Little Busters Refrain episode 7: Reboot!

....so...are you are only hope?

WEEE post number 5 for the day. There would have been 6 but apparently the screenies for all the other shows just magically walked away and I had to start over. Time folks. I always seem to be late. Maybe my new year's resolution should be....to be more on time? NAH it won't work. XD But let's get this last post up for tonight and see what the new week will hold. Up now is Little Busters Refrain episode 7. Spoilers for Tenchi talking about Madoka for half the post, trying to make sense of it all.

Well this is a different sort of timeline...

Episode Summary: There is a montage of Riki helping and befriending all the sad girls in Season 1. It ends with Riki telling Kyousuke that he will grow strong like him. That resolve seems to fail as Rin is hauled away by the police. Then...it is like the entire series starts over again from episode 1 season 1. It is announced that Kyousuke is back. Masato takes off to fight. But....it isn't the right time of day. And when Riki makes it to the cafeteria to see the battle between Masato and Kengo neither Kyousuke or Rin are there. Riki senses things will get serious so he suggests that everyone throw in useless items into the fight and that is the weapons the boys can use. Riki smiles at his idea but Kengo and Masato glare. They tell Riki not to get involved and they keep fighting. Riki runs out of the room screaming for Kyousuke but apparently he never comes out of his room. The next morning Riki sadly goes to breakfast and sees that Masato is injured. They talk about Kyousuke returning from his latest trip from Tokyo and how he walked all night. Kengo sits down and reveals his arm is broken. Riki is beyond upset that Masato hurt Kengo this bad and now Kengo will have to miss his kendo match. Kengo is like...well putting that aside why don't you think of something fun for all of us Little Busters to do? Riki is confused but realizes it is time to pick up Rin now. He leaves as Kengo and Masato are quiet. Rin is huddled over in the corner while an adult tries to get her to stand up. Riki talks about how Rin has slowly become afraid of humans and he doesn't know when the change happened. The only person she will talk to now is Riki and that is barely. Not even Kengo or Masato. Rin doesn't go to school now. Instead she helps at a daycare as she is okay with kids. Riki thinks that Rin has changed....but so has Kyousuke. Riki goes to see him next and he is in the corner too, reading mangas and wallowing in filth. Riki states his concerned about Rin and asks how she got in this condition to begin with. Kyousuke thinks this is okay as long as Rin has a place to smile. Riki wants to know when it all went wrong and Kyousuke dramatically says the answer to that is not in this world. Riki looks devastated and leaves.

Good thing Kyousuke isn't involved or anything.

Riki sits outside and thinks how everyone has grown apart. What happened to the good old days and how can he get them back? A baseball hits his foot and he wonders how that is possible since the team has been disbanded. He talks to Kengo and Masato later, on why Rin doesn't hang out with them anymore. Kengo says something odd, that it is her love for Riki that still exists in her. Before Riki can say how weird that is Kengo asks Riki again if he has thought of something fun for all of them to do. Riki is then determined to find something fun to bring Rin out again. He tries several things that fail. Then the white cat brings the baseball over to Riki and he has the bright idea ALL ON HIS OWN that this will work. They play catch for a while and Rin starts to come alive. They both feel weird as they think they have done this before but...have they? Riki goes to tell Kyousuke the great news but Kyousuke has gone further into depressed town. He now is wearing a blanket over his head and can't believe Riki is asking him to do this now. Riki invites Kyousuke anyway and leaves. The next day when Masato and Kengo arrive on the field Rin shys up and Riki explains they are playing baseball. Kengo almost has the rage. He tries to leave and Riki is like you are the one who told me to do this! Kengo says that Riki wouldn't understand, it is just like....Riki guesses he was going to say Kyousuke and Kengo leaves, saying the rest is up to Riki. Masato also leaves, saying this is up to Riki too. Rin and Riki both realizes that something has happened that they forgot about, involving Kyousuke and playing baseball. Riki turns that frown upside down and vows to figure out the world's secret. THE END!

Riki always running to Kyousuke but now he is nowhere to be found. :(

X______X Is the rest of the season going to be like this? Sad and miserable, tears all over the place? Because I don't think my heart can handle this. Such a downer of an episode. I can handle blood and guts but all this angst...not sure if I can do it folks. X___X

How cares what happened with the police? Reset time!

So you know how when Rin and Riki got found out by the police and I was wondering how Riki and Kyousuke's friendship would handle that level of betrayal? Well I guess I don't have to wonder anymore. Things got so bad it was game over for Kyousuke. The point where the timeline was going to be restarted. Maybe this has happened before so Kyousuke already knew how it would end. Either with people dead on the school trip that he was trying to protect (Rin) or Riki's mind being so upset this plan was not going to work. Whatever the plan is going to be. Whatever the case is...time for a reset so we won't see the aftermath of Riki's anger.

The result of Kyousuke giving up or the way things would have turned out naturally?

Or are we? Perhaps Kyousuke got so upset that Riki has turned his back on him, not trusting in his plans he is pulling a Homaru. Or...you know an anti-Homaru. Maybe in some timelines we didn't see in Madoka Homura just lost her damn mind. Like eff you all bitches and blew everyone away but Madoka. Obviously that would not go over well but the crazy of going through all the timelines over and over again would get to a person over time. So maybe Kyousuke is having a crazy. Or a giving up. Like fine Riki if you think that this is easy and I am hurting you why don't you try saving Rin all by yourself? How you like those apples?! Me thinks this will be the last timeline and the saddest too. Kyousuke has done all this work and won't go out as the hero. More like the guy who just got so tired of carrying he had to stop for his own sake. Even though he is probably dead anyway...

No one knows. :( It is best not to ask of course.

This does open the question on when Kyousuke can start the timeline. Because Rin....was all sorta of weird this episode. All kinds. Kengo let on what was really happening but it was still odd. Rin was shy in season one, in the early episodes. She still was around Kengo, Kyousuke, and Masato. It just wasn't Riki. So now that Kyousuke has restarted this timeline he messed with Rin's past as well? Now she can't handle anyone? How is this possible and isn't this setting Riki up for failure? I just don't see how they can go back to May 17th/ 18th and Rin is this upset. She should be base line upset.

Nope not buying this explanation.

Of course this has happened because Rin is broken. Madoka got all magically power and Rin got broken. Kyousuke has restarted this dream/timeline so many times that it has taken its toll on Rin. She knows something is up. It is hinted that she remembers the baseball. That she knows adults are going to take her somewhere she doesn't want to go. That Kengo and Masato are both dead so why would she want to associate with them? Things like that are unconsciously running around in her mind making her scared of the world. Nothing makes sense so she is only attached to the one person who has attempted to help her in each timeline or world. Also Riki might be the only one alive and maybe Rin can sense that.

Hating everything? Because I am a failure? Just close the door and let me die in piece.

With Rin banishing herself to the corner and Kyousuke banishing himself to the other corner....it is up to Riki to mend fences and keep everything together. And no one wants to listen to Riki. It is like they are purposely trying to make him fail. To be fair Riki is starting to remember all the timelines too and what Riki suggested was on par or the exact same as what Kyousuke would suggest. Kengo and Masato want Riki to be Riki. So when he was suggesting Kyousuke 2.0 things they were like hell no. But since Riki has no idea what is going on he thought they were being mean. I did too. Like okay fine you jerks fight it out with your fists and sword. I will....cry and go get Kyousuke.

You know with my broken arm!

Kyousuke was not in a getting mood of course. So Riki sucked it up and went to breakfast the next morning to see the damage Masato and Kengo did to each other. Even I was shocked. X___X I mean obviously a lot of this is planned. If Kyousuke isn't there to get the timeline started they have to and Kengo is going to have to have a broken arm...for the baseball team they don't want to have. Well I guess Kengo did that to bring them together because just being together under normal circumstances doesn't really work you know. Still for Riki I think this was shocking. Obviously they had grown apart as a unit but hitting to that point of injury? Almost like Kengo hitting Kyousuke for cheating. So Riki is trying to wrap his mind around this when Kengo is like why don't you plan something fun for us all to do? Um how about not hit each other?

Well then...thanks for that hope.

Before Riki could think of that fun thing to do he had to visit the weird Rin and nearly room bound Kyousuke. I am not sure what was more horrifying. Rin scared of everyone but kids...even Kengo and Masato. Upsetting. Also a lot of pressure on Riki. I know that the other boys are trying to get Riki to grow up and push him towards accepting whatever the truth is but hot damn. Taking care of a person who is that far gone is a lot of work for a kid. But then Riki went over to Kyousuke and it was almost worse than Rin if that is possible. Reading manga obviously makes you room bound crazy person. I wish they would have added more to Kyousuke's depression other than that. I know he has given up due to so many failed timelines but still. Riki has no idea what is going on and seeing a depressed Kyousuke who has no more to give is just so sad. There is no mystery in this world Riki. None at all.

Err....guys...what is going on?

Because all the boys do know what is going on right? Kyousuke is the one resetting the world yes? It's not like Riki is doing it and is putting it on Kyousuke as he thinks Kyousuke is the most amazing person in the world. And the other two boys have acknowledged it is Kyousuke who has been pulling the strings. So yes Kyousuke knows what is going on and is depressed that another timeline failed and Riki was hating him. So Riki went outside to feel bad about himself and this situation. Because I would too. Little Busters indeed. I would be upset too if things turned out like this. Oh look a baseball is rolling around at Riki's feet.....

Say what?!

Riki still hasn't put many pieces to the puzzle together. Perhaps he has to start all over again. At least Kengo and Masato were willing to spend time with Riki but he should have questioned why Kengo and Masato are okay with each other. I would be pissed. But no they are with Riki, trying to push him in the right direction. Hurry Riki think of something fun for us to do before it all restarts again. This is when Kengo says the line about Rin's love still existing. Could it be they are trapped in Rin's dream? Here I go questioning my nonproven theories again. But it is like Masato and Kengo are okay with giving Riki hints too, he just can't understand what they are saying. Rin's love for me? What do you mean?

Sure this seems odd but it made Rin happy. So lets go with that!

Riki puts all that aside and tries to find something fun for Rin to do. Which is hard since he doesn't like people. After a few failed attempts (because I don't think Rin was trying that hard) Riki discovers something. All on his own. No cat pushing the ball to him or anything. Like lala this must be a great idea. And the funny thing is Rin was good at it. Because she and Riki are subconsciously remembering all those timelines. Like their bodies are remembering. Throw the ball and be amazing. At least was having fun. Super fun. This could be it. The thing that brings everyone together. We can do it.

Poor insane Kengo. :(

To say the baseball idea fell flat would be the understatement of the century. More like it crashed and burned and took everyone with it. Bad idea. Kyousuke was probably going crazy over the announcement. Like oh really BASEBALL?! Why didn't I think of that? No after how many times you have yelled at me and this has lead to tears no. No more baseball. Kengo was more upset. Like beyond upset. Like Daryl with a knife upset. Because in the last timeline Kengo was willing to go against Kyousuke to give Riki the chance to decide things for himself. It really defeats the purpose if Riki does the exact same thing that Kyousuke did, with the same result and everything. I mean Riki was really trying. Kengo should have been upset at the situation, not Riki. It is only natural he feels this way. Is thinking this way. But Riki doesn't know what is going on so it appears that Kengo is lashing out on him and Masato has given up.

What piece are we missing? What is going on?!

If this episode wasn't depressing enough the ending was rather...sad too. Kengo and Masato left Riki and Rin alone with the baseball. Were they implying that Riki should go find the team himself? Like you go round up those girls, we are tired of time lines? How is it all up to Riki? Isn't the Little Busters about helping each other out? Apparently not. But even after all that anger and misunderstanding Riki is like...no I will make this work. I will be the leader of the Little Busters and help Rin out. I will bring us together. I will find out the secret of this world and everything will be okay. Now that is sad because....can Riki really do it? And does he really even want to know the truth? If Kyousuke isn't trying to bring the happy is happiness even possible? I guess we will find out soon but hot damn things got serious quick folks. X___X