April 16, 2005
Speed Grapher Episode 2 - Groaning Banknotes
We get something approaching an OP this time, but I don't think it's permanent as it's just clips from this episode and the previous one.
Kagura Tennouzu has a pretty crappy life. Her mother, Shinsen, deprives her of food and makes her life incredibly difficult for her - she even sleeps with her teacher and pays her off so that no-one finds out about her nefarious ways. While she gets to live in the massive Tennouzu skyscraper, who'd want to live in a building owned by Suitengu, who employs the mysterious masked man Shidou as a hired heavy to rough up those who fail to pay him back, as he proves to one unfortunate young boy? Kagura is forced under hypnosis to become the "Goddess" of the Roppongi Club after a particularly creepy piano lesson, but is still aware of her own fate as she kisses Saiga - but is her desire for someone to help her all in vain?
In a running theme, Memento already has a much fuller synopsis of this episode than I do. While I see his point in not "enjoying" the episode, I have to say I did enjoy it - not because I revel in people being abused or whatever, but because the writing was strong and interesting. The monetary theme running through the show is perhaps a little heavy handed (although at times blackly comic), but I'm sufficiently intrigued by the cast to definitely keep watching it.
Posted by BluWacky at April 16, 2005 12:39 PM | TrackBackOi, fix your markup tags in the bottom paragraph ^_^
I thought the OP was pretty cool, but I've not actually got around to watching the rest of the actual episode, so I don't actually have any reasonable comment in regards to the actual show this week.
Posted by: DiGiKerot at April 16, 2005 01:39 PMHmm... maybe I need to explain myself a bit more clearly. I was quite impressed about the episode, and it most certainly confirmed and reinforced my interest in the anime, I just wanted to express that nothing "positive" happened in the episode. It was a very depressing experience ^_^;;
I have a slightly different take on Shinsen's paying off Kagura's nurse: I don't think that the money is about keeping her quiet - once you reach her level, what normal people think about you doesn't really bother you anymore. Also, I doubt that the nurse was so cute that Shinsen had any form of interest in her - that's why she immediately stopped when Kagura arrived.
No, I think that Shinsen purposely engineered this situation to really hurt Kagura. The nurse was someone who allied herself with Kagura against Shinsen, so Shinsen decided to strip Kagura of this support in the most cruel way. And how better to do it than letting Kagura see the nurse in the most humiliating way, in Kagura's own bed, all pledges of help sold out for money. It sends a message "never dream of standing against me, you are worth less to other people than some cash". Strip Kagura of help, of friends, of hope... that's what it's all about, IMHO.
Posted by: Mentar at April 16, 2005 01:50 PM