Sup. I’m alive, yay~
Nah, not really yay, since I’m still not going to do any extra posts(yet), but at least the collab post is still coming out.
And uh, that’s actually about all I want to say before the collab post. Hopefully I’ll actually get the time, energy and drive to finish my own posts sometime, all ye poor people waiting for me to post *good* stuff again.
Anyways, here’s the discussion around episode 13 of Kimetsu no Yaiba!
Legend:
Purple: Scary cat lady[link to blog]
Red: Slightly less scary cat lady [link to blog]
Blue: The one that won’t stop waifuing people [link to blog]
Green: A stupid that didn’t join the collab for a while due to dying
1. What are your general thoughts on this episode?
I think this is the first real so-so episode I’ve encountered. Even if a demon got defeated this episode, stuff I suspected got confirmed and there was a recap – although it was somewhat padded out – for most of the 2nd half of the episode.
I really enjoyed this episode overall, though Tanjiro made some stupid decisions. If plot didn’t favour protagonists, that boy would be long dead. But I’ll save my comments for later. It was great seeing Zenitsu evolve and the failed author backstory was, well, intriguing.
This was a fantastic episode. While I was a bit annoyed at the timing of some of the flashbacks, I loved the depth they gave to Kyougai as a character, both his backstory and his Demon Blood Art. He’s such a cool demon, and I kinda wish he played a bigger part in the overall story. The battle scenes were as epic as expected, though. This show really has nailed it.
Overall just your everyday “wrapping up” episodes that won’t look good when compared to other episodes. Still, it was pretty good.
2. Did the episode fit your expectations, and in which ways did it differ from it? (If it does)
Pretty much, although I didn’t expect Zenitsu and Inosuke to come to blows so quickly.
I did not expect Kyougai to have a backstory, and certainly didn’t expect him to already have been a demon in it. Unless the timeline was jumbled when the backstory was presented, he already knew Blood Art when his writing was criticized, which means that he went back to human activities in hopes for literary success even as a demon?
Yeah, pretty much. The battle was super cool, but again, they could probably have timed those flashbacks a bit better.
Literally so far ahead that I didn’t remember Kyogai had a whole backstory. Or that Inosuke was kicking the shit out of Zenitsu.
Discussion:
- As for what you wanted in ep. 11, Astral…it’s quite hard to pick out what Inosuke says, so if you see the manga page from the Reddit link 2 eps. back, you’ll find out his words should be 猪突猛進 (read chototsu moushin, or “reckless/foolhardy/headlong”). However, it’s a play on the first kanji meaning “boar” so either the translator was completely aware of that and translated with that in mind…or the translator didn’t realise it was a phrase and translated it somewhat literally, because “boar’s sudden frenzied advance” is a bit cumbersome for an exclamation.
- I still think that “pig assault” makes more sense, since he does wear a boar’s head. Maybe that’s just me being jaded by reading the manga though.
3. What do you expect to happen from here on out?(and why)
More Demon Moons to come in the long run. In the short run, I expect a thorough beating and/or an intense fight for Inosuke.
Next episode sounds like it would be fun. Another mansion! I wonder how Inosuke would get converted by Tanjiro, and I strongly hope it’s not pep talk.
Well, I already know where they’re heading next, so… Exciting things.
I uh, don’t remember. So, stuff is gonna happen I guess.
4. Which scene got the most reaction out of you? (If any at all)
Tanjiro’s anger. That is all.
“Use your head, not just spirit!!!” …And then Tanjiro proceeds to trigger an already dangerous demon. Well, it exasperated me just a bit. Though the results seem to have been favourable, it was more plot armor than strategy. And there I was, thinking that he was finally going to use his head.
I keep saying this, but the battle sequence. I love the way they’ve been using CGI and especially camera angles to make the action breathtakingly intense.
Discussion:
- Zenitsu went back to being sympathetic but annoying, though.
- Tanjiro does use his head though, Moya…on Inosuke. (see ep. 14…yes, I couldn’t resist making that pun again.)
- Somebody needs to teach Tanjiro what “use your head” actually means…
5. Which character did you like the most this episode? Have they done anything in particular/changed?
Kyogai got fleshed out this episode, so I’ll go with him. I didn’t think he was going to be a writer, but his backstory is very short so it’s easy to recap…
Tamayo’s kitty. Listen, cats in anime are so rarely done properly. They either look like a flat-faced fur clump or purr in distasteful “nyaaa”s. But this one~~~ Pulling an Aria: did I ever mention that I love cats?
Inosuke. I think they’ve really nailed his savage, somewhat insane persona, and I really appreciate that.
Discussion:
- (Pulling an Aria in this case requires multiple exclamation marks and question marks being alternated like this: ?!?!?)
6. What’s the high point of the episode for you and why?
It’s touching more than anything, but Kyogai’s vanquishing. From this, you learn Tanjiro has not only empathy for his targets, but respect for them too.
Zenitsu protecting the box and declaring that he knew its contents.
I’m gonna agree with Moya here, so i’m not reiterating my rants about the action. The first decent thing Zenitsu’s actually done in this series…
Since this is one of the “lesser” episodes, I enjoyed the opening the most, yes, the opening song.
Discussion:
- Yes, Tanjiro was a good and sympathetic boy, but I got a bit of a laugh from the fact that Kyougai thought his writing was being appreciated. Speaking of his backstory, wow, somebody can actually make an autobiography of a samurai-loving demon drummer boring? Kyougai should really have focused on being a musician instead (maybe he would have won the fight if he did).
- I’m sure if you gave it to Ubisoft, they’d do a fine job of that…
7. What can be improved in this episode and why? (a.k.a low point)
The final shot before the ED. Ufotable has started to run out of budget…
I’ve commented on my pet peeves in other sections.
The flashbacks… they were a bit slow, and could have been integrated better, I feel.
Gotta have the highs and lows, but I feel like there’s a lack of cohesion between the 2D and 3D this episode.
8. Pick a situation from this episode. If you were put in this situation, how would you have handled it?
Did Tanjiro seriously stand there watching Zenitsu get beaten up for 30 seconds to a minute? I’d pick a better time for processing emotions.
Inosuke woulda been straight deadzo. Nobody messes with Nezuko!
9. Most beautiful scene?(screenshot)
Now this is how you do CGI integration! Also, it’s cool how Tanjiro made the water frame the shot.
Footsteps like bullets.
This is the kind of thing Ufotable really knows how to do. Dynamic action shots with tons of depth, and that water animation is just fantastic.
Since the episode was slower, let’s have some greatness from the opening instead. If you watched carefully, you would see that while other side character’s appearance in the opening are static shots in places, Tomoya and Yushiro’s appearance has the whole “moving” aesthetic. This is likely a reference to how they are hiding from Muzan and moving from place to place while trying in their own way to help.
10. In 10 words, summarise what you want to say about this episode.
Kyogai got to rest
While Tanjiro got a test
Of familial love.
(Fun fact before I forget about it: The Legend of the Eight Samurai Tanjiro refers to in the Taisho Secret appears to be Nansou Satomi Hakkenden…if that name sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because there’s an anime based on it called Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East.)
Amen, the chivalry of a failed author.
Life lesson: Don’t write books.
Respecc creators or you will get the axe instead.
Plyasm's wormhole 