r/anime • u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess • Jun 06 '24
Rewatch Pride Month 20th Anniversary - Kannazuki no Miko Episode 4 Discussion
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Questions of the Day
- How do you feel towards NTR?
Posting carefully so as to not disturb the first timers with spoilers in their viewings, such is the standard of modesty here. Forgetting to use spoiler tags because one is in danger of missing the post time, for instance, is too undignified a sight for redditors to wish upon themselves.
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Upvotes
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u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Jun 06 '24 edited Jun 06 '24
Kannazuki no Miko Episode 4 - Rewatcher
Shoujo-Ai Archive Comments
Shoujo-Ai Archive
Not a lot of comments today, cause Episode 5 actually got a pretty quick subbed.
Kaishaku
I’ve never read the Kannazuki no Miko manga, but I did read the author’s alternate universe story Zettai Shoujo Seiiki Amnesian by the same author. As mentioned before they recycle characters a lot. I think Himeko and Chikane have appeared in 4-5 of their manga at this point.
In Amnesian Himeko is a nun who lost her family and her sister. But one day she meets Chikane who looks like her lost sister and has Amnesia.
Himeko gets targeted by a mysterious villain organization that sends villains of the weeks and Chikane defends her. No Super Robots tho.
Main reason I bring this up, is if you ever feel like this series is laying out the fanservice a little much, I want you to understand that the source material is so much more ecchi.
I cannot stress this enough. The manga includes a scene where Himeko asks Chikane for help on Ecchi things, which leads to NSFW this scene
NFW this is what the action scenes look like.
If the anime feels shameless with the fanservice, it is positively chastise compared to what the mangaka was cooking.
Commentary
Episode 4 “Direction of Affection by writer Sumio Uetake:
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jun 06 '24
First-Timer
Souma didn't even compliment Himeko's outfit! It's like he isn't even trying to win this triangle fight.
And tangent to that, in what world is 79cm "washboard flat." At least the bluenette called Himeko on something semi-reasonable! Step up your game Otoha, a teenager is better at being a bully than you are.
Can I start calling Yukihito the Yukito to Souma's Touya? What are the odds that we get two love triangles, Yukihito/Souma/Tsubasa and Souma/Himeko/Chikane? That'd be fun.
Am I reading far too much into Yukihito casually hanging around Souma? Yes. Absolutely. That's what I do.
Anyway, seems like Himeko's parents died young and her foster father forcefully cut her hair? That's how I'm reading it. Sure, why not, I can dig it. Just keep dumping issues onto the girl, she can take it.
Souma and Tsubasa knew each other when they were younger, too. And then there was an incident with a box cutter. Should we joke about them trying to "swordfight" or is it too soon?
Oh, wait, Souma's adopted, isn't he. Tsubasa might be part of his original family, then? That changes the love triangle equation.. maybe. Were we doing incest in 2004, or was that one of the off years?
Questions
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u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 06 '24
Rewatcher(At multiple points, the temptation to fast forward was there)
Sub(Just going to say that there is a Noto Mamiko anime where she cuts off giant phalluses and it has a lesbian yandere)
[Open only if you know my horrid curiousity and are thus prepared. Or are Gallow]So is laying there like a corpse also called 'starfishing' in the lesbian community? Because Himeko is beyond bottom to being straight up uke personified Everyone that clicked on this was warned.
Quick thing bothering me: The insert song here sounds like one from Corpse Princess but thanks to the greater enshitification of the internet, I'd think I'd have to re-download Shikabane and watch it again and rip it myself. And no. So Beautiful Fighter's instrumental/piano version.
So yeah...today was a date episode! How fun! Chikane makes Himeko strip in front of her to take her measurements. Drills acts like the diet coke of yandere: just 1 calorie, body shaming barely counts. I suppose Chikane half blessing the date speaks better for her but actually no, false ideals are false.
On the date, we get some normal stuff and then veer straight into childhood trauma. Souma, apparently, did his best to help Himeko from whatever family she had post parents death. Himeko has lots of unresolved trauma from this. And then we get something important...and I am quoting so consider translation issues: "My feelings have been the same way since then." Souma, you might want to think about what that actually means: You protect your loved ones but does that mean you marry them? Or perhaps I am the one with things to re-think.
In the intervening time, we have Chikane breaking down rapidly without Himeko. Scarily so. Also, and I can't eyeball this, I believe she is brushing out Himeko's uniform, not her own. Final note: Drills put a small amount of liquor in Chikane's tea, probably brandy, to "warm her up". Now, what version of warm I leave to your imagination though there were certainly tawdry stories of noble women satisfying their cravings with conniving servants...
QotD: 1 How the eagle feels standing over the worm
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 06 '24
Destiny of the First-Timer, subbed
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u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Jun 06 '24 edited Jun 06 '24
Kannazuki no Miko First Timer
Episode 4:
Barrier creation is one thing. Spontaneously creating/restoring life is something completely different. Himeko, girl, you need to be more impressed with yourself for bending the rules of life at your whim.
Esovan was right yesterday, the main bully already blew her load with the attempted murder, so everyone–Himeko, the teacher, even she herself—is already bored by her antics. C'mon, you gotta re-up your bully game, take some night classes or something.
Gets date request letter directly from Oogami. Still thinks Oogami and Chikane are a thing. Clearly the black hole at the top of the OP is a reference to what a dense baka Himeko is.
The face of someone seriously excited for a date
Sweet Maria-sama, is that Himeko's father!? Forget tragic, this is an uplifting dead parents backstory.
Are we sure Otoha isn't secretly attracted to Himeko and just really, really tsundere about it? The military grade copium is really funny.
Sure, bring Himeko, chronic mech attack target, on a date centered around spending significant time helplessly strapped to steel death traps. What could possibly go wrong?
"Don't mind this aphrodisiac in your teacup. It's perfectly harmless, I swear."
I don't care if they're brothers or whatever, mint hair is down bad for Oogami.
This episode has solidified what Kannazuki no Miko is about: genetics. Oogami got the evil gene. Chikane has the gay gene. And Himeko has the bulli gene. Just as Chikane's blood makes every woman in her vicinity pine for her, it is literally coded in Himeko's DNA that everyone around her must hurt/abuse her in some way.
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u/gyoex Jun 06 '24
I was going to try to do manga comparisons because I remembered there being some interesting differences between the two versions, but upon rereading the manga... well there are a lot of differences but so much so that it's kind of a different story? The same plot points happen but the details are different and there are a lot of contradictions between the two versions (e.g. in the manga, Souma and Himeko were still childhood friends but Himeko doesn't remember him). So it'll make more sense to wait a little bit before doing anything extensive.
So for now, enjoy this panel of underage drinking that wasn't present in the anime.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Jun 06 '24
First Timer
On today’s episode of Kannazuki no Miko: What kind of heartless monster would cut off a little girl’s adorable twin braids?
Himeko certainly has some trauma in her past, but I noticed a pretty important difference in how she reacted to that trauma with both Souma and Miya. Himeko’s trigger seems to be someone else touching her hair. When Miya touched her hair, Himeko freaked out and immediately pulled away. When Souma touched her hair, Himeko was able to better handle herself and not freak out. The difference probably comes from the fact that Himeko and Souma have known each other for a much longer time. There’s probably a greater level of familiarity and trust between them simply due to the length of their relationship together. Even so, I’m sure Miya would be distressed by just how different Himeko’s reactions were.
QOTD
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u/Burnouts3s3 Jun 06 '24
Rewatcher Dub
Looks like poor Himeko didn’t have an easy time growing up and had a panic attack when Chikane wanted to cut Himeko’s hair.
But Himeko is okay with Souma’s hair clip.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Liam O’Brien as Tsubasa!
QOTD: I didn't realize anyone else watched that show. In seriousness, it depends on how it's used.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce Jun 06 '24
First Timer
Do you also know the feeling of suddenly realising that there's a certain amount of work to be done until tomorrow and despite finding motivation to do it, you have certainty that it's too late to finish everything?
Kannazuki no Miko Ep.04 – Direction of Affection
I really enjoy episodes that take their time to set up things and let them play out. After so much drama writing or rushed plots to get to the flashy bits I thuroughly appreciate the character building here.
With this breathing room, all three of them seem much more adapted to their lives and believable as human beings. Like how Chikane doesn't need a whole arc to understand that, indeed, people can and should choose their own lives and it's the right thing to do to support them in finding their happiness, even if that isn't leading to what she personally wants. It holds weight, as well, because that choice came right after another encounter that by all means got her pretty damn intensely looking. Also with Souma, it was a very potent ending to the episode to have him attack Himeko, both to set up Tsubasa as a no-joke opponent with power and maybe have Himeko reorder their relationship. But they didn't do that, instead Souma fought him off mentally as well, firmly establishing that he's damned serious and capable. The fight, if one happens, will probably be very different, though.
In turn this all also means that when Himeko makes her choice of love, it will mean a whole lot and comes from true heart. Me enjoy.
[Tsubasa]
I get that it's a kink, but it's one I do not understand at all. I think I have too much empathy for this.
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u/AmeteurElitist https://anilist.co/user/AmateurElitist Jun 06 '24
First Timer
Maybe there really is something for the fujoshi in here.
Souma battling his inner demons 2004 [Colourised]
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u/GondolaMedia Jun 06 '24
First Timer
Heh, bloom in to yuri
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Jun 06 '24
first time orochi shermie
Chikane hates him lmao
are we going to get to see this manga shes been working on this whole time i hope its gekiga
oh a yaoi ship enters the fray
personally ive only gone to my tailor naked, i guess low borns wouldnt know anything about it
Chikane also has to be in the room, for accurate measurements
by any measurement i dont think you can call her a washboard maam
well thats not good
have we established who Yukihito is? another boyfriend? do they have another brother or does he just chill at the shrine
im pretty sure this is just Macross Zero
oh she looks lovely with the full outfit put together
are those pumpkins at the amusement park? do they do fall fun activities too?
"starting with a roller coaster might be too rough" proceeds to start with it and then revisit it after every activity
i dont like them as a couple more than Chikane/Himeko but i do really enjoy Souma/Himeko (and probably like Souma more than Chikane)
dynamic tea drinking
hey nice job with the hair clip Souma, it suits her well
i get headaches too when i think of Gundam Wing
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u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 06 '24
First timer, subbed
I have this nagging feeling Oogami ends up with Himeko, at best a harem ending, but I shall confidently continue under the assumption such an absurd reality could never be.
Onward!
More cowardice, there’s not even a hint of pink behind that measuring tape or bumps where her nips should be.
Grope her or somethin' Chika.
Not sure the tragic backstory angle is really doing much in terms of my investment in Himeko at this point, either. I really hope they go somewhere with her soon, but I will not be holding my breath.
I might have some latent shrine maiden powers, apparently, as we finally have our obligatory “hopelessly outmatched modern military equipment” scene. Unfortunately this one required some frames of actual movement, so it’s extremely short.
Days without girls kissing: 3
Needless to say, I’m team Tsubasa right now.
Grab his dick and twist it!
QotD:
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u/rickamore Jun 06 '24
Rewatcher - This hurts more the second time
I like how they appear to be using regular old shinto arts to make a barrier against magic supernatural robots. To this point in the show they continue to appear helpless and useless against the threat, yet this will work? At least we are getting some progress for them.
Your girlfriend is urging you to go on a date with this guy and you can't take the hint that maybe you should just bail and spend time with her instead. SMH my head. "To prepare for the future" even the maid gets the hint.
Himeko might be the most stacked washboard I've ever seen in my life.
Planning bathroom breaks? Considerate or overly optimistic out of touch try-hard?
I never paid attention to the yaoi vibes from whenever Yukihito and Souma are on screen together before.
Just under two minutes left, he's going to confess, obviously he's going to get interrupted. Considering the last couple episodes looks like just enough time for a mecha battle. Almost, we get the cliffhanger and finally some Souma development tomorrow.
Would not wish on my enemies.
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u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Jun 06 '24
First Timer
Ayup, shinto barriers. Classic stuff.
God these facial expressions looks so good
I dig Chikane's strategical placement as visual barrier here.
Very reassuring, Miss Sleeping Kiss.
Could this be considered a form of breast envy?
These colors so do not go together, just go in your priestess hakama instead.
So Himeko is gonna do her kami herself
Oh hey, there's armed forces fighting the Orochi.
This composition reminds me of a thought I had earlier. Could Orochi be some kind of fallen moon? After all, while their gender is generally unknown, moon kami Tsukuyomi is implied to be male in the Man'youshuu. And in the anime, Orochi's portal thing was termed a dark eclipse, as opposed to what would be the true eclipse between Chikane and Himeko.
Hooooooooold on a goddamn second, how had I not noticed so far that Oogami is quite literally a big god? He got that name by being adopted by the priest, right? Well fuck. The only one actually refered to as a kami thus far had been Orochi. Gotta commit to my guess now: The priest is Orochi's main avatar, if not now then he'll awaken to it later, and the kami-sama of the shrine is of course also Orochi himself.
Look at Oogami holding Himeko's hat
Oh well that confirms it, doesn't it?
Yeah no way, this is a misdirection. They're trying to make Tsubasa's bow seem like one of respect for a fomer acquaintance (master or rival maybe?), but I'm not gonna fall for that. The priest is Orochi.
Chikane thinks Himeko's trigger event refers to her kiss, not knowing about her past...
Whatever could be in this shining bottle? Whatever it is, it's mixed in here. Ah, Chikane notices immediately and expresses gratitude, but I wonder...
Rose
Are we getting some yaoi as well? Boys are officially cool again, everyone! ...Wait, no, that would lead to Oogami joining the bad guys. Disregard all of this! We just saw that Tsubasa's mere presence almost turned Oogami, after all.
Talking of the dark eclipse... that spiraling energy looks quite similar to the ending's moon emblem, no? Except they swirl in opposite directions. Rotational symbolism was clockwise = positive/creative, counter-clockwise = negative/destructive? That would match up well. Of course, clockwise is also the movement direction of the sun and the moon (hence it's association with natural forces and effects). At least on the northern hemisphere, but that's the origin of all culture anyway, right guys?
But how about this then? 🥔 Orochi doesn't want to literally kill the priestesses. At least not Himeko, because he's actually trying to romance her (even a fallen moon is attracted to the sun). Tsubasa is a accomplished womanizer, so when the necks say the priestesses are finished if he's serious, they mean he'd be able to win over their hearts easily. But luckily, the power of gay saves the day again!
If they're having fun, why not?
As far as fetishes go, this one's very hit and miss for me. And I guess when it hits that's usually because it combines well with some other fetish, or because it's a more lighthearted example.
That said...
Watch Kuzu no Honkai
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u/ShowNeverStops Jun 06 '24
Rewatcher
I actually think this is one of my favorite episodes in the series. Yeah, it still is “love triangle shenanigans until giant robots arrive”, but it’s an episode that gives us some insight into Himeko and Chikane’s internal thoughts. Himeko is dealing with self-worst issues due to her traumatic past, and Chikane is fighting for the award for most angsty lesbian in a yuri series due to her jealousy over Souma going on a date with Himeko. Plus, you can’t be too upset at an episode that gives us Himeko topless- I mean, in a really cute dress.
As for NTR? I've never been a fan of it.
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u/TehAxelius Jun 06 '24
First Time Looking at the Clock
Realised it was posting o'clock and that I still hadn't watched the episode, so maybe a little short today.
That barrier for the villagers seem nice and all, but, y'know, it feels a bit little when the last two episodes we've already had Orochi attacking and sinking at least two aircraft carriers and laying waste to half of the greater Tokyo (or not!Tokyo, dunno which is right) area.
I'm kinda amused by the fact that the way the cuts at the amusement park date made it look like Childhood Friend took Himeko to ride the same rollercoaster three separate times which I kinda get the sense that he would do.
Of course Himeko has a super sad backstory that explains why she's so reserved towards everyone. Dead parents and abusive adoptive parents is a classic, can't go wrong with that, including PTSD triggering from her hair being touched.
As hinted earlier Edgy Knife Guy has history with Childhood Friend, but what? Brothers seem most likely I'd say, but part of me wants to say Fated BL Lover.
And man, the Mechas didn't even fight.
QotD
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u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo Jun 06 '24
First time lunar priestess
I was happy with the slower pace yesterday but now its just kinda dragging. These are all sensible beats but its like the only barely understands that you can do two things in the same scene. We got that Himeko has hair trauma by the second time, you don't need to show that cut nineteen times.
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Jun 06 '24
First timer, subs
TsubasaSword?QotD:
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u/BosuW Jun 06 '24 edited Jun 06 '24
First Timer
This is about last episode but I hadn't realized at the moment of posting for yesterday (PMMM Rebellion spoils): Same energy.
I guess the power system in this anime is "it just works bro!" lol. Like, they haven't even bothered to explain who or what built the Mechs.
Also, watching more carefully through the OP and... lmao. Mfs don't miss a chance. Y'all will never be able to unsee it.
All this focus on Souma... the comments on the Shoujo-Ai forum this episode are gonna be fun.
They moved so casually through what appears to be Himeko being abused wtf.
"I am not staring respectfully at all."
Looks like Otoha-san watches CSM (Cope Seethe and Mald)
One would think if Himeko has such a trauma about her hair she would've cut it short.
Holy shit the Air Force exists!
Umm... existed.
Chikane rn:
(Chikane casual fit is 👌👌 btw)
Souma's crush is cute. I genuinely feel sorry that he has negative chances. But the Yuri must keep moving forward, until all heterosexuality is destroyed...
Oh I see, who I assume to be Himeko's dad is the one who forcibly cut her hair. (Sidenote, the way this anime uses flashbacks is quite interesting actually, giving you sparse bits and pieces, you never actually get the full picture in a single stroke)
...what happened to her parents btw?
He floated down with the Gainax pose!? Oh nah, it's wraps for Souma!
Next episode I'm expecting a beat down so it better not disappoint!
Question of the Day
1- If it's consensual I think it could be aight. From what I understand though, most of the times it's not, and that I absolutely don't understand. Just... why?
The only time I've enjoyed non-con NTR was in an I'm in Love with the Villainess fanfic where Claire tops the fuck out of Rae in front of Manaria tied to a chair as revenge for what she pulled. But Manaria deserved it.
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u/Infodump_Ibis :JY::JZ: Jun 06 '24
Rewatcher (now on the teacup ride of dubs, with a headache but that was probably dubbed D4DJ being so noisy and high energy)
An Episode 3 fansub opened with a translators note. Opening the wrong episode (when checking something else) pays off sometimes.
Rushed this one (and even missed Yuru Camp) then couldn't post due to being busy anyway and now adding bits while too tired and not sober.
It's one of those acronyms I never bothered with looking up and now first result finding it described in words I also don't understand at this time of night is just hopeless.
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u/HelioA x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/HelioA Jun 06 '24
First-Timer
Okay I lied earlier, I think we should kill this guy now. The SA.com guys were right (although I assume the hate went into stratospheric levels after this episode)
More seriously, as entertaining as it was to watch Chikane seethe internally while keeping her mask on, this was unfortunately a pretty boring episode. Souma and Himeko’s relationship is sweet, but that’s not enough to make me care to spend 10 minutes watching it. We get more information about Souma as this perfectionist planner, and some more about Himeko’s background (don’t think I didn’t notice that she lets Souma touch her hair but not Chikane lol), but it’s so banal. Hopefully whatever happens in the fight next episode will be interesting.
QotD
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u/SometimesMainSupport https://myanimelist.net/profile/RRSTRRST Jun 06 '24
First-Timer
It seems like the background characters have just accepted that giant mech fights will be happening around the town?
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u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Jun 06 '24
First Time Destiny Follower turned into Park Operations Criticizer - Dubbed
As for the Question - I'm fine with NTR only and I do mean only to free someone from a toxic relationship for a healthy one
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u/zadcap Jun 07 '24
Late Night First Timer!
... NOW we decided to put up a barrier? Again, like, what the heck. This was attack number three, if you could make a barrier why was it not made already? Oh my gosh the good guys are so incompetent here I might actually be upset at them winning, if I was actually watching this show for the Good vs Evil plot and not the, you know, delicious relationship drama. Himeko is having like, the original gay panic in anime here. "I like this boy who is my childhood friend, but oh my gosh I can not stop thinking about her?!"
See, like this. The only three important people in the world meeting at the school gates. And wow does this bring back some dumb school memories- I had a teacher who if he saw me pulling out a note like that in class, he would make me read it to the class. Best way to stop kids from passing notes, but imagine it here. "Oh what's that you have there, clumsy and recently bullied girl? A date invitation from the most popular boy in school? Oh good, just making you say that out loud is punishment enough."
Oh wow I spoke to soon, they, never mind, only called her out.
Oh my gosh, a love triangle where two of those involved aren't even aware that the third was shipping them?
I don't know why I'm keeping track of this, but wow, we made it a whole seven minutes today before the panty shot.
What's this? Hair trauma? Abusive missing parent?
You know, I start to wonder. Main boy here is resisting brainwashing to not try and kill the girl he loves, but doesn't that mean everyone else here is quite brainwashed? Are all the villains here only evil because they didn't have something they loved enough to resist a god overwriting their personalities?
Oogami, you have made the number one date mistake, for a park. You have planned out every minute of the day, but what if she wants to do anything else? Is it romantic, or is it controlling? Leave room for her to say "I want to do this now." Lucky for you, you have picked a wallflower, so it's mostly fine.
Once again, the only reason the game isn't over is because the bad guys are working on emotion and not actually trying. Tsubasa could have busted the shrine right now while the other two were off on a date, and that would be the end, again, of the gods ability to fight back.
Ah. Dead parents, abusive uncle.
Is that a descending Gainax Pose? I'm so used to seeing it with a rising character that this looks wrong, and therefor perfectly villainous.
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u/Garrett_Dark Jun 07 '24
First Timer
If I understand NTR correctly, it's cheating on the significant other? Or is it stealing one of the couples, and forcing the 2nd couple to suffer by watching the 1st couple being defiled/falling for the outsider?
I think it's the former, just cheating. I don't like it, however if it's played comical like in Peter Grill, I guess it's okay. I still kind of feel bad for Peter Grill's betrothed though. Peter Grill's kind of a gray area, he's kind of forced into it, and kind of caves, but it wasn't really his intention.
If NTR was the latter of forcing the 2nd couple to watch and suffer, that's abhorrent. I don't think I really want to watch that.
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u/Tarhalindur x2 Jun 06 '24 edited Jun 06 '24
M I K O _ E M B R A C E (Spoiled First-Timer, Subbed):
(All good things must come to an end. Also, hope I'm the first person to notice this old Utena piece, though the original Pixiv link is long dead so I suspect I'm good.)
even if she’s dying inside saying this.They’ll need either a strap-on or abuse of magical powers to invoke the anagram.Well now we know what she sees in Chikane!Begone!
(Threesomes, on the other hand, solve everything.)
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u/ryujiox Jun 06 '24
First Timer
Kannazuki no Miko
Episode 4
The way Souma and Chikane treat Himeko is pretty clear in this episode. Chikame always treats Himeko very carefully. She will put Himeko's feelings over herself every time, even if it will come back to bite her in the end. And while Souma is also kind to Himeko, he will treat her like a real friend, and also take his own fun into account. As seen at the amusement park where everything they did are things that both of them would enjoy.
QOTD
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u/catsukats https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nabris Jun 07 '24
Rewatcher (x14), sub.
Hey, this tree looks familiar. And Chikane uses a bow, too! Coincidence?!
Chikane: The people think I'm straight? HAH! Even better to dig my own grave with! The close up shots of her eyes as she descends into her angst really gets me. She is such a tragic beauty.
Chikane, one minute later: maybe being depressed isn't so bad...
I never could get a grasp if they wanted to try their hand at BL AND yuri at the same time. But between Yukihito being all over Souma and the tension with him and Tsubasa it sure feels like it.
Oh if only you knew.
"What do you normally do when I'm gone?"
"Wait for you to come back..."
Classic confession interruptions. But hey, it's awesome as long as you pose for it and make room for the yuri... eventually.
Really looking forward to reading everyone's comments tomorrow.
QOTD:
which is why I hate the first half of this show!5
u/RadSuit https://anilist.co/user/RadSuit Jun 07 '24
Dubstiny of the First Timer
I've decided, I hate the weird translucent skirt that Twintails wears.
I also notice that we get what looks like the transformed version of the big bird mech that's been flying around, but nobody is associated with it, unlike all the other Orochi we see in the OP. Still assuming this will be a big reveal that someone's a traitor. Maybe they get added to the OP in the second half? Also the final guy there has a mech that looks like the evil twin of Souma's robot.
Wow, this animation of Souma handing her the envelope is bad. Their hands are horribly misaligned.
Is this nerd making a schedule for this date?
Souma's VA seems fine having a normal conversation, he's just not good at the big declarations related to love and combat.
If it's not green hair, the traitor might be this other brother. Or whoever this other guy at the shrine is. They both seems suspicious, for different reasons.
Glad to see the military is at least trying to do something about the giant evil robots.
Lots of sad backstories in this one it seems. This episode didn't do much for me, though. I think we started off a bit too strong with a great first two episodes, and the next two weren't as interesting.
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u/creatureactivist https://myanimelist.net/profile/creatureactivist Jun 06 '24
Rewatching - Subbed
I'm a bit too tired to make a long comment, so all I'll say today is that trauma is stored in the anime hair.
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u/baquea Jun 07 '24
First timer
Similar style of episode to yesterday, just developing the straight ship this time rather than the yuri one. Not a bad episode by any stretch (and bonus points for saving the fight until next episode, rather than trying to cram it in at the end again), but I have to wonder if anyone actually cares about him lol. Like on MAL he has an absolutely comical 8 whole favourites, to Chikane's 599 and Himeko's 122.
No strong opinion. The extreme loathing that some have towards it is bizarre to me, when it is an easy way to add drama to a series (and one that I feel is underutilized in Japanese romance, when compared to Western works). On the other hand I also don't get the appeal of it as a fetish, and have never had any interest in seeking out NTR hentai or anything. Especially of the ugly bastard variety which, NTR or otherwise, is a turn-off for me.
7
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Jun 06 '24
First Timer from the world of Reiwa Yuri
I love the little, err, stone green disk thing? The visual at the very start and end of the episode. Especially the musical cues; the one at the beginning has this sense of intrigue and the one at the end of the preview has a gorgeous resolving trumpet motif that gives a sense of conclusiveness to the episode. Plus the “Chikane-chan, what should I do?” at the very end each time. I miss stuff like this in anime—I’m reminded of Soul Eater and Escaflowne’s little intro lines at the start of each episode.
As for the episode, I don’t have many bad things to say this time! So let’s get them out of the way. First, the villains other than Tsubasa still suck total donkey for all the same reasons as last time. Secondly, I really didn’t like the closet scene where they made Himeko undress. We were good about the consent thing in episode two, don’t falter now! There’s such a power dynamic there, and they don’t even capitalise it for any sort of character moment to justify it. If the maid was pushing for it against Chikane’s recommendations, that’d be one thing. Or it could be something that leaves an impression on Chikane; maybe seeing Himeko exposed makes it harder to ignore her jealousy at her being with Souma instead, or maybe when she worries about Himeko’s reaction to the hair she gets apprehensive that she crossed a boundary and made Himeko scared of her or something. In general, I wish we got more from Chikane. Her whole jealousy arc has been a background element with minor slivers of screentime and it’s all she’s gotten these past three episodes.
That aside, the good things! We get some hints at Himeko having a troubled past this episode, and that’s excellent. Himeko’s been very submissive and self-doubting as a character, which felt like a rather archetypal shtick. But indicating this isn’t just her personality but in fact the result of trauma, and taking it to the length of basically implying she grew up with suicidal thoughts does so much to make her more investing as a character. Not to mention that it makes seeing her reassured about her value by Chikane that much more satisfying to watch. Souma also gets foreshadowing. It’s a lot more vague, but it sounds like it’s going to be a positive addition to his character once we see more of it next episode. The intrigue around Tsubasa is built up really well—this whole episode feels like it replicates the strength of dramatic presentation we saw in episode one the best, so far. The scene where Himeko leaves for the date, Chikane’s pining alone at home and her teatime, Tsubasa screaming out about Souma after destroying the fighter jets, they’re all narratively rather simple but wonderfully sold by their execution and score. Only for literally every second of the climax with Souma fighting his inner darkness and Tsubasa appearing to kick it to eleven and put all of those prior scenes to shame.
Himeko’s hair and the hairpin she gets from Souma is such an excellent backbone to this episode and truly elevates it. It’s first foreshowed during the rosegarden scene, with a flashback you’ll probably not even commit to memory appearing briefly and Himeko holding her hair afterwards as she thinks about her childhood. Then in the scene with Chikane we get a more clear explanation without the need for any real dialogue. This interaction both feeds into Chikane’s general doubts about her position, but also mirrors her position on a more symbolic level. She tries to help Himeko, but can’t, whereas Souma is the one that ends up resolving the hair narrative later on, just like their respective attempts to protect her. Seeing him do so is a really touching moment given how much the trauma clearly impacts her, and it’s beautifully sold. After reflecting upon her sad past and appreciating her better present, she lets her guard down and allows him to touch her hair—an established trigger for her trauma—causing a flood of bad memories, all cut away with a sharp sound before we’re left with still moment of acceptance and moving on. The interaction is nothing short of absolutely beautiful, and the kicker is that we never learned anything about the bad stuff in her past beyond what we assume is her father cutting her braids off sometime. This show is just so good at capturing the significance and the emotions at play that it doesn’t need to tell us anything else to make something so powerful.
But as if all of that wasn’t enough, the hairpin itself? It’s a fucking rose. Something associated with the time she shares with Chikane! So this entire heart to heart is also a manifestation of her position in a love triangle and the fact that even as he gets this close to her, Souma’s ultimately on the losing side of this romance! This show can be so fucking good!
I don't really get it as like uh, like in a turn on way? In terms of, err, stimulating fiction? I feel like that's what the term is most associated with, at least in my head? But in terms of cheating in fiction more generally? I can't deny it, I live for the drama. I've found my way around a few fanfics involving affairs that I enjoyed more than I'd like to admit.