Irina: A straw man can mean a few things. Either it’s a a person regarded as having no substance or integrity, or it could be an intentionally misrepresented proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent’s real argument. Scarecrow was neither if you ask me.
Last week, BoogiePop dropped 4 episodes at once but Shania and I have decided to keep our one a week schedule because we’re busy you guys…and tired. Ok one of us is busy. How have you been Shania?
Shania: Tired and busy Irina. But that is why coffee exists.
You know, one thing I’ve noticed is that BoogiePop arcs (archs?) always start off really strong. Did I just let the cat out of the bag? I’m saying I really liked this episode. Any opening thoughts.
Yea, this episode actually quite good. From how it started out, to how it ended. It also felt very poetic with Scarecrow and Boogiepop at the end.
We start of in sme type of dreamscape, sometime after the events of the Manticora arc, as Echoes and BoogiePop meet once again for a little story. Echo’s voice sounded super familiar. I think I may have heard it recently in The Royal Tutor. In any case it was not at all what I was imagining but it fit quite well.
Oh my gosh, yes! That’s why he sounded familiar. I loved that anime. It’s definitely worth a rewatch.
We then got brought back a few years before that first arc to a time when Towa was actively searching for traces of the next human evolution by secretly deploying synthetic humans into the mainstream. There was something very holmesian about a private eye and a kid named pigeon. I don’t know why exactly but it brought to mind the Baker Street Irregulars. What did you think of the pair?
I got the same feeling. Also a bit sherlock Holmes-ish in a way. I like how they play off eachother though.
We quickly meet a younger Nagi who’s going through a rough time. Having lost her father not too long ago she has now inherited his fortune and he hassles that come with it and is gripped by a mysterious disease that’s causing her tremendous pain.
She also has a very good friend. That was bittersweet don’t you think?
Defense. Seeing her friend for sure pulled on the heart strings.
Younger Nagi is so smiley and full of mirth. What do you suppose happened?
If I can bet anything it’s the medicine that Scarecrow gave her.
I quite liked the character of Scarecrow. The grizzled pro seeing his time run out is an archetype I’m fond of. With the young Nagi present, the entire episode was really reminiscent of the super old Natalie Portman movie, The Professional. Have you ever seen it?
No, but it is on my need to watch list. I love old movies.
I haven’t seen it either but I read the wiki page….
In a bid to *cure* Nagi, Scarecrow decides to steal an experimental drug from Towa which lands him on their to kill list and he is soon pursued by an assassin. In his last minutes he meets a currently nameless BoogiePop and decides it’s a Shinigami. I realize that we have no actual proof that BoogiPop is in fact a real Shinigami, what do you think Shania?
We dont, do we? Hmm she does act like a shinigami, yet she never confirm nor denied if she was one. I’m actually quite hopeful that this arc will shine some light on this mysterious spirit.
Apparently, through Scarecrow’s haze, Boogie appeared like a creepy bubble that could pop at any moment and that’s how the name was born. I would have loved for a Shinigami named BubblePop to exist.
Same, I was actually expecting that to be how she got her name. So I was quite surprised it wasn’t.
I’m guessing the arc will go on to explore Nagi’s evolution and backstory but this was a great opening act. And speaking of opening, I’m not sure why I’ve never mentioned this but the OP music is really good.
I certainly hope that this arc maintains in quality and I’m looking forward to episode 11.
It was also a rather pretty episode to watch. See!?!
I think this is the episode I’ve enjoyed the most so far, though that’s not saying a lot given I’m still finding myself very detached from it. Still, I did enjoy Strawman’s story and found the events in this episode pretty interesting.
I liked it quite a bit. I’m not that picky mind you
I liked the episode and the arc; watched it all in one go. I was expecting a longer episode instead of four single ones, so I was a little careless and watched episode 13 first, then went back to watch 10 – 12, and then fast-forwarded through 13 again to see if I missed something. I think I maybe should have marathoned the whole show at the end of the season. It’s easier to keep track that way.
I was a little confused about the naming section, though, and still don’t quite know what exactly happened there. Boogie? I sort of always thought of the music style, but I now think I was supposed to be thinking of the boogieman or something?
I never really thought of boogiepop as a shinigami; it always seemed to be more a pop-culture school-kid interpretation of a rumour than anything else. In that scene, boogiepop did somehow seem like one, though. However, that “enemy of the world” thing doesn’t fit at all.
I think boogie may e from “creepy” like the boogieman… that could pop at any moment. I’ve considered it since you mentioned it and I think you may be right, this is a show to binge. I bet it’s way better marathoned as too much time between episodes highlights the weaknesses of the narrative and makes the interesting structure less impactful