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 today.
Chatlog below the cut!
01[14:00] <Froborr> Satsuki looks weird wearing Junketsu like a normal outfit.
01[14:01] <Froborr> I like her military-ish uniform better.
[14:01] <FoME> "Ragyo Stadium." So humble.
01[14:02] <Froborr> The way the characters' outfits flip around in the OP reminds me of watching someone play a fighting game.
01[14:02] <Froborr> Like, swapping alts on the Character Select screen.
[14:03] <FoME> Ad.
01[14:03] <Froborr> k
01[14:04] <Froborr> ?
[14:05] <FoME> And I'm back.
[14:05] <FoME> Frakking Hulu.
[14:05] <Arrlaari> Ah, I got distracted and didn't see that we were waiting for an ad
[14:06] <FoME> I'm just after Mako's speech.
[14:06] <FoME> Where Senketsu reminds everyone that his opinion kind of matters.
01[14:06] <Froborr> Blah blah Ryuko blah Mako blah
01[14:06] <Froborr> Get back to the student council, they're way more interesting and entertaining.
01[14:08] <Froborr> Wait, so now his crotch glows even when she has pants on?
01[14:08] <Froborr> *he has pants
[14:08] <FoME> Oh, there are no pants.
[14:08] <Arrlaari> It's really more of a belt than pants
01[14:08] <Froborr> Oh, I see now. Camera angle made it look like cargo pants.
[14:09] <FoME> And now my favorite character in the show. And Satsuki.
01[14:09] <Froborr> lol
01[14:09] <Froborr> Satoi is a pretty good butler in the Alfred vein, yeah.
[14:10] <FoME> Ad.
[14:10] <Arrlaari> This reminds me of the comment about Matoi saying Satsuki is alone
01[14:10] <Froborr> Yeah, some of her minions really are very nearly friends/family.
[14:10] <FoME> Rather objectively wrong at this point.
[14:10] <Arrlaari> She was, in fact, wrong about that, but it's understandable that she would believe it.
01[14:11] <Froborr> Like Satoi and whatsername, band geek girl.
[14:11] <FoME> Nonon
[14:11] <FoME> I'm back.
[14:11] <Arrlaari> Remember that whenever Matoi has seen Satsuki treat one of the elite four as anything other than disposable tools, Ryuko has questioned it
[14:11] <Arrlaari> "are you going soft" or similar
01[14:11] <Froborr> Point.
[14:12] <Arrlaari> A friendship mediated by a strongly heirarchical power relationship isn't something Matoi has experienced or understands.
01[14:13] <Froborr> Well, I mean, such a thing *is* inherently unstable and unsustainable.
[14:13] <FoME> And art shift.
01[14:14] <Froborr> *eyeroll at the Obnoxious Family*
[14:14] <FoME> At least they care.
01[14:15] <Froborr> Ah, so there's our apocalypse.
[14:16] <FoME> Ad.
[14:16] <FoME> Last one, and shortest.
[14:17] <FoME> And I'm back.
[14:18] <FoME> The Revocs building always reminds me of Madoka's witch form.
01[14:18] <Froborr> THAT'S what it is!
01[14:18] <Froborr> Thanks, that's been bugging me.
[14:18] <FoME> NP :)
01[14:22] <Froborr> DEATH TO ALL CUPS!
[14:22] <FoME> Who's going to sweep it up, I ask you?
[14:22] <FoME> It's like an Olympic opening ceremony.
[14:23] <Arrlaari> There are a number of traditions involving smashing ones cup after a toast
01[14:23] <Froborr> The fact that Mataro's not in a uniform is going to be very significant, of course.
[14:23] <FoME> And then Rahyo was Kefka.
01[14:23] <Froborr> Only question is whether that screws up Ragyo's plans or Satsuki's or both.
01[14:23] <Froborr> Are you suggesting Ragyo has ever not been Kefka?
[14:24] <FoME> Point.
01[14:25] <Froborr> "Have fun storming the castle!"
[14:26] <FoME> Miracle Mako, ladies and gentlemen.
01[14:27] <Froborr> WHAT A TWEEST
01[14:27] <Froborr> That's been obvious for like a dozen episodes...
[14:28] <FoME> And the always-inapporpriate second ending credits.
01[14:28] <Froborr> Although I have to admit, I was expecting Satsuki to ask Ryuko to join her, rather than just backstab her mom and declare herself to be in rebellion.
01[14:29] <Froborr> I'm still counting this as satisfying my prediction that their team-up would happen this episode.
[14:29] <FoME> Do you really think Ryuko would say yes?
01[14:30] <Froborr> I think, given her new knowledge of the Life Fiber thing and wanting to kill whatsername, the fashion designer, it's quite possible she would.
[14:30] <Arrlaari> Anyway, I hear that smashing cups after drinking from them like Satsuki & the elite four did there is a thing traditionally done before going into a battle
01[14:31] <Froborr> I figured it was probably something like that.
01[14:31] <Froborr> But is declaring war on cups any sillier than declaring war on clothes?
[14:31] <FoME> It depends on whether or not the cups are made out of aliens.
01[14:31] <Froborr> Point.
[14:32] <Arrlaari> To follow up on earlier, with Satsuki's friendships being mediated by dominance
[14:33] <Arrlaari> It's notable that her meetings with each of her elite four follow roughly this pattern: The future shittenou challenges her, she overwhelms the challenge, and then says "that was cool, you can hang out with me"
[14:33] <Arrlaari> At first, Jakuzure Nonon's story looks like the exception, but if you think about it, Nonon was trying to patronize Satsuki
01[14:33] <Froborr> Well yeah, it's the Defeat Means Friendship thing.
01[14:34] <Froborr> Very common way to form a gang in shonen.
01[14:34] <Froborr> What's odd is that she maintains such a hierarchical structure and dominant position afterwards.
[14:35] <Arrlaari> The sandcastle was offered with these words: "because you're my favorite" and the offer was couched in an ostentatious display of Nonon's popularity among the other tiny children
[14:35] <FoME> Says something about who Satsuki is, really. She needs to be at the forefront.
01[14:36] <Froborr> Sure, I can buy that as the same challenge/defeat structure.
01[14:38] <Froborr> So, any final thoughts before I post this up?
[14:38] <Arrlaari> You've mentioned before
[14:39] <Arrlaari> That people have told you that there is a point at which this show gets a lot better. I can't speak for them, but they may have been referring to the end of this episode, and making a pun on the point of Satsuki's sword.
01[14:40] <Froborr> Lol, no, I'm pretty sure the exact wording didn't use the word "point."
01[14:40] <Froborr> Still, though, if this is where that improvement happens, good, because I am definitely bored pretty much any time Satsuki's offscreen.
[14:41] <FoME> See you next week, then.
01[14:41] <Froborr> No, week after.
[14:41] <Arrlaari> Convention next weekend
[14:41] <FoME> Ah, right. Thanks for the reminder.
01[14:41] <Froborr> Next week I'm at AUSA and can't do it, yep.
One thing I forgot to mention during the discussion was the significance of the school's name. The Battle of Honnouji during the Sengoku Period was when Mitsuhide Akechi betrayed and murdered Nobunaga Oda.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, they were telegraphing this one from episode 1.