With Nao’s help, Arika lands a job on the castle construction site. She unwittingly touches Mashiro’s rawest nerve but saves her from another Nagi trap. With Mikoto, they enter the secret passage that Shizuru had stopped Rado from exploring and find an organ that shatters Arika’s coral gem, Mashiro’s ring, Natsuki’s wine glass etc etc., sends a big beam up into the sky to be seen by Miyu (I bet her little bird is called Alyssa) and then reveals a Mikoto-shaped spirit. Black Letter Man No.2 attacks them with his Slave but Nina uses two gems from her pendant to power up the Blue Sky Sapphire Robe FTW. By cooperating and forming a contract to survive the ordeal, Arika and Mashiro establish a warm rapport. See also: Kurogane, Random Curiosity, the usagi incidents. Continue reading ‘Mai Otome 07′
Lisianthus and Nerine use emotional blackmail to force Rin to ask Asa out on a date. Ituski ups the ante by planning a date for them to Cupid Land. Rin’s absorption with trying to stick to the plan only results in Asa becoming acutely aware of his unease. She tries her best to have fun with him but finally gets angry with Rin when he says that he went on this date with her for Sia and Nerine’s sake. See Omni for his review and screencaps.
A bit surprised that the opening and half-way eye catches reverted to the Happy Fun pre-Ep 12 ones, given that this episode was emotionally quite heavy. The next episode will probably see a return to the black background with shimmering episode title and nekkid girls eye-catch.
Analysis, speculation on Asa vs. Kaede and 117 screencaps follow. Continue reading ‘SHUFFLE! 18′
Up to my ears in course work now. T_T Entries on SHUFFLE! 18 and Mai Otome 07 will be a bit late. On a happier note, the past month’s consolidated loot from Forbidden Planet, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.co.jp (via the Yuricon Shop):
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (1st Gig) DVD box set
- Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface
- Yuri Hime Vol.2
- Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl Vol.2
- xxxHolic Vol.1-6
The Mahoro towel underneath was a present from Stripey btw. ^_^
This would be my fourth time watching Innocence but the first two were with a fansub (I forget which) and the third time on my tiny 17-inch room TV on a R2 DVD (no subs T_T). Had promised myself to see it in a movie theatre if I ever got the chance. As luck would have it, GITS: Innocence was screening at just one screen in central London. Continue reading ‘Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (London screening)’
Full-size image
Thanks for mellowrg who shared this hilarous image on the Yuricon mailing list.
Everything that Nao has done so far (setting her thugs on the seller of Arika’s uniform, rescuing the girls from the tentacle monster) has had a double edge to it i.e. while she’s being helpful, she expects repayment in the form of a future favour - told Nina and Arika that "You owe me one, again." in Ep 6. And that in both instances, it was in her interest to act anyway - defending the Juliet Gang’s turf and authority in the uniform case and having an opportunity to gloat at Shiho as well as to visibily discharge her Oneesama duties in the tentacle monster case.
Even so while she’s got a cool and hard exterior, complemented with that oh-so sharp, stinging and piercing tongue, I suspect that she’s got her heart in the right place just like in Mai HiME where her main redeeming point was her love for her mother. I wonder if her propensity for not being understood by others and not really wanting to be understood anyway will lead to another tragic repetition of the situation in Mai HiME when she was framed by Yukariko and her partner.
