Kuragehime Episode 11 [Final]

“Jellyfish of Dreams”

Summary: Tsukimi presents her jellyfish dress at a fashion show.

Mimi: Arg, this really needs a second season. I can’t get enough of these characters, and I wonder what happens to them after this point. Tsukimi is becoming successful with her dress designs, growing closer to Kuranosuke, and now it looks like Shuu and Shouko are actually crushing on each other. I didn’t expect that at all, but it’s pretty funny to see Shouko all speechless and flustered in front of him. Well, that makes it easier for me to support Tsukimi and Kuranosuke then! And lastly, it seems that the redevelopment plans aren’t a major threat anymore since they’ve found a way to work around it.

I won’t deny that this episode is rushed, fitting in quite a bit at the last minute, but it doesn’t get in the way of the finale being very enjoyable. Before the dress idea had ever been mentioned in the series, I had a completely different vision of how this would end (Tsukimi and Shuu become a couple and thwart Shouko’s redevelopment plans), but I actually prefer the direction that it really went in. Even though Kuragehime doesn’t quite end with 100% of the energy it had in the beginning, it still leaves a very positive impression on me, and I’ll remember these characters for quite some time. If the manga is translated beyond this point in the story, I will definitely check it out if there’s no word of an anime sequel anytime soon.

Kuragehime Episode 10

“Days of Love and Lukewarm Water”

Summary: Tsukimi and her friends make the jellyfish dress.

Mimi: Hey everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got awesome presents. =D I had ordered my own present early (a new laptop, woo!), and it snowed on Christmas evening, accumulating about 5 inches. That’s the first time it has snowed on Christmas day here in 60 years (so I was told). So that’s pretty special. :3 Now that the festivities are kinda over, it’s time to get back to watching anime and blogging. I plan to write a Togainu no chi review soon (because Alex is forcing me T_T), so stay tuned for that I guess (or not x.x ).

I actually don’t have a lot to say about this episode of Kuragehime. Quite simply, they finish making the dress (which looks very cute btw). Shuu behaves a bit odd in this episode, but it’s been a while since he has shown so much emotion. It looks like Shouko’s guilt-trip tactics are working on the poor guy, but I hate to see him being used like this. He needs another decent scene with Tsukimi, but on the other hand.. Now Tsukimi thinks that Kuranosuke looks like a beautiful jellyfish. Score for Kuranosuke!

The scene where a random girl on the street fell in love with Banba’s afro was pretty funny. Well, I particularly found it funny because my friends actually do that all the time. A couple of them have afros and everyone likes to poke them. They’re so puffy and cute.. Ok, I’m running out of things to talk about here. xD I’m looking forward to the final episode next week, and I’m absolutely praying for a sequel. ;A;

Kuragehime Episode 9

“Midnight Cherry Boy”

Summary: Tsukimi is haunted by Shouko after seeing that picture.

Mimi: Hmmm nothing too much happens in this episode, but it is still a very funny and endearing one. Kuranosuke takes Tsukimi over to his mansion to chat over dress designs, but Shouko, Shuu, and his father are there, and this doesn’t go very…well. They get into a heated fight over Shuu’s virginity, and Tsukimi’s poor heart is scarred after she is forced to look at the photo in Shouko’s cell phone. She runs away, goes home, and drinks herself senseless. At the end, she is able to have a peaceful dream where she swims around with jellyfish. I really love it when we get to see this fluffy little world inside Tsukimi’s head; the jellyfish are just so incredibly detailed and beautiful. ❤ Later on when Kuranosuke pops by the apartment, he carries the sleeping Tsukimi to her room, and in her dream, she thinks that her mother is carrying her. How cute is that? Great, now I’m feeling all fangirly over Kuranosuke and Tsukimi now. T_T

My favorite funny scene in this episode is when Mayaya and Banba discover Tsukimi searching around for booze in the dark, perceiving her to be a burglar. Their plan is to gather Chieko’s precious dolls (without her permission), group them together on the floor, and shine a flashlight on them. These girls are just so….lol. xD Of course, Tsukimi is freaked out, but I wonder how a typical burglar would react to that. Eh, well, he’d probably be scared too. =P I suppose my second favorite scene is when Kuranosuke’s father is dressed up as a school girl. That just happened..out of nowhere.

Two episodes left.. What am I going to doooo. D: Well..I can’t wait to see the dress at the end. *0*

Kuragehime Episode 8

“Million-dollar Babies”

Summary: To the flea market they go!

Mimi: I knew this episode would be awesome, but it’s even better than I expected! In preparation for the flea market, Kuranosuke digs out some antique tea-cups from the apartment, and Tsukimi tags along with him to sell them. She also has her little hand-made jellyfish doll for sale, and to their surprise, it sells quickly for 500 yen. Kuranosuke orders the sisterhood to come over and bring a bunch of old clothes so they can make more dolls, and they really sell like hotcakes! Tsukimi is particularly attracted to one piece of clothing, a frilly white shirt, and it reminds her of her mother’s promise to make her a  ‘dress like a jellyfish.’ At the end of the day, Kuranosuke catches her wearing the pieces of clothing that are left over, and his heart beats madly for her. Now the idea is to make dresses and sell enough of them to buy the apartment. Awesome!

Meanwhile, Shuu’s father instructs Yoshio to track down Youko. He gets a friend to spy on her and Shuu, though it’s funny how he doesn’t go out of his way to hide himself—it’s like he’s invisible even though he’s clearly right there lol. Oh well, he gets busted in the end! And I might add that Yoshio was rather adorable in this episode…his love for benz and donuts~ xD But Shuu isn’t as interesting all the sudden. He’s clearly not himself because of that incident, but I miss him bickering with Kuranosuke and freaking out over things. Tsukimi, it’s up to you to change him back to normal!

Argh and I can’t believe there are only 3 episodes left now. This can’t be happeniiiiing! ;A; But I have to admit, the pacing is great for a series of this length. Even if the manga goes on further, I can see his anime having a proper ending. But that doesn’t mean I want it to come so quickly.. *sigh*

Kuragehime Episode 7

“Islands of Unemployment Cash-lending”

Summary: Shouko visits the sisterhood.

Mimi: Ahhh, I missed my beloved Kuragehime… But perhaps I spoke a bit too soon last time; this episode would be considered one of those..um…‘average’ ones in the set. It wasn’t exactly better than the last one, but even so, it’s still a decent build-up episode. Tsukimi is feeling a lot of heartache after Shouko visits their apartment, Kuranosuke almost kisses her, and Shuu sees that picture on Shouko’s cell phone. The situation is also getting worse for their home, and now they’re trying to raise money to actually buy the place. I liked how serious Banba was when she told Kuranosuke to lay off of Chieko’s precious dolls. He really does go too far sometimes. So now…a flea market. Really? This ought to be very interesting.

And ugh, I can’t actually decide if I want to see Tsukimi end up with Kuranosuke or Shuu. I like them both so much.. But out of Tsukimi’s interest, I think I’ll continue to root for her and Shuu~ x3

Kuragehime Episode 6

“Night of the Living Nunnery”

Summary: Our poor Shuu has been kidnapped by that evil woman and…

Mimi: Y’know, we generally accept that all anime have their ups and downs. It’s inevitable somewhere down the line, whether it’s that one boring episode in the middle, or that finale which didn’t live up to our expectations. Even my favorite of all time have their dull moments. But Kuragehime is just…the exception. It has a very strong, fascinating premise to begin with, and it delivers one highly entertaining episode right after another. Even though the finale has yet to come, I’m confident that the remaining four episodes will be the best of fun. At this point, it’s impossible to have any doubts when the first six episodes have been nothing short of amazing. At least for me, anyway. o.o

I could shower this anime with praise for a while here, but I’ll try to save some of that for my final review. So in this episode, Kuranosuke dresses the sisterhood up and takes them to a café. It’s hilarious to see them still acting like monkeys in their new attire. For example, Mayaya tries to run around in her high-heel shoes eats like a pig in the café. =P It’s another stretch on their comfort zone to dress like this in public. But later on when they go up to the rooftop, they all find something pleasantly related to their obsessions to admire…for Tsukimi, she compares the moon-lit sky to an underwater world of jellyfish. Kuranosuke can’t but find her adorable every single second. -^.^-

As entertaining as they were though, Shuu’s parts actually stole the episode for me. Shouko drugs him at a bar, takes him to bed, and his sobering reaction to everything is priceless. He calmly asks for his clothes repeatedly despite all her attempts to make him stay, and then he finally gets up to leave, nearly forgetting his pants. At the doorway, he just pushes her down and makes a crazy run for it. xD We learn later that he has a special kind of phobia of women. When he was little, he caught his father and Kuranosuke’s mother doing this and that, and that just hurt poor Shuu psychologically. I just love all this (sorry, Shuu!). After this incident with Shouko, I didn’t expect him to go off and find Tsukimi during the same night, but he had to see her to return to his sensible self I suppose.

So now, Shouko possesses photos of her and Shuu laying in bed together. Dun Dun duuuun.  Ahh I can’t wait to see all the drama unravel~ x3

Kuragehime Episode 5

“I Want to Be a Jellyfish”

Summary: The sisterhood attend a meeting to protest against the redevelopment project, “Activate City Amamizu.”

Mimi: Fantastic, this episode does a lot of things very well, such as portraying Tsukimi’s feelings, the distance between her and Shuu, and transforming Mayaya into a model. In my last post, I mentioned how the female otaku never seem to change compared to the lead characters, but now they’re making some startling development. In order to seriously protest against the redevelopment plans, they have to look more professional, and that usually comes with a new attitude. In a hilarious scene with Mayaya, Kuranosuke gives her a complete makeover, and now she looks very womanly and down to business….just a whole different person. Wow. I can’t wait to see how the others will look and how they’ll take serious action to protect their dear life!

We also get an introduction to a new character, Shouko Inari, who is pushing for the redevelopment plans. She also has plans to sway Shuu to her side by seducing him, and they are quickly seen together in front of Tsukimi. I suppose that Shouko will play as the main obstacle between Shuu and Tsukimi, and with that, I have a few ideas in mind about how this series will end. This is a fairytale called Princess Jellyfish, after all.

I am very satisfied with how this series is coming along; it has never had a dull moment. Ever. It’s startling to realize that we’re pretty much half-way done already. Can you believe it? I bet the second half is going to be packed with the best episodes yet, and I’m excited for them more than ever. Bring ’em on! Needz more sisterhood supermodels~

Kuragehime Episode 4

“Let’s Meet at the Aquarium”

Summary: Oooooo Kuranosuke feels jealous!

Mimi: Love triangles, anyone? I suppose that we all saw this coming. Now, this is kinda like watching a reverse harem with a group of oddballs. In this episode, Kuranosuke and Shuu take Tsukimi to the aquarium. She is dressed beautifully in a kimono for the occasion, and her personality truly shines when they get there. It is no surprise to see Kuranosuke dressed in female attire again, but he actually wipes his make-up off and stuffs that wig in a bag during their visit. His sudden attraction towards Tsukimi forces him back into his male role, as he has trouble coping with her and Shuu getting closer. He is struggling with duality, so it seems, and I find that very interesting. Tsukimi is also jumping back and forth between two personas; she is either a princess or an unsightly creature. Which side of hers will take over by the end? Despite that this is a short comedy anime, I do have high hopes for some interesting character development.

The other female otakus are just as lively as ever, but they really fall into the background in this episode. They’re still entertaining and all, but when you compare them to Kuranosuke’s and Tsukimi’s changing personalities, they begin to feel very..static. I don’t know if this series has a bigger plan for them or not, such as revealing pasts and things like that. The show doesn’t have to go that far; I still enjoy them a lot, but at the same time..I’d like to see them become a bit more. At the very least, I don’t want to see them turn into wallpaper (not as in boring, but just as in remaining in the background, never changing, while the main leads do).

Kuragehime Episode 3

“Enchanted”

Summary: Kuranosuke gives Tsukimi a make-over!

Mimi: Impressive! This series just continues to be incredibly refreshing, busy, and FUN! I don’t even know how to begin to describe my enjoyment during this episode. The entire cast feels so alive and addicting, and the addition of Kuranosuke’s brother, Shuu, makes it even better. Just dumping a wealthy politician among a bunch of hyper female otakus is hilarious. Their dwelling is definitely a waste of space according to this guy.

So what’s all the commotion about now? Well, Kuranosuke manages to kidnap Tsukimi to his mansion and turns her into a beautiful doll. When Shuu catches a glimpse of her, he develops a serious crush! Unfortunately, he sees her in her normal state later on and passes her off as unrecognizable, but at least Tsukimi compares him to the coolest jellyfish in her book. Really though, I did not see this little romantic interesting coming at all, and it’s very very cute. How are they going to handle this?

What intrigues me the most here is (not surprisingly) Kuranosuke’s lifestyle. His father doesn’t like him cross-dressing in his presence, but his uncle absolutely adores him. It’s interesting to learn that he only started cross-dressing right before college, and he’s distancing himself away from his friends. He also wants to see his mother—well—her closet full of fashion clothes, but he’s still trying to milk out her address from Shuu. Kuran really feels like the most dynamic character of all; he’s a smart, assertive, and friendly guy with a crazy fashion sense, yet he’s taking such an extreme rebellious side against his family because he doesn’t want to be a politician. I can’t get enough of him or the other characters. If this series isn’t careful from here on, it’ll end up somewhere in my top 10 favorites.

Kuragehime Episode 2

“Sukiyaki Western Matsusaka”

Summary: The cross-dresser tries to get along with the group of female otaku.

Mimi: I couldn’t wait for this episode, and it turned out to be just as awesome as I had hoped. The silly and intimate ways in which the characters interact are really entertaining, especially when they all go shopping at the grocery store and have a “hot pot” for dinner. Their otakuness follows them everywhere, as Mayaya just can’t stop comparing every little thing she sees to The Three Kingdoms. But when the cross-dresser mingles in with them with his bright and sociable personality, they turn to complete stone. The slightest thing he says gets on their nerves, like by calling Jiji a “light eater” or addressing Mayaya as “honey.” Simply put, it’s really tough on their comfort zone to hang around this guy. How do you act around an outsider who notices every little thing about you, talks so much, and lives in a totally different sphere? Considering that I only hang around a group of anime otaku, I can relate a bit.  =P

The cross-dresser definitely interests me the most out of anybody though. We find out that he lives in a mansion, and he is expected to dress normally at home, especially in the presence of his father. What kind of guy is he? He also has a brother who appears to be the ideal son, so if I wonder if they get treated differently. I really want to find out more about his lifestyle. I’m thoroughly enjoying this series, and I’ll pull my hair out if this gets delayed ever again. Same goes for you, Shiki!