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Blood Blockade Battlefront (TV) (all seasons).


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Harleyquin



Joined: 29 May 2014
Posts: 2815
PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:50 pm Reply with quote
#10

At first glance it's yet another background episode with the sniper K.K in the spotlight. What I didn't bargain for was more information on the infamous Blood Breeds which form a huge part of the in-series universe. Strange that a remote-controlled cyborg by a Blood Breed inherits the non-reflection trait that the main host has, not to mention near-perfect replication of the host body's combat prowess.

The oddest thing about it is the Blood Breed "Alan Foster" taking it upon himself to raise a human daughter. I don't know if he's really doing it out of a sense of duty (especially with that last shot of a woman who looks like she could pass for Caroline's biological mother) but it's strange he's willing to go through the whole charade of blending in with human society when he could easily dispense with the facade altogether.

Like the last season before it, the "finale" of this season focusing on what should be the franchise's main plot hook is going to be a two-part episode. Unlike the last season, there's been little build up to what is to come since most of the season has been focused on fleshing out the various Libra team members' backstory and motivations. From the title it's clear the God Eyes are going to be crucial, but to what extent should be a fun surprise for viewers not well-versed in this franchise.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:45 pm Reply with quote
Harleyquin wrote:
I don't know if he's really doing it out of a sense of duty (especially with that last shot of a woman who looks like she could pass for Caroline's biological mother) but it's strange he's willing to go through the whole charade of blending in with human society when he could easily dispense with the facade altogether.


I think that woman was actually supposed to be like an image of Caroline, of the person she could become after he has raised her from the child she is now, who is dependant on him. I doubt it was out of some sense of duty in raising her, as much as he actually loves her like a father would love a daughter, he is clearly not heartless, even if he is involved in some bad stuff. Otherwise he would not have made himself go to the parents day and leave a inferior fighting power at his main job.

Anyway, it was a cute episode, K.K. is a really cool character. Need more anime about the badass mums. And rather than any just power with guns and such, it was her mother side that was the coolest, how she was affected so hard about disappointing her children.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23669
PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:11 pm Reply with quote
Yes, I'm sure it was an episode that would have struck any working Mom pretty hard. It's a classic theme: balancing work and domestic life. I love the concept that two opponents would have had the same idea for the same reason. I really wish there had been more focus on Blood Breeds both this season and previous.
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Harleyquin



Joined: 29 May 2014
Posts: 2815
PostPosted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 3:37 am Reply with quote
#11

After seeing this week's episode, I can understand why there's no lead-up to this story compared to last season. In addition, I'm actually happier with this kind of arc since it feels easier to relate to when Leo has to juggle between his loyalty to the organisation and the plight of his sister.

It's actually a big thing finding out the true identity of the one responsible for giving Leo his ability to begin with. Not to mention casual viewers finding out what the eyes were designed for and the existence of multiple owners who possess control and experience far greater than Leo's.

Outside of his eyes, Leo doesn't really have much to go on when isolated. Although he's not completely helpless, it's difficult to try something to break out of the blockade when he's constantly being watched. I doubt he can pull himself out of this problem on his own so he'll either have to eliminate the Doctor somehow without help or find a clandestine method of letting his colleagues in on his predicament (Klaus might have picked up on something based on his facial expression, but that's a personal opinion without hard evidence).
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Harleyquin



Joined: 29 May 2014
Posts: 2815
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 4:13 pm Reply with quote
#12

Given a choice between the finale of the first season and this week's episode, I'd take this week's episode any time. It's the right length, it gets to the point and it's a nice way of showing how far Leonardo has come since the start of the series.

I have no idea how Klaus figured out Leonardo was in trouble. I think it was instinct after seeing the unusual final text message but it looks like he only cottoned on after Leonardo left the scene without saying goodbye.

For the first time this series, Leonardo actually used his eyes for self-defence against otherworld punks. He should really loosen his self-imposed shackles more often, but I suppose he remembers the example set by the gung-ho combat butler and prefers to keep a low profile (and get mugged every so often).

When it comes down to brass tacks, Leonardo really doesn't back down like the "tortoise knight" his sister looks up to him for. I thought the Doctor had two eyes rather than just the one but this episode proved me wrong. With that final punch from Klaus it looks like he won't be a recurring problem.

The epilogue is a nice touch linking the anime-original first season plot with this season, not to mention a rehash of Femt's ravenous monster beasts.

It's always nice when the fanbase buys enough of the books to pay for another season of this franchise, but it will probably be a while before the next season sees the light of day.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 5:34 am Reply with quote
It was nice that we got some show of Leonardo's strength as a person and all. And especially nice for some touches of White and Black too. It was a nice finale. My complaints might come for the series as a whole, where for example the recurring villain of Femt, he did not appear at all except as bookmarks, where he did the same thing the second time, some god of chaos. Especially after his appearance in the OVA.

Some people also seemed really into the plot of this season involving Leonardo's sister, which did not appear until the last two episodes. Perhaps the show was teasing it too much before barely paying out on it. It would have been much better just to come in expecting the show to be a funny collection of adventures that would give us insight into the various characters, keeping expectations tempered. Some of those were especially good, like the K.K episode. We had Steven too, but I would have liked a Klaus episode, I unbashful have a mancrush on him.

I give a rating for the second season of Good (7/10). It is worth seeing.
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Treeborn



Joined: 30 Mar 2013
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 6:05 pm Reply with quote
Damn, everything after Tortoise Knight started playing was just so powerful. The memory of White mustering every last bit of Leo's strength, the tears in Leo's eyes at the sight of his friends, and the unrestrained force behind Klaus attack despite the enemy already being weak.

My favorite part, however, had to be when the butterfly landed on Leo's hand at the hospital. You could see Leo's wounded arm trembling, afraid to respond to Klaus, but he calms down and smiles as soon as White let's him know that she's still there watching. My gosh, I really hope White comes back someday Sad

I would rate the season as great (8.5/10). [/b]
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MaxSouth



Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 1363
PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 5:42 am Reply with quote
Such a rich showcase of true artistry in terms of visual designs and world-building, but the over-arcing story that barely going anywhere through the episodes is diminishing the project.

It is almost as if the world that the authors create is wasted for an essentially a monster-of-the-week concept, however excellently executed.

Another issue is just how absurd the core premise of the story is: spoiler[in the world, full of alien technology and magic, there is all of a sudden no way to fix the main lad's sister's spine or at least put her into a smart exoskeleton, which is possible (for the rich) already now in the real world with nothing fantastical present? Not even her wheelchair is motorized, even though the main lad has connections to fix it all for better in many ways.]

A minor annoyance is that the show is based on abuse pron toward characters, especially the main lad. Too many characters beat him as a jest or for petty reasons, which is disgusting. Especially considering his meek, adorable personality and small stature of a teen. More characters normally would not want to harm him.
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MaritLage



Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 140
PostPosted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 10:22 am Reply with quote
(She/Her)

S01E03

Look at the time!

Blood Blockade Battlefront is the Maestros anime of all seasons ! With cool jazz intro/outros , New York City thrown into literal Pandemonium (iii thought the mists of TEaHWoL looked a little sparse!) , triple-agents who do in fact attempt to kill each other for good practice , and more alien otherworlders than yu can shake a stick at , this colorful catastrophe is a masterpiece fiasco ! Just don·t get caught gambling with the wrong crowd ... Capiche?
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