It’s Friday Fun Day! And if nothing else, Visual Prison certainly is the most fun show I am reviewing this season. Oh wait, I actually publish these on Saturdays. This whole intro doesn’t work anymore. Well, that’s kinda par for the course when it comes to this blog. I hope you all enjoy my random babbling about episode 7 of Visual Prison!
I have to admit, this was probably my least favourite episode of Visual Prison so far. Still, my favourite episode that I’m reviewing this week. And it’s not that I particularly disliked it or anything but the entire episode was dedicated to Mist’s backstory and well, I just don’t find Mist that compelling. I do think he cleans up good though.
Don’t get me wrong, Visual Prison was still a happy goofy little mess of a show that I’ve come to love. You had that Eclipse guy just sitting around naked again without any comment from anyone. I realize now that he’s probably just a nudist and is just naked a home all the time. That’s cool. Not sure if Visual Prison is the show that’s going to normalize nudism but hey, can’t hurt to try. Also, it makes for a great clickbait title.
The first part of the episode also had a little sequence of Ange doing thankless assistant work because he took an unpaid internship with Lost Eden for some reason. I’m assuming it’s unpaid. Man, it would be hilarious if he actually got a paycheck out of it. I enjoyed that part a lot. I consistently appreciate when these goofy over-the-top shows throw in a really mundane episode. I find always the clash amusing.
But the bulk of the episode was really dedicated to fleshing out Mist’s character and his relationship with Saga.
Visual Prison has been way more obvious in shamelessly throwing in BL allusions left and right. It’s a little kinky and definitely plays into the guilty pleasure realm. However, this entire episode was in fact a very thinly veiled analogy for homosexuality and coming out of the closet. In some ways, it was even a little earnest about it.
And I can appreciate that. But let’s face it, Visual Prison is not at its best when it’s being earnest or trying to tackle serious subjects. I have to stress that taking the context of the show into consideration, it was handled better than I would have thought. But maybe don’t look to this vampire idol anime for profound discourse on homosexuality and society. At least in my opinion…
Even though I liked this episode less than the previous I still enjoyed it a lot. I’m looking forward to the next one. And if I’m the only person watching this show A-1 and the 8 separate producers on this show, for creating something just for me. I’m having a blast!
Previous Episodes
- Visual Prison ep.1 – Concert
- Visual Prison ep.2 – Panya
- Visual Prison ep.3 – Oh Brother!
- Visual Prison ep.4 – All About Eve
- Visual Prison ep.5 – The Day He Got A Mullet
- Visual Prison ep.6 – The Power of Makeup
You realize that I now have to binge this show? Cruel maiden!
It was an very precisely targeted post. And it worked!!! Mwahaha
I’ve never been a huge fan of Idol anime, but I’m really enjoying this series. I’m kind of shocked! I totally thought I would watch one episode and then drop it, instead it’s one of the anime on my watch list that I watch as soon as it’s available. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong!
I’m so glad to hear it. It’s just silly fun and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
“However, this entire episode was in fact a very thinly veiled analogy for homosexuality and coming out of the closet.”
Was it, though? Is a man confessing his love for another man really an analogy for homosexuality? I’m pretty sure that’s just gay.
This episode wasn’t an analogy any more than Eve’s backstory is an analogy for guilt or Guil’s backstory is an analogy for grief. There is no analogy. It’s just about what it’s about. And honestly, it sounds like it bothers you that a series you were expecting to just be fanservice took the gay subtext and made it explicitly textual.
I was referring to Mist’s illness, you ow how not being able to be true to himself was killing him and finally announcing his feelings out loud allowed him to be reborn. It’s really obvious, I agree but I figured it wasn’t completely textual. But nos that you mention it you’re probably right. Thank you for your comment