evilpii

This week has been a fun one. Let us see what next week will bring. Likely, the festival will happen, and maybe have Ayeka or Sasami sneaking around as well. Tenchismile

Tenchi downplays his adventure in the storage building, but Sasami has apparently had an adventure of her own. While he was battling a giant robot, Washu gave Sasami a school uniform and let her sneak into the school. People thought she was an idol, perhaps for multiple reasons. And then, she… wait. Wait a minute. WANT1 Sasami, is that…? soawesome1 I cannot say I caused this, but I will take all the blame I can. fyeah1 Thank you, based Negishi. gendo1

Also, Ayeka is dressed up for the school festival as well. Are we going to have Ayeka on campus next week? iloveit1

Elsewhere, Ryoko has been hunting, and cooking, and the ingredients are still alive! woooo1 She says it is supposed to be edible, but I do not trust it. wtfisthis1 … Uh, Ryoko. What’s with that evil sparkle in your eyes? wth2 Oh. My. God. sadface1

If you cannot tell, I enjoyed this episode a lot. It was a nice romp after a long day at the office. What craziness awaits us next week? Tune in next time! Tenchismile

I am enjoying the action ride the show has given the last two episodes, and I expect this week’s supercut will reflect that come Friday. Tenchismile While Beni and Hachiko did not renew their aggressions today, the undercurrent was still there, not unlike Universe episodes 20 and 24 between Ryoko and Nagi. One wonders if this little incident will seed a grudging respect between the two rival students by the end of the week. qt1 Even then, they might hash out their differences in a duel, which I would not mind either. butts1

Considering Beni’s “flashback”, there are a couple items to notice. First, Momo is dressed in her space/feudal era clothes, but Hachiko is in her present day costume. Moreover, Beni’s arm is shown when she reaches for Momo, showing her blouse’s sleeve rolled up, i.e. her school uniform. Also, Beni asks if Momo is crying because she is gone. Then, Hachiko intervenes, ordering Beni to leave. In the space scenes from episodes 3 and 8, Beni seems to be Momo’s caretaker and protector, but in the school era, Hachiko has obviously claimed that role. Yet, part of Beni seems to miss Momo and still cares about her.

This makes me wonder. Could the Council members (Hachiko, Hana, Tori) be some sort of defence mechanism for Momo? Note that in episode 8, the feudal incarnation of this trio appeared and confronted Tenchi. If Momo is some sort of dimensional singularity, existing in all of them and perhaps controlling them, might they her inner circle and protectors, maybe fragments of her consciousness? This would be a throwback to Hotsuma, Tsuguru, and Matori from Tokyo, Yugi’s protectors. Admittedly, Momo has displayed some power against “Universe Ryoko” in episode 8, so she clearly is not an ordinary child/teenager. Naturally, this theory does not explain Yuki or Rui, or Beni yet.

The episode is also interesting to compare Beni and Hachiko, the main muscle of the Club and Council, respectively. Beni is vehemently independent, not accepting Tenchi’s hand up, and quite spry to slam her mace through an obstacle. Did she not injure her leg not long ago? tenchiahhhhhh Hachiko, on the other hand, is cool and calculating for the most part, very proud, likely a reference to samurai culture given her bokuto and “hakama” dress. She is very respectful to Tenchi and yields to his edicts fairly quickly. Admittedly, my perception of her might be a bit biased after just watching 47 Ronin. blush1

The robot was a surprise, though considering the Area 51 storage building, I probably should not be. blush1 The design is reminiscent of classic super robots like Tetsujin 28 and Giant Robo, particularly with the two tank-like structures on its back and the rounded shoulder armor. The “rocket punch” definitely harkens back to Mazinger Z and the like. Its HUD might also be a nod to The Terminator. soawesome1 Too bad it’s gonna get broke soon. dawohki1

Now, why did Hachiko collapse in tears at losing her bokuto? Currently, that seems very random and hopefully will be elaborated upon in short order.

However, with Beni knocked aside and Hachiko apparently broken down, what will you do, Mr. Masaki? gendo1 I see that sword in your back pocket. I doubt it’s there for decoration. Where’s that can of whoopass you’ve owed me since Universe?

Yet, I do not think we will have a conclusion to this scene tomorrow. Considering the pattern of episodes of the last two weeks, I have a bet that tomorrow’s episode will return to the feudal scenario with “Universe” Ryoko and Mihoshi. We might see Tenchiken pop out there too, but we will have to tune in to see. Tenchismile

The opening dialogue between Ryoko, Washu, and Ryo-Ohki was a nostalgic breath, hearing Ryoko and Washu bicker like a daughter and mother again. The former pirate even overtly asked Washu if she was playing at being her mother. Ryo-Ohki, naturally, was more interested in her carrots and getting into the stars again.

Yet, the highlight of this chapter was the meeting with Kiyone and Mihoshi. I enjoyed seeing the comedy between the duo had not skipped a beat in ten years. However, the point here seems primarily to have the two reflect on their time on Earth, particularly the career-driven Kiyone. While she might be embarrassed by her gray hairs, they seem to have given her some wisdom as she evaluated the motivations of her younger self: promotion, prestige, and the like. Notably, she mentions her return to Earth at the end of Universe and how she had seen the importance of the family dynamic at the Masaki house. Ryoko also challenges her with the question whether or not Tenchi’s marriage caused them to leave. As one might expect, Kiyone was not shooed away by that fact. She just grew away over time and went back to her career. I thought it quite mature of both Kiyone and Ryoko to discuss the topic openly. Certainly, it was a change from their usual chats of times past.

Of course, Mihoshi answered the same questions, revealing some of her own fate after TMiL2. In doing so, she alluded to Kiyone’s own romantic woes, which endeared them both. One does hold out hope that Kiyone will find her own lover in time. As a professional myself, I can appreciate Kiyone’s concerns and apprehension, particularly given the dangerous nature of her occupation. Perhaps seeing Mihoshi with her beau and feeling Ryoko’s teasing prods, Kiyone might take a chance.

I really enjoyed this chapter. The descriptions brought the lounge to life and showed the progression of Kiyone and Mihoshi quite well. It was bittersweet seeing Kiyone’s job having a physical effect on her, though it would be expected. In Universe, she and Mihoshi are usually placed at 22-years-old, so 10+ years could easily put both into their mid- to late-30s. The occasional gray hair is not unusual, as I have discovered firsthand. I did like Kiyone’s overcoat/trenchcoat. The imagery with the location gave the scene a very noir feel, which I could appreciate for Kiyone’s current cases. The juxtaposition of Kiyone’s more mature and noir atmosphere to Mihoshi’s colorful and bubbly bumbling was another delight.

The ending was also bittersweet. Ryoko seemed to have one last matter to relate when they parted company so affectionately, but she relented. I wonder what she had to say, and I do worry a bit. In my reaction to the first chapter, I had mentioned that Ryoko might want to speak to Tenchi about her departure, and this second chapter does mention that she said her goodbyes before leaving on her journey. When Kiyone asked her about home, she hesitated before starting to answer, only to have Mihoshi interrupt before anything could be said. Concerning his brief mention, I start thinking.

Is there trouble in paradise? Might Tenchi and Ryoko be at a rocky point in their relationship? While I doubt Ryoko loves Tenchi any less, perhaps the daily strain of marriage is having a toll on one or both of them. I cannot speak to Tenchi as yet.

Or, worse yet, Tenchi maybe critically ill or dying. It had been implied and theorized that like Achika, Tenchi could die young after Haruna siphoned off his Jurai energy to create her pocket universe. Might that be happening or already happened, leaving Ryoko alone in the Masaki home? Might she have been saying goodbye to a grave marker or a ghost? With Halloween shortly coming, I could see a creepy or melancholic ending to all this.

Either of these might explain why Ryoko is hesitant to talk about home and is more insistent to hear about the others.

Naturally, this is all just my worrying speculation. I could be way off the mark.

Thanks again for this glimpse into the future. Keep up the good work. kiyonesmile1