Alright Ryuuko and Satsuki are sisters and that’s cool but you need to shut the fuck up because apparently this episode is hella Mako/Gamagoori and they are the best so im gonna stop talking let’s kill la gamako.
Episode 19
0:04 – this is neither mako nor gamagoori
0:08 – why are they showing me these people
0:22 – Okay that’s pretty sweet
0:42 – Congratulations Trigger, you have succeeded in making clothing moderately intimidating
1:03 – SHUT UP IT’S MAKO
1:06 – I like how the crowd is still distracted by this metal shit happening on screen, even as they get gobbled up by goddamn living suits
1:16 – This is a great shot. I love how the angles draw the eye to the heart, and how the heart’s glow dominates the left side of the frame. No wasted space here
1:30 – MAKO NOOO. WHO WILL SAVE HER
1:35 – CAN NOTHING BE DONE
1:37 – GAMAGOORI YES
1:39 – GAMAGOORI YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT
1:52 – SUCH DESPAIR IN HIS EYES ahaha they are just laying it on
2:05 – “Search your feelings” etc etc
2:19 – Oh man Ryuuko, better watch that temper of yours!
2:30 – I like how they did that transition. Dynamic, like always, but they also cut from a distant shot of Ryuuko on the high left pedestal over to first the wall impact, and then down to Satsuki. Really driving in the reversal of fortune here
2:52 – ALL THE SHIPS COMING INTO THE HARBOR TONIGHT
4:38 – Hah. Trust Trigger to pull something like that
4:49 – It is super hard to make these things intimidating, but they are doing their best
5:17 – Man, this really is exactly the shift I wanted after the first cour. It’s a shame the show dithered so much getting here, but I’m happy we’ve arrived
5:35 – I guess everything except her belts and holsters was in the wash
5:54 – Oh right, that’s Nudist Beach uniform. This show
6:29 – NO CLOTHES FOR ANYONE. I see he’s been practing the art of the crotch-glow. Still no match for Sensei, of course
6:43 – Hey, that’s from Gunbuster. Doubt it’s a reference, but hey
7:35 – Continuously happy we’ve finally reach this point in the narrative. You introduce a compelling antagonist with a loveable band of generals, I’m pretty much automatically gonna wonder when they get to be the good guys
7:58 – I feel like Gamagoori’s proportions have gotten continuously more ridiculous this entire show
8:20 – At least they let him keep the popped collar
8:42 – Are they actually establishing the practical parameters of a battle in a friggin’ Imaishi show? He’s pretty much the patron saint of HARD WORK AND GUTS being the explanation behind everything that happens
9:38 – Sensei and his magic labcoat. I appreciate that he does it even when Ryuuko isn’t there to be harassed
10:00 – Yeah, sorry Kill la Kill, but I’ve fallen for this enough times. You didn’t pick this phrase because you’re actually making a parallel relevant to Christian mythology – you picked it because it sounded cool, which is the same reason you make all your allusions. In the grand tradition of Evangelion, your lofty thematic pretensions are really just snazzy window dressing. Get back to Mako!
10:15 – Nice that they explained that one. It felt like a pretty big outlier
11:25 – The moe-est Senketsu
11:29 – Best Mom
11:35 – SENSEI PAYS HIS RESPECTS
11:40 – Momkanshoku plz
12:29 – MOMKANSHOKU PLZ
12:38 – FILLED WITH CONCERN
12:52 – Oh my god Momkanshoku stawp
13:01 – Gamagoori this is getting out of control
13:21 – Momkanshoku never wavers
13:56 – Yada yada resolve yada yada “making conscious choices” etc. At this point, my opinion on this show’s themes is that it has a great sense of humor
14:25 – I do like that Satsuki’s still just barely putting up with this shit
14:55 – God that hair. Can’t get enough of that hair.
15:27 – These characters are adorable babies
15:45 – Ragyo’s too much of a performer – she can’t help but give the evil villain speech. But Satsuki’s far from broken, and this is all information to her. Like with the Kamui, if she has to stand naked in a cage to achieve her goals, so be it
15:54 – Fuck off, Mom
16:33 – Okay, why does this get so very rapey? Like, I understand that this is meant to be intimidating, and that they’re demonstrating how Satsuki’s just an object to Ragyo. But still, it’s so damn rapey. The tools they are using are wildly out of proportion to the needs they are fulfilling
Which I guess comes back to this show’s whole attitude on sex, really – any tool can be used for any purpose, the choices we make do not have to be meaningfully aware of the larger conversation those choices contribute to. Which is fucked, frankly. It’s not what this show is about generally, but it’s fucked. Media dictates culture. There are no “time-outs” on the significance of your artistic choices
16:48 – She keeps underestimating Satsuki. Satsuki uses performance because it is a useful tool, but she is not inherently a performer. She won’t get mad
18:57 – COULD THAT MEAN…
19:11 – BRING HER BACK, GAMAGOORI
19:24 – YESSSS
19:37 – GLASSES-PUSHING EXPOSITION DOUBLE TEAM
20:09 – Have I only lived to see this day?
20:19 – “I-it’s not because I like you or anything…” Peanut gallery not impressed
20:27 – Aw c’mon Nonon we’ve waited all show for this
21:25 – Goddamn does Ryuuko get some nice shots
21:29 – And the reverse
22:07 – IS FRIENDSHIP OVER?!?
And Done
Well, that episode was overall pretty great. We got to exactly where I’d been hoping for quite a while – Ryuuko and Satsuki on the same side (well, technically, they still haven’t gotten to hang out and be all sisterly and shit), all the good guys fighting against some great evil menace, and Mako/Gamagoori CONFIRMED MOTHERFUCKERS THERE IS NO STOPPING THEIR LOVE I DON’T CARE ABOUT RYUUKO’S IDENTITY CRISIS GET BACK TO MORE ADORABLE GAMAGOORI BLUSHING
FUCK YES GAMAGOORI BLUSHING JUST WHAT THIS SHOW FUCKING NEEDS I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW
Gamagoori blushing is AOTS.
Waiting for the sequel show about Gamagoori and Mako working out their relationship with the help of their friends as they get into all kinds of wacky adventures. Kill la Kill Ren.
I’ve been really enjoying Kill la Kill ever since they decided to advance the plot. It may not have been what I wanted, but I’m genuinely happy with what we got. Also Momkanshoku (fantastic name) was the best character of this show, 10/10, would stare again.
Jesus christ I would kill for Mako-Gamagoori Ren. And yeah, I agree, it’s really kicked it up now that the plot’s actually in high gear.
This episode sure covered a lot of bases! What I took away from it:
-Ragyo has to die
-finally, the Elite Four joined Nudist Beach
-Senketsu is such a bro
-NO RYUKO WHY ARE YOU SAYING THESE HORRIBLE THINGS
-those Covers are actually pretty spooky, to be honest
-and, of course…
MAKO & GAMAGOORI FOREVER
WHY IS RYUUKO SUCH A JERK NOW. WAS ALL THAT FRIENDSHIP FOR NOTHING?!?!
Whatever. Gamagoori blushing, nothing else matters.
Maybe is not that they want to transform Ryuuko in an angsty protagonist again. I feel it is more like a tool to make her to one side and let the others deal with the problem.
If it is not a fake cliffhanger, and she continues being a jerk and takes it too far as to do it with Mako (which would be sin on itself!!), maybe she will flee and go to find herself or something while everyone else is fighting and being important and continuing what they began this episode, with everyone doing such a nice work together or something.
Trigger is always trolling us with that kind of radical changes just to show us how wrong we were with our conclussions and such.
I really hope it’s a fake cliffhanger, honestly. We’ve already had two separate arcs of Ryuuko learning to trust Senketsu, a third is not what I was hoping for right now.
The feelings are one-sided. Mako gets nose-bleeds from Ryuuko after all. Mako will have to co-operate lest the ship be scuttled yarr.
Mako’s obliviousness versus Gamagoori’s ridiculous dere dere is going to be quite the battle.
And here I thought the whole Mako/Gamagoori would be forever doomed to subtext only. I can see a lot of fans will be thrilled with this episode. (Not much of a shipper myself, but I have to say, Gamagoori was all kinds of adorable.)
Gamagoori blushing is too much for me. How is he this show’s cutest character.
Meh any tools should be allowed has long has people can turn around and condemn/criticize them. Censoring is always wrong when it comes to art.
Also I don’t see Mako in a relationship.
Yeah, censoring art isn’t the way to go, which is one reason why we need criticism as a response to any given idea some work proposes.
I assume they’ll just keep dangling the Mako thing until the end. She’s too silly of a character for that to actually be explored, and that’s not this show’s style anyway.
I’d argue that if this show is about something, and that’s a big if, it would be about having the strength to find your own meaning when moving through a world that’s philosophically overloaded. The only thing that’s been consistently rewarded in the show is personal strength. That’s why it doesn’t really judge Ryuuko, despite her never really having any real driving philosophy.
Hah, that’s actually a pretty great read – that the show’s various pretensions and philosophies are muddled specifically because that’s how things work in the real world. I’ll have to think about that.
Did you watch after the ending credits? There’s one more scene there.
Yeah, I had to go back to see that. Is that toenail thing implying Satsuki’s also got a little Life Fiber in her? It doesn’t have the pattern, but it does have a blue glint – I guess we’ll have to see what her secret weapon is.
It looked like the metal of her sword, so I kind of figured that she’s going to try to escape with it.
Ohh, yep.
Probably made by the same metal then her old sword so she’ll be able to escape through elaborate gymnastics. It didn’t glowed stars so I doubt its fibers.
Ah, that makes sense.
Jewish. It’s important to note the context where this statement is made in the Old Testament, and it doesn’t actually speak of humans. It speaks of the false idols that people worshipped. They were statues, with gold nerves and silver veins. They couldn’t observe the world, they couldn’t truly grant their worshipers’ requests. They were but statues.
Here though it’s the humans, so it’s about the second way the phrase is used, when God laments that the Israelites will not listen, to the words of his prophets, so he will send forth divine retribution.
Didn’t know about the first, but I figured it was the second one anyway. Whew!
Funny how sexuality makes people so incomfortable they have to invoc society greater good against it. Espiecially in a show catering to the hypee violence crowd. 10/10 great reaction.
I’m sure my glowing reviews of Monogatari, Shinsekai Yori, and Utena aptly demonstrate I’m uncomfortable with sexuality in my fiction.
Which again (I know youll hate this): Might be a point KLK is trying to make with its war on clothes.
What’s to hate? I just think KLK’s themes are pretty incoherent.
Or did you take my last comment literally? I was being sarcastic – I actually think all three of those shows use sexuality in really effective, purposeful ways, and I don’t think that’s the case for KLK. My point was I actually am perfectly comfortable with sexuality in media, and would welcome more shows that discuss sexuality in a meaningful way.
Lol it was sarcasm you big Dufus! 10/10 again. Great responce. I havent read any of your reviews or any of your other content to be frank and this dosnt encourage me to do so. Trying to compare with the way sexuality is used in Utena is also gold. This scene meant to make you feel uneasy. It is a very dirty use of sexuality to make you not only understand but also feel the characters intent.
“I do not see the Utena comparisons. Utena always seemed like it was making very weighted choices to me”
In response to your tweet…the Utena [and Cutie Honey] comparisons merely work, on a superficial level, as a starting point to establish the show’s premise. Kinda like how TTGL draws from 70s, 80s and 90s mecha anime, but ultimately became its own thing by the end of the show.
That’s definitely true – I was responding more to comments specifically equating the way the two shows use sexuality and sexual imagery, which I think is a preeetty tough comparison to make.
Mmh, maybe it is more than a fake cliffhanger. Could it be the very reason Ryuuko needed to fight? something even more personal than avenging her father, Could that mean she now hates Ragyo for what she did to her? (But it sounds too good to become true).
Also, it was pretty funny the “cliché” button Satsuki used to detonate “plot twister” bomb, I still wonder if that had another meaning other than the time skip. No one seems affected by that big explosion, so maybe it was just a transition effect or something? Weird!
Hah, yeah, that button was a pretty Kill la Kill thing to do. “Oh god, the scene’s ending? Better make EVERYTHING EXPLODE.”
I still don´t know why people keep complaining about the weirdness of the things this show and its characters does, I mean, is nothing strange for them to be like that.
Also, I wonder why Satsuki wait to the end to reveal her secret weapon (or to reveal the secret about having a secret weapon which we don´t know what it is yet!). I mean, if she had it from the start, what was she waiting for? to put together “two and two” or maybe she wanted to spend some valuable time with Ragyo (eew) anyway, I hope she can make everything explode once again! haha
I think it’s actually very in character for her to wait. The fact that she’s alive at all meant her mother wanted to keep her alive, and she apparently knows whatever her mother wants to use her for – might as well play the helpless captive for a while to gather more information. Satsuki’s as good at being patient as Ryuuko is terrible at it.
Just came across this and thought I’d share: Ryuko was introduced in the first episode with what would later be known as Ragyo’s theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0fdLdgpd8E