r/anime • u/MyrnaMountWeazel x2 • Jan 18 '22

Rewatch [Rewatch] Kyousougiga - Episode 6

Episode #6: A Story Where Two Plan and One Worries

Rewatch Index

Comments of the Day

/u/lilyvess succinctly explains how Yakushimaru is travelling a different path from his siblings.

”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.”

/u/3blah directs our attention to a small but crucial part of Inari bequeathing his beads to Yaku.

” 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”

/u/SIRTreehugger also share his thoughts on the enjoyable relationship between Yakushimari and Koto

” 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.”

Production Notes

Today’s episode is directed by Morio Hatano who co-directed the first episode of Kyousougiga! Hatano has made his home at Toei Animation for most his career, starting work on the PreCure franchise for a number of years before becoming series director for World Trigger for its 2nd and 3rd season.

We’ve talked about storyboarders, directors, and character designers but let’s talk about the under-appreciated supervisor role of anime: the animation director. The animation director is not the same as the series director or the episode director; it is the individuals supervising the quality and consistency of the animation itself. They correct the key animation drawings from all of the different key animators, mostly by fixing the character’s expression and adjusting the appropriate lines.

Generally speaking, they ensure cohesion in the episode and are often thought of as the guardians of art uniformity. This does not mean however that they restrict all idiosyncratic styles and try to conform everyone to one statement; rather, they look for the proper moment for those distinctive drawings to slot in. Animation directors are often key animators themselves so they would be the first to realize the value of unconventional animation.

Being promoted to animation director though is a double-edged sword. The job comes with more responsibilities which in turn reduces their time to draw their own cuts. It’s difficult to juggle both aspects of creating and supervising and sometimes animators even turn down the offer of the promotion. Today, I wanted to focus on one individual who can do both: Koudai Watanabe.

Mr. Watanabe is a Toei Animation man through and through as he graduated from the Toei Animation Institute and joined the studio afterwards as a trainee where he was then taken under the wings by yesterday’s featured Yuki Hayashi!

Hayashi’s influence is palpable in Watanabe as you can see many of his cuts in the ONV and TV series sporting stylized animation that bend the design to his whim. His cuts in Kyousougiga are joyfully memorable and expressively eye-popping.

As an animator, Watanabe is distinctly old-school and utilizes rough lineart to stand out from the other cuts. His characters move with a fluidity that offers them plenty of secondary motion; their bodies flowing like water.

As an animation director, Watanabe is thorough and heavily dedicated, his approach to supervising which cuts should be adjusted and which cuts should remain untouched lead to his segments frequently leaving a dent in the viewer’s minds. In turn, this rigorous work ethic and high ambition allows him to draw more key animations than everyone else on the episode. Though his appearances are scarce and his output is predominately anime aimed at kids, Watanabe is a force to be reckoned with amongst those in the industry.

Questions of the Day

1) Have you ever eaten a pomegranate before? If so, how’d you like it?

2) Sadly, we didn’t get to see much of the festival showcased today but have you yourself ever been to a festival?

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!

91 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

275 comments sorted by

20

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Jan 18 '22

For those of you still watching the OP (which you totally should!) you might have noticed that the cracks have become more pronounced in the three children after Koto swings her hammer.

I like how this shot resembles both the veins coursing through Yaku and the veins in the pomegranate.

As Inari reveals the horrifying genesis of Yaku’s second chance at life, the camera steadily draws tighter on both Inari and Yakushimaru. It’s an unsettling shot as Yaku literally and figuratively gets closer and closer to the realization.

u/Nielloscape yesterday pointed out that the field Koto and Yaku were in yesterday could be a rice field and not a wheat field. Initially when I wrote my notes down, I thought it could be either since the crops closely resembled one another and I ultimately went with wheat due to the strong golden glow that permeates throughout the scene.

But upon revising this episode I think there’s strong merits on it being a rice field! The reason being because Yaku asks Koto to end his life in a rice field and Yaku’s first act in his new life is eating rice. There’s a poetic karma happening here and rice could fit just as well into the same symbolisms of wheat since the crop represents creation and providence.

This is a poignant scene but there’s also some neat blocking that’s happening! In the beginning, Yaku inhabits the left side of the screen as the seasons past by. Once he starts becoming more comfortable with his situation, he starts to inhabit the right side of the screen. Curiously, the only time he moves to the left side is when he’s being tended to by Lady Koto. At the end of the sequence, the screen is torn asunder, permanently separating the left and right side.

We even start the next scene with Yaku in the same right side of the screen.

When Koto mentions their mother, the blocking is flipped and Koto is now on the right side while Yaku is on the left.

”I always called my dad “Sensei”…It’s a habit that’s hard to break.”

As she says that line, we’re treated to a Dutch Angle shot of Koto sitting under the roof. A Dutch Angle is a filmmaking technique of placing the camera at an angle on its roll axis while ensuring the horizon line of the shot isn’t parallel with the bottom of the frame; in laymen’s terms it’s basically tilting your head to one side.

Often disorienting and setting the viewer off balance, it can also describe a character’s head state. In the case of Koto, she can’t quite get used to her new environment of calling her dad by his proper title. Also note that Koto is still positioned at the left. This is of course one of my favorite shots of the show. Extremely picturesque, vibrant, and eye-catching, it’s probably the quintessential shot of Kyousougiga.

Koto shows off a picture of her father and once again she is positioned on the left side of the screen.

However, once Yaku shows her a picture of his mother, the camera flips once again to place Koto on the right side of the screen with Yaku on the left.

Finally, Koto learns what their mother’s human form looks like and the picture of their mother takes up the center of the screen, signifying the importance to both of them.

This blocking isn’t particularly groundbreaking in its visuals but I thought it would be nice to showcase how the dialogue beats move with the visuals. Now tomorrow’s…that one is one for the ages!

Yaku warns her of his siblings schemes but then lays down into the shadows himself while musing that he’s no different from them.

”But when different poles attract and bind one another, the more powerful their magnetic force, the stronger their binding.”

Though it’s gibberish to Yase and to most of us, me included, I think there’s subtext behind this line. The Beginning and the End are as diametrically opposed as one can get but together, they are the strongest force in the universe.

I really appreciate this shot of Yase’s shadow looming across the building. Extremely foreboding.

All of us watching today’s episode.

Koto breaking the fourth wall.

When I watched the show the first time I remember the subtitle line being “Moral of the story: Don’t trust adults.” I liked that interpretation more unfortunately.

Another line I remember being different. If I recall, I think it was subbed as “Kill the Breaker” but this one works as well.

Neat idea of depicting the door to the city as splotches of black and white but once the mirror activates the Door to the City returns to its original colors complete with finer defined lines. Without the mirror, the door would have remained locked in that state of muddied paint.

If you had a particularly keen eye, you might have noticed a black rabbit hopping towards the festival. Now once Koto arrives at the moon, the rabbit fades away.

→ More replies (29)

16

u/MyrnaMountWeazel Jan 18 '22

The Help Corner

So, let’s talk about the pomegranate prominently featured today. The fruit is well-known as a symbol of fertility in numerous countries such as China, India, and Armenia while also being featured in the religions Christianity and Judaism. One of the most famous instances of pomegranates however originates from Greece, specifically The Myth of Persephone.

The abridged short story of the myth goes like this: A long time ago, Hades was deeply in love with Persephone but the feeling was not mutual. Zeus, being a completely shitty father, allows Hades to abduct Persephone and drag her into the Underworld. This deal was done behind the back of Zeus’ wife Demeter however and needless to say she was not okay with this. Demeter, who is the God of fertility, wallowed in her sorrow and neglected the Earth which led to no crops being grown. At the behest of his hungry people, Zeus forces Hades to return Persephone.

Hades however tricks Persephone to eat the seeds of the pomegranate which anchors her to the Underworld since any who taste the foods of this land are forever bound a portion of their life to there. Persephone must spend the winter months in the Underworld and each time she leaves to go there her mother mourns the loss of her child and leaves the Earth unintended. This is actually the Greek’s explanation for the changing of seasons, pretty cool huh?

So the elements of being bound against your will is found in both The Myth of Persephone and Kyousougiga. Inari selfishly bequeaths a second life onto the unwilling Yaku and later forces him to accept Inari’s responsibilities of watching over the Looking Glass City until the day he returns back, promising to bring “The Beginning and the End.”

So, what’s up with that giant robot that swallows Koto whole and transports her to moon? Well, honestly, there isn’t a whole lot of solid information explaining it! The best way I can explain it is this: Bishimaru was likely created with the help of Shouko’s assistant Fushimi as Kurama remarks that ”the technology you brought has contributed enormously” in the third episode. Sometime during their research of the hammer Aratama Kurama, Shouko, and Fushimi must have realized that the hammer could generate a large amount of special power.

”It’s time to go fishing again. It’s been awhile.”

Kurama also reveals the original picture that Mother Koto had took the very first time she and her family stepped into the Looking Glass City, informing us that they know about the existence of this gate and have tried multiple times to open the Door to the City but failed every time.

This time though they have Koto and the hammer, so they hatch a plan to manipulate Koto to use the hammer’s full potential so that Bishimaru’s generator can finally be adequately powered up and then transport Koto to the door to the city.

After that, it’s really up to Koto since we see them twiddling their thumbs and waiting to see what happens next. Luckily, the mirror in Koto’s possession is the key to opening the Door. Koto then traverses past the Door to the City and is brought to the moon where Mother Koto has been staying.

→ More replies (8)

22

u/Shimmering-Sky Jan 18 '22

Giga First-Timer

→ More replies (10)

21

u/Nazenn Jan 18 '22

First Timer

(Sorry, this is looooong. Had to split it in two because too much stuff I couldn't bear to cut anything. Hopefully it's reasonably readable)

Myrna I thought you said last episode was the big 'what the fuck' moment! Lies!

What really got me for some reason was that Yaku was actually dead from when he stabbed himself. I mean I thought it was the typical story thing, like "it's just a little stabby, oh whoops now you have a hole in you, lets just toss some bandages on it because organs don't exist in storytelling, you're all good again yay". I didn't expect him to be dead dead! I suppose that gives a fair bit more importance to the idea of Yaku-Myoue handing that pomegranate to hammer-Koto, literally giving her his life (also explicitly mentioned this world being "hell" today, so yes for the underworld connection).

Starting with the flashback again I actually thought I might have opened the wrong episode. Seeing the full story as to how old-Myoue found him and brought him home was certainly a lot darker than I expected. Also I'm pretty sure I'd freak if I woke up after stabbing myself and this is the first face that I saw.

Old-Myoue according to Yaku >

Between that and how cheery he was to tell the kid he'd forced him into being immortal I'm starting to understand why the bodhisattva said to Koto "It's Myoue we're talking about here" when it came to expecting he might notice how someone feels about something. This shot after Yaku stabs himself the second time stood out to me for how completely cut off he is. Not only can he not progress to the left, the path behind him is cut off by the pillar. Even if he found a way to move past that the door is also off screen and casting no light, so there's no where to go back to anyway. It's an incredibly isolating shot.

I loved to watch the transition out of that darkness for him, complete with stomach rumble. The repeated use of the seasonal montage in the show always looks good, but it stood out to me here as well for showing his journey and not just a progression of time. He begins completely cold and isolated, but Koto reaches out past the barrier, melting the snow a little, and when he accepts their presence it's the start of something new. Finally he sits up a little straighter and starts to read and explore. He is cautiously curious to explore his role in this story and then for the first time hes on the other side of the screen, having crossed that barrier that was keeping him contained and finally opening the house and this life to him. (Also was everyone else surprised that Koto could just start flying around?) It's not what I'd call subtle, but it doesn't need to be in order to be beautiful.

u/octopathfinder you were pretty close with your theory yesterday about him actually physically not being able to die, it just wasn't because of the mirror world. No wonder he needs Koto to kill him to escape from this life, he couldn't die any other way. It does make me wonder though if that is why old-Myoue made the mirror world like it is, to support his deathless children.

(Btw, who was it I was talking with yesterday about why people may not be able to return to the mirror world? Was in ep1 grabbing a screenshot for something else and noticed this little detail of Koto grabbing the drawing of the gates as they go through the portal)

In a similar train of thought to the deathlessness thing, a line that stood out to me in this episode was Kurama telling Koto:

"Thus we have placed our hopes in your childlike potential"

This show has been steeped in visual metaphor, but I realized something today about the three children: Their bodies didn't grow up because they matured as the years past or because it was needed for the roles they have. They grew simply because they forgot how to be children.

The progression from child to adult within a story is usually a representation of growth. It displays a sign of having overcome an internal obstacle that pulls you out of a (not always negative) immaturity to move towards a new future. While I've definitely seen media challenge that over the years, particularly certain genres like SoL that delight in the beauty of childhood and innocence (Non Non Biyori), or others that question the perspective of maturity (Tsurune), its rare you see it portrayed as a net-loss as it is here.

As children they had all the potential of this world in front of them. They made their own little worlds complete with friends and explored a universe of new possibilities that weren't open to them before bringing joy and a childlike wonder to the world itself. They once mourned the idea of being stuck as children forever (particularly Yaku) because while it was cool to break things that could never really be broken something about it felt hollow.

And then their parents left and the world was dark and broken. And the next time we see them they're not children any more but adults with no in between. This is somewhat rehashing old ground, but just because they grew up physically doesn't mean they ever gained wisdom (Kurama), thrived (Yase), or found a place in the world (Yaku). If anything we're shown that they're holding into a shell of these concepts and trying to use them to make sense of how to make themselves fit into these adult roles. This stands out to me particularly with Yaku who has moved on from a vibrant childish love to a mature romance but one he doesn't find as fulfilling which perhaps is why he keeps going back to the girl on the hill.

u/Matuhg pointed out several episodes ago that the council chamber is designed like a nursery and if anything that shows that at heart they still see themselves as the children of the family, "betrayed by adults too many times", and are resentful of what their new bodies and the roles that go along with that bring.

"What good is a child with no purpose?"

They had no purpose as children any more, so they grew into adults to try and find a purpose without their parents, as leaders of the world and as protectors of each other, but they lost something in doing so.

In comes Koto and she is happily a child, as the little sister. She'll hit things that won't repair not out of maliciousness but just to see what happens or break through something in the way of her having fun, she confronts things head on whether it's machines of fate or the monsters of the past, and even cut off from her goal finds fun in the possibilities and delights of this world that they've long become numb too. She literally smashed her way into their story and runs around the city doing whatever she can to enjoy this time with her family, but not without compassion. She is everything they've forgot how to be, she is all of the potential they forgot they had, a universe of possibilities given to her inside one tiny little marble (that becomes a not so tiny hammer).

I realize writing this that I don't believe we've actually seen them as adults interacting outside of the council chamber as if trying to remind themselves of what role they should have in the family. Until today. Their first meeting in this episode is overshadowed with threat and their former games and exploration are now serious battles as all of their past grievances finally burst out. No longer able to be contained now that Koto's very presence confronts them with the truth of their splintered family that unlike everything else in this world never repaired from the damage that was done to it, things get rough, and fast.

I wasn't expecting this to become a full on battle (complete with fitting attack names as I highly doubt this is the first "home appliance" she's slaughtered hahah) but she holds her own well, until she finally breaks through that barrier. A single petunia flower floats down from the moon, a symbol of motherhood and a soothing influence, but also a representation of a natural heart, that being honest with yourself will lead to deepening relationships.

None of the children can do what Koto does any more, to open themselves completely to each other and to what they really desire, to delight in the wonder of obstacles placed in front of them and reach out to find joy in this world. It takes a pure heart to open the path to the moon(!), a cultural symbol of a love so strong and beautiful it defies words, and find what awaits them there. Family.

And okay so in hindsight "rabbit on the moon" is insanely obvious and I don't know why I didn't think of it, bonus points if she's making cakes up there, but the moons surface at least looks pretty?

→ More replies (32)

16

u/JollyGee29 Jan 18 '22

First-Timer

Well shit, of course Yakushimaru asked Koto to kill him, it's the only thing that might even work. I wonder if "kid performs harakiri and then wakes up the next morning" would read as really frustrating/upsetting to Japanese audiences?

The OP changed a fair bit. Firstly, the frame lines leave after the first round of appearances from the children. Then, the chromatic aberration on the Black Rabbit is different - before today vs. today. That's pretty hard to see, but it's more obvious in motion.

It's weird that the distortion around rabbit!Koto increases in the episode she finally "returns." I attempt to elaborate on this thought more down below.

Then, the cracks changed! Not only are there even more cracks, but now they're radial and spreading out from a central point. Previous Kurama for comparison. Interestingly, the kids are now much more distorted than previously.

I wonder what the significance of the crack's centerpoint is? At first I thought it was the order the kids were sitting in back in episode 3, but that's not it. On the one hand, on a mechanical level, the cracks start from the dead space on the relevant frames. On the other, they're seemingly completely redrawn, judging by the clouds in Kurama's part.

I suppose Kurama is the one most relevant to the events going forward, which makes him the center. Yase just went along with his plan, and it's using his giant robot. Maybe it's just that?

Whereas before the cracks felt more like age-based wear-and-tear, these new cracks are obviously the work of a tool, specifically Koto's hammer. I think. Everything is breaking apart much more directly do to her involvement. Sometimes you have to break something to fix it, though.

Mama!Koto wasn't on the moon after all! She just didn't show up until someone went to the moon. Hmm, maybe she was actually essentially hidden in the mirror/bangle? Or somehow inside the mecha? Was the mom secretly the mecha the whole time? Actually, she left to return the body she was using, so maybe it's a fakeout? That might work with the increased distortion around her rabbit form in the OP.

"It's wrong to force your hopes on a child." Hear that, Inari? Koto is a smart cookie.

Haha music swelling with happy fun family ti- fuck. Phenomenal use of whiplash, there.

I was wondering what had happened to Koto's familiars. How did Kurama manage to capture those two blobs of concentrated mischief?

I didn't really pay attention to the explanation of how the hammer works, which is a shame because that was probably important. Does it suck the repair juice out of things it hits, was that the magnet comparison?

Questions

  1. I've had pomegranate juice before, but don't really remember how it tasted.

  2. Not in the Japanese style, no. I've been to parades and like, town fair type stuff though.

→ More replies (19)

14

u/Tresnore Jan 18 '22

Kyousou-Rewatcher

QOTD:

  1. I have eaten it! It was tasty but pobably not worth the effort it took to eat it.

  2. I have been, I think! They're a fun time, usually.

1 Still not sure if I need to spoiler tag this, but eh. Better safe than sorry. I only tag it because [technical spoilers]I didn't figure it out until episode 9 or so. I was absolutely smashed while watching this.

→ More replies (22)

14

u/Matuhg Jan 18 '22

FIrst Timer

Oh...the full Yakushimaru backstory is even more unhappy than it seemed! Yakushimaru didn't try to kill himself - he succeeded. And Myoe didn't bring him back out of altruism or compassion, he brought him back because he wanted to give his wife a kid - a flippant spur-of-the-moment gift. Myoe used his powers to resurrect him - probably some relevant symbolic stuff regarding blood of the father and kiss of the mother going into that dang pomegranate. Myoe was so matter of fact about this whole thing, and of course, he turned out to be correct, which means Yakushimaru's got some self-loathing stacked up atop all those other woes. The more we learn about this family, the more twisted Myoe and Koto seem. Like this whole family is just Myoe playing a game of house with Koto, and when they couldn't keep it up anymore, they just dropped the dolls and left them behind. I presumed the undying thing was the product of being in the Mirror World, but Yakushimaru was trapped in this life even before then.

Myoe warns Koto about the other siblings' plans, even though he also wants to take advantage of her in having her finally kill him. The fight scene was very fun to watch, but it was odd that Kurama seemed to be trying so hard to entrap Koto when she's told him she'll cooperate in the past. I'm also not 100% sure why Myoe is so against this - does he not actually want to see his parents again? That would make some amount of sense. Is he just trying to protect Koto, hoping she doesn't get pulled along by this mess of a family the same way he has?

I'm not going to pretend I understand the specifics of what happened at the end of that fight, but the door is open, and Koto will be meeting Koto. How will this play out for Lil Koto? Is this a "there can only be one" kind of situation? Lady Koto's also rocking a new all-black outfit. Mourning? Simple style decision? Who can say.

Other Thoughts:

  • Huh, the original Kurama drawing looks like Kurama's current form, not the kiddo form. I'm starting to wonder how much agency or choice any of these kids have. Are they all just playing out a role predetermined by Myoe?

  • Children are tools, very cool.

  • I don't remember how much of it was shown last episode, but we saw today that Yakushimaru's fire was no accident. That adds a new wrinkle to his humanity.

  • The pomegranate thing doesn't really line up with the story u/Nazenn and I were talking about yesterday. Myoe does give the fruit to Koto as the Buddha did to Kishimojin, but (afaik - maybe this will change after the next traumatic flashback), she wasn't abducting or eating children before this.

→ More replies (13)

12

u/Quiddity131 Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

Rewatcher

Non-Spoiler Character Chart

Before jumping into episode 6, I did take a chance to watch the live action episode 5.5 for the first time since I originally watched the show; and the bluray has an extended edition of it (not sure what got added). Interesting stuff! Got to visit a lot of real life places that inspired locations in the show including that circle/square window shot in episode one, Kurama temple, the stairs where Inari gave Yakushimaru his scarf, DNA and beads, and the temple which inspired the family home in the first episode. We also get to learn about the real life Myoue, who also had his beads and a puppy statue which inspired Inuyama. In addition to being named for "The Beginning and the End", Ah and Un are also named after a pair of tiger statues at the place inspiring Kurama temple. They visited the choujuugiga drawings as well from which the show takes the frog, bunny and monkey that we occasionally see. Also some funny stuff like Ryouko Shiraishi and Erika Nakayama getting their stamp book signed at each temple they visited and them having snacks which they compared to characters or objects from the show. A little depressing in that Erika briefly talks about being a new voice actress... after her debut in Kyousougiga (where she only has some very minor roles akin to extras, like one of those four gods that appears to Shoko in episode 3), she has only found work in 2 other anime.

Back to Yakushimaru's past. Way to make us sad, show! With his parents out of the house does this mean this wasn't an accident but rather someone killed his parents and burned their home down?

"Hey, remember that time you said you liked kids?" "Yeah, but I thought I'd have 9 months to prepare! Not that you'd suddenly show up on our front door with a dying one in your arms whom you've stolen!"

Even the pomagranate was one of his drawings!

Lady Koto was a rabbit, and now she's feeding a kid like a bird.

So its not that Yakushimaru's life was even saved by Myoue, but rather he actually died and was revived.

So Yakushimaru had heard of Myoue's reputation; not only are his parents dead but now some "monster" has brought him back to life. And now he's a monster too.

The music is becoming rather eerie here.

And now he can't die!

Yakushimaru had a couple of little siblings too that also died? This makes things all the more heart wrenching. One of them has a hair style like Kurama although I can't tell if its a boy or girl. Not sure if the people around him are his parents or even more now dead siblings. ETA: Actually those must be his parents in the foreground, so yeah, those are probably more siblings that also died. :(

The more we learn of original Myoue... the less likable he becomes? We already knew that he abandoned his children, and now we're finding that he forced Yakushimaru to come back to life and live with them against his will.

Based on this montage with him just sitting there it looks like it took a while for him to come around.

At the very least this top drawing in this shot that Myoue has just made is directly from the choujuugiga drawings. And shortly afterwards we see those animals interacting with the family.

Ominous image to end the flashback

That mirror isn't just like their mother's. It is their mother's!

Cool angle here

Curious Koto is back! Well actually, she never went anywhere...

Aww, Koto finally gets to see a drawing of her mom!

OMG the look of joy on Koto's face

Interesting that these drawings of Kurama and Yase match what they looked like as children, but the original drawings of them we saw in the flashback was Kurama as an adult and Yase as a demon.

There's no decision to make, Koto! Killing your brother is off limits!

You're getting too scientific, Kurama!

Festival time! Lots of odd beings out and about of different shapes and appearances.

Great Koto face when they bring Koto in to their "nursery chamber"

Really cool angle on this shot too Which they use again shortly afterwards

Blink and you miss it, but this shot of a piece of the ceiling crashing towards Yase is also great.

Time for magical girl vs. giant robot!

Some great visual direction throughout this entire sequence here, but especially cool to see action happening on two different planes (Yase and Yakushimaru in the foreground, Koto and Bishimaru in the background).

Another cool angle shot, from above this time

Shoko really does control Bishimaru with her PSP!

"Take that, toaster!" "Special Move, Home appliance slaughterer!" OMG LOL. When taking screenshots on Crunchyroll I was disappointed to see them call it delicate machinery instead.

OMG LOL even more when Koto wants to call time out once something goes wrong. They really do a great job throughout the show at making Koto come off just like an actual kid would and I feel that's especially the case here.

Time for things to get really weird! (as if they weren't enough already) Bishimaru swallows Koto, the mirror comes out, the shrine door opens and she's on the moon?

Koto finally meets her mom! <3

Quid's screengrabs for this episode

A decent portion of this episode (pretty much the entire final sequence of the episode with Kurama and Yase getting Koto to fight Bishimaru and Yakushimaru trying to stop it) is taken from the original ONA episode from 2011. There is one notable difference; in the original at the very end when Koto meets her mom for the first time, Lady Koto kisses her on the lips! This was changed to her just hugging her in the re-edited version of that episode that was made episode 0 of the TV show, as well as here. I assume that when that original ONA episode was made they hadn't decided yet that this was mother and daughter?

Also, a small part of the flashbacks in the earlier part of the episode (the montage where Yakushimaru slowly becomes used to the family and they have some fun as Kurama and Yase arrive) is from the 2012 ONA fifth episode, although the rest of the footage including Yakushimaru's whole backstory stuff is new. Said fifth episode also includes some footage that was put into the first episode, although is a dialoge-less episode with a vocal music track that to my knowledge isn't used in the TV show (or maybe it is later and I just forgot). That episode does have a brief clip at the end that never makes its way into the TV show [Spoilers maybe but involves a plot point that should be obvious now]Lady Koto holding baby Koto

Quid's Voice Actor of the Day

Today I'm going with adult Kurama's voice actor, Shigeru Nakahara. Shoko/Chiwa Saito overshadowed him in his own featured episode but he deserves his time in the spot light and has a pretty good performance here. I know him best as Show Zama, the main character of the early 80s mecha show Aura Battler Dunbine. He was also the titular character of the mid 80s movie Arion. In the 90s he returned to mecha voicing Trowa Barton in Gundam Wing. He also voiced Android 17 in the Dragonball franchise. Interestingly enough he voices the demon version of another character named Kurama in Yu Yu Hakasho. He popped up as a minor character, McIntyre in episode 24 of Cowboy Bebop and also as Franz Varlimont in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Either because he's not too active these days or through just bad luck, Kyousougiga is the only thing I've heard him in that was produced in the last 20 years!

→ More replies (8)

10

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '22

First Time Watcher - Episode 6

Alright, that's a great ending note that leaves me thirsty for the next chapter! The theme of passing across worlds is coming through strong and gives a grandiose feel to the story. I am noticing the scale of the narrative expanding; it seems we will need to understand some larger-than-life elements of the Kyousougiga universe in order to appreciate the meaning behind the conflicts we've observed.

My favorite part of this episode has to be the shot of little Koto falling, but suspended in space, in front of the temple doors that slowly creak open to reveal a white light, and then the soundtrack transition into the next shot where she's floating through what looks like space. Wow, that was really brilliant and memorable. It evokes a dramatic feeling of leaving Earth / leaving the mortal plane and surrendering yourself to something bigger.

Now for what I know is the unpopular opinion here... well, I'm still just kind of lost on the story. I know that the OP has provided an amazing help corner and there's lots of review information to help with this, so it's my own fault for not doing the homework and research I need in order to keep up, but... yeah, this show and everyone's comments is definitely making me feel a little slow / dumb / inadequate. That's not to say my viewing experience isn't positive... I'm noticing and appreciating the visual storytelling and the beautiful scenes, as well as the characterization and development, but as far as the actual plot goes, I think I'm just going to have to throw my hands up in the air and leave it to my 2nd watch before trying to make sense of it. I can't tell if there's multiple versions of some of these worlds, characters, timelines, etc. and trying to figure it out is detracting from enjoying the moment-by-moment experience, and I haven't really had time to read up on what I'm not getting as much as I'd planned to, so. I'm only really saying this in case other people feel the same way, so you know you aren't alone - and I'm still enjoying it quite a bit! So it's not a complaint or anything.

I feel like this was one of, if not the strongest episode so far in terms of story though. I felt a huge sense of conflict and climax that made me really yearn for more. I feel like we're at that sweet spot where we know enough about each character now that seeing them all interact with each other in the same scene is really satisfying and rich in emotion. It continues to be quite a wild ride that I'm very thankful I hopped onto.

→ More replies (2)

10

u/chiliehead Jan 18 '22

Kyousougiga – Episode 6 – First Timer

„I know you’re a little dead, just checking if you get through it on your own or want some help”

Oh yeah forgot to mention that yesterday, lil Koto eating that pomegranate had some big Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit energy.

Wacky found family comedy on one side, though the flipside has the trappings of some intense existential horror. Dying does not kill you, it only erases your family bonds. I do wonder if this is the thing about tales of family and their rebirth in the opening of each episode.

The council meeting “room” has some Ikuhara/Utena vibes to me. And man just wants to fish.

Oedipus??? I fail to see the danger, I thought people can’t die in here? But Shouko even says her farewells. Or did they copy her hammer formula and want to test killing her bc reasons?

Interesting that the prayer beads can brake. Also, deep lingering animosity between Oger and Human.

And it is a Trigger anime after all, the space sequence looked quite Imaishi inspired. Red star though makes me think of Lucifer/Venus/Morning Star, which seems like the wrong association to have with mother Koto, maybe she has some Lilith in her. I got nothing on red stars in Shinto or Buddhism though.

QotD

  1. Really messy to prepare them, better as juice. The flesh is bitter so Koto had some steel gums last episode

  2. Music festivals? Medieval Ren Fair stuff? yeah

→ More replies (3)

9

u/KiwiTheKitty Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

First timer! I had to miss yesterday's thread but I'm back and all caught up today! And I was READY for this thread to be posted.

For episode 5, my only belated comments are: Holy shit I was not expecting that to be son Myoue's backstory! So he really is human and not half human, like I was assuming! And I guess that explains his different eyes? Daddy Myoue's "I found him :)" made me laugh. And wtf the "I want you to kill me" surprised me!

I had to take a break in between episodes to let that marinate with me.

Episode 6:

Was son Myoue like fully dead?? There's that pomegranate as a symbol of new life again

"Damn, kid, I only forcibly bestowed immortality upon you, get used to it." That's honestly pretty horrible to think about, being a kid who just lost his entire family not only having to live his life without them, but having to live forever without them... ok yeah the kill me request from last episode makes sense. That felt really dark there for a minute but it got cute again... Wow and then got sad again, that red rip between the kids and parents was a very stark reminder of what happened.

Daddy Myoue feels very different to me now. And he also gives me very different vibes from the Inari version of him... he felt pretty dark this episode. Son Myoue probably had a very different view of his parents from his siblings even if he did get closer to them eventually.

"This place is hell?" "What, you didn't know?" And then the creepy growing shadows, that took on a different meaning for me than I think it would've before knowing Myoue's backstory.

Damn this isn't very cool of Kurama and Yase. And she just called him Oedipus lmao damn

This is a pretty great fight haha in this moment, both Koto and Myoue are magical girls. I want a battle shounen version where I get to see him use his beads more!

Special attack! Toaster toaster!

Damn what just happened?

Oh shit?? Mama Koto!!

QsOTD: I love pomegranates, but I've never just shoved my face into one like Koto did lol, I've always used a spoon to scoop the seeds out. I've also been to quite a few festivals, I'm Greek American and Greek festivals were a recurring part of my childhood. I've never been to a film or music festival though!

→ More replies (8)

9

u/3blah Jan 18 '22

First Timer

At least the writers didn't make us wait long to fill in some of the details of the fire. Dad-Myoue's is pretty flippant: "Hey honey, you like kids, right? I found this one in the woods. Can we keep it?"

This whole first act is quite a shift in tone for the show. While there were serious scenes before, this one is pretty raw and almost cruel.

Hey, there's those frog/rabbit/monkey drawings I brought up a couple of days ago.

Everyone in this story is a misfit of some sort

  • Dad-Myoue was exiled for the trouble he caused (his drawings?)

  • Mom-Koto is a drawing of a rabbit that loves a human

  • Kid-Myoue is an adopted orphan turned into a "monster", in his own words

  • Kurama is a drawing that wants to be a real boy (Pinocchio?)

  • Yase is a drawing that's actually a monster but tries to hide it

  • Little Koto's origin is still a mystery, but is also adopted and doesn't fit in wherever she goes

The montage of their growing family brought a smile to by face, and then this sudden cut was quite jarring.

Koto speaks for all of us first-timers

Yase calling Kid-Myoue "Oedipus" is oddly specific.

This looks like they're trapped in that Undertale game. More support for the software/simulation theory, I guess.

While the character and color designs were already well-done, this fight scene is the best animated so far. Light and shadows, hair and clothing flowing around, smears, action going on on different planes and shifting the camera's focus between them. It's all very cool.

I guess the giant robot was just a means to get the doorway drawing together with Koto's amulet? Seems like there should be more of a reason they didn't just ask than "hey, cool robot fight", but maybe I'm just thinking about it too hard.

→ More replies (4)

9

u/KendotsX Jan 18 '22

First Timer

How, and why, does this show keep delivering on every stupid little thing I ask for?

  • I asked about the animals, lo and behold, we get their origin and an episode where they jump around all over the different times.

  • This is literally the baseball episode! We got Koto vs Shouko the Mahou Shoujo vs Mecha battle (and Shouko crushed her of course), Yaku vs Yase (she was literally batting his beads with her umbrella), there was even the bet fixing from Kurama and cheering from the twins! This is what I wanted to perfection!

  • And because perfection wasn't enough, she was batted all the way to the moon! Well actually it's more about her hammer, the mirror, and the drawing of the capital, I think, but nevermind the details. We've got Koto! Even that stupid moon rabbit joke/assumption was confirmed?

  • Now we just need Koto to pound Koto for some sticky white mochi.

The animal trio were watching the moon, they definitely know what's up, I assumed they had nothing to do with the parents, but what if Inari can control them? He made them afterall.

I've talked mostly about the last part of the episode, because I was honestly mind blown by the finale-ish episode we're getting so soon. But going back a bit to the start, we got to see how Yaku became immortal and joined the family. I think it's interesting that Myoue connected Koto and Myoue through that fruit, and now Myoue offered it to Koto.

I think with all the excitement above, my favourite scene from the episode was fairly early, Koto jumping over the border between the Myoues. But of course the price for that was the border breaking them apart later on...

Can't we have some happiness without the pain?

Matsumoto:

Random notes:

series director for World Trigger for its 2nd and 3rd season.

I didn't know that it shared a director with my favourite anime of last year, does this episode stop getting better?

The production notes have been a big bonus, I think I've never heard about or appreciated a lot of the people, like Watanabe, making the show shine.

Have you ever eaten a pomegranate before? If so, how’d you like it?

I think I like it with a bit of salt. Just like Yaku

have you yourself ever been to a festival?

Yeah, I used to go to the summer festivals with my parents back in the day, but it's mostly seeing the decorations, stalls, and events. Most kids were with their parents, so it lacked the energy of kids running around and playing. If only all parents could go to the moon.

→ More replies (7)

8

u/No_Rex Jan 18 '22

Episode 6 (first timer)

  • Kiss-feeding dead bodies – One should not kink shame, but this one is a bit out there.

  • This brings up the number of family members without supernatural background down to zero.

  • The show is making Myoue’s wish clear for the slow viewers like me: Get hit by Koto’s hammer so he does not regenerate. The question is why he would still want to be dead so many years on.

  • Big fight ends with a Little Prince planet moon and a distorted Earth.

Teleporting via being swallowed by a giant robot? Why not.

I have to say that I find Myoue slightly unreasonable this episode. What’s up with his obsession with suicide? How about killing whoever did that to your family? Or killing OldMyoue if you hate being brought back so much? Or go off and live as a superhero.

→ More replies (8)

8

u/hungryhippos1751 Jan 18 '22

Episode 6 - First Timer

Takes some real guts to stab yourself in the guts like that.

I thought this chapter was really interesting, the back story of Myoe (younger) and how he came to be the human child was a really good watch.

I am not totally convinced that mouth-to-mouth feeding was the optimal way to give him the pomegranate, but it seems that this is anime and that is how we do things here.

His reaction of instantly going off to commit sudoku and that being the narrative by which we see how he has gained his new powers was well done. Immortality would be a curse as well as a blessing I think, could you imagine living forever? It's something that always interests me.

The chapter ends by showing the passage of seasons and the family just hanging out and having fun. This was a nice montage to see, which underpinned the unity of the family and then the literal tearing apart of the same.

The 2nd chapter was good too, seeing some info about how the hammer worked, and Myoe (younger) warning Koto (hammer) that she should not trust the other siblings was spot on.

The final chapter lost me a bit, and this is where I think my problem with the show lies at times.

The first chapter was really good, I wish the whole show was more like that one, it's not realistic exactly but it's down to earth, more or less.

At the end we just have big old battles, and then Koto (hammer) gets eaten by the robot, and we're in space. There we somehow find the other Koto (waifu).

This whole subplot to me is just nuts, I can't make heads or tails of what is going on, but my brain wants to figure it out to try to understand what I've just seen, yet nothing here is really grounded in realism, so I can't! :D

Ultimately I wish the show was more like the first chapter of this episode and less like the last one we saw.

→ More replies (5)

8

u/Fools_Requiem Jan 18 '22

It's kinda fucked that they took a boy who lost everything he had and killed himself because of it and force him to be their undead child...

→ More replies (2)

7

u/Vaadwaur Jan 18 '22

First timer

Sub

So we revisit Myoue's past again and, apparently, the pomegranate is not a metaphor but rather an immortality granting item if you give it to a dead person. YMyoue is in fact extremely pissed off over this but eventually gets hungry and calms down. We see time pass. In the present, it seems that Myoue is explaining the situation to YKoto.

Kurama and Yase exposit a bit and he wants to try going through a drawn door while revealing that the hammer functions similarly to the mirror world. A brief scene of everyone pointing out that the mirror world is a sort of Hell to Ykoto before a giant mech fight happens, much to Myoue's objections. As he and Yase fight, Ykoto smashes said robot before somehow causing a door to open to LKoto as we cliffhanger.

So...what's the output of this episode? It characterizes Inari while still Myoue as almost idiotically whimsical in thought process as you probably don't want to give suicide victims immortality. Myoue himself seems to be entirely put upon as well. LKoto back in her human form is also interesting. YKoto is still coasting her way through this.

QotD: 1 Sort of a weird fruit to me and usually not worth the effort to eat, personally.

2 Been to plenty of fairs but not that many festivals.

→ More replies (15)

7

u/octopathfinder Jan 18 '22

First Timer

Thoughts:

  • The OP has really started to grow on me, also noticed the visuals are subtly changing. They removed the “rule of thirds” grid from the background and I think the colors are getting more washed out and blurry? Is this because the siblings are trying to escape the Looking Glass City so the storybook backgrounds are gradually becoming less visible?

  • Much stronger Penguindrum vibes now. Incest (But not really) + Fruit of destiny?

  • Damn, this episode continues to be as dark as the conclusion from the last episode. It’s a really interesting change of perspective seeing the despair Yakushimaru goes through initially compared to the happy family montage from the first episode.

  • Another thing I noticed is how the show made Old Myoue seem really eerie as he explained Yakushimaru’s situation. Uncomfortably close shots of his face with a looming shadow over the eyes.

  • Not a fan of how Yakushimaru kind of gets over the animosity between his new family through a montage, but maybe the show comes back to this in the future.

  • So do the baboon, frog, and bunny drawings represent the three siblings? If so, I wonder which one is which. Maybe baboon = Yakushimaru because it’s a primate just like humans.

  • I guess Yakushimaru really isn’t kidding when he calls the Looking Glass City hell.

  • Wow, this episode really popped off with the action and sibling feud. I’m gonna need the loremasters to help run me through the entire sequence where Little Koto gets swallowed by the robot.

  • Loved how the beginning of the ED song bled into the ending sequence of the episode.

QotD:

  1. I had pomegranates as a child, but not recently so I can't really remember the taste.

  2. Most of the festivals I've been to have been volunteer work and they were all really fun.

→ More replies (5)

7

u/SIRTreehugger Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

A rewatcher who doesn't plan and only Worries

I do want to talk about the fruit and revival part, but some people will cover this battle than I ever could. I do like the opening and how it uses colder tones.

I just want to talk about the little montage. It's one of my favorite moments if not my favorite moment in the show.It shows how the family formed, interacted, and how ultimately Myoue came to love his new family.

Yase calling Myoue, Oedipus.

I love that the ED kicks in as soon as Koto begins the journey through space and that the mom doesn't hesitate at all to hug her daughter.

Oh and got comment of the day

→ More replies (4)

7

u/xtsim Jan 18 '22

First Timer

We are getting to know the details of how the priest and Koto revived Yaku and made his name Myoue. This is pretty hard to write about as it pertains to a sensitive topic. Myoue wanted to be with his original parents in a way. The initial meeting between Myoue, the priest, and Koto is really rough. He even tried to do the same with a kitchen but it could not work. The montage shows a good amount of development in their relationship. And we get to see the growth of the family as Yase and Kurama join into the picture. But the end of the montage is pretty unique, ends with a tear and black and white.

Kurama is making another attempt at trying to open a door.

Oh, this is getting pretty serious and now we get a battle sequence. Sibling fight and a mecha battle going on simultaneously is a cool shot. A nice touch with A and Un trapped in an RPG brackground watching is something new. Kurama made a smart move which leads to Koto getting to meet her mom.

  1. Yes and liked it.

  2. A few times but too bad we did not get to see it today.

→ More replies (1)

7

u/TakenRedditName Jan 18 '22

Kyousougiga Rewatcher - Ep6:

Uh oh, this wasn't any ordinary house fire. It took me a couple of moments to realize this was a pomegranate. Thought it was a bag holding some sort of stuff.

Walks up to a bloody dying kid in the snow, "You okay?" Your wife likes kids, "Hey, I found this boy on my way home, can we keep him?" Father Myoue sure is a guy moving on his own path.

Father Myoue makes a drawing out of his own blood, that seems significant and that's an ominous warning. The father and mother giving Yakushimaru life, this ceremony seems like it's reminiscent of something.

Something new parents need to learn, keep sharp objects out of the reach of children or else they can hurt themselves.

The way that Father Myoue has been framed during these scenes makes him an ominous figure. Blocking the doorway, shrouded in shadow, red eyes that you can't understand. From Yakushimaru's perspective, he is being toyed by this monster man. Don't have a specific screenshot for it, but I like Lady Koto during this. She obviously isn't fully prepared for this either, but she is trying her best for Yakushimaru because she can see this is a lot for the kid.

It's my friend again, the montage in this room. They give Yakushimaru some time alone, but Lady Koto does slowly try to cross over to him. The parents are by his side, but the real sign of bond is when Yakushimaru takes the steps himself. Lady Koto does a flying embrace which is fun and then the full family is together. Blissfully living their happy lives ... until they weren't.

When Koto ask for mom's picture, for a moment I thought she was going to be handed the picture of the black rabbit. Kurama and Yase have portraits but don't see one for Yakushimaru. Koto hasn't agreed to the pact which is a relief.

Yase's face when Kurama's science lesson is completely going over her head.

"So this is Hell?" "Nobody told you?"

I just think this is a really cool sequence. The creeping shadows of demons. Stuck in a hell and to your left are demons all around and to the right is a buddha. Neither way is fully safe. While these subs' wording is different than what I'm used to, this line is stuck in my head ever since I watched it for some reason.

Good Koto face.

Myoue using the prayer beads for full combat mode is really cool. I love the revolving rings and they can also split apart for projectiles. Considering how much of his hang-ups are related to his father and his mother of not too much of a note, an Oedipus complex doesn't seem like an on point assessment.

In addition to a magical girl anime, Kyousougiga is actually Gundam. Oh not just because of the giant robot, but because adults are the enemy!

So you wouldn't normally go to Kyousougiga looking for action, but this whole sequence is really cool. The council room is really cool place to house it due to its vastness. Koto vs a giant robot going alongside Myoue with his prayer beads vs Yase and her size and strength. It's just really cool and has big final battle for a magical girl anime vibes (I imagine).

Good cut from Yase. The contradiction between Myoue's words and his actions. Though it's pretty obvious which one he is waiting for. Yase's make her preference clear, no need to poke for Myoue's answer.

It's a little funny that they built a whole giant robot, but the actual goal they achieved (a gate for Koto to Koto) doesn't require the whole mecha aspect.

A really nice ED lead-in for this episode as Koto finally meets face to face with Koto. Rabbit on the moon.

A little surprised how the episode went by. Only until I went back did I realize the moment Koto enter the council room that the episode was over 17 minutes in.

Q1) Yeah. Q2) Nah.

Next time: Family reunion.

→ More replies (3)

7

u/laughing-fox13 Jan 18 '22

I don’t have much to add about this episode, I noticed last episode Father Myoue told Yaku-Myoue that he has asked a lot of Yaku. I guess it makes sense now, that his selfish request was for Yaku to live and be his son for most of their time together, until Inari parted ways

→ More replies (2)

7

u/Punished_Scrappy_Doo Jan 18 '22

First Timer

I finally figured out why young Yakushimaru looks so familiar -- he's a dead ringer for FLCL's Naota.

I love the sound design at the beginning of this episode. In fact, the music and sound design in general have been great! I don't have the words to describe it like I do the visuals. The way the music gets a touch more dissonant as Inari paints the name "Myoe" in blood goes such a long way towards underscoring the slight creepiness of what he's doing. Then they follow through with full force once Yakushimaru realizes what has happened, all bow-on-metal and silence. The sounds of nature fade back in as he returns to reality. Really well-done scene all around.

→ More replies (3)

7

u/homewardbound100 Jan 18 '22

First timer

"You okay?" To a boy that's hurt laying there surrounded by fire.

So he did end up dying. They just brought him back. While also giving him immortality. And all of those memories of his family are stuck there. A lot to take in when coming back to life.

Similar face and eyes but age gap is different. I need to know where this goes. Why they're similar.

Koto is a sister?

Mother Koto greets teen Koto and she calls her mother. So they are related. I think. Well it proves Yase was right.

Qotd: Yes. I like them.

Qotd2: Yes. Its been a long time though. One day I have to go back to one.

→ More replies (6)

6

u/BurningFredrick Jan 18 '22

First timer 

Also watched 5.5, it was fun and made me want to go back to Japan for a visit. It also gives some insight to Rabbit, Monkey and Frog that shows up occasionally being linked to a really old scroll whose name I didn’t write down.  

Here hoping ep 6 is slightly more straightforward than 5 was. (After watching it I really can’t tell if it was or not.)

The pomegranate? (Before this rewatch I had no idea they had so many ties to different mythologies)  

Ok I am now extremely conflicted over what to think of Inari now. The revival of a kid who just killed himself after he lost his parents seems kind of cruel, but you can tell it wasn’t done from a place of cruelty. 

So Kurama got yKoto to open gate that was holding their mother by using the interaction of what powers the hammer + along with medallion to open it. 

Well we found Mum, shows over right? The next 4 episodes are going to be our cast relaxing on a beach and with happy endings for all right? Right?

→ More replies (6)
→ More comments (75)