Amatsuki discussion thread

[something]

Know nothing about it, trying it blind, yadda yadda, you all know the drill by now.

Ep 1 thoughts will go in a reply to avoid having spoilers in the root post.

ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9029) entry.
Official (http://amatsuki.com) site.
Schedule (http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/1353/time) for airing dates and times on various stations.

Note
As usual, please try to follow these three easy forum courtesy habits when replying:
1) If you're the first person to post about an episode in any given week, please respond to the root post (this post) and indicate in the subject line which episode you're posting about.
2) If someone has already posted about an episode before you, please respond to that post (or a relevant reply to that post). Keep in the right subthread.
3) Don't use the blue "Post Reply" button because it causes your reply not to correctly inherit the subject line of the post you're replying to. Just click "Quote" to the post you want to reply to.

Thanks.

[something]

Episode 1:

- Fukuyama Jun! We're off to a good start!
- Tokidoki? His name is Tokidoki? Is that actually used as a name in Japan? Anyway, he flunks his history test and in order to write a make-up report checks out a new virtual reality exhibition that lets you enter the world of the Bakumatsu. While there he meets the lollipop-sucking Shinonome Kon.
- He pesters Kon to show him around and explain things, which the latter does, reluctantly, before giving Tokidoki the slip.
- Tokidoki comes to a bridge on his way to the Edo castle part of the exhibit when he sees a strange bandaged man and a giant beast blocking his way. He tries to walk around it, and the beast pounces.
- And all of a sudden it's far too real. A woman with a sword saves him, and things actually get relatively bloody. He realizes his goggles are toast and that this is anything but virtual, and as he staggers along the bridge, it gives way under him and he falls into the river.
- He wakes up in a room with Kon. Kon, who disappeared only a few minutes before Tokidoki did, has been there for two years. He was attacked by a nue (the beast on the bridge) as well, and lost almost all use of his lower right arm. In Tokidoki's case, he lost use of his left eye, which has turned red.
- An old woman tells him to visit a local Buddhist monk to have the eye looked at.
- Kon has decided to call him Toki, so I think I'll follow suit. Easier to type.
- Kon shows Toki around a bit and tells him about the Edo period. This show takes place after the arrival of Perry's Black Ships, with Japan torn between those accepting modernity and those in opposition. Kon also tells him about something not in the history books - all the youkai he and Toki can see, that most can't.
- A fight erupts between Kon and some guy on the street, but sword girl comes flying in and dropkicks Kon in the head, then continues to trample his skull into the mud while telling him not to be violent. :sd: She's awesome.
- Her name is Kuchiha, and she's got some Paku Romi goin' on. She also does this thing where she makes her long ponytail into a scarf, and I love it.
- She comments on how Toki just takes everything in stride, and he talks about how the world has always felt distant to him - like one big dream, that he just accepts with a laugh and a nonchalant attitude.

This touches a nerve and really sets Kuchiha off. She's... pissed. Her friendly attitude vanishes and she tells him he pisses her off. Ouch, tread lightly Toki.

This was really quite good, which is a nice surprise. I'll be following this one.

[Westlo]

Kuchiha is awesome and not just because Paku Romi (<3) is voicing her, Fukuyama Jun is everywhere this season, I'm expecting a dope sword fight later on since this is from the director of the Rurouni Kenshin OVAs and Chevalier.

Decent enough start and I'm looking forward to more.

[Pastachan]

I need to pay more attention to VAs. I'd never even heard of Jun Fukuyama till Spice and Wolf. Now he's freaking everywhere. And I didn't even notice that Romi Paku was playing Kuchiha.

Anyway, I'm glad to see another historical Rurouni Kenshin-esque anime because I haven't watched any for a long time. (I still want to watch Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto.) But Amatsuki has a nice twist to it, Toki and Kon being from another time and all.

I like Toki, but can see how he'd get on one's nerves. My favorite is Kon. <3

[HitokiriShadow]

The early portion of the episode wasn't really working for me but by the end, I was really liking it. Kuchiha is awesome and I love how she wraps her (really long) hair around her shoulders. I ended up liking it more than I though I would and I suspect I'll be sticking with this one.

I'm used the Fushigi Yuugi/Red River/Twelve Kingdoms "girl goes to distant time/place" plot setup but doing it with guys is less common and I can't really think of another series like that off the top of my head (though I'm sure someone will come and point one out). I guess Aura Battler Dunbine kind of fits that description though.

[leongsh]

My apologies, something, while I jump ahead to Episode 4 which was broadcast earlier today. I'm following the show as per the broadcast (i.e. raws).

It's coming along very nicely as we get both action and to know a bit more of where this show is going. Episode 3 gave a hint of this show having the potential to get darker in its approach and Episode 4 starts it on its path.

After watching 4 episodes, I'm definitely following this show as my interest is piqued.

[Westlo]

I enjoyed episode 2 and it was nice to see Toki repair his relationship with Kuchiha after his comments in the first pissed her off. The ethanol trick he played on that samurai was nice too.

Toki really is taking things in his stride, seems the only character who will really get any angst from here is Kuchiha with her inuki possession thing.

Anyway I read the first couple of chapters of the manga and the first episode was a really nice adaption of that. Out of the 3 main characters Toki is the only one who looks noticeably worse than his manga counterpart.

Will be interesting to see what happens later, I wonder if there will be any romantic developments.. this is published in a shoujo magazine after all.

[leongsh]

I enjoyed episode 2... *snipped spoiler section*
I suspect you would enjoy the coming episodes as Toki slowly comes into his own. Unlike the world he comes from, he realises with a hint from Shamon that he has become a positive influence to those around him in this older period. He is no more just existing now.

This show really has the potential to become a gem of an anime series. It's coming along very nicely and it's one of the few shows of this Spring 2008 season that I'm always eager for the next episode to be available as soon as that episode is broadcast in Japan.

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Episode 2:

- Okay, so the bit with the samurai... I'm confused. We see her clothing is green over her breasts, and when the guy pulls it apart we see... the same thing but flesh colored, and the green part is gone, and... doesn't come back afterwards. Animation mistake? I have no idea what happened. Oh but anyway, yeah, possessed by a dog spirit thingie, whee. I liked the evil look in her eyes =D
- Toki plans something. And pulls it off nicely, it seems. Yay for potatos. I want potatoes now...
- So, Toki and Kuchiha make up. Yay. Hair scarf girl needs to be happy!

Man my posts are getting shorter lately, there must be something wrong with me.

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Episode 3:

- Shamon says he has a difficult guest coming over, and asks Toki if he can go stay with Kon for the time being. Toki obliges, and as he's walking around with Kon and Heihachi, we find out he's quite the ladies man. :sd:
- Before they can go for tea, a little spirit starts singing a song and lures Toki back to the shrine, where he runs into a strange, friendly older man, the guest Shamon mentioned.
- Unfortunately the man is a top level demon hunter for the shogunate, called by the samurai toki scared away to do something about the ayakashi at the shrine. Maybe not a big deal for Toki and Kon (though it could be), but if he finds out about Kuchiha, she's dead.
- Toki freaks out and confesses to the prank, saying he did it alone, knowing he could be killed... but the man, Tadajirou, laughs and says his punishment is three days of babysitting.
- Tadajirou comes back a few days later to pick Toki up. Kuchiha and Kon tag along, clearly worried about him but claiming that they're only trying to keep him out of trouble (which is also probably true enough...)
- The path they walk goes down a spirit road, which causes a bad reaction with Kuchiha and her curse, though they soldier on. But as they enter a forest and the path splits three ways, their hosts disappear and they're left alone. Toki thinks he sees something and runs after it, leading to a shrine up a long set of stairs.
- But once on top the ground swallows him up. Kuchiha and Kon have no idea where he went, and a girl watches from the shrine. She looks cute. Want more!

Oh, and after the weirdo blond from before starts talking to him it ends suddenly. This episode starts to introduce the important characters, I guess. People are becoming aware of Toki and so it all starts to move.

Well, three episodes in and I'm still intrigued, which is good. Definitely still following this.

[something]

It's sort of amusing that I just went from Code geass (Fukuayama Jun lead character) to Special A (Fukuyama Jun lead character) to Amatsuki (Fukuyama Jun lead character) :sd:

Episode 4:

- So the man Toki meets is named Bonten, and he says Toki is fated to walk one of two paths. Kill the princess and return to his world, which is called Higan, or call on Bonten, harness his power and become master of this world, which is called Amatsuki. Bonten is a major jerk though, and clearly thinks of Toki as lower than dirt. :sd:
- SHINSHU IS ADORABLE! Matsuoka Yuki FTW! Osaka! Arisa! Orihime! I knew I'd like her when I saw her in the OP, and this makes it all the better.
- Oh man, suddenly things get very complicated. Miko from the shrine attack Toki et al, Kuchiha's possessing spirit is unleashed, the Princess shows herself (she's stuck in the form of a doll), the Tengu appears and stirs up more trouble, and we find out that Toki is the "Blank Page", who has the power to simply will things into existence. o_O Well then... the most important thing in all this is how cute Shinshu is, of course.

So after Toki has saved everyone the princess welcomes them in as guests and plans to tell them all about the Blank Page. Elsewhere, the Tengu argue amongst themselves and conspire and such.

Yep, a lot just got started with this episode. Interesting.

[leongsh]

It's sort of amusing that I just went from Code geass (Fukuayama Jun lead character) to Special A (Fukuyama Jun lead character) to Amatsuki (Fukuyama Jun lead character) :sd:
He's everywhere this season :sdsmiley: Probably finished his Code Geass work earlier and now taking on Special A and Amatsuki.

[something]

Episode 5:

- Bumbling buffoon samurai from before is still out for revenge, and this time they're chopping down a sacred tree and busting up statues.
- And ahah this gets odd. The "Princess" goes through her daily cycle of rebirth and death, and turns out to be... a hermaphrodite? XD Also, tree spirits and heaven's net and blank pages and all that plot stuff. In this world, all destiny is written in Heaven's Net. Only the four gods can decipher the Net, and only two beings can alter or create pieces of the net. Teiten, the primary god, and the Blank Page, Toki. There's also some mention of the power to change bodies being given to only four beings: Teiten, Bonten, this "princess", and whatshisname... the little dude riding the big beast thing from then Toki was attacked.
- Oh, and guy from the shogunate doesn't have eyes. Or at least, they're just pure white with no iris or pupil. >_>
- Annnnnnnd stuff going on with that tree that was chopped down, seemingly involving the little dude and beast thing.

Mmmm. Not a bad episode or anything, and maybe it's just the wait between eps for me, but my interest is waning a little bit. It looks like the plot will pick up though, and this is one show where I actually want there to be a plot (as opposed to, say, Kure-nai where it's entirely optional).