Ok,so last episode dropped a gigantic bombshell on us, what with the student council president attacking Hatoko with fire. It was a real slap to the face after all this time of relationship stuff. However, it seems the plot’s finally found our heroes and is coming to take them down. I got to say, its refreshing to actually see their powers at work again.
Chiyufu uses her power to defend, but the prez just steals that power too. However, Andou was clever enough to think of a counter-plan, use red haired girl’s time power while not letting the prez see, so they could escape her grasp. The true power of Andou shows again…being genre savvy.
However, they still have the problem at hand. The prez has two of their five powers, and they can’t use their own to combat her because she’ll just steal them. However, the ever-clever Andou has a plan of his own. Its times like this it makes more sense for him to be the sole focus. While he may not have amazing powers, he has a keener understanding of their powers and strategies in how to deal with them. He’s the clear team leader in this situation. When they figure out the prez is probably being possessed, they work together, but its ultimately his plan to face her, calling her to a showdown.
We also learn (though we could piece it together) that ponytail is working with the possessing lady as part of his own plans. And it makes a lot of sense. If she possesses the prez’s body, she can take all of the powers of Andou’s team, which will give her a huge edge in the upcoming fight. The more I see ponytail, the more I just..wanna punch him in his smug ponytail face.
When they finally do showdown, its Andou vs the prez. And he really gets to shine this episode. He’s able to outthink and talk her to keep from getting the others to come and aid or from killing him, no matter how hard she hits him. One thing that hasn’t really been addressed, even though in this Fairy War the dead come back, the pain they feel if injured is clearly very very real.
However, Andou pulls out his trump card-the awakened form of his power. While we’ve heard from the others ever since he used it how he should never use it again, how horrible it was, we haven’t learned why until now. The flames he makes in its upgrades form are burning and cannot be put out. Water, ice, not even the wielder themselves can quell or stop the flames. So, even when the fake prez steals the power, its still burning him.
It really shows how badass Andou can be, and how clever he is. The woman possessing the prez has no choice but to either leave her body or continue in agony, and Andou is willing to sacrifice much for it. Now you may be wondering how, if the flames truly are inextinguishable, he is still alive? They literally had to CHOP HIS ARM OFF and use Sayumi’s power to restore him (likely sending the burning arms to some empty space using Chiyufu’s power). Even though it is a simple fix with the powers they have…that’s dark. It justifies how serious the team took using this power, since they literally have to maim their friend in order to stop the burning. It leaves the entire team crying, traumatized after seeing this happen not just once, but twice.
Meanwhile, Luci First (aka red hair’s brother) has caught wind of people messing with Team Andou, and is not happy. He easily dispatches the possessing girl, and tells Ponytail to knock it off. However, he shows an interesting side to it. He doesn’t want to do it for his sister’s sake, or just for it, but apparently because he wants to save them for last. Its an interesting look at who, while not quite, is the pseudo-antagonist here.
The rest of the episode? The girls all saying how “Oh yeah, I love Andou.” “Oh you too, well good luck with that, then.”
One thing I do like is how there is friendship outside of Andou, and the girls aren’t going to get catty and bitchy with each other about it. I especially like red haired girl helping Hatoko pick out light novels, a sort of beginning step to her understanding Andou a bit more. I like that Hatoko is trying and their mutual love of Andou doesn’t divide them, but in some ways, actually helps them bond in a weird way.
We leave off with the very interesting note of Andou saying they shouldn’t use their powers to hurt people, but just use them because they’re cool. Its a rather naive and simple idea, and we KNOW its going to be tested if there’s a season 2, when the fairy war likely will hit the group hard. However for now, the series ends pretty much on the idea it began with.
PS. Adorable Chiyufu pic
Final Impressions: SAVAGE
Inou Battle has been up and down for me. While the animation’s been good, the premise neat, and the characters likable, it seems to have a lack of balancing out premise and genres. While the first couple episodes mixed powers with character focus and some later touched on it, it seemed after a while the powers were less and less part of the story, unless the plot had them being absolutely part of the story. It felt like almost watching two different shows, one a shonen superpower series, and another slice of life. As each, it does pretty well, but I felt the series was strongest when it was better balanced in the episodes. It sometime steels that the show doesn’t know what it wants to be at times.
Still, the cast is overall good, and the slice of life stuff far better than the regular kind. Often they address issues or dilemmas seriously or at least with some finesse, and the characters are shown as more likable and mature than you would think. I do feel there’s a tiny bit too much harem anime stuff seeped in there, but it could be worse. They could literally be fighting over him like spoiled brats over the last cookie. I feel the ending really only was a setting up point in some ways to the future but it at least wrapped things up in some fashion. Overall, it had a lot of interesting things, was entertaining and enjoyable, but I can’t say I found anything amazingly special in it. For slice of life its better than average (though I am by no means an expert on the genre), and as a superpower show..its ok. Since it was about everyday life, I can understand though why we might not have gotten as much action as a traditional story like this might.
Overall, I give Inou Battle a 6.5/10. It does what it does rather well, but not much else. I am glad I watched it, but I don’t feel an urge to rematch it again or to show it to my friends. If there’s a season 2, I definitely will continue watching, but for now, I’m just glad it ended on a high note.
Final Impressions- Midnight
Woah, uh, this series was something alright. The problem is saying exactly what this series was. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great either. I’d say it rounds out to a overall “Well…I’m not sad I watched it.” but it doesn’t come to much more then that. I think my issue overall is while yes, it’s called “When Supernatural Powers become commonplace in everyday life.” they focused maybe a little too much on the ‘Everyday life’ and not so much on the super powers.
Every time the fairy war came up I could not of been more engrossed in what was going on if I tried. It’s such an interesting concept and I feel like it really fell by the way-side, I am really hoping for a season 2 that will get the main cast involved in the fairy war. I need to know more about F and the little girl who Tomoyo’s hot brother bribed with candy and her supposedly OP super power.
That aside, for what we did get I can’t say any of it was really bad. The largest point of contention in this show between Savage and I seems to be Hatoko and if she’s a better friend or romance option for Andou. It’s not even a discussion of if she’s a bad character or not, there is nobody I really dislike in this series…
Maybe ponytail….but I don’t get the feeling that you’re intended to like him. So if the series intent was to make him creepy and unlikable. Well congrats, you did it. Here’s your cookie.
As for the ‘everybody loves Andou’ aspect. I can honestly say there were girls I ended up favoring over others. This might be the first, the last and only time I liked the loli. So touche’ Inou Battle, you’ve won this round. Overall though i’m glad that all of the girls seem to be handling it like adults and not children being all catty at each other because they like the same guy.
This show has actually excelled from the beginning at mature writing where I feel other shows might of gone for wacky schemes or hi-jinks. I think the only time this really fell flat was when he claimed to be a lolicon to cover up their powers. This show never felt ashamed to take risks either, the entire idea of having to CUT OFF THEIR HANDS in the last episode was dark as hell but the show didn’t shy away from it in the least. That’s why I want to see more of the fairy war plot, i know this show has the balls to do a lot of things that would be really cool to see.
Let me borrow Hideki’s rating system to finish this view off.
Head- What the story did right, it did fantastically. My only hang up on it is a lack of resolution to the Fairy War plot and if given a season two that will fix all my issues. For now, a 5/10 for not being anything outstanding but not being anything bad either.
Eyes – I can’t remember a time the animation was really bad, I felt maybe in ep 11 when they were doing the whole paper cut out, 2 dimensional thing with Hatoko that was kind of lame and seemed to be a real cop out but it doesn’t effect the series overall since it was honestly only for that one bit at the beach. 8/10.
Heart- You know, I think this is where the show struggles the most. It was a short show with a lot to pack into it. You had each girl and their romance with Andou, that’s 5 girls including the student council chick. Add in the Fairy War and you end up with a show that doesn’t know what it is. Is it a comedy? a harem show? It took good care of each of the characters [in the main cast] and got you to know them fairly well, but then totally neglected the side cast such as the people in Tomoyo’s brothers gang, the Student Council chick, and ponytail. I still ended up caring for everyone so uh….6/10 maybe?
This isn’t a show I regret watching, but if there is a season 2 I think i’ll be a lot more glad that I watched it. My biggest issue I think is that nothing really happened. Some characters had a little emotional growth but in the end, nothings changed. The war isn’t over, nobodies feelings are hurt and aside from growing up just a bit nobodies changed or learned anything. I’m not saying this is a bad show, I really liked it…maybe that’s why I really want there to be more.
Without the announcement of a season 2, 5/10 for being all around just alright. If a season 2 gets announced, bump that up to a 8/10 and a ‘I’LL BLOG THE HELL OUT OF IT.’ till then, yay slice of life…?
~Midnight