Koutetsujou no Kabaneri Episode 4 Discussion

Phoebe3315 said:

I don't believe they had anything which could cleanly/easily cut skin. I mean, Mumei could cut them with her fingernails or something but she might accidentally really hurt them, plus they don't exactly have anything in the last train car better than their own clothing to stop bleeding. Ikoma was kinda opposed to using their blood as well until he desperately needed it.

Also, Mumei said that she reached her limit sooner than she thought she would, so yeah she thought she had enough time. Probably because she forgot to use the timer in her weapon.

gabrielrroiz said:

it was never said or implied that they did not had anything to cut their skin to get the blood
also it would be normal for ikoma to not try to drink blood right away but for mumei that has been doing this years and is complainig she is hungry for hours?
of course not

BlueBalls said:


The characters are perfectly alright, it's not like we're swimming in deep multifaceted and dynamic individuals in anime so I think you're asking too much of an action show. This isn't trying to be the next Ghost in the shell, it's trying to be an epic action ride and so that's the standard you will hold it to.

The story is pretty typical for any action, fighting, survival show, AoT doesn't have a monopoly on a group of people fighting monsters to save their lives.

Everything isn't a 100% consistent but calling the show "unbelievable and illogical" is a bit rich from someone who rated Steins;Gate, Bakemonogatari and FMA:B 9/10 because those shows certainly doesn't require a good chunk of suspension of disbelief at all.
Speaking of being illogical, you seem to have rated several shows/films that haven't even been released yet. I suppose you're one of those that make up your mind beforehand and then rationalize your position as an afterthought, that does seem to be a common theme among critics of this show.

Reality check: we are 4 episodes in and the show isn't perfect, but calling it bad before we're even halfway through is rash. The show hasn't been bad so far.

Darklight0303 said:


No most of those flaws are actually desperate nitpicking and a severe demonstration of fear to deduce things from facts and instances on screen and blaming the writing because it doesn't explain everything to them textbook style

Jonesy974 said:


Is it? I could've sworn that she was a different person. I thought Mumei was with Ayame's group the whole time and that the "other girl" was by herself getting to the train after her escort died. Also thought that "other girl" got on the train while Mumei was still in her battle outfit.

But, I wasn't entirely focused during the first episode, so there is a good chance I just didn't pay enough attention and totally missed it, lmao.

Andes-Chucky said:
What I understand from Mumei's word:

「 戦を重ねて戦い方をおぼえてる。」 -ikusa wo kasanete tatakai kata wo oboeteru.-

means, after it becomes kabane, it fights and gains experiences. おぼえてる in here doesnt mean "remember", but "gain" contextually.

Though I cannot deny 100% possibility of the meaning you said. I only prefer what I understand 90% :)

Thanks.

zcv45 said:
I keep screaming a the name of a 13th century Chinese invention known as gunpowder when ever I watch this. It's clear they have it.
It's also clearly shown it's potency when those gunpowder barrels exploded destroying layers of metal. While their pressurized steam sued to power the train doesn't even bust the boilers.

Oh well, anime. And steampunk so it gotta be.

MartinNik said:


That is because they probably haven't invented smokeless gunpowder, so they are still at the point where they have to stuff in gunpowder and launch a lead ball, aparently the kabane heart casings are thick enough for that to not work and they might get bitten while reloading, probably why a pressure gun makes more sense, because it may have a magazine.

Without smokeless gunpowder it's hard to create bullets that can rip trough metal plates. If the thickness of the plate that Ikoma wa using for tests in episode 1 is anything to go by, you can see why a pressure gun and a flintlock gun can't work.

KoreaWS said:

Let me tackle the fear first: they fear what is non-human. It's not their race. Is that simple. That's where the fear comes from, the inability to trust the unknown. It would be more ridiculous if they trusted him right away.

Let me bring the bonfire to defend the stupid point too: The fact they allowed it was because they had the measures to run away as soon as Kabanes were around. They have shiny bodies, making it easier for them to see them in the night, and they had guards around the area to keep an eye. They were considering the risks of the bonfire, and that's why we have that scenario.

her insistence on staying in the castle to wait for her father's signal would have lead to their deaths

Andrzej2 said:
At the begining of the show they portraited kabane as very strong, impossible to defeat without this special new gun that main hero invented - it's the only one with enough power to pierce kabane hearts. And now in the train fight scene normal soldier are doing quite well fighting kabane with normal guns, katana is also effective to some point. That confused me a little but well.. i guess it's ok after all. I didin't like music in this episode - they should give us more epic choir music like in AoT. Music that we had in this episode didn't seemed right to me. I had impression that it's just random music that doesn't fit those action scenes.

opiktea said:

Don't think too hard bro, else it gona hurt your brain..

The fact that gunpowder explosion managed to blast a 20 cm thick steel plate but did not cause even a 3rd degree burn damage to a bunch of man around it was too dumb to be real...

Comic_Sans said:


Let's look over the benefits:

Shorter route:
– Shorter, which means there might be enough food supplies and they'll probably reach their destination faster –> Leads to less hunger
– Higher risk of zombies attacking and thus a higher risk of DEATH, and DEATH –> leads to depression and sadness

Longer route:
– Not as short and there not might be enough food, but then again, if they're already rationing it then it shouldn't be that hard to ration it some more –> Leads to more hunger but then again, it's better being hungry than being dead
– Lower risk of zombies attacking and thus a lower risk of DEATH –> leads to relief and later on, happiness

zell said:
Ano

either route doesn't exclude ambushes from kabene.

In the shorter route the ambushes are guaranteed because Ayame travels the railroads and as the daughter of the lord bossing the trains, she actually knows the possibility of being ambushed in this route is dangerously high.

It's like choosing the lesser evil of two, except that the nobles calculated the lesser evil for them being the shortest route. Why? They'd reach the stronghold faster, the train is loaded with Ayamae personal bodyguards, there's the security, and peasants as cannon fodders, which they manipulated behind Ayame's back. Do you really believe they ever thought of fighting the kabane themselves? Because of what I see in this episode, it didn't even cross their mind to do the dirty job.

opiktea said:


This is why we need not to stimulate our brain cells while watching this...
You're trying too hard!

if we consider the cause of 20 cm thick steel plate to blown apart, it comes to 2 thing. one is heat, two is the explosive power.

if the cause was heat, surely the entire room would be affected instantly. Not to mention, the amount of heat that capable to blown a humans body into a dust in a nick of second is just as hot as an atomic explosion, or as hot as photosphere! now get back to crimescene, observe that the train has no characteristic of extreme heat induction from the closest part to explosion into the farthest part! so the cause must not be the heat that caused by the gunpowder explosion!

if the cause was the explosive power, we have to assume that this gunpowder compound when ignited created a chemical reaction that released a huge amount of pressure gas? oxygen? well just assume! therefore, if we calculate the blowback trajectories, the carcass of kabanes that opposed side to the blown wall should be at least spaltered on the another side of the car! but instead, it's gone! now go back once more to the crimescene, note that another bushi with the crybaby girl is standing side by side with the blown wall without cover. Very convinient!

So acording to this two premises, only one possibility left!
MAGIC!
Rokon shojo? Who gives a fuck!

Comic_Sans said:
Hideaki Anno?Which is why I said there was a LOWER risk of them being attacked, not that it was NON EXISTENTWhat? Then that makes the fact that they choose to competely ignore her EVEN more stupidBy taking the shorter route they put EVERYBODY in danger, and "everybody" includes themselves. I have already debunked this argument before, I don't know why you insist on repeating it

Hajinnie said:
Seeing them chill on top of the train in the morning, so kabanes are only active during the night? I have a bad memory so I can't remember if I've seen active kabane in the morning in the previous episodes.
I'd still rather be a kabane in this universe than a human. Fuck living.

Z4k said:

I honestly doubt Mumei is his sister but there might be some connection here.

Xykko said:


mumei is the shogun's sister. i'm calling it right now

Darklight0303 said:


Even though Mumei said she lost her family to the Kabane just like Ikoma.

MysteriousBanana said:
The "ani-sama" she refers to is likely the shogun. She lost her real family and the shogun took her in when he realized her value as a half-kabane weapon.

Darklight0303 said:


Even though Mumei said she lost her family to the Kabane just like Ikoma.

Xykko said:

given how incoherent the writing has been so far it doesn't surprise me it would turn out this way

Darklight0303 said:


And if you're wrong? Will you admit it and post here admitting it? Or will you crawl away back under the bridge with the rest of your crew? I think everyone outside of your tight knit group knows the answer to that.

Comic_Sans said:
I'm sorry but I have literally no idea what you are trying to say hereThen they could do it in a way that doesn't make me facepalm over their excessive stupidityVery fruitful indeed, it proved that every single one of the characters in this show (except the Murican guy because I like him) is a complete idiot and that they shouldn't have been able to survive so far because they're simply too stupid

Xykko said:


it would be a coup d'etat if they took control of the train. what they basically did was disobeying her orders and plant the seed of fear in the commoner minds.

Bibimbapski said:
NOW they're accepting them? After exiling them to the bowels of their train?

Fuck that, throw in those geezers that tried to disconnect their cabin. That was quite a bloodbath, I wonder how many humans are left in that train.

ReaperCreeper said:
I found it pretty funny when that kabane screamed back at the guy.

zellami said:
Their advantage is their sturdy bodies, overall strength, and (here) numbers. Momentums would make them even more powerful, but doesn't make them less kabane.

zellami said:
Well, I suggest you watch Discovery channel if you dislike fiction.

zellami said:
I've seen enough of Discovery channel, so I am enjoying this. And it's a good thing the anime takes its time to flesh its setting out. Isn't it more reasonable to expect this to happen, than bark why is it fiction. I don't see the point, really >_>

Nexxkinn said:
What's the actual reason greenlight this anime, anyway?
It's already 4 episodes and I can't stop seeing lots of similarities with AoT.

both in stories and the show's structure itself.

Darklight0303 said:


Is every human on the planet the same? No they're not. The diversity actually is a nice spin on the usual Zombie theme. It's not like these things are all manufactured in a factory having a strict standard

animebanana said:
I think in reality everyone would literally worship the kabaneris instead of trying to pick a fight with them. Seriously people die because of one kabane but you want to drive out kabaneris that kicked those monsters' ass? Seriously? Great plot. Tbh it's just anime so any logic does not apply. Actually sometimes it should. Seriously.

zellami said:

Who says it doesn't hurt? Hurts like hell probably, but it's Kurusu who we are talking here, not you and me as in the 'normal people', who aren't trained soldiers. The fact he didn't whine only compliments his character and lives to the fame samurai had, it didn't fucking mean he healed in 5 sec. It meant he'd fight to his afterlife if needed in order to protect Ayame. And Ikoma helped, where Kurusu could do as much.

Lulencia said:


He didn't say anything to show he doesn't like the show, he's just pointing out inconsistency - no show is perfect, but people can still like it even with it's faults.
About the kabane, it's mentioned by someone earlier but since the kabane were once humans, anyone find it extremely implausible how tall the wazatori(?) was in this ep?
And I think what @Animayham meant wasn't that each individual can't be diff speeds but that they're ALL a CERTAIN speed at a given moment, but in other moments they aren't. They aren't silly excuses and it's not nitpicking, he was just replying to a previously stated opinion.



I can see and understand that, but at the same time I want to say even if he is a trained samurai, I don't think he should be able to run on the wall LOL

Also just some other things I found funny xd
When people were offering blood, on the area where he was stabbed, why was it bandaged on top of his clothes? And why are they making little children clean up blood ahaha
Before I get attacked on this, I'm just saying I found these things funny, not nitpicking the show ad saying it's bad because of it

Laionidas said:
Getting better each episode. We learned that Kabane are cognitive.

Still bothered though, about how Mumei is taking out those Kabane. I understand the yari kill, since with enough speed (generated by her superhuman strength) anything can pierce anything, but she seems to be killing them left and right with regualr steam muskets too.

The only thing I can think off is that you don't actually have to pierce a Kabane's heart to kill it, that taking off enough limbs or destroying/severing its brain will also kill it, and that piercing its heart (if possible) is just the fastest/safest way to do it.



I guess that a zombie apocalypse even lets feudal Japanese bend the rules a little occassionally.

Also, bear in mind that he's under Mumei's protection, and she isn't exactly a peasant.