(L) Hiiro no Kakera (1st & 2nd seasons)

[orion]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

And as yet there's no explanation for the "spiritings away"--is it one of the Logos factions? The Ministry of Health? Kifu village? Actual spirits such as the "drowned gods" acting up and claiming victims?

Basically, somebody grabbed up the plot stick and beat the crap out of the anime in this episode! Seriously, while Tamaki's "The only thing I can do is trust him" bit and Ohmi's refusal to simply give his reasons straight to his friends are a little bit out of the cliche bin, for the most part this is the kind of episode to give me hope that this second season will go somewhere and do something worthwhile with all the plot threads being scattered about in the first season.

Well it was implied what's happening. The spirited aways are the human sacrifices. Baba's servant is the one doing the dirty deed.

[MisaoFan]

Spoiler for Episode 3:

After her friends failed to save Suguru, Tamaki comes across Ryou for the second time. Meanwhile, Mitsuru prepares to save Suguru for the sake of revenge against Monado, but fails again despite being rescued by Tamaki and Yuichi. Suddenly, Ashiya has a little talk towards Takuma and Mahiro. Next episode will most likely be heavy on drama due to the last few past events, but I wasn't too impressed by Tamaki slow character development, yet I'm glad it focuses on other bishies than Takuma and Mahiro.

[DezoPenguin]

This episode reminded me a lot of early Fate/Zero, with all the heavy-on-portents talking (especially the early scene with Tamaki, Ashiya, and Takuma in the rain). Aria dropped a lot of ominous hints about "simply following what it says in the Black Book," raising the obvious questions of "What is it?" and "Why?"

"Shinigami" Zwei raised more eyebrows with me when he threatened to eat Yuuichi's soul, though. I have to wonder--does he mean all of these things literally (that is to say, do his supernatural powers actually have to do with some death-god type of legacy?) or is it all just his personality?

[ookamigirl]

Tamaki just worries too much about her guardians..
The appearance of the drowned gods was kinda surprising.
Takuma struggling with his inner demon.
He is having serious trouble suppressing it.

[DezoPenguin]

Backsliding this week after two excellent episodes...this one got back into the pattern of having a lot of people talking in circles. It ended with the promise of action, but who knows if there'll really be an Ohmi/Mahiro/Yuichi throw-down.

It was nice to see Tamaki use her Tamayori abilities to help calm down Takuma, if only to remind us that her powers really still do exist and haven't just vanished completely. I genuinely wonder what Aria is up to here; she seems to be deliberately playing a waiting game and I assume the division among the Logos factions are the reason why, but...

Meanwhile the mountain god acts snotty, and even Tamaki finally ups and says what I've been thinking the whole time, which is, "Why won't anyone ever give Tamaki a straight answer about anything, yet whine on about her inability to be a proper princess!" Meanwhile, Oni-baba makes me want to punch her square in the face yet again with her "Well, you're the princess, so it's all up to you, but God forbid I ever give you some useful info!"

...Interesting that the guardians thought the "spiritings away" were due to the drowned gods, which proved not to be the case...apparently no one tells them anything, either. (And I'd really have liked to hear Shinji's explanation for why he felt that betraying the guardians to Logos was for their sake...)

[Master_Yoma]

Well Shinji is making all kinds of problems now he needs a good punch so he'll stop running off

[DezoPenguin]

Can we try sealing Onikirimaru by cutting Oni-baba's head off with it? I mean, I don't have any evidence it would do anything useful at all, but it would feel really good! I mean, in this episode she:

--Locked Tamaki up.
--Sent Takuma away.
--Virtually put Yuichi and Mahiro under house arrest (forbidding them to leave the temple AND to see Tamaki)
--Blew off Shinji's betrayal and his dedication as irrelevant and dropped the ol' "You're really related!" bomb on him
--Dismissed Ohmi as irrelevant as well.

For most of this series, I've been dismissive of complaints that "Tamaki doesn't do anything," etc., etc. There's a distinct difference, after all between a heroine who doesn't do anything and one who can't do anything because she doesn't have the power to do so. (Personally, I like a heroine who both has the ability to act and then actually does so...Motoko Kusanagi or Balka, thank you, but good luck finding one in a romance; romance writers on both sides of the Pacific seem to feel that a woman is like Red Sonja in that they can only love a man who can out-power them in whatever way. Bleah.) But in this case, those complaints are completely justified. Maybe Oni-baba is telling the truth about Takuma and maybe she's a sack of lying crap (I'm betting on the latter), but the point is, she's got no business ranting at Tamaki about how Tamaki hasn't awakened yet and doesn't have the power to do anything and giving her the "what can you do about it?" speech when she's spent the entire series being as damned unhelpful as she could possibly be without actually shoving a knife somewhere in Tamaki's back. On the one hand she's ranting and demanding that Tamaki do this and do that and become the Tamayori princess and preserve the Onikirimaru's seal and so on and so forth, but yet she refuses to give one straight answer or piece of useful information about how she's supposed to do that or what's going on or anything else that might actually help Tamaki do her frickin' job. And rather than get annoyed or point that out when Oni-baba goes and flings the guy she likes out of her life, she smiles, nods, says, "yes, ma'am," and walks peacefully off to her room.

Mind you, it's not like Tamaki's alone in this in any way. We're five episodes into the second season and not one character seems capable of calling Oni-baba out on her bullshit. Seriously, at this point, I'm amazed anyone at all even so much as gives her the time of day, let alone follows her orders. (Mind you, she may have all kinds of magic power and other minions and so on to enforce those orders, but we haven't seen any of them yet on-screen. Ergo, Tamaki and the guardians and Mitsuru ought to up and say "screw this crap; let's all head off on vacation to Tokyo. We can see the sights and live in the modern world and Shinji and Mitsuru can get an apartment in Akihaibara where the otaku all think twincest is hot instead of pervy.")

[MisaoFan]

Spoiler for Episode 4 & 5:

The first episode (which I missed last week, but ended up marathoning it) depicts on how Mitsuru rushed himself and how Tamaki and her harem encounter a sleeping god, who tells something about the Tamayori Princess. As Takuma's powers suddenly increased, which leads Tamaki to seal it, Mahiro and Yuuichi come to protect the Onikirimaru, only to be soon defeated by the Monado team and Suguru. The second episode depicts the battle between the two Guardians and the Monado team, but much of the drama is caused by Tamaki's grandmother (she's an asshole to me to be honest) and suddenly the Guardians dissapear, which leads to Tamaki and Mitsuru's sadness. Maybe I could expect them to return next episode, and expect Ryo to make a comeback as well.

[ookamigirl]

Those guardians really are helpless against Logos.
It's actually pathetic watching them lose every time.
Tamaki ended up under house arrest because of the whole situation.
Things seems to be slowly falling apart around her.

[Bern-san]

Every new episode makes me hate Baba-sama even more
I'm really hoping for her death.

So... twincest I more or less guessed it since their design was a bit similar (though I thought that maybe Mitsuru was the older sister or something). Shinji's incompetence it's not like the rest are competent either then comes from not being part of the Inukai family but the Kotokura one.

Tamaki has admitted she likes Takuma. I hope they reunite soon and more romantic scenes

Will Kutani Ryo ever do something apart from observing from the shadows? I hope he doesn't start to do something in the last episode or second to last.

[LKK]

I've tried and tried and tried again to give Baba-sama the benefit of the doubt. But she's finally used up her allotment try agains. From this point on, I consider her part of the problem and not part of the solution. She's going to have to do something majorly helpful to remove my distaste for how she's mishandled this situation.

What I most want to learn more about is the sacrifices. I'm sure Tamaki is unaware of them. But what about the other guardians? My guess is that they don't know either. I hope the show doesn't drop that thread.

[mistress_kisara]

Originally Posted by Bern-san

Every new episode makes me hate Baba-sama even more
I'm really hoping for her death.

I second that

and Yay for Tamaki for admitting her feelings for Takuma

[Master_Yoma]

Wow Baba-sama dosnt suger coat anything but I geass she know what she is doing

[MisaoFan]

Spoiler for Episode 6:

This episode revolves pretty much the drama centering on Tamaki trapped under house arrest and how Baba-sama is violently arguing against the Guardians. It's been in a long time since Tamaki trains her Tamayori self, and I'm glad we see this little training again. Looks like the next episode will have Tamaki escaping from her house arrest to find Takuma, and I'm fine with that.

[ookamigirl]

Lots of talking and not enough action.
That may work in a visual novel, but in an anime it's just bad.
Discord between the guardians seems to be rising though.
I guess all the tension started when one of them switched sides.
Tamaki having visions... well, at least that's progress.
Takuma getting fired was pretty interesting.

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by MisaoFan

Spoiler for Episode 6:

This episode revolves pretty much the drama centering on Tamaki trapped under house arrest and how Baba-sama is violently arguing against the Guardians. It's been in a long time since Tamaki trains her Tamayori self, and I'm glad we see this little training again. Looks like the next episode will have Tamaki escaping from her house arrest to find Takuma, and I'm fine with that.

Spoiler for Episode 6 ramblings:

I think I'm suffering from not being a Japanese schoolgirl here, because Tamaki first says to herself that she completely believes in Takuma, then that she's no good to him, then sends him away, then in the post-credits scene busts out of her room by (magical) main force. I simply do not follow her reasoning here in any way, shape or form.

That's actually the main weakness of this series. Too many times, characters do dumb things that they shouldn't have to do. (There's of course a difference between a character doing a dumb thing because they're a complete fool or because their particular psychology or lack of information compels them to, and a character doing a dumb thing because the plot can't advance without them being dumb. Basically, the good guys just never seem to ask the right questions, or the wrong questions, or ANY FREAKING QUESTIONS even while blundering around well aware of their complete lack of information. I mean, would it have killed anyone to step back and say, "Who the heck are Logos and what do they want with the Onikirimaru?" any time during S1, for example?)

Aria talking about raising the dead...I wonder, therefore, if she has some personal motivation for what she's doing and if it's for this reason that the main branch of Logos has split with her.

It's now completely confirmed that the "spiritings away" are due to Oni-baba and Mitsuru performing human sacrifices. Apparently Oni-baba gets off on this, since yet again she uses Tamaki's inability to awaken as Tamayori princess as the excuse, yet provides absolutely no help to her in awakening! And yet no character seems to realize that this makes no sense at all. I can see why Oni-baba might have a secret agenda to not make Tamaki awaken, but I don't understand why not a single other character notices that she's doing jack-all nothing to help and never has been. I mean, I've been wanting someone to fling her down the temple stairs since well back in Season 1, long before we knew that she was actually evil. I assume that her plan ends with wanting to use Tamaki as a sacrifice to still the blade for another generation...

Meanwhile, from what looks like a glimpse into the past, it appears that the original Tamayori-hime and the original Oni were in fact lovers. Works for me.

[Sageblink]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

Spoiler for Episode 6 ramblings:

I think I'm suffering from not being a Japanese schoolgirl here, because Tamaki first says to herself that she completely believes in Takuma, then that she's no good to him, then sends him away, then in the post-credits scene busts out of her room by (magical) main force. I simply do not follow her reasoning here in any way, shape or form.

That's actually the main weakness of this series. Too many times, characters do dumb things that they shouldn't have to do. (There's of course a difference between a character doing a dumb thing because they're a complete fool or because their particular psychology or lack of information compels them to, and a character doing a dumb thing because the plot can't advance without them being dumb. Basically, the good guys just never seem to ask the right questions, or the wrong questions, or ANY FREAKING QUESTIONS even while blundering around well aware of their complete lack of information. I mean, would it have killed anyone to step back and say, "Who the heck are Logos and what do they want with the Onikirimaru?" any time during S1, for example?)

Aria talking about raising the dead...I wonder, therefore, if she has some personal motivation for what she's doing and if it's for this reason that the main branch of Logos has split with her.

It's now completely confirmed that the "spiritings away" are due to Oni-baba and Mitsuru performing human sacrifices. Apparently Oni-baba gets off on this, since yet again she uses Tamaki's inability to awaken as Tamayori princess as the excuse, yet provides absolutely no help to her in awakening! And yet no character seems to realize that this makes no sense at all. I can see why Oni-baba might have a secret agenda to not make Tamaki awaken, but I don't understand why not a single other character notices that she's doing jack-all nothing to help and never has been. I mean, I've been wanting someone to fling her down the temple stairs since well back in Season 1, long before we knew that she was actually evil. I assume that her plan ends with wanting to use Tamaki as a sacrifice to still the blade for another generation...

Meanwhile, from what looks like a glimpse into the past, it appears that the original Tamayori-hime and the original Oni were in fact lovers. Works for me.

Indeed, it's rather awkward.
And will the f***ing "6th gardian" (well, Takuma being an Oni and Shinji being... nothing at all, he's technically the 4th) do something ?

I'm so tired of Tamaki crying over herself. And why the heck did she send away Takuma in the first place ? "Wait for me, let me be on my own till I properly awake". Nah, seems too damn honest to be told in this anime.

[Master_Yoma]

Baba-sama is getting more evolved as well looking more evil and the guardians are getting more useless

[DXMichael]

Gaaahhh!! Why is this anime making me hate everyone! I want something positive to happen soon enough or i'm going to be thinking "Here comes the depress train" whenever I see the newest episode of this out

Seriously though, this latest episode has pretty much made me hate almost every single character with the exception of Mahiro, Yuuchi and Takuma. Everyone else is just a traitor, evil or a bitch (I'm looking at you Baba)

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by Sageblink

Indeed, it's rather awkward.
And will the f***ing "6th gardian" (well, Takuma being an Oni and Shinji being... nothing at all, he's technically the 4th) do something ?

He's a weird one, that's for sure. He seems to be hooked up with the Bureau of Medicine guy in some strange way rather than part of the regular Shugogo house, though it's pretty clear he has no respect for the man.

Speaking of which, it hit me in this episode that Bureau of Medicine Guy's niece (Tamaki's school friend) is holding some kind of straw voodoo-doll-like effigy in the OP sequence. Curious. I wonder if she's got some kind of special powers.

Spoiler for I've also started wondering if...':

Baba-sama knows that the Tamayori-hime and the Oni aren't necessarily enemies, and that she's actively working to prevent Tamaki's awakening as the full princess even while openly mouthing about it.

Maybe someone who's played the VN can better answer this, but it seems to me that this anime is really showing its VN roots and not in a good way: there appear to simply be way too many unresolved plot hooks and potential antagonists for being this far into the story, and it's the kind of thing that tends to be drawn from multiple routes (for example, if you're following the Sixth Guardian route, if there is one, then maybe Tamaki gets less involved with Oni-baba and the struggle to control the Oni, while Bureau of Medicine Guy and the niece become more significant characters? And Mitsuru's issues become more significant in Shinji's route? And the various divisions within Logos more significant in Ohmi's route?). Thus, if playing the game, we could enjoy an in-depth examination of the various characters, motivations, plotlines, and possible outcomes of the interaction of the storylines, while in the anime it produces a superficial examination of all but a few points.