Kekkai Sensen 06-07
Klaus Von Reinherz: Classy and Kickass
Man, I feel so alive again! Not because I finished another semester, not because I got something really sweet lined up for me this summer, but because I got another episode of Kekkai Sensen that shows Klaus being amazing.
Happy Meal
Do Mushroom people get diabetes?
I already gave most of my thoughts on this episode on the latest Metaverse (listen to it!) so I’ll be brief. The relationship between Leo and Nej was really sweet, that montage really got to me. Which made Nej’s repeated beatings a bit hard to watch. I’m not saying he’s easy on the eyes, but those truckers totally deserved whatever comeuppance they got. Either way, this episode was nice and touching, I hope we at least get some visual acknowledgement of Nej going forward. Maybe a shot of Leo getting some burgers after visiting White or something.
I’m not crying, its the mushroom dust in my eyes!
Klaus: my new Man Crush
Okay, so I was considering dancing around the issue, but screw it. I give this show 70 extra… ummm…. sit-ups. I give Kekkai Sensen 70 extra sit-ups for an episode that not only stars Klaus, but some how perfectly conveys the greatest world view of all time: the muscle world view. To those of you without red blood in your veins or who have a measly 6 pack, let me translate; it doesn’t matter what species, gender, size, or number of appendages you possess. If you are willing to punch someone in the face and be punched in the face, you are a true bad ass. This is also known as the Grappler Baki school of thought.
You disagree with this?!?
So anyway, Klaus shows up in a underground fighting ring (I was half expecting this to be more of a WWE type episode by the preview, but this works too) as part of that conniving Zapp’s plan to some day be a winner. Muscle Rule #6: if you have to plan out your victory, you are a loser and will never win. Of course Klaus gets involved in an increasing series of tough fights, though looking at his performance, you wouldn’t think he was having a touch time. Muscle Rule #19: if you turn down a fight, that only means you will never be the strongest. But watching not only the crowd, but even the owner get awed by Klaus is what truly makes the episode for me. Muscle Rule #1: if you punch them, everything else will fall into place.
Notice how no one complains about the fact that dude’s head exploded? See Muscle Rule #1
So maybe there is a Draculer hiding in the corpse of the Owner. Maybe Black is actually a split personality or something. Maybe Zapp is a Dick Suck (he is totally a Dick Suck). I saw some big dudes punch each other till their heads popped off, and that is good with me.
Man I love Klaus. And this show, I also really love this show. While the Mushroom episode is the only one that isn’t “fun” like all the others are, it was still a really strong episode. I am a sucker for montages of people getting closer without any dialogue, and you got that here. I am also a sucker for people getting punched in the face, and we get a lot of that here. So all in all, these episodes were pretty sweet. I’ll leave you with Muscle Rule #27: even if you are weakling, if you can at least take a punch to the face like a man; you are an honorary bad-ass. This is my philosophy in life.
What a Dick Suck.
About Samsura
As someone of questionable tastes and even more questionable ethics; if we laugh at the same things you are one of two things: A person of discerning taste or a weirdo. Guess where I fall.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Episode 6 was a very interesting one-off episode. Quite the heartwarmer if a little filler-esque.
However, I’m even more interested in the fact that we meet White’s big brother “Black”. (Very original…) However, he gives no evidence of having seen Leo before or being at all sinister, at first.
As for the next episode, I’m still not sure. Is Black just really good at hiding what he really is, or does he have split personalities? He’s one of the Elder 13, and a Blood Breed, but is that all he is?
He claims to have been made fun of a lot when he was younger and he’s got psychic powers. This usually leads to a split personality in many anime, where a more violent, dominant personality shows up in order to protect the more submissive side as a psychological self-protection measure. So, either he’s just the best actor on the block, or he’s got two different personalities.
Also, I found his reaction to the mention of “ghost” strange. There’s something going on here.
The fight was okay, ridiculous filler (sorry Sam, but I come here for the music, Leo, and the vamps 😛 ), but then it got really serious when that Blood Breed ended up being behind it all. I like that Leo is now pretty tuned into their presence that he can spot one any time now, which also makes Black being able to hide it, even more scary.
Next week, looks like we’ll see more of Libra and the vamps with be making some more moves.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Something of that is bugging me. As he took off the glasses and pushed his hair back, the captions around him have his name as “Blank”. So I’m rather confused right now.
Very much in agreement, though a lot of the focus is on the third one for me.
@IreneSharda: Unless you didn’t read what I posted on the recent Knights of Sidonia post, Aaron Dismuke (Fullmetal Alchemist’s Alphonse Elric, Trinity Blood’s Ion Fortuna) will be the voice of Leonardo in the series’ English dub.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I actually don’t think his name is “Blank”, it’s just that he doesn’t have a name. The Japanese part of the title card was just a bunch of XXXXXs, and they put (Blank) in parenthesis. I think it might be that whatever side of Black this is, it may not have a name, just a title. That would actually be great as a Blood Breed, since their largest weakness is their names.
Also, yes, I’ve actually seen the dub, and it’s pretty good. Aaron Dismuke usually does a pretty good job with these kind of characters.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Uh, oh, Blank always wins…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
「 」
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Thanks to your comment count being within the 2000s, you’re a 「 」. 😛
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I looked back at the episode and you were right. The captions were either a bunch of XXXXX or “Blank” in parenthesis.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Also, the full ED MV of “Sugar Song by Bitter Step” by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN is out. The single release is supposed to follow soon.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 105 comments
Something about the charm is lost when the characters aren’t dancing funny and wearing suits.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The price to be paid when you’re only listening to audio.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Speaking of singles, how are the links I sent you the other day?
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, Lapis Lazuli is pretty good. I liked X.U. but scaPEgoat is only okay, I think the visually is really what make that ED more than anything else.
Of course, Sugar Song and Bitter Step is better than all of them, but that’s a high hurdle for any ED. 😛
Link for that by the way: 「血界戦線 Kekkai Sensen)」EDテーマ「シュガーソングとビターステップ」／UNISON SQUARE GARDEN
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Lapis Lazuli is alright in my opinion. X.U. but scapegoat are both perfect. They’ve been played and replayed that the count was easily lost. Just that I prefer the latter of the two more. With the type of music (one of my favorites) along with the English lyrics, it’s hard not to get somewhat emotionally invested and there’s the chorus that really gets you going, a chord is struck. When it gets to “Come and break it down with me” and “The fallen angels I run with all know, it’s our fear that makes all human after all”, I find myself singing along every time. To me, it’s like the Japanese equivalent to a Nickelback song.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
OH yessssssssssss!! Time to listen to that on a loop forever <3
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
For a series injected with action and unpredictability, episode 6 was nice and heartfelt. A lot that it’s a shame Leo and Nej don’t remember the fun they had together. Nej sure loves burgers.
Zapp really sunk to a new low in episode 7 (Previous low was him continuously attacking Leo for pizza a few episodes back). But after the underhanded stunt he pulled, the guy still got his divine comeuppance in a beat down from Klaus. Klaus’s naïveté in not seeing it was a trap is covered for being a well classed gentleman even when he’s kicking ass.
Half of me says Black/Blank (Latter due to the captions surrounding him after taking off his glasses) has a split personality while the other suspects he’s just screwing around with Leo’s head. It confirmed he’s one of the 13 Kings but I wonder if that body is truly his or it’s being controlled by a Blood Breed like the one Klaus encountered during his last match. Because if he and White are siblings, then it’s enough to suggest she’s a vampire as well but there’s no indication so far. Not even a single glimpse of her with glowing blood red eyes.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Episode 6 was exactly what I was waiting for this series to do. Tell a story from beginning to end without riffing to hard on visuals, depending on it to fill the 22 minutes.
But 7 went right back to that formula…until the end that is, when it vaulted itself over the bar with both a stunning cliffhanger and visuals.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Oh, and did anyone else get the link in that Michaela calls Leo her, “Tortoise Knight” and the fact that his name is “Leonardo”? Like as in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? 😀
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I only got the link after you brought it up. That’s funny.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
From where did you take those rules? I want them all!!!
So, I thought anything that came in Kekkai Sensen after the vampires wouldn’t surprise me anymore, but oh well. I was wrong, as always.
In #6 we get a cute little mushroom headed thing that just stole my heart from the first moment. The episode was really touching, even though it was kinda like a filler. It was a filler, right? It’s not like anything exceptional happened except for Leo being held hostage once again and being near to useless once again, except that he acknowledged his uselessness.
So, in #7, we get the ***hole Zapp being ***hole once again, we get in a series of mindless fights and at the middle of the episode, I’m like, oh yeah… It’s another filler kinda episode. And suddenly, BAAM, suddenly we’re back to the Blood Breeds and the main plot. I mean, I was genuinely scared when the Blood Breed popped up from that place’s owner’s body, even though his dialogue was a lot more on the “I’m not sorry for taking this guy’s body for I wasn’t the one who killed it”, and I still thought that Klaus would die right there. But, oh, plot armor. Klaus CANNOT die right now, because he’s probably the only one who is on pair with the Blood Breeds’ strenght.
Anyway, even though I seemed bothered by the filler feel of both episodes, I wasn’t at all. Kekkai Sensen is still a treat and it’s great to hear both opening and ending songs and the innovative “camera” angles they use.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Expect the unexpected. 😛
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Just guessing… But I think spammy ate some of my stuff.
GIMME BACK, SPAMMY YOU BAD BOY.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You know he never listens when we tell him anything.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Can someone help? Spammy has had a comment of mine for a handful of hours now.