Saturday, June 21, 2014

Kill la Kill Liveblog Chat Thingy: Episode 4

How to participate in the liveblog chat:

Option 1: Whenever you watch the episode, comment on this post as you watch with whatever responses you feel like posting!

Option 2: Go to http://webchat.freenode.net/. Enter a nickname, then for the Channels field enter ##rabbitcube, and finally fill in the Captcha and hit Connect! We'll be watching the episode and commenting there starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. That is back to the usual time.


Chatlog below the cut!


 
[14:01] <Froborr> ...Have I mentioned I really dislike Mako's family?
[14:01] <Froborr> Also, who does laundry at 4 am?
[14:01] <Froborr> Other than me, I mean.
[14:01] <FoME> Mako's mother, apparently.
[14:01] <FoME> The woman may or may not sleep.
[14:02] <Froborr> This reminds me of my favorite Spider-Man storyline.
[14:02] <FoME> Well, we're at the theme song. Do tell.
[14:03] <Froborr> It's an early one, Spider-Man's existence has only just become common knowledge.
[14:03] <Froborr> And in the previous storyline, one of his classmates dressed as Spider-Man for a costume party and got kidnapped by Doctor Doom.
[14:03] <Arrlaari> Crunchyroll marks ads on the timeline, so it looks like one will start at the end of the credits
[14:03] <Froborr> Okay, I'll pause there.
[14:04] <FoME> And we have ad.
[14:04] <Froborr> Aunt May was therefore VERY WORRIED when she found a costume in Peter's room, and confiscated it.
[14:04] <Froborr> So he had to buy a back-up from a costume store, adn it didn't fit properly, so he had to web the mask in place.
[14:04] <Arrlaari> Ad started shortly after credit song
[14:05] <Arrlaari> ad ended
[14:05] <FoME> And we're back.
[14:05] <Froborr> Two issues later, Doc Ock has him unconscious and tries to unmask him...
[14:05] == Sylocat [b83c1916@gateway/web/freenode/ip.184.60.25.22] has joined ##rabbitcube
[14:05] <FoME> Hi Sylo.
[14:05] <Froborr> And can't because the webbing.
[14:05] <Sylocat> Crud! Sorry I'm late
[14:05] <Froborr> Np, we only just passed the credits.
[14:05] <Sylocat> Alright, I'll try and fast-forward
[14:06] <Froborr> Okay, so WHY do they have to do an obstacle course or else get expelled?
[14:06] <FoME> Because.
[14:06] <Froborr> Is there a motive for this?
[14:06] <Sylocat> It's probably a metaphor for... something
[14:06] <Arrlaari> One girl in the whole crowd is super into Gamagoori sleeping in the nude
[14:06] <FoME> The same motive where stealing a uniform gets you hung from the neck until dead.
[14:06] <Froborr> Yep, I noticed that. It amused me.
[14:06] <Arrlaari> The whole school is about over the top social darwinism
[14:07] <Froborr> So, just the underlying sadism of the authoritarian mindset?
[14:07] <Froborr> So this is the "Ryuko proves she's still a badass without her super-suit" episode, yes?
[14:07] <FoME> Yup. Remember, "fashion" and "fascism" are very nearly homophones in Japanese.
[14:08] <Sylocat> AHAHAHAH... oh yikes
[14:08] <FoME> "Go on without me." "Okay."
[14:08] <Sylocat> Awww
[14:09] <Arrlaari> Ad imminent
[14:09] <Froborr> I am immensely suspicious of broken-arm girl.
[14:09] <Arrlaari> Ad begun
[14:09] <FoME> "Did I mention I'm not a villain?"
[14:09] <Froborr> Paused.
[14:09] <Arrlaari> Ad ended.
[14:10] <Arrlaari> Crunchyroll can't seem to sell ads so every ad is two runs of the same 14 second ad for Crunchyroll's subscription service.
[14:10] <Sylocat> Of course
[14:10] <Froborr> I see Mako's dad learned to drive from watching Lupin III.
[14:11] <Sylocat> Dang, this level is pretty tough for so early in the game
[14:11] <Froborr> Well, she IS doing the no-Senketsu challenge.
[14:12] <Sylocat> "Vile hellhound?"
[14:12] <FoME> Massive bragging rights for that one.
[14:12] <Arrlaari> "Both school and their homes"
[14:13] <Sylocat> So hijack it
[14:13] <Froborr> I'm starting to think this school is a metaphor for something, just possibly perhaps a little bit maybe.
[14:13] <Sylocat> She sounds so cheerful
[14:14] <Arrlaari> ad started
[14:14] <Arrlaari> I was about two seconds late on that
[14:14] <Arrlaari> ad ended
[14:15] <Sylocat> Ooh, Mako gets to command a gun turret! I love those minigames!
[14:15] <Arrlaari> I like how the translators used "totes" there
[14:15] <Froborr> Yeah, that fits well with Mako's character.
[14:15] <Sylocat> Oh no... the Blue Danube!
[14:15] <Froborr> Oh hey, they found the Rocket Jump cheat!
[14:15] <Arrlaari> This episode is like Looney Tunes
[14:15] <Sylocat> It's the Red Green movie all over again
[14:15] <Arrlaari> Down to the use of public domain classical music
[14:15] <Froborr> Hard to pull off with a vehicle.
[14:16] <Sylocat> And now she gets stripped again
[14:16] <Sylocat> Eeyup
[14:16] <Sylocat> Of course
[14:17] <FoME> Guts fainted! Use next Pokémon?
[14:17] <Froborr> Yep.
[14:17] <Sylocat> Ooh, she wants it for herself, not for Satsuki?
[14:18] <Sylocat> This is getting complex
[14:18] <Froborr> I will admit, I did not see her wanting it for herself coming.
[14:18] <Sylocat> Whoa, she clipped right through her uniform!
[14:19] <Sylocat> This game has wonky collision detection
[14:19] <FoME> Unequip one armor, equip the other.
[14:19] <Sylocat> "Strepower?"
[14:19] <Sylocat> Is that supposed to be "Stripower?"
[14:19] <FoME> I think it's a portmanteau.
[14:20] <Arrlaari> If you listen, she was saying chikara and powa (power) so they went with strength and power
[14:20] <Sylocat> Ahh, I see
[14:20] <Sylocat> AHAHAH
[14:20] <Sylocat> Oh yikes, Senketsu has taste in blood?
[14:20] <FoME> Still a better vampire romance than... yeah, that joke's overdone.
[14:20] <Sylocat> Whoa!
[14:20] <Arrlaari> Looney tunes
[14:21] <Froborr> lol, they Wile E. Coyote'd them.
[14:21] <Sylocat> Trompe L'oiel
[14:21] <Froborr> That is the first time this show was actually funny.
[14:21] <Sylocat> A suicide screwover?
[14:21] <FoME> Nope.
[14:22] <Sylocat> Well, I knew she wasn't going to die, but I thought she'd survive by accident
[14:23] <Sylocat> Ooh, ski lift!
[14:23] <Sylocat> Oops, she's in trouble
[14:24] <Sylocat> Dang, he don't give a fuck
[14:24] <FoME> Buhler?
[14:24] <Froborr> *sighs*
[14:25] <Froborr> That was... eh.
[14:25] <FoME> This is basically the one filler episode in the series.
[14:25] <Froborr> I guess it was a comedy episode? But it was just trying so hard. You could *see* them straining desperately to wring every drop of wackiness out of the premise.
[14:26] <Sylocat> The preview guy talks like Jaqen H'ghar
[14:26] <Arrlaari> That was a very popular episode, and I like it alot myself. The 3x repeated gag is bothersome, but the rest of it I am 100% down for
[14:26] <Froborr> Heh, I cut it off before the preview.
[14:27] <FoME> Likewise. Whoops.
[14:27] <Sylocat> (I can't believe I spelled his name right without having to Google it)
[14:27] <Froborr> Well, let's talk about that then--what is it you like about it? Do you find it funny? Exciting?
[14:27] <Froborr> Because I spent it basically bored, and I'm curious what I missed.
[14:27] <Sylocat> Eh, I like it as a send-up of anime tropes and teen culture in general
[14:28] <FoME> I admit, I'm easily entertained by wacky antics.
[14:28] <Arrlaari> Well basically I am down for something that is willing to commit that completely to the premise
[14:28] <Sylocat> Plus, the battle scenes in this one were kickass
[14:29] <Arrlaari> It's kind of worrying that you don't like Mako's family because they are exemplary of this show's aesthetic
[14:29] <FoME> Which is to say, endearingly insane.
[14:29] <Sylocat> I dunno... I also find Mako's family kinda tedious, but I like the rest of it
[14:29] <Arrlaari> I don't follow the fandom at large super closely but my impression is that Mako is in competition with Satsuki for the title of most popular character
[14:30] <Sylocat> No competition for me, Satsuki is awesome
[14:30] <Froborr> I find them very annoying, one-note characters whose only note is "Hey! HEY! LOOK AT MY ONE NOTE!"
[14:30] <Froborr> Satsuki *is* pretty cool so far.
[14:30] <FoME> Princess Eyebrows is pretty awesome, yes.
[14:31] <Sylocat> The whole thing reminds me of Scott Pilgrim, a little
[14:31] <Arrlaari> Well, if you're willing to put up with a lot more Mako in order to get a lot more Satsuki, you're going to get both
[14:31] <Froborr> Film or comic?
[14:31] <Sylocat> A little of both
[14:32] <Sylocat> Film, mostly, though...
[14:32] <Froborr> I don't really see it.
[14:32] <Froborr> The film was a musical with the musical numbers replaced by equally OTT fight sequences.
[14:32] <Arrlaari> Out of curiosity, who here has seen Gurenn Lagan?
[14:32] <Sylocat> The way it contextualizes youth drama as video game clichés
[14:32] <Froborr> This, on the other hand, is NOTHING BUT OTT fight sequences.
[14:33] <Froborr> Oh, okay, yeah, I can sort of see that... except so far I haven't detected any actual youth drama.
[14:33] <Sylocat> The high school pecking order, fashion angst, &c.
[14:33] <Froborr> I have seen Gurren Lagann, I freakin' loved it.
[14:34] <FoME> I like to think of Kill La Kill as TTGL's distaff counterpart.
[14:34] <Arrlaari> That's also the impression I have
[14:34] <Sylocat> Yeah, Gurren Lagaan is awesome
[14:34] <Arrlaari> It's not a sequel but it feels to me like it's "more like that"
[14:35] <Froborr> I think the problem I have is, again, the lack of dynamics.
[14:36] <Froborr> You know pop music gets autotuned to be at max volume all the time so there is no variation in it whatsoever, and it sounds and feels incredibly artificial and flat?
[14:36] <Froborr> This feels like someone autotuned Gurren Lagann.
[14:36] <Sylocat> To each their own, I suppose
[14:37] <Froborr> Yeah.
[14:37] <Froborr> I liked the previous episode! It had characters in it.
[14:37] <Froborr> I want more like that.
[14:37] <FoME> You'll get them.
[14:37] <Sylocat> I guess we'll see
[14:38] <FoME> At least, I think you'll get them. I call myself FanOfMostEverything for a reason. I'm not exactly an unbiased source.
[14:38] <Froborr> I'm sorry. I'm trying not to be Mr. Crankypants Hatesfun, but thus far this show is mostly not working for me.
[14:38] <Arrlaari> One of the elements of this show's style is throwing stuff at you and just letting them be there without explanation, then much later explaining them
[14:39] <Arrlaari> I feel like you're going to like the latter parts of this show a lot more than the early parts
[14:39] <Froborr> I'm okay with that style. I mean, I'm a huge Utena fan, and that doesn't even *start* explaining what's going on until episode 34 of 39.
[14:40] <Sylocat> I can understand that... I probably wouldn't like it either, if I wasn't such a sucker for this kind of thing
[14:41] <Froborr> For me it's not so much that it's not explained as that I just haven't been given a reason to care about Ryuko or Mako or Mako's family. Thus far there is no hint that they are anything other than shouty blobs of digital paint.
[14:42] <Froborr> But it *did* have at least one episode I enjoyed in the first three, and that means I watch the season.
[14:42] <Froborr> That is The Rules.
[14:43] <Froborr> And I do hope you're right that I enjoy the later parts more--I probably will, if you're correct that there's more Satsuki in them.
[14:43] <FoME> Much more.
[14:43] <Arrlaari> The Elite Four might also win you over
[14:44] <Froborr> I dunno, that Lance bastard cheats like anything.
[14:44] <Froborr> His Dragonite literally cannot exist!
[14:45] <Arrlaari> I was going to ask which one you were nicknaming Lance and then I remembered he's in the elite four of the one Pokemon game I played
[14:45] <FoME> Sadly, "Puff of Logic" wasn't added until Ruby/Sapphire.
[14:45] <Froborr> lol
[14:46] <Froborr> I am actually endlessly amused that he's the main villain of the Yellow arc of Pokemon Special. Because he's such a damn, dirty cheater in the game.
[14:46] <Arrlaari> Well, I guess he was in the two pokemon games I played, since I got both blue and red
[14:46] <Arrlaari> I did that so I could Catch Them All. The reason I didn't get any of the sequels is because they added hundreds of new pokemon and didn't remove any of the previous pokemon and that is just too many pokemon
[14:47] <Arrlaari> I can't catch all that
[14:47] <Froborr> Yeah, I have never successfully Caught Them All.
[14:47] <FoME> Despite the imperative, neither have I.
[14:47] <Arrlaari> I completed the pokedexes in Blue and Red. It involved a lot of trading and then immediately trading back
[14:47] <Arrlaari> And after that I was Done With Pokemon
[14:48] <Froborr> I gave up on Pokemon after Black and White, the Revolutionary New Games That Changed Everything!! ...and were exactly the same game as I'd been buying for 15+ years.
[14:48] <Froborr> Anyway, any final thoguhts on Kill la Kill before I copypasta the chat over to the blog?
[14:48] <Arrlaari> To be honest, I feel like new games shouldn't have old names
[14:48] <FoME> Nintendo! If it ain't broke, don't do anything that might fix it.
[14:49] <Arrlaari> Next episode is going to be Uncomfortable
[14:49] <Froborr> Be fair: Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Metroid Prime were all spectacularly revolutionary for their franchises.
[14:49] <FoME> All true, and I loved all of them.
[14:50] <FoME> And yes, next episode may actually make you feel something for Ryuko.
[14:50] <Froborr> Good, the show DESPERATELY NEEDS that.
[14:51] <Sylocat> Sorry, I was AFK
[14:51] <Sylocat> I always liked Lance, I don't know why
[14:51] <Froborr> I mean, I don't need something pointlessly tragic happening to her. It could be something that makes her happy! Or angry! Or anything!
[14:51] <Froborr> Just something that gives me some hint that she has a personality.
[14:52] <Arrlaari> That's not the kind of Uncomfortable I was talking about. I can see what FoME is talking about but I feel he's being optimistic.
[14:53] <Froborr> Well, we'll see.
[14:53] <Froborr> I'm'a copypasta this now.

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