Bucchigiri?! – 05
I’m probably at the fish or cut bait with the shows in this post, and with Bucchigiri it’s a close shave either way. I like a lot of what’s going on here and the visuals remain really solid, but the characters just aren’t grabbing me. The inspired lunacy of the first couple of episodes has gradually transitioned into something more plot-driven. And while the plot is certainly decent, it hasn’t been engaging enough to fill the entire empty space being left behind by the style change.
As for the plot, the throwdown between Siguma and Minato is about to hit, and at this point NG Boys seem kind of irrelevant to it. Shindou has basically seduced Arajin with promises of making his wish come true (there are NG Girls, too). And we find out why Arajin has cut Matakara out of his life, seemingly – the shame over having abandoned him to get crunched by a gang of teens when they were little kids together. I guess that sort of makes sense, though it’s kind of an anticlimax.
Basically Shindou is a sick fuck – how much of that is his djinn and how much just him I don’t know, but the way he talks about Mahoro as a potential trophy girl is enough to push “A.J.” over the edge. Ultimately this has got to build up to Senya and Ichiya fighting each other, presumably – whether that will be interesting or not is hard to say. At this point I’m probably just going to go with the flow on this one – if it inspires me to write something, I will.
Yubisaki to Renren – 06
I do feel as if Yubisaki to Renren is trending in the right direction the past couple of episodes. A big part of that is Itsuomi more or less establishing that he’s not a creeper, just a guy who has no personal boundaries. I wouldn’t call what he and Yuki have the romance of the century but it’s progressing in a pretty believable way. There were certainly opportunities for him to take advantage of her inexperience (as indeed Kyouya seemed worried he would) but he didn’t take the bait.
More than anything it kind of seems like Itsuomi is the only one in her immediate circle who doesn’t condescend to Yuki, which makes whatever oddities he has a lot more tolerable. I’m especially irritated at her mother, At least Koushi has the excuse of being in unrequited love with her for being a jerk – she really has none. I can’t imagine having a deaf family member and not learning to sign, and then to give out her daughter’s contact info to Koushi without asking her? Again, he has no business asking or presenting himself as some kind of guardian-protector – but at least he’s young and in love so stupidity is more or less par for the course. Mom – no sign, curfew Mom – ought to be better.
As for Itsuomi, points for being direct with her. “Is it OK if I fall for you?” is pretty unambiguous. And confessing to her before he leaves the country for a month is the right thing to do, whatever Kyouya thinks. At least this way he doesn’t leave her hanging. And he makes it clear he’d like to show her more of the world someday, which I think would be a particularly good thing for Yuki. I don’t think there’s any question Itsuomi is a bit of a player, and you always worry about a guy like that with a girl this inexperienced (and three years younger). But he seems both sincere and in control of his impulses, and as long as that’s the case I think this can be a positive for Yuki.
Itsuomi’s “people are like glasses” analogy is sort of ironic, in that he’s the only one who doesn’t treat Yuki like she’s made of glass. That has to be contrasted with the fact that when it comes to relationships, she seems pretty unprepared for the next logical steps with Itsuomi. She’ll have to prove that she’s capable of handling that emotionally (and generally), and the onus will really be on him to rise to the occasion if she isn’t.
Scampi
February 11, 2024 at 10:41 pmYuki’s parents not signing will be explained later, though it’s up to you if you find it acceptable.
I’m ready to drop Bucchigiri as well. High Card season 2 is actually turning out better than Frieren exam arc right now, did you have a look? I think Leo’s episode this week would have been quite to your liking.
Guardian Enzo
February 11, 2024 at 10:52 pmWow, I dropped that one like after episode 4. Don’t see any way I could catch up at this point.
Scampi
February 11, 2024 at 11:18 pmOh sorry, for some reason I thought you blogged it, I have a feeling the end is probably going to get dragged down by the main storyline about cards so I wouldn’t recommend the investment in that case.
Joshua
February 12, 2024 at 3:56 amIt’s anime junk food. High on calories, low in nutrients. Nothing but hollow, would-be spectacle, with the barest minimum character development that does so little to make you care except for the “feels” because of their tragic backstories (that automatically assume that it’s enough to make them “developed), and manufactured to pander to both the guys and the girls. Not worth it, as someone who sat through season 1. There are better “over-the-top” shows out there that did what High Card is attempting and doing poorly imo.
Meanwhile, I am betting hard on Bucchigiri pulling the rug from under the viewer next episode as we’re halfway through the series. After all, the original Aladdin story in Arabian Nights this series is seemingly based on had a similar trick to it (where the selfish, poor thief wishes for power, money and the princess from the genie and seemingly has it all until it’s taken away from him). I would reckon that Taku Kishimoto is taking notes from that.
Joshua
February 11, 2024 at 10:52 pmI do trust that Bucchigiri knows what it’s doing with its characters, and I think there’s clearly more to Arajin’s childhood flashbacks than what we saw here. If it dares to pull the rug from under the viewer at the halfway point with something more audacious, I think it’ll be a lot more noteworthy than what’s going on right now currently. Instead, Bravern’s getting all of the attention this show should’ve gotten because of the clearly blatantly obvious fujo pandering its most recent episode did.
Meanwhile, there’s certainly more substance to the second test in Frieren’s exam arc imo, so hang on just a bit longer.
Lili
February 12, 2024 at 3:15 amIt’s a bit of a bummer that some of the grievances you have with Yubisaki, like how Yuki’s family handles her deafness and Oushi as a character in general, are things that the manga has now addressed or is currently addressing quite well. But the anime will likely not get the chance to get to that point.
I am glad, however, that Itsuomi as a character and his romance with Yuki are now landing better for you 🙂
Bill Hanks
February 13, 2024 at 1:04 am22/19 is a pretty irrelevant age gap, lol
Guardian Enzo
February 13, 2024 at 9:32 amIn a vacuum. Itsuomi is a pretty mature 22 and Yuki a very sheltered and innocent 19.
Nicc
February 13, 2024 at 7:11 amThe big battle between and Minato and Siguma is still looming as both gangs have met at the arranged place. Barring a last-second intervention, it’s going down when the time comes. In the meantime, Matakara heads into the NG Boys territory to meet with Shindou, but Shindou easily captures him. Araji is considering the NG Boys for the obvious reason (They’ve got NG Girls), though he tries to remain loyal to Mahoro. Their role in the upcoming gang war is simple; once Minato and Siguma have beat each other up, they’ll swoop in and beat up the ones who are still standing. With the way Shindou handles them, the NG Boys seems more like a cult than a gang. They’ll knock off two gangs with one stone. We get some history regarding Shindou. He wanted to be like Kenichiro and joined Minato, but he was kicked out for using weapons. He swore revenge and started his own gang. We don’t learn when he came across a Honki shrine and found Ichiya and indeed, it’s not known how much of an influence Ichiya is on Shindou. We also finally get a look at Arajin’s past and how the friendship between him and Matakara ended up like this.
Shindou tries to lure Arajin with him talking about taking Mahoro as a trophy. This upsets Arajin enough that he forces a merge with Senya and strikes Shindou, and that’s enough for him to find out Arajin has got Senya. Matakara and Zabu reveals the truth and Arajin inadvertently brings the NG Boys to the battle, but looks like neither Kenichiro or Marito are backing down now.
Joshua
February 19, 2024 at 12:54 pmHuh, you couldn’t muster up anything to write about Bucchigiri’s 6th episode then? Well, based on the original Aladdin story that I’ve researched (and other iterations that followed), we are basically at the point where things do get more interesting from here, because Arajin not only taking a stand for once and beating Shindo, but also gained the respect of everyone at his school and became the top dog (since Ken and Mahiro knocked each other out), which approximately aligns with how Aladdin manages to get the attention of the princess through wishing for power and wealth from the genie. Thought the fights themselves were very good too this episode.
What I am anticipating (once it come out from its week-long hiatus due to sports programming) is the equivalent of Aladdin getting his lamp stolen and all of that wealth and power he had being wished away, exposing him as the no-good thief that he was at the start of the story. I just hope that Kishimoto knows what he’s doing.
Guardian Enzo
February 19, 2024 at 1:20 pmYeah, watched it but just didn’t have much to say about it. If that changes in upcoming eps I can always pick it back up.
Joshua
March 3, 2024 at 11:08 pmSo then, I guess you just lost interest in Bucchigiri at this point? Or at least couldn’t muster anything to write? The week-long hiatus didn’t help matters, but it does feel like things are indeed picking up especially when considering the parallels to the original Aladdin story, or at least the Disney version where his lies are only becoming bigger in order to maintain his “Prince Ali” persona which in turn creates tension between him and the genie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7AyFHUGbHw
What I’m getting here is that Arajin’s motives are the inverse of Aladdin’s: he doesn’t want any of this power, because he just wants a “normal” life going out with a girl without any of this genie or delinquent nonsense, but his wishing has only dragged him into the stuff he’s trying to actively avoid (since childhood perhaps judging from flashbacks) and Senya is becoming increasingly disappointed in his lack of motivation and cowardice. Now that Matakara’s brother is being released from prison, that other genie has his sights on Matakara and then we get the equivalent of Aladdin’s lamp (Senya) being stolen by the evil sorcerer (Shindo) and everything going to hell from there.
Still a better plot turn than SK8’s.
Guardian Enzo
March 4, 2024 at 12:55 amWell, last week was a recap. I’ll get to the new one eventually.
Joshua
March 4, 2024 at 8:00 amYeah, I wanted to point out how there’s certainly something to talk with this series about when considering the allusions and parallels to Aladdin in its story and characters. Kinda bewildered that other folks watching this series haven’t done the same though, but I think it’s more interesting this way.
Joshua
March 11, 2024 at 8:54 amSo then. You just gave up on Bucchigiri at this point? I thought this week’s new episode was a step up from previous episodes. I thought it would lead to interesting directions now that the other genie has taken over Matakara and that darkness that was looming in the background has now overtaken his heart, once he hears about his brother in critical condition.
Guardian Enzo
March 12, 2024 at 3:01 pmI caught up. I did think 08 was a step up. Not enough to get me writing on it again (Sundays are just too insane for me at the moment), but better. I’ll be interested to find out if Shindou and his djinn are behind what happened to Matakara’s brother.
Joshua
March 27, 2024 at 5:29 amSo just coming back here now that shows are wrapping up and perhaps you could do a summary of Bucchigiri considering that it’s one of the last winter shows to conclude? Quite surprised by how this series is seriously taking Matakara’s plight and how Ichiya is manipulating him based on his insecurities, and perhaps Arajin is starting to realize that he really does care about his childhood friend and he’s been suppressing those feelings for so long. Also started realizing how much this has in common with Utena thematically, with even the bizarre cat cafe segments being similar to the shadow girl segments (in how they act as a cryptic parallel to the story and characters at hand).
Guardian Enzo
March 27, 2024 at 8:46 amI dropped it after Episode 7 TBH, it just wasn’t holding my interest any longer.
Joshua
March 27, 2024 at 11:48 amDidn’t you watch episode 8 though? I recall you did. But it seems like you just can’t stand how weak and cowardly Arajin is like so many others dismissing this show even though I know it’s supposed to be the point of his character.
And well, I don’t think Utsumi’s shows are your thing at this point (given how you’ve dropped all of them except SK8 which you hated). But it seems like this show’s already being written off as her sophomore slump after her success with SK8.
Guardian Enzo
March 27, 2024 at 2:26 pmI didn’t hate SK8, lol. I really liked it, I just thought Hisoka was a silly character.
Again, I don’t specifically have a problem with Arateen so I don’t know why you’re fixating on that. I just gradually lost interest, and the whole Matakara getting djinn’d twist didn’t quite overcome that.
Joshua
March 27, 2024 at 9:48 pmIt’s just that the vitriol towards Arajin here felt so much like what I saw of Adam in SK8. And like, you didn’t really really help matters in your review by saying how Adam is so out of place with the rest of the show that the series would’ve been better off without him, even annoyed that he got off so easily like what other people online thought.
Now the real issue with Bucchigiri that I’m trying to determine from what I’ve read seems to be that it spent far too long with its wacky delinquent antics that it forgot to properly develop its characters come the more dramatic second half where Arajin discovers that he really cares about his childhood friend after all (and how it’s paralleled with Senya’s frayed relationship with Ichiya, and the teacher’s initial hesitation to go for Jasmine in the cat cafe), and thus makes it hard to really care. Is that why you lost interest?