C3-bu – Episode 8

Hopefully today will see the triumph and downfall of the reign of Chairman Yura. Let’s do it!

Episode 8

4:45 – Well, the episode’s called “Does a Commander Have to be Heartless?” So I assume this will end with the “character experiences their lowest point” moment, where Yura’s teammates finally stop putting up with her abuse. Hopefully she’ll manage to pick herself up without Kanbaru’s intervention

Kinda funny to me that due to the nature of anime seasons, a whole slew of “character experiences their lowest point” episodes are cropping up this week – this, Uchouten Kazoku, Gatchaman Crowds, Free!… narrative structure is pretty predictable, I guess, and structure generally dictates the turn hits around the two-thirds point, which then curves upwards into the road to redemption and climax

Incidentally, I like this episode’s game format. Seems like a very good way to keep the drama continuous and force the characters to interact with a variety of teams

4:50 – Nice face 

6:59 – That’s right.  Suck it up ya goddamn sissies

7:25 – Well I’m sure this won’t come up again 

Saying that makes me want to do an entire writeup from the perspective of someone who is utterly blind to story convention and completely surprised by every predictable plot turn, but that might be too self-indulgent even for me

8:21 – Goddamnit can’t you fuckups do even one thing right 

8:41 – I bend over backwards for you shitstains and this is how you reward me? 

9:06 – Yeah jeez that’d be crazy . Although in all fairness, there is a chance they’ll save that for an episode or two, and have Yura’s dictatorship blow up before she gets the chance to compete with Rin here

9:39 – Night airsoft in the woods?  These guys must love broken ankles

9:54 – Dat’s hardcore 

11:12 – Fortunately, our team is composed of little girls 

12:37 – What have I become?!? 

14:01 – Dun dun dun . I like how characters always raise their hands when it starts raining to confirm that yes, that is in fact rain which is falling on you

14:51 – That bitch insulted Sonora’s teachings!  That’s it – I’m gonna try really hard and not have any fun andbeat her! That’ll show her!

15:23 – Yura’s minister of propaganda  is working overtime today

20:15 – Pretty intense duel . Definitely one of the better ones so far, though it’s still kinda weightless, since they didn’t really set up the parameters of this warehouse fight beyond “we found them – oh no, it’s an ambush!” Players are hit or not depending on whether its convenient for the plot at that time.

That said, this is more about the emotional payoff than the sports one. But this show spends too much time focusing on the sports/action element to really get away with slacking off on setting up comprehensible action setpieces

21:06 – YURA YOU HAVE BESMIRCHED THE NAME OF AIRSOFT 

21:24 – I’m a sucker for big unsubtle tricks like this shot . Gatchaman was also having a lot of fun with the lighting this week

And Done

Great development at the end there. Now the brewing discontent of Yura’s teammates will be swept under the rug because they actually won, and Yura’s the only one who knows anything is wrong. I look forward to much suffering going forward!