Tsugumomo – 12 [END]

…they say we are out of furniture…

All’s well that ends well, and the lessons shall never be unlearned. We’ve reached the end of the Sunao vs Kazuya arc, and the end of the series. Let’s see how that played out…

Partner or Back to the Status Quo

This was the moment it all built up to

First off, if anyone is looking for my latest take on Eromanga-sensei, I’ll handle the final two episodes with one post; I’ll probably do a three-fer for Zeronosyo now that I’m talking about it. But…as for this show, on one hand, I really don’t like it when they build up a battle arc, and have the final portion of that battle take up less than half of the next episode. It just seems like there should have been or could have been some space-saving measures in earlier eps that could have ended the battle at the end of a particular episode, and not have it carry over; I think that might give the end of the battle more definition. But on the other, I rather enjoy being able to see the talent pack in a climax to a battle, a cool down moment that is commiserate to the build up, and a denouement all into one show. However, in the end, being entertained counts the most, and nothing in the episode failed to do that. I’ve always like Kazuya’s new battle mode, as it was a nice shounen standard that made sense in all the contexts without going overboard, and manga always treated it very well. He leveled up and the progress never felt rushed.

You live, you fight, you learn…

But in the end of all the display of skill and such – again, I’m not the dude for the battle blow by blow report, it was fun to watch and it underscored the narrative rather well –  we get just a touch more depth, and a bit more understanding for both Sunao and Kazuya. While I feel that Sunao allowed herself to be misguided by revenge that came from her overbearing need for closure, I do think she took a necessary journey for such a character. I’ve argued that she is Kazuya under a different set of circumstance, but also under similar ones as well. Both carry with them reminders of Kanaka’s influence over their lives. For Sunao that was a goal that would help her through the grieving process. For Kazuya that was the ever horny present Kiriha. He grew closer to his tsugumomo –  unaware of the origins, she grew away from hers – aware of the origins. But in the end, she remembered who her greatest ally really was, and it is to her credit that she took her defeat with grace. She knew she did wrong, and she kept her dignity. Well as much as her mother would allow her to have.  I guess that pays her back for being such a sharpish character – is everyone happy that her mother knocked some sense into her!? Also, in so far as the true monster’s that both of them face..well, that’s for another cour.

It doesn’t take much to make a person happy…

After that it was back to the fanservice! Well in addition to the status quo of sexy bath time, we do get a bit more into how Kukuri feels about things. She’s crushing pretty hard on our main character and joining in on all harem fun times. But I really like how she’s basically the same goddess of the land she’s always been. She’s there to support and she’s the to become infused into the landscape, in this case a loving household. She also reveals she still wants her offerings, she might even need them at this point; I liked seeing her imagine getting her “just reward”. She hasn’t changed, not really, she’s just wearing a human mindset, instead of the mask. Kiriha has gained a bunch more confidence in both herself and Kazuya. Her investments have paid off, and she’s a lot closer to being whole again -spoiler, yes, she’s still not “Full Grown” as of this viewing. Kazuya’s faith in her as a person, not a tool, touches both the human in Sunao, and the human in Kiriha. As for Kazuya? What did he get out of all of this? Well, he’s the adolescent metaphor caught in the middle of it all. That won’t change anytime soon…

The whole gang is here for one last service call!

Show ▼

Well this was the show I was looking forward to the most this season, both in terms of viewing and blogging, and it didn’t fail to please. I think Zero-G did a bang up job presenting the show and even if the animation was a bit patchy (OK, it was really low budget lots of places) here and there, I think that’s acceptable for a new studio. As I said above, being entertained is what counts the most, and they did not fail to do that. It was a fine adaptation from a well-loved, if not cult material, and they had a fine hand in cutting out some scenes that help the television progress unhindered, and it brought all the fun the manga presented without question. Yeah, some extras were left out by the wayside, but I’m thinking some OVAs and BD specials are in the future. While I do prefer the depth of art style the manga brings – which you know, sometimes an anime actually makes whole scores of manga look better – this show was never unwelcome. I hope everyone felt the same way. I have no clue if the show will get a second cour or not, but like it or not, these 12 episodes told a full story, which is what a TV show really needs to do. I hope it boosts sales, Hamada-sensei’s meticulous work should have a wider audience. And speaking of which…

Final end card from the mangaka himself!

Thanks for Watching!

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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
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9 Responses to “Tsugumomo – 12 [END]”

  1. Highway says:

    I liked how this show did overall. I thought it was a lot more interesting than a similar show like Kyoukai no Rinne, mainly because the characters are better, and it feels more adult. I actually like the insinuation that at least Kazuya and Kiriha are “doing it”, and that under various circumstances the others are involved. It gives the show a different attitude than the ‘chaste blushing with nothing happening’ that these shows usually end up with.

    • skylion says:

      It really does excel over similar material, and that’s pretty remarkable. If you read the original manga this cour is based on, it’s pretty much an obvious hodge-podge of a lot of other genres and pretty much it’s own version of ToLoveRu. This final arc was that, but I felt that it made all those other parts their own. It really starts to say things for itself the next couple of storylines, and I like how Hamada continues to use other characters to hint at Kazuya’s story, or to underscore it.

      Yeah, did we ever see Momo, “sealing the deal”?

      • Highway says:

        No, we didn’t, because an integral part of TLR is always catering to that horrible otaku expectation of “purity”. The girls can be slutty (at least one or two of them), and go after the boy, but as soon as they actually do anything then they’re used goods. And that’s just vile, but then again so are the people who think like that.

  2. zztop says:

    The question now is whether the allure of action and near-hentai is capable of moving Tsugumomo’s source manga and Bluray sales.

    Checking Bluray sales, it turns out the Granblue Fantasy Blurays are selling like hotcakes. Some say it’s because their Blurays are bundled with various ingame bonuses and codes that can be used to get new sprites, character art, and others which all but guarantees their 2nd season. Cygames, you sly dog!

  3. BlackBriar says:

    Color me very surprised. I honestly didn’t think I’d like this series as much as I do now. Choosing to watch it was merely on whim and it gradually grew on me with both setting and characters.

    One of the best parts was Kazuya not being a thoroughly wimpy protagonist as I first pegged him to be. He can do what needs to be done, just that he prefers the uneventful options. Kiriha, herself, is a force of nature and watching her beside Kazuya is nice. However, it wouldn’t hurt toning down the physical abuse she gives the poor guy, and she always seems to aim for the nether regions. That’s sensitive territory, you know!

    I think Zero-G did a bang up job presenting the show and even if the animation was a bit patchy (OK, it was really low budget lots of places) here and there, I think that’s acceptable for a new studio.

    I don’t know how you guys can perceive such things. If a series really has a hold on me as it’s playing out, it leaves me too distracted to notice. If there’s a dip in animation quality.

    Final verdict: Tsugumomo proved to be quite the entertaining show, one of the most for me this season (and daring with its fanservice) that it’s disheartening to know it’s actually over. Since there’s apparently more material around, I’m hoping there’s the possibility of another season and it coming sooner rather than later.

    • skylion says:

      I don’t normally look at it in that way, as I find the pissy little boy characters entertaining in their own right, but Kazuya does not embody that much, if at all, so he suprasss that quickly in manga, and so he would in the show as well. But he can’t get any funny ideas above his station, as Kiriha is there to discipline him. She is obsessed with that…one way or another she will have it.

      Well, I’m a blogger aren’t I? Part of me is somewhat obligated to point out some of the flaws, such as animation quality. But I agree with you here, that when the story is going at speed, only the most glaring of QUALITY can derail.

      Glad you enjoyed it, I’m hoping you can hope for more…

  4. BlackBriar says:

    It was a fine adaptation from a well-loved, if not cult material, and they had a fine hand in cutting out some scenes that help the television progress unhindered, and it brought all the fun the manga presented without question. Yeah, some extras were left out by the wayside, but I’m thinking some OVAs and BD specials are in the future.

    Pfft! Such is the benefit of being a reader. The anime-only crowd get a certain degree of exposure but it’s the readers who get the sweeter deal because they know the finer details.

    • skylion says:

      As a watcher I got the bonus of Kiriha’s VA.

      She’s the redhead…and I forgot to mention who well suited she was for the part of our blue haired obi – well not since the FI.

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