Karakuri Circus

[Anh_Minh]

Dammit, Masaru, if you can't repair Columbine, what are you even here for? (OK, saving Shirogane, that's not nothing, I suppose. Better question is what Narumi's here for. But still.)

[Kanon]

I was wondering why they didn't cut the assassin girl's subplot entirely considering they never did anything with her, and it turns out there was an extremely important scene in it. I guess it makes sense using the show's internal logic.

RIP Colombine. She became really entertaining after she turned into a loli. And unlike Arlequino and Pantalone who are merely following Eleronore's orders (though they seem to be starting to feel too), she acted of her own volition.

Now that Eleonore has been rescued, I hope we'll get to see her fight again. It's been ages.

[akumaten]

Happy that Masaru gave the biggest "screw you" to Jin/Faceless.
*sigh*
Francine learned how to laugh
Columbine learned how to love

[Wandering Soul]

RIP Columbine. She spent her final moments being on the good side and saved Masaru and Eleonore. Unfortunately for her not only did she die, but the ship she was supporting won't become canon.

[Kanon]

It was extremely frustrating, if not infuriating, to see Narumi treat Eleonore like trash. It felt really forced too, with him getting the opportunity to watch her memories twice in the same episode and declining each time. Seeing the moments they shared together would have surely made him rethink everything. There's Guy, too. Why did he show what Eleonore's been doing to help everybody to Mingxia and not Narumi? I'm glad he did show her because I wasn't liking where her character was going, but show it to them both, damnit!

[Nivek von Beldo]

Originally Posted by Kanon

It was extremely frustrating, if not infuriating, to see Narumi treat Eleonore like trash. It felt really forced too, with him getting the opportunity to watch her memories twice in the same episode and declining each time. Seeing the moments they shared together would have surely made him rethink everything. There's Guy, too. Why did he show what Eleonore's been doing to help everybody to Mingxia and not Narumi? I'm glad he did show her because I wasn't liking where her character was going, but show it to them both, damnit!

Being Honest..Where in hell is Masaru? he would bitchslap Narumi for his bullheadness..seriously i can understand their hate to anything francine related post sahara but that was ridiculous, and masaru,the one can put Narumi in his place is MIA.

[FlareKnight]

It really isn't a good sign when I'm having to remind myself not to support the villain's goal of global annihilation. Just because people are horrible and extremely unlikable doesn't mean the world should end right? I think.

In some ways it is kind of hilarious that they brought back the old opening song for the ending. Now I can watch that and say "I remember when I didn't hate Narumi. Those were good times." Enough of this making the memory watching scenes optional nonsense. Narumi should sat down and forced to watch or he can stay in the base and not go on the train.

Honestly I wonder what the author was smoking during all this. It is bad enough that out of the 3 main characters, Shirogane is the one who was brutally left behind. Narumi and Masaru have dominated the show and had moments to shine. Shirogane has been turned into an utter victim who is targeted by the main villain and abused by the "good guys." I mean great Mingxia doesn't hate her as much now. That's nice. How about we get everyone in that building to bow down and apologize for being scumbags?

[Anh_Minh]

Horrible as people can be naturally, I can't help but think they wouldn't treat her like that if they hadn't been fed a bunch of lies and half-truth. The question is, why?

(Or maybe, why bother saving the bastards? It shouldn't, but it sounds like a pretty good question right now.)

[FlareKnight]

At least Guy got to go out with style. Few characters in this show are without some mixed feelings left towards them. But at least they did manage to make me care about the death of the guy who tried to murder Masaru some episodes ago. He got the job done of holding the line. Everyone else got out of there and that did slow if not stop any immediate pursuit. Not that there won't be other threats, because of course there will be. But Guy did what he set out to do.

The Masaru confirming Narumi being alive thing probably didn't hit me in the way the show was going for. Instead of empathizing with the emotional joy of someone he cares about being alive it was more like "if you are crying now, wait and see the jerk he's turned into." Some things are best left pure in the memory instead of destroyed by reality.

But the mission has begun. Guess it wouldn't be the worst thing if they manage to save humanity.

[Nivek von Beldo]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

At least Guy got to go out with style. Few characters in this show are without some mixed feelings left towards them. But at least they did manage to make me care about the death of the guy who tried to murder Masaru some episodes ago. He got the job done of holding the line. Everyone else got out of there and that did slow if not stop any immediate pursuit. Not that there won't be other threats, because of course there will be. But Guy did what he set out to do.

The Masaru confirming Narumi being alive thing probably didn't hit me in the way the show was going for. Instead of empathizing with the emotional joy of someone he cares about being alive it was more like "if you are crying now, wait and see the jerk he's turned into." Some things are best left pure in the memory instead of destroyed by reality.

But the mission has begun. Guess it wouldn't be the worst thing if they manage to save humanity.

I no joke when i say this anime(need to read the manga) is a very flawed masterpiece, for every great action, there a faux paus or a dissonant note make the effort looks akward at time, still the series is amazing, with the plot of the Shirogane and others.

You nailed, maybe a bropunch from Masaru could make Narumi finally get it, specially as he have Shiro memories abouy Angelina and Eleanore. Yeah that is a meeting for the ages but one will not be that sweet.

We're into the final act, will be an explosive finish it seems

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

The Masaru confirming Narumi being alive thing probably didn't hit me in the way the show was going for. Instead of empathizing with the emotional joy of someone he cares about being alive it was more like "if you are crying now, wait and see the jerk he's turned into." Some things are best left pure in the memory instead of destroyed by reality.

Yeah, I don't usually get much into shipping wars, but when I see Narumi like that, I can't help but think Columbine had a point.

[Wandering Soul]

RIP Guy. The entire first half of the episode was pretty much yelling at us that Guy would die this episode.

If Guy wanted Narumi to see that Eleonore is not evil and wanted him to remember her, why didn't he just show him what he showed Mingxia last episode or insist he stay in the room when they were showing her memories?

[Kanon]

What I got out of Guy's conversation with Narumi is that despite what he claims, deep down Narumi is attracted to Eleonore. Mingxia also understood it.

Narumi and the other people's reasoning for hating Eleonore is ridiculous though. It's like blaming the hostage instead of the bank robbers for the money stolen. It's not Eleonore's fault that the biggest nutcase in the world is in love with her.

Guy's death was well done. He probably got the best one in the show.

[Nivek von Beldo]

Another Flashback but was a cute but heartwrecking one, for the mom those two the show always must goes on.

Vilma died to easily for me, too easy, i know she is a regular human and not a shirogane, still was so easy, a shame.

[Kanon]

Writing "I'm going to die soon" on these characters' forehead would have saved us time. I assume their flashbacks were from arcs that were cut from the anime, making for more natural storytelling than this.

[Magewolf]

Originally Posted by Nivek von Beldo

Another Flashback but was a cute but heartwrecking one, for the mom those two the show always must goes on.

Vilma died to easily for me, too easy, i know she is a regular human and not a shirogane, still was so easy, a shame.

Actually shouldn't they all be shirogane since they have drunk so much of Shirogane's blood which should be at least as strong as the well water that made the shirogane?

[FlareKnight]

The handling of characters feels really weird. The circus members were introduced early, completely forgotten about for most of the show, and brought back only now to possibly just set up their deaths. Vilma especially is funny that way. She showed up, stabbed Shirogane with knives a bit, joined the circus, and then disappeared until the last couple episodes. They probably felt it was needed to recap her backstory since it would be easy to forget her.

My initial feeling was that she did die too easily. But maybe that's just because the show has focused so much on Narumi and company stomping automata that their strength has been made to feel lower than it really is. Even Shirogane who has been underused by the show was able to stomp Vilma when she used Arlequin. Of course Ashihana went from losing to Shirogane to beating an elite member of the Midnight Circus so strength levels are flexible.

I do think those circus brother should have gotten a backstory 15+ episodes ago when they were introduced. It's really weird how we meet these guys, forget they exist, and are suddenly tossed into their tragic history out of nowhere. Really running with "better late than never."

Oh well. At least Vilma shooting from a massive gun platform was kind of fun.

[Kanon]

The anime basically cut all the Masaru chapters, where these characters were developed and their backstories told to focus only on Narumi for the majority of the show.

[Anh_Minh]

Wow, everyone's an asshole. Even if all you care about is Shirogane, for some reason, haven't they seen in her memories that Masaru is also important to her? That she worried about him and would appreciate knowing he's alive. And that he's brought her puppet. That also matters, even if not as much.

(But speaking of her memories, couldn't they see how important Narumi was to Masaru? Can't they give him a few minutes to say hello?)

Then again, maybe not seeing the asshole Narumi became was a kindness.

[Magewolf]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Wow, everyone's an asshole. Even if all you care about is Shirogane, for some reason, haven't they seen in her memories that Masaru is also important to her? That she worried about him and would appreciate knowing he's alive. And that he's brought her puppet. That also matters, even if not as much.

(But speaking of her memories, couldn't they see how important Narumi was to Masaru? Can't they give him a few minutes to say hello?)

Then again, maybe not seeing the asshole Narumi became was a kindness.

The manga was a mess in many ways but the adaptation has magnified most of the problems while cutting out a lot of the good parts(which to be fair were mostly not necessary to the plot).