The other self bears your grief and pain…
…but what happens when she breaks?
Summary:
Takanashi returns to school, but soon is forced to leave after having an emotional breakdown. Mato struggles to fend off the rumours, and the people around her a showing signs of “damage” from the battles on the other side- the still-cheerful Kohata still doesn’t remember the boy she confessed to, Kagari is acting normal, and Mato is looking darker than usual. When Yuu disappears, Mato begins to realize the other side isn’t as harmless as it seems, that the battles outcomes do affect the minds of those that fight them.
Impressions:
There was a whole lot more fighting in this episode. The switching between the “real” and other world built suspense, ending with the ultimate defeat of Deadmaster, but that animation was really strong. Most other anime, the fighting would have gotten boring by now, but with the change in enemies every time, Black★Rock Shooter adapts to the situation and keeps blasting away. That’s why she’s so strong, but we start to question, who is really right here.
The biggest revelation is that there might be someone in the background that is pulling the strings. Someone has a stake, an investment in the other world. Irino-sensei reveals her claws, and she’s got all the cards…with the classmates all going to her for advice. But how does Yuu fit into all this? The show has been concentrating on Mate and Takanashi, with Yuu floating in the background. Then, suddenly, there’s a huge shift, and EVERYTHING that has happened so far is being questioned. Who is Yuu? Why does she and Irino-sensei know about it, and why are they trying to influence the outcomes of the fights?
The Other selves as the bearer of pain for the real characters is a great concept, I think. But the Other selves rarely show emotion, and seek to relieve themselves by killing off their opponents. At what point will Black★Rock Shooter become like Black★Gold Saw? It’s not fair that the real characters don’t get to choose whether or not to fight, whether or not to win. Mato is too kind to try to win fights or fight in real life, is that why Black★Rock Shooter is so dark? Too many questions.
Is it just me, or is the reason that Yuu doesn’t exist in the memories of everyone is because she’s not from the “real” world?
I noticed that the anime was very clear one thing- Yuu is not the same as everyone else, in terms of other selves, and the fact that she doesn’t have a shadow. Mato is the only one with memories of Yuu from childhood, but even those are fading. Perhaps Mato is so sensitive that she has all the other characters surround her. Black★Rock Shooter is a double-edged sword. All those that fight her will be defeated, and the other self will go through catharsis, but does that really solve the problem, to forget?
OHHHH SHITTTTTTT!!!!
Next week, THIS is why you should watch the show. The proverbial shit is going to hit the fan as BRS heads towards it’s grand finale. When is Strength going to show? STRENGTHHHHHH!!!!! @////A///@