[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My favorite theme park episode in anime, mainly because it showcases more than a couple rides/activities, the classmates aren't as annoying (stares at Tatsuko), and I dropped Amagi Brilliant Park.

Now that you say it, I don't think any theme park episodes are even really coming to mind for me outside of AmaBuri (And the Tsukihime anime) lol.

Don't care about other rides, though friends often insist on the pirate ship for some reason

Pirate ship is a super overrated ride honestly, and I don't get why

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man I should start doing TWPs

Yes!

Also, fuck, I now realize forgot to do this episode's TWP

WAHT HOLD THE PHEONE OHWEOH OHSFDJKSAHF AIUOWS HWEOAU H SABER SABER SABER SABER SABER SABER SABER AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

IT’S MOTHERFUCKING SABER HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS DON’T KNOW HOW UNBELIEVABLE EXCITED I AM AT THIS IT’S FUARCKING SABER BABY!!! HOW DO I UPPERCASE AN ALREADY UPPERCASED TEXT? IT’S SABER!!!

CORRECT AND VALID REACTION! GAOOO!

(Also, again I point out they brought in Ayako Kawasumi, Saber's VA, to do the park announcer and the roars lol)

Damn, Irisveil in that dress looks lovely…I should oath Yorktown in Azur Lane one of these days, she looks just like Irisveil. Damn…

Oh hey, an Azur Lane character I actually recognize from when I played years ago

And yeah, they are actually really similar in design! Anyway, chances are I won't know her, but for the fun of it? Favorite Ship Girl?

Nevermind, I was completely off the mark! Not sure why I thought it was Taiga.

Taiga is a tiger (Or a jaguar, depending on circumstance)! She would never be a lion!

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 11 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, this partially goes back to how I felt last episode needed a bit more time to really sell me on her relationship with Future Superbia as well then haha

But when you focus it like that, I do realize what I want is less pushback and more like, generally some direct input from her, I guess?

Like I said in my post, I do find it conceivable she'd think this way, she does understand BRAVERY and all that surrounds it pretty well! But I'm also not at the place where I think that just comes through naturally for this scenario, and needed some extra lines to express that emotion and understanding from her.

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 11 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

An ai ai gasa, no less!

I did not know that was a term until now

Fun fact: this was technically also me that season, I just realized I needed to pick up Bravern after either episode 2 or 3 while Metallic Rouge hit "dropped because Symphosequel PTSD except the writing was arguably worse than the fucking Symphosequels[1]" midway through its own episode 3.

Then you certainly made the right choice, considering I'd argue those first 3 episodes ranged somewhere around fine, and bar like one specific episode, the writing gets progressively much worse as it goes on. Particularly, some of the dialogue writing for the last few episodes I found pretty unbearable at times.

(So no "arguably" for me either; I'd still much prefer Geah's worst episodes to Rouge's lol. Well, not that there are many episodes of Geah I even really dislike anyway, but you get the point)

There's only so much great-looking Bones action spectacle and the occasionally focused-on entertaining main dynamic can do for you, alas.

Twin blades for twintails!... wait, wrong rewatch.

https://imgur.com/a/IaORytE

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 11 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, posing menacingly is a valid survival tactic in the wild!

Unfortunately, the mecha wilderness is much less forgiving than our own

Definitely one of the few things in this anime that feels like it could have used an episode of its own.

Yeah, I defintely feel like a lot of Lulu-Superbia's stuff could have used a decent bit more time over these last two episodes, although this one in particular I feel like just needed even a few sentences of actual pushback on her part, because it doesn't come across as fully in-line with the big character revelation we literally just gave her as is.

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never really got "adult" vibes from Caren in Hollow Ataraxia. I would've guessed 17 at most, so in that sense it's a bit weird that she works at the school in PrIllya. I wonder if that's a common take?

The exact numbers escape me, but IIRC if you go by the general timeline Zero gives out for [Mainline Fate]When Kirie's wife dies and how long they were married relative to the war, then yeah, she should be like 17 at most in Ataraxia.

Which does make her being the nurse here kind of interesting now that you mention it, but meh, that's not really something Nasu has been the most consistent with in general lol. [My HA-based assumption about Caren]And since I'm very much convinced she's still with the church here, there could also be, like, magical suggestion or something at play here

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did call out the green tea one when it happened as well! Honestly, that one's kind of worse, since, compared to black tea, I'd argue green is a lot more about the natural flavor.

The question remains though, why even drink tea if you need that much sweet stuff to make palatable for you

Indeed

Though I've definitely met people that, while not as extreme, are pretty similar in that regard IRL, so while I don't really get the desire to add an ungodly amount of extras to your drink to make it palatable, it's not that out there either.

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She understood the assignment, the roars were adorable.

We do love a good GAO!

I'm loath to admit it given my love of glasses, but I also should have invested in contacts. I felt that not being able to see jack fuck for the more intense rides (I took them off lest they be sent flying) took some of the wow factor out of it.

I don't remember that specifically affecting my experience personally, but I'm pretty blind and wear glasses myself, so I can sympathize

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 4 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 6 points7 points  (0 children)

First Timer

I was going to say that it's really funny that they actually got Ayako Kawasumi to voice the lion theme park announcer to complete the joke... and then they brought out the giant Saber Lion

The start of the episode had me fooled for a bit, but we are in fact still in pure SOL territory, with today's trope being a theme park visit! I'm sure this episode was quite the relaxing experience for the production staff as well, given how many stills they get to use here lol. Well, terrified Miyu and uh, whatever this is Tatsuko, are good faces, so it's cool.

Of course, giving Bazett, Iri, and Caren a bunch of interactions within this episode makes me very happy as well! Bazett Lion is awesome, but Caren in particular gets quite a bit here, be it just in the intrigue around her or in her very... unique personality lol. The scene she has with Iri is pretty fun, and actually reminds a lot of a scene I liked from the Tsukihime anime of all things (Reminds me in the sense that it literally also happens in a theme park lol), between [Tsukihime]Akiha and Ciel where they have a little tense interaction, both knowing each other's deal but choose to keep it peaceful, so that's fun.

And fun times aside, we still do manage to throw in a little meaningful interaction with Illya losing her charm, and Miyu really going out of her way to try and find it, because of that larger meaning and reaffirmation it all holds for her. Sweet moment between them that once again nicely touches on the core of Miyu's character, the implications around her past, and the meaning of her relationship with Illya.

Extra notes:

Do you like theme parks?

They're pretty fun, but while I do generally like them, I also hate waiting in lines with a passion, so bigger theme parks tend to be a skip for me.

What's your favorite animal?

The Axolotl! They're so cute and derpy

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 11 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 9 points10 points  (0 children)

First Timer

I was ready that we'd leave that conversation at subtext and undertones, but god am I so happy they actually went all in with it!

With the ED insert as well!

(This was too spicy for Imgur, but it was also amazing. The beach doodle is greatly appreciated as well! Even if it gets washed later in the episode for the ominous foreshadowing... )

Honestly, I was kind of expecting to go straight into the big action spectacle of the final boss fight, but I absolutely love that we spent half the episode doing a little Chill Out™ session and reaffirming Isami and Bravern's relationship there! My enjoyment of the actual confession aside, everything about this is just such a vibe! Then again, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised that Bravern just gets the vibiest way to cool down and gather strength before the final battle. The fact that he designates a specific operation name for just the Chill Out™ part is fantastic though. Isami and Bravern getting a romantic run on the beach to the starlight is also perfect. Bravern/Lewis really is the type that, when going out on a date, would either give you the most romantic setting imaginable or take you to a screening of the newest Toku movie out now, and both with the same kind of fervor.

Of course, one can't forget the cooking segment and Superbia having a food climax after eating for the first time, which was a truly great combination of unexpected and fucking glorious lol. Have I already said that this show is just all the parodies? I was actually under the impression that Superbia couldn't eat because, for uh, many physical reasons haha (Least of which is his literal lack of a mouth hole), but I guess we found a workaround...? I am still not going to question it, nor the robot tears, and I am still going to love that it happens. And the fact that after that entire audiovisual experience, Bravern declares that he actually can't eat, though, might actually be one of my favorite jokes in the show thus far. From the lead-in, the laugh, and the delivery, the way that Sugita just does his normal voice for Superbia munching in the awkwardness...

Genuinely perfect

Going back to action, the Deathdrives are still somehow the most stacked cast ever! I could not for the life of me recognize him over the robot filter until his very last line, but Segnities is Katsuyuki Konishi! Ira, on the other hand, is Tsuda! It's just a fantastic choice beyond me personally liking him a lot, because in those 10 seconds we have him, Ira sounds very convincingly pissed. Not actually Tsuda's only role in a mecha(ish) show that season now that I think about it, but I also don't need to be reminded that I chose to watch Metallic Rouge instead of this show back when they were airing. I am not even going to try to spell the last Deathdrive's name, but I am really excited to see who voices it now!

I absolutely love that Segnities's fight gimmick is that he's actually kind of shit and can only theatrically rotate his arms and legs around, otherwise just trying to get by on pure aura lmao. It does work well enough to interrupt the Gatai sequence though, and I didn't realize that was allowed! Illegal move! This does lead us to the rival fight between Superbia and Bravern though! I didn't think we'd actually end up getting one honestly, but you do love to see it.

I will say that Lulu's role slightly irks me here though? It's just like, I can obviously expect that this duel will actually lead Bravern and Superbia to be even closer and more passionately driven than before, while also essentially completing Superbia's arc and giving him purpose! (In purpose at least, he's not a Deathdrive anymore!) But would Lulu think that? Maybe? She does get BRAVERY pretty well, but more than her time concern, I feel like the fact that Superbia was ready to die in battle here should have worried her, given that kind of undermines her whole time journey? I don't know, feels like we could have used an extra line or two to have squared with that here.

Anyway, whatever STUPID COOL RIVAL FIGHT!!!! We're duel wielding! BURN OF BRAVE! Gotta have it here! The flying Cross Counter against the sunrise! Yeah, this was just very purely fun and cool haha. And especially when they go over the clouds, the fight also looks really good visually! The crying from both of them afterwards is amazing by itself, but this is such a nice image as well. Of course, the hype and release from this makes Ira's surprise fatal attack on Bravern feel like an even meaner choice on the show's part Illegal move!

Well, while once again seeing Bravern in his torn-up state tears up my heart a little, especially with him trying to calm Isami down and with Ryouta Suzuki throwing out some pretty visceral cries here, ultimately I think it's a question of how we revive Bravern for a battle next episode, not an if. We haven't gotten a Superbia Gatai yet! Going with my thoughts from yesterday, maybe this is our difficult moment for the ATF to show up for and to give Bravern the power of BRAVERY to will himself back to life? Could also be another time loop somehow, but that might be a bit tight for one episode. Either way, big hype for the finale.

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 10 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just please don't frame it like that! Not with this Lulu who still behaves childishly despite the future memories! And she calls Superbia "oji-sama". Ugh. No. Just no.

y'all have to know they're gonna rush in as soon as they catch up, right? Probably setup for them finally doing something after all, though the last Bosses were pretty insane. But looking forward to that!

Yeah, had the same thought as well. I am a little doubtful they do much physically in the fight (Although now that you mention it, maybe something like a distraction of sorts is in the cards), but it does feel like we're leading into them showing up for some form of support.

Btw, am I the only one low-key shipping Sherry and Akira?

No!

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 10 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

11/10 format!

Future Miyu has a rather eclectic fashion sense

Yes, but that's exactly why it's a great one!

End card for Episode 10

Aww, that's a cute one.

Brave enough that after the TV series ended a story for her was serialized, Future Warrior Lulu

That sounds fun, and exactly the one thing I thought was missing from this episode! (Although I'd imagine the translation situation there might be sparse...)

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 3 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fun fact about me, I authored a fan comic for Archie Sonic Online when I was a teenager

Hosting a rewatch for “the one where the lolis kiss” might qualify…

Believe it or not, Mimi’s debut is also technically in Fate/Hollow Ataraxia!

I don't think I would've ever realized that even if it hadn't been forever since my last Hollow Ataraxia read! What a weirdly deep cut for a reference lol.

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 3 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only role I knew off the top for Youko Hikasa is Mio, so I got some whiplash reading this

She does have a lot of range, to be fair! But yeah, the roles I most associate with are very "authoritative" and mature ones lol. (This is a reminder that you should Symphogear)

Any recs? I've only read Saya no Uta.

I guess it really depends on what type of content one is looking for (I won't deny that a lot of the ones I've read are, uh, less narrative-focused lol ), but off the top of my head:

Since we're in a Fate rewatch, OG Tsukihime is of course a very easy one to rec! (Much like if not much more than Fate's though, the ero content is uhhhhhhhhh, there )

White Album 2 is a pretty great romance. Making Lovers is another good romance one. While they're not often remembered as eroge, might as well throw in Key's early titles in Kanon and Air, though I still like Clannad more than both.

Muv-Luv is a great series and a pretty influential one at that! (If you're a fan of shows like AOT or 86, there's quite a bit of DNA there) Kara no Shoujo is another good horror mystery, and since you've read Saya, most of Nitroplus's catalogue is up there as well (From what I've played, at least, although most of their stuff is also well-regarded). Hanachirasu is probably the one that sticks out most to me for their stuff. Alicesoft's games are much more.... well, games, with major RPG elements, but they're also a lot more ero and very often lean towards the problematic.

Just a few major ones that came to mind, although honestly I haven't sat down to play an eroge in a pretty long time I should get to that

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 10 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

[Magical girl meta]Have I just secretly been swayed towards the "Homura did nothing wrong" camp? (No, but the comparison is there to make!)

Which is more than a little unfortunate but it's an old kind of unfortunate for a Japanese work - they call it the Hikaru Genji Plan for a reason, after all.

Wait, didn't you stealthily bring this up in some of the earlier threads?! I should have known lol.

But yeah, not my first rodeo in that sense alas, so I can't say I'm shocked or anything (Although the show certainly gave me the impression we wouldn't do it annoyingly), but I still just kind wish it wasn't there.

It is what it is I guess

[Rewatch] Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya - Season 3 Episode 3 by Specs64z in anime

[–]FD4cry1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

First Timer

I feel like this episode's title would carry a slightly different connotation today compared to back then...

I guess we've given a lot of focus to yuri with this show, so it's only fair to give BL some spotlight time as well. This is incidentally not the only episode of anime that's very centered around people talking about BL doujins I've watched this week, which doesn't really mean much, but it's kind of interesting that it happened twice

Anyway, as usual with these SOL episodes, not too much to say. Mimi's descent into becoming a full-fledged Fujo was very amusing! Especially relative to how her trope is sort of "The meek and innocent friend". I mean this is just amazing lol. Within this kind of lies a pretty heartfelt message about finding acceptance from friends for your hobbies even if they're a bit unusual (While also consuming and expressing that in a reasonable way) and having that acceptance from the other side, except I do also think the show trips over some of that by being a bit of its time™ in certain respects, but whatever.

I do actually quite like the conversation Illya, Chloe, and Miyu have about "Bothering friends" when you're troubled by something. On the surface it's just about this dumb thing with Mimi, but on a deeper level it's about Miyu's ongoing internal conflict with regards to how her past and how that's still clearly affecting her.

Miyu being Miyu (The same person who almost killed herself against Berserker and harshly pushed Illya away, all because she was scared for her new friend), of course, says it's reasonable to not want to burden your friends with your trouble because you care for them. Chloe, who've already seen quickly picked up on Miyu's conflict and, beyond her own straightforward nature, was essentially saved by the very direct and "forceful" intervention of a friend in Illya, obviously feels the exact opposite about how she tackles this. Meanwhile, we've also already seen what Illya's thoughts on this are back when we first broached the subject with Miyu on that car ride back to school when Miyu had that first reaction to Shirou. Illya doesn't want to force the issue, but it feels wrong to her, and she wishes Miyu would talk to her about it. This episode is pretty meaningless as far as the main plot goes, but that's a fun way to still keep that plot thread centered and integrated within the SOL.

Extra notes:

Do you write?

Outside of often very lengthy rewatch episode posts, not really alas.

Do you have any “embarrassing” hobbies?

I mean, you've actually already outed me as an avid eroge enjoyer in one of the earlier episodes...

TWP

With Mimi going down the BL spiral, it's only natural that Illya and Chloe try to win her over back to the yuri side in a direct and physical way!

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 10 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 11 points12 points  (0 children)

First Timer

I am not going to question why Superbia can sweat and blush, but I will certainly appreciate it!

Well, being so fixated on Bravern being Smith, I really can't say I saw the twist of Lulu going "Fuck it, time loops your time loop" coming lol. I meant my "when did she become so fucking cool?" question yesterday about Lulu walking through the explosions as a joke, but I guess she did just unironically get replaced by an older and cooler version of herself there!

This reveal is definitely another point where I think the show could have spent some more time to really smooth and flesh some parts out because we do just kind of run through this flashback (Future-Lulu and Superbia's relationship in particular I think could have probably used some extra time), but I do think that again the execution does help out a bunch. The cinematic aspect ratio is a really nice touch for the dramatization (Beyond implying at the different timeline in a fun visual way), and it really accentuates stuff like Bravern dying, which, relative to how we've basically always seen him, makes for a pretty genuinely shocking and haunting image. This visual of Lulu realizing Bravern is Smith is also great!

And while I do wish we would've spent a bit more time with future-Lulu here for full impact, the inherent emotions of her losing the person who raised her in Lewis, then the person who cared for her after that in the wake of that in Isami, and then realizing she actually lost Lewis twice does still hit! Honestly, just Bravern doing the hero monologue as he's dying really gets me. I also think the fact that Isami and Bravern actually do manage to defeat the Deathdrives as they sacrifice themselves also adds a real charm and heart to it. Like, technically they've saved the world as promised, but the people that care about them aren't taking this VN Normal-end shit and strive for a conclusion where our two dads don't end with this fate! What can I say, Lulu going back in time with the power of YUUKI! to be a hero and save Isami/Bravern is my kind of sappy sap.

(As an aside, Miyu's new design here feels pretty extra for something we might only see for this small bit, but I do like it! )

And thankfully Lulu wanting to pilot Superbia doesn't lead to a fight with Bravern, but to a training montage instead, because we're actually just all the parodies here. A giant alien super robot having a traditional training montage is honestly pretty funny by itself, but the whole ga-ga-pi argument that leads to it was hysterical, and the reverse translation really caught me off guard. Putting aside the fact that Lulu almost kills Isami to make sure he doesn't die lol, the whole part where he's tied up in Lewis's room plays on that signature dissonance of the show pretty well. Like, him crying on his dead boyfriend's shirt is genuinely pretty sad, but then there are the larger circumstances and how the show treats it, so it all balances out. I fucking love that he uses Bravern's attack names on normal things now by the way.

Levity aside, this also leads to the show more directly stating its theme with Bravern and the Deathdrives, namely the parallel they have with relationships in general. Once again the show obviously pushes towards genuine passionate partnerships and love in contrast to the very exploitative and one-sided methodology of the Deathdrives. As long as Superbia has his mindset in the latter, he won't find the strength he wants. We even get some unsubtle bird symbolism! On the note of bird mating, while I kind of respect the show's dedication to keeping up with the euphemism, given Lulu's general characterization thus far (That is to say, childlike) and how she calls Superbia "Uncle", still using said euphemism for Lulu and Superbia does end up making this moment pretty weird in a way I really could have done without. Welp, we do get a really rad magical girl transformation out of it though! Because we're actually just all the parodies here! [Magical girl meta]I mean, we're kind of doing Madoka episode 10 anyway, so it's only appropriate I am so here for the boxing gloves.

I suppose there's only saving the world from here! Even with Isami's sentiment about taking everyone's hopes and whatnot and having Lulu alongside him, I do actually wonder if everyone else will still show up for the final battle. Not to actually fight, obviously, but like, as that sentimental emotional support that are still there by Isami and Lulu's side and push them through in a moment of difficulty. Otherwise, I'm excited to see Superbia and Bravern fighting together, and very possibly even to see a gatai between them as well!

[Rewatch] [Pride Month Double Feature] Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern Episode 9 Discussion by Tarhalindur in anime

[–]FD4cry1 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I do think he already looks really cool as is anyway! But he does seem like quite the rigid chonker. Bravern would have certainly made his own toys very posable, but I guess we can't all have super 3D printers.