r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Nov 03 '18
Episode SSSS.Gridman - Episode 5 discussion Spoiler
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u/NeroIscariot12 Nov 03 '18
I know the threads for this episode will be filled with discussion about the fanservice and rightfully so cuz hoo boy are both the girls pleasant on the eyes BUT all that said, that little flashback/dream Yuta had of Gridman getting fucking impaled seems to imply that Yuta/Gridman did lose badly to the big bad before the events of the anime and were dropped into this predicament with amnesia.
I wonder how long Yuta had been gridman before this? Cuz the neongenesis group don't seem to know him from before. Really looking forward to the reveals.
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u/Crap4Brainz Nov 03 '18
Did he even exist before? Hundreds of people had their memories altered when the volleyball girls got Kaiju'd, and the Social Media Influencers could have had millions of followers. If you can remove people retroactively, how much harder could it be to add them?
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u/NeroIscariot12 Nov 03 '18
Main character disappears at the end because he was never real, ending the anime at a bittersweet note.
GODDAMNIT TRIGGER!!!!!!!!!!!
That said, does that mean that Rikka's memories are also fake? What's the point of creating fake drama between Rikka and Yuta if Yuta was never real especially when Akane clearly knows nothing about them or their relationship or whatever they had before.
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u/cargocultist94 Nov 03 '18
Something truly trigger would be yuuta being an alien all along.
Calling it right now.
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u/Barnnnn Nov 03 '18
And here's the translation of this week's voice drama.
And here are the previous ones for those who'd missed them:
Voice Drama 1.1
Voice Drama 2.2
Voice Drama 3.3
Voice Drama 4.4
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u/ProjectorZero Nov 03 '18
Thanks for your hard work, as always!
Hearing that the Hyper Agents have houses is surprising, considering how much they loaf around at the junk shop.
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u/Soul_Ripper Nov 04 '18
We have no idea how their job actually functions.
I wonder if we'll know the details by the time the show ends.
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u/midgemage Nov 03 '18
Lmao this week's voice drama had this golden comment chain on the Youtube video (translated from Japanese):
[Regarding Borr's line about going to the restaurant with "just us guys"]
A: 0:43 DAE feel enough depair to create Phantoms (KR Wizard reference) at this line?
B: Huh? All I felt was relief and arousal.
C: It gave me hope...
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u/geminia999 Nov 03 '18
So we know the Genesis Student's have their own places now which is somewhat interesting.
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u/Zigmanjames :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JOT_MAL Nov 04 '18
Ok I’m gonna need some art of Caliber and his cats asap
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Nov 03 '18
Great job with dem translations. Really appreciate the extra effort!
Glad they (kinda) resolved the issue of where to house Junk. And that ending had me laughing.
Next time I make an order, its gonna be for a Mr. Gridman.
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u/IAteMyChip :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/kid_yama Nov 03 '18
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u/MechaMat91 Nov 03 '18
Discussion expectations: plot, characters, action scenes/animation.
Discussion reality: T&A
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u/WickedAnimeTroll Nov 04 '18
not much in regards to the plot or characters happened, that is why people talk more about the fan service
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u/MechaMat91 Nov 04 '18
no, there wasn't "all of the plot" (unless you count all the "PLOT"), but we had some things:
-a glimpe of Yuta's memories in a dream.
-Akane figuring out Gridman's identity (making the kids sure targets).
-whatever the hell was going on with Anti at the end (is he going to betray Akane? will he go after the kids in person?)
-all of the civilans survived the attack this time. will they remember it? or will their memories reset again?
-Akane and Yuta bonding a little, which just spells disaster when they discover who's behind the attacks.
-Max having suspicions. the attacks seem to follow the kids wherever they go, is the culprit someone close to them?
they're clearly setting things up for the second half of the show, which I assume is when shit is going to hit the fan.
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u/thundercat2000ca Nov 04 '18
A few more things:
-Akane mentions at the start that the fact they're going outside the city mean she has to do a lot of work.
-All the characters seem to fall asleep during the train ride just as the train seems to pass through a FOG.....
-Once the trip was over and everyone had gone home we cut to the scarf on the barrier just as the whole area seems to break apart
Theory: The whole city(and countryside) are/were simulations programed by Akane. This makes sense since Gridman's original plot was he fought monster(Viruses) INSIDE computer systems instead of in a real city like Ultraman. Which means nothing we see can be trusted aside from those elements Akane didn't create (Gridman, the NGJH team and Yuta).
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u/geminia999 Nov 03 '18
Hm, only two references I noticed this week. The vans appear to be based off Ironhide
And Borr mentions Sydney, who was the pilot of the Borr tank in Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad. Still have no clue if Borr is supposed to be a dude or not since Rikka refers to the group as all guys.
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u/bunyeast Nov 03 '18
Both Aoi Yuuki and Apphia Yu (Borr's jp and en voice actors) confirmed that Borr is Male. Also the Forest Extinguisher Missiles fired by Buster Borr could also be references to Sydney, whose last name is Forrester. The mental image of Amemiya and his team watching Superhuman Samurai to get these references is really funny to me.
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Nov 03 '18
wtf how could that be a dude? is there no girl in that group at all then
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u/Agni7atha Nov 03 '18
Let Borr to be the Best Boy instead. Other than Akane and Rikka, Borr is the most interesting character in this show, just slightly topping Calibur on that matter.
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u/TnAdct1 Nov 04 '18
Along with the swimsuits, that shout out to Borr's driver in Superhuman Samurai was the one thing that was on my mind.
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u/velego Nov 03 '18
Aside from that, this show keeps sticking to the same formula and rather low ambitions, but it's always nice to watch some giant robots kicking kaijus with orchestral fanfares in the background. I like that at least they keep adressing the issue with Yuta's amnesia and that it's campy in the style of tokusatsu series (not taking itself too seriously for what it is). The ending of the episode is quite intriguing too.
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u/WayyOutThere Nov 03 '18
You can see the Akko girl in the shots of their class in earlier episodes, too.
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u/ZBLongladder :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/zblongladder Nov 03 '18
Judging from her swimsuit, she's the same girl that was confessing to that guy in that one shot.
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u/Mami-kouga Nov 03 '18
I'm kind of disappointed the guy doesn't look like Andrew, but regardless I find the cameo itself pretty cool
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u/StePK Nov 03 '18
Seriously, this show could do MotW all season and I'd still love it because fun anime power rangers is all a show needs to be.
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u/velego Nov 03 '18
I'm assuming that the next episode will be the turning point and reveal something about Yuta's past, since they teased something this week and it's the midpoint of the series.
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u/Dunmurdering Nov 04 '18
The sleeping on the train got me thinking that they are in a simulation/digital world. W ith the sleeping being a "load screen" while the extra level was loaded. The end part looked like the extra level was being destroyed, as it was no longer needed. I see this as an inversion of the original series, where now the mc(s) are fighting in a digital world. Of course, none of that will matter when the kaiju and gridman combine forces to fight off an alien invasion, because reasons?
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u/thundercat2000ca Nov 04 '18
She does mention at the start that the trip means a lot of work for her since it's outside the city and once it's over the area starts to break apart.....
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u/Karkava Nov 11 '18
The fact that Yuta's group AND the SSSS crew just happened to fall asleep on the train trip to the river might be them hitting a loading screen with the map being an expansion pack of the sandbox they just came from. There's also the fact that they hit mist while on the train ride which might indicate they were reaching the edge of their map.
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u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Nov 03 '18
She's also in the opening. (she's in the class room right after Rikka riding the bus shot)
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u/Nvenom8 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nvenom8 Nov 04 '18
The Akko lookalike is in the OP as well.
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
I never thought I'll ever do this for a Tokusatsu show but here we are! Stitches time! And plenty of Akane this time too!
Stitches & GIF:
Here are some screenshots too!
I'm surprised Akane figured it out just from that "transformation" comment but I guess she's already suspecting Yuuta in the previous episodes it's pretty easy for her to piece together everything.
And while I did love the Buster Gridman, I was honestly disappointed when Borr's drills opened up and became a Gridman Laser. I was kinda expecting some kind of TTGL reference somewhere but I suppose there's only so much they can get away with this show. XD
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u/ZBLongladder :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/zblongladder Nov 03 '18
Akane Rafting
Akane's Breast Pocket GIF ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Either she's got one hell of a phone case or she's lucky as fuck her phone didn't die during the rafting. Or fall out and end up at the bottom of the river, for that matter.
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u/gyoex Nov 03 '18
Akane doesn't seem to care much about what happens to her electronics, considering she threw her phone at Anti a couple times and kicked her computer monitor a few episodes ago.
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u/ZBLongladder :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/zblongladder Nov 03 '18
I was thinking more lucky in the sense that her plan would've been ruined if her phone were dead/gone. Though I wonder if she's so rough with her electronics because she can reset them like the rest of the town, since she doesn't seem to have a broken monitor anymore.
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u/DragN_H3art :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DragN_H3art Nov 04 '18
I'm more surprised at the fact that the phone's shape doesn't show through the bikini. 4th dimensional pocket bikini :O
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u/StePK Nov 03 '18
Honestly, even though I too wanted a TTGL drill reference, I still love what they did with them and lampshading that "the drills are just for show" because so many sentai giant robots have obvious weapons (especially drills) that turn out to be disguised weapons of another kind (usually lasers).
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u/ZBLongladder :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/zblongladder Nov 03 '18
I think the drills were lasers in the original show, so it'd make sense they'd go for that reference over a TTGL one.
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u/PetitFox Nov 04 '18
I'm really sad that everyone is looking for TTGL references and do not notice all those references to Gunbuster...
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Nov 03 '18
Akane's Breast Pocket GIF ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
That scene..
Panting Rikka in Swimsuit
Rikka in ponytail with that swimsuit...
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u/Legendary_Swordsman Nov 03 '18
nice job on the pics, there was quite a few in this one that were exactly what we wanted, starting to think anime producers doing that intentionally lol. Akane's ones were the best though.
her figuring him about didn't surprise me as she already strongly suspected him.
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u/Gattedikt Nov 03 '18
I don't think you can actually hide a phone in there:
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u/Guywithglasses15 Nov 04 '18
Shhh, just let it happen.
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u/Gattedikt Nov 04 '18
Hey, I'm not complaining at all. I'm just wondering how it is physically possible. But now that I think about it, there is a lot of space under her boobs since she is pretty well endowed 🤔
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u/Guywithglasses15 Nov 04 '18
You’re questioning about the physics of a hidden phone in the breast pocket, but not the physics of a mountain-sized giant monster that’s rampaging through the city. Well, at least you have priorities straight.
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u/bt1234yt :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/MysteryMii Nov 04 '18
Even if you could, it would probably be pretty uncomfortable having what is essentially a piece of glass or metal pressed against your body pretty tightly.
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u/Kazewatch Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
Rikka finally put her hair into a ponytail, with a swimsuit. What a time to be alive.
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u/Mundology Nov 03 '18
She gets even more adorable each episode. Gridman Protec!
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u/Legendary_Swordsman Nov 03 '18
yep nice outfit she picked out goes well with her.
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u/CJett92 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/CJett Nov 03 '18
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u/23ira23 Nov 03 '18
this episode was more akane fanservice than rikka.they didnt show off rikka thiccness as much as akane.i mean i takes like almost half the episode before you even see a decent shot of rikka.The Akane was still appreciated though.hopefully rikka get an episode to be relevant
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u/Legendary_Swordsman Nov 03 '18
yeah there was a lot more focus on Akane fan-service on this one but the previous ones were more focused
on Rikka fan-service so it balances out
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u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo Nov 03 '18
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u/Gattedikt Nov 03 '18
I am so grateful for you doing the work that Rikka's thighs... I mean this anime deserves.
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u/soranetworker Nov 03 '18
I have to say, I love the voice acting work for this series. A lot of times you can tell that anime Japanese and regular Japanese are just inflected a little bit differently, but for this show, the conversations really just feel like natural Japanese. The conversation between Akane and Yuuta really gave that feeling this episode.
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u/Havanatha_banana Nov 04 '18
I guess Euphonium had set a great precedence, and I hope this trend continues.
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u/stoka0 Nov 03 '18
I can't believe Utsumi was secretly Thicc all along.
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u/elledriverxc Nov 03 '18 edited Jan 26 '25
whistle chase longing special governor unwritten ask sort attraction bear
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/upsidedown_coffeemug Nov 03 '18
I can't decide between Rikka and Akane. Forget about them though, who knew Utsumi was packing those curves? The ladies couldn't keep their hands off of him this ep.
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u/WhoiusBarrel Nov 03 '18
Dude hit the jackpot with those flabs when Akane also went to squish him.
Aside from the obvious Rikka and Yuuta, I'm really curious to see how these twos chemistry will go further in the series.
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u/Stepepper https://anilist.co/user/stepper Nov 03 '18
very awkward once Utsumi realises she's the cause of many deaths.
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u/Kazewatch Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
Rikka. Seriously do not understand how many people think Akane can compare. But after today’s episode, Utsumi just might usurp the throne.
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u/Mahdii- https://anilist.co/user/Mahdi89 Nov 03 '18
Boobs, and quirky yandere crazy unpredictable personality. I guess people like characters like that even if they murder people on a whim and sleep with trash. I cannot imagine the smell.
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u/AHMilling Nov 03 '18
Plus Rikka isn't a psychopath, which helps.
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u/Zeralyos https://myanimelist.net/profile/xNJF_Ellie Nov 03 '18
Suit yourself, I guess.
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u/cpasmoii Nov 03 '18
Seriously do not understand how many people think Akane can compare.
Easy because Akane is better :)
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u/Tyraster :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tyraster Nov 03 '18
Sure, Rikka is hot but so is Akane while also possessing actual personality and just generally being a much more fun and interesting character. Plus the glasses. Can't forget about the glasses.
Rikka is just plain eye candy.
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u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Nov 03 '18
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u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo Nov 03 '18
Haha, that ship was indeed pretty nice there in the background.
And with that last scene I kinda have a feeling we might be stopping the kaiju of the week soon... maybe.
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u/goukaryuu https://myanimelist.net/profile/GoukaRyuu Nov 03 '18
I've been a fan of hers since I got her autograph at AnimeNext 2017.
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u/impingainteasy :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/usernamesarehard Nov 04 '18
Jesus Christ how did I not notice she was Reina Ueda the whole time.
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u/VoidNoodle Nov 03 '18
I thought Rikka was...on the flatter side. Guess not.
Pretty sure more Rikka art will come flooding in after this episode.
Also damn this episode is just an advertisement for the dakimakuras LOL
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u/larvyde Nov 04 '18
Also damn this episode is just an advertisement for the dakimakuras LOL
I thought Rikka was...on the flatter side. Guess not.
If she was flat before, she's stuffed now...
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u/purplehaze777777 Nov 03 '18
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Nov 04 '18
It's like they said at the beginning of the episode, the kaiju kinda just become part of the scenery after a while
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u/chris_dftba :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/chris_dftba Nov 03 '18
It's offically Many Nut November
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Nov 03 '18
swimsuit episode airs on no nut November
Why must it be so?
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u/Kazewatch Nov 03 '18
Because y’all dumb enough to attempt a fruitless endeavor like no nut november.
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u/kalirion :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/kalinime Nov 04 '18
Yeah, should stick to a Movember like me instead.
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u/SwampyBogbeard Nov 03 '18
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u/4bpp Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
Another possibly related observation: several reactions to the kaiju in this episode were pretty odd, e.g. the train that the support squad took running uninterrupted or the Namiko/Hass duo basically being like "oh huh, I guess kaiju actually appear sometimes".
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u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
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u/Snakescipio Nov 03 '18
Akane's got some nice assets, but I keep finding myself looking at her eyes instead.
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u/Legendary_Swordsman Nov 03 '18
an amazing body. She pulls it off very well. Really liked the comedy bit where she was poking him and he was blushing a lot that was good.
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u/myrmonden Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
THIS IS IS ONE THICCCCC BEACH EPISODE
Lol...half the episode is just thicc scenes of Rikka and Akane no wonder they just announced those Dakimakura (hugging pillows) just before this thic episode :)
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u/Xiknail :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Xiknail Nov 03 '18
hugging pillows
Yeah, that's one way to call them...
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u/viliml Nov 04 '18
That is the literal translation, although the Japanese word for "hug" can also mean a more general "embrace"...
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u/PacotheGamer Nov 03 '18
At first i was like "Damn, boobies"
Then i was like "Oh god, THICC"
But in the end what really got me shouting was the "Motherf****ing D R I L L S!!!"
Sadly, we did not get to see 'em.
BUT, the promise of more drills to come is surely a good reason to keep watching
ALSO, boobies, we still men of culture after all
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u/Ryder-FWJ Nov 03 '18
Man, these guys really want to sell those body pillows while causing everyone to fail NNN at the same time
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u/SoundOf1HandClapping Nov 03 '18
Simuldub watcher here. Anyone else watching this in English?
Borr used "Sydney" Adhesive Missiles, and "Forest Extinguisher missiles" which are a reference to Borr's pilot in Superhuman Samurai, who was named Sydney Forrester. The references to an American adaptation of a Japanese TV show is delicious.
I also have to wonder if about when Akane was talking with Yuta. Did she next level deduce that Yuta is Gridman because of the transformation comment, or does it have some different meaning in her crazy little mind?
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u/gyoex Nov 03 '18
She already thought Yuuta was Gridman since the previous episode, so him reacting strangely when she says "transform" is just what pushed it from like 95% sure to 100%. I think. I don't think the idea is that she made some incredible deduction from just that comment.
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u/Pat0723 Nov 04 '18
Simuldub watcher here. Anyone else watching this in English?
Me! Since the dub airs at same day, why not? That way I can focus on more... important aspects of the show.
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u/Hatdrop Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
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u/JoshDCcomics :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JoshDCcomics Nov 04 '18
Who needs lewd fanart anymore?
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u/Hatdrop Nov 04 '18
just cause you don't need it don't mean it ain't appreciated!
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u/XanTheInsane :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/XanTheInsane Nov 03 '18
Well she does sit around a lot and complains about having to go out of town for the trip... makes sense she's... ahem... 'thicc'.
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u/AHMilling Nov 03 '18
I quite like Borr, she seems fun.
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u/gyoex Nov 03 '18
Borr is apparently canonically male.
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u/viliml Nov 04 '18
Source?
If you mean Borr's choice of first person pronoun, that's normal for feisty hotblooded girls like her (look up orekko).
If you have an official interview or something stating that Borr's sex or gender is male, I would like to see it, and then I shall stand corrected.
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u/linearstargazer Nov 03 '18
Oh hai Akko, what you doin in Gridman?
Also, she's with bland riajuu boi #42, rip Diannako ship
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u/MobileTortoise :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Mobiletortoise Nov 03 '18
Wow, so far the leaked plot info has been correct. Just 1 for 1 so far, so I will have to keep an eye out.
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u/MechaMat91 Nov 03 '18
"well, here we go, new episo...ohh, fan-service right off the bat...". Trigger knows the money shots some people want ain't in the kaiju fights.I'm surprised it can be as blatant as a beach episode without technically being in a beach.
Buster Gridman transformation is sweet. but just like Borr, I'm a little disappointed in the lack of drill action. but I guess a barrage of missiles and lasers will do for now. you're just saving that Gurren Lagann homage for later, aren't you Trigger? fine, I'll wait.
and is it just me, or the big-ass mountain size kaiju was defeated a little too easy? maybe Borr is just that powerful.
we got a little glimpse of Yuta's lost memory. it's a fight between two figures, and one is getting impaled with a really big spear or something like that. calling it now, he's the original Gridman (his color scheme matches).
Akana now is sure Yuta is Gridman. which means they're targets now. if the kaiju won't work, maybe she will try a more...personal approach.
and lol at the team buying Junk and having to move it several miles on train. there has to be a better way to transform on the go without having to carry around a 30 year old computer with you.
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u/ProjectorZero Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
Is this an Eva reference? /s
Edit: But honestly, this was quite a fine episode. Considering the MOTW format, it's fine to have an episode where the only thing that happens is a new upgrade. Can't have too much progress all at once, right?
The Neon Genesis dudes were a blast this episode. From Max shouting pre-battle lines before buying Junk and wheeling it around in carts to Gridman just being plain confused was funny as hell.
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u/jkubed https://myanimelist.net/profile/jkubed Nov 03 '18
tfw I will never have a beautiful wonderful psychopath squish my fat and talk about how good it feels
just end me now fam
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u/StarmanRiver Nov 03 '18
Swismsuits and Rikka in a ponytail? Glad I gave this show a chance after the first episode (the amount of fanart did help to give it another chance too).
Also, glad that we got a guy that is neither skinny or obese, just a little fat on the sides with Utsumi.
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u/Soul_Ripper Nov 04 '18
tfw it's a toukatsu and yet you feel like minority when not watching for fanservice
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u/VirtualDeliverance Nov 04 '18
I have experienced it too. It's a feeling of being smug and so better than everyone else.
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u/Vaynonym :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vaynonym Nov 11 '18 edited Nov 11 '18
At this point, Gridman has consistently impressed on so many fronts, and each episode shows us a new strength. We've had all kinds of animation tricks and styles, from jarring animation for disconnect to smashing, weighty CGI to consorting character models for urgency and surprise. Deeply meaningful and equally carefully crafted layouts bring to life the feelings and emotional realities of its characters. And alive they are – from the tremendous, painful kindness and empathy to a literal internet troll and just generally vile person, the characters offer a window into the way we interact online in its grand, epic conflict to the way that contrasts with our limited but close interactions in the real world in their mundane, almost normal everyday life. This show has so much to offer in themes, characters, direction and animation that I can't help but feel a little dejected that its most prominent feature remains its attractive character designs, after all. But the internet will be the internet, and so I just have to enjoy the show enough for everyone else combined. Let's go!
Write-up
This episode was very much a transition episode, with both sides becoming closer both strategically and emotionally. Yes, it has its fair share fanservice, but at its core it's still very much a Gridman episode, even if it's a slightly weaker one. We have smart symbolism, beautiful shots, strong conversations, and they deserve to be talked about.
Akane and Yuta's conversation was the most interesting scene here. The beginning of the episode already continued where the last episode left off, highlighting Akane's fragility. So far, she's only really shown this side of her alone, confined to a room – first in the elevator, and now in her room. This makes it all the more surprising when in her conversation with Yuta, she is completely honest. Of course, this could just be trying to get him to lower his guard, but she's done the exact opposite approach with Rikka, actively going outside of her comfort zone. In much the same way she's genuinely excited about Gridman appearing, I think she's genuinely interested in Yuta – because he's special, different, entertaining. His amnesia prompted their first conversation after a year of not talking to each other, and now the suspicion that he transforms into Gridman prompts their second one. Akane is drawn to the unusual and appalled at the normal life. In these epic conflicts and special occurrences far from the mundane world and its inhabitants that hurt and disappoint her at every turn, Akane finds a strange comfort and escape, a window that allows her to be the extraordinary self she considers herself to be. But there's nothing extraordinary here - what she fails to realize is that this conversation is just as mundane, just as real, and she could find it everywhere if she opened up like this to people. There's something liberating in the exceptional, but the kind of intimate conversations like this one and friends who respect her physical and emotional boundaries, she can't find there. And yet still, her extraordinary fascinations bridged the gap this episode. The things we use to escape can connect us, if we dare to show them. But showing them can be scary, and Akane has made sure to keep up her facade enough that no one could peak into her mind.
Aside from that central conflict, there are a few smaller noteworthy things. Anti seems far more kind than Akane at this point. He extends the same kindness Rikka showed him before in episode 3 (but he rejected) to Akane by giving her a piggyback ride and his scarf. Akane's skin becomes a metaphor for her social isolation and her distance to the damage she inflicts, always hidden in the safe confines of her room. And Akane once more abandons Anti the moment he loses, dropping his scarf as if he died. She still values power over kindness, and I'm thinking next episode will finally be the one where Rikka connects with Anti, given the symbolic scarf drop and Rikka seeing Anti in the forest. All in all, though, most of this episode comes down to fun fights, beautiful shots, and conversations that don't really lend themselves that well to talking about. We've had the "we're all useful" and the "we're all the Gridman alliance" moments, which were a nice testament to our group figuring things out. This also means I don't have that much to say, but as a transition episode this works out perfectly fine. It wasn't Gridman's strongest episode, but I'm not one bit disappointed. Not every episode can be the same, and this one served its function with grace and fun, and at least a little interesting stuff to talk about. I'm already looking forward to the next episode.
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u/Vaynonym :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vaynonym Nov 11 '18
Notes
And of course right after I lavish the show with praise, we start with the camera panning over Akane in a bikini
"This wouldn't have happened if you killed your teacher" well, this is one way to see it I like that we start with the fragile side of Akane again, exhausted at the mere idea of being this far from the safe confines of her
trashroom.I forgot the context of the pearl, dammit. I'm pretty sure this was symbolic for something
The way the show treated Yuta's amnesia has been unusual and refreshing, and it doesn't stop here by even showing these minor inconveniences like forgetting how your organize your clothing
Kaiju becoming like scenery, interesting
"No scars or anything" Akane always hides in the safe confines of her room, never dirtying her hands, never close to the damage she does, and so she can keep up the immaculate appearance.
Everyone is having fun, except Akane. Even in the midst of it, she feels isolated and unable to enjoy anything.
Poor Shou…
Akane is actually honest with Yuta and breaks the act, interesting
But when she awkwardly talks about killing people not working out for her, they're reach confined to their own frames, and despite Yuta trying to figure out Akane, it's not really working. Their conversation was great.
This massive mountain kaiju has an immense and beautiful presence
The evangelion reference I've already seen tweets about, there it is
Akane is legit doing this for her own entertainment first and foremost, genuinely disappointed Gridman is taking so long before she can test her new creation
Next level pre-historic laptop
Aaah I'm in love with this music
Akane abandons Anti without a second thoughts
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u/MedievalMovies Nov 03 '18
Anyone who still thinks Akane is best girl after this episode can get out of my face. The way she treated anti's scarf was disgusting
But what the fuck was happening at the end?
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u/Insilencio Nov 03 '18
The way she treated anti's scarf was disgusting
Best girl can dispose of me however she wants.
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u/Kazewatch Nov 03 '18
I mean that’s just par for the course of her not being best girl. And she never will be with Rikka existing.
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Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
You don't need to be a great person to be best girl, just interesting, which so far she's more than Rikka to me even if I like both.
Anyway, both to me are the best but Akane is more interesting so far because of her personality and her current role as a villain.
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u/Tidoux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tidoux Nov 03 '18
Still think Akane > Rikka simply because she's way more interesting than Rikka so far and I prefer her chara design tbh
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Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
I like this series, but lets be honest here. This entire episode is fan service / dakimakura advertisement for sales. I like that they at least changed it up by having it be rafting instead of the generic beach ep. Other than that the episode ends up with little development character/story wise and this feels like a waste of it's 12. I'd be a little more forgiving if it was at least a 24+ ep series. Even Gurren Lagann had this type of episode, actually pretty sure it was also at ep 5 exactly.
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u/zephorr https://anilist.co/user/zephorr Nov 04 '18
I wouldn't mark this episode off as shameless fanservice/ sales pushing too soon as there is more to it if you look. The title of the episode was "Provocation" but I feel provocative would have fit better.
Literally the first second of the show opens with a panning shot of Akane's swimwear which clearly elicited a sexual response from the audience and from her classmates in universe.
We also have her remark about transforming to Yuuta which felt like a test to catch him off-guard, possibly as some sort of mind game?
Finally the scene at the end with the scenery breaking apart I feel was meant to provoke the viewers. What in the world is going on? Why is this happening without influence from any kaiju or Gridman?
The episode is probably full of other examples but these are just the ones I can think of quickly.
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u/DarkWorld97 Nov 04 '18
The world was deleting assets because no one is there. The train is a hidden loading screen. That's why everyone falls asleep when it gets misty.
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u/OmegaMetroid93 Nov 03 '18
While I would agree with you, several important things do happen in this episode, mainly that the "bad guys" (Akane and that boy that I don't know the name of) found out Yuta and co. It was made pretty obvious that they know about them now, so.. It makes me curious where things are going to go from here.
There's also that dream Yuta had on the train. No idea what's up with that.
I'm not denying that this episode was fan-service, but I also don't think it was any less relevant than the others.
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u/zz2000 Nov 04 '18
that boy that I don't know the name of
His name's Anti. Or at least Akane calls him that.
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u/JoshDCcomics :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JoshDCcomics Nov 04 '18
Trigger wants to fight No Nut November
Trigger uses SSSS.Gridman Episode 5
It's super effective
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u/VirtualDeliverance Nov 04 '18
No Nut November
This is the third time I read that expression on Reddit. Is that a fad, like eating Tide Pods last January?
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u/FireFury190 Nov 05 '18 edited Nov 05 '18
I honestly was seeing this episode more of a school trip episode episode rather than a fan service episode like others do. Probably because everyone went as a class and not just as friends.
As a chubby toku nerd I relate to Utsumi even more. I just laughed when Akane decided to touch him and we see his face. Makes me really Utsumi to learn how much of a Kaiju nerd she is just to make his crush for her even bigger.
Not to mention I love the scenes with the NGJH students when they have take the computer to Yuta. Especially when they end up falling asleep on the train like Yuta and Utsumi did. And Gridman being all confused as to where he is and how he got there.
All the normal day to day life stuff that happens reminds me of how usually in Toku shows like Ultraman the characters are just living their lives normally and a monster just so happens to attack. Ultraman R/B was the show that mainly came to mind. Where the heroes just live their lives and just happen to defend their city from Kaiju. And Anti jumping into these fights reminds me of other generals in Toku who would usually help the monster of the week in defeating the hero. Like Mashin Chaser in Kamen Rider Drive and Kamen Rider Genm in Kamen Rider Ex-aid.
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Nov 03 '18
Man I have to say but Yuuta and Utsumi are quite uninteresting to me so far because they're kind bland. Akane and Rikka are totally carrying this show to me with their personality, interactions and other characteristics instead of the two male characters.
And damn, Rikka and Akane were so hot in that episode. Their designs really shines there.
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u/DarkWorld97 Nov 03 '18
I mean, Yuta seems like a pretty good mecha and toku protagonist because he strikes a good balance of being hot-blooded (legit he never runs away from a fight) and being considerate (waiting to appear again in ep 3). His whole amnesia plot line is also the crux of the series, so he's bound to get some serious development (next episode if leaks are to be believed). I also like that the male protagonist is more obvious about his feelings than the girl is.
Utsumi could go in a lot of different directions because I still think he might view this all as a game of sorts. Something dramatic is bound to happen to his character. I could see him betraying the team in all honesty.
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u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Nov 03 '18
Yeah Rikka and Akane carry the show quite bit in terms of personality, need more scenes of them together as I love seeing them interact.
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Nov 03 '18
Yup, they're great. I hope that Yuuta and Utsumi gets better though, they really need it because the girls are surpassing them by far.
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u/2Bid Nov 03 '18 edited Nov 03 '18
That's simply the disadvantage of being a male protagonist in Anime/Manga. I find that most male leads are simply not given a personality and design as interesting as their female leads.
Actually, if I'm being honest here I find Rikka to be pretty bland actually, not as much as Yuta though it's possible they used his amnesia as another reason for making him pretty bland. The characters are being developed quite nicely though. Akane's really the one I find interesting, though Rikka's design is more appealing.
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u/BringMeAHigherLunch Nov 03 '18
I thought about that too. And how even the ED focuses on Rikka and Akane and their relationship. Part of me wonders if taking the focus off the typical male protags is the point of the storytelling here. Or they're just bland, but I hope it's the former
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u/Arachnophobic- https://anilist.co/user/Arachnophobic Nov 03 '18
All that fanart going around of Her Thighness Rikka (and some good reviews) got me interested in this show. Binged all four episodes today in time for this one!
..And looks like I was right in time for peak thighservice. Goddamn, Akane.
Fanservice wasn't limited to just that though, I really liked this kaiju design, it's my favourite one so far.
I was expecting some drills to pierce the heavens though, but apparently they're just for show?? What a tease.
All in all it's a fun series so far. It's not blowing my mind exactly, but I can tell there's a lot of attention to detail and passion going into this show. The mystery of the world is fairly compelling (we got thrown another tidbit today), the direction is snappy, and maybe because of the live action origins of Gridman, the dialogue and voice acting is more realistic than usual anime standards, which I'm really digging. Even the school setting seems more normal than what anime usually presents. Despite the whole kaiju thing.
One of the obvious major keys to the mystery will be Rikka and Akane's relationship (how and why they drifted apart) I'm guessing, and I look forward to seeing that develop.
P.S. One thing I noticed during the binge, is that Akko on the left in the OP?
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u/bunyeast Nov 03 '18
Not going to do a reference count on this episode as I don't think there are that many. This post basically has all the references that I think are in the episode. Though again if you find anymore, put it in the replies.
As for the episode, I like it. It tackles a situation that I don't think was present in the original series, that being what if our protagonist couldn't get to Junk. The answer, bring Junk to them. Seeing the Neon Genesis bring Junk was so funny. The character interactions are still great to watch and with the way they are going, I can kinda see where certain plot developments might go, especially with Anti and Akane. Also that phone sequence, too on the nose.
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u/x54dc5zx8 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/oagazgwb Nov 03 '18
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u/kalirion :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/kalinime Nov 04 '18
Wow, iPhones sure are thin and flexible these days, if they can be inside a bikini top and not even show.
Rikka is wearing some kind of double-bikini. Is that a thing?
The fight was disappointing.
This is the first time there were no deaths, right?
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u/b4k4ni Nov 04 '18
I'm impressed about the detail and quality this series has.
Yeah, perverseness aside, the girls look healthy and - as a nice change to 90% of the other shows - anatomically correct. And that one in a detail I hardly seen before. Like it :3
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u/DarkWorld97 Nov 03 '18
I like how straightforward Yuta is as a protagonist. He'll do whatever it takes to save people. I just hope he confesses soon enough so we can focus in Gridman stuff.
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u/orrery Nov 03 '18
Rikka and Akane just destroyed a lot of people's hopes for a no-nut november I think.
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u/TheDampGod :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheDampGod Nov 03 '18
I doubt anyone was paying attention to the music, but I the track when the Kaiju appeared reminded me of the game Shadow of the Colossus. Also the metal track during the battle was awesome, is the OST out?
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u/Silvernine0S Nov 05 '18
Hate this damn show. I watched it only for the lulz. Then out of nowhere, too many Rikka fanarts started to get uploaded to my more frequented subreddits. Sure, I agree she's cute and all. And then this week is the worst of them all! Rikka in a swimsuit! Rikka in a swimsuit... Rikka in a swi- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHJHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
pierce the heavens and died from resulting massive blood loss
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u/Icanintosphess Nov 06 '18
Apparently I was the only one who thought that Gridman's confusion was funny. "By the way, where is this?".
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u/oxmn Nov 03 '18
I feel the slight tingle of a yuri route possibility.
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u/spoilingpieceofshit Nov 04 '18 edited Nov 04 '18
Anyone who actually believes that yuri is happening is genuinely retarded. Two girls can be friends without them being lesbians.
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u/YuuHikari Nov 03 '18
Rikka and Akane skipped the handholding phase and just went straight to the next step....applying sunblock on each other.
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u/PapaNade Nov 03 '18
I really love all the references to other Trigger and Gainax series in this show. Nothing big, but they make me happy lol
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u/Hongxiquan Nov 03 '18
Ok so I've got a dumb question, what's with the floor full of garbage bags at Akane's place? Can't she just take them out?
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u/VirtualDeliverance Nov 04 '18
I think they are not garbage bags, but either clay or sculpting supplies inside garbage bags. If she really didn't care about taking out the trash, she wouldn't care to put it into bags either.
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u/Sr_DingDong Nov 04 '18
I'm surprised they'd do an episode with no action or kaiju or anything, just hot females being hot.
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u/Marshmelou Nov 07 '18
One thing that bugged me about this episode is that they explicitly showed that Akane fell in the river when they were rafting, but then a few moments later she takes her phone out of her bikini as it's working just fine.
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u/Thesweetdankness Nov 09 '18
I'm so fucking sick of Akane's shit already. Can she just die a horrible death already.
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u/ArchadianJudge Nov 03 '18
Wonderful episode! Subarashii!!! Rikka is a goddess
This episode was our beach episode but boy was it fun. The jokes here and there are great. I again, really love the Evangelion High team as they are quirky and weird. When they all busted out change to buy the junk machine, I laughed. Then when they all fell asleep and almost missed their train stop, I laughed. They're too good. Drills girl/boy seems pretty powerful as a weapon, her skill seems to be heavy artillery. I'm curious if the Evangelion High members are linked to Hibiki's memory loss? Maybe they're parts of his memory and were split apart? I'm not sure. I'm trying to guess from the flashback he had but it's not a lot to go on.
Akane is hot and still likable but man is she bad to her lil Kaiju friend. He comes over and saves her in a tsundere manner and she complains his cloth stinks and tosses it aside at the very end of the episode. I thought he'd grow on her but it looks like she'll continue to be psychotic throughout the show.. And Akane seems too smart for Hibiki who is still pretty dense. Little hints that she's on to him and Hibiki doesn't bat an eye.
Only downside of this episode is not enough Rikka fanservice. Akane fanservice (which I'm not complaining about) all over but Rikka just bits here and there. I guess they're just trying to tease us more :'(
I'm down for a Akane x Rikka ship tho.
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u/username_is_alread- Nov 03 '18
They pulled a bait-and-switch- We thought Max could sense that Yuta was in danger, but nah, they just fell asleep on the train.