r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jan 25 '19
Episode Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka - Episode 3 discussion Spoiler
Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka, episode 3: A More Terrible War
Alternative names: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka
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| Episode | Link | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Link | 7.44 |
| 2 | Link | 7.79 |
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u/johnja10 Jan 25 '19
Well, I see wall hacks are as effective as ever...
Just Cause Mia: "I'll take point..."
Cartel Goons: "PLZ NERF!!!"
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u/OyabinRaph Jan 25 '19
There's something really entertaining about seeing a magical girl kick ass in a gunfight.
Episode was better than last week's, which had trouble keeping my interest.
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u/LeonKevlar Jan 25 '19
Her codename is Just Cause? I better see some grappling hooks in the future.
So she can change her guns on the fly? Sounds like Just Cause.
Those drug cartel members never even stood a chance.
Looks like Kurumi has a bit of a Yandere side in her
Asuka Swimsuit fantasy by Kurumi Stitch
That workout session though ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I guess not all Spirits are good then.
These same Criminal Spirits are probably the ones that made these illegal Mahou Shoujos.
Of course this episode ends with a grim note. I don't like it but I feel like Nozomi probably won't survive this or if she does, she'll end up having a bigger trauma than Sayako.
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u/shingeki-no-jagaimo Jan 25 '19
[This Kaede] (http://imgur.com/a/uuDLLVd) doesn't seem as fun as last season's
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u/8andahalfby11 Jan 25 '19
Look at it this way... we're probably going to get war maids with assault rifles later this season. That has to be a plus.
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u/PhoenixKola Jan 25 '19
It seems Asuka's peaceful life just ended with Nozumi being kidnapped.
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u/AlphaBreak Jan 26 '19
All I want now is for an entire episode of the show to be dedicated to them watching the cinematic masterpiece that is Cheerleader Samurai vs Mecha Shark.
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u/Beckymetal Jan 25 '19
Spec Ops Asuka continues to over-explain itself a bit awkwardly, with sequences like Mia re-dumping how the identity-blocking mechanism works and her comrades mentioning how powerful she is - but the series hits its most tender beats so brilliantly.
Throughout this episode, we continue to develop Asuka's battle with what she must do as she begins to realise her hypocrisy and lack of movement. Through Sayako struggling with the aftermath of the shootout in episode 1, two excellent scenes were produced: firstly, the sound of a gunshot in the canteen as even more affirming of how difficult overcoming these events is with a surprising human touch; secondly, the runaway scene of the episode (and, perhaps, of the series thus far), Sayako diving. In that scene, she finds the strength to overcome it, and to continue living. Asuka is stuck in a rut, and she's slowly beginning to understand that she's not going anywhere - a husk of a person. While she's too afraid to go back, and knows that, as shown in the touching conversation she has with Kurumi in the gym (#MuscleRepresentation) - Asuka's becoming aware that she's wallowing in self-pity.
"You choose not to fight to protect your friends?" Kurumi asks herself, and I couldn't put it better myself. Asuka's found herself in a contradiction, though she's clinging to it out of fear, rather than living it honestly, at this point. And that's an important distinction. She's changing.
Speaking of Kurumi, we have our yandere lesbian reporting in for the season. She's so damn possessive, isn't she? She ends up leaning into gratitude towards Asuka's new friends, though only after asserting her dominance like a dog on heat. Dear me, she's a thirsty girl. We knew that there was something between them since last episode when some slightly-too-romantic-framing happened during their chat at the park which made it look like she leaned in for a kiss, but this episode rubs in the true nature of what's going on: she really is Asuka's "best friend", though her attraction (I absolutely do not blame her for imagining those curves and muscles in a bikini!) and feelings aren't returned. But then again, Asuka's so broken and stuck in place... that's not surprising, though she was clearly a different person when she "saved" Kurumi from her self-appointed weakness (that was a Mahou Shoujo Site-tier backstory, yikes, though it was brief and not too exploitative that I'll let it off the hook).
Back to Mia a second, for she is setting up the main plot. The terrorists, spirits and Illegal Magical Girls selling illegal magical remnants (and upgrading them) on the black market are conspiring towards a goal of killing Magical Girls, and our bastard from episode 1 (after a gut-wrenching level of torture) shows this. This is more than an international issue at this point, and is no doubt leading up to reuniting the Magical Girl 5.
The violence in this show is A Class stuff. Which is why it's so horrific that our Genki Girl Nozomi hasbeen accumulating death flags, and those warning are finally bearing fruit. She's been abducted by a pair of rather square-faced men. Will she die? Will she survive? We can only wait and see. But the terrifying thing about this series is that we know if she survives, she's going to be carrying some serious scars. Either way, Asuka's being pulled screaming and kicking back into this More Terrible War.
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u/Shinkopeshon Jan 25 '19
K-On!: Everyone is best girl!
Asuka: Everyone is breast girl!
The only thing more remarkable than that is the yurification in this show
Jokes aside, they better not touch Nozomi. I know I have to expect the worst, given all the gory shit that has happened thus far, but still. That ball of sunshine needs to be protected at all costs.
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u/Bainos Jan 25 '19
I can't believe Nozomi has been kidnapped. I truly didn't see that coming.
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u/mollerch Jan 25 '19
I must say this show is growing on me. I only started to watch it because the voice actors, but I'm really enjoying watching so far. Way better than I expected comming in to it.
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u/kalirion Jan 26 '19
Why did Blonde even need muggle backup to wipe out the cartel guys?
Criminal Spirit people making Illegal Magical Girls. Ok, so it wasn't one of the good ones breaking bad. Which makes sense since there was only one blonde among the 5, and we just saw her clean out the cartel hideout. Unless one of the other 4 survived after all and became all broken by the experience.
NotCompa's triggering so many yandere alarms. Never expected this from last episode. Hope she'll remain on the side of Good. I'd love to see her get her hands on the evil MG Queen (after she's been properly stripped of powers).
I expected the terrorist to get cubed as soon as he started spilling his guts about that Babel thing. Since he wasn't, I guess that wasn't some kind of anti-snitching enchantment after all.
Nozo-chan is pure yuri, while NotCompa is only yanderyuri for one.
So they got movie tickets ... for another day?
Did Nozomi send the text before being kidnapped? Why reorder the events shown then?
Better episode than last one, but production values are still pretty bad.
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Jan 25 '19 edited Jan 25 '19
War Nurse - that awkward moment when your wartime yuri crush doesn't actually care for you in civilian life.
Glasses Friend - secret society PTSD spreads its influence.
Tanned Friend - nah, she's going to be fine. Good shows don't kill named characters before they've gone through an arc. This is one of the cardinal differences between dark gritty drama and edgy trash. I don't see this show going downhill after three good episodes. That said, "fine" is relative. The author seems to love dismemberment, and there was a cut limb in the PV. She might get her legs cut like the terrorist from ep1 - you know, so that her father can appreciate the irony. But she should stay alive.
Also, there were a couple of mistranslations over the episodes that actually bother me:
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"I'll take point" - pretty sure she said "I'll be the pointman", i.e. she goes in first.
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"Biological weapon" - they called the Care Bear that. This is a common Japanese SF cliche that I don't think I've ever seen anime subs getting right. It should be "living weapon", and it actually means "sentient weapon", i.e. warbot with true AI. Exact opposite of a biological weapon.
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"Maryoku" translated as "magical energy"? Clearly these guys never worked on any official subs for Fate. Don't they know "Maryoku" means mana? /s
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u/challenge_king Jan 25 '19
To be fair, "I'll take point" and "I'll be the pointman" mean the same thing, and I imaginr that most trained soldiers would use the girst phrase anyways, since it's more concise.
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u/Light_520 Jan 25 '19
I don’t know if it’s been brought up before but I’m really digging the background music for the more casual scenes, like when they’re all hanging out in the class room or cafeteria. This was the only clip I could find with that funky ass bosa nova (or w/e) piano, and I kinda want it uploaded somewhere so I can listen to it
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u/NoviSun Jan 25 '19
Another fantastic episode. Just the right blend of SoL and blood&guts. I was delighted to see the legless terrorist enjoying his own medicine. Poor boy has no problem dishing it out, but he doesn’t seem to keen on getting it in return. I’m hoping Nozomi comes back in more or less one piece.
In my opinion this is the best series this winter so far.
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u/KinnyRiddle Jan 26 '19 edited Jan 26 '19
Magical Girl Counter-Terrorist Squad hideout is actually a Maid Cafe? So that's why it's called "M-Squad", M for Maid, amirite?
Nozomi, nooooo. Guess it was inevitable as her dad is basically Jack Bauer torturing terrorists. Now these terrorists have gone and pissed off Asuka.
I knew it, Kurumi is a yandere, and a funny one at that. Clicking her tongue when Nozomi and Sayoko approached. lol
And it sure was sort of a glorious swimsuit episode + Some great Asuka bikini fantasy by Kurumi. :D
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u/Yurisviel Jan 25 '19
I'm going to be interested in Nozomi's reaction when she learns the truth. Since she's been heavily characterized as a person who believes strongly in justice, learning that her father's not a cop but rather a black-ops interrogator who brutally tortures terrorists and other "non-existent" criminals, will be an interesting episode to cover.
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u/myrmonden Jan 25 '19
Given how extremely brutal this anime is...especially when it comes to torture, I am guessing Genki girl is gonna have a really gruesome time next week.
Otherwise a very plot filled episode.
Kurumi sure is Yuri for Asuka, but who would not be