OLD!Season 1: Episodes 3 and 4

[Milieva]

This coming week, we will watch the first two episodes of the first season. Official viewing time will be from Monday, 20 October until Sunday, 26 October.

Episodes:

Nazo no Bishounen Kenshi Ferio
Ferio the Young, Handsome, Mysterious Swordsman

Shuunen no Masoushi Arushio-ne
Alcyone, the Vengeful Sorceress


All reactions should remain in this thread.  Thank you.

[Itena]

Even though it's still not the due date, I feel like starting anyway, since I might not have time later.

I've realized these two chapters are contrasting for me. The episode three is (I'm sorry) my least favourite episode, while the fourth one is one of my favs of season 1. ♥

You know, when I had just started this anime, I was sure that Hikaru and Clef were gonna be paired up(lmfao); I was REALLY surprised when suddenly in season 2 Clemi appeared. And you know, I'm a pretty experienced otaku here; it was only last year that I got really into MKR.

Btw, I think I've converted from Asmi to Clemi... but it's unstable.

[Milieva]

Well, let's try this again.   Viewing times officially start now and go on until next monday, or when ever.  I will post the next reaction post next Monday, as that looks like the best time for me to do this.

I hope to see you all around again.

[Down]

Aheh, having said YES and getting all excited about the rewatch - I forgot to check when people were starting. XD;;;

I'll start watching later today - in a moment of randomly brilliant timing by royal mail, my NEW and SHINY (and OFFICIAL ^^;; box set turned up in the post today! (Christmas money has many uses. XD) so I am all set to do so.... as soon as I find the multiregion dvd player and attach it to something, as I had to get the US dvds. ^^;;; But this means I'm going to have actual working english subs for everything (as opposed to chinese... and then a few episodes with no subs at all) as well as actually ALL THE EPISODES. XDDD

*Rather over excited. Got the post, opened it, and bounced here to find she was running juat a tad late. XD*

[Down]

Aha, reactions to episodes three and four, in which I attempt to refrain from being madly over-thinky, and over-wordy, and try to not flail too hard at my shiny shiny new dvds and the working subs which make sense and never turn into chinese, and probably fail at restraint on all these fronts. XD

(For the record, if it wasn't obvious, I'm watching the japanese with eng subs. And then arguing occasionally with the subs. XD)

Episode three:

Ah, yes, the lengthening-of-the-forest episode! I forget these things happen. ?My mind is determined to remember manga canon above all else, it seems. XD Besides, it makes very little sense to me that after the battles at Presea's it takes Fuu and Umi /quite so long/ to think of summoning their weapons. Fuu, perhaps, but Umi? She isn't the withdrawn, slow-to-react type! (Fuu isn't SLOW to react, either - but I expect her to think more before acting than I do Hikaru or Umi.) I suppose, thought, she's still resisting the idea of being in a world which is so odd she needs to have a weapon and fight monsters with it? which, okay, I can see! ^^;;;

(Also I would add that you physically cannot keep running for hours, they should be going at a fast walk, or they won't get ANYWHERE - but this would be earth logic again. ^^;;

??I am always fond of Umi threatening Mokona. ^^ (Or Clef. XD) (I am predictable.) And now the point of the episode - the appearance of Ferio.  Hello! And Mokona's more helpful aspects - food and safety, important things to keep with you! PROBABLY worth the annoyance? I mean, I love Mokona, but if I had to put up with him for more than half an hour, I suspect I would be looking for a hammer. ^^;;; Patience = not my strongest suit.

I like that the Forest of Silence is something from before the Zagato takeover - I always want to know more about Cephiro, and the people there, which the anime gets a lot more time to play with than the manga. I'm into legends and folk tales and that kind of thing anyway, so imagining the kinds of legend which might have sprung up about the forest is something I enjoy. ^^ Though why no one had done anything about that rock before?

I, uh, cannot for the life of me imagine Ferio as a travelling bard, though, no matter what the subs say - tabigeinin is something more like a general travelling entertainer, though, and doing tricks for people, offering challenges to duel (and running bets on the outcome XD), telling stories, those I can believe, just? not music. For one thing, if he's a good swordsman, he needs to practice that a lot, and so where would he have the time to practise an instrument?

But I love the teasing, deliberately confusing manner he has. ^^ While still doing his best to help them - especially Fuu. ^^

I also feel sorry for all the animals which were killed before they broke the stone? but, well, it goes along with the rpg theme that the lesser monsters don't matter? I mean, they're just level raising tools?

On a different note, I finally understand Fuu this time! HAH! Keigo practise has paid off! >D

Episode four:

Yep, I'd forgotten this one too. XD Again with Umi and Fuu being slow to react - I guess it's the attempt to make Hikaru blatantly the main character, but I much prefer the three of them having a better balance - not least because Hikaru's actually my least favourite of the three. ^^;;;;

But Umi attempting magic at the beginning here makes me laugh so hard. XD If I can't fly myself to the spring, then the spring can damn well fly to me! Or, uh, not. XDDD

Hello, random village mob! Who turn out to be ultimately, uh, wimps. ^^;;; The utter gulf of distance between people like Ferio and the random villagers is another thing which kinda annoys me - or, at least, wants exploratory-and-corrective-fanfic. ^^;;; I don?t know? it's like CLAMP put so much thought into the original, and the extra extensions in the anime just don't match up to the same standard. (Like the art work!) But then, all of that feeling is really based in the fact that I love the manga to ridiculous lengths.  ^^

And, aha! Alcione! Who still needs to wear more on her body and less on her shoulders, but, well, heh.  Some foreshadowing, too - or layering, perhaps, would be a better term?

And FINALLY Umi gets magic - and takes the whole thing seriously for what feels like the first time, which gets her through to Clef.

*Moment taken to go HELLO CLEF *flail* I STILL LOVE YOU. AND YOUR VOICE. *ahem**

*then to laugh at the GINORMOUS CLEF EATS ALL THE SCREEN bit. XD *

I find it? interesting, that the translation is always to save Cephiro, Emeraude, Hikaru - and yet every time, like Umi to Clef here, the word is actually help.  Which seems an important distinction to me. They don't want to take over, but to work together. Or something. I also like that Umi is the one who actually asks Clef if he's okay - and that Clef tells her what happened. Possibly as an apology for not coming after them to help more?

It goes without saying that mizu no ryuu is an awesome attack. I love dragons of any sort. XD

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand Fuu's magic feels a bit rushed in the end here, but then, she has a pressing issue to deal with, what with Umi attempting to die on them. ^^;;;

I suppose the thing with the wimpy/helpless people gives the knights another goal, watching the end of this episode: it's like their fight is for the hearts of everyone in Cephiro, which it is, in a way. A fight to give the people back their agency.

There. That was enough rambling for one night. ^^;

(I suspect other people may have forgotten to check the start date as I did - perhaps another general message is in order? ^^)