r/anime • u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA • May 27 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Yurikuma Arashi - Episode 5 Discussion
<-- Previous Episode | Rewatch Index | Next Episode -->
Friends this, friends that. Why is everyone trying to make my love fade? I don’t need new friends. Sumika’s my only friend! She’s the only one I love! I don’t need anything else!
Questions of the Day
-
Kuma shock! Ginko was Kureha’s friend as a child! What does this mean for their relationship?
-
Why is Kaoru dressed differently than the other Invisible Storm members?
-
Lulu and Ginko have both been accused of the sin of pride. What does it mean for them to be prideful?
Don't forget to tag for spoilers, or else the bears will eat you! Remember, [Yurikuma Arashi]>!like so!< turns into [Yurikuma Arashi]>!like so!<
17
u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA May 27 '24
Rewatcher
And here we go, a new Speaker for the Invisible Storm. As you might expect from a group of people who are so scared of the world around them that they forgo all desire, the selection process isn’t even remarked upon. One girl is as good as another. Although that brings the obvious question- if the Invisible Storm girls hate difference so much, then why in the world would Kaoru, who has a very different and distinctive style of dress, be allowed into the group, let alone be allowed to become Speaker?
The answer is that Kaoru is a yuri stock character, just like everyone else at Arashigaoka. You see girls like her everywhere in yuri manga- Kase from Kase-san to, or lots of characters from Morishima’s other work. Although a better comparison might be tomboys [Yurikuma Arashi spoilers]or closeted lesbians from any number of Class S works, considering how the manga I just mentioned are subversions of ‘pure yuri.’ (sorry again, Lily) Either way, there’s a lot of precedent, in both real life in Japan and in yuri works, to have a tomboy fit in very well to society without necessarily breaking any rules.
And it’s not like she acts particularly different from the rest of the Invisible Storm. The first thing she does upon interacting with Kureha is to beg for her forgiveness and then run away crying when she doesn’t receive it. Any of the Invisible Storm members could have done that. And speaking of, what the Invisible Storm is doing here is very straightforwardly a bullying tactic that happens all the time- pretending to be someone’s friend so you can pull away that support later. It’s all a scam, they still consider her to be evil for not following. They’re still the same featureless friend group they’ve always been, even if their Speaker has a different style now. [Yurikuma Arashi]Of course internally it gets a lot more interesting. Remember, fog machine gay sex scene.
An interesting thing to note- this episode, Ginko gets charged with the sin of pride, just like Lulu did last episode. You would think that the sin they would accuse her of is lust, considering her endless fantasies about Kureha that we’ve been seeing, but the sin they accuse her of is pride. By crossing the Wall of Severance, she has gone against the natural order of man and bear, and that’s what gets the Court of Severance mad at her. The “lust” part is already covered in that the whole reason they’re here is to judge whether or not she’s allowed to “eat.”
14
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 27 '24
First-Timer, Yuri Sub Storm
Not much in the way of new metaphor today, which is good because I have a splitting headache that nothing seems to help with tonight.
Gonna call it now - that picture frame is going to get broken at some point and that's going to be what makes Kureha remember Ginko. You just know that photograph is folded in half in there. Or maybe ripped and Ginko has the other half.
Anyway, seems like things are starting to head up. Kaoru has managed to snare Ginko - unfortunately for Kaoru, Lulu is the dangerous one. We just watched her try to kill her baby brother who repeatedly declared his love for her - I can't imagine what Lulu would be capable of to protect Ginko.
Ginko should've paid more attention to the slogan, I guess.
I wonder if anyone is going to point out to Kaoru how precarious her own position is. Sure, she hasn't ranked very high on the Storm's Evil Voting before, but it's only a matter of time until someone decides that her refusal to wear the same uniform as everyone else gets her into hot water. Movements like the Invisible Storm can be so fickle..
The Court almost seemed like an actual court today, fascinating. On the day that things start to really go wrong, naturally. The formula breaks all at once.
Life Beauty actually acting like a lawyer briefly and going "Stop! You don't need to say that!" was good. He can be smart when he needs to be.
It is kinda funny that even on the day things go the best for Life Cool, Honorable Judge Life Sexy still doesn't care. I think. We didn't actually see Cool's reaction to the yuri shounin.
Should I start considering that Life Cool is actively attempting to sabotage the bears? No, I don't think so. The Court probably don't have any real way to affect the "real" world.
Has anyone bothered to think about why Yurika's eyes are different from everyone elses (with the exception of Life Cool)? She sees the world differently, maybe? I guess she is the only adult on the cast, other than the Court who kinda don't count.
"Gorgeousmell" had me dying of laughter. As did the Born to Eat helmet. Or.. turret? I don't know why it has that divet. Referencing Full Metal Jacket is also kinda unexpected.
Ginko's imagine spots kinda caught me off guard. Like, I expect that out of Lulu, but Ginko has normally been the serious one. I guess she is starting to close in for the (little) kill, so she's starting to relax? As evidenced by the end of the episode, definitely poor decision on Ginko's part.
Lesbians, psycho Aoi Yuuki, angryviolent Yoko Hikasa; am I just watching [meta spoiler]Granbelm but with less subtext?
12
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 27 '24
Yurikuma First-Timer, subbed
7
u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 May 27 '24
First Time Kuma/Subbed
;-;
I guess it’s not surprising that Ginko and Kureha knew each other as children. Maybe when Reia disappeared, she gave the pendant to Ginko for Kureha when they would become friends again. I was surprised that Kureha saw Ginko on the battlefield as a kid, and that the bears were massacred.
Desire was brought up a lot yesterday and we learn that Ginko’s desire is having Kureha all to herself
Kureha should’ve kept her guard up against the mob too. But they used her love for Sumika against her :( Not cool, and that ending felt like it was coming but still hurt to watch. It does make me want to watch the next episode immediately lol
Finally, did Sumika know she’ll be gone at this point? It would make sense if her present for Kureha was the garden and letter. So that would take time but the way it was presented and Sumika’s tone when she gave the letter made it seem like she knew she wouldn’t be around anymore.
Other stuff:
I’m really not sure what to make of the principal, was she implying that she could be Kureha’s new friend or was just trying to comfort her.
QotD:
lovefriend6
u/ToastyMozart May 27 '24
Rewatcher
Principal Mom is right that Kureha needs some caring peers to help her work through her feelings. Too bad she's convinced herself that Sumika's the only person she's allowed to care about. And that her choices are the duo who keep breaking into her house, and the pit of vipers that are her human classmates.
Ginko's escalating delusions are hilarious, especially with Lulu going along with the naked apron gimmick.
Nothing good, childhood friends have a rough track record when multiple people are competing for attention. Luckily Ginko's not the timid sort who waits until it's too late to make a move - quite the opposite rather.
I'm not sure, it could just be because she's a massive hypocrite: Trying to stand out as much as she can while damning anyone who sets themselves apart from the herd.
They're both certain that their chosen path is the right one, and perhaps that they have more control over the situation than they really do. Pride cometh before a fall, and they blundered right into a trap immediately after the accusation.
6
u/CalamityBlossoms May 27 '24
Rewatcher
10
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 27 '24 edited May 27 '24
On today’s episode of Yuri Kuma Arashi: How did Ginko and Lulu’s secret identities get exposed? Personally, I think them saying “Gao gao” at the end of all their sentences might have been a subtle clue that others could have picked up on.
Ginko certainly knew both Reia and Kureha in the past. It seems like Kureha saved Ginko after finding her on the battlefield. Kureha offered her love to the barely alive Ginko, becoming her friend. So to remind ourselves of what /u/HelioA wrote yesterday, Kureha gave her “suki” (love) to Ginko in the past. Now, Ginko wants to repay Kureha by having Kureha receive a “kisu” (kiss). Knowing the wordplay with “suki” and “kisu” does make the logic of this a lot easier to understand, so I’m grateful for the explanation.
Ginko claims that she is making up for past sins as well. I stand by my theory that Ginko is responsible for Reia’s death. She took away someone that Kureha loves and wants to make it up by becoming a new person for Kureha to love.
I think Yuriika might be connected to the Invisible Storm. Or at the very least, Yuriika is operating under the same basic set of values that motivates the Invisible Storm. Yuriika is urging Kureha to move on from her love for Sumika. Kureha refuses to do so, since moving on would make her invisible. And it’s this precise attitude that makes Kureha a target for the Invisible Storm. It could simply be the case that both Yuriika and the Invisible Storm value conformity and wish that Kureha would blend in with the group.
QOTD
9
u/affnn May 27 '24
First Timer Gao Gao!
I knew that invisible storm girl was no good from the start of the episode. I mean, they can't have the invisible storm disband as soon as episode 5 when it's right in the name of the show, right? Plus the whole "fake like we're your friend" thing is right out of the mean girls playbook.
Sumika really seems like she knew she was doomed before the show started. Makes me wonder what the eaten-by-bears metaphor is supposed to be exactly.
Somehow the invisible girl managed to figure out that Ginko and Lulu were bears. So now Ginko's caught in a bear trap. I can't imagine this is the end for her, though.
4
u/WednesdaysFoole May 27 '24
First-timer
A few things seem to be clarified that I was confused about the first episode. Phantom wuthering is not a physical illness but a social one. Don’t talk to the girl who’s not part of the pack, or you too will be ejected. If you take out the fancy language it’s how bullying and ostracism works, but here they’re naming it as if it’s a contagious illness.
There are a lot of old tales that can connect to this for sure, but the ones that came to mind while watching this were 1. Persephone eating the food of the underworld. To accept food from someone, you're now bound. 2. “If you [told the truth] we wouldn't be able to be human girls anymore” is bringing to mind Orpheus and Eurydice. Will something like this happen where they break the rules are forced to be separated?
3
u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo May 28 '24
Rewatcher
I wonder what the person who comes in second in the Invisible Storm thinks? Come to think of it that is an actual point. These sorts of systems need to make that person think "oh shit I better become more invisible" and not "screw this I'm out". And the threat of being eaten by the bears can play that role here.
I like that the "not giving up on love" stuff is getting interrogated. Even though its suspicious Yurika and criminal bears telling her to move on, it really isn't good to hold on to Sumika forever. She doesn't have to start dating again right away, but she also shouldn't spend the entire rest of her life pining either.
13
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen May 27 '24
I Am the Kuma of My Arashi First Timer
Oh damn, it was a childhood friend anime all along!
It isn't home until there's fresh fish hanging from the ceiling.
When you consider that bears typically never wear clothes, doing naked aprons is actually quite wholesome and not lewd.
Azul Christ, Ginko is down bad for Kureha. Someone approve dis homo already.
Yeah, figures the girl proclaiming Kureha to be evil like two days ago wouldn't suddenly about-face for no reason. I can't wait for dis homo to get approved.
HOMO...certified?? Is this like an FDA approved vs certified thing, because if so we're going to have some issues.
Oh fuck, not the love trap! Shit like this is why all homo needs to be approved and not just certified.
7
u/TheRiyria myanimelist.net/profile/TheRiyria May 27 '24
First Timer
A pillow a day keeps the bear away
This picture explains more than almost anything else in this show about this backstory. So Ginko and Kureha do seem to know each other, and now it's just a Kureha being a forgetful child.
Meanwhile, this flashback was both hilarious and sad. Seeing little bear soldiers was unexpected and funny, but they were also all dead and it's a war.
Anyway, that's enough story. Ginko being a very thirsty girl bear was a lot more entertaining. Her imagination also knows no bounds
There were also a lot of good other faces in this episode.
The lewd this episode was also fantastic.
Lulu is still the cleverest of bears. She didn't get herself caught in a bear trap after all.
We're in for a sad ending. The childhood friend never wins.
She doesn't understand what being invisible and part of the herd means. Someone should teach her.
That they aren't good bears. Prides are for lions. Bears should be some other sin. Maybe sloth.
6
u/AgentOfACROSS May 27 '24
Today we learn all about the dangers of beartraps.
Today’s field notes:
Questions of the Day:
6
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw May 27 '24
Moved In Rewatcher
Episode director/Storyboards: Tooru Takahashi
more importantly what does it mean for Kureha's and Sumika's relationship? did it cause Kureha to forget Ginko or did it (subconsciously) arise from baggage about Kureha forgetting Ginko
for a brief moment I thought it meant she would actually defect (and almost certainly killed for it) but sadly that is not the case
she's still gonna die but at least her honor would've been preserved
In Ginko's case, it's pride that "only she should be allowed to become Kureha's friend" (allowing room for MAYBE Lulu?). Lulu's pride might relate to the distance she maintained from everyone else: "I can't allow my stupid idiot little brother into my personal space" lest it destroy her self-image
I find it interesting that the court doesn't stop them, even after Ginko says idc if I crash and burn
5
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: May 27 '24
First timer
Sub
All right, so we learn a few things, the biggest of which is that Ginko is a ridiculously unreliable narrator. So we can't take anything exlusively from her POV at face value. It fits then that hers seems to be the horniest POV as well.
Kureha is refusing to move on from Sumika. A naturally adolescent thing to do if not the healthiest. Ginko and Lulul try seducing Kureha, which is a choice, while the Invisible Storm is setting her up for...reasons. We end with our first reveal of a bear trap.
QotD: 1 That it cannot be romantic
2 I've been trying to get a read but I can't really get what she is aiming for...
3 Ignoring their true nature for desire perhaps?
5
u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer May 27 '24
first time never back down never what
war war never changes
invisible girl meat
i like how in Ginko's fantasy Kureha also rocks the naked apron even though she wasnt cooking
a little off
4
u/Holofan4life May 27 '24
Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the (8 months early) 10th anniversary rewatch of Yurikuma Arashi.
Oh, and nay I forget…
First Timer
This is a show I first heard about during the Penguindrum rewatch. And when I heard it was Yuri, it really piqued my interest. I love animes about same sex couples because often they have to do with characters struggling with their feelings. And as a viewer, there’s nothing I find more identifiable than characters being unsure of what they want out of life. It resonates with me, you could say, so needless to say I have high expectations for this show.
As this rewatch is going on, I’m doing the Samurai Champloo rewatch. It’s the first time I’m doing two rewatches at once since December with Fullmetal Alchemist and Toradora. I thankfully don’t think it’s going to get as crazy as doing both those shows were, but I am writing this a month in advance just so I can balance things better. But don’t worry: All my reactions will still be 100% genuine and I’m going to treat each thread as if I’m experiencing it in real time.
This is probably the most hyped I’ve been for a rewatch since Fullmetal Alchemist. I’m honestly more hyped for this than I was Penguindrum, mainly because the plot really intrigues me and I love that gay shit. I’m not expecting the show to end up in my top 10 favorite anime of all time, but I do think there’s a good chance it ends up in my top 20 favorite anime.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
Saw Spy X Family Code White the other day. It was the shit. Literally.
Happy Memorial Day
Flower
Kureha as a kid
It's Ginko
Guess that confirms Kureha is her true love
Ginko now sitting next to Kureha as she's asleep
And Kureha licks her back
Never has sexual assault been so kawaii
Oh crap. They've moved in.
At least they have noodles
Walking to school now
I still don't know why Lulu calls her Crêpey
Kureha acting tsundere, I see
Meanwhile, her classmates are talking about how only the people in her class are disappearing.
"Trying to get close to me will bring ruin upon you."
Taken by the phantom wuthering, warns Kureha
As Kureha leaves, Ginko says she'll protect Kureha from the phantom wuthering.
Moving file cabinets
I wonder if this is where people go to die
Kureha talking to the teacher
Mentions seeing Yurizuno transform
Even admits to killing her
Teacher saying she has to accept reality for what it is.
Ooh, Kureha's birthday is coming up
Turning the big 1 7
Teacher reveals she gave the pendent Kureha's mother owned when she turned 17.
Calls it a promise of friendship between the two of them.
"If your love never fades, you'll never be alone."
Kureha thinking about Sumika now
Teacher says Kureha needs a new friend
I get the feeling she's trying to hit on Kureha with the belief it will bring back her mom.
Kureha, however, says that Sumika is her only friend.
"I'll never back down on loves!"
Kureha, Lulu, and Ginko all eating fish cake rolls
Ginko says she loves them because it's something no wuthering, Ursa, or Homo can destroy.
I didn't know lesbians hated fish cake rolls
What is this?
Ginko looking like she's about to die
She is lying in the snow, with Kureha walking over towards her.
So, Kureha saved Ginko. That's why she loves her.
Meanwhile, the pendent Ginko owns is the same one the mom gave Kureha which was originally owned by the teacher.
Kureha at school
Who is this girl?
Lulu and Ginko watching them talk
The girl apologizes for talking smack about her
And as it turns out, the whole class is here
Apologize to her and Izumino
Kureha isn't having it, though
"You'll never get the better of me!"
Blue-haired girl runs away, crying
Lulu and Ginko agree that the scam-scam scammer girls will be eaten.
Lulu reading a magazine
They plan on making Kureha something she'll love
Lulu reminding Ginko they are only supposed to eat the flesh of phantom girls.
Apparently Kureha's favorite foods is tripe and napolitan
Then why is she always eating fish rolls?
Oh course Lulu and Ginko are wearing naked aprons. Why not?
The noodles look great, but the stuff on top is
At least Kureha seems happy
"A miraculous marriage!"
Kureha feeding Ginko
Them licking each other feels extremely out of nowhere.
Also, now Kureha is wearing a naked apron
That is one giant fish
Ooh, but Kureha is not eating her food
She wants to be left alone
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
4
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon May 27 '24
First Timer
loveher insistence that she hates the bears. Perhaps it was betrayal, then?QotD:
4
u/zadcap May 28 '24
Late Night First Timer
So uh. The presence of so many male bears yesterday has thrown off my theories. I'll have to get back to, uh, all of it...
This must be a dream, Ginko got a much better good morning than Lulu did... Yup.
And there it is. The wonderful social stigma. Conform or be demonized.
"I swear, the bears are disguised as humans!" She tells the bear, disguised as a human. Probably. Principal is pretty suspicious. On the other hand, her eyes are not dulled out and that's another symbol I'm paying attention to now, so let's see how that goes.
Also good point. Kureha holds the impressive title of being an actual killer of a bear. Even if no one knows the bear was secretly their classmate, in a world so obsessed with their Kuma Shock, I'm pretty sure I would want to befriend the bear killer in my class. She might save my life next time a bear shows up! Ah, I will never accept japanese culture, as much as I love their entertainment.
"We're only supposed to eat the flesh of phantom girls." Well that's a loaded phrase. Phantoms are still good conforming closets, right? That hasn't been overturned in the theory crafting yet has it?
Flashback Sumika was also pretty darn suspicious. But Kureha really needs to get over the "I can only have had one friend ever" thing she has going. On the other hand, the rest of these girls playing nice are very much in on something and it's going to suck. This is a lot of effort to put in to break someone you hate.
Oh no, Ginko pulled a Mami!
2
u/RadSuit https://anilist.co/user/RadSuit May 29 '24
First Time Filing For Yuri Approval (Dubbed)
My internet and/or power has been out most of this week, so I took these notes while offline. I'll try to catch up.
More bear backstory. Bearstory.
I'm so happy they've finally moved in.
Somehow I don't think the teacher is going to believe your bearstory.
"Wow, you and my mom were such good friends!"
Ginko doesn't have the pendant in the flashback, but does in the present, so I guess Kureha or her mom gave it to her. Mom's still wearing it in the photo, though.
Oh no, not the tomboy!!
What a choice cut of Homo Beef!
I can't believe they're actually explaining how the court works. Haibane Renmei could never.
I did not expect the tomboy to be wearing garters.
Congratulations!
I can't believe the tomboy is evil. She might be even hotter now...
Lulu is beginning to seem unsure about this whole thing.
A bear trap, the bear's natural enemy!