Kannagi - Episode 6 Discussion / Poll

[Samatarou]

Originally Posted by zzeroparticle

it's impossible to count the number of times I laughed

The episode is only 20 minutes long, so it's not impossible, you're simply not trying.

I wondered about Tsugumi banging her head against the wall too, in all there was a lot of melodramatic behaviour which moved things up a level compared to previous episodes (including people being unable to keep count of their incidents of laughter). Another thing that is bothering me is that Nagi is acting less like a god and more like a teenage girl, worrying about how Jin thinks of her instead of simply imposing her Will.

Incidentally, when she talks she uses archaic language ("warawa" for "I") but none of the characters pick up on this. I've been wondering if her general mode of speech is olde worlde or whether it's just her pronouns?

[Sylphic]

われは　　OR　我は isn't old Japanese speech. It's simply an honorific use to denote that the speaker is of higher social standing than the person who is being spoken to.

In this case, I think most people already think Nagi is either a rich ojou or just worship her as Nagi-sama anyway. Therefore, none of them find it odd that she addresses herself in that way.

[Cinocard]

That may be true, when none of them finds it odd. Or even if they find it odd, it was when they first knew her in her process of becoming school idol, which was skipped.

[Samatarou]

Originally Posted by Sylphic

われは OR 我は isn't old Japanese speech. It's simply an honorific use to denote that the speaker is of higher social standing than the person who is being spoken to.

I was under the impression she was using 妾 (わらわ), but anyhow maybe it's a term that is still used in some circles.

[Reckoner]

Really cute episode, this series has definitely grown on me. I adore this new prospective couple. It's a shame that this series is not finished in the manga, hopefully they don't pull a Shana on us.

[Vexx]

Poor poor Tsugumi .... at least she knows that the battle is on.

[Mushi]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Poor poor Tsugumi .... at least she knows that the battle is on.

I wonder if she really thinks of it that way, though. She's obviously sad about Jin's admission to Nagi's attractiveness, and she knows they're staying together in the same house. She's probably feeling too dejected at this point to consider herself in the running as a romantic rival.

Something I'd like to comment on is a little subtext that I see in a brief couple of seconds in that cafe scene. It's when Nagi is getting her picture taken and she looks back at Jin.



I think it says a lot and it's a wonderful example of the excellent direction in this series. Even though Jin is looking at her, he avoids her eyes when she turns, yet she gets that look of happiness in knowing he's there. She's still not certain how he feels about her working there, so I don't see that as a sign of her feeling relieved about him being ok with it. I think she's just allowing some honest feelings to slip out.

Someone pointed out that Nagi is acting more like a teenage girl than a god and I think that's exactly what's happening there. For that brief two seconds, she's simply a girl who feels happy that she gets to see a boy that she likes.

Nagi told Tsugumi in a previous episode that there was someone else she liked. I felt that was just an act to try and put Tsugumi's mind at ease about them living together. I think this episode shows that Nagi just may be developing some feelings for Jin that are more human than godly.

And that last scene between them. I've watched it several times now and it really touches me for some reason. Mostly because I can just feel Jin's melancholy there. Even though Nagi tries to put his mind at ease, and he seems to acknowledge it, there's still that "what am I supposed to do now?" gloomy uncertainty lingering over him.

It will be very interesting to see where this goes.

[SuperKnuckles]

I find it funny that a lot of contributing artists are of the H-artist ilk. Hanaharu can draw straightforward, non-hentai stuff very well and that one was one of them.

The other show I can think of that does that regularly is the Shaft shows including ef lately.

Really nice to see the doujinshi-circles get in on official anime. Really nice to see professional fan-art (I know that's a paradox, but that can be taken pretty literally).

[risingstar3110]

The Ep is great.

But because it's really good, the crappy parts (that originally were not in the manga) seriously stuck out like sore thumbs -_-' .

Spoiler for Ep 6:

And yes i'm talking about the "breaking fourth wall" jokes, the "real maid cafe poster"; and the crappy manger's power up at the end. I hate those so much that i seriously would cut them without second thought if i am the director.

Please do not think that i don't like them because it's different with the manga. Many changes really make the Ep more fun to watch, such as:

Spoiler for Ep 6:

The call from Jin was originally not in the manga. Then they changed the woman(who buy the D-cup bra) into a junior high school student, which create more impacts to Nagi (Well done there). Then they added the"tsundere" moment and Tsugumi's "lost in thought"face by the end of the day, which are remarkable.

But IMO, the part when Jin screamed out was done better in the manga. It feels a bit unnatural in the anime because it seems he was not pushed to his limit yet

Anyway, good episode. Otehr than those mentioned, feel a bit disappointed because i expected to see my favourite character appear again in this Ep. But maybe next one then

[Vexx]

You're just noticing the very common effect that many anime staff writers are relatively incompetent compared to mangaka and light novel writers --- and they often sink badly when left to their own devices.

Sometimes we get uber goodness but sometimes its so bad that you feel like you ought to keep a list of staff writers to avoid series they work on.

[SuperKnuckles]

Call me nuts, but I actually think they're doing a better job of Kannagi as an ANIME than as a pure interpretation. And I honestly love the brutal otaku-ism of the director and he's totally fearless in this one after KyoAni bashed him in the back of the head for Lucky Star. As far as directing the little scenes go, I don't have anything but praise. The more I watch the show, the less I am understanding why the director is being bashed so much.

[Vexx]

<blink> Was someone bashing the director? I think the guy has been overall brilliant in this series (though with the awesome animation I'm surprised he hasn't been zapped by the budget gods). However... I'll agree with risingstar3110 that some of the "4th wall" and other material seemed out of place looking at the totality of the series so far. It made more sense in the idol web page silliness.

[stassy]

There are a lot of silent details in the episode that might be worth digging, though would require an advanced japanese/otaku culture :

- When Tsugumi is waiting for Nagi and look for her hair, there is a reference to the brand Do Co Mo at the entrance (the Mo seems hidden by tree) and in the book (titled Do Co No).

Spoiler for :

Also when our favorite god show up we can see others places called Coffee-Brzil, Fashion one, Totoanne...maybe real shop with modified name.

When half of the art crew is waiting for the full team, there is a shop name "anime game animers" which obviously should be a reference to the shop Gamers, also referenced in Lucky Star.

Spoiler for :

Also there are some game posters which are unfortunately blurred outside and inside the maid coffee shop apart from the big poster (which character design look like a lot of INO style, Hgame character designer of famous eroge like Kissx400 or Oshioki Sweetie, the latter has the heroine look like a lot Nagi's design).
Briefly we can see a poster of 16 different haircut girl images...another reference to Harui or just from the coffee's referenced dating sim heroines?

Spoiler for :

Everyone should have recognized the VAIO computer behind, would love to see translated what we can read in the forum though...and a non blurred version of the posters too.

Spoiler for :

Zenge in her dark room with her computer...she seems to use IE as a web navigator and has an image of herself as wallpaper...creepy.

Spoiler for :

Outside the shop again, seems like photoshoped real ads, would be nice to know the brand. It's also funny to see how can the shop capture the attention of bystanders...maid dress in the frontline.

Spoiler for :

The gang walk home and Jin hitting on something...forgot the name but it's related to a famous frog right? Also another brand, nepus for...bag?

Spoiler for :

Overall very nicely done ep, let's hope the next are the same quality

[ayu]

Originally Posted by stassy

Everyone should have recognized the VAIO computer behind, would love to see translated what we can read in the forum though...and a non blurred version of the posters too.

Spoiler for :

Do you mean the logo of the computer? It spells AVIO, it is an exact replica of a VAIO logo, only that the "V" and "A" switch positions.

[Kaoru Chujo]

I guess this may be going too far, but I honestly can't help saying that was one of the best anime episodes of its kind I have ever seen. It was just brilliant. Certainly the best maid cafe episode I can recall. Moe self-referential humor at its finest.

I disagree 100% with any criticism of breaking the fourth wall. Not only do I almost always enjoy that, but it is exceptionally appropriate in this show and I thought they did it very well in this episode. I wasn't a fan of the store manager's super power, but that is about the only thing about this ep that I wasn't captivated by.

The animation above all. The way the club president danced around at one point was awesome. And so was Nagi loping after Jin toward the end.

Yamakan is showing himself the absolute master of this style. No wonder this show is now crushing Toradora on 2channel, 69 threads to 50. It was 4-5 threads ahead a week ago.

I guess I would be remiss not to add that the voice acting was out of this world. Tomatsu Haruka continues to blow me away, finding new twists all the time. And Sawashiro Miyuki is also just outstanding. Hayamizu Risa as the club pres was also riveting.

There isn't much depth to this story, except for Tsugumi and Nagi's emotions, perhaps, but the surface is just brilliant.

[puretsundere]

Really loved episode 6. I generally always love maid cafe episodes, and this episode was no different.

I also enjoyed Jin's reaction at seeing Nagi in the maid costume. I probably would have done the same thing after seeing Nagi. Nagi's just too cute.

[Miko Miko]

This episode was really good! I am enjoying this series, I loved Nagi's outfit!

[tzia_n]

tsugumi... QQ feel bad for her...

[mavarek]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Yamakan is showing himself the absolute master of this style. No wonder this show is now crushing Toradora on 2channel, 69 threads to 50. It was 4-5 threads ahead a week ago.

i started watching both these shows w/o any background in either, and kannagi is definitely doing it for me more than toradora. although i must say, i'm disappointed at any nagixjin progression. :/

you're a powerful goddess! act like one!

[Mushi]

Originally Posted by mavarek

although i must say, i'm disappointed at any nagixjin progression. :/

you're a powerful goddess! act like one!

I think her powers are rather limited. She has a magic flash light and vanquishes bugs, and she can't do the latter alone.

NagixJin... yeah, I'm hoping for that, but it's just the hopeless romantic in me. I still think there was something going on there in this episode, but time will tell. Even if Nagi was telling Tsugumi the truth (and we know how easily she lies), when she said there was someone she liked in that earlier episode, there just didn't seem to be a whole lot of substance to it. And if there is, then I anxiously await to see just exactly what it is.