Forum - View topicSakamoto Days (TV).
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2 |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 3053 |
|
||
|
#5
Considering the buildup to the two ongoing fights, the conclusions turned out to be far shorter than I had expected. So much so the next story arc has enough airtime to introduce a whole cast of members featured in the OP as well as where they sit in this franchise. It's still great entertainment nonetheless, although mileage will vary depending on whether viewers have source material knowledge or not. Lu's fight literally finished before the opening credits, although to be fair neither side really wanted to kill the other to begin with. Lu's fighting ability has huge variance because of what it's based on, and if she sobers up before the enemy is down she'll have to drink herself to a stupor again before she revs up to "full power" again. Forgetting where she is and what she's doing after she sobers up is going to be really inconvenient later on if she faces a stronger foe. The centrepiece is obviously (slimmed-down) Sakamoto vs. Boil. Compared to last week, it's not even close once Sakamoto drops the fetters. Not having walls to bounce off doesn't help Boil, especially after Sakamoto literally breaks one of his gloves in a fist match. The finish with the Ferris wheel is typically over the top for the franchise, but with the pummelling he received from Sakamoto Boil decided he'd had enough. Introducing the information broker (and his singularly unique way of conveying information) is actually one of the highlights of the episode. The information was never going to be cheap, but to think the broker got people to make movies out of it must surely have contributed to the cost. Not only that, Sakamoto charged it to his card without hesitation (even former assassins have credit card at astronomical heights). Then we see several assassins from ORDER, the killer alliance's equivalent of its elite hit squad. Sakamoto unsurprisingly was an ex-member until he quit the industry, but learning Nagumo remains an active member is unsettling. He's never been shy at passing on current information to his former comrade at no cost, but if he's ordered to take out Sakamoto it would likely mean mass bloodshed on a massive scale once the two clash. Just as well he's leaving info on the mysterious "Slasher" for Sakamoto to follow up on. The episode ending with a daily skit of random assassins trying to claim the bounty with the Sakamoto extended family dealing with the attempts (and somehow profiting off it) is part and parcel of the series' comedic appeal. It doesn't give casual viewers any indication of what comes next though. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 3071 |
|
||
|
After episode 6 I am kind of unsure what a good hitman even is supposed to be skillset wise. Yeah, Heisuke is a mess in many ways and he is certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed but his sniping skills are more than good enough for him to be considered an asset. Did the organization simply not take the time to see how good his sniping skills actually are? Personality wise I am not his biggest fan so him not becoming a new part timer is okay in my book.
|
|||
|
|||
Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24624 |
|
||
|
Episode 6
I had the same thought as you did, smurky: "He's a god-tier sniper, surely an assassination org can find room for a specialist like him even if he sucks at all other forms of killing." However, the story needed to justify why he's as poor as a churchmouse, so I guess this is what was came up with. I suppose I can't really complain given the story is willing to stipulate that Sakamoto can destroy a rifle with just a pebble. I *may* have to rely on a different title to sate my need for realism. |
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 3053 |
|
||
|
#6
I'm surprised it took this long to introduce the last person featured so prominently in both OP and ED animations. Mashimo Heisuke is the archetypal one-trick pony: very very good at what he's specialised in but utterly hopeless at everything else. Unlike the other assassins featured in this series who are extremely good at multiple facets (Sakamoto is a prime example), the sniper is reliant on his innate luck (Sakamoto says his is the type that unexpectedly survives), his bird spotter and his specialised rifle rounds to finish the job. Regardless, even Sakamoto admits he's never faced a sniper this skilled at what he does, so Mashimo Heisuke has something for his pride to cling to, even if he has no way of actually feeding himself and his bird in his current state. I'm also surprised Sakamoto didn't offer him a job like Shin and Lu. I suppose being this close to getting killed by an unemployed sniper with serious financial issues precludes hiring him as a part-time staff member, especially when they've heard his life story over the wireless as he was trying to kill them with his bolt-action rifle. Sakamoto finishing off Heisuke's assault in the most comical fashion possible is so typical of this franchise; after all this is the same Sakamoto who can temporarily lose weight and appearance when the situation calls for it. I thought the stone would be thrown through the scope to neutralise the threat, I didn't expect it to go through the whole barrel and wreak the gun completely. A shame they won the contest but had little to show for it in funds. Lu is partly to blame as she's always drunk given half a chance, but as clueless as he is Mashimo Heisuke would have found out eventually. Sakamoto having used a lot of his personal savings at the movie broker doesn't help matters. Since this is a one-off episode to introduce the sniper, what will the main storyline bring next? A continuation of the ORDER hunt for Slasher? |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 3071 |
|
||
|
The next big thing is dealing with a Lab that seems to have been taken over by mr Deer plus I am smelling an upcoming flashback or two to fill in Shin's past. The latter I would appreciate since I think we have only had two espers in the show thus far which means that those abilities are rare and I would like to know where they come from. That said, considering the superhuman antics most characters do in this show maybe being an esper is actually not all that special.
Anyway, I am curious to see needle man in action and Heisuke being a regular is... okay? |
|||
|
|||
|
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24624 |
|
||
|
Episode 7
This show is just so effortlessly super fun. It goes from entertaining moment to entertaining moment without breaking a sweat. Any given episode seems over in a flash for me. I love the fact that the Lab itself isn't staffed by villains but has been taken over by some. The kidnap group's leader incompetence and Seba's nonchalant attitude towards that incompetence was hilarious. Then getting to the Science Museum and Sakamoto and Shin in dino heads, fighting a dino skeleton. An assassin wearing a deer's head (My Deer Killer?). Sakamoto initially not wanting to destroy the dino skeleton because his daughter would find it cute. Like I say, the fun just never stops. |
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 3053 |
|
||
|
#7
There was promotional material for the new arc starting with this episode, and I can see why. The animators even came up with a snazzy new ED animation and ED song focusing on the present and former ORDER members to boot. Shin's backstory being linked to the ORDER's latest commission is a bold move for the main storyline. Especially as it's only at the end that we find out the potential connection. Otherwise, it's two more characters from the OP who are introduced as antagonists to the Sakamoto group. One of them has already had the measure of Sakamoto due to his invisibility (thermo-optic camouflage or special ability we don't know for now) while the other looks like he's going to be formidable in combat. Shin's VA has to work very hard saying everything in reverse, so it's a good thing the subtitles make it easy for viewers to keep up. Shin seems to have left on somewhat amicable terms with his former compatriots in the lab, but the killers now in charge want him back because of his potential either as a research test subject or a potential ally. The latter is highly unlikely, but with Sakamoto together the former will only happen if both are somehow overpowered. Didn't Sakamoto and the group say they'd follow the rules about not killing? I say all those road incidents would definitely lead to fatalities. Perhaps they can claim self defence and force majeure if Aoi find out? |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 3071 |
|
||
|
The show keeps surprising me in how the abilities (be it powers or just skill) keep getting more and more absurd. It was clear from the start that is was not going to be realistic but some of the characters can barely be called human anymore. I do appreciate Shin getting a solid backstory, though it does leave the question what his family situation was before he arrived at the lab.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 3053 |
|
||
|
#8
There's a lot of backchat from media outlets familiar with the source material about how terrible this adaptation is and how it isn't to the same quality of Kimetsu or other top-tier adaptations by established studios with a pedigree for this genre. I for one am enjoying each week for what it is, and the style the animators are striving towards has been consistent throughout each episode aired to date. There are a few action set-pieces this week, but one could say the main highlight is Sakamoto and Shin taking on Mad Horiguchi with Sakamoto proving his point about just how strong Shin's abilities are by those who know how to exploit them. Horiguchi is the very definition of an archetypal "gimmick" boss. Unless foes figure out how to overcome the handicap he imposes on them with his mind control tools, he can't actually be beaten close or from range because no human can overcome base instincts forever. Sakamoto's solution goes through the gimmick at its core, so that all attacks against Horiguchi end up being indirect attacks which the mad scientist cannot do anything about. The next two duels between Shin and Seba and Sakamoto vs. Kagoshima will most likely follow the template given by the amusement park arc. Shin and Seba is more or less done thanks to Heisuke's intervention, so the animators might well wrap it up within the first ten minutes of next week with the Sakamoto duel taking centre stage for the rest of the episode. In the interim, we get to see why Sakamoto warns Shin not to take on ORDER members in a straight fight. Shishiba is lethal with a hammer, while Osaragi is fast wielding such an unwieldy weapon. Unlike the other assassins after Sakamoto's bounty, they're busy with their main job and still recognise him as an ex-comrade like Nagumo does. I'm not sure Sakamoto in his current state could take on all three in a battle royale, especially when his ex-comrade says Sakamoto in his current state will struggle against Kagoshima. It's not all action though. Finding out the background behind Shin's powers is the plank of the episode, especially because Lu said the quiet part out loud at the start of the arc. Although Asakura felt responsible for effectively making Shin a social pariah because of his new abilities, Shin himself has made a living exploiting his powers (not sure what on earth made him choose contract killer as a profession). I don't think we'll ever find out why Shin was left at the Lab to begin with, but considering how Shin turned out he must have inherited a decent mix of physical attributes with his new abilities making up for his lack of intelligence when he was younger. Does the arc end next week or the week after is the only question left for me as a casual viewer. |
|||
|
|||
|
smurky turkey
Posts: 3071 |
|
||
|
With episode 9 the arc has indeed ended and it was the best one thus far. A few creative fights and even some backstory made for a decent offering. I do question how tanky all of the characters are though. People are getting cut up, stabbed/shot and coughing up blood as a result but they literally just shake it off.
Only two episodes left so probably some slice of life fun to end the season with left? |
|||
|
|||
|
Harleyquin
Posts: 3053 |
|
||
|
#9
An entertaining conclusion to Shin's backstory arc. The battle between Shin and Heisuke vs. Seba was longer than I expected, but it's still good entertainment as Heisuke gets more than his fair share of airtime as his trick shots prove to be the difference in getting both of them over the line. Having to obey the Sakamoto house rules is a severe handicap when faced with opponents of equivalent or higher combat levels, so tag team battles help even the odds somewhat. Once again, the episode focuses on Sakamoto's final battle with Kashima. It plays out very similarly to the previous climatic battle against Boil; Sakamoto finds himself handicapped in his usual form taking on a strong opponent and will eventually change back to his pre-retirement appearance to remove the limiters and utterly overpower his foe. The circumstances are a bit different though; Sakamoto actually had the measure of Kashima and was more surprised at his durability before realising he didn't need to hold back due to the latter's cyborg body. The battle moving onto public transport complicated matters with Sakamoto forced to change appearance because of the possible collateral damage if he didn't finish it quickly (I didn't time his claim of 5 minutes, I think it took longer animation-wise). His parody of Kenshirou's punch flurries won't please hardcore fans used to the art style there, but it's still hilarious to watch Sakamoto live up to his motto of using anything at hand as a weapon in the most effective and lethal manner possible. The ORDER pair failed to get a lock on their main target Sla (I don't know why the English name is Slur, especially when the Japanese name deliberately uses the x symbol with Furigana, so it's clear it's a shorthand way of saying "Slash"). Shin however did, and he has now seen the series most wanted killer in the flesh. Sakamoto warned him about running away if he has to face ORDER combatants on the battlefield, he can add Sla to the list as he wouldn't last five seconds. Just two episodes remaining for this episode. Unless the next source material arc is something really short, I'm betting on two self-contained episodes to close out the quarter. Netflix are calling the shots, so not sure if they're looking for a second season or will cut their losses because of the backlash from the vocal source material fans with disappointed expectations. I'm still enjoying what I see, and believe it's a shame the series isn't enjoyed for what it is instead of what people think it should be. Time will tell. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group