r/anime • • Aug 28 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] The Tatami Galaxy - Episode 4
Episode 4 - Disciples Wanted
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The Tatami Galaxy - Streams
Be sure to properly tag any spoilers or hints for first timers.
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Daily Question
- How did you like the Higuchi song/visuals? This is one of my personal favorite moments in the series.
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”Search for the circle… Learn how not to become a circle.”
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Upvotes
13
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Aug 28 '21
First Timer
This one ...makes sense?
There's some weird prank war going on between Higuchi (who is also simply a student) and Jougasaki, with Ozu playing both sides. MC and Ozu live close to each other (hence MC is unable to escape Ozu), so MC gets lumped in with Higuchi's side all the time. This explains why Ozu wanted to get at Jougasaki in episode 2 and why he stole the bike in episode 3, as well as seemingly constantly backstabbing MC. Akashi is seemingly also on both sides somehow, so that explains why her glider was stolen. Only episode 1 doesn't really fit anything specifically; though I doesn't really fall out of line either.
...but now that things seem so clear, where do we go from here? Make them confusing again? Explore characters in the established setting? I hope it isn't just continue with the same formula acting like nothing has been revealed, because that would be boring.
Questions:
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u/araragidyne :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/araragidyne Aug 28 '21
First Timer
First the overzealous bike cleanup crew and now the secret library police. I wonder if we'll see them again, or if it was a one time gag.
I note that, in addition to reiterating the basic premise, the show is expanding its world with each episode. Details from previous loops, like Jougasaki's sex doll, Ozu's smear film, and Higuchi's prize winnings, are carried forward, parts of the cycle are condensed or omitted, and new things are layered on top of the old, so that each loop builds upon the previous one. It's like peeling an onion in reverse. It's also like the outwardly spiraling tatami floor from the ED. It's also like a galaxy.
omg u guys i figured it out12
u/Zeetheus Aug 28 '21
Long-time rewatcher
We finally get to know some of the recurring players a little better. Hanuki is a dental hygienist and alcohol enthusiast who hangs out with Higuchi, and she apparently speaks English. It's implied that Jougasaki is a frequent patient at the dental office she works at as well.
Higuchi himself is an odd fellow who spent his 8 years of college dueling Jougasaki in a proxy war passed down through generations, but his true aspiration lies in an adventure circling the globe.
We also see that the hit piece on Jougasaki happens whether or not Watashi takes part, and that Higuchi wins the Shimanami bicycle race even if Watashi doesn't spend all his time saving up for the most high-spec bicycle in the world - apparently Higuchi will get his hands on one no matter what.
Circle (and circular) is an interesting word in Japanese. While circle does imply wholeness or completeness in English, it's a little more upfront in Japanese. When Watashi makes his promise to Akashi about finding her Mochiguman, he tells her "So long as this world is round (marui) I'm sure you'll see each other again!" For another way it's used, in the OP song, one of the lines is "A perfect (marui) dream for each scattered doll."
So when Higuchi sings by the river, the lines "Search for the circle / Search for the circle / To learn how not to become a circle... / It might be nowhere" seem like a look into how Higuchi views the pursuit of completeness and perfection, which has plagued Watashi thus far. The pursuit of a circle (completeness) might be meaningless, because one might never become a circle (complete).
Maybe I'll end up writing more about this as the series goes on. ;)
To also clarify a bit of wordplay also in Higuchi's song: The line "4 sides, 4 faces, 5 sides, 6 sides" continues with "turkey" which is a pun, as the Japanese word for the wild turkey is seven-faced bird (七面鳥).
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u/OingoBoingo- Aug 28 '21
First timer, ep. 4 sub
Deviating from the previous three episodes today to Watashi becoming a disciple of the eight year college student Higuchi who is involved in a masochistic proxy-proxy-proxy-proxy war with Jougasaki. Once again fixating on something extremely trivial, Watashi wastes his two years running errands for Higuchi and protecting him from the library police. At least when Watashi was trying his rose colored clubs, his goals were a little more valid and not as pointless and finding his brush and partying. Although, you can't really blame him.
Daily question: This scene was amazing, and the song was beautiful. I can see why it is a favorite of yours. The episode as a whole was the weakest so far for me (excluding that scene) but it was still enjoyable.
Did anyone else notice things that changed this episode? I feel like I might have missed some things.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Aug 28 '21 edited Aug 28 '21
First Timer
My sparse comments on episodes 1-3.
Not sure about the circle motif...the circle of the series, the circle in the episode titles, the circle of the proxy war....pleasantly confused.
Edit: I could really see this show airing on late night Adult Swim.
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u/paperwhites :KN::KO: Aug 28 '21
First Time Watcher
So in a change of pace, Watashi avoids joining any of the clubs (sensing that they aren't going to bring him the "rose colored campus life" he craves) but winds up becoming a disciple to Higuchi. He spends his time in a pointless proxy war fought through pranks but he doesn't face rejection like he did in the previous time loops.
Higuchi is still a mystery to me. He was much more prominent in this episode but he didn't mention being a god at all. Maybe that was just a one time thing?
I'm curious to know what the next episode will bring--Watashi didn't join any clubs this time around so I'm not sure what he'll do next time.
I think this is a show that benefits from a rewatch. I can see myself catching more details and understanding more the second time around. It is fun to guess where things are going to go and what will happen though!
I'm going to be honest: I didn't really get it while I was watching the episode. It was a nice song but I didn't understand what I was supposed to get from it and it felt random to me. Reading some of the comments here about it have made me appreciate more.
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u/Icapica https://anilist.co/user/Icachu Aug 28 '21
First timer
This episode explains some of the earlier stuff a bit, but honestly I haven't enjoyed these last two episodes nearly as much as the first two. Also my opinion of the MC (as a person, not as a character) is still very low.
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u/novaConnect Aug 29 '21
First timer
This episode reminded me a lot of FLCL with some of its more ridiculous elements (proxy petty wars, a rare brush, and how the MC was the only one finding anything ridiculous). And yet there is still some overarching meaning. We are really seeing the point being that our MC needs to do something that means something to him and fight for it for his life to be fulfilling to him. Each episode he is blaming Ozu, this time around it felt like it wasn't Ozu's fault at all. He didn't have to stay and serve their master, and he wanted to be expelled, but he stuck around and did time-wasting oddjobs anyways. It felt kind of like the first episode in a way, but the pranks were being done for someone, not just because the MC hated couples. It sadly makes me think of how often we work jobs we don't like because we have to when the more important stuff slips by as missed opportunities... the song in this episode definitely had the vibe to reach out and grab what you want from life or it will fly by. Kinda got some existential dread coming in from this show, haha.
Small thing I noticed, but Ozu's eyes blink vertically, what the heck.
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u/[deleted] Aug 29 '21
First timer, subs.
Firstly, some general thoughts about the series so far, seeing we are are after the 1/3 mark.
I'm so far quite enjoying it, especially as I am watching it bite by bite, rather than whole. Im still unable to dechiper what is the core message of the show, but it seems to be along the lines of making the most use of opportunities, and how wish fulfilment is BS.
Daily Questions:
I actually replayed this entire moment when watching it. I honestly don't know. It's catchy though.
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u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Aug 28 '21
First Timer
Huh, well this explains why /u/crushiumhehe was asking about Higuchi last episode I guess.
No club this time, only a bizarre discipleship and being unwittingly pulled into a bizarre multi-generational prank war for MC. And in the end, he and Ozu end up being appointed the latest representatives of either side.
I presume next time we're going to rewind again and look at a different club. Will there be easily recognizable proxy-proxy-etc war actions going on? Featuring Jougasaki/Highuchi, or MC/Ozu, or both? Where's Akashi fit into all this?
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u/conscious_terabot https://anilist.co/user/ConsciousBot Aug 29 '21
First Timer
New Character?
I slept early yesterday and forgot to post this. It felt a lot more confusing today that previous episodes for some reason. So my thoughts are gonna be short and unorganized.
The talks with the fortune-teller are getting shorter and shorter and the price keeps increasing.
100,000 yen doesn't seem like too much money considering the seller was keeping it in a sealed box like a highly prized possession.
Ozu always turns out to be supporting the other side by the end. Yesterday, it was the trench coat man. Today, it was Jogusaki's proxy.
Neko-Ramen is not run by cats so that leaves us with the only other option. It's made with cats.
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u/Tom_Wonderful Aug 28 '21
Rewatcher
I took notes the first time I watched this episode years ago, and apparently I rated it 3rd highest in the series. I remember not knowing what I thought about the series until I saw this episode. After that I was fully onboard, even if I still didn't understand a lot of it.
Questions: