This was another super fun episode for me. Mostly focusing on the Flamengers (I swear this stuff is so cheesy that I burst out laughing whenever they’re on screen) having teamwork problems since they can’t accept Hazama to be Flamen Red, this week’s episode let us understand the Flamengers a bit more…I think. I expected that whole documentary thing the public were filming to give a little more insight into the other Flamengers, but so far they haven’t shown any real personality outside of what they’ve already established in the Flamengers’ debut episode. Which is a little disappointing, since the MMM girls and Goto have such wonderfully written personalities.
Speaking of MMM and Goto, Mari and Goto FINALLY made their return to the series, for people that were worried they’d be completely sidelined! (I wasn’t though, but I did miss having them around a bit) Hazama offers the available position of Flamen Yellow to Goto – he’s lonely, no one in the Flamengers respects him as a leader (or even an interim one) and yeah, he wants Goto around. The good o’l policeman we know didn’t agree though, but the two of them have their BROTP moments, before Hazama expresses his worries for Mari and the MMM girls after that torture incident with King Torture. Right after he leaves WE SEE MARI IN GOTO’S APARTMENT.
She’s in quite the stump, possibly still trying to win Goto’s heart or something (but given her current problems Goto is the least of her concerns). She’s definitely lost as to what she wants to do, how she’s going to make it up to Moe and realising that she really isn’t the nicest person around, with that introspective by King Torture. Still, I suspect that she COULD become Flamen Yellow, although that may be wishful thinking on my part. Mari does have similarities with the rest of the Flamengers (other than Hazama) though – none of them really seem to care about JUSTICE and SAVING THE WORLD like Hazama does, and having Mari join the Flamengers could allow for an inculcation of Hazama’s…ideals into the rest of the Flamengers.
It’s really difficult to explain why I’m still enjoying Samumenco. The first 6 episodes were bloody great of course, but then episode 7 came. Episode 8 and 9 weren’t really good – the series looked like it was still adjusting to the new world it’s built for itself, but afterwards I think it was a lot clearer to me the series is still retaining a lot of the elements from the first 6 episodes, and I was able to enjoy the series again. Of course, it’s not obvious, but you can infer that lots of the humor comes from a disconnect between the childlike dreams of SAVING THE WORLD!!! and real life. It was a focal point at the beginning of the series, and I’d argue that it still is, except this time it manifests more in the LOLs then all that character drama we got at the first 6 episodes. And it’s still funny as heck. The comedic timing in this series is still top-notch, and Manglobe can milk as many laughs from the ridiculously cheesy antics of the Flamengers, I don’t think a day will come where I don’t laugh at them doing their silly poses.
Can’t wait for the next episode, with the 4 Kings defeated it looks as if the Flamengers can finally take a breather (and they do, all having a nice meal together at Hazama’s house, what an adorable moment), but the existence of 64 War Gods is later revealed. Yep, 64. I do hope they don’t spend the rest of the series fighting those. Doubt that would happen though.