Brave 10 Episode 2
Late to the party AGAIN, but I am still watching Brave 10. I saw the second episode a couple of days ago, and spent the first half of it cringing over the RIDICULOUSLY BAD DECISIONS THESE CHARACTERS KEEP MAKING and hating the fact that Isanami is going to be precisely the type of whining, clinging and possessive female character I hate the most (I'd hate this trope regardless of gender, but I don't think I've seen it applied to a male character before?). I keep reminding myself that NOTHING could ever be as bad as Shiho from Mai-HiME; I have rarely felt a loathing that intense before. BUT SERIOUSLY, ISANAMI. HE IS NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND, SHUT UP.
I think I should just give up looking for character depth in this series, right? And just go back to watching it purely for how ridiculous it is (and of course for the shipping there is to be done). But because there's a lot about Isanami that I feel she could be judged unfairly for, that does make sense to me, it REALLY frustrates me to see those traits assigned to her. I can believe that she might latch on to a strong protector and even make poor decisions and enter dangerous situations with him simply because TO HER it feels like it is more of a risk to be somewhere other than at his side, but then there are parts that just make me CRINGE.
I also spent the first half in a state of WHY HASN'T SASUKE BEEN FEATURED YET.
BUT ALL WAS WELL.
Saizou's clear discomfort with women makes me laugh. At least it looks like the other female characters in the series are going to be competent. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll be any less stereotypical in their own way, but it's diversity? Ana is like a less star-struck version of Kasuga from Sengoku Basara. I like her because she pins down Saizou's problem about as quickly as could be expected from a token hot childhood friend.
POOR THING IS SHYING AWAY FROM WHAT HE REALLY WANTS.
I LIKE THIS BECAUSE I CAN APPLY IT TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SASUKE, TOO.
So anyway, when confronted with THAT and the fact that Isanami's performance at the festival must be reminding him of all the things he claims he doesn't like about his current situation, he leaves. I can see why he did it and he has no obligation to stay and watch but I DID feel a little sorry for Isanami, who is clearly trying to get some semblance of normality back into her life and find a place for herself under the care of Sanada Yukimura. Of course she wanted Saizou to watch. Of course he didn't care.
Ugh, lines like this just make her sound like a whining brat. It really wasn't the best idea to abandon the festival and go running after him, but perhaps if he'd watched her dance and then told her he was going looking for the big scary snake, she might not have followed him? But then it's not HIS responsibility to manage her behaviour and cater to her problems. AUGH. I AM SO TORN. I can at least justify her not leaving there and then by assuming she was too scared to return alone.
I laughed all the way through the fight with the snake. SO RIDICULOUS.
To give her credit, she did TRY to help. AFTER DECLARING SHE WAS GOING TO FAINT AND THEN DOING SO. I guess seeing her most in need of his protection awakens some last reserve of strength in Saizou, because the same thing happens at the end of the episode.
I REALLY DON'T GET how the mind-controlled or whatever snake EXPLODES WHEN DEFEATED or indeed why it's SO FUCKING HUGE BUT WHATEVER WHO NEEDS THIS SERIES TO HAVE LOGIC. ISANAMI AND SAIZOU BOTH GET BURIED ALIVE AND SAIZOU HAS TO TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT BECAUSE HE'S WOUNDED. For the record, the show seems fairly even in aiming fanservice at both demographics. THUMBS UP.
OF COURSE, THEY DON'T DIE IN A HOLE.
THEY JUST HAVE A CRINGE-INDUCING CONVERSATION THAT I DID NOT SCREENCAP.
AND THEN EVERYTHING IS OKAY BECAUSE SASUKE IS IN IT.
I LOVE HIM.
And then he gets poisoned and is being blinded as it takes effect, and protests that it's his fight when Ana shows up and interrupts things and AAHH. DEFINITE CHARACTER BIAS. I probably would have liked it if he'd whimpered a little in pain, though. Or shown more signs of the venom taking his vision (assuming he had an antidote for it because IT NEVER GETS MENTIONED AGAIN). ANYWAY they learn that the giant snakes are just a big diversion and the village is under attack (so technically if Isanami had stayed in the forest with Saizou she would have been safer BUT NOOO~ by that point she's back in the village trying to help people escape the smoke LOL).
SASUKE CONTINUES HIS FIGHT.
DELICIOUS SELF-CONFIDENCE.
But PLEASE at some point can Saizou have to save him?
UNEXPECTED BEST BIT OF THE EPISODE. CRYING WITH LAUGHTER.
LET'S JUST EMPHASISE HOW CLOSE THEY ARE PRESSED TOGETHER RIGHT.
PFFFF I COULDN'T DISAGREE MORE.
Sanada Yukimura, are you ENJOYING this situation?
DO WHAT. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.
I hear he's quite skilled with his mouth.
...
Meanwhile, Saizou is fighting with some very fetching blood streaks over his face.
He gets totally thrashed but manages to stage a comeback to rescue Isanami.
And both Sasuke and Ana show up as well, just in time for the enemy to flee and for Saizou to collapse. Now, I'm watching this thing through HEAVY-DUTY SLASH GOGGLES and I swear nothing gets past me, so bear that in mind. SASUKE SAYS SAIZOU'S NAME TWICE. He's concerned for both of them, but it's Saizou's name he cries out a second time. AND HE SOUNDS REALLY DESPERATE, TOO.
THE RESPONSE.
This is from the preview so I have no context for it yet but HE IS SUCH A CUTIE AND AWWWH HE'S BLUSHING.
To summarise, I'm staying with this one. I am going to make it my mission for the remainder of the series to just disregard the negative aspects and have fun with everything else. I do hope it shapes up to have something more of a plot, though. I worry about it being the kind of series that constantly hops from one scenario of Isanami in peril to the next. I haven't read the manga at all, so I have no idea what to expect/how it compares. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the other characters, though.
The second part of this episode MORE than made up for the first.
I think I should just give up looking for character depth in this series, right? And just go back to watching it purely for how ridiculous it is (and of course for the shipping there is to be done). But because there's a lot about Isanami that I feel she could be judged unfairly for, that does make sense to me, it REALLY frustrates me to see those traits assigned to her. I can believe that she might latch on to a strong protector and even make poor decisions and enter dangerous situations with him simply because TO HER it feels like it is more of a risk to be somewhere other than at his side, but then there are parts that just make me CRINGE.
I also spent the first half in a state of WHY HASN'T SASUKE BEEN FEATURED YET.
BUT ALL WAS WELL.
Saizou's clear discomfort with women makes me laugh. At least it looks like the other female characters in the series are going to be competent. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll be any less stereotypical in their own way, but it's diversity? Ana is like a less star-struck version of Kasuga from Sengoku Basara. I like her because she pins down Saizou's problem about as quickly as could be expected from a token hot childhood friend.
POOR THING IS SHYING AWAY FROM WHAT HE REALLY WANTS.
I LIKE THIS BECAUSE I CAN APPLY IT TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SASUKE, TOO.
So anyway, when confronted with THAT and the fact that Isanami's performance at the festival must be reminding him of all the things he claims he doesn't like about his current situation, he leaves. I can see why he did it and he has no obligation to stay and watch but I DID feel a little sorry for Isanami, who is clearly trying to get some semblance of normality back into her life and find a place for herself under the care of Sanada Yukimura. Of course she wanted Saizou to watch. Of course he didn't care.
Ugh, lines like this just make her sound like a whining brat. It really wasn't the best idea to abandon the festival and go running after him, but perhaps if he'd watched her dance and then told her he was going looking for the big scary snake, she might not have followed him? But then it's not HIS responsibility to manage her behaviour and cater to her problems. AUGH. I AM SO TORN. I can at least justify her not leaving there and then by assuming she was too scared to return alone.
I laughed all the way through the fight with the snake. SO RIDICULOUS.
To give her credit, she did TRY to help. AFTER DECLARING SHE WAS GOING TO FAINT AND THEN DOING SO. I guess seeing her most in need of his protection awakens some last reserve of strength in Saizou, because the same thing happens at the end of the episode.
I REALLY DON'T GET how the mind-controlled or whatever snake EXPLODES WHEN DEFEATED or indeed why it's SO FUCKING HUGE BUT WHATEVER WHO NEEDS THIS SERIES TO HAVE LOGIC. ISANAMI AND SAIZOU BOTH GET BURIED ALIVE AND SAIZOU HAS TO TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT BECAUSE HE'S WOUNDED. For the record, the show seems fairly even in aiming fanservice at both demographics. THUMBS UP.
OF COURSE, THEY DON'T DIE IN A HOLE.
THEY JUST HAVE A CRINGE-INDUCING CONVERSATION THAT I DID NOT SCREENCAP.
AND THEN EVERYTHING IS OKAY BECAUSE SASUKE IS IN IT.
I LOVE HIM.
And then he gets poisoned and is being blinded as it takes effect, and protests that it's his fight when Ana shows up and interrupts things and AAHH. DEFINITE CHARACTER BIAS. I probably would have liked it if he'd whimpered a little in pain, though. Or shown more signs of the venom taking his vision (assuming he had an antidote for it because IT NEVER GETS MENTIONED AGAIN). ANYWAY they learn that the giant snakes are just a big diversion and the village is under attack (so technically if Isanami had stayed in the forest with Saizou she would have been safer BUT NOOO~ by that point she's back in the village trying to help people escape the smoke LOL).
SASUKE CONTINUES HIS FIGHT.
DELICIOUS SELF-CONFIDENCE.
But PLEASE at some point can Saizou have to save him?
UNEXPECTED BEST BIT OF THE EPISODE. CRYING WITH LAUGHTER.
LET'S JUST EMPHASISE HOW CLOSE THEY ARE PRESSED TOGETHER RIGHT.
PFFFF I COULDN'T DISAGREE MORE.
Sanada Yukimura, are you ENJOYING this situation?
DO WHAT. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.
I hear he's quite skilled with his mouth.
...
Meanwhile, Saizou is fighting with some very fetching blood streaks over his face.
He gets totally thrashed but manages to stage a comeback to rescue Isanami.
And both Sasuke and Ana show up as well, just in time for the enemy to flee and for Saizou to collapse. Now, I'm watching this thing through HEAVY-DUTY SLASH GOGGLES and I swear nothing gets past me, so bear that in mind. SASUKE SAYS SAIZOU'S NAME TWICE. He's concerned for both of them, but it's Saizou's name he cries out a second time. AND HE SOUNDS REALLY DESPERATE, TOO.
THE RESPONSE.
This is from the preview so I have no context for it yet but HE IS SUCH A CUTIE AND AWWWH HE'S BLUSHING.
To summarise, I'm staying with this one. I am going to make it my mission for the remainder of the series to just disregard the negative aspects and have fun with everything else. I do hope it shapes up to have something more of a plot, though. I worry about it being the kind of series that constantly hops from one scenario of Isanami in peril to the next. I haven't read the manga at all, so I have no idea what to expect/how it compares. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the other characters, though.
The second part of this episode MORE than made up for the first.