Hidan no Aria AA - Episode 4 Discussion / Poll

[Kairin]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Hidan no Aria AA, Episode 4.

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[Stark700]

Seems like set up for the match next time. Akari's opponent has a pretty big ego tbh. And I can't help but face palm at her training session this episode.

[Seihai]

It's such a pleasant surprise to see the original cast support our main cast. I especially like the Shirayuki and Shino combi. I was constantly laughing at Shirayuki's "lessons". And damn, she sounded so goddamn adorable when she said "don't lay a hand on my Kin-tan! Hauwauauwua!" while slicing away at the decapitated Aria straw totem. lol

[FlareKnight]

Oh god, Shirayuki and Shino. A pair of crazy stalkers teaming up and supporting each other's insanity. Well I suppose it's fair to say neither could be entirely that bad on their own...They need help to be that crazy.

Am looking forward to Akari coming through next episode. Just showing her cocky opponent how far she has come. In the end no shock that person failed Aria's test if it was the same. While she may have better overall skills, she doesn't have the same determination and willingness to keep trying.

Certainly worried with the level of foreshadowing they are putting on Akari's sister. I mean damn is she actually dying or something? Something is definitely wrong there. I can kind of get not wanting to worry her sister who has a pretty full plate here, but....if something is that wrong probably a good idea to speak up about it.

[Anh_Minh]

I knew Shirayuki was a great teacher in the ways of the yandere.

Still, she's surprisingly high tech when it comes to love.

[Random Wanderer]

Certainly worried with the level of foreshadowing they are putting on Akari's sister. I mean damn is she actually dying or something? Something is definitely wrong there. I can kind of get not wanting to worry her sister who has a pretty full plate here, but....if something is that wrong probably a good idea to speak up about it.

I wonder if their unknown background may play a part in this. Akari has flashbacks to fleeing burning buildings with someone while chased by a pack of dogs, and she has knowledge of a rare martial art that is based around murdering people in particularly gruesome ways. These girls clearly came from somewhere unusual, but they're hiding their background. What else might they be hiding? What else is missing in that gap in their past that might what's happening to them now?

Nonoka was tripping too many flags this time for it to just be nothing. Something is wrong with her, or is going to happen to her, or both. However, she had better not suffer permanent harm from it, or I might have to have "words" with whoever's responsible for writing this series.

In other news... Shirayuki is the role model Shino never needed. May God have mercy on Akari and Aria's souls.

I hope our kids kick that stuck-up snobby bitch's butt.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

I wonder if their unknown background may play a part in this. Akari has flashbacks to fleeing burning buildings with someone while chased by a pack of dogs, and she has knowledge of a rare martial art that is based around murdering people in particularly gruesome ways. These girls clearly came from somewhere unusual, but they're hiding their background. What else might they be hiding? What else is missing in that gap in their past that might what's happening to them now?

Nonoka was tripping too many flags this time for it to just be nothing. Something is wrong with her, or is going to happen to her, or both. However, she had better not suffer permanent harm from it, or I might have to have "words" with whoever's responsible for writing this series.

In other news... Shirayuki is the role model Shino never needed. May God have mercy on Akari and Aria's souls.

I hope our kids kick that stuck-up snobby bitch's butt.

Yeah, I can't help but think their mysterious background has something to do with it. Of course then it would have to be something Nonoka has been hiding from Akari ever since. Otherwise her acting like that would normally trigger a million alarm bells from Akari.

Regardless of the origin, something is wrong with that girl. Times like these I wish Aria's advice of being aware of her surroundings would sink in a bit more with Akari. Otherwise it could cost her in a way that would utterly break her.

Yeah...that kind of role model is very much not needed by Shino. Thanks Shirayuki, just teach her how to be an even better yandere.

[Hiss13]

Oh god, Shirayuki and Shino are a match made in hell. I couldn't help but break down in complete laughter during the flashback to her teaching. She may not be the role model Shino needed but she sure as hell was the role model Shino wanted.

That being said, damn…I'm really coming to like Akari. I don't know why, but I tend to gravitate a lot to characters who tend to have a fear of being left behind…

On another note, there's that not-so-subtle foreshadowing regarding Akari's and Nonoka's past. Wonder when we'll finally get some illumination about that.

That being said, TAKE THOSE HAUGHTY BITCHES DOWN, AKARI! (except for Fuuma since she's pretty cool)

[chaos_animagic]

Feels like everyone is yandere for Aria.... LOL (or at least wanting to become her Amica)

[Random Wanderer]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Times like these I wish Aria's advice of being aware of her surroundings would sink in a bit more with Akari. Otherwise it could cost her in a way that would utterly break her.

That's one of the things I don't like about them cutting out Kirin's intro-story from the manga last time. During that event, Akari was forced to reflect on how she had failed at that awareness, and that failure

Spoiler:

not only caused her part of their rescue plan to fail completely, but it would have ended with Raika being killed if someone hadn't interfered.

There was a powerful moment of self-reflection and desperation there. Really, that story did good things for everyone's characters. They really should have included it.

HOWEVER. Putting that aside, and assuming she hasn't had that moment of self-reflection to push her harder to grow in that area, I would say that in terms of the important advice Aria has given her, this is probably the area where Akari is most lacking. And, as you say, it is the area that is most likely to turn around and bite her if she doesn't get a grip on it fast. Awareness of her physical surroundings, awareness of the people around her, awareness of the behavior of those people around her, awareness of herself and how she moves and interacts with all the above things, and much more. Akari is not in a position where she can afford to be blissfully ignorant.

[Requiem-x]

Akari, your imagination is... quite something

A surprisingly good episode for a setup, showing the main things to like about this series: Shino's yandere tendencies, the growing setup for whatever is going on with Akari (and maybe her sister as well), Aria being a cool sempai, and now adding Raika and Kirin's dynamic, that is, the fact the former is actually quite smitten with the latter, rather than looking at her as an annoyance, as it is so often the case in this type of situations.

Plain enjoyable, and definetly makes you want to cheer for Akari to finally show what she's made of. Good stuff.

[tsunade666]

lol, episode. They cut out the part where Shirayuki had given Shino some films because using film type camera is better in high speed. I remember it should be there where Shirayuki pushes into her hands some film for camera.

Interesting episode and I liked how it was animated though what did they just to kinji -_- poor guy. It was horrendous.

[Hiss13]

Originally Posted by tsunade666

Interesting episode and I liked how it was animated though what did they just to kinji -_- poor guy. It was horrendous.

You mean the cross dressing in the dream sequence? That was amusing. I broke out into laughter the moment I saw that.

[Benigmatica]

Wow, so it seems that Urara Takachiho hated Akari Mamiya for being Aria's temporary Amica. But you know what, she should become Riko Mine's Amica instead!

Meanwhile, it's not surprising to see Shino Sasaki being Shirayuki Hotogi’s Amica. I mean, they have in common like hating Aria for stealing Akari and Kinji away!

Lastly, gotta love that dream sequence!

[Patriot's Blade]

Originally Posted by tsunade666

Interesting episode and I liked how it was animated though what did they just to kinji -_- poor guy. It was horrendous.

Originally Posted by Hiss13

You mean the cross dressing in the dream sequence? That was amusing. I broke out into laughter the moment I saw that.

so in Akari's POV, he is one of the girls, not sure that is considered an improvement,
along with Aria mistook him for having yaoi sex with the pervert guy hiding in a locker in the girls dressing room back in season 1's next episode preview

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Benigmatica

Wow, so it seems that Urara Takachiho hated Akari Mamiya for being Aria's temporary Amica. But you know what, she should become Riko Mine's Amica instead!

Meanwhile, it's not surprising to see Shino Sasaki being Shirayuki Hotogi’s Amica. I mean, they have in common like hating Aria for stealing Akari and Kinji away!

And of being (outwardly) yamato nadeshiko because they're from rich, traditional families.

[Draco Spirit]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

And of being (outwardly) yamato nadeshiko because they're from rich, traditional families.

Funny enough, the idea of Yandere in modern Anime started out as a subversion of Yamato Nadeshiko characters anyway.

[Hiss13]

Someone really needs to make a gif or gif avatar of that scene with Shirayuki repeatedly slashing the Aria dummy. It's too perfect.

[Draco Spirit]

Originally Posted by Requiem-x

Akari, your imagination is... quite something

A surprisingly good episode for a setup, showing the main things to like about this series: Shino's yandere tendencies, the growing setup for whatever is going on with Akari (and maybe her sister as well), Aria being a cool sempai, and now adding Raika and Kirin's dynamic, that is, the fact the former is actually quite smitten with the latter, rather than looking at her as an annoyance, as it is so often the case in this type of situations.

Plain enjoyable, and definetly makes you want to cheer for Akari to finally show what she's made of. Good stuff.

The Kirin/Raika dynamic is pretty dam cute isn't it?

While the whole 'I love Onnesama' is fairly common in Anime, it's often poorly developed, one sided, never goes anywhere and played purely for humour. Kirin/Raika on the other hand is being properly developed, clearly a mutual romance (even if Kirin did the initial chasing, Raika is reacting positively) and seems to be developing into a full blown romance.

I'm looking forwards to were it's going anyway.