Forum - View topicKarakuri Circus (TV).
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Harleyquin
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#14
What an anti-climax. Put aside how Rockenfield managed to assemble the remaining limbs of the defeated Shirogane in the midst of the raging battle to graft them on to the comatose Katou Narumi without so much of a scratch. Put aside how Narumi had his hearing enabled despite being comatose. Put aside how much of a power boost someone close to death received between one episode and the next. For all of their efforts to count for nothing because the Francine they were aiming for wasn't the real thing is a low blow. Then again, if she was real that would have been the end of everything so not too surprising in hindsight. It's been ages since viewers saw Eleonora. The episode's final suspension of disbelief is to see Narumi show up in front of her convinced she's the incarnation of the original Francine. No surprise she just about manages to keep head on shoulders before giving in to her extreme bewilderment. Conveniently, Narumi remembers who she really is and has to hide for a while to get his head straight. Leaving aside so many plot incongruities, the show has never disappointed in its action scenes and that alone is enough to keep me coming back for more. The (one-sided) duel with Pantalone is especially well done with the various stages of facial devastation on vivid display. Eleonora defending herself against the berserk Narumi isn't half bad either. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#14.5
Of all the points to have a recap episode, this is easily one of the strangest I can think of. Three weeks into a new quarter with a new OP and ED and all of a sudden there's a recap of what happened between episodes 1 to 14. The show is set to go on for three seasons, so this is probably not going to be the last time a recap episode is aired. Saiga Masaru and Katou Narumi take turns doing the narration, although it's weird hearing Saiga Masaru doing the narration for the big tent mini-arc when he wasn't present at all. All in all, a decent distillation of what's happened over the last 14 episodes (notwithstanding the breakneck pace). |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#18
A surprising conclusion from last week's episode. Angelina's fate is revealed, as is that of the original Francine. For all the latter did in her long existence, not a bad way to go. A more pertinent question is, if she's gone why is the ZONAPHA disease still so rampant when her copy said killing her would have stopped its spread? Something to think about as I have no idea if the question will ever be answered. Eleonore has quite the start to life, but now viewers are aware of the connection between her and her teacher. Her father as everyone knows is missing a few limbs and is telling a story from inside a capsule, so the story Saiga Masaru is being forced to relive has not yet ended. Masaru (if he really is still the boy viewers have been introduced to at the start of the series) now knows who Eleonore really is, so what will happen then now that this revelation is made clear to him? Two more questions this episode: Who ordered the village to leave to minimise the collateral damage? Who has command over the puppet death squad which overrides even that of Francine? |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#19
As some questions from previous episodes are answered this week, more questions are raised. Saiga Sadoyoshi is the stereotypically cliched villain, but it's thanks to his plot that Masaru and Eleonore met in the first place. The biggest question of course is whether Saiga Sadayoshi pulled off his brain transfer operation sometime after the first few episodes: if he did there's very little opportunity between his supposed death in the car crash and Masaru's brief stay in the mansion. Shirogane having vastly extended lifespans due to their suppressed ageing process seems to have affected their mental development as well. To think Eleonore had the mind of a four-year old despite being in the storehouse for two decades... If the real Saiga Shouji went into the coma after excessive blood loss, why is he in his current disembodied state? This "Saiga Sadayoshi backstory arc" has been going on for quite some time now, but I'm grateful for it despite the usual breakneck pace since it sheds light on some things which weren't apparent at all early on. One particularly unpalatable conclusion would be Masaru's change in character being the result of the brain transfer having taken place, but not being completely successful as initially claimed by the bird automaton. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#20
The conclusion to the background exposition long arc, and as always the pacing of this series throws a lot at the audience in the time it has to air. Answers to the few remaining questions to date (why Shouji is in the state he's in, how much of Saiga Masaru is really him, the role of the insane younger brother who created Francine after he had initially disappeared from the scene etc) are all given, and with the final scene the next chapter to this tale is ready to begin. The spotlight has been firmly on Masaru, Shouji and Guy for the last few weeks. I've almost forgotten where Narumi is and what he's doing after that failed attack so many weeks ago. Isn't it about time Narumi with his restored memories teamed up with Masaru to get going on the time-limited rescue mission? As for the travelling circus, the hitherto ignored beast tamer who works with domestic animals might finally get a chance in the spotlight at last. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#21
Like the myriad threads that hold the eponymous puppets under the thrall of the puppeteer, the show has made it a habit of throwing as many story lines as it can possibly do so within its allotted airtime and squeezing every last frame of action it can into the scenes in between. Deus Ex Machina (both figuratively and literally) feature quite prominently in this episode, what with the mass of ZONAPHA insects and the conveniently perfect timing of characters neglected by the previous major story arc. For the stereotypical villain, Bai Yin goes all out on the spectacle of taking out all of humanity with his custom virus. Only those who have Shirogane blood or who were together with Shirogane for extended periods are spared, so it's good for the circus that they're still standing. The tamer of household pets wants her revenge, so I'm interested to see how helpful she'll be if and when Masaru catches up with the blimp. Long time no see, Narumi. Perfect timing and placement to save Guy too. Leaving aside how important Guy is that he's got impregnable plot armour, the pair of them have work to do before they get to the countermeasure machine. Mingxia on the other hand has work to do if she doesn't want to become someone's collection of assorted limbs. For the last survivor of the Ashihana puppeteer clan and his recruiter, what are they planning? The Shirogane George is not acting in concert with his brethren, so does he have an ulterior motive? Three of the four original Francine creations return (the fat one couldn't be resurrected, not that I miss him) and they've got a new lease of life now that they've met Eleonore for the first time. As fetching as her new red outfit is, she really needs their help if she's going to play any part in the action to come from the looks of things. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#22
Surprisingly enough, the show can dial down the pace if it wants to. Most of the episode focuses on the gambles between Mingxia and Jones, and when that's over there's a surprisingly generous allotment of screen time to a piano performance keeping terrified kids enthralled, allowing them to forget where they are and the situation they are in for the briefest of moments. An unusual way of giving George Laroche his place under the spotlight, since he's heavily outmatched against his foe on paper and will most likely lose unless he's got some kind of trump card. Mingxia gets some long-overdue screen time, even if most of it is spent in unedifying costume play against an opponent she has absolutely no chance of taking on in games of chance. If one is always losing in a contest of luck, might as well even out the odds by playing dirty tricks as well when the opponent is completely open. The upcoming duel against Ashihana and Pantalone should end with the latter's win, at least on paper. But Eleonore's parting comment as he was leaving the blimp might prove to be a leveller in the upcoming duel as the former finds something to live for instead of always running and spending his day in ennui. The doctors must have fried their minds working all out for a cure against ZONAPHA. I've not heard of a more random way of naming a life-saving machine than in this episode. Regardless of what it's called, if it's completely wrecked by the time Narumi and co. get to it all of the fighting to date would be for nought. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#23
There's plenty of action so long as the setting is still focused on the United States and the lab dedicated to curing the syndrome. The set-up from last episode for the two set-piece duels gets its conclusion this week, while Narumi gives a reminder of what he's capable of now that his memories have returned. There's an interesting contrast in how the two set-pieces conclude this week. For the Ashihana vs. Pantalone duel, it is no surprise the former was outclassed completely at the outset. Good thing he remembered his conversation with the Fool and is reminded of another benefit from imbibing even a small portion of Shirogane blood. Unlike Laroche, Ashihana is only alive because he started a conversation regarding the one topic which can give the Four Ancients pause; which combined with Eleonore's parting comment two weeks ago allows Ashihana to stand at death's doorstep or eventually die from bleeding if the Shirogane infusion isn't sufficient to keep him alive. The massively outspecced and outgunned Laroche appears to have turned the tables against his superior opponent by literally remembering he used to be human and using the power of emotion to temporarily lift himself for a decisive blow. Leaving aside the philosophical musing of why humans should be replaced entirely by automata (an argument which has been used before in other works), George's riposte is a response to the argument and to the power of emotion in staving off the dystopia implied by his opponents' reasoning. Having had his turn in the spotlight last week, Laroche is also given a grand exit and keeps his promise to return the cigarettes (though not the explanation he owed to Ashihana). All the scientists are either dead or dying, but Narumi and Mingxia have made it to the machine. Coupled with Guy holding off the latest wave of reinforcements, it looks like there's plenty more action to be had before the scene switches once more. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#24
Looks like the hospital arc has concluded. Narumi had to take out two dangerous high-level automata but eventually got the job done. Mingxia appears to have lost part of her arm, but if she drank enough of Lucille's blood to acquire limited regeneration then the first aid she received might mean she still gets out of this battle with heavy blood loss but with all limbs attached. The trapeze automata had amazing crushing damage resistance because his "torso" was circular and connected by strings, too bad he couldn't do much once Narumi remembered he's got another mode to switch to with every single one of his limbs being some kind of prosthetic enhancement. Now that Pantalone has joined the party, it looks like he'll have some thinking to do before he gets to rejoin the blimp. Will his two surviving compatriots get the same dilemma later on in the series? Just as well Fou is on the side of Narumi and company. His "transport" is a dangerous weapon in its own right if properly configured. He's also got the funds to make his own army to take on the world if he was so inclined. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#25
New OP and visuals for this final quarter, but they're rehashing the first season OP as the new ED song, albeit with nice new visuals. To be fair, the lyrics for the ED are a good fit. When Francine said she implanted personality into her four oldest creations, she really meant it. Besides Pantalone, both Arlequino and Colombine are capable of doing the very thing automatons will never do: protecting humans from harm. Although their slavish devotion to Francine/Eleonore isn't much different from the other automatons, it's clear the surviving trio have the ability to process information and make independent decisions based on the situation. Pantalone called his malfunction "a whim", but Colombine this week shows just how far their whims will go once they've been given something contrary to their base programming. Leaving aside how silly it is for the beast tamer girl to survive purely by outrunning four hybrid beasts, her role in this show doesn't appear to be over just yet. She's fallen down the same hole Masaru and Colombine did but with no parachute. Assuming she makes it out alive, I'm curious what's going to save her. For a first episode in this new arc, less action than I expected. It's fine though, since despite the usual breakneck pace there are some interesting questions that are thrown up by the end which I'm hoping to see answered in the weeks to come. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#26
I am reminded of the old tale of Brere Rabbit when I watch this episode. A thousand different ways of killing a defenceless girl and the monster tamer chooses the one thing which gives her a minuscule chance to turn the tables. She promptly does, unlike as it is, and gets revenge for her sister in the most unexpected fashion. Considering how much trouble Masaru is in by the end of the episode, her intervention needs to be a timely one. I don't know what to make of the scene where the cyborgs come face to face with their original bodies. The psychology behind it is lost on me, though I'd imagine they all chose to be pickled for eternity in exchange for immortal bodies which could be reactivated so long as they still had support from Faceless. If Colombine is right in her assessment, panic does strange things to humans who've lived far beyond their natural lifespan. I don't know what that rocket at the end is about, but Masaru's final monologue suggests Faceless has again gone overboard with some outlandish plan. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#27
As expected, Masaru does get reinforcements from Colombine and Lise, but it's still a mismatch even when Arlequino steps in to stop Lise from exiting the stage prematurely. Although Colombine and her opponent are somewhat evenly matched, the fact there's a rocket about to lift off directly above the combatants is the Deus Ex Machina moment needed to save Arlequino and Lise after they're on their brink of defeat. As for Masaru and Faceless, with an episode title like "Download" it is perhaps inevitable Faceless would get his way with Masaru's body. It was all going swimmingly well for Faceless too, just about everything in his pre-planned scenario has fallen into place except the final telling blow. That scene at the end however suggests not everything is as it seems, but I'm hoping there's more to Masaru's resistance than just plain old plot armour for the series protagonist. Bearing in mind this is an adaptation of a very old Shonen Sunday property I'm not too hopeful, but even if it's all an act there's still the rocket to resolve. The scene with Kato must have taken place some time after he took off with Pantalone in the train some weeks back. So his whereabouts as of the present moment in the episode remain unknown. I wouldn't be surprised if he's close to Mont St. Michel after his parting remark, so is he close enough to intervene in the (staged?) fight between Masaru and Faceless? |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#28
A non-event way back in the first third of the adaptation coupled with the cumulative knowledge obtained during the great flashback arc turn out to be the key for Masaru. The "good luck charm" Eleonore gave Masaru wasn't going to be as effective as it was unless the significance of the drop of blood was fully realised. Masaru probably knew it from the start, but his baiting of Faceless is for the audience's benefit and gives him a small amount of satisfaction having been thumped senseless for over an episode's worth of airtime. I'm not sure how "disassembling" humans equates to dislocating every singe joint in their bodies, but Eleonore was really flexible to begin with so that was probably the key to escaping the chains. Colombine's final action of this adaptation is a noble one as well; she's done something completely anathema to her kind and saved a human from sheer altruism. She even gets the send-off she wanted instead of dying alone and headless. He's immortal, but even Faceless won't be jumping off his rocket now that it's launched. So any revenge he wants after his latest setback will be from his secret space station. For the time being, it gives the main cast time to recover before they have to react yet again to whatever outlandish plot Faceless has up his sleeve. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2834 |
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#29
One of those rare episodes where there's zero action whatsoever. On the plus side, viewers get to see the consequences of Faceless's grand scheme to turn the world into an automaton paradise. Eleonore may have had her joints fixed up, but she's now the focal point of everyone's hatred as she's suspected of being Francine's reincarnation (unfortunately there's some truth in it since Francine's Aqua Vitae saved Eleonora when she was a baby). Eleonore's got a heart of iron though, so her acceptance of hatred and her daily haemorrhaging is the only way she can help to win over hearts and minds. Guy did a good thing in letting Mingxia witness the act in the water cistern, it would be harsh on Eleonora to continually incur Mingxia's wrath as the root cause of all problems when she's a victim of circumstances. If Fou wants the circus to travel all the way to Baikonur to launch the rocket before the two week time window is up, it's only possible if they set off soon and don't have any rest whatsoever on the long journey across two continents. The final story arc of the series will probably start from there, but will Narumi continue to loath Eleonore for the rest of the series? |
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#896250
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First episode without Masaru and his guardian, but it's got plenty of action for what is essentially a world-building and character introduction episode. |
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