Monday, December 30, 2013

Little Busters Refrain episode 13 FINAL EPISODE

Hello there lovely readers. Post number 3 is here for you. I just spent the last two hours as part of my chores wrapping presents. Yes Christmas presents for NEXT year. Most people go crazy shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Chumps. XD Unless you do that. Then you can be slightly crazy and hopefully a defensive driver. No no, my shopping day of the year after Christmas. I do have many trees to ornament. But I don't only think of myself. I must think of all my friends and family...they have Christmas trees that need love too. Merry Christmas to all, I am almost done with everyone on my list with 360 days to go!
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At least it wasn't Endless 8 up in here.
In terms of anime what we have up now is Little Busters Refrain episode 13. Yes the final episode is here. Spoilers for....Riki floating around in what is probably embryonic fluid and gasoline.
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Riki is so amazing he had thoughts before he was even born.
Episode Summary: Riki is floating around in the nothingness. He knows he is falling asleep because things have gotten really bad. He is trying to fight this but every since he can remember this is how he has been. When bad things happen he goes to sleep. Ever since his family died. They were out for the day having fun and on the way home their car was run off the road, similar to the bus. Riki's mom protected him and when he woke up he saw his dead parents. It was so awful he put himself back to sleep. That is how Riki's life has been when anything bad happens. His friends were always there for him during these episodes. These friends that are currently in the bus. Riki has to push through this pain, this reality. But what is life like? Riki then goes back to before he was born. While he was waiting to exist he realized that life was about losing things and why bother going through that process if you are just going to lose everything? He sees images of his friends and realizes that all the hardships are worth it to meet them. So poof Riki will exist. He wakes up to Rin hugging him, having woken up from her dream world. They hold hands and walk to the bus because they are going to save everyone. They walk on the bus and see everyone thrown around. They get slightly upset but start to work on taking out Komari. They are going to take everyone from the bus and then move them to the hill before the bus explodes. When they walk back to the bus they see Kyousuke leading against said bus. The gas leak has been plugged by Kyousuke's back. With a heavy heart Riki goes to rescue the other people from the bus as Kyousuke wouldn't want them to save him and let the others die. They get everyone out of the bus and up the hill with a lot of work. They go back to Kyousuke who has woken up. He is so proud of how these two kids have grown up and smiles. They spent a few minutes talking and finally they decide to start rescuing Kyousuke. The bus finally blows up and they go flying. Rin is then heard singing a song about cats as Riki slowly wakes up. She smiles at him as this was just a normal wake up, not a I fell asleep because life sucks sleep. The rest of the girls run in with great news. Masato and Kengo have been finally released from the hospital. With that everyone is back at school and recovered from the bus trip 3 months ago. Everyone is happy and smiles. Well except for Kyousuke who is still in a coma. Riki has taken over for Kyousuke as the leader of the Little Busters but he is waiting for Kyousuke to come back. Life is okay at school but not the same without Kyousuke. Then without warning Kyousuke returns all better, nothing wrong with him. He smiles and is ready to take all his friends on an epic adventure to the beach. Onward to fun. It is all smiles and cupcakes as they take pictures and have a good time. Everyone has lived and onward they go to have so much more fun in the future, this time for real. THE END!
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Wai look at how happy baby Riki was. :(
And so ends the story of the Little Busters. Was the adventure fun while it lasted? Have you dried your tears yet? Are you too overwhelmed to even talk? Well before we tuck away this show in the done section of our folders lets talk about this last episode.
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It's like a Christmas Carol X__X
Again not sure how long this post is going to be (even though I say that every time) as it went by pretty fast and not much was covered. Or at least from my point of view. I think there might be cultural differences at play in regards to how the last few episodes were handled. To me it looked like they ran out of material for these last 13 episodes. That everything was dragged out. Way too much it terms of floating around in your own subconscious and not enough meat behind the situation. But perhaps that is just me. I like my horror films full of slash and death while other genres of horror focus more on the suspense. So maybe this really worked in Japan. Me not so much.
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I would fall asleep a lot at work....
The first part of the episode Riki was doing just that, floating around and passing out. We got slightly more info on his situation with narcolepsy. Well maybe. Riki might just be putting himself to sleep. Like nope things are getting way too real and I can't handle it. It all started when his parents died. To be honest if that happened to me when I was that age I would close my eyes and pretend the entire thing wasn't happening too. A bit odd that Riki might have been able to control this but sometimes people are not able to handle real world pressures. I think I already said this but I know a few people like that. Can be frustrating but if no one challenged Riki on it when he was growing up of course he is going to be like that as a teenager, near adult. Block out the awful things and try to pretend it is all cupcakes and rainbows.
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Thanks for deciding on that Riki...
Due to Kyousuke repeating events over and over again Riki has become stronger. Which is odd since he has forgotten most of what he has learned yes since it repeats without him knowing? Well anyway enough of it has stuck and remained with him. Again all the memories of his previous encounters come rushing back to him. This episode was high with cheese and whimsy when Riki went all the way back to before he was born. Before he was born he knew that life was going to be suffering. I see. But since he has such lovely friends, new and old, he is willing to be born and meet them.
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We are the Little Busters. We don't leave anyone behind.
Riki and Rin finally are able to break free of their own personal worlds of sorrow or left over Kyousuke world. All they have is each other. They need to put aside their fears and childish hold backs to face the truth. No more fantasy land time. Hold my hand and we will....enter the world of reality where two small kids thrown out of a moving bus have the energy to move every single kid on said broken out to safety!
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We can save everyone because we believe!
The miracle in this series was not going back in time to stop the bus crash or to give Riki and Rin some sort of super powers (despite Rin powering up all Super Sayian last episode). No the miracle was that the kids on the bus were able to create a world that made Rin and Riki stronger mentally. Oh and I guess the other miracle would be that no one died in the crash. Everyone just rolled down hill and were in varying degrees of hurt. So I was slightly wrong on that aspect, that everyone was dead. They were just...super close to death and that experience allowed their subconscious to merge and create that world. That was the miracle. Because Rin and Riki nearly killed themselves rescuing all those kids. I was surprised they were able to get Masato and Kengo out of the bus, let alone up the hill. People really do get rushes of energy is desperate situations.
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Yep...still very sad and disturbing.
They were able to do this because yes Kyousuke really was blocking the gas leak with his body. He was just on the opposite side of the bus last time and I couldn't see him. But he really was crawling away from the bus last time. I suppose to make sure he lasted long enough to support the world. He looked too hurt to properly save anyone anyway. Riki and Rin found him pretty early on but decided to leave him near the gas leak to save the others. Because that is what Kyousuke would have wanted. Must have been a hard decision, to leave the most important person for last. Rin and Riki are all grown up and saving people.
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How to love. Be free my yaoi thoughts.
With a lot of extra fluff going on (memories of everyone again and what not) Riki and Rin were able to drag everyone to safety. Glad to see the bus was full of other people despite the Little Busters. Makes it more realistic. After everyone was to safety it was time for Kyousuke. I know this show is full of feelings and what not but maybe next time Rin and Riki can do a little less talking and a bit more saving when it comes to buses that are about to explode. I mean it could have been the last time Riki and Rin could have had to talk to Kyousuke, given how injured he was but still. SAVING! Kyousuke was super proud of Riki and Rin, that they were able to go through all that sadness and come out as strong people. Thank you....and goodbye Mr. Bus.
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Slowly but surely all the Little Busters are getting out of the hospital to join the rest of the group.
The next thing you know, Rin is singing and Riki is sleeping on his desk. Has this all been a dream? Did they save no one and they were still stuck in their happy world? Is this all one big troll show?! Wake up Riki! Well he did...and this show does have a happy ending. Riki was just taking a nap. Saving people is hard work, even 3 months later. Everyone lived. There were injuries of course. Masato and Kengo got the most of them it seems as they were protecting people. All is well. Things are going to be okay. Riki is the new leader of the Little Busters, everyone is alive, and they can continue to have fun everyday.
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Let the good times roll.
But where is Kyousuke? Did he make it? Yes. Of course happy anime show. He was just in a coma as he was hiding in the bottom of the bus and got the most injured. Plus he was running another world for who knows how long and that was very taxing. I am sure being covered in gasoline isn't great for you and the bus sorta did explode on him. Around him. So for the past three months Kyousuke has been in a coma. The Little Busters have continued on and Riki is guiding the way. But he is still waiting for Kyousuke, the person he looks up to in every aspect of his life.
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Coma? What coma?!
Due to happiness and rainbows Kyousuke appears at the end of the episode, completely better. I wish there would have been more...reality to the situation. You know, in a world where there are people making worlds and kids rescuing like 20 people from one bus. I would assume being in a coma for 3 months is very draining on the body and Kyousuke would be low on muscle mass. None of this running around and doing tricks. But...we got to end on a high note. Everyone is better. Kyousuke can't be in a wheelchair. Why he has to be full of life, a life that Riki gave him. TO THE BUS!!
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We are all alive weee!
Yes that is how this series ended folks. A trip on a bus. I tried not to make the X___x face a bit much. I guess Kyousuke didn't want to have any regrets in this new life of his. They were going to get on that bus and face their fears. Onward to fun and snapping pictures. They all have a fresh start on life. They have spent enough time in the hospital, now it is time to play up to their character silliness and end this series on a high note. No one ever gave up....well maybe a little but they got right back up and here they all are now. Happiness!
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Everyone say awwww!
Overall I guess the series was okay. I think it got a bit much in the end, with all the self reflections and floating around. And while I am glad everyone lived (through just the tiniest bit of magic) I think the seriousness of the situation was underplayed. Like I thought maybe Masato was going to lose an eye. Maybe Kyousuke will be in a wheelchair for a while. Things can be happy and fun with lasting effects, reminders of what could have been. Just way too over the top cheerfulness you know? But maybe that is me just being no fun. I am glad that Rin and Riki were able to conquer their inner demons but I don't think some of the other characters got enough screen time. About what their real issues in the real world were all about. Overall it was a nice fluffy anime that is worth watching but maybe not repeat visits. Well as fluffy as a show that had almost all the main characters die. Thanks for the memories Little Busters. I am officially scared of buses woohoo!

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