There is much to discuss this week, as Kuranosuke returns to the den of fujoshi, meets with their rejection, and ultimately pulls a Loymeyer-senpai to help them overcome their most impolite social hangups. Being that our founding member is a notorious trap, and we at T.H.A.T. have a long and proud tradition of taking to great shows featuring greater traps like Mako-cakes to Haruka-oneesama, the GATTAI continues as Crusader, Hana, and ExecutiveOtaku bring you our thoughts and impressions of Kuragehime episode 02. Blame me (EO) for the delay, as I was out restoring sanity in DC (and I actually did see a Jellyfish Princess while there.)
Summary-in-a-sentence:
Our new favourite trap is shooed away and yet comes back to gatecrash the Amars’ hot-pot party, before making amends with loads of expensive beef, which he can afford because he’s the son of a local Diet big-wig.
Hana’s Commentary:
Well, that makes one of us 
Ooh, that morning-after-the-night-before scene was even better than I expected, with Tsukimi appearing as adorable as she was embarrassed, and Kuranosuke as cheerful as he was naked nonchalant. Aside from the painfully obvious reasons as to why Tsukimi was unable to gaze at the freshly showered young man in the cow print hotpants and nothing else, her refusal to look at Kuranosuke also reflects the insular gaze of her comrades as a group, in the way that the sisterhood interact (or, rather, don’t) with others and their surroundings, which contrasts with what we also begin to learn about Kuranosuke’s family.
After Tsukimi rejects the trap’s request to come and hang out again sometime (a rejection which he, of course, happily ignores before sashaying off), the whole hot-pot thing was a nice sequence that showed us a bit more about how the girls interact with one another, as opposed to with anyone else. While the rejection-email to the gay couple and Tsukimi’s rejection of Kuranosuke in the first bit of the epi might have foreshadowed his later rejection by the girls, the hot-pot party in turn emphasized how ‘selectively’ insular they all are, like satellites that are happy to inhabit their own lonely orbits, but also capable of coming together every now and then on their own terms and when they feel safe to do so. In other words, the girls are like a family of outcasts, who sort of perpetuate their own outcast status as a self-defence mechanism. Thus, going back to the ‘looking’ and ‘satellites’ imagery, Tsukimi is certainly drawn to our man in the hotpants (hmm, I wonder why), but insecure and guilty about betraying/ breaking the delicate shell that her comrades have constructed around them.
I sense a theme.
In this sense, Kuranosuke is certainly a threat, but, as suggested last week, he’s everything that Tsukimi has always dreamed of being (a prince/ss), and at the very least she feels bound/ beholden to him for saving Clara from the arsy petshop guy. Thus, his simple ‘Because I wanted to see you, Tsukimi!’ elicits such a complicated response from Tsukimi, not least of all because, I assume, it’s the first time that anyone has said anything of the sort to the self-proclaimed nerdy friendless girl, and let alone a male ‘Stylish’ to boot. Of course, Kuranosuke receives short shrift from the girls, whose delicate routine is thrown seriously out of kilter, with the cooling, congealing contents of the first hot-pot aptly symbolising Kuranosuke’s fruitless efforts to bond with the petrified girls. However, while his final gift of the expensive cuts of beef may indeed be, in Tsukimi’s words, a ‘bribe’, the act also reflects how Kuranosuke is also like an outcast, or at least a rather rebellious figure, in his own family, as we realise from his comments about never eating with the other ‘boys’ and from his brother’s reluctance to let their father see him in his traptastic get-up.
In short, I thought that this was a lovely second epi, not only with the pace and the laughs once again spot-on, but the introduction of the two new figures promising further insight into the lives of our main characters and opportunities for more comedic and emotional development.
Daww – well, who wouldn’t want to do that?!
Crusader
Almost like a Magical girl "she" is...
I was busy for the first post on Kuragehime but as a member of that I am bound to promote traps of all sorts in the name of Impz to spread brokeness to the far corners of the net. There is so much to like about Kuragehime and while it is not the first show about otaku and general super nerdiness it is one of the rare few that doesn’t resort to a veneer of moe to cover up the issue. Instead the Nunz could have substituted for the old Gundam Guard with their hard features and general lack of bishoujo traits. This lack of looks is in a way a direct reflection of their flawed souls. Much has been said in other works about the victim-hood of poor nerds, but this time we see how just as prejudiced the persecuted can be when they encounter someone that is seemingly different. The Nunz reaction while worthy of revulsion aren’t too out there to be over the top or so offensive that it would require a violent response.
While to a certain extent they can be excused for having a defense mechanism, what is inexcusable is that it was simply because Kuranosuke did not appear to be one of them. Considering the amount of effort that Kuranosuke puts into his hobby and his magnificent results, he is more like them than they know and certainly just as if not more dedicated than them when it comes to devotion to their chosen craft. For most people keeping fit in and of itself is a much harder task than making dolls or RAEGING over moe moe adaptations of the Three Kingdoms. While I am sure that the Nunz have been on the receiving end of insult and injury that does not excuse them for doling out insults when Kuranosuke was the savior of Clara and Hero of the Marine Pet Shop. That Tsukimi shut out Kuranosuke made her the worst of the lot, even if she could not have thanked Kuranosuke by letting him into the Nunnery at least she could have found some way to demonstrate gratitude rather than denying Kuranosuke the guest right that he so rightly deserved.
For the Nunz Moe is the Cancer that is killing them...
I can understand adopting a guarded posture if one expects trouble, but as far as I can tell Kuranosuke was being a most gracious guest. That they did not try and tough it out and at least have enough common courtesy to entertain a good guest is to me abhorrent. They did not excuse themselves politely but rather stormed out like rude little children throwing tantrums. Especially in light of the generally polite behavior of Kuranosuke. I generally find the Nunz to be a funny lot but here it is plainly visible that their social isolation has a lot to do with their lack of manners and general lack of stomach to tough out a situation. One can only wonder what kind of work they would be able to get it they continued down such a path. I like that they did not try and hide out the ugliness that came out and pretty much prevents them from becoming swans not because of some curse imposed by a wicked witch but because they demonstrate hostility to others simply because others aren’t like them. I quite like that the Nunz showed an ugly side of them that was not due to character design.
I have to hand it to Kuranosuke for demonstrating the kind of restraint, understanding, and courtesy the Nunz so sorely lacked. While the Matsusaka beef was a better peace offering than the Nunz deserved, it was masterfully done. Not only does Kuranosuke demonstrate better social skills, his courage and openness regarding his hobby is rather commendable even if it is abused to coerce his brother’s compliance due to the possibility of political scandal. More impressive still is that Kuranosuke can at least set aside his hobby as situation dictates instead of being lost in it like most of the Nunz. Also Kuranosuke demonstrates superior hygiene, and I can tell you from experience that a woman that does not shower nor change clothes is just as nasty as any guy; pig disgusting does happen if you let it…
I am looking forward to the next episode when Kuranosuke’s nii-san investigates the holy nunnery, it ought to be a hoot.
Don't tell me "her" culinary skills are also superior...
Under "her" tutelage you will be what you always wanted to be.
ExecutiveOtaku’s International House of Traps and Sukiyaki
I was thinking about making sukiyaki lately anyway, but Kuragehime sealed the deal.
This week’s episode had less events per se, but hit the mark on its singular main point as well as touching on some of Kuranosuke’s background and family life. The primary issue being how the girls in the Nunnery further their own isolation through a lack of social skills and even hostility towards anything that deviates from the norm of their constructed world. It was most displeasing to see all of them act so rudely and immaturely towards Kuranosuke, even after he made sure to dress as a girl and acted in quite a friendly and polite manner. While I was disappointed in the characters, I was happy that the story features this aspect of the truly far-gone nerd/otaku lifestyle. Similar to the way in which the Nunnery girls aren’t presented as the typically attractive ones from most anime (Nogizaka Haruka, Fujiyoshi from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, etc), their personalities match those of people who would hole themselves up in an apartment building together and be extremely apprehensive outside in regular society. I very much liked how this was more of a challenge to the isolationist mindset where difference-from is internalized so much that it becomes hostility-towards mainstream society and social interactions. Contrast this to this week’s episode of Ore no Imouto which played up a one-sided scenario of persecution by mainstream society of the otaku lifestyle. Ore no Imouto reinforced a (mostly false) narrative of irrational societal persecution of the otaku lifestyle ‘just because’ that the most far-gone in the community like to put forth. This ends up forming a false persecution complex that’s always annoying to see (and plenty of other groups do it too: fundamentalist Christians offline, furries and some libertarians or socialists online, for example.) Kuragehime on the other hand challenges this narrative, bringing a much more honest look at the extreme otaku lifestyle that illustrates the two-way nature of the issue. It’s not just that society might not accept the girls’ hobbies (though most would be fairly understanding if expressed with tact), but that the girls and their mindset are also to blame for furthering their own isolation.
No one wants to BE FRIENDLY apparently.
Kuranosuke had some light shed on his background this time, and despite Kuragehime’s many differences it does retain the trope of the shoujo male lead being from a rich and eminent family. His brother, if not also his father, are involved in politics and there’s some distance between them due to Kuranosuke’s crossdressing and likely other issues. I am interested in seeing more of the brother, since I imagine he’d bring an interesting angle to interactions with his younger brother and Tsukimi (and maybe at one point, with the rest of the girls.)
One final note on fansubs. While it appeared that there would be two groups doing fansubs for this series, it looks like [gg] dropped out and Umee is just releasing a rip of the Crunchyroll subs. I am very disappoint. The Crunchyroll subs are decent translations, but I dislike how localized they can be at times, as well as a grating word choice in one instance. This being the choice of “hipster” for “osyare na hito”, which I think would be better translated as Umee did in episode 01 with “chic person” or “chic (feature/clothing/etc)” since it’s a general descriptor instead of a very specific term like “hipster.” Yeah, yeah, not everyone cares so much, but little bits of nuance do bug me when I can clearly hear another word or set of words being spoken. I really hope Umee goes back to doing their own subs. If I had wanted Crunchyroll subs, I’d go watch the lame streams. Nah, I’d just download the stream rips. But the point is, it’s lame to rip someone else’s subs, especially if you put your own group’s name on the file. At least the low quality Crunchyrip people are honest.
Don't think I've seen such a good food-induced staring face since Gintama.
29 Comments
Why would anyone not wanna be Kuranosukes friend. He’s great. I don’t get it.
Great episode. I, too, was disgusted with their reactions. You have to wonder if they experienced similar rejection in their own lives. It also leaves room for us to examine how we react to difference. I’ve seen very similar interactions take place. Even though Tsukimi seemed mean and definitely didn’t handle the situation with the delicacy it should have had, I can definitely relate to her situation being bound to two opposing forces. It sucks.
Tsukimi tried to please every one and pleased no one, in such an event better to follow what you think is right and make a stand instead of do nothing let catastrophe ensue. Even if the Nunz were hurt in the past that does not give them license to behave the way the did. They were born average if they learned no manners then it is as much a parental failure as well as their own personal failure. Even if you are an outcast that does not mean you have to be rude to people who have done some good for you or your friends.
True. I’m not saying what the Nunz did was right or justified. I’m just saying I can empathize. I can especially empathize with Tsukimi’s situation. I’m the oldest and when my parents and my younger siblings get into it…sometimes I’m the go to person for both sides. For someone who is as seemingly quiet and meek as Tsukimi, I can see how being suddenly thrust into that situation might cause her confusion. I will like to see how she grows and if she’ll stop being dragged along with the current.
Being piggy-in-the-middle definitely sucks. Clearly, Tsukimi also hates confrontation, which is ironic as her lack of a more firm position leads to even more confrontation that there might have been had she acted in a more decisive way.
ah another great episode, im not sure if you can really call the nunz behavior ugly i mean they were scared in my opinion. they are social outcasts, and as for Tsukimi and sure its for a good majority of the nunz our beloved trap is something they envy and fear. the characters are fairly young adults and seem fresh out of highschool where kids can be very cruel and they seem used to being outcast and have found a way to live and be happy like that. our beloved trap is a radiant and beautiful character and as much as they want friends and ect. they are equally scared of being rejected, so I cant fault them for that, and the trap princess saw through their response and knew exactly what to do to get them to open up. Tsukimi though she is just priceless, her response him telling her he wanted to see her. Oh and as far as the hospitiality she did not show to her honored guest, look at her timid personality do you really think she is capiable of standing up to anyone at this point of the series!!??!?!?!!? cut the girl some slack she will grow under the watchful eyes of her trappy teacher, “the great Kuranosuke”!!!!
I scarcely believe that they were raised with the manners of a goat, even if they have fallen short of their parents expectations. We all experience cruelty in High School at some level, but that doesn’t mean you behave the way they did. What precisely did they have to fear for in the first place, worst case they embarrass themselves and harsh words are exchanged, but the way they acted made it a forgone conclusion rather than a mere possibility. I do not believe that there are circumstances such as their that could justify the way they responded. They started out hostile so Kuranosuke did not have much of a chance, Kuranosuke however realized his mistakes of enthusiasm and read the situation perfectly and gave a peace offering that would not be forth coming from Tsukimi who would have simply wanted that to be the end of contact with Kuranosuke.
I see and i agree with your point to a degree, where i disagree is, one he saved a jellyfish this does not give him the right to impose so on their lives. Also I myself have passed through the hazings and madness of highschool and the army and at worst i say that it has only build my character, but that is not the case for all, some are not that strong and for some alittle bit of teasing and hazing has a much more negative effect. though i will admit my passion is chemistry not psychology and i do not posess the proper knoledge to attempt to explain this better. But being that college kids and highschool kids attempt suicide from the pressures of their lives further shows that. Also not all fears are rational like their xenophobia, and i dont think you should fault someone for being afraid, hopefully this show will show how they overcome their fears and if even partly rejoin society.
also its good to see you back to bloging again i happily await your rage post on gundam unicorn episode 2
As others have already said, both parties were pretty rude in their own way, whether that’s the barging-in-uninvited Vs reacting-with-open-hostility-to-said-barging-in tyoes of rudeness. Irregardless of how someone may or may not have been brought up, though, I’d say that fear and insecurity might make the best of us react in a rude way to others (e.g. a less obvious example may be when someone acts a little aloof/ stiff around someone that they like, to hide their shyness/ fear of being rejected if the other person looks ‘too closely’ etc.). Either way, I’ll certainly look forward to Tsukimi (I assume) shedding some of that fear due to the influence of her traptastic saviour in the future.
I actually saw fault on both sides. The girls obviously were prejudice in their own right and didn’t have any social grace about it, but Kuranosuke was a bit rude too. They should have invited him in, but you don’t just invite yourself to dinner, it’s considered rude. (not to mention that nabe/hot-pot is considered an expensive meal) He also was a bit tactless in not picking up (or plain ignoring) their stiffness, or for outright saying they’re otaku to their faces (a very big no-no in Japan).
So, all-in-all, both the nunz and Kuranosuke could have handled it better. The girls could have opened up more, and Kuranosuke could have read the atmosphere better. Hopefully now that the ice has been broken (with meat!) they’ll get along better.
I think the caveat is that Tsukimi’s lack of a forceful response led to the debacle, subsequent dialog confirmed as much. So as far as Kuranosuke knew he was invited because he had conformed to Tsukimi’s wished that he come as a girl and hence he assumed that he would be welcome and that Tsukimi also wanted to hang out. His fault for misreading the situation, her fault for lacking the spine to give a straight answer. Kuranosuke cannot be faulted for trying to break the ice when not one of the nunz stepped up to the challenge. It was the first time he met all of them they could have extended some common courtesy but their refusal to do so meant Kuranosuke was going to fail regardless of what he did. As for the otaku comment Kuranosuke is as much an otaku as the rest of them I fail to see the insult implied or otherwise since they have become so lost in their hobbies that a “rude” shock was long in coming and well deserved.
It’s not that they do not know how to behave they simply refused to behave properly, it was willful rudeness on their part while Kuranosuke pretty much bumbled into it since Tsukimi did not flat out refuse an invitation nor make clear that she had no intention of hanging out, the only caveat she placed was that Kuranosuke had to come as a girl which he did. What also kills it for me is that the Nunz were not interested in so much as a real apology only an insult hidden behind a veil of authority and it was Kuranosuke who was least at fault was the one to make the peace offering.
As for the otaku comment Kuranosuke is as much an otaku as the rest of them I fail to see the insult implied or otherwise
Well, they didn’t know that about him, though! After all, they just thought that he was a perfect Stylish possibly belittling/ patronising them about their ‘otakuness’, and I can see why that would have once more raised their hackles. Loved that random song Tsukimi started singing to ease the tension in between, though – ‘Olé!’
Like Hana said, they had no idea that Kuranosuke was an “otaku” or an “outsider” like they are, all they saw was a fashionista girl. Hence an otaku comment from him/her would not be taken well.
Aww, Umee’s just ripping crunch subs? That sucks. They do a good job on Shiki too.
I sort of admired Kuranosuke’s obliviousness, for lack of a better word. I just tried to picture myself in his shoes, and there’s no way I could go through with dinner sensing the angry nun vibes. On one hand, it’s total social ineptness, on the other hand, I feel like it’s sort of a mark of a strong personality.
On the flip side, I was totally disgusted by the Nuns response. Shyness is acceptable, but to be so openly antagonistic and not at least humor Kuranosuke was really poor. At least Tsukimi tried.
But maybe that’s why the Kuranosoke’s belong with them and they belong with him. They’re all socially retarded.
I agree that it kind of fell upon Kuranosuke to try and break the ice his mistakes wee more forgivable since at least he tried instead of adopting a hostile attitude and aiming for failure. Their social retardation is not something they can easily ignore since it will have dire implications later when they have to work in the real world. Thus it is hard to fault the rest of the world as much of their current social situation is due in no small part for their refusal to extend courtesy to other groups. If I sensed shyness I would still make the effort to break the ice and generate conversation.
They are capable of manners not matter how much pain they went through there was no hostile overture directed at them and their refusal to extend courtesy is simply inexcusable and reprehensible.
…it’s sort of a mark of a strong personality
I feel you on that, and it’s probably one of the most charming things about him. I agree that they already seem to fit together quite well.
Yep, definitely agreed. I can understand the Nuns’ hostility to an extent, but that doesn’t really justify or excuse it at all. I think as they welcome Kuranosuke more (and they’ll definitely welcome him after being presented with such fine meat, haha), they’ll learn to be more open and polite. Can’t get over their prejudice without getting a clear view of those whom they are prejudiced against, after all.
I concur. Though, re:
they’ll definitely welcome him after being presented with such fine meat
- do I detect another double meaning here?! Lol!
Haha! This is one of the few times where it was completely unintended. xD
I gotta say I actually liked the term ‘hipster’ over ‘chic person’ or stylish’. Maybe because it’s a more common term to me but I feel it sums up the motives/reasons behind the ill feelings the nunz show Kuranosuke better than the other two phrases. I couldn’t comment which is the better translation though. Also, i’m also a bit peeved gg decided to drop Kuragehime, especially considering some of the shows they are doing.
Anyways, it appears the nunz have found themselves in a bit of a vicious cycle concerning others. Like Tsukimi, I think the rest of the girls on some level would like to acknowledged and liked by the more mainstream public they shy away from. They group together to console each other over their odd choices/interests, while terrified of how more socially acceptable people might berate, scorn and look down on them, shattering what little confidence they have. That this fear has caused them to treat others in the exact manner they’re so afraid of shows how truly confused they are. As such I can’t feel as disgusted as I’d like; it’s pitiful to watch and shows how crippled they are by their own fears. With any luck during the course of the show they’ll learn to accept the risks of rejection and take the plunge into the outer world. However hard, it’s the only way to escape the rut they’re in. And as Kuranosuke displays, new/different doesn’t have to mean bad.
At least thats what I’m hoping. The odd foreboding scene by the vacant lot about the rise in property demolition, coupled with Kuranosuke’s family involved in land and infrastructure (the tv scene) provide a potential clash between him and the nunz, especially if the neighbourhood/house is at risk.
Speaking of which, I agree with Kuranosuke’s view on the awesome retro vibe of the nunz pad. The lobby sorta reminds me of an old fashioned British railway station for some reason…
I don’t really know enough about translations and subbing groups to say much about either of those… Re: your ‘vicious circle’ comment, though, I think that’s a good way of putting it. And good point about the thing about the vacant lot, that completely passed me by, but now their (the Amars’) observation of it and the TV things makes more sense, and thus your prediction sounds like a very convincing one (I think I was more like Tsukimi in terms of thinking WTF when she saw Kuranosuke’s family on TV, rather than paying attention to what was actually being reported, lol). Anyways, looking fwd to seeing those two different worlds come together even more next week…
This series gets better and better. Love the way it portrays otaku, funny but with a sad reality to it. As for subs, FUNimation picked up this show. It streams on their website and Hulu as ‘princess jellyfish.’ Because FUNimation started playing it, Horriblesubs rips it. I recommend one of those options.
I’m still not too happy with those subs, but luckily for the latest episode there’s a group called Anime Fans For The Win that seems to have their own subtitles.
You do realize they are ripping Funimation’s subs, not Crunchyroll’s, right?
If you are gonna bash, at least get that part right
Crunchyroll, Funimation, whatever. They’re both low quality streams that I’ll have nothing to do with.
My confusion was caused by the low-res stream rips being put out with the ‘group’ tag of “CrunchySubs.” Weird that they’d group the two together, since the last show that I watched that was licensed by Funimation, House of Five Leaves, had a tag called “2funi” instead.
i feel the same way about the umee/crunchyroll subbing thing.. even though i don’t understand japanese.. some of crunchyroll’s translations were iffy.. i appreciate the subs, but would like umee’s subs <3
It’s not so that the Funi subs were wrong, per se, but they seem to favor ‘trendy’ words and localization over nuanced accuracy. I’d rather something a little different or requiring a minor TL note that’s accurate to the meaning of the word. Plus it always irks me when I hear one thing and read something obviously different, heh. But good news, as of episode 03 there’s a group called Anime Fans For The Win (AFFTW) releasing subs. Haven’t checked for Umee yet to see if they’ve gone back to doing their own work or not.
i would of dressed as tsukimi for halloween.. if i went trick or treating that is..
Almost forgot I had these starred in reader. I like this author buffet, will read the rest of these soon.
I’m glad to know there is overlap in the perspective with regard to Kuranosuke; socially dexterous but manages to be an outcast… I identify with this, deeply. Kuranosuke reminds me a bit of myself back in high school, bent between social highs and escape to something more intriguing or meaningful, but never feeling quite at home… it’s like a curse, imo, and I hope to see Kuranosuke find a place in his world where be feels appropriate.