Red Data Girl – 04
Some parents just reallyyy want their kid to be a meganekko
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I lost the majority of my post and had to start over, so I’m sorry if I brush over subjects a little more quickly. I’m the type of person who is impatient and can’t stand doing the same thing more than once because it bores me. I’ll do my best though! |
To be honest, I’m a little sad that Izumiko took off her glasses. Glasses make everyone look cuter! Unfortunately, it had to be done to allow Izumiko to continue taking small steps towards changing herself. Mayura notes that changing your hairstyle or appearance won’t change who you are inside, but at least it’s still a sign of welcoming something new. Not to mention that every time Izumiko makes a seemingly insignificant alteration to her appearance, it ends up having serious ramifications. Cutting her hair changed her spiritual powers and removing her glasses improved her ability to see inhuman creatures. Her mom says her ability to see is too strong, so the glasses were like a limiter so she wouldn’t freak out at seeing spirits all the time. Now that she’s becoming more powerful, even the glasses had trouble suppressing that.
It’s probably a good thing she ditched the glasses because it’s like she enrolled in friggin ghost school or something. This school’s version of bullying the new kids involves slapping charms on their back and throwing rice at them. Everyone knows some sort of crazy spirit-channeling magic, and it’s treated as the norm. Mayura is so casual about the whole situation that you get the feeling this kind of stuff happens every day. It’s actually a refreshing crowd compared to her old school. Now that Izumiko is surrounded with people who can truly understand what she is, she won’t be afraid to embrace her powers and even learn to control them. Instead of being a taboo subject, it’s something that’s encouraged at this school. Of course, there are still rotten people who may be after her, but she’s got more allies than enemies at this point. If Yukimasa won’t provide any answers, maybe Mayura and Manatsu can shed some light on the situation instead.
The twins (which is easier to say than “thriplets minus one” so cut me some slack) have a good grasp on onmyouji, but they seem to use it in a different way from Takayanagi. Izumiko sees his shiki, the exchange student, as the same horrible shadow she’s seen several times in the past now. She doesn’t have the same fight-or-flight instictual reaction to them being in the same room when she meets Masumi. Masumi is also a shiki, but she appears completely normal to Izumiko. I imagine she will always look just like a normal girl and never lapse into that creepy black mist mode. The key difference is that Takayanagi is a shady character trying to do bad things to Izumiko and he doesn’t care about his shiki at all. He says he could have protected him easily, but he still allows Miyuki to fire that arrow. To him, they’re just peons.
WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE
On the other hand, I get the feeling the twins may be a little too close to Masumi. MAL might have spoiled me a bit because Show ▼
. This is probably the better way to look at things since Takayanagi could potentially turn out to be a very cruel and results-driven character.
I doubt this is everything Takayanagi has to offer either. He was all talk, but it’s hard to not believe that talk when he speaks with so much confidence. I’ll be curious to see what his true motives are. He doesn’t actually know who or what Izumiko is, and he might change his mind about bullying her if he figures out she’s the Himegami. For now, he’s her enemy.Surprisingly, Miyuki does a good job protecting her from this new enemy. It’s kind of amazing how right after dealing with Wamiya, there’s already a new threat. That’s part of what made this episode so exciting – three new chess pieces on the board to deal with. Miyuki finally gets a chance to shine when confronting Takayanagi, although I fear his powers aren’t quite as great. It was still impressive though! He killed a shiki and then reacted quickly to the computers going bonkers. Arguably, the most important thing he did for Izumiko is just be nice to her.
Izumiko is the type of person who is very fragile, and therefore difficult to handle. You have to carefully cater to her needs to make sure she’s comfortable, and knowing what she needs in any given moment requires a certain amount of sympathy. Miyuki understands her enough to be able to target her problem, what she needs, and how to do it. Furthermore, he does it without screaming at her. He’s come to a point where he trusts her and cares about her enough to take this whole protecting thing seriously – which is ironic because he’s been relieved of that duty. Although I dread the moment these two become a couple, I’m still glad they’re becoming closer friends. RDG is getting really good!
Bonus Screenshots: Show ▼
Preview: Izumiko gets more and more caught up in the strange atmosphere of her new school.
I’m keeping an eye on you little shits! Don’t make me throw any more rice at you – it’s a waste of food!
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: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
With Miyuki, Mayura, and Matsuru so confident that Takayanagi is problematic, I think there’s very little chance that he’s going to turn around and join sides with them. The booby-trapped website is a pretty good indication that he’s not a good guy. Plus, I don’t trust anyone who can bend his arm that way like that preview shot, ewwww.
This show is just so engrossing. Very well done, although reading about it is kind of difficult, given the mysteriousness, and the screwy broadcast schedule.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I agree with the broadcasting schedule being very odd. Episode 7 was released a couple days ago…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
There must be an error somewhere. This anime had early airing with the first two episodes in second half of March. I saw those two before the first impressions post even got out.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 131 comments
The broadcast schedule is so because the NicoNico broadcast is ahead by 3 episodes versus the TV broadcast.
Actually, what really gets me is the lack of transition between middle school and high school. This episode just drops us into a cafeteria with the assumption that we know that time has passed since the previous episode. I watched the NicoNico broadcast of ep 4 to 6, thought that there were transitions and awkwardly unanswered questions everywhere, and decided to watch the TV broadcast instead. There’s no difference, which I’m a little frustrated by.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Ohhhh that explains everything. I’m watching based on the Nico broadcast schedule. Glad to know there is no difference so I don’t have to go back and rewatch everything again.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Ahh, see what happened there is that they did transition to the High School after the ED in the 3rd episode. So they had the introduction there, and if you didn’t watch past the ED, you didn’t see it.
That caught a lot of people.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 131 comments
Good to know. Thankfully I still have ep 3 somewhere. Thanks!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
The broadcast schedule is REALLY WEIRD, because I see episodes way ahead of what I’ve blogged. It makes me feel like I’m missing out. D:
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
No, they’re the people who missed out, because they watched a low-res Nico-rip. Seriously, missing the point of a PA Works show to watch it in low-rez waterfall compression.
I vote for sticking with the Wednesday airings on TV. 🙂
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I did not realize Takayanagi could bend his hand like that. 0_0 Yikes.
The website thing was frightening. Booby-trapping a website that will blow up the computer and do whatever else when activated. Scary…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
This is something I am anxious to see the series explore. We’ve seen Izumiko futz up computers before. In alot of fiction, the supernatural and the technological rarely mix; with one of my fave series, The Dresden Files, coming to mind.
So, either this is a controlled futz, or something the supernatural can learn to control to insane ends….either one is pretty cool.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Actually with the mention of technology I’m surprised there hasn’t been any more insistences of her breaking anything. I feel like it was a side gimmick now rather than something important since she’s never done anything related to computers or cellphones again.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think that’s fine. I like that they’re not continually forcing in this “See how incompatible Izumiko is with modern life? See? See?” angle with her breaking everything. It’s something to know, and then that informs the reason why she doesn’t really do stuff on a cell phone, or use a computer a lot.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I think it’s a really interesting ability she has and I think the reason we haven’t seen it again is because there’s just no time for it. She already avoids electronics, so she’ll only use them in special instances. I hope she somehow gets forced to use something again though and messes it up, because that scene was really cool.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Holy Harry Potter, Hermione….it’s a magic school!
I’m glad it took them all of two scenes to diminish any relation to Hogwart’s; even thou some of the bullying is still intact. I don’t think I would want to be in Hantou’s version of Slytherin. Thou I am going to look for their version of Ravenclaw…it’s soooo steampunk. (and that will be enough of the Hogwart’s asides, Mr. Skylion)
I’m liking the pacing this episode, we get good character development, and some rather intereting places to begin major plot stuff.
Twiplets? Thwins? Thwincest? No? Yes?
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I have to say I thought the twiplets were a couple at first. But I’m against any thwincest.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Aw, I can never have any fun around here.
LOL.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I mean, they felt like a couple.
I just avoid any kind of incest. And student-teacher relationships. Those really bug me.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
All they need is a gloomy professor wandering around deducting points from all the students and we’re set.
I wish there was a cool way to say “Former thriplets, current twins” without sounding like I have a horrible lisp. I guess in writing Twiplets could work!
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
This show is building up nicely. I’m quite enjoying it.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s a slow development but it’s doing a good job explaining Izumiko’s world.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Takayanagi exuded such malice that the story didn’t try to hide the fact that he has ill intentions. And he looks so much like Wamiya. And he has a seat of power in the student council, another asset that makes him dangerous. The bad guys always manage to have these outrageous connections.
The booby trapped website scene was nicely. There was nothing to expect until the very last moment when it’s too late and since this is from P.A Works, the suspense made me feel like I was watching “Another”. Though the damage was minimized by Miyuki, what are the odds the whole incident would have killed all of them or anyone who uses that password?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m a little surprised there have been no curveballs. Everyone who looks suspicious has turned out to be bad. I’m hoping they try to make things a little less easy to predict in the future.
Hmm, dunno if the website kills people since the girls who give her the password are obviously regular users of the site. However, it seems like it has the power to curse people, if I remember correctly. It might not have killed them, but a curse doesn’t sound fun.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 131 comments
The major problem I have for episode 4 is that they just dropped us into the school without having explained the transition between graduating from middle school and entering high school. Maybe there no explanation was needed for Japanese viewers who probably know about the system, but they could’ve transitioned better. I’ve watched ep 5 and 6 by virtue of the NicoNico broadcast, and I find that I have the same problem – some situations are presented so suddenly without explanation as to how they came to be, and no one in the cast questions it. I feel like I’m missing puzzle pieces when I watch RDG, and not in the good anticipatory way.
Anyway, besides feeling like I’ve hit a lot of plotholes, I’m liking how Izumiko and Miyuki are developing, as you said. Actually at this point I think Miyuki is more interested with the mystery Izumiko’s position as a goddess’s vessel and how to unravel that, than Izumiko herself. I’m glad that their relationship is not being rushed though. Why do you dread them finally becoming a couple though? :))
The thwins (yeah maybe I’ll adopt this lol) are rather interesting though, from this episode alone. Mayura’s a good foil to Izumiko, and Manatsu seems dependable as well. As for Masumi, I’ve watched the 5th episode, I daresay the mystery of the VA will be resolved quickly, but well, yeah. I have the same problems with that too.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
As Highway said, episode 3 has a little explanation right after the ED song. I hope the next episode doesn’t suddenly throw us into situations though, because I really don’t like that.
Yeah, I’d be more interested in the goddess inside someone too. Later on he’ll probably realize that Izumiko herself is a person worthy of his attention. To be honest I’m not looking forward to that very much because I just don’t like romance. The more this show focuses on crazy spiritual powers – the better!
I’ll get to watching episode 5 as soon as I can!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Go watch episode 5! Do it now! There’s nothing better you can spend your time on! 🙂
Also, for episode 5, again, there’s more important stuff after the ED. Just take this show as one that might always have an epilogue.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I’m really glad that they quickly introduced new characters and the setting within this episode. One nice touch was that Izumiko felt bad about being prejudiced about Ricardo since she understands she has to hide her sight. Not something I’d see often in my part of the world.
Takayanagi is already quite a powerful bad type character, although considering RDG, I have to think that it isn’t really that simple. Sure, he wants to be the top student and have that power, but there must be something else. He has the site with crazy connections- it makes some people feel good with nice messages (the random girls) and explodes on contact with others. He must have some sort of person he stays in contact with to keep that up. If his magical powers are already that good, he’s way too powerful.
Well, I hope Izumiko keeps growing. She had a bit of a relapse to her shy self instead of trying to expand with normal humans first. She thinks she has to start off with the non-humans, confront them, but that’s like playing Touhou in extreme hard mode without knowing any of the key controls.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I thought that was a nice touch too – especially since racism isn’t always handled very well in anime.
So you think he has some sort of boss or accomplice? Definitely a possibility. I think he’s already quite powerful on his own though – even if he’s getting help from somewhere.
lol that comparison. Yeah, pretty much the same level of difficulty there for someone who’re deathly afraid of people!
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I definitely like where the anime is going with the school for special people thing. Now that we have Izumiko and Miyuki’s characters and interactions with each other down, the additions to the cast kind of fleshed the two of them out~.
I’m still wondering why Takayanagi looked so much like Wamiya, but maybe they just didn’t feel like making up a new person and reused the character design because he was already (kind of) an antagonist once.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Meeeee too. They introduced new cast members, but didn’t forget about the main duo at all.
I’m confused about that too, especially because they actually mention how they look the same in the show. Maybe he’s a familiar too?