2015-12-25, 03:27 | Link #41 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Episode 12: The Backyard Knows, Part 4
This concludes The Backyard Knows, in an episode that cleanly divides the case and personal sections of the arc.
The next arc will be The Valentine Knows, the 12th novel. I expect an arc that's even more Sunahara-heavy, like the 16th (The Red Mask Knows) or 18th (Tanabata-hime Knows). But ending at 12th has its advantage: they don't need to introduce a new character (13th novel) who's yet another potential love interest for Aya. As if Sunahara isn't bish enough, that guy is officially recognized as bish. Other observations:
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2016-01-11, 01:28 | Link #43 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Episode 13: The Valantine Knows, Part 1
(For this episode I don't split the review like the previous arc. Looks like when Sunahara is involved, the case becomes really personal--not to mention the case hasn't really start yet) Also, from this episode on I'm using the following acronyms to avoid confusions: STKZ: Soccer Team KZ; DTKZ: Detective Team KZ. While the STKZ are such perannial chick magnets that they're forbidden by Shumei to receive chocolates (and girls have to put their honmeis into mail-boxes instead), Aya was reminded she's still crushless. Despite what we think, she still thinks she's just friends with DTKZ (and Sunahara), and was unpleasantly surprised when her ditzy second-grade sis Nako does have a crush. At the same time there has been reports about delinquents around Shumei extorting other kids, so the rest of DTKZ wants to walk Aya home (despite the jealousy of the other girls). After a strange discussion about vectors and Wakatake's plan on chocolates, they found they did get followed by those delinquents. Wakatake devised a way to confuse the delinquents, with Uesugi bringing Aya away while the latter trying to avoid being carried by Uesugi. And then the next day the bombshell is dropped. Eyes are obviously quivered; after all Aya sees Sunahara as more of a knight in shining armour... Other observations:
It's unknown, because it's intended for tweens, specifically tween girls, which are hardly the kind of people who frequent here. And being a children's novel, one can't put too much artistic license into things.
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2016-01-13, 16:32 | Link #44 |
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 62
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Open letter to Aya-chan:
Aya-chan, I approve that you're working on taking the initiative during these investigations rather than just sitting back and letting the boys do all decision-making. But, dear, you really need to remember that there are times when being cautious is a good idea. Like when you decide to approach the territory of a gang of delinquents alone. Not such a good idea, that one. You could have gotten into serious trouble.
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2016-01-15, 02:05 | Link #48 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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This just followed how the novels went. It took two years (in our time) and 8 novels later for Sunahara to re-appear, so 10 weeks isn't really that long of a wait.
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---- A lot has been discussed on Sunahara, so I'd just talk a bit about the part of episode that is discussed the least--the part when Aya prepares for Sunahara's gift. I actually found Aya's monologue over this part the closest to the little bit of the novels (first ~20 pages) that I can read without paying--she acts like a girl of her age, alright, but she's also very meticulous as details go.
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2016-01-21, 04:53 | Link #49 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Episode 15: The Valentine Knows, Part 3
This episode is drama, shoujo-style. Aya was severely crushed when she found her Valentine's note posted at the train station, especially when it was Sunahara who did it. She just got somehow better after Wakatake deduced it's unlikely to be Sunahara's free will while Kozuka, noticing the strange tear, does the forensics. Aya appreciates the power of friendship (but I hope that doesn't mean she's friendzoning them). Further investigation indicates the possibility of an anti-DTKZ in the works, possibly led by an ex-STKZ and having another ex-STKZ (Sunahara) involved. The Valentine note thing is likely something that Sunahara is forced to do to show his loyalty; at least he is chivalrous enough to bite off Aya's name to protect her honour. Aya calls Sunahara again and while Sunahara says he has an "embarrassing" liking of her, he has to say farewell. Then Uesugi warned an upcoming meeting of the gang and Sunahara may get past the point of no return. Next episode is the last. Personal notes:
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2016-01-21, 15:03 | Link #50 | |
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Join Date: Jun 2012
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Anyway, enjoying the episodes, mainly because of Sunahara. I wonder if he's trying to get money or trying to work out that scam. He's obviously a good guy, but his reasons are unclear. I admit the team's attitude shift towards him is odd. I like it when they didn't like him, but they like Aya, but she likes him. Just cuz, you know, it's funny. |
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2016-01-22, 06:32 | Link #53 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Earlier this thread I mentioned the KZ universe was inspired by a very old light novel titled KZ Shonen Shoujo Seminar; now Kodansha published a novel titled KZ'Deep File: The Blue Pearl Knows by no other than Hitomi Fujiomoto, which I suspect to be a book of this original series?
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Speaking in-universe time... Egg Hamburg Steak was about when Aya first entered middle school, and Valentine, well, is around Valentine's Day, so the difference in in-universe time is about 7-9 months. But then a whole 16 novels (and ongoing) have been written when the cast are seventh graders... As for the attitude change, maybe they overheard what Sunahara told Aaya in episode 8. Quote:
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2016-01-27, 10:55 | Link #54 |
Born to ship
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Texas
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New episode out and I have to say Sunahara did is implied to have done one particularly stupid thing: keeping no backup. If you have something as valuable as evidence against a criminal, you don't just keep it all on your phone, you take the time to copy all the evidence to your computer every evening. Then you don't have to worry about being thwarted just because a jerk trashes your phone or throws it in a lake, and you also have a bit more leverage against them since thrashing you and destroying your phone won't stop them from being caught. It's an easy but stupid mistake to make, and one I've seen happen many times.
Anyway, I hope the guy will eventually be able to join up with the group, or at least get closer to Aaya. For the moment at least he seems to be the best pairing for her. |
2016-01-27, 19:51 | Link #58 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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As a backgrounder for one of the replies here, turns out the first novel (The Missing Bike Knows, Episodes 1-4) was adopted into a manga by Mega Sakura and serialized in Nakayoshi. This also solved an older question about whether this series is shoujo: yes it is.
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Images Manga Chapter 1 Trial Pages. Other than the 4 idioms, everything is in the anime. Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?I will write my usual review when I watch this episode back home. I plan to write a separate review on the characters as well, but I'm not completely sure.
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2016-01-29, 05:55 | Link #59 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Episode 16: The Valentine Knows, Part 4
Just as I predicted last week, Sunahara is in the Delinquent group for the Ueharas' case, and like any gang leaders worth their salt, Onozuka have something to blackmail Sunahara for loyalty. Just as BWTraveller said, though... Sunahara seems to forget the thing called backup. Spoiler for As an aside:
...but then Wakatake isn't STKZ's genius striker for nothing. And while STKZ only accepts top 2% students academic-wise, their soccer are well-known with good reason, but not good enough to break a stalemate--remember Onozuka, for his build, was from STKZ, and this "elite group" is basically an anti-DTKZ? Eventually our less physically fit audiences broke it with a Chekhov's Gun and some luck. So the closing. As Sunahara goes: He likes Aya, but he sees himself a burden. Unlike the rain that ends The Egg Hamburg Steak Knows, though, this time they get to speak under a starry sky. Sunahara is still leaving, since his local reputation is pretty much destroyed for being arrested twice, and feels really bad for the past two episodes, he did accept Aya's chocolate and "love letter" and promise to meet again. Spoiler for As I have said in here repeatedly...:
And as DTKZ goes, Wakatake still sulked about not being able in spotlight, but they did accept Sunahara is one of "us". So on Valentine's... there was no chocolating. Everyone makes a huge chocolate cake together and shares it. As the boys argue their approaches on chocolating, Aya recalls how the DTKZ changes her. Some extra observations:
General review tomorrow.
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2016-01-30, 05:40 | Link #60 |
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It was a complete surprise that a 30-something male eventually gets that hooked on a tween girl series that doesn't intend to pamper any other demographic. This is probably the first shoujo series I've ever watched in serious manner (elementary school experience with Sailor Moon doesn't count), although I consider KZ a "shoujo lite," owing to its younger intended demographic and some intention to edutain (remember Aya is a girl of uncertainities).
As a result, for its drama, it feels pretty 3D, especially when the cast acting actually like real schoolchildren of their age for me to actually emphasize (to an acceptable degree-- due to the story of my avatar I had been avoiding drama until 2012) and enjoy. It's a series that I'm considering purchasing the source material. Some opinions on the cast follows.
My choice in shipping? I'm not a shipper, and even if I were, I want to know more about the pretty boy Mikado before making a choice. For me, the story hasn't ended yet.
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