Tasogare Otome X Amnesia – 03
Tasogase Otome X The Grudge
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Another week, another mystery about Yuuko… I both look forward to and dread the time when that thing appears in this series. I can tell already that SILVER LINK is going to do a good job with it’s appearance, but I just know that it’s going to scare the crap out of me. …Anyways, enough vague talk about the future and on to the third episode. |
This week it all starts with Niiya getting a letter in his shoe locker and not telling Yuuko about it. However, the note has nothing to do with love and instead talks about how they want to meet the girl behind Niiya. Niiya goes to meet the person alone and that’s how he meets Kirie. She warns him about being spirited away by Yuuko, and that she’s not what she appears to be.
Yuuko goes to find Niiya in the rain, but Kirie’s warning is in the back of Niiya’s mind. The two go to the nurse’s office to dry off and Yuuko gets her fan service segment of the episode. She asks Niiya how she appears in his eyes and gets extremely close to him until Kirie shows up to cockblock. She warns Niiya once again that he’s being an idiot and describes Yuuko as some grotesque being. Niiya is scared and suddenly, when he looks at Yuuko, she appears exactly how Kirie described her. Needless to say, him and Kirie make a run for it.
Subtle. Real subtle.
As they run, we learn that Kirie is actually distantly related to Yuuko (Yuuko was her grandmother’s sister) and she began to see Yuuko after stumbling upon an old photograph. However, one day, her vision of Yuuko was shattered since she saw Yuuko’s true form which was twisted by hate and rage. The reason Kirie explains Niiya’ vision of Yuuko is because he’s a pervert. Niiya lets slip that he knows where Yuuko’s real body is and so they run to the clubroom since apparently Kirie thinks having the body will do something for their situation. However, Yuuko is still chasing them.
When they get to the room, Yuuko grabs Niiya. However, instead of spiriting him away or anything, she just apologizes for clinging on to him since she’s just been so ronery without anyone to talk to for years. With that, Niiya admits that he was scared, but he sees Yuuko as normal again. However Niiya insists on needing to see all of her THAT MOMENT, Yuuko submits and he goes to examine her body (which isn’t awkward to type at all). Down there, he finds Kirie and also figures out that Yuuko died because she broke her leg and must have starved to death. …Or did she. They also find a shrine there and figure that Yuuko’s story must have been changed (accidentally or otherwise) somehow over the years.
In the end, Kirie kind of sort of accepts Yuuko. After she leaves the room though, Kirie wonders what on earth she saw before while something watches her ominously from the shadows. Oh and she joins the paranormal investigations club.
… and that was how Niiya’s harem came to be
End Thoughts:
…Once again, the first episode kind of ruined things. Kirie was convinced that Yuuko was evil and trying to steal Niiya’s soul and yet from the beginning we know that Kirie is willing to hang around Yuuko and sees her as an annoyance at most. If Yuuko was really going to kill/ spirit away/ whatever Niiya this episode, then why did the first episode have him still alive with Kirie? This episode obviously came before the first episode since this was Kirie and Niiya’s first meeting. If they were actually trying to create suspense this episode, someone didn’t think this through. Sure Kirie could have been there episode one to try to thwart Yuuko or something, but that doesn’t explain why Niiya was still there and willing to be around Yuuko. There was kind of a weird continuity error as well since Yuuko met Niiya on the same hill that she claimed to have never been by in episode one, but that could just be because they were farther down it this episode. It was the same area though since Yuuko’s tombstone thing was there.
Once again, Niiya just kind of accepts Yuuko with no real reason. This episode, there was more focus on how the human mind is fragile. Like how Momoe saw Yuuko as something evil trying to kill her, Niiya saw Kirie’s vision of her simply because he had doubt in his mind. Niiya’s acceptance kind of takes away from that a bit, though after last episode, one could probably just attribute his acceptance as a character trait… I don’t remember the manga version of his acceptance being so abrupt, but that could just have been me not paying attention. In the end though, it’s probably a good thing that Niiya accepted her like he did since pretty much everything we’ve seen so far points to the fact that Yuuko is to be pitied. She died some sort of tragic death and now she’s lonely enough to throw herself on the first guy that happens to see her (…not that I’m trying to ruin her character, but that is kind of what she did). This was a point in the story that questioned that pity, only to have it confirmed that yes, Yuuko is a tragic figure with a ton of mystery behind her. There’s something else there that Kirie saw that frightened her, but more on that in later episodes when it becomes more relevant.
Well, three episodes in and it’s had rough patches, but so far so good for Tasogare. Despite my complaints in the first paragraph, this was a good episode on it’s own. The pacing was pretty good and there was actually suspense/tension when they found the shrine next to Yuuko. Whatever track from the OST they used there, it was excellent and so was the abrupt timing for it. So SILVER LINK can do atmosphere if they try, but just not first episodes (no, I’m not getting over it anytime soon).
Preview:
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So the Dusk Maiden has a creepy, bloody alternate form. I don’t know why but whatever supernatural being I see, besides their face, it’s their eyes that’s the most appealing and makes it better like Yuuko glowing red eyes. She’s basically breaking the rules of a ghost. For those who can see her, she’s solid enough to touch, she can feel the touch of the rain drops and she’s able to change her clothes.
And Teiichi’s acceptance of Yuuko, maybe it’s just pure attraction to her and the fact she died a lonely death. Maybe to the point that he’d do anything for her sake, even being spirited away. Though I’m already shipping them together.
Everything felt dark even frightening this time around which was nice. Maybe I should watch it again at night. Kirie’s warning to Teeichi was ominous, instilling tension and distrust. I think replacing the former shrine with a school left a curse on the surrounding area and Yuuko could be a victim. The ED caps off this uneasy episode nicely.
From Kirie’s explanation of Yuuko being the older sister of her grandmother, that means Yuuko is Kirie’s great aunt.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…Yuuko is strange for a ghost and even after reading what’s been translated, I have no idea how or why she’s like that…. Rule breaking indeed. I wonder if the clothing just turns invisible when she puts it on…? Or if people notice an outline of something when it rains?
Niiya x Yuuko is definitely something xD
Yeah, the atmosphere here was great. Again, I still have no idea what the shrine is all about, but hell is it ever creepy.
Yep! I was kind of hoping someone would point it out, but I’ll just do it now: if you look at the two of them, Kirie and Yuuko practically have the same face.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Yuuko sure is cute but sometimes she scares me. I don’t doubt her feelings for Teiichi are real but sometimes, her expressions, she has this cold eyes like those of a murderer that makes me think she’s not as good a ghost as she looks and her true form doesn’t really fit the description of a pure hearted girl. Like the way she wrapped her arms around Teiichi while she was confronting Kirie about taking Teiichi from her. She has been alone for a long time so I guess it has made her possessive.
She really is a rule breaker. I see the monsters tend to blur their own perticular aspects in anime where you wouldn’t see that happening in movies and such. As I’m sure you’ve noticed that my favorite monster has broken an alarming number of their own rules in anime. How far will they all go?
I think Niiya x Yuuko is the best option. They actually love each other, regardless of all the obvious obstacles that will exist for them. I just see Kirie as a friend. She gets easily upset, has a cold personality overall and tends to be a little bitchy.
The atmosphere was the best part, fitting for a ghost or anything else out there. No one knows what the shrine is about but it’s obvious it plays a big part in the story. Since this is a ghost story, I’m not expecting a happy ending.
True, you couldn’t ignore the logic after hearing Kirie’s explaination and they both have similarities. Imagine meeting your own dead relative. I know a love triangle would be an inevitable thing in this kind of story but having two girls fight over a guy and the girls are blood related and generations apart? That’s a new twist. Well, there’s also Momoe in the mix so anything goes.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Her true form…? Yeah, she gets possessive, but like you said, she’s been extremely ronery for a while. Though I think a lot of girls would do something similar. Having some girl drag away the guy you like and calling you evil? Yeah, I’d say that would raise some aggression. It’s just worse here since Yuuko is part of the supernatural.
Ahaha at this point, it’s hard to even define the rules for a vampire. ….They could do anything really here. Ghosts aren’t really that popular in anime these days so they can get away with a lot.
Agreed. I don’t think anyone but Yuuko can be considered an option anymore.
Oh yeah, I can’t see a happy ending either. Especially since either Niiya will grow older or Yuuko will get rid of her problems and move on.
…I don’t think Yuuko has any idea that Kirie is related to her, but an interesting twist indeed. XD
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Whahahaha caught in her web!? Yeah that was cool xD
So this was interesting to find out Teiichi’s perspective on Yuuko was all kinds of screwed up! I wonder how long he has been touching her without realizing she was nothing but a corpse? LOL I was like haha! I wondered if she had some “spell” on him…then again she used his perverted mind to trick him lol…
I always died laughing whenever Yuuko was afraid of people looking at her bones, yet she is not afraid to run around in the buff around Teiichi? That seems kind of odd but for this series it provides the laughs.
I need more Yuuko expressions! Hers are so hilarious xD
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ahaha in interesting visual touch for sure.
Lol Teiichi. In a way, he’s on the same level as the main character of Sankarea in terms of being a necrophiliac xD
Yuuko’s little bouts of embarrassment when it comes to her body are hilarious and yet so moe at the same time. …I think it’s her way of still being modest :3
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hahaha, I think Teiichi is oblivious. He know Yuuko’s a ghost but I don’t think he realizes his relationship is making him tread the path of a necrophiliac. He just think it’s normal to be talking to a spirit. If it wasn’t for him spending time in the abandoned school, others would already question his sanity.
On the case of the two dead girls which seem to ruling the season, Yuuko’s Dusk form is a lot scarier than Rea’s.
But Teiichi and Chihiro aren’t the only ones with a relationship others would call a necrophiliac relationship. Think back on Sunako and Seishin. Seishin was the human and Sunako was basically a bloodsucking corpse. Creepy, right?
Yuuko is great. I had to laugh when she said she wanted to die after Teiichi saw her corpse. Reality check, you’re already dead.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ahahaha yeah, though to be fair, even I have a hard time remembering that she’s dead from the way she acts. ….I don’t even know why that building even exists. It had broken glass everywhere and even has a corpse that’s hidden in a somewhat obvious spot, but nobody has found it for years.
Rea is moe. The only thing scary about her is her father.
Ahahaha of course, Shiki. Seishin was depressed though too. I don’t think Niiya or Chihiro fall under that category.
Best line of the episode xDDD
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
I didn’t really find the lack of uncertainty due to the 1st episode to be detrimental. Still nice to see the “origin story” of the club play out. And Yuuko’s other look was still new information. That said, can’t say the show’s been that impressive so far. The characters and their interactions aren’t great, and the creative gimmicks and visual techniques haven’t lasted long. Feels really tame by Oonuma standards. Could stand to look more like Ef or Baka to Test.
Heh, noticed that Misato Fukuen is in both Sankarea and this, as kind of the same characters, at least in terms of noises created (Babu and Momoe).
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Oh, I found that it kind of ruined a bit of the episode for me… Yeah, as much as I like some of the visual effects that they use, it’s not that big of a distraction from lack of great interaction. Everything has been pretty stereotypical thus far.
Ahaha I never noticed.
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I suppose you are right about the 1st episode undercutting the suspense, but I got caught up enough in them running around that it didn’t take away anything for me.