Kamigami no Asobi – 03
If Thoth always has to get this close to talk to people, he needs more than that monocle.
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…Setting up all of the pictures in this post makes me feel better about all of the fanservice and boobshots that I included all the time in the Strike the Blood posts. If only KamiAso was two seasons long, because then I could probably get it all out of my system and go back to blogging like a normal person. …Long story short: This post contains half naked men, read in public at your own digression. |
I figured that they were going to pick and choose the mythology that these gods were associated with (as people have pointed out in the comments, 90% of the gods in Yui’s harem already have wives and whatnot), but apparently they’re keeping some of the relationships. At least the Greek gods are all related in the way that they’re supposed to be (minus a few wives). Actually, the Japanese gods and Norse ones also seem to be in order.
Beach trip or nudist colony?
Anyways, there were maybe 5 minutes of classes in this episode… which was kind of funny, considering how the gods apparently don’t know how the human body works. Seeing how uneducated the gods seem to be about current human culture, it’s probably a good thing that they’re being forced to go to school. I don’t think fireworks are that recent of an invention either (a quick, halfassed google check tells me 7th century China), so maybe the gods are just really out of it. I suppose the important part of the episode was the beach trip though (which definitely seemed like more effort than it was worth). If only for the random fanservice and the fact that Apollon seemed to equate a beach trip with a gay orgy. Also, Take wore a fundoshi for some reason. I suppose that’s worth mentioning.
As expected, Apollon is now the student council president. Yui has definitely chosen the best person to take on the role, since he’s the most motivated out of all of the gods to make this work out. Though maybe the whole effort to create a student council is a bit silly. Because disobeying the student council president is unheard of, right? Especially in anime. How would they even know what a “student council president” is or why they should follow one, if the gods who aren’t cooperating haven’t been going to their human classes? If they don’t take orders from Zeus, why would they take orders from anyone else? Especially Yui, since nobody listens to her in the first place.
Also, Zeus is kind of being an asshat. …Which is nothing new considering mythology, but still. The first time that everyone gathers together, Zeus goes and changes the season and completely ruins everyone’s plans. Either he’s bored, or he doesn’t want this arrangement to work quite as well as he said that he wants it to. Maybe this will all end up being for the better, but at the moment, Zeus just looks like he’s doing this for fun. Er, I guess everything worked out fine in the end, but between Zeus being inconsistent and everyone suddenly obeying authority directly from the people who they kept saying that they weren’t going to obey, KamiAso seems to be some “quality” storytelling here. Those who wanted to see Yui in a swimsuit were also SOL, but they brought back the randomly blooming flowers, so there’s something.
Plus this, I guess. Er, thanks, Brains Base.
Things worked out in the end though, since apparently the way to impress gods is explosives (actually, this might be the way to impress most people). I suppose this is one of the things that doesn’t quite work out in English. The kanji for fireworks is a combination of “flower” and “fire”, which is how Yui came to the conclusion that fireworks were the flower that Apollon needed. They seem to have some sort of plot going on too. Apollon seems to have confessed to Yui pretty early in the game, considering how we’re only on episode 3. But he’s not without issues, since he seems to have had a minor panic attack after losing sight of Yui for maybe 20 seconds. Also, it probably wasn’t really a confession. Sure, the Japanese don’t exactly throw around the words “I like you” accidentally, but Apollon has already demonstrated that he doesn’t exactly have the same reservations that the Japanese do. So this probably won’t be a case of the first confession failing.
Someone spoiled Apollon’s route for me, so I actually have a slight idea of what’s going on. No, it’s not quite as simple of a scenario as it seems to be. …Or at least, it shouldn’t be if the anime intends on following the game’s plot. Maybe it will be as simple as it looks. The fireworks thing has been bothering me too. Not in a bad way like some of the writing in this episode, but I’ve been wondering. Do people normally equate fireworks to looking like flowers in English speaking communities? Not that I’m outside of an English community myself, but I’ve been brainwashed influenced by Japan from a very young age, so I honestly have no idea.
Extra Manservice.
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: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought this was actually a pretty good episode, and I think the series is doing pretty well setting up pretty much a single route, which I think definitely works better for this kind of adaptation than having umpteen guys all with the same (terrible) chance. This show’s going well (the other show… well, we’ll talk about THAT when you make a post on it), and it’s keeping that sense of humor, esp. with a fundoshi for Takeru as a swimsuit.
It was quite capricious that Zeus changed the season on them as soon as they got there. What, he couldn’t wait a day? That’s pretty low. But they still got through it. I did think that Apollo’s freakout because Yui wasn’t *right there* was pretty risible, tho. But otherwise I like that it’s more like a harem show that’s headed for a couple.
Oh, I also finally realized that if you read the title for the show, it’s Kamigami no Itazura, so I’m wondering if it’s supposed to have that double meaning of “God’s prank” (it has to be, or they’d just have used the kanji for asobi 遊び in the first place).
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
You have a lot of optimism (er, with good reason, since this is going pretty well), but most game adaptations seem to do this and then shove the guy out of the way for the rest of the harem/no conclusive couple. I don’t think that there’s ever been one with an OTP, even if it’s really obvious that there’s one guy who’s supposed to be the one (coughAmnesiacough).
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, let’s say that I hope they’re learning from some of the other harem (I don’t want to say ‘normal’, but let’s go with galge) anime that I’ve seen. Yes, too many of them go with the harem route for the end (and I don’t know if this trend is increasing or decreasing), but *all* of the better ones, at least imo, end up with a couple. The MC can spend time with some or all of the members of the harem without falling in love with them, and still be in love with the winner at the end.
I will say that it’s worse when there is an obvious OTP for the anime and then they blow it. Either they change course, which I still don’t really care for in Mashiroiro Symphony, or they have the MC totally wuss out when he should have committed. Nourin was like this, and the ultimate weasel out may be Fortune Arterial, which wasn’t great, but was completely and utterly ruined by the MC not committing to the girl.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I dunno, I’ve kind of noticed that they’re going the harem route more. The last things I remember there actually being a “winner” (game adaptation wise) were that Hoshizora e one, Clannad, Air and Shuffle! …all of those being older games (and half of those Key). Though if KamiAso ends up being the first in a while (especially regarding otoge), it might be a “THEY’RE ACTUALLY LEARNING!” moment.
Lol, Mashiroiro was the one I was thinking of when I typed the above message.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I heard this harem/no couple route is usually done in order not to anger the Japanese fangirl base, who usually have a distinct pairing in their minds already.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, like zztop mentions, the main reason for the harem finish is to keep from ticking off the fans of the other guys or girls (which did happen for some people I know with Hoshizora e kakaru hashi). Mashiroiro Symphony and Shuffle! both actually had one girl win and the rest of them not give up (although in Shuffle! at least Kaede and Sia looked to be trying to change their luck with each other…). Another recent one that had a girl at least almost win, as far as I remember, was Who is Imouto? with Konoe (after Miyabi was outed as the imouto).
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Full-length designs for the gods’ divine forms:
Greeks + Japanese http://breadmasterlee.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/kami01.jpg
Norse
http://breadmasterlee.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/kami02.jpg
I still put Tsukuyomi/Tsukito’s flowing kimono form as best design, although Apollo’s at #2 for the mystical, glowing tattoo network on his body and the floating blue scarf.
Not sure what to make of Loki’s design though. What was Kazuki Yone thinking? >_>
What is everyone’s preference, if I may ask?
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
PS. There was a divine form design for Dionysus too, but it was never implemented in the final game.
http://37.media.tumblr.com/8f0f37d68479976a439516093662e1e4/tumblr_n2zjrjOnH71qkonr7o2_500.jpg
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
He was thinking Mahou Ou-sama. 🙂
Apollo’s looks too much like one of the devils from New Hell in Kami Nomi…
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I heard Yone’s a woman, but haven’t been able to find any official pics of the artist.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Susanoo and Hades have the best designs so far in my eyes. However, I do wonder what the Egyptian designs look like, since wouldn’t their divine forms be half animal, half human? Thoth wouldn’t be half as appealing with a giant ibis for a head. 😛
Also, I wonder how Yui would feel if she was surrounded by these dudes in their true forms with full powers all day? LOL Most of them actually look better than Zeus’ outfit, which makes me wonder if he’s also hiding his divine form too?
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Zeus is kind of being an asshat.
There’s a Kamigami manga spinoff where Zeus temporarily turns ALL the gods into little children(primary schoolers), when Yui complains to herself that teaching little children would be an easier task than teaching gods. (≧∇≦)
Thoth appears as a very pissed off 13 year old.
http://www.dm5.com/m139356/
So yes, Zeus IS being a cosmic asshat.o(-`д´- ｡)
Do people normally equate fireworks to looking like flowers?
I personally do, yes. I find firework explosions do look like blossoming flowers(the centre explosions are the core, the coloured flames shooting out are the petals). But that depends on how you look at it.
Er, thanks, Brains Base…for the Extra Manservice.
The fangirls must be hemmorhaging rivers of blood from their nostrils by now.
Hope you didn’t lose too much blood yourself, Kara.(*^▽^*)POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The kanji for fireworks is a combination of “flower” and “fire”.
To expand on Kara’s explanation, Hanabi, firework, is written in kanji as 花火.
花 = hana,flower. 火 = bi,fire.
Apollo was only saying the first kanji,花, in his semi-prophecy.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
This was a pretty good episode. I like seeing the gods trying to learn about school and humans. However, you have to ask: if these gods exist in this show than they are also saying that the jobs they have as gods also exist. If these gods are actually doing their jobs, shouldn’t they have interacted with modern humans a lot at this point?
I do like that they kept the relationships of all the gods pretty much the same for the most part. And of course Zeus is being as crappy as he always is. However, as I pointed out before, the whole “most of them are married” thing would come back into focus if they really wanted to go deeper.
However, they seem to be settling pretty much on Apollo being end guy, and while he had a lot of lovers, he IS one of them who actually isn’t married. So I like him. He’s a little too bubbly, but he is loving and sincere, if clueless. However, I have question why he would ask what Yui’s sword was? He’s a master archer himself so he knows weapons, and even if he wasn’t, he has a brother and sister who are god and goddess of warfare, I think he should know what a sword is. Unless if was a Japanese sword he doesn’t recognize, but still. 😛
However, I do wonder about his response to Yui disappearing? The most famous lover mentioned with Apollo is Daphne, and she constantly ran away and disappeared on him, as she hated him as much as he loved her. (It was all Eros’ fault. 🙁 ) Could Apollo be having flashbacks to Daphne?
As to the fireworks, I never really thought of them as “flowers”, but I guess certain ones do look that way. I always think of them as mini, colorful bombs. 🙂
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Setting up all of the pictures in this post makes me feel better about all of the fanservice and boobshots that I included all the time in the Strike the Blood posts.
I hope it helps sooth your soul!! 🙂
Speaking of STB, the latest volume has quite a big bit of worldbuilding regarding North and Central America in the STB universe.
Canada and the USA do NOT exist as nations in STB.Instead, Alaska and Canada exist as the one Federation of North America.
The geographic USA(except the southern parts) is controlled by the Confederate States of America(CSA), which obtained independence from battling their colonial masters from Europe’s North Sea Empire, not Britain.
The CSA is considered a rogue/pariah nation, given its apartheid treatment of demonkind and racial affirmations of human purity.
Despite being isolationist, it still maintains a powerful military as a deterrent against other nations, and intervenes in armed conflicts to keep its soldiers well-trained.
The USA’s southern parts, Central America and the Caribbean Islands belong to the 3rd Progenitor.
However, everything is only mentioned in passing, since the main adventure still takes place in Itogami only.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Yikes! Then if I were in the StB world, I’d be under the Chaos Bride’s rule because I’m from the Caribbean.