Demi-chan wa Kataritai – 08
She gives Tetsuo a hard time about his thoughts, but she wants to read sexy manga
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Roundabout ways of learning about a character and setups for insults this week on Demi-chan wa Kataritai. |
When Someone is Smarter Than You Thought
Or someone else is dumber than you thought
The first mid-term tests of high school are done, and Hikari is surprised and half-betrayed by the fact that Machi is top 5 in the year. It was one thing that Himari was #2, because Hikari can be proud of that, living vicariously through someone who actually bothers to do well in school, but it was unexpected from Machi, who doesn’t really give off an aura of a great student. And not showing her scores off (so that she didn’t make Hikari feel bad) just made Hikari think that Machi was a doofus like her. So Hikari’s all alone in supplemental classes and make-up tests.
Study friends
Giving Machi a hard time about her crush
But having two fairly smart friends to help her study pays off, and it’s another chance for some bonding between the three girls. Machi is as accommodating as usual, but it’s interesting to see that Yuki is finally becoming more comfortable in everyday situations around the other girls, to the extent that she’s found her place in the back and forth conversation. She’s also number 1 among the girls in the “people that Hikari would like to gnaw on” rankings, a fairly incongruous bit of the show that seemed designed to fill time and give Hikari a chance to grandstand. In addition to that, it’s main purpose was to give Hikari a chance to dunk on Tetsuo for giving her grief about her test scores, in that high schooler ‘revenge’ way.
One for fun, one in love, and one scolding
When Someone has Interests That You Didn’t Know About
Trying to hide her proclivities
A part of Yuki becoming more comfortable in school and around the others is that she’s starting to be more free with her other interests, like anime and manga. She’s not quite ready to admit how much she likes them, especially corny gag mangas, but she has a conversation with Sakie about them and learns that Sakie is also a bit of a fan of them. She’s also definitely not ready to admit that she likes racier manga, since that’s not the kind of thing that she thinks the others would appreciate, but she’s starting to let her guard down a bit.
Off-color Yuki
This results in some unbidden explosions of laughter at the things that other people say. Like when Sakie recalls the setup for the silly vampire manga. Or when Hikari unwisely describes Tetsuo’s arm as “hard, thick, and the hair might get stuck in my teeth” (and Tetsuo says “Never say those things together”). But what really sets her off is the image of Sakie teaching a lesson to a middle school bully who tried to give her a hard time about being a succubus. The idea of her taking him down, and then him ruining his own reputation really tickles Yuki.
“Shall we go?”
A nice episode, if not particularly enlightening about most of the characters. It’ll be interesting to see if Yuki “comes out” to the others about liking manga and jokes. It’s also interesting to see the three of them react differently to Tetsuo’s musings about Sakie, with Machi being jealous, Hikari just giving him a hard time for the lulz, and Yuki giving him the more upright citizen reasoning. I wonder if we’ll find out a reason for Yuki to more frequently go to the conclusion that something is sexual harassment than the other two do. I think we’re also seeing that Machi is getting much more comfortable with her friends and classmates, and more willing to use her head harness while studying around the others or in class. It feels like a subtle indicator of her acceptance, especially as she is the most visually striking of the demis in the school.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I had wondered before if a succubus’s attraction force manifested around puberty. Looks like the answer is ‘Yes.’ I assume Sakie studied judo in preparation for the time when it kicked in and she’d need to be able to defend herself from jerks or even worse sorts. I’m also assuming it was after that incidence in school that Ugaki first made contact with her. This is the kind of stuff I wanted to see when I said before that I hoped we’d get more flashbacks about Sakie.
Hikari’s rating their arms for chewing quality was hilarious. Yet it seems natural that a vampire would have preferences when it comes to what she wants to chew on.
Yuki, you come off as so demure that I would never have guessed you were interested in raunchy manga. Next I suppose we’ll find out you like BL. It’s always the quiet ones…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
In the end, that’s merely her holding herself back while she curbs her cravings with blood packs. If Hikari wanted to fully embrace her vampire nature, her fangs would’ve pierced someone throat long ago.
The arm is low on the bite list for vampires where my knowledge is concerned. The three prime spots are usually the neck, shoulder and wrist.
With preferences in general, depending on the personality, a vampire can be picky and the human target can sized up for a plethora of reasons: Their scent, appearance, health (enough sleep, adequate diet), if they’re of the preferred age, if they’re still “pure”/a virgin. Hikari admitted being drawn to Yuki in the first episode due to curiosity, wondering if her blood would still be warm despite her cold body.
According to Tetsuo, Hikari believes drinking blood is act attached with sexual nuances but from the number of vampire related material I’ve across, that belief isn’t unanimous. In the manga Yougen no Chi, the vampire girl named Nobara alongside the protagonist has a very “food is food” perspective in regards to blood drinking. One of the later chapters, her hunger got the best of her. So with the opportunity on hand, she pinned the protagonist to a corner and was about to feed. He got flustered imagining the possibility of being seen while being fed on in a “suggestive” manner. Nobara playfully ridiculed him saying “Hah! What’s so dirty about someone having a meal? Those who say that it’s perverted are those who are perverted. Sexually frustrated for sure”.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The loud ones are open books. It’s the reserved ones you should be on guard with.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think you probably have both timelines backwards. I would imagine that Sakie talked with Ugaki before dealing with the bully, given the way that she was matter-of-fact about it being true. I would also think that she had learned judo before that, not in anticipation of it, but as just something else and it came in handy when she learned what she was like. I’m also going to guess that she didn’t really know about being a succubus before she started being one, although I do wonder if there are some indicators or if there was a family clue.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I think the only reason, beyond the grandstanding, for Most Nommy Arm, was just to she could deliver that line and get that reaction.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think that’s what it was too. It wasn’t bad, just kinda outta nowhere, and I didn’t really find it that amusing. But then, I’m not the biggest fan of Hikari’s theatrics (or anyone’s theatrics, to be honest).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…on a real person, yes. But for a character, I’m happy for the “remove”.