Saturday, November 10, 2012

Little Busters! episode 5

Bleh folks. Bleh. That is all I have to say about that.
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I think my life would be better if Kira had a fat little brother or sister like that!
So...YEAH! After that long and descriptive opener time for some anime! Up now is Little Busters! episode 5. Spoilers for Komari having some bleh too.
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Yo yo yo my name is Riki and I am here to visit you!
Episode Summary: The Little Busters are busy practicing their baseball skills. Looks like there is a lot more practicing that needs to take place. After doing their random….practice Komari declares everyone her best friends ever. She reinforces nicknames to Yuiko and Rin, both who get super embarrassed about the entire situation. The boys laugh as the girls try to give Komari an embarrassing nickname but she embraces it. After all that fun Komari opens up about how she has had more dreams about her brother she can’t remember. This time she remembers flapping white things near a sky and other random details. Riki starts thinking about what this all could mean and how it could affect Komari. He visits Gramps again in the hospital. Gramps gives Riki a bit of a hard time because that is what old people have to look forward to in life I suppose. Gramps does not give Riki any real yes or no about the situation but Riki has deducted that Komari’s brother was in a hospital and died. Gramps asks Riki to protect Komari from the truth. Riki seems to be upset about this news and is unable to sleep. In a quest to get a drink he catches Komari sneaking back into campus.
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A lot of wishing there folks.
After she is done freaking out Komari explains there is a meteor shower tonight and she was out getting snacks for the occasion. She invites Riki to her super secret spot on the roof where they wait for shooting stars. She gets a little sad when she has another memory of her brother but decides to turn that frown upside down. She actually wishes for Riki to be able to see more things. Riki hopes that Komari will be protected from any sadness. After looking at the stars Komari wants to go on a date with Riki. Curious he tags along. She ends up taking them to the town she grew up in. She walks around hoping to remember her brother more. They end up taking a boat ride on the lake and Riki notices it is near a hospital. Komari gets a little sad but decides maybe Riki can be her big brother instead. Awkward. On their way back to school Riki notices a kitten isn’t moving so he needs to make this known to the sad girl. Komari starts freaking out all over the sidewalk, not understanding why the cat isn’t moving and what does that mean. She cries and cries as Riki realizes he messed up. THE END!
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I am asking that too buddy.
Oh my Lord. Another Komari episode. And it looks like we are getting another one next week. Of course I say that and complain that in Elections a la Chocolate no one really got a decent back story. Clearly there is no pleasing me.
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Too soon too soon!
First off still not Japanese. So some parts of this episode are lost on me. Mainly the parts about nicknames and such. Here in the United States or Rude we call people either by their first names or Mr./Mrs. Last name. There really isn’t a lot of in between. So when Komari is giving Run and Yuiko their nicknames I understand it is embarrassing for some reason but I don’t get the full impact because I am not Japanese. So many levels of friendship. But even I see that it was way too soon that level of friendship.
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Practice? I'll bring the snacks!!!!
But hey folks! They were practicing baseball…I think. Maybe they should go to another school and learn how to practice right? Yes folks I don’t even think they are practicing right. Poor Little Busters. Like everyone seems to be doing their own thing. Everyone should be running, everyone should be batting, and everyone should be catching. XD Oh wait they are just a rag tag team because Kyousuke wanted to do something? I see now. Well not Kyousuke as he has slowly faded to the background.
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Just bam folks! Bringing it up out of nowhere.
Komari really has weird timing. Sorta like me. I just say what is in my head and don’t really take the mood into consideration. Like oh I need to tell you something sad about a dream I had. :( Poor Komari. Guess it would be kicking a dog while its down if I talked about her awkward people skills. I wish there had been more build up to this whole…remembering thing. She just meets Riki and blurts all this out. I wish there had been more….something. Wait until there was more connection with Riki. Or more sadness in her eyes. She is constantly smiling and eating treats. Maybe if there was more of a hint of what is going on instead of these random moments that pass by quickly. If this was really bothering her I wish there were more indications of that.
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Who are you again?
Riki visiting Gramps in the nursing home was nice. Although had Gramps not been connected to Komari he would have been the feel good moment of the week. Like oh we did that time to move on. But maybe since Komari goes there all the time so will the Little Busters? In any event Riki being forced to reenter the room correctly was amusing but things got a little serious. Gramps didn’t really give out any information besides nodding his head at Riki’s guesses and to warn not to hurt Komari.
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Okay that was pretty dang sad.
I thought the watching the shooting stars and eating snacks on the roof was cute, even if I want Komari to have more sad moments. XD Can’t be sad all the time. See how I am easily pleased? Sneaking out to get snacks is something I always support. And in this day in age where computers and TVs are the main source of entertainment for some (those poor people….HAHAHA!) it is nice to see people kick back and look at the stairs. See they did this on a roof and not in the grass so I can support it. I thought they would wish for Komari to remember or something similar. But Komari is way too magical and wants to wish for Riki to see. Can you see Riki?!
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Just stop looking for your brother and things will be better!
After this mini date on the roof…time for another date. Komari is a little brave isn’t she? Just come and tells Riki what she wants. I find it a little odd though that they went to the place where Komari grew up but didn’t see her parents. I mean Komari just at boarding school right? Her family still lives at home which is nearby? Maybe I am wrong and the family only lived in the area while the son was in the hospital. Because that is where Riki should have been looking for clues. But Komari seemed to have a nice day on the lake and walking around. Maybe she was looking for clues too but being with Riki was nice too. Although asking him to be her brother was a bit odd. Are you sure that is what you want from him? In any event yay for dates that mainly involve transportation.
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No kitten pic for you!
Is it bad that I felt really bad about the kitten being dead but I found Komari to be….well not as touching as the cat? :( Clearly something is wrong with me yes? It kinda pissed me off that Riki didn’t investigate the scene first and then call Komari over. I don’t care if she has had some sorta drama/trauma herself, that is just what one should do. Like oh lets both go look and see if the cat is dead? Um no. One of you can go and since this is a country ruled by me I pick the boy.
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You forgot...POOF!
I hope there is a good explanation on why Komari has forgotten about her brother. More than him saying this is all a dream. Because as sad as it is people die all the time. Most of them (probably all of them) do not block that person out of their minds forever. They deal with the sadness and move on, sometimes crying over the person who left and smiling over happy memories. Not to totally block it out of their minds. I was thinking that Komari felt or was responsible for the death and that is why gramps said not to say anything to her.
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I see you being lolita there Komari.
I am all kinda of mean in this post. X___X More sadness for dead people and hoping that Komari really lost her mind thus explaining the brother forgetting stuff. Poor Komari. Look forward to more tears next week….I guess?

6 comments:

eternia said...

Komari in gothic lolita suit was pretty cute! Until she opened her mouth....

I haven't played her route since I hate her. But yea, we can only guess that Komari is responsible for her brother's dead. There's no need to hide anything if he died by himself, right? Probably he pushed her away from a truck and got hit himself? Probably he donated his organs to her? Probably...

Anonymous said...

What if they introduce dogs in Little Bustahs? Like, both adorable puppies and big dogs. Would the fans be able to handle such a huge change in a cat centric show? I think the appearance of dogs would be the greatest fan-war of Little Busters ever! Cat and dog lovers would scream at each other forever; the online forums would explode in controversy! XD

All right, back to my thoughts on LB.

I thought it would be Rin freaking out over a kitten, not Komari. After all, she's the resident cat-girl. And the audience would perhaps gain a glimpse of her possible traumatic past of girls.

Practicing baseball. I think they should try to find a professional player/coach to teach them properly and act as their adviser. It might cost them money but they could at least try to ask the school in hiring a professional. Kyousuke might not like it though because he's(as Eternia coined it) a nutcase.

Komari is using the Dead Little Brother trope as part of her character. And using a Riki as a substitute for her broken heart--that's why she declared Riki as her "brother". It's almost the same thing with crazy Chisato from Soi to Kenyo to Chocolate. The only difference is Komari isn't as crazy as Chisato and a little mature about her traumatic past. What I mean by mature is that she's facing it (visiting Gramps, talking about it to Riki, etc.) instead of burying it within her heart. Also she didn't eternally leech onto Riki's arm and not let him use the bathroom, freaking out everyone(even the audience).

About the parents, in a majority of anime shows, they don't show the parents for some strange reason, whether they are missing or such. I don't know if it's a cultural thing in Japan, but I often find myself asking the question like "Where are the parents?". In shows where there are older characters and adults (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), the question would be irrelevant unless important to the plot. But here in LB, since the characters are young kids, the audience would probably want to know the answer to the parent question.

Well, that's all my thoughts on LB for today.




Anonymous said...

Hello @Eternia

Second anonymous here

Out of curiosity, what exactly don't you like about Komari, besides her voice?





Anonymous said...

Hello @Christina

Second anonymous here (again, I know).

Last post for this episode.

Off topic question:

Since old man winter is around the corner, have you already decided what shows you want for the winter 2013 anime blog? I know it's a bit early but I just want to see what your thoughts are on the upcoming anime line-up.

I've been doing some scouting for the next shows. And I don't know to suggest. Maybe Boku wa Tomadachi ga Sukenai NEXT, but that show has ecchi comedy and you might not like it. :( Again, I don't know what to suggest for the next line up.

Here's a link with all the information on the next line up:

http://www.squidoo.com/anime-season-winter-2012-2013

Hopefully, that link well help in your decision making. :)



eternia said...

Hmmm. Because she's nothing but a airhead moeblob? :-D Just like Hirasawa Yui, or Chitanda Eru. These girls' mental development seems to stop at elementary school girl.

Christina said...

Eternia- Her outfit was so cute. I like looking at outfits like that but wouldn't wear them myself. And yes that voice...THAT VOICE!

At this point she had better lit the house on fire and killed him. Otherwise this is the biggest build in the history of the world leading to nothing.

Anonymous- I love cats so bring on more cats. Well not dead ones. But in general I see that cats get better treatment/exposure in anime and Japan in general. I am sure fans in America the vote would be more divided while votes in Japan will be cats all the way.

While it is hard to think of Komari as mature because of that God awful noise coming out of her mouth I see where you are coming from. Komari has somehow managed to get by in life without leaning on people. Granted both girls Chisato and Komari were doing unhealthy things in their attempt to not deal with things but yeah. Komari wins the maturity contest. I will eat her cookie for her.

As for parents....Japan is pretty obsessed with youth. Parents are either drawn way too young or drawn out of the picture. XD So when things like this happen the nature question is to ask where are the adults? Apparently off to their 6am-11pm jobs to afford their kids education somewhere else.

I have yet to check out the Winter Anime List. I am such a bad blogger. So behind on all the things I am watching this season. At the very least I will have to catch up by Thanksgiving since our store is going to be closed.

Also might I add that Komari being so over the top cheerful all the time can be a little bit...much at times. And her voice. Especially her voice. XD