Sasami-san@Ganbaranai – 10
I decided leading with Kagami was the right move because, why not (click for full stitch).
 What a gosh darn fun episode that was! Transitioning smoothly as usual from one arc to the next, Kou came into the show in a bit way with her magnanimous school trip given to her classmates. Also, she has a penis. Sometimes. Not sure what that’s about yet. Or really anything of the story of this developing arc. But as long as Tsurugi is there to make every scene as hilariously gay as possible, do any of those other things matter? |
Tsurugi will go beyond the impossible that’s what it takes to touch some boobies.
One thing I’ve consistently been praising the show for has been its high concept fantasy, and this episode gave me no reason to stop. Sasami turning Tama into a sentient body double that would transmit senses back to her? With the added limitation that she couldn’t actually take control but rather had to relay messages to Tama to follow, using a divine chat room system narrated by Miyu Matsuki (voice of the guide in the Orochi game from episode 2)? Awesome. Tama’s simplicity combined with Kamiomi’s obsessive siscon tendencies meant this was a perfect recipe for a hilarious disaster.
I have to hand it to Ai Nonaka for doing a fantastic job playing Tama playing Sasami. I caught myself several times throughout the episode thinking that that was Kana Asumi‘s voice coming out of faux Sasami, even though every single line was delivered by Nonaka. I’m sure the visual cue of seeing Sasami speak contributed, but a fine imitation job nonetheless.
Can’t help but love the creeper smiles.
But even with that wacky setup leading to a solid performance, Nonaka wasn’t the best voice in the episode. That distinction belonged to Chiwa Saito and her deliciously perverted Tsurugi who provided pretty much all the laughs in the 2nd half of the episode. Maybe she was a bit singularly focused, trying to make every scene as lesbian as possible, but hey, I didn’t get tired of it. I’m really loving the carefree mentor she is being to Sasami. She always seems to give her space to do her own thing while also giving her guidance along the way. Though she also doesn’t seem to mind making everyone in the class think that Sasami and Kagami are lesbians for her own amusement. And she kind of devolved into a mindless boobie groping machine at the end there.
Ironic that the episode was so lesbian after starting off with a hugely unexpected penis. Growing up in Korea, one of the myths I learned was about a woodcutter who married a fallen angel who forbade him from seeing her bathe once a month. It ended with him breaking her promise whereupon she ascended to heaven, sometimes with their children, depending on the version of the story. I’m probably getting a lot of details wrong – I’m working off of decades old memory, and I couldn’t find the exact story in my research online. But given the Shintoism theme of the show, Jou’s overtly and overly high class nature, and the fact that Sasami’s discovery happened in the pool all indicate that Sasami-san is drawing from that story. But the connections are so loose that I’m really not sure what direction it’s headed next.
Shaft’s trademark faraway shots also make for great natural censorship, don’t they? Better than conspicuous beams of light I guess.
Jou revealed to Sasami that she was going to kill her, but I think we all knew that already at the end of the previous episode. What’s her play with inviting everyone to the hot springs and shrine? She seems rather easy to read, though I suspect she may purposefully creating the benevolent but clueless aristocrat image with her grand announcements, occasional slip ups, and tsundere antics. At the very least it’s fun hearing Hibiki Ganaha’s voice in another role. Still lots of stuff to uncover in this arc, including when the faceless teacher named “Kitsune” – whose name telegraphs that she’s Jou’s foxy sidekick – will make her move. And I suspect Sasami’s illness will have an explanation, and even Kamiomi might finally make it all the way to the shrine on his bike. I’m excited to see how this very up and down show wraps up.
“My name is Edogawa, Queen of Queens; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!“
About lvlln
A math/science geek and a self-dubbed cynical optimist. I don't care if it's deep, if it can make me feel something or laugh, it's fine in my book. @lvlln
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
Impressive mimicry there!!! Am I the only one who thinks that Tama might be the child of Sasami and Kamiomi from the future…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I looked up that old story via Google; don’t see the connection here. The Woodcutter and the Faerie. But I can see how decades old recollection can evade….Old Geezer that I am, I’m lucky to recall some specific instances.
Goodness, but Tsurugi cranked the perversion up several notches. But when in a bath house….
I’m awaiting the arrival of Kitsune as well; those sly foxes are always interesting trouble. I used to play one back in the day using the White Wolf RPG system for Hengeyokai.(pencil and paper RPG….all analog…no digital anything). So much fun.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Ah, I found one of the stories I was thinking of by Googling that title, http://wiki.nanjing-school.com/groups/10englishbstd/wiki/e86d8/. But that doesn’t have the aspect I was thinking of, which is the secret bath the “fairy” would take by herself once a month, so it seems I was forming the 2 stories together in my head.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Sometimes we get better stories the way we remember them, rather then the way they are.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Shaft said “oh, screw this” with this episode and decided to go full on hentai. We’ve even got yuri and a futanari on our hands to push the enveloppe.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…heavy ecchi, not even borderline hentai; which contains boinking….it must have the boinking.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Heh, this week we have you thinking of that fable with the woodcutter, and Haganai actually reused The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (a similar fable about a moon princess).
I say it almost every week, but this show’s better when I’m not trying to think of what it means, and just enjoy the random silliness. Tsurugi really is out of control, as you’d expect a retired god to be. I still don’t quite get what Edogawa’s going to try, and don’t quite get her cruel ojou-sama routine and what is up with it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This is nuts yet absolutely fun. Shaft is trying something bold here. Didn’t see that coming. A futanari? How did a genre of the hentai world end up here? But given the no-holds barred yuri tone of this episode, it seems to fit in without a problem. I got more than my usual fill of much needed yuri and now I’m satisfied. Yuri is justice!! Duhuhu… I can’t imagine how awkward a childhood Edogawa had.
The “piece de resistance” (yes, I’m pulling out my french vocabulary) was Tsurugi’s unadulterated perversion and rape/creeper faces. We need to see her like this more often. I laughed so hard tears were beginning to come out of my eyes. It’s safe to say that she’d want to screw anything that moves and she’s fine with whoever it is. Araragi is currently being put to shame.
Edogawa inviting everyone is probably a cover for her to kill Sasami and make it look like an accident. With a good number of people around, there might be a chance to throw off suspicion.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Uwa…I could have done without all the yuri. Tsurugi was really getting on my nerves there. Oh well, as long as the boys are happy.
At first I thought Edogawa was purposely baiting Sasami, but now I think she actually has taken a bit of a genuine shining to her. Hmm, it’s hard to tell how she actually feels since she’s not only a tsundere, but an undercover villain. I don’t even know where to begin commenting about her ever-changing genitalia, so I won’t even go there.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’m sure a lot of the boys are happy with this episode. 🙂 I know I am. Tsurugi let usual perversion consume her this time. Like a beast driven only by instinct.