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Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama
Well here we go:
Summer v. Winter clothes: I like how Tsukasa doesn't seem to realize it's time to switch over to summer clothing. I've pulled this boner before and ended up in sweltering heat with a sweater and jacket on. Also amusing was the fact that they didn't show below the bra-strap line of Kagami. Though honestly I would have to say that if I didn't know they were supposed to be in high, I would be saying its a bit early for Kagami to be wearing one.
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Points to them for being implicit on Kagami's state of dress ... but thats something the manga does (and really, its far more exciting to imply than to be explicit for those interested in that aspect of the show
... Kagami is pert, not 'nayuki-jiggle' after all (puts helmet on for any brickbats thrown)).
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Train Station: So twins are really quirky eh and apparently even though they share a lot in common, on needs something to make them the polar opposite of the other. I noticed during this sequence that Aya Hirano seemed to be speaking in her natural voice again for Konata (Something similar happened in an episode of Himawari for a deep voiced character), but went back to the regular Kona voice in the next scene. Also take note of the timeless art of seduction. That poor (or lucky?) man having to avert his eyes while she's got her shirt lifted up halfway fanning herself. What do you do in that situation, you can't exactly move on a crowded train. I wonder how often stuff like that really does happen on trains in Japan (I've heard my share of true stories about groping and illicit activity on trains).
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I think Konata relayed virtually every twin myth that exists in japanese culture and science fiction <laugh>. Kona seems to modulate her voice depending on what character she's affecting (kind of like people that speak in movie quotes ... kind of a perverse version of that ST:TNG episode where Picard has to communicate with a race that speaks in metaphor and myth).
I don't know that Kona was being seductive on purpose
but she's completely unconscious of her affect on anyone. Poor guy seemed more embarrassed than excited though. Someone further up said the moral of that sequence was always carry a newspaper to read. I ride enough light rail and busses that one just learns to defocus the eyes (though I did once point out discreetly to someone that their shirt had become unbuttoned using my best Texan "man-of-honor" voice). As far as train-groping in Japan, serious problem and pretty reflective of how in some ways the social context is very screwed up at present.
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School: UH OH! They are talking about Dragon Quest V. I haven't played the game, but the spells a clearly Healmore and Explodet that they are censoring. Speaking of which the trademark (BEEP) has showed up in this show now. Apparently you can't say Gundam or anything copyrighted by Square Enix anymore on television unless you secure the rights. In fact most of the references in this scene are censored quite a bit.
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I've never been able to figure out the method by which anime decides to mangle a popular brand name or not ("SOMY" anyone?). They probably want to refer to other properties without actually GIVING them free advertising. The BEEPs are really bizarre - I thought she was being profane at first.
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Back Home: So everything seems to revolve around games with Konata and that is how she manages to do well in school. It's a bribe to encourage her to do better. In case anybody is wondering how Konata beat Kagami at the quiz game. What the LC sub got wrong was that Kagami said "Don't tell me she memorized the pattern?" (they had answers instead of pattern). Basically if you play a quiz game enough, You will notice the answers will start to repeat themselves until you can buzz in your answer before the question is even finished typing on the screen. This was the theme of an episode of Yu Yu Hakusho that I recently saw. After that......SLUMBER PARTY! (a rather boring one unfortunately)
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In Trivial Pursuit Classic, when in doubt: "Kennedy" "The Beatles" "Happy Days" ... or some similar idiocy. Kona has parallels to me and probably and entire segment of geekdom that "cruised along" in school (last minute cram, etc) and spent our valuable time playing in esoteric hobbies that the large portion of the population bell curve didn't get or even know existed.
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The Manga Cafe: Okay Japan really needs to work on its product placement. Something so blatant makes me have to take a point away from this episode. What a waste.
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Manga cafes (like our local bookstore/cafe combos) are pretty common, I need to relook at the episode to see if there was actually product placement or not, rather than just vague references.
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Eating: So Miyuki is the school idol apparently and people are trying to win her over (maniacs no less). This is followed up by explaining why (How the heck do you turn of a light switch by accident when going for a door. What's even funnier is that all of them have done it). Miyuki has to be one of the funnier Moe parodies of recent years.
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Somehow it figures that she's much more adored than she has a clue about. She's pretty much dateless since she apparently leaves the males with their jaws unhinged. The light switch thing has to do with being trained from birth on conserving energy I guess. In my case, the action resides in such a primitive part of my brain next to where I automatically lock my front door even when stepping out to get the mail.
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Lucky Channel: Much funnier when Akira is in her happy mode (such as playing the guilt card on Brock and then sliding away as he move in closer). Then suddenly its the same old bi-polar joke (commenting about Miyuki) and then.... funny the second she switches back regarding the lolicon army. The picture and discussion of her overall was funnier than most of the Lucky Channel segments. Keep it about the show and it will be much more clever. Like a way to poke at the conventions the show has gone over as a way of winding down.
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Her "fake-happy" is quite manic... but the joke is winding down and I really can't see it going for 20 more episodes without some substantial change.
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Ending: I'm not even going to comment on the absurdity of Konata suddenly having an adult voice. Ok I will I guess. They didn't even play it for laughs (they could have pointed out the impossibility of Konata suddenly being an uber adult-voiced singer, but they didn't), it was just..... kind of stupid. When I first heard about it I thought that they would have done something like finding out she was using a voice box or something to cheat and it would have been funny, but they didn't. They did the same thing in Nadesico, except at the end you find out that Ruri cheated by using Omoikane to process her voice, so it's made funny. Probably a single promo gimmick and that's really it, but it really ruined the spirit of the ending for me. Once again they could have done this so much better, sold the single and still made it clever. Gotta give a penalty for this one (-0.5). Aya get's an A, but Kyoto Animation get's a D- for the ending. So overall it's something like 7- 1.5=5.5 and I round up since I'm not in the mood for being overly harsh. 6 is my final score.
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Already said my piece on the karaoke sequence (I really don't call that part an ED, its part of the show). Its good that they had Kagami poke holes at her doing that though ("she's just mimicking!"). As much as I like Hirano's singing it was a minus from my opinion on show continuity.
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