Black★Rock Shooter – 04
Oh, you thought middle school would be a nice, smooth ride? No, sorry about that.
~Middle school was probably the worst years of school, at least for me. Growing awkwardly, having no sense of what you truly like because you want to fit in with the ‘cool’ kids, every single student has this annoying jerk side; yeah, I hated it. Oh, wait. Sorry, I’m supposed to be focusing on the horrific and traumatic middle school lives of these girls…
This week were lead in with Strength, Yuu’s Other world counterpart, discarding the remains of Chariot as Black Gold Saw watches from the sky…
Kagari makes her reappearance as she finally attends school in the same class as Yomi and Mato. Despite being foul-mouthed, the students quickly take a liking to her. As Yomi and Mato discuss how surprised they are, Yuu suddenly comes in to say Koha is back and the two ake off, leaving Yomi alone again. Koha, meanwhile, seems to be doing all right despite collapsing at the end of last week’s episode.
Found the guy who has the foul-mouthed tsundere fetish.
Later in the day, Kagari tells Yomi that she’s joining the cooking club along with the new friends she’s made. Yomi, feeling depressed, goes to Saya to talk about how she feels like she needs to keep standing by Kagari’s side. Saya however comments that it wouldn’t be a problem if she’s there since she, nor anyone else, really needs her. This shocks Yomi, but before she can dwell on it any longer, Yuu comes in, prompting her to leave. Yomi’s depressed feelings don’t get any better as Mato can’t walk home with her because of her club.
As sparks ignite in Yomi’s eyes, a mountain of chains around Dead Master begin to form in the middle of a bright green graveyard in the Other World; Black Gold Saw smiling as she watches the mountain grow.
The next morning, Mato catches up to Kagari, who asks to walk her to school. Yomi comes in late to school, angry at Kagari because she had left without waiting for her. As her new friends tell her that it was no big deal, she walks away. Later in the day, Kagari asks Mato what a good gift would be to give to Yomi as she wants to return the favor of doing everything for her.
Yomi goes to the cooking club looking for Kagari, but the same friends before tell her that she’s not there and that she just wants to keep her all to herself. She responds angrily by saying that she truly doesn’t mind if she makes new friends, that it’s good for her. At the same time Yomi says this, Mato and Kagari hear her. Horrified, she runs away, ignoring Kagari even when she comes to her house to deliver the cookies she made.
I love Yomi’s horrified/mad face expressions in this episode, just sayin’.
As Mato worries over Yomi skipping classes, Yuu comes by asking for her address to see if she can become her friend too. Meanwhile, the boy who Koha gave her confession letter to calls her outside to apologize for the incident last episode. However she doesn’t seem to remember it, nor remember him.
At Yomi’s house, Kagari comes again to deliver something, but Yomi refuses to step out. Her phone then suddenly rings. Thinking it’s Mato, she quickly runs to her phone, but she’s horrified to realize that it’s actually a message from Yuu that says she and Mato are worried. Yomi begins to slam her pillow against her phone in anger. After recovering, she suddenly runs out her room, thinking that Kagari needs her and would miss her if she disappeared. She hugs Kagari outside, apologizing, then the two retreat back into the house a bit. Their conversation goes smoothly until Kagari says that if she didn’t repay her, she would have never moved on.
Meanwhile in the Other World, Black Rock Shooter runs towards the glowing mountain of chains that begins to pulsate and grow brighter. Kagari begins to call out Yomi, saying she’s only pretending to be strong. Kagari even admits that now she didn’t ever truly need to rely on her and that she didn’t know why she ever liked her. She wants her to forget the past and finally set her free. As Yomi finally breaks down mentally, the mountain of chains in the Other world is struck by lightening and explodes level by level, sweeping up Black Rock Shooter. A bright light emits from the top as columns, a tower, a massive pile of men in masks, and two huge skulls rise from the ground.
The new (and improved) Dead Master steps from the tower, her new scythe in hand. She immediately sets her Dead Skulls to attack Black Rock Shooter. In simple response, Black Rock Shooter brings out her cannon and aims…~
Wow, I have to say, this may be becoming one of my favorite episodes so far in this series. It’s not the story itself, but the overall tone of the episode and just how gorgeously mad Yomi got at the end. The whole episode felt like a pressure cooker that got more strange and insane as the minutes ticked by. Yomi was essentially her own little ticking time bomb that grew in strength the more she took blows by the events that happened around her that added on to her fear of becoming distant from her friends. I’ll admit, I had this (and occasionally still have) the very same fear, which is probably what attracts me most of all to this episode. It definitely gets to be a very dark feeling that brews inside you until a tiny incident just sets you off into madness. Of course, not all ignitions are as intense as Yomi’s, who has created a totally revamped, bad-ass Dead Master in the Other world (It should be Bitchin’ Master, not Bitchin’ Rock Shooter, HA).
Kagari coming back totally threw me off guard. I didn’t think she’d really go to school! That being said, I’m glad they showed her again to show how she progressed after the incident at the hospital. I feel less cheated now! It was also nice that she ACTUALLY changed and tried to do something nice for Yomi, which unfortunately ended up backfiring for poor Yomi. Originally I thought that Kagari’s explanation toward Yomi was ill-intentioned, but after re-watching the episode, I believe it was meant to sound that way since we see how toward the edge of madness Yomi was. What still puzzles me though is that odd look that Kagari had, like the dark circles under her eyes and such. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to show something or what…
In Other world counterpart news, we finally have Yuu’s counterpart, Strength (which should be the right name), make her appearance by doing a clean-up job for Black Gold Saw. Yuu is almost always at the counseling center and occasionally talking about Saya, so maybe she’s her accomplice in some way? She seems like the subordinate type (lol). I probably am over-thinking this, but since Saya, I’ve become overly suspicious of almost every character. Anyway, Koha’s memory loss was another thing in this episode that shocked me. I was thinking that maybe once she was slain in the Other world, she forget her memories, but the same thing happened to Kagari and she remembered that incident that set her off. Maybe it’s because her counterpart wasn’t fully formed? Or did she purposely block those memories to forget what had happened to here? There will be just no end to all this speculation now, will there?~
About Hoshi
A tired, over-dramatic 20 year old college student who likes manga and cheesy Korean boy bands. Prone to succumb to laziness and refuse to work for hours on end.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
I know that feeling, Hoshi. Middle school sucked. -_- lol Anyway I agree, this episode was very good! It’s definitely my favorite so far, and surprisingly little of it was spent in the alternate world. The dramatic side of the show has really grown on me.
One of the things I really like about this show is that sparks a lot of discussion on forums and stuff, I’ve read so many theories that my head hurts. xD I like your theory about Yuu being a subordinate, maybe unintentionally.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
It seems to me that dying in the Other World basically destroys something really important to you. Koha forgets all about the boy she liked, and Kagari can’t remember why she loved Yomi in the first place. Poor Yomi, you look after someone for half your life, and now just because of some fight in some parallel universe, that person just sees her as some crazy girl who’s keeping her trapped for some reason (role reversal, anyone). Overall, though, it’s just nice to see crazy Yomi from the OVA back. And now that she’s evil again, Dead Master’s redesign is starting to make sense. Rock that diabolical look, baby!
POWUH: 400-499 with 410 comments
I believe the idea is that the counterpart of each character is an entity of their pains and regrets. When the counterpart dies, their whole pain and regret is forgotten therefore is cured.
Role reversal agreed. Yomi has got so used of being bound by Kagari and now she wanted to keep it that way.
Dead Master looks much better together with the skulls.
POWUH: iLurker with 3 comments
This sentence should be in reverse.
Any way great to find another that loved Yomi in this episode, well her expressions any way.
And no matter what Dead master looks like, she’s still taking names, damn it!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Well well, if it isn’t the sadistic and cold Dead Master we all know and love from the OVA. And now she has her entire weapon ensemble: Her chains, “Dead Scythe” and her “Dead Skulls”. How could BRS not be mentally shaken by that mountain of skulls?
Do they think that school girls are that psychotic? Why the screams and scary faces? Instead of doing that, Yomi could have just given her the cookies back, look down and say GET OUT! and then run upstairs. All these girls need to be locked up in mental institutions except for Mato. They are all nuts, especially that Saya. Seriously, is wrong with her? Inciting depression and mistrust among the girls. She is a Pure Sadistic Tsundere.
This is my intepretation of the situation: What happens on Earth effects the Other World and what happens in Other World effects Earth. Kagari doesn’t remember her feelings for Yomi because BRS killed Chariot which means that Kagari’s emotions/pain (for Yomi) were also “killed” just like Koha’s feelings towards her crush. Yomi was feeling more and more isolated so Dead Master also isolated herself. In Other World, emotion is relative and proportional to power that’s why Dead Master got stronger when Yomi’s rage/jelousy/self pity peaks.
Mato’s voice is perfect, I couldn’t expect less from Kana Hanazawa. I hope that she sang some songs for this awesome anime. Even though they have the same seiyuu, Eri Kitamura, Kagari somehow looks like a blonde haired Karen Araragi.
POWUH: 400-499 with 410 comments
Dead Master’s full arsenal was not surprising to me. It’s that army that was surprising.
Saya IS a Sadist but definitely not a Tsundere. The whole inciting depression and distrust is just to help BGS to spread the pain.
The only best way to think of it is that when the character of the Other world dies, their memory of the pain is removed therefore removing the pain.
POWUH: 400-499 with 406 comments
I was feeling iffy about this anime, and then suddenly, this episode shows up! I loved Yomi’s crazy expressions, the change in her Dead Master equivalent, and Kagari’s reappearance/ importance. Can’t wait for the next episode!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
You’re a smurf.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Yomi’s maddening behavior bored me instead of making me more interested in this episode. I found it being overly done for the sake of making things more interesting in here. If they toned down Yomi’s behavior, I would actually like this episode
Except that, I’m pretty curious of what the doctor is planning
POWUH: 400-499 with 410 comments
Firstly, this episode answered some questions like what happened to Kagari and Kohata after the trauma. But in the same time, we got more questions as well like how Strength is related to BGS and the reason for Saya to create a distrust in people is still a mystery.
At the start, we see that Kagari and Kohata are doing very well. But we then found out that they actually lost their memories about the things that hurt them. My idea is that killing your Other self, which is an entity of your pain and suffering, also kills the memories of that pain in order to cure it.
When Yomi’s frustration was building up together with Dead Master building up a mountain of chains. I was wondering why the mountain? Then after Yomi’s emotion blew up and the chains breaking, I was surprised to see that army.
I find the way Yomi reacted to her emotional difficulties a bit exaggerating though I liked the face she makes when she’s horrified.
Dead Master’s comeback as the most wanted badass is definitely good. Her having her full arsenal (Scythe, Chains and the two Skulls) makes it better. But that unexpected army is what make it awesome. I really can’t wait for some high time action.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
woaah~~ I like this Dead master from this episode
I don’t know why …cause it resemble of old Dead Master from the OVA
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s because she now has all the negative emotions and the angst that made her awesome in the OVA. Looking at her now with her skulls is just plain epic.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 207 comments
It seems like in this episode, every time BRS “saves” someone, it seems like they forget there memories, or thats what I think at least. But wow with Yomi, she really had all those expressions going for her. All the madness raging inside.
But on another note, I’m actually really glad that Kagari is back. I really actually like her new personality. (Though I kind of wish she would tell off her friends a little, even though she can’t >.>).
Now that Dead Master is in the clutches of Black Gold Saw (With those horns coming out of DM I might add), I’m pretty sure we’re going to have some rage battles next week. With Mato and Yomi at least. But DAMN! Saya is really manipulative with this, I think she knows the right words to set people off haha XD.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 116 comments
“Joshi Chugaksei no Nichijouuuu*…OW!”
– oops, I got the wrong anime. Seriously, just remove the otherworld references/scenes and the descent of characters into insanity, and you’d have Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou’s full blown counterpart – almost. XD
I feel like Yomi had gone the Necron Lord (Warhammer 40k reference here) way while Deadmaster was healing/getting better/getting an upgrade in the otherworld. That giant mountain of chains of hers looks like an awakened Monolith.
P.S. Black Gold Saw’s behind is HAWT. Does that mean Saya is a hotter older woman in the real world too? XD
*The Daily Lives of Middle School Girls
POWUH: 400-499 with 410 comments
Haha nice one. Good reference on Warhammer 40k as well.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Yōko Fanboy with 1246 comments
Hmm… it’s hard not stating what I think about the show since you’ve already seen my thoughts over at Seki 😛
Though yes Yuu’s other world half is named Strength ^^ There was a certain scene that bothered me quite a bit but I’ve never mentioned about. The scene where Yuu tried to approach Kohata but got ignored then went into a depressive state. That’s the first time we get to see Yuu in that state (I don’t remember seeing Yuu like that in other episodes) so whether or not somethings happening there… then again I’m probs reading in this too much. I do want to know what Yuu and Saya talk about since she visits her like… EVERYDAY. Hopefully that will be revealed ;D What do you think Hoshi? of that scene?