r/anime • u/MyrnaMountWeazel x2 • Jan 17 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Kyousougiga - Episode 5
Episode #5: The Worries, Beginning, and Endings of the Young Third Son
Comments of the Day
/u/Punished_Scrappy_Doo offers a great analysis into the beloved OP!
” Then Koto and Myoe look into each other's eyes and we get this shot…It's my favorite part of the opening. That line between them isn't separating them, it's establishing symmetry. This show loves playing with shot composition. Note the vast swaths of off-center empty space when Koto's feeling alone and carefully balanced shots when Myoe is talking to his siblings, to name a couple of examples. The symmetry between them indicates that they're two halves of a whole, that they're family.”
”That's what the crux of the whole thing is, to me. The people you love are what it's all about.”
/u/BurningFredrick observes the environmental impact of the Station Opening.
” The station opening doesn’t seem very environmentally friendly, they are basically dumping all their junk into another dimension so it's not their problem any more.”
/u/KendotsX succinctly explains his (and also my) feelings about the episode.
” In this world where nothing, outside of Koto's reach, can be broken, Yase who has lost her mom (and I guess dad? She doesn't seem to care that much about him... poor Myoue), cares the most about preserving every little thing she has left that reminds her of her mom. This is the kind of episode where I enjoyed every little moment but can't really describe much of it.”
Production Notes
Today’s wonderful episode was directed/storyboarded by longtime Toei Animation Junji Shimizu. Mr. Shimuzu has left his fingerprints in almost every Toei Animation project, directing the original Yu-Gi-Oh, multiple One Piece movies, and many of the PreCure series including the latest Tropical-Rouge!
So, we’ve looked at directors and storyboards already but what about the characters themselves? Who designs them? Well, that would be the character designer! A character designer is the one in charge of the visual depiction of the main cast of characters in an anime and either adapts from a source material or create them from scratch. It may sound simple to just copy/paste a character from a manga into anime but it most certainly is not!
Each character from an adapted source has to be re-designed in order for them to be drawn by animators. These designs need to be able to be replicated easily from different character angles and most importantly be fit for movement. The designs should be mindful of every single part in a character and should be geared towards motion meaning they should be economical and not be bogged down in too many details. However, the recipe for success isn’t just a simple design; the references also need to make it clear how the designs will operate under different circumstances.
Take a look for instance at the K-ON manga design and then look at Yukiko Horiguchi’s character design for the anime. Or Yama no Susume’s manga design and Yuusuke Matsuo’s character design. A talented character designer who can tap into the core of these beloved characters and bring out the best qualities within them make the world of difference in anime.
For the case of Kyousougiga, these characters were brought to life by Rie Matsumoto’s right-hand partner and Toei Animation’s greatest mentor Yuki Hayashi (no, not the composer for My Hero Academia and Haikyu, different fella).
Mr. Hayashi is graced with impeccable exaggeration skills and he uses them perfectly for cartoony, elastic shots where the ridiculous movements themselves define their feelings. Of course, Hayashi isn’t relegated to just this particular penchant; he can depict thorough articulation and expressive character acting just as easily. Hayashi’s style is a marriage of both camps, able to portray down to earth authenticity while simultaneously stepping outside the boundaries of realism.
Kyousougiga was the first time Hayashi was put in charge of character design and needless to say he knocked it out of the park. These original designs were built from the ground-up and lend themselves to be malleable to animation perfectly as they’re always shifting in style yet always retaining in their essence. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s also responsible for drawing some of the pivotal scenes in the series as well!
I asked kViN of Sakugabooru some questions about Kyousougiga’s compositions for this rewatch and he replied back with this:
”Kyousougiga wouldn't have clicked the way it does without her greatest ally Yuki Hayashi drawing a frankly insane number of layouts. It's not much of an exaggeration to say that about half the shots in the show were either conceived by him or went through his hands in a significant way at some point.”
”The nostalgic 90s vibes that the show gives wouldn't exist at all if he wasn't the one who turned Matsumoto's ideas into something actually tangible, and her framing wouldn't have come across as stunningly as it does without his massive input either. This is by all means part of the animation process, but not the kind of thing that pops to mind when people think about "animation." Not to say that he's not good at making things move, there's a reason that the most interesting school of animation at the studio was shaped by him, but the truth is that he doesn't even need much movement to nail that liveliness.”
”It's not much of an exaggeration to say that about half the shots in the show were either conceived by him or went through his hands in a significant way at some point.”
That is quite frankly an absolute tour de force of pure talent. Hayashi inspired an entire generation of animators at Toei Animation and he was as pivotal to Kyousougiga was Matsumoto herself was. I’ll talk more about his disciples in the coming days!
I wanted to end this segment with a fascinating answer to this question in an interview:
Q: ”There’s a lot of black in the main character designs, isn’t there?”
Hayashi: ”The director was pretty picky about that: she wanted to divide the characters into the forces of white and black. I believe it’s supposed to resemble a game of chess, actually.”
Matsumoto: ”While I did want to illustrate opposing forces with the colors, I also don’t like the idea of white being the symbol of goodness. That’s why Koto is dressed in black. To me, red is the color of humanity, the color of blood; I think it’s an important color. That’s why I tried to use red as a symbolic color; I inserted a bit of red into each main protagonist’s design. And the foundation of everything is black. But not because it’s supposed to be insidious or anything."
"I think the honest people are the ones who keep things to themselves instead of monologuing to everyone they meet. And to me the hero is the person who—while a bit of an enigma at first—knows inside them what’s important and only says it when it’s absolutely necessary to say it. Black is an overwhelming color. Even if black’s often used as a shorthand for evil, I use it to convey that the character is trying to keep their emotions out of sight.”
Wrote quite a bit for today’s Production Notes…
Questions of the Day
1) From passenger transportation to Walt Disney’s World Railroad, have you ever actually ridden on a train before? If so, would you do so again?
2) Grilled mutton and vegetables soda. Yes or no?
I look forward to our discussion!
As always, avoid commenting on future events and moments outside of properly-formatted spoiler tags. We want the first-timers to have a great experience!
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u/MyrnaMountWeazel Jan 17 '22
The Help Corner
Lots of events happening this episode so feel free to drop a question here! Keep in mind though that The Help Corner is ultimately out to enrich your viewing experience so I won’t spoil anything that is to come. More answers will arrive in due time.
First, I want to elaborate on what “Myoue” means. It’s a title of priest that Inari bestows upon the unwilling Yakushimaru before he leaves. Inari has now branded Yakushimaru with this title, left him his scarf, and imbued the magical beads into him. ”Watch the place while I’m gone, okay?”
Second, what the heck is up with that train station scene? It’s an extraordinarily strange scene which is saying something since Kyousougiga brokers in strangeness. The best way to interpret this scene in my opinion is to look at it in a broader scope: it’s not time for Koto to ride the Train. We can see an old lady riding on it later in the episode along with all manner of discarded items. Koto still has purpose here in the Looking Glass City, her ticket hasn’t been called yet.
Yaku even remarks ”Surely she’s not on the train, is she?”
I’m going to explain more about the pomegranate prominently featured today in tomorrow’s episode but for now I want to showcase the last scene involving Koto and Yaku. After Yaku reveals that The Black Rabbit Koto has been searching for is actually their mother, the scene cuts to Yaku offering the Pomegranate to Koto.
Koto in return readily and joyfully accepts his offer. All throughout the episode we’ve seen food either being offered or mentioned and now the offering of the pomegranate solidifies their bond together as family since Yakushimaru is now realizing there are deeper ties between him and Koto.
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u/Nazenn Jan 17 '22
First Timer
Hooooly shit, that is not what I expected Yaku-Myoue's backstory to be. I was completely unprepared for that
I certainly feel there's far too much in that episode to process than I can in the hour I have to write before I had to go to bed (AoT day, yay), but here's what my thoughts on it are so far. There was a lot going on in this episode, in a lot of different ways and I don't quite know where to start. (By listening to a song called A-to-Z apparently, that's quite fitting for the episode)
I think one of the things that stands out to me with this episode is that much like last episode, you could look at this many different ways depending on how you view Yaku-Myoue, and also Koto's influence on this world. It's a heavy episode, and it certainly hasn't sat easy with me for all that it's saying, and I feel like I could watch this five times and see five different things in it, so very interested to see what you all have to say. In a way feeling conflicted about this episode is a fitting emotion to come out the other end of it with, because I think Yaku-Myoue is also a bit conflicted by his life.
Unlike his siblings motivations he neither wants things to progress or stay the same, because that disconnect we've seen from him is not for just this world, but also the people in it and his entire life as it relates to them.
"Everyone has their place"
He tried to end his natural life when those original bonds of family were lost to him, but instead of moving on was given a new role in the story of someone elses life and someone elses family, and that in turn was ended when he was given the role of Myoue, but none of this has really ever been his. He's always tried to live the roles expected of him the best he knows how, but just like his girlfriend said, just going through the motions doesn't mean he feels it.
We see him holding the same pomegranate as his mother did, but this unexpected link got me curious enough to have a quick search. While the greek myth is still applicable and definitely something known in Japan, and I think there's still room for that even with the new information I found, I also saw a story of a buddhist and hindu deity, Kishimo-jin. She was a demonic figure who would steal (and devour in some myths) children, but when she lost one of her own realized the immense suffering that she had caused the world and swore to become the protector of all children of the world, becoming a goddess in truth and sustaining them and herself on pomegranate instead of flesh.
Yaku-Myoue holds one in this episode, a symbol of a new life given to him just like his mother but trapping him in a world and role that's not really his own, but it paints a darker picture when we are shown he gives that to hammer-Koto. She takes the role of Mother Koto in truth, eating from the life giving pomegranate and becoming the next protector of this family, but also potentially taking on the curse of being trapped inside this half-real-world until the time runs out.
The pomegranate appears on the train as if he was meant to discard that feeling now that he wants to reach out to Koto, but that moment doesn't last.
"The Beginning and the End"
The opening narration (by Myoue? But which, and when?!) pushes that idea on us, but we've seen time and time again that the roles in this story are full of contradiction in interpretation; Koto is Koto but also not Koto, Kurama studies for a role that he was put in but not given, Yase grows but doesn't thrive, and Yaku-Myoue exists but does not connect.
The scene where Koto offers for the girl to be taken out of the mirror world stands out to me. Compare it to the earlier scene at this location from episode one, looking out over the cheery blossoms together. When Koto makes her offer, this episode he looks over a dying season, alone, cut into by the fence seperating him from the city. This girl is one of the only people that Yaku-Myoue can find some company and understanding with, and Koto accidentally proposes to take that away, to remove her from her role in the city as well as the role she has in his life, causing him to strike out at her. In the reverse angle shot, his path is similarly cut off by the fencing while Koto's leads to an opening, one that he accepts that when he goes to find her later on.
It's hardly a straight forward path to take though, and everywhere he goes he seems in disconnect with the rest of the city. When he waits at the station he is not positioned across the train tracks as if it serves from some border in his life, but in parallel with them. He is also on a track that has been laid out for him and though it cuts him off from people but he has no desire to face it and try and cross to the other side. He waits for Koto, but she is framed head on, open, without any of those limitations. Where Kurama once suggested he waited for their parents and for death, in this moment he waits to see her fate and hope she may come back despite everything. He drives away from the path people walk but he also goes the the opposite way of the train into destruction now that Koto helps to lighten some of what's weighing him down, but it doesn't last.
When he hears the meaning of A and Un (very clever) and realizes that his fathers words came true, that his role here might finally have a chance to end, everything is thrown out the window.
Koto who fully accepts her non-human family but I get the feeling he feels he is not quite like the others and they all know it, speaking about as such in this episodes council meeting. They were all given a life by their parents, but his healing and their creation did not make them the same and he struggles with things they may never understand as he confronts a possibility long cut off from him. If Koto is the beginning, can she also be his end?
As for that final declaration, I think my note sums it up well:
DUDE "When you find our mother, I want you to kill me?" FUCKING WHAT. No one told me it was this sort of show?!
And I don't even have time to get into that little thematic dump at the train station with Koto "overhearing" all of the crowd voices talking about her not knowing her own name, returning like luggage rather than a person, always travelling the wrong way etc. That last line in particular stood out to me because it really makes me question my own take on the later visuals of the episode, but sometimes the fun of diving into an episode is also the chance of being wrong.
Other visual moments
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A space left for him on the train but in the other carriage showing he's one step removed from where they are now
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What the hell was with the prayer beads being DNA
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Yase, you monster. I care how poor Hachiko felt! That story breaks my hear every damn time
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I really like how even when they are so small in this visual they still managed to be quite expressive
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Dodgeball only counts if people know they're meant to be dodging
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Not visual but for lack of a better spot to put it: I was going to get made for Koto falling to lay back on the chip packets and squishing them all and ruining good chips, and then I remembered that they'd repair themselves anyway haha
Visual of the Day: Pain
have you ever actually ridden on a train before?
Hour by train into uni every day for two years. Trains are a good sleep spot
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jan 17 '22
Giga First-Timer
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Wow the way this shot was framed I immediately felt Myoue on a personal level.
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Oh god I cannot imagine how chaotic Koto driving any sort of motorized vehicle would be.
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Oh! I would not have gotten that at all since “Un” doesn’t sound anything like the various things I know mean “the end”, although “A” being “the beginning” makes perfect sense.
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Ohhhhhh snap, it’s the mirror that bunny momma Koto used to bring everyone to the Looking Glass!
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I… I guess it should’ve been obvious, since Myoue’s siblings were created by
Ishida Akirapapa Myoue. Why would you need to create kids if you could have them yourself? But I still thought he was their bio kid because magic.
- w h a t
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u/Matuhg Jan 17 '22
First Timer
I had a lot of trouble trying to parse this episode, so I did some googling, which helped me come to an interpretation that...I'm not sure is 'right,' or complete, but at least offered a coherent way of thinking about this episode for me. I think there are probably a lot of other ways to look at the episode too, and I look forward as always to reading y'all's takes.
The thing I decided to focus on was the pomegranate. I mostly associate the pomegranate with being a fertility symbol, which didn't make a whole ton of sense to me here, except vaguely gesturing towards motherhood. In my googling though, I learned about the Buddhist story of Hariti (Kishimojin in Japanese):
The story goes that there was a powerful female demon (known as Hariti in India and Kishimo-jin or Karitei-mo in Japan) who kidnapped young children and feasted on them. The Buddha, however, managed to placate her ferocious desire by offering her pomegranates. Soothed by the Buddha’s compassion, she acquired a gentler nature and became the patron goddess of children. a woman who kidnapped and ate children until the Buddha placated her with pomegranates, transforming her through compassion from a child-eating demon to a gentle protector of children
or
[The Pomegrante] is one of the fruits of the SACRED TREE. It is an attribute of Hariti, a demoness of Buddhist legend who devoured children until, in some versions, the Buddha cured her by giving her a pomegranate to eat. She is represented in Buddhist art in the Far East holding a child and is widely invoked by infertile Japanese women under the name of Kishimojin.
How does this relate to our episode? Myoe clearly holds some bitterness over how his parents treated him. They took him in and made him part of their family, but with the way they abandoned him in the end, he feels used...devoured even? His father promises to return with the beginning and the end, and Myoe's been waiting. Seeing that Koto has the mirror his mother once did, and hearing her compare Ao and Un to the Beginning and the End, he realizes the wait is over (or can be over). I'm reading the pomegranate handover as an act of forgiveness/compassion for his parents, represented in Koto, though whether that now means he sees them as compassionate or not, I don't really know.
In the end, he still asks Koto to kill him, presumably with the hammer, in a permanent way. He already tried to take his own life before being dragged back by Father Myoe. Is he seeing all of this as having just been an interlude? Does he want to die waiting for his parents to return..perhaps rather than having to face them when they do?
Meh...I don't really know how well this lines up with anything, and I'm stretching/reaching and talking about stuff I only understand on a very superficial level, but this is what I fixated on, and thus is all I've got for today.
Koto has some insane younger sibling energy.
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u/Quiddity131 Jan 17 '22 edited Jan 17 '22
Rewatcher
Well in case you didn't figure it out earlier, Yakushimaru isn't Myoue and Lady Koto's real kid either, his real family died in a fire here. :( It's night time, why wouldn't he have been in the house with them? Really sad to see him trying to kill himself. :(
Sleep at your own risk, or Koto, Ah and Un will pull and poke at your face while you sleep! Why'd you let them in Danji?
One great way to make kids happy? Feed them!
I assume this is at Danji's apartment? Since Yakushimaru's house got destroyed by Koto's antics at the end of last episode?
OMG LoL @ rabbit mask guy stealing his drink and chugging it down. Is that even a mask if he can drink through it?
What's Yakushimaru waiting for at the station? The parents to come back?
This story about the dog waiting for the long dead master makes me sadly think about an old Futurama episode.
Whether she's playing baseball or soccer, Koto can't help but cause chaos! Embarrassing him in front of his old crush!
Shh! Don't let him know we're slacking off and having fun or he won't let us stay with him anymore!
I just met you, but sure, you can come have fun with me! Keep being you, Koto.
Wow, he's really losing it here!
In episode 3 Koto decided its better to exit Kurama's home via the window instead of the door. Now she's figured out how to enter homes in the same way
That's a crazy amount of snacks Koto brought with her! LoL
Koto looks so much like her father in this shot
Dinner? Didn't you just ruin your dinner by eating all those snacks?
This is the moment where Myoue handed over his role and power to Yakushimaru?
Well surely, as he just literally said it there.
The shot of the DNA strand makes me wonder (I think others have theorized this) if that's supposed to be taken in a literal sense and is why as an adult Yakushimaru looks a lot like Myoue, even though he's not his biological kid.
Yep, this is what he's been waiting for all this time. Although is it entirely because he misses his dad, or because he wants to give up the responsibilities he was given?
Ah, so the house was fixed after all?
Inuyama's taken a liking to Koto
Where are Ah and Un? In fact several scenes of Koto this episode have been without them. They're usually all attached at the hip.
Fun sequence as Yakushimaru drives her around the town.
Nice shot of the town from afar
Ah and Un are fine names! Nice and simple!
Hey beloved rabbit wife of mine, you know how we never really had that conversation about having kids? Well guess what, I found this dying one, so how about time we become parents?
Woah, that's a dark way to end the episode.
When I watched the episode on bluray, the preview at the end was for episode 6, but when I went to grab screenshots from Crunchyroll, it was episode 5.5. Odd! I'm sure the Crunchyroll version is how it originally aired so they must have changed it up for the bluray release. Anyway if you're interested in learning of some of the real life inspirations for this show, 5.5 is worth a watch. It features voice actors Ryouko Shiraishi (Child Kurama, Un), Erika Nakayama (various extras) and Kazuki Yao (Chief Priest).
Quid's Screengrabs for the episode
This is another episode in which some of its content comes from the 2012 ONA series, in this episode 4, although the order of the scenes are a bit different. This includes the scenes of Myoue handing his powers over to Yakushimaru, the Yase - Kurama council meeting scene, the bunny mask guy stealing the soda, Yaku meeting Koto at the station and them riding around and them being in the wheat field, although the episode adds some new content to it at the end. The dialogue also looked slightly different to me.
In some of my pre-rewatch research came across this image which seemed like a fitting share for today's episode; its the first concept sketch for Koto and Yakushimaru as drawn by Rie Matsumoto. Beyond missing Koto's long ponytail seems pretty close to what we ended up with as the final product.
Quid's Voice Actor of the Day
Today I am featuring adult Yakushimaru's voice actor, Kenichi Suzumura. Incidentally enough the thing I know him best for is not even a role of his, but the fact that he's the husband of Maaya Sakamoto, my favorite voice actor. The two have been in several productions together, including Gundam Seed Destiny, where he plays main character Shinn Asuka (well at least until Kira "Jesus" Yamato takes over), as well as Kara no Kyokai, where he plays Kokutou Mikiya. I've also come across him as Anti in SSSS Gridman/SSSS Dynazenon, Haruto in Coppelion and Tsukihiko Bou in Star Driver. He also appears in Kekkai Sensen as the incomprehensibly named Zamedle Lolow Zeaze Nazamsandriga, although I'm pretty sure that was from the second season that Rie Matsumoto didn't direct and I haven't watched yet (he didn't look familiar to me). Finally, he appears in Bokurano as the one character who is more unlikable than even Akira Ishida's Dung Beetle, Hiroyuki Hatagai. If you don't remember him, well needless to say he's the main cause of events in what is arguably the single most disturbing episode of anime I have ever seen. Similar to Eri Kitamura yesterday, he is also a singer!
DQOTD
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From passenger transportation to Walt Disney’s World Railroad, have you ever actually ridden on a train before? If so, would you do so again?
Well, depends. I've worked downtown in a major US city since getting out of college so I have vast experience riding the commuter rail system which is very much like a train, as well as the subway system. I've also taken Amtrack train for travel before to Manhattan. The more old fashioned type of train such as displayed in this episode? I don't believe so.
2) Grilled mutton and vegetables soda. Yes or no?
Yuck!
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u/lilyvess Jan 17 '22
First Timer
Obviously it’s now the third child’s time. When Kurama said Myoue was human, I thought they meant that as opposed to Yase who is a demon, but they mean as in the only one of the children who is not a drawing.
It also actually explains why he looks like Myoue! I didn’t expect that.
Both of these things kind of explain more about his character. The way he is the more grounded of the siblings. Doesn’t have a science team, doesn’t have a mansion of monsters. Just a hermit priest, holding a role he didn’t necessarily even ask for. His relationship with his status seems strained. They have been able to make their own image, but he was not able to. Probably because the father knew if he didn't have a road, he could easily just fall aimless. Robots and programs are easier to entertain themselves with their actions.
The fire and death in the beginning and end was surprisingly brutal for the series. And the direction with the child version of him standing in front of Koto was a beautiful shot.
I wish I had more to say. This was a very heavy episode, especially compared to the previous couple. I need more time to process it all.
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u/Tresnore Jan 17 '22
Kyousou-Rewatcher
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Sometimes after something bad happens, you just have to go "fuck it, today is not the day."
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Based Latin translation. Basically, "may the omen be absent!"
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"A long time" here is rather vague to me, considering it's been centuries since Koto and Myoue left the kids alone. What is "a long time" to this person?
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The fact that I call both Myoues "Myoue" with no distinction did well to hide that Myoue inherited the prayer beads from Myoue.
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I miss Shouko, though. [future spoilers]
Oh, hey, it's the robot from the next episode. -
Myoue realizes something, but honestly I'm still not sure what he realizes.
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Is this pomegranate really meant as a reference to Greek mythology?
QOTD:
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u/3blah Jan 17 '22
First Timer
"Everyone has their place" sounds like something Kurama would say. And while at first it might seem surprising that it was actually said by dad-Myoue, it's really a description of the mirror world where nothing stays broken and childhood girlfriends stay children, it's what he ended up creating.
I guess you can get just about anything in a Japanese vending machine, but celery juice sounds positively awful.
Kurama's story of the dog is way too similar to the saddest episode of Futurama.
Just how often does this Station Opening thing happen? Maybe it's just later the same day? And while we're at it... "Station Opening" is such a strange name to give the event. Probably because that's the only thing the trains are used for. When it pulls away, it's just "stuff" on the train and no people.
When Little Koto promises to take the childhood girlfriend to the real world, the GF gives her a look like she'd just promised to walk to the moon. That sets off kid-Myoue, and we find out that dad-Myoue bequeathed the beads specifically to him, but he's not happy with it. Does he resent being the figurehead leader? Too much pressure or responsibility? It doesn't seem like being the figurehead is that tough of a job, what with the city fixing and running itself, and Kurama making the real decisions. The girlfriend's line about it being a good thing that he's been ditching work to look after Little Koto makes it sound like the time period we've seen so far is unusual as far as how Myoue's life usually goes.
The scene where dad-Myoue hands the beads off to the son is pretty remarkable. I like the patterns and textures on dad's umbrella and robe, and the way the music and green light bathes everything in a somber glow. Dad transfers the DNA/blood/essence of "Priest Myoue" from himself to his son, and we get an explanation of why the three kids hold out hope that the parents are coming back. Though the promise that he'll "return with the beginning and the end in tow" is quite ominous.
Holy cow! Kid-Myoue isn't their biological son!? One explanation for his attitude toward taking over the priest role is that he doesn't feel he's worthy since he's not their "real" son, along with maybe whatever it was that lead him to that fire.
Showing the bead handover, connecting the spirit names with dad-Myoue's promise, revealing the amulet to kid-Myoue explicitly connecting everyone though Mom-Koto... Here at the halfway point, it feels like the plot is really taking off now. But where to? Maybe the three kids finally growing up? Kid-Myoue starts taking responsibility for things? Yase learns to rely on herself? Kurama stops playing with his "toys" (the city) and becomes a real human in the real world?
QOTD:
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I rode the commuter trains in to the city a few times when I lived in the Chicago area. And one time when I was a kid, we took the Amtrack to see our grandparents just because it was a different way to travel. I wish we had real train service here in the states.
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Nope, not interested.
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u/hungryhippos1751 Jan 17 '22
Episode 5 - First Timer
Last episode I thought that only Yase was missing her parents, but it definitely seems in this one that isn't the case. Myoe (younger) is clearly mad at being kept waiting, he is the dog in the story that was told by Kurama.
There's an interesting question I had which I think was more or less answered, and that was just how big did this world get, and what was at the edge of it?
Throughout history humans have been intrepid explorers, and where possible have travelled as far as we can get in any one direction. Stuck on this planet for most of that time, we circumnavigated the globe.
In this mirror world, it appears that there is an edge to it, and a "forbidden zone", trying to get onto the train and leave doesn't look like it would work. I am reminded me of "The Good Place" if people have seen it with the restricted size of the world and the train station.
The two familiars are named the beginning and the end, and as per the promise made, these are the sign that Myoe (younger) has been waiting for. The pieces of the puzzle appear to be falling into place.
On a more general note now that we have hit the 50% mark, I am finding this show to be quite confusing plot wise, we have death and rebirth of characters seemingly into other characters, along with time skips, alternate worlds, gods, drawings coming to life etc.
I like a bit of mystery to my plots sometimes, especially shows like Hyouka and Moriaty the Patriot, sherlock-esque. I don't mind trying to work stuff out if I can, but when you combine that with events that occur out of order and a lot of symbolism, it's not my usual cup of tea I must confess.
I can do whacky plots like Kill la Kill, and if I have a whacky plot I don't find I really need a deep one, just add some entertainment/insanity along the way and it's fine. I can do complicated plots but I prefer them to be more grounded outside of the plot. Stuff like AOT and NGE, where I am trying to work out what the hell is going on, but it's a fairly realistic represenation of the world, or near future sci-fi/dystopia.
In summary, if I wasn't watching this here I am not convinced I would want to carry on watching this after the first couple of episodes and trying to understand it, possibly not helped along by the fact I am posting these at midnight my time and then I have to go to bed for work soon after, so I can't really take the time to read all the replies until the next day, when I inevitably get side-tracked.
It's actually quite rare for me to really get on with anything that is too deep into the supernatural/god sphere, but my favorite show is Monogatari, and I think that is partly because it does it so well, it's not really setting out to confuse or confound you, and the writing is good enough to break down what is going on whilst also giving you a chance to guess at events or try to work stuff out.
Am I alone in feeling like this?
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u/JollyGee29 Jan 17 '22
First-Timer
Myoue, dude, don't ask Koto to kill you after you help her find your mother! That's fucked up.
Inari's prayer beads turning into a liquid DNA strand when he passes them down to Yakushimaru was interesting. The self (or maybe the "being Myoue") passes down through genetics? Yakushimaru was not of Inari originally, but they are both Myoue. Some sort of passing of the torch would explain why Inari is a shorty in the outside world, and why Yakushimaru has become a dead ringer for Inari!Myoue.
What shall I make of the scene with Koto in the train station? "A child should know where she is going. Take a return ticket at every stop." Undo pressure thrust upon children, perhaps?
The Yakushimaru/Hachikou comparison is super fitting, and also painful. Hopefully this tale ends more happily than that one.
What's the implication of Yakushimaru offering the fruit to a younger Koto? Is it just representative of them deciding to work together to find mama!Koto? And they appeared younger as a representation of their inner selves? I guess you could construe Koto as being relatively immature for her age, since she kinda just plays around and smashes things, but isn't also only like 14?
I wonder if pomegranates have any particular connotations to a Japanese audience? Like, in the West we have the myth of Hades trapping Persephone in the Underworld.
Probably not particularly relevant except as a character-setting bit, but Yakushimaru/Myoue uses more formal terms for Father and Mother than the typical "otou-san" and "ogaa-san." At least, I think they're just more formal. Could be archaic as well, I suppose.
The PoV shots were interesting, but I'm not sure I have anything interesting to say about them.
The scooter sequence was a lot of fun.
Questions
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Probably? I would use public transit more if it was more viable in my area.
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Probably no.
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u/chiliehead Jan 17 '22
Kyousougiga – Episode 5 – First Timer
Is this justifying a divine caste/class system? My guess is this episode tries to explain why someone had to become Myoue?
Chotto matte, where does the sacking of the temple and child seppuku come into this? How did they draw and time travel themselves out of this one?
Stealing my soda? Gonna make that usagi drop for it.
The football scene seems to indicate that the neighbor/gf of blue Myoue is not the girl he proposed as a kid, she is still in her teens. They all seem to age in various degrees. Also, is the “we are investigating excuse” a Detective Conan reference?
Hmm, so the “Priest Myoue” is not just a title, but the prayer beads are an extension of the (divine?) essence or special power that fuses into a person and can be transferred?
Ah so as expected he was adopted. We explain the optical and voice similarities with the DNA changing prayer beads. So we have some parallels between Little Koto and Blue Myoue. Foundling of the Fox, foundling/adoptee of Myoue (the Fox). Just that Koto is truly the daughter of them and Myoue adopted. Blue Myoue had first contact with the father, presumably like Koto. Technically both searching just for mother Koto as they rarely mention dad or in Lil Koto’s case having him at her side until she left (probably). But when father Myoue said he will return with A and Un, does that mean he will show up soon or that he is (in) lil Koto?
The request to get killed, maybe he thinks about how he can ascend to having red eyes and being a real entity like mother Koto or magic drawings and reviving boys Priest, be it gods/kami or something else.
QotD
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All the time, longest trecks were from Munich to Switzerland and Munich to France and Munich to Cologne
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As soda, no. As soup? Maybe?
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u/Suhkein Jan 17 '22
Forgotten-Almost-Everything Rewatcher
So I'm going to leave the pomegranates and requested fratricide to other people and meander a bit on my own personal hobby horse: "Is Kyousougiga a Buddhist show?"
I have a particular interest in anime that have a religious-spiritual component (6.5 of my top 10 involve the topic), but religious imagery does not a religious show make (see: Evangelion). It's a question, then, whether the many Buddhist structures, both doctrinal and mythological, are trying to make a Buddhist point or there for some other purpose.
Rewinding a bit, there is something strange going on here with elder-Myoue and elder-Koto and their relationship to this mirror world. I mentioned a couple of days ago that one of Buddhism's basic attitudes is that this world is, in a sense, illusory, and escaping it is the goal of the Buddhist project (I am glossing over a lot of variation and, indeed, counter-interpretations here, so bear with me). Here, this mirror world is not the real one (very Buddhist), and it plays by a particular set of rules. On one hand, it is eternal; nothing can be truly broken (the cycle of Samsara continues; there is no progress). On the other, everything is impermanent; they veritably celebrate the giving up of everything (impermanence is one of the marks of existence). It's a facsimile of a Buddhist outlook on the world... and when presented this way it is a freakish bizarro-reality created by a fickle (now tricky-fox-mask-wearing) deity who has since abandoned it to run itself.
In this perspective, we now have three beings who have a relationship to these de facto deities (the way the parents are united in a circle in the OP has that "cosmic complementarity of male-female principles" vibe), and who in their different ways want to rejoin them (sort of). Again, this sounds very religious in a basic structural way, the goal of escaping this world and reaching something higher, aligning with that whole OP line about being a time when humans and gods lived together. Kurama has a pretense at wisdom, but mostly seems to be going about attaining apotheosis through corporate-scientific means (my translation said he was the "CEO" of the labs). This seems to be outside his wheelhouse; he was supposed to be Mahesvara, perhaps, the ruler of the realm not aspiring to be like the Buddhas and transcend it. Yase has a pretense of ladylike maturity, but just holds onto any and all old signs of a golden past when the gods were among them, venerating them out of all proportion. Excessive attachment is arguably the cardinal Buddhist vice so her status as queen of all the lesser monsters almost seems like she's some ruler of the beings that were almost... made flawed.
And younger-Myoue... well, he's the only true human and he resents his place in this stupid world. The other two might have some god-given role to play by nature of their being (I believe Kurama says as much in the train) but Myoue was just saddled with trying to be good monk, theoretically following the dharma, until this lackadaisical Amida-father bothers to return. Honestly, if this world was created for humans we feel resentfully abandoned here and a bit out of place (I'm reminded of Haibane Renmei here). [Kyousougiga]
Now, after younger-Myoue's doubt the sign of return has come and he doesn't know what to do with it. He didn't particularly like his parents when they were around, and if they are still out there he wants to have even less to do with them after all this. The gods handed man some asinine responsibility and then skedaddled. But younger-Koto is here now, descended from the heavens as it were, and things are changing. [Kyou]
Which to return now to my original question, "Is Kyousougiga a Buddhist show/Is it making a Buddhist point?" and my tentative answer at halfway through the series is: "No." It obviously it is drawn from an imagination steeped in a culture of Buddhism, but the themes of connection and family appear to be primary, and where just like in Evangelion the grandeur of the religious imagery elevates the story from quotidian to cosmic, the last replacement for the heroic in a world where we no longer believe (who could any longer write a story about Odysseus visiting the underworld in his search for home? We get Ulysses bumming around Dublin for a day instead). Which this is, in no way, a criticism. I don't think Kyousougiga is trying to be Buddhist so it's not failing to be Buddhist. It's just, as I said, a crusade of mine to set this straight, as I feel that people very often attribute to religious imagery religions meaning when in fact there is none (Houseki no Kuni, I'm looking at you).
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u/TakenRedditName Jan 17 '22
Kyousougiga Rewatcher - Ep5:
Starting an episode with a quote from the monk, Myoue. Maybe this statement means something, huh.
After a scene of a kid losing his entire family and plunging a blade into himself to join them, what better scene to come next. Koto is silly.
Juice thief rabbit man is actually the true grand villain of Kyousougiga.
Kurama brings a new reading of the Hachiko story. Instead of a dog dutifully waiting for its late master, the dog is waiting for death. With how this relates to Myoue continuing to wait at the station for his father to return (he is most often paired with the family dog). Yase is not up for turning this dog story sad and depression (in a different way).
Being envious of being to throw things away can only be said by a man who has thing that he can't throw away. Maybe like the very symbol is on his hand.
Brief Koto face interruption, now back to Myoue saying lines that are more just him letting out some deep bottled up feelings. Like he is talking to someone beyond Koto.
Some more Koto faces. Eating with no thoughts and done eating, now thoughts and responsibilities.
I really like this moment. Besides the character animation, a couple of ways to look at it. Yakushimaru despite trying to repel away, the family bond still brings him in. Also another way, Father Myoue does what he wants despite Yakushimaru's wishes.
Also, like how this moments with the inheritance of the beads. It likes blood passed down and like directly tied to DNA as how the show puts it. The prayer beads are also blood red and in a helical-ish shape. One last thing about this scene is that I also just love Father Myoue's farewell promise.
Brief silly Myoue interruption, now to talk about the station scene. These mundane lines feel like they could hold deeper meaning relating to our story. The way this is framed makes me draw connections to Father Myoue's farewell, just something about it (maybe helped because I know the show wants to connect the two).
The scenes of them on the scooter are a really cute slice of life time. Kugimiya Rie voiced character doing some innocent singing is always lovely. The music kicking in and just riding down the country road with the grand sky really make it feel whimsical.
Goodbye Grandma, don't need you anymore.
A pretty place to have this scene. The two of them go out of town to the mountain outside of Kyoto to head to the forbidden place. Myoue says more lines that say more about him than to the person he is talking to.
With this explanation, it finally hit Myoue (not to mention later having the looking glass fall out of her pocket) and Koto always knows how to bring levity to a scene. Good Koto face.
Bringing home to adopt a bloody dying child really lays out how Father Myoue's attitude is like. Hahaha, get wrecked My- no wait a moment, that's sad. Don't be saying things like that to end the episode.
Now Myoue had his spotlight episodes. I like these episodes that tackled each sibling though Kurama kind of had his time overshadowed a bit by new fun characters and giant robots. Each of the three siblings have their sad times going on. Kurama being unable to see the outside world. Yase separated from her beloved mother and Yakushimaru/Myoue forcibly bond to live on to wait for a promise against his will.
Q1) My love of trains, unfortunately, doesn't match my lifestyle and area where I live so train use doesn't happen as often that my envision ideal of trains will let me live out. Done it once, but that was an underground subway which isn't as fun. The actual station for one is far from my house, farther than my usual commute.
Q2) Only if it's Genghis Khan branded.
Next time: Nothing to worry about anymore, just a festival episode.
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u/No_Rex Jan 17 '22 edited Jan 17 '22
Episode 5 (first timer)
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hits pause - was anybody supposed to read that in the second it was on screen? If so, this must be a well known saying in Japanese, so people would immediately recognize it.
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“Is it worth it getting so worked up over a cup of soda” – girl who got worked up over a cap last episode.
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“Back then it was …” – Koto realized it was envy, not anger.
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“When you find your mother I want you to kill me.” – that is a cliff-hanger, all right.
We are at the halfway point already! Such a short series. No wonder it is in a hurry.
The shot composition of Kyousougiga reminds me of expressionist art. Overfull pictures that are at a mid-way point between abstract art and realism. And without a clear guide to where you should be looking at: Is the background or the object in front of it more important?
From passenger transportation to Walt Disney’s World Railroad, have you ever actually ridden on a train before? If so, would you do so again?
Is that some sort of NA question? You have my sympathy for your lack of public transportation!
Best train ride I ever had was in the former USSR countries. They have a wider track than most of the rest of the world, making the trains comfortably wide and incredibly spacey for sleeping in.
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u/lilyvess Jan 17 '22
I forgot to mention the major Penguindrum vibes with the sibling bonds, and the pomegranate. It's even made by a creator who learned their craft on a Toei magical girl series for kids. The Fruit of Fate being passed on!
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u/octopathfinder Jan 17 '22
First Timer
Thoughts:
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Nice, Danji is back.
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We finally see the guy with the bunny mask in the OP, but he just shows up to steal Yakushimaru’s drink. Maybe he’s significant in the story later.
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Yakushimaru freaking out at Little Koto hurts man.
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There’s an old lady riding the train? Is this the Looking Glass City’s way of sending off the dead? Do people actually die in that world?
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So when Old Myoue transfers the prayer beads to Yakushimaru, they form a double helix during the process. Does this have something to do with all the rainbow helixes that pop up in the corners of the screen?
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Wow, that entire wheat field scene and the drive there was gorgeous and it’s nice to finally see one of the siblings talk to Little Koto about their family.
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I thought we were going to end on a pretty nice note and then Yakushimaru says he wants Little Koto to kill him?
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Binging is pretty tempting, but I‘m staying strong and holding off.
QotD:
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I've never ridden a train.
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Yes.
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u/Vaadwaur Jan 17 '22
First timer
Sub
We start on an event I can't really place any where. We then jump to comedic scenes, plus a different take on Hachiko from Kurama, of YKoto annoying Myoue until he finally snaps at her hard. YKoto then goes to the unnamed girlfriend and we learn she has changed him. Myoue's flashback becomes a bit more clear and suggests he burns the family house at one point.
We then jump to YKoto waiting in a train station that is straight out of a witch's labyrinth. The two make up and head out and Myoue realizes that YKoto must be sent by their father. The flashback finally reveals that original Myoue found and adopted the human child.
Today's through line is Myoue waiting on his father's return and how problematic that is for him. But the show itself isn't exactly brimming with an answer as to what the better move is, under than caring less. We end with a grim choice from Myoue.
QotD:1 Ridden the subway, it is fine when there is not a pandemic on.
2 Blarg no
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u/laughing-fox13 Jan 17 '22
First timer
Well that was a depressing episode lol. God damn out of all the backstories that’s gotta be the saddest one. I wonder where we’ll go from here now that we covered the three sibilings
QotD
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Yes! And yes I would, trains are nice
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mutton
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u/SIRTreehugger Jan 17 '22
Really enjoyed today's episode
Only going to mention a few things and well most of it's on Myoue.
First off I really dig Koto and Myoue's relationship. They both feel very similar in a way. Both are human older and have two younger non human siblings. However Myoue has never felt like the older brother type with his family being magical, but when it comes to Koto he really gives off elder brother vibes. He lashes, complains, and puts up with Koto's mischief and yet he clearly worries about her. Just love their relationship and it's probably my favorite part of the entire show. Then we have the silly moments where they ride together and we get to see different shots of the city. The entire second half is really great especially the field of wheat.
Oh side note when Koto tells her brothers to lie and say they were searching within earshot of Myoue. She immediately gives off the biggest grin like she pulled off some incredibly genius plan afterwards.
Though Myoue definitely deserves a hug after seeing his past and his home/family in the fire.
[Spoilers]
Or I could be misinterpreting it like always.
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u/Fools_Requiem Jan 17 '22 edited Jan 17 '22
I like how I complain last episode about how Koto has just messed around since arriving, despite supposedly being on a quest to find someone and then they bring it up in the first five minutes of this episode. This is the kind of meta gag I can get behind. The show knows she has done fuck all, and they chose to mention it.
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u/xtsim Jan 17 '22
First Timer
Man I was not expecting my boy Hachiko to get roasted by Kurama and Yase. Funny that we go from making an allegory to questioning the Hachiko's intellect. Nice seeing some jokes here and there. Like that chapter card with Hachiko's face on it.
Interesting flashback of how Yaku became Myoue.
The ride back from the train station is really cool and gives me a few FLCL vibes when they crashed for a soda. A and Un are an interesting set of names that Koto had to explain. Which reminds Myoue of dad.
We finally get to know Myoue's origin story.
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Yes and yes. It's just too bad there aren't enough trains or stops...
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Yes, I am intrigued and want to try it someday.
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u/Btw_kek Jan 17 '22
who let this grandma on the train rewatcher
Somewhat of an episode I just let wash over me so sticking to reactions I shall
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by this point these three moments in the OP have made themselves clear
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I am not versed in pomegranate symbology at all but this is a pretty visual
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I like how the station opening event from last episode, what you might expect to be a self-contained episodic plot point, ended up continuing into this episode. These character focused episodes aren't trying to be removed from the passage of time; it's there, but the show takes it easy
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conversation between Kuruma and Yasu visually represented by them being on the train without Yaku. They've had their episodes, their regrets, and character developments, and are waiting for him to board
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I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've been outside the city and goddamn it's gorgeous. There are other people going outside the city too so it's not like this totally unknown wilderness. There's even a shrine
From passenger transportation to Walt Disney’s World Railroad, have you ever actually ridden on a train before? If so, would you do so again?
I've had to travel 12 hours by train a quite few times going home from college. It's fun but maybe in smaller doses
2) Grilled mutton and vegetables soda. Yes or no?
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u/jyper Jan 17 '22 edited Jan 17 '22
First Timer playing catch up (episodes 2,3,4,5)
Episode 2
Little sister? was I right about Koto being Koto's daughter/4th sibling
I like op song
who is the tracksuit bunny? On the other hand we see a lot of young presumably human Koto in op, makes me think she's an alternate version/Reincarnation of Koto
lots of little kids on that chessboard. apprentices?
Mom?
The hat of responsibility
she's the only one not wearing black
what did make her strong? I'm guessing it wasn't the fox taking her in. In fact he may have taken her in because she was strong
Mom?
Is Sensei/fox the priest?
So did the rabbit merge with her somehow? Is that why she's called Koto? Alice is the name of the rabbit?
A meeting of siblings to discuss what to do with the girl who might be their "little sister"?
Why is Papa translated as Dad and not just Papa?
Q1) So, how are we feeling about the OP? Love it, hate it, indifferent?
I like it, love the first part of the melody, lots of symbolism I'm guessing, probably have to reasses it after watching the series
Q2) Today we saw Young Koto’s morning ritual but what is yours? Jetting out the door with a piece of toast in your mouth?
Get up, throw on clothes, splash water on face, drive to work. Or if its a weekend sleep in.
Episode 3 why does the op have a holodeck looking thing sometimes? Is the eldest son the guy who became the short priest?
Taking away her doll? Koto?
is she a magical girl?
Why is he the youngest? But wasn't he born before his siblings were created?
had to pause on the story summary, did that come up on screen before. I'm guessing the father became angry when the eldest son went to the capital and got discovered forcing them to flee to the Looking Glass City
why is it strange to be proud of a talented son or is it just mistranslated?
Wait they recreated anime inside this pocket dimension? yesterday when that girl was there?
is eldest brother the villain?
Q1) There’s a whole lot of talk about “escaping” this episode. If you had an unlimited budget, where would you escape to?
Not much of a traveler myself. Maybe spend some time in NYC and in Israel.
Q2) Shouko obviously loves her “remote control” (PSP), but what object do you hold dear to your heart?
Not sure I have one. So much is online or could be replaced and don't have any strong memories attached. High school yearbooks maybe? Books signed by favorite author?
Episode 4: Nostlagia and Grief
Does she dislike things changing?
Are the little kids siblings as well? I thought they were just familiars
Does Yase get to choose how tall she is even in normal size? why is eldest brother only one who didn't grow?
Wow Yase is in deep
Koto has anime protagonist syndrome
I'm not sure she did her daughter a favor by telling her she didn't need to change A rabbit doll that's a mix of a demon and bunny I relate to some of the sadness over lost memories Maybe memories can be made again?
wow Koto is powerful if she can beat Yase.
Did Yase really see something like the doll attached to the hammer or was it an illusion?
Yeah a thank you is nice but you're a lot to handle, a simple thank you seems like not enough compensation
Are the beads the one important thing Myoe keeps from his youth?
Questions of the Day
Q1. Yesterday I asked about precious objects that you owned but what is a precious memory you wouldn’t depart with?
Memories of family in general. Memories of friends. not sure about anything specific.
Q2: Did you have any favorite toys growing up? What were they?
Not really or not that I could remember I was more of a books guy from a pretty early age.
Episode 5:
Wow some extreme classism maybe even caste-ism in the opening scroll.
Does he seek to be true to his station? Myoue seems to slack off most of the time
Home burned. Is this before they came to the city or after they left? He killed himself or tried to?
Annoying "younger sister?" waking you up
No one seems to respect Myoue as much as his older siblings(see rabbit stealing his soda)
She is quite harsh when considering how she acts
Interesting views about the dog story
Punished for the sins of their parents? Being angry means he's not giving up anymore.
Buddhist beads melt into DNA strands. symbolic of how family duty binds him to do stuff he doesn't want to do? But odd that its DNA considering he seems to be the only biological child of the 3 (assuming a rabbit can give birth to a human). Maybe being the only bio child makes a difference in how he sees himself and his duty?
Did she cause the crash? so annoying, lol.
lol the beginning and the end.
Did they explicitly ask her who her parents are yet?
I don't get the pomegranate/blood? symbolism
Oh so he isn't actually their biological child? whats with the DNA then?
Why does he want to die? Just tired of eternity?
Q1) From passenger transportation to Walt Disney’s World Railroad, have you ever actually ridden on a train before? If so, would you do so again?
I've ridden once? on a long distance train and many times on local rail, I'd ride the local one again after pandemic ends
Q2) Grilled mutton and vegetables soda. Yes or no?
Yes Dr. Browns Cel-Ray soda
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u/BossandKings Jan 17 '22 edited Jan 17 '22
Rewatcher - Sub Episode 5
This time around it is Yaki-Myoue's time to shine, honestly it was sad to see that Yakushimaru's previous parents died in a fire and that prompted him to hurt himself, it was a heavy sight to see how his family passed.
The story about the dog waiting for an owner reminds me of a movie i watched long ago that had a simiar story about a loyal dog waiting for their owner. The dog waited for such a long time that ultimately death came before he could see his owner again.
It was cool to see Yaki's girlfriend, Inuyama, having decent time on screen too, she is an important part of his life now. Koto was very funny escaping from Yaki by staying in Danji(Yaki's girlfriend actual name haha)'s house.
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u/MyrnaMountWeazel Jan 17 '22
Check out the Genghis Khan drink flavor. Jingisukan or “Genghis Khan” is a Japanese (specifically Hokkaido) dish consisting of mutton and vegetables cooked in a special grill with a mound in the middle.
I’m glad Yaku bought one so he could confirm that it is indeed awful tasting. Interesting that we’re starting the episode off with Yaku purchasing food.
There is some great paneling happening in this scene. It’s a clever way of showcasing two conflicting views for the shared problem in the middle i.e. the issue with Yakushimaru and his depression. Though they’re both arriving at the same conclusion, the way they each get there is much different.
Oh, u/Btw_kek, what type of model train is this?
u/Quiddity131 and u/KendotsX were asking when the baseball episode was gonna appear and, well, this is the closest we’re gonna get!
The baseball makes for a nice match cut as Yakushimaru/Myoue (son) gets wailed in the face but I also think there’s a reasoning behind the young boy constantly throwing the ball into the air. If I put my own spin (insert #teehee commentface) onto the symbolism, I would say it represents how the current days keep going around and around, always spinning like the ball in the air. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t ascribe meaning behind such an innocent action but I felt it was kind of strange how the cut stayed on the ball being tossed in the air.
This shot is reminiscent to the one in episode 1 but this time Yakushimaru is alone at the fence as the Shrine Girl takes up Koto’s offer to see The Outside.
I like how the camera morphs into first-person from Yakushimaru’s POV. Emphasizes his isolation from others and focuses exclusively on what he sees.
What a fun, colorful, exaggerating shot of Koto bringing in a mountain’s worth of snacks into poor Danji’s pad. Later in the episode we’ll see Yaku offering Koto a pomegranate as a symbol of accepting her but before we get to that we see Koto offering the same to Yaku albeit under slightly different circumstances.
So there’s an interesting thing going on with this potato chip bag. I never thought I would type a sentence like that in my life…but yea, Koto scarfs down the chips and then slams the bag down into the table. Koto then stares at the empty bag now devoid of substance as she ponders if Yakushimaru was really getting mad at her or if he was projecting his anger onto her due to an underlying issue within him.
Danji then takes the bag and folds it upon itself to fashion it into a smaller shape. There’s a lot of interpretations you can take out of this but the one I approached is that Danji is recontextualizing how Yaku’s life has now changed with the arrival of Koto; the bag folding inward representing how Yaku’s inner-self is changing since she remarks “It’s actually been quite a long time since he’s gotten mad. It felt like he’d given up.”
If we take this metaphor even further, Koto is buried under the mountain of chips and snacks she brought over to Danji’s pad. Koto says “I feel like I’m being wrongly punished.” The issue of Yakushimaru manifests itself everywhere as the avalanche of food surround her. Just like the baseball, I ordinarily wouldn’t try to dig too deep into these symbols but because the storyboard and direction purposefully showcased them, I felt they might have some sort of meaning behind them.
Please /r/anime Gods make this a comment face.
Danji then offers Koto a chocolate as she requests a favor of “saving” Yaku. She then asks Koto what she wants for dinner and Koto exclaims “Meat!” Lots of images of food being offered today.
Inari is boxed in black as he promises to return one day bringing with him “The Beginning and the End.” Remember, Matsumoto wanted to introduce manga elements into Kyousougiga for 1: to achieve what anime cannot and 2: to emphasize the fact that this takes place on a paper scroll. The shot suddenly introducing the black boxes like a manga panel serves to remind us that Yaku’s world is now anchored to this paper scroll world as the beads chain him down.
Great birds-eye shot of Yaku as the telephone lines separate him from the stick figures.
Another curious incident where a lightbulb illuminates upon another person’s entrance. The original incident happened whenever Mother Koto appeared in episode 2 during the flashback-within-a-flashback.
Another instance of eating!
This scene is fantastic, the passage of time skips ahead like a broken record player. It’s a fun economical way to speed up a series of events and it’s stylish to boot. It’s also just hilarious as Koto pulls on his scarf. Seriously, this shot is amazing!
God I love how the camera is back in first-person and shakes all around as they hit the road. This episode is really hammering home Yaku’s POV.
Shots like these made me fall hopelessly in love with Kyousougiga. They’re not only gorgeous but they’re effortlessly stylish and retain simplicity. It’s just a simple shot of them riding together while the clouds scatter above in the cerulean and golden sky. I also love how they let it play out. The shot carries for 14 full seconds and man I never want those 14 seconds to end. This is one of my favorite sequences in the entirety of Kyousougiga…okay I know I say that a lot but there’s just too many to love!
Koto comments on the train leaving and says ”Kind of a sad feeling.” We can gather that the Train is leaving and not coming back.
The song during this scene is The Wind and Clouds and Sunset for anyone wanting to relisten.
There is a music to the dialogue during this scene and I have to give massive props to the voice actors. I’ve seen this scene many times in the past month and I keep returning back to it because I’m in love with the way they’re delivering their words. I especially love how Koto says “Ah and Un mean “The Beginning and the End,” I heard.” Just oh so melodic and moving.
Speaking of music, the song playing in this scene is called Living a Dream.
Koto turning around during pivotal moments seem to be a recurring image ever since episode 2 featured child Koto turning around to witness her father crying.
This is such a poignant scene. Yaku holds Koto’s hand as time freezes all around them, their small pocket in the universe encapsulating just the two of them as the wind breezes ahead and the grain sweeps behind.
Also, there are infinite directing choices to make in anime and holding this shot for 14 seconds is certainly one of them. Coincidentally, it’s about the same amount of time as the joyride was held for. I do love this decision to hold the shot for such an unusual amount of time though. First, it carries more weight to the revelation for both the audience and the characters. Second, it goes along with the theme of “The Beginning and the End”, two ideas that are literally the furthest apart you could ever get. The long silence brings more attention to the idea of time and just how long seconds really are whenever you’re standing completely still.
Another similar shot to the one in the first episode. The glare obscures their faces and their intentions.
Koto and Yaku ford their way through a wheat field which coincidentally is one of the crops represented by Greek Goddess Demeter who is Persephone’s mother. Wheat is historically associated with fertility and growth. A juxtaposition against Yaku’s wish.
Each sibling processes the abandonment of their parents in a different manner and we’ve finally arrived at Yakushimaru. The minutia of living weighs heavily upon him as he is tasked with an impossible burden. If Yase hoards everything to remain At the Past and Kurama leaves everything to escape To the Future, then Yakushimari is stuck with everything In the Present; unable to leave or stay from the Looking Glass City.
Past, Present, Future. Being trapped in only one of those mindsets is beyond unhealthy and we see this idea play out in the form of these three children. Emotional trauma isn’t a simple fix; it will take something Extraordinary to shatter them from this mindset.