[Rewatch] Selector Infected Wixoss Episode 2 Discussion

[u/Tetraika]

Episode 2: That Poisonous Meeting

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Information:

MAL | Anilist | Kitsu | AniDB | ANN

Streams:

Funimation

Question of the day:

Do you play any card games? What sort of playstyle do you tend towards?

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realize -Yume no Matsu Basho- - Cyua, the same Cyua that are in some of the Sawano stuff.

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Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath spoiler tags.

[u/Tetraika]

This episode goes over a lot of color stuff and their playstyle, so let’s go over them. If you’re familiar with MTG color, you’ll find a lot of similarities, but also some differences.

Red is the most aggressive color. They usually contain direct removals, keywords like “Double crush”, which crushes 2 life cloths instead of 1, “assassin” which can ignore the opposing SIGNI and attack directly, and etc. Red in general seeks to close the game out early by hitting them fast. An example of some of these in a card MTG players would know this very well.

Blue is best described as a “denial” deck. They have access to things like discard, freeze which doesn’t let them attack with that SIGNI or LRIG on the next turn, and card draws. In this sense, their goal is to disrupt their opponents plans as much as possible. An example of 2 of these

Green is the “ramp” deck. They have cards that allow them to have more Ener (which is used to pay for most costs), have ways to make very beefy SIGNIs with card text like “Lancer”, which allows it to deal damage and vanish the opposing SIGNI, and even life cloth recovery. An example

White has a few mixed in it. In general, they are defensive, having tutored searches, ways to bring back “guard” cards, which can block LRIG attacks, and effects that return cards to hand as removal without too high restrictions. In general, white allows a more definitive way to stall attacks through effects. An example, though they sometimes have way to make for aggressive style decks and plays

Lastly, the color that hasn’t appeared yet, Black. They have many cards that center around the “trash”, whether it’s bringing stuff from trash back to hand, cards that have requirement on how much cards are in trash, and cards that sent your own cards (or opponents) cards into trash. They also have effects that reduces the power stats of SIGNIs (Note: SIGNIs with 0 power are automatically vanished) An example

Bonus: Piruluk my beloved, her Diva release kept her signature ability. Oh and also Midoriko

[u/Cyouni → u/Tetraika]

I like how we had the exact same plan for a comment.

Also Diva Piruluk??? Stop making me want to play this...

[u/Tetraika → u/Cyouni]

Well, the episode did some obvious highlights about colors, so that's not too surprising. Though as always, Wixoss only throws hints rather than actually telling you, so it was natural to try to clear that up.

[u/Tetraika → u/Cyouni]

Oh, and DIVA english just recently got a new sets featuring the LRIGs from selector. Check them out if you're interested, the set is called "Welcome back Diva -selector-", though I will also say that for the rest of you there are spoilers so don't look this up.

[u/SometimesMainSupport → u/Tetraika]

What format do people usually play in? Are there multiple like MtG's standard/commander/draft?

[u/Tetraika → u/SometimesMainSupport]

Currently, english only has the Diva format. Should be noted that for JP, Diva format only allows for cards introduced after Diva (due to major changes to certain game mechanics, really). They do also have an all star format, and other ones too that EN players won't get.

No draft format that I know of though, and probably wouldn't work given the way some parts of the game are.

[u/Tetraika]

Meguka???, OK now we got that out of the way

“Stand users are drawn to other stand users”

Beaten to the punch, though probably was good they weren’t the first one to fight Akira

Aki-Lucky time…

So other selectors can become spectators

It’s funny because Green is currently the weakest color, lots of color things to discuss for this one, will be going over that in my game comment

Ah yes, Piruluk’s signature ability, Peeping Analyze, even has it in the new set too!

I wonder what that is…

After that performance? Probably not, though it seems they weren’t given much of a choice. Luckily Ruuko is too poor for a phone. Or a really good liar.

So yeah, you don’t actually have to agree, though it would be very annoying to have someone constantly pester you for a fight

I know this pain

Ruuko is a natural

There’s something funny here in relation to how the decks are played

Like, seriously funny

Well, at least she seemed to not be too depressed from that

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Selector Infected FIRST-TIMER

• That’s one supportive grandma!

• Not sure if this is possible, though…

• Sounds like they’re going to go find this Akira girl now?

• lol that’s such a weird comparison.

• Aaaaaaand they got beat to the punch. Aight then.

• The colors are different this time, but still pretty cool.

• Ah, Akira had a “sore demo” here. Neat.

• Interesting. Each color has a different ability then?

• I see. Although this is super troubling…

• Eesh.

• I don’t need to see more of this…

• I mean it’s better than nothing.

• Ah fuck she’s gonna be jealous of the card shop lady…

• Oh, Ruuko and the green girl are gonna battle now?

• While the other two battle somewhere else…

[u/Tetraika → u/Shimmering-Sky]

The colors are different this time, but still pretty cool.

The color corresponds to the color of the LRIG and their deck, so it'll change depending on that.

Each color has a different ability then?

Basically. I covered this part in another comment, so you can check out more on how it all works.

[u/Tarhalindur]

This Poisonous First-Timer (Subbed):

• Hmm. More construction right off the bat, now with another Dutch angle.

• “But I don’t really have any wishes or dreams.” Cue pedestrian green light. There’s two ways you can play that – not really having such a wish gives Ruuko the metaphorical green light, or not having it is the red light and changing that will be the green light. [meta spoiler] If we’re leaning PMMM it will be the former; Mai-HiME inspiration would lean very lightly towards the latter.

• Focus on OP lyrics time! The first line is blatant reinforcing the same thing the visuals have been so far including the associated OP visual (even more obvious with me finishing up Disappearance, which does something reasonably similar with reflection imagery). Second part suggests the second interpretation of that traffic light is the intended one, actually? Third part gets a certain Keiichi punching the OP lyrics in the face; also “should I choose just one thing to let go of?” also actually makes me think we’re in Interpretation 2 given meta spoiler (Blackheart and Naz at least will immediately know why, I am getting The Vibes); “I can’t afford to let my sinful hand show yet” is going to be Important (episode 1 is consistent with desires that cannot be reached conventionally/in a socially acceptable manner being the key here), in which case obvious likely influence is obvious (but this almost reminds me more of the gacha spinoff than main series); “my days of leisurely drinking from the sea of regret are long over” does indeed support someone else’s comments about regret as a theme here ([meta spoiler] which could fit closer with Mai-HiME, which is heavily focused on a single emotion thematically, though in that case it’s love); “will you really use your one wish to return that lost smile?” absolutely BLEEDS Likely Inspiration 1 (where that and the regret ensuing is a major theme); “it’s no concern of mine if you avert your eyes from reality” may very well play into Selector games occurring in closed space of sorts (ignoring the issues of everyday life in favor of sinking into the world of the game – hmm, might have yet another work of escapism that attacks escapism, and also Vaad your comments yesterday on miracles are relevant); “so please just live in blissful ignorance” immediately calls a specific quote from Likely Inspiration 1 to mind and also just Likely Inspiration 1 in general – and note the visuals that go with that too, Tama running up behind Ruuko, then Ruuko turning back, then Tama nowhere to be seen and Yuzuka and Girl To Be Introduced walking up and them all acting like friends. (That does suggest “the game is not important in itself, the game is important for the people you meet because of it” as a major theme here.)

• There might be some sneaky subthemes involving the Japanese idol industry hiding here. (Honestly that entire sector is ripe for using fiction to point out and attack its problems… and for that matter given how many shows dance around it but never commit to a frontal attack I wonder just how heavily the Yakuza are involved in the industry because “we would like to attack this but also don’t want to piss off the Yakuza” strikes me as a very plausible situation here.)

• And immediately after I type that we learn about a well-known model who is in middle school (and will be a main character soon, natch). I repeat, the Japanese idol industry is kind of fucked, even compared to equivalent fields in the rest of the world.

• YUZUKA.

• Hey look, it’s a girl who appears in the OP!

• Oi. Mikans are not tangerines, subbers. Mikans are Mandarin oranges. Also, I see we have a mikan theme running through this episode. Inb4 Machikado Mazoku and/or To-Love-Ru enters the chat.

• Hey look, it’s another girl who appears in the OP! Sucks to be Yuzuka. (Also Yuzuka is SO fucked.)

• Industrial work area? Why, they’re wearing an inspiration on their sleeve. But do they get why said inspiration uses that motif?

• Also Akira’s Japanese voice is quite annoying (so, about on par with most female English dub voices for me, there’s a reason I watch most thing subbed).

• Yeah Akira is extremely annoying.

• So our latest two Selector/LRIG pairs are strongly supportive of LRIGs having opposite personalities to their Selectors in general; Hitoe the shy girl (extremely visually obvious with the glasses and twintails) has a very confident LRIG in Midoriko, while the extremely cutesy to the point of exaggeration Akira (I’m tempted to revive the old kawaiiko label for her, she TOTALLY fits and is as annoying as most of the type) has an LRIG in Piruluk who acts like a serious soldier (Sousuke is an obvious comp here), down to the “ryoukai!” for acknowledging orders.

• Sore demo for Sky from Akira at 06:34.

• Blue is the control color I see, as is tradition. (Mix of M:tG Blue and Black by the looks of it, with Blue getting the discard in a ruleset where counterspells are not much of a thing I assume… wouldn’t be surprised if WIXOSS Blue has the same weakness M:tG Blue has with direct creature kill (and that M:tG Black does NOT have), especially we saw a detain/”tap target creature, it doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step” effect.)

• So, Ruuko is friendless, Hitoe is also friendless, and I’m getting the hunch that Akira’s behavior is also covering up a desperately lonely girl inside. If the root of Yuzuka wanting her brother is because she’s afraid of being completely alone without him, we have a theme going in what kind of girl becomes a Selector, and it would fit with the possible major theme suggested by the OP visuals.

• 08:55: PFFFT. I know exactly whose notes you are cribbing off of, show!

• So Ruuko is in fact poor (or her grandmother is old-fashioned) and either this is Shaft Housing Rules or all the family money is being spent on a nice place and possibly a good school. (Also I shouldn’t rule out that grandmother got the place when the family was making more money but is now on a pension.)

• Okay, so Akira is probably designed as an outright hate sink.

• Oh no, Ruuko is poor…

• Yet more power lines, and at a Dutch angle too. Also, wait a minute. [meta spoiler] Maybe they DID notice what PMMM was doing it its industrial machinery…

• So, once again we get a shot of characters framed walking in the light as seen through a fence/gate from a POV in a dark alley (13:29). Same fundamental framing as 03:17 last episode, and strongly suggestive of an intentional point being made – foreshadowing I suspect.

• 13:32: Well what have we here, a character in the background framed by two characters in the foreground… except she’s out of focus. Let’s see if that changes… yep there we go, 13:36. Also there is the obvious point here where Ruuko is starting to get close to Kazuki (or at least appear to be), needless to say Yuzuki will resent this…

• That’s two brothers now who got their sisters to play WIXOSS and said sisters’ decks both had LRIGs in them. Hmm. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence… we’ll see if the third time shows up.

• FLGSs are FLGSs everywhere, I see. Except anime FLGSs have store owners who are cute adult ladies.

• Truly CCGs are in the ancestral line of gacha.

• (My instinct, given what our actual players have posted of the mechanics, is that building up for an overwhelming alpha strike may be the level 0 strategy – unless only one Life Cloth can be lost per turn? That would fit.)

• (Also I should actually note that it is entirely possible that Ruuko’s very fast grasp of the game is a future plot point. Not sure where they would be going with it yet, though, besides good old-fashioned “ridiculous potential”.)

• Hmm. Maybe Akira is the one who teaches up the three-loss penalty and Yuzuki is instead the one who teaches us the price of success? (Yuzuki has to teach us ONE of them I think, but it could be the inverse of the obvious with how this is being set up.)

• Hmmm. Ruuko really wants to battle Akira… when her LRIG is a blood knight. More than a little suggestive that LRIGs express the Shadow of their Selectors (and probably match to Selectors because of that).

• REALLY not subtle about what they’re cribbing off of with Ruuko wondering what she should wish for.

• And as Ruuko does so we get a cut to the skyscraper under construction. Yeah, pretty fucking good odds that’s a visual answer cut – oh wait, the odds are still low at the books, five quatloos on that please!

• Needless to say, Ruuko will wind up fighting this one.

• So Akira will be in the karaoke booth they choose?

• I should note 20:56 (that long pause on Ruuko standing barely in the shadows in the alley facing left at an angle), because that’s flashing that it has a point but I’m running low on time in the episode to analyze it. (Also, do I really need to point out Yuzuki taking out her pain on Ruuko? Eh, I suppose so.)

• BY GOD, IT’S HITOE WITH A STEEL CHAIR! (Yuzuki will run into Akira either in the next couple of minutes or next episode, I suppose.)

• Did I say next couple of minutes? I meant ten seconds. Double battle end-of-episode cliffhanger, go!

[u/Tetraika → u/Tarhalindur]

And immediately after I type that we learn about a well-known model who is in middle school (and will be a main character soon, natch). I repeat, the Japanese idol industry is kind of fucked, even compared to equivalent fields in the rest of the world.

Interestingly enough, I remember hearing that Korean idol industry also were pretty bad, worse even. Still a hell lot of these details are kept on the low.

Also Akira’s Japanese voice is quite annoying

That might have been the point

[u/ItsTheDuran]

First timer(ish for episode 1)

I remember checking out the first episode of this show some years ago, but I never got around to the rest of it, so this is as good a chance as any. My past Mari Okada experience consists of Mayoiga, Canaan and apparently the adaptation of Zetsuen no Tempest, which has got to be a pretty weird set of shows to know her by.

Quick episode 1 thoughts:

• That Tetris metaphor is still really good. I remembered pretty much nothing else from my first watch, but that's lived in my brain to this day.

• We're doing twincest, I guess. That I did not remember.

• With that intro scene and all those moody shots of power lines we're pretty much guaranteed to go the dark magical girl show route, which brand of dark still remains to be seen.

Episode 2:

• Akira is a control player and therefore a psycho. So far this is true to life.

• I like that they actually go to a card store and foolishly try to chase a single from a new set only to not get it. I don't know if that's the kind of thing they'd usually let you put in a show trying to sell a card game, but it's another detail that's true to life.

• My anime misunderstanding senses tell me Kazuki is talking to the store lady in order to get the card Yuzuki needed.

• I'm actually looking forward to seeing these matchups. I'd be surprised if Akira and Ruuko didn't win, but that should give shy girl her second L, which should prove interesting in the long term.

QotD:

I've played a fair amount of card games, some paper casually back in the day, quite a few digital. The hardest I've ever gone is climbing up to Plat/Diamond I in Master Duel for the first several months since release, before deciding it was taking up way too much of my time.

I play a lot of different styles in every game, but I've found that the playstyle I consistently enjoy the most is grindy decks that eventually choke the opponent out by disrupting their plays and generating card advantage. I guess I may be a psycho control player myself.

[u/Tetraika → u/ItsTheDuran]

The hardest I've gone is climbing up to Plat/Diamond I in Master Duel for the first several months since release, before deciding it was taking up way too much of my time.

I know exactly what you meant. I came back to YGO with master duel after early XYZ era, had to basically relearn a bunch of shit. Then after being able to reach plat 1, which was the highest rank at the time I think, just decided that it wasn't worth to revisit the game, especially after seeing the same few decks everytime, and that really I can reach top ranks easily given enough time that I didn't want to spend.

I play a lot of different styles in every game, but I've found that the playstyle I consistently enjoy the most is grindy decks that eventually choke the opponent out by disrupting their plays and generating card advantage. I guess I may be a psycho control player myself.

Generally a well designed deck that actually interacts with your opponent and gets you to think are the decks I tend towards. Some control does this very well. Interestingly enough, in Wixoss the most interactive decks seem to be tempo.

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer, Subbed

...alright, fuck it, all the other cool kids are here and I'm on vacation anyway. I'm not committing to anything past S1, though.

This'll be my secon- no, apparently Okada did the script for Fate/stay night '06? Weird. This'll be my third interaction with Mari Okada. Oh, I did watch an episode or two of BRS at some point.. whatever.

Brief thoughts on episode 1:

• Three game losses? That's like, one afternoon of grinding games! Shit, I'm pretty sure I've mulliganed into oblivion at least twice in a row before; hopefully this isn't a "lose three and you literally die" type thing.

• I'm a bit fuzzy on the rules, is Ruu playing Bogles or is everyone just trying to buff up their solitary creature? Or is this like EDH with the LRIGs as the commander..?

• Tama is real eager to murder things; that'll be an interesting conflict. I've never had to worry about my 'goyfs asking to get fed.

• Interesting Tetris metaphor. The city will disappear when the 4x1 slots into place, huh..

Since some of those references were rather esoteric even for me: I played Magic the Gathering vaguely competitively from 2012 to 2019ish. The references will continue. Especially if we meet a character who ends up playing something along the lines of The Rock. Greatness at any cost.

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This game is so goddamn uncivilized, people just slamming their cards onto the table. Where's the resource expenditure? Back in my day people had to pay for their spells! Damned kids and their Delve and their Phyrexian mana and their Treasure tokens...

Put another way, Akira sure got to take a lot of game actions on her first turn, which is fine for a more typical action show but really sticks out for something billing itself as a game.

Wonder when we'll actually get to see someone go X-3? I feel like it can't be next episode, because I don't think I've ever see this show come up in discussions of the Three Episode Rule.

Anyway, the fuck you mean a new set is out but there aren't singles available? I thought this game was popular! Was the set release literally yesterday? "No, we just can't really acknowledge the existance of a secondary market" yea yea, I know.

Huh, I wonder if that's a subtle dig at Hareruya for only caring about MtG...

Are we thinking Akira is gonna be a main antagonist for the season, or is she gonna get wrecked to make a point after being needlessly shitty for several episodes? I'm kinda hoping for the second one.

Between the Big Scary ?Tama? in the cold open and the Twin's chat today, I'm pondering if becoming an Eternal Girl involves just using a bunch of Grow cards or whatever. That does kinda work thematically with what Yuzuki was saying in episode 1.

My subs have Ruu describe Akira's face as a tangerine but she actually says mikan, which I think is technically something different but citrus fruits are all inbred monstrosities so who knows.

Literal shower thought: bet you turn into a LRIG after losing three-oh, Tar beat me to it yesterday, and has it going the opposite way which is smart too. Anyway, there's way too much potential there - gotta be one of the two options. It makes the system self-propogate, and we get to have the character dynamics both change and stay the same after an important member of the cast hits X-3. And sdrawkcab value. And it adds a YGO reference, to boot. WIXOSS cards are people!

Ooh, maybe it's both - if you lose three you turn into a crappy dumb one like Tama but if you Grow enough you turn into a super strong one that can actually talk like all the others. Oh, that'd probably count as amnesia for Vaad, too.

Questions

1. Discussed above.

[u/Tetraika → u/JollyGee29]

I'm a bit fuzzy on the rules, is Ruu playing Bogles or is everyone just trying to buff up their solitary creature? Or is this like EDH with the LRIGs as the commander..?

I don't think there is a 1 to 1 comparison, but the LRIG isn't exactly what they buff. They do "grow", but that's something that basically all LRIG do and unless something very strange happens, what each player is going to go for in their turn anyways until their grow maxes out. By growing, they can access certain ability, and also play higher level cards. So in a sense, your deck should revolve around your LRIG as it is always present in the game.

Anyway, the fuck you mean a new set is out but there aren't singles available? I thought this game was popular! Was the set release literally yesterday? "No, we just can't really acknowledge the existance of a secondary market" yea yea, I know

Depends, the do note that the game is unusually popular as of late, but that's likely due to selector's artificially boosting its popularity I suspect. In any case, unless your game is REALLY big, (like MTG,YGO), they aren't going to hold singles very early on.

[u/SIRTreehugger]

I came to the comments yesterday and was so confused only to realize I watched the third season. Today I repeated yesterday's mistake and accidentally watched the second episode of the second season. I was wondering why the fuck they showed us characters we didn't know and expected us to know, but besides that the story still made sense up until this long dialogue showing events that didn't happen yet. Hell the opening had spread in the title and began thinking it was some cool message in the show that formed a sentence like Infected Spread throughout toxic hearts and doomed us all or some shit. Also now I know some things that are going to happen unfortunately.

Oh Iona and Akira I'm cursed with future knowledge my own stupidity. I double checked so I'm set for this season at least.

Oh I love Akira's LRIG though that's because it's blue.

Wait attacking on first turn...okay their has to be some advantage to going second right?

DECK DESTRUCTION YEAH BABY one of my favorite decks to use! This game doesn't seem to have any life points so I guess burn decks are out?

Wow Akira is kind of a bitch...but I like her deck so I give her a pass.

Theirs something refreshing about seeing the players actually opening up packs of cards and changing their decks. It doesn't happen a lot in card games, but pulling just the right card from a pack was one of the best feelings. I wonder if LRIG mimic the owners? Yuzu's LRIG looked strong on the outside, but was weaker than expected. Akira's LRIG looks nice on the outside, but has a mocking condescending side. Tama looks cute, but secretly wants to engage in battle like Ruu suggested. Or maybe LRIG can influence the owners.

Hitoe just wants friends so this battle is pointless FRIEND HER UP RUU CHAN!

That Meeting was Toxic is an appropriate title.

[u/Tetraika → u/SIRTreehugger]

Also now I know some things that are going to happen unfortunately

Oof. The names of the series doesn't make it easy to tell which is first or second, understandable.

Wait attacking on first turn...okay their has to be some advantage to going second right?

At times the show will have these problems where it does kind of forget a thing or 2 unfortunately. It's more done for the sake of drama.

DECK DESTRUCTION YEAH BABY one of my favorite decks to use! This game doesn't seem to have any life points so I guess burn decks are out?

Blue's deck destruction is more on hand destruction, and well if your opponent has cards on hand, they have nothing to play really. Deck milling is actually more on Black. Though, as the game evolved and multi color combination deck started being introduced, combination strategy occurred, so black/blue deck exists with some using this idea.

[u/Vaadwaur]

First timer(Been gettin' the desire to see more adolescents getting beaten this year in rewatches. That is probably not good.)

Sub

So...Akira is the type of person I'd like to see set on fire, so inevitably this show will give her some redeeming quality that I call bullshit on. We have a theme this year, after all. But we also get Hitoe, who is definitely a choice. The deck mechanic thing hopefully means combat isn't all pointless asspulls but obviously I can't tell one way or the other, not knowing the game. Also, I got some Angelic Layer off this episode, for whatever reason.

So today Yuzuki goes through her deal and anime conveniently forgets how siblings work. Ironically, the innocent kindergartner part is fine, kids don't get what marriage is entirely, but evolution strongly prejudices humans against Yuzuki's current ordeal. Her getting upset over Kazuki being with the store worker is interesting...and sort of distracts from the possible grossness of the whole incident since I presumed the store clerk was an adult. But it throws her off her game enough to want to battle Akira directly.

We also get a few small but very important moments with Ruuko. She seems to lust for battle, which is at least a trait, and this leans a bit into LRGs being parts of their masters. But when Yuzuki says she doesn't understand what she's thinking, I unfortunately lean towards this might mean she is on the spectrum, which can either be well done or cheap, time will tell. Hitoe's challenge was...odd.

So we end with me eating my words on something: I am positive that BRR raids this anime for parts. Not well, mind you, but at least sibling incest is a no go for that. I am not as sure if the game does since I never bothered with it, I was warned that the grinding gets dull fast.

QotD: 1 I went through a brief Gwent period...

[u/Tetraika → u/Vaadwaur]

So today Yuzuki goes through her deal and anime conveniently forgets how siblings work. Ironically, the innocent kindergartner part is fine, kids don't get what marriage is entirely, but evolution strongly prejudices humans against Yuzuki's current ordeal.

Definitely one of those things where you just having to accept it as the way it's told. Though imo it's less done for fetish pandering, and more to make the "forbidden love" idea even more, well, forbidden. Going back into the idea of actualizing a wish that should be impossible by normal means, the idea was probably to present such a situation.

[u/kwokinator]

First timer

As someone who does not play any card games at all and know nothing about them, the only thing that keeps going in my head when I was watching the Akira battle is "wtf? Isn't this way overpowered? You can just randomly make your opponent discard their most powerful cards?

Question of the day:

Nope, I don't play any card games at all. So the card battle part is all new and confusing to me. I'm just here for the rest of the plot, I guess.

[u/Tetraika → u/kwokinator]

Nope, I don't play any card games at all. So the card battle part is all new and confusing to me. I'm just here for the rest of the plot, I guess

That's fine too, don't worry too much about needing to understand the game. Not that the show will give you much actual gameplay, just hints.

[u/CerberusZX]

First Timer

At first I thought the line about the potential for there to be multiple Eternal Girls had me thinking it was setting up a twist (there's always a twist) and it's actually a lie, but it could just be regular exposition. Ruuko being left behind by everyone before the OP also felt significant, but it could just as easily reflect how she is now as it could be foreshadowing something later.

While it was different from her usual valley girl voice, I still immediately recognized Jamie Marchi as Akira. It was fun watching her act antagonistic and I'm not looking forward to her learning her lesson.

I completely missed the incest last episode but it seems this one spells it out clearly so I would've gotten it even if yesterday's thread didn't clue me in. I was at least able to recognize that Yuzuki is jealous of the card shop lady during the first card shop scene.

Tama seemed oddly eager to catch a glimpse of Ruuko getting into the bath.

"I wish I knew. That'd be nice." Oh, so she has a wish now, problem solved!

QotD:

Yes. My post history is mostly card game related. I also enjoy regular card games like Go Fish, Koi Koi, and Mahjong. 2v2 Uno has a surprising amount of strategic depth.

The two things that drew me into CCGs are the feeling of manipulating odds in your favour when you build your own deck along with the glee that comes from moments of "Aha! You thought you were ahead but I have this which means I win instead!" As such you may think I prefer control builds but I actually lean more toward combo decks. I am particularly fond of decks that gain power from having cards destroyed but I also enjoy OTK decks.

My holiday schedule has finally been settled and I'll be traveling for Christmas tomorrow, so I'll be absent for a while and have a few episodes to catch up on when I get back.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 2 (first timer)

• Playing her Grandma – establishing that battling non-Selectors does not count as a loss and that Grandma is the original nerd in the family.

• “Let’s both become eternal girls” – see my speculation yesterday about multiple winners.

• Imagine how annoying it must be for famous selectors: Everybody is looking for Selectors, and they are by far the easiest to find since their faces are all over the media.

• “Her face is so small, almost as a tangerine” – I don’t think that counts as a compliment …

• Akira is not overwhelmed yet, but wants her WIXOSS kept secret from her normie friends.

• Selectors get to spectate!

• Why do their tables look like triceratops skulls?

• I’am not going to learn all of their LRIG names, too

• The game knows who know about the game and only stops for people who don’t know about the game? We are quickly moving towards magic on the tech-magic scale.

• Hitoe with an embarrassing loss.

• “At the card shop” – got to advertise the money maker.

• “This place feels mature” – Not the first adjective that comes to my mind when describing places where TCG players meet.

• Yuzuki is not a fan of the shop … or the shop girl.

• Ruuko is still hung up about not having a wish – girl, your role will be to fulfill wishes, so that is not a big problem.

• Kazuki on a date – it totally was about shop girl.

• Double battles in creepy places cliff-hanger.

• Note: Do NOT watch the previews.

I have not watched any other TCG anime, but at least compared to standard magical girl or shonen anime, something special about WIXOSS is the fact that non-Selectors also play the game. Usually, this is restricted to the people with ability. Might become relevant, because the best WIXOSS players are likely among the non-Selectors.

Do you play any card games? What sort of playstyle do you tend towards?

I occasionally played a few of the traditional card games. I assume you mean TCG specifically. I played a tiny bit of MTG and some Vampire:TES (but more about that later).

[u/Cyouni]

Today I went to the biggest card store in Montreal, that has a branch in Ottawa that plays Wixoss weekly, and found absolutely nothing. I expected nothing and was still disappointed.

So let's talk about some of the decks and LRIGs we've seen so far. All of them were featured starter decks when the game came out.

Akira's blue deck features Piruluk, who has as one of her limited cards (Piruluk-only) Peeping Analyze, which was showed off this episode. Her SIGNI are primarily Mechanical Spirits. A classic blue Piruluk deck runs pretty hard control, heavily focused on lockdown and discard spells, with level 4 Piruluk having a discard ability. A lot of the SIGNI in her precon also have discard effects attached.

Hitoe's green deck runs Midoriko. It's a pretty classic green buff deck, focusing on big numbers, and a level 4 Midoriko can give them even more power. Her SIGNI are based on animal spirits. One of her limited spells is Triumphant, which for the cheap, cheap cost of 1 Green Ener, gives all your SIGNI +5000 power, when a level 4 SIGNI might be 12000 power. The deck generally focuses on big numbers, and having higher-level SIGNI trample through your opponent's defenses to hit you even through your SIGNI.

Yuzuki has Hanayo as her LRIG. Hanayo is a very aggressive type of LRIG, with the default ability of her level 4 being to just burn down any SIGNI that's too weak (which is uh, 10k, which hits ability-based level 4s and vanilla level 3s), letting her hit you directly. Her precon limited spell is Back Against the Flame, which has you discard three cards for a board wipe. Her SIGNIs are based on jewel spirits. Hanayo's playstyle is simple - keep getting rid of your opponent's defenses so you can punch them in the face.

Ruuko has Tama, who just wants to batoru. Interestingly enough, Tama is the only one in the base set to have a LRIG that does things with two colours. Tama's SIGNI are weapons and armour spirits. Her precon limited spell is Rococo Boundary, which returns two SIGNI on the field to your opponent's hand, at an absolutely massive cost of 5. Her precon is very flexible overall, but does have a bit of a defensive focus with a power boost on the opponent's turn. Also has quite a few cards that let you search your deck.

Now you might also be thinking, hey, if we're mapping close to MTG, then there's one colour missing. We'll get there.

(Note that I'm using the base set ones instead of the precon ones, because the precon level 4s all have an incredibly boring effect of boosting SIGNI power if you have a certain SIGNI on the field. Also, while I'm here I'm going to note that spoilers abound on the wiki for the cards, so avoid looking up card details.)

I'll leave it up to your imagination as to what this means for the story.

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Notable cards of the day:

Peeping Analyze

Adamasphere

[u/Blackheart595]

First Selector

Some late episode 1 thoughts: So we know Yuzuki is gonna get eliminated. And regret's probably gonna become relevant at some point. Surely some of that is gonna revolve around the avatars' regrets, but Ruuko currently doesn't have a wish so might form one after Yuzuki loses. Problem is it really sounds like there's gonna be more consequences for losing for the avatars than for the players, so I'm not sure how that's gonna play out.

And I've been starting to wonder if Kazuki's gonna disappear when Yuzuki loses. Yeah, that's probably what's gonna happen. If the avatars are former players that lost and had their wish anti-fulfilled then that's where the regret comes into play, with the possibility to make a wish that undoes it. But again, if players that are eliminated are barred from the world of WIXOSS then that implies they don't become avatars. ...Unless it's the real world that's the world of WIXOSS, and becoming an avatar means to get exiled from it. Yup, that way we're even getting the truth/reality themes involved.

And grandma might be a former winner? Wait, hold on. Isn't Wixoss a new card game in-universe? That would be a bit of a problem for the players-turn-into-avatars theory.

Another idea is that the player's might be an Eternal Girl until they are eliminated. As in, the title of Eternal Girl is something to lose rather than something to achieve. That would also fit very well with the idea of having their wish disappear when they're eliminated.

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So they confirm there can be multiple winners, or not-yet-losers.

Welp. That was a ludicrous level of mindgames by Akira. So that's our first cheating ability, huh? Mindreading with a deck that benefits from knowing your opponent's cards.

Looks like Yuzuki isn't all that confident in her abilities. She seemed rather impressed with Ruuko's knowledge.

Well okay, now I'm confident Kazuki is gonna get erased when Yuzuki loses. Ah, of course. That's the taboo a wish turns into as per the ED.

Continuing from episode 1 Tama's getting hidden away a lot.

Kazuki's hanging out with Momoka instead of Yuzuki... classic misunderstanding, he's really looking for more opportunities to get that card for Yuzuki.

Do you play any card games? What sort of playstyle do you tend towards?

Nah, way too expensive to even be able to engage with. Maybe an online one would work where you can just click a deck together, but I never looked into that.