Forum - View topic(The) Girl in Twilight (TV).
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Animegomaniac
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Now that was epic. I did not go into the series expecting that and if it was part of its genre, it wouldn't have been as satisfying.
Even better was the fact that all her friends knew and they were waiting for Yu to catch up. And best of all... Asuka. "I didn't quite hear you at the end. What did you say?" So sweet but Yu didn't buy it because you're the one who kissed her! And now one or both of them are going to die because Japan's got to Japan. But after so many shows of just Yuri baiting... even some Yuri shows used Yuri baiting somehow... it's great to have a show come out and say "Yeah, we're doing it and it's not a big deal." Still... in the end... that was one big damn kiss. Oh, there was some fighting too and it was cool as well as some fascinating psychoanalyzing from the villain of the week about the other girls. If it sticks the landing this will be a great show. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 11
Well, I had been calling out Yuu as being in love with Asuka since episode 6, so in general I am happy it actually happened. Not entirely happened about how the possible kiss was done, since it is too zoomed out that it could just be a hug, it is not obvious, and that feels as good as nothing happened. Whether Asuka heard or not, I would like it if Yuu be a lot more forward with it in the finale, ask for an answer or something. It does not need to treat it like some teasing thing, would be nice if it treated it like any other romance in anime. The side with the other girls was also great, the insinuation of a teacher crushing the dreams of their students just because he felt less powerful in his own, did feel like it had a kick to it. Things like saying Chloe's friendships will end and she will be alone, that Mia won't be allowed to have strength in a man's world and will have to rely on looking cute, and Nana needs a guy in her life to feel validated and so will chase a lot of them. They certainly sounded like the sort of cruel things that could be said to teenage girls that could ruin their self esteem in where they could be in the future. But them fighting against the ideas of all of that, and insist that they have agency in their life, felt quite powerful, that I think it works for the audience to maybe inspire some working to change their life under their power. Action was not lacking this time. was certainly cool seeing the final fight. And while I might think that the end came out of nowhere that Asuka is suddenly taking the offer after they could still fight, I think that I can see what she is doing. Chibi-Asuka said that she had gotten rid of her emotions, but this is clearly not entirely the case at the end, noticeably angry when told that she is not the friend of the other girls. Possibly the best chance they have, is that normal Asuka can redeem Chibi-Asuka in showing they don't have to be alone, that the world does not have to end after a run away of negative emotions, and friends can support. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4082 |
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Asuka's trying to save Twilight Asuka so there's a definite motive to her going to the Twilight King. She's not dead as she merely fell into the Twilight, if Asuka's being told the truth.
And Asuka heard Yu clearly, she just wanted Yu to say it in front of everyone which finally explains why Asuka only called Another Yu "Ero Yu" or rather "Sexy Yu"; I kept reading that more as "perverted" but calling a version of your best friend who ditched the glasses and wears skimpy clothing "sexy" is something of a tell. And I'm sticking with kiss; Yu was in no rush to put her down and Asuka was in no hurry to let go. Could they have cut in the camera close to remove all doubt? Remember Japan is oddly conservative at times and a relationship based on mutual love rather than, say, Bloom Into You's sempai kouhei relationship, is something a little too natural for the medium. And I felt the distance gave it a certain respect with zero titillation at all; Not yuri for the sake of yuri fans, it just was and I respect that. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 12 (finale)
Well that was bitter sweet, in the way it was not an everything is perfect ending. I know that I was pretty sure that Asuka's brother, Kyo, would turn out as the Twilight King, but nothing so grand happened. At the end, it kind of felt more fitting to the story that there not be a return to him here, because the story of Chibi-Asuka having to come to terms with it was probably the most powerful part of the series. Learning that Asuka came to a realization that she cried for her own sake rather than Kyo when he disappeared, not wanting to get in trouble, and this has a catalyst that Asuka feels like she needs to be punished. For normal Asuka that was deciding that her future should be to continue the miso business, while Chibi-Asuka thought that she might as well not exist, so she should lock away her heart, and became a destroyer of worlds. I think that the most interesting addition was along the lines of revealing what Kyo was like, he kind of acted like normal Asuka does in the super happy way, pointing towards either them being similar as siblings, and or she was emulating him a little. This does go to show what Yuu said about Asuka lying to herself when she acted that way. It was some great scenes when we had Chibi-Asuka get angry at the normal Asuka because she got to laugh and have fun, before normal Asuka made a show that there is so much potential in Asuka, and they really don't need to be dragged along. The fragment is what they make it, and Asuka really does not need to punish herself, her brother is still inside her, and she is allowed happiness. And normal Asuka goes home, with Chibi Asuka seemingly healed to do better. For there in the episode, there is this kind of sense of ambiguity, that we can't be quite sure where everything will go. Normal Asuka decides she is going to try and get into the same college as Yuu, they find their fragment's assistant to Serious Asuka, bringing her into their Radio Society, and despite some kickback, she could be a good fit for the group. Someone took a bento-full of miso, could be Serious Asuka, but we can't know for sure. But somehow normal Asuka did manage to get her own twilight tape thing, so she did reach the same level of the others in her group. And one more thing, Yuu did seem to not be wearing her glasses, whether it is contacts or something, it is similar to how Sexy Yuu normally is. It was a really nice end, that felt fulfilling in the narrative of these characters moving forward to be who they decide, along with a narrative of moving forward to a future that is unsure. Do so does mean some ambiguity, which kind of feels like a good portion of the series is not finished, like the war against the spread of twilight could be just beginning, and fragments could be returned to normal. Kyo is apparently missing from every fragment, and we didn't quite come to face with the twilight king, if such a being exists. Looking forward more, I still kind of stand by the theory still that the king has something to do with Kyo. Even if this was totally a fulfilling ending, that was all about not knowing how things will go, and doing what you can for a better tomorrow, I kind of want a sequel that can bring a more finality. Maybe we could get a movie that defeats the twilight? I in general really liked this show, I am happy that I decided to make this topic, and I consider it probably amongst the hidden gems of the season. You could probably look at the cast and see some of the voice acting as minimal, with some interesting use of them playing versions of themselves from different fragments. A good portion of this last episode would have been Tomoyo Kurosawa having a conversation of herself as two characters. And it did feel like it was having fun with some of its different settings, which made it fun to watch. And again, I think its message of taking control of your own life to make the world the one we make, was a strong message that I can see being internalized. The accusation in the previous episode that the three other girls could still be at risk of failing in their hopes by things like becoming dependant on a man for worth, losing all friends and ending up along, and giving up on trying to be strong to instead rely on looking pretty. They felt like strong anti-thesis to their arcs that they possibly could fall in the trap of, but can make a direct effort to fight against, so anyone watching could probably be their strongest self. I give the show a rating of Very good (8/10), a don't miss it, because I think this was one many should have given a chance rather than write off. It was a surprisingly strong show, that was entertaining, and had a strong ending. Won't pretend there wasn't any yuri baiting, because despite how some can see some thing towards the end, there was nothing concrete, being frustratingly ambiguous. Another reason I want a sequel, because I want to see this series show some balls and don't be ambiguous or tease things, it is smart enough that I can do the lesbian thing in a show it is not about, or feeling like it is using it as simple fanservice. Pop culture can do better than that. |
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Animegomaniac
Posts: 4082 |
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I'm still trying to piece my feelings on the finale a week after I watched it. By not doing everything I wanted it to do, I feel it actually did a better job. The series was very effective in portraying Asuka's character growth even when her pain was so buried that we the audience couldn't see anything wrong with her at the start. She was clingy and didn't want to be alone but it's kind of normal for that personality type, the "it's all about me" type.
Then we find out that it really is all about her as even when the focus is on her friends, it's hard not notice how alternate Asukas stand out.... and she's even her own villain. And that part is absolutely fantastic because to herself, a part of her was unchanging after Kyo disappeared and she had to confront that part of herself before moving forward with her life. So her vilalin was herself from when Kyo was kidnapped, not a manifestation of herself but an actual separate being. And the series ends with Asuka accepting herself and, a pretty good use of symbolism here in the form of that last cassette, she has the ability to change her world in very real ways. I don't like bringing in direct comparisons to other shows but this series does what Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Sempai couldn't do, put its symbolic message at the end rather than at the beginning. "Puberty syndrome... you mean it's the condition of being a teenager made real? And that's it?" That... with a harem even after toploading the series with a good romantic pair. And that brings me to Yu. The way such relationships are usually portrayed in anime is that its either the selling point of the series so that it caters as the audience as fan service or its so underplayed that its very existence could go either way... pun intended as that's how those relationships are intended. This series went a later which is god but then the final episode went a little further beyond that with little discussion and I mean Yu changing her look. In any other series, I'd say she knows who she is now and she's running to it at full speed, cool, but here... at the end of the episode, I was thinking "Well, a lot of things got covered and explained but didn't Another Yu just disappear? That's odd for her." But in a series that has alternate world body theft as a plot point, having this change in character as extreme as this without mention is unnerving at best. Is that Yu, is that Another Yu or even, is that Another Yu in Yu's body? "She found herself too late as who she really is found her first." The fact that this could play out in scenarios as far ranging from completely innocent to outright nightmare is a very good use of an ambiguous ending. Less so with the miso soup as that clear indentation is from the bowl Auka gave to Serious Asuka previously. A little too obvious as who scoops out anything that way? How is it even possible? I don't rate series but this one was above average with some really great moments, especially in the last two episodes but all that was undercut by a low budget. But between an intriguing story and great characters like Asuka and Yu and a massive animation budget, I'll take the characters and plot every time. |
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