was decent. The whole Level Up thing the students keep talking about makes think of the “Level Upper” arc in the first season of Railgun. Maybe there are some similarities in their process.
If Lilith’s rifle Blaze is such a rarity then I suppose there’s a least a list of unusual Blazes apart from hers and Tor’s shield. Along with whether or not there are titles other than “Irregular” and “Exception”. If this isn’t Index-type vibes, I don’t know what is. Aside from that, Lilith sure thinks she has everything wrapped around her finger. She’s just itching for someone to bring her down a notch. Odds are Tor will see to it but I’d rather have Julie do the honors. Putting an end to this rivalry once and for all.
As Tor said last episode: “That nasty vorpal bunny”. Bun-Bun really gets a kick abusing her students and she’s sending them off against stronger peers like lambs for the slaughter.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Given that they’ve had Julie take her own stands, it would be apropos for her to “do the honors”. But I’m still thinking about the first episode cold open. What set Julie off?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Wait. Is this Amagi Brilliant Park?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Did you see Moffle? Then no….
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
They had to sack Moffie for his/her sekuhara.
Anyway, need more usasensei.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Bun-Bun is one of those sorts of characters where more is less.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
The level up part was really dumb. And let’s not bother showing Tor as stronger now. I was almost thinking with him saying “it didn’t feel any different” that maybe it didn’t work on him and he wasn’t actually any stronger. That might have been interesting. What they did was… not.
Once again, Julie stands out as the, er, standout character. She trusts Tor, she’s not jealous or suspicious, and he does the right thing. Lilith is pretty brazen and craven. I can see her doing something like “Because I won, Tor has to be my Duo.” And I can see him turning her down again. Does she think that by acting like a spoiled brat, he’s going to suddenly change his mind? Everything she does pushes him away, as it would push anyone away. I’m kind of surprised that Tomoe hasn’t caught on to what she’s doing. I don’t see Julie getting angry at Lilith for trying to steal her partner, but I can see Tomoe having real problems with it, including the phrase “doroboneko”.
Miyabi’s pining for Tor is pretty pitiful. Yeah, he’s dreamy enough, I guess, but he’s pretty well locked down. I guess you can’t choose who you fall in love with.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I kinda like Miyabi’s pinning. As you say, it can’t be helped, and it’s at least a believable arc, as a shy girl progresses. A sharp contrast to Lilith’s absurd mechanization. They’ve not done quite enough with Tomoe, and I can see that angle.
Argh. Banging me head. The exposition is sooooo weak….
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Right? How could she slap him when he is clearly, CLEARLY on the right? That’s an egoistic ojou-sama for you.
I just noticed the new sequence in the OP, with Tooru and Julie dancing, I just fell more in love with it.
And the ending *-* AMAZING.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s because she didn’t get what she wanted most. Turning her down basically nullified everything that happened between them.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
@ Both of you. To me it made the whole situation that much more scripted and foolish, putting one more dumb characteristic atop an already tropey character…
@JP. Yes, I love that ice-dancing bit! And I have preference for the first ED.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Just to be the sports pedant, it’s actually pairs figure skating, not ice dancing. There are no throws in ice dancing, but there are in pairs figure skating.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yay! You win the Pedant Pendent…
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
I like the second better because of the romcom vibes it has. It felt like something I would see on Nisekoi… And Lilith kinda reminds me of Chitoge, too…
Ah, if you didn’t notice, I do love Nisekoi.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hmm… I see. I wouldn’t have noticed the similarities between Lilith and Chitoge because most memory of the latter faded after losing interest in Nisekoi after its fourth episode and fell out of my rotation.
At least you’ll be happy to know Nisekoi is getting another season for Spring 2015.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
YES, I JUST SAW IT ON CRUNCHYROLL AND I’M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW *-*
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Good for you.
POWUH: iLurker with 9 comments
Mm, those two aren’t angsty enough to call themselves Avengers. Aside form the occasional nightmare, they’re pretty healthy kids.
Also, I sure do hope whoevers voicing Muscles guy gets decent pay for grunting per episode.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
IKR! What is the premium per grunt?
And you know, I remember back in the day when the Avengers weren’t so angsty. I blame the Nineties..
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It was for the sake of creating drama in the face of a tragedy and you know it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Were you expecting a more Sasuke Uchiha type of Avenger? 😉