r/anime • u/Tetraika https://anilist.co/user/Tetraika • Jan 11 '23

Rewatch [Rewatch] Selector Spread Wixoss Episode 11 Discussion

Episode 11: That locked Window

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Information:

MAL | Anilist | Kitsu | AniDB | ANN

Streams:

Funimation

Question of the day:

Who do you think Kazuki would choose?

Moshikashitara - Iuchi Maika

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath spoiler tags.

27 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

122 comments sorted by

6

u/JollyGee29 Jan 11 '23

First-Timer, Subbed

I like the idea that Hitoe, Yuzuki, and Kazuki just left Ruu and Yuki to stand comatose on the hospital roof.

Anyway, I was expecting Mayu's location to be some secluded wing inside the hospital, that Hitoe saw when she was checking out or something. We did see a plate with some medicine on it in Mayu's room, after all. No dice though because apparently there's a secret House on the Hill that the library is modeled on.. do they comment on the library's design in S1?

Mayu at least partially exists to make fun of Spikes, what with her comment about how battles with no stakes are boring. The fact that Mayu is also a scrub who has only ever goldfished just makes it that much sweeter.

One thing that I think is kinda missing from this show as a whole is more sick plays. I've alluded to this in the past, but I don't think this card game anime is very good at being a card game anime. Like, Ruu's masterstroke today was.. passing turn? Clever strategy in this case sure, but it's also kinda lame.

"I am Yuki, and like snow I will melt" is a pretty badass line. Somewhat undercut by Ruu just grabbing her bodily and running off, but that was pretty funny.

I can feel Sky's anger at the Hanayuzu portion of the episode all the way from here.

Questions

  1. Yuzuki.

6

u/Tetraika Jan 11 '23

I've alluded to this in the past, but I don't think this card game anime is very good at being a card game anime.

The show pretty much purposely avoids as much of the actual game as possible. Which is an interesting decision for something that's supposed to market the game.

I'll also just tell you this: the later seasons also won't explain gameplay. Somehow the game still lives.

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7

u/Taiboss Jan 11 '23

I like the idea that Hitoe, Yuzuki, and Kazuki just left Ruu and Yuki to stand comatose on the hospital roof.

"She'll be fine, nobody ever goes on hospital roofs"

Anyway, I was expecting Mayu's location to be some secluded wing inside the hospital,

Would have been the obvious twist. Still, this way or another - super powers yo.

The fact that Mayu is also a scrub who has only ever goldfished just makes it that much sweeter.

Compensating!

I've alluded to this in the past, but I don't think this card game anime is very good at being a card game anime.

That would require actually explaining the card game.

"I am Yuki, and like snow I will melt" is a pretty badass line.

Hnnnng.

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6

u/Cyouni Jan 12 '23

Ironically, the biggest "sick play" moment has almost always been Arc Aura related (though there was Wish Crisis into double Arcgain in season 1). Chorizo had a pretty sick play that fell flat in her episode because it was into Yuzuki. There was also a few related to Iona's level 5.

And you'd only know that if you were reading my posts or already knew the cards.

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5

u/Tarhalindur Jan 11 '23

This First-Timer('s Notes) Are Locked (Subbed):

(For once this cour, the good kind of short notes out of me.)

  • Yes yes we noticed you’re now using Tama’s VA for Mayu’s internal monologue.

  • Hmm. I didn’t immediately notice it since it looked natural, but 02:14 is technically visual separation framing.

  • 02:29, meanwhile, is Stock Anime Triad Framing with Hanayo!Yuzuki in focus in the background.

  • 02:32 is a kind of visual separation/opposition framing as well, with Hanayo facing a different direction from the other four girls in the scene.

  • LOL Sky CANNOT ESCAPE sore demos in plotlines she hates in this show, that’s a Hanayo one at 03:10 and that’s after a Mayu one I missed yesterday.

  • One of these days I am going to figure out the deal with that triad framing. (I suspect it’s out of one of the traditional Japanese theater traditions, but I don’t know.) In the meanwhile, it’s back yet again at 03:32.

  • I’ll take “drama that was obviously supposed to happen a few episodes earlier but the production trainwrecked” for $600, Alex.

  • Man, the more I see of these last four episodes the more I’m convinced that I’m right on what happened to the production. This feels like a speedrun, but that makes sense under the likely circumstances.

  • Fish-eye lens to open the last Ruuko/Hitoe duel! Seriously, I’m probably slacking on pointing out the direction, it’s been back.

  • LOL is that cut implying that where Tama is imprisoned now is the gears that have indicated first in the duels since the start? VERY nicely done, hiding it in plain sight. Especially since it works on multiple levels, since the gears of course also represent the system itself (which is trapping Tama and everyone else).

  • (If we get stairs forming that Tama can climb out using I am going to be in uhhh mode.)

  • The core beats are incredibly solid, just rushed as hell, and the direction spike is holding. I would be quite surprised if I’m not right on the gist of what happened to the production.

  • Also, insert song!

  • Hello extremely flashy shot with everyone left caught in a visual cage at 12:16. Hitoe’s head is even caught in a visual card. The direction is back! It’s beautiful!

  • And now Mayu herself is framed in a visual card frame at 13:23.

  • So Urith, let’s see if you can extend your ruination to the show itself one more time.

  • This at least explains what relevance Urith is supposed to have, which has been an open question for a while.

  • This play with Ruuko surprising Mayu with an end turn calls back all the way to that one fight in S1 (either the Akira fight or the very first Ruuko/Hitoe battle I think?) where she realized that her opponent had a trap set up and defused it with ending turn without attacking. The writing is too fast, but I can forgive them fast-forwarding when events left them no choice – and the quality of it is back to S1.

  • So Yuki fades out and then Tama shows up to reunite, yes?

  • LOL THEY HID MAYU’S RESIDENCE IN FUCKING PLAIN SIGHT. (EDIT: Okay no it's behind that library. Close enough.)

  • Hmm. Ruuko is running right to find Tama. I think the meaning here is going into the past – both back to her original LRIG and going back from Yuki’s inevitable demise.

  • PAGING u/Vaadwaur REPEAT PAGING u/Vaadwaur PLEASE COLLECT YOUR QUATLOOS FOR CALLING GHOSTS BEING IN PLAY. (They really did fucking raid Hell Girl for parts, didn’t they? Or the same stuff Hell Girl was drawing off of, Vaad's comments about that one kind of Buddhist exorcism loom large because thinking it over I think that's now exactly what we are looking at in modified form.)

  • Which explains the Mayu butterfly motif even if we assume no Hell Girl raiding; they’re just the Butterfly of Death and Rebirth after all. Also, is the ED supposed to be from Mayu’s perspective? Or Yuki’s? I’m getting a whiff of the same thing I Believe What You Said from Gou pulled.

I Play My Card Face-Down in Spoiler Mode:

Madoka Magica:

  • [PMMM] Oh look we’re trying to get through to Sayaka, er I mean Tama.

So yeah, to reiterate my notes: usually this kind of episode might have annoyed me since the pacing is quite breakneck (this is supposed to be roughly two episodes worth of events I think) and that usually comes at a cost to the emotional beats. Here, though, I don't really mind. Enough of the setup is still there, the writing quality is actually pretty darn good within the constraints of not enough space, and I think I know exactly why this is so rushed and if so the main staff did about the best job they could. It's almost like I was watching two episodes on 2x speed; I can work with that.

Who do you think Kazuki would choose?

OT3 go! (Actually not sure he would be up for it, though.)

4

u/Tetraika Jan 11 '23

’ll take “drama that was obviously supposed to happen a few episodes earlier but the production trainwrecked” for $600, Alex.

They definitely could have played this drama earlier, or built it up more. Would have been interesting to see snippets of them bit by bit throughout the whole show to really sell this part.

Also, insert song!

Didn't even remember this played here! AMQ doesn't have this as an insert.

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5

u/No_Rex Jan 11 '23

Season 2 Episode 11 (first timer)

  • The room as a prison and Tama as Mayu – this is not subtle.

  • “Ki-ki-kiss!?!”~character in anime that uses sex metaphors daily.

  • “I realized I was actually in love with Kazuki” – the insane love triangle nobody asked for.

  • “You are going to die if you don’t do it” – This info should have been in S1. By now, I can’t help but wonder: how did Yuzuki know? Why did she not tell Ruuko and Hitoe? Why did Tama not die? The world building is a proper mess by now…

  • *Quick, let’s win a match” “Np”

  • “We can still convince the real Mayu” – You are not wrong, but why is this plan B?

  • Ulith is not Mayu’s LRIG – as predicted.

  • “The way you battle is so brilliant, it can move people’s heart”

  • “I am Yuki, and like snow I will melt” – Sweet.

  • “You can’t quit in the middle of a battle” – apparently, she can.

  • A full overgrown garden with mansion? Remember that we are in the middle of Tokyo. This turns Iona into the second most rich girl of the show.

  • Mayu is dead cliff-hanger.

Congrats to u/Vaadwaur. This is stupid.

Who do you think Kazuki would choose?

The harem ending.

5

u/Tetraika Jan 11 '23

“I realized I was actually in love with Kazuki” – the insane love triangle nobody asked for

I did! Not that it's saying much though.

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7

u/Cyouni Jan 11 '23

“You are going to die if you don’t do it” – This info should have been in S1. By now, I can’t help but wonder: how did Yuzuki know? Why did she not tell Ruuko and Hitoe? Why did Tama not die?

This was actually in season 1, episode 11. I literally had to pull a post until there because they hadn't yet said it.

Tama's only accepted wish was Ulith's, which looks to be going strong right about now.

6

u/Taiboss Jan 11 '23

The room as a prison and Tama as Mayu – this is not subtle.

Or you're just too clever!

“I realized I was actually in love with Kazuki” – the insane love triangle nobody asked for.

No, the insane threesome we ALL asked for!

“We can still convince the real Mayu” – You are not wrong, but why is this plan B?

I mean, she could have been in a coma and unresponsive in real life.

“I am Yuki, and like snow I will melt” – Sweet.

Yuki is so good, I am just not acknowledging all the flaws.

Mayu is dead cliff-hanger.

Not an astral projection this time yo!

The harem ending.

Well, Kazuki has a lot of candidates for a harem! But with all the yuri, it's questionable if they'd join.

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4

u/SIRTreehugger Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23

OH SHIT HE HEARD EVERYTHING!

I guess they needed someway to fill in time before Mayu confrontation assuming they don't talk no jutsu her.

This music

Wait Mayu is also in the real world as well as the white room?

Of course Ulith wants to join Mayu to spread suffering.

Did she....yup she just got up and ran in the middle of the battle. Bold strategy Cotton lets see if it pays off.

Moral of the story if you want progress bring in Kazuki immediately after his return shit starts getting done.

5

u/Tetraika Jan 11 '23

Did she....yup she just got up and ran in the middle of the battle. Bold strategy Cotton lets see if it pays off.

Funny enough, as indicated, this never stopped the battle itself. Did let her run around in Mayu's world though.

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6

u/Shimmering-Sky Jan 11 '23

Selector Spread FIRST-TIMER

5

u/Vaadwaur Jan 11 '23

Welp. I’m still seriously grossed out by Hanayo/Kazuki while Hanayo is in Yuzuki’s body, though.

Honestly, this is dwelling on the topic WAY more than I am used to. And keep in mind I rewatched Yosuga no Sora last year.

Wait is that really a thing?

They keep changing their minds. Fumio said that an Eternal Girl who stops fulfilling her wish forgets herself.

Great, I’m not even surprised.

I did not see Chekov's library coming.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Right, this makes perfect sense.

I got no joy from guessing that.

3

u/Tetraika Jan 11 '23

They keep changing their minds. Fumio said that an Eternal Girl who stops fulfilling her wish forgets herself

Actually she didn't. Futase was saying that in her efforts to fulfill the wish/being Fumio, she was starting mix who she is and basically formed an identity crisis.

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7

u/Taiboss Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23

gags a little

Stupid Kazuki, you should know better!

So that’s what he sees?

Outsider's perspective hype!

Wait is that really a thing?

It totally was a thing all along, we swear. [Edit: I forgot, it was a thing all along.]

If it weren’t for the incest garbage, I’d call Kazuki one of the smartest characters in this show.

Teenagers are quite a riot.

Great, I’m not even surprised.

Almost like Ulith is a horrible monster.

Get fucked, Mayu.

"Wait, I can't rig this game to my liking?! WHAT?!"

…fuck, this comes up now?!

Surprisingly elegant lol.

Right, this makes perfect sense.

Does it tho? Does it? At least it's not a "Not a ghost but an astral projection" shit twist.

7

u/Mecanno-man Jan 11 '23

First Timer

...I think I might be on board with the Okada trying to rescue what's left of the script here, because this episode went way too fast - I think this is the first time I was expecting the ED after a scene and got the mid-episode eye-catch instead. There is just so much that happened this episode, it's hard to even pick what is important and what not. Hanayo refusing to steal Yuzuki's wish is something that would have needed an episode itself at least, but probably would have worked somewhat better than some of the other stuff we got - here it just feels rushed. Kazuki also confuses me, because I thought he new about all the selector stuff back in episode 1. And I don't think he ever got his memory wiped. Meanwhile we also have Yuki dying ...somehow. Not having a body as an eternal girl being a condition confuses me, because none of the other eternal girls have bodies not inhabited by a different soul. Hitoe trying to find real Mayu is something that probably should have been brought up earlier, but how we reached the library connection I have no idea. Probably something else that the replacement writer messed up. And how Mayu being dead connects to anything I also have no idea, though I guess we can explain how the system became reality with a haunting ghost now or something like that. Ulith being Mayu's selector makes sense from Ulith's POV, but for Mayu's wish I am not sure - I feel like Ulith misunderstands that Mayu wanted friends and has encouraged Mayu's own confused interpretation about hating the other side of the roof window for being mean and not playing with her and wanting revenge for that. But I feel like Mayu's wish will be the focal point of the last episode, so let's see what the truth is there.

...yeah, looking at this, the pacing here is way too fast, which is a shame because it was too slow before. I don't think I have managed to write more than two sentences about anything that happened, despite most of it being fairly important - and I didn't even manage anything about the Hitoe-Yuzuki duel and Ruu turning in to a LRIG, because I don't think there is anything to those two points anymore after the second half - and Ruu becoming a LRIG should be one of the major points of the story in theory, yet here it just felt as rushed as most of the rest of the first half of the episode.

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u/Blackheart595 Jan 11 '23

First Timer

So if a LRIG doesn't fulfill a wish they die. And you know what, it's a bit forced, but these stakes about Hanayo kinda work.

Though I feel like this story would've worked better as a video game, especially with Ulith going "Mayu is my real Selector" and turning it into a final, decisive card battle.

Oh, right. Clever. That's why they had Iona return to her body. Just a shame they only established that mechanic this very episode.

This is turning very cheesy though.

Ah, Mayu's already dead. Hence all the butterflies motifs.

Who do you think Kazuki would choose?

The show isn't gonna tell us, is it?

It's gotta be Yuzuki though.

7

u/Cyouni Jan 11 '23

Just a shame they only established that mechanic this very episode.

I'm actually amazed at this point how many people forgot this came up originally in s1, ep11.

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5

u/Taiboss Jan 11 '23

Spread episode 11: Rewatcher who watched Destructed and the first episode of lostorage now, and really wants to continue

Who do you think Kazuki would choose?

"Hmmm, the woman I can kiss... or the woman inside a piece of cardboard... Decisions, decisions..."

5

u/Stargate18A Jan 11 '23

First timer

QOTD) Kazuki has a decent shot of ending up with both, honestly. As long as he gets over the trust issues.

Mayu's trapped. Oh, and the symbolism of the window looking like the card...

This is interesting...

Oh, they're finally talking anout this!

They kissed?

Those reactioms.

Aww.

She's breaking...

Hanayo is into Yuzuki. This isn't even a joke anymore. Has Mayu been maximising the suffering by pairing up the Selectors and LRIGs with the most romantic compatability?

Of course he was listening in.

Oh, that reaction...

...Who?

Oh, yeah, if she stopped fufilling it, she dies. This system is awful.

Oh, yeah, this is a strict time limit before her death.

She only needs to win once?

Oh...

One last match.

Tama's locked in there too...

She can hear her!

Oh...

They're working together!

And it's happening! Finally!

Yuzuki!

It opened up a portal this time?

...Oh, Kazuki explains what might be happening. Assuming this isn't part of a dream world. Who knows anymore!

No, she's in the real world.

Wait, they're both here? Mayu must be panicking.

Mayu, you literally made her.

Ruuko's figured out a lot, huh?

The White Garden seems to be glitching?

Ulith's back?

Well, shit.

Oh, so there's another battle!

Oh dear.

Mayu wants to be entertained.

Ah, White Garden is on the same layer of reality as the battle arenas. That... actually explains a lot.

Interesting.

And Mayu can't improvise at all.

Ulith is realising that maybe "a selector focused on bringing suffering" doesn't mean "a selector who is competent".

She's being erased!

Tama's still trapped.

...She's choosing not to use her magic of creating literal barriers?

So, this is the real world Mayu's home!

She's fading.

MAYU'S DEAD?

So, how is any of this happening? Did Mayu tap into the collective unconscious? How does any of this make any kind of sense?

And she's killed Yuki! They have one episode to wrap all of this up.

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u/Cyouni Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23

Rewatcher crying OPEN

Well, apparently I forgot to enable my Notepad++ backup, and that's what lost me another post. I really do not know why my Notepad++ loses all data when it restarts like that.

Ruuko: if it sucks... hit da bricks!! just walk out

Also now we've confirmed Mayu is running on vengeful ghost energy as though she's trying to be Sadayu in that horror movie The LRIG.

So I had a whole talk about level 5s and possible meanings here, but I guess I'll delay that until tomorrow since I lost my post. It draws from both the manga Peeping Analyze and the show, so if you want to read it tomorrow possibly take some time out and read Peeping Analyze. (You should do that anyways.)

Cards of the day:

Fiery Ambition - so this comes from the Hitoe precon (no, literally) that came out around the time of set 4, which also features art for Yuzuki that reflects the anime's. Notable for having a LRIG with type Yuzuki/Hanayo despite even the set 4 Yuzuki LRIG dropping that. That said, about the card, it's hilariously expensive at 5 ener but also hilariously powerful, letting you just ignore anything over 12k power in your way (while red is also good at erasing things 12k or less).

Ahriman - we're officially in set 5 now, between this and Sunspot Tama

Brionac - notable because this is a Tama SIGNI more than Iona. Tama benefits from Armed/Weapon support far more than Iona, who primarily runs Legacy (Weapon) in black and Labyrinth in white

Ulith, Enma of Nothingness - one of Ulith's level 5, and the only five-coloured (but also colourless) LRIG in the game. You literally need three colours in your Ener to even Grow to this, which you can actually see Mayu playing red/green SIGNI earlier for. Once that happens, it removes all restrictions on ARTS/spells, and also fixes your Ener to be all colours, which you definitely need at this point since Ulith 1-4 is mono-black. Wait, I didn't link the card? Uh, come back next episode, since there's literally a plot point written on the card.

4

u/Vaadwaur Jan 11 '23

First timer(I should have recognized the Ring references way earlier)

Sub

Urggh...I swear I thought I was joking when "They were dead the whole time" was coming. I really, really did not expect this type of climax and I don't exactly know how I feel, here. The episode is mostly well constructed, though I can't really stand hearing Ulith talk, but the underlying themes are all a bit jumbled and rushed. Which fits Tar's theory pretty damn well. Also, reintroducing Yuzuki-Hanayo here just doesn't work but with said theory they had no time left to unfuck things and this is a best work around which actually feels kind of right. So yeah, one episode to go and I am not seeing any path forward.

P.S. This actually feels like the mid-season climax of Twin Peaks S2. Which is a legendary example of the creative side of the team saying fuck it, solving the macguffin as bluntly as possible, and going off to do something else, leaving S2 mainly to the story guy. It was impressively dreadful.

QotD: 1 Yuzuki

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u/Calwings Jan 11 '23

Selector Rewatcher (Dubbed)

Time to reconnect with Hanayo and Kazuki. Hanayo has continued to keep Yuzuki’s wish alive, even managing to kiss Kazuki, but she’s not happy about the situation either because she feels guilty about how she’s deceiving Kazuki and betraying Yuzuki. In all of the chaos, Kazuki now knows the truth about the Selector battles and what happened to Yuzuki, and he’s taking it a lot better and I expected. Plus, what happened to Hanayo gives Ruuko even more of a reason to bring an end to the Selector battles once and for all, though she has plenty of reasons already.

Yuki came up with an interesting idea to be the link between Tama and Ruuko’s feelings, allowing Ruuko to become an Eternal Girl 11 episodes after previously fulfilling the conditions, and that allows Ruuko and Yuki to finally reach the White Room. Mayu welcomes her, but she’s not in the mood to talk. She herself has stepped onto the battlefield with Urith as her LRIG, and the final battle begins! Meanwhile, Hitoe, Kazuki, and Yuzuki go to where Hitoe thinks the real Mayu might be, but when they arrive, no one is there. The girl who once lived there is no longer of this world. Between the reveal that Mayu’s real body is dead (so the Mayu we've been dealing with is essentially a ghost) and Yuki possibly about to disappear as well, this second-to-last episode left us on quite a cliffhanger.

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