RE: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu – 10
Yeah, this will totally work…
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…the bursts of action have been building up to this nearly all action episode. So let’s see what that brings us, as the show didn’t forget to pack in plenty of implications along with plenty of mayhem… |
…results equal to the effort…
We’re a bit more Ram centric this episode
It’s nice to have a detail for the sake of world building. We get the generic – and what I can only discern is a term to call all “magical beasts” – “mabeast” replaced with ulgarm (or Wolgarm in some LN readings) and that seems to fill the right box in. It’s a neat little preview that contrasts pretty well to how the story is going to define what they call a demon/oni, and the exception that they set up with Ram, who really took front and center this show despite her sisters battle prowess. It looks like they are still playing around with the Red Oni and Blue Oni story quite a bit, with role reversal being the clearest. It also brings to mind that even though portrayed as monsters, the oni always thought people were scary, too, if not even scarier then they are.
Pray he never get’s that sort of hungry, Balls…
When we last saw Barusu he was pretty deep in damage. But, thanks to an episodic break, and some well timed flashbacks, he makes a speedy recovery. One that uses every capable magic user around, and leaves them either very tired and out of commission for the time being, or very cranky, and liable to spill beans. We are made aware that Rem has been left behind to mop up the rest of the ulgarm, and that the children aren’t out of the woods yet, as the power to curse them is still active.
He’s not scared of dying? I guess she’ll get used to it?
We are also given the detail that in her oni form Rem can heal damage, but the stands a a great chance at digging deep into monster territory herself the longer she stays transformed. But, with all the oni exposition, I like the detail that Emilia isn’t around to explain any of this, as she is the exhausted one. Instead that goes to Beatrice, who also explains that a crazy knot of curses are still active in Subaru, and will end his life sooner than later.
Ram: I have a cunning plan
Of course, Beako is the cranky one I mentioned. She stands as an interesting parallel to Emilia in all this. She can take mana away from folk, and one can assume she has a big personal well of it herself. Emilia is much the same in that regard. But the two are different in their approach and knowledge, at least as demonstrated so far. Whereas both with heal him to the best of their abilities, Beako has been the one to put her neck out there, all the while protesting. All the while protecting Emila from the same thing.
Did someone try to mention a witch?
This runs another parallel with Ram and Rem, as the pink oni has to use her powers a bit more creatively, and exhausts much quicker than her sister when using magic. She’s also not quite the fighter our ball and chain swinging maid looks to be. So I do rather wonder…is that because she took her own her in sacrifice, or is it personal preference. That’s another path that I love that this series walks, don’t judge books by covers.
I love how her powers are intuitive and investigative
But she knows the scene better, and knows that tracking down the boss ‘garm or the little puppy version is how to remove the curse, and keep everyone’s mana from draining. Cause these dogs are hungry for just about any mana leak, a fact that Subaru uses rather well to his advantage. That’s a good MC thinking on this feet, and I love how well they stick to him being a fish out of water than isn’t afraid to grow some legs, no matter how much fear he shows on the outward side. He had to be all in on this mission, and it shows, with many different “all or nothing” acts of desperation informing his choices this time around. Death and Repeat is an option, but he won’t look at it as a solution; he used it as a tool!
A few magical feats of physics
Dogs or Ducks! Line ’em up!!
I thought they floated some very pointed principles before getting to the big explosion of action. Characterization by contrast really works for this show. Then they bring the punch. White Fox does really well expressing combat, and since they worked on all of the rather crazy moments in Akame ga Kill, Rem’s lovely subversions are to be both expected and still exalted! I really like it when they get creative and use magic and the like in combat animation, as the two go together like everything on a delicious cake. So in closing, it looks like we’ve got another cliffhanger (and it was around a cliff this time as well), and a bunch more details to iron out as I’ve peeked a bit ahead. See you next time, for the conclusion of Operation Natsuki Subaru is the Bait!
I wonder how long this will last as my current desktop?
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: 500-599 with 540 comments
Was anyone else unnerved by Puck’s monster teeth act? I know he’s a spirit and all but Puck always acts so cute and fluffy the contrast was shocking. Subaru throwing Ram made my day, I knew he was planning it from the way he was holding her and the dialogue before the act, and she flew so majestically too.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well with Puck, it just goes to show you that fuwa fuwa can be bitey bitey, too.
I think Ram flew as majestically as the situation could possibly allow; which is to say, she made the best of a very awkward situation…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I was. Someone should have told him to ease back on his exposition of re-enacting certain events. Not to mention the spot-on, convincing sound effects. That was too well done.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Which informed my choice as whether or not to make the webm an autoplay/loop when putting the post together…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I want that cat-spirit.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 35 comments
OM NOM NOM can always give some one the PTSD that they needed daily.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
If Puck doesn’t give Subaru PTSD, I don’t know what will. It was a really creepy
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…the “writers are all evil foreshadowing geniuses” in me hopes that this really is evil foreshadowing from the writers…Puck is the great cosmic evil of the world, look upon his fluffy fur and OM NOM NOM!
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Blue oni, Red Oni, unguided LOLi missile.
The arms race is heating up!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Ram is not a LOLi. I’m an expert about these sort’s of things.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Invokes the ‘Is really 500 years old’ trope.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Ram is less loli and just more less endowed than Rem.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
You noticed that, too? Here I thought I was the only one. Looks like Rem gets the better part in every aspect between the twins. Better working skills, a better developed body, stronger powers…
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
I think its already been established that Rem is superior in everyway to Ram. Now we just need someone to admit they like ‘them’ smaller to subvert this statement. Show ▼
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Not to worry. We’ve already reserved that task for the resident LOLi Defender and Meta-Analyst. Hahaha, you should get your own designated title soon, Proto.
Man, so dishonest!!! Those are some strong tsundere vibes coming from that spoiler tag.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Chippai is good.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Its always fun to put on pseudo tsundere acts blackbrair :3 Well its fun when people get it ofc XD
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
I do it all the time with my friends and its hilarious 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Seriously, I feel a huge swell of pity for our lead here. The guy just can’t catch a break. If not for the prospect of feeling pain, he’d have to fear dying completely suppressed by now.
A part of Ram’s story I don’t get. Clearly, she’s not human. So if she lost her horn, regardless of how it happened, can’t it grow back?
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
If you lose your hand can it grow back? Not everyone can simply replace major organs, especially not ones that are, apparently, the source of most of their magical powers like it appears these girls’ Oni horns are. Just because she’s not human that doesn’t mean she has superhuman regeneration powers. And even if she did, they’d probably be fueled by the power from her horn… which itself is what’s gone.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’ve gotten some hints that a bit more of the demon/oni horn background/capacities will be explored the next episode or so. I’ve only skimmed a bit here and there (incomplete picture) so that’s up in the air. But it looks like we’ll get a bit more next time around regardless.
If Ram does have some basic magic abilities, that can reasonably (given the little we know about the magic in this universe) fit in with the rest of the supporting cast/main cast abilities as it looks like magic has the basic utilitarian “elemental” properties to it. It fits within expectations for a bunch of fantasy, east or west. So it looks like ONI adds to that in a specific way, with or without horn.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
…Is it bad that, when looking at the first video, my biggest takeaway from it was “Huh, Ram wears black.”?
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
:O Does she? What, pray tell, does Rem were then? Oh no I can’t possibly go and rewatch this show looking for just that… Tis a predicament I’m in.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
“So does the ulgarm stop the balls motion? Is the weapon that good a Rem-extension? Should I care?”
I think what happens is that when rem threw the spike ball, even after hitting the ulgram, it still had the momentum of the throw, so she leaps for it while it is still carrying all that momentum and does those fancy acrobatics. What she does afterwords is all implausible and in this case you shouldnt really care too much because the show never calls attention to it considering the other crazy things we’ve seen characters do. While this scene pushes it a bit, it matches the stylistic tone and absurdity of the fights we’ve seen thus far in this show
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh goodness, I love that bit regardless. I’d hate it if they show her having complete mental control over how the ball moves. But being able to stop it like that, and get an extra tool use out of it is remarkably cool. Yep, it’ does match the tone, another reason to enjoy it all the more, as it doesn’t feel out of place/doesn’t detract.
So cool…
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
A
wizardmaid did it. 😉POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Show ▼
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
Actually the kids are fine since they got bitten only once so was easy for Beako to remove, its’ Subaru who’s still in the woods.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I got the impression that they were still kinda down and out, giving Subaru that extra push? Ah well…I miss these details sometimes.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
Well, that’s why have people like me help point out those little details and further promote discussion! 😀
So don’t sweat it.
Great write up as usual though.