selector infected WIXOSS – 10
Somebody needs a hug
It’s been a week of recollection/breather episode for all the shows I’ve been covering. I think WIXOSS just did it best!
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Still Running…
I really wanna know more about this place…
At the beginning, I found it hard to like Yuzuki. It wasn’t her wish, it was how she pounced on newbie Ruuko; that is just a hard trait to develop a liking for. But I always found her interesting. It’s been an interest unlike say Akira, who is so enjoyably loathsome. You sometimes need character like her. But I feel that Yuzuki has borne much of the plot and even more of the characterization.
Let’s face it, Ruuko may be the main character, or at most the first among equals, but she is a cypher. Her past is very deliberately clouded over, we ,nor she knows, if she ever will have a legitimate wish, and her desire for battle is more informed than shown. Hitoe is still the delicate type that barely speaks up. Her wish is straightforward without any real complication. Akira was incredibly one dimensional. Her wish very much reflected who she was and still is. And Iona is a fellow cypher to Ru-chan, but her icy demeanor is so chill that she has to have her LRIG speak the most for her.
Yuzuki is none of these things. She has shown many sides, and it’s been captivating following her one step to the next. She has gone from cowardice to bravery, from shyness to brutally honest , and from shallow to hidden depths. So despite not liking her at first, I very much enjoy the characcter now. But, as LRIG!Yuzuki she is starting to bear an incredible amount of drama on her back. She goes from cursing Hayano to being thankful that the former LRIG made the wish come true. She also goes from plotting to replace Hitoe, to just letting that fall by the wayside for the sake of a self-admitted very spotty friendship. Who would snap under those conditions? She gone from hither and yon! But she holds up to principle. She will not let Hitoe battle further. I wonder what Hitoe will have to say about that?
Is JC Staff riffing on something here?
As for those conditions, who do we have to blame? At this moment evidence is unclear. But something is enforcing the rules and conditions of the game. One condition, which we should have had instant suspicion of half a season ago, finally comes out. Keep quiet, don’t reveal the true purpose. At this point in the story, I’m chalking it up the the narrative wanting to bring the most despair it can to the most concentrated point. I hope there will be more to follow. The staff have been great so far at pushing the drama out there, and pulling back and letting things settle, so I have a degree of faith they will develop this point. The name, Maru, is all we have. Which can mean: correct, circle, or zero. That suggests a sort of cyclical nature, doesn’t it? EDIT: As an intrepid commenter points out, the name of the character is Mayu. But I misheard it and never looked back. Ah, well, I like what I misheard so much better.
Well, this was really creepy?
More in Return
In addition to some of the background, we’ve seen the characters move along a bit more. It’s not large progressions, but they are very telling. Thou Ru does have her fair share of worry, she isn’t letting it get to her, she is still able to perform all her daily functions. Contrast this with Hitoe who had a small comeback, and a very sharp setback. Face it, the LRIG/Selector switch is too much for her delicate heart, and is getting to be to much for her poor mother. This is twice we’ve seen her mother, and I cannot help but think there is more than just concern here. I’ve mentioned the most about Yuzuki, and seeing her observing Hayano!Yuzuki is an odd sticking point. Just who did she nod to and why? And Iona just keeps pushing for more battle, the most aggressive of the bunch. She’s using the broadcasting technique mentioned way back the first episode to net players, but this Event of hers is large scale. A frozen pond has little motion, but there are still strong currents beneath the ice. She’s got something very interesting planned.
As far as recollection episodes go this one was quite choice, and it looks like it’s laying some hooks for the future. How far is Hayano!Yuzuki going to take the wish? Can Ru hold of much longer, especially in the face of a player she’s beaten, but hasn’t mastered. Heck, what it Tama thinking at this point? She was forlorn most the time and she must be dwelling on this new information. Why didn’t she know the LRIG/Selector switch in the first place. And what is Maru? With that in mind, I’m open to Wild Mass Guessing. I’ll lead off. Iona knows everything we know and more, and hasn’t let on yet. Urusi didn’t tell her, she just figured it out herself. So this Event game is set up for massive LRIG/Selector swap where she will ?????????, and profit. What did you folks think?
Preview
Local tower ruins everything…
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
I’m glad Yuzuki went with telling Hitoe the truth rather than trying to steal her body. It’s easy to understand why she wavered, but if she’d really been willing to do that to her friend… I think that would have destroyed the person she was. Whoever took over Hitoe’s body wouldn’t have really been Yuzuki any more. Not because their memories merged or anything, but because once you’re willing to do something like that to someone you care about… it changes you. Irrevocably.
Bah. Getting all philosophical. Anyway, as I was saying I was glad to see Yuzuki make the choice she did, but it still hurt to see her suffer this way. The very fact that she wasn’t willing to steal her Selector’s body is proof to me that she, more than any LRIG, doesn’t deserve what’s happened to her.
As for Mayu (that’s what my subs said, and what it sure sounded like she said her name was, so I’m going with that), I don’t really have much of a guess as to what she is, but I’m theorizing she has some connection to Tama.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
….::blushes::…
Well, yes, it actually is Mayu. But I think what I remember is better! Right? Right? No….
::hangs head::
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Also, I didn’t say it in the main text, but I think LRIG!Yuzuki wants to suffer for the sake of punishment. For wanting to turn on her friend, and maybe even for having the wish in the first place. But that’s just me.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
That wouldn’t particularly surprise me. It’s pretty clear she feels quite guilty about having considered trying to steal Hitoe’s body, and she’s had issues with her wish since the beginning. It’s possible she’s concluded that she’s an evil person who deserves what’s happened to her.
I hope she hasn’t fallen that far into despair, though, because it isn’t true. She may have made a poor first impression on us, but her character has developed strongly since the show started. She is a good person, courageous and caring, and she doesn’t deserve to have her life stolen from her.
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
*pokes spammy* Hey, when I make a comment, you’re supposed to post it, not eat it. >:(
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
No worries, saved! ^^
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
Thank you muchly. 🙂
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I knew the cards weren’t able to tell the full truth to their masters! I guess that adds another layer to the messed up game, but now Yuzuki has a tough life ahead of her if she plans on using Hitoe…
That painful moment with Yuzuki watching Hanayo with her brother oh my god! I feel for her even though I can’t find myself supporting the incest route! Still that has to suck even though her “wish” came true.
Iona vs RU LETS GO! I hope Tama lays the smack down and speaking of Tama she remains one of the biggest mysteries of the series and I fully expect her “reveal” to happen near the end of the first half to give us something to chew on until the second half!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It’s almost aggrivating in it’s own way, so an cruel sort of enforcement seems so story manufactured, “Oh, how can we make this more dramatic…they can’t talk about it”. But they do pull it off with a great deal of style.
That was a gut punch. I’m not averse to an incest route, as long as they play it out and don’t make it derpy…OREIMO!
Oh, the “reveal” that ties us back to the insanity of the Monster and the Pillar thingy? Should be one hell of a ride.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Actually, I think it’s important to say that the LRIGs can do anything they want. They’re not prevented from telling the truth to their Selector by any rule or compulsion. They’re only prevented from telling the Selector out of their own self-interest, because if their Selector stops battling the LRIG will never get out. It’s not like there’s any other punishment. And if a LRIG feels strongly enough for their Selector, then they can easily choose to do what Yuzuki did: spill the beans, take the rap, and do the time.
I think this puts Midoriko in a little better light, but still doesn’t excuse her irresponsibility in telling Hitoe about the punishment of losing three times. She was willing to put her own hope of escape aside to see Hitoe have happiness.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Ah, yes, the value of the word “can’t”.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Seeing Yuzuki elaborate her predicament in such a pained voice made my stomach turn a bit. No one can fathom how deep a pit of despair she was in being told the “fine print” of the game when the point of no return has already passed. I admire she had enough courage to forego her own pain and used the opportunity to warn Ruuko and Hitoe in order to prevent the same outcome. It’s bittersweet. Good for her that her wish came true but sucks she’s not able to enjoy it first hand and has to be forced to watch it being realized for her by another.
Oh, how unaware Hitoe is at the fact she’s wishing for the same thing. I’m quite interested in anticipating how that plays out. Let’s say she does win, will that cancel her prior penalty? This is very open to speculation because let’s face it, as far as we know, it’s unheard of for someone to become a Selector again. The penalties were explained after the damage was already dealt, made to be final and should last for the life term of the vanquished but there was no word on second chances. On another note, it’s plain to see the spasms from her disqualification are going to get worse.
The way Mayu talked to Yuzuki upon their first meeting. I may be wrong but it was as if she wasn’t the one who made the rules. Her tone of voice was like that of a subordinate whereas expectations were on a condescending tone. There was no sense of authority in it.
Tama is a wild card here (no pun intended). Apparently all LRIG’s are up to speed about the rules and are sworn to secrecy while she’s in the dark. My theory is amnesia is involved, which leaves me to believe she did something that warrants her memory loss.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Let’s keep in mind that by telling Ru and Tama, that changes the playing field for them. Ru has no stated wish as of yet, next episode previews notwithstanding. Hitoe doesn’t know, and as I said, she might have different ideas and play her heart out anyway. OH I HOPE. HITOE the Master of ALL!
Mayu is the true wild card, but I’ll give some credence to what you say because I like that wrinkle of “IT” being only the messenger. I’ve been a fan of the Bigger Game idea since around episode four.
And Tama’s memory loss is a neat idea….We shall see.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t think Tama is amnesiatic. I think Tama was created out of whole cloth to be a LRIG, she’s not a replacement person. As the game spreads, and as people lose, they need a new source of LRIGs, and I’d offer that the White LRIGs are those who are created for the game, to pick up colors from their first Selector switch. I don’t know if Tama would get more sophisticated, like Urisu (is it actually Ulith, like that twitter address?), or if she’s just going to stay like that.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I had an idea like this in the back of my mind, but it got shuffled out, thank you from bringing it back.
This was back when I was making basic Magic the Gathering comparisons to WIXOSS the game. That white would be the alpha and black the omega.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
And yes, everyone kind knew this would be a thing….
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This was being talked about on this episode’s thread on MAL. I had to laugh that this was actually real and not a joke.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It’s all real, man.
POWUH: iLurker with 7 comments
There is no doubt that Ru will answer Iona’s summons. Her what reason, that’s probably in the wind.
I wonder if Urisu told Iona everything about selector battles. I’m not sure if Urisu has any intention in body snatching Iona.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh, no doubt at all. What reason? Battle! Even though she is ever so wishy washy about it.
What would Urisu have to gain; keeping the penalty in mind? Does Iona know of the penalty. We have a history are LRIGs saying what they feel they need to say…