Classroom ☆ Crisis – 03
I bet this isn’t even her final form…
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…we are deep in corporate shenanigans folks, as Lay-Duce keeps putting the original in original anime production. So,what has the third week brought us? |
The Woman from Accounting
…and you will know them by the trail of their dead…
Angelina is a bombshell in more ways than just the obvious. She comes on strong, has a lot to say for herself, and to others, and doesn’t let up for single moment. This is just the sort of person you want when you’re hunting the most dangerous of corporate prey, the bottom line. But she isn’t just an accountant, she’s Budget Control, which is the fiscal ledger hunter among mere spreadsheet hunters. She’s much more than that as well. Beneath the calm, collected exterior beats the heart of a vulnerable woman; who’s unrequited passion for her man is only quenched by her desire to excel in his service. Yeah, I really like this character.
…Saito gets the books thrown at him…
…and she’s on the paper-trail. There is a whole lot more going on behind the scenes at the corporation than meets the eye. While it is clear that Nagisa’s brothers hold him in little regard, both as family and as a business associate, what isn’t clear is what they plan to do with the money that is supposed to go to A-TEC. Nagisa is in the middle of it, and it looks like his brother is almost counting on the younger going his own way, as usual. With Angelina providing the club with just enough budget to hold out for a short period of time, and that time being counted on, just what is Nagisa planning?
Just as much nuts, but fewer bolts…
…from state of the art…
At first blush, the students of A-TEC could be accused of being self-entitled brats with little regard for money. That’s the line that Angelina sells both them, and Saito especially, on with as much short, sharp, shock as she can muster; and that woman can muster quite a bit. But we can pretty easily see that they are just that, students. They’ve been protected from the concerns of money on purpose. Nagisa may scold Saito for having little idea what a business circular is, but the young engineer has a different focus, one built on achieving the dream no matter what the cost. That focus was purpose built into him, and by extension, his students, from the get go. But for what purpose?
…to a cave with a box of scraps?
Also, these students do have individual value, as we see many of them leaving to pursue other paths when it looks like A-TEC won’t be living up to it’s legacy status. Those paths would not have opened up for them if they didn’t have the talent to show for it. But with so few left, and with them going from state of the art facilities to a heritage museum garage, what chances do they have? They have to disregard money and favor creativity, and that cold reality may not birth the liberation creativity aspires to. But, isn’t it interesting, that much like the Kirishina company started, they have the place where the racing rockets were born, and a Kiryuu in the mix as well? Legacy indeed.
What to do with a Problem like Nagisa?
…yeah, nothing happened…
Nagisa still proves to be a huge enigma. He’s able to succeed where he is very much supposed to fail. He is both for supporting A-TEC for his own gain, and looking to disband them when it become clear that doing so will dovetail with his plans. He’s also a bit of an idiot. You don’t invite a woman that has show a clear interest in you, “just to take a shower” to your place and then leave her hanging. Unless that is part of his plan to keep her in her place. Idiot, that’s playing with fire.
Final Thoughts
This show continues to cook it’s own recipe so very very well. Going into the Summer season, I never would have predicted that this is the direction the show would have gone. Color me happy and surprised. Shows should do this more often. We’ve got the initial stage set as of this third episode, and pretty much all the actors in place. Now it’s on to the real story. What part of the rabbit hole will they go to next? I’m hoping the focus more time on the students, and get down to the cool business of space and rockets soon. They have me sold on the corporate world, and that has some huge underpinnings. Going forward they need eyes on the skies…
Next Time
…aww, man…and here I thought they were going to get along…
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
So the stiff, by the book, hedonistic, flaw finding, micro managing and condescending accountant turns out to be a closet pervert and cougar. Nice! It’s usually the most repressed ones who are revealed to be exceedingly naughty.
I’m sure whatever the other Kiriyu’s are secretly funding, it will be planned to go up right at the moment of A-TEC’s projected disbandment and make Nagisa the incompetent fall guy, thereby ruining his image. A safe bet they’re very aware of him gunning for the CEO seat and they’re using stall tactics. It’s pretty much a modern day version of royals trying to usurp the throne by cutting down their own family. Which one is more fitting to be the Nero type?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
She was rather straightforward with Saito about her feelings for Nagisa, so I don’t think she’s in a closet. Cougar? Yes. Closet? No.
For the Nero type? Dunno. But the eldest brother might be pulling most of the strings.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I wouldn’t call that straightforward. More like beating around the bush. At face value, she’s denying having feelings for Nagisa but the mood she’s in and the tone of voice used indicate the opposite. Not a very convincing attempt because she’s contradicting herself.
Nagisa’s still a minor and Angelina is in her twenties. She must really like it forbidden.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well, to me she beat all the way around that bush, a 360. The denial was suspiciously specific. As for forbidden, I think she likes success and power. You, know, like, a lot…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I can’t say I expected the show to go this route either but I’m kinda digging it.
At first I had a kneejerk reaction to completely hate Nagisa for trying to dismantle A-TEC (HOW DARE HE!), but I realize I can let my guard down more since he’s being screwed over as well. Or at least, someone is trying to screw him over. I doubt they’ll succeed. So he’s an interesting one for that and I see his concerns aren’t quite so evil. A-TEC really had no idea how much they were spending…someone should have told them to at least turn down the air conditioning every now and then to save money!
Sidenote: really digging the derpy, wide-eyed faces of awe so thanks for that screencap to remind me how wonderful they are
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Both Nagisa and Saito are more alike then they realize. But one is aware of his situation, the other isnt.
Are you referring to the pic I captioned as, “…and you will know them by the trail of their dead”?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
One day those two will become friends. Or at least something more amicable than bitter enemies. One day.
Yes, that one!
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I’m sure once we find out more about Nagisa’s past and the reason for the horrific burns on his back, we’ll be cheering for him in no time. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
He certainly has the makings of a great character so far. Maybe a bit of an anti-hero?
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Kobayashi Yuu sure likes to get casted to women with black hair and wearing a business suit.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…play to those strengths…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Her preferred typecast, I guess.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…if you could get away with doing that type of voice for that type of character, you tooootally would…
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I love this episode even more than the first two. I’ve loved the intelligent, arrogant Nagisa since his intro, but here, you’re beginning to see so many different nuances to him. He’s using A-TEC to achieve his own goals, and in that he doesn’t want to see them sunk. If he wanted them gone, he could have just left it alone and let them self-destruct in less than 3 months. didn’t have to call in Angelina as their life support. He is also trying to get at, what looks to be corruption at the highest levels of the company. And seeing how his brother acts, I wouldn’t be surprised.
As for A-TEC itself, I have to agree with everything that’s been done to them. They really needed this wake up call. While creativity and ingenuity are the life’s blood of engineering and invention, you need a successful business practice as well to maintain it. And sorry sky, but just because they’re are students, doesn’t give them a pass. I’ve see real high school students who have have developed engineering and business sides that they have to maintain. And as a teacher and head of that department, Sera really has no excuse. Also, people have to remember that this isn’t just some high school club, they are actually a department and employees of a multi-billion dollar company. So, it’s a totally different ballgame than just the “big-bad corporation wants to take away the toys of the bright kids”. It’s about the functionality of a department and whether or not it is viable enough to be kept alive.
It’s why the original duo that formed A-TEC and the company as a whole, worked so well. One of them was the engineering side, one was the business. A-TEC today, tried to be all engineering, and thus they are blowing through millions of dollars without a thought.
What Nagisa and Angelina are teaching them is harsh and painful, but it needs to be done. They have been indulged and it would have actually hurt them more in the future than it would have helped them.
I recently visited a high school robotics club that had two sections built into it, it had an engineering side and a business side. And both sides were the same size and had expertise in their field. A-TEC needed more than one girl one the budget, Sera-sensei does need to grow up and realize what’s going on here in order to effectively help his students. They are extremely wasteful on funds and they’ve been just given more money time and time again. That’s not the right way to do things, and they’ve had a harsh lesson to learn in that regard.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
For this post, I wanted to give that teen-age idealism a bit of it’s last stand. There is no doubt they have to come to a sense of self-awareness about their station, but that is a process. So I wasn’t looking to give them a pass, only the understanding of where they came from at the very beginning. That place is ultimately the responsibility of the adults they learn under. And there is a connection to teens getting ticked at adults telling the “Do as I say, not as I do”. That doesn’t rub right. Saito should have known better, but his story will take a slightly different angle.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I guess I am being a little hard on them. The students should have been taught how to do this by their teacher so they wouldn’t have only one girl on the budget. And the teacher, who is barely able to handle this sort of thing, was only doing what he’s been doing. And as the saying goes. If it wasn’t broke, why fix it?
I’d say most of the blame should go to the old director who’s job Nagisa has now. He was the one indulging them and didn’t direct Saito in what he should do and how to teach his own students good business since. I’m guessing he took everything on himself so that they could be free to create and such. However, he ended up hurting them even more, since they now have no idea how industry works.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
What I dislike is that it seemed like Yuna the budget girl quit too. 🙁 I liked her character.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…I really liked her too. But you know, even after watching it three times I couldn’t figure out who stayed and left, I don’t think they gave a headcount. I guess that could provide some moments to catch up with them and play around with comebacks?