So, if it isn't quite clear by the time this is posted, I have decided against a triple or even double header and decided to go with the plan of doing daily updates until the episode nine write-up is finished. I watched this episode yesterday and decided to do the write-up today. Onto the write-up, using the typical summary (long due to anime original material) then thoughts format, after the jump.
We get put straight into the story this time as we see Yukkyun hand Kurotsubaki over to her husband, Shin, before he leaves for his journey that leads directly to his death. Then, a title screen with awesome music behind it is shown for around 10 seconds. Next, the last few events from last time, with Hayate seeing Tsugumi taken into a dimensional vortex is shown. Then, a nice fight scene happens. Isumi throws some talismans at the vortex breaking the magical winged plague doctor's spell, Hayate then tries to kick the bird-man but fails, bird-man runs with Tsugumi and Isumi hits him with more magic knocking over the bird-man and forcing him to drop Tsugumi, finally Hinagiku pulls out Shirosakura and strikes at the bird-man narrowly missing Tsugumi. After this the bird-man runs away. Hayate asks Tsugumi who the bird-man is, but she is a bit uncooperative after nearly being decapitated by Hina. After Tsugumi leaves Isumi asks who Tsugumi is and Hayate tells her Tsugumi is supposedly Nagi's sister. Tsugumi has a conversation with the bird-man, named Shidou, and asks him to give her air fare, to Las Vegas likely. The scene shifts to Nagi and Hayate who have a conversation about how Ayumu and Hina are heading to New York that day with Nagi getting a bit annoyed and Hayate wondering if she is lonely which causes Nagi to say that she still has Tsugumi. Right on time, Maria brings in a note saying Tsugumi has been kidnapped and the kidnappers want Kurotsubaki in return for Tsugumi. Hayate and Nagi look at the note and realize that Tsugumi wrote it herself. The result is that they are a bit suspicious. They head over to the Violet Mansion to check if Tsugumi really is gone. They see that she is gone and Hayate convinces Nagi to go to Las Vegas to save Tsugumi by telling Nagi that Tsugumi's favorite manga was the one Nagi wrote. Now the intro theme plays and this kind-of marks a reasonable mid point.
Nagi, Hayate, and Maria quickly reach Las Vegas through the power of money and go to the LVPD to claim Kurotsubaki. Hayate is surprised it really is a clock as he, like many of the viewers, has heard of a possible sword named Kurotsubaki. Nagi gets Maria to pick up the clock to test the claims of bad luck attached to it. Soon the ventilation system under Maria activates and her skirt catches the air. Hayate then decides to take on the clock so that Nagi and Maria don't need to worry about bad luck. They leave the police department and Nagi says that she wants to make fun memories with Hayate since the last time they were overseas was in Mykonos, so Hayate suggests they go to Area 51 and Maria and Nagi run ahead to rent a car. Hayate nearly gets hit by a car while they run ahead; after this near death experience he loses track of them and does what every professional does by running around looking for them (he would call them but his batteries died mysteriously). Maria and Nagi come out of the shop (or whatever) they were hiding in and decide to look for the lost Hayate. Hayate meets Ayumu (he would have met Hina too but she was passed out in the shade across the street) and Ayumu tells him about how the plane she and Hina were on had mechanical problems and landed in Las Vegas. Hayate over thinks things and connects the plane issue with his bad luck. Ayumu though sees the problem as good luck as she gets to be alone with Hayate for a while; unfortunately for Ayumu though her luck turns as one of the pipes in the fountain she was standing by breaks and soaks her. Ayumu gets a piece of fuzz in her eye and Hayate helps her get it out (by standing close to her in a position that looks like they are kissing). Maria spots them in this position and, unfortunately for Hayate, points it out to Nagi when asked why she is blushing. Nagi hits him in a face with a newspaper; Hayate and Ayumu explain the truth. At this point Hayate recalls that Mikado said that Kurotsubaki ruins the fortunes of its holder, connecting that to the clock driving him and Nagi apart.
Onto my thoughts about the episode. I thought that this episode was quite good and advanced the plot well. The fight at the beginning was quite good, even if it was a bit short, as it was nice to see Isumi in action and see Hina pull Shirosakura out of thin air. The time in Las Vegas was also quite enjoyable as it included some nice references to the Golden Week spent in Greece, including Hina's fear of flying. The only thing I can complain about is that Hayate thinking that the airplane problems are connected to his bad luck. About the only bad thing that has resulted so far from the airplane problems was suffering for Hina, which is bad, and a bit of strain put upon his relationship with Nagi. I have to wonder if he considers getting to stand close to Ayumu Nishizawa is bad luck because I sure would consider that good luck as Ayumu is quite good looking. I also have to say I quite enjoy how the anime seems to be shaping up to be similar to the Golden Week, but different in that it seems to be focusing more on exciting battle and Hayate's poor luck instead of painful times to many people, particularly Hinagiku (Silky Heart) and Hayate (driving Midas out of Athena).
Postscript: I think that I will at some point, after or around anime finish, begin a kind of retroactive review of all arcs and important chapter clusters beginning with chapter 27 or 28. These will feature a review of characters introduced and important things that happened in those chapters. So look forward to that at some point in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment