[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

Well, I'm thinking about things like showing the letter with the psychobuster, and then completely ignoring it (maybe they'll still mention it, but I'm not optimistic).

Well yeah, that was a bad idea, but I think that was victim of the pacing issues with ep23. If they had cut down on the idle time they could've included a summary of the letter's too... (As I said in the novel thread, it's not particularly plot important but it's a nice piece of worldbuilding and places the thing in its proper context instead of leaving the viewers to wonder why the hell it looks like that.) Oh well, I suppose there's still a slim (anorexic, really) chance that they'll revisit it in the last episode...

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

Also, sometimes they spend a shot too many on what I term Saki's eyes of dispair.

I think that was a directorial quirk? Anyway, it was mildly amusing sometimes but I didn't really mind it, I guess I'm just a jaded anime viewer who just takes these things at face value. (Unless they're really just too stupid.)

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

episode 20 got the balance wrong (starting with the monty-python like squashing of the flower...) - if you see what I mean.

Oh, but ep 20 had that absolutely heartbreaking sequence when Niimi died, with the Dvorak melody (in the book it even has lyrics which just make the whole thing even more painful - I didn't know but apparently this is an existing song in Japan called 家路 "ieji" "the way home"). The start of the episode with people trampling the flower was indeed clichéd, but with Niimi's death sequence they managed to avoid the clichés, and it was really heart-crushingly sad and nostalgic and it pretty much made me cry so yeah. (It pretty much traumatized me so that I'll never be able to listen to that melody without thinking of this scene... )

Anyway, I think I get what you mean - me, I'm usually not very bothered about these things unless they get really obtrusive, and I think in SSY they mostly managed to do it well. Mostly. (Maria comes to mind.)

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

Actually, I think Heathcliff:Edgar = Yakomaru:Kiroumaru. Maria is Catherine, and Saki is a more active Nelly. (I love the book, which is ironic considering I'm the one to complain about too much drama .)

I....... I don't think I want to imagine this..........

Originally Posted by creb

First reaction:

Women.

Men, too. :P

Originally Posted by creb

I'm still a bit unclear on what Kiromaru's motive for helping the two is.

He also wants to stop Squealer? He has a problem with what Squealer is doing, he has been personally wronged by Squealer in very special ways (destruction of his colony, taking his queen, etc.), and he doesn't want Squealer to succeed with his plan. And he's noble enough to do something about it. Kiroumaru has a very strong sense of loyalty to his colony and his queen.

Originally Posted by creb

Edit: It's been a while since the beginning of this story, but am I recollecting things wrong when they had young Saki writhing in pain as a reactionary lesson against hurting other humans in that temple during her orientation? And, if I'm not, shouldn't there have been some feedback from burning the boy in this episode?

They actually wonder about that in the book - apparently, it's because by burning the anthrax she pretty much saved the kid's life, and burning him was just an acceptable side effect of that. She also didn't act with a killing intent and didn't attack the boy.

By the way...

Originally Posted by Tougarashi

Saki is special because she has Shun inside her.

Uhh. Anyway, without any spoilers, not really.