Brave 10 – 04

Pretty much all blood and guts this time as Brave 10 shows off its action credentials.  The trip to Izumo culminates when the trio of Isanami, Saizou and Kakei arrive to find the shrine devastated, with no survivors – which Isanami feels an immense amount of guilt about.  We also get a little peek at the mystery that’s got Sanada so interested in Isanami and the shrine, via a secret staircase that leads to an underground chamber with Izumu script written on it.  Waiting for our heroes there is Hanzo, along with the snake charmer.  It’s only with the surprising help of Kamanosuke that everyone survives and Hanzo is (apparently) killed, though all three men are grievously wounded.  That leaves them ill-prepared for the moment when the biggest name in the cast so far shows up, Date Masamune (the legend himself, Koyasu Takehito) to kidnap Isanami.

Why is everyone after her?  It was always obvious that it had something to do with the green jewel in her hairpin, but now we know it’s called “Kushimitama”, which is actually part of Shinto mythology as one of the four aspects of the human soul.  All we know is that it has the potential to be a powerful weapon, which is why everyone in the Sengoku Hall of Fame seems to want it.  I’m still wondering just how Studio Sakimakura intends to tell any portion of this story in 12 episodes when the vast majority of the titular 10 Braves haven’t even been introduced yet, but it’s a pretty interesting ride so far – not too leaden but not totally silly, with a nice mix of light ecchi to suit all tastes.

Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai – 04

I’m still just not sure about this one, and I think it’s because it seems unsure itself of what kind of show it’s trying to be.  There’s just that little bit of fanservice here and there, like the studio just can’t resist.  I’m not a prude and a little loli fanservice is OK, but it still feels out of place to me in a show that seems to be asking to be taken seriously as a family drama.  Of course it isn’t really a serious family drama, but whatever legs this material has come from the tugging at the heartstrings inherent in the situation.  It’s an odd conundrum and to be honest, I’m not sure it’s one I’m going to be able to overcome as a viewer.

I’m forced to ask – even if we take as read the preposterous notion that the families and the government would allow these girls to move in with Yuuta in the first place, is there no financial support coming from the family at all?  That seems like even more of a stretch to me, as if the families have written the girls out of existence altogether.  If you can suspend disbelief long enough, apart from the fanservice the scenes at Yuuta’s apartment are pretty good – it’s refreshing to see the girls (especially Sora, naturally) showing a real concern over how Yuuta is going to survive financially.  Of course they try and help by shopping and cooking, but unsurprisingly everything they do is a bit of a disaster and they pretty much trash Yuuta’s apartment.  He has the patience of a saint, which is good because he needs it – and as much as the girls are trying to help, they need to get over themselves when it comes to idiocy like making Yuuta use the bathroom at the convenience store.  If this absurd situation is going to work, he’s going to need all the help he can get – including theirs.

I appreciated that there was just enough Hina to be cute this time, as opposed to last week where there was so much it started to become annoying.  But I’d really like to see more of Raika – I love Horie Yui doing deadpan comedy and I just can’t get enough of her.  I also think the change of venue to Yuuta’s college is good for the series, getting us away from the slightly saccharine (with a twist of lemon) world of the three sisters for a while.