Oh shit you guys it’s happening. The battle’s been set and the stakes have been raised – time for Trigger to kill everybody.
Or not. Who knows!? The old rules don’t apply anymore – Honnouji Academy has in one character reveal switched from antagonist to uneasy rival (OR POSSIBLY ALLY?????), and Kill la Kill will never be the same. Personally, hey, I’m ready for some blood. As long as it’s not Mako’s.
Never Mako’s.
Episode 12
0:15 – Sanageyama’s always been the monkey, of course, but this is close to “pig in human clothing” in its own way. Wonder what thoughts the official couturier has on clothing versus inherent strength
0:36 – Her voice is just great. This song, too. The high-level bosses are getting all the nice things
3:20 – Alright, going in new directions here
3:25 – Further still. This links with the “she’s evolving in dangerous ways” Nudist Beach stuff, but we still need more data beyond that
4:07 – This show’s animation is best. Seems like she’s intentionally provoking Ryuuko
4:38 – Additional animation. Nui really likes messing with her two dimensions, huh?
4:51 – I like this shot. Senketsu actually taking the place of her left eye, symbolizing their connection. It seems like Nui’s treating their clothing as a shield, and wanting to see the “true Ryuuko” beneath it – but Ryuuko and Senketsu actually reflect each other
5:00 – She’s kind of terrifying
5:31 – Ryuuko’s dad’s pretty spry for an old guy! I love Nui’s measuring tape attack, too – Samurai Flamenco would be proud
6:05 – Between this and the “hate is close to love,” seems like she has a philosophy of her own here. Perhaps she’s the first one to actually embrace the performance
6:31 – Everyone’s a critic
6:50 – Goddamnit Kill la Kill
7:15 – I, uh, guess that wasn’t a fakeout! Killer revealed!
7:40 – Man these shots are pretty. I’m nominating this show for best animated lighting
8:16 – It’s too unstable! Well, Nui’s getting her wish
8:37 – Don’t you love magical girl transformations?
8:39 – Leave it to Nui to pack her umbrella in case of blood-rain
8:47 – oh god
9:43 – Goddamnit Mako. It’s dangerous out there, but… you’re the only one who can save her now. Just… just be careful, goddamnit
10:11 – Nonon yes
10:34 – Aw they’re all still buddies
11:30 – Seriously if this show kills Mako we are all doomed
11:44 – A better hero than we deserve
12:25 – It’s a shame these frames go by so fast, because they’re all great
12:53 – This show’s characters really make the most of their appearances. She’s had about two-thirds of an episode, and Nui’s already got more charisma than anyone in Golden Time
13:31 – Oh god stop walking it’s awful why is your crotch a mouth
14:08 – EVERY CHARACTER MUST FIGHT
14:32 – Satsuki points out that just like Nonon, Nui’s affectation is not true self, but performance
14:48 – They could have been frieeends
15:37 – I guess this is kind of a natural step for Ryuuko. She’s always been driven by emotion, not ideology – now she’s basically pure id, chaos incarnate, fighting against Satsuki’s strict, ordered view of the universe
16:51 – OUR SAVIOR ARRIVES
16:58 – A new titan approaches the field!
17:06 – IF HER HEROISM WERE EVER IN DOUBT
17:36 – Holy shit even Satsuki respects the power of Mako friendship. It’s not even a joke, Mako is just actually the most powerful force in the universe
17:40 – Well, there’s a distinction. The difference between having a goal and defining yourself in opposition to one
18:26 – The season ends with Mako just slapping the shit out of someone. Thank you for saving Christmas, Trigger
19:17 – Oh my god so much friendship I can’t take it
20:31 – Only blood will satisfy Nui
21:00 – So Nui gets yellow, then. All primary colors in residence!
24:00 – Goddamnit Satsuki you and your stupid puns
And Done
Well…
Eh.
Yeah, I feel kinda underwhelmed by that. We got to see Senketsu go berserker, but there weren’t any big reveals about the kamui related to that. We got a flashback revealing Ryuuko’s father’s death, but it didn’t actually reveal anything about the larger schemes of the Kiryuin family. And we got a fight, but it was pretty much a fight of stops and starts, and Ryuuko mainly just ran at people wacking them the whole time – it wasn’t the most visually impressive nor the most dramatically paced battle.
Satsuki and Ryuuko aren’t even friends yet! I was so sure this episode would at least reveal some larger threat/goal beyond “subjugate all the other schools” – what about Satsuki’s relationship with her mother?
I guess it’s mainly that this was a paradigm-shifting episode, but the paradigm didn’t shift enough for my tastes. I’ve got the gist of Ryuuko and Satsuki’s relationship at this point, or at least their initial one. I was kinda hoping to shift from this school to the world.
Well, at least Mako was fantastic. Let her heroism be an inspiration to us all!
Just glad that Kill La Kill proved wrong all the wild killer theories and purple scissors wtv.
Would have been useless drama and a waste of everyone time.
That dad flashback was nice.
So many stuff was wrong with that berzerk mode design ahah. Gave a great eerie/horror feel the whole time it was on screen.
Also appreciated how the flashback to older episode went by in just a couple flashes and reference something I though would be forgotten. That’s how all shows should do it.
Yeah, agreed, making the killer itself some crazy reveal would have just wasted time. And I also like how they actually keep bringing up the Mako episodes – they come off like side stories, but Mako’s actually kinda key to the narrative at this point.
This episode was very good on its own merits, tied up the first part of the series, and did a lot to open up the second part.
So, we’ve solved the initial mystery of Isshin’s murder, developed heroes and villains (including making Satsuki and her Big Four more sympathetic), and now the stage is set for the story to expand. Imaishi might have done something haywire and crazy in this one, but it’s probably best that he’s used it as both a solid summing-up and a springboard. He’s built up his cast and his world, and now he will be free to start breaking it.
Ragyo -time is coming up, and the Battle Field Trip is going to expand the story, now that’s everything that needs doing at Honnouji has been done.
Hopefully Ryuuko doesn’t prove quite as belligerent in the second half as she seemed at the end here – it’s clear Satsuki wants her around, and I think it’d be very entertaining to see Ryuuko and Satsuki/the Elite Four actually working together. I’m also interested in seeing how Nudist Beach will fit into this second half, since this episode seemed to bring some degree of closure to the “will she be able to control her uniform” thread.
Holey moley, whatever Mako touches turns to gold. She is my idol <3
Even non-Mako episodes become Mako episodes by proximity. She’s too powerful!