Recap: Akina and Kyousuke struggle to fight back Eiji, while Kotoha and Ao look for a way to take out the anti-daemon barrier.

Aqua’s thoughts: Sometimes a picture says more than a thousand words. I am quite familiar with saying something with a thousand words. I have attempted extended character analyses, philosophical ramblings, references no one in their right mind would ever comprehend, and passionately fueled hate rants. But what is there to say about this episode? Did it reveal anything major about one of our characters? Not really. Was there some sort of ethical dilemma driving the plot? I hope not. Did it contain anything outrageous I can flip out over? Sure, there was a panty shot or two, but nothing too crazy. Then what was there?

A magical train with a large cannon. A little boy in a silly hat. A dandy breaking out the wrestling moves. A large mechanical arm popping out of a little pottery store. A girl falling off a ten-story high building. A rice ball. A cassette player blasting a song about tsundere. An army of hyperpowered newts. An earthquake. A lightning bolt shaped like a dragon. A bunch of stuff that no sane human could ever stuff into the same 22 minutes, let alone commit to film in such an outrageously beautiful way. With all due respect to Studio Trigger’s more recent efforts, this is by far the most gorgeously animated bit of insanity I have witnessed since Little Witch Academia.

It is the Yozakura Quartet I know and love; a roller coaster of fast paced action, gags and heartwarming bits of character development. Upon reading the most recent manga chapter, which conveniently focuses on Kyousuke and Touka as well, it pleasantly surprised me how much of it was actually anticipated in this episode. The density of this franchise’s continuity, filled with bits of foreshadowing and call backs, can only be applauded, and greatly contributes to the sense of thightly-knotted community it is so good at creating.

And that’s the word. With shows like this one, Kill la Kill or Kyousogiga, this season is a godsend for fans of over-the-top antics and gorgeous animation. They may not be perfect, but they damn well reflect the effort and passion put into it by the ones who made it. I’m not going to say they are ‘saving’ anime because that would support the exaggerated claim that anime is ‘dead’, as well as the even more exaggerated claim that it can be ‘saved’ by a mere three shows that are more exception than rule. What I am going to say, however, is that it warms my heart to see these shows do whatever they want to do and have a heck of a good time doing it. It might be time to start wearing some shades.

Random observations

• I love the destructive sound effects used for the old man’s mysterious “striking” power. It sounds like your headphones are being sucked in through your ears. Owch.
• I wonder how the daemons in the daemon world will react to a random car appearing out of thin air.
• Don’t ask me why Hime’s grandma chose to entrust the Dragon Spear to old man Jinroku of all people. Wouldn’t Akina have been a much better option?
• Lots and lots of conspicuous CGI in this episode, but such is the name of the game. Personally, I think they did a pretty good job camouflaging it, especially since Tatsunoko has an awful reputation when it comes to computer effects… *cough Gatchaman Crowds cough* *cough [C] cough*

Iro’s thoughts: Well, uh, that was a thing. I haven’t really been adding to these posts for various reasons (most of which can be boiled down to “Iro is laaaazy”), but I’ve been enjoying Yozakura Quartet a lot! This episode and the last in particular were a lot of fun, full of well-animated, punchy action and a few fairly amusing gags. Not that all the gags were good, though. While I’ve come to expect silly gags cropping up anywhere and everywhere in shonen action shows, Yozakura Quartet seems to enjoy using them to kill the tension, ruining dramatic moments. The show’s seeming inability to retain a consistent tone repeatedly knocked me out of the experience.

I also can’t help but feel that elements are inadequately explained. Perhaps I just lack proper context, as I haven’t read the manga, but I find myself unable to wrap my head around the how and why. Kotoha’s Powerspeak ability in particular seems to be a Deus ex Machina button, pulling out a train cannon of all things just when it would conveniently solve the main problem. How did Akina Tuning that car help them get away? What use would he actually be in a fight if he can’t Tune without serious danger to himself? How in the world did the old man get the resources and manpower to outfit his decrepit old house with a giant remote-control crane? For that matter, where did he get the explosives necessary to blow up said home? And he also happens to be the only one who knows about the ley lines or whatever beneath the ground that shoot out the energy to become Hime’s Dragon Spear?? I… what is even happening anymore?

However, these things are not all bad. Rather than the feeling that things are happening at random because of ignorance or amateurish writing, the abruptness and fanfare manage to exude a sense of fun. It’s like a ten year old telling you about his awesome story, with plot threads shooting off in whatever random direction he thinks is the most cool and interesting at the moment, using hyperbole with wild abandon. Yozakura Quartet oozes personality and enthusiasm, and while I can’t help but feel like it needs to have a tighter structure imposed on it to truly shine, I also can’t shake the feeling that doing so might drain away any identity the show has. Perhaps things are better where they are.