Samurai Flamenco 10-11
Does this pink lipstick makes me look cuter? (*‿*✿)
I’m terribly sorry for this delayed post, which was supposed to be a tag but due to unforeseen circumstances involving power failure, Overcooled wasn’t able to join me sadly. Not to mention, we have been busy behind-the-scene to release our much awaited Winter preview. With Secret Santa posts flowing in with season ender series adios, no worries, we can only deal with everything one at a time.
Face-off with King Torture
From where we left off last time, Konno has pretty much ratted out Mari’s and she was King Torture’s hostage along with Moe. Of course, our hero Masayoshi aka SF came quickly for the rescue and battled it out with the big bad King Torture. However, our villain didn’t turn out to be a first-rate torturer, rather succumbed to being another boss from the anime-logic of tokusatsu. There were no torture boys or even other lame sidekicks guarding the king’s lair rather the King awaited Samurai Flamenco with open arms. Seems like this world’s people are generally insane and extreme hobbyists. King Torture was somewhat of a distant nakama of Masayoshi and Mari with their obsession of Sentai shows. However, it’s one thing to learn to be good watching these shows, while it’s another entirely to peg turn-everyone-evil as a solution for world peace… I mean, how can you even?! So, in the end, even when King Torture was much resourceful being a cyborg, he was beaten by Masayoshi, the hampered hero, a mere human, using his stationary weapon and surrounding material. He was not alone in saving the world, because Hidenori too helped in stopping King Torture’s master plan to unleash a dangerous monster version of himself over their city. I’m glad that green glob did not get too much limelight because not only was it fugly but reminded me of that baby monster from Railgun season one. Yeah, the nightmare it could have been.
All’s well that ends well, you say? I don’t think so, because Mari reaches her lowest of lows taking to heart whatever nonsense King Torture spewed about her motivation. It was clearly a mind game to put her in submissive mode but it still very much pissed me off seeing her cry in front of her fans and revealing the truth about their identities following the footsteps of Masayoshi. It’s a wonder nobody batted an eyelash on this discovery about their favourite heroes’ already famous identities. This city people are sure a tough crowd to please. I swear they would only chuckle on the most hilarious SNL episodes too. Sheesh.
Meet the FLAMENGERS! Voltron meets Power Rangers
I should just stop predicting about this anime because almost every other episode, it changes its toku genre. Rather than sticking to one type, I have a feeling in the next eleven episodes remaining, the staff will dabble with EVERYTHING produced under toku. From a team of rag-tag heroes, we arrive at the Flamengers base, cooked up by the previously noticed non-communicative PM and Jouji. Seems like, at least somebody in the government had the brains to do something about the slew of monsters appearing without any warning in their city. Actual population can be tough but government took some measures, which was of course to select yet another rag-tag team of heroes who have no connection with each other whatsoever! Well, the only link between them is Kaname Jouji, who took them in as disciples in the last ten years and trained them on different occasions. Those trips for mysterious shootings makes sense now, doesn’t it? But they don’t matter as a whole so who cares?
This was one hell of a tweeeest but we don’t even get time to reflect on it because Mr. Ugly Pink Lips comes a calling ‘From the Beyond’, and honestly with the recent failure of a boundary anime, I found it to my horror that this would not be good. I was right on this count because from a group of aliens with amazing technology, I expected more creativity in producing scarier looking promos rather than some 80’s version of gore. So, even when the Pink Lips finishes off the preferred batch of Flamengers with deadly kisses, it was business as usual for Jouji because he had a backup batch, ready to step in for any Flamengers position on-call. Gives a new meaning to on-call duty. And just when I thought things might get juicy with confrontation and rivalry regarding the red position, I didn’t get no satisfaction because the outspoken of them all accepts Masayoshi as the head ranger because Jouji said so… Well, however they did come together, they defeated the fugly monster and their town was able to see yet another day. Let’s not forget though, somebody’s going to whoop Masayoshi’s butt raw very soon. Just you wait.
For the LULZ! Show ▼
Okay, I have to say it. This has become a train wreck with genre switch right, let and center. Omori, you can do better than this. Maybe I’m really not the target audience of this series because I expected an intelligent story a la Tiger and Bunny, rather than childhood memories coming to fore in a rapid fire round. Even when I felt like a kid again, watching the recent episode, the progress is just wrong. I feel like, I did not sign up for this fake series that pretended to be something but then keeps on changing its cover every episode.
The thing that I absolutely hated was how Hidenori and MMM girls were just discarded like they were not important. I came to like the reluctant friendship that formed between Masayoshi and Hidenori, not to mention the strong-willed Mari, who is a super-woman in terms of multi-tasking and ass-kicking. Sure, her methods were not ideal and a bit extreme but you can’t just discard a lively character like her and replace with some boys who the audience don’t have any clue of, except for possessing some cool powers? Are they human? Are their powers technology-driven? What is Jouji really up to and will we have another three episodes of Masayoshi doing his Flamengers gig against the From the Beyond monsters? I just don’t know. The only thing I do look forward to is Sumi’s reaction over the Samurai Flamenco reveal. The staff better not downplay that scene.
Preview:
More cheesy ‘From the Beyond’ CMs… I don’t even…
About Kyokai
The Boss lady of Metanorn, who makes it all happen. An animanga enthusiast, who watches/reads almost anything that strikes her fancy. Just beware of her Death Perception and always keep her happy. Regularly found at @KyokaiTM & #[email protected].
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, it’s hard to get a bead on this thing, innit? I probably would have appreciated it more, if I had the proper genre background, but alas, I do not. It’s interesting to see them switch it all up and not give one care about the proceedings. Is it good? It’s interesting…
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I don’t have all the toku genres down either. The only thing we can do now is watch them continue being crazy…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think we’ll definitely get back to the MMM girls and Goto. I can’t see this show doing a whole cour of Voltron Vehicle Rangers. Heck, it can barely do a whole episode in one style, how’s it going to do 12?
I personally am taking a perverse enjoyment in everyone trying to figure out what this show is doing. Don’t worry about that, it’s just doing it!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Actually, there are 11 episodes remaining. The total number for this series is 22. We’re only halfway through.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 104 comments
I REALLY hope so as well.I haven’t actually started watching Samumenco and have just been reading bits here & there but I plan to pick it up once a few more 1-cour shows of fall end.
I find a few shows that have the “WTF?” factor quite interesting & enjoyable but just discarding the old cast like that and turning into a normal sentai series is a big no-no.I can’t stand it when character development is tossed out the window,no matter what kind of show it is.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I believe the show will return to the old cast soon enough, as Highway says. It may have made some bold moves with the sudden genre change, but I don’t think Samumenco is stupid enough to just discard a character as interesting as Mari.
I imagine any reversion would begin in the form of Sumi giving Masayoshi an earful. =P
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Actually, I did not mean a complete discard, rather how could they ignore Mari in 11th after she broke down like that in 10th. Just putting them aside for some n00bs pissed me off. I’m more loyal to old characters because I spent time with them, I really did not care much about how the black ranger spent 10 years with Jouji.
Well, we shall see how things go on 12th. I am looking forward to Masayoshi’s butt-kicking by Sumi for one.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Honestly, where is this direction going? I’m really becoming annoyed with how ridiculous this show is becoming with each episode. It’s because of my own curiosity that I’m struggling to drop it again.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
First the plot was on path A,
then it switched to track C,
now it’s on Freeway Route Ω …
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
And all of these modes of transportation are severely unstable.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Bicycle, car/jeep/hummer, now some plane and then a giant robot. What’s next, space ships?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I think it’s already halfway to the space ship. 😉
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Episode 11 = AWESOME and CRAZY!
Episode 12 = Lame and confusing! I have no idea what is going on besides the power rangers/Voltron parody with that super transforming robot and I was almost going to drop it because I kind of wanted them to go back to serious mode especially how episode 11 ended? I thought we were going to watch more stuff with the idol girls.
That said I will continue watching just to see where things go…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Then you’re in for a lot of unpredictable wackiness.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I can’t drop it because I’ve already signed up. Let’s see how more CRAZIER this gets.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I believe Samurai Flamenco’s recent plot directions have surpassed the craziness of Kill la Kill and Valvrave to acheive new heights of off-the-rails insanity.
Also, Utapri’s character designer, Chinatsu Kurahana, also did the designs for Samurai Flamenco’s characters.
Here’s her website with gallery: http://www.chroma.cc/
Sadly, the show’s animation looks so cheap at times that it doesn’t do justice to her designs.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 104 comments
I believe Samurai Flamenco’s recent plot directions have surpassed the craziness of Kill la Kill and Valvrave to acheive new heights of off-the-rails insanity.
Maybe,but that’s not always a good thing.You don’t just discard the characters that you’ve been using for 11 episodes like that.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Ah, I meant that as sarcasm in regards to the sudden change in plot direction.
At least the other 2 shows kept with their established characters and initial plot lines, unlike this one.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, we’ll see if it’s a sea change, or just a one-episode thing to mix it up. I can’t see them getting rid of MMM or Goto. And we’re pretty sure that Ishihara will be coming back with a vengeance to smack the ever-loving shit out of Masayoshi for lying to her.
At the moment, I’m enjoying the doofiness AND the reaction of everyone else who’s trying to figure this out. It’s like surfing, just hang loose and ride the wave!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
@zztop, The craziness of KLK and Valvrave are pretty much in-line with their world setup. For Flamenco, I guess we should just stop predicting altogether.
One of the reasons for me to jump to blog this was the artwork by Chroma. I mean look at that beautiful design and the actual anime. Oh Manglobe, this is their biggest disappointment to-date.
@MGMaster, I’m sure Hidenori and MMM would return sometime. When, well, let’s not even theorize about that.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Aw Moondoggie
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
A misplaced comment or a comparison to Masayoshi?
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 107 comments
What King Torture said actually made sense and wasn’t nonsense. The point was that she was saying she wanted Moe to leave, but really she wanted her to sacrifice herself. You can tell that Moe notices this and decides to sacrifice herself anyways. King Torture being a NERD wants the ideal hero would be disgusted with Mari, who is solely in it for the attention, which has been pointed out in episodes before that she seeks attention and doesn’t like it when she doesn’t get it.