(CR) New Gegege no Kitarou

[SeijiSensei]

Kitarou generally thinks yokai and humans should remain apart. I guess he changed his mind in this case?

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Kitarou generally thinks yokai and humans should remain apart. I guess he changed his mind in this case?

I do wonder, because by the looks of it the bride will now be a part of the world of yokai to never return, she has no friends or relatives that will miss her but the dad that literally sold her for cold cash.

I do not get the vibe Mana is ok with leaving the human world like the girl from this episode. Also, this escalated exponentially, she became a wife in one night, there was no dating whatsoever so maybe that it why kitaro did not felt akward, mana no doubt would like to date kitaro if given the chance.

Also, I dunno if this was on this episode but certain life sucking yokai is not part of the op, he is in the second plane of the shrine right before Nezumi otoko sings the part of "yokai do not get sick or die".

[Guardian Enzo]

I'm not sure I would say Kitarou changed his mind in this case, so much as he adhered to a personal principle. Hakusanbo had a contract - why should it be void just because he's a youkai? Kitarou has chosen a precarious place between the two worlds - it only works if he believes both are entitled to the same rights and governed by the same ethical standards.

I think Kitarou would probably still say, generally, that youkai and humans should not mix (or marry). But the specifics of the case are what they are. And frankly, based on the fact that he effectively traded his daughter for career success can it really be argued that Kitarou would be thinking of Yayoi's benefit by fighting to keep her with her father? The key line of dialogue was when Kitarou said "I'm not anyone's ally". He doesn't choose sides - he just tries to foster peace and help those who need it.

[serenade_beta]

I'd like to just pipe in and say I am surprised Kitarou is still voiced by Miyuki. I wonder how many episodes this will last.
I know that Professor Oak has already changed in his anime, though that is for a much grimmer reason.

[AntonKutovoi]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

I'd like to just pipe in and say I am surprised Kitarou is still voiced by Miyuki. I wonder how many episodes this will last.
I know that Professor Oak has already changed in his anime, though that is for a much grimmer reason.

Well, you can still hear Ishizuka Unshou in Banana Fish.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

I'd like to just pipe in and say I am surprised Kitarou is still voiced by Miyuki.

To me it sounds like a different actor, one with a more male-sounding voice. I can't read Japanese so I don't know what the credits say.

ANN still only lists Sawashiro in the role, so maybe I'm losing my hearing as I age.

[Guardian Enzo]

That's definitely still Miyuki.

[SeijiSensei]

I want it to be next week now.

[serenade_beta]

Since she has so little youkai features, it always feels strange when they treat the witches as youkais.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

The really sad part for me is that clearly, in its dealings with matters such as WW II, workplace bullying and free thought in schools, this incarnation of Gegege no Kitarou has shown itself to be quite forward-thinking in most respects. It's certainly not the mindset of a nationalist lite novel. But when it comes to foreigners, even "liberal" Japanese fall into the same trap. If it's not abject racism (that's the bailiwick of the nationalists, and anime has that covered amply) it's the kind of condescending paternalism we saw in this episode. I don't think I need to explain what I mean - I believe it's pretty clear in the way events played out - but it's depressing as hell.

The scene between Agnes and Kitarou at the end of this week's episode seems to be a criticism of Japanese ethnocentrism. Despite it all, Kitarou wants to be her friend just ... because. In fact, the whole episode can be seen as touching on this issue. In the end, none of the Japanese yokai really want to drive her away either.

My favorite series on this subject is Demi-chan wa Kataritai, where the monster girls represent the "other." That show promotes diversity and inclusion throughout.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

The scene between Agnes and Kitarou at the end of this week's episode seems to be a criticism of Japanese ethnocentrism. Despite it all, Kitarou wants to be her friend just ... because. In fact, the whole episode can be seen as touching on this issue. In the end, none of the Japanese yokai really want to drive her away either.

Yes, I noted that in my writeup this week. This seems to be progress, at least.

Anti-foreigner rallies like that are a staple of Japanese train stations, especially ones where there are a lot of tourists and expats.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Anti-foreigner rallies like that are a staple of Japanese train stations, especially ones where there are a lot of tourists and expats.

First time I've heard of that. Are we talking a dozen people or larger groups like fifty or more?

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

First time I've heard of that. Are we talking a dozen people or larger groups like fifty or more?

My experience is usually a few old nationalist politicians with bullhorns and a bunch of people handing out flyers and harassing passers-by. Nara Station seems to be a particular favorite but I see them at many stations, usually places where there are a lot of foreigners.

[Guardian Enzo]

No episode this week, apparently - which really sucks since that preview was such a damn tease.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I want it to be next week now.

Well, now it is next week, and je suis desolé.

[Guardian Enzo]

In a medium that makes a mockery of it by crassly portraying the innocence and cuteness of young girls for the purposes of selling discs, Gegege no Kitarou has totally hit the target with Mana. She's so incredibly real in the way most of these characters are false.

[SeijiSensei]

Yes, I've enjoyed watching Mana befriend Agnes. Their conversation at the water's edge in this last episode was delightful. Mana's warmth let Agnes feel safe enough to break down, yet Mana doesn't come off as treacly sweet either. She's a bit too enthusiastic for her own good, but as the audience's stand-in character, she needs to involve herself in nearly every adventure.

I liked the sequence where Agnes and Adele talked about their past through jump cuts, as if they were talking to each other though miles apart.

My one quibble with this week's episode is why Agnes didn't fly directly back to Kitarou's house from the waterside on her broom. Instead she leaves the broom at the pond and walks through a gauntlet in the GeGeGe Forest. True, that scene is one of the episode's dramatic high points, and I've thought a bit since about why she didn't fly. I doubt it was a "mistake" on the part of the writers; they're too good for that. Perhaps we're to see Agnes's decision to walk as an expression of her will power and determination?

[SeijiSensei]

Wow, this is getting really heavy! Will Agnes somehow break free of the spell? Who, if anyone, might come to her rescue? Will all the humans turn back if Backbeard is defeated?

[Guardian Enzo]

Nanashi is, to me, way way scarier and more interesting than Backbeard. What a performance by Ginga-san.

[SeijiSensei]

I often think back to Anton's comment when I hear Ginga perform as Nanashi:

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

You know, if I were a young voice actor and heard Banjo Ginga doing that chanting next to me, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.