BTOOOM! – 03
Good to know our hero won’t let something small like high-voltage shocks to his head drag him down!
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I have to admit that I probably shouldn’t have typed BTOOOM! in all caps as the title, but it’s too late. I’ve done it for 2 posts now and if I change it now then the flow will be ruined. Besides, isn’t this the sort of title that you scream at the top of your lungs anyway? Anything spoken in your outdoor voice deserves capslock…Wait, I’m not the only one who says the name of this anime like I’m actually mimicking the noise an explosion makes (complete with accurate volume levels)…am I? |
The preview showed Ryouta hooking up with a fat guy (…not like that) and I took that to mean we’d get a lot of lengthy explanations and discussion. We did. A good chunk of it was fairly repetitive, since it was already explained in Himiko’s episode. We already knew about the food parachutes and that this was a survival game people were forced into against their free will. That much was boring. However, it was good to finally learn the rules of the game and see the guy in charge of everything, even we don’t really know his exact affiliation to Ryouta and BTOOOM!. I had assumed that the only way off the island would be to kill every other player. From watching the OP, I estimated that there wouldn’t be too many people on the island, so this would be a relatively reasonable request given the situation. The new rules don’t really change that much, but it’s good to know them all the same.
Apparently, society really isn’t shy about naming people they hate…and they hate a whole bunch of people. A large crowd is booted off a plane and sent hurtling downwards to a deserted island with the objective to kill 7 people. They must collect the green radar chips from other players, which only fall off once the person’s heart stops. Trying to gouge one out with a sharp rock probably isn’t going to work (for some reason) so the only way is to kill your target. Of course, scavenging for dropped chips is an option but it’s highly unlikely to come across a body that hasn’t been looted. The only chip someone might find is the one Ryouta left behind in episode one. He couldn’t have taken it without knowing it’s useful, right? Unless he’s got the brain of a magpie and just looks for shiny objects. The bottom line is that the only way out is to kill people and rummage through the remains of their body for these chips. This makes it possible for there to be several winners, as long as no one decides to be a huge dick and collect over 8 chips.
“This in-flight movie sucks!”
There’s still ample motivation for people to choose the killing strategy, and play along with the game. People like Ryouta may decide it’s a good idea to play it safe and just survive, but I don’t think the game creators will be very happy with that. I think they’re monitoring the island so they know who has 8 chips, and exactly what the players are up to. If everyone just formed a truce and survived indefinitely on the parachute drops, I think they’d step in and do something to force them to fight. The “just survive” method rarely works in a man-made arena where the entire purpose is to create chaos and reward bloodshed. Ryouta will probably be forced back to his old method of killing people in due time. When that time comes, his union with Kiyoshi Taira may come to an end.
Ryouta has the advantage of being skilled at BTOOOM! and the technical knowledge of using bombs, but Kiyoshi is a surprising force in the strategizing department. Initially, I thought he’d be dead in a second if he split up from Ryouta and went off on his own. His very existence screams “comedic relief character”, but he may actually act like a bumbling fool just to make himself appear less threatening. Despite how nice he seems, I found myself doubting all of his actions once Ryouta pointed out how smart he was. Did he stay behind because he wanted Ryouta to get the food first to scout for traps? Or is he really just so out of shape that he can’t go faster than jogging speed? We know he’s clever, but I want to know if he’s conniving. It’s easier to kill someone by stabbing them in the back than attacking from head on, after all.
Anyways, it looks like we’ll see a whole slew of different approaches to surviving in this hellish place. The guy who planted the mine (I guess it’s activated by either motion or pressure) seems to be the type who will diligently kill people, collect chips, and get off the island without a shred of remorse. It’s just business. The kid we see at the end of the episode looks like a real nutjob who takes pleasure in killing and actually thinks the game is fun. He’s more likely to go over the 8 chip limit, and just try to have as much fun as he can since there are no police to stop his murderous rampage. I’m more curious about him, because he sounds so ridiculously over the top that I’m not even sure he’s going to be believable. Did you guys see the preview? He sounds like a parody of psychopathic characters. I actually laughed because I thought his “It’s okay because I was abused!” line was a joke. It turns out…that it wasn’t a joke. Oh BTOOOM!, it really is all or nothing with you, isn’t it?
Bonus Food Supplies:Show ▼
We’re pretty much coasting along here at the same level here. The show hasn’t gotten better or worse – it’s consistently mediocre. Eh. On one hand, a lot of what happened this week felt redundant. We know how the food drops work. It’s almost a given that players will kill each other to get to that food and being the first one there isn’t going to automatically secure it for yourself. Ryouta really has no clue about how people think. This isn’t like a game where you’re only fighting when you see your opponent. You are constantly in a fight, and could be attacked at any time. Anything is fair game here. I really didn’t need to see him be all shocked like it was a huge revelation, when it’s something he should have realized with just a nominal amount of thinking.
The new stuff that finally explains all the holes in Ryouta’s memory is good though. He desperately needed to be filled in so that he could be on equal footing with the other players. The only thing left is who the hell put them in this place. How could a game company get those kinds of funds and why would they want to do this? It’s all too fishy for me to make any predictions without it sounding like I’m talking out of my ass. All I know is that someone involved in BTOOOM! has a hand in this. It could be the creators or a top player. I doubt Himiko and Ryouta are the only players involved in this mess, especially if the game is so wildly popular. Next week seems more like an action-packed episode, so these questions will most likely have to be put on hold for now.
Preview: A charming little murder machine named Kousuke Kira in introduced to us. His hobbies include killing, explaining how he thinks he’s a badass, and…killing. Anything with killing.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
What a harsh survival setting. At least not everyone has turned into a complete psycho. Somebody bring a Psycho-Pass and the Enforcers!! And in the small time Ryouta has been there, his mentality has changed to a degree. He gets points for speaking out against the bastard who organized everything. Had I been there, I’d try to avoid the others and go straight for him because he was out of line. There were even children among the captives.
A whole episode for a lengthy explanation is a good idea to clear up the questions surrounding how everyone got on that hellhole of an island. But the setting is similar to SAO and Yu-Gi-Oh! if think about it: Innocent people trapped into place, forced to play by their rules and you claim items off the opponents you beat until you have a specific number.
I’ve noticed the animes lately always have something to do with the brain (SAO, Phi Brain, Psycho-Pass, Accel World). The surgically implanted green chips that serve as radar must be wired directly to the brain’s nervous system to work. I wonder what happens if you try to dig it out while you’re alive.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ryouta and the old man are doing pretty well in terms of mental stability, aren’t they? I should probably give them more credit for that. Haha, I think the Enforcers would have a field day if there was a crossover with something like BTOOOM!…or any other show with murdering psychopaths (Mirai Nikki comes to mind).
Oh yes, there are lots of anime where a bunch of people are shoved into a twisted game and forced to gamble with their lives.
Yes, I love all the attention the brain is getting in anime! It does control our entire body, so the possible uses for sci-fi ideas or magical devices are endless. :3 Hmm, I thought it was dumb that you couldn’t just rip it out or cut off someone’s hand, but maybe there’s a consequence to doing that and removing it can kill the person.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Given that they’ve all got bombs, it would seem a lot easier to just blow people up to get them. Even if you can remove it without lasting consequence, or even with the consequence of losing a hand or something, why would anyone go for that? “Oh sure, lop off my hand, *and* doom me to being on this island longer, no problem.” Given how horribly amoral this whole enterprise is, the difference between that and just killing them with a bomb is minimal at best.
POWUH: 600-699 and Wingman with 655 comments
kill kill kill! more blood was spilled but the show keeps getting boring for me 😛 i think i will be out after 2 more episodes or so, but i have my hopes, since the new kill joy has appeared ;P
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It’s a really “meh” show, for a lack of a better word. The more blood, the more I like it though, so maybe the new kid will be a good addition to the cast!
POWUH: iLurker with 1 comments
The reason is that the second episode occurred in the later volumes and spoils some of the characters they’re gonna met.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ahh, okay. So they’re shifting around events and it’s causing a bit of overlap.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Felt like two steps forward, two steps back. We get a bit more on the MC and a cool new supporting character, but nothing new of interest. Well, a kid that isn’t averse to killings, but that is next episode.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Pretty much. Every good point is paired with a bad point. We’ll see what the new kid has to offer next week!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought the episode was ok. At least nobody got raped in it, although people did get tazed and blown up. At least Sakamoto stood up a bit to those guys.
I’m having a hard time reconciling how Sakamoto is with all these other people, and how much of a jerk-ass he was with his mom. Maybe familiarity breeds contempt, or maybe it is something else, but I’m not quite getting it.
This show might lose me if it turns into psycho-of-the-week, tho.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m not sure why he’s suddenly a good citizen when they went out of their way to say “THIS GUY IS SELFISH AND A TOTAL ASS” in episode 1. I’m not sure how that happened, although I know some people are extremely rude to their parents and more polite to their friends. It still feels weird to see in action.
I don’t think they’ll go for psycho-of-the-week since it’s a free-for-all fight, and that would limit the amount of times we could be caught off-guard. We may see a new character each week, but they might not necessarily be “big bad guy” Ryouta has to fight against.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
daaaaaam that kid needs medical attention
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Indeed! I guess sending him to an island where he can run wild was easier.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
it may be a worth theory…
it requires thinking
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
the more of this btooom version of survivor wonder what next besides already they even got a evil rip-offs of probst being mad crazy with masked-mooks.
wonder what next?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I would have actually watched Survivor if it had bombs and killing :3
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Damnit!! Kids can murder pretty well if BTOOOM! and Mirai Nikki is any indication….
(Srsly where they get all those “Killing 101” lol ^.^;)
Am I the only one who getting Hunger Game flashback here? And I enjoyed HG so its OK / entertaining enough for me.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Got a kid here who’s what, 10? 11? And that much of a nutjob. And then people wonder in Psycho-Pass how a kid at 5 can be flagged as a latent criminal? Well, to me, if one’s believable, both are. Even if there was some trauma in this kid’s past, there’s gotta be something about him to turn him into a murdering loony that was there before.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
From the preview of the next episode, it’s because he was abused and it made him go insane. He insisted that he killed out of self-defense and it’s justified because he’s a minor.
The ones who should get a Psycho-Pass evaluation are the players from Mirai Nikki. Particularly Yuno and Reisuke Houjou (Fifth). The kid was only years old yet he was lethal. Then there are cases like Tsubaki Kasugano (Sixth) and Ai Mikami (Seventh) who went insane because not only did they lose their parents, they were both raped.
POWUH: iLurker with 6 comments
He is 14, and there’s been IRL cases where younger kids kill, so I think it’s believable.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Almost anyone can kill someone. Something really messed up happened to that kid (As stated in the preview) so it’s not that odd. Although he’s definitely an extreme case since he likes it so much…
I love how Psycho-Pass is getting people thinking of the mental states of all the psychopathic characters in anime. How would they be judged by the Sibyl system? What would happen to them? This kid would definitely be flagged as a latent criminal.
POWUH: iLurker with 6 comments
More Battle Royale to me.