Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge – 05
Kiri x Iwai? More like Crime Edge x Iwai.
 |
This was one of those anime episodes that made me sit back and wonder if I made the correct choice in blogging this. But hey, at least you can’t claim that Dansai Bunri isn’t entertaining! |
So yeah, obvious things first. If sexual hair cutting wasn’t enough, we suddenly have S&M time (even more so than having one twin erotically stick needles into the other) and rape intonations. Yay? Well, we have a new Author. Lord knows what Romio wants accomplished by killing Iwai (if he even wants to do that), but it’s pretty damn obvious that he’s just a tiiiiiiiiiny bit sadistic. There’s killing a girl, and then there’s brainwashing (at least a portion of) the male population to assault her after pushing her off a boat and leaving her a threatening message where you clearly signed your name. Obviously he likes things overly dramatic. Ruka has issues too, though it’s not quite clear if it’s a typical story about trauma around males (like bullying, saying girls were stupid, etc), or if it’s something darker than that.
I’m glad we actually were given the backstory about Romio’s ancestor and compared to what they’re doing with the thing now, I’m surprised at how… tame the history is. On the other hand, that convenient exposition pretty much explained exactly what was going on in the second half of the episode with the mind controlling/brainwashing/whatever. Though I’m kind of curious as to how he managed to hit everyone since there appear to be a lot of people under his control and I’m quite sure nobody would listen if he said “please sit still while I whip you”. He must have put some thought and effort into either tracking down every single student individually, or gathering them in one spot and making sure that they didn’t leave. What can one take away from this? Well, I assume we’re supposed to just assume that every single Author and Instead is crazy and… well, that’s all I have. Plus, fanservice. …I don’t think there’s much to be misunderstood about that.
Iwai should have known that things were awry when Kiri let go of those scissors.
…I thought Kiri and Iwai were an item already, but I guess not. Funny how Kiri has changed from the one person who Iwai needed around to simply the guy who cuts her hair. Obviously they do care about each other more than that relationship and Iwai DID want Kiri to watch the stars with her, but man did the guy get friendzoned rather quickly out of nowhere. I wonder what will happen when Kashiko finds out about Kiri and Iwai. Not necessarily about the Hair Queen thing, but I think we can conclude for sure from this episode that Kiri has feelings for Iwai and Kashiko has feelings for Kiri.
Iwai actually turned out pretty level headed. She’s not leaping at the first male who was remotely nice to her and even though we can guess from her actions that Kiri is special, Iwai even says that she’s not quite ready for romance and she’s not getting into that until she’s ready. As frustrating as that is for Kiri, good on Iwai for that. The plot has painted her as the moe, helpless damsel in distress, but this episode showed that she does have a brain and is perfectly capable of making her own decisions with or without Kiri there. Having the male student body attacking her aside, I’m actually kind of looking forward to the next episode since it looks like it’s Iwai’s chance to save Kiri for once. Maybe she won’t do it in the effortless style that Kiri uses, but at least she’s doing something productive instead of sitting there waiting for him to snap out of it himself. Who knows how successful this will be, but at least she’s trying. Oh, and the part about how she trusts Kiri in this situation instead of automatically blaming him for being creepy was nice too.
…Though at some points, I felt like I was accidentally watching Amnesia again.
The names this time seem to be more about sounding unusual more than anything else at the moment. Romio’s name is comprised of the characters for ‘dew’ (…or apparently that kanji also doubles as an abbreviation for the country ‘Russia’) ‘look’ and ‘man’. Zaiga is made of the kanji for …er, I can’t think of an English equivalent, but it’s something along the lines of ‘hastily (or at least, not very well) put together’ and then, ‘congratulations’. Ruka’s name is along the lines of “made of Lapis Lazuli” and then her last name is “four directional temple” …or “temple that faces four ways” or… something. It has the kanji for the cardinal directions in there and I’m not entirely sure how it’s supposed to be read with the kanji for 4.
Well this was an interesting episode and threw the plot back into action after an episode of relative peace. Some of the events of the episode were kind of shocking at first, but after going back (…to figure out the dialogue since there were more distracting things going on), it wasn’t as questionable as I had first thought it was. Hell, the dialogue between Romio and Ruka in that first scene had pretty much nothing to do with undressing each other. I have a feeling they just threw it in since it was infinitely more interesting than two people conversing in a dark room and at the same time stating “THIS IS A DARK AND EDGY SHOW ABOUT MURDERERS.” Ah well, the next episode we should see Iwai try her best to help Kiri and… well, that’s all I got out of the preview. Hopefully the two come to terms with their feeling too. Or at least I hope Kiri figures out that he’s more than just a pair of scissors to Iwai, since it would make her statement about not being ready for a relationship less meaningful if she enters one the episode after she says that.
So I guess we just have to forget about Hitomi and her killer piano for now. But on the other hand, it’s nice to know that Seiji’s introduction wasn’t entirely wasted since he’s apparently stalking Iwai now. I doubt he’ll lift a finger to help Iwai since he seems to enjoy watching from afar, but it will be interesting to see if he kills Romio or not after all of this is over and done with.
…He should probably still get those teeth looked at though.
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 LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, they ever so much turned that creepy dial up a few notches for this one, didn’t they.
Oh, yes, very good for the writers to get Iwai out of that moe corner. During her last confrontation, she was very much damsel in distress, but then she was rather “vulnerable” and folks get kinda easily spooked when in the natural state.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Yes, they certainly made things go in a really creepy direction really fast.
Ahaha that’s certainly a way of putting it. Plus now, she’s had more exposure to people in general and I think that’s done a lot for her.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
For the creepiness, it would be interesting if there was an Author who specializes in wax sculptures but uses people as the figures to make them so realistic. Kind of like that movie “House of Wax”.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Oh god. I remember that movie. Uhhh, what would his Killing Goods be though? Since wax would run out eventually.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
There was trouble sleeping a few nights after seeing that movie. I guess the Killing Goods would have to be something similar to Seiji since his book brings a noose out of nowhere. Whatever it would be would bring a pot of hot wax.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ahaha… I remember my friends and I watched that as a joke to see Paris Hilton die. We then watched Repo! The Genetic Opera for pretty much the same reasons, but that one actually better than we expected.
Uhhh, sounds reasonable enough. Though the original murderer would have had to have kept a record or something in order to summon the thing. Maybe.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Interesting. As if things weren’t dark and depraved enough as it is, they’ve gone and added an S&M Author couple. Didn’t this show already impose some form sexual stimulation from cutting hair and needle sticking? Now they’re ceasing to beat around the bush. However that scene still pales in comparison to Kirika’s little bondage play in C³. You can’t beat a stained glass setting!
Ruka is the odd one being Romio’s Instead. From what we understand with her conversation with Iwai, she may have androphobia or misandry but she lets herself be manipulated by Romio’s every whim. She was probably alone at one time, he took advantage of that time of weakness and in the meantime, she developed Stockholm Syndrome.
I’m kind of glad Kiri and Iwai aren’t a couple yet because at this time, it would be so cliché given that other animes have gone in that direction. And this setting is a lot more realistic since Iwai herself said she’s been living a normal life for a few months and that it was too soon to think on having a loved one. If any one of us were in her place, we’d probably use the same exact words because we’d want to enjoy our newfound freedom as much as we can.
Kudos to Iwai for not ending up like the Amnesia heroine being a helpless damsel in distress. Since the usual roles are going to be reversed, it’s going to be interesting to see if Iwai has what it takes to whatever is necessary to save Kiri, even if it means shedding some blood.
So Seiji is coming back and he has glowing eyes now. Are we sure this guy is even human?
PS: It’s late to say this but congratulations on reaching the 2000 comment mark! You ascended from Meta Resident to the anomaly state! 🙂
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, who could forget that one scene from C3? …I seem to blog weird things like this a lot. But yeah, things went from relatively normal school setting to “hey, let’s suggestively lick this whip that used to torture people who probably hadn’t bathed for a disturbingly long time!”
Well, there’s the whole childhood friend angle with Ruka, so maybe that’s why he’s the one male that she doesn’t hate? …Or maybe she does hate him for his gender, but tolerates him due to the childhood friend thing. I dunno. They put emphasis on them being childhood friends, so I assume that it’s important.
I thought they would have been together already since they acted like it in the past episodes, but yeah. I’m sure that if Iwai didn’t have that speech about not being ready and all of that, people would have complained that she just fell for the first guy who wasn’t trying to murder her. This prolongs the inevitable, but things are a bit more realistic. …In an anime about somewhat sentient murder weapons.
Iwai didn’t drown! …Though I assume she would have if they hadn’t just used pushing her off the boat as an elaborate scheme to kidnap her. Oh well, in any case, she did manage to fight her way out, so she’s already topped the Amnesia heroine there.
Seiji… I don’t even know.
Yay! Though you hit this mark a looong time ago.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
The beginning part of this episode…so creepy. At least Hitomi and her husband didn’t do any weird things with that piano…
Yay for Iwai actually thinking things through and doing something. That scene where she was almost raped was frightening. 0_0. Although I’m not sure how Crime Edge protected her. Like did the guy just poke himself on the edge of the blade? 0_o
Really excited for Seji’s reaction and his noose of doom. I wonder if there’s an Author with a dentist tool Killing Goods. Seji should stumble into him and have those teeth fixed.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…As far as we know anyways. xD …Were they even married?
Uhh maybe she held it awkwardly and it just happened to accidentally cut someone. I guess in the heat of the moment, Iwai thought it was fate.
….Thinking about an Author with dentist goods is actually kind of terrifying. Would he file Seiji’s teeth down? Drill them down? After watching Speed Grapher and sitting through a root canal, the thought of murderous dentists genuinely frightens me. OTL
POWUH: iLurker with 11 comments
While I like the fact that Iwai is now an independantly functioning human capable of making rational decisions, I’m less happy about the way this change came without any sort of transition.
It was only episode 3 where she was getting all blushy wushy in the bath (about Kiri IIRC), and running in panic from hammer guy. Her attitude to Kiri seems to be very different as well. There just doesn’t seem to have been a moment where she internalises any of this and starts to change, kind of like we jumped to the end of her character arc.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
She was naked. As I said above, that rather changes how one views the landscape, especially if, instead of being in a bath room, are running like mad from a psycho killer. So it isn’t so much about a transition, as a better view of her in the context.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
She was also more vulnerable because she was already in an emotionally charged situation, the first time she’s spent that much time with a boy at her house after dark staying over. Plus, she had only just escaped the shackles of her locks a couple of days earlier, and was far far less experienced with the rest of the world. Even a ‘few months’ can make a huge difference.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I was thinking of a specific scene from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, second book, The Drawing of the Three. In a very detailed chain of scenes, Eddie has to fight a gun battle of Peckinpah proportions in the buff. He wins, with the Gunslinger himself praising his bravery, saying that most men would shy from the battle fully dressed.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I have read zero books by Stephen King. I think I’ve only seen one or a few movies that he was involved in, also, and none that were adapted from the novels his (real) name was on.
I am not a horror or thriller fan. But I love this anime.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I recommend, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and From a Buick 8. The first one has more tension than outright horror, and the second has some similar Crime Edge vibes.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Well there was a rather large time gap between the episode 3 and this one. I assume she just became more comfortable with people in general as opposed to relying on Kiri. Plus this isn’t the first time she’d rather spend time with other people as opposed to Kiri alone. She invited everyone along in the last episode.
Though yeah, she did seem to jump attitudes fast.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I definitely thought this would go a long way towards people not complaining about her being a damsel-in-distress. I thought she handled herself pretty well, but also still in character. It’s not like she got all badass all of a sudden. She was still scared and unsure of what to do, but she was more determined that she can get through it.
Maybe my romance goggles are a little too tight, but I thought that there was a bit of interest in Iwai’s manner at the end of their conversation, when she went to ask Kiri about who he was going to do stargazing with. Yeah, she just spent the time blowing him off, but I wonder how much of that is that she just honestly doesn’t know what kind of feelings she can have.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I think it is her not knowing. She hasn’t had much social interaction at all so she probably didn’t realize that she did hurt Kiri’s feelings. She probably thought she was just expressing some ideas she had without giving it a second thought.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I swear this is a fetish-of-the-week show. What will be next?! I like this show because it’s that crazy though.
I was a little frustrated that Iwai didn’t realize how dismissive she sounded towards Kiri. Even towards a friend, saying “man, I’m so happy you’re around to do x for me!” instead of appreciating them as a person isn’t the best of compliments. Ah well. This will probably end with Iwai realizing that Kiri has been that person she wants by her side all along, she just doesn’t know what that’s supposed to feel like. She still has a lot to learn about human interactions :/
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Iwai’s stance is rather awkward isn’t it? Lots of us have different ideas, and I don’t think any of them are wrong. It’s too quick to judge. Besides there is too much crazy crap happening right now.
It would be best to figure out the relationship angle when people aren’t trying to do naughty/kill kill stab stab things at you…
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I think it’s the perfect time! 😀 Nothing says romantic quite like a bunch of people trying to stab you in the gut.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
A near death experience is the genuine drive for a romance. It sometimes feels fake when both parties are always calm and nothing eventful happens.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I can see the point being made here; but I like calm in my relationships. Where you can sit and enjoy the quiet for a few minutes…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It does get a little hard to talk about good, old-fashioned love when you’re being hounded by maniacal serial killers every moment of every day. It’s not the ideal breeding ground for a happy couple I suppose!
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Until the person that was sneaking up on you decides to use that moment to try and stab you. 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
::block, counter, chocolates::