Red Data Girl – 06
Izumiko abuses her power to turn water into wine
 |
“Man, that punch looks good. I hope it isn’t spiked” were my first thoughts upon seeing that delicious fruit punch. Doesn’t anyone serve non-alcoholic fruit punch anymore? Anyways, I think we all knew what was coming…much like when Chitanda Eru went to town on those wine chocolates in Hyouka. The difference is that in this show the aftermath is DRUNKEN MAGIC! |
Red Data Girl has been enjoyable to the point where it exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. I’ve been enjoying Izumiko slowly evolve as a person to the point where I don’t even know how she went from being an outcast to going on trips with heaps of people and not feeling nervous. It’s rather remarkable. The addition of all these supernatural curveballs have spiced things up from just being a plain Jane shoujo romance as well. As much as I like this show and its cast, I found myself zoning out for more than half of the episode. Everything just felt off in one way or another.
For starters, it mentions boyfriends and girlfriends every second in a very blatant way. It was like they couldn’t think of a serious way to have anyone sit down and meaningfully discuss their views on love, so characters will just say “you should have a boy/girlfriend” over and over. Almost every character had their life as a single person being questioned, and it just comes across as a very 2nd grade approach to how people talk about love. The rest of the episode is spent on student council affairs, which has somehow failed to elicit any interest on my behalf. I don’t know why, but I can’t bring myself to care about school elections and the politics between Mayura and Takayanagi. What happened was that Mayura droned on about elections and how the school works for a huge chunk of time, and P.A. Works showed us lots of pretty pictures to console us. I only looked at the pictures. Everything she said was promptly ignored for lush trees and picturesque shrines.
The only interesting thing to note is that Takayanagi is far from being defeated. I like wimpy, pathetic villains. They try so hard to be bullies and yet they crumble under the slightest provocation. It’s fun to watch them flip between their megalomaniac side and their weakling side based on the circumstances. Hopefully we see more of him, because I was a bit upset they got rid of another “villain” so quickly. He doesn’t pose a big threat for Izumiko, but you have to dedicate time to a guy who is rumoured to be the entire reason for Ghost School’s existence. There might be something more behind that based on his origins. He may be weak, but perhaps his family is actually strong. They come from a ninja village, and you can’t tell me that isn’t the coolest reveal ever for this show. monks and ninjas! I doubt anyone will start running around all in black and disappearing in wisps of smoke, but at least we now know that ninjas have at least some sort of presence in this show.
Takayanagi may be inferior to Mayura and her brother, but he still appears to be stronger than Miyuki. Therefore, I find it highly unlikely that Miyuki will be able to fight against her properly this week. It will most likely be a short fight. In fact, Izumiko might end up having to protect him – further exacerbating his inferiority complex that’s been stewing over the past while. With Miyuki still in a position of weakness, how will he survive in a school full of people with so much power? How can he protect someone he’s weaker than? I find it kind of refreshing that the lead female character’s knight in shining armour isn’t actually so perfect. He’s weak, moody, and doesn’t know how to save her. Izumiko will have to meet him in the middle for anything to work out.
Although Izumiko is stronger, she doesn’t really realize this power yet. She can’t really activate her powers consciously very well, so they kind of just “pop out” when she’s acting boldly or…drunk. Most of her amazing feats have been done while she was possessed by the Himegami, but she was able to release Wamiya and make flowers bloom in her original form. It appears her powers while still in a normal state extend beyond that. She can teleport, walk through walls, float, and contact really elusive spirits that very few people can see. I was actually pretty pleased to see her talk to Masumi. He’s what makes the thriplets so interesting – the fact that they’re not quite whole without him. They have to live with the fact that their sibling died without being able to healthily let go, because he’s always there as a shiki. It’s like they’re being haunted by a ghost of their dead thriplet…literally.
“You’re hitting on me? Is this..reverse necrophilia?”
Even their mom call them twins, and I don’t think it’s because she’s too lazy to say “thriplets minus one.” That family has a really interesting dynamic because the mom can’t see Masumi and therefore has nothing forcing her to cling onto that death. I wonder if Manatsu and Mayura dote too much on their lost sibling and are unable to let go. Mayura even says that part of the reason she doesn’t want a boyfriend is because of Masumi. She doesn’t want a boyfriend because of a dead person. That doesn’t sound healthy. I’ll be curious to see if that’s the case, or because shiki and spirits are so commonplace that this sort of lingering relationship with the dead is acceptable.
Preview: Mayura fights Miyuki, and then somehow Izumiko gets herself lost in the forest. I bet you anything that Miyuki is the first one to find her.
TENGU RAVE PARTY
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
Oh man, OC, everything you zoned out on I lapped up. I thought all of that was just tremendous, the storyline about the World Heritage Candidate is interesting, and that the academy is basically set up to have this contest / battle between those eligible.
I also think it’s really interesting that Miyuki and Izumiko have been able to keep the true nature of their partnership hidden from Mayura so far, but that’s going to go out the window now. Mayura has realized that Izumiko is really the more powerful of the two, but doesn’t know exactly what she is. I also wonder if she realizes that Masumi *does* know almost what she is. I do wonder what the fallout will be from Mayura and Manatsu about the fact that Izumiko and Miyuki have been gaslighting them about their relationship. Will the friendship they’ve been cultivating overpower what I think is a fact that Izumiko is far more of a threat to win the ‘battle’ at the school to become the candidate? I was dying at the end of the episode because it couldn’t be over, you can’t make me wait until another week is up!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I can see how other people could like it but oh man, I just could not focus on what she was saying. I think I’ll be more interested if Izumiko, in fact, does end up being the winner because she’s so powerful.
Miyuki has probably been hiding his powers partly for keeping their identities a secret as well. I also think that he won’t be able to hide it any more when faced with an opponent like Mayura. I wonder if Izumiko will tell her everything or if they’ll just refuse to clarify anything. If Masumi knows what she is, I don’t think he’ll say anything about it. He has a secret girl he gets to flirt with and he wants to keep it that way!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Why is it that every “fish out of water story” has to have the moment of accidental drunkenness? But this one was done cute.
Yeah, can’t wait for the Tengu Rave Party!
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Whoooo Tengu Rave! 😀 Don’t drink the punch now. It’s been spiked.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh man, you shouldn’t have told him that. Now the surprise is ruined and I had a camera ready. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It might come as a surprise, but I am just the sort of drunk that Izumiko is. I drink, I get tipsy, I fall asleep, I let spirit agents hit on me.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m the guy who never drinks enough to get tipsy. Not liking beer or wine, and being picky about drinks, and being 250 pounds and not really enjoying drinking will do that.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So it’s mind over matter? Someone needs to test this theory. Call the Mythbusters!!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
More like lack of ingestion, “I’ll have a Diet Coke / water, thanks.”
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
What I never like about the accidental drunkenness is noone ever tastes the alcohol? Maybe it’s just me, but *I* can certainly taste it, even if it’s something like vodka in fruit punch (actually, that’s about the only drinks I drink, and it helps if they’re pink). If something’s got enough alcohol to get plastered on, you’re gonna notice it (Minami-ke is guilty of this, too, although they did keep wondering if they were really ‘fruit drinks’).
It was done well, and I guess noone noticed Izumiko’s “Bah, there’s no way I’m going to get possessed when I’m feeling this good.”
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
You’re right, I didn’t notice that feeling.
Pink, HWY?
Malibu Barbie Martini.
Equal parts Malibu Rum and Premium vodka
Grapefruit Juice and a dash of Grendadine.
frosted martini glass with a sugared rim.
mix alcohol and juices in shaker with ice, shake like you should never ever ever shake a baby. The object is to get that thing frothy. Strain into glassware. Garnish as you please.
As a long time food and beverage server I created this one when I worked in places that didn’t have a blender or the capacity to make icy drinks. If I sold this to a lady at my table, I sold it to her fella. If I sold two, I sold four….
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
That sounds good. My favorite is a Bay Breeze, which is (as you probably know, but others don’t) Pineapple juice, Cranberry juice, and vodka. I had someone make it with Malibu Rum one time, and it was pretty good, but I don’t care for normal rum.
Sea Breeze is a what most people get, same thing as above but Grapefruit juice instead of Pineapple.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
It might be that she does not know what alcohol tastes like. I can attest to that. Had two sips of vodka accidentally because I couldn’t tell what it was the first time. And then I started getting severely tipsy and I realized that I had drank alcohol.
Yes…I am that much of a lightweight. XD
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I guess it depends on the type of alcohol? I’ve only sipped someone’s drink once and found it repulsive so I gave up drinking entirely. It tastes so bad I could probably tell if it was in anything, but that’s just what I assume based on my limited experience.
I’m probably more of a lightweight than you, don’t worry lol
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Rather than zoning out about school election politics, I just got confused. Mayura and Takayanagi are competing to be a World Heritage? Why bother, when Izumiko’s going to get that spot anyways as the Himegami-possessed girl? They don’t seem that special anyways. She even slipped a bit about being possessed when she got drunk anyways. But oh well, no one seemed to notice.
The part with Masumi was alright, but Izumiko was still a bit wonky so I gave up on trying to understand if she had really just floated around and gone to see Masumi on her own.
But if they wanted to remove the spiked part of the fruit punch, I wouldn’t mind having some. It’s way too hot here.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Well, they don’t know that Izumiko is the Himegami-possessed girl. I think all everyone else thinks that all she can do is be possessed by spirits so Miyuki can exorcise them.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Since they don’t know about Izumiko, those two are the next best candidates. Takayanagi has the top grades, a boatload of good rumours about him, and an ample amount of followers. Mayura also has awesome grades, a boatload of followers, and a lot of power. They’re probably the top 2 in school.
That fruit punch looked SOOOO GOOD (as did the bbq meat). I want to just throw a bunch of fruit in juice and eat it. Mmmm.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I do agree that they don’t know, but somehow I doubt it will really stay a secret for that long…. Oh well, who cares. We’ll see what happens.
And doesn’t Yukimasa want her to be part of the World Heritage anyways? So it wouldn’t matter if she wins the contest or not.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
For a show that deals a lot in shintoism, there are a lot of strong ambitions for power and control and the people in question are willing to do whatever it takes.
Izumiko was quite funny in her drunken state. Maybe she should be like that more often. Unlike Psycho-Pass’ Akane, she and Hyouka’s Eru can’t hold their drink. I doubt she’d be like that again, it was her first time anyway.
I support Mayura’s suspicions on Miyuki. He might have more power than he thinks but it may not seem that way because he isn’t pushed hard enough.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Drunk Izumiko is great! It totally cures her shyness and lets her teleport! Unfortunately, it also grants her slurring, stumbling, fainting, memory loss, and impulsiveness. Hmm.
Miyuki probably has more power than he thinks (he’s really hard on himself) but not as much as Mayura, I’d guess.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
As long as you’re not responsible for them, the observation of drunk people is a hoot. If you are responsible for them, it can turn into a giant pain in the ass pretty quick.
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I thought the teleporting and floating was really cool, and the ghost hitting on her made me rethink my assumptions about the meaning of the OP. At just about the end, Izumiko is shown embracing the ghostly outline of a boy, and I had initially assumed it was Miyuki, but now I’m wondering where this show is going…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…I was thinking the same thing. Darn it P.A. Works, grow out of the “six anime faces only” box…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think that’s on purpose. Need to have *some* unknowns in the series. We thought it was Miyuki because we couldn’t come up with anyone else it could be, but now it could be Masumi as well.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Whoa! That would be really cool! I wouldn’t expect this show to pull a bait and switch, but now that you mention it that seems like it’s highly possible.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Oh gosh, that would be kind of terrible for Miyuki, but…
LOL.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…I think he’d be relieved. That way he wouldn’t have to make any sort of choice, and he can go back to being the do*che he’s very good at.
POWUH: iLurker with 18 comments
NTRed by a ghost?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
lol sucks to be rejected for someone who’s dead.