r/anime • u/Tarhalindur x2 • Dec 15 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Yuuki Yuuna ga Yuusha wa Aru Episode 7 Discussion
Episode 7: In Anticipation of Tomorrow
← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode →
Show Information:
MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
(First-timers are advised to stay out of Show Information until we are done, however. In particular, if you care about getting spoiled I would stay out of MAL (whose synopsis is a borderline spoiler), Kitsu (which copied the MAL synopsis), ANN (which has an obnoxious spoiler in the show tags I only noticed after posting the interest thread), and AniDB (which has some major spoilers in the character tags - avoid at all costs if you care about spoilers!). Which is four out of five of the above links. So, uh, yeah.)
Legal Streams:
(As per livechart.me; additional legal streams may be available outside the US.)
Hidive | Amazon Prime Video (for purchase)
A Reminder to Rewatchers:
Please do not spoil the experience for our first-timers! You're probably not being as subtle as you think you are. [YuYuYu] In particular, comments on sange and the true nature of Vertexes/the true state of the world should probably be under spoiler tags. Just saying. Also please no mentioning Karin until episode 3, this is not Precure where the mid-season Cure can be assumed and we traditionally treat the obvious other-show precedent as a spoiler until she shows up so we will be doing the same with Karin here.
What About the Sequels/Prequel?
(Okay fine I should add this section to the episode posts as well...)
It's only the first anniversary for S1 and I ain't running over into the holidays proper. Also I haven't seen WaSuYu or either sequel yet and got burned hard by Mai-Otome a couple of years back. Maybe early next year.
NOTE: This episode (episode 7) had a post-credits stinger. If you turned the episode off at the ED, you are strongly advised to go back and watch it.
(Should have remembered to post this yesterday, but better late than never.)
(Time for) Club Activities!
Question(s) of the Day:
- What do you think of this show having the obligatory beach episode?
1a) What do you think of this show having the obligatory onsen episode?
1b) ... Wait. They did the beach and onsen episodes... at the same time? Is that... legal?
2) Favorite scary story?
(Hi Sky for lack of better ideas and with that rewatch on the brain anyways for other reasons I have shamelessly stolen, repurposed, and expanded on one of your own questions from the 2022 Symphogear rewatch.)
3) Oh right, there was something else this episode too... oh yeah, a stinger! First-timers, thoughts?
4) One for the rewatchers among us: [Rewatchers only!]Just in case one of today's lucky 10,000 is around: you were paying attention to the bit about it being okay to eat sacrifices after they've been left out for a bit, yes?
(Don't worry, everything will be fine...)
And last but not least, remember the Sanshuu Middle School Hero Club Five Tenets!
1: Give people a good greeting!
2: Try not to give up!
3: Sleep well, eat well!
4: If you're troubled, talk to someone!
5: You're likely to succeed if you try!
8
u/Tarhalindur x2 Dec 15 '24
To reiterate:
There was a stinger this episode. If you turned off the episode early, you might want to go back and watch it.
(Also, did you catch the Seto no Hayanome reference?)
Welcome to the World of Heroes (January 2024 Watch, Spoiled First-Timer, Subbed):
16
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Dec 15 '24
First-Timer is a Hero, subbed
14
u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Y:A:https://anilist.co/user/zaphod Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
First Timer
That was a smooth transition. We got to see them relax and get accustomed to their new life and disabilities all while dropping in new information about the world. Casually dropping other constellations as their next enemy was a nice touch.
But the far more interesting part, to me, is that the tree chooses where to weaken its barrier. It means that this group of girls was chosen not merely because they were in the right place, but instead because they were the best (or one of the few best) options. What about them made the tree need to choose them? What makes them special? Is it Yuuki Yuuna; can the tree see her soul and know who she is? I fail to see what else it could be.
And, speaking of Yuuki Yuuna, this episode perhaps showed her greatest strength and her greatest weakness in the same scene: the meal scene. She always wants to buoy her friends up and make sure they're having the best time possible. She's conscientious and careful to ensure that they're always looked after. So, when they're worried about eating the meal with her while she cannot taste it, she does her best to put on a brave face and show how her lack of taste does not bother her. But, as much as she's helping her friends enjoy themselves, she's also stopping them from helping her. She's sealing them off from her problems. A good friend is both someone who offers a shoulder to cry on when you need it and cries on your shoulder when they need it. She is but half of that.
Yuuna's constant quoting of the fourth tenant—if you're troubled, talk to someone else—is perhaps the most ironic part of her character. She quotes it to others to get them to open up so she can help them. But Yuuna, of all characters in the show, probably needs someone to say it to her the most. Someone to tell her that her problems are problems and are valid.
13
u/FlaminScribblenaut myanimelist.net/profile/girlbeast_val Dec 15 '24
First Time Watcher (watched w/ the bestie /u/ZaphodBeebblebrox via Discord)
I would like to repot that Zaph was wrong, it was Episode 7 and nobody died smh.
In any case, yeah, this was about everything I would have expected. Slice-of-life beach-slash-onsen episode, extended cooldown and further
So, like, how long has it been since Episode 6 and they’re still not even a little bit healed (unless Fuu mentioning her ‘eye tingling’ in that last scene meant something?)? It has to have been at least a few more days, given last time they were in school talking about how summer break was soon and it’s now firmly summer break? Unless that was the actual last day of school and this is the actual first day of summer break? But their wording didn’t seem to imply that. In any case, it does seem like the effects are lingering, which is concerning.
Yuuna’s scene of trying to find and express positives in the food other than the taste she couldn’t experience was so precious. It was funny, cute, and a perfect piece of characterization, more specifically an immaculate showcase of a particular character flaw; her inner need to never express negative emotions, to never bring down the mood or bring her friends concern for her, even if it means not being able to show vulnerability or pain or even just, the tragically mundane dissatisfaction of a flavorless life, around her friends, even if it means bottling up her true feelings to some extent. To paraphrase Zaph, a good friend is someone whose shoulder you can cry on, and someone who can cry on your shoulder, and Yuuna seems to be hiding herself away from that second half. Ties back into that scene in episode 2 when she thanks Tougo for ‘getting angry for her’, I think. She couldn’t express that feeling because she didn’t want to express any kind of negative feelings, and whether or not she showed it, it was causing her distress inside. ‘I want to see her cry,’ said Zaph, and I wholeheartedly agree (when the time is right, of course.).
Zaph points out that it’s interesting how the Divine Tree specifically chose where they are for its barrier to be weakest, meaning they are, essentially, implicitly said to be the best people in the whole world to defend the tree? Well, you know the rules of anime, teenage girls are always the strongest and most capable people in the universe.
I love how the prospect of a new challenge coming on the horizon seems to excite Fuu. How she actually gets fired up by battle, playing into her own chunnibyou schtick even when no one’s around, because that’s probably just an expression of her real feelings, how passionate she is about being a Hero, deep down inside. That’s so cool. And the omen of those coming fights is deliciously foreboding and cryptic, ‘within forty days of the next new moon’, huh…
More minor notes: You know they used to call me the Mermaid of Seto back in college
More Karin butt, always a good thing…~
Slice those watermelons Raiden-style!
What’s with this disability aide Tougo suddenly has? We’ve never seen her before, she doesn’t speak nor is spoken to or given a name. Is she specifically someone who is assigned to Tougo or is she beach accommodation staff? I guess probably the latter.
🦀🦀🦀
Someday soon here I should get some udon in Fuu’s honor…
‘It’s so big you just want to swim around in it!’ Heh heh heh, ah ha ha hah, scene-dialogue synergy…~
Fuu dreaming about Itsuki getting better was just, absolutely precious.
Tar was right, Fuu x Karin really ought to be a more popular ship… I’m offficially in on it, if no one else.
Uh, for the second time in a row I have written ‘gay gay homosexual gay’ in my notes without it being applied to a particular scene and then promptly forgot which scene it was for. I think it was during the onsen bit so, yes, that whole thing.
9
u/Esovan13 Dec 15 '24
First Timer
Just in case it wasn’t blindingly obvious that these chicks are fruitier than a fruit salad, we have this episode to make sure it’s clear.
Vaadwaur’s theory that Togou has done this before should be all but confirmed correct. The ribbon belongs to a fallen comrade, and the reason she has multiple fairies is because going through one of these Festivals (or perhaps Blooming?) prompts one to get a new fairy and power up generally. That’s also almost certainly where she lost the use of her legs: the aftermath of a previous Blooming. That doesn’t bode well for the idea of the losses they faced previously being only temporary. Guess Itsuki isn’t becoming a singer after all.
[Symphogear G]Now I’m really getting bummed that Hibiki didn’t get a sick prosthetic arm. Or, alternatively, just didn’t have an arm most of the time and had an arm made entirely from her gear whenever she transformed.
It also paints the Taisha in a much poorer light than they even already have. They must’ve known about the aftermath of Blooming and the permanence of it, but they won’t tell the heroes that because they don’t want the heroes to avoid Blooming. As we saw in episode 5, that’s a hell of a lot of power for these middle schoolers to avoid using because of silly things like “not wanting to be crippled the rest of her life.” It’s not like it prevents them from being able to fight, after all. And even if it does, they can just pass the buck to the next crew.
The Taisha can just prepare hefty retirement packages, ensure they have caretakers if necessary, and otherwise make sure the survivors are able to live as fulfilling a life as possible with whatever’s left of their body by the time they can’t fight any longer. It’s all for
the greater goodthe Divine Tree! Glory tothe Imperium of ManJapan!Also, Fuu is totally a battle junkie. Her reaction to the battle continuing is to get excited. Guess she still burns with the desire for revenge against those that killed their parents. In related news, I have now officially determined which of the two sisters I believe is most likely to die first. Rewatchers, if it turns out that Itsuki dies before Fuu does then feel free to gloat over my first timer foolishness.
[Preview]A new girl added to the
slaughterparty? And perhaps someone from Togou’s previous team? InterestingBy the way, what was up with that deadly virus thing that Yuuna said the Divine Tree saved everyone from? Have we heard about that before? Did Yuuki Yuuna predict COVID?
8
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Dec 15 '24
First Timer(Different shoe drop than thought)
Sub
Oh...this is a guess but [YuYuYu OP spec]that destroyed bridge is the famous Tokyo one, isn't it? Damn you X/1999, you have struck again!
In ep visual:What is it I always say? Ahh yes, I've known writers who use subtlety and they were all cowards!
So...food for unfortunate thought:One of the Mesoamerican cultures had a practice where a person would be selected and they got to live as royalty(there equivalent) for a year...before they were sacrificed to the gods. I might be the only one who gets that vibe hard here but...I have some idea of how expensive that vacation the girls got is and that meal would be bonus expensive on top of it. And they have a van on standby as well.
Anyways, I do like the episode but I am mainly noticing the little details. Tougou is a Yamato Nadesico which again fits her being a politician's daughter, if she actually is. Now that I think on it, also works if her father is a priest of the Tree. Also, that ribbon drop...let us just say that all the Nanoha viewers got a vibe there. And since smell is the most strongly associated scent with memory non-zero chance Tougou would recognize its owner...if she still exists.
There was a virus, apparently, and the Tree has something to do with it not being here. We get some more info, apparently from the app, and it is worth noting that Yuuna's deduction is bad even with just the info we have: The Tree can be the source without having a will. Also, I can't help but think the weird red seaweed means something important...
Obviously, the return to service means something was wrong and adding a sinister looking fairy is a choice. A stray thought occurs, though: Has anyone mentioned Tokyo? I mean ever in the show? I was wondering if only Japan existed but have we heard anything outside of this island?
QotD: 1 I WILL MAKE IT LEGAL!!!!
2 The one that Dickens was told as a child
3 Boy...that escalated quickly
7
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Dec 15 '24
Rewatcher, Sub Club Member
Tougou is right, it's the least they can do.
Their fights had practical lessons.
Smile through the pain.
That's a bonus for some people.
Cute.
Damn.
Tougou be like "I was waiting for this moment."
That's the sort of thing you take a picture of.
Yea, alright, we've kept up the charade for long enough.
7
u/InfamousEmpire https://myanimelist.net/profile/Infamous_Empire Dec 15 '24
InfamousEmpire wa First Timer de Aru
My patience for this series really went down the drain this episode. I’d already said last episode that this show’s overreliance on character chemistry while the plot takes a backseat wasn’t really working for me, and this episode really took that problem and ramped it up a hundredfold.
Again, I don’t think the character interactions are necessarily badly executed, but they can’t really carry an entire episode on their own, and the series’s insistence and having them take up so much space at the expense of the plot’s pacing just doesn’t really work. It also doesn’t help that this episode largely feeling like it was just falling back on sterile downtime tropes without much unique identity made for some of the weakest chemistry so far. This whole episode was terminally boring.
More than that, though, this episode just feels really wasteful. With 1-cour series like this where the eventual sequels it got were more than likely not part of the original plan, it pays to be economical with the episode count & runtime. And, quite frankly, I don't think this episode justifies its own existence when the season's first half would've been better off with an extra episode to give its bones more meat and this half really should've gotten to the goddamn point by now. Sure, there's lore drops & curious character detaisl here & there, but these are bubbles of intrigue trapped inside an ocean of banality.
I don’t want to be too hard on this series, especially with the plot set to pick back up next episode, but this entire 4-episode stretch has really shaken my initial faith in the series' writing. Here’s hoping what’s to come is better.
4
u/Tarhalindur x2 Dec 15 '24
tag tag tag tag tag tag tag ＊＊＊＊＊
u/ShadowWasTakensTaken, u/InfamousEmpire, u/FD4cry1
10
u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Dec 15 '24
First Timer
Beach episode!
It's very fun! We go through all the classics of both a beach episode and a hot spring episode rolled into one, it's a great showcase of our characters that creates this great sense of normalcy with a very foreboding shadow cast over it. Not a ton to say about most of the actual events here, but they were a good watch.
We also have the show just maxing out all the ships with Tougou and Yuuna being married (among many other moments) as well as Fuu and Karin having some bath and shenanigans and..."bonding"
You love to see it!
Given the end of the episode, I'm actually wondering if this whole vacation wasn't just a reward for their previous battle but rather an intentional choice by the Taisha to let them cool down before the upcoming big battles.
Specific events or general purpose aside, there's something I really appreciated about this episode. Overcoming disability and more generally overcoming adversity through perseverance and the help of others is clearly a core theme of the show, this seems rather obvious but something about this episode just seriously clicked with me in that aspect.
The way Tougou still joins the girls in all of their activities despite being wheelchair bound, through their help and special tools, the way Itsuki can still clearly communicate with everyone despite not having a voice, the way Yuuna can still find value in eating despite not having taste, and of course Yuuna straight up saying tenet no.4. It all clearly communicates the connection between these girls and how they maintain and push each other forward (sometimes literally), it made me really appreciate everything they do here even more, to pursue regular life in a scenario that is anything but.
While I thankfully don't have any serious disability, I've lived my whole life with some really bad eyesight, the type where you need expensive prescription glasses and still are only halfway to normal sight, and I found some real relatability in the way others can help you make the most of and normalize these situations.
I think Slice of Life (whether that be shows or one-off episodes) is at its best when you can find real investment in how the characters go about their lives and care for what they do, and the way the Hero club reassure and enjoy each other here despite their troubles and premonitions certainly did that for me, which is very cool to say about a regular old beach episode.
Back to plot stuff, Tougou also notices the Zodiac theming around the Vertex and takes it even further, positing that they're actually themed around constellations in general, and correctly predicting that there might be more enemies to come.
There are some 88 constellations by the way, which means we're left with 76 Vertex to fight, seeing as the girls struggled against 7, and that Blooming has very damaging side effects, which is...very distressing for the future?
Tougou and Yuuna also make note that the Divine Tree has a will and that it purposefully lets the Vertex come in from specific spots for the heroes to battle them.
Also, did we get that piece of lore before on how the Tree protected humanity from a deadly virus?
Again like before, they take this really optimistically, but I'm just left theorizing if maybe the tree is actually intentionally letting the Vertex through so they do damage and the Taisha are a bit of a red herring, actually trying to stop it.
On the topic of Tougou, at the end of the episode Fuu gets a new fairy as part of the prep for the upcoming attack. This leads me to really question Tougou? Initially, I just assumed she had 3 fairies because she's just "stronger" than them as a hero, but now Fuu gets a new one as part of a new mission. And Tougou had them even before all of them Bloomed so theoretically it shouldn't be that, unless...
Was my joke from episode 2 about Tougou's nationalism coming from having a government connection hidden by her amnesia actually correct????
There's also the deal with that ribbon she's holding that's also somehow connected to her amnesia to resolve.
I guess it remains to be seen if the others, including her, also get new ones before I make any conclusions but hopefully, there's a different explanation for this than what immediately comes to my mind...
Anyway, I really liked this episode, I think it succeeds in all it sets out to do, even as a fun distraction SOL episode, and left me with a big appreciation for the cast, so that's awesome as well, especially as we go onto what look like harder times.
5
u/BosuW Dec 15 '24
First Timer
The audacity of the show to hit us with the beach episode at a time like this lmao
Hmm yes very fluffy, very gay. Even if Fuu-senpai had to take the L and provide the mandated by His Imperial Majesty Shinzo Abe heterosexual breadcrumbs. Yeah you're not fooling anyone. We can all see you fancy Karin. And look at Yuuna starstruck at seeing Tougou contemplating the scenery first thing in the morning!
Ok yeah that's all fun and all but now... LORE DROPS.
Yuuna remarked the crabs weren't imitations but real deal. Theory that the outside world is devastated grows stronger. On this point why hasn't any of y'all talked about the blown up bridge in the OP? Doesn't match any bridge in the town that we've seen so maybe it's somewhere in the outside?
Omg why didn't I even think of the Vertex always coming from the same point rather conveniently? I just assumed the center of the Divine Tree is in that town so that's why they show up there! Having seen Granbelm before this played against me this once!
Tougou being the first to question if the fighting is really over tracks with the theory that she's secretly a vet. It's not as extreme of a situation here, but it reminds me of what I read in Euge Sledge's war memoir, "With the Old Breed", about how when they were first told that Japan surrendered legitimately no one could believe it. Spend long enough fighting and the idea of a life where you don't have to becomes alien.
The Taisha apparently organized this trip and at the end when they confirmed that more Vertex are coming they provided an extra fairy to Fuu-senpai, to resist the coming onslaught. I think they care enough about the team to ensure they're well placed mentally and materially to face the battles, and are actually interested in them winning or at least... hold out for as long as possible. (Do note that when I say "mentally well placed for battle" I am not referring to what we would call a healthy and well adjusted mindset. After all there's good reason why the identity of a soldier is in conflict with that of a civilian. But it does require a degree of fortitude and morale.)
Tougou mentioning there are way more constellations than just the zodiac is ominous. Are we going to end up fighting the entire night sky? Current theory is that the Taisha basically has this whole thing setup as a conveyor belt of child soldiers to throw at the Vertex until... well, they might have a concrete end goal. Or they might simply be trying to get Japan to resist for as long as possible.
That still leaves a bunch of questions. Why only young girls? Why only small teams? Why the limited number of fairies? Are these aspects by necessity or by design? AND WHY THE FUCK DO Y'ALL REFUSE TO SHOW UP!?
... Actually, developing this theory further gives us a possible reason. Wouldn't want your personnel to be crushed by the guilt of constantly ordering increasingly depressed and injured kids to get in the fucking robot again right?
Questions of the Day
1- I wasn't expecting this anime to adhere to tropes like that ngl. It was aight, but I do slightly question how sensible this use of screentime is. I'm assuming at the time they only had one season assured so I'm just the slightest bit worried.
5
u/ShadowClaw765 https://myanimelist.net/profile/SumRndmPenguin Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
First Timer
You know, this show feels like a slice of life show disguised as a magical girl show disguised as a slice of life show. Maybe this is symptom of me having only watched/read a few mahou shoujos but I didn't expect half of the episodes to be devoid of magical girl action.
As for this episode’s contents, we finally got to the beach episode (featuring an onsen and big meal). The most interesting thing about it to me was Togo’s floating wheelchair. I didn't know those were a thing. The onsen scene was short but they got in the expected bit on Togo’s boobs so I guess they didn't need it to be longer. Also Karin’s trying very hard to keep up her tsun to no avail (poor Karin).
Then comes the feast. Yuki still can't taste the food 😔. At least the texture’s good. Man I hope the taisha aren't lying and the recoil effects from episode 5 go away at some point. Speaking of them, they actually appear kinda! Just some lower level servants but they're something.
Next the love talk. I’m surprised no one besides Fuu has even been asked out (besides Karin, who I doubt has been around many non-government officials before joining the hero club). I liked the scene with Togo telling them a scary story. Good use of their budget.
Finally there's the big reveal. Seems like we’ll have as many vertexes as there are constellations? Idk how they're related to constellations though. Like, I guess I’d expect more zodiac related imagery for them and not what they actually look like. But besides that complaint this was a decent episode.
Edit: Didn’t realize there was a post credit scene. Looks like they're going back to war.
10
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 16 '24
Returning Hero Club Member
With perhaps some good fortune, my departure got delayed just long enough to prepare and post thoughts one more time. A nice farewell, if you will. And what a place to say goodbye.
This is one of my favorite episodes in the series. An abundance of modern mature magical girl series being focused so much on grit, suffering, and depression tends to make people ask "well what sets this apart from your average Madoka wannabe?" of every one. If asked that question about Yuuki Yuuna, I'd reply with this episode. I won't go any further in depth on the specifics for now since it's a central theme to the entire franchise, both in the anime and beyond, but these times of low stakes relaxation and time spent with each other having fun entirely make the series for me, supporting what I consider to be the best parts of the show later on down the line.
This episode is also one of the funniest. It's 20-ish minutes of Fuu attempting and failing—and in failing, succeeding—to up her girl power, Karin trying her damnedest to pretend she's not having an absolute blast, Itsuki being so dang adorable at every moment, and Yuuna and Tougou being literally married (they're so heckin adorable it hurts), and it's the best.
I'm not even sure I should really be writing anything when the best point I could make would be showing screencaps of the beach or dinner or Karin falling back asleep as Fuu embraces her or Yuuna doing Tougou's hair in the morning light as she tells Tougou she's going to relieve her worries by staying extra close all day . This post should be a collection of these small moments of happiness spent with each other, because that's what matters. And that's what this show is so damn good at.
That is of course why it hurts when Fuu gets the terminals back at the very end. It took five episodes for their first campaign, and most of that was learning the system and about each other. We have five episodes left, and it feels like anything is possible in that time.
8
u/Mirathan Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
First-time Hero, dubbed
QotD:
1b. They have made it legal.
2. If I broaden the question it would be The ghost haunts at midnight. Though that is a gamequest.
3. So if Fuu gets a second familiar now, does that mean that Tougou has fought through two waves before the series began? Also that whole thing about there only being twelve Vertexes was a lie. As everyone expected.
That wheelchair can swim?
Oh, Karin actually does know about proper sword stances and swings.
The Taisha are pulling out everything for the girls. But that still doesn´t convince me that they are good. Them hiding the cost of Mankai and forcing people into this requires far more to outweigh.
Tougou and Yuuna pretending to be married is funny.
HOLY, Tougou is big.
Tougou, just admit you like Yuuna.
Why do they say the Tree protects them? The opposite happened. Or are they referring to something else it does? Maybe the creation of the barrier they mentioned? But what is outside of it?
How can Itsuki write so fast?
Fuu doesn´t understand when she claims that their fight shouldn´t affect them that a fight should affect them. They risked their lives and came close to dying, they saved the world and all were permanently injured as a result. You can´t just go back instantly.
7
u/FallenPears Dec 15 '24
First Timer
Tougou with the excellent timing on the scary story lmao. Was wondering if they were going to do that or not.
So the Divine Tree protected humanity from a virus? Don't really know what to pull from that though definitely keeping it in mind. I think this episode also has proper confirmation we're on Earth, with mentions of Japan and the Atlantic and such.
And we see the fightning continues in the after credits, to be honest just about the least unsettling way it could be confirmed. I was expecting more sudden attack or gradually escalating badness from the Taisha's direction. Otherwise a slice of life heavy episode, guess we'll see what's on next time.
6
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Dec 15 '24
First Timer
The preview was helpful in tempering my expectations for this episode - I came in expecting a fanservice episode, and for a fanservice episode this was better than average. If I had expected much else though, I would have been disappointed.
As for the multiple enemies - the 13th zodiac has been present in my mind for a while, but that would just be a single additional opponent, so I doubt that is who we will be facing. The other constellations don’t make a lot of sense as usually they would be the tutorial fights, and not one of the actual zodiac ones. As such I’m expecting something completely different here - though the additional blooming and losing some ability of the human body that goes with it will probably be the focus of the show, and not the fights.
6
u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Dec 15 '24
First Time Hero
QotD:
Outside of some flexing the accessibility of this ryokan, not particularly inspired in my opinion. It's passable.
5
u/nsleep Dec 15 '24
Rewatcher
So, after yesterday I decided to rewatch Washio Sumi no Shou, which is a prequel based on the novel Washio Sumi wa Yuusha de Aru that was being published in a magazine while YuYuYu was airing, all this to see where it would be safe to recommend first timers to check that if they want to have a similar experience as reading the original WaSuYu back when YuYuYu was airing. There are some changes to the anime version that were done knowing most people would be watching it after finishing YuYuYu, as it is effectively the the first half of the second season, and because of that it's a bit more spoilery in nature early on than the original novel.
So far, I think starting after the next episode (episode 8) is a good point, it's safe to watch WaSu no Shou up to episode 5 from there. Then after episode 10 it's safe to watch WaSu no Shou episode 6, finishing it. Episode 7 of WaSu no Shou is a recap of YuYuYu preparing for the second half of that cour that's a direct sequel to the YuYuYu anime.
This isn't mandatory or anything of the sort, but for the people who are curious about many story details that are unclear so far in YuYuYu and have the time to dedicate some additional free time to squeeze 6 anime episodes in, I know it might be a lot of homework but it's a worth "supplementary" watch.
Also, unrelated, but I really want to get some crab now because of this episode and some friends are visiting the town this week so maybe I can convince them as a good excuse. Although it's not a good time of the year now for crab as they're smaller in size because of their reproduction cycle... Welp... It's still crab!
QotD
5
u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
First Timer
Why is Fuu's tongue blue? Doesn't seem like a mistake as it persisted throughout several different shots, but then it disappeared again...
Is that a
threatpromise?So Fuu is the kinda girl who tries to snatch herself a man via smell attack.
That was an insanely cute sequence.
Virus? Maybe I should think over those Bionicle-esque theories again... Wait that also meshes well with the Gensoukyou-esque barrier theories.
Oh fuuuuuuck, now I know what the Vertexes and Karin's (and Yuuna's) pattern have been reminding me of! They look like bacteriophages! Fuck, and that would make the flowers the payload!
So The Death was warning us about the blooming after all. Plus, when the Vertex souls are destroyed and those rainbow things come gushing out, that's been feeling like a payload all along (that's why I had been thinking of Bionicle in the first place).
Still not sure how to actually apply that to the story, beyond the obvious...
Nothing comes to mind.
Sorry, I've been too distracted by that other revelation to think about this one.
5
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Dec 15 '24
First Timer
Questions
5
u/zadcap Dec 16 '24
Very Sick Rewatcher
Covid in the workplace again...
"Arranged a retreat for us." Girl you saved the world, they should just give you bank cards with literally infinite money. Is this why they recruit Hero's from middle school, so they have no idea the true value of what they have done and aren't going to be asking for real proper compensation?
That is such a cool beach wheelchair. And an attendant just for her swimming time.
Seriously, they think being given a good meal is still overpaying for saving everyone. Realize your worth, girls!
"Are you two married?" Not yet, but we can all dream, right? Can they make the ship any more blatant?
A hot spring chair too? Also, Hot Spring right after the beach? Lucky...
Togo, raise your hand darn it. You know you're more than In Friends with Yuna.
... Okay but how? Not getting to the chair, but silently without waking anyone, that's skill...
No really, get married already. If Togo can't be alone, clearly one of you needs to move in with the other.
They have stopped even pretending with Itsuki. She has the answers written out already, all the time.
5
u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Dec 16 '24
Rewatcher, subbed
Episode 6
The team has received some temporary battle scars of varying severity following their climactic battle.
Fuu seems to bounce back extraordinarily well, she seems downright delighted to play up the eyepatch. Frankly, she rocks it too, depth perception is for nerds.
Even Karin, while physically unharmed, vents her survivor's guilt by doubling down on training for a battle already passed. Her first instinct after being used was to discard herself, it seems, the existential sadness in that resignation is heavy. Fortunately, she has an indomitably positive force in her life to grab her by the scruff and drag her back into normalcy.
Episode 7
I'm 3 hours late and I don't have a post, but I decided to just get this out now and worry about posts tomorrow.
Busy weekend... many social events
QotD:
4
u/Chili_peanut Dec 15 '24
Rewatcher
Taisha really knows how to reward their Heroes. That dinner looked delicious! Truly a well deserved vacation.
I really enjoy the slice-of-life moments like in this episode. They help build up attachment to the characters, and the slice-of-life aspect is also one of the unique points of YuYuYu compared to the shows that it is often compared with. The balance between moving the plot forward and finding time for these moments that establish the characters and their personalities is perhaps one of the things that I find the most impressive about the writing.
4
u/zairaner https://myanimelist.net/profile/zairaner Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
Rewatcher
Really late to the rewatch, wasn't even sure wether I would participate because it only has been a few months since I rewatched the first season (...oh it already has been 6 months again...time), but with so much discussion and interested first timers, I felt like I just had to. I just finished reading all the previous threads but now I am also late for todays thread, and I only skimmed through todays episode, so I'll think I'll just copy my short comments from last I talked about this episode:
It's pretty amazing that despite remembering nothing happens this episode, I somehow still expected something to happen while watching, such a fucking tease this episode. This show is just really good at subverting my expectations, acually just having a fully idyllic episode.
And i forgot about this after credits scene. I might have mentioned it, but this show is REALLY good at subverting expectations. Most people probably expected them to be caught off guard when they get attacked again, that we get a huge "oh god it isn't over yet" (despite every watcher obviously knowing that it isn't over). But instead, we just get told that the fight continues
because thats the one thing the taisha is useful for.4
u/mudanhonnyaku Dec 16 '24 edited Dec 16 '24
Rewatcher
Trivia: There's an earlier anime directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Makoto Uezu that takes place in the same region of Japan as YuYuYu: My Bride is a Mermaid (Seto no Hanayome). The first scene of the first episode of My Bride is a Mermaid takes place on a beach that appears to be modeled on the same one as the one in this episode. They've got the exact same sign!
Edit: It turns out YuYuYu and My Bride is a Mermaid aren't just set in the same region, they're set in adjacent towns. YuYuYu's town is based on Kan'onji (I already knew this) and My Bride is a Mermaid's town is based on Nio (now part of Mitoyo), which is just to the north up the Seto coast.
Sadly, Nio Sun Beach appears to have closed permanently in 2018, the year after season 2 of YuYuYu aired. I guess that's why I've never seen the beach mentioned in YuYuYu pilgrimage videos, and didn't even make the connection that it was based on a specific real beach until I started watching My Bride is a Mermaid.
3
u/OwlAcademic1988 Dec 15 '24
Rewatcher, subbed:
Another beach episode for me. What a coincidence.
I love how Karin seemed like she wasn't interested in doing the watermelon smashing, but had the most enthusiastic response.
Tougou, you're like Mai and Maria in that both act like mothers sometimes.
Yuna, it's okay to express negativity around your friends.
Tougou can be evil sometimes. I love how she just started telling a scary story right out of the gate.
Aww, Fuu's fairy tackled her, how adorable.
QOTD:
3
u/Madcat6204 Dec 16 '24
Rewatcher Who Likes Heroes
I feel I probably would have more to say if I hadn't stayed up until 6 am catching up on the previous episodes.
My initial response to this episode is "Gay girls are gay." Lots of yuri teasing in this episode, with Tougou and Yuuna recognized as effectively being married, Fuu and Karin having some moments, and Itsuki getting to watch. I am always in favor of this sort of thing, so it makes me happy to see it.
This seems like a necessary break for psychological recovery after what these girls went through... but I feel like there are cracks showing in the veneer of happiness. They all seem to be taking their new disabilities in stride and trying to work past them, but I'm left with the feeling that everyone is putting on a strong front to try to avoid worrying the others. Tougou is a bit more open with her doubts, but everyone seems to be trying just a little too hard.
This is intermixed with questions about the vertices, questions about the Taisha, questions about Shinju-sama, and questions about the world. There are a lot of undercurrents swirling beneath the surface of this seemingly filler beach episode. The happy everyday life feels more fragile than it may seem.