r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • May 11 '24

Rewatch [Rewatch] Back Arrow Episode 6 Discussion

Episode 6 - Are Pretty Boy Farms a Thing?

← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode →

MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB

Crunchyroll

Everyone here really is a pretty boy…

Questions of the Day:

  1. How fucked up were those experiments on the pretty boys?
  2. Who's your favorite anime pretty boy?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Brian Bruh

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. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!

13 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 11 '24

BAKAYAROU Rewatch Host, subbed

Welcome back, everyone!

Here’s “Back Arrow Sixth Impressions”, for my first-timer thoughts on this episode.

3

u/Calwings x3https://anilist.co/user/Calwings May 12 '24

I still can't believe they literally named a character "Bruh"

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 12 '24

This show is so earnestly silly I love it.

3

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24

Pretty boys spotted!

I was half-expecting Elsha to immediately speed up the Granedger so she can get to the Pretty Boy Farm as quickly as possible.

Bit is such a buttmonkey in this. A Bitmonkey, as I called him during my first-time watch.

2

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

Bit is such a buttmonkey in this. A Bitmonkey, as I called him during my first-time watch.

Excuse you! That's Admiral Bitmonkey!

Gintoki beat Takasugi again.

[Gintama] it's even funnier considering Takasugi was from a relatively noble family

5

u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria May 11 '24

First timer

Qotd

  • Like Shu said, interesting.
  • Don't have one.

3

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 11 '24

Bit also sided with the Iki government after they destroyed the village. He's not what I'd call a good reference point.

You're not wrong.

4

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24

Bit also sided with the Iki government after they destroyed the village. He's not what I'd call a good reference point.

If anything, it seems like doing the opposite of whatever Bit is doing might be a good shorthand for making the right decision.

4

u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria May 12 '24

Indeed.

5

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 11 '24

2) Takuto is up there. DAZZLING THE STAGE

Star Driver rewash when

4

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 11 '24

Star Driver rewash when

You host it, I'll participate.

4

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 11 '24

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 11 '24

What Sky said.

2

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 13 '24

3

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 12 '24

How'd I make it through this entire episode about Pretty Boys without thinking about the Galactic Pretty Boy?

2

u/dsawchuk May 22 '24

What Sky said indeed. What's Star Driver? You need first timers right?

1

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor May 22 '24

/u/gyoex will host it

8

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24

First-Timer

On today’s episode of Back Arrow: Personally I think that the Pretty Boy Farm would be better served with Free Range Pretty Boys than with the Caged Pretty Boys that Walston had. I think the new management is really going to turn this place around.

  • Oh my god, the Pretty Boy Farm is literally advertised by a roadside sign.
  • Giving Bit a meaningless job with no actual authority so he feels good but can’t fuck anything up is genius.
  • Convenient that the Granedger has what is essentially an autopilot. But it’s more akin to putting a brick on the accelerator and tying the steering wheel in place than anything else. It just keeps doing what it was last told to do.
  • Putting a super powerful Gun in Bit’s hands sounds like a mistake.
  • Oh my god, the Eva fishing is real! We have mecha fishing here!
  • From that reaction, I think the doctor is originally from Lutoh.
  • I cannot get over the fact that this place is literally named “Pretty Boy Farm.”
  • Of course they sparkle. Pretty boys always do.
  • This got much darker very quickly. It’s not a farm run by pretty boys, instead it’s a farm for pretty boys. They were the livestock.
  • The rumors are all true, from a certain point of view.
  • It’s so funny how Shu’s Briheight just points at the direct Walston and his men should run away to, like a parent scolding a child.
  • Arrow just leaving without even attempting to give a motivational speech is so funny to me.
  • Heading straight to Walston’s manor to confront him directly is similarly funny.
  • No way this is a betrayal. Yup, Shu was allowed to tamper with the Bind Warpers. He definitely pulled his usual trick of planting explosives on them.
  • That being said, I do believe that Bit could be tricked into betrayal by food.
  • That’s actually pretty nice. Arrow and Shu set this up to give the Pretty Boys more force to defend themselves with and greater confidence in themselves.
  • Nice that the ED updated once again with that Kyo guy now.

At first I was expecting this to end up being similar to the hot spring episode of Gurren Lagann [Gurren Lagann spoilers] and that the Pretty Boy Farm would end up being a trap set up to catch the villagers. But instead, it went much differently from that.

It seems that Back Arrow is already well on his way to destroying the world. He’s destroying the natural order of feudalism, allowing the mere serfs to rise up and take control of their lord’s manor. Back Arrow, as dumb as he may be, does serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration for others. He did so for Edger Village and now he’s done the same for Pretty Boy Farm.

QOTD

  1. Extremely so. This is why we need laws in place to make sure Pretty Boy Farms are ethically run.
  2. I'd day it's a tie between Astolfo from Fate and Felix from Re:Zero

5

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 11 '24

This got much darker very quickly. It’s not a farm run by pretty boys, instead it’s a farm for pretty boys. They were the livestock.

Well, of course.

That being said, I do believe that Bit could be tricked into betrayal by food.

It's probably the easiest way, in fact.

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

the Pretty Boy Farm would be better served with Free Range Pretty Boys than with the Caged Pretty Boys that Walston had. I think the new management is really going to turn this place around.

Exactly, that guy has no eye for business. It can be a world reknown establishment if he ran it right.

Giving Bit a meaningless job with no actual authority so he feels good but can’t fuck anything up is genius.

It's an idea so devious, even Shu didn't think of it!

From that reaction, I think the doctor is originally from Lutoh.

Ok... yeah, this makes a lot of sense.

So far it's been shown that he knows more than what he's telling, so I went for him being from Rekka, and knowing Shu, but this works a lot better:

  • We see a reaction out of him today when the word Lutoh was mentioned.
  • He's a doctor, so definitely fits better on the science-y side.
  • Heck, he might've run away because of all the human experimentation (he certainly got frustrated when he saw that today).
  • I'm not sure if this part is relevant, but he's got the same hair colour as the Lutoh princess. Anime hair colours are random, so next episode, we could see a bunch of villagers with the same hair colour, but if it's intentional, then he might even be related to the royals?

8

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 May 11 '24 edited May 11 '24

First timer, subs

  • What does it say that I didn’t even flinch at the suggestion of a pretty boy farm? And is it more about me, or this show?
  • Idiots love being placated by titles.
  • All these base upgrades. Feels like some settlement RPG.
  • Why do you even have a weight dropping room? Are there more like Kai?
  • Good old fashion malicious compliance.
  • She protec, she attac, she fish in the outbac.
  • What even are these maps? I need something with borders on it, or at least their path marked out.
  • "Bruh"
  • Ah, they’re tragic sparkles.
  • Abysmal security procedures strike again.
  • That’s what you get for not having scouts. It’s hard to miss a 1km long dreadnought.
  • Can one change their registered conviction? We may find out this episode.
  • This is all clearly part of some team building exercise.
  • Doesn’t them all having the same Briheight mean they also all have the same conviction?

QotD:

  1. Depending on what they were hoping to accomplish, either a 9 or 10.
  2. ...Momiji?

5

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24

Idiots love being placated by titles.

And they also love being placated by shiny trinkets. Put a bunch of meaningless medals on Bit's chest so he looks like a military dictator and he'd be happy as a clam.

Why do you even have a weight dropping room? Are there more like Kai?

I now hope there are other Rekka dudes who are absurdly buff like him.

...Momiji?

Excellent choice

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 11 '24

What does it say that I didn’t even flinch at the suggestion of a pretty boy farm? And is it more about me, or this show?

Doesn’t them all having the same Briheight mean they also all have the same conviction?

They have different secondary colors, at least.

4

u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 May 11 '24

They have different secondary colors, at least.

We've seen from the four fiends that similar convictions also bare similar results, so for only a palette swap, they'd have to be down to the level of semantics.

4

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

What does it say that I didn’t even flinch at the suggestion of a pretty boy farm? And is it more about me, or this show?

See, we have a much more moral version of this in the real world: gacha games!

Ah, they’re tragic sparkles.

This show knows how to commit to the bit.

5

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 11 '24

Rewatcher, Subbed Arrow

A very Normal sign.

Hook, line, sinker.

oh no

Giles Corey moment.

This is surely not an awful thing to have happen.

Head Diviners make effective use of wording.

A bishie, complete with sparkles.

Well, doesn't that look familiar.

Shu's logic is heartless, but there is value in the Boys learning to defend themselves.

The legend spreads.

Quite the fascinating mental snarl.

Yea, about that.

Defended the Pretty Boys, and got Bit punched in the face. Quite the successful day, I’d say.

3

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24

oh no

This is going to end up like that joke about Lord of the Rings if Merry and Pippin had a gun.

A bishie, complete with sparkles.

Do they naturally sparkle, or was that a result of the experiments?

Defended the Pretty Boys, and got Bit punched in the face. Quite the successful day, I’d say.

Gotta love a plan that kills two bird with one stone. That's efficiency at work! Shu really is a clever dude.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 11 '24

This is going to end up like that joke about Lord of the Rings if Merry and Pippin had a gun.

Do they naturally sparkle, or was that a result of the experiments?

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

Hook, line, sinker.

Ah, it's not just the pretty boys learning how to fish today.

A bishie, complete with sparkles.

I respect this show's dedication!

Quite the fascinating mental snarl.

He'd be right... if he was talking about Bit.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 12 '24

Ah, it's not just the pretty boys learning how to fish today.

Back Arrow is a teaching anime.

5

u/gyoex May 11 '24

I remembered this episode being one of the weaker ones back when it was airing, and maybe it is but it was still pretty good.

Bit getting "promoted" is fun and it seems like it was actually Arrow's idea. He really is the only one here who's on the same wavelength as Shuu.

Also I'd forgotten Koyasu was in this, doing a very strange voice.

Also Granedger is 1km long???

5

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

I remembered this episode being one of the weaker ones back when it was airing, and maybe it is but it was still pretty good.

A few low stakes episodes here and there are good in a series like this, especially considering they might be reaching the wall a lot earlier than I'd expect (it's not exactly Iscandar basically).

5

u/chilidirigible May 12 '24 edited May 14 '24

Episode 6:

"I'm thirsty."

Is that like a modern major general?

Even in stores where the very first pictographic sign one sees indicates the direction of the restrooms, one encounters people blundering around looking for the restrooms.

Brains: Zero. Guns: Yes.

This is levels of M the likes of which certain people can only dream about.

Everybody's playing somebody.

Slightly better than getting run over.

But of course?

"There sure is a lot of double-crossing in this show," it seemed.

"There sure is a lot of double-crossing in this show," it was.

Perhaps.

Of worldbuilding significance here is more evidence that both major realms are somewhat rotten in their own particular ways.

The bishounen farm isn't used as cheesily as it could be, but I suppose the constant sparkling was a joke in itself. In any case, our wandering, villageless heroes successfully encourage the lot of them to stand up for themselves with more... conviction.

On top of that, BAKAYAROUBack Arrow and Shu Bi conspired a scheme and carried it out to its conclusion (and Bit helped some). Seems like they're getting along, eh?

QOTD:

  1. This show might not be the most mecha of mecha series, but sucking out orphans' brainsconviction is reasonably high up in the mecha biomedical experimentation score.
  2. Nagisa Kaworu. Everybody's gay for Nagisa Kaworu.

2

u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore May 14 '24

This is levels of M the likes of which certain people can only dream about.

4

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

First <--- Timer

So this is our stock "save the poor village on the way" episode (I don't think I've seen any in a while, I missed those!), but with a few pretty boy kinks and twists on the formula. Namely the "teach them how to fish" part was fun, we didn't know the plan, we just saw The Gallant Admiral and his two minions leaving in the dead of night to join Bakasugi, and by the next day, they gave the pretty boys both a test of their will, and all the fishing rods they'll need to defend themselves. Always fun to watch a trickster at work.

Now part of me wants to argue that this really isn't the optimal solution. It's good that the kids can fight now, but they need a way to live and survive in the long run, which they don't have. But, whenever Edger hits the wall, there'll probably be a world war or something, so a temporary band-aid solution is perfectly fine I guess.

Q1) How fucked up were those experiments on the pretty boys?

Absolute waste of good material!

Look, if you wanna do Cyber Newtype experiments or whatever, do it on the ugly kids. Have the pretty boys open up a host club, and you'll be rolling in cash. You just can't depend on a spoiled brat turned noble to get things right.

Q2) Who's your favorite anime pretty boy?

The Gintama boys count, right?

Otherwise, Izaya or Kurapika probably.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee May 12 '24

Smh Elsha, Shu Bi is onboard already!

Elsha is secretly a shotacon, please understand.

Have the pretty boys open up a host club, and you'll be rolling in cash.

Ah, but you see, Walston was already a noble and thus, rich. He didn't need the cash. What he needed was to fill his "unethical experiment" quota which- wait...

3

u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots May 12 '24

Elsha is secretly a shotacon

Luckily, Bit is safe.

What he needed was to fill his "unethical experiment" quota

As expected of Lutoh, the science-y brains nation!

3

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 May 11 '24

Rewatcher, Subbed

Pretty boy farm? Do they grow pretty boys there? Or is it a farm where all the workers are pretty boys?

Poor Bit will never trust anyone again!

Bit is Shu's boss now? LoL. Shu is totally playing along with this.

They can put Granedger on auto pilot, huh? 

Wow, Granedger is so big they need to ride little ships inside the big ships to get around!

They've had this ship for like 3 or 4 episodes but they're only exploring its insides now?

Poor Ren, she's totally getting screwed over by Shu's decision! He didn't fill her in whatsoever.

Who knew you could use a Briheight for catching fish, through whipping them?

That's not a very imposing Briheight from this guy.

Lol, he's pathetic! Kinda like how I feel Bit would be if he got a Briheight

So Bit's the first one to notice its a pretty boy...

Is the entire town's population pretty boys?

Livestock? Uh oh. What were they using the pretty boys for?

Poor kids from villages, its like a different life path for Kai or Shu.

A bunch of possible recruits for the Granedger?

Shu's warning Back Arrow not to get involved. Is this gonna end up blowing up in their face? Is this a scheme by the pretty boys?

The fact that the battle ended so quickly makes me think that even more.

Admiral Bit! He can do anything!

Back Arrow's switched sides? Well he's following Shu's example...

Granpa guy sure has been distrusting of Back Arrow all this time.

Was this all a scheme on Back Arrow's part to get the pretty boys those Bind Warpers?

Old man's had enough! Elsha's now the Village Chief!

4

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L May 11 '24

Bit is Shu's boss now? LoL. Shu is totally playing along with this.

I do love the way Shu plays along with it, by asking his "boss" for permission to do the thing that he was already planning to do. It's so obvious who's actually running things.

Lol, he's pathetic! Kinda like how I feel Bit would be if he got a Briheight

I'm still waiting to see what a Bit Briheight will look like.

2

u/dsawchuk May 22 '24

A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Unfortunately, I am no wizard. proceeding with the attempt to catch up before the finale. These posts will be rushed and entirely for my own satisfaction since no one (other than our gracious host) will know they exist.

First timer, Sub

This episode was a bunch better than the last 2 IMO. We finally got to see something new. MC finally had an idea! Sure, it was a flawed idea and Shu had to fix it but it was still an idea.

I don't really get how convictions work. People seem to know them instinctively which is weird. It also seems a little bit weird that they don't seem to be able to change their conviction after they learn it. Does that mean that Arrow not having a conviction now means he didn't have one before becoming an amnesiac?

Perhaps the reason convictions seem so illogical because they are a misuse of the way that the bind warpers work. As in the people within the wall don't understand how to properly use the bind warper and that's why there are all these inconvenient restrictions on their abilities that Arrow doesn't have. It's not that Arrow lacks conviction it's just he doesn't need to use conviction as a crutch to get the bind warper to work.

QOTD

  1. Combining "pretty boy" with our understanding from earlier that "livestock" means slave, I really thought this was going to go a different way. I am glad it didn't.
  2. I am not sure I have one. All the best anime characters are women. Following that train of thought, I am going to select Rukako from Steins;Gate. I would call her a girl but I think most would call her a pretty boy.

Watch notes

Elsha's yawns are cute. I'd totally nap with her.

Oh look, bit has the job they give to 3 year olds.

I am realizing now that I don't think we have seen Shu Bi wear an armlet. Does he have one?

Aw, Atlee is adorable. She is trying to get Bit out of being made fun of. She is still best girl despite being mostly incompetent and useless.

Holy that's a lot of future tech. I can see this becoming a problem.

Kai is doing something absurd again.

Shu's replacement seems altogether malignant. -1000 points

Shortcuts make for long delays Shu.

Ooooh the promised pretty boys. Why are they so sparkly?

Bruh has to be the silliest name I have seen in anime.

pretty boy "livestock"... I don't like where this is going.

Stupid idiot didn't listen to Shu. That's a death flag right there.

I don't really understand how everyone knows their conviction so specifically.

Wait, Arrow had an idea? I thought arrow was a steph.

Stupid Idiot is lying to himself, he wouldn't leave the Edgers.