Drifters – 04 – 05
How Legolas spent his childhood
This whole 2-episode post is slowly becoming a habit. Better than nothing, I guess. By the way, I’m at the office right now. My slacking-off-at-the-office virginity has been taken! I didn’t watch the episodes at the office (unlike my bold coworker who watched Bleach simultaneously for 4 hours), but I still remember it like it was yesterday. Moving on…
Episode four to five are pretty simple. The story continues the rebellion by the elves, now with Toyohisa leading the army. Toyohisa with his elves army is able to defeat the soldiers coming to the village, and they take the fortress of the landlord (with gruesome sight of the treatment given to the imprisoned female slaves). As the story progresses, the audience is given a more in-depth story on Yoichi and Nobunaga. In here we get a balanced within the characters. The audience are presented with the so-called cruel ways of the main characters’ ways, but we are given justifications of it, especially the one explicitly stated by Oppai-san. They’re not evil; it’s just how the way things are during their timeline aka full of violence and blood. That’s how they are supposed to live if they want to survive. Besides, they have their own moral code. This can be seen when Toyohisa raged because of the bastard soldiers raping the female slaves, and Yoichi’s disapproval of cunning methods is also a proof of his moral code. As for Nobunaga, well… Although he is cunning, but it is necessary during his time. Besides, he knows when and to who he should act cruel. These characters are not morally loose; they are just doing what they have been doing in their entire life, and that is by killing/defeating their enemies. Are they wrong because of that? Is it right to brand them as “evil” and “immoral” when that’s the only way they know how to survive?
The questions surround not only the main characters but also Black King and his Ends. From episode four, we can see that Black King is also an End. Oppai-san never mentions anything about a special figure whatsoever (yet) that is going to lead them into victory – No. What makes Black King different is that he is an End with charisma, thus he has the ability to control other Ends and monsters. This is the first unity that ever happened before, and that’s what makes it different now. Black King knows this, and he knows the Drifters will come out victorious if the same thing happened to them. Therefore he tries his best to separate the Drifters. Well, of course it’s not going to be easy for them to unite, but it will always work out since this is anime. Besides, the Drifters are only in 3 groups, right? And they also have figureheads that can lead each group (Toyohisa and the Roman dude, though I can guess that they’ll pick Toyohisa as the main figurehead of Drifters). I’m starting to suspect that the Grand Master is also a Drifter since he has Japanese charms. Gosh, what’s with nice Japanese characters and evil Western characters?
Speaking of Drifters, is… Black King also a Drifter? I’m not into conspiracies, but I know anime has the tendency to have last-minute weird twist so might as well do the theories now. I have a feeling that Black King was a Drifter. First, he’s human, not a monster. Second, he said something about “I came to save them [the people from that world]”, so I have this feeling that he might be from the other world. However, he was “rejected” and feels angry about it. Or maybe something bad happened that he feels betrayed by the humans of that world, and that’s why he changed his occupation from a Drifter into an End. Maybe he was a dying king who was transported into their current era? Maybe he is… King Arthur? I know Japanese anime has extremely strange affection to the point of annoyance and lack of creativity with that character, so maybe… He is? After all, he has the charisma! Or maybe I’m just thinking too much. Meh, everything will be answered sooner or later… I hope. Maybe the mangaka should publish it more often? Like, more than once a year?
So far, it’s still entertaining. I am still seeing the implicit messages it sends, and I’m loving it. I love how the implicit messages can still be applied in the modern world despite of the kinda-historical setting the story has. As for the animation, I still think it’s fine. It’s not as great as the first few episodes, but it was still pleasing for the eyes. The same can also be said about the gags, it’s still not changing. So it’s still not funny, but at least the repetitive facial expressions balances with the lame gags. It would be more entertaining if the lame gags stop though. God, please make it stop.
Preview: Something about love, so this must be related to the gruesome female elves incident
I’ll admit I did chuckle at this scene
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
What do you think will happen to the humans found at the end of ep 5? Do you think Toyohisa will start slaughtering them on the spot or will he round them up and slaughter them later?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
No matter the choice, it will all have the same conclusion. They’re not going to have a pleasant demise. Sucks to be them.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Actually, it sucks to be anyone in the world of drifters as far as I can see :P. Everyone seems to be having really shitty times.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The “crazy wide-eyed look” and tons of dark shadows seems to be a recurring motif in the source mangaka’s art. It seems to have translated well to the anime.
PS. That was a very sh*tty episode there.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s odd that a show highlights “shit” at all. Let alone to the degree Drifters has. I was like “Are they actually saying that?” and multiple times, no less.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It truly is a growing sentiment. I’ve come to really detest it when it comes to seeing peaceful non-humans or those who just want to left alone being bullied by humans, especially for selfish reasons.
As for the Black King and his speech, I’m pegging him as a victim of circumstance in place of my previous thoughts of him being an antagonist purely for the story’s sake of it. If I had to guess, he was a good willed and possibly naïve individual with a unique trait and was rejected by the human masses for simply being different though he had no ill intentions and the rejection gave rise to resentment. And I’m assuming his ambition of wiping out humans is, from his perspective, his way of protecting every other species from the humans who seek to do them harm just by the sight of them.
Toyohisa did his beheading thing but Nobunaga is the one stealing the show with his underhanded tactics and charisma. Got to give respect for the act of him and the elves posing as the soldiers. That was a near Trojan horse move. Though his voice really throws me off sometimes. Because they share the same voice actor, every time he talks, an image of Madara Uchiha pops into my head.
The sight of that ending scene in episode 05 was quite unpleasant. Here’s to hoping none of those bastards get an easy death.
POWUH: iLurker with 3 comments
This Black King, base on his saying, healing ability, and that wound in his palm. He might be “Jesus” also this theory increased thanks to this “mini manga”(OH GOD WHY?!):http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/drifters/images/0/03/001.png/revision/latest?cb=20161114134843