(L) BLUE DROP ~Tenshitachi no Gikyoku~

[Woodchips]

Okay, so I've finally got off my butt and am about to review Blue Drop ~Tenshitachi no Gikyoku~.

Like many others here, I have been immensely surprised and pleased by the quality and depth of this short character-driven anime. I must admit, that I approached it with a little trepidation--considering the source material for this anime seems less than impressive. (Gender-bendering, Unisex race, Mecha) I was almost expecting another LFB yuri-themed anime with those elements--however, I was pleasantly surprised.

I doubt that I will spoil anyone with this commentary, but just to be safe I will include more specific details in the following spoiler tag. Spoilers may be up to episode 11.

Spoiler for Potential spoilers 1-11:

From the very first episode, the very nature of our (presumably) lead protagonist is a far cry from the usual female anime lead. She is melancholy, sulky, self-absorbed and strays into the rude when required. A far cry from the typically genki+++ female leads we often see in anime (though this is becoming less and less apparent).

Hagino's first appearance in this epsiode, and the show, is spectacularly directed, and quite beautiful artistically. Needless to say the first meeting of these two characters is about as atypical as you can get. I almost expected "instant attraction, blushblush" but instead we have the beautiful and regal school idol take a leaf out of "Village of the Damned", and tries to strangle Mari. I already have my own thoughts about why Hagino did this--indeed, she appears just as confused as Mari--but it would be nice to see if we get an explanation out of the writers or not. Either way, there is enough material to fuel many suppositions, which is often a nice way to maintain interest in a series after it has finished airing.

In any case, the 'relationship' between Mari and Hagino is intriguing to watch. In the early episodes, it is clear that Mari is intrigued by this 'perfect' girl, and Hagino is equally intrigued by the girl she saved 5 years ago. With Mari's tsundere tendencies, and their complicated past, it is rather interesting to see how they develop from strangers into comfortable friends to lovers???

One gripe with the show, was the presence of two filler episodes (around 5-6) where not much happened in the way of either plot or character development. In a 13 episode series, this seems like a little bit of a waste. I'm not saying to dump the whole thing, but maybe shortening it might have been a more effective option. Another source of slight annoyance is how often characters blush.

"How are you?"
::Blush::
"Are you going to eat this?"
::Blush::

Gets a little bit much guys...

Onto the side characters:
- Micchi: The loyal-friend type. I must admit she annoys me. Sorry Micchi supporters, but I find her personality dull and doormat-ish.
- Akane: The girly tomboy. An interesting character, and always fun to see her interact with Mari.
- Funatsumaru: The larger than life dorm leader is always a source of amusement. She had my interest at "Itadakima~aaammmnnngh"
- Tsubael: Hagino's only other surviving shipmate and friend. Seems to be suffering from a rather nasty case of unrequited love towards her "Commandah".
- Azanael: Alpha-female anti-hero? Not a favourite, but she often earns my empathy.
- Mastah Commandah: You gotta have a bad guy in these shows. Sadly she seems to be of the "vindictive evil biotch" variety. Hopefully we will find out more about her motives in coming episodes.

Music:
Perhaps one of the most subtle but powerful tracks I have ever heard. The music does not dominate the show, but provides gentle back-up for emotional scenes and the talent of the seiyuu.

Seiyuu:
Many props to Sawashiro Miyuki (Hagino), Yajima Akiko (Mari) and Goto Yuko (Tsubael) for some brilliant work. It is nice to see Yuko in a non-cutesy role, and she really spreads her wings with Tsubael. Needless to say, some brilliant work from both Miyuki and Akiko in the most recent episodes, particularly Ep10 where we see Hagino having a minor breakdown trying to stop Azanael from bringing to life her greatest fear.

All in all, I am immensely enjoying this series, and look forward to the conclusion of this, sadly short, series.

[NaweG]

Well, I see that some of the normal sources have the RAW for ep 12 up. Very tempted to DL, but am sure this is one episode where even subtle misunderstandings would ruin it. So I hope someone will be on here soon to "spoil" it for me

[Zippicus]

Originally Posted by NaweG

Well, I see that some of the normal sources have the RAW for ep 12 up. Very tempted to DL, but am sure this is one episode where even subtle misunderstandings would ruin it. So I hope someone will be on here soon to "spoil" it for me

It's pretty safe to watch either way, it's a fairly straightforward episode. There's a couple things that I'm going to have to wait for the subs to clear up, but for the most part it's pretty hard to misunderstand.

[-Nyu-]

Just took a glimpse of the raw before going to bed.

Spoiler for Blue Drop episode12:

I wasn't only happy, but damn satisfied when Hagino and Mari kissed at the end ("Daisuki").
Could describe this feeling as "hell, it's about time" xD.
This whole Thought-Arresting Weapon story is bit confusing, but I got it after reading some comments on R.C. Shivariel is definitely our evil bit** and I hope she'll get what she deserves.
Now with the final episode coming next week, it'd be interesting to know which kind of ending you think they'll pull.
I myself hope for Mari ending up with Hagino, but I have the feeling that it'll be a bittersweet ending..

[Kaoru Chujo]

Spoiler for ep12 brief summary and comments:

Wonderful, wonderful, episode, beautifully written and directed, making a final link with the manga. Random Curiosity has a brief outline with screencaps.

Azanael confronts Master Commander with her crimes and shoots her in the head. But MC is just an emul-force projection, and simply dissolves and reforms. Azanael runs off, but is confounded by the appearance of Onomil, then several Onomils, and is shot by guards. But as she dies in a pool of white blood, the blood shorts her locket, causing explosions on board the battleship, and a scout ship seems to escape. But MC orders the invasion to begin.

Hagino returns to school. But the teacher calls her in to her office and pulls a gun on her, calling her an alien and asking for the truth. Hagino tells her an invasion is underway that Earth is not strong enough to resist, but that she wants to protect Earth. Micchi overhears and runs off, but doesn't tell anyone.

Mari confronts Hagino by the pool. She says she should have told her the truth earlier. She slaps her, then pushes her in the pool. Then she jumps in after her and they embrace, smiling, underwater. When they surface, Hagino tells Mari that she loves her.

Tsubael, a projection up on a hill watching them splashing around in the pool together, says to herself rather resignedly that it really is better that Hagino can now smile. I will not say "about time" they kissed. The progress of this relationship has been just about right, in my opinion.

The way the script and director intertwined the events was beautiful. The emotions were strong and appropriate. The violence was well orchestrated for surprise.

I was amused by a little detail: when Master Commander is sitting in her big chair, the decoration on the back seems to include a white lily. The word for lily in Japanese is yuri.

I don't hate MC, surprisingly. This is war. A general sometimes has to do awful things. However, my guess for the scout ship escaping from the battleship is that it carries word of MCs errors back to HQ, and that this will allow Hagino to survive and the invasion to be somewhat less destructive.

I hope and expect that Hagino and Mari will somehow escape together into space, or else find a place together in the new order. I also expect that we will see the negotiator woman from episode one. One reason I expect H&M to still be around is the confidence of the negotiator in ep1 that things will be all right. But love and death is also pretty great -- in fiction.

[Deathkillz]

ep 12 ~

Spoiler:

Dam you master commander! Right, I was shocked to see her get shot in the fact, but even more so to see her reform O.O Rightly so she turns out to be the mastermind behind everything (wow I didn't see that coming ^^).

Poor Azanael though...she was seriously played with by the master commander - those onomil projections was just an evil idea >.> I'm still hoping that she hasn't died yet, though she has lost a lot of blood. I wonder if they would explain how that pendent managed to react to her blood.

This seems like the end of the world. From hagino's words it seems absolutely impossible for humans to go up against their kind. And there is only so much blue can do before it is sunk (which is something I'm bracing myself for ;__; ).

Finally more yuri ^^
Hagino x mari seems to have reached a point where they can accept each other's love. And before hagino goes off to way, I bet mari will make a promise with her to come back.

This is setting up to be a real heartbreaker O.O

[Haruyasha]

Hmm..

Spoiler for Shibaeru:

It's a bit too late to do a full attack on Blue with all 4 ships.. she should have thought of that when the second ship failed.

[Kieli]

Spoiler:

What IS it with Mari whacking Hagino? I swear, this girl needs to get a grip on the temper. I'm rather surprised that Hagino kissed her after that. I'd be like WTH?!

[Manji Midou]

Originally Posted by Kieli

Spoiler:

What IS it with Mari whacking Hagino? I swear, this girl needs to get a grip on the temper. I'm rather surprised that Hagino kissed her after that. I'd be like WTH?!

Spoiler:

I don't know about that, even though Hagino apologized for the past events and Mari finidng out from someone else about those events from another source...it's understandable she would react like that even though Hagino is a very important person to her

I hope these two have a happy ending...and not a bittersweet one like GL

[Rhyel]

New signature for Blue Drop.

[changeup]

For those who does not know why

Spoiler for ep 12 spoiler:

Mari slapped Hagino and pushed her into the water...

Here is Mari's line:

Mari: (after slapping Hagino) This is for you not telling me clearly!! And now this.
(pushing hagino into the water) This is for you making me worrying about you til now!

Then off to the water Mari jumped. The two said "daisuki" to each other and (supposedly) kissed.

Darn... I am so moved by this scene... and thinking about in the next episode it will be "blue" vs. the whole alien fleet ......... I really broke into tears.

The subtitle for the finale is "Rosmarinus". It means "Memory", and it is the symbol of love and chastity in Japanese... shoot... am I predicting a lot of us will be very emotionally challenged after the "fin"?

And their relationship only clicked after Mari now takes the "seme" role... lol

[Kieli]

Thanks for the mini-translation, changeup. One of many things I loved about this ep:

Spoiler:

Mari's and Hagino's telepathic greeting to each other when Hagino finally comes back to school. It was so awesome....Mari trusted Hagino to come back to her.....damn I'm such a sap *reaches for the hankie*

[scr]

Spoiler:

- <Surveillance Pilot> guys, we're here to investi-
BOOOMMMMM !!!!!
- Hagino fulfilled the promise, to return. and get slapped as reward. that sounds so husband-ish... (no, i dont want to discuss about gender role here.)
- and about slapping someone, i just realized that Mari qualifies for SaiGar, considering her overall attitude and no-broken-ness
- so Emiru Force has a lot of unknown aspects ? the most prominent being displaying something that you (dont) want to see, in warped way.
- we see girls' families. still, Akane is not yet open enough to her daddy. cute(?)...
- i thought near the end something launch from inside Mothership. could it be Azanael's drone, programmed to carry to Ekaril what Azanael found out ? go go Ekaril ! no reason to not go all out because it's never your fault to begin with ! Row Row Fight Da Powah !
- R.I.P. Azanael. it was relatively good knowing you (and Onomil)

Spoiler:

<Hagino> somehow, i feel this costume isn't right ... it's like not wearing anything ...
orly ? i think her military uniform is about as much revealing...
on that note, Akane-sama's knight costume is very convincing... *rants*

<Hagino+Mari> (to each other) "i love you."
yeah, it's about time. and yeah, it does resemble Strawberry Panic. and yeah, i dont know why they want to kiss in the cold water.

hmm... the next episode is final battle of main character + her lover vs the entire world ?

[changeup]

Originally Posted by scr

Spoiler:

- Hagino fulfilled the promise, to return. and get slapped as reward. that sounds so husband-ish... (no, i dont want to discuss about gender role here.)

Have to say Hagino is so cute... so innocent...

Spoiler:

<Hagino+Mari> (to each other) "i love you."
yeah, it's about time. and yeah, it does resemble Strawberry Panic. and yeah, i dont know why they want to kiss in the cold water.

[/QUOTE]

I think that's because it is like where they original met each other...

[Kieli]

Originally Posted by scr

Spoiler:

<Hagino> somehow, i feel this costume isn't right ... it's like not wearing anything ...
orly ? i think her military uniform is about as much revealing...
on that note, Akane-sama's knight costume is very convincing... *rants*

<Hagino+Mari> (to each other) "i love you."
yeah, it's about time. and yeah, it does resemble Strawberry Panic. and yeah, i dont know why they want to kiss in the cold water.

In water they came together, in water they shall return I gotta agree with you, though. I don't understand it either. Cold water would make one all nipply and stu---oh I get it now! *LOL* Don't me...brain + Mari/Hagino = gutter.

[changeup]

So what's your guys' opinion? Good end or bad end?

Spoiler for :

Since in this episode everything is so in place... I am expecting a seriously heart-breaking end...

It's unlikely both of them will survive.

[Haruyasha]

So the question now is...

Spoiler:

Is Azanael alive?

[Lady_in_blue]

Originally Posted by changeup

So what's your guys' opinion? Good end or bad end?

Spoiler for :

Since in this episode everything is so in place... I am expecting a seriously heart-breaking end...

It's unlikely both of them will survive.

I hope that this will have a good end even if mari and hagino dies in the end. atleast, i want them to die together!!!
its really hard to predict if whether the ending will be sad or happy because both are equally possible. lets just hope that the creators would not disappoint us.

[changeup]

I think so....

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

So the question now is...

Spoiler:

Is Azanael alive?

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

So the question now is...

Spoiler:

Is Azanael alive?

I'm pretty certain that the answer is "no".

Spoiler:

Look at the quickly growing puddle of Arume blood, from the unmoving Azanael. That's fatal.

In Azanael's dying vision, she sees Onomil again, who tells her that she's giving Azanael the pendant as a good luck charm. Obviously that's a flashback from when they parted. And it's this pendant, obviously activated by Azanael's death, which sends a message to Azanael's ship, which blasts its way out and leaves in an unspecified direction.

My guess is that Azanael has pre-programmed it before she stormed into the conference room, so that it dashes off to Blue, informing Ekaril of Azanael's findings. This way the pendant might not have brought Azanael much luck... but it might at least enable her to have some kind of revenge against Mastah Commandah...