11.22
Or maybe it’s not even a pun at all – just some basic wordplay. I dunno. Screw it, commence the blog entry!
Contrary to the implications of last week’s preview, this episode is actually not about Gamagoori taking driving lessons. In fact, it seems probable that he acquired a license immediately prior to the beginning of this installment. But I think the major thing to focus on with him this week is that he powers up due to the sexual pleasure he feels from being in pain. That’s right, Kill la Kill now officially sports a submissive bara character who channels the erection he gets from having pain inflicted on him into pure fighting spirit. It’s just, like, what. I honestly can’t think of any comments to make about that. Who’s the masochistic exhibitionist now, Hakodate!?
Much like Sanageyama in episode 6, it’s nice to see Gamagoori get some real development in this episode. It’s wonderful that the writer(s) are putting effort into making the Elite Four into actual characters instead of just boss fights for Ryuuko. The flashback where he first meets Satsuki is proper excellent, serving only to make them more understandable and perhaps even sympathetic. I struggle to think of any anime with more likeable villains than Kill la Kill. Hell, I don’t even know if I’d call them “villains” at this point. Even though they apparently have no issue forcing the other students to fight to the death, and one of them probably killed Ryuuko’s dad, they don’t really seem like bad people to me. In fact, they mostly come across as honorable and classy so far. I guess that’s what they call “lawful evil.”
Speaking of flashbacks, I love the stylized way in which this show presents them. The washed out colors, the film grain, the 4:3 aspect ratio… it really gives off the feeling of watching an older anime or, due to Satsuki, a classic samurai film. I hope the next episode clues us into more of Gamagoori’s backstory, though – it felt a bit incomplete here. We also learn a little more about Ryuuko’s more vulnerable years, and considering the countless amount of people she appears to have beaten up in the past, it’s a wonder how she’s such a nice person today. But I like that she isn’t an asshole; the whole anti-hero jerkwad thing has gotten really tiresome after being used in so many shows. As I’ve said previously, Ryuuko seems like a protagonist you can legitimately root for, and I’m very fond of that.
There isn’t much of a fight this week, but the action is crazy all the same. I loved when Gamagoori wildly spun his pimpmobile round and round in an attempt to outmaneuver his aggressors during the car chase, clearly showing off his lack of driving skill in another classic moment of that pure Kill la Kill goodness I’ve grown to adore. I also laughed out loud when I realized that the automobile club captain’s goku uniform was, itself, a car. Of course, Gamagoori stole the show with his “punish me more! I unleash my full power when I climax” shenanigans, delivering both ridiculous humor and a display of his fearsome abilities in one fell swoop. I absolutely cannot wait to see his fight with Ryuuko next week. I hope he gets a full sexy transformation sequence like everyone else has so far.
I'd say "context is for the weak," but there's really only one way to interpret this.
Something I’ve noticed about this anime is that the odd-numbered episodes seem to have much better/more animation than the even-numbered ones. Budget limitations unfortunately restrict the number of scenes that can move as fluidly as the initial prologue at the very start of the series, and I’ve noticed that nearly all of these moments occur in the odd installments. For instance, #5 has Tsumugu vs. the gardening club and #7 has Ryuuko vs. Mako, while #6 only really has the bits where Ryuuko gets launched and this one doesn’t even have any particular standouts. That’s not to say that Kill la Kill ever looks bad, it’s just that it only ever seems to reach that threshold of amazing during the odd-numbered episodes. I assume Trigger purposefully goes back and forth like this to keep up the momentum while also ensuring that their budget doesn’t run dry from overspending. With how well KLK is selling, I can’t wait to see the level of animation they’ll deliver in their second TV anime.
I’m having so much fun watching this show week after week that it’s hard to believe it’s already almost 1/3 over. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed an anime this much before, especially not one I watched as it was airing. I never want it to end! (Gotta’ give a shout out to the excellent Samurai Flamenco, though. This week’s episode was even better than Kill la Kill‘s! Go watch it.) KLK just hits all the right notes for me in every conceivable way. I can’t explain why, but I have trouble even coming up with one thing I don’t like about it. I can think of some flaws, absolutely, but they just end up endearing it toward me even further. In honor of its consistent greatness, I think I’ll go ahead and do a little “end of act 1” episode ranking:
#7 – Spot on humor, great writing, and some very nice action near the end. The complete package; exactly what I’m looking for in this show.
#4 – The funniest episode I’ve ever seen of an anime, bar none. Masterful usage of budget constraints.
#5 – Excellent action scenes, fun character development, and my favorite art direction so far.
#1 – One of my all-time favorite first episodes of any TV show. Does a good job establishing Ryuuko’s character. I can watch the prologue over and over.
#8 – Fantastic build-up/backstory episode. Gamagoori is one of my favorite characters. So hyped for Thanksgiving now.
#6 – Defining episode for Sanageyama and Satsuki. Succeeded in making me like the antagonists.
#3 – Great storytelling and a very fun battle, though a bit anti-climactic I thought. Hallway fight is short and CG but still legendary.
#2 – I still love this one, but as fond as I am of the tennis battle, Aikurou stripping, and Mako getting blasted with tennis balls, I have to admit it’s my least favorite thus far.
How would you rank them at the moment? Please leave a comment with your favorites and least favorites!
Next week is the showdown with the Elite Four. Or maybe not. These previews keep lying to me. WHY ARE YOU NEVER HONEST WITH ME ANYMORE TRIGGER? I KICKSTARTED LITTLE WITCH ACADEMIA 2 AND EVERYTHING! </3