Yumekui Merry – 07

Merry experiences the dreaded beach episode!

Fosh: Welcome back to more Yumekui Merry! This week takes us to a famous anime location, the beach! Like every series before. This of course is a chance to see the characters in swimsuits, should be an exciting episode for filler points anyway.

Hime: BLOOD. GORE. DEATH! SWIMSUITS!… Wait, what?

Plot this week is pretty much what I said at the opening, Merry and friends go to the beach to get away from Isana “training” Merry to become a waitress. And we get to see a new Dream demon wreck a child’s dream while Yumeji talks some sense into Merry becoming a hero, who is very depressed.

Isana’s Dad rocks those glasses & thongs                               “Wooooo! LET’S GET WASTED!!”

Yes, Yumeji, we all wanted to see Merry in a two piece.

More swimsuit shots!

After arriving at the beach everyone rushes off to enjoy the day and show off their suits, of course Merry and Yumeji are left behind because they can’t swim. Generic male lead with no swim skills? NO WAY! During this alone time, Yumeji tries to cheer Merry up seeing that she is still depressed about Engi’s comments on her being unable to return to her home. The two walk off together and overhear one of Yumeji’s favorite TV shows being filmed nearby and run off to see. We also have Isana and Chizuru alone, who asks more about Isana’s dream; I am waiting for her to steal Isana’s dreams…

Isana checking out Chizuru? And she smiled! MOE overload….

Someone needs a hug! Or she wants a bigger chest?

That kid is so selling that mask on ebay…

Saki the victum of a stolen bikini top!

While Merry watches Yumeji drool over his favorite hero, a small boy gets an autograph from the said hero and runs off with his mom. He is then sent to a dream world where he is attacked by a strange blonde flower demon named Treesa; his own demon named Delga fights her off but ultimately loses the fight. That new chick is crazy! But I love crazy so she might be a fun fight for Merry. The boy’s mom finds him and we return to the beach party with the others.

Shouta Suzaku, what are you doing in my anime?!

Orc warrior with cloth armor?! FAIL!! No wonder you lost.

Those eyes are so damn cool! GO Treesa!

Should have taught him the spin-zaku attack….

Saki-“I only date creepy people”                                  Takateru-“LIKE ME RIGHT?!”

These two make quite a unique pair

Isana-“Watermelon, so good …”                                    Chizuru-“Taste like tiny children’s dreams”

Before they can leave the beach, Yumeji runs off to find Merry attempting to leave and he gives her a speech about being a hero and how she has to believe in something. Mostly the believe-in-me-believe-in-yourself speech ripped right out of Gurren Lagann, which cheers her up and they leave. Yumeji you are awesome; if only you could fight…

Extra Dreams!

I’M A WHALE!! Wooooossshhh

Totally owned that watermelon with his bare hands! Watch out, Chuck Norris.

Chocolate or blood? Let’s go with chocolate…

Shocked Merry, but nice background and lovely colors.

End Thoughts:

Fosh: Not a bad episode to round out the week, it is your typical beach themed episode, which has three of the following things: beach volleyball, watermelon eating and bikini tops being removed; poor Saki, but not much on the fanservice side. Well, Merry isn’t a show for fanservice anyway, there are better shows around if you are into it that is. They did get to show off some of the relationships slowly building up, we have Isana and Chizuru getting very close to Isana. But we all can assume she just wants to steal her precious dreams.

We also get Saki alone with Takateru, who still gives me off that bad guy creep factor. So, it is kind of nice to see the characters getting together slowly, rather than the main focus just being on Merry all the time. Although Merry is mostly depressed the entire time on this beach trip, which was boring for me; kind of wished she at least had fun with the others.

Finally that new demon on demon fight! I really liked the designs of both demons. But I felt a bit bad for that little kid! Now I’m not sure if Chizuru had anything to with his demon being killed off or not. Then again maybe Chizuru isn’t really a bad character? We still don’t know her main role yet. I did like Yumeji’s attitude in this episode as he really cheers Merry up even though it was a generic speech.

Hime: Oh great, a beach episode… when was the last time one of these ever had a point? It’s just a poor excuse to shoe-horn in some wet girls in swimsuits. Classy… It’s a shame they have to ruin a decent show with D-Grade fanservice. Usually I would just roll my eyes and ignore it but it feels so out of place in an anime that’s been compared to Casshern SINS, something I consider to be one of the best directed shows out there. And, hey, Merry can have nice dynamic shots in it too. The fight scenes, regardless of how brief are pretty coolly animated. So, when we cut to random boobs or a crotch it’s like, really? It’s not even good fanservice! It’s just jarring cuts.

The dopey Pres is really starting to get on my nerves, too. Hoping she disappears soon. And speaking of disappearing, Merry didn’t do much besides angst in this episode but it was mostly pretty downplayed for which I’m thankful. Subtlety; they finally get it!

The bit with the little kid was okay, though it seems a little harsh to steal a five-year-old’s soul. I wouldn’t mind if I thought it was going to be resolved but since we never see any of these characters whose dream demons get killed again, it bothers me. But I loved Treesa’s design and liked her smug psychotic bitchiness. I want to see more of her, definitely. Beach episodes can make for at least some stupid fun, but I just found this episode boring. Also, Saki, get a bikini top that fits… PLEASE!

Preview!

More fights coming up!

Next week seems to be Engi showing up again and more of Yui hanging around Yumeji and looks like Engi was able to leave the dream world.

Thanks!