[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

And how is a man with a gun any more dangerous than a cantus-using human that is able to kill you with a thought, wants you dead, and you literally can't hurt him?

I'm not arguing against that. There's clearly nothing she can do against the fiend. I was talking about the various creatures that attacked her in this episode.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Here is what I think this anime episode is trying to do. It's trying to heighten the tension by showing how frazzled and somewhat shell-shocked the main character is.

I think that what it's aiming for is a viewer reaction of "Wow, even Saki is starting to crack a bit! Things are really getting extremely dire and we are heading for a great conclusion!" Unfortunately, the episode clearly missed the mark a bit for many viewers, resulting in "Man, what the hell is wrong with Saki? She's supposed to be stronger than this!"

Then I think pairing her up with three complete badasses (though I'm still unsure we can call Satoru that) was a mistake, because it makes her appear weaker than she is. We don't have a proper point of comparison anymore. All the people she met in this arc were strong, save for the two survivors at the hospital who were completely gone.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I know it's counter-intuitive, but some people decline with age in some respects. Going through a lot of hellish experiences can do that to a person.

The old saying "Whatever doesn't kill me will only serve to make me stronger" is true sometimes. But sometimes the opposite is true.

That's true. However, we have been told by Tomiko that Saki is the opposite! She was able to remain the same even after discovering the horrifying truth about their society. She also sort of overcame Shun's death at the very end of episode ten, where she decided she would survive no matter what (afterwards her memories were altered with so we don't know how she would have acted). She was able to accept the fact she would never see Maria again and continue living on.

But ever since she found out Maria was dead, I feel like she's been starting to break down. She took the news very badly and hasn't been able to get over it. I can't remember anything else affecting her that much. That's where her character turned around for me. She's kind of been lost in a daze ever since... and the Shun thing is not helping. Neither is the fact the "fiend" is Maria's son (daughter?). She would have probably let herself get killed if Satoru hadn't brought her back to her senses in episode 21.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Again, I think the impression we're supposed to get here is that even Saki's hope and resolve is dwindling. That the youthful "I'll never quit, I'll never give in, and I'll never say die!" passion of the character is slowly being crushed by the harshness of her reality.

This is probably setting up either a very tragic end, or an epic comeback. Sometimes a narrative breaks down a character and makes him or her look a bit pathetic in order to make their eventual comeback that much sweeter.

Maybe that's what we're in for here.

I hope she will rebound then. That would be the ultimate proof Tomiko was right about her. When she finally faces Yakomaru, I want her to stand tall. Maybe finally remembering Shun will give her the mental push she needs.

The preview gives me a good feeling. Satoru is now the one who needs to be protected from doing something reckless, and only Saki can save him now. I'm afraid she will want to save the kid from Satoru instead though, which may result in Satoru getting killed (god, no!)... I can't shake the feeling he's going to die.