(L+CR) Strike the Blood

[zzhk]

Originally Posted by orion

Simba: Fourth progenitor has no family or brethren.
Observed: Kojou has a sister.

"Family or brethren" refers to vampire kin -- i.e, he hasn't created any new vampires under his lineage.

[Klashikari]

I still have a lot of troubles with how the characterization goes with STB.
It strikes me extremely odd that Yukina self awareness from the first episode almost completely vanished in ep2: she is basically clueless to scary degree, and for some reason, a panty shot is a bigger deal for her than being completely drenched.

Meanwhile, the exposition of the setup isn't any better as of now. Sure, Yukina's position is much clearer now, I can't say I was impressed by the rest, especially with Rudolf showing up like that.

But I guess the biggest issue of this episode was the very awkward storyboard and animation. Besides the character design mishaps left and right, the badly inserted 3D CGI (mainly the train) and movements were choppy, especially the fight. In fact, the animation was clearly "accelerated" in order to limit the number of frames used for theses scenes.
Meanwhile, the casual scenes are handled in a very poor manners (obvious close camera pan on a single character etc).

[Arturia Polaris]

^^ Yeah I noticed that too.

Himeragi was really mad last episode for a panty shot, now she comes out drenched and half dressed to stop Akatsuki. Even though she starts to blush, it isn't on the level of annoyance of last episode.

Maybe she likes akatsuki or something, I dunno.

Cheers

[Triple_R]

Fantastic Episode 2.

The two lead characters continue to be very likable, and they have excellent chemistry together. It's such a welcomed change of pace for a female lead to not lose her cool over every mildly compromising situation. I also like her mix of pragmatism with compassionate friendliness.

I really chuckled at Yukina thinking that a golf club is primarily a weapon. I can understand a girl with her background never learning about the sport of golf, so it didn't bother me really. At least she wasn't kept in the dark about horror movies given her familiarity with how a chainsaw can be used as a weapon, lol.

The action-y bits at the end of the episode were a really colorful high-octane treat for the eyes. It reminded me a lot of good action scenes in Shakugan no Shana.

The overall visual style of this show is one that I like a lot. It feels very bold, colorful and full, with a strange mix of dark and shiny.

The new characters also came across well to me. This is one little imouto I can probably get behind! Though I do find it funny how she looks way more like Yukina's sister than she does Kojo's.


Strike the Blood certainly isn't without its well-worn anime tropes, and the plot is very straightforward, but it still works great for what it is. A true spiritual successor to Shakugan no Shana that I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of.

[orion]

Originally Posted by zzhk

"Family or brethren" refers to vampire kin -- i.e, he hasn't created any new vampires under his lineage.

But "family" is also used in anime and live action as what "family" normally means which are relatives (Vampire Diaries, Diabolik). If they had included that he had a human sister in the next sentence then they would have been complete. But they left out that part. So the intelligence info is off.

[Arturia Polaris]

We can also think that his "sister" isn't really a sister, no one thought that?

Cheers

[orion]

Originally Posted by Arturia Polaris

We can also think that his "sister" isn't really a sister, no one thought that?

Cheers

Well.... that would require a lot of help on his side for which he doesn't have. He's just a student.

[Marina2]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

I still have a lot of troubles with how the characterization goes with STB.
It strikes me extremely odd that Yukina self awareness from the first episode almost completely vanished in ep2: she is basically clueless to scary degree, and for some reason, a panty shot is a bigger deal for her than being completely drenched.

Originally Posted by Arturia Polaris

Himeragi was really mad last episode for a panty shot, now she comes out drenched and half dressed to stop Akatsuki. Even though she starts to blush, it isn't on the level of annoyance of last episode.

Eh, What's wrong with it?

Panty shot = not intended to let anyone see
Comes out drenched = her own intention to came out like that. It also show how dedicated she is toward her mission (LOL).

[Arturia Polaris]

I don't know, I consider the latter being much more... exposing than a panty shot. Maybe it's got something to do with culture. The thing is that a glimpse of panties thanks to the wind is much less hot (in my opinion at least) than coming out wet to the bone in a sailor uniform which is not even completely buttoned up.

She manages to keep a straight face and doesn't kick senpai's behind for the latter but she would have in the first.

I just find that odd.

Cheers

EDIT: We might also take that as a "take me senpaiiii" from her

[Marina2]

Nah, I don't think she have any seduction intention. She just a type of prson who put her duty (keep eyes on MC) above everything.

I guess what loli teacher said about how Lion King organization raised a kid for the demon hunting purpose only is true. That'll explain her low common sense in 'normal' thing. (There are many characters like her in other shows as well, this is not strange)

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Marina2

Nah, I don't think she have any seduction intention. She just a type of prson who put her duty (keep eyes on MC) above everything.

Your assertion is a complete contradiction with the 2 scenes at hand. Of course this episode pretty much shows that Yukina is a hardass in term of duty and all. But that exactly strike it as odd when she was flustered over a mere skirt flipping moment that 2-3 guys could have seen in the middle of her "tailing" mission.

Meanwhile, she was ready to go outside in such fashion, which is arguably much more revealing no matter how you look at it, and that's within the very same mission-like situation. In both case, there wasn't any intent from Yukina to be an exhibitionist or anything, but the previous occurence made her worked up hard, to the point she almost killed the D type guy, while she looked like she couldn't care less that people would see her drenched. Hence why I said her self awareness completely vanished at that point.

[Triple_R]

I'm pretty sure that most teenage girls and women would be more embarrassed over a random guy seeing them in their panties than they would be about a random guy seeing them in a wet button-up shirt/blouse.

And that's not even taking into account that Kojo is no longer a random guy to her, so her comfort level around him is probably higher now than the first time she met him.

So yeah, I really don't see the issue here. Sorry Klash and Arturia, but I think you guys are totally off-base here. It reminds me of the discussion I once had with NoemiChan over "Why do girls get flustered over being seen in their underwear but not in their equally small swimming wear?" There's a psychological aspect to underwear that people are forgetting here, imo.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Arturia Polaris

I don't know, I consider the latter being much more... exposing than a panty shot. Maybe it's got something to do with culture. The thing is that a glimpse of panties thanks to the wind is much less hot (in my opinion at least) than coming out wet to the bone in a sailor uniform which is not even completely buttoned up.

She manages to keep a straight face and doesn't kick senpai's behind for the latter but she would have in the first.

I just find that odd.

Cheers

EDIT: We might also take that as a "take me senpaiiii" from her

Well she's at fault for the wet uniform. She can't kick his butt for that. Besides he quickly turned away and even waited for her to change. No one would hit him for that now. He was a gentleman.

Now the guys who flipped her skirt, they deserved it.

[Malkuth]

The 2nd episode was better, but Yukina still has some priority issues:
1) Worrying about an upskirt more then her dreched bra-less pure white shirt, and...
2) Leaving those poor passenger on her monorail ride to the refinery to burn alive, assuming none would be able to walk away after the crash

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

The 2nd episode was better, but Yukina still has some priority issues:
1) Worrying about an upskirt more then her dreched bra-less pure white shirt, and...

Why should she care more about being seen in a drenched shirt than in her panties? Even if her shirt is drenched, he'd have to actively stare at it to make out her breasts and nipples through the fabric, and he didn't do that. Whereas the panties were just there, clearly visible, and having attention drawn to them by the wind.

2) Leaving those poor passenger on her monorail ride to the refinery to burn alive, assuming none would be able to walk away after the crash

How do we know that there were passengers on the monorail?

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Why should she care more about being seen in a drenched shirt than in her panties? Even if her shirt is drenched, he'd have to actively stare at it to make out the breasts and nipples through the fabric, and he didn't do that. Whereas the panties were just there, clearly visible, and having attention drawn to them by the wind.

Because exposing her nipples should be more embarrassing then an article of clothing covering her vulva and anus. As for actively staring it is true for both cases.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

How do we know that there were passengers on the monorail?

Companies don't run public transit if the passenger count doesn't make them profitable.

[Arturia Polaris]

I kind of enjoy and hope that there will be more situations where her... integrity as a woman is constantly in conflict with her feelings about the mission.

It kind of makes a nice change from what I've been watching.

Cheers

[Marina2]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

1) Worrying about an upskirt more then her dreched bra-less pure white shirt, and...

Eh, I think she wear it or else, 'they' would be visible. For 'Worrying about an upskirt more' read above post.

Originally Posted by Malkuth

2) Leaving those poor passenger on her monorail ride to the refinery to burn alive, assuming none would be able to walk away after the crash

*Throw blue logic*

There are no passengers on the train. You can see that there is no light in passengers room + (look like) all windows are closed. The train is probably returning to the station after the last run of the day.

Actually, I don't think that is a passenger train. The design is quite different from the one you see in OP and during the ep.

.................................


BTW, most action show doesn't care about something like this anyway.

I meant most of time.

[Something that villain shot hit the buidling and destroy part of it]

Did MC went to help people in buidling? no, in many show, they just "Holy ......what a powerful attack" (LOL)

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Why should she care more about being seen in a drenched shirt than in her panties? Even if her shirt is drenched, he'd have to actively stare at it to make out her breasts and nipples through the fabric, and he didn't do that. Whereas the panties were just there, clearly visible, and having attention drawn to them by the wind.

It isn't like you need to "actively" see naked skin and all, unless you really claim that wet shirt girls have absolutely 0 erotic appeal, an assertion I would really doubt hard time (especially she doesn't have a bra). I mean really, having the curve exposed like that is the "big" deal, while it isn't like Yukina had a tong or anything during the skirt flipping scene, yet she got worked up hard time with her panties (comparison with a swimsuit and a wet shirt isn't exactly a good one by the way). As for nipples, I'm not even sure if it is done on purpose or your usual censorship attempt not to get attention (a bit like how many mangaka tries not to draw them to avoid issues... i.e Akamatsu's Love Hina and Negima).

Suffice to say, the problem was that she was about to go outside like that, so it isn't like only Akatsuki was about to see her in that attire. And unlike a skirt flipping incident, it isn't like her shirt will dry within few seconds, so depending where she goes, well... plenty people will have their run for their money. I mean, hell Akatsuki got turned on within few seconds so huh.
If you prefer this fashion: I'm fine if she is pissed off by the skirt scene, but then it just make the wet shirt part puzzling, that's as far as it goes.

Now if you think a girl exposing her panties for 2 seconds is more embarassing than running around with a shirt like that, we better stop this discussion right here as it is a matter of perspective at this point.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Malkuth

Because exposing her nipples should be more embarrassing then an article of clothing covering her vulva and anus.

That's not putting it accurately. Her nipples are not exposed. They're still under the shirt. Wet shirt or not, he still has to actively stare at that shirt to make out her nipples. Heck, even we viewers can't make out her nipples through the wet shirt.

Most people are self-conscious about being seen in public in their underwear. Being caught in wet clothing doesn't necessarily register in that same self-conscious way for everybody.

I don't see anything inconsistent or strange here at all.

Companies don't run public transit if the passenger count doesn't make them profitable.

How do we now private companies are running this, and not simply the local municipal government?

Besides, it's late at night. It may have been the last run for that monorail.

When I last lived in a metropolitan area, you'd sometimes have buses with just a person or two on them during the last few runs of the night. It's not unthinkable that nobody was riding in that monorail when Yukina jumped on top of it.