Eromanga-sensei – 09
Elf has a lot to say…
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Sometimes, with a cold open, you have to skip a bit ahead, get to the bikini.Then, after the OP, you set the story up good and proper, and handle your character development. So what do we think of Elf now? |
Little Sister and Faerie Island
I freakin’ love Elf’s smirk…”I have not yet BEGUN to mess with you!”
I’ve made it no secret that I’m clearly in Camp Elf, and have been since the second episode; for the given value of what a camp can accomplish for this show, but more on that later. She’s a dynamic character that just keeps on giving us more development, and story, with nearly every appearance, and this episode is the pièce de résistance in her steady progression. When you think about it, that’s a long long way from her incredibly thick debut, as the poster child for self-obsession and spoiled brattiness. She makes an impact, no matter what she does, that is for sure. So, this time around we get some insight into how all that came about, and why the reversal fit into her narrative.
Elf is the master (oh goodness, no!) of the moment, she’s channeling her inner writer here….
But first, I’ll get some general episode things out of the way. Of course her family owns an island, right? And of course she would use this whole training camp business as an excuse to show her friends of to her older brother. In all of that, I have to admit that some of the plot was fairly…weak. I felt that Sagiri should have been far less accepting of being left on her own, but she has been showing a small independent streak, however slight is has been. I feel she needs to get out (and the future book titles suggest that) and see the world, to become a more even and dependable character. But for now, she’s happy her brother get’s to report back so she can exploit the experience for her art. Then there is Muramasa, who has sunk deeper and deeper into the “beta” girl territory – it’s beyond awkward. Oh, and the one dude from last episode went along to, and he furthered the “gay joke”…yeah, that’s what he did….
Well that just seems strange….
So with that out of the way, let’s get on with the meat of the story. Elf has some very complex and some painful beginnings. In her immediate surroundings, she has Chris, who silently guides her along, and it looks like he feels guilty for leaving home to early. She then brings up her parents and the complicated way they met and got married. But since both are unseen, the writing basically treats them as extensions of Elf’s own character; which is a fascinating way to use the supporting character mechanism. The father had all the trappings of wealth – it was his island they were on after all -, but it took him awhile to gain influence, if I read between the lines…and then he exited the stage of life early.
Putting a fine point on it…
This gave Elf a playground island world to set her stories in, isolated but happy; and I’m willing to bet that in addition to all the sexy LN romping in her writing, there is something of her father in the non-rompy parts of those same LNs. She’s working things out. By this point we know an absent parent is a signal of a character’s unresolved issues. All of this ties into my favorite part of her character, and that is she is used to trying and failing, which was the first thing we learned about her in episode one, But despite that, she is totally prepared to go after a goal, no matter what. In that she stands against Sagiri and Muramasa i the most important way. She has agency – even if the writing deflates the other two in simplistic fashions. In short, Elf pursues what she wants. It’s then, when she is most vulnerable, and really on a good path, that she reveals her real name, Emily; and good on the show for using that as a device to hide character motivation until it’s ready, the rest had weak alt-names, she doesn’t. She has a real one.
A Whole Lot of Very Extra Elf!
So, has she really taken over the show?
So in my final thoughts I wanted to bring up our male main character. I won’t surprise anyone by saying that Masamune is whole and complete idiot. But it’s the way that he’s an idiot that is shaping the story. He really doesn’t know what he wants above and beyond just succeeding. But, like Elf, he has his own unresolved issues. The difference is probably as easy as having Chris as a supporting character. In short, Elf has support for all her goals, and some guidance, Masamune is his own support and is his own guide, for whatever circumstances that have yet to be shown. In that,a lot of his position as support for both himself and his sister is clouding his judgment. He holds Sagiri as a “pure girl” a goal he want to reach just by waiting for her to grow; that’s what the anime really means. Fruition, success, acceptance. But just last episode he admitted that Muramasa was his second choice if not for Sagiri. This episode, she’s shot down to number three, maybe, in the face of Elf’s total charm offensive and brunt honesty. He’s overwhelmed for sure. And to keep this short, I’ll say just one thing. Good. That makes for good drama, and potential for a good set of characters, and no matter how utterly ridiculous these characters are, there is something very genuine about them, under all the schmaltz…
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: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think what you say was probably the reasoning for Elf’s charm offensive. Maybe she realizes that she can’t beat Sagiri at this time, but she definitely needs to be ahead of Muramasa. And then, you just gotta figure on Sagiri coming out of her room and finding someone she’s more compatible with and then you’re ready to pick up Masamune! All according to plan.
Elf’s really carrying this show, tho. Maybe that’s just what the most forceful personality is going to do, especially when she decides she wants to be the center of attention. But she’s doing it with her own class and style and I think she’s got the right touch on it.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Emily/Elf is our treasure, isn’t she. If she does manage to somehow work her magic and snag her man, I hope her man is worth, that my reservations about him aren’t on the nose.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Eromanga-sensei Ep.10 Preview by pKjd
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Oh wow everyone lovessssssss the main character imagine that….
Elf is definitely the best girl who generally cares about the main instead of Muramasa? Also we already know who Masamune really loves and I KNOWWWWWW they aren’t blood related and all that, but if that is the case imo its a rather boring copy and paste plot from Oriemo…yeah I know same creators of both series and all that so I shouldn’t be surprised.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
No, you shouldn’t be surprised LOL! Where is it a copy and past “plot”? I see it more as advancing from Oreimo – OK, the advance is tiny and maybe even unnecessary, but that’s probably what it is. Oreimo: Meanwhile in another part of Chiba! Seriously, same part of Tokyo as Oreimo!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
The copy/paste is MC dudes of both are way in love with their sisters yeah Oremo MC might not have been head over heels in love with his sister, but the end “result” is going to be sorta the same thing? Both MC’s also turn down every other girl that generally likes them…
IDK light novels adaptations as of late are starting to suck since i’ve learned a good majority of them are written by 16-18 teens to be either self insert ultimate wish fulfillment.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
So by that, all romances are copy/paste? I mean, sure it starts with the whole sister thing, but it ends there. The main MC isn’t the spineless, unmotivated, dull twerp featured in Oreimo, and even though both are as dense as a neutron star, they are wholly different neutron stars. The sisters are roughly the same, only the keep Sagiri totally indoors, and docile, and largely uninteresting.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…also. Before you leaned they were written by such and such age range, they didn’t suck? Or is this a case of, “Ah, it’s starting to make sense now!?”
Really, all LNs are pretty much trash. But then, long standing characters that make BILLIONS of dollars today in the movies were, once upon a time and even now by some, considered trash, or whatever the equivalent in 1930s or 1940s talk passed for “suck”. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. The creators of Sups were barely in their twenties when they ripped of the look of Clark Gable (the name is no coincidence) and recent adventure novel called “The Gladiator” So yeah, copy and paste is terrible. Heck, Fantastic Four was written because Stan Lee figured he had nothing to lose, and wrote something he knew the audience wanted, even if his editorial didn’t want it. He honestly thought he would get fired when he submitted the first script, his bosses at the time were so averse to the idea of a team book; just make us monster comics, ya hippie! Yep, FF…written on a dare. And three movies made on dumber dares! Just goes to show, that you never can tell…
Also, also…when you think about it, these teens are writing things that pass enough of an editorial test to publish…for real money, and many do have at least some measure of promise. So they’re really only just beginning.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…also, also, alos…Supes is The Golem, a Jewish legend of a neighborhood defender. Basically a super clay man created by magic! He defended people, people a lot like his creators, who were Jewish as well. So yeah, self insert wish fulfilment…it’s kinda what you do, and it’s global and timeless.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Ore no imouto ga konna ni kawaii wake ga nai II